Agno National High School

SHS Department

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Rationale

Many studies and reports already come up with various reasons

for Low performance in mathematics. Arnong those are student-related

factors such as interest and study habits towards mathematics and

teacher-related factors such as personality traits, teaching skills, and

instructional materials displayed by the teacher. Many researchers

found out that, the attitude towards study of mathematics had the

highest correlation with mathematics achievement. The study

conducted by Zadoo and Rana (2016), came up with the finding that

study habits and academic achievement are possibly correlated.

Hadi and Al-Ommar (2015) while studying about different factors

contributing academic achievement, found out that student level

variables (prior achievement and self-concept) were more important

than school level factors (school gender, number of students in school,

and teacher's satisfaction).

Education is a crucial aspect of human activity in the era of

globalization and technological revolution. It plays a vital role in

developing human capital, enhancing individual well-being and

opportunities for better living. It ensures the acquisition of knowledge

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and skills that increase productivity and quality of life, leading to new

sources of income and economic growth. The quality of students'

performance is a top priority for educators, making a difference locally,

regionally, nationally, and globally. Academic achievement is essential

in producing quality graduates who will become leaders and manpower,

contributing to a country's economic and social development (Ali Etal,

2016).

Educators, trainers, and researchers have long been interested in

exploring variables contributing effectively for quality of performance of

learners. These variables are inside and outside school that affect

student’s quality of academic achievement. These factors may be termed

as student factors, family factors, school factors and peer factors. There

is a range of factors that effect on the quality of performance of students

(Waters & Marzano, 2016).

The students in public schools belong to a variety of backgrounds

depending upon their demography. This diversity is much vast and

complex as ever before in Philippine culture. Teachers also affect the

student performance. The guidance from the parents and the teachers

indirectly affect the performance of the students (Hussain, 2016).

According to Effandi and Normah (2016), a student needs to think

and make decisions using appropriate strategies to solve mathematical

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problems. They added that students' success in achieving their goals

encourage them to develop positive attitudes towards mathematics and

other problem solving activities. Willingness to solve mathematical

problems compared to average and weak students.

Student’s commitment in mathematics refers to students'

motivation to learn mathematics, their confidence in their ability to

succeed in mathematics and their emotional feelings about

mathematics; Students' commitment in mathematics plays a key role in

the acquisition of math skills and knowledge, Education Matters (2015).

According to Effandi and Normah (2016), students" attitudes

towards mathematics are very much related to their attitude towards

problem solving in general. They added that negative attitudes need to

be overcome, so that later in life. Students will not suffer from poor

problem-solving skills. It is important to master problem solving skills

as these skills are essential for dealing competently with our everyday

life.

Mathematics achievement and performance has shown that the

students from each major level of Education seemed to outperform their

counterparts. Many studies have examined students’ thinking about

school and their attitude toward Mathematics. Mathematics

performance involves a complex interaction of factors on school

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outcome. Although the relationship between students’ performance and

factors affecting it has been studied widely, the researcher too had felt

the importance of exploring the factors affecting students’ mathematics

performance in our own expanse, Sadiye Isisal (2018).

Mathematics achievement in senior high schools (SHS) in Ghana

is not encouraging and this has become a concern for major

stakeholders. Several studies have been conducted to provide

information to understand the issue of poor mathematics achievement.

Of all the studies, areas regarding the joint influence of experience,

pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and subject matter knowledge

(SMK) have been less explored in Ghana, Ocean Education Studies

(2020).

Low academic performance in high school mathematics is a

deeply-rooted concern in the Philippine education system. With the

implementation of the K to 12 Education program, this has drawn more

concern in the academe, most especially in mathematics, JSET (2020).

Several studies have identified various factors that contribute to

students’ poor math performance. Tudy (2014) studied Filipino students

and discovered that only attitudes toward mathematics had a

significant influence on the students’ academic performance. Students

who have a positive attitude toward the subject perform better. As a

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result, developing a positive attitude toward mathematics can help

students in the Philippines improve their math performance. Anxiety is

a component of mental, physical, and affective behaviors, according to

Adyn and Tiryaki (2017).

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Statement of the problem

This study aims to determine and investigate the factors

influencing the mathematics performance of Senior High School

learners in Agno National High School.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents according to:

a. sex

b. strand

2. What are factors influencing mathematics performance of Senior

High School learners?

3. What are the challenges faced by the senior high school learners

in Mathematics?

4. What are the possible solutions to these factors and challenges?

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Scope and Delimitation

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors affecting the

mathematics performance and challenges faced by Senior High School

learners in Agno National High School for the S.Y 2023–2024.

However, the research did not include Juniors High School

learners, parents, and even the other subject teachers, the guidance

counselor, as well as the principal of the school, as respondents.

The research is limited to the responses of Senior High School

learners. The study was limited also to the honest responses of the

respondents to the items of the question.

Significance of the Study

This research will be conducted to determine about the factors

influencing mathematics performance among senior high school

learners.

As a result, the following will benefit from the study's findings:

Learners: This study helps learners to enhance their

understanding on factors affecting their Mathematics performance, it

also helps learners to learn on how to face their challenges in

mathematics.

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Teachers and Faculty: The research will help teachers to

improve teaching methods, adjust curriculum, and enhance

professional development to create a better learning environment.

Parents and Guardians: The study will encourage the parents to

provide specific support at home, which will help their children succeed

academically and feel more confident in mathematics.

