Mathematics Anxiety and Students’ Academic Achievement in a Reciprocal

Learning Environment in Lupon

____________________

A Research Paper Presented to

Macangao Agricultural Vocational

High School

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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of

Practical Research 2

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Omar P. Mangolayon

Kenneth C. Subingsubing

Josephine P. Satore

An-nor M. Racman

Jerriz C. Hicayen

Jay Ar A. Bucay

2019
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

RATIONALE

Mathematics needs not to be stressing, even if it is not easy as perceived by

majority, this can still be appreciated. Enjoyment of the subject relies on its

meaningfulness and dynamics of concept illustrated. It is the essential role of the

teachers to guide and direct the students on getting knowledge, thus right ground on

methods, strategies and techniques must be considered in giving a comprehensive

environment which causes to arouse the interest and challenge the students to the

higher level of learning mathematical (Generalao, 2012).

Majority of the people in the world hate the four-letter word, MATH, they don’t

like it and feel that they are not good at it”, Yang (2014). He described it as “People

who feel tension, apprehension and fear of situations involving math might have

anxiety in the subject. Anxiety in Mathematics is easy to describe. This is manifested

through the feelings of discomfort and nuisance that some individuals may encounter

when having problems mathematics learning. In many forms of anxiety, students

have the feeling that their hearts beat fast, they may believe that they cannot

complete mathematical problems or may avoid taking math courses, Sheffield &

Hunt, (2006). Moreover, the study of (Pagtulon- an and Tan, 2018) states that

students perform poorly in mathematics as reflected in their scores. Additionally, its

findings are expected due to insufficient basic foundation or they don’t have a strong

foundation of the concepts.

drawing ideas from their experiences and connect to new situations and scenarios.

Hence, cooperative and collaborative learning put emphasis on active learning

through active participation by working fellow learners in engaging shared task

(Braza and Supapo, 2014).

The study of Braza and Supapo (2014) claimed the shortcomings that can

affect students’ achievements in Mathematics: lack of mastery of the basic concepts

and skills, lack of problem solving and critical thinking skills, diverse behavior of

students and inappropriate teaching skills and approaches of teachers in dealing the

students in the class of mathematics. Evidently, the National Achievement test result

of the students nationwide in Mathematics was only 48.90 where it is described as

poor achievement and below the national standard passing rate. Additionally,

mathematics subject ranked two among the subjects in terms of low MPS, NETRC

(2012). Furthermore, in Magpet National High School, it gained the following MPS in

National Achievement Test (NAT) which is administered nationwide yearly: in SY:

2012- 2013- 61.56, SY: 2013- 2014- 55.26, SY: 2014- 2015- 45.65. Moreover, the

MPS for Mathematics in 2015 is only 50.55. As observed in the statistics, the MPS

for the past years of the school were diminishing. The result is below the passing

percentage which is 75% and this means that students had difficulty in dealing the

subject which is alarming and a recurring situation. It is believed that majority of the

students feel difficult and tiresome to handle the subject. Thus, it is a great challenge

for the teachers to have a couple of solutions in coping with these problems in the

classroom. One of these is, a teacher must incorporate cooperative learning in the

class like reciprocal learning strategy.

their anxiety on the subject. Mathematics anxiety is connected to students’ feeling

tense or anxious in working with numbers or solving problems in mathematics.

Students who suffer from mathematics anxiety do not necessarily experience anxiety

in other subjects. It is affirmed that achievement in mathematics is conversely

proportional to their anxiety. In fact, the researcher aimed to use reciprocal learning

strategy to remedy students’ anxiety and improve their achievement.

Research Objective

This study is conducting to determine the Mathematics Anxiety and Students’

Academic Achievements in a Reciprocal Learning Environment in Lupon.

Specifically, this is conducting to find answers to the following objectives.

1. To what extent does mathematics anxiety effect students’ experience in school?

2. What are some methods of reducing anxiety, and how effective are they for

increasing students’ academic achievement?

This section presents the different ideas, precepts and concepts of the

different authors that are relevant to this study.

Math anxiety has been an interest of many experts because they want to find

out the factors that triggers the situation. Tobias (1978) described it as “sudden

death”, but Kogelman and Warren (1979) say it is an adverse reaction to

mathematics.

