Perceptions and Attitude of Grade 11 Students About Mathematics

Perceptions and Attitude of Grade 11 Students
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Chapter 1
The Problem
Background of the Study
Mathematics is one of the core subjects in the K to 12 curriculum and has always
been a part of every student's learning in school even before the K to 12 program was
ever implemented here in the Philippines.
According to Akshay (2018), Mathematics has a number of very useful benefits
to our mind if we go into its study. It develops our reasoning, helps us to have an
analytical thinking, quickens our mind, generates practicality, and also its use can be
applied in the day to day. However, when it comes to education, one of the biggest
problems today is that some high school students do not take mathematics seriously
enough. Some of the teenagers see mathematics as something boring, difficult and
irrelevant to their lives, and do not take into account all the benefits that math can
provide them in the future.
However, some studies show that poor attitude towards mathematics has
contributed to lower participation and success in the subject. Some of these studies on
perception and attitudes of students towards mathematics have yielded these related
results. The study of Setapa et al (2016) indicated that the students' perception towards
mathematics is very high and encouraging. The participants of their study were 300
students from Mengubah Destini Anak Bangsa (MDAB). Their findings also show that
the students' attitudes, lecturers' teaching and peers are three important factors in
contributing to the good results in Mathematics among the MDAB students.

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Moreover, Mata et al (2012), in their study about Attitudes towards Mathematics,
revealed that effects of Individual, Motivational, and Social Support Factors held positive
attitudes towards mathematics in general. The participants of this study consisted of
1,719 Portuguese students from fifth to twelfth grade. Their findings also highlighted the
main effects of grade and math achievement on these attitudes. No gender effect was
identified although the girls showed a continuous decline in attitudes the further they
progressed in school. A hierarchical analysis using structural equation modeling showed
that motivation-related variables are the main predictors of attitudes towards
mathematics and that teachers and the social support of peers are also highly
significant in understanding these attitudes. ".. we believe that developing strategies in
educational contexts, to improve teacher support and student engagement could be of
vital importance in improving not only attitudes but also mathematical performance
among students throughout their schooling" Mata et al (2012).
The studies mentioned were conducted in two different countries. Here in the
Philippines, it is imperative to consider the perceptions of Grade 11 students of
Pangasinan State University Bayambang Campus towards mathematics to be able to
have a clearer and deeper understanding of their perceptions and attitudes towards the
subject. This study therefore, will ultimately explore and understand different views of
the students to see if the results will be the same as the results from other studies. It will
also explore another results which were not shown from other studies and to add and
give more information about the topic being studied.

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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This study on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Grade 11 Students towards
Mathematics is based on the Theory of Cognitive Learning by Jerome Bruner. This
theory explains thinking and differing mental processes and how they are influenced by
external and internal factors in order to produce learning individuals
The theory can be divided into two specific theory: the Social Cognitive Theory
(SCT) and the Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT).
In SCT it considers three variables: behavioral factors, environmental factors and
personal factors. In BCT says that individual tend to create self-concepts that affect
what behavior they display.
Cognitive Learning Theory is a theory that explains an individual behaves
according to how he/she see a situation, what he/she feels or the mood, also
environment affect how an individual behave and individuals behave according to the
idea and beliefs that form to his/her mind, thus, this theory explains mental thinking and
how they learn from it.
These theories apply on this study because the researchers would like to
determine the different possible factors which can affect the respondent’s perceptions
and attitudes towards mathematics. The researchers also want to know how the
respondents give response in accordance to these factors and how they act on their
beliefs, thoughts, and feelings.

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Conceptual Framework
Respondent’s profile: Perceptions and Attitudes towards Mathematics
a. Age of Grade 11 students in terms of:
b. Gender a) initial impression towards Mathematics
c. Strand b) reasons of ease and difficulty towards

Mathematics
d. Math area
preferred: c) relationship of attitude and genetic family
__________ background towards Mathematics
e. No. of family who d)factors that contribute to being good or not

are good in math: good in Mathematics
_______
e) factors to help develop interest towards
Mathematics
Figure 1. This study will investigate the Perceptions and Attitudes of Grade 11
students in terms of: a) initial impression towards Mathematics; b) reasons of ease and
difficulty towards Mathematics; c) relationship of attitude and genetic family background
towards Mathematics; d) factors that contribute to being good or not good in
Mathematics; and e) factors to help develop interest towards Mathematics.

