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Determinants of the mathematics performance of the iv year high students by eugene d. gabriel
1. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
i
DETERMINANTS OF THE MATHEMATICS PERFORMANCE
OF THE FOURTH YEAR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
OF STA. LUCIA DISTRICT
EUGENE D. GABRIEL
ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE
GRADUATE SCHOOL
TAGUDIN, ILOCOS SUR
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION
(MATHEMATICS)
FEBRUARY 2012
2. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
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APPROVAL SHEET
This thesis entitled “Determinants of the Mathematics
Performance of the Fourth Year High School Students of Sta. Lucia
District” conducted and submitted by EUGENE D. GABRIEL in partial
fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
EDUCATION (MATHEMATICS) has been examined and passed by the
Graduate Thesis Review Committee on February 18, 2012 composed of:
EDERLINA M. SUMAIL, Ph. D LITO W. BINAY-AN, MASE
Adviser/ Statistician Member/ Review Committee
TESSIE L. DELA CRUZ, Ph. D. HELEN C. ABELLA, Ph. D
Member/Review Committee Internal Expert
RAFAEL B. QUERUBIN, Ph. D.
Chairman, Review Committee
Accepted and approved in partial fulfilment of the requirements for
the degree Master of Science in Education (Mathematics).
NELLIE L. TABANGIN, Ph. D. REMEDIOS B. OBILLE, Ed. D.
Associate Dean Dean, Graduate School
RAFAEL B. QUERUBIN, Ph. D.
SUC, President II
Recorded by:
FRANCISCO N. DIVINA, MSA
Graduate Secretary
Contribution No. ________
Date: ___________________
3. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
A baby boy was born at Brgy. Libtong, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur on the
evening of August 10, 1978. His name was taken after the name of the
world‟s famous chess master “Eugene” Torre by Mr. Primo V. Gabriel, a
carpenter and Mrs. Tita D. Gabriel, an instructor of the Ilocos Sur
Polytechnic State College, South Cluster, Tagudin Campus, Tagudin,
Ilocos Sur.
Having been enlightened by the word of God, Eugene grew in a Full
Gospel Christian belief where he learned how to value serving God, good
character, manners and morals. At his early age he was trained serving
God and trusting Him no matter what circumstances come. To serve God
as a minister was one of his dreams during his childhood.
Each individual needs to acquire knowledge, so he began his
formal education in elementary at Libtong Community School from 1985
to 1991 and graduated with honors. He continued his secondary
education at Tagudin General Comprehensive High School now Ilocos
Sur Polytechnic State College (ISPSC), Tagudin Campus from 1991 to
1995. Due to his enthusiastic desire to serve God being a minister he
enrolled at Pentecostal Bible College (PBC) now Asian Mission Bible
Seminary San Fernando City, La Union, in his ministerial studies for two
years and six months practicum. After his graduation he started his first
pioneering work in Nagtenga, Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur and then transferred
at Pudoc, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. Pursuing the challenge to grow as a
person and as a professional he took his Bachelor in Secondary
Education for the second semester at ISPSC Tagudin Campus in 1997
while he was having his ministry in Pudoc, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur. He was
transferred to work as a minister in Sagat, Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur, so he
decided to continue his studies at the University of Northern Philippines,
Candon, Ilocos Sur. He finished his Bachelor in Secondary Education
major in Mathematics and minor in Physical Education and English on
March, 2002.
New graduates need to prove that they are qualified in the teaching
profession as imposed by the PRC, so he took his Licensure Examination
for Teachers on August 25, 2002 and luckily he passed the examination
with a rating of 79.20%.
In January, 2005, he took the opportunity to exercise his
profession as a teacher. He accepted the challenge to teach at Sta. Lucia
Academy, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur where he taught Mathematics III and IV
up to the present. The desire to serve God is still there so he is enjoying
4. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
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the position being the music director and assistant pastor of the main
church, Christ‟s Servants Full Gospel Ministry, Inc. (CSFGMI).
Eugene is happily married last December 27, 2006 to Jovelyn
Banquiad, a licensed teacher and presently working at Tagudin General
Hospital and Capillariasis Center as administrative aide. They were
blessed by God with two beautiful daughters namely Genelyn Grace and
Eunice Ashley.
He believed that everything can be accomplished through the help
of God and by His Power nothing is impossible.
EUGENE D. GABRIEL
5. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The researcher‟s foremost gratitude to the Almighty God, the giver
of life, full of blessings and grace, and the source of all wisdom, for all
the bountiful enlightenment and guidance He provided in making
everything possible in the completion of this research work.
Sincere gratitude is also extended to the following individuals who
showed genuine support to the completion of this research work.
Dr. Ederlina M. Sumail, his adviser and statistician for her
patience in giving brilliant pieces of advice, encouragement and
assistance in analyzing gathered data;
Dr. Remedios B. Obille, Dean of the Graduate School and
chairman of the panel defense for her guidance, valuable suggestions in
the formulation of the problem and scholarly pieces of advice in the
improvement of this study;
Dr. Tessie Dela Cruz and Sir Lito W. Binay-an, the members of the
review committee, for their expertise and valuable suggestions in the
refinement of this study;
Dr. Helen C. Abella, Internal Expert, for her intellectual
suggestions that gave meaning to the research results and that greatly
6. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
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improved the final manuscript;
Madame Agnes Torres, for her invaluable contributions to make
this piece more meaningful;
The School Principals and Mathematics teachers of both public
and private schools of Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur for
allowing him to conduct a research and for patiently providing the data
needed in the research;
His younger sister Helen D. Gabriel who helped him financially and
to his Mama Tita, who is always giving him the word of encouragement to
finish this study and her effort in tallying some of the gathered data;
His loving and understanding wife Jovelyn and his lovely kids
Genelyn Grace and Eunice Ashley, who always extend unconditional
support and serve as his inspiration in this endeavor. This piece of work
carefully craved with patience and endurance is dedicated to all of you.
e.d.g.
7. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
vii
DEDICATION
To
My loving and understanding wife: JOVELYN,
Daughters:
GENELYN GRACE
And
EUNICE ASHLEY
Loving parents:
PRIMO V. GABRIEL
And
TITA D. GABRIEL
Sisters: EUGENIA and HELEN
And
To my beloved CO-PASTORS, CO- TEACHERS, FRIENDS
AND MENTORS who are always there ready to render
their love and support so as to make this work
materialize, and above all,
To the dear Almighty GOD!!!
EUGENE
8. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
viii
ABSTRACT
GABRIEL, EUGENE D. February 2012, Determinants of the
Mathematics Performance of the Fourth Year High School Students
of Sta. Lucia District. M. S. E. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College,
Graduate School, Tagudin Campus, Tagudin, Ilocos Sur.
Adviser: Ederlina M. Sumail, Ph. D.
The major purpose of this study was to identify the Determinants of
the Mathematics Performance of the Fourth Year High School Students of
Sta. Lucia District during the school year 2011 – 2012..
The descriptive – correlational research was employed with
proportional random sampling as mode of obtaining the sample. There
were 602 student- respondents, 14 Mathematics teacher- respondents and
five schools of both public and private high school of Sta. Lucia District.
The statistical tools used were frequency counting, percentage, weighted
mean, t-test, Pearson r, and stepwise linear regression.
Results of the study showed that most of the fourth year high school
students were females with 318 out of 602 students, aged 15 – 16 years
old, graduated from public elementary schools and having 77 – 82 grade
point average (GPA) in third year Mathematics.
Their parents were both high school graduates with below Php
10,000.00 monthly income having a semi – skilled job living in permanent
dwellings located in the rural areas.
The attitudes of the students toward Mathematics was “slightly
favorable” with little overall Mathematics beliefs and excellent impressions
to their Mathematics teachers.
Most of the teacher-respondents were females were of 21-30 years
being singles and married, had been in the service for 15 years and below,
all were qualified to teach, were bachelor’s degree holders, most of them
were teacher I, and had attended regional trainings/seminars. They had
different attributes and qualifications that made them qualified to teach
secondary Mathematics.