Environmental factors include classroom issues parental pressure and the

social perception of mathematics as a rigid set of rules. However, Suggate et al.

(1998) suggest a lack of enjoyment in students of mathematics who are mentally

scared by past experiences of failure with teacher’s expectations set to high (Hay

lock, 2003). Likewise, Brady and Bowd (2005) provide evidence of students being

expected to understand after brief explanations of concepts, and even teacher

embarrassing students’ causes math anxiety. Haylock (2003) provide evidence of

the negative-effect of the teacher’s response failure to understand on the part of the

learner.

Moreover another identified concern is the feeling of “being found out’ by

someone judgmental and in authority (Buxtan, 1981), with teachers always sent as

correct and students accepting blame for not understanding. Brady and Browd

(2005) describe hostility, impatience and insensitivity in mathematics teachers that

added to mathematics anxiety. While, Rossnan (2006) emphasized that math anxiety
and develop as a result of a student’s prior negative experiences learning

mathematics in the classroom or at home.

According to Cockroft (1982), once attitudes have been formed, they can be

very persistent and difficult to charge. Chin (2008) argues that the advantage of this

tripartite mode is that it considers several, often, inter-related factors. However,

besides parents, other individuals who ether contributes to be experiencing

mathematics anxiety are not clearly stated. A further classification by Balogu and

kocak (2006) cite three anchors of mathematics anxiety, namely, dispositional,

situation, and environmental. In addition to Hadfield and McNeils elements of the

environment variable, Baloglu and Kocak (2006) view the element thereof as issues

that affect learners prior to their mathematical engagement; these include age,

gender, academic subject, and previous mathematics experience. The disposition

anchor deals with psychological and emotional features such as attitudes towards

mathematics, self-concept refers to the learners. The Perception of their ability is to

perform very well in mathematics and to learn a new topic. The situational anchor

refers to direct features that result from the developers of the MARS (Math Anxiety

Rating Scale) say it ‘’ involves feelings of tension and anxiety that interfere w/the

manipulation of numbers and solving of mathematical problems in a wide variety of

ordinary and academic situation’’ Richardson and Suinn (1972). However, according

to (Newstead, 1995) stated that is not easy task to determine the cause of math

anxiety, where and how it begins and grows. There is some lack of agreement about

the possible cause of mathematics anxiety in children.

Theoretical Framework
 According to Romberg (Grouws, 1992), there is no general agreement on the

definition of learning, how learning takes place and what constitutes reasonable

evidence that learning has taken place. Some say it is observable changes in

behavior, others that it means acquiring new knowledge, and other say that it is the

creating of a disequilibrium.

Piaget's research and theory, is called developmental constructivism

(Romberg, 1969), and maintains that children acquire number concepts and

operations by construction from the inside and not by internalization. Piaget (1968)

pointed out that every normal student is capable of good mathematical reasoning if

attention (and care) is directed to activities of his interest, and if by this method the

emotional inhibitions that too often give him a feeling of inferiority in lessons in

mathematics are removed.

In contrast to Piaget's explanation of construction, Vygotsky (1986) presented

an alternate theory where imbalance and not equilibrium is considered normal.

Noddings (1990a) points out certain characteristics that constructivist

teachers must have an ethical commitment to inquiry in order to aid students in their

investigations, and the receptivity and responsiveness of an ethic of care which

involves sharing and listening to students, taking interest in their purposes as well as

in those of the teachers' truth.

A constructivist view of knowledge implies that knowledge is continuously

created and reconstructed so that there can be no template for constructivist

involves student's constructing their own knowledge, this leads to a redefinition of the

teachers' role to one of facilitator. This also leads to teaching that emphasizes the

importance of listening to and valuing students' perception, even when their

understanding differs from conventional knowledge (Cochran, Barson & Davis,

1970).

Conceptual Framework

As stated in figure 1 the independent variable is the mathematics anxiety

while the dependent variable is the students’ academic achievement in reciprocal

learning environment in Lupon.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

MATHEMATICS ANXIETY STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Figure 1 shows the Schematic Diagram of the Study

Significance of the Study

 Learning Environment- is an instructional model in which students work

in pairs to master lesson content. They cooperate in well-defined roles of

doer and observer (i.e., tutor and tutee) to maximize their own and each

other's learning.