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Statement of the problem
1. What is the profile of Grade 11 students in terms of:
a. Age
b. Gender
c. Strand
d. Math area preferred: _______________
e. No. of family who are good in math: _______
2. What are the perception of Grade 11 students in terms of:
a. initial impression towards Mathematics
b. reasons of ease and difficulty towards Mathematics
c. relationship of attitude and genetic family background towards
Mathematics
d. factors that contribute to being good or not good in Mathematics
e. factors to help develop interest towards Mathematics
Significance of the Study
The result of this study would hope to be beneficial to the following people or
group of people:
Students. Through the study’s results, the student’s learning will be able to
improve. Students will be more attentive and cooperative so they will have a good
academic performance in mathematics.

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Teachers. The result of this study can guide them on how they can give
effective education to the students in mathematics. This study helps the teachers to
understand student’s problem on where they have difficulties in the topic and providing
them necessary help and clarity about those problems.
Parents. Through this study, they would know how to encourage their children to
give importance in studying mathematics as it can help in their daily lives especially in
their future work that involves computations and measurements.
Future Researchers. The results of this study could be used as a reference by
the future researchers who would conduct any related study about the attitudes and
perceptions of students towards mathematics.
Scope and delimitation of the study
The study on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Grade 11 students towards
Mathematics was conducted at Pangasinan State University Bayambang Campus. A
total of 120 respondents for the study were determined using the Slovin’s formula, 28 of
them were taken from ABM-Jobs, 30 from HUMSS-Wordsworth, 33 from HUMSS-
Spencer, and 29 from STEM-Einstein.
The study focused on the perception of Grade 11 students towards mathematics
in terms of: a) initial impression towards Mathematics; b) reasons of ease and difficulty
towards Mathematics; c) relationship of attitude and genetic family background towards
Mathematics; d) factors that contribute to being good or not good in Mathematics; and e)
factors to help develop interest towards Mathematics.

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Definition of Terms
Mathematics. This refers to the science of numbers, quantities, and shapes. In
this study, mathematics is one of the core subjects in the K-12 curriculum where the
respondents were engaged of.
Perception. This refers to the way a person thinks about someone or something.
In this study, perception refers on how the respondents think when it comes on studying
numbers.
Attitude. Attitude refers to the behavior of a person. In this study, this includes
the way on how the respondents behave during mathematics class and how they
respond on every question that involves numbers.
Profile. In this study, this includes the age, gender, address, and the senior high
strand of the respondents.
Genetic Family Background. In this study, this refers to the number of family
members who are good or not good in mathematics and how these individuals affect the
perception and attitude of the respondents towards the subject.

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CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter presents the related literature and the studies. Different related
literature and studies were shown and illustrated to support and strengthen the present
study.
On Perceptions towards Mathematics
Mathematical perceptions considered for this study include individual constructs
that are generated by individual experiences (student characteristics), home and
societal context of the student and those emanating from classroom experiences. A
mathematics learner’s liking or disliking of mathematics derives from his/her belief
structure. People’s beliefs and attitudes towards mathematics are shaped by individual
personal characteristics and experiences related to their academic self-image. (Hannula,
2007,2006).
Ignacio, Nieto and Barona (2006) used the term mathematics self-concept to
refer to personal beliefs relating to the world of mathematics, what is to the set of ideas,
judgements, beliefs, and attributions that the person has steadily built up during his or
her process of learning in the school environment. Personal beliefs affect the person’s
interest in mathematics, efficiency in performing mathematics tasks, motivation and
pleasure with mathematics, attribution of causes to academic success or failure, and
self-concept as belonging to a certain social group.

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McLeod (1992) differentiates four axes relating to beliefs: mathematics (the
object), oneself, mathematics teaching, and the context in which mathematics education
takes place (social context). McLeod (1989b) points to two categories of beliefs that
seem mainly to influence mathematics learning: beliefs about mathematics that
generally involve no major affective component but do constitute an important part of
the context in which affect develops, and the pupils' (and the teacher's) beliefs
themselves and how they relate to mathematics. The latter have a strong affective
component, including beliefs concerning confidence, self-concept, and the attribution of
causes to academic success and failure.
Mutodi et al (2014) has conducted a study on the Influence of Students’
Perceptions on Mathematics Performance shared by students at a selected South
African secondary school. Results from regression analysis, the way how the
researchers analyze their data, revealed that the influence of factors such as strength
and weaknesses in mathematics, teacher support/learning material, family background
and support, interest in mathematics, difficulties or challenges in doing mathematics,
self-confidence and myths and beliefs about mathematics were identified as the major
causes of such perceptions that influence students’ performance. This study reveals
that students who believe that their efforts will improved their performance are likely to
enhance their achievement. Therefore, this study recommends that parents and
teachers should play a significant role in shaping students’ perceptions and attitudes
towards mathematics. It also recommends that students should not be discouraged by

