Antonio (Thesis) New

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATH AND RVM MATH ACHIEVEMENT TEST RESULTS OF INTERMEDIATE LEVEL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School University of the Immaculate Conception Davao City

In Partial Fulfilment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Major in Mathematics

LIEZL LUNGAY ANTONIO March 2011 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING Introduction Mathematics is a basic skill needed that every person must acquire to survive in this world. However, according to Abel, Mathematics is not something that we normally associate with sublime beauty. The way mathematics is taught, it is a subject that many people would prefer to avoid because they find it difficult . Some pupils are not comfortable with mathematics and are not confident about their mathematical ability and that any skills that

they

have

mathematics

as

gained

are

something

irrelevant. to

be

Some

avoided

pupils

and

that

see the

mathematics program must be considered to have failed them (Riedesel, et. Al, 1996) . In

international

setting,

based

on

2007

Trends

in

International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and 2009 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) showed major deficiencies in students’ learning in mathematics. Students showed a basic lack of understanding. Most could not solve even straightforward problems.

Based on the TIMSS previous results (1995, 1999 and 2003), the Philippines is lagging behind its neighboring Asian countries. In the 1995 TIMSS, the Philippines ranked 39th in Math out of 42 participating countries. In 1999, the Philippines ranked third to the last for math. In 2003 TIMSS, the Philippine ranked 41st in Math among the 42 participants. Very alarming since the Philippines is second to the last when in terms of mathematical ability. In 2007 TIMSS, the Philippines did not join because of its low rate. The quality elementary education in the Philippines has deteriorated over the years as indicated by the low achievement rates of students in 2007 especially in Math which is 64.81% only. It is very low compared to the desired 75% cut-off score. Meanwhile, the quality of secondary education is not far from that of the elementary level as indicated by the poor performance of 4th year students in the National Achievement Test (NAT) in 2006 in all subjects particularly in math with Mean Percentage Scores only of 44% .

In local scene, the quality education especially in Math in Mindanao is in a dismal state requiring immediate attention from educational leaders. The report of Tony Rimando (2009) revealed that the region’s performance in both elementary and secondary National Achievement Tests (NATs) is not impressive. The Grade 6 pupils scored lowest in Math, garnering only a mean percentage score of 62.6 percent. The secondary level also registered a dismal academic performance as it posted an unimpressive mps of 41.4 percent in Mathematics . In the Grade School Department of the University of the Immaculate Conception, through the results of the 2010 RVM National Achievement Test, showed that the three levels – grades four, five and six need to focus more on the instruction in Mathematics since it has the lowest average percentage rate compared to English and Science. It is for this reason that the researcher conducted this study to find out how to improve the Math proficiency of our department.

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence relationship of the academic performance Math on the RVM Math Achievement Test Results of the grade five pupils of the University of the Immaculate Conception the school year 20092010. More specifically, the study seeks answers to the following questions: 1.)

What is the level of the academic performance of Grades Four , Five And Six pupils in Math? 2.) What

is

the

levels in

RVM

level

of

Achievement Test in math?

performance

of

the

three

3.) Is there a significant relationship between the academic performance of the pupils and RVM Achievement Test Results in math? 4.) Do academic performance of the three levels significantly contribute on the RVM Achievement Test results in math?

Null Hypotheses Ho: There is no significant relationship between the academic performance of the pupils and RVM Achievement Test Results in math? Ho: Academic performance of the intermediate pupils do not significantly contribute on the RVM Achievement Test results in math?

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

This study is anchored on the theory of constructivism advanced

by

Piaget

and

Vygotsky

.

