Improving STEM mathematics achievement through self-efficacy, student perception, and mathematics connection: The mediating role of student interest

Science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) education, the current engine for this technological generation, has made its way into Ghana's education system and is progressively becoming autonomous, particularly at the senior high level. It depends extensively on student mathematics performance to progress into their various dream STEM career programs. It is worthwhile to study the relationships between STEM students' mathematics (perception, self-efficacy, and connection) and mathematics achievement with their study interest mediating between them. The researchers purposively and conveniently sampled 385 general science respondents from eight selected senior high schools in the Kumasi metropolis for this study. The study produces results by quantifying and analyzing the collected data by investigating the six distinct hypotheses with structural equation model (SEM) using SPSS (26) and AMOS (24) software to confirm or refute fundamental assumptions. The study suggests that general science students' mathematics self-efficacy and connection directly impact their mathematics performance and, at the same time, somewhat mediate their ability to perform well in mathematics through their study interest. Moreover, there was no relationship between mathematical perception and student interest or achievement. Students must continue to evaluate the efficacy of their learning tactics to achieve academic excellence, and they must make reliable and self-efficacious evaluations of their mathematical learning as well as their mathematics connections to other STEM subjects to improve their study interest and mathematics achievement. The study recommends that stakeholders, curriculum developers, and implementers of the new STEM curriculum try to connect mathematics to all aspects of STEM as much as possible to either directly improve their performance or increase their interest in improving their mathematics education.