Most of the schools had an average of 56 – 60 students per class
mostly were public high schools located in the poblacion and had slightly
adequate school facilities and equipment.
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It is concluded that the student-respondents of the secondary
schools of Sta. Lucia District are a blend of different profile variables. The
teacher-respondents represent a variety of different profile variables. The
schools vary in terms of class size, type of school, location of school and
adequacy of school materials. The Mathematics IV students recognize the
importance of Mathematics in their overall development. The Mathematics
IV students manifest varied self confidence, success and defense
orientations in Mathematics and show a slight positive attitudes toward
Mathematics. The fair and good performance of students in Mathematics
IV demands a more intensive and innovative approach in teaching the
subject to increase the level of attitudes and beliefs toward the subject.
The Mathematics teachers meet the standard requirements set by the
DepEd and the Civil Service to qualify them to teach. The basic
requirement needed to operate a school does not come up with the
standard. The students posses the same characteristics in terms of
attitudes toward Mathematics, Mathematics beliefs and impressions to
Mathematics teachers and shows a slight difference in Mathematics IV
performance. The performance of the students in Mathematics IV is
associated with sex, age, type of elementary graduated from, GPA in third
year Mathematics, highest educational attainment of the father and the
mother, income of parents, occupation of parents and type of dwelling. The
Mathematics performance of the students is also dependent on the
teachers’ profile in terms of sex, highest educational attainment and
plantilla position, and school profile in terms of class size and location of
school are interrelated to the Mathematics performance of the students.
Personal profile of the students in terms of age, sex and Grade Point
Average (GPA) in Mathematics III, and their socio-economic profile in terms
of highest educational attainment of the father, highest educational
attainment of the mother, income of parents, occupation of parents and
type of dwelling, the impressions to Mathematics teachers and, the school
profile in terms of class size and location of school emerge as determinants
of the Mathematics IV performance.
It is then recommended that: the administrators and Mathematics
teachers starting from first year shall strengthen the students’ foundation
in Mathematics subjects and should continuously search for some
innovations in teaching so that in the higher years they will be prepared to
undertake higher Mathematics subjects and to enhance the desirable
attitudes and beliefs toward Mathematics. The school administrators
should take into consideration the normal class sizes, so that the teachers
can cater the needs of these students individually and that the school
materials will become available for these students. TEEPS and SCOPE,
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Instructional Materials, Mathematics Bulletin Board and Science laboratory
must be made more adequate by the school administrators and teachers
concerned. The Mathematics teachers should be updated with the new
trends and techniques in teaching. They should be encouraged to attend
trainings and seminars related to this and they should be encouraged also
to enrol and finish graduate studies in Mathematics for them to become
more efficient and effective to teach the subject. Parents should give full
support and tutor their children in their studies in order to help the
teachers in developing the skills of the students along Mathematics. A
similar study should be conducted in all Mathematics subjects from first
year to fourth year levels as well as in other areas of specialization to find
out the determinants which may influence the performance of the students
in that particular area.
11. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PRELIMINARIES Page
Title Page i
Approval Sheet ii
Biographical Sketch iii
Acknowledgment v
Dedication vii
Abstract viii
Table of Contents xi
List of Tables xiv
List of Figures xv
CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION
12. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
xii
Situational Analysis 1
Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework 7
Statement of the Problem 15
Hypotheses 16
Significance of the Study 17
Scope and Delimitation 19
Definition of Terms 20
CHAPTER II – REVIEW OF LITERATURE 26
CHAPTER III – RESEARCH METHODOLY
Research Design 48
Population of the Study 49
Data Gathering Instrument 49
Categorization of Data 51
Data Gathering Procedure 53
Statistical Treatment 54
CHAPTER IV – RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
13. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
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Personal Profile of the Student- 57
respondents
Socio-economic Profile of the Student- 61
respondents
Attitudes toward Mathematics 67
Mathematics Beliefs 69
Impressions to Mathematics Teachers 72
Mathematics Teachers’ Profile 74
School Profile 79
Level of Performance of the Students in 83
Mathematics IV (First Grading)
Relationship between the Students’ 87
Profile and Mathematics IV
Performance (First Grading)
Relationship between the Mathematics 91
teachers’ profile and Mathematics IV
Performance (First Grading)
Relationship between the School 93
Profile and Mathematics IV
Performance (First Grading)
Determinants of the Mathematics IV 96
Performance
CHAPTER V – SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS
AND RECOMMENDATIONS
14. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
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Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
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Summary 101
Findings 102
Conclusions 110
Recommendations 111
BIBLIOGRAPHY 115
APPENDICES
A. Request Letter to the Division Schools 122
Superintendent, School Principals and
Approval
B. The Questionnaires for the Fourth Year High 129
School Students, Mathematics teachers
Respondents
C. Statistical Printouts 136
15. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
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LIST OF TABLES
Table Title Page
1 Personal Profile of the Fourth Year High School 58
Students of Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur
2 Socio-economic Profile of the Students 64
3 Attitudes toward Mathematics 68
4 Mathematics Beliefs of the Fourth Year High School 70
Students in Public and Private Schools
5 Impressions to Mathematics Teachers as perceived by 73
the Students
6 Profile of the Mathematics Teachers in Public and 77
Private High Schools
7 Profile of Schools of both Public and Private Schools of 80
Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur
8 Level of Adequacy of School Materials 82
9 Level of Performance in Mathematics IV in Public and 84
Private High Schools (First Grading)
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10 Summary of Mathematics IV Performance of Fourth 86
Year High School Students (First Grading)
11 Relationship between the Students‟ Profile and 88
Mathematics IV Performance (First Grading)
12 Relationship between the Mathematics Teachers‟ 92
Profile and Mathematics IV Performance (First Grading)
13 Relationship between the School Profile and 94
Mathematics IV Performance (First Grading)
14 Determinants of the Mathematics IV Performance 99
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Title Page
1 The Research Paradigm 14
17. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
Chapter I
INTRODUCTION
Situational Analysis
Mathematics plays a vital role in peoples‟ daily lives. For this
matter, Betz as cited by Salazar (2001) said that a citizen of the modern
world could not afford to be ignorant of Mathematics because the world
is highly mathematical. Hence effective Mathematics instruction has
become an absolute necessity in all levels of education.
Furthermore, Sagun as cited by Lubina (2004) stated that
Mathematics plays an important role in many aspects of life. It helps to
understand and use quantities like weight, height and age properly. It
helps individual to determine the size of a population and predict
whether the country‟s available resources are enough to meet the needs
of the people. It has become useful with the emergence of computer and
other technological devices. Indeed, there is a need to learn Mathematics
18. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
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in order to function effectively and become active participants in this
changing information-based society. Mathematics becomes a part of our
lives. Tesoro as cited by Villanueva (2009) averred that Mathematics is
inseparable to man‟s life, it is the solid foundation in satisfying his
wants. He further mentioned that through mathematical concepts and
ideas, he may be able to appreciate the beauty of life, the environment
and the real world.
The course of history shows that the secrets of the universe yield
most easily to Mathematics. The motion of the planets about the sun, the
explanation of the moon‟s orbital path, and the nature of the earth‟s
magnetic field are some of the samples of those secrets. Man has just
begun to dream about many unsolved secrets.
It took a long time to discover the importance of Mathematics in
the world. Those discoveries led mankind to a more technological or the
what is called Industrial Era, wherein the different usage of technological
devices occur. In this era, application of Mathematics helps to develop
and invent such technological devices. Through these applications,
human‟s life becomes easier. Nowadays, Mathematics is the key to all
Sciences.
Despite explaining the importance of Mathematics, the students of
today still have that negative attitudes toward the subject. They think
19. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur
that Mathematics is a boring subject, and it is difficult to memorize and
understand formulas. Some students who cannot appreciate the
importance of Mathematics even say that learning the four (4)
fundamental operations is enough, the use of graphs and formulas have
no relevance to their daily living, so there is no need for further knowing
the subject. Only if they understand the logic behind this subject and
the principles applied in different problems, then they will find that
Mathematics is an interesting and a challenging subject.
