Though mathematical understanding is ancient, stretching back into pre-history, its concepts, organization, scope, outlook and practice have seen profound evolution over the millenia. So what is this thing called mathematics? Can a single definition be found that captures the meaning of Mathematics across the millennia of its recorded history? What unites the practice of mathematics throughout its history and into the present time? Getting at a satisfactory answer is slippery business. What adequately describes mathematics at various earlier periods of its history is typically inadequate for contemporary mathematics. The same is true in reverse: an abstract, structure based discussion of mathematics that fits contemporary mathematics would exclude large periods in the early history of mathematics. Mathematics is one of the most interesting subjects in the education sector. All science subjects like physics and chemistry have a strong correlation with mathematics; that is why mathematics teachers or lecturer are among of the most sort after teachers or lecturers in Nigeria.
Why People Fail Mathematics:
There have been series of questions as to why people fail mathematics; some of the reasons why people fail mathematics is discussed below:
1. Lack Of Learning Materials
Instructional materials refer to those alternative channels of communication, which a classroom teacher can use to concretize a concept during teaching and learning process. Traditionally, classroom teachers have relied heavily on the 'talk-chalk' method during their teaching. But recently, instructional materials help to provide variations in the ways in which messages are sent across. In using instructional materials teachers and students do not only extend the range of sense organs we use but also extend the range of materials used for convening the same message through the same organ. For instance, in teaching a topic a teacher can manipulate real objects or use their stimulators.

See samples of mathematics education projects and research materials that are based on academic performance in mathematics.

Instructional materials therefore constitute the media of exchange through which a message transaction is facilitated between a source and a receiver. In addition to extending the range of materials that can be used to convey the same instructional message to learners instructional materials also facilitate the 'process' nature of communication. In this passage, the process nature of communication implies that both the source and the receiver of a message are actively involved in a communication encounter. Infarct, it means that both the receiver and the source share and exchange ideas, feelings in any communication. However most secondary schools in Nigeria do not have the adequate resources for the provision of instructional materials for teaching and learning of mathematics in secondary schools. Some of the schools have old mathematics learning instructions and materials and the school management is not willing to restock their library with new books and learning materials for mathematics students.
2. Lack Of Qualified Teachers
Mathematics teachers are usually very hard to come by these days; some of those that are available tend to have little or no experience in teaching mathematics. Their inability to use mathematics instructional materials in teaching mathematics is not encouraging; at the end of the day it will affect the interest of students in studying mathematics.
3. Study Time And Reading Comprehension
Most student hardly give time to the study of mathematics because they don’t have interest in it or might not have time to study because of other school activities. But study time is very crucial for who ever that want to improve his/her performance in mathematics. Study Time means time allowed off from normal duties granted on full pay to staff members who are studying in approved part-time courses. Study Time means the time allowed off from normal duties on full pay to a staff member who is studying in a part time course which is of relevance to the department. There is a high correlation between study time and reading comprehension when study mathematics. Giving more time to study can improve your reading comprehension.
Reading comprehension is the ability to process text, understand its meaning, and to integrate with what the reader already knows. Fundamental skills required in efficient reading comprehension are knowing meaning of words, ability to understand meaning of a word from discourse context, ability to follow organization of passage and to identify antecedents and references in it, ability to draw inferences from a passage about its contents, ability to identify the main thought of a passage, ability to answer questions answered in a passage, ability to recognize the literary devices or propositional structures used in a passage and determine its tone, to understand the situational mood (agents, objects, temporal and spatial reference points, casual and intentional inflections, etc.) conveyed for assertions, questioning, commanding, refraining etc. and finally ability to determine writer's purpose, intent and point of view, and draw inferences about the writer.
4. Peer Influence
Peer group play a large role in the social, emotional and academic development of students. Peer group influence begins at an early age and increases through the teenage years. Thus, understanding the prospects and challenges of peer group is crucial for the productivity of educational processes and the organizational design of school systems in order to improve student’s academic performance. For many students, friendships are critical interpersonal vehicle that move them towards psychological growth and maturity, allowing social compassion which influences the development of self-evaluation. The peer influence is usually notice in students interest in mathematics. I conducted an experiment last month; I selected a group of five brilliant students that have high performance in their mathematics courses to group A and I also selected another group of five students with average performance in mathematics into group B. The I brought another student who served as a control group. I introduced one student each into group A and B making them six in number. I provided instructional materials for learning mathematics; I allowed them to study for four weeks on a particular course module. At the end of the study exercise; I set a quiz for the two students I introduced to the group A and B. It was found that the student I introduced into group A performed better than the student I introduced in group B. This is to show that peer influence play a major role in student performance in mathematics.
How To Become The Best Mathematics Students In Your Class:
A good student that is looking forward to becoming the best student in his or her class can practice the following steps I listed below:
1. Get The Required Mathematics Text Book For Your Class
Like the saying goes it better to read books than watching netflix; how can one know mathematics without mathematics textbooks?. The first major step to becoming the best mathematics student in your class is to start by get the required textbook that is recommended by your teacher or school management and start studying. You can get the syllabus for your level and study with the syllabus. It is not a crime to study ahead of your teachers. Just keep studying.
2. Study Always Because Consistency Is Key
If you leave mathematics, mathematics will leave; this statement has always been true from time immemorial. Consistency is always the key to perfection. A brilliant student that is not consistent with his studies will be beaten by an average student that always study and improve his/her skills. Always give 2-3 hours every the study of mathematics if you really want to become the best in your class. One more thing; every mathematics textbook have a section for exercises; it is advisable to always attempt the questions after study a particular topic.
3. Get A Mathematics Coach
Getting a mathematics is another good and vital method to use if you want to become the best mathematics student in your class. Like the saying goes “no man is an island” the same goes to any student. Everybody need guide in one way or the other. As you are studying, you might find out that one of two exercises is difficult for you, you can take it to someone that is good at mathematics and that is higher than you academically to put you through; by so doing you develop new skill and ideas on how to tackle mathematics problems
4. Go Closer To Your Mathematics Teacher
Going closer to your mathematics teacher tend to increase your interest in learning mathematics unless your teacher is not approachable but majority of the mathematics teachers I have come in contact with always like a student that come to them with their mathematics problems. You mathematics teacher can serve as your coach. Every school have time for break; a good student can utilize the 30 minutes break to gain knowledge; he or she can write out some mathematics problems that are difficult for him or her to his or her mathematics teacher for solution and guide.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mathematics is a very important in all institutions in Nigeria. For a student to become the best in his or her class, we highlight some points like improvement of study time, get a mathematics coach, get all the necessary text books for learning mathematics and going closer to your mathematics teacher. All the points listed above if properly followed will improve student academic performance in mathematics