Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Education is unquestionably one of the most important components in creating the

human resources required for a nation's progress on all fronts. Mathematics is one of the

most well-established fields and is taught in schools all across the world. In Asia,

mathematics is one of the subjects that students are encouraged to excel in. In light of

this, Wei et al. (2014) found that the majority of Asian nations had considerably more

aggressive guiding strategies for children's mathematical ability.

In the Philippines, K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum-2013 as cited by

(Guinocor et al., 2020) mathematics is taught as a general education subject in both

primary and higher education, and students are expected to understand and appreciate its

principles as they are applied in problem-solving, critical thinking, communicating,

reasoning, making connections, representing ideas, and making decisions in everyday life

while using the appropriate technology.

However, despite the unquestionable usefulness of mathematics in real life, some

factors considerably affect the learners' ability to understand and apply mathematics

concepts. Many studies over the years have indicated that many people have extremely

negative attitudes toward mathematics, sometimes amounting to severe anxiety (Maloney

et al., 2012).

Krinzinger et al., (2009) emphasized that mathematical anxiety, specifically, is

one component that impacts the learning and proficiency in mathematics and can

adversely affect a person's underlying learning of mathematics, which leads to a low level
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of mathematical abilities, thus, can unfavorably affect longer-term vocation decisions and

professional achievement.

De la Cruz et al., (2022) cited instances where young learners' mathematics

proficiency is consistently declining. In the Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA) 2018, International Report, Filipino students’ average score in

mathematical literacy was 353 points, significantly lower than the Organization for

Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average of 489 points, indicating a

below Level 1 proficiency. The Philippines also scored 297 in math in the 2019 Trends in

International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) by the International Association

for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (Mullis et al., 2019).

Additionally, Aguhayon et al., (2023) discussed the released regional

memorandum order by the Department of Education regarding the 2018 National

Achievement Test results and analysis for Grade 6 in Region 2 (across 9 divisions). The

results analysis was conducted for decision-making and coming up with regionally

initiated programs, projects, and activities to further enhance the quality of education in

the region. Concerning Grade 6 Proficiency Level in Mathematics only 0.17% of the total

numbers of examinees are highly proficient while 2.29% are proficient. It can be

explained that 97% of the examinees do not fall under the proficiency level in

mathematics. Moreover, the mean performance of learners in the subject area –

Mathematics has a Mean Percentage Score (MPS) of 36.66. This further shows that

learners performed way below the acceptable MPS. Thus, Aguhayon et al., (2023)

stressed that assessment results for Grade 6 need more urgent intervention programs and

activities to increase learners’ performance.

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In a recent report made by Hernando-Malipot (2022) the Department of Education

initiated a nationwide project that intends to launch a cooperative action to promote

greater numeracy and mathematics achievement in schools through the creation of a

memorandum entitled Creation of the Steering Committee and Technical Working Group

for the Development of the National Mathematics Program to ensure that all youth and a

substantial portion of adults, both men and women achieve literacy and numeracy for the

reason that Filipino students lag significantly behind in mathematics achievement for

their respective grades. Hernando-Malipot (2022) mentioned that given the elevated

expectations to effectively reduce learning gaps and help students acquire a wider range

of competencies, a significant investment in numeracy and mathematics development

especially in the elementary grades is highly imperative (DepEd Memorandum Order no.

110, s. 2020).

Taking into account the aforementioned related studies or works of literature and

the alarming issues and concerns regarding mathematical anxiety, these help the

researcher to take action and further study the difficulties in mathematics of Grade 6

learners in schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya. Moreover, the researcher will also

determine the performance of the pupils and how it is being affected by their

mathematical anxiety.

This study also asserts that studying the connections between grade 6 pupils’ level

of mathematics anxiety and performance will help teachers in teaching mathematics in a

way that is less stressful for the students, fostering a positive learning environment and

increasing interest in mathematics among grade 6 pupils.

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Statement of the Problem

This research aimed to determine the relationship between mathematical anxiety

and mathematics performance of grade 6 learners in the schools division of Nueva

Vizcaya during the academic year 2022-2023.

Specifically, it sought to describe the characteristic of the respondents in terms of

age, sex, ethnicity, type of school, honors received, mother’s and father’s educational

attainment, and mother’s and father’s occupational status. It will, likewise, determine the

level of mathematical anxiety of the respondents in terms of attitudinal, cognitive, and

somatic, the mathematics performance of the respondents, the significant difference in

the level of mathematical anxiety of respondents when grouped according to

characteristic, the significant difference in the mathematics performance of respondents

when grouped according to characteristic and lastly, significant relationship between

respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety and mathematics performance.

Objectives of the Study

This study aimed to determine the relationship between the mathematical anxiety

and performance of grade 6 learners in schools division of Nueva Vizcaya during the

academic year 2022-2023.

Specifically, it aimed to:

1. describe the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, ethnicity, type of

school, honors received, mother’s and father’s educational attainment, and

mother’s and father’s occupational status;

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2. describe the level of mathematical anxiety of the respondents in terms of attitudi-

nal, cognitive, and somatic;

3. describe the level of mathematics performance of the respondents;

4. determine if there are significant differences in the level of mathematical anxiety

of respondents when grouped according to their profile;

5. determine if there are significant differences in the mathematics performance of

respondents when grouped according to their profile and;

6. determine if there is a significant relationship between respondents’ level of math-

ematical anxiety and their mathematics performance.

Null Hypotheses of the Study

The assumption of the subsequent null hypotheses aided the proponent in completing

this research with adequate and reliable data.

1. There are no significant differences in the level of mathematical anxiety of

respondents when grouped according to their profile;

2. There are no significant differences in the respondent’s level of mathematics

performance when grouped according to their profile and;

3. There is no significant relationship between respondents’ level of mathemati-

cal anxiety and their level of mathematics performance.

Significance of the Study

This study is significant in the educational community for several reasons. This

study is beneficial to the following:

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Curriculum Planners. The findings of this study would aid in identifying

potential improvements or revisions to the mathematics curriculum guide.

School Heads. The outcome of this study would offer essential data and

information valuable in the creation of an organized mathematics course and plan

of action toward a sound and balanced activity geared toward an effective

mathematics program. With these objectives, the school principal can provide

administrative assistance for the teaching of mathematics to the teacher and

students in a way that will benefit both parties.

Teachers. The results of this study will be used as a springboard for

developing teaching-learning strategies and guiding principles that would further

develop and improve the mathematics teaching-learning process, such as creating

an environment that supports each individual's strengths and accomplishments

and takes into account a variety of learning styles.

Future Researcher. Researchers who may conduct parallel studies may

find the results of this study relevant as a basis or reference in making related

studies associated with mathematical anxiety and the performance of students.

Parents. The findings of this study will help them better understand their

children's beliefs, abilities, and challenges in mathematics in school so they can

provide guidance and take proactive steps to inspire and enhance their children’s

self-confidence.

Pupils. Students will learn more from the study's findings regarding

mathematical anxiety and how to handle it to do better in mathematics.

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Scope and Delimitation

This study delimited its scope on the mathematical anxiety of grade 6 learners in

terms of attitudinal, cognitive, and somatic and their mathematics performance which

was based on their Mathematics V. The following factors were also considered in this

study, respondents-related factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, type of school, honor’s

received, mother’s and father’s educational attainment, and mother’s and father’s

occupational status, the level of mathematical anxiety in terms of attitudinal, cognitive,

and somatic and mathematics performance.

The researcher conducted the study in the Northern Districts, Schools Division of

Nueva Vizcaya during the academic year 2022-2023. Considering the districts and

schools are geographically distant, the researcher excluded the Southern districts as a part

of the sample of the study. Through multi-stage cluster sampling, the study focused on

the five drawn districts namely, Bayombong I, Bayombong II, Solano II, Bagabag I, and

Villaverde. The rest of the northern districts that were neither chosen nor included in this

study are Solano I, Bagabag II, Diadi, and Quezon.

Ten schools were chosen as a sample of the study, two schools from each district

to be specific - one central school and one non-central school. Since there is only one

central school from each district it was intentionally considered as a part of the sample of

the study and one school among the non-central school was randomly chosen through the

fishbowl sampling method. Bayombong Central School, Bayombong South Elementary

School, Bonfal Pilot Central School, Bayombong West Elementary School, Solano South

Central School, Solano West Elementary School, Bagabag Central School, Murong

Elementary School, Villaverde Central School, and Bintawan South Elementary School
 8

are the schools that were intentionally considered and drawn from Bayombong I,

Bayombong II, Solano II, Bagabag I, and Villaverde districts respectively.

