Students' Self Leadership and Directed Learning Skills On Motivation and Engagement in Mathematics Amidst Pandemic

International Journal of Academic and Pedagogical Research (IJAPR)
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Volume 7, Issue 8 August 2023
STUDENTS’ SELF LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTED LEARNING

SKILLS ON MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT
IN MATHEMATICS AMIDST PANDEMIC
1Rester Rey E. Valderama
1Teacher I, Alexis G. Santos National High School
resterrey.villarama002@deped.gov.ph
ABTRACT
This study determined the influence of self-leadership learning skills and self-directed learning skills
on motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst pandemic of 287 students from 4 public junior
high schools in Bustos, Bulacan during the second quarter of School Year 2021-2022. The explanatory
sequential mixed methods research design in determining the influence of self-leadership learning
skills and self-directed learning skills on motivation and engagement in Mathematics was used.
Highly significant relationship was found between the Junior High School students’ self-leadership
learning skills and their Mathematics motivation terms of intrinsic value, self-regulation, self-efficacy,
and utility value amidst pandemic. Highly significant relationship was found between the students’
self-directed learning skills in terms of assignment management, time management, stress
management, and procrastination management and their Mathematics motivation in terms of
intrinsic value, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and utility value. Highly significant relationship between
students' self-leadership learning skills and their Mathematics engagement during the pandemic.
Highly significant relationship between Junior High School students' self-directed learning skills in
terms of assignment management, time management, stress management, and procrastination
management and their Mathematics engagement amidst pandemic.

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Keywords: self -leadership learning skills, self-directed learning skills,

Mathematics motivation
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Mathematics is said to be one of the most difficult subjects that every student goes
through especially in junior high school. In this time of pandemic, every student face more
intense challenges. Where they require higher ability to comply and learn such subject.
Because of the pandemic, they are studying on their own, using their modules and their
parents ’guidance in their home. Here begins the real problem they face. Not all parents are
proficient in Mathematics, so their knowledge is lacking or insufficient. That is why
students were also lazy and lose interest in answering Mathematics activities. It is only
right to cultivate self-leadership learning skills and self-directed learning skills of students
so that it can help to regain their interest and motivate them to study mathematics.
On March 16, 2020, schools in the Philippines suddenly closed due to the COVID-
19 pandemic, and junior high school students were asked to study from home with no direct
interactions with teachers or classmates. However, school plays an important role in the
development of social, intellectual, and mental competencies and can counteract the
negative effects of adverse life events especially in learning Mathematics. In the online
environment it becomes the student’s responsibility to interact with the course. Without
motivation and engagement, real time feedback and social interaction, students may lose
their concentration, may procrastinate with tasks, may underestimate the time it takes to
complete a task, and students who are poorly organized or have competing agendas may
fail to perform the task.

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Motivation is a catalyst of human behavior. It is one of the most studied constructs
in educational psychology because of its importance in understanding learning process. In
general, motivation is the power to drive one’s behavior and feeling of what to do. It is the
presence behavior due to academic functioning and success. Motivation is not a
unidimensional concept; instead, it is a complex, multidimensional construct that
encompasses different components, such as beliefs, goals, values, desires, needs, and
emotions (Verreland et al., 2018).
According to Mamolo (2022b) students in the online method of instruction had a
significant decline in motivation and self-efficacy while maintaining "High Anxiety,"
which could be ascribed to the changes in instruction brought about by the COVID-19
issue. The online learning option may appear advanced. However, pupils' motivation and
self-efficacy in mathematics decreased. This could be because, because everything takes
place in a virtual setting, students may find it difficult to ask their teachers or classmates
for help if they are having trouble with a topic.
Student’s learning engagement in mathematics can be predicted through their
attitude towards mathematics and their teachers’ teaching competencies. This means that
how they develop an interest in mathematics and how they behave in class show their
commitment to the subject. Similarly, the teaching abilities of mathematics teachers in
charge of mathematics classrooms encourage students to participate actively in their
mathematics lessons, boosting their academic success (Marpa, 2016).

