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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the rationale of the study, research objectives,

research hypotheses, review of related literature, theoretical framework,

conceptual framework, schematic diagram, significance of the study, scope and

delimitation, and definition of terms.

Rationale of the Study

Math is so much more than just numbers and symbols. The implementation

of K-12 program in the Philippines aims to improve the academic achievement of

students and for the holistic development and global competitiveness. However,

from the 2018 results of the Programme for International Student Assessment

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

that were conducted to students that age 15 years old who were most commonly

enrolled in grade 10 at the time of assessment, among 79 participating countries,

the Philippines scored the lowest in reading comprehension and the second-lowest

in mathematics and science. There are many reasons for academic failure: lack of

a clear plan, medical and psychological reasons, and reasons related to the

learner, parental and educational reasons, exams anxiety and lack of motivation

for success (Al-Zoubi & Younes, 2015).

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In academic view, educators cannot deny a fact that not everyone has a

positive drive towards a goal, especially if a student is having a hard time on a

subject. No subject is avoided and labeled negatively the way mathematics has

been (Ballado, 2014) and that student probably experiencing a situation has

mathematics anxiety. Highly math-anxious individuals are characterized by a

strong tendency to avoid math, which ultimately undercuts their math competence

and forecloses important career paths (Ashcraft, 2002). Furthermore, math anxiety

is a real issue that can impact a young person’s goals, many careers-related

decisions they may make in life and their overall future (Furner and Gonzalez-

Dehass, 2011). This study however, will investigate on the association of math

anxiety to mathematics achievement of students. Exploring math anxiety further

may shed some light on the reasons Filipino students are scoring lower.

By describing the nature of mathematics anxiety, some researchers

discovered that it begins mostly while pupils are still in elementary years, and the

peak of its symptoms manifest in secondary and senior high school level (Ashcraft

2002). The grade 10 students of San Agustin Institute of Technology also

encountered problems that affect their academic achievement. Math teachers

observed that most students do not do well in their math subjects. Also, this

difficulty experienced by most students are not just spoken in order to be heard but

their poor academic achievement is the evidence for this problem.

Based on the above issues, this research aims to investigate whether math

anxiety influence the academic achievement of grade 10 students of San Agustin

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Institute of Technology because this attitude towards mathematics is creating a

disparity between levels of mathematics achievement. The changing world is

becoming more economically competitive and doors of opportunity are closing for

students who struggle in mathematics and students need to think more

mathematically to survive in today’s society. Moreover, no studies conducted yet

in San Agustin Institute of Technology that focused on the math anxiety and

mathematics achievement of students.

Research Objectives

Generally, this study aims to investigate possible relationship between math

anxiety and mathematics achievement among the grade 10 students of San

Agustin Institute of Technology for school year 2020-2021.

Specifically, this study aims to:

1. Identify the level of Math Anxiety of the respondents;

2. Evaluate the level of Mathematics Achievement of the respondents; and

3. Examine if Math Anxiety has a significant relationship with Mathematics

Achievement of the respondents.

Research Hypotheses

The following hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance:

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between Math Anxiety and

Mathematics Achievement.
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Review of Related Literature

This section presents the review of related literature which has a significant

bearing on the conduct of the present study. The discussion in this section is

organized according to the variables of the study which include: Math Anxiety and

Mathematics Achievements. This immediately followed by the Correlation between

Measures, Theoretical Framework, Conceptual Framework, and Schematic

Diagram.

Math Anxiety

Overtime, researchers conceptualized several definitions of anxiety related

to mathematics. Gough (1954) introduced the term “mathemaphobia” to describe

the phobia-like feelings of many towards mathematics. Math Anxiety is defined by

Tobias and Weissbrod (1980) as “the panic, helplessness, paralysis, and mental

disorganization that arises among some people when they are required to solve a

mathematical problem”. In addition, Zakaria, Zain, Ahmad and Erlina (2012)

defined it as feelings of fear, avoidance and dread when dealing with any situation

relating to mathematics, they also added that it is a psychological dimension of

learning that is important for educators to identify.

Marsh and Tapia (2004) indicated that compared with students with high

levels of anxiety, students with low levels of math anxiety are more excited,

confident and motivated to learn math. Some students tend to feel anxious about
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the testing process and often become rigid, while others cringe when faced with

any form of calculation exercises, or others are afraid of taking math classes. As a

result of their fear, more and more students are evading careers in mathematics-

related fields (Siebers, 2015).

Math anxiety is real and it exists in schools and it impacts the decisions and

career choices of young people today (Furner and Gonzalez-Dehass, 2011). Spark

(2011) described mathematics anxiety as a kind of disease, a negative emotional

stage that arises when engaging in activities that require mathematical

calculations. She continued that math anxiety can cause discomfort in

mathematics and may lead to fewer students pursuing math and science careers.

Several studies have also investigated the direct effect of mathematics

anxiety on student achievement of elementary and middle school/ secondary. Math

anxiety increased as grades level increased (Birgin, Baloǧlu, Ҫatlιoǧlu, Gϋrbϋz

(2010). Individuals with high math anxiety take fewer math courses, earn lower

grades in the classes they do take, and demonstrate lower math achievement

(Ashcraft and Kirk, 2001).