However, students of Mathematics have had and continue to
having negative experiences with the subject. They like to continue
taking up or study the subject to be able to get a passing grade as a
prerequisite to the next level of education.
The issue of low quality Mathematics education as mentioned by
Duque (1999), possesses more implication as man strive to deal with the
plethora of globalization, educational reforms, technological change, and
survival issues. The individuals concern and commitment are at stake.
Mathematics as one of the languages of survival should be an attendant
tool to reengineer the nomenclature of the 21st Century criterion.
Mathematics performance has improved, again, through expecting
students to achieve, providing instruction based on individual student
needs and using a variety of methods to reach all learners. One factor
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has been aligning the Mathematics curriculum to ensure that the
delivery of instruction is consistent with the assessment frequency.
Pacho as cited by Villanueva (2009) said that teaching and learning
Mathematics is a complex process. Achieving high quality of
Mathematics education calls for coherent, well articulated Mathematics
curricula, competent and knowledgeable teachers who can integrate
instruction with assessment, educational policies that enhance and
support learning, classroom with ready access to technology, and a
commitment to both equity and excellence.
There are some studies like Lubina (2004), Del Castillo (2010),
Balbalosa (2010) and Yara (2011) claiming that Mathematics
performance is determined by several factors, such as student-related
factors, teacher-related factors and school-related factors. But to
determine whether these factors affect the performance of the students in
Mathematics has not yet been totally proven. It is read and heard that
the students of Mathematics and Science are receiving medals in the
International Competitions as mentioned by Brawner. She said that:
“In our 23 years of participation in the International
Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), we have gathered two silvers,
11 bronze medals, and 13 honorable mentions. Our
performance is improving as well and we are optimistic that
we can get even better in the coming years,"
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/227196/pinoy-abroad/phl-
21. Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College
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reaps-3-bronze-medals-in-intl-math-olympiad/ September
15, 2011
Despite of that scenario, there is a strong perception that the
Philippines is lagging behind other Asian countries such as Thailand,
Malaysia and Singapore. Among the reasons given is the low quality of
basic education in the country. Recent High School Readiness Test given
to all Grade 6 graduates in public elementary schools in May, 2004
showed very low scores in Science and Mathematics test. In the National
Secondary Achievement Test (NSAT) given in year 2000, students gave
correct answers to less than 50% of the questions in Science and
Mathematics.
Based on the Trends International Mathematics and Science
Survey (TIMSS), wherein the Philippines was evaluated for the 8th Grade
in 1999, it was reported that the Philippines was one of the 34
participating nations in which Eighth-grade boys and girls performed
similarly in Mathematics. The Philippines was third from the bottom of
the participating countries. The Philippines got 345 points as compared
to Singapore having 604 points for Mathematics. The two lower countries
were Morocco (337) and South Africa (275). For Science, the same
pattern emerged. http://nces.ed.gov/timss/results99_1.asp /October
10, 2011
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Likewise, the average score of 4th and 8th Grades was 495 for
Mathematics in the 2003 TIMSS. The Philippines was again third from
the bottom (358 points) while Morocco (347points) and Tunisia (339
points) were the lowest among the countries participated. The Philippines
did not participate in the 1995, 2007 and 2011 TIMSS.
http://nces.ed.gov/ pubs2005/2005005/ October 10, 2011
During the 2006 State of Education Address, Lapus admitted that
the quality of education in the country had sunk to its lowest level and
said that:
“Our students continue to perform poorly as revealed
by our ranking in the Trends in International Mathematics
and Science Study and by our lacklustre performance in our
own National Achievement Test. http:
//_output/xm/htmt/20070611-70597xml html/
June26,2011
The Mathematics performance of the fourth year high school
students is deteriorating as observed by the researcher in his seven years
of teaching Mathematics IV in Sta. Lucia Academy, Sta. Lucia Ilocos Sur.
Furthermore, the interests and attitudes of the students toward the
subject is quite low. They lack enthusiasm and interest in this subject
which they cannot realize that these are important values in learning.
Though the researcher is doing his best in teaching the subject using
some innovations in teaching and using other teaching devices such as
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workbooks, visual aids and presentations, the results of the students‟
quizzes, assignments and examinations were still unfavorable. This was
also observed by some Mathematics teachers in Sta. Lucia District. This
is why the researcher felt that there is a need to discover deficiencies in
this subject and to discover the determinants that may contribute to the
acquisition of proficiency in Mathematics IV. Thus, these observations
prompted the researcher to conduct a study on the determinants of the
Mathematics performance of the fourth year high school students of both
public and private high schools of Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos
Sur.
Theoretical /Conceptual Framework
This study is guided with the following theories and concepts.
The attribution theory as cited by Lubina (2004) is one of the
learning theories that support this investigation. This theory holds that
performance like a test could be attributed to lack of hard work; the
theory predicts the behavior of students depending on their responses.
Furthermore, the Behavioral Approach Theory of Skinner stressed
that the essential characteristics of the behavioral approach to learning
is that events in the environment are understood to predict a person‟s
behavior, thoughts, feelings, or other events that take place inside a
person. This theory maintains that learning can be explained by
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examining the stimuli, reinforcements and punishments that a person
experience. Therefore the learning environment of the students needs to
consider the following aspects: socio – economic, teachers‟ background,
and school background to determine the future performance in
Mathematics.
In the same vein, Hull‟s Theory also maintains that learning
depends on several factors. The factors include the number of previously
rewarded experienced; the internal drive or need of the learner; and the
external incentives offered to the learner. Thus, the three (3) profile
variables included in this study manifest varied extent of effect on
Mathematics performance of students.
The Vector Topological Theory as cited by Villanueva (2009)
explains that the behavior of an individual is the result of forces
operating simultaneously within his environment and life. With this
theory, it could be the personal, socio-economic, attitudes in
Mathematics, mathematical beliefs, and impressions to teachers are the
determinants within the learner‟s environment that affect their
Mathematics performance.
The Fixed IQ Theory advocated by Balbalosa (2010) stated that
ability is fixed, probably at birth, and there is very little if anything they
can do to improve it. They believe ability comes from talent rather than
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from the slow development of skills through learning. “It's all in the
genes”. Either you can do it with little effort, or you will never be able to
do it, so you might as well give up in the face of difficulty. Example “I
cannot do Mathematics”. And Untapped Potential Theorists, students
believe that ability and success are due to learning, and learning requires
time and effort. In the case of difficulty one must try harder, try another
approach, seek help, and other ways.
Furthermore, the Entity Theory, promotes that intelligence is more
of an unchangeable or fixed „„entity‟‟ which is in contrast with the
Incremental Theory, that promotes intelligence as a malleable quality
that can be developed. According to Inzlicht (2003), these two theories of
ability were assessed separately so that the influences of each part could
be examined by controlling prior performance. Thus, this theory was
expected to be a negative predictor of Mathematics performance, whereas
Incremental Theory was expected to be a positive predictor.
Another theoretical support of this study is the Maslow's
Motivation Theory. It is believed that human beings are motivated by
unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower factors need to be satisfied
before higher needs can be satisfied. There are general types of needs
(physiological, survival, safety, love, and esteem) that must be satisfied
before a person can act unselfishly. In this study it is believed that the
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attitudes of the students towards Mathematics, Mathematics beliefs and
the students‟ impressions to their Mathematics teachers will be improved
if the students‟ needs in the subject are satisfied.
The Systems Approach Theory explains the importance of
interdependence and interconnectedness of people in a group as they
contribute parts to a specific system while trying to achieve a common
goal. The theory is very important in this study because the researcher
believed that if there is interdependence and interconnectedness between
the students, the teachers and the school, then the outstanding
performance result in Mathematics will be achieved.
Breslich, as cited by Castillo (2010) speaks on the importance of
Mathematics in general education. He says: “Mathematics is more
important in general education because the average citizens of today
need considerable Mathematics knowledge in activities and experiences
in everyday life and because Mathematics supplies a mean of
understanding the important aspect of the world. This being so, makes it
extremely necessary to include Mathematics as an integral part in the
education of the youth.”