Theoretical Framework of the Study

The theoretical underpinning of this study is the theory of Social Cognitive by

Albert Bandura (1986). A theory of human functioning known as social cognitive theory

upholds the idea that individuals possess control over their conduct. People have a set of

beliefs in themselves that give them the power to manage their thoughts, feelings, and

behavior. This theory of human behavior contends that "people's thoughts, beliefs, and

feelings influence how they behave." Additionally, self-efficacy is a key component in

the emergence of student anxiety. In accordance with the social cognitive theory

(Bandura, 1986, 1997), a lower sense of efficacy raises anxiety and lowers performance;

people's confidence levels influence how anxious they are when engaging in activities

and tasks – that a student's diminished sense of effectiveness in a particular academic

area causes him or her to feel anxious about the associated academic responsibilities.

The Social Cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986) is a notable concept which claimed

that when a person has mathematical anxiety, both cognitive and physiological changes

may occur and may have an impact on that person's ability to think clearly and also, it is a

well-known approach to elucidating mathematics anxiety as well as providing further

context for the relationship between mathematics anxiety, attainment, and performance

(Lyons & Beilock, 2011).

Numerous research has been carried out to establish that mathematics anxiety

impacts all phases of cognitive mathematical processing, including pre-processing,

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processing, and retrieval of knowledge during a mathematics task, in light of social

cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986). Hembree (1990) proved that teenagers avoid math-

related tasks in his research of highly mathematics-anxious adolescents. As most people

tend to avoid tasks they are not good at, this seems like a realistic outcome of poor

performance in mathematics and mathematical anxiety (Sokolowski & Ansari, 2017).

The anxiety-performance link has two possible causal directions, which have been

extended into the specific field of mathematical anxiety (Hembree, 1990). The Deficit

Theory encapsulates the first of these directions, which asserts that low performance, for

instance in examinations or math, results in more anxiety about that situation in the future

(Tobias, 1986). The Deficit Theory is another prominent theory to which this study was

anchored and it emphasized that performing poorly could result in a high level of anxiety.

Studies imply that children with mathematical learning difficulties, such as

developmental dyscalculia (which results in poor arithmetic performance), have higher

levels of mathematical anxiety than children without such disabilities (Carey et al., 2016).

The Deficit Theory's proponents contend that previous mathematics performance

deficiencies generate memories of low performance in mathematics, which result in

Mathematical anxiety (Hembree, 1990). Evidence supporting the Deficit Theory shows

that children with mathematics learning disabilities frequently exhibit disproportionately

high levels of mathematical anxiety. It is possible that, in at least some instances,

performing poorly particularly in mathematics during childhood could result in

mathematical anxiety (Passolunghi, 2011

 The Debilitating Anxiety Model is the second causal direction (Tobias, 1986).

This theory posits that mathematical anxiety affects performance by interfering with the

pre-processing, processing, and retrieval of information. A student with mathematics

anxiety may exhibit negative physiological symptoms (such as a quick heartbeat,

disorientation, and perspiration) when asked to answer a math question as part of a lesson

in class (Carey et al., 2016). Thus, Lyons and Beilock's (2012) research presented a proof

that math anxiety impacts students' cognitive functioning and impedes their capacity to

learn mathematics.

Numerous studies from childhood, adolescence, and adulthood concur with the

Debilitating Anxiety Model. Evidence from Hembree's (1990) meta-analysis indicated

that adolescents with mathematical anxiety might avoid situations involving math,

supporting the notion that mathematical anxiety is likely to have a negative effect on

performance by limiting learning chances. Moreover, mathematical anxiety has been

associated with less cognitive reflection when solving math word problems and that

adults with mathematical anxiety may completely avoid processing mathematical

problems, which could both shrink math learning and lower mathematics performance as

a result of rushing (Morsanyi et al., 2014).

The debilitating anxiety model and the deficit theory were contrasted in a review

of the causal relationships between mathematics anxiety and performance by Carey et al.

(2016). The debilitating anxiety model is based on the idea that a person's mathematics

performance will be negatively impacted by mathematics anxiety, in contrast to the

deficit theory, which supported mathematics anxiety as a development that results from

the student's deficit in mathematics ability or learning.

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Samante & Alave (2021) stated that the relationship between math anxiety and

performance involves both the deficit theory and debilitating anxiety mode and the cause

of decreased achievement and poor grades in mathematics anxiety. There are shreds of

evidence suggest that children with mathematics learning difficulties frequently

experience abnormally high levels of mathematics anxiety, and the Deficit Theory

underpinned it. Poor arithmetic performance in early childhood may, in some

circumstances, cause mathematics anxiety (Parker et al., 2014).

Lastly, the Reciprocal Theory, the mixture of evidence for each of the two

theories (Deficit and Debilitating) suggests that they might both play a part in the

relationship between mathematics anxiety and performance. That is, mathematics anxiety

might cause decreased performance and poorer performance might elicit mathematics

anxiety (Carey et al., 2016). The association between mathematics anxiety and

mathematics performance is bidirectional. While few studies reveal specific proof of a

bidirectional relationship, this could be due to the fact that different types of research

support different orientations. The effect of mathematics anxiety on performance seems

to most easily be observed in studies that change a person's mathematics anxiety (in the

short term) and see if this affects their performance. On the other hand, longitudinal

(long-term) studies find it easier to see the effect which performance has on future

mathematical anxiety (Carey et al., 2016).

These theories have been generated to better understand the variables affecting

mathematical anxiety and how it affects students' mathematical performance. They give

the researcher a perspective through which to understand the root of mathematical

anxiety to address the pressing problem and to contribute to the enhancement of

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mathematics instruction by examining the students' levels of mathematics anxiety and

mathematics performance in the class. It is challenging to come up with a thorough

theory to contextualize the problem because of how complicated the construct of

mathematics anxiety is. In light of this, research on mathematics anxiety is nevertheless

progressing. Further, to increase our comprehension of mathematics anxiety, it's also

crucial to develop a grasp of the causal aspects.

Figure I depict the study's paradigm. The dependent variables in this study are

students' mathematical anxiety and their performance in the subject of mathematics.

These dependent variables are a function of the relationships between and among the

other dependent variables of the students' characteristics. Age, sex, ethnicity, type of

school, honors received and mother's and father’s attainment, mother’s and father’s

occupational status are among the demographic characteristics of the respondents that are

thought to significantly predict the dependent variables.

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Profile of the respondents Mathematical

Anxiety

Age  Attitudinal

Sex  Cognitive

Ethnicity  Somatic

Type of school

Honors Received

Mother’s educational
attainment

Father’s educational
attainment

Mother’s Occupa-
tional status

Father’s Occupational
Mathematics
status
Performance

Figure 1. The conceptual paradigm of the study shows the relationships between the

variables.
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Definition of Terms

The profile of the respondents was described in conformity with the methodology

employed in the study.

Age. This pertains to the length of time that somebody has existed, usually

expressed in years.

Sex. This relates to a respondent's identification, whether they are male or

female.

Type of school. It relates to the institution where the respondent is

enrolled regardless of whether it is a central or non-central elementary school,

Ethnicity. This describes a person's identity as determined by their blood

and lineage, particularly the Indigenous Peoples (IPs).

Honors Received. Refers to the recognition of exceptional academic

achievement awarded to every student that is classified into three categories – the

Honors, High Honors, and lastly the Highest Honors.

Mother’s Educational Attainment. This refers to the continuing or degree

of education that the mother of the respondents assumed to have attained.

Father’s Educational Attainment. This refers to the continuing or degree

of education that the father of the respondents assumed to have attained.

Mother’s occupational status. Refers to the employment status of the

mother through participation in occupations in pursuit of providing for the family.

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Father’s occupational status. Refers to the employment status of the

father through participation in occupations in pursuit of providing for the family.

Mathematics Performance. This refers to the average grade of the respondent in

his/her mathematics V studies. It is the outcome of acquired knowledge or information,

comprehension, abilities, and practices that have been developed in his or her

Mathematics subject throughout the Grade V period.

Mathematical Anxiety. It is a sensation of stress and anxiety that interferes with

numerical manipulation and problem-solving in a variety of life and academic

circumstances. It can be produced by uncomfortable mathematics experiences or by a

failure to apply mathematical concepts, resulting in errors in a problem (Anugrah et al.,

2019).

Somatic. A domain of mathematical anxiety that refers to the physical

symptoms triggered by stressful situations – it affects all the systems of the body.

A headache, stiff shoulders, rapid heartbeats, difficulty in breathing,

uncomfortable feeling, or an upset stomach when doing or thinking about

mathematics can be the indications.

Cognitive. A domain of mathematical anxiety refers to the unfavorable

perceptions and uncertainties that one may have. It has the potential to endanger a

person's well-being because it may trigger anxieties and doubts. Being unable to

think coherently, losing control or forgetting things that he or she usually

remembers, fear, indecision, loss of confidence and interest, images of failure,

thoughts of avoidance, and poor concentration in doing or thinking about

mathematics are some indicators.