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According to Lazowski and Hulleman (2016) young children are naturally curious
about the world. When this curiosity is encouraged and students have the opportunity to
explore mathematics in the context of their world, they are interested and want to learn.
Too often, children enter school, and the gift of curiosity gets lost. In the student’s mind,
the goal becomes getting the correct answer or doing what the teacher says to do. From
preschool through high school, we must think about how we structure our lessons and
present tasks in ways that encourage students to maintain their inherent curiosity.
Motivated students are persistent. They stick with a task, trying various approaches
and strategies, asking themselves and other questions until they reach a solution that they
find acceptable (intrinsic satisfaction), whether it is correct or incorrect. When necessary,
they return to the task willing to rethink their solution process until they reach an accurate
solution. To encourage persistence in our students, our lessons should present optimal
challenge. Tasks should challenge students without overwhelming them. We must provide
adequate time for students to work on the task. Good tasks are likely to take more time.
Classwork and homework assignments must be carefully selected, ensuring that they allow
students to reason about and make sense of the mathematics that they are learning. When
possible, we should provide students with choices so that they can select an assignment
that is particularly interesting to them (Hartnett, 2016).
According to Duffy et al, (2018), stay-at-home orders can be expected to strongly
affect feelings of social integration, since such orders lead to a strong reduction in social
interactions with fellow students and faculty members. This leads them to hypothesize that
students with higher levels of social integration will report a decrease in their academic
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motivation after stay-at-home orders. This may be especially the case for students who
score high on the character trait extraversion, who tend to look forward to social
interaction.
Moreover, working at home may also place new demands on the skills of students.
Students with better self-leadership skills and self-directed learning skills generally
outperform their peers who possess less self-directed learning skills (Duckworth, 2019).
Such skills may be even more crucial in distance education and thus in the stay-at-home
situation. In particular, academic procrastination, which impairs academic performance in
normal school settings (Kim & Seo, 2015), may be more strongly related to performance
during closure of schools, in which normal routines of lectures and seminars stop being a
trigger for study activities, thus leading to more opportunities for procrastination.
Furthermore, conscientiousness, which is a personality trait often found to predict
academic performance may be more crucial in situations that require working alone rather
than studying on campus (Furnham et al., 2018).
Meanwhile, student engagement, including cognitive, emotional and behavioral
engagement is fundamental to effective learning, student achievement and well-being.
Cognitive engagement includes “flexibility in problem solving, preference for hard work,
and positive coping in the face of failure”. Emotional engagement refers to students’
affective reactions that include interest, boredom, happiness, sadness and anxiety.
Behavioral engagement includes involvement in learning tasks and behavior’s such as
effort, persistence, attention and contributing to class discussion. Collectively, these
dimensions of engagement have been defined as “an emotional involvement or