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past experiences in lower grades that convince them that they cannot do well in
mathematics (Mutodi et al, 2014).
Moreover, the results from the study of Setapa et al (2016) on Students’
Perception toward mathematics revealed that the students’ attitude, lecturers’ teaching
and peers are important factors in contributing the good results in mathematics among
the Mengubah Destini Anak Bangsa (MDAB) students. Out of the three factors,
lecturers’ teaching is perceived as the most important factor which contributes the good
results in mathematics.
On Attitudes towards Mathematics
Every person believes and thinks differently but somehow it is safe to say that
attitude affects learning (Miller, n.d). Every student has different perspectives and the
different perspectives of the students can affect their success it can be negative or
positive. That is why this is where the teachers’ role enters, it is important for educators
to make sure that when students are entering their room they should have positive vibes
with them and that negative vibes must be left at home. The student who enters the
classroom with a good attitude, eager to learn and participate brings with him or her
positive energy that makes it easier to learn. Students do better when they are in a
positive environment. The student who enters the classroom with a bad attitude may
also rubs off on the other students. Other students must be strong not to let the negative
energy of others drag them down (Miller, Kim. How Attitude Affects Learning and the
Student’s Success.n.p.n.d.)
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Negative attitudes often result to repeated failures and problems when dealing
with Mathematical tasks and these negative attitudes may become relatively permanent
(Nicolaido and Philippou, 2012). According to the authors of this article, when children
first go to school they usually have positive attitudes towards Mathematics but as they
grow, their attitudes become less positive and sometimes become negative at high
school. Most of high school students does not like Mathematics because of the pressure
that they will not perform well as the tasks becomes more difficult. To lessen the
negative attitudes and anxiety of the students towards Mathematics, teachers must
create interesting activities to engage and motivate the students. (Nicolaido et al,
2012.Attitudes towards Mathematics: Effects of Individual, Motivational, and Social
Support Factors. Instituto Universitario, Purtugal).
Having positive attitude and perception is very important among student in
learning, without it students will have little chance of learning proficiency. According to
this article there are two categories of attitudes and perceptions: first are the attitudes
and perceptions about the learning climate and second the attitudes and perceptions
about classroom tasks. To keep this positive attitudes and perceptions of our students,
teachers must reinforce attitudes and perceptions in both categories. They should have
different teaching styles to engage their students and maintain the student’s positive
attitudes and perceptions.( Marzano, Robert J. Different Kind of Classroom Chapter 2.
Dimension 1: Positive Attitudes and Perceptions About Learning.n.p.n.d.)
The attitude of the students affects their learning. Some students don’t believe
that they are can do well in math, writing, drawing, or chemistry that is why the teacher
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must change this attitudes and perceptions of the students. Many beginning students
come to school with low self-concepts about their ability to learn. Teachers must
enhance self-concepts of their students so students will have powerful attitudes and
perceptions of their ability to learn.( Lewis et al, 2009.Attitude counts: Self-concept and
success in general chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 86 (2), pp. 744-749.)
Attitude towards Mathematics plays a crucial role in the teaching and learning
processes of Mathematics. The teaching method, the support of the structure of the
school, the family and the student’s attitude towards school affect the attitudes towards
Mathematics. Usually, the way that Mathematics is presented in the classroom and
perceived by students, even when teachers believe they are presenting it in authentic
and context dependent way stands to alienate many students from Mathematics (Borton,
2000; Furinghetti and Pekhonen, 2002).
The result of this study indicates that cooperative learning approach increase
attitude towards Mathematics. This is because when students work in group they feel
that they have someone to depend on for help and therefore increase student’s
confidence in solving mathematics problems. Cooperative learning may change their
attitudes towards Mathematics. Cooperative learning also improves student’s social
interaction and relationships among people. Cooperative learning actively involves
students in the learning process. (Zakaria et al,2010)
From the research done by the students of the College of engineering at
JBLFMU Iloilo, “Attitude towards Mathematics among Special Program Students”, their
findings revealed that special program students were found to have positive attitude
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towards mathematics. The special program students give more emphasis on
importance of the subject that leads them to have positive attitude towards mathematics.
Students having positive attitude towards mathematics helped them a lot in learning the
subject (JBLFMU Marine Engineering Students, 2010).
Mathematics is a very challenging and very interesting subject that hated most of
the students. Several studies reported that many students have low performance when
it comes to this subject. The study aimed to determine the influence of attitude and self-
efficacy towards academic performance in Mathematics. The findings revealed that the
level of academic performance of the students was satisfactory. In terms of the level of
attitude towards Mathematics subject, it is either positive or negative. (Tudy,
Randy,2014).
Synthesis of related studies and the present study
The above-cited articles and studies on perceptions of students towards
mathematics have made the present study more relevant to the present times. These
articles and studies helped the researchers to have broader understanding about the
present study. They also have given enough ideas and concepts regarding on the
researchers’ study. In addition, the present study aims to confirm these results and to
gather more information and data for the researchers to achieve their goal.
Likewise, the above-cited studies and related articles about the attitudes of
students towards mathematics also confirm the need for wider studies about how the
students’ behavior during mathematics class affects their perceptions towards

