INTRODUCTION

Learning and mastering basic mathematics concepts early in life

gives children a good foundation that they will need later in their educational

life. Acquiring basic mathematical skills will also prepare the child for the

challenges of higher mathematical concepts as they progress in their

academic journey. These skills will also give them a chance to overcome

the rigor of mathematics learning and will lead them to higher achievement

in mathematics. Mathematics is an essential subject in every curriculum. It

teaches the learner perform simple arithmetic and eventually lead him to a

more complex nature of numbers. It places itself an important role in the

development of future engineers, inventors, scientists and the likes. Thus,

it becomes one of the important subjects taught to learners starting from

preschoolers.

One of the thrusts of the Department of Education is to “continuously

improve itself and better serve its stakeholders”. This encapsulate the need

for the teachers to adopt new and innovative teaching strategies which will

help students progress cognitively. This means that teachers must go away

with the traditional method of teaching and embrace more effective teaching

strategies and approaches, and every possible means to improve the

performance of the learners.

 However, despite of the numerous steps taken by the Department

and its teaching force, most students still fail to achieve the competencies

of the current curriculum. Much attention was given to the teaching of

mathematics, national and international evaluations show that, on

completion of basic education, many pupils’ mathematics knowledge and

competencies fall short of the expected level (UNESCO, 2012).

As evidenced by the result of the Trends in International Mathematics

and Science Study (TIMSS) administered in 2003 results where, the

selected Grade 4 and Grade 8 pupils from sample schools earned low

achievement scores in Science and Mathematics. The TIMSS result

showed that Philippines placed 23rd among 25 countries for both Science

and Mathematics for Grade 4. Parallel to this finding is the recently

conducted assessment of the Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD) in 2018. The test focuses on problem-solving and

cognition — essential 21st-century skills that indicate how prepared a

student might be for the real world. Released on December 3, the 2018

PISA results revealed that the Philippines scored 353 in Mathematics, 357

in Science, and 340 in Reading, all below the average of participating OECD

countries. Filipino 15-year-olds scored an average score of 353 versus 489

for the OECD average in Mathematics. This dismal performance requires

an extensive solution that the Department and every teachers and

educators should address. However, failure to meet the standards of

proficiency is a complex matter to pin point the blame even to the learners.

There are many variables like teacher quality, financial resources of the

school, quality of instruction, and many more are out of their control

(McGuire, 2010).

There are numerous variables in low mathematics achievement of

students, but McGuire (2010) mentioned three major factors: (1) teacher

factor, which is compose of mastery of the subject matter, instructional

techniques and strategies, classroom management, communication skills,

and personality; (2) student factor which include study habits, attitude and

interests towards mathematics, the level of anxiety they feel towards the

learning area and their metacognitive skills; and (3) environmental factor

such as parents’ values attitudes, classroom settings, socio-economic

backgrounds.

Teacher factor is the most recommended factors impacting students

learning. Accumulated evidences suggest that it moderates the effect of

other risk factors like parents educational level of attainments, gender of

students, socio-cultural and socio-economic backgrounds (Cave & Brown,

2010). Teachers are responsible to the kind of learning and experiences the

students may engage everyday as well as setting of educational goals and

total personality development. Professional development of teachers on

content-focused instruction has tremendous effect on student achievement.

The study of Blank and de las Alas (2009) provided a scientifically based

evidence for its positive effect. The students of the teacher who participated

in programs for faculty development had scored above the students whose

teachers did not participate. The study of Hill, Rowan & Ball (2005)

concluded that teacher’s mathematical knowledge had strong significant

relationship on student achievement. Quimbo (2003) says that teachers

who always absent or did not teach had among the lowest score in

mathematics achievement test. Thus, mathematics achievement can be

improved by improving teacher’s mathematical knowledge, commitment in

the profession and always engaging in professional development.

Learning process is a complex cognitive activity that happened in

school and outside the school. The ability of the learner to engage with

intellectually varies overtime on some other stimulus. It can be a motivation

and support from a friend or the effect of peer group in the spirit of

competitiveness. Some can be the parents’ values and attitudes and their

academic influence or the school environment and classroom settings

through visual aids. A complex process and variation can affect students in

the learning process.