Hull (1999) stated that growing numbers of teachers today
especially those frustrated by repeated lack of student success in
demonstrating basic proficiency on standard tests are discovering that
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most students‟ interest and achievement in Mathematics, Science, and
Language improve drastically when they are helped to make connections
between new information (knowledge) and experiences they have had, or
with other knowledge they have already mastered. Students‟ involvement
in their schoolwork increases significantly when they are taught why
they are learning the concepts and how those concepts can be used
outside the classroom. And most students learn much more efficiently
when they are allowed to work cooperatively with other students in
groups or teams.
On the other hand, learning means not only the acquisition of
knowledge vital to one‟s existence but it is also means of applying and
using it on one‟s own accord utilizing logical and critical habits of
thoughts. As they say, education is the systematic development and
cultivation of the natural power by inculcation, example and training.
According to Cajindos (2009), education plays a crucial role in the
development. It is therefore necessary that the young individuals be
helped to learn these acquired abilities and skills through an organized
and intensive educational program. The future of a man and his way of
life can be shaped by the present. It is for this reason that school exist,
and everybody must share in the responsibility that the society has
entrusted us.
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The most important function of schools according to the
psychologist in education is to provide learning activities which
contribute to the development of desirable traits and proper attitudes
among school children. In Mathematics, real life problems should be
presented in order to keep students interested in the subject. Modern
Mathematics enables students to learn symbols and place values.
Vives, as cited by Cajindos (2009) said that education should
develop personality. The teacher should study each student individually;
adapt school work to the abilities and interest of students, quarterly
conference of teachers to thoroughly assess students‟ progress. With this
belief it is perceived that the teacher plays a vital role in the acquisition
of the students for a better performance to a particular subject thus, the
attitudes and beliefs of the students towards the subject will be improved
if not to be changed. As Bagley and Keith cited by Kapunan (1974) stated
that, “there seems to be no occupation more fundamental and fruitful to
democratic process than moulding and guiding the young people to
become good and happy citizens.”
Calderon, as cited by Villanueva (2009) said that there are factors
that affect the transfer of learning such as attitudes of learners toward
the subject matter, mental ability, similarities between subject matter,
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motivation and effort making capacity, method of teaching facilities and
supervision are also added factors.
Based on the aforementioned theories and concepts related to the
study, Figure 1 shows the research paradigm which operationally
illustrates the manner to identify the ascertained determinants of
Mathematics performance.
The independent variables were the students‟ profile, the
Mathematics teachers‟ profile and the school profile of Sta. Lucia District,
Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur, both public and private high schools. The
students‟ profile included personal as to age, sex, type of elementary
graduated from, type of high school enrolled in and Grade Point Average
(GPA) in Mathematics III; socio–economic as to parents educational
attainment, parents occupation, parents monthly income, type dwelling
and place of residence, attitudes toward Mathematics, Mathematics
beliefs and impressions to Mathematics teachers. The Mathematics
teachers profile included sex, age, civil status, educational attainment,
length of service, civil service eligibility, position and number of relevant
trainings and seminars attended. The school profile included class size,
location and type of school and adequacy of school facilities and
equipment. The performance of fourth year high school students in
Mathematics in the public and private served as the moderator variable.
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The dependent variable or criterion was the Mathematics performance of
the fourth year high school students taken from their first grading
grades.
The determinant variables were identified after the analysis on the
interrelations of the independent and dependent variables as shown in
the other box for dependent variables. The arrow explains the
interrelationships of the said variables.
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLES
STUDENTS PROFILE
Students Profile
a. Personal Profile
A. Personal Profile
1. Age
2.1. age
Sex
2. sex
3. type of elementary Mathematics
graduated from.
4. type of high school
performance
enrolled in of the fourth
5. GPA in 3rd year year students
Mathematics (First Grading)
B. Socio-Economic Profile
1. parents educational
attainment
2. parents occupation
3. parents monthly
income
4. type of dwelling
5. place of residence
C. Attitudes toward
Mathematics
D. Mathematics beliefs
E. Impressions to
Mathematics teachers
Teacher’s Profile MODERATOR VARIABLE
a. sex
b. age Performance of the
c. civil status fourth year high
d. educational attainment
school students in
e. length of service
f. civil service eligibility Mathematics in the Ascertained
g. plantilla position public and private Determinants
h. number of relevant schools of
trainings and seminars
attended Mathematics
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School Profile
a. class size
b. location and type of
school
c. adequacy of school
facilities and equipments
Figure 1. The Research Paradigm
Statement of the Problem
This study aimed to identify the determinants of the Mathematics
performance of the fourth year high school students of Sta. Lucia
District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur in both public and private high schools
during the school year 2011 – 2012.
Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the fourth year students in terms of:
a. personal profile;
b. socio- economic profile;
c. attitudes toward Mathematics;
d. Mathematics beliefs; and
e. impressions to their Mathematics teachers?
2. What is the profile of the teachers in terms of:
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a. sex;
b. age;
c. civil status;
d. educational attainment;
e. length of service;
f. civil service eligibility;
g. plantilla position; and
h. number of relevant trainings and seminars attended?
3. What is the profile of the secondary schools in Sta. Lucia
District in terms of:
a. number of students or class size;
b. location and type of the school; and
c. adequacy of school facilities and equipment?
4. What is the level of Mathematics‟ performance of the fourth year
high school students in public and private schools of Sta. Lucia
District?
5. Is there a significant relationship between the profiles
considered with the Mathematics‟ performance of the fourth year high
school students?
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6. Is there a significant difference between the Mathematics
performance of public and private fourth year high school students?
7. What are the determinants of the Mathematics performance of
the fourth year high school students of Sta. Lucia District?
Hypotheses
This study tested the following statistical hypotheses at 0.05 level
of significance.
1. There is no significant difference between the Mathematics
performance of the public and private fourth year high school students
along the following:
a. attitudes toward Mathematics;
b. Mathematics beliefs;
c. impressions to their Mathematics teachers; and
d. Mathematics performance.
2. There is no significant relationship between Mathematics
performance of the fourth high school students along the three profiles:
a. students‟ profile;
b. school profile; and
c. teachers‟ profile.
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3. There are determinants of Mathematics IV performance of
students in the public and private high schools in Sta. Lucia District,
Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur.
Significance of the study
This study is very important to the following:
Students are given insights for the improvement of their
performance and achievements, not only for the betterment of their study
and understanding Mathematics subjects, but also in the development of
good attitudes and beliefs in Mathematics. It will also help the students
develop their interest toward Mathematics and appreciate the importance
of the subject in their daily lives.
Mathematics IV Teachers are provided with some eye-openers to
create and innovate relevant teaching materials, and to use varied and
appropriate strategies to improve their instruction.
School Administrators will use the results of this study as
baseline data to improve the Mathematics programs for school
advancement.
Sta. Lucia School District Authorities will be given an
understanding of the real picture of Mathematics performance of the
students, so that remedial measures will be adopted to ensure effective
Mathematics instruction.
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Curriculum Planners will help the school administrators and
teachers to appraise the existing programs in terms of the students‟
needs and abilities and make changes as required.
Parents will be informed on the factors associated to Mathematics
learning of their children. They are also provided a strong basis that their
role is very significant in enhancing the Mathematical abilities of their
children.
The study served as a challenge for the Researcher to widen his
perspective on the significance of developing the students‟ performance
in Mathematics and for him to become an effective and efficient channel
of knowledge to his students.
Future Researchers are also provided some guides and references
in their thesis writing studies on teaching learning activities and student
Mathematical performance and to have a deeper study on the
determinants of the Mathematics performance of the students.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study was limited to the determinants of the Mathematics
performance of the fourth year high school students in both public and
private schools of Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur for the school
year 2011-2012.