According

to

them,

constructivism is a theory about knowledge and learning. Constructivism is basically a theory – based on observation and scientific study – about how people learn. It says that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences. When we encounter something new, we have to reconcile it with our previous ideas and experience, maybe changing what we believe, or maybe discarding the new information as irrelevant. In any case, we are active creators of our own knowledge. To do this, we must ask questions, explore and assess what we know. In Mathematics, students need to construct their own understanding of each mathematical concept, so that the primary role of teaching is not to lecture, explain, or otherwise attempt to transfer mathematical knowledge, but to create situations for students that will foster them in making the necessary mental constructions. Constructivism suggests that math knowledge results from people forming models in response to the questions and challenges that come from actively engaging math problems

and environments not from simply taking in information, nor as merely the blossoming of an innate gift. The challenge in teaching is to create experiences that engage the student and support his or her own explanation, evaluation, communication and application of the mathematical models needed to make sense of the experiences. Thus, in this study, the independent variable is the academic performance of the intermediate level in mathematics, the dependent variable is the RVM math Achievement Test. Figure 1 : The Conceptual Paradigm of the Study Independent Variable

Dependent Variable

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE •

RVM ACHIEVEMENT TEST RESULTS

MATHEMATICS •

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

MATHEMATICS

This study is confined within the bounds of the levels of academic performance in Math and their RVM Math Achievement Test of the Grades Four, Five and Six pupils of the University of the Immaculate Conception in the academic year 2009-2010.

The respondents of the study were further delimited using the stratified proportional random sampling to 237 intermediate pupils of the University of the Immaculate Conception enrolled in the academic year 2009-2010. Furthermore, the study was delimited in measuring the pupils’ performance according to the coverage of the grade five Mathematics as prescribed by the Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM) Commission on Education and with the minimum learning competencies set by the Department of Education. This study begins from December 2010-March 2011.

Significance of the Study

With an intent to ascertain the relationship between the level of academic performance of the Grade Five pupils in Math and the RVM

Math Achievement Test results, the researcher hopes that the study will benefit the school, administrators, teachers, parents and pupils. School Administrators. The result of the study shall be of benefit to the administrators because somehow through this study they can specify necessary curricula, practices, skills, attitudes, and policies that are appropriate in enhancing the learning competencies of the learners and the quality instructions of the teachers. Teachers. The result of this study can help the teachers level up their trainings, skills and knowledge to improve and highlight quality education for Mathematics . Parents . The findings of this study will serve as an eye opener for the parents to dedicate their efforts in guiding, monitoring

and

supporting

their

children’s

learning

and

achievement .

Pupils. The findings derived from the study will give them insights on how to engage in classroom discourse and activities

and social interaction to improve their academic performance in Mathematics .

Definition of Terms

The

following

terms

were

defined

conceptually

and

operationally for further understanding of the study.

Academic Performance- It refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. It is also the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate verbally or down on paper. Achievement-

Measure of the effects of a specific

program of program or instruction (Anastasi, 1997) . In this study, achievement was measured by the RVM Math Achievement Test. RVM National Achievement Test – It is the test conducted annually by the Religious of the Virgin Mary sisters (RVM). It is composed of three subject areas; Science, math and English with 50 items in each test.

This measures the competencies of the Grades four, five and six pupils of the RVM Schools nationwide.

MPS – It means Mean Percentage Score. This indicates the ratio between the number of correctly answered items and the total number of test questions or the percentage of correctly answered items in a test.

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter is a presentation of the researcher’s related literature and studies aided the researcher in organizing and formulating the theoretical framework of this study. The salient feature of the gathered information was realized through the various readings in the library and internet surfing. Consequently, the ideas and concepts acquired herein have helped posit the hypotheses.

The Meaning of Mathematics What is Mathematics? Mathematics is commonly defined as the study of patterns of structure, change and space; more informally, one might say, it is the study of figures and numbers. Mathematics is many things to many people. The more we know what people believe mathematics is all about, the better we will be able to communicate with them. More important, the better we understand mathematics, the better we’ll be able to help children learn.

