THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS IN RELATION TO THEIR PREFERRED LEARNING STYLE

I - Proponent:

NANCY T. ATENTAR
                         Teacher - III
                         Paaralang Sekundarya ng Henral Nakar
Gen. Nakar , Quezon

II - Background of the Study:

        

The teaching method was influenced by the widespread

prevalence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students are losing social

contact due to the sudden closing of schools, which is crucial

for better learning and mentoring, while Quezon schools have

begun Modular distance learning in general. This has become a

daunting routine for parents to help respond to the module as an

urgent resource at home.

As an experienced teacher, the researcher considers that

effective teachers know the pedagogy on how to determine if their

students learn in modular distance learning especially during

this pandemic, and what are the methods or style that students

used to learn. The effective modular approach, therefore,

requires the implementation of creative and innovative learning

strategies to meet students' individual needs but it is difficult

to know which approach will work best with the students.

 Base on the teaching experience of the researcher in both

public and private schools the researcher considers that the

factors that can affect student's performances are their study

techniques or learning style and the strategies of the teachers.

To help the students, the teachers decide to investigate

the individual learning style and their level of performance.

To investigate the level of performance, the researcher

will get the report of the GWA General Weighted Average in the

mathematics of each participant from the respective class

advisers and conduct the learning style inventory ( LSI ) test

to investigate the preferred learning style of the students.

By using those instruments the teachers will group the

learners according to their level of performance and preferred

learning style towards mathematics.

After identifying the level of performance and the

individual learning styles then the teacher will create an

action plan to make additional activities in the modular

approach correspond to the student’s learning style.

According to Neil Fleming, teachers can plan and manage

learning activities better if they can discover students

preferred learning styles. They can also conduct seminars and

training for students to enhance students' learning styles

towards mathematics after the teacher categorizes the students

according to VARK Model which are visual, audio, and kinesthetic

learners, then they can easily keep their students engaged with

the lesson and increase student motivation in math.

The key purpose of this research is to find out the learning

style used by the students in the modular approach and the

effects of this style on their mathematics performance.

The learning style of the students will identify through a

mixed quantitative and qualitative approach by conducting

surveys.

The study will help the researcher to develop an action plan

on how to improve the module or create new additional activities

as an intervention program of the mathematics department in

General Nakar District.

Parents also need to know the LS of their child, especially

this time of pandemic when the students are required to stay at

home but need to continue their education. This time parents act

as classroom teachers in the modular learning approach or modular

distance learning. In identifying the learning style of their

child they can easily keep their child engaged with the lesson.

The researcher believes that this intervention AND

INNOVATION program will be effective and enjoyable to the

students and most of all it might be the solution to the

teacher's problem regarding the low Mean Percentage Score and

student's below-average performance in mathematics.

 Therefore, the result of this study may serve as a

springboard for the improvements of the mathematics performance

of the students and create guidelines on the implementation of

modular distance learning.

III - Statement of the Problem:

The main question in this study is, What is the relation

between the mathematics performance and preferred learning style

of students in Paaralang Sekundarya ng Heneral Nakar Main?

This required the investigation of the following specific

research questions,

1. What are the profile of the academic performance in

mathematics of the students.

2. What is the preferred learning style of the students in terms

of :

a. Visual Learning Style

b. Audio Learning Style

c. Kinesthetic Learning Style

3. What is the preferred learning styles for every level of

performance in mathematics of the students in PSHN Main ?

4. Is there a significant difference in preferred learning

styles and mathematics performance?

5.
IV- Significance of the Study:
   

Significance of the Study

The study aimed to assess mathematics performance then

investigate the preferred learning styles of grade 11 students in

Paaralang Sekundarya ng Heneral Nakar,General Nakar, Quezon.

The result of this study will help the teachers to group the

learners according to their level of performance and determine

the dominant learning style of each level.

After grouping, identifying the preferred learning style,

and investigating the mathematics performance of the students

then the teacher will create and provide well-planned activities

that correspond or appropriate to students learning styles.

Students. The main beneficiaries of this study are the

students studying at Paaralang Sekundarya ng Heneral Nakar,

General Nakar, Quezon.