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Attitudinal. A domain of mathematical anxiety is referred to as an

emotional state manifesting as a behavior that develops when working with

mathematics or as the result of an unsolved issue that people are either unaware of

or would prefer not to deal with. Having difficulty in handling frustration, easily

getting annoyed or nervous, being afraid of what is being done, having no

intention to do things that should be done, expecting difficulties in doing

particular things, frowning, and refusing to follow rules are some indicators.
 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Potential Origins of Mathematical Anxiety

Mathematical methods encompass all fields of human endeavor and play a critical

role in a country's economic development. On our path to scientific and technological

advancement, we require nothing less than strong performance in mathematics at all

levels of education. Its use is undeniable, but few individuals are eager to study it, and the

majority of today's generation is passive and anxious about it (De la Cruz et al., 2022).

Shields (2005) stated that mathematics anxiety can have many causes and can

persist in the classroom, in society, and at home.

The home. Parents who experience arithmetic anxiety themselves may

unknowingly pass that anxiety to their children at home. In relationships between parents

and children, the emotions that one expresses in the context of math will invariably and

reciprocally shape the other (Else-Quest et al., 2008). Children who receive criticism for

their mistakes, for instance, may grow afraid of taking chances and exploring new

avenues as well as begin to despise arithmetic. Parents who give mathematics poor status

or put pressure on children may also contribute to the development of mathematics

anxiety. Parental disappointment and despair are particularly demoralizing because

youngsters cherish their parents' high regard (Fraser & Honeyford, 2000).

Society. For some pupils, social issues like myths about mathematics may also

cause or feed their anxiety about the subject. For example, the myth that guys are better

than girls in mathematics and that only some people have a 'mathematics mind' might
 18

impede positive self-efficacy views. We experience circumstances much too frequently

when it is "popular" to despise arithmetic, with people proudly declaring, "I'm no good at

math," as though wearing a badge of honor or flaunting membership in the I Hate

Mathematics "Facebook" club. Mathematics is unusual in that failure frequently does not

result in embarrassment. In consonance with a study involving over 1000 college

students in the United States, failing math is socially acceptable since the participants felt

less uncomfortable about their math deficiencies than they did about their language

deficiencies (Latterell, 2005).

The classroom. Although young children typically enter school with a strong

foundation of informal math skills, it is clear that the classroom can also be a location

where mathematics anxiety can grow and thrive. When combined with parental and

societal issues, research studies (such as Vinson, 2001) imply that mathematics anxiety

may have its origins in teaching and teachers, with mathematics-nervous teachers

occasionally leading to mathematics-worried children. Teaching by math-anxious

teachers is characterized by excessive reliance on traditional educational strategies like

drills, flashcards, and worksheets; assigning the same tasks to each student; teaching from

the textbook; insisting that there is only one right answer to a problem; focusing more on

fundamental skills than concepts; and whole-class instruction (Gurganus, 2007).

Meanwhile, Garcia-Santillan et al. (2017) mentioned the following factors that

can be used to explain mathematics anxiety: (1) anxiety before taking a test, (2) anxiety

when dealing with numbers, (3) anxiety when dealing with tests, (4) anxiety when

dealing with reading materials related to mathematics, and (5) anxiety when dealing with

other mathematical tasks. The results of their research showed a coefficient of

 19

determination of 65.62 percent, meaning that the aforementioned factors account for

65.62 percent of the variances in the learners' "degree of mathematics fear."

Arem (2010) outlined also several causes for why students experience

mathematics anxiety. These include having embarrassing experiences while performing a

mathematical task, having negative life experiences that become connected to

mathematics learning, feeling pressure from others to perform well, perceiving success or

failure in mathematics as a measure of ability level being exposed to inappropriate and

incorrect teaching methods, and labeling mathematics as boring.

Another way to look at it is that students' regular communication with parents and

instructors who struggle with math anxiety tends to have an impact on how much

mathematics anxiety students experience and how well they perform in arithmetic.

Students who have parents who have high mathematics anxiety typically perform worse

in math than students who have parents who have low mathematics anxiety (Maloney et

al., 2015).

In addition, the causes and effects of mathematical anxiety have been the subject

of numerous investigations. The study done by Ashcraft and Krause (2007) mentioned

that having unpleasant mathematics experiences like failure or criticism might cause

mathematical anxiety to worsen. Conforming to the study from Pekrun et al, (2009),

children with high levels of anxiety in mathematics are more likely to have unfavorable

views toward the subject, which can lead to worse academic accomplishment. Further,

Farrell (2006) adhered that one of the primary causes of mathematical anxiety is a gap in

a student's prior knowledge of the topic that prevents him or her from learning more

complex concepts, rather than the learner's age.

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Conversely, several studies such as the study of Hill et al, (2016) suggested that

mathematics anxiety increases with age; Ma and Xu (2004) also found that students from

lower socio-economic backgrounds tended to have higher levels of mathematics anxiety

than those from higher socio-economic backgrounds; and the research of Hart & Ganley

(2019) in gender differences in self-reported math anxiety, with higher self-reported

scores found for girls than for boys.

Thus, the study done by Aschkraft and Kirk (2001) found that students who

experience more mathematics anxiety tend to perform worse than those who experience

lower anxiety. This further confirms the conclusions of Widiasih et al, (2018) who

indicated that mathematics anxiety negatively impacts mathematics performance among

learners – learners with high mathematics anxiety tend to demonstrate dismal

mathematics performance suggesting that more attention must be given to mathematics

anxiety and mathematics performance of learners.

Domains or Elements of Mathematics Anxiety

Mathematics anxiety has been characterized as a complex entity with cognitive as

well as affective bases (Bursal and Paznokas, 2006). Mathematics anxiety can show up in

a variety of settings and exhibit some symptoms. Which include "having difficulty

completing mathematical tasks in informal classroom settings, avoiding formal lessons in

mathematics whenever possible, performing poorly on tests, and using remedial

instruction with little success" Brady and Bowd (2005).

The Mathematical Anxiety Instrument, first created by Cavanagh and Sparrow

(2010) and modified by Putri et al., 2020, was chosen for use in this study because it had

been shown to measure mathematics anxiety in a wide variety of contexts. This was
 21

created based on three different learning facets: attitudinal cognitive, and somatic. These

three factors have the potential to affect how anxious pupils are about arithmetic.

 Attitude Formation

In the recent study by Suleiman et al., (2019), 92.50% of pupils disliked

mathematics, while 86.25% were afraid of it. Students' continuous nervousness and

anxiety in mathematics eventually result in a bad attitude that becomes largely permanent

in the future.

Cherry (2023) claims that many factors, such as the following, might affect how

and why attitudes develop.

1. Experience is the primary factor in the formation of attitudes. They could

appear as a result of direct experience or as the result of observation.

2. Social Factors Social roles and conventions can have a big impact on atti-

tudes. Social roles deal with how individuals are supposed to act in a cer-

tain situation or role. Social norms are the guidelines that society uses to

determine which behaviors are acceptable.

3. Learning There are numerous ways to pick up new attitudes. Think about

how marketers can sway your opinion of a certain brand via classical con-

ditioning. In a television commercial, you see young, attractive people

having fun on a tropical beach and sipping a sports drink. You start to as-

sociate this particular beverage favorably because of the gorgeous and al-

luring imagery.
 22

4. Operant conditioning is a technique that can be used to shape how atti-

tudes evolve. Imagine a young man who has just begun to smoke. He gets

complaints, reprimands, and requests to leave the area every time he lights

up a cigarette. He ultimately begins to have an unfavorable opinion of

smoking as a result of the feedback he receives from everyone around

him, and he chooses to quit.

5. Observation Last but not least, studying those around you can help you

pick up attitudes. You are more inclined to adopt a particular viewpoint

when someone you genuinely respect promotes it. As an illustration, kids

often spend a lot of time imitating their parents' outlooks and eventually

adopting them themselves.

 Cognitive Aspect

Negative expectations about success or self-evaluation, negative self-talk,

performance anxieties, unable to think coherently, losing control or forgetting things that

he or she usually remembers, fear, indecision, loss of confidence and interest, thoughts of

avoidance and poor concentration in doing or thinking about mathematics, and visions of

failure are all characteristics of the cognitive aspect (Jarvis 2006).

Mathematical anxiety can be made more likely by biological factors related to

cognition. Numerous neurologists researching math performance and learning have been

interviewed by Sparks (2011). Math anxiety has been connected to a variety of

dyscalculia, or learning difficulties in math. Neurologists discovered that patients with

severe arithmetic anxiety also had trouble distinguishing between numerical magnitude

differences. Understanding numerical magnitude—which of two numbers is larger—is a

 23

fundamental idea for studying advanced math. When introduced to more difficult ideas in

math, elementary pupils with this deficit may experience low self-esteem, frustration, and

unfavorable feelings toward the subject.

Mathematical anxiety may occur in students with typical to excellent arithmetic

skills due to cognitive issues. Conferring to Mattarella-Micke et al. (2011), pupils who

are highly anxious about math likely to have weaker cognitive skills than their less

nervous classmates despite having high intrinsic talents. Beilock et al. (2010) added that

working memory's cognitive component is a good predictor of skill learning Students

who have better working memory may be more prone to stress and anxiety, which has a

negative effect on their ability to learn and perform math. Willis (2010) claimed that the

emotional responses associated with mathematics anxiety can impair the working

memory necessary for learning and problem-solving. According to her, "Students cannot

use their thinking brains when they are stressed." The degree of arithmetic anxiety seen in

elementary pupils is significantly influenced by cognitive processes.