 Biggs (1989) conceptualizes the learning process which is an

interaction of three variables. He called this learning process as 3P model

which consist of learning environment and student characteristics

(Presage), students’ approach to learning (Process), and learning

outcomes (Product). This model applies the idea that the learning

environment which is the situational characteristics mention by Lizzio et. Al.

(2002) affects the learning process of the desired learning outcomes.

Whether or not the kind of learning environment the student has affect the

learning process and the learning outcomes depends on the students’

perception that identify the situational factors characteristic in influencing

the motivation of students to learn. Lizzio et al.(2002) strongly affirms that

students perception on the current environments were a strong predictor on

learning outcomes.

Another study of Quimbo (2003) suggest that by effectively providing

materials in school can improve achievement in mathematics and the home

learning environment such as parental education have significant effect on

students’ performance. The mere presence of learning materials such as

books, charts, visual aids and others affect the learning outcomes. Another

consideration is the home as the learning environment. Students whose

parents are highly educated out-performed their peers whose parents have

low educational achievement. The influence of the parents in the meta-

cognitive trainings like study habits, achievement pressure can be

considered as elements behind school performance (Quimbo, 2003).

Students’ perception on the situational characteristics of the learning

environment can be applied on the teachers’ personality, pedagogical

approach and to the subject content. On the basis of experienced, students

tend to dislike the subject as he dislike the teacher, as the “domino” effect,

this perceived difficulties becoming his subjective experienced causes the

lost of interest to learn the subject.

The study of Brown, Brown, & Bibby (2008) found out that the low

participation of mathematics in UK was due to the perceived difficulties, lack

of confidence, dislike, boredom, and lack of relevance on the subject. Their

choice has significant relationship on their attitude towards mathematics.

The main reason why others discontinue studying mathematics because of

their perception as boring, hard, and useless.

Taking the following factors into account, this study will determine

the factors which are determinant of mathematics achievement for Grade 6

pupils of _______ District, Pangasinan. Once the factors has been

discovered through factorial analysis, the researcher will then propose

intervention to improve such factors and thus enhance the overall

mathematics achievement of the locale.

 Conceptual Framework

The following theories, along with some related studies, are

discussed belong to developed the framework of the study.

Mathematics Learning

This study is anchored heavily on the competency theory which

suggests that students’ skills in any given domain may be associated with

their ability to self-assess their skill set, and furthermore, that students who

have low-level skills may not, in fact, recognize that they have such a deficit

(Kruger and Dunning 1999).

Mathematical ability involves effective thinking with conceptual

learning; students need to be taught to think logically along with practicing

the numerical problems but on the contrary they do practice a problem, and

then repeatedly do the same kind of problems until that is hardwired in their

brains (Pearse & Walton, 2011). According to Sfard (2008) mathematical

thinking is a communication tool and is used in languages unintentionally

whereas Uri synthesizes the social, cognitive and biological roots of latest

research in mathematical thinking (Uri, 2003). He separated three levels of

mathematical thinking as hard-wired rudimentary arithmetic in brain

supporting the existence of innate abilities , informal mathematics based on

daily cognitive mechanisms easily learned by experiencing the world

around and formal mathematics learnt through formal mathematical

learning processes using formal mathematical language, abstraction, de-

contextualization and proof (Uri, 2003). Corte and Verschaffel (2007)

reported four interlinked components of mathematical thinking and learning

as competence, learning, intervention and assessment.

Teacher Factors to Mathematics Achievement

Teaching styles are a multidimensional construct that bases on the

way how teachers act in the classroom (Grasha, 2002). According to Eble

(1980) teaching style is represented by those personal qualities and

behaviors that appear conducting our classes. There are different

approaches to examine our styles as teachers. Teaching style is a manner

or mode of acting or performing. According to this point of view, Lowman

(1995) developed a study of the teacher behaviors and found two

categories: intellectual excitement and interpersonal rapport, both

categories occur to varying degrees in teaching style, in other words,

teachers who are strong on both dimensions are generally excellent, while

teachers who are deficient on both dimensions tend to be ineffective and

unable to present material or to motivate their students.

