TRENDS IN STUDENT ENROLMENT AND PERFORMANCE IN GEOGRAPHY IN MAURITIUS 2012-2019

In this study, statistics from the Mauritius Examinations Syndicate (MES) were used to show trends in the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) enrolment and performances in Geography for the period 2012 to 2019 at School Certificate level. All school candidates who sat for these examinations within the years under review constituted the target population for the study. Statistical data analysis was carried out using Microsoft Excel with its in-built trend line capabilities. Quantitative analysis showed an overall decline of 15.2% in the number of students opting for Geography at School Certificate level from 2012 to 2019. Findings also demonstrated that male candidates were more likely to achieve a pass mark than female candidates. A t-test analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between grades achieved by girls and boys at p

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Student Enrolment, Cambridge International Examinations, Student Performance, Secondary School, Mauritius

TRENDS IN STUDENT ENROLMENT AND PERFORMANCE IN GEOGRAPHY IN MAURITIUS 2012-2019

Keywords:

Student Enrolment, Cambridge International Examinations, Student Performance, Secondary School, Mauritius,

PDF

___

Adey, K., & Biddulph, M. (2001). The influence of pupil perceptions on subject choice at 14+ in geography and history. Educ. Stud.,27(4), 439- 450. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055690120071894.
Akinnuoye, M. A., Akinnuoye, O. F., Wan Shub, W. A., & Mokhtar, J. (2015). Gender-based perception and appraisal of geography education by Malaysian secondary schools. Journal of Research and Method in Education, 5(3), 45-52. https://doi.org/10.32003/iggei.467488.
Akintade, B. O. (2011). Considering the determinants of selecting geography as a discipline, the case of senior secondary school students in Ilorin, Nigeria. Ozean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(1), 131-138. Retrieved on 01 July 2021 from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/CONSIDERING-THE- DETERMINANTS-OF-SELECTING-GEOGRAPHY-Aregbeyen- Majid/267f47c952b410e398a55366d101fc55715913f4#citing-papers.
Alam, S. (2016). Place of Geography in school curriculum. Geography and You, 16(95), 17-20. Retrieved August 12 2021 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303495585.
Al-Nofli, M. A. (2010). Students' perceptions about geography: A study of basic education school students in Oman. European Journal of Social Sciences, 16(1), 11-19. Retrieved July 20 2021 from https://www.academia.edu/35838528/Students_Perceptions_about_ Geography_A_Study_of_Basic_Education_School_Students_in_Om an.
Anlimachie, M. A. (2019). Understanding the causes of students' weak performance in geography at the WASSCE and the implications for school practices: A case of two senior high schools in a rural district of Ghana. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 3(3), 295-311. Retrieved June 27 2021 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332222143.
Baerwald, T. J. (2010). Prospects for geography as an interdisciplinary discipline. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 100(3), 493-501. https://doi.org/10.1080/00045608.2010.485443.
Bell, J. F. (2001). Patterns of subject uptake and examination entry 1984–1997. Educational Studies, 27(2), 201-219. https://doi.org/10.1080/713664313.
Breckon, J., & Gardner, R. (2004). Geography in the United Kingdom. Belgeo. Revue Belge de Géographie, (1), 175-192. https://doi.org/10.4000/belgeo.10087.
Bunce, D. M., Flens, E. A., & Neiles, K. Y. (2010). How long can students pay attention in class? A study of student attention decline using clickers. Journal of Chemical Education, 87(12), 1438-1443. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed100409p.
Burnett, A., & Crowe, L. (2016): An evaluation of secondary school students` perceptions of geography at Key Stages 3 and 4. The Sheffield Hallam University Natural Environment Research Transactions., 2(1), 53-79. Retrieved July 15 2021 from Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/15876.
Daby, P. (2015). The effectiveness of a mother tongue based education to improve learning outcomes and second language acquisition in public primary schools of Zone 3, Mauritius. The Bridge: Journal of Educational Research-Informed Practice, 2(3), 24-41. Retrieved 10 October 2021 from https://www.academia.edu/36007493/The_effectiveness_of_a_moth er_tongue_based_education_to_improve_learning_outcomes_and _second_language_acquisition_in_public_primary_schools_of_Zon e_3_Mauritius.