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commitment to some object”. Disengaged students are at risk of lower academic
achievement and poorer social outcomes (Hancock & Zubrick, 2015).
Research suggests that engagement is malleable. For example, Bishop and
Kalogeropoulos (2015) found that mathematics students labelled by their teachers as
engaged or disengaged showed a mixture of engaged and disengaged practices across time.
Engagement behaviors may be promoted or facilitated by features of the classroom
environment. These may include “social relationship, contexts, and tasks [and] pedagogical
caring, support from parents and peers, goal structures, autonomy support, school climate,
disciplinary and management strategies, and the nature of the academic work”. However,
the extent to which these exist is likely to differ in a remote learning environment.
Skinner (2016) outlined some of the major differences with the online learning
environment as compared to the classroom face-to-face environment. He explained that
seeing one’s instructor and peers face to face, students can observe many socially mediated
cues that regulate the pace of learning, expectations, and the “culture” of the class. This
includes the instructor’s feedback to one’s own and others’ work, [and that this whole class
environment] may be the chief mechanism for successfully self-regulating both learning
and academic success in the course.
Engagement in math classes is a key contributing factor to adolescents' academic
success and selection of college majors and careers in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) (Wang & Degol, 2015). Research shows a decline in math and
science engagement during the secondary school years, especially among low income and
minority youths (Martin, Way, Bobis, & Anderson, 2015). In order to increase student
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engagement in math and identify students who have the highest risk for opting out of the
STEM pipeline, conceptualizing and measuring “student engagement” is needed
appropriately. Unfortunately, research in this area has been hindered by inconsistencies in
both the definition and measurement of the student engagement construct (Greene, 2015).
Despite these variations, there is growing consensus that engagement is a multidimensional
construct that includes behavioral, emotional, and cognitive components (Sinatra et al.,
2015).
Learner engagement is regarded as a way of addressing problems and emotional
dispositions such as demotivation, anxiousness, and disengagement that learners often
experience in various school subjects and specifically in mathematics (Padgett et al. 2019).
In short, learner engagement is seen as a potential solution for addressing these emotional
dispositions in an endeavor to encourage learners to accomplish learning tasks, persist in
the midst of challenge, develop academic satisfaction, and remain engaged with the given
tasks (Halverson and Graham, 2019).
Previous research has shown that student engagement is a strong predictor of
academic performance and choice (Hughes, et a., 2018). Students with higher behavioral
and emotional engagement tend to attain higher grades and aspire for higher education
(Wang & Holcombe, 2015). The use of self-regulatory and metacognitive strategies is
associated with academic achievement. Students who enjoy, value, and feel competent in
their social interactions are more likely to enlist the support of others for academic tasks.
Students who want to form positive relationships with their peers are also more likely to
have high academic achievement. Moreover, youths' interests in and beliefs about the
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importance of math and science are associated with intentions to enroll in elective STEM
courses and career aspirations within STEM-related fields (Wang, 2018).
It is in this premise that researcher was motivated to undertake this research. It is
hoped that the results of this study would give the educators a wide range of knowledge
and concrete evidence on the factors that may affect the students’ academic motivation and
engagement in Mathematics in this new normal.
Statement of the Problem
This study determined the influence of self-leadership skills and self-directed
learning skills on motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst pandemic of students
in public junior high schools in Bustos, Bulacan during the second quarter of School Year
2021-2022.
Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:
1. How may the self-leadership learning skills of the of junior high school students
amidst pandemic be described in terms of:
1.1 visualizing successful performance;
1.2 self-goal setting;
1.3 self-reward; and
1.4 self-observation?
2. How may the self-directed learning skills of the junior high school students
2.1 assignment management;
2.2 time management;

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2.3 stress management; and
2.4 procrastination management?
3. How may the Mathematics motivation of the of junior high school students
3.1 intrinsic value;
3.2 self-regulation;
3.3 self-efficacy; and
3.4 utility value?
4. How may the Mathematics engagement of the of junior high school students
amidst pandemic be described in terms of?
4.1 cognitive engagement;
4.2 behavioral engagement;
4.3 emotional engagement; and
4.4 social engagement?
5. Is there a significant relationship between the junior high school students’ self-
leadership skills and their Mathematics motivation amidst pandemic?
directed learning skills and their Mathematics motivation amidst pandemic?
leadership skills and their Mathematics engagement amidst pandemic?
directed learning skills and their Mathematics engagement amidst pandemic?

