ADVANCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, INC.

SANGI NEW ROAD, PAJO, LAPU-LAPU CITY

The Degree of Comprehension in Mathematics among Senior High Students through

Distance Learning

In Partial fulfillment of the requirements in

Practical Research 1
______________________________________________________

Abesa, Danielle John

Arong, Jerome
Bantilan, Kyle
Basilgo, Patrick
Bentulan, Kimberly
Bernardes, Dea Mehara
Campos, Ashley Nicole
Jimenez, Mark Alo
Leeyan, Antenor
Monterona, John Mike
Noval, Rechelle Ann
Orongan, Camyka
Pahimutang, Mary Althea
Palarca, Kent
Salas, Ericka
Sia, Uki Mae
Ybalez, John Michael
 Chapter I
The Problem and Its Scope
Rationale of the study

As the country continues to confront different issues brought about by the coronavirus

disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been lots of adjustments that have been done

and it impacted us, students, as we engaged with this new normal setup. When in terms of

learning modalities, our school, the Advance Institute of Technology, only offers modular and

online modalities. These learning methods affect the learner’s comprehension for the reason that

conductive learning’s outcome will be adverse behavioral reactions and decreased student

involvement. Especially for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

students who are introduced to advance mathematics and scientific theoretical concepts that will

serve as the foundation for their college courses.

Learning is a set of activities that are designed to help you achieve your goals. In

students, the learning process will take place. The result is that to create a suitable environment

and learning process for students, learning habits must be designed, developed, and controlled

creatively, constantly, Intelligences and the encroachment of learning the sorts of curricula

impact the level of student accomplishment.

the degree of comprehension in Mathematics Among Senior High School Students

should be studied to gain an understanding of how this pandemic created a difference in terms of

education and how students were able to comprehend discussions regarding the major’s subject

of STEM students especially in Math where a well-taught math curriculum is very important

because it is a crucial part of a comprehensive STEM program. However, mathematics is more

than just a STEM subject. Students learn mathematics in school, which includes information and
ideas that may be applied to solving constructivist learning challenges. In today’s world with

new learning modalities.

Theoretical Background

This study is grounded by two theories, Connectivism Theory by George Siemens &

Stephen Downes and Behaviorism Theory by John Watson: Connectivism Theory emphasizes

how the internet has created new learning opportunities. It promotes learning that occurs outside

an individual through the use of the internet. Connectivism Learning suggests that learners

should 'connect' their thoughts, theories, and general information all the while accepting that

technology is a major part of learning, as the key feature of Connectivism is the learning being

possible over peer networks and across the internet. Although Connectivism relies on the use of

internet technologies, it made efficient Distance Learning possible amidst the Global Pandemic.

Behaviorism is a learning theory that focuses on the idea that all behaviors are learned through

interaction with the environment, as though learning is conditioned by external factors. It is the

key in understanding how to motivate students in learning, it views learning as a "cause and

effect" mechanism in which certain factors lead to a certain response and when done repeatedly,

this response eventually becomes a learned behavior. An example of Behaviorism is: I get a treat

for cleaning my room (stimulus), so I clean my room more often (response). In this case,

students who are good in math and are handsomely rewarded will continue doing their best to

learn while those who aren't good in math and are left unrewarded, will give their attention to

other subjects they are good at. In which case, students that have a terrible connection or are

having a hard time with Distance Learning will eventually give up comprehending Mathematics.
Theoretical Framework

Classroom management can also be conceived as behaviorism. Human beings, according

to behaviorists, are completely formed by their surroundings. You can change a person’s

thoughts, feelings, and behavior by changing his or her environment. Rewarding and punishing

are the two elements of the system. Students will learn to practice a desired behavior on their

own if teachers provide positive reinforcement or rewards whenever they do so. When it comes

to punishments, it’s the same thing. People react to stimuli that are generated either inwardly or

externally. Human nature is, in essence, a result of one’s surroundings. This correlates to our

new distance learning modality because when the teacher and students are far away from each

other, the students can slack off and get away with it scot-free. By knowing the fact that the way

of supervising them (Stimulus), they take that knowledge to their advantage and end up getting

distracted doing other things (e.g. playing games). While other students are still adapting to the

new learning modality and have a hard time keeping up with the lessons, especially in

Mathematics. Although we can’t generalize all the students’ performance in mathematics during

the distance learning since there are some that excel by self-study and do not depend on someone

to learn, and others who needs someone who can supervise or guide them in order to learn

thoroughly. Distance learning have both negative and positive effects to the students in learning

math.
 DEGREE OF COMPREHENSION IN MATHEMATICS
AMONG SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING

