Assessment of Students Mastery of Business Mathematics in Business Education Programmes in Osun State Polytechnic

This study assessed the level of students mastery of Business Mathematics in Business Education programmes at Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, South West Nigeria. Business Mathematics is a critical course that underpins financial literacy, data analysis, and quantitative decision-making in the business world. Despite its importance, lecturers in many Nigerian polytechnics have reported widespread student difficulty with the subject, contributing to poor performance and high failure rates. Understanding the depth of students mastery is a prerequisite for targeted curricular and instructional interventions. A descriptive survey design was employed. The population comprised 300 ND1, ND2, and HND Business Education students at Osun State Polytechnic. A sample of 150 students was selected through stratified random sampling. A validated Business Mathematics Achievement Test comprising 50 items across four cognitive levels was used for data collection. Frequency counts, percentages, and mean scores were computed for analysis. Findings reveal poor mastery across all four cognitive levels, with the weakest performance in algebraic expressions, interest calculations, and statistical probability. Students limited mathematics background from secondary school was identified as the root cause. The study recommends that the polytechnic should introduce a Business Mathematics bridging course for incoming students, while lecturers should adopt differentiated instructional strategies to address varying levels of mathematical readiness. Keywords: business mathematics, mastery, business education, polytechnic, Osun State