A second approach associates’ people with a particular teaching

method. Based on this idea, Bonwell and Eison (1991) used the level of

active learning and the level of risk to classify teaching style.

 A third approach of teaching style should be based upon a

conceptual base that forms our philosophy of teaching. It also should be

embedded in a conceptual context that includes principles of teaching and

learning in order to provide a coherent theoretical structure. Grasha (2002)

focused in determining what qualities a teacher must have for a variety of

disciplines and what changes that happen in the classroom are related to

the styles of learning of the students. He developed a system of five different

teaching styles: Expert, Formal Authority, Personal Model, Facilitator and

Delegator. Each style differs in the form how the teachers developed in

classroom and in the form of interaction that they support with their

students.

Environment Factors to Mathematic Achievement

On the aspect of the learning environment, specifically to their

relationship with parents and friends and the quality of interactions with

them profoundly affect their achievement and social motivation. Students

who are accepted by their peers and who have good social skills often do

better in school and have positive academic achievement (Rubin,

Bukowski, & Parker, 2006). However, rejected students, especially those

who are highly aggressive is at stake of achievement problem, including low

grades and dropping out.

 Classroom management is one of the most important jobs of a

teacher. Its impact on achievement is very high (Sontrock, 2009). This

means that students cannot learn in chaotic and an environment poorly

managed by teachers. Sontrock (2009) identified important components of

a classroom. Design a room conducive for learning environment, creation

of procedures and its implementation must be properly carried out, and

establishing a high level of teacher-students relationship such as exhibiting

appropriate level of dominance and cooperation. Poor classroom

management results to poor classroom environment and make the students

underachiever.

Student Factors to Mathematics Achievement

Students who are socially accepted ad supported by peers are more

motivated, achieve higher, develop high self-confidence, and are satisfied

with life than those receiving less support. Peers continually communicate

their attitudes and values to one another in day to day interactions.

Unfortunately, peer influences are sometimes negative such as when

students participate in gangs or other forms alike. Student’s choice of

friends predicts grades, disruptive behavior, and teacher ratings of

involvement in school. When student select academically oriented friends,

their grades improve, when they choose disruptive friends, their grades
decline and behavior problems increase (Berndt & Keefe, 1995) cited by

Kauchak, 2004).

Paradigm of the Study

This study will determine the factors which influences mathematics

achievement among randomly selected Grade 6 students of _______

District, Pangasinan. Using factorial analysis, the researcher will identify

key determinants that have a positive affect on mathematics learning. The

research model for a factorial analysis is illustrated in the figure below.

Factor 1: Teacher Factors

 mastery of the subject
 instructional technique and strategies
 classroom management
 communication skills
 personality

Factor 2: Environment Factors

 socio-economic level Mathematics
 classroom setting Achievement
 parental involvement in school

Factor 3: Student Factors

 study habits
 attitude and interest towards
mathematics
 mathematics anxiety
 metacognitive skills
 Statement of the Problem

The aim of this study is to determine the factors which influences mathematics

achievement among selected Grade 6 students of ________ District, Pangasinan for the

school year 2019 – 2020.

Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:

1. How may the students perceive their mathematics teachers in terms of:

a. mastery of the learning area;

b. instructional techniques and strategies;

c. classroom management skills;

d. communication skills; and

e. personality?

2. How may the students describe their school in terms of:

a. adequacy of learning materials;

b. adequacy of mathematics-related learning facilities; and

c. adequacy of activities to promote mathematics motivation?

3. How do the students describe themselves in terms of

a. socio-economic level;

b. parental involvement in school;

c. study habits;

d. attitude and interest towards mathematics;

e. level of mathematics anxiety; and

f. metacognitive skills in mathematics?

4. How may the mathematics achievement of the students be described based on their

general average on mathematics for the school year 2019 – 2020?

5. Which of the following factors determines mathematics achievement?

6. What programs can be implemented based on the findings of the study?