ABSTRACT
Mathematics is widely known as a boring subject for many students. Most students’ attitude towards solving mathematical word problems, mathematical skills and academic performance are the bulge to the mathematics teacher. Filipino students’ performance in Math needs to be improved as reflected in the 2016-2017 Global Competitiveness Report. It is essential that factors affecting the performance of the students in Math are explored in order to address these concerns.
The study aimed at determining the relationship between the attitude towards solving mathematical word problems, mathematical skills and academic performance of Grade 9 students of Aplaya National High School Annex. Further, this study, which utilized the descriptive-correlation research design, involved eighty-one (81) respondents who participated in this study.
The study revealed that the respondents’ attitude towards solving mathematical word problems was positive with an overall average of 2.83. The respondents’ level of mathematical skills in solving word problems was high with a frequency of 41 and percentage of 50.62. The respondents’ academic performance in mathematics was satisfactory with a frequency of 32 and a percentage of 39.51. There was no significant relationship between the respondents’ level of mathematical skills and their attitude towards solving word problems as revealed by the probability value of 0.915 which was greater than the 0.05 significance level. There was a significant relationship between the respondents’ level of mathematical skills in solving word problems and their academic performance in mathematics. The probability value of 0.037 was less than the 0.05 significance level. There was a significant relationship between the respondents’ attitude towards solving word problems in mathematics and their academic performance. The probability value of 0.010 was less than the 0.05 significance level.
The study concluded that the respondents had a positive attitude towards solving word problems in mathematics. The respondents had a high level of mathematical skills in solving word problems. The respondents’ academic performance in Mathematics was satisfactory. The respondents’ attitude towards solving word problems in mathematics has nothing to do with their level of mathematical skills. Students with higher levels of mathematical skills in solving word problems had better academic performance in mathematics. The respondents’ academic performance in mathematics was dependent on their attitude towards solving word problems.
Keywords: Mathematics Education, Word Problems, Academic Performance, Student Attitude, Mathematical Skills
INTRODUCTION
Most of the general populations in the world hate mathematics that for sure. According to Ingram (2015), students form meaning in their minds about curricular subjects even before they learn anything or realize the importance of the subject. A certain percentage of students still wanted to avoid studying mathematics during their education. In the study of Sanchal and Sharma, (2016) the Grade 10 students might have formed a negative meaning in their minds about what they may have previously heard from other students or due to their unfavorable experienced in mathematics class. This could also be the reason for the decrease in the percentage of students not considering mathematics to be helpful.
In the Philippines, many students wanted to avoid studying mathematics and it is true pertaining to the latest result of the international test survey. According to Capuno et al. (2019) the performance of Filipino students in Mathematics needs to be improved as reflected in the Global Competitiveness Report 2016 – 2017; in this the Philippines ranked 79th out of the 138 participating countries in terms of the standard of Science and Math education. This study is consistent with the results of the National Achievement Test (NAT) of the Department of Education (DepEd), where the Mean Percentage Score in Mathematics was 48.63% a score below DepEd’s 50% requirement. It is important that factors influencing the students’ performance in math are explored to address these concerns; neglecting to address these issues would exacerbate these educational development situations in the country. To resolve these issues, an evaluation of the problem’s status will begin at school level. Students were observed following the social stereotype that boys perform better than girls in Math. It is apparent when the students are given tasks, but most girls will be hesitant to participate; they prefer the boys to perform the tasks they are given. Other than that, girls typically refuse to accept responsibility for doing the activities assigned to them if group activities are provided. Boys are usually assigned to do group activities. Throughout this relation it is found that boys are more comfortable in sharing their thoughts and suggestions with the class if they asked to share their answers beforehand. If left unattended, this situation would promote the impression that girls are inferior to boys when it comes to math skills cited in Peteros, et., al., (2017).
In view of the foregoing, the study focused on the attitude towards solving mathematical word problem, mathematical skills and academic performance of select grade nine students of Aplaya National High School-Annex.
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