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The focus of the study was to determine the profile of the
respondents. The students profile included personal, socio–economic,
attitudes toward Mathematics, Mathematics beliefs and impressions to
Mathematics teachers. The Mathematics teachers profile included sex,
civil status, educational attainment, length of service, plantilla position
and number of relevant trainings and seminars. The school profile
included class size, location and type of school and adequacy of school
facilities and equipments.
The respondents of the study included the five (5) high schools
three (3) public high schools, Teodoro Hernaez National High School
(THNHS), Palali National High School (PNHS) and Nagtablaan National
High School (NNHS) and two (2) private high schools, Sta. Lucia Academy
(SLA) and Sta. Lucia Catholic School (SLCS). The Mathematics
performance of the students was taken from their first grading grade.
The difference between the public and private high schools along
the areas considered was determined including the relationships between
and among the three (3) profiles and Mathematics IV performance were
established. The data on the three profiles served as the independent
variables while the Mathematics IV performance served as the criterion
variable.
Definition of Terms
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For better clarification and understanding of the terms related to
this study, the following terms are defined conceptually and
operationally.
Profile in this study pertains to the students‟ characteristics,
Mathematics teachers‟ characteristics and school characteristics.
Students’ profile refer to the personal, socio-economic, attitudes
toward Mathematics, Mathematics beliefs, and impressions to
Mathematics IV teachers.
Personal profile refers to the students‟ age, sex and GPA in 3rd
Year Mathematics.
Age refers to the number of years a student-respondent has
existed, from birth to the date of data collection.
GPA in Mathematics is the grade point average of the fourth
year students when they were in third year.
Type of elementary graduated from is the institution where
the students finished their elementary education categorized as public or
private.
Type of high school enrolled in pertains to the institution
where the students are presently taking their secondary education
categorized as public or private.
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Sex refers to the maleness or femaleness of the student-
respondent.
Socio Economic Profile is the parents‟ educational attainment,
parents‟ occupation, parents‟ monthly income and place of residence.
Parents Educational Attainment refers to the highest level
of education attained by parents of the students.
Parents’ monthly income is the monthly amount received by
the students‟ parents from occupation, acquired and included properties.
The categories used were based from the income description as per the
National Economic and Development Authority.
Parents’ occupation pertains to the present job of the
students‟ parents. In this study, parents‟ occupation is categorized as
unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and professional (white collar job).
Place of residence is the area where the students stay or
reside. In this study it is categorized as urban or rural. The place is
urban if it is near or within the town and rural if it is away from the
town.
Type of dwelling refers to a house where a student and his or
her family stay. It may be makeshift, semi-permanent or permanent.
Attitudes toward Mathematics pertains to the behavior, feeling
and reactions of the students toward learning Mathematics.
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Impressions to Mathematics teachers are the students‟ reactions
and strong feelings the way their Mathematics teachers act, talk and
groom.
Mathematics beliefs refer to the disposition of students in
Mathematics which includes self, confidence in learning Mathematics,
success orientation and defense orientation.
Teachers’ Profile pertains to teacher‟s sex, civil status, educational
attainment, teaching experiences, and position, number of relevant
trainings and seminars.
Age is the number of years the teacher-respondent has
existed, from birth to the date of data collection.
Civil Service Eligibility refers to a qualification of a teacher to
become a permanent employee.
Civil Status pertains to being single or married.
Educational Attainment is the accomplishment of an
individual in the field of education categorized as bachelor‟s degree
master‟s degree and doctorate degree.
Plantilla Position refers to the present position of the teacher –
respondents whether they are Teacher 1, Teacher 2, Teacher 3, Master
Teacher 1, and Master Teacher 2.
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Relevant Training and seminars are the activities attended by
the Mathematics teachers for professional advancement. In this study, it
refers to the trainings, conferences, seminar workshops in Mathematics
education categorized as “greater” or “less” training attended. Greater
refers to the teachers with training programs, less refers to the teachers
with few or no training programs.
Sex refers to the maleness or femaleness of the teacher-
respondents.
Teaching Experiences is the sum or total of the knowledge,
skills, and techniques or conscious events that have been enjoyed or
undergone by an individual in the field of teaching.
School Profile refers to the number of students per class room,
location and type of school and adequacy of instructional materials.
Adequacy of school facilities and equipments pertains to
the availability of study room, Mathematics bulletin board and corner,
Mathematics measuring tools and devices, such as meter stick/ruler,
weighing scale, compass, protractor, graphing board, right triangles, and
Science Laboratory, TEEPS and SCOPE materials like Problem
Flashcards.
Class Size is the number of pupils in a particular section
handled by the teacher. It is described as “small” when the total number
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of students is 30 or less, and “big” when the total number of students is
more than 30.
Location of School refers to the place where the school is
located. In this study it is categorized as barrio or poblacion.
Type of School is the institution where the students are
enrolled in, categorized as private or public.
Determinants are the independent variables which may have a
significant effect on the Mathematics IV performance of the students in
both public and private high schools of Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia,
Ilocos Sur. In this study, it includes the personal and socio-economic
profile of the students, their attitudes toward Mathematics, their
Mathematics beliefs, their impressions to Mathematics teachers, the
Mathematics teachers‟ profile, and the school profile.
Mathematics IV pertains to the subject currently taken by fourth
year high school students of both public and private institutions of Sta.
Lucia District.
Mathematics Performance is the grade of the students in the
subject as reflected in their official records filed at the registrar‟s office
during the first grading period taken from their Form 137 – A.
Moderator Variable refers to the intervening conditions/terms that
may affect and may emerge as factors and determinants of the
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Mathematics IV performance of the fourth year high school students of
both public and private schools of Sta. Lucia District.
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Chapter II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Studies and literature relevant to the present study are herein
presented in this section. These studies and literature give light in the
preparation of this investigation.
Mathematics Performance
In many developing countries, the secondary level of formal
education is the target of criticism – low performance in the academics,
poor human values, enormous class size, poor quality of teachers
dilapidated classrooms, etc… Mathematics education is not an exception
to this interminable cliché that dishes out challenges and irritants to
educators in the area of discipline.
Student performance in Mathematics was higher than that in
science at Grade 4, while at Second Year High School, performance in
the two subject areas was almost the same. The scores (Grade 4:
Mathematics – 358, science – 332, Second Year High School:
Mathematics – 378, science – 377) are very low, considering benchmarks
in earlier TIMSS. http://depedteacher.blogspot.com/2007/12/filipino-
performance-inmath-and-science.htm/ October 13, 2011
All of the research reviews support the hypothesis that student
performance depends on different socio-economic, psychological,
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environmental factors. The findings of research studies focused that
student performance is affected by different factors such as learning
abilities because new paradigm about learning assumes that all students
can and should learn at higher levels but it should not be considered as
constraint because there are other factors like race, age, sex that can
affect student‟s performance as mentioned by Hansen (2000).
http://faculty.apec.umn.edu/pglewwe/documents/SLed_ha5.pdf/
September 18, 2011.
On Students Personal Profile
Students are part of the human resources of according to
Manzano, as cited by Del Castillo (2010). It is for the students that the
school and all its programs are organized and maintained.
Cajindos (2009) say that every person must have corresponding
growth in desirable degrees and types of mathematical concept in order
to orient himself satisfactorily during the changing times. Subject
difficulties exist because of its complexity in using symbols and in
computations. Hence student finds it as a difficult subject if not properly
taught. It exists too because they forget previously learned concepts and
skills that are needed for the new skills to be learned. So, a student
cannot comprehend higher level of Mathematics if one did not
understand yesterday‟s principles and skills learned.
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Petero as cited by Villanueva (2009) disclosed in his study that as
to sex and age, boys and girls performance are equally well, establishing
the fact that learning Mathematics does not depend on sex.
Chansarkar and Mishaeloudis (2001) explained the effects of age,
qualification distance from learning place etc. on student performance.