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9. What are the views and insights of the respondents regarding the importance of
self-leadership skills and self-directed learning skills on their motivation and engagement
in Mathematics amidst pandemic?
10. What program of activities can be crafted from the findings of the study?
Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were tested in the study:
1. There is no significant relationship between the junior high school students’
self-leadership learning skills and their Mathematics motivation amidst pandemic.
self-directed learning skills and their Mathematics motivation amidst pandemic.
self-leadership learning skills and their Mathematics engagement amidst pandemic.
self-directed learning skills and their Mathematics engagement amidst pandemic.
Conceptual Framework
This study was anchored to engagement theory. The learner engagement theory was
adopted as the lens underpinning the study. Engagement refers to an individual’s active
participation and involvement in a particular activity, where motivation expresses impetus
behind the activity (Appleton et al., 2018). Sinatra et al. (2015) postulate that the “concept
of engagement” can be explored from different levels in the learning process. The first
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level is “micro-level engagement”, which they define as a learner’s state of “engagement
in a moment, task, or learning activity”. This is the level that is typically found in a class
with a time constraint in the order of minutes to hours. The second level is “macro-level
engagement” which characterizes engagement across time (e.g., days and weeks), contexts
(e.g., classwork, homework, and groupwork) and activities associated with the learning
tasks that take place before and after learning events. The highest degree of micro-level
engagement is represented by the flow concept, which is experienced when interaction with
the learning task results in the learner being “in a state of effortless attention, arising
through an interaction between positive affect and high attention” (De Manzano et al.,
2015).
According to Kearsley and Shneiderman (1998), engagement theory refers to the
students' meaningful participation in learning activities with others and tasks assigned. All
students are involved in various tasks in engaged learning, which require their cognitive
processes such as creating, solving problems, reasoning, decision - making process, and
evaluation. Because of the nature of the learning environment and activities, students in
engaged learning are intrinsically motivated as well.
According to Engeser (2018), flow is observable when learners become “totally
absorbed in” and focus on the given tasks. The improved “state of flow” takes place under
three main conditions, namely, clearly defined task goals provided to the learners, prompt
constructive feedback provided to the learners regarding their performance and progress
made, and the learners’ current skill levels being “matched to the challenge” they are faced
with. According to Engeser & Rheinberg, (2018), learner engagement theory was deemed
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suitable for the study because it highlights different types of engagement, explains what
engagement should look like, and outlines what makes it successful.
Further, this study is also anchored to Self-determination theory (SDT) which is a
macro-level theory of human motivation that aims to explain the dynamics of human need,
motivation, and well-being within a social context. The theory suggests that all individuals
possess three universal and psychological needs—autonomy (feeling self-governed and
self-endorsed), competence (feeling competent and effective), and relatedness (feeling
connected, loved, interacted)—that move them to act or not to act. Individuals experience
greater psychological well-being through the satisfaction of these three psychological
needs, and conversely feel highly fragmented, isolated, and reactive when their needs are
not met. When pedagogical design adequately addresses these psychological needs,
students are actively motivated to engage in learning tasks (Hsu et al., 2019). Accordingly,
this theory can explain the effects of needs-based support on student motivation,
engagement, and learning.
Student motivation and engagement are influenced by various contextual factors,
such as teacher and peer support (Lietaert et al., 2015). Teacher support is one of the most
important factors, as teachers play a crucial role in fostering student motivation in schools.
The three teacher support dimensions distinguished in SDT for classroom practice are
autonomy support, structure, and involvement. Aiming to satisfy students’ psychological
needs through these dimensions, i.e. to promote positive learning, could be an effective
teaching strategy given the challenges of the current pandemic (Allen et al., 2015).
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Although SDT has been widely applied to optimize student learning in the face-to-
face context (Ryan & Deci, 2020), it has been largely overlooked in online learning
research in K-12 settings (Hsu et al., 2019). Ryan and Deci (2020) suggested that future
SDT research should look more closely at how technologies in e-learning and remote
classrooms motivate student engagement and learning. Online learning has been studied in
higher education; however, the impact of teacher support on school students is very
different from that on university students. As a result, we understand very little about how
K-12 school students engage in online learning from an SDT perspective. This study
investigated the relationships between need satisfaction and student engagement in the K-
12 online learning context through the lens of SDT during the pandemic. It contributes to
SDT by presenting evidence on how teachers use technology to satisfy school students’
need for better engagement, and to teaching practice by suggesting more strategies to
engage young children in online learning (Hsu et al., 2019).
Student engagement refers to students’ active involvement in educationally
effective practices and their commitment to educational goals and learning and is an
essential pathway to highly valued educational outcomes such as academic achievement
(Christenson et al., 2015). It is a multidimensional construct comprising four dimensions:
behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and agentic. Behavioral engagement refers to how
involved students are in learning activities in terms of attention, participation, effort,
intensity, or persistence. Cognitive engagement refers to how much mental effort students
spend in completing learning tasks in terms of using sophisticated rather than superficial
learning strategies. Emotional engagement refers to the feeling’s students have toward
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teachers, peers, learning activities, and school experience, as well as their sense of
belonging. Agentic engagement is defined as the act of taking initiatives that constructively
contribute to learning and teaching. These dimensions correspond to the learning processes
of acting, thinking, feeling, and communicating, respectively (Sinatra et al., 2015).
Motivation is an essential element in academic performance. High levels of
motivation are associated with good academic performance (Kusurkar et al., 2017). Highly
motivated students tend to expend more effort in learning, leading to better results. Several
factors in turn underlie high motivation. In an influential model of student dropout,
academic integration which is an attachment of the student to intellectual life of the college
or university, is a crucial factor in student retention. That is, the more students feel their
intellectual needs are met at college, and the more they identify with it, the more likely
students will persist (Gottfried, et al., 2015).
Given the multidimensional nature of motivation, researchers have proposed
different theories of achievement motivation (e.g., self-determination theory, social
cognitive theory, self-theories, expectancy-value theory). Despite this profusion of
motivation-related theories, there is a consensus among researchers that academic
motivation is associated with positive academic and health-related skills and outcomes,
such as self-regulation, persistence, critical thinking, academic achievement, school
completion, career success, psychological well-being, and physical health (Camacho et al.,
2020).
Within the context of the self-determination theory, students tend to become more
intrinsically motivated when they experience satisfaction of the psychological needs for
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competence, autonomy, and relatedness in a learning task or context. Competence refers to
the need of being effective in one’s pursuits and interactions with the social environment.
Students’ need for competence is fulfilled when they know how to effectively achieve
outcomes (e.g., through rules, feedback). For instance, receiving positive feedback on a
task fulfills students’ need for competence, thus increasing intrinsic motivation. Autonomy
refers to the perception of being causal agents of one’s own life. Intrinsic motivation
increased when individuals have options and choices to deal with when performing a task.
On the contrary, external factors that restrict the perception of control, like deadlines, lead
to a decrement of intrinsic motivation. Finally, relatedness refers to the importance of being
emotionally connected and in interaction with other people. Fulfillment of the need for
relatedness is likely to occur when teachers and peers create an authentic, caring, and
supportive environment. When these three psychological needs are not fulfilled, students
may experience maladjustment and lack of motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2020).
Prior research has also shed light on gender-based differences in academic
motivation. That is, gender differences in motivation seem to be domain specific as boys
tend to report more favorable motivational beliefs in mathematics, science, and sports,
while girls usually report more positive motivational beliefs in language, arts, reading, and
writing (Meece et al., 2016). However, more recent evidence showed that girls reported
higher levels of general ac1ademic motivation (Bugler et al., 2015). Both parents and
teachers can contribute to gender differences in academic motivation by implicitly
modeling gender-typed behaviors and by conveying different expectations, goals, and tasks
for girls and boys (Meece et al., 2016).