Definition of Terms

In order to have a common understanding of the technical terms

used in this study, the following terms used in this study are

operationally or lexically defined.

Factors influencing the Mathematics performance: Refers to

various elements or conditions that have an impact on a particular

outcome or decision-making process.

Mathematics performance: Refers to the ability to perform and

achieve in the subject of mathematics

Challenges faced by the learners: The problems or difficulties

students encounter while learning. These could be anything that makes

it hard for them to understand or succeed in their studies. Identifying

these challenges helps researchers find ways to support students

better.

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QUESTIONNAIRE

PART I. Profile direction: Please fill in the blanks and check each item

with the correct information needed.

Name (optional): __________________________

Sex: ____ Male _____ Female

Strand: ____ STEM ____ HUMSS ____ TVL ____ ABM

PART II. Factors that influence mathematics performance of senior

high school learners.

Direction: Put a check mark at the factors influencing your

mathematics performance.

______ Mathematics Anxiety

______ Motivation

______ Parental Influence

______ Effective Teacher Support

______ Hesitant in asking for assistance

______ Short term Memory

Others (please specify) __________________________

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PART III. Challenges that the learners experienced in Mathematics that

affects their academic performance.

Direction: Put a check mark at the difficulties that learners experienced

in the subject mathematics.

_____ Unable to recall basic mathematical rules, operations or

formulas.

_____ Have problem in recalling what have been taught in previous

class discussions.

_____ Have difficulty with the language of mathematics easily being

confused.

_____ The student do not know when/how to use the correct

theorem/formula for mathematical problem.

_____ Easily lose direction or concentration while the teachers

teaching in front.

Others (please specify) _________________________

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PART IV. Possible solutions to these negative factors and challenges.

Direction: Put a check mark at the possible solution to these negative

factors and challenges.

_____ Peer Support

_____ Teachers should use language that can easily understand by

the learners.

_____ Teachers should provide more examples for the learners to

better understand the lesson.

_____ Provide specialized materials.

_____ Teachers should regularly evaluate their learners.

_____ Learners should provide positive thinking skills.

Others (please specify) ____________________________

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CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature

In this chapter, the literatures were carefully selected and

deliberated upon on the basis of relatively and reliability of the

information presented. These literatures help the researchers to have an

evidence and proof for their study. Also, this chapter discusses the

relevance of the study.

Related Literature

Foreign Literature

Mathematics was viewed negatively where Senior High school

students took it as difficult, deadly, abstract and boring subject. Paul et

al. (2020) showed that Math phobia can be caused by teacher's

knowledge and values, teaching methods and assessment. Michael

(2015) reported that lower academic performance of learners in

mathematics could be caused by teacher's classroom works and their

feedback to the learners.

Ganyaupfu (2014) also indicated that there is a high positive

relationship between student's performance and teaching methods.

Mabena et al. (2021) study showed that lack and inadequacy of

appropriates resources in teaching and learning led to lower academic

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performance in mathematics (Nomsa Mabena, Patricia Namayammu

Mokgosi, et al. 2021). Maria de Lourdes et al. (2020) argues that

teacher, peer, and family attitudes toward mathematics either negative

or positive influence learner's confidence in mathematic. The

researcher's findings showed that learners who have positive attitude

towards their teachers have high performance level compared to the

learners with negative attitudes (Maria de Lourdes Mata, Vera Monteiro,

et al. 2020).

Researches that have been conducted to determine the

relationship between students' attitude towards Mathematics and

performance in Mathematics have yielded contradictory results. The

findings have thus lacked consistency on the subject. Some studies

have demonstrated a strong and significant relationship between

Mathematics attitude and performance. Positive attitudes among

students will be a precipice for good academic result in mathematics

and related sciences subjects (Sunghwan Hwang, Taekwon Son, 2021).

Teaching and learning resources are all those things which the

teacher and student do or use in order to achieve teaching and learning

objectives such as the textbooks, charts, computers and ICT and

calculators. Those teaching and learning resources help the learners to

hear, see, touch, smell and taste and conceive abstract information

from concepts, practice and also help learners to be able to draw some

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conclusions and lack of any resources make teaching and learning

mathematics very hard (Ukobizaba, Ndihokubwayo, et al. 2019).

A supportive school environment can be seen in the form of

supportive physical facilities such as classrooms, adequate desks and

appropriate and relevant textbooks and other relevant instructional

materials that have a direct positive impact on learner performance in

mathematics. Similarly, schools with adequate physical facilities and

teaching materials perform better than those that are not well equipped.

He further concludes that the lack of physical resources and

instructional materials is strongly correlated with learners' poor

academic performance (Darsih, January, 2018).

Some student's failure in mathematics is caused by lack of self-

confidence and personal adjustment to situation. Teachers would help

students to know that mathematics at secondary level determine the

course offer at the tertiary institutions and this helped to take

mathematics more seriously and proved the level of performance.

Teachers encourage students to form habit of practicing more questions

relevant to each topics they have done and keep a breast with past

mathematics topic learnt and also teachers creates mathematical club

and encourage students to join and allows for exchange of mathematics

ideas with others (Dabone, Kyeremeh Tawiah, et al. 2015).

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The key point to be taken into consideration in preparation of

lesson should involve learners' experiences, abilities, interest,

motivation and skills. Lesson preparation and presentation should

follow a logical sequence that motivates individual leaners (Anwer,

2019)

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