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mathematics. Similar to the above-cited articles and studies, this research aims to know
the perceptions and attitudes of students towards mathematics. However, the present
study is quite unique from the cited studies, in that the present study aims to find out if
there is a relationship between the student’s profile and their perceptions and attitudes
towards mathematics.
Lastly, the above-cited articles and studies will only give support to the present
study for the researchers to come out with the accurate results.
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CHAPTER 3
Research Methodology
This chapter presents the research design, the subjects of the study, the
instruments used as data gathering tool, and the procedure on how the data was
collected.
Research Design
This study on the Perception and Attitude of Grade 11 Students Towards
Mathematics used a descriptive exploratory research design. Descriptive exploratory
research was used because it is a valuable means of finding out “what is happening; to
seek new insights; to ask questions and to assess phenomena in a new light” (Robson,
2002:59 as cited in Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill,2007. p133). This approach is useful in
obtaining a background information on a particular topic and can help address research
questions what, why, and how.
Subjects of the Study
The subjects of the study are the Grade 11 students from HUMSS-Spencer,
HUMSS-Wordsworth, STEM-Einstein, and ABM-Jobs of Pangasinan State University
Bayambang Campus.
To determine the number of respondents from the total population, the Slovin's
formula was used allowing a five percent (5%) margin of error. A number of 120
respondents were determined to satisfy the required number of respondents.

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The research instruments
The instrument used to gather data is in the form of three-part questionnaire. The
first part establishes the profile of the respondents in terms of age, gender, strand, math
area preferred and the number of family who are good in math. The second
measures the perception of the students towards mathematics. The question on this
part was created by the researcher themselves. The questionnaire consists six (6) items
that ask about the respondent’s perceptions about math.
The questions were translated to Filipino language in order to make it easier for
the target respondents to understand and enable them to answer each item correctly.
The questionnaire including its translation was validated by an expert.
Data gathering procedure
After the finalization of the questionnaires, the researchers conducted an
interview. Each respondent was given a consent letter before the interview to inform
them that they are free to withdraw their participation anytime. The HUMSS students
were the first respondents to answer the questionnaires and it took a week to finish the
said interview. Next were the STEM students which also took one week for the
researchers to finish the interview. Lastly, the ABM students on which the researchers
also consumed one week to finish. During interviews, the researchers make sure that
no classes are disturbed.

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Chapter 4
PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND DATA ANALYSIS
This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of data
gathered in relation to the specific problems of the study.
On the profile of the respondents
Table 1
Profile of the Grade 11 students of Pangasinan State University Integrated School
Gender ABM HUMSS STEM Total

f % f % f % f %
Male 12 43% 17 27% 8 28% 37 30.8%
Female 16 57% 46 73% 21 72% 83 69.2%
ABM HUMSS STEM Total
Age
f % f % f % f %
15 - 16 years old 7 25% 25 40% 13 45% 45 37.5%
17 - 18 years old 21 75% 38 60% 16 55% 75 62.5%
n = 120
The profile of the respondents is presented in Table 1. There are 120
respondents to this study coming from three senior high school strands: ABM strand
composed of 12 males and 16 females; HUMSS strand composed 17 males and 46
females; and STEM strand composed of 8 males and 21 females. It can be observed
from the table that 45 or 37.5% of the total respondents belong to the age bracket of 15-
16, and 75 respondents belong to the age bracket of 17-18.