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Parents also actively influence student academic motivation. According to the self-
determination theory, the fulfillment of students’ psychological needs for competence,
autonomy, and relatedness also depends on: (a) the way parents organize the environment
(i.e., definitions of rules, guidelines, and expectations); (b) parent autonomy-support and
respect for children’s perspectives; and (c) the extent to which parents are involved and
establish positive, caring relationships with their children (Grolnick et al., 2019). In
addition, researchers have relied on reports from significant adults, namely parents and
teachers, as reliable sources to assess student motivation and academic performance
(Owens et al., 2020).
Previous studies have shown a positive impact of identified motivation on school
performance and for avoiding dropout. Importantly, this positive effect was observed
across grades and education levels from elementary school and high school to university.
It also generalizes across diverse educational subjects such as science, and language
education. Thus, it is very likely that identified motivation has played an important role in
school engagement for students from different schools and grades, especially during such
an adverse event as the combination of lockdown and school closure. It is possible that
during the lockdown with schools closed, time spent on homework was also influenced by
diverse other, more pragmatic factors such as access to a computer, food, and electricity,
adult supervision, or attending online courses with teachers (Joe et al., 2017).
From the theory, related studies and literature cited, presented and explained above,
the researcher came up with the paradigm that will serve as guide in the conduct of the
study.
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Independent Variable Dependent Variable
Students’ Self-Leadership Motivation and Engagement

