NORTHERN ILOILO STATE UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
College of Education
Concepcion, Iloilo

“Learner and Teacher perception on difficulties in Learning

and Teaching Mathemathics: Some Implications”

An Undergraduate Thesis
Presented to
Dr. Marilyn Laguda,
College of Education
Northern Iloilo State University
Concepcion, Iloilo

by

Christian P. Herrera
Mathemathics –III

2023
 NORTHERN ILOILO STATE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
College of Education
Concepcion, Iloilo

Objectives

1.This study is to examine the difficulties perceived by high

students and teachers in learning and teaching mathematics.

2.This study considers difficulties related to cognitive processes,

affective beliefs, teacher and instruction are some issues related to
management of learning environment.

Statement of the Problem

1.Difficulty comprehending the visual and spatial aspects and percepts a

difficulties.

2.The attitude of students and time frame were foremost problem

encountered by teachers in teaching mathematics.

Theoretical Framework

The researcher chooses some suitable theories related to his research to

explain his research work and draws concrete conclusions by interpreting the
data collected based on those theories this called theoretical framework.
(Niure,2018)There are various learning theories related to children’s learning
and development, some of them are classical conditioning operant
conditioning ,trial and error,social learning,cognitive learning, socio-
cultural,multiple intelligence and so on. This various theories are related to
learning mathimatics.I had chosen constructivism learning theory as the theory
that directs my research.

Dependent variable Independent variable

Teachers cited the following

reasons for student Learning and teaching
difficulties difficulties
 Lack of sufficient effort
 Lack of previous
knowledge
 Reluctance to seek help
 Lack of attention
 Disinterest
 Difficulty in answering
questions
 NORTHERN ILOILO STATE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
College of Education
Concepcion, Iloilo

Review Related Literature

This chapter presents the related literature and study about students who have

difficulty in learning Mathematics.This review of related literature

tackles two different sections with its scope such as factors affecting

mathematics learning and significance of present study.

Factors affecting mathematics learning

Learning in particular mathematics learning is complex type of performance in

human cognition. It is affected by many factors like short term memory, long
term memory, ability to memorize mathematical facts, visual and spatial
perceptual abilities (Chinn, 2004).

The degree of influence of these factors may be relative.Previous researches

identified many reasons for students’difficulties in learning mathematics.
There are cognitive, affective and environmental factors contributing to
differences in students’ learning of mathematics.

Educational psychologists had studied the relation of mathematics learning

with certain cognitive factors. Mathematics is found affected by intelligence,
working memory and processing speed (Geary, 2011). Murayama, Pekrun,
Lichtenfeld and vom Hofe (2013) found that intelligence is strongly related to
achievement in starting stage but motivation and use of cognitive strategies
predicted the growth of achievement. In determining a student’s achievement,
their attitude is rather important than inability to study (Mwamwenda, 1995).

Students like and dislike towards mathematics as well as their belief about
efficacy are influencing their learning (Zan and Martino, 2008) as well.
Factors external to the learner also are known to influence learning
mathematics. Mbugua, Kibet, Muthaa and Nkonke (2012) reported the findings of
Chepchieng (1995) that achievement of secondary school students is strongly
related to the availability of quality textbooks. And they found under
staffing, inadequate teaching or learning material, lackof motivation and poor
attitudes by both teachers and students are some major factors contributing to
poor performance in mathematics education. Parental involvement and help from
 NORTHERN ILOILO STATE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
College of Education
Concepcion, Iloilo

other family members has shown significant improvement in students’ achievement

(Desarrollo, 2007).

Significance of present study

A subject like mathematics, having a cumulative nature, can’t be taught

without relevant prior knowledge. It differs from other school subjects for
many reasons like its abstract nature, demand of higher cognitive process and
engagement and perseverance from learner. It is found that as the students move
to higher grades, due to reasons including their lack of previous knowledge
they are getting worse in mathematics.

Difficulty in learning mathematics is found as a common and significant

problem throughout the school years. As per Annual Status of Education Report
(ASER, 2014), 50% of standard fifth students not achieved even the standards of
grade two and 44% of eighth standard students not achieved even basic skills in
the arithmetic. Also they reported a worrying pan Indian trend that students’
arithmetic skill has been dropping since 2010. In 2010, percentage of eighth
standard students who could do division of three digits by one digit was 68.3%,
but in 2014 it fell down to 44.1%. That is close to half of population still
not have basic skills; and even it is falling.

From this point the authors felt a necessity to study the causes that
make mathematics learning difficult for students. For taking further action to
improve students’ mathematics learning, it is necessary to analyze the causes.
This study is analyzing students’ affective beliefs and teachers’ perception
regarding students’ difficulties in mathematics instead of analyzing the
content mastery of relevant prior knowledge. Teachers were probed through semi
structured interview about possible reasons for students’ difficulties in
learning mathematics and then teacher cited reasons were used to probe into
student perceptions.
 NORTHERN ILOILO STATE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
College of Education
Concepcion, Iloilo

Abstract

Mathematics holds a relevant and unique place in the school

curriculum as it is important for a better living of the individual. But,
it is known that most of the students are considering mathematics as
difficult. This study examines the difficulties perceived by high school
students and teachers in learning and teaching mathematics. Two
hundred 9thstandard students and fourteen mathematics teachers
participated in the survey. The questionnaires on perception of students
and teachers, comprises closed as well as open ended items. The study
incorporated cognitive, affective and environmental reasons that
contribute to the difficulty in learning mathematics. The factors
that make mathematics difficult for students to learn included
difficulty in remembering the content learned in the previous classes,
rapid forgetting of the learned material and the difficulty in
understanding mathematics concepts. Further analysis revealed that
students who feel mathematics highly difficult tends to believe that they
lacks in learning strategies. Such students have lack of self efficacy
and feel more difficulty in understanding mathematics. Students who
feel Mathematics as highly difficult tends to forget it faster.
Conversely students who feel mathematics as fairly easy reports their
teachers teaching them well and understanding the concepts quickly. It
was noted that the students who feel Mathematics as highly difficult
tends to leave the task with little effort than those who feel the
subject easy. According to teachers, students’ lack of effort and
prerequisites are the major reasons for mathematics being a difficult
subject for students. Reluctance to seek help from others, inattention
in the classroom and students’ lack of motivation were also perceived to
contribute toward difficulty in learning mathematics. Teachers reported
also that, lack of relevant prerequisites, difficulty in speedy grasping
of the concepts and more number of students in a classroom are causing
difficulty in teaching mathematics. The findings indicate the need for
teachers to realize the importance of making school mathematics
interesting for students to take effort in learning it. The result is
discussed in relation to students’ beliefs and study strategies.