THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATHEMATICS PROFICIENCY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SCIENCES SUBJECTS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

This study sought to examine the relationship between mathematics proficiency and academic performance in physics,chemistry and biology among senior secondary school students. The study adopted a descriptive correlational survey design.The population of the study comprised all Senior Secondary School(SS2) students in public secondary schools within Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State.The study employed four major instruments to gather data .These included the Mathematics Proficiency Test (MPT),Physics Academic Test,Chemistry Academic Test,and Biology Academic Test.The data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. The findings of the study revealed that there is a significant Relationship between Mathematics proficiency and academic performance in Physics among senior secondary school students in Ijebu North Local Government area and there is a significant relationship between Mathematics proficiency and academic performance in chemistry among senior secondary school students in Ijebu North Local Government area and there is a significant relationship between Mathematics proficiency and academic performance in Biology among senior secondary school students in Ijebu North Local Government area.The study concluded that mathematics skills are an important predictor of student performance on science courses (Physics,Chemistry,Biology) because there were high and significant correlations between math proficiency and each science subjects indicating students who have higher mathematical competence are more likely to excel in tasks related to science courses that involve logical thinking,calculation,and problem-solving.The findings also suggest that students who are better prepared in mathematics may do significantly better in science;therefore,educators,curriculum planners,and school administrators should understand the interdependence of mathematics and science and implement strategies to strengthen this connection through intentional instructional planning and academic interventions that highlights math-science integration,remediation and collaborative teaching.The study recommended that science teachers particularly in physics and chemistry should intentionally embed relevant mathematical concepts in their lessons;Mathematics and science teacher should work together to design lesson plans that align in terms of content and timing,especially in topics involving measurement,calculations,and data interpretation and teachers of science subjects should be trained to recognize and address the mathematical demands embedded within their curriculum.