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Table 2
Preferred Math Subject of the Grade 11 students of Pangasinan State University
Bayambang Campus
Math Subject ABM HUMSS STEM TOTAL

Preferred f % f % f % f %
Algebra 9 13% 17 27% 9 31% 35 31%
Trigonometry 4 14% 5 8% 5 17% 14 12%
Statistics 6 21% 21 33% 7 24% 34 28%
Geometry 2 7% 9 14% 2 7% 13 11%
Calculus 2 7% 5 8% 4 14% 11 9%
All areas 5 19% 6 10% 2 7% 13 11%
n=120
Table 2 presents the math subject preferred by the respondents. The table
shows that the most preferred subject by the respondents was Algebra with a total
frequency of 35. It is composed of 9 respondents from ABM, 17 respondents from
HUMSS, and 9 respondents from STEM. The second preferred subject was Statistics
with the total frequency of 34. It is composed of 6 respondents from ABM, 21 from
HUMSS, and 7 from STEM. The third preferred subject by the respondents was
trigonometry with a total frequency of 14. It is compost of 4 respondents from ABM, 5
from HUMSS, and 5 also from STEM. It can also be observed from the table that
Geometry and Calculus had the least frequency which means that it is the least
preferred subject in mathematics by the students.
Table 3 shows the data whether the respondents like/dislike math. Out of 120
respondents, 75 of them said that they like math and the remaining 45 respondents said
that they dislike the subject.

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Table 3
Perception of Grade 11 students in terms of whether they like/dislike Mathematics
Whether they like/dislike ABM HUMSS STEM Total

Math F % f % f % f %
YES : Reasons why 6 21% 54 86% 15 52% 75 63%
a) Useful in daily life 2 33% 27 50% 3 20% 32 27%
b) Favorite subject 2 33% 6 11% 3 20% 10 8%
c) Challenging 0 0% 9 17% 2 13% 11 9%
d) Interesting 0 0% 4 7% 1 7% 5 4%
e) It develops skill in
2 33% 5 9% 3 20 12 10%
solving
f) It gives self-satisfaction 0 0% 1 2% 2 13 3 3%
g) I’m good at math 0 0% 2 4% 1 7 3 3%
NO : Reasons why 22 79% 9 14% 14 48 45 38%
a) It is hard 17 77% 5 56% 7 50 29 24%
b) I hate numbers 5 23% 3 33% 5 36 13 11%
c) Not much important in
0 0% 11% 2 14 13 3%
daily life
n=120
From those who answered they like math, these were the top 3 reasons: a)
useful in daily life; b) It develops skill in solving; c) challenging. 32 out of 75 respondents
reasoned out that mathematics is useful in daily lives, 12 of them said that it develops
their skills in solving, and 11 of them said that mathematics is challenging. From those
who answered they dislike math, these were the top 3 reasons: a) It is hard; b) I hate
numbers; c) Not that much important in daily life. 29 of them said that mathematics is
hard, 13 said they hate numbers, and 13 also said that it is not much important in daily
life. These results suggest that majority of the students have positive impression
towards mathematics knowing that it is useful in daily lives and it develops their skills in
solving. It also suggests that the students are more likely to appreciate and enjoy
challenges since those who like mathematics reasoned out that they like the subject
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because it is challenging. On the other hand, the students do not like mathematics
because it is hard and it is not applicable in daily lives which contradict the reasons of
those who had positive impression towards the subject.
Table 4
Perception of Grade 11 Students in terms of reasons of ease and difficulty toward
Mathematics
ABM HUMSS STEM TOTAL
A. Reasons of ease f % f % f % f %
The students have special
0 0% 11 17% 2 7% 13 11%
interest in Mathematics
The formulas are already
presented for easy substitution 0 0% 12 19% 5 17% 17 14%
of numbers
Their teacher in math
6 21% 14 22% 0 0% 20 17%
teaches well
They find problem solving easy 0 0% 17 27% 8 28% 25 21%
B. Reasons of difficulty f % f % f % f %
Difficult to derive formula 0 0% 2 3% 2 7% 4 3%
Math analysis is not easy 2 7% 2 3% 5 17% 9 7%
The problems are
20 72% 5 8% 7 24% 32 27%
complicated
n=120
The table 4 shows the perceptions of Grade 11 students towards mathematics in
terms of their reason on ease and difficulty towards the subject. As can be seen in the
table, 21% of students said that mathematics is easy because they find problem solving
easy, 17% of students reasoned that it is easy because their teacher teaches well, and
14% of the respondents said that mathematics is easy when the formulas are already
presented for easy substitution of numbers. The table also shows that 27% of the
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respondents said that mathematics is difficult because the problems are complicated, 7%
said that math analysis is not easy, and 3% said it is difficult to derive formula. These
results suggest that the students only consider mathematics as an easy subject if
everything is presented and when the students will only need to substitute values to get
the answer. But when the problems require analysis, deep comprehension, and much
effort in solving, then the students are more likely to consider math as a difficult subject
causing them to lose interest in the subject.
On the Perception of Grade11 students towards mathematics in terms of the
relationship of attitude and genetic family background
There are 120 respondents to this study. Based from the data we have gathered,
a frequency of 24 or 20% of the total respondents believe that the skills, abilities, and
attitude of an individual towards mathematics is heritable, which means that genetic
background affects the individual’s attitude towards the subject. Moreover, a frequency
of 96 or 80% of the total respondents believe that it is not heritable and that the skills,
abilities, and attitude of an individual towards mathematics only depend to oneself as
how the individual behaves according to his thoughts and feelings. These results
suggest that the genetic family background has nothing to do with one’s attitude
towards mathematics.
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Table 5
Perceptions of Grade 11 students in terms of the factors that contribute to being good or
not good in Mathematics
ABM HUMSSS STEM TOTAL