The performance of students on the module is not affected by such
factors as age, sex and place of residence but is associated with
qualification in quantitative subjects. It is also found that those who live
near the university perform better than other students.
http://bangladeshsociology.org/BEJS%203.1%20Naqvi.pdf/ August 7,
2011
In terms of socio-economic profile, the number of distinct school
types and educational programs is positively correlated with the
significance of socio-economic background for student performance. In
other words, the data from PISA suggests that the more and the earlier
students are divided into separate groups according to their academic
performance, the more the students‟ socio-economic background matters
for their academic performance.
http://ec.europa.eu/education/pdf/doc282 en.pdf/ August 7, 2011
According to the findings of Lubina (2004) school personal factors
such as sex, age, birth order, size of family, occupation of mother, family
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monthly income and type of high school graduated were not correlated to
the performance of the students in College Algebra. High School
Mathematics grade and occupation of father were inversely correlated
with correlation coefficient of -0.360 and -0.123 respectively.
In terms of Parents Educational Attainment, Dela Cruz et.al, as
cited by Villanueva (2009) conducted a study to determine the critical
path of some selected variables in influencing the Mathematics
performance of high school and college students of the Tarlac College of
Agriculture. They discovered that educational attainment of parents and
Mathematics performances seem to be significantly related. However,
there was substantial reduction on the path when average yearly family
income has been partialled out.
Another study pursued by Aleta as cited by Del Castillo (2010) on
Parents Occupation revealed that the achievement of pupils in
Mathematics is positively revealed to their parent‟s occupation. This
means that parent‟s occupation does affect the students‟ performance in
Mathematics.
As to Place of Residence, Aleta, as cited by Del Castillo (2010)
revealed that there is a relationship between the Mathematics
achievement of the students and their place of residence. Bello, as cited
by Del Castillo (2010) used family residence as one variable. In her
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investigation, she found that the place of residence of the students
significantly influences the academic achievement of pupils.
Moreover, Alcausin as cited by Del Castillo (2010) found out that
students from urban areas have higher achievement in Mathematics
than those from rural areas.
Attitudes and Beliefs toward Mathematics
Students' self-beliefs and attitudes play an important role in the
teaching and learning process of Mathematics. Those factors can affect
students' progress and interest within the subject and as result students'
achievements and learning.
According to Elles as cited by Salazar (2001), it is a common
knowledge that Mathematics is a dull, difficult and disliked subject. This
perennial impression posses hard work in exploring possibilities and
alternative on how to teach Mathematics effectively and profitable. A key
issue in achieving quality in teaching is the selection of methods that will
most effectively enhance the learning of the students, taking into account
the entry characteristics of the student concerned.
According to Schereiber as cited by Balbalosa (2010) those who
have positive attitudes toward Mathematics have a better performance in
this subject.
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Doctolero as cited by Villanueva (2010) said that significant
correlation between students‟ attitude and Mathematics achievements
was based on the computed r values of 0.796 and 0.863 for the control
and experimental groups respectively. The significant correlation may
have been caused by the favorable attitude of the respondents towards
the subject.
Likewise, Lubina (2004) pointed out in his study that there was a
significant relationship between the level of interest in Mathematics and
performance in College Algebra as attested by the correlation coefficient
of – 0.162. However, as to the level of attitude towards and performance
in College Algebra the correlation coefficient was 0.084, described as “not
significant”.
Whilst, the focus on changing perceptions was initially targeted at
learners it became apparent that teachers needed to consider the
messages they convey through the way they behave in the classroom,
and their expectations of learners. This is dependent on their attitudes
towards and beliefs about Mathematics and learning Mathematics.
http://nrich.maths.org/6671/ September 22, 2011
The reasons why Mathematics subject are difficult to learn is that
the concepts in Mathematics are abstract and difficult to understand,
and also the students have alternative meaning of certain mathematical
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words before any Mathematics teaching takes place. According to Ihejieto
(1995), there are factors other than academic standing on the students‟
side which could explain the performance trend. These factors are: (1)
Students‟ dislike for Mathematics that may stem from psychological
incidences such as fear, endurance, perseverance and associated factors;
(2) the Mathematics curriculum may have not much relevance to real life
situation; (3) Mathematics teachers were not interested in the subject
and did not help their students by way of catering for individual
differences; and (4) other resources material such as text books seemed
lacking in both in school and at home.
http://eprints.utm.my/1507/1/KERTASINT.pdf/ September 22, 2011
Tomlinson (1999) stated that teachers can differentiate content,
process, and/or product for students. Differentiation of content refers to
a change in the material being learned by a student. For example, if the
classroom objective is for all students to subtract using renaming, some
of the students may learn to subtract two-digit numbers, while others
may learn to subtract larger numbers in the context of word problems.
Differentiation of process refers to the way in which a student accesses
material. One student may explore a learning center, while another
student collects information from the web. Differentiation of product
refers to the way in which a student shows what he or she has learned.
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For example, to demonstrate understanding of a geometric concept, one
student may solve a problem set, while another builds a model.
http://www.slideshare.net/jennilynbalbalosa/final-na-final-thesis/
August7, 2011
Impressions to Mathematics Teachers
According to Sypnier, a 20-year veteran of the classroom, making a
good first impression on teachers is key.
"It is important because, generally speaking, if you
make a bad impression, it takes a long time to get past that.”
Teachers are on the lookout for trouble-makers from day one,
and they quickly form an idea of who needs a close watch.
But don't fret about your child's every move at school – the
key is simply to make a successful entrance.
http://www.education.com./magazine/article/First_impressi
on_Matter/ September 26, 2011
The effects of impressions to teachers in the teaching activity are
crucial. If these impressions turn out to be positive in reality and favor
the teacher, they may prove far reaching productive. On the other hand
unfavorable reality of such impressions will only cause a decreased of
interest and eventually deterioration in the teaching activity. That is why
teachers must be trained and made familiar with the environment where
they are required to work and let free to make a decision of continuing it.
In addition to educational subjects such as Mathematics, the training of
teachers must also include practical exercises and work management so
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that they may prove more efficient and effective in the noble profession.
On Teacher’s Profile
Other studies have shown that contextual, variables such as
student body composition and organisational policies play an important
role in Mathematics achievement. Teacher background attributes such
as gender, number of years in teaching and educational qualifications
have been shown to be important factors in student achievement
(Anderson, Ryan, & Shapiro 1989)
However, Balbalosa (2010) found out that there is no significant
relationship between teacher-related factors such as personality traits,
teaching skills and instructional materials and the performance of the
students in Mathematics. Their computed z-values are -0.10, 0.98 and -
1.04 which are less than the tabular z-value of -2.10, 2.10 and -2.10
respectively. Thus, teacher-related actors do not affect the performance
of the students in Mathematics.
In the 1994 Annual Convention of the Mathematical Society of the
Philippines both Aquino (2003) and Ngayaan (2010) posited that the
principal method of instruction is made interesting in Mathematics if: (1)
the teacher does not lecture during the whole period; he should lecture
for only one half of the period and devote the rest of the time for other
class activities; (2) the teacher introduces new ways of presenting the
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lesson for other than lecturing; (3) the teacher presents the lesson in
such a manner that the students get involved; (4) the students are made
to participate in board work or group activities; (5) students are given
practice while still inside the classroom on what have been taught; and
(6) the presentation of the lesson is not monotonous and not done in
routine manner.
On sex, a study conducted by Weis as mentioned by Del Castillo
(2010) on gender differences pointed out that men and women often
behave in ways in which are consistent with societal stereotypes about
gender. Wide ranges of behaviors are functions of the group and its
environment and are simply reflections of the individual characteristics
of its members. Groups face different issues in their operation and
development; provide different benefits and outcomes for their members,
and present different challenges for their leaders. Women belonging to
groups are outnumbered, leading to heighten gender stereotype, and are
treated as outsiders. Groups composed of roughly equal number of
women and men, tend to limit women to more circumscribed behaviors.
For both members and leaders, that group chooses to have man –leaders
especially for male group members because they can lead to a disruption
in member gender-related expectations and behaviors. They also have
great potential for promoting learning and change about gender – related
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stereotypes, and “traditional” modes of male and female behavior in
group organization.