Examination/Achievement It is important how the achievement was measured before the conclusions can be drawn . More often than that, standardized test scores are used to determine how well students are doing in school. In recent years, testing programs have increased (Kamii, 1990) . Raising scores and having a good appearance are the goals of most schools because newspapers and other media rank

schools and district by test scores. Other facet of society also rely on these test scores to determine the best schools. Gardner (1993) agrees that academic achievement should be measured . Academic Performance According to Michelle Bell, although, education is not the only road to success in the working world, much efforts is made to identify, evaluate, track and encourage the progress of students in schools. Parents care about their child’s academic performance because they believe good academic results will provide more career choices and job security. Schools, though invested in fostering good academic habits for the same reason, are also influenced by concerns about the school’s reputation and the possibility of monetary government institutions, which can hinge on the overall academic performance of the school. State and federal departments of education are charged with improving schools, and so devise methods of measuring success in order to create plans for improvement. In the past, academic performance was often measured more by ear than today. Teachers’ observations made up the

bulk of the assessment, and today’s summation, or numerical, method of determining how well a student is performing is a fairly recent invention. Grading systems came into existence and were initially criticized due to high subjectivity. Different teachers valued different aspects of learning more highly than others, and although some standardization was attempted in order to make the system more fair, the problem continued. Today, changes have been made to incorporate differentiation for

individual

students’ abilities, and exploration of alternate methods of measuring performance is ongoing. The tracking of academic performance fulfills a number of purposes. Areas of achievement and failure in a student’s academic career need to be evaluated in order to foster improvement and make full use of the learning process. Results provide framework for talking about how students fare in school, and a constant standard to which all students are held. Performance results also allow students to be ranked and sorted on a scale that is numerically obvious, minimizing complaints by holding teachers and schools accountable for the components of each and every grade.

Performance in school is evaluated in a number of ways. For regular grading, students demonstrate their knowledge by taking written and oral tests,

performing presentations, turning in

homework and participating in class activities and discussions. Teachers evaluate in the form of letter or number grades and side notes, to describe how well a student has done. At the state level,

students

are

evaluated

by

their

performance

on

standardized tests geared toward specific level and based on a set of achievements students in each age group are expected to meet like that of the RVM Math Achievement Test.

Achievement Test Achievement is a measure of what a person has learned within or up to a given time (Yaremko et al. 1982). It is a measure of the accomplished skills and indicates what a person can do at the present (Atkinson 1995). Kimball (1989) explained the differences between traditional and alternative views in the achievement of students in Mathematics. He noted that the greater number of courses taken by students and their more extensive classroom experience with Mathematics outside the classroom may give them an advantage. The advantage is in the

knowledge confidence

of

Mathematics

when

extracurricular

taking

Mathematics

which

gives

standardized activities

them tests.

may

increased Moreover,

facilitate

class

learning. Having more mathematics-related experiences may increase students’ performance on standardized either directly or indirectly. Greater experience with mathematics may provide specific knowledge such as algorithms that can be used to solve problems. performance

Indirectly,

greater

experience

through general familiarity

may

facilitate

with mathematical

thinking and increased confidence. Another explanation in the achievement of mathematics is the autonomous approach in learning that facilitates performance on standardized tests, which require one to apply or generalize mathematics knowledge to a new or familiar problem. On the other hand, there are other students who take rote to learning approach to mathematics that proves to be advantageous in the classroom exams. These differing styles of learning facilitate performance on different kinds of achievement measures. Another way of explaining the performance of students is the novelty or familiarity of the situations. There are students who are motivated to do well and

are confident when dealing with familiar situations, but become less confident when dealing with novel materials. Thus, they do better on mathematics examinations that cover relatively more familiar topics, but they do less well on standardized test that are more likely to contain novel topics. On the other hand, there are students who are motivated to do well and are more confident when dealing with novel or challenging situations but are less motivated to perform well when faced with familiar situations. Thus,

they do well on standardized test, which offer more

challenges,

but

do

less

well

on

classroom

exams.