Factors
f % f % f % f %
Daily Practice
of solving 1 4% 8 13% 0 0% 9 8%
problems
Teacher's
way of 6 21% 29 46% 14 48% 49 41%
teaching
Environment 4 14% 9 14% 2 7% 15 13%
Laziness 13 46% 6 10% 9 31% 28 23%
Fast Learner 3 11% 3 4% 2 7% 8 6%
Effective
1 4% 8 13% 2 7% 11 9%
Visual Aids
Table 5 presents the factors that contributes to being good or not good in
mathematics. Based on the table, the three topmost factors were the teachers’ way of
teaching, laziness, and the environment.6 respondents from ABM, 29 from HUMSS
and14 from STEM answered teacher’s way of teaching as the factor that help them
good or not good in math. 13 respondents from ABM, 6 from HUMSS, and 9 from STEM
answered laziness as one factor and 4 respondents from ABM, 9 from HUMSS, and 2
from STEM answered environment as a factor that help them good or not good in the
subject. Other factors that affect the respondent’s perception and attitude towards
mathematics were effective visual aids, daily practice in solving math problems, and fast
learning skill. These results suggest that proficiency in mathematics will not be achieved
by oneself without the help of external factors such as teachers and environment which
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means that external factors are of great influence for the students to be good or not
good in the subject.
Table 6
Perceptions of Grade 11 students in terms of the factors that develops the interest of
the respondent.
ABM HUMSS STEM TOTAL

f % f % f % f %
Enjoy the
2 7% 4 6% 1 4% 7 6%
subject
Study
9 3% 27 43% 11 38% 47 39%
well
Listen
3 11% 9 14% 4 14% 16 13%
very well
Lots of
4 14% 17 27% 2 7% 23 19%
patience
Advance
4 14% 1 2% 3 10% 8 7%
reading
Take
down 2 7% 1 2% 2 7% 5 4%
notes
Be
4 14% 4 6% 6 20% 14 12%
motivated
Table 6 shows the factors that develop the interest of the grade 11 students in
mathematics. It can be observed from the table that 39% of the respondents answered
they must study well to develop their interest in math, 19% answered that one must
have a lot of patience, and 13% said that listening to the discussion can help to develop
their interest towards the subject. Other factors that can help develop the interest in
math is when the students are enjoying the subject, having an advance reading, taking
down notes, and when they are motivated. These results suggest that the students must
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not only rely on external factors to develop their own interest in math. But the students
should also learn to do something to improve themselves and to help them gain their
interest towards the subject.

