EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF FOCUSED STUDY HABITS AND DISTRACTING FACTORS (AGGRESSION AND ALIENATION) ON MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the influence of major study habit distracters, namely aggression and alienation, on the mathematics achievement of senior secondary school students. Mathematics achievement is considered an essential indicator of academic success at the senior secondary stage; however, students’ performance in this subject is often affected by behavioural and psycho-social factors. To achieve the objectives, the study adopted a descriptive survey method. A sample of 800 senior secondary school students from different schools of Rohtak town was selected for the investigation. Students’ mathematics achievement was assessed through their previous class academic records. The data were analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques, including Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), to examine the effect of aggression and alienation on mathematics achievement. The findings revealed that both aggression and alienation had a statistically significant effect on students’ mathematics achievement. The obtained results indicated that variations in aggression and alienation levels were associated with significant differences in achievement scores, leading to the rejection of the null hypotheses formulated for the study. The findings suggest that students with higher levels of aggression and alienation are more likely to show lower achievement in mathematics due to reduced concentration, weak academic engagement, emotional imbalance, and lack of belongingness. The study highlights the importance of addressing behavioural and emotional distracters in the school environment to enhance mathematics performance. The results may be beneficial for teachers, parents, counsellors, and educational administrators in developing supportive strategies to reduce aggression and alienation and promote better academic outcomes among senior secondary school students.