Cognitive control is the ability to direct one's concentration as well as cognitive

resources to attain one's goals. However, research implies that anxiety affects various

cognitive functions, including cognitive control. This processing interferes with various

cognitive functions, including how individuals perceive and respond to their

environment. Specifically, evidence indicates that anxious people dedicate their attention

to threats, both early, instinctive processes and later, sustained attention. Furthermore,

anxiety impairs working memory, which is the ability to hold and manipulate information

in one's consciousness (Grant and White, 2016).

The amount of resources required for productive working memory performance

has been observed to be reduced by anxiety, and the risk that unfavorable information
 24

will enter working memory is also increased. Last but not least, anxiety is characterized

by an overabundance of focus on errors, despite a decrease in the cognitive control

resources required to rectify behavior. The development of anxiety disorders and new

treatments for these problems can both benefit from our increased understanding of how

anxiety affects cognitive control (Grant and White, 2016).

 Somatic

The physiological component is associated with autonomic arousal, unpleasant

symptoms such as nervousness, elevated blood pressure, dry mouth, muscular tension,

rapid heart rate, sweaty hands, and stomach butterflies (Jarvis, 2006).

Somatic symptoms are bodily symptoms that induce pain but cannot be described

in terms of physiological disease processes by traditional medicine. Psychological

elements were first recognized as a source of somatic symptoms at the end of the 17th

century. Somatic symptoms are mostly related to emotional and cognitive functioning,

and they may suggest potential emotional conflicts that patients are unable to confront.

Patients with anxiety and depression frequently have somatic symptoms such as chest

pain, dizziness, exhaustion, and gastrointestinal discomfort (Jarvis, 2006).

Somatic symptoms occur in around 30% of people suffering from depression or

anxiety. One study indicated that the presence of somatic symptoms is associated with at

least a twofold increase in anxiety or sadness (Zheng et al., 2019). In the mathematics

anxiety instrument, somatic markers include headache, tight shoulders, rapid heartbeats,

difficulty breathing, an uncomfortable feeling, or an upset stomach when doing or

thinking about mathematics.

 25

Specific physiological symptoms—such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath,

and a feeling of being strangled—as well as neuromuscular symptoms (such as insomnia

and a taut face) and symptoms of the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, and skin—are all

somehow connected to students' anxiety (Sunardi et al., 2019).

Performance in Mathematics

Several studies proved that there are factors that directly and indirectly affect the

mathematics performance of pupils. The study of Dowker et al. (2016), found that there

is a decline in gender differences relating to mathematics performance in territories that

offer equal academic opportunities for male and female students, on the contrary, Else-

Quest et al, (2010) claimed that boys tend to outperform girls in mathematics; Sirin,

(2005) found that students with higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to perform

better in mathematics than those from lower socio-economic background; Ma and

Krishor (1997) proved that parental involvement and support can impact mathematics

performance; Steele (1997) came across to the effects of societal stereotyping on minority

students and showed how the repercussions of poor academic performance might be

drastically decreased by just changing how tasks were perceived and putting more

emphasis on students' high potential rather than their ethnic background; and lastly the

study of Csapo and Funke (2017) affirmed that older students tend to perform better in

mathematics than younger student.

Students' motivation to learn is influenced by grades and other components of the

classroom evaluation, and these also give them access to knowledge that they utilize to

learn (Brookhart, 2008). The insightful assessment of students' perceptions of their grades

after the school year provides a glimpse into how they regarded their capacity to perform
 26

and overcome all of the problems during that particular time or year. With the expecta-

tion that grade distribution will reflect this belief, students displayed a conceptualization

of grading where effort should be weighted comparably to actual accomplishment in the

composition of a grade (Tippin, 2012).

In 2009, the Program for International Student Examination (PISA) performed a

cross-country examination of 15-year-old students' performance in reading, mathematics,

and science. American students outperformed the international average in arithmetic liter-

acy. 17 of the 33 industrialized countries had higher average scores than American stu-

dents, five had lower average scores, and 11 did not vary significantly from American

students (Hussar & Bailey, 2011)

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) group provided a pic-

ture of the state of education in the United States in 2012 based on the findings of its

2011 state-wide investigation. Reading, math, and social studies tests were given to stu-

dents in the fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades. The findings have local implications in ad-

dition to national ones because they were compared across the 50 states and the District

of Columbia. Eighty-two percent of the young children examined had only a partial grasp

of the math knowledge and skills required for competent work in the fourth grade. The

results showed that students in 15 other states performed worse than Georgian students in

math literacy, while students in 33 other states performed better (Snyder & Dillow,

2012). Georgian students also performed equally well in math literacy in two other states:

Arkansas and New York.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (as cited by De la Cruz

et al., 2022) stressed that learning mathematics in early childhood paves the way for fu-
 27

ture academic endeavors and can be a reliable indicator of whether or not learners will be

able to tackle or conquer new challenges as they become older. Similarly to this, as stu -

dents go through the educational system, more mathematics is required of them in their

daily life at home and at work. To function in the future in a mathematically literate man-

ner, students need to have a solid background in mathematics. The rote application of

procedural knowledge is only one aspect of a solid foundation. A 2004 report from the

Ontario Ministry of Education demonstrates all students should be able to comprehend

and interpret and make use of mathematics. It has also been observed that students who

excel at mathematics are more confident and have a better chance of success in the future.

Moreover, on the National Achievement Test in the Philippines (2013), students

in grades 3 and 6, as well as the fourth year of high school, scored poorly on the

mathematics portion of the test, with mean scores of 59.87, 66.47, and 46.37,

respectively. Their scores fell below the minimum required mean percentage of 75

imposed by the DepEd (Caube et al. (2019). This indicates that students had difficulty

with the subject, which is alarming and a common occurrence. The majority of students

find the topic to be challenging and monotonous. So, it presents a significant challenge

for teachers to address these issues in the classroom with a variety of strategies. One of

these is that a teacher needs to include cooperative learning, such as the reciprocal

learning technique, in the classroom (Braza et al., 2014).

In South Africa, the low learner achievement levels revealed by regional

assessments such as the Southern and Eastern Consortium for Monitoring Education

Quality (SACMEQ), and international assessments such as the Trends in Mathematics

and Science Study (TIMSS) corroborate the state of affairs in mathematics performance.

The TIMSS reported that between 68 percent and 90 percent of African boys and girls in
 28

Grade 8 failed to reach the low international benchmark in mathematics (Mullis et al.

2012), and unfortunately no significant progress was registered in TIMSS 2007 or

TIMSS 2011. The 2015 TIMMS reported that Grade 9 South African learners'

performance in mathematics had improved compared to the 2011 results; however, South

Africa remains a low-performing country in mathematics (Reddy et al., 2016). According

to the report, the national average score for the country is 372 points for mathematics,

ranking South Africa 38th out of 39 countries. Generally, learners at independent schools

performed very well, followed by fee-paying public schools. The worst affected learners

are those from no-fee public schools (Reddy et al., 2016).

With regard to learner performance in mathematics across contexts, a lot has been

written. Many factors that contribute to low performance in elementary and secondary

schools in different nations have been discovered by prior studies. The factors that

influence the effectiveness of mathematics instruction and learning can range from

teacher-centered, learner-centered, and school-centered, to family and environmental

influences, among others. International studies have shown that learner-centered factors,

including misunderstandings regarding mathematics as a difficult subject and fear and

anxiety among learners, contribute to low performance in mathematics among senior

secondary schools (Asikhia, 2010).

Mathematical anxiety has been found to rise in correlation with poor math

performance. Mathematics anxiety can also be brought on or made worse in children who

believe they will struggle with arithmetic tasks. In accord with Hopko et al. (2003)

children with math anxiety may view their arithmetic performance as a gauge of their

self-worth and a factor in their diminished value in the eyes of their parents and teachers.
 29

Further, failure in math classes or receiving poor grades can also increase

students' anxiety about mathematics or exacerbate it (Ma & Xu, 2004). Indeed, the

observations made by Hopko et al. (2003) showed that those who struggle with math

anxiety are more likely to make mistakes when solving problems. Math anxiety rises as a

result of such errors, which also result in lower math marks. As a result, anxiety, failure,

and anxiety are a never-ending loop.

On the other hand, El Said (2021) stated that when students have a positive

attitude toward learning, their Mathematics performance improves. Given that attitude

and performance are strongly related, this was further supported by Tamayo's (2021)

study, which demonstrated that a good attitude and disposition toward mathematics

increased their Mathematics Performance or grade.

Assessments of Mathematics Anxiety

It is beneficial to gauge mathematical anxiety before understanding it. Valid,

reliable, standardized, economical, and accessible should all be characteristics of high-

quality instruments. The tool should be able to identify specific facts and turn them into

data. As a result, the tool that will be utilized needs to be of high quality. To study

mathematics anxiety, it is necessary to find suitable ways of assessing and measuring it.