Eccles, J., Jacobs, J. E., & Harold, R. D. (1990). Gender role stereotypes, expectancy effects, and parents’ socialization of gender differences. Journal of Social Issues, 46(2), 183–201. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540- 4560.1990.tb01929.x.
Eze, E. (2021). Why Nigerian secondary school geography students perform poorly in external examinations: Synthesis of WAEC Chief Examiners’ Reports of a decade. Research Square; 2020, https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-28665/v1.
Fatima, M. (2016). Perceptions of geography as a discipline among students of different academic levels in Pakistan. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 6(1), 67-85. Retrieved July 10 2021, https://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rigeo.org%2F vol6no1%2FNumber1Spring%2FRIGEO-V6-N1-1.pdf
Fatima, M., Noor, S., & Shafqat, A. D. I. L. A. (2015). An overview of geography education in Pakistan. Coğrafya Eğitimi Dergisi Turkish Journal of Geography Education, 1(2), 43-53. Retrieved November 25 2021 from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Munazza- Fatima/publication/344322800_An_Overview_of_Geography_Educat ion_in_Pakistan/links/5f678fe592851c14bc8bb555/An-Overview-of- Geography-Education-in-Pakistan.pdf.
Gaite, M. J. M. (2011). Geographical education and teacher training: Challenges and prospects in the New European Higher Education Area. Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles, 57, 459-464. Retrieved June 30 2021 from https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/3814337/2.pdf.
Harris, M. J., & Rosenthal, R. (1985). Mediation of interpersonal expectancy effects. 31 meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 97(3), 363–386. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.97.3.363.
Harvey, N., & Forster, C. (2004). Geography in South Australian universities: Future prospects. South Australian Geographical Journal, 102, 118-127. Retrieved June 02 2021 from https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/ielapa.200507560.
Incekara, S. (2010). A comparative analysis of geography education: International samples and Turkey. Education, 130(4), 682-695.
Jussim, L., Eccles, J., & Madon, S. (1996). Social perception, social stereotypes, and teacher expectations: Accuracy and the quest for the powerful self-fulfilling prophecy. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology., 28, 281-388. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60240- 3.
Kubiatko, M., Mrazkova, K., & Janko, T. (2012). Gender and grade level as factors influencing perception of geography. Review of International Geographical Education Online (RIGEO), 2(3), 289-302. Retrieved June 25 2021 from https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/115320.
Li, Q. (1999). Teachers’ beliefs and gender differences in Mathematics: A review. Educational Research, 41(1), 63-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/0013188990410106.
Lisowski, A. (2011). Geography and social sciences in transdisciplinary science. Miscellanea Geographica, 15(2011), 9-40. https://doi.org/10.2478/v10288-012-0001-x.
Mauritius Examinations Syndicate, (2021). Entries and percentage pass rates per subject. School Certificate (SC) Statistics.
Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology. (2020). The National Curriculum Framework: Primary. Phoenix. Mauritius.
Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education, Science and Technology. (2020). The National Curriculum Framework: Secondary. Phoenix. Mauritius.
Morgan, K. (2004). The exaggerated death of geography: Learning, proximity and territorial innovation systems. Journal of Economic Geography, 4(1), 3-21 Retrieved June 20 2021 from https://www.academia.edu/47246935/The_exaggerated_death_of_g eography_learning_proximity_and_territorial_innovation_systems.
Murphy, A. B. (2007). Geography’s place in higher education in the United States. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 31(1), 121–141. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098260601033068.
Nguyen, H. H. D., & Ryan, A. M. (2008). Does stereotype threat affect test performance of minorities and women? A meta-analysis of experimental evidence. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1314-1334. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012702.