Parent’s role, teacher role, classroom instruction, and student’s attitude are

some of the reasons for math anxiety (Siebers, 2015). Whitaker and Hoover-

Dempsey (2013) explained that “parents’ engagement in their learning at home

and school offers an important pathway to improve academic and social outcomes

for many students”. Parents’ support for students’ learning is directly related to

students’ more positive attitudes, better attendance, increased positive outlook,

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higher learning motivation and higher test scores. Parents can increase or

decrease their children’s excitement or anxiety about mathematics. Boaler (2008)

stated famous mathematicians were inspired by problems and puzzle given to

them by family members at home and not inspired by school teaching. Parents are

the ultimate starting point in the child’s mathematical journey. The next step is to

explore the role of teachers in influencing mathematics anxiety.

In helping students with math, teacher is the most influential factor.

Teachers are impactful, role models, and passionate. Teachers strive to do their

best to help students succeed in math and in life. Boaler (2008) pointed out that

even if teachers use outdated methods, they still have the best will to help children

succeed. Teachers’ attitudes can have a profound impact on students’ education

growth. Scarpello (2007) reported that teachers are a key factor in reducing

mathematics anxiety and a key component in encouraging students to learn

advanced mathematics.

The classroom is ultimately a learning space for teaching mathematics to

students. The structure of the classroom and internal guidance are the most

important. Reducing student math anxiety by focusing on the classroom

experience is not the only important aspect of achieving academic performance.

Through classroom experience, students can use their active working memory to

solve problems. However, it is difficult for students experiencing math anxiety to

transfer information from their working memory to short-term memory. Student’s

active working memory affects math anxiety and ultimately determines student’s
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math performance. Ashcraft and Kirk (2001) found that people with higher math

anxiety showed significant lower working memory capacity scores than those of

lower anxiety levels. This information forces educators to build structures in the

teaching process to actively participate in student memory.

Previous negative mathematical experiences have detrimental effects on

the attitude of students when it comes to math performance and achievement

(Beilock, 2008). Fear of being stupid in front of the class will lead to a negative

experience, and being placed in the wrong math class will produce a negative

attitude, especially if the class exceeds the student’s ability. Not going to class

prepared or ready to learn, adds to the least of how students develop poor attitude

towards mathematics. A positive attitude and self-image will fundamentally help

eliminate math anxiety in the classroom.

Mathematics Achievement

Mathematics Achievement is the competency that students demonstrate in

subject mathematics (Pandey, 2017), which is measured by the examination

results, is one of the major mechanisms to measure the academic performance of

students (Alemu and Feyssa, 2020). According to Kupari and Nissinen (2013),

students’ achievement in mathematics are often associated with a country’s future

economic strength and competitiveness, so the desire to understand and

determine factors that may play a role has been shared. In the study conducted

by Sibers (2015), academic achievement in mathematics is a major concern of

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educational systems across the world. The study of mathematics was established

to produce a competent person who can effectively and responsibly apply the

mathematical knowledge in daily life to practical work in problem-solving and

decision-making.

The mathematical achievement of students in secondary school have an

influential effect on their performance in college and future careers. Having a solid

background in mathematics can help students develop complex perspectives and

provide more career options. The importance of mathematical learning has

repeatedly been emphasized by educators and politicians (Wilkins & Ma, 2002).

Teachers and parents pay attention to students’ mathematics performance and

progress every year. Politicians also called for improving overall student

performance and reducing student achievement gaps. Until teachers and parents

recognize the factors that influence students’ math achievement and progress,

they will not be able to help them make substantial academic progress.

Online learning is getting more popular. There is less pressure to manage

with mathematics activities because online education provides a greater degree of

flexibility. In addition, there is a less pressure to engage the students because

there is an assistant with equipment, applications, and multimedia tools to make

learning in mathematics more interactive and enjoyable.

Educators rely on many sources of information and pay attention to various

factors that may affect students’ math achievement, including the student’s

background, peer environment, and parental involvement (Young, Reynolds &

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Walberg, 1996). In Ma and Klinger (2000) study, students’ personal characteristics,

gender, age, race and family characteristics, marital status, and socioeconomics

status were investigated and results showed that these factors were significant

predictors of academic achievement. Muller, Stage and Kinzie (2001) considered

the effects of some interactions. They studied the interaction between race-

ethnicity and gender. For all racial/ethnic groups, male achievement was higher

than that of females within the same racial/ethnic group. Latino and African-

American shows showed lower levels of achievement than did Asian-American.

Correlation between Measures

The study conducted by Siebers (2015) among middle school students

revealed that there was a statistical significant differences between mathematics

anxiety and achievement on TCAP in mathematics. The direction of the correlation

was negative, which means that students with high levels of math anxiety tend to

have lower math achievement. In addition, the study of Samante and Alave (2021)

also revealed a significant relationship between the level of mathematics anxiety

and math performance (last three-quarter grades were used to measure the

performance in math) of grade 4 pupils. Another study conducted by Ballado

(2014) on these variables revealed the same result. This time the respondents

were junior Bachelor of Elementary Education students

However, the study of Dagaylo-an and Tancinco (2016) revealed the other

way around, that Math Anxiety has no significant relationship with Academic
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Achievement (High school grades in mathematics). This study was conducted

among freshmen college students of the Naval State University. The result of this

study was reinforced by the findings of the study of Cargnelutti, Tomasetto &

Passolunghi (2017). This study was conducted among second and third grade and

it revealed that math anxiety and math achievement have no significant

relationship among grade 2 students.