Most measures for assessing mathematics anxiety involve questionnaires and rating

scales and are predominantly used with adolescents and adults (Azwar, 2011).

Putri et al., (2020) modified and developed the instrument of Cavanagh and

Sparrow (2010) to measure mathematical dimensions of elementary school students

appropriately and it is effective at measuring mathematics anxiety in a range of contexts.

Each statement item in Mathematical Anxiety Instrument was developed based on 3

 30

learning aspects, namely Attitudinal, Cognitive, and Somatic. The questionnaire given to

students is in the form of a mathematical anxiety questionnaire using a Likert scale. Four

responses can be chosen for each statement in the questionnaire which includes strongly

agree (SA), agree (A), disagree (D), and strongly disagree (SD). The created tool is a

questionnaire with closed-ended questions. According to the validity test study, 23 of the

instrument's 30 items are valid. The Cronbach's Alpha test results, show that every item

has a reliability value higher than 0.80 and that the test instrument has a very good test

reliability.

Synthesis

The gap in math achievement has not shrunk despite decades of political and on-

going educational reform. The causes of the differences in math achievement have been

the subject of numerous research investigations. There are many different causes and it is

challenging to pinpoint a single factor contributing to pupils' poor performance, but math

fear or anxiety is a recurring problem. There are numerous detrimental implications of

mathematics anxiety on performance. Geist (2010) contends that for many pupils, math

achievement is more closely tied to mathematical anxiety and/or bad attitudes than it is to

mathematics aptitude.

The findings of the studies on mathematical anxiety and the performance of

elementary pupils have been presented in the reviewed literature and studies. It provides

the pertinent data and contributes to a broader perspective. The related literature and

study strengthened the current research; it provided important data as the foundation for

the construction of the study. Helping pupils learn and advance in mathematics requires

addressing their mathematics anxiety. Potential origins of mathematical anxiety, the three
 31

domains of mathematical anxiety – somatic, cognitive, and attitudinal, and the assessment

tool or instrument used to measure mathematical anxiety were discussed. Information is

provided about the scale that assesses mathematical anxiety to determine the prevalence

among pupils. Lastly, international and national polls and examination results were also

cited where illustrations of young learners' mathematics proficiency are consistently

declining.

The related literature and studies also, directly and indirectly, pointed to

relationships between mathematical anxiety, mathematics performance, and learners'

characteristics. Some studies indicated a significant relationship between the variables.

 Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study utilized the descriptive-correlational design. Descriptive research was

used to describe the characteristics of the student respondents, the level of mathematical

anxiety, and the mathematics performance of the students. A correlation was used to

determine the relationship between specific variables related to the mathematical anxiety

of the respondents. In studying the Correlation of Numerical Anxiety and Mathematics

Performance, Morada (2015) used similar research design and found a small and inverse

relationship between numerical anxiety and mathematics performance and on top of that,

students regardless of their profile had moderate numerical anxiety level.

Additionally, Fraenkel & Wallen (2006) assert that a descriptive-correlational

research design discusses an existing relationship among variables and intends to clarify

one's understanding of a significant phenomenon through determining correlations

amongst different variables. This study examined the relationship between mathematical

anxiety and mathematics performance. Descriptive-correlational approach was therefore

deemed to be the most suited as it describes the relationships between the two

quantitative variables.

Research Locale

This study was conducted at the Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya during the

academic year 2022-2023.

 33

Nueva Vizcaya is one of the provinces of the Cagayan Valley or Region 02,

which has 15 municipalities. It is regarded as the entrance to the stunning and fruitful

valley of the Northern Philippines. The capital city is Bayombong, where the Schools

Division Office is located, and Solano is the province's commercial core. Basic education

is currently administered by the Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya, one of the nine (9)

divisions of the DepEd Regional Office 02. 23 districts are traversing 47 public high

schools and 333 elementary public schools. In accordance with laws, policies, and

procedures based on the tenets of customer satisfaction and continuous improvement for

good governance, the Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya is dedicated to offering all of

its customers a quality, accessible, liberating K–12 basic education curriculum and

services.

The study was conducted in the northern districts due to the geographical

dispersion of the districts and schools. This study took into account five (5) districts out

of nine (9) particularly, Bayombong I, Bayombong II, Solano II, Bagabag I, and

Villaverde through multi-stage sampling.

 34

VILLAVERDE

Figure 2 depicts the map of Nueva Vizcaya illustrating the location of the study.
 35

Respondents and Sampling Procedure

The respondents of this study are the Grade 6 learners of the different schools in

the Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines.

Multi-stage cluster sampling was used to determine the school samples. During

the initial phase of this study, five (5) districts were drawn from the nine (9) northern

districts through the fishbowl draw sampling method. These districts were Bayombong I,

Bayombong II, Solano II, Bagabag I, and Villaverde. For the second stage, ten (10)

schools were chosen as a sample of the study, two schools from each district to be

specific – one central school and one non-central school. Since there is only one central

school in each district it was intentionally considered as a part of the sample of the study

and one school among the non-central schools from each district was randomly chosen

through the fishbowl sampling method.

These are the schools that were intentionally considered and drawn from

Bayombong I (Bayombong Central School & Bayombong South Elementary School),

Bayombong II (Bonfal Pilot Central School & Bayombong West Elementary School),

Solano II (Solano South Central School, Solano West Elementary School), Bagabag I

(Bagabag Central School & Murong Elementary School), and Villaverde district

(Villaverde Central School and Bintawan South Elementary School).

There were 885 Grade VI pupils enrolled in both two categories. To determine the

number of student-respondents in this study, Slovin’s formula was used with a margin

error of 5%; and a stratified proportionate random sampling method was used to

determine the samples of the study per stratum. As a result, 276 student respondents were

drawn.
 36

Table 1. Distribution of samples of the study.

Districts Type of School N Sample size Percent
N %
Bayombong I Central
(Bayombong Central 233 73 26.45
School)
Non-central
(Bayombong South 91 28 10.14
Elementary School)
Bayombong II Central
(Bonfal Pilot Central 68 21 7.61
School)
Non-central
(Bayombong West 34 11 3.99
Elementary School)
Solano II Central
(Solano South Central 169 53 19.20
School)
Non-central
(Solano West Elementary 46 14 5.07
School)
Villaverde Central
(Villaverde Central 61 19 6.88
School)
Non-central
(Bintawan South 51 16 5.80
Elementary School)
Bagabag I Central
78 24 8.70
(Bagabag Central School)
Non-central
(Murong Elementary 54 17 6.16
School)
Total 885 276 100

Research Instrument

To gather the pertinent information for the study, the following instrument from

the different previous related studies and concepts were adopted and modified to suit the

study.
 37

The questionnaire is composed of two parts: Part I was designed to gather

background and information that is based on the enumerated sub-variables shown in the

research paradigm, it includes the students’ profile such as age, sex, ethnicity, type of

school, honors received, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ occupational

status.

Part II is the mathematics anxiety rating scale which was used to determine the

level of mathematical anxiety of respondents. The instrument is in the form of a

mathematical anxiety questionnaire; the researcher modified the instrument to fit the

purpose of the study. The mathematical anxiety instrument was initially developed by

Cavanagh and Sparrow (2010) and recently adopted and modified by Putri et al (2020).

Each statement item in Mathematical Anxiety Instrument was developed based on 3

learning aspects, namely Attitudinal, Cognitive, and Somatic. The instrument was created

and arranged based on instrument modification.

 38

Table 2. Validity of mathematical anxiety rating scale

Validators
No. Criteria A B C D E
1 The questionnaire is appropriate for the
5 5 4 4 5 4.60
study.
2 The items in the instrument are relevant
5 4 4 4 5 4.40
to the problem on hand.
3 The items are within the vocabulary
level, language, structure, and conceptual 4 5 4 4 4 4.20
level of the respondents.
4 The items can stand the test of time. 5 4 4 4 5 4.40
5 The test instruction and the items are
4 4 3 4 4 3.80
written in a clear understandable manner.
6 The instrument is easy to administer. 5 4 4 4 5 4.40
7 The responses will yield quantitative
values and qualitative descriptions of the 5 5 4 4 5 4.60
variables being investigated.
8 A scoring guide of the instrument is
5 3 4 4 5 4.20
provided.
AVERAGE RATING 4.75 4.25 3.875 4.0 4.75 4.325
Legend: 4.21-5.00 Highly valid
3.41-4.20 Valid
2.61-3.40 Moderately valid
1.80-2.60 Slightly valid
1.00-1.80 Not valid

The validity of mathematical anxiety rating scale is presented in Table 2. Five

experts in the field of Education evaluated the research instrument using a rating scale to

guarantee the validity of the research tool. It can be gleaned that the research instrument

is highly valid (m=4.325).

