COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS

HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

This study involves the research about Cognitive Strategies that affect the Academic
Performance of BSA Students. The use of cognitive strategies can increase the efficiency and
confidence with which the learner approaches a learning task, as well as his/her ability to develop
a product, retain essential information, or perform a skill. Cognitive Strategies can improve the
academic performance of the students in a way that these strategies can enhance their memory to
get higher grades. The study further tries to make an in-depth investigation into each component
of cognitive strategies. Base from the responses, many respondents answered that they are having
difficulties in Solving and Analyzing Mathematical Problems in subjects such as Financial
Management. The researchers found out that the cognitive strategies students mostly prefer in
dealing with learning difficulties is Visual Strategies such as Handouts/Reviewers. The
respondents also answered that cognitive strategies are very helpful on their academic
performance in a way that these strategies enhance their memory making them to get higher
grades. The efficiency of Cognitive Strategies among the students is very outstanding; the
researchers found out that the use of cognitive strategies is an advantage in learning. The sample
comprises of 45 BS in Accountancy Students of Holy Angel University. Data was collected
through self- designed cognitive strategies questionnaire.
Cognitive strategies or learning strategies are useful tools in assisting students with
learning problems. This is a tool intended to help students develop the necessary skills to be self-
regulated learners. Cognitive strategies or micro strategies are used to encode, comprehend, and
retrieve data to attain specific learning goals. This will make it easier for the teachers to understand
how their students acquire knowledge. The use of cognitive strategies can increase the efficiency
with which the learner approaches a learning task. These academic tasks can include, but are not
limited to, remembering and applying information from course content, constructing sentences
and paragraphs, editing written work, paraphrasing, and classifying information to be learned.
According to the present study of Paul (2013), in every instance that a specific student learns, they
have to absorb two kinds of prior knowledge about the subject at hand and the thought of how
learning works. Their research has found out that teaching students’ good learning strategies
would ensure that they know how to acquire new knowledge which can lead them to improve
learning outcomes or their academic performance. In relation to this, Anuna De Zoysa (2014)
mentioned that learning strategies of low and high groups differed significantly in six out of ten
aspects that were examined. The results confirm that cognitive strategies used by high band low
academic achievers of the management of the students are differ from each other based on the
students’ performance. Earlier studies show that some students excel in academic performance by

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

the cognitive strategies they use and apply in order to learn more. But some fail because of the
lack of knowledge on what they are doing and also with their poor learning skills.
The geographic setting is the Holy Angel University which is a private Roman Catholic
research university in Angeles City, Pampanga. The university offers many undergraduate
programs such as the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy. The demographic setting is the First
Year BS in Accountancy students.
As the researchers are currently taking First Year-Bachelor of Science in Accountancy,
indeed they want to give a reference about the cognitive strategies of their fellow First Year BS in
Accountancy students. The researchers want to determine the cognitive strategies of the students
which will affect their academic performance. The study will help the students on learning and
absorbing the lessons they will encounter as part of the essential knowledge they need. Therefore
the research findings on this objective will serve as the fundamental basis on how cognitive
strategies will help the 1st Year BS in Accountancy students.
The Researchers want to know how different students with different cognitive strategies
apply these on their academic outputs. With this knowledge, the researchers want to impart to the
teachers how students use cognitive strategies as an aid on their academic performances and to
help the students to know the importance of cognitive strategies as factors that will help them to
improve them academically competitive. The researcher has the purpose of giving knowledge
about cognitive strategies that will lead to academic achievement of the 1st Year BS in
Accountancy Students.
A cognitive strategy serves to support the learner as he or she develops internal procedures
that enable him/her to perform tasks that are complex (Rosenshine, 2013). The use of cognitive
strategies can increase the efficiency with which the learner approaches a learning task. These
academic tasks can include, but are not limited to, remembering and applying information from
course content, constructing sentences and paragraphs, editing written work, paraphrasing, and
classifying information to be learned.
Language learning strategies are referred to as the choices which language learners make
while they are involved in learning or utilizing a second language (Cook, 2014). The methods or
techniques of teaching notwithstanding, certain learners seemed to be successful. The importance
of individual variation in language learning was spotlighted, and certain learners appeared to be
endowed with abilities to develop in a successful way, others not possessing those abilities.
Language learners run into difficulty comprehending writing tasks and activities when they start
to write without being prepared in advance by their teacher. Or they may not know what part of