Length of Service. Recent studies carried out to determine the
relationship between teacher experience and students‟ performance in
Mathematics found that teacher experience and competence were the
prime predictors of students‟ performance in all subject in secondary
schools in Ondo State Nigeria (Adeyemi, 2008). Jones (1997) observed
that teachers are the key input and a force to reckon with in school.
Sweeney (1998) made similar observation about schools in Mississippi,
USA that scored better in Mathematics when taught by teacher with
more years of teaching, considering the common saying that experience
is the best teacher. www.ccsenet.org/ass/ September 18, 2011
Educational Attainment. According to Dela Cruz as cited by Del
Castillo (2010), more educationally qualified teachers are more
competent teachers. On the other hand, Rivera et. al. (2010) found out
that the educational attainment of faculty does not significantly affect
their teaching performance as shown in their findings that all of the
teachers rated “outstanding” had a mean of 4.73 and 4.26 for “very
satisfactory”. The computed value of 11.89 is lower than the tabulated
value of 15.51 at 0.05 level of significance.
Plantilla Position. Positions may be determined from the highest
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degree or educational qualifications they have acquired which includes
Teacher 1,2,3, Master‟s units or degree, and Doctorate units or degree.
In the study of Eslava as cited by Del Castillo (2010) stated that
professional development of teachers in Mathematics is a process of
learning: learning Mathematics and about Mathematics, learning about
students and about the students in how they learn, individually and in
the social setting of school, and learning the craft of teaching. In the light
of this, professional development must also include learning new ways to
development Mathematical power in all students.
Moreover, Hanushek (1992) and Rivkin et al. (2005) argued that
characteristics that are not easily observable in administrative data are
driving much of the dispersion in teacher quality. Traditional human
capital measures have few robust associations with teacher quality and
explain a very small fraction of its wide dispersion. That our teacher
quality measure persists over time implies that principals may eventually
be able to identify quality; however, they are unlikely to have information
on teacher quality when recruiting or for recent hires for whom little or
no information is available on the teacher‟s effect on students‟ test score
achievement. More generally, teacher quality rankings can be quite
sensitive in a value-added framework when across-school differences are
ignored. Without such controls, naive application of value added may
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undermine teacher performance incentives. http://faculty.smu.edu/
millimet/classes/eco7321/papers/aaronson%20et%20al.pdf / August
30, 2011
Number of Relevant Trainings and Seminars Attended
Trainings and seminars are important tools for teachers to uplift
themselves professionally and for them to cope up with the innovations
in the different fields of learning. It is for this reason that Aquino as cited
by Del Castillo (2010) stated in his study that training is a never-ending
task because of new technology. Training and development of personnel
should be given special importance to increase organizational
productivity and improve employee‟s morale.
According to Pollard (2007), the advantages of investing in training
could be considered as self-evident. The benefits are twofold: to members
of staff and to the school or organization. Benefits to the organization
include: (1) better trained teachers enhance the quality of product
offered to clients. Teachers should have, at the very least, training in
basic techniques and methods; (2) training allows staff to keep up with
developments in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) field
(i.e. going further than basic training). New knowledge is acquired and
applied in the classroom. This in turn helps the school stay ahead of
competitors by offering courses or services that clients might not find
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elsewhere; (3) when teachers have new goals to work towards, they have
increased motivation which is obviously a bonus for the organisation; (4)
staff seems to like being trained. Regular training and development
sessions can attract the type of teacher who wants to develop. If training
is good quality and ongoing, it can be a reason for motivated staff to stay
which always a good point for a school; (5) is training helps avoid
“routinisation”. Some teachers can get into a rut and treat all classes as
the same, however different their needs may be. Training can help
change this; and (6) if teachers are performing below standard, training
can address or even help to solve these performance problems. Training
can be part of your system for dealing with poor performance. The
benefits to individuals include: (1) they have new goals to work towards
and increased motivation; (2) training can help teachers have more
confidence. They can feel better equipped to tackle a wider range of levels
or groups and to try out new ideas (3) they acquire new skills which
helps improve their status within the school. They can have their
opinions on the subject they trained in respected; and (4) pay rise. In
some situations, training can lead to progressive levels of responsibility
and salary. http://www.tefl.net/administration/teacher-development.
htm/ September 10, 2011
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On School Profile
Schools are social organizations with defined rules and procedures
that determine the degree of activities and behavior of each member
(Mbithi, 1974). Schools are in a sense factories in which raw children are
to shaped and finished to meet the various demands of life. The
specifications for manufacturing come from the policies laid down by the
government. www.ccsenet.org/ass Asian Social Science Vol. 7, No. 2;
February 2011/ September 18, 2011
The close to 400 studies of student achievement demonstrate that
there is not a strong or consistent relationship between student
performance and school resources, at least after variations in family
inputs are taken into account. These results are also reconciled with
meta-analytic approaches and with other investigations on how school
resources affect labor market outcomes. Simple resource policies hold
little hope for improving student outcomes.
http://epa.sagepub.com/content/19/2/141.short August 7, 2011
As to class size, a study in secondary schools in Bangladesh was
conducted however, (Asadullah, 2002) found an insignificant positive
sign on the class size variable in determining student achievements
using both ordinary least squares (OLS) and IV regressions. The author
concluded by suggesting that a reduction in class size is not useful in a
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developing country like Bangladesh. Moreover, other studies on class
sizes found that small class sizes are either not significant or even
detrimental to student performance (Urquiola, 2001; and Hoxby, 2000).
In addition, a review of 277 econometric studies further emphasized the
inconsistency of the effect of class size on achievement when it stated
that 28% of the studies report statistically significant estimates but 13%
of those report a statistically significant negative sign (Jones, 2001).
(SMERU Research Institute, 2004)
According to Del Castillo (2010), the number of pupils and location
of school had a mild correlation with the pupils‟ performance.
With regards to the location and type of the school, school
category was found to be significant and can be used to predict students‟
performance in Mathematics. This result was in accordance with that of
Odhiambo (2006) and Yeya (2002) who observed that urban schools are
not badly hit by teacher shortages as many prefer teaching in urban
areas and also noted that students with impressive marks avoid day
schools in favor of boarding schools. They further observed that students
in boarding schools perform better in national examinations. The
implication of this result is that the government should endeavour to
build more schools in the rural areas with adequate facilities and
qualified teachers. This will improve the students‟ performance in
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Mathematics as all benefits that urban teachers enjoy will be made
available to teachers in rural schools. www.ccsenet.org/ass Asian Social
Science Vol. 7, No. 2; February 2011/ September 18, 2011
A comparative study by Pinol as cited by Del Castillo (2010)
revealed that the central schools performed better than schools in the
rural areas.
As to the adequacy of school facilities and equipments, a
common problem to teachers is the resistant to innovations because this
would mean time, talent and treasure for the effectiveness and efficiency
of instruction, specifically in the preparation of instructional materials.
They are more comfortable in the traditional type of teaching such as the
lecture and discussion, question and answer, and chalkboard activities.
Siemens as cited by Balbalosa (2010) stated that instructional
design can be defined as “the systematic process of translating principles
of learning and instruction into plans for instructional materials and
activities”. However, there are many different definitions for instructional
design and all of them are an expression of underlying philosophies and
viewpoints of what is involved in the learning process.
Acantilado as cited by Del Castillo (2010) findings revealed that
printed materials such as magazines, newspapers, periodicals, journals,
textbooks references, teacher‟s manuals, courses of study and
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workbooks were regularly used by teachers in their Mathematics classes.
Instructional sheets such as information‟s sheets, operational sheets, job
sheets and modules were also used. On the contrary, the audio – visual
materials such as film strips, model projectors and slides as well as
media materials as computer aided instructions: programmed materials
and television were sometimes used to reinforce teaching.
In the 1950s and ‟60s, developments in communications theory
and systems concepts led to studies of the educational process, its
elements, and their interrelationships. Among these elements are the
teacher, the teaching methods, the information conveyed, the materials
used, the student, and the student‟s responses. As a result of these
studies, the field of audiovisuals shifted its emphasis from devices and
materials to the examination of the teaching-learning process. The field is
now known as audiovisual communications and educational technology,
and audiovisual materials were viewed as an integral part of the
educational system. http://www.jpsimbulan.com/2007/11/03/
importance – of – instructional – materials – in - education/ September
28, 20011
Hence, if the instructional materials are well organized, well
constructed and presented properly, a successful teaching–learning can
be achieved.