Connectivism Theory Behaviorism Theory

George Siemens & Stephen Downes John Watson

Attainment of Knowledge Positive and Negative Reinforcement

Evaluation of Knowledge

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the Theoretical Framework of the Study

Statement of the Problem

COVID-19, the pandemic had caused a devastating impact across the world especially on the

education systems all over the country. School closures and social isolation have affected The

Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM|) student's academic performances,

adding negative impacts to their studies and learnings which have been introduced to the new

learning modalities. Advance Institute of Technology uses only two learning modalities which

are Online and Modular, students have difficulties adapting to it, especially with the subject

Mathematics. A well-taught math curriculum is a crucial part of a comprehensive STEM

program. However, mathematics is more than just a STEM subject. Students learn mathematics

in school, which involves information and ideas that may be applied to solving constructivist

learning challenges. Mathematics is a major subject that involves making students use their

critical thinking. From poor execution of the lesson, the students are bound to have difficulty

understanding that could affect their near future. This research is conducted to identify, focus on,

and explain the student’s attitude and approach towards playing a crucial role in mathematics

learning throughout the pandemic. We have sought to answer the following questions for further

explanation:

1. How does learning math online affect STEM students?

2. Are there differences in students' mathematics learning outcomes before and after the

online learning?

3. How can poor comprehension of the lesson affect the student?

4. How can distance learning affect the learner’s status?

Significance of the Study

The study will be conducted to know and identify how the new learning affected

the comprehension level in mathematics of the STEM students of Advance Institute of

Technology Inc. The main purpose of this research study is to provide information and

knowledge to everyone including the researcher. The data gathered in this study could be

significant and indicative specifically to the following:

Teachers. The study can be a helpful guide to understand how the students cope

with the difficulty of the new normal education in terms of learning about mathematics. This will

allow them to assess and apprehend the situations of the students in learning amidst of pandemic

with no physical contact with the teachers.

Students. As the central subject of the research, the study will help them

comprehend today’s situation in learning amidst pandemics. This will help them understand and

discover how the pandemic did affect each and every one particularly in learning mathematics.

Future Researchers. With this research, the future researchers can have the benefit

to refer to this study especially to those who have a similar or related topic. The stated data’s can

be serve as a referring material to the upcoming researchers with the topic relating to this.
Scope and delimitation

This study focuses on how Mathematical comprehension can have an impact to the

students with the new learning modalities on Senior High school students, Science, Technology

Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Strand, in Advance Institute of Technology. The

researchers will be conducting an online survey and interviews to that are bound to the following

sections: Berzelius Edison Mendeleev Ampere Euler Neumann, Faraday, Virchow, Watson,

Darwin (STEM SECTIONS ONLY). The researchers limited the study to 10 students enrolled in

the first semester of the school year 2021-2022 of Advance Institute of Technology Inc. Each of

the respondents is given a questionnaire to answer. We will be selecting students from the 10

different sections stated to avoid bias. The survey and interviews will be conducted online since

it is limited to have a face-to-face interaction and there's restrictions on venturing outside due to

the pandemic.

Definition of Terms

With the aim of understanding more of the subjects of this study, here are some phrases that

could possibly enable you to understand the terms:

Comprehension – One’s ability to understand

Learning Modality – A system or channel on how individuals learn or store and receive

information.

Modular Learning – A type of distance learning wherein an individual do self-study.

Adverse Behavior – An act of physical and verbal violence.

Apprehend – Understand or perceive

Prejudice – Normally in a way viewed as unfair.

Locale – A place, site or environment

Fundamental – Also considered as important or necessary

 Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

This chapter holds the related literature and studies in congruence on how the distance

learning created an effect to the students in learning mathematics. This includes both the

negative and positive effect of the distance learning to the students. In Karen Scales’(2000) study

of using math journals in a third and fourth grade classroom, she conveyed that positive

outcomes from journal submissions included the benefit of witnessing a student’s understanding

of the mathematical concepts being taught, their attitudes toward the concept and their reflection

or self-assessment of their learning. While some might still conceive of the notion of integrating

math and writing as an awkward partnering, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

(NCTM) has advocated for its complimenting nature since 1989.

Studies shown the importance of mathematics even in the everyday life, mathematics is

used not just in classrooms but to daily life basis. The learning in mathematics now seems

impossible when it was changed to the distance learning modalities. According to Adler &

Davis, (2006), Mathematics education thrives in face-to-face teaching spaces. This is partially

due to the nature of mathematics, “its capacity to compress information into abstract and highly

usable forms”, which requires learners to make sense of the abstract mathematical concepts and

phenomena building on their experiences.