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Chapter 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary of the study, the findings, the conclusions
drawn on the basis of the findings and some recommendations to improve the
knowledge of the students about mathematics.
Summary
The study determined the perceptions and attitudes of Grade 11 students
towards mathematics. The study specifically provided answers to the following
questions:
1. What is the profile of Grade 11 students in terms of:
a. Age
b. Gender
c. Strand
d. Math area preferred: _______________
e. No. of family who are good in math: _______
2. What are the perception of Grade 11 students in terms of:
a. initial impression towards Mathematics
b. reasons of ease and difficulty towards Mathematics
c. relationship of attitude and genetic family background towards
Mathematics
d. factors that contribute to being good or not good in Mathematics

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e. factors to help develop interest towards Mathematics
The study utilized the descriptive exploratory research design and questionnaires
were used as a data-gathering tool. Data was gathered by administering the
questionnaires to 120 respondents from Grade 11 students of Pangasinan State
University Bayambang Campus.
Findings
1. On the profile of respondents in terms of gender, 37 were males and 83 were females.
45 out of 120 total respondents belong to the age bracket of 15-16, and 75 respondents
belong to the age bracket of 17-18.
2. On the profile of the respondents in terms of their math area preferred, majority of the
respondents answered Algebra as the subject of mathematics they prefer the most with
the total frequency of 35. It is composed of 9 respondents from ABM, 17 respondents
from HUMSS, and 9 respondents from STEM. The second preferred subject was
Statistics with the total frequency of 34. It is composed of 6 respondents from ABM, 21
from HUMSS, and 7 from STEM. The third preferred subject by the respondents was
trigonometry with a total frequency of 14. It is compost of 4 respondents from ABM, 5
from HUMSS, and 5 also from STEM. The least preferred subjects were Geometry and
calculus.
3. On the perception of grade 11 students toward mathematics in terms of whether they
like the subject or not, 75 of the respondents said that they like math and 45
respondents said that they dislike the subject. From those who answered they like math,
these were the top 3 reasons: a) useful in daily life; b) It develops skill in solving; c)
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challenging. 32 out of 75 respondents reasoned out that mathematics is useful in daily
lives, 12 of them said that it develops their skills in solving, and 11 of them said that
mathematics is challenging. From those who answered they dislike math, these were
the top 3 reasons: a) It is hard; b) I hate numbers; c) Not that much important in daily life.
29 of them said that mathematics is hard, 13 said they hate numbers, and 13 also said
that it is not much important in daily life.
4. On the perception of grade 11 students in terms of reasons of ease and difficulty
towards mathematics, 21% of students said that mathematics is easy because they find
problem solving easy, 17% of students reasoned that it is easy because their teacher
teaches well, and 14% of the respondents said that mathematics is easy when the
formulas are already presented for easy substitution of numbers. The table also shows
that 27% of the respondents said that mathematics is difficult because the problems are
complicated, 7% said that math analysis is not easy, and 3% said it is difficult to derive
formula.
5. On the relationship of attitude and genetic family background towards mathematics, a
frequency of 24 or 20% of the total respondents believe that the skills, abilities, and
attitude of an individual towards mathematics is heritable, which means that genetic
background affects the individual’s attitude towards the subject. Moreover, a frequency
of 96 or 80% of the total respondents believe that it is not heritable and that the skills,
abilities, and attitude of an individual towards mathematics only depend to oneself as
how the individual behaves according to his thoughts and feelings.

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Towards Mathematics
6. On the perception of grade 11 students toward mathematics in terms of the factors
that contribute to being good or not good in the subject, the three topmost factors were
the teachers’ way of teaching, laziness, and the environment.6 respondents from ABM,
29 from HUMSS and14 from STEM answered teacher’s way of teaching as the factor
that help them good or not good in math. 13 respondents from ABM, 6 from HUMSS,
and 9 from STEM answered laziness as one factor and 4 respondents from ABM, 9
from HUMSS, and 2 from STEM answered environment as a factor that help them good
or not good in the subject. Other factors that affect the respondent’s perception and
attitude towards mathematics were effective visual aids, daily practice in solving math
problems, and fast learning skill.
7. On the perception of grade 11 students towards mathematics in terms of the fact that
can help develop their interest in the subject, 39% of the respondents answered they
must study well to develop their interest in math, 19% answered that one must have a
lot of patience, and 13% said that listening to the discussion can help to develop their
interest towards the subject. Other factors that can help develop the interest in math is
when the students are enjoying the subject, having an advance reading, taking down
notes, and when they are motivated.
Conclusions
In view of the findings obtained, the following conclusions are drawn:
1. The Grade 11 Respondents were dominated by females. In terms of age, there are
more respondents having the age bracket of 17-18 years old.