Given the existence of the abovementioned studies, the present

researchers are motivated to investigate on the relationship on the same variables

in another research locale with another group of respondents. This is to validate or

nullify the results of the previous studies using the result of the present study.

Theoretical Framework

The theories that will be anchored for this study are the following: Deficit

Theory (Tobias, 1986), Debilitating Anxiety Model (Carey E., Hill F., Divine A.,

Szűcs D., 2016), Reciprocal theory (Carey E., Hill F., Divine A., Szűcs D., 2016).

The first theory to which this study is anchored on is Deficit Theory which

claims that poor performance, for example in tests or mathematics will cause

higher anxiety about that situation in the future. Memories of poor maths

performance generate math anxiety. There is evidence that children with math

learning disabilities are often found to have disproportionately high math anxiety

levels, which provides support for the deficit theory. The study of Rubinsten and

Tannock (2010), revealed that those with mathematical learning disabilities display
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higher levels of math anxiety than typically developing children. The Deficit theory

was anchored with the present study because it focused on the same variables

which is math performance/achievement and math anxiety.

Another major theory of mathematical anxiety is conceptualized as the

debilitating anxiety model, which is based on the premise that mathematical

anxiety will reduce mathematical performance (Carey et al., 2015). For example,

if a teacher asks students to answer math questions in class, students with math

anxiety may experience adverse physiological symptoms like cognitive confusion,

sweating and increased heart rate. (Lyons and Beilock, 2012) used functional

magnetic resonance imaging or f (MRI) to study the physiological changes of

students with mathematics anxiety. Their research results show that the student’s

frontoparietal network is activated in anticipation of mathematical tasks. The

frontoparietal part of the brain is where working memory occurs. Therefore, the

work of Lyons and Beilock (2012) provides evidence that mathematics anxiety

affects students’ cognitive function, thereby hindering their ability to learn

mathematics that would lead to poor achievement in the future.

The challenge of determining whether mathematics anxiety leads to a

decline in mathematics performance, or whether a lack of mathematics ability or

acuity causes mathematics anxiety has generated considerable discussion in

research. The summary of the review puts forward a third theory to explain

mathematics anxiety, namely reciprocal theory (Carey et al., 2015). The reciprocal

theory provides at two-way relationship between mathematics anxiety and

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mathematics performance or achievement, and this relationship will occur in a

cyclical manner. If a person feels anxious while thinking or performing math, then

this may lead to poor math performance. Conversely, if the individual’s math

performance is not good, it will cause the individual to suffer from math anxiety.

This study is anchored on these theories since the nature and relationship

of the variables in this study are explained by these theories. One important

objective in the conduct of this study is to validate or nullify these theories by testing

the research hypotheses formulated for this study.

Conceptual Framework

This study involves two variables of which one is independent and one is

dependent. The independent variable is Math Anxiety and the dependent variable

is Mathematics Achievement.

Math anxiety, also known as mathematics phobia, is anxiety about a

person’s ability to do mathematics. This phenomenon is usually taken into

consideration when examining students’ math problems. Math anxiety is defined

as a feeling of tension and it interferes with number manipulation and mathematical

problem solving in a variety of daily life and academic situations (Furner and

Gonzalez-Dehass, 2011). Math anxiety is real issue that can impact a young

person’s goals, many careers-related decisions they may make in life and their

overall future.
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Meanwhile mathematics achievement is the competency that students

demonstrate in subject mathematics (Pandey, 2017). Its measure is the

achievement test scores in mathematics. As an indicator of intellectual education,

mathematics achievement is the most important prerequisite for individual and

societal prosperity (Spinath, 2012).

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Schematic Diagram

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLE

Math Anxiety Mathematics Achievement

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram showing the relationship between the

independent and dependent variables of the study.
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Significance of the Study

Generally, this study is significant to its beneficiaries since it provides

valuable information on the relationship of math anxiety and mathematics

achievement of the study. Moreover, informed the readers and recipients of this

study on whether math anxiety is a significant predictor to mathematics

achievement. Specifically, this study is beneficial to the following:

School Principal. Through these measures, school administrators will

empowered to formulate policies to ensure that development projects are provided

to enhance teacher’s abilities, enable them to be good at dealing with students

with academic problems (especially mathematics), and make schools conducive

to learning.

Teachers. This study is helpful for teachers to help them consider learning

activities and teaching strategies that may go beyond math anxiety, and to promote

good self-esteem among students to improve their mathematics achievement.

Parents. It can also help parents provide creative criticism for their children,

encouraging them to become more confident when using mathematics as a subject

and math activities as opportunities for growth, learning and development.

