RESEARCH TITLE HERE IN INVERTED PYRAMID- CENTER

A Research Project

Submitted to

The Faculty of the Senior High School Department

Galas National High School

Galas, Dipolog City

In Fulfillment of the

Requirements for

PRACTICAL RESEARCH I

NAME OF THE RESEARCHERS HERE

May, 2024
Introduction

Mathematics is an essential subject of school curriculum and is vital in daily living as well
as in understanding of other subjects. However, most students found Math difficult to learn. Survey
reports suggest that 37% of the students aged between 13-17 found math to be the most difficult
subject (Mahanta, 2019). When asked about a subject they find difficult, most students would
unsurprisingly reply that it’s Mathematics. As observed, many students get low scores in Math
quizzes and exams. We often hear them say that they find it hard to understand Mathematics lesson.
Worst, others would say that they do not understand any single thing. Only few students can
appreciate the subject. In fact, only few education students take Mathematics as their major and
only few enroll in Engineering courses.

Mahanta (2019) identified the common causes due to which students struggle to learn
Math. These are lack understanding of the basic concepts, method of teaching, lack of practice of
Math concepts, and attention disorder and ADHD.

According to Gafoor & Kurukkan (2015), the factors that make mathematics difficult for
students to learn include difficulty in remembering the content learned in the previous classes,
rapid forgetting of the learned material and the difficulty in understanding mathematics concepts.
Further analysis revealed that students who feel mathematics highly difficult tends to believe that
they lack in learning strategies.

The factors that lead to learning difficulties are the students' assumption that mathematics
is a difficult lesson, the lack of use of teaching aids in learning mathematics, and the teacher's
method of teaching is less varied (Sakilah, et.al., 2018).

Identifying students’ difficulties in learning Mathematics is important for teachers to

prepare learning strategies that would enable students quickly learn the concepts in Math to
increase their success in mathematics education. If these difficulties are not addressed, they can
never appreciate the subject.

To fill-in the learning gap of the students in learning Mathematics, the researchers conduct
this qualitative study to identify students’ learning difficulties in Math. This study would serve as
baseline information to make teaching-learning Mathematics productive and engaging experiences
and opportunities for both teachers and students and could facilitate improvement of Mathematics
performance particularly of senior high school students at Galas National High School. Moreover,
this study intends to formulate a theory based on the gathered qualitative data.
Review of Related Studies

This section presents related studies that will support the present study. It discusses relevant
issues and concerns about findings and recommendations of studies to complement results of this
study.

Guner (2020) expressed that students have difficulties in terms of high school mathematics
teachers' teaching. They indicated that their mathematics teachers do not promote interest or
positive attitude toward mathematics. The participants thought that mathematics lessons contain
too many subjects, rules, and formulas, however, they also expressed that they did not regularly
review and devote adequate time to mathematics. These findings also suggest that there is a
common perception among students that mathematics lessons are mostly lessons where rules and
formulas are taught to solve certain types of questions.

The existing inequalities and students’ limited or lack of access to the teacher, learning
environment, and learning materials were the major reasons for mathematics learning loss among
Turkish middle school students (Haser, et.al., 2022).

Students’ difficulties in learning mathematics include non-mathematical aspects, such as

students’ motivation and careless. Indonesian teachers emphasize that overcoming students’
learning difficulties is not only the responsibility of teachers and schools, but also the parents’
responsibility (Wijaya, et.al., 2019).

According to Langoban (2020), there are three most evident emerging themes that
summarizes the causes of difficulty in learning Mathematics. These are delivery of instruction by
the teacher/instructor; learners’ ability and experiences; and school environment and facilities.
The teachers in Mathematics have the key role in making it difficult or easy for the students.

The findings of the study of Meniano & Tan (2022) on grade 9 students' challenges
experienced in studying mathematics amidst the COVID-19 pandemic yielded six (6) central
themes: difficult lessons and activities, distractions in learning, difficulty understanding English
instruction, absence of assistance from people, poor quality of module, and lack of time
management.

Acharya (2017) concluded that there are a number of intermingled factors that are
detrimental to low performance of public-school students in mathematics. The under recognition
of students’ need and interest with their pre-existing level of knowledge and skills towards
mathematical concepts are the major determining factors of lower achievement in mathematics.
Student’s interest and positive feeling of mathematics increase the pass in mathematics.
 Students’ report and teachers’ perception indicate that the major cause for mathematics
being difficult for students is lack of previous knowledge. Without relevant previous knowledge it
is difficult and even impossible to learn mathematics in the higher classes. The most relevant
reason observed by teachers for students’ difficulties in learning mathematics is lack of sufficient
effort by students, and they were not that much aware about the role of students’ self-efficacy for
learning mathematics (Gafoor, K.A. & Kurukkan, 2015).

Makondo & Makondo (2020) asserted that difficulties faced by pupils in Mathematics
could be attributed to lack of experience by the teachers. They further presented that less
homework given to the learners contributed to poor academic performance in Mathematics at
Mavuzani High School.

The findings of the study of Mulwa (2015) showed that students have difficulties in using
mathematical terms and their related concepts. Possible ways of teaching these terms to generate
more meaning to the learners were also suggested.

The factors that lead to learning difficulties are the students' assumption that mathematics
is a difficult lesson, the lack of use of teaching aids in learning mathematics, the teacher's method
of teaching is less varied. The recommended solution to overcome mathematics learning
difficulties faced by students is that teachers conduct intensive guidance and remedial teaching as
well as the role of parents at home in helping to overcome mathematics learning difficulties
(Sakilah, et.al., 2018).

Domain of Inquiry

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to discover the difficulties of senior high
school students in learning Mathematics at Galas National High School.

Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the experiences encountered by senior high school students who find learning
Mathematics difficult?
2. What are the significant themes that can be created from their experiences?
3. What theory can be developed based on the significant themes created?
Methodology

Design

This study utilized a phenomenological research design to determine the difficulties of

senior high school students in learning Mathematics. Informants were interviewed about their
experiences in learning Mathematics. They were also asked about the reasons why math is difficult
and how they wanted to be taught by their math teachers.

Environment

This study was conducted at Galas National High School, Galas, Dipolog City, Zamboanga
del Norte, Region IX. The said school is located along the highway of Barangay Galas and near to
establishments, but the students are safe from any untoward incidents because the school has exit
and entrance gates and there are security guards on duty.

Respondents

The informants of this study were ten (10) Grade 11 students at Galas National High School
S.Y. 2022-2023 under Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand of the Academic track.
Three of them were males and seven were females.

Sampling Method

Informants were chosen through purposive sampling in which they exhibit common
characteristics such as the same residence, which is in Galas, Dipolog City; all are taking General
Mathematics subject; age ranges from 16-18; and have been observed to have difficulty in learning
Mathematics.

Instrument

This study used a semi-detailed interview questionnaire consisted of questions about the
experiences of the informants in learning math, how they feel about learning math, their reasons
why learning math is difficult, and how they wanted their math teachers to teach them. The
researchers conducted the interview face-to-face with the informants.
Data Analysis

The researchers used the inductive content analysis which is a qualitative method of content
analysis use to develop theory and identify themes by studying documents, recordings, and other
printed and verbal material (Chron Contributor, 2021) The researchers began the data analysis with
identifying the significant statements of the utterances of the informants. Then the significant
statements were coded. Themes were developed after the coding. Then the themes were discussed
one by one with supporting articles, afterwards the drawing of general idea.

Identifying significant statements

Coding the significant statements

Identifying themes out from code

Discussing the themes

Drawing general idea

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of Data Analysis