Griggs (2013) emphasizes that Mathematical anxiety is phenomena where a student’s anxiety

about solving a math problem causes him to perform below his ability. Mathematical anxiety and

self-efficacy are connected, and improving self-efficacy can improve math anxiety. The added
situation of a global pandemic may have caused a heightened amount of anxiety, which in turn

may have contributed to what students were already feeling.

It is highly believed that mathematics items designed to measure higher cognitive

skills, such as problem solving and mathematical reasoning, are two-dimensional in that they

measure both reading ability and mathematics skills. It relates to a conceptual understanding of

mathematics and the application of mathematics knowledge, Walker, Zhang & Surber (2008).

Garnett (1998) stated upon that incomplete mastery of number facts, weakness in

computational, inability to connect conceptual aspects of math, inefficiency to transfer

knowledge, difficulty to make meaningful connection among information, incompetency to

transform information mathematically, incomplete mastery of mathematical terms, incomplete

understanding of mathematical language and difficulty in comprehend and visualizing

mathematical concept might result in difficulties.

Students do tend to have difficulties in learning mathematics, Cocking & Mestre

(1988) together with MacGregor & Price (1999) added that language proficiency and

mathematics proficiency appear to be linked, such that lower language proficiency tends to

translate into poorer mathematics performance. This not only points to the role of literacy skills

in learning other content areas, but it also has important implications for constructing, selecting,

and teaching mathematical word problems.

Given the temptation to adopt more didactic, teacher centred approaches (Sullivan et

al., 2020), and the challenges of primary-aged students interacting with their teacher and peers

exclusively through technology mediated platforms (Blackburn, 2020), we may expect student

engagement in mathematics to be particularly challenging in remote learning contexts. It is

particularly relevant to examine this issue in school contexts where teachers were committed to

pursuing inquiry-based approaches to learning mathematics prior to remote learning. In addition

Teachers who embrace inquiry-based learning typically select tasks that aim to promote rich,

contextualised understandings instead of rote learning, and are inclined to pursue tasks with a

high level of cognitive demand (Boston & Smith, 2009). Students are required to use self

regulatory skills as they set goals for themselves to complete complex tasks (Fielding-Wells,

O’Brien, & Makar, 2017).

Aksan, J. A. (2021). Based on the result, the study revealed that students’ perceptions

agreed on using modular distance learning approach (MDLA). It means the students had positive

perceptions regarding MDLA in Mathematics. The study also revealed that students agreed on

using modular distance learning approach (MDLA) in Math have little challenges. It had also a

positive effect to students’ performance in which students performed very satisfactory in

Mathematics which means they had good quality performance. However, the study also revealed

that it has no significant difference on their perceptions when they are grouped by gender and

age which means the students had the same perceptions. This means that the quality of

performance did not depend on their perceptions. And the researcher also concluded that this

approach helped students to improve their math performance.

In conclusion, the pandemic's negative and positive effects have been presented both

sides. Some explained that the distance learning did create negative effects to the students

especially to others who have a hard time learning it by self, others indicated that there was still a

positive outcome with the help of the new learning modality and explained that this actually

helped them improved their performance in mathematics.

 Chapter III

Research Methodology

This research is concerned with the degree of comprehension in Mathematics

specifically among the STEM students amidst this pandemic. It also hopes to discover on how
COVID crisis constructed a change or differences on how the way Stem students comprehend

subject Mathematics and generated their own way of understanding to this new modality of math

curriculum. While it was established in the previous chapter the introductory and literature of our

research. This chapter is solely aims on the discussion of the research methods and procedures

adhered to by the researcher in mainly order to answer systematically the specific problems

posed for our investigation topic. These are the following contents that will be find in this

chapter. This chapter mainly focuses on what research design and methods of data gathering

were used to receive the most suitable information of this study, as well as Research environment

to identify the perfect locale to conduct for this study. It will explain who and how many

research respondents were involved in order for the appropriate data to be received and lastly, the

research instrument that will be used in collecting and evaluation for the data analysis to the

answers of the study. The reliability and validity of this research will also be discussed and what

limitations of this study was faced with especially were in times of crisis. Finally this chapter

will consider how the data established was analysed. These factors were taking into

consideration when looking at the nature of this study.

Research design

The researchers used the method of gathering data through surveys. Through this method,

the opportunity to get direct information from the respondents in order to have reasonable

conclusion from it has been greatly utilized. Research design refers to the framework of research

methods and techniques that are chosen by the researcher. The design that is chosen by the
researchers allow them to provide a visualization of the Degree of Comprehension of

Mathematics among Senior High Students through Distance Learning and utilize the methods

that are suitable for the study.