Students. When dealing with mathematics anxiety, by making necessary

adjustment and determining necessary learning strategies, it is beneficial to

students, which will enable them to discover their true academic potential and

thereby improve their mathematics achievement in mathematics.

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Future Researchers. The result of this study provides opportunity for the

future researchers and it will serve as a basis for further study. The future

researchers may take into consideration additional factors that triggers math

anxiety that can affect mathematics achievement which were not identified in this

study.

Scope and Delimitation

The main objective of the study is to determine whether Math Anxiety has

significant relationship with Mathematics Achievement of the grade 10 students of

San Agustin Institute of Technology. Hence, the variables being studied in this

study are delimited to Math Anxiety and Mathematics Achievement only.

This study was conducted this second semester school year 2020 – 2021

at San Agustin Institute of Technology among Grade 10 students through google

form.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally for a better understanding of

this study.

Math Anxiety. Also known as math phobia is anxiety about one’s ability to

do mathematics. A feeling of tension and anxiety that interferes with the

manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems.

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Mathematics Achievement. As used in this study, it refers to the final

grade in mathematics of grade 10 students of San Agustin Institute of Technology

of the year 2020-2021.

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Chapter 2

METHODS

This chapter presents the research design, research locale, population and

sample, research instrument, scoring procedure, data collection, statistical

treatment, and ethical consideration.

Research Design

This study employs a quantitative approach using a descriptive-

correlational research design. Descriptive research design aims to accurately and

systematically describe populations, conditions, or phenomena. Furthermore, this

design portray the characteristics of persons, situations, or groups and the

frequency with which certain phenomenon occur; these studies observe, describe,

and document aspects of a situation as it naturally occurs (Dulock,1993).

Meanwhile, correlational research design measures a relationship between two

variables without the researcher controlling either of them (McCombes, 2019). It

aims to find out whether there is either positive, negative or zero correlation.

The researchers opted to use this design since the researchers aim to: (1)

describe the data gathered from the respondents, and (2) investigate possible

relationship between math anxiety and mathematics achievement of the

respondent.
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Research Locale

This study was conducted at San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT),

Fr. Caroselli St., Valencia City, Bukidnon. this school is a private Catholic institution

founded by an Italian missionary priest, Fr. Manlio Caroselli S.J. in 1960. The

school has elementary, high school, and college departments. The respondents of

this study belong to the high school department. It comprises different grade levels

from junior high which is from grade 7 to grade 10 and senior high from grade 11

to grade 12. Our respondents will be the grade 10 which is the junior high students

of San Agustin Institute of Technology.

Figure 2. Map of the Research Locale

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Population and Sample

The respondents of the study will be the grade 10 students of San Agustin

Institute of Technology. The researcher intends to choose them as the,

respondents of the study since the focus of the present study is on the math anxiety

that peeks at middle school, and according to Yuliani, Suryadi and Dahlan (2019),

math anxiety increases as students go to higher classes, and generally students

do not want to have a career in the future that relates with math. Probability

sampling was employed to determine the sample of the study. Using the Raosoft

- an online sample size calculator, the researcher randomly select 129

respondents out of 193 total population. Out of 129, only 79% or 102 are the actual

respondents in this study.

Research Instrument

The questionnaire to be used in this study was adapted from the study of

Idowu (2018) entitled Math Anxiety Among Junior Secondary School Children in

Lagos, Nigeria. The first part aims to measure the level of Math Anxiety of the

respondents that consists of 24 questions. Meanwhile, the data for Mathematics

Achievement which is the dependent variable of the study was taken from the

office of the high school registrar of San Agustin Institute of Technology. It must

be noted that mathematics achievement in this study refers to the respondent’s

final grade for the school year 2020-2021. The researcher have this questionnaire
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validated and tested with its reliability after all the corrections was incorporated

after the proposal defense, with its cronbach’s alpha of 0.941 and is described as

reliable.

Scoring Procedure

The respondents was able to answer the questionnaire for Math Anxiety

using a five-point Likert scale. Below is a tabular presentation of the scale to be

used with its limits, description, and interpretation.

Scale Limits Description Interpretation

5 4.21 – 5.00 Very much This means that the level of math
anxiety of the respondents is
extremely high.
4 3.41 – 4.20 Much This means that the level of math
anxiety of the respondents is high.
3 2.61 – 3.40 A fair amount This means that the level of math
anxiety of the respondents is not
high nor low.
2 1.81 – 2.60 A little This means that the level of math
anxiety of the respondents is low.
1 1.00 – 1.80 Not at all This means that the level of math
anxiety of the respondents is never
observed at all.

Furthermore, the mathematics achievement of the respondents will be

bracketed and described as shown in the tabular presentation below.

Grading Scale Description Remarks

90-100 Outstanding Passed

85-89 Very Satisfactory Passed
80-84 Satisfactory Passed
75-79 Fairly Satisfactory Passed
Below 75 Did Not Meet Expectations Failed
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Data Collection

The researchers asked permission from the high school principal by writing

a communication letter at the onset of the study. Given the permission, the

researchers immediately ask for the consent of the respondents and their adviser

for the conduct of the study. After retrieving the questionnaires, the researchers

tabulated the answers of the respondents. This tabulation was sent to the

statistician for the statistical analysis of the data. Interpretation of the result was

done as soon as the researchers received the result of the statistical analysis.