and
in Mathematics
Self-Directed Learning Skills
Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study
Figure 1 shows that the independent variables are the students’ self-leadership and
self-directed learning skills amidst pandemic. These variables were hypothesized to
influence (as implied by the arrowhead) the dependent variables which are the students’
motivation and engagement in Mathematics in the new normal.
Significance of the Study
This study is beneficial and important in the educational arena. It will help the
educators understand the influence of self-leadership skills and self-directed learning skills
on junior high school students’ motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst
pandemic, and it will ultimately benefit the following:
Senior High School Students. They are the primordial beneficiaries of the findings
of this study. The results of this study will be of great help for them to positively develop
their self-leadership skills, self-directed learning skills, motivation and engagement in
Mathematics learning. Through the results of the study, they would be able to adjust to the
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current situation of the education nowadays. Further, they will get higher grades in
Mathematics.
Teachers. The study is of great importance to teachers because it will generate
knowledge and awareness on the importance of students’ self-leadership skills and self-
directed learning skills on their motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst
pandemic. Further, results of the study could serve as basis to Math teachers to adjust their
teaching strategies and techniques that will suit/fit the motivation and engagement in
Mathematics of the junior high school students.
School Administrators. The findings of the study can provide the school
administrators the concrete evidence of the importance of students’ self-leadership skills
and self-directed learning skills on their motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst
pandemic. They can include the variables under study in their plan of activities. Webinars
and lecture series on how to develop and improve the students’ academic performance in
Mathematics amidst pandemic can be included in their plans for the school year.
Future Researchers. Results of the study will serve a reference for researchers who
have the same interests. The researcher ultimately believe that the findings of this study
will help the future researchers to fully understand the importance and contribution of
students’ self-leadership skills and self-directed learning skills on their motivation and
engagement in Mathematics amidst pandemic which is eventually improve their academic
performance in the said subject.

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Scope and Limitation of the Study
This research focused only to the influence of students’ self-leadership skills and
self-directed learning skills on their motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst
pandemic. Hence, the variables were limited only to students’ self-leadership skills, self-
directed learning skills, motivation, and engagement in Mathematics.
The students’ self-leadership skills were limited to visualizing successful
performance, self-goal setting, self-reward and self-observation. On the other hand, the
junior high school students’ self-directed learning skills will focus only to assignment
management, time management, stress management and procrastination management.
Meanwhile, the Mathematics motivation of the of junior high school students amidst
pandemic will be described in terms of intrinsic value, self-regulation, self-efficacy and
utility value. Finally, the Mathematics engagement of the students amidst pandemic will
focus only to cognitive engagement, behavioral engagement, emotional engagement and
social engagement.
The respondents of this study were the selected junior high school students in public
high schools in Bustos, Bulacan. This study was conducted in the second quarter of School
Year 2021-2022.
Location of the Study
This study was conducted in public high schools in Bustos, Bulacan. The schools
that were considered as respondents are: (1) Alexis G. Santos NHS in Liciada; (2) Dr.
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Pablito V. Mendoza Sr. HS in Malamig; (3) Aguinaldo J. Santos NHS in Tibagan; and (4)
Cambaog NHS in Cambaog, Bustos, Bulacan.

