Relationship Between Teachers’ Subject Matter Knowledge and Student Achievement in Mathematics in Secondary Schools in Katsina State

This study investigates the relationship between mathematics teachers' subject matter knowledge and student achievement in secondary schools in Katsina State, North West Nigeria. Mathematics underperformance in Nigerian secondary schools has been a persistent national concern, and teacher content knowledge has been identified internationally as one of the strongest predictors of student mathematics achievement. In Katsina State, where mathematics pass rates in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination have remained below the national average, understanding teacher knowledge gaps is practically important. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with data from 80 mathematics teachers and 1,200 Senior Secondary School Two students across 20 schools in Katsina, Funtua, and Daura educational zones. Teacher subject matter knowledge was assessed using a 40-item content knowledge test aligned with the SS2 mathematics curriculum. Student achievement was measured using scores from the most recent internal mathematics examination. Pearson correlation and regression analysis were applied. Results reveal a significant positive relationship between teacher subject matter knowledge scores and student mathematics achievement. Teachers scoring below 50 percent on the content knowledge assessment were associated with significantly lower student performance. The study concludes that gaps in teacher mathematics content knowledge are a significant contributor to student underperformance in Katsina State. It recommends that the Katsina State Teaching Service Commission introduce mandatory subject matter competency testing for mathematics teachers and establish intensive content refresher programmes for those identified as having significant knowledge gaps.

Keywords: subject matter knowledge, mathematics achievement, secondary school, Katsina State, teacher competency.