Statistical Treatment

Descriptive and inferential statistics was used to answer the research

questions of this study. To answer research objective number 1 and 2, mean and

standard deviation was used. Meanwhile, to answer research objective number 3,

Pearson r product – moment correlation analysis was used.

Ethical Consideration

The researchers make sure that ethical protocols in the conduct of the

research was observed. Permission from the school principal and classroom

adviser and consent from the respondents was sought first before the conduct of

the study. Respondents was fully informed on the objectives of the study and the

possible risks entailed in the conduct of the study. Respondents was encouraged
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to participate in the study but never be coerced to do so if they refused to. In other

words, the researchers ensured that all respondents who answered the

questionnaires, participate in the study voluntarily. The researchers ensured that

privacy and confidentiality of the personal information of the respondents was

properly observed. No personal information from the respondents was divulged.

No data in the study was falsified and fabricated. Any form of deceit must be

avoided. To assure originality of work, the researchers had their manuscript

examined by a plagiarism software. All these ethical issues must be avoided and

all ethical protocols will be observed by the researchers to come up with a quality

and ethically bound study.

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Chapter 3

RESULTS

This chapter presents the result of the study organized according to the

sequence of the research objectives and the variables being studied. The results

are presented in tabular and paragraph form.

Level of Math Anxiety

Table 1 presents the Level of Math Anxiety of the respondents with a total

mean of 3.73 and a standard deviation of 1.05 described as “much”. This means

that the level of math anxiety of the respondents is high. It must be noted that the

indicator / item “When called upon to answer a math problem in class” got the

highest mean of 4.12 with a standard deviation of 0.89 described as “much”.

Meanwhile, “When given a set of addition problem to solve” got the lowest mean

of 3.18 with a standard deviation of 1.35 described as “a fair amount”.

Table 1

Level of Math Anxiety

Indicators Mean SD Description

1. When called upon to answer a math 4.12 0.89 much
problem in class.
2. When given a difficult math test to do in a 4.10 1.04 much
limited amount of time.
3. When called upon to come up and solve 4.08 0.97 much
a math problem on the board.
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4. When thinking about an upcoming math 4.05 0.93 much

test 5 minutes before.
5. When asked to solve a word problem in 4.04 0.95 much
math.
6. When told the result of not passing a 4.03 1.00 much
math class.
7. When waiting to receive your final math 3.99 0.98 much
result.
8. When taking a final math examination. 3.95 0.95 much
9. When opening a math textbook and 3.84 1.09 much
seeing a page full of problems.
10. When someone else is watching you 3.83 1.14 much
solve a math problem.
11. When studying for a math exam. 3.77 0.94 much
12. When dividing a 5-digit number by a 2- 3.75 0.95 much
digit number without using a calculator.
13. When given a set of multiplication 3.72 1.05 much
problems to solve.
14. When taking about an upcoming math 3.69 1.00 much
test 1 hour before.
15. When solving math-related questions in 3.67 0.98 much
other subjects.
16. When given a combination of 3.62 1.07 much
multiplication and division problem to
solve.
17. When picking up a math text book to 3.60 1.01 much
solve a given homework.
18. When a math class is more than 30 3.54 1.03 much
minutes to the end.
19. When walking into a math class. 3.50 1.07 much
20. When thinking about an upcoming math 3.48 1.17 much
test 1 day before.
21. When given a set of division problems to 3.43 1.15 much
solve.
22. When given a combination of both 3.31 1.16 a fair amount
addition and subtraction problems to
solve.
23. When given a set of subtraction 3.20 1.24 a fair amount
problems to solve.
24. When given a set of addition problems to 3.18 1.35 a fair amount
solve.
OVERALL MEAN 3.73 1.05 Much

Legend:
4.21 – 5.00 Very Much 2.61 – 3.40 A Fair Amount 1.00 – 1.80 Not at All
3.41 – 4.20 Much 1.81 – 2.60 A Little
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Level of Mathematics Achievement

Table 2 presents the Level of Mathematics Achievement of the respondents

with a total mean of 85.28 and a standard deviation of 4.67 described as “very

satisfactory”. It shows that 17.65% of the students have a general average grade

of 90-100 described as “outstanding”. Moreover, 12.75% of the students have 75-

79 general average grade described as “fairly satisfactory”.

Table 2
Level of Mathematics Achievement
Grading scale F % Description
90-100 18 17.65 outstanding
85-89 47 46.08 Very satisfactory
80-84 24 23.53 satisfactory
75-79 13 12.75 Fairly satisfactory
Below 75 - - Did Not Meet
expectations
Total 102 100.00
Mean = 85.28 SD = 4.67 Very satisfactory

Correlation Analysis between Math Anxiety and Mathematics Achievement

Table 3 presents the correlation analysis between the independent and

dependent variable of the study. The independent variable of the study is math

anxiety while the dependent variable is mathematics achievement. Both of these

variables were initially measured using mean and standard deviation. To examine

the relationship of these variables, Pearson r product – moment correlation

analysis was used.

