EXPLORATION ON THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF STEM 11 STUDENTS

IN UTILIZING MATH-SOLVING APPLICATIONS AND ITS

IMPACT ON THEIR LEARNING PERFORMANCE IN

LAGUNA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

A Research Paper

Presented To

Laguna Senior High School

Santa Cruz, Laguna

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for Practical Research I

(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

Strand

RHEA CARLIZETTE ABILLONAR

YZABELLA MARIEZ MANAMAN
GIAN NATHAN DEL ROSARIO
JAZZY ANNE AQUINO
JEROME LEE GUERA
JAZMINE PRINCIPE
DANRAIN UMELDA

March 2023
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter looks at the relevant literature and studies that the

researchers explored in enhancing the importance of the current study. It also

includes a synthesis to fully comprehend the research for a better

understanding of the study.

RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Technology has become a vital element of our lives, particularly in education.

Using technology in education allows learners to develop their skills at their

own pace. Furthermore, the use of technology in mathematics assists

students to learn mathematics and enhances their learning. The utilization of

math apps had an impact on students' learning performance.

According to (Abidin, Mathrani & Hunter, 2017), technology can be used in

education throughout all levels of higher learning, and it is an essential

educational tool, particularly in mathematics education. Its use enables the

shifting of mathematics teaching. Technology enables teachers to correlate

mathematical concepts to real-world situations, which allowed students to

examine concepts in mathematics (Sawaya & Putnam, 2015). Furthermore,

the use of technology in mathematics education enhances the engagement of

learners in the process of learning mathematics. (Getenet, 2020).

Additionally, technology has the power to positively impact not just

mathematics learning success but also the desire of students to study

mathematics as well as attitudes concerning mathematics (Higgins, Huscroft-

D'Angelo, and Crawford, 2019). This proves that technology has a significant

impact on students in learning mathematics. It drives students to have more

motivation in studying mathematics which can lead to higher achievement.

According to Wong (2014), students and teachers can use mobile devices like

smartphones, tablet computers, and laptops in classrooms for teaching and

learning due to the advancement of technology and high levels of Internet

connectivity provided by wireless networks at schools. In addition, Bray and

Tangney (2016) suggested that the incorporation of mobile devices into

teaching and learning mathematics may result in a more purposeful, useful,

and interesting learning experience. Furthermore, Hegedus et al. (2015)

emphasize that the use of technology in a high school mathematics course

boosted student engagement, teacher-student interaction, and test scores.

Moreover, in their literature review study, Crompton and Burke (2017) noted a

growing interest in mobile technology's potential to improve arithmetic

learning results.

Combining technology into mathematics is significant in two ways: first, many

students find it hard to learn, and technological tools could assist them to do

so; second, utilizing digital tools that employ effective teaching possesses the

ability to assist learners to develop skills that include problem-solving and

critical thinking (Viberg, Grönlund, & Andersson, 2020). Students struggle to

learn mathematics due to a lack of knowledge, and not all students are fast

learners; some individuals are slow learners who have trouble in

comprehending concepts, particularly in mathematics. Thus, adding

technology into mathematics is crucial for students who have difficulty with

math. Technological tools have the potential to assist students to learn

mathematics by helping them to enhance their problem-solving and critical-

thinking skills.

Students’ academic performance is an essential concern for every

educational stakeholder around the world. According to Capuno et al. (2018),

students learning performance in mathematics is closely monitored across

nations because it is regarded as the primary topic that is critical for the

country's growth and advancement. There is a greater emphasis on the

lessons that should be lectured in mathematics than on any other academic

field in schools at different levels all over the world because the abilities and

knowledge that students have in mathematics play an important role in their

daily lives and in overcoming the challenges that they may face (Orton &

Frobisher, 2014).

Furthermore, mobile and online learning apps have become essential to

students who struggle with learning. Educational learning apps are designed

to assist students in enhancing their learning. Additionally, because of the

COVID-19 pandemic, many students find it more difficult to learn mathematics

due to online and modular learning, wherein students cannot consult face-to-

face with their own teachers to teach them due to the virus. Also, technology
has expanded drastically in the educational sector. Through technology on its

side, everyone in this sector is exploring alternative methods to do things.

Technology has been used before, but the use of learning applications has

been limited. Mobile and online apps became more popular because of the

global pandemic. Learners use them, and math apps, which are listed in the

category of mobile and learning applications, enable them to gain more

knowledge and understand difficult-to-learn concepts in mathematics.

According to Drigas and Pappas (2015), mobile and online apps for learning

have surged in popularity over the years and are now used by millions of

learners and teachers across the world. Math applications are listed in the

category of mobile and learning applications. Math applications could improve

children's learning and convey an effective child-centered scaffolding

approach.