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

the writing task they should focus their attention on. These are some predicaments of language
classes wherein writing activities play a significant role. To contribute to language learners'
writing skill, application of language learning strategies, meta-cognitive ones in particular, is
required of the language learners.
According to (Paul, 2013) anytime a student learns, he or she has to bring in two kinds of
prior knowledge about the subject at hand and knowledge about how learning works. Research
has found that students vary widely in what they know about how to learn. Most striking, low-
achieving students show “substantial deficits” in their awareness of the cognitive and
metacognitive strategies that lead to effective learning – suggesting that these students’ struggles
may due in part to gap in their knowledge about how learning works. Teaching students good
learning strategies would ensure that they know how to acquire new knowledge which leads to
improved learning outcomes.
Learning and study strategies of low and high performing groups differed significantly in
six out of ten aspects that were examined, namely: anxiety; attitude; information processing;
motivation; the ability to select main ideas; and, strategies employed for tests. The result of this
confirms that learning and study strategies used by high academic achievers and low academic
achievers of management accounting graduate students differ significantly. These different
strategies affect students’ academic performance. (Anura De Zoysa, 2014)
There is a significant relationships between the students’ learning styles, study habits and
performance in online learning, and have offered an insight into the mode of delivery. . (Cakiroglu,
2014). The design of effective courses for distance learners are more likely to be in connection
with the characteristics and preferences of the learner, as it is in the classroom. Learning styles
and study habits not only indicate how learners learn, but how they can help an instructor support
individual students so that might teach successfully. (Cakiroglu, 2014) Everyone learns
differently. However, over the years the different styles of learning have usually been cut down to
visual, physical (learn-by-doing), or audible. Learning is a complicated concept as everyone is
unique on their own way, and learns in their own way as well. There are 7 classification of learning
styles this are the visual, physical, aural, verbal, logical, social, and solitary. (Ferriman, 2013)
According to the study “Learning styles and Reading Comprehension of Grade 7 Students
of HAU” which was conducted by Rosette Buenacifra et al (2015), the study utilizes the
descriptive-correlational method and random sampling and seeking the relationship between the
learning styles and reading comprehension of Grade 7 students of Holy Angel University (HAU),
Academic Year 2015-2016. The participants’ learning styles were identified through the VARK

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

Questionnaire for Younger People while their reading comprehension level was identified from
the HAU institute of Testing and Evaluation Center (ITEC). Results showed that most of the
participants prefer reading and writing in processing information and a majority of them were
classified as above average. The Pearson Chi-square test revealed that there is no significant
relationship between the participants’ learning styles and reading comprehension. Sets of activities
were created to address both the learning styles and reading comprehension level of the
participants.
Students need to have enough knowledge and academic learning proficiency to generate
and receive information in classroom settings. The purpose of this study is to understand the
cognitive strategies as factors affecting the academic performance of 1st year BSA students. This
aims to provide information that will serve as a guide not just for BSA students but also for all
students regarding the effects of cognitive strategies in academic performance. This study will
surely help different individuals to be aware on the significance of leaning in academics. The
results of this study will benefit the future researchers, teachers, students and different individuals.
Particularly, the researchers want to find out:
1. Profile of the Students
1.1 Age
1.1.1 17
1.1.2 18
1.1.3 19
1.1.4 20
1.2 Sex
1.2.1 Male
1.2.2 Female
2. What are the particular academic tasks that students mostly experience difficulties with?
2.1 Remembering and applying information.
2.2 Constructing sentences and paragraphs
2.3 Solving and analyzing mathematical problems
2.4 Writing essays and journals
2.5 Oral Presentations
2.6 Group Works/Activities
2.7 Quizzes/Examinations
3. What specific second semester subject/s do students have difficulties with?