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The table further shows that the correlation coefficients of math anxiety is

–0.168 with p-values of 0.091 respectively. Moreover, the degree of correlation of

this variable with the dependent variable is “very low”. This simply means that this

independent variable has no significant relationship with the dependent variable.

Therefore, the null hypothesis that states “There is no significant

relationship between math anxiety and mathematics achievement” is

accepted.

Table 3

Correlation Analysis between Math Anxiety and Mathematics Achievement

Indicator Correlation Degree

p-value Remarks
Coefficient

Math Anxiety -0.168 0.091 Very Low Not Significant

Legend:
±0.81 - ±1.00 Very High ±0.41 - ±0.60 Moderate ±0.01 - ±0.20 Very Low
±0.61 - ±0.80 High ±0.21 - ±0.40 Low
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Chapter 4

DISCUSSION

This chapter presents a thorough discussion on the implications of the

results of the study. The discussion is organized according to the presentation of

results in the previous chapter.

Level of Math Anxiety

Shown on Table 1 the Level of Math Anxiety of the respondents with a total

mean of 3.73 and a standard deviation of 1.05 described as “much”. This means

that the level of math anxiety of the respondents are high. It must be noted that the

indicator “when called upon to answer math problems in class” got the highest

mean of 4.12 with a standard deviation 0.89 described as “much”. Most of the

respondents feel tension and fear when they are required to solve a mathematical

problem. According to Spark (2011), math anxiety is a negative emotional stage

arises when engaging in activities that require mathematical calculations. The

second highest mean of 4.10 with a standard deviation of 1.04 described as “much”

which indicates that “when given a difficult math test to do in a limited amount of

time”. Typically, during examination students are given a limited amount of time to

complete the task. Due to the need for rapid processing, time pressure can also

lead to feelings of helplessness. This is likely to cause decision makers to ignore

certain information that may be important.

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On the other hand, the indicator “when given a set of addition problem to

solve” got the lowest mean of 3.18 with a standard deviation of 1.35 described as

“a fair amount” and the indicator “when given a set of subtraction problems to

solve” got the second lowest mean of 3.20 with a standard deviation 1.24

described as “a fair amount”. These students are less anxious when given a set

of addition and subtraction problems to solve since these are the basic operation

in solving. Compared with students with high levels of anxiety, students with low

levels of math anxiety are more excited, confident and motivated to learn math

(Marsh & Tapia, 2004). This demonstrates that math anxiety can be expressed in

many ways.

The grade 10 students of San Agustin Institute of Technology have high

math anxiety which supported by the study of Birgin et al., (2010) that math anxiety

increased as grades level increased. The highest anxiety in their study was found

among the grade 8 students, with a total respondents of 220 sixth-to-eight-grade

students from the eastern region of the Black Sea Coast in Turkey. According to

Ashcraft (2002), math anxiety peak its symptoms in secondary level. These

students having high math anxiety contributes to their feeling of discomfort and

which interfere with number manipulation and involvement of math problem-

solving. Also the time limits given in a difficult math test impose to students, lead

them to feel anxious.

 30

Level of Mathematics Achievement

Shown on Table 2 the Level of Mathematics Achievement of the

respondents with a total mean of 85.28 and a standard deviation of 4.67 described

as “very satisfactory”. This means that the level of mathematics achievement of

grade 10 students of San Agustin Institute of Technology is very satisfactory even

though their level of math anxiety is also high. The study of mathematics was

established to produce a competent person who can effectively and responsibly

apply the mathematical knowledge in daily life to practical work in problem-solving

and decision making.

The results showed that 17.65% of the respondents have 90-100 general

math average which described as “outstanding”. A possible reason why students

were able to have a very satisfactory results in their mathematics achievements is

that the use of Modular as part of the education system that enable the students

to have a wide range of academic resources. Students were able to use the

internet as much as they can to find or support their academic activities and also

they are given enough time to comply with their activities without pressure. On the

other hand, 12.75% of the respondents got a general math average of 75-79,

described as “Fairly Satisfactory”. It implies that these students have low

mathematics achievement and not highly engaged in the subject. These students

who got “fairly satisfactory” result can possibly generate high math anxiety.
 31

Correlation Analysis between Math Anxiety and Mathematics Achievement

The correlation analysis revealed that Math Anxiety have no significant

relationship with the Mathematics Achievement. Therefore, the null hypothesis

that states “There is no significant relationship between math anxiety and

mathematics achievement” is accepted. This implies that the math anxiety of

the grade 10 students of San Agustin Institute of Technology has no relationship

or does not affect their mathematics achievement.