After getting the results of the study the researchers

believe that this will encourage the students to pay close

attention to learning mathematics by using different methods that

fit their learning style.

 Math Teachers. The study can provide mathematics teachers

with the necessary information on how to determine the students'

learning styles.

This may further be a motivating factor to adopt measures

and new strategies for improvement of the modular approach of

the school and adopt the learning styles inventory questionnaire

as a new learning tool in teaching mathematics and other learning

areas. Then, the teacher will develop an action plan for the

enhancement of activities on the module to lessen the number of

students who are struggling in mathematics.

Parents. Parents will be able to determine and attend to

the needs of their children helping them to perform better in

mathematics by figuring out their child's learning style.

School Administrators and Supervisors. Results of this

investigation may encourage administrators and supervisors to

help the 21st-century teachers by upgrading their teaching

performance in improving teaching-learning strategy through

closer supervision, faculty development, and training programs

that are related to developing new intervention programs which

appropriate to the student's different learning styles.

          Department of Education General Nakar District. With the use of the

results of the study, any educational upliftment will benefit  the municipality of General
Nakar as it may improve the quality of working force  of the municipality or the quality of life
of their respective constituents.

                   Curriculum Planners. The findings of this study may assists the planners in

the proper selection  of methods, techniques, and strategies that need to be reinforced .

                           Community.The result of this study  may benefit the community in as

much they know that the teachers of their children used different strategies and equipped
with the necessary tools and competence  in teaching them.

Curriculum Planners. The findings of this study may assist

the planners in the proper selection of new methods, new

techniques, new intervention programs of teaching that need to be

reinforced and may encourage them to hire an individual who can

help the teachers to create more activities on the module which

are appropriate to the learning styles, learning competencies

written in the DepEd curriculum guide.

         

Future Researchers. Furthermore, this study will be

important for future researchers because this will serve as a

reference for their related study. This study will also guide

them in which they can adopt the methods used in this study.

Researcher Herself.
The result of this study would be beneficial to the
researcher as a teacher . The new strategies will be discover and
used to improve the academic performance of the learner and will
sereve as a guide to make the learners academically competitive.

V- Scope of the Study

 This study focuses on the student's academic performance in

Mathematics in modular distance learning or modular approach

during the pandemic and their preferred learning style.

               The researcher -made VAK Learning Style

Questionnaire will be used to determine the individual learning

style but instead of 4 categories ( VARK ), the researcher will

use only 3 sections ( VAK ) not because the researcher wants to

lessen the questions but also the reading and Writing category in

this LSI is already included to visual and kinesthetic category.

The researcher refers to the VARK learning style inventory

of Neil Fleming.

The data collection will be conducted to the assigned 60

participants from 243 total population. The total population is

from the grade 11 students in PSHM Main Gen. Nakar who are

presently enrolled this school year (SY 2020-2021).

  

VI - Research Design

                   A. Methodology
                 

                   B. Sampling Design

The total enrollment of grade 11 PSHM Main in General Nakar

for the school year 2020-2021 is 243 where divided into six

sections or class.
 The researcher uses the slovin formula to determine the

349.70 or 350 sample size which is 12.59 % of the population

and will participate in the study. This number of respondents are

big enough to give accurate result.

Below is the slovin formula.

n = ___N
( 1+Ne2 ).

where as: 
n = no. of samples
N = total population
e = error margin / margin of error

The computed 350 are 12.58% of the given population.

To get the number of participants from each class and the number

of student participants grade 11 and grade 12 students of the

school . The researcher also uses 12.73% of the total number of

students of each class of senior high school.

 Therefore the respondent of each school will be 26

students from grade 11 and 50 students from grade 12 to get the

total of 434 students.

The sampling technique that will be used is the probability

Stratified random sampling this is a method in which the

population will divide into smaller groups known as strata. In

this sampling technique, every individual has an equal

opportunity for selection.