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

3.1 Financial Management

3.2 Partnership and Corporation Accounting
3.3 Mathematics in the Modern World
3.4 Purposive Communication
3.5 Theology
3.6 FYE
3.7 Physical Education
3.8 NSTP
4. What are the cognitive strategies that students mostly prefer in dealing with learning
difficulties/problems?
2.1 Visual
2.1.1 Concept Mapping
2.1.2 Visualizations
2.1.3 Scanning
2.1.4 Underlining
2.1.5 Handouts/Reviewers
2.1.6 Questioning
2.1.7 Mnemonics
2.2 Auditory
2.2.1 Listening/Hearing
2.2.3 Repetitive recital of words
2.3 Tactile
5. What are the impacts of cognitive strategies on students’ academic performance?
3.1 Enhancement of memory
3.2 Learning Capacity increases
3.3 Improvement of work completion and accuracy
3.4 Higher Grades
3.5 Development of Personal study process
3.6 Better Study behavior
6. What is the rate of the efficiency of cognitive strategies on students’ academic
performance?
4.1 Exemplary
4.2 Outstanding

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

4.3 Satisfactory
4.4 Poor
4.5 Very Poor

There is no significant relationship between the effects of Cognitive Strategies with the
academic performance of the 1st Year Bachelor of Science in Accountancy Students.
The Cognitive Theory of learning sees cognitive strategies are special ways of processing
information that enhance comprehension, learning or retention of information. This explanation
of language learning contrasts strongly with the behaviorist account of language learning, which
sees language learning as an unconscious, automatic process. This is in line according to the
University of Kukansas (2014), Cognitive strategies are useful tools in assisting students with
learning problems.

Input Process Output

Profile of 1st Year Analysis of data through: Expected outputs:

Bachelor of Science in
Accountancy Students
 Age
 Sex
 Section
Cognitive Strategies of
1st Year Bachelor of
Science in Accountancy
Students
• Questionnaires
•Most of the students
prefer
handouts/reviewers in
terms of learning
•Cognitive strategies
improves the
performance of

 Visual (highlight, take Accountancy & Business

down some notes and see Management Students
visual aid, Using Clues in
reading, Mind Maps, •Cognitive strategies
scanning, underlining) generate positive results

 Auditory (listening, in the learning aspect of

hearing and sounding out the students.
words)

 Tactile (something or by
moving around)
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

Input-Process-Output (IPO) systematic approach was used by the researchers to describe

the conceptual framework of the study. As shown in the table above, the input includes the
cognitive strategies and profile of the participants, which are the 1st Year BSA students. The
process part, on the other hand, includes the questionnaires and survey forms about the
effectiveness of the cognitive strategies, and the interpretation of the new data. Cognitive
Strategies, interview results, and the research itself are all included in the output part of the IPO.
Ferriman (2013) clarifies that learning is a complicated concept as everyone is unique on
their own way, and learns in their own way as well. This study will be focusing about the different
learning strategies being used and its effects on the academic performance of students. The First
Year Bachelor of Science in Accountancy students in Holy Angel University of this current school
year 2018-2019 will be the respondents of the study. Other courses such as BS in Business
Management and courses outside the School of Business and Accountancy were not included for
this research has a time frame to be followed. The research will only revolve on the said Cognitive
Strategies and how such strategies can affect the academic performance of the 1st Year Bachelor
of Science in Accountancy Students
A validated questionnaires-checklist will be distributed to 40-45 students in the 1st Year
Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and it will be guide of the researchers to come up with a
reliable and validated results.
The results of this study will provide additional insights and understanding on how
Cognitive learning strategies can improve the performance of students in their chosen academic
field. The findings of this study can give a big impact and will be very beneficial to the following:
To the current and future 1st Year Bachelor of Science in Accountancy Students, the
results will serve as their basis on how they can improve their learning habit. It can teach them on
how to manage their time well between socializing and studying to avoid cramming in doing a
certain school activities and tasks. This will lessen the bad impression of the potential ABM
students on how stressful and difficult this strand is and it will allow them to confidently and
enthusiastically choose this strand because of the tips given by.
To the 1st Year Bachelor of Science in Accountancy teachers and school officials,
because of the results of the study, teacher can learn and know how their students want to be
thought by in order for them to easily learn, understand and sink in new information and
knowledge which they can use in the future. It will determine where the student is low performing
in and they can be able to help them to cope up and give additional motivation for them to study
well.