Users of mobile math applications can explore functions, perceive data

graphically, and make use of a variety of particular calculators. There are

apps made for instructional and measurement purposes. The regular use of

mobile technologies in math classes would benefit students by helping them

develop their skills and by encouraging the development of mobile learning

applications. Mathematical problem-solving assistance, better mathematical

concept understanding, dynamic idea representations, and general

metacognitive skills can all be encouraged by using online and mobile

learning resources. (Drigas and Pappas, 2015)

With a mobile application, students can study anything from fundamental

principles to complex concepts, according to Mouza and Barrett-Greenly

(2015). This is because the application is easy to use, letting students access

and study content at any time and from any location. According to Sung et al.

(2016), educators must develop a tool that assists students in performing well

in class, such as mobile apps used to teach mathematical operations.

Utilizing math apps had an impact on students’ learning performance,

especially in the STEM strand, wherein mathematics is one of the crucial

subjects to learn. Math applications became popular with students because of

its useful pedagogical design that enhances fundamental learning

approaches. According to Al- Takhyneh (2018), who argues that utilizing math

apps enhances students’ academic performance by assisting them in

comprehending graphs and discovering new foreign mathematical concepts.

Therefore, Math Apps are extremely efficient towards enhancing students’

performance in Probability and Statistics subjects. It additionally proved that it

assisted them in computing mathematics problems more quickly and easily,

as well as precisely comprehending the concepts. (Kaput, Hegedus, & Lesh,

2020)

Students learning achievement improved substantially after utilizing Math

Apps for learning, and comprehending applications, along with analysis-

based tasks (Kay, 2020). Various types of math apps and online tools can

assist learners in acquiring adequate fundamental knowledge of arithmetic

operations that will serve as an initial basis for more complex problems in

mathematics. (Minero, 2020)

According to Calder & Campbell (2016), Math solving applications increased

students’ involvement with the numeracy exercises and changed their

attitudes and perspectives toward mathematics from negative dispositions to

positive and enthusiastic ones. The use of applications changed the learning

process in ways that were different from their earlier experiences by fostering

capabilities, creativity and boosting the confidence of the students in solving

math problems. There were greater than expected improvements in

mathematical understanding, although these depended on the methods of

instruction and the applications used.

Furthermore, Mathematics is important in applying in real-world contexts,

which can help students appreciate the relevance and usefulness of the

subject (Bray and Dangney, 2017). It has become essential to teach

mathematics using both technology and conventional techniques in light of

recent advancements in both the globe and technology. Additionally,

mandatory circumstances like pandemics might call for the usage of

technology in schooling. The use of digital tools (math applications) and

technology-assisted mathematics education to enhance learning experiences

are major study fields (Bray & Tangney, 2017).

Geogebra, Desmos, Mathway, and Wolfram Alpha are just a few examples of

digital tools that can be used in mathematics education that Bray and

Tangney (2017) listed. These digital tools can enhance the teaching and
learning of mathematics by making abstract concepts more accessible,

offering opportunities for exploration and experimentation, and raising student

engagement and motivation.

The 2017 article by Bray and Tangney examines how digital tools are used in

math instruction. The authors contend that interactive and interesting digital

resources can improve mathematics students’ learning experiences by

fostering the growth of their knowledge and skills in the subject. It emphasizes

the significance of teacher support and training for the successful

implementation of digital tools in mathematics instruction. The authors

contend that in order to properly employ digital resources to promote

students’ learning, teachers must be aware of them.

However, Burnett et al. (2016) argues that an increasing number of college

students are engaging in academic dishonesty due to greater online access.

Practicing is the best method for learning mathematics, but the advent of

digital material has allowed students to refrain from this needed practice.

Teachers can help teaching and learning go more smoothly if they know what

the pros and cons of using mobile apps are. Students are encouraged to use

the app(s) on their mobile devices to get better at math and solve problems.

Santos, Llenada’ (2022)

Moreover, there was a significant association between math app use and

academic performance, as noted by the Spring Integrated School Sixth Form

students. This result is consistent with a study by Zhang et.al (2015), who

after using her 1-hour long multiplication math app, the student achieved
significant improvement in assessment from pre-test to post-test. Mean

scores increased from pre-test to post-test and are improving. This indicates

a general trend in the perception of high school students using math apps.

This means that students have a positive perception of using math apps when

learning math.

Assam et al. (2013) found that her at-risk fourth-grade test scores using math

apps improved significantly. Boogart et al. (2014) observed that most K-4

primary school teachers believed that the application of mathematics had a

positive impact on student learning. Garwood (2013) found that grades 3

through 6 of her students improved when they used tablets to learn

mathematics. Harris (2015) added that single-digit multiplication accuracy and

speed improved for elementary school students who needed additional

assistance. The use of applied mathematics led to significant short-term

improvements in learning performance in knowledge retention,

comprehension, and application. Students appreciated the app’s emphasis on

important details, efficiency, clarity, and guide questions.

SYNTHESIS:
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