Evaluation of the effect of school location on the attitude of students towards mathematics in the era of digital technology

Udobia Elijah Etukudo and Foluke Bosede Eze

African Educational Research Journal
Published: April 7 2026
Volume 14, Issue 2
Pages 329-334
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19456258

Abstract

School location is an environmental factor that affects the attitude of students towards mathematics. In the era of digital technology, where information and learning tools reach every part of the world through smartphones and other digital learning tools, it is quintessential to carry out a study to establish its effect on the attitude of students towards mathematics. 3100 final year secondary school students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, were used in this study. The participants were 1250 students from urban schools, 950 from sub urban and 900 students from schools in the rural communities. A 25-item attitude test was used for data collection, which was analysed using ANOVA at a 0.05 level of significance. The result shows that there exists a significant difference in attitude towards mathematics among the groups. Further analysis using Scheffe’s test reveals that there exists no significant difference between the attitude towards mathematics of students in the urban and rural schools, but there exists a significant difference between the rural and suburban school students’ attitude towards mathematics. It is also revealed that there exists a significant difference between the attitude toward mathematics of students in urban and suburban schools. The mean scores of the students in the attitude test were urban 68.7%, suburban 65% and rural 68.9%. The blending of attitude towards mathematics of students in urban and rural schools is due to the availability and application of digital technology. The difference that exists in the attitude of students in suburban schools is as a result of the complexity of semi-urban settlements. It is recommended that attention be drawn to students in the suburban settlement, and intervention in terms of the provision of learning tools be given to them.

Keywords: Evaluation, effect, school location, attitude, mathematics, digital technology.

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