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(Source: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Stretch-of-the-Angat-River-Network-in-Bustos-Bulacan-where-Samples-were-
retrieved_fig1_341453434)
Figure 2. Map of Bustos, Bulacan
Definition of Terms
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To shed the light in understanding, the following operational definitions were
hereby presented.
Assignment Management. This refers to Junior High School students’ abilities to
accomplish their mathematics activities and assessments on time.
Behavioral Engagement. This refers to the Junior High School students’ involvement in
academic and class-based activities, presence of positive conduct, and absence of disruptive
behavior.
Cognitive Engagement. This refers to using of deep learning strategies and exerting the
necessary cognitive strategies for the comprehension of complex ideas.
Emotional Engagement. This refers to the Junior High School students’ presence of
positive emotional reactions to teachers, peers, and classroom activities, as well as valuing
learning and having interest in the learning content.
Intrinsic Value. This refers to the enjoyment experienced by performing a particular
academic task.
Mathematics Engagement. This refers to four dimensions of engagement: behavioral,
emotional, cognitive, and social engagement.
Mathematics Motivation. This refers to students’ internal state that initiates and
maintains goal-directed behavior in accomplishing Math tasks.
Procrastination Management. This refers to students’ ways of breaking the habit of
delaying an important task, usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier
activities instead.
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Self-Directed Learning Skills. This refers to the abilities to decide with or without help
from other people, to determine what student needs for learning, to express learning
achievements clearly and implicitly, to select and implement appropriate learning strategies and
to assess learning outcomes.
Self-Efficacy. This refers to an individual's belief in his or her ability to carry out the
actions required to achieve specified performance goals.
Self-Goal Setting. This refers to Junior High School students’ process for thinking about
their ideal future, and for motivating themselves to turn their vision or future into reality.
Self-Leadership Skills. This refers to the process through which Junior High School
students influence themselves to achieve the self-direction and self-motivation necessary to
behave and perform in desirable ways.
Self-Observation. This refers to an awareness practice where students turn their
attention inward, and observe their thoughts, feelings, and actions without judgment.
Self-Regulation. This refers to students’ ability to understand and manage their behavior
and reactions to feelings and things happening around them.
Self-Reward. This refers to a treat for oneself after successfully passing for an
examination or getting higher grades in Mathematics.
Social Engagement. This refers to the Junior High School students’ quality of social
interactions with peers and adults, as well as the willingness to invest in the formation and
maintenance of relationships while learning.

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Stress Management. This refers to the use of specific techniques, strategies, or
programs-such as relaxation training, anticipation of stress reactions, and breathing techniques-
for dealing with stress-inducing situations and the state of being stressed.
Time management. This refers to the ability to use students’ time effectively or
productively, especially in doing Math tasks.
Utility Value. This refers to how the task relates to future goals. While students may not
enjoy an activity, they may value a later reward or outcome it produces.
Visualizing Successful Performance. This refers to Junior High School students' ability to
imagine themselves succeeding in Mathematics amidst pandemic.

CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
The information about the research and sampling procedures that were utilized by
the researcher were provided in this chapter. The research design that were employed, as
well as the data gathering techniques, and data analysis scheme were also discussed in this
chapter.
Research Design
This study utilized the explanatory sequential mixed methods research design in
determining the influence of self-leadership skills and self-directed learning skills on
motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst pandemic of junior high school
students. Exploratory sequential mixed method is an approach to combining qualitative
and quantitative data collection and analysis in a sequence of phases (Creswell & Plano
Clark, 2018). In the first phase, researchers collected qualitative data and then analyzed the
data, the results of which direct the next, quantitative phase, which was a survey or some
other form of quantitative data collection. The qualitative analysis provided a critical
fodder for developing specific research questions for the quantitative phase, which involve
a questionnaire, survey, or other form of quantitative data collection.
The rationale for this approach lies in first exploring a topic before deciding what
variables need to be measured. Exploratory sequential design is a template that is applied
to a specific research situation, but each situation might use this design differently. The
24
first question to ask was what the researcher already know given the existing literature. In
other words, the point of departure may vary for researchers adopting this design. For
situations where a literature review reveals few findings to guide us, the qualitative phase
might be rewarding in allowing us to discern a new dependent variable. That was, the
researcher might already have the necessary demographic variables and pre-existing
measures for the independent variables, but he might be missing the dependent variable. In
general, the qualitative analysis helped him identify a larger range of topics and how
individuals frame their understanding around a particular event or phenomenon. The
qualitative phase is described as “exploratory” because it is data driven (Creswell & Plano
Clark, 2018) rather than driven by a conceptual framework. However, this does not mean
that the researcher was not allowed to use information from a literature review, only that
he used the qualitative data to better understand the research problem. The reason to
postpone quantitative data collection was because he needs additional conceptual leverage
before conducting a survey or questionnaire.
Data Gathering Techniques
Prior to the conduct of the study, the researcher sought permission from the Schools
Division Superintendent of Bulacan to allowed him to conduct this study in public
secondary high schools in Bustos, Bulacan. Upon receiving the approved permit, the
researcher coordinated to the principal of the said schools for the schedule of data
collection. Due to the pandemic times, the researcher administered the questionnaire and
conducted the interview to the target respondents by means of social media platforms such
as facebook or email and interview as guided by the health protocol.