The Degree of Comprehension of Mathematics among STEM Senior High Students

through Distance Learning
Input
Conducting a survey with the use of Google Forms and sending it to the
respondents through Gmail.
Gather the data from the form given to determine the STEM students’ degree of
Process comprehension in Mathematics.

Distinguish the factors that affect the level of comprehension in mathematics

among STEM students through distance learning
Output Evaluation of Learning

Figure 1.1

Research Environment

The research was carried out at the Sangi New Road, Barangay Pajo's Advance Institute

of Technology, Inc. To illustrate the study area, below is a broad base map of the aforementioned

institution. The school is located in the city of Lapu-Lapu

 The researchers chose Advance Institute of Technology, Inc. as their research site since it

is where they performed their study with STEM Senior High Students as respondents.

Figure 1.2 Map of Advance Institute of Technology

RESEARCH RESPONDENTS

The target participants of this study is primarily composed of sixty (60) random

respondents as sample from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics strand of

the researchers’ target locale, Advance Institute of Technology, Inc. From the sections of 11-

Darwin (10), 11-Faraday (10), 11- Virchow (10), 11-Watson (10), 12-Berzelius (10), 12-

Mendeleev (10). In this study the respondents are asked on how the distance learning affected

them as a Senior High School students in the strand STEM in learning and comprehending

mathematics.
 MEMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
GRADE & SECTIONS

FEMALE
MALE

11 - Darwin 5 5

11 - Faraday 5 5

11- Virchow 5 5

11- Watson 5 5

12 - Berzelius 5 5

12 - Mendeleev 5 5

TOTAL: 30 30

Table 1.1: Layout of Respondents

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT
 The researchers used a quiz type questionnaire to determine the perspective of all the

Grade 11 and Grade 12 STEM Senior High School students in learning and understanding

mathematics with distance learning. Primarily to identify how distance learning affected the

degree of comprehension in terms of mathematics. Second, is to have knowledge on how

distance learning affected the students’ performance in mathematics.

This research instrument is incorporated with series of questions where any negative or

positive opinions of the respondents are recognized without any doubt. Respondents are free to

express their opinions and thoughts with no violent reactions from the researchers in order to

avoid prejudice of the data.

Data Gathering Procedures

As a result of understanding the aims and objectives of this study and exploring distinct

literature and research similar to this topic. We feel it suit the best to apply the Qualitative

Method of data collection because this method can get the credibility and beneficial results that

are needed to complete this study. Qualitative data collection examines everyday life in its

natural context or an uncontrolled naturalistic setting,(Kania, 2008). From these informations

collected, this procedure of data collection would be suitable for this study as it hopes to discover

and analyze the degree of comprehension among Stem Students to subject Mathematics and by

this, it will provide us data and pieces of information relating to the level of understanding

specific to the STEM students of Advance Institute of Technology of learning the Math
curriculum in the form to this current modality. Once these figures have been gathered, it will

then allow opportunities for the observation and evaluation of the gathered information from the

respondents between (how their comprehension of mathematics change at reason to the different

approaches of f2f and this new way of modality, and how they have been coping up from

learning mathematics themselves). Overall, the use of interviews and participative observation is

the most useful for obtaining pieces of information for this topic. Qualitative Research

emphasizes the analysis of the experience of the individual. This type of research data collection

attempts to explain the human experience with its dynamic, holistic, and individualistic aspects

through the perspective of the individual himself. This type makes use of qualitative materials

that are narrative and subjective,(Polit and Beck, 2008). According to Creswell (2009), it also

allows the researcher to explore and understand an individual or group view towards a social or

human problem, which concerning this study are the comprehension among students to subject

Mathematics. The questionnaire involved various types of questions such as (attribute, multiple-

choice, opinionated, and Likert scale questions). Moreover, it also included some open-ended

questions, which yielded a Qualitative factor, to allow an in-depth insight into students' opinions

and recommendations on learning Mathematics. This added richness and more depth to the study

and provided a context to the analysis of their data. Ensuring that there were no leading questions

and that personal questions were asked in a suitable way such as the Students identity, the

questionnaire was changed and reworded by the researcher with the assistance of the research

adviser.

Statistical Treatment of the Data

                           The researchers collected the data through the Google Form survey questions.

The respondents are identified through Google form results after the target respondents have

answered the questionnaires. The results will be directly sent to the author of the Google forms

through Gmail. In formulating research respondents, the researchers came up with the decision

of five (5) respondents per section among the STEM Students of Advance Institute, Inc.

                           The above-stated decision on formulating research respondents was determined.

Since there are six (6) STEM Sections in the respondents’ locale, the researchers came up with

the decision to place a limit on five (5) respondents each per section. With this settlement, this

allow the researchers to know the total number of the target respondents.