This

explanation rests on the assumption that standardized tests are relatively

more

novel

and

unfamiliar

than

classroom

examinations. They are more novel in two ways: the standardized test is a more novel situation because it occurs less often and sometimes is administered by a stranger. Occasionally, the standardized test is given outside the class time and in a strange environment. On the other hand, the classroom examinations are taken several times within a course with the same group of people, are given by the same person, and occur in the same physical environment. Second, the materials or problems on a

standardized test are more likely to be novel or unfamiliar to the students taking the test. Standardized exams are not designed to cover what has been learned in class. A ‘fair test’ in the classroom emphasizes what have been taught. In this case, the students may be given hints or information about how to prepare for a traditional classroom exam. Moreover,

achievement

testing

is

a

big

concern

for

educators and parents today. Whether children attend public, private or home schools, parents hope this test will give them big answers. Achievement tests are designed to allow to demonstrate the academic proficiency of the children and they are also reliable measure of the child’s and school performance. On the other hand, the RVM Math Achievement Test is an annual examination administered to all RVM schools throughout the country to determine the achievement level, strengths and weaknesses in Math. The study of Alicante (2009) and Garao (2006) were related to this study since they dealt on the deteriorating quality education especially in mathematics.

CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research methodology, the respondents involved in the data, sampling procedure, the researcher instruments, data gathering procedures and the statistical treatment that were used.

Researcher Method

A descriptive correlation method of research with the use of data on the academic performance in Math and the use of the RVM National Achievement Test conducted by the Grades Four, Five and Six was applied in this study. The goal is the acquisition of the factual, accurate and systematic data that can be used in averages, frequencies and similar statistical calculations. A descriptive method of research is a fact-finding approach which studies the nature and status of a group of persons, objects, a class of events, conditions and others. It also describes records, analyzes and interprets gathering data. In a correlation method, a relationship between variables is determined (Aquino, 1974) . Correlation is one of the most common and useful statistics. It is a single number that describes the degree of relationship between two variables. Good (1963) defines correlation as the tendency for corresponding observations in two or more series to very together from the averages of their respective series, that is, to have similar positions.

Research Locale

This

study

was

conducted

at

the

University

of

the

Immaculate Conception Grade School Department Bajada, Davao City. Davao City where the school is situated is young romantic city in the Philippines. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Asia. It is cosmopolitan and metro lifestyle. The area of Davao City is 2,443.61 square kilometres. It is divided into 3 congressional districts, which are further divided into 11 administrative districts containing a total of 184 barangays. Davao City is approximately 588 miles (946km) statute miles southeast of Manila, 971 kilometers (524 nmi) by the sea. Davao City is typhoon-free due to its location. The city enjoys a weather that balmy all year round.

Moreover, it is very accessible and is the gateway to the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA. The University of the Immaculate Conception formerly known as Immaculate Conception College is the first catholic school in the island of Mindanao founded in 1905 by the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary sisters (RVM). It

has three campuses; the main, the annex and Bajada where the grade school and high school are held. The study is conducted at the Grade School Department of the UIC which is located in J.P Laurel Bajada Davao City. It is situated in a seven hectare lot, four kilometres away from the city proper. Since it is away from the city, its place is very conducive for learning because it is also free from the pollution and noise of the roads more than that it is also very wellventilated and it has rooms full of attractive decoration. At present, the Grade School Department has a total population of 1,289 from Kindergarten to Grade Six. There are 41 teachers, 4 coordinators and a principal.

Respondents of the Study There were 196 Grade Five pupils in the University of the Immaculate Conception involved in this study who served as respondents. A universal sampling technique was used since

there were only five sections of the Grade Five. These pupils represented the whole population of the Grade Five classes. Sources of data The data used in this study was obtained from the following: 1) Final Rating in Mathematics 5 The average rating in Mathematics for the four grading periods of the academic year 2009-2010 that the pupils received was taken as a measure of their academic achievement in Mathematics. FINAL RATING

PERFORMANCE LEVEL

100-95

Excellent

94-90

Very High Level

89-85

High Level

84-80

Average Level

79-75

Low Level

74-70

Very Poor Level

2) RVM Math Achievement Test Result The RVM Achievement Test was used to evaluate the performance of the pupils’ respondents in math. The test is conducted annually by the Religious of the Virgin Mary. It is

composed of three subject areas namely: Math, Science and English with 50 items in each test. The RVM Achievement Test was subjected to expert consultation that measures the competencies in grade four, five and six pupils of the RVM schools nationwide.