Particularly, the research instrument is highly valid in terms of its appropriateness

to the study (m=4.60), the responses that will yield quantitative values and qualitative

descriptions of the variables being investigated (m=4.60), the relevance of the items to

the problem on hand (m=4.40), the instrument’s easiness to administer (m4.40), the items

can stand the test of time (4.40), the items vocabulary, language, structure and concepts

are within the level of the respondents (m=4.20) and providing a scoring guide in the
 39

instrument (m=4.20). Further, it is also moderately valid in terms of the test instruction

and clarity of the items the instrument (m=3.80).

This implies that the research instrument is highly valid and is appropriate to be

utilized in the current study.

Data-Gathering Procedure

To observe the research protocol, the researcher prepared a communication letter

addressed to the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) at the Department of Education,

School Division of Nueva Vizcaya signed by the Adviser, Chairperson of the graduate

school program, and the Dean of the college seeking the approval to conduct the study in

the Northern District Schools of Nueva Vizcaya (APPENDIX A). Thereafter, the letter

was forwarded to the Division Office attached is the researcher’s approved thesis

proposal (Chapter1-3) and the validated research instrument. The researcher received a

notification on the day the approved endorsement was released. On the succeeding days,

it was forwarded to the Public School District Supervisors or Districts in charge for

proper coordination with the different school heads and teachers.

To show courtesy, the researcher politely asked for the consent of the school

Principals or Officers-in-charge and the classroom teachers in the gathering of

information and data needed. Through a face-to-face arrangement and with the assistance

of the classroom advisers, the researcher administered the instruments to the different

schools on different dates that the School Principals had scheduled. The respondents in

each school were randomly selected in different sections. The researcher translated the

instrument statements into Filipino since most of the respondents from the lower sections

requested it, contrary to those respondents from the higher sections.

 40

However, in some schools (Bayombong Central School & Murong Elementary

School) the researcher was not allowed by the school Principals to administer the

instrument personally due to consecutive school activities, instead, the researcher was

advised to instruct the classroom advisers in the administration of the research instrument

and return on the agreed day of retrieval.

Moreover, the researcher observed the research ethics and conformed to data

privacy. Further, permission from the subject teachers and classroom advisers was done

to obtain the grades of the pupils in their mathematics V subjects during the school year

2021-2022.

Finally, the gathered data were tabulated for statistical analysis.

Statistical Treatment of Data

Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages and mean were used

to describe the respondents’ characteristics or profile, their level of mathematical anxiety,

and performance in Mathematics. Also, inferential statistics such as the T-Test and

Analysis of Variance were used to determine the differences between the level of

mathematical anxiety and mathematics performance of the respondents when grouped

according to profile. And Correlational Analyses such as Point Biserial Correlation and

Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used to test the possible relationship between

mathematical anxiety and mathematics performance respectively.

The following scaling was used to measure the aforementioned questionnaire on

respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety.

 41

Scale Rating Qualitative Description

3.51-4.00 Highly Anxious Indicates a very high level of anxiety
2.51-3.50 Moderately Anxious Demonstrates a moderate level of anxiety
1.51-2.50 Slightly Anxious Indicates a low or slight level of anxiety
1.00-1.50 Not Anxious No indication of anxiety

And to describe the mathematics performance of the respondents, the Grading

system of the Department of Education was utilized.

Grade Descriptive Equivalent Remarks

90-100 Outstanding Passed
85-89 Very Satisfactory Passed
80-84 Satisfactory Passed
75-79 Fairly Satisfactory Passed
Below 75 Did Not Meet Expectations Failed
 Chapter IV

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Profile of the Respondents

The profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, ethnicity, type of school,

honors received, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ occupational status is

presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Profile of the respondents

Frequency (n=276) Percentage
Profile
(100%)
Age
11 years old 94 34.10
12 years old 170 61.60
13 years old 12 4.30
Sex
Male 93 33.70
Female 183 66.30
Ethnicity
Ifugao 14 5.10
Bugkalot 112 40.60
Ilocano 126 45.70
Gaddang 9 3.30
Kalanguya 15 5.40
Type of School
Central 174 63.00
Non-Central 102 37.00
Honor Received
with honors 126 45.70
with high honors 14 5.10
None 136 49.30
Father’s Educational Attainment
Elementary Level 15 5.40
High School Level 95 34.40
College Level 166 60.10
Mother’s Educational Attainment
Elementary Level 9 3.30
High School Level 89 32.20
College Level 178 64.60
Father’s Occupational Status
Employed 145 52.50
Self-Employed 104 37.70
Unemployed 27 9.80
Mother’s Occupational Status
Employed 124 44.90
Self-Employed 85 30.80
Unemployed 67 24.30
 43

In terms of age, 170 (61.60%) are 12 years old, 94 (34.10%) are 11 years old, and

12 (4.30%) are 13 years old. In terms of sex, 183 (66.30%) are female, and 93 (33.70%)

are male. In terms of ethnicity, 126 (45.70%) are Ilocano, 112 (40.60%) are Bugkalot, 15

(5.40%) are Kalanguya, 14 (5.10%) are Ifugao, and 9 (3.30%) are Gaddang. In terms of

the type of school, 174 (63.00%) are central, and 102 (37.00%) are non-central.

In terms of honors received, 136 (49.30%) received none, 126 (45.70%) are with

honors and 14 (5.10%) are with high honors. In terms of parents’ educational attainment,

166 (60.10%) of the fathers reached college level, 95 (34.40%) are high school level, and

15 (5.40%) are elementary level. For the mothers, 178 (64.60%) reached college level, 89

(32.20%) are high school level, and 9 (3.30%) are elementary level. And in terms of

parents’ occupational status, 145 (52.50%) of the fathers are employed, 104 (37.70%) are

self-employed, and 27 (9.80%) are unemployed. For the mothers, 124 (44.90%) are

employed, 85 (30.80%) are self-employed, and 67 (24.30%) are unemployed.

These imply that most of the respondents are 12 years old, female, Ilocanos,

attend central schools, and did not receive honors. Also, most of their parents reached

college level, and are employed.

Level of Mathematical Anxiety of the Respondents

The respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety in terms of attitudinal, cognitive,

and somatic domains is presented in the following tables.

 44

Attitudinal

The respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety in terms of attitudinal is presented

in table 4.

Table 4. Level of mathematical anxiety in terms of attitudinal

Qualitative
Attitudinal Mean SD
Description
Afraid of what is being done
1 I look at my friends when I could not answer math 2.26 .90 Slightly Anxious
questions given by the teacher.
2 I prefer to sit in the back row where the teacher 1.73 .82 Slightly Anxious
cannot see me so that I won't be asked to answer
questions.
3 I frown my forehead when I could not answer the 2.18 .94 Slightly Anxious
math question asked by the teacher.
4 I keep silent during mathematics class because I am 2.12 .97 Slightly Anxious
scared to be asked questions.
Has no intention to do things that should be done
5 I never answer mathematics questions which is 1.82 .79 Slightly Anxious
difficult for me.
6 I play with a pen and other objects when I could not 2.16 .98 Slightly Anxious
answer math questions during the examination.
7 I move to the hidden position during math class. 1.57 .78 Slightly Anxious
Expecting difficulties in doing a particular thing
8 I see mathematics problems as difficult to solve 2.32 .85 Slightly Anxious
because there are many numbers that I have to
compute.
9 I often skip school during mathematics classes, 1.34 .67 Not Anxious
especially when there are lots of calculations.
1 I have a hard time learning math concept that 2.51 .80 Moderately Anxious
0 involves many symbols.
Average 1.99 .45 Slightly Anxious
Legend: 3.51-4.00 Highly Anxious
2.51-3.50 Moderately Anxious
1.51-2.50 Slightly Anxious
1.00-1.50 Not Anxious

The respondents were slightly anxious (m=1.99) in mathematics in terms of

attitudinal. Specifically, in terms of the attitudinal domain, respondents are moderately

anxious in mathematics when they expect difficulties in learning math concepts that

involve many mathematical symbols (m=2.51). They are also slightly anxious in
 45

mathematics when they feel afraid of what is being done specifically when they see their

friends cannot answer questions given by their teacher (m=2.26), when they frown their

foreheads if they could not answer math questions asked by the teacher (m=2.18), when

they keep silent during class because they are scared to be asked questions (m=2.12), and

when they prefer to sit in the back row where the teacher cannot see them so that they

won't be asked to answer questions (m=1.73). Also, they are slightly anxious when they

play with pen and other objects if they could not answer math questions during the

examination (m=2.16), when they show no intentions of doing things that should be done

specifically when they never answer questions about mathematics which is difficult for

them (m=1.82), and when they move to the hidden position during math class (m=1.57).

Further, respondents are also slightly conscious when they see mathematics problems as

difficult to solve because there are many numbers that they have to compute (m=2.32).

On a positive note, even when they expect mathematics to be difficult, the respondents do

not show anxiety in mathematics by skipping school during mathematics classes,

especially when there are lots of calculations (m=1.34.)

