Abstract:
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gender difference, attitude
towards mathematics, parents' education level, and parents' locality in relation with their
mathematics achievement of high school students. To this end, an extensive review of the
available literature was made. The review was focused on four factors (i.e. gender, students'
attitude towards mathematics, parents' educational level, and parents' locality) and mathematics
achievement. Based on review of related literature, basic research questions were constructed
and framed. Three selected general secondary schools of Awi zone were used as a source of data
for this study. The study used mathematics achievement test and questionnaire as instruments of
data collection. The questionnaire and mathematics achievement test were administered 240
students (120 males and 120 females) of grades nine and ten that were chosen based on simple
random sampling techniques. The responses of the students and the results of documentary
detailed examination have been analyzed and interpreted. Major statistical techniques, such as ttest
product moment correlation coefficient, and multiple regressions were applied for data
analyses. Results of the analyses indicated that mathematics achievement was related to gender,
mother's education level mathematics attitudefather's education level and parents' locality with
statistical significance. All of these five variables together explain about 47.3 percent of
mathematics achievement, with gender 36%, with mathematics attitude 4.3%, with mother's
education level 5.7%, withfather's education level 1.2%, and with parents' localityO.l% among
grade nine students. Further, mathematics achievement was related to gender, mathematics
attitude, mother's education level, father'S education level, and parents' locality with statistical
significance. All of these five variables together explain about 44.8 percent of mathematics
achievement, with gender 35.6%, with mathematics attitude 8.7%, with parents' Locality 0.4%
and with mother's education level 0.1% among grade ten students