Opoku, F. (2019). Perceptions of geography among Ghanaian senior high school students: A phenomenological study. International Journal of Geography and Geography Education, 39, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.32003/iggei.467488.
Opoku, F. (2020). Geography education in Ghanaian senior high schools: A qualitative study of the gender differences in students’ geographical knowledge and interests. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2020.1779987.
Opoku, F., Serbeh, R., & Amoah, E. G. (2020). Geography education in perspective: An enquiry into Ghanaian senior high school students’ positive and negative attitudes towards geography. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 30(1), 39-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2020.1727115.
Ponce, O. A., & Pagán-Maldonado, N. (2015). Mixed methods research in education: Capturing the complexity of the profession. International Journal of Educational Excellence, 1(1), 111-135. https://doi.org/10.18562/ijee.2015.0005.
Robnett, R. D. (2016). Gender bias in stem fields: Variation in prevalence and links to stem self-concept. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 40(1), 65–79. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684315596162.
Rubie-Davies, C. (2014). Becoming a high expectation teacher. Raising the bar. New York, NY, Routledge.
Shimura, T. (2015). Primary geography education in Japan: Curriculum as social studies, practices and teachers’ expertise. Review of International Geographical Education Online, 5(2),151-165. Retrieved June 10 2021 from https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article- file/590626.
Simpkins, S. D., Estrella, G., Gaskin, E., & Kloberdanz, E. (2018). Latino parents’ science beliefs and support of high school students’ motivational beliefs: Do the relations vary across gender and familism values? Social Psychology of Education,21(5), 1203-1224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-018-9459-5.
Smith, H. (2009). Perceptions of geography as a vocation: A study of secondary school students in the Illawarra and South East region of New South Wales. BSc. Hons., School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, 2009, Retrieved May 21 2021 from http://ro.uow.edu.au/thsci/101.
Spencer, S. J., Steele, C. M., & Quinn, D. M. (1999). Stereotype threat and women’s math performance. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 35(1), 4-28, https://doi.org/10.1006/jesp.1998.1373.
Tanyanyiwa, V. I. (2015). Is the inclusion of geography in school and university curriculum important in the 21st century? International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, 13(2), 607-614. Retrieved July 08 2021 from http://www.ijisr.issr-journals.org.
Thomas-Brown, K. A. (2011). Teaching for geographic literacy: Our afterschool Geography club. The Social Studies, 102(5), 181-189, https://doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2010.509373.
Thrift, N. (2002): The future of Geography. Geoforum, 33(3), 291-298. https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/S0016-7185(02)00019-2.
Tiedemann, J. (2000). Parents’ gender stereotypes and teachers’ beliefs as predictors of children’s concept of their mathematical ability in elementary school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(1), 144-151. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.92.1.144.
Tilbury, D., & Williams, M. (Eds.). (2002). Teaching and learning Geography. Routledge. (pp.331)
University of Cambridge International Examinations, (2021). Retrieved 22 November 2021 from https://www.cienotes.com/wp- content/uploads/2018/11/202761-2017-2019-syllabus.pdf.
Verma, M., & Deshpande, S. (2016). Perception of students about Geography in FNU: A case study. Asia Pacific Institute of Advanced Research (APIAR), 2(1), 100-111. Retrieved June 30 2021 from https://apiar.org.au/wp- content/uploads/2016/03/10_APJCECT_ICTP_BRR718_EDU-100-111.pdf.
Walford, R. (2001). Geography in British Schools, 1850-2000: Making a world of difference. Psychology Press.
Watson, P. W. S. J., Rubie-Davies, C. M., Meissel, K., Peterson, E. R., Flint, A., Garrett, L.., & McDonald, L. (2019). Teacher gender, and expectation of reading achievement in New Zealand elementary school students: essentially a barrier? Gender and Education, 31(8), 1000-1019. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2017.1410108.
Weeden, P. (2007). Students’ perceptions of geography: Decision making at age 14. Geography, 92(1), 62-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/00167487.2007.12094182.