INVOLVEMENT VOCATIONAL COLLEGE STUDENT LOW ACHIEVERS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING MATHEMATICS THROUGH 'Q-METHODOLOGY' APPROACH (41 - 57)

Abstract

Engagement is seen as an important construct closely related to student achievement. This study aims to examine the low mathematic achiever Vocational College students’ engagement in Mathematics either behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement or affective engagement. It also to identify the type of engagement that affects the individuals concerned to learn Mathematics. This study using a ‘Q-methodology’, which was introduced by William Stephenson (1902-1989) in 1935. The ‘Q-methodology’ is a research technique that allows researchers to identify, understand and categorize theperception of the individual and the group of individuals who have a shared understanding of one subject matter. In this study, students’ perception regarding their behaviour that influence their achievement in Mathematics can be grouped. Next, the group’s subjective opinion will be used to understand students’ behavior that influence their achievement in Mathematics. There are 29 students from Vocational College Dato’ Lela Maharaja, Rembau contributed in this study. The results show that there are four groups of low achiever Vocational College students in Mathematics. These four groups also known as factors that affect low achiever students’ achievement in Mathematics that are fears of Mathematics, learning Mathematics require high focus, learning Mathematics should be meaningful and Mathematics is difficult to learn.