INVESTIGATING THE IMPACT OF PROBLEM - BASED LEARNING ON STUDENT'S ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS

This study investigates the impact of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on senior high school students' attitudes toward mathematics, focusing on four key aspects: interest, self-efficacy, perception, and anxiety. The research addresses a gap in the existing literature by examining how PBL, a student-centered and problem-solving-oriented instructional strategy, influences studentsÂ’ attitudes in a mathematics context. Using a quantitative approach, the study employed a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to analyze data collected from 30 students from two Senior High Schools in Ashanti region of Ghana, who were divided into two groups: Control and Experimental groups. The results indicate that PBL significantly enhances students' self-efficacy and positively shapes their perception of mathematics. However, PBL did not significantly impact students' interest or anxiety levels, although there was a trend toward reduced anxiety. These findings suggest that while PBL may not directly increase interest or drastically reduce anxiety, it effectively boosts students' confidence in their mathematical abilities and improves their overall perception of the subject. The study concludes with recommendations for educators to incorporate PBL into mathematics teaching to foster a more positive and effective learning environment, particularly in enhancing students' self-efficacy and perception of mathematics.