These imply that the respondents are slightly anxious about mathematics in terms

of attitudinal and even so, they still do not resort to skipping school during mathematics

classes even when there are lots of calculations to be done.

Cognitive

The respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety in terms of cognitive is presented

in table 5.
 46

Table 5. Level of mathematical anxiety in terms of cognitive

Qualitative
Cognitive Mean SD
Description
Worry of being judged by others that she/he cannot do things well
1 I regret answering a math question in front of the 2.34 .97 Slightly Anxious
class because I'm afraid my friends will laugh at me
if I answer the question wrong.
2 I always hide test papers from friends and parents 1.80 .86 Slightly Anxious
when the score is very low.
Loss of Interest
3 When working on a mathematics test, I always think 1.93 .87 Slightly Anxious
of other things that consume my time.
4 I have a hard time remembering mathematics 2.62 .86 Moderately
formulas. Anxious
5 I could hardly focus working on the mathematics 2.66 .93 Moderately
problems that I do not understand. Anxious
6 I am not sure about my answers to the mathematics 2.64 .87 Moderately
question. Anxious
7 I daydream if I could not answer math examination 2.05 .87 Slightly Anxious
questions.
Performance pressure
8 My previous average math achievement makes me 2.29 .88 Slightly Anxious
worry to learn math subjects.
9 I feel like I have no control over my grades in math. 2.24 .88 Slightly Anxious
1 I am worried that I lack skills to learn math topics 2.41 .89 Slightly Anxious
0 that involve difficult formula.
Average 2.30 .49 Slightly Anxious
Legend: 3.51-4.00 Highly Anxious
2.51-3.50 Moderately Anxious
1.51-2.50 Slightly Anxious
1.00-1.50 Not Anxious

The respondents were slightly anxious (m=2.30) in mathematics in terms of

cognitive. Specifically, respondents lose their interest and are moderately anxious when

they could hardly focus working on the mathematics problems that they do not

understand (m=2.66), when they are not sure about their answers to mathematics

questions (m=2.64), and when they have a hard time remembering mathematics formulas

(m=2.62). They are slightly anxious when they are thinking of other things that consume

their time especially when working on a mathematics test (m=1.93). Also, the

respondents are slightly anxious with performance pressure particularly when lack skills
 47

to learn math topic that involves difficult formula (m=2.41), when their previous average

math achievement makes them worry to learn math subject (m=2.29), and when they feel

like they have no control over their grades in math (m=2.24). Further, they are also

slightly anxious when they worry about being judged by others that they cannot do things

well specifically when they regret answering a math question in front of the class because

they are afraid that their friends will laugh at them if they answer the questions wrong

(m=2.34), and when they always hide test papers from their friends and parents when the

score is very low (m=1.80). These imply that the respondents were slightly anxious in

mathematics in terms of cognitive.

Cognitive

The respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety in terms of cognitive is presented

in table 6. The respondents were slightly anxious (m=2.36) in mathematics in terms of

somatic.

Specifically, the respondents are moderately anxious when they feel worried to

miss the math lesson if they do not go to the school (m=3.04), when they are nervous

once they see the examination question is different from what is often asked (m=2.70),

and when their hearts beat fast every time the teacher asks them to explain their answers

to mathematics questions in front of the class (m=2.73). Also, they are slightly anxious

when their hearts beat fast every time the teacher distributes corrected test papers

(m=2.50), when they feel worried if they see their friends look anxious before they enter

the examination room (m=2.43), when they get sweaty or clammy hands when doing or

thinking about math (m=2.20), when they have difficulty sleeping if there is a

mathematics test the next day, thinking about the questions that will come out on the test
 48

(m=2.17), when they feel headaches or neck stiffness when doing or thinking about math

(m=2.13), when they feel their hearts race when doing or thinking about math (m=2.11),

and when they always go to the toilet during math class to avoid from being asked about

a math problem (m=1.61).

Table 6. Level of mathematical anxiety in terms of somatic

Somatic Qualitative
Mean SD
Description
Difficult to breathe
1 My heart beats fast every time the teacher 2.50 .97 Slightly Anxious
distributes corrected test papers.
2 My heart beats fast every time the teacher asks me 2.73 .90 Moderately Anxious
to explain my answers to mathematics questions in
front of the class.
3 I feel my heart races when doing or thinking about 2.11 .89 Slightly Anxious
math.
Heartbeats rapidly
4 I have difficulty sleeping if there is a mathematics 2.17 .96 Slightly Anxious
test the next day, thinking about the questions that
will come out on the test.
5 I feel worried when I see my friends look anxious 2.43 .89 Slightly Anxious
before they enter the examination room.
6 I feel worried to miss the math lesson if I do not go 3.04 .93 Moderately Anxious
to school.
7 I am nervous once I see the examination question is 2.70 .82 Moderately Anxious
different from what is often asked.
Feeling uncomfortable
8 I always go to the toilet during math class to avoid 1.61 .81 Slightly Anxious
being asked about a math problem.
9 I get sweaty or clammy hands when doing or 2.20 .96 Slightly Anxious
thinking about math.
10 I felt headaches or neck stiffness when doing or 2.13 .94 Slightly Anxious
thinking about math.
Average 2.36 .49 Slightly Anxious
Legend: 3.51-4.00 Highly Anxious
2.51-3.50 Moderately Anxious
1.51-2.50 Slightly Anxious
1.00-1.50 Not Anxious
 49

Overall Summary

The respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety in terms of attitudinal, cognitive,

and somatic domains is presented in table 7.

Table 7. Level of mathematical anxiety

Qualitative
Domains of Mathematical Anxiety Mean SD
Description
1 Attitudinal 1.99 .45 Slightly Anxious
2 Cognitive 2.30 .49 Slightly Anxious
3 Somatic 2.36 .49 Slightly Anxious
Overall 2.22 .41 Slightly Anxious
Legend: 3.51-4.00 Highly Anxious
2.51-3.50 Moderately Anxious
1.51-2.50 Slightly Anxious
1.00-1.50 Not Anxious

It can be gleaned that the respondents are slightly anxious in mathematics

(m=2.22). Particularly, they are slightly anxious in the attitudinal (m=1.99), cognitive

(m=2.30), and somatic (m=2.36) domains. These therefore imply that the respondents

were slightly anxious in mathematics in terms of attitudinal, cognitive, and somatic

domains.

The results concur with the findings of El Said (2021) that learners' Mathematics

performance improves when they have a favorable attitude toward learning. Given that

attitude and performance are closely associated, this was supported by the study of

Tamayo (2021) who proved that positive attitude and disposition toward Mathematics

improved their Mathematics Performance or grade.

 50

Level of Mathematics Performance of the Respondents

Table 8. Level of mathematics performance

Qualitative
Mathematics Performance Mean SD
Description
Average Grades of Respondents in Mathematics 87.83 4.06 Very Satisfactory
during Grade V

Legend: 90-100 Outstanding

85-89 Very Satisfactory
80-84 Satisfactory
75-79 Fairly Satisfactory
Below 75 Did Not Meet Expectations

The respondents’ level of mathematics performance is presented in Table 4. It can

be gleaned that the respondents have very satisfactory (m=87.83) performance in

Mathematics V.

In contrast with the findings, De la Cruz et al., (2022) cited instances where

young learners' mathematics proficiency is consistently declining. International and

national polls in mathematics have shown this dismal situation. The Philippines was

placed 78th out of 79 countries in the most recent results of the Programme for

International Student Assessment (PISA). In addition, Caube et al. (2019) who referenced

The National Achievement Test in the Philippines (2013), found that students in grades 3

and 6, as well as the fourth year of high school, scored poorly on the mathematics portion

of the test, with mean scores of 59.87, 66.47, and 46.37, respectively. Their scores fell

below the minimum required mean percentage of 75 imposed by the DepEd.

 51

Comparison on the Level of Mathematical Anxiety of Respondents when grouped

according to Profile

Table 9. Comparison on the level of mathematical anxiety of respondents when grouped

according to profile
Profile Level of Mathematical Anxiety
Age F = .448 Sig. = .639
Sex T = .006 Sig. = .939
Ethnicity F = 1.606 Sig. = .173
Type of School T = 2.108 Sig. = .148
Honors Received F = 1.496 Sig. = .182
Fathers’ Educational Attainment F = .530 Sig. = .589
Mothers’ Educational Attainment F = 1.120 Sig. = .328
Fathers’ Occupational Status F = 1.700 Sig. = .185
Mothers’ Occupational Status F = .567 Sig. = .568
*. The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.

The results in testing the variability of respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety

according to their profile are presented in Table 5. It was found that there exist no

significant differences in the respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety according to age

(F=.448, Sig.=.639), sex (T=.006, Sig.=.939), ethnicity (F=1.606, Sig.=.173), type of

school (T=2.108, Sig.=.148), honors received (F=1.496, Sig.=.182), fathers’ educational

attainment (F=.530, Sig.=.589), mothers’ educational attainment (F=1.120, Sig.=.328),

fathers’ occupational status (F=1.700, Sig.=.185) and mothers’ occupational status

(F=.567, Sig.=.568).