The method that has been used is picking strips of paper

with names of students written on them from the given result of

the generating random number

                   

C. Description of Instrument Data and Gathering Form.

                   This study will use the researcher-made Learning

Style Inventory which she refers to as the VARK learning style

Model of Neil Fleming. VARK is considered one the most popular

LSI and suited to the Filipino educational setting.

The instrument is consists of 2 main sections : the first

section requested the learners’ biographical details, namely age,

gender, grade level and GWA in the second quarter.

In the second section are the five-point Likert scale

response items were used, ranging from 1 (‘never’) to 3 (‘

always’). This section consisted of 30 items that measured 3

learning styles .

The instruments mentioned above will help the researcher to

assess and to determine the preferred learning style of

secondary students in Gen. Nakar.

Validation of the Instrument

The researcher constructed the LSI as her instrument. She

refers to the online Learning Style Inventory from VARK Model

which was developed by Neil Fleming. The researcher rephrases the

questions and translates them into Tagalog to easily understand

the participants.

The 30 items LSI was validated by the Head Teacher of the

Mathematics Department and 4 teachers ( 2 English and 2 Filipino

teachers ) with a Masters Degree.

The 5 validators used a rating tool with 5 given criteria.

So that they can give the exact interpretation of Validity where

the questionnaire is it exceeds, successful, meet the criteria,

or resubmit.
 For the copy of GWA of the students , the department head of

the participating school will counter-check the computed GWA in

the mathematics of each students-participants.

Study Procedure

In gathering the data , the researcher will ask permission

from the school heads of 5 secondary schools in General Nakar,

Quezon.

After the validation of the instruments and seeking the

approval of school heads , the researcher will administer the

LSI to the 350 student-participants of the said secondary

schools in General Nakar District .

Since this school year are pandemic and we need to obey and

observed government protocol , the researcher will create a

google form and send the link to the class adviser then the

class adviser will forward the link to their advisory class who

can answer online. For those who cannot use google forms, the

researcher will send the picture of the questionnaire through

messenger.

The hard copy of the questionnaire is also provided for

those who cannot answer through google forms and messenger

account because of a low signal area or for those who cannot

afford to have an internet connection at home.

To avoid physical contact with the students, The hard copy

will distribute upon distribution of modules and weekly home

learning plan. Their answer will collect by inserting the answer

sheet during retrieval of student's outputs.

For those who answer through a messenger, the answer will

collect by sending back the picture of their answers sheet and

from google forms the answer will collect by harvesting their

answers through google sheets.

The participants were also instructed that the results of

the test will be kept confidentiality.

VI - Work Plan

PHASE OBJECTIVES STRATEGIES/   PERSON EXPECTED

  /TARGETS ACTIVITIES TIME INVOLVE OUTPUT
FRAME D
  Use the teacher-        
 PLANNING made Learning 1 Week Teachers A copy of LSI
Style Inventory before to be given to
( VAK Learning Produce the copy Class the
Style Model ) of LSI Opening students

  Determine the      Call Adviser /  Categorized

learning Style of Conduct a 1st Week Parents / the students
the students learning Style of Classes Students according to
Inventory their learning
Style.
IMPLIMENTATIO  Create an Search an    Teacher Compilations
N activity or activities which During Head Teacher of activities
learning task suited to visual , INSET on Visual .
which Audio and Audio and
appropriate Kinesthetic Kinesthetics
with the Learners.
students
learning style .
   Choose the  Gather the data ,     A
appropriate and summary After Teachers transparency
activities will be report on conducting   reports on
given to the students Learning the LSI individual
students . Style. Learning
Style .
 
  Inform the        
  parents about Home visitation 1st Teachers / Active
Monitoring the learning Quarterly Parents / participation
style of the Students of parents
students
& Evaluation Conduct a        
survey through   Quarterly Teachers/ The students
home visitation Home visitation Students will enjoy in
if the students doing school
enjoy and easily activities or l
answer the earning task.
activities
according to
their LS.
 
                                                                                                      Prepared by:
                                        
                                                                                                 NANCY T. ATENTAR
                                                                                                             Teacher III

    Noted:
           RIZA L. SOSA
                               Head Teacher

    Recommending Approval:

             
FELIX M. ALEGRE
Principal IV