Exploring the attitudes of senior high school home economics students towards mathematics in the Cape Coast Metropolis

Mathematics sharpens the mind, promotes systematic thinking, and fosters logical reasoning. Despite its significance in the pre-tertiary curriculum, student interest declines notably in secondary school, with attitudes playing a central role. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, gathering data from 11th and 12th-grade students through an adapted “Maths and Me Survey Attitude Scales” questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The study achieved a 97% response rate for the quantitative phase, analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. The qualitative data were thematically analysed. Findings revealed that perceived relevance is the most influential factor shaping home economics students’ attitudes toward mathematics. This underscores the need for educators to highlight the practical value of mathematics in their instruction. Teachers should also adopt flexible teaching approaches, tailoring methods to suit different academic programmes. The strategy used for science students, for example, should differ from that used for students in home economics classes.