These imply that regardless of respondents’ age, sex, ethnicity, type of school,

honors received, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ occupational status they

are slightly anxious about mathematics.

This supports the claim of Farrell (2006) that one of the main causes of math

anxiety is a gap in a student's prior learning of the subject that holds him or her back from

learning more complicated concepts, not the age of the learner.

 52

However, the findings negate several studies such as the study of Hill et al, (2016)

which suggest that mathematics anxiety increases with age; Ma and Xu (2004) found that

students from lower socio-economic backgrounds tended to have higher levels of

mathematics anxiety than those from higher socio-economic backgrounds; Previous

research of Hart and Ganley (2019) has found gender differences in self-reported math

anxiety, with higher self-reported scores found for girls than for boys.

Comparison on the Level of Mathematics Performance of Respondents when

grouped according to Profile

Table 10. Comparison on the level of mathematics performance of respondents when grouped
according to profile
Profile Level of Mathematics Performance
Age F = 1.398 Sig. = .106
Sex T = 1.375 Sig. = .130
Ethnicity F = 1.141 Sig. = .306
Type of School T = 1.405 Sig. = .116
Honors Received F = 1.082 Sig. = .206
Fathers’ Educational Attainment F = .926 Sig. = .428
Mothers’ Educational Attainment F = 1.367 Sig. = .129
Fathers’ Occupational Status F = .831 Sig. = .681
Mothers’ Occupational Status F = 1.756 Sig. = .064
*. The mean difference is significant at the 0.05 level.

The results in testing the variability of respondents’ level of mathematics

performance according to their profile are presented in Table 6. It was found that there

exist no significant differences in the respondents' level of mathematics performance

according to age (F=1.398, Sig.=.106), sex (T=1.375, Sig.=.130), ethnicity (F=1.141,

Sig.=.306), type of school (T=1.405, Sig.=.116), honors received (F=1.082, Sig.=.206),

fathers’ educational attainment (F=.926, Sig.=.428), mothers’ educational attainment

(F=1.367, Sig.=.129), fathers’ occupational status (F=.831, Sig.=.681) and mothers’

occupational status (F=1.756, Sig.=.064).

 53

These imply that regardless of respondents’ age, sex, ethnicity, type of school,

honors received, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ occupational status, they

performed very satisfactorily in Mathematics.

The findings on respondents’ gender coincide with the study of Dowker et al.

(2016), who found that there is a decline in gender differences relating to mathematics

performance in territories that offer equal academic opportunities for male and female

students.

However, several studies negate these findings such as the study of Else-Quest et

al., (2010) who claimed that boys tend to outperform girls in mathematics; the study of

Sirin 2005 who found that students with higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to

perform better in mathematics than those from the lower socio-economic background; the

study of Ma and Krishor (1997) who found that parental involvement and support can

impact mathematics performance; the study of Steele (1997) who claimed that the effects

of societal stereotyping on minority students showed how the repercussions of poor

academic performance might be drastically decreased by just changing how tasks were

perceived and putting more emphasis on students' high potential rather than their ethnic

background; and lastly the study of Csapo and Funke (2017) who found that older

students tend to perform better in mathematics than younger student.

 54

Relationship between Level of Mathematical Anxiety and Mathematics

Performance

Table 11. Relationship between level of mathematical anxiety and mathematics

performance.
Mathematical Anxiety Mathematics Performance
r -.484**
Attitudinal
Sig. .001
r -.317**
Cognitive
Sig. .001
r -.250**
Somatic
Sig. .001
r -.402**
Average
Sig. .001
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level

The test of relationship between respondents' level of mathematical anxiety in

terms of attitudinal, cognitive, and somatic domains and their level of mathematics

performance is presented in Table 6. It can be explained that there exists a significant

relationship between respondents' levels of mathematical anxiety and their level of

mathematics performance (r=-.402, Sig.=.001). More specifically, each domain of math

anxiety is found to be correlated with mathematics performance: attitudinal (r=-.484,

Sig.=.001), cognitive (r=-.317, Sig.=.001), and somatic (r=-.250, Sig.=.001). These

imply that as respondents manifest slight anxiety in mathematics, they display very

satisfactory performance in the subject.

The findings support the assertion made by Aschkraft and Kirk (2001) that

students who experience more mathematics anxiety tend to perform worse than those

who experience lower anxiety. This further confirms the findings of Widiasih et al,

(2018) who indicated that mathematics anxiety negatively impacts mathematics

performance among learners -- learners with high mathematics anxiety tend to

 55

demonstrate dismal mathematics performance suggesting that more attention must be

given to mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance of learners.

 Chapter V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary, conclusions, and recommendations based on

the study.

Summary

Based on the analyses, the following findings surfaced:

Profile of the respondents. In terms of age, 170 (61.60%) are 12 years old, 94

(34.10%) are 11 years old, and 12 (4.30%) are 13 years old. In terms of sex, 183

(66.30%) are female, and 93 (33.70%) are male. In terms of ethnicity, 126 (45.70%) are

Ilocano, 112 (40.60%) are Bugkalot, 15 (5.40%) are Kalanguya, 14 (5.10%) are Ifugao,

and 9 (3.30%) are Gaddang. In terms of the type of school, 174 (63.00%) are central, and

102 (37.00%) are non-central. In terms of honors received, 136 (49.30%) received none,

126 (45.70%) are with honors and 14 (5.10%) are with high honors. In terms of parents’

educational attainment, 166 (60.10%) of the fathers reached college level, 95 (34.40%)

are high school level, and 15 (5.40%) are elementary level. For the mothers, 178

(64.60%) reached college level, 89 (32.20%) are high school level, and 9 (3.30%) are

elementary level. And in terms of parents’ occupational status, 145 (52.50%) of the

fathers are employed, 104 (37.70%) are self-employed, and 27 (9.80%) are unemployed.

For the mothers, 124 (44.90%) are employed, 85 (30.80%) are self-employed, and 67

(24.30%) are unemployed.

 57

Level of mathematical anxiety of the respondents. The respondents are slightly

anxious in mathematics (m=2.22). Particularly, they are slightly anxious in the attitudinal

(m=1.99), cognitive (m=2.30), and somatic (m=2.36) domains.

Level of mathematics performance of the respondents. The respondents have

very satisfactory (m=87.83) performance in Mathematics V.

Comparison on the respondents’ level of mathematical anxiety when grouped

according to profile. There exist no significant differences in the respondents’ level of

mathematical anxiety according to age (F=.448, Sig.=.639), sex (T=.006, Sig.=.939),

ethnicity (F=1.606, Sig.=.173), type of school (T=2.108, Sig.=.148), honors received

(F=1.496, Sig.=.182), fathers’ educational attainment (F=.530, Sig.=.589), mothers’

educational attainment (F=1.120, Sig.=.328), fathers’ occupational status (F=1.700,

Sig.=.185) and mothers’ occupational status (F=.567, Sig.=.568).

Comparison on the respondents’ level of mathematics performance when

grouped according to profile. There exist no significant differences in the respondents’

level of mathematics performance according to age (F=1.398, Sig.=.106), sex (T=1.375,

Sig.=.130), ethnicity (F=1.141, Sig.=.306), type of school (T=1.405, Sig.=.116), honors

received (F=1.082, Sig.=.206), fathers’ educational attainment (F=.926, Sig.=.428),

mothers’ educational attainment (F=1.367, Sig.=.129), fathers’ occupational status

(F=.831, Sig.=.681) and mothers’ occupational status (F=1.756, Sig.=.064)

Relationship between levels of mathematical anxiety and mathematical

performance. There exists a significant relationship between respondents' level of

mathematical anxiety and their level of mathematics performance (r=-.402, Sig.=.001).

 58

Conclusions

In view of the findings, the following conclusions were drawn:

1. Most of the respondents are 12 years old, female, Ilocanos, attend central

schools, and did not receive honors. Also, most of their parents reached col-

lege level, and are employed.

2. The respondents are slightly anxious in mathematics.

3. Respondents have very satisfactory performance in Mathematics V.

4. Regardless of respondents’ age, sex, ethnicity, type of school, honors re-

ceived, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ occupational status, they

are slightly anxious in mathematics.

5. Regardless of respondents’ age, sex, ethnicity, type of school, honors re-

ceived, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ occupational status, they

performed very satisfactorily in Mathematics.

6. As respondents manifest slight anxiety in mathematics, they display very sat-

isfactory performance in the subject.

Recommendations

In view of the conclusions generated from the study, the following

recommendations are offered:

1. May design interventions to help dissipate the anxiety of students in mathe-

matics.

2. May develop teaching strategies to improve the mathematics performance of

students.
 59

3. May implement inclusive pedagogy in the mathematics classroom.

4. Researchers who study the same topic may explore other variables and use

this as a reference.