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

To the future researchers, this study will serve as their foundational basis because of the
reliable information and findings on our research base on the cognitive strategies as factors
affecting student’s academic performance. They will learn how these strategies will improve and
enhance their intellectual abilities as students. This study will also be helpful for future studies
about the next generation of students in terms of cognitive strategies.

The researchers aim to aid to do a survey to the 1st Year Bachelor of Science in
Accountancy Students’ academic performance regarding on cognitive strategies. In the selection
of participants, convenience sampling will be used. After determining the size of the sample from
the population, BSA students in the particular section who are at the moment present during the
research visit will be chosen as respondents
The respondents of this research comes from the 17 blocks of BSA Program at Holy Angel
University which are A111-A118 (Morning Blocks), A121-A126 (Afternoon Blocks) and A131-
133 (Evening Blocks).
The study is a quantitative study that explains phenomena by collecting numerical data
that are analyzed using mathematically based methods. This type of research mainly focuses on
numerical data and statistical analysis. The researchers asked for permission and confirmation to
the randomly selected respondents to answer the questionnaire. After the collection of surveys, the
researchers tallied, summarized and organized the answers or the results then entered and encoded
these results into a computer database. These data are then presented in graphs and pie charts to
better understand the results and came up with a definitive and descriptive conclusion in this study.
The researchers created a questionnaire-checklist that answers one or all of the quantitative
questions on the statement of the problem or research questions. The statement of the problem, on
the other hand, answers to the needs analysis of the study. The questions used in the questionnaire
was validated by Engr. Maria Cristina Sicat, the MathWorld Professor of the researchers,
therefore, is valid to use in the study. In recording the gathered data, the researchers used frequency
tables and other graphs that have a formula of to get the percentage that is inputted on the graphs.
Since convenience sampling will be used during the giving of questionnaires, respondents
who are present at the moment in the particular room and section will be given the questionnaires
and be chosen as respondents.
According to Jhelum Sen a Content Marketing Professional (2017), data collection is the
process where information is obtained and measured in relation to the target variables and
respondents of the study. It follows a systematic process which enable one to answer relevant

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

questions and afterwards, evaluate outcomes that will be check and cross check the quality of
information by inspecting, transforming, and modelling data with the goal of discovering useful
information, suggesting conclusions and supporting decision-making.
To answer the statement of the problem, the following statistical methods are to be employed:
1. Frequency and Percentage Distribution to describe the demographic profile of the students, the
particular academic tasks that students mostly experience difficulties with and the specific second
semester subject/s students have difficulties with;
2. The Pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation will be adopted to determine the
relationship of cognitive strategies with the academic performance of the students;
3. Chi-square will be used to find out if there is a significant difference between the cognitive
strategies and the academic performance of the students;
4. Average weighted Mean to determine the level of efficiency and impacts of cognitive strategies
in the academic performance of 1st year BSA students; and lastly
5. Factor analysis to identify underlying traits and constructs called “factors” to which observed
measures are related. This will emphasize the cognitive strategies as factors that affect the
academic performance of the students.
The data gathered will be presented in graphical representations such as Pie Graph and Bar
Graph and are generally viewed to answer the specific problems on the first part of the research
and will be analyzed using Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. The Statistical Analysis System
(SAS) Model will be used.
In order to address ethical considerations aspect of this study, the researchers assured
voluntary participation of the respondents on the basis of informed consent. The researchers
sought specific permission to 1st Year BSA Students before distributing the checklist-
questionnaire. Privacy and anonymity of the respondents is of a paramount importance that’s why
the researchers make sure to keep the confidentiality of the respondents. Lastly, all data gathered
from the 1st Year BSA Students in the School of Business and Accountancy department of Holy
Angel University (HAU) will be only used in this study and will not be used again.

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COGNITIVE STRATEGIES OF 1st YEAR BSA STUDENTS
HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

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