CHAPTER 1

PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

RATIONALE OF THE STUDY

Education is undoubtedly the greatest instrument in which man has devised for his own

progress. All societies therefore have one form of education or another but; the use in which it is

put varies. Study habits are learning tendencies that enable students to work privately. The term

study habit can be as the students’ way of study whether systematic, efficient, or inefficient.

Going by this definition, it literally means that good study habit produces positive academic

performance while inefficient study habit leads to academic failure. Study habit are measured

directly through reports, examination, assessment and rating. Students’ attitude and study habit

towards any subject has been described as a function of their belief about the subject and implicit

evaluative responses with those beliefs.

We all know that Mathematics is one of the most difficult subject areas. Most of the

students in high school are trying hard to understand mathematics. Teachers in math have tried

their best to let the students understand the lessons in math. However, there are some things in

math that students can hardly get to understand the subject and some teachers just let them pass

so that they could forward to their next year.

Nuthana & Yanagi (2009) have examined the causes of poor academic performance

among undergraduates in high school. Some of these factors identified are intellectual ability,

poor study habit, achievement motivation, lack of vocational goals, low self-concept and so on.

The concept of study habit is broad as it combines nearly all other sub-topics under it such as

study attitude, study method, and study skill.

 Study method is the knowledge and application of effective study skills or techniques by

students. Several study methods have been identified effective study methods and skills that

could be used by students based on the learning environment.