This descriptive correlational research aimed to determine the relationship between the numeracy aptitude and mathematics performance of Grades 7 students of Santiago National High School. This was conducted in order to serve as framework for the proposed intervention program in Mathematics that may help enhance and promote better performance of learners in the level of numeracy. Data from numeracy aptitude score and mathematics performance were statistically treated through mean, frequency, percentage, standard deviation and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation.
The results revealed that students’ numeracy aptitude was at the emergent level (8.99). The level of mathematics performance was at the approaching proficiency (81.73). There is a significant relationship between the numeracy aptitude and mathematics performance with a computed r value of 0.4516 and p value of .000111 at p<.05. With a positive moderate relationship, this implies that the higher the students’ numeracy aptitude, the higher their mathematics performance. There are 88 (55%) students needing intervention in mathematics.
Thus, there is a need to propose an intervention program to aid students so that both their numeracy aptitude and mathematics performance improve.
Keywords: Numeracy Aptitude, Mathematics Performance, Project MEMO (Materializing, Experiencing, Mathematical Operations)
INTRODUCTION
“The only way to learn mathematics is to do mathematics”
-anonymous
Mathematics is one of the most learned topics, and is brought up all the way to college from the preschool level. The basic education program in Mathematics in the Philippines has experienced many updates through the years. Despite the numerous improvements in the curriculum, the goals of basic education in mathematics remain more or less the same: “to provide opportunities for individuals to develop skills and attitudes needed for effective participation in everyday living and prepare them for further education and the world of work so that they make worthwhile contributions to the society at large” (Pascua, 1993 in Mathematics Framework For Philippine Basic Education, Department of Education, DepEd).
Throughout learning, mathematics has the following roles: promoting engagement throughout constructive life events, offering a way to make sense of the environment, serving as a medium of connectivity and functioning as a path to national progresses.
Nevertheless, Department of Education Order No. 27, s. 2005 or otherwise known as the High School Remedial Instruction Programs in the Department of Education indicates that the numerical aptitude and quantitative competence of Grade 6 students are not consistent for what is expected for secondary level. The department instructed the Bureau Directors, Regional Directors, Schools/City, Superintendents, Heads, Public Elementary and Secondary Schools to either do an optional bridging program or a mandatory remedial instruction.
It might act as a challenge on a macro-level that if students perform badly on education, future qualified and technical scientific, technology and engineering staff will follow their interests elsewhere. Santiago National High School was able to create data at the micro-level that could serve as a blueprint for other schools to emulate; hence the importance of this work has been shown.
Currently, Santiago National High School, given the support it offers to its pupils, the condition aforecited above remains the same. While there are students that are achievers in Mathematics, there are still a number left behind that is a concern not just at the school but also by the students experiencing these situational challenges where the subject is the answer.
This research measured the numeracy aptitude and the student's involving initial mathematical success in order to determine the connection between the two.
Research Questions
This study determined the relationship between numeracy aptitude and the mathematics performance of Grade 7 students at Santiago National High School.
The inquiry provided responses to the following questions:
1. What is students’ numeracy aptitude and performance in Mathematics?
2. Is there any significant relationship between students’ numeracy aptitude and mathematical performance?
3. What intervention program may be used to improve numeracy aptitude and mathematics performance of the students?
Hypothesis
There is no significant relationship between numeracy aptitude and mathematical performance at the level of significance (p<0.05).
Scope and Limitation
At Santiago National High School, school year 2019-2020, the study attempted to determine the relationship of numeracy aptitude they gained from elementary and their mathematics performance. The respondents of this study were the students from Grade 7-Acacia for the morning session and section Mahogany for the afternoon session were the respondents of this analysis planned for the program’s pilot testing.