Research Procedure

The researcher followed the given steps. 1. Seeking permission from the principal to conduct the study. 2. Obtaining the results of the RVM Math Achievement Test administered to the Grade five pupils from the Guidance Office. 3. Securing the final rating in Mathematics of the Grade Five pupils from the Registrar’s Office. 4. Tabulating, analyzing and interpreting the data

Statistical Treatment

The following descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation were used to interpret the data. The Person-r was used to test the relationship between the academic performance in Mathematics and the result in the RVM Math Achievement Test. 1. Mean – is a central value of a group of observation of individuals. It is obtain by dividing the sum of all the scores with the total number 2. Person r – correlation tells the magnitude and direction of the association between variables and the varied on an interval or ration scale.

All the interpretations were based on  significance using the two-tailed test.

= 0.05 level of

CHAPTER IV RESULTS, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

In this chapter, the data gathered are presented, analyzed and interpreted. The discussion in this chapter follows the sequence below. a. Level of Pupils’ Academic Performance in Mathematics by Class b. Profile of Pupils’ Performance Based on the Scaled Ability Score in RVM Math Achievement Test by class c. The Relationship of the Academic Performance and the result in the RVM Math Achievement Test d. The relationship of the Academic Performance and the RVM Math Achievement Test Result when the pupils are grouped according to their IQ Level e. The Relationship of the Academic Performance and the Result in the RVM Math Achievement Test when pupils are grouped according to their sex. A. Level of Pupils’ Achievement in Mathematics

Table 1 that follows, shows the performance of the Grade Five pupils in Mathematics by class.

Table 1 Level of Pupils’ Academic Performance in Mathematics By Class

SECTION Mother of Christ Mother of Divine Grace Mother of Good

MEAN

INTERPRETATION

Counsel Mother of Mercy Mother of Perpetual Help Over all Mean

Average Level

Table 1 shows that among the five sections GRADE FOUR OLA

OLHR

OLP

OLB

OLMM

84.00 85.00 88.00 91.25 87.50 91.25 79.50 91.75 90.25 87.00 83.00 90.25 84.25 87.00 90.25 87.00 92.50 91.50 84.25 89.00 87.00 88.00 86.25 87.75 89.00 87.50 86.75 84.25 84.00 88.00 86.25 84.00 87.50 82.00 84.50 84.00 89.50

79.00 83.50 89.00 82.00 86.75 88.25 80.75 80.50 75.50 76.00 80.00 84.75 85.25 84.75 87.50 87.50 88.75 83.50 81.50 88.50 86.75 89.25 88.00 78.25 87.25 87.00 83.50 83.00 85.00 79.75 87.00 80.50 87.75 80.25

81.50 82.25 85.25 87.75 83.50 77.25 87.75 82.00 87.50 81.00 87.75 85.00 81.75 88.00 87.75 83.50 80.25 87.25 84.75 85.50 83.75 89.75 86.50 88.75 85.25 83.75 87.00 86.75 84.25 88.00 83.50 83.25 86.50 82.50 75.75 80.00

88.50 77.25 80.50 90.25 83.75 83.75 88.00 88.75 79.50 85.50 85.00 87.00 81.75 84.75 83.25 84.00 81.50 87.50 80.50 84.00 87.75 84.00 86.25 85.50 83.00 81.00 84.00 80.50 79.00 90.50 84.75 87.00 85.25 83.00

87.25 83.00 82.50 87.00 82.75 77.25 81.00 84.00 86.00 84.00 81.25 80.00 77.75 82.50 87.25 80.25 86.25 81.50 87.00 84.00 82.50 84.00 84.00 82.00 81.75 83.50 87.00 79.75 81.50 87.00 78.00 81.00 78.00 86.00 88.25 80.75

GRADE FIVE Mother of Christ 88.25 87.25 92.00 88.50 88.25 88.75 90.25 91.25 85.50 86.25 87.75 85.25 91.25 89.25 91.25 87.50 85.25 91.50 84.50 86.50 85.25 87.25 89.25 90.25 89.75 87.50 87.00 88.25 88.00 85.75 85.00 85.75