 Academic Achievement- Academic performance or "academic

achievement" is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has

attained their short or long-term educational goals. Completion of

educational benchmarks such as secondary school diplomas and

bachelor's degrees represent academic achievement.

 Math Anxiety- is anxiety about one's ability to do mathematics. It is a

phenomenon that is often considered when examining students' problems

in mathematics.
 CHAPTER 2

METHOD

Research Design

This chapter presents the discussions of research design, population and

sample, and research instrument.

This study uses the descriptive-correlation methods. This method according to

(Fraenkel 2003) determines the relationship among two or more variables and seeks

to investigate the extent to which one or more relationship type exists.

A descriptive research is a scientific method which involves observing and

describing the behavior of a subject without influencing it in any way. Descriptive

research is used to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon being

studied. It does not answer the questions about, how, when, why the characteristics

occurred. Thus, descriptive research cannot be used as the basis of a causal

relationship, where one variable affects another. Descriptive research is simply that

which describe a phenomenon as is.

Correlational research design is a type of non- experimental research

methods in which a researcher measures two variables. It is a type of research

design where a researcher seeks to understand what kind of relationship naturally

occurring variables have with one another. Simple term correlational research seeks

to figure out if two or more variables are related and if so, in what way.

Research Locale
Population and Sample

Research Instrument

The research instrument use in gathering data is through questionnaire.

Questionnaire is a set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers,

devised for the purposes of a survey or statistical study. Questionnaire is research

instrument consisting of a series of questions (or other types of prompts) for the

purpose gathering information from respondents.

Data Collection

The researcher decided what design to be used in conducting a research

going to based on. The researcher made a letter for the approval to conduct the

study in particular schools which is Macangao Agricultural Vocational High School

and Tagboa Agricultural Vocational High School. The study will be conducted within

2 days (one day in each school). The valid questionnaire will be distributed and

answered voluntarily by the respondents who willingly to answer the said study.

After answering the questions, the researcher will give their gratitude to the

principal and advisers of each school especially to the respondents of the study for

being part of the study. Finally, the data collected will be analyzed and tabulated by

the researcher. The result will hopefully be the basis for finding out the difference

between the two variables and determining the level of students’ anxiety towards

mathematics achievements.
Statistical Tool

The data gathered from the respondents were evaluated and analyzed. The

following statistical tool was utilized and was used to treat the obtained data in the

study.

 Mean. Gives a very good idea about the central tendency of the data being

collected (Kalla, 2009). It is used to determine the level of students’ anxiety

towards mathematics achievements.

 Pearson-r. It is a measure of the linear relationship between two interval or

ratio variables and can’t have a value between –1 and 1. It is used to measure

the degree of relationship between students’ anxiety and mathematics

achievement.

Ethical Considerations

This study will also ensure that all respondents are not being forced. The

ethical standards of (Creswell, 2013) state that researchers should respect for

persons, beneficence, justice, and have a respect in community in conducting a

study. This ethical consideration should be considered in conducting a study.

individual freedom and self-determination, respect privacy and family life, and

safeguard against harm and unreasonable strain. While research may help promote

human dignity, it can also threaten it. Researchers must therefore show respect for

human dignity in their choice of topic, in relation to the research subjects, and when

reporting and publishing research results.

Privacy Researchers must respect the participants' autonomy, integrity,

freedom and right of co-determination. From a legal perspective, the protection of

privacy is linked to the processing of personal data. Thus, research must be

conducted in accordance with basic considerations for data protection, such as

personal integrity, privacy and responsible use and storage of personal data.

However, privacy also has a wider scope in research ethics, and researchers must

exercise due caution and responsibility

Consent and obligation to notify When a research project deals with

personal data, researchers are obliged to inform the participants or subjects of

research and to obtain their consent. The consent must be freely given, informed,

and in an explicit form.

Confidentiality Generally, researchers must process data acquired about

personal matters confidentially. Personal data must normally be de-identified, while

publication and dissemination of the research material must normally be amonymised.

In certain situations, researchers must nonetheless balance confidentiality and the

obligation to notify.

Beneficence is a concept in research ethics which states

that researchers should have the welfare of the research participant as a goal of any
clinical trial or other research study. In research ethics, justice is the fair selection

of research participants. Justice is the ideal distribution of risks and benefits when

scientists conducting clinical research are recruiting volunteer research participants

to participate in clinical trials.