According to the results gathered, math anxiety really exists in grade 10

students especially when they call upon to answer a math problem in math class

and when given a difficult math test to do in a limited amount of time but they still

have a satisfactory result in the average grade. This study is incongruent with the

study of Siebers (2015) that was conducted in northern Colorado to grade 6 to 8

in which the study revealed a significant relationship with math anxiety and

mathematics achievement. The direction of the correlation was negative which

means that students with high math anxiety tends to have lower mathematics

achievement. Also, in a local setting that was conducted by Ballado (2014) in

Catarman, Northern Samar, Philippines revealed a significant negative

relationship was found between anxiety level and mathematics achievement. The

respondents are the junior Bachelor of Elementary Education students in the

University of Eastern Philippines. The study showed that majority of the

respondents have moderate to high anxiety levels and have an average to low
 32

mathematics achievement. The theory that was anchored in this study was

invalidated which is the Debilitating Anxiety Model (Carey et al., 2016), it was

based on the premise that mathematical anxiety will reduce mathematical

performance. The high level of math anxiety of the students does not hinder their

ability to learn mathematics and does not lead to poor mathematics achievement.

Conclusion:

Based on the findings of the study, the level of math anxiety of the

respondents is high and their level of academic achievement in mathematics is

very satisfactory. This study also revealed that there is no significant relationship

between math anxiety and academic achievement of grade 10 students which

follows that their level of math anxiety does not influence their level of academic

achievement.

Despite the students feel worried, afraid or tensed when called upon to

answer math problem in class but they still have satisfactory in general average in

math subject. The result in this study showed that the null hypothesis is accepted.

The theory that was anchored for this study: Debilitating Anxiety Model

(Carey et al., 2016) was invalidated since the result of this study showed that math

anxiety has no significant relationship with academic achievement. The level of

math anxiety does not increase nor reduce mathematics achievement of the

respondents.
 33

Recommendation:

Based on the findings and conclusions of the study, the following

recommendations are made:

School Principal were empowered to formulate policies to ensure that

development projects are provided to enhance teacher’s abilities, enable them to

be good at dealing with students with math anxiety and have academic problems

(especially mathematics), and make schools conducive to learning.

Parents can also help provide creative criticism for their children,

encouraging them to become more confident when using mathematics as a subject

and math activities as opportunities for growth, learning and development.

Students are encouraged to overcome their math anxiety that could affect

other aspects like their self-efficacy.

Teachers are encouraged to take part in order to reduce the math anxiety

of their students because they are the most influential factor. Make the students

more confident in dealing with mathematics.

Future researchers, recommend to have accurate number of respondents,

given the unexpected results found in this study. Researchers also suggested to

conduct a study with the same variables to elementary students to know exactly

when this math anxiety starts.

 34

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 38

APPENDICES
 39

Appendix 1: Communication Letter

 40

Appendix 2: Research Questionnaire

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATH ANXIETY AND MATHEMATICS

ACHIEVEMENT OF GRADE 10 STUDENTS OF SAN AGUSTIN

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Research Questionnaire

NAME: ______________________________

I. MATH ANXIETY
Direction: Please indicate the level of your anxiety (fear, tension, or
worry) for the following 24 questions by choosing only one option that
best describes your level of ANXIETY on each of the questions.

5 – Very much 4 – Much 3 – A fair amount 2 – A little 1 – Not at all

Items 5 4 3 2 1

1. When taking a final math examination.

2. When waiting to receive your final math

result.
3. When studying for a math exam.

4. When thinking about an upcoming math

test 5 minutes before.
5. When thinking about an upcoming math
test 1 hour before.
6. When thinking about an upcoming math
test 1 day before.
7. When called upon to answer a math
problem in class.
8. When called upon to come up and solve a
math problem on the board.
9. When given a set of multiplication
problems to solve.
 41

10. When given a set of subtraction problems

to solve.
11. When given a set of addition problem to
solve.
12. When given a set of division problems to
solve.
13. When given a combination of
multiplication and division problems to
solve.
14. When given a combination of both
addition and subtraction problems to
solve.
15. When someone else is watching you
solve a math problem.
16. When picking up a math textbook to solve
a given homework.
17. When solving math-related questions in
other subjects.
18. When given a difficult math test to do in a
limited amount of time.
19. When dividing a 5-digit number by a 2-
digit number without using a calculator.
20. When walking into a math class.

21. When a math class is more than 30

minutes to the end.
22. When opening a math textbook and
seeing a page full of problems.
23. When told the result of not passing a
math class.
24. When asked to solve a word problem in
math.
Adapted from the study of Olalekan O. Idowu, 2018 entitled Math Anxiety Among
Junior Secondary School Children in Lagos, Nigeria: Gender and School Type
Effects.
 42

