An Examination of High School Failures as Revealed in the Literature of the Subject in Order to Determine the Nature, Extent, Causes and Remedies Page: 33

'<5*
f
g;
33
(2) What are the Inherent difficulties 1b the subject which
may hare an influence upon the prevalence of failure? '
As a result of these questionnaires, the following
characteristics and behavior patterns of pupils appear to
be significantly associated with failure la mathematics:
(a) Acts of delinquency ma attested by school
records
(b) Failure Is other subjects -besides mathe-
matics
Truancy or cutting classes
Quality of written homework
Regularity of written hornwork
Lsek of responsiveness In olass
Failure to bring necessary materials to
olaaa
(h) Failure to perform assigned tasks during
the Glass period
{1} Failure to make up work after absence
U) Insufficient time devoted t© home study in
all subjects
(k) Insufficient time devoted to study of
mathematics outside the classroom
(1) Somewhat too much time spent on recreational
activities •
{*) Too rattoh time spent by some pupils on in-
struetion in non-school subjects
(n) After-school employment
{0} Inadequate parental supervision of home
study
(p) Failure t© request or secure sufficient
outside help from teacher or other sourcea18
There are certain inherent difficulties in mathematics,
according to this questionnaire, which explain the greater
incidence of mathematics failures. These difficulties
spring from the demands imposed by a subject which is es-
sentially analytic and synthetic, generalized, logical,
l8Ibld,, p. 32.