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Towards Mathematics
2. The top 3 most preferred mathematics subjects by the respondents were Algebra,
Statistics, and Trigonometry while Geometry and Calculus were least preferred.
3. Most of the respondents have positive impressions towards mathematics and
reasoned out that the said subject is useful in daily, it also develops skills in solving, and
it is challenging. The rest of the respondents answered out they have negative
impressions towards the subject because it is hard, they hate numbers and it is not
important in daily life which contradicted the reason of those who has positive
impressions towards the said subject.
4. Based on the answers given by the respondents, it can therefore be concluded that
Mathematics is easy when the problems are simple, the teachers are effective, and all
the formulas are already presented. But when the problems require analysis, deep
comprehension, and much effort in solving, then the students are more likely to consider
math as a difficult subject causing them to lose interest in the subject.
5. Respondents who have positive impressions towards mathematics have more family
members who are good in math than of those who have negative impressions.
6. The most common factor that can contribute to being good or not good in
mathematics is the teacher’s way of teaching. Other factors that affect the respondent’s
perception and attitude towards mathematics were effective visual aids, daily practice in
solving math problems, and fast learning skill.
7. Most of the respondents suggested that in order to develop the interest of one
student towards mathematics, he or she should study well, put lot of patience during
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Towards Mathematics
math class, and listen to discussions. Other factors that can help develop the interest in
math is when the students are enjoying the subject, having an advance reading, taking
down notes, and when they are motivated.
Recommendation
Based on the results and conclusions drawn from the study, the following
recommendations are hereby proposed:
1. Teachers should improve their way of teaching in order for the students to
understand every topic easily.
2. There should be visual aids or representation to every class discussion.
3. The students should allot more time and have more patience in order to learn
mathematics.
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Towards Mathematics
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Perceptions and Attitude of Grade 11 Students About Mathematics

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Perceptions and Attitude of Grade 11 Students

Background of the Study

ever implemented here in the Philippines.

According to Akshay (2018), Mathematics has a number of very useful benefits

provide them in the future.

contributing to the good results in Mathematics among the MDAB students.

Moreover, Mata et al (2012), in their study about Attitudes towards Mathematics,

attitudes towards mathematics in general. The participants of this study consisted of

progressed in school. A hierarchical analysis using structural equation modeling showed

that motivation-related variables are the main predictors of attitudes towards

significant in understanding these attitudes. ".. we believe that developing strategies in

educational contexts, to improve teacher support and student engagement could be of

among students throughout their schooling" Mata et al (2012).

Philippines, it is imperative to consider the perceptions of Grade 11 students of

Pangasinan State University Bayambang Campus towards mathematics to be able to

give more information about the topic being studied.

This study on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Grade 11 Students towards

Mathematics is based on the Theory of Cognitive Learning by Jerome Bruner. This

external and internal factors in order to produce learning individuals

(SCT) and the Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT).

In SCT it considers three variables: behavioral factors, environmental factors and

what behavior they display.

Cognitive Learning Theory is a theory that explains an individual behaves

how they learn from it.

beliefs, thoughts, and feelings.

Respondent’s profile: Perceptions and Attitudes towards Mathematics

a. Age of Grade 11 students in terms of:

b. Gender a) initial impression towards Mathematics

c. Strand b) reasons of ease and difficulty towards

e. No. of family who d)factors that contribute to being good or not

difficulty towards Mathematics; c) relationship of attitude and genetic family background

towards Mathematics; d) factors that contribute to being good or not good in

Mathematics; and e) factors to help develop interest towards Mathematics.

Statement of the problem

1. What is the profile of Grade 11 students in terms of:

d. Math area preferred: _______________

e. No. of family who are good in math: _______

2. What are the perception of Grade 11 students in terms of:

a. initial impression towards Mathematics

b. reasons of ease and difficulty towards Mathematics

c. relationship of attitude and genetic family background towards

d. factors that contribute to being good or not good in Mathematics

e. factors to help develop interest towards Mathematics

Significance of the Study

academic performance in mathematics.

them necessary help and clarity about those problems.

their future work that involves computations and measurements.

Future Researchers. The results of this study could be used as a reference by

perceptions of students towards mathematics.

Scope and delimitation of the study

The study on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Grade 11 students towards

Mathematics was conducted at Pangasinan State University Bayambang Campus. A

them were taken from ABM-Jobs, 30 from HUMSS-Wordsworth, 33 from HUMSS-

Spencer, and 29 from STEM-Einstein.

The study focused on the perception of Grade 11 students towards mathematics

towards Mathematics; c) relationship of attitude and genetic family background towards

factors to help develop interest towards Mathematics.

Mathematics. This refers to the science of numbers, quantities, and shapes. In

respondents were engaged of.

respond on every question that involves numbers.

strand of the respondents.

perception and attitude of the respondents towards the subject.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

On Perceptions towards Mathematics