Appendix 3: Questionnaire Validation Form

 43

Appendix 4: Reliability Test Result

Reliability Statistics

Cronbach's Cronbach's Alpha Based

N of Items
Alpha on Standardized Items
.941 .941 24

Item-Total Statistics

Scale Mean if Scale Variance if Corrected Item- Cronbach's Alpha if

Item Deleted Item Deleted Total Correlation Item Deleted
VAR00001 85.5667 263.082 .456 .940
VAR00002 85.5000 254.534 .679 .938
VAR00003 85.7667 269.357 .240 .943
VAR00004 85.3000 261.872 .561 .939
VAR00005 85.8000 260.028 .503 .940
VAR00006 86.0000 256.207 .500 .940
VAR00007 85.3000 258.976 .580 .939
VAR00008 85.3333 259.816 .510 .940
VAR00009 85.9333 249.789 .719 .937
VAR00010 86.4667 248.671 .631 .938
VAR00011 86.5333 249.982 .559 .940
VAR00012 86.0667 249.030 .736 .937
VAR00013 86.0667 248.616 .796 .936
VAR00014 86.4000 244.869 .806 .935
VAR00015 85.4000 255.628 .615 .938
VAR00016 86.2000 254.028 .596 .939
VAR00017 85.9000 249.817 .796 .936
VAR00018 85.2333 262.392 .527 .939
VAR00019 85.9333 253.995 .710 .937
VAR00020 86.2333 250.806 .673 .937
VAR00021 86.1333 247.844 .712 .937
VAR00022 85.8000 251.062 .721 .937
VAR00023 85.5333 260.947 .425 .941
VAR00024 85.6333 254.102 .644 .938
 44

Appendix 5: Grammarly Check Result

 45

Appendix 6: Plagiarism Test Result

 46

Appendix 7: Editor’s Certification

 47

Appendix 8: Curriculum Vitae

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

PICTURE Name : ELLEN JOY G. SERVANDIL

Mobile Number : 09350552122

E-mail Address : [email protected]

DATE OF BIRTH: Home Address : P-17C, Poblacion, Valencia City,

 September 16,1997 Bukidnon

CIVIL STATUS:
 Single EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

RELIGION:
 Roman Catholic 2021 – 2022
San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT)
LANGUAGES: Fr. Caroselli St., Valencia City, Bukidnon
 English  Bachelor of Secondary Education major in
 Filipino Mathematics
 Hiligaynon
 Cebuano 2013-2014
SKILLS: Sisters of Mary School-Girlstown Inc
 Cooking J.P. Rizal St. Talisay City, Cebu
INTERESTS:  Graduated in 2014
 Watching Korean
series, watching 2009-2010
videos in youtube, Adgao-Tagpua-an Ingay Elementary School
and tiktok Brgy. Adgao, Tubungan, Iloilo
 Graduated in 2010
 With honors

AFFILIATION

2020 – 2021
Math Club organization
San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT)
 48

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name : RAKIMA T. MAKI

Mobile Number : 09973872148

E-mail Address : [email protected]

DATE OF BIRTH: Home Address : P-4, Poblacion, Valencia City,

 December 05, 2000 Bukidnon

CIVIL STATUS:
 Single EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

RELIGION:
 Islam 2021 – 2022
San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT)
LANGUAGES: Fr. Caroselli St., Valencia City, Bukidnon
 English  Bachelor of Secondary Education major in
 Bisaya Mathematics
 Maranao
 Filipino 2017 – 2018
 Ilonggo Philippine Countryville College Inc.
P2B-Sayre highway, Panadtalan, Maramag, Bukidnon
SKILLS:  Graduated in 2018
 Cooking  With honors

INTERESTS: Western Pilot Elementary School

 Watching series like Western Wao, Lanao del Sur
animes and K-  Graduated in 2012
dramas
 Watching videos in
youtube and tiktok
AFFILIATION

2020 – 2021
Math Club organization
San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT)
 49

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

PICTURE Name : Ivann Khryss P. Sison

Mobile Number : 09531526867

E-mail Address : [email protected]

DATE OF BIRTH: Home Address : Poblacion, Valencia City,

 January 04,2000 Bukidnon

CIVIL STATUS:
 Single EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

RELIGION:
 Roman Catholic 2021 – 2022
San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT)
LANGUAGES: Fr. Caroselli St., Valencia City, Bukidnon
 English  Bachelor of Secondary Education major in
 Cebuano Mathematics
 Filipino
 Ilonggo 2017 – 2018
Irene B. Antonio College of Mindanao
SKILLS: Valencia City, Bukidnon
 Cooking  Graduated in 2018

2011 – 2012
INTERESTS: Sinayawan Central Elementary School
 Watching videos in Sinayawan, Valencia City, Bukidnon
youtube, and tiktok  Graduated in 2012
 With honors

AFFILIATION

2020 – 2021
Math club organization
San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT)
 50

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

PICTURE Name : JESSON C. BELOCURA

Mobile Number : 09617211554

E-mail Address : [email protected]

DATE OF BIRTH: Home Address : P-2, Poblacion, Valencia City,

 July 20, 1999 Bukidnon

CIVIL STATUS:
 Single EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

RELIGION:
 Roman Catholic 2021 – 2022
San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT)
LANGUAGES: Fr. Caroselli St., Valencia City, Bukidnon
 English  Bachelor of Secondary Education major in
 Bisaya Mathematics
 Filipino
2017 – 2018
SKILLS: Valencia National High School
 Video editor Valencia City, Bukidnon
 Filming  Graduated in 2018
 Designer
2011 – 2012
INTERESTS: Valencia City Central School
 Watching Valencia City, Bukidnon
motivational Videos  Graduated in 2012
 Reading
inspirational books
 Playing mobile/ AFFILIATION
Computer games

2020 – 2021
CMV and Math Club organization
San Agustin Institute of Technology (SAIT)