Mother of Divine Grace 79.50 89.25 80.25 79.00 81.50 82.25 78.75 80.50 79.50 90.00 84.75 82.75 83.50 81.50 81.50 84.50 89.75 90.00 89.50 83.25 90.00 80.25 79.75 87.75 83.50 83.25 86.50 81.00 82.25 85.00 81.50 81.00

Mother of Mercy 86.75 90.00 79.00 87.00 79.00 83.25 85.25 82.50 83.00 79.50 79.75 84.75 80.50 84.00 83.25 83.00 80.50 89.25 87.75 81.50 86.00 87.00 82.00 88.00 85.50 82.25 83.25 82.25 83.25 90.50 78.75 83.00

Mother of Good Counsel 89.50 89.50 78.75 82.00 89.75 80.75 83.00 82.50 81.75 81.25 83.75 79.50 83.50 81.25 80.25 82.00 80.25 82.00 82.50 81.50 83.25 83.00 83.50 82.75 82.50 88.75 81.00 82.25 81.50 90.50 88.50 83.00

Mother of Perpetual Help 81.50 79.50 81.00 87.00 86.25 89.75 81.75 82.00 83.00 89.75 81.00 87.50 83.25 89.00 85.75 82.75 85.00 88.50 81.25 81.00 84.00 79.50 83.75 90.50 84.75 84.00 86.00 81.50 89.50 89.25 81.75 89.75

87.25 87.75 87.50 85.25 88.25 87.25 89.75 90.25

81.00 88.25 81.50 81.75 83.50 88.75 89.75 82.75

82.75 82.25 87.25 90.50 82.75 83.25

85.25 90.50 82.75 90.00 86.75 89.00

83.00 88.75 86.50 83.25 83.75 81.25 82.25 82.75

QOAN 86.00 82.00 81.00 90.00 84.50 77.75 83.25 83.75 84.25 83.75 87.25 82.50 83.00 81.75 77.50 80.25 75.00 87.50 75.00 87.75 81.75 83.50 85.25 87.50 86.50 82.75 84.50

QOV 82.25 85.25 80.25 81.25 86.50 83.00 80.00 81.25 81.75 83.00 79.50 79.25 82.50 82.00 84.00 77.75 85.75 80.25 80.75 85.00 88.00 79.25 81.75 78.25 80.00 84.50 80.25

QOAS 83.25 83.75 77.25 77.00 86.25 83.00 79.25 84.75 85.00 80.25 89.75 87.75 88.00 81.75 84.75 84.75 87.50 80.00 78.25 88.75 84.75 88.50 84.50 84.00 82.00 89.75 79.25

QOP 83.25 83.00 89.50 89.00 83.00 79.00 78.75 80.25 81.00 87.00 83.75 84.75 88.25 80.25 82.25 80.50 78.00 76.75 80.50 83.75 79.75 77.75 82.75 87.00 81.00 86.25 83.50

GRADE 6 QOAP 82.00 85.50 85.75 85.50 85.25 92.50 89.50 88.25 90.75 86.75 86.50 85.25 88.00 91.25 87.50 85.75 85.75 86.75 84.00 89.75 87.00 89.00 91.25 87.25 89.50 82.50 86.50

92.00 85.50 87.50 83.75 84.75 86.25 90.50 86.25 90.50 90.25 88.75 85.50

85.75 90.00 86.50 79.00 84.50 83.50 82.75 87.00 85.25 88.75 87.50 81.25 89.50 81.50 86.00

79.25 88.50 84.50 84.50 84.50 81.75 85.75 84.50 83.75 83.75 78.50 86.25 83.75 86.00 85.75

83.25 84.75 87.25 82.25 81.00 86.00 77.25 81.75 88.50 88.75 87.50 81.75 82.50 83.50 89.00 88.50

86.25 84.75 80.25 85.25 81.75 83.00 80.00 86.00 86.00 86.25 80.50 82.25 84.25 80.00