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Moreover, Education Insight in Kenya (2005) revealed that
inadequate learning facilities are a common feature in many schools.
Yeya (2002) agreed with the above studies that schools with adequate
facilities perform better in National Examination especially in core
subject such as Mathematics. He however asserted that facilities alone
cannot count while other factors should be taken into consideration.
www.ccsenet.org/ass Asian Social Science Vol. 7, No. 2; February 2011/
September 18, 2011
Differences Between Public And Private High School Students
Two authors Carbonaro and Covay examined whether standards
based accountability reforms of the past two decades have closed the
achievement gap among public and private high school students. They
analyzed data from the Education Longitudinal Study (ELS) to examine
sector differences in high school achievement in the era of standards
based reforms. They found out that students in Catholic and private
secular schools enjoy greater Mathematics gains from 10th to 12th grade
than comparable public school students. However, they found that these
advantages are largely concentrated among more advanced Mathematics
skills. Moreover, private school students took more academic
Mathematics courses than public school students, even after controlling
for family background and prior achievement. These differences in course
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taking accounted for most of the public-private difference in achievement
gains. http://soe.sagepub.com/content/83/2/160 September 28, 2011
On the other hand Villanueva (2009) found out that there were no
significant differences between the public and private schools in the City
Division of Candon, Ilocos Sur in terms of Mathematics II achievement,
attitude toward Mathematics, Mathematics beliefs, confidence in using
computers, and their perceptions on the characteristics of their teachers.
Determinants of the Mathematics Performance
The study of Wanjohi, et. al. (2011) on Performance Determinants
of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in Mathematics of
Secondary Schools in Nyamaiya Division, Kenya, found out determinants
of academic performance of students in Mathematics. There are four
variables (teachers‟ experience, teachers‟ qualification, teachers‟ and
students‟ attitude, school category) could be used to predict academic
performance in Mathematics. www.ccsenet.org/ass Asian Social Science
Vol. 7, No. 2; February 2011 September 18, 2011
According to Cajindos (2009), the level of performance in
Trigonometry of the student is affected by course, place of residence,
habits of concentration, distribution of social relationship and time in
study, study habits and attitude in preparing and taking examinations,
attitude towards Mathematics and the school-related factors.
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In the study of Del Castillo (2010), she mentioned that
Mathematics performance of the students could be improved when area
of concentration, rank, and civil status of teachers and adequacy of
school materials are considered.
Through the test of significance, Balbalosa (2010) came up with
the following conclusions; there is no significant correlation between
student interest in Mathematics and their performance in Mathematics.
Their computed z-value is 0.54 which is less than the tabular z-value of
2.10 at α = .05. There is no significant correlation between study habits
and their performance in Mathematics. The computed z-value is -0.47
which is less than the tabular z-value of -2.10 at α =0.05. This means
that the performance of the students in Mathematics was not affected by
the student-related factors in terms of interest and study habits. She
mentioned also that there is no significant relationship between teacher-
related factors such as personality traits, teaching skills and
instructional materials and the performance of the students in
Mathematics. Their computed z-values are -0.10, 0.98 and -1.04 which
are less than the tabular z-value of -2.10, 2.10 and -2.10 respectively.
Thus, teacher-related factors do not affect the performance of the
students in Mathematics.
Lubina (2004), stated that personal school related factors such as
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grades in high school in Mathematics and occupation of the father are
predictors of the Mathematics performance in College Algebra as proven
by r square of .130 and .015 respectively.
All the aforecited literature provided direction to the researcher in
conducting this study. The review on Mathematics performance,
attitudes and beliefs including determinants of performance served as
springboard in identifying possible determinants of the Mathematics
performance among the fourth year high school students, both public
and private of Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur.
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Chapter III
Research Methodology
This chapter presents a discussion of the research design,
population of the study, research instrument, and statistical treatment
used in the study.
Research Design
The descriptive–correlational method of investigation was used in
this study. The descriptive design identified the profile of the students,
the profile of the Mathematics teachers and the profile of the schools of
Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur. The correlation method was
used to determine the interrelationships between and among the profiles
considered and the Mathematics performance of the students. The
comparison between the public and private schools along the variables
considered was included also in the investigation.
According to Peter (2010), descriptive research usually involves
that the data collected are described by parameters like their central
tendency and their dispersion. Once there is more than one variable to
describe one can go a step further in the research process and calculate
the relationship between them. Usually, it is expressed in terms of a
Pearson correlation, which means that a relationship is expressed in
terms of numbers ranging between - 1 and +1, the latter is called a
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positive relationship, the former means that the relationship is negative.
Zero (0) would indicate no relationship between variables. It is rare for a
correlation to be as strong as 1, most correlations range between 0.30
and 0.60.
Population of the Study
The population of this study were the fourth year high school
students and all Mathematics teachers from the private and public high
schools of Sta. Lucia District, Sta. Lucia, Ilocos Sur during the school
year 2011 – 2012. The three (3) public high schools were Teodoro
Hernaez National High School (THNHS), Palali National High School
(PNHS), and Nagtablaan National High School (NNHS). The two (2)
private high schools were Sta. Lucia Academy (SLA) and Sta. Lucia
Catholic School (SLCS).
There were 602 fourth year high school students and 14 secondary
Mathematics teachers who participated in the study. Of the total
students, 281 were taken from the private schools while 321 in the
public schools respectively. The table on page 50 show the distribution of
the students and Mathematics teacher –respondents.
Data Gathering Instruments
The questionnaires used in this study were adapted from
Villanueva (2009) and Lubina (2004) for the students‟ Profile and Del
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Castillo (2010) for the teachers‟ and school‟s profile.
Distribution of the student and Mathematics teacher - Respondents
RESPONDENTS
SCHOOLS Student Mathematics Teachers
SLCS 51 3
SLA 230 3
THNHS 213 5
PNHS 40 1
NNHS 68 2 .
Total 602 14
The questionnaire for the students‟ profile consisted of five parts.
Part 1 was the personal profile and this included sex, age during fourth
year high school, type of elementary graduated from and Grade Point
Average (GPA) in third year Mathematics. Part 2 was the socio –
economic profile. This included the highest educational attainment of
parents, income of parents, occupation of parents, type of dwelling and
place of residence. Part 3 contained the students‟ attitudes toward
Mathematics; Part 4 on the students‟ Mathematics beliefs; and Part 5 on
the students‟ impressions to their Mathematics teacher/s.
The questionnaire for the teachers‟ and school profiles consisted of
two parts. Part A which dealt on the teacher-related factors were the
gathered data on the personal/professional profile of the Mathematics
teachers; and Part B on school-related factors included the number of
pupils or class size, location of school, type of school, and adequacy of
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school facilities and equipment.
Categorization of Data
The tool used in gathering data on the attitudes toward
Mathematics was patterned from the standardized instrument used by
Lubina (2004). There were 20 items considered composed of 10 positive
and 10 negative statements. To describe the attitudes of the students
toward Mathematics, the following scales were used: Strongly Agree (A),
Agree (A), Moderately Agree (MA), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree
(SD). Scoring the positive statement was 5,4,3,2 and 1 while negative
statement was the reverse.
To interpret the attitudes of the students in Mathematics, the
arbitrary statistical ranges were used as follows:
4.21 – 5.00 = Highly Favorable (HF)
3.41 – 4.20 = Moderately Favorable (MF)
2.61 – 3.40 = Slightly Favorable (SF)
1.81 – 2.60 = Unfavorable (U)
1.00 – 1.80 = Very Unfavorable (VU)
The mathematical beliefs instrument was made up of positive and
negative statements. Thus, positive were scored 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 while
negative statements were the reverse. The arbitrary statistical ranges
were used as follows:
A. Self – Confidence
41 – 50 Very High (VH)