25
There were two types of data that were collected in the study, the quantitative and
the qualitative data. Quantitative data were gathered through the use of closed-ended
questionnaire. On the other hand, qualitative data were gathered by means of semi-
structured interviews. Open-ended questionnaire which was personally made by the
researcher in conjunction with the problems raised in the preceding chapter were asked
face to face interview following the health protocols.
In the quantitative data gathering, the questionnaire that utilized was composed of
four (4) parts. Part I of the questionnaire was the Self-Leadership Scale which was adapted
from Houghton (2017). This part of the questionnaire was used to describe the students’
level of self-leadership skills. Meanwhile, Part II was the Self-Directed Learning Skills
Scale which was adapted from Yildizay and Leman (2015). This was used to gauge the
students’ level of self-directed learning skills in the new normal. On the other hand, Part
III was the Mathematics Motivation Questionnaire, which was adapted from Fiorella
(2021). This was utilized to determine the level of students’ Mathematics motivation in
this new normal. The last part of the questionnaire, Part IV, was the Mathematics
Engagement Questionnaire, was adapted from Fredricks, JA (2016). This was used to
describe the students’ Mathematics engagement during these pandemic times. Some
revisions and modifications were made to this questionnaire to fit the situation and
conditions of education in the country amidst pandemic.
Sampling Procedures
This study utilized purposive sampling in choosing the respondents of this research.
According to Miles and Huberman (2004), The purposive sampling technique, also called
26
judgment sampling, s the deliberate choice of a participant due to the qualities the
participant possesses. It is a nonrandom technique that does not need underlying theories
or a set number of participants. Simply put, the researcher decides what needs to be known
and sets out to find people who can and were willing to provide the information by virtue
of knowledge or experience. Purposive sampling methods place primary emphasis on
saturation (i.e., obtaining a comprehensive understanding by continuing to sample until no
new substantive information is acquired).
The researcher decided to use the junior high school students as subject of the study
because he firmly believes that he obtained a more reliable responses from this group.
Since the population was too big (1,432), the researcher opted to use only the 20
percent of the population. According to Gay & Diehl, (1992), generally the number of
respondents acceptable for a study depends upon the type of research involved -
descriptive, correlational or experimental. For descriptive research the sample should be
10% of population. In correlational research at least 30 subjects are required to establish a
relationship. For experimental research, 30 subjects per group is often cited as the
minimum.
Table 1. Respondents of the Study
Student (N) Student (n)

School Total
Male Female Male Female
1. Alexis G. Santos NHS 278 290 56 58 114
2. Dr. Pablito V. Mendoza Sr. HS 131 123 26 25 51
3. Aguinaldo J. Santos NHS 173 195 35 39 74
4. Cambaog NHS 122 120 24 24 48
Total 704 728 141 146 287
27
For the qualitative part, 2 respondents per school were selected at random. The
chosen students will be subjected from semi-structured interview.
Data Analysis Scheme
After collecting all the questionnaires, these were organized, tallied, tabulated, and
analyzed using some statistical tools.
Weighted mean were computed to describe the students’ self-leadership skills, self-
directed learning skills and their motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst
pandemic.
Correlation analysis was performed to determine if significant relationship existed
between the independent variables (the students’ self-leadership skills, self-directed
learning skills) and dependent variables (students’ motivation and engagement in
Mathematics).
For the data gathered from the semi-structured interviews, content analysis was
utilized. According to Krippendorff (2012) content analysis is a research tool used to
determine the presence of certain words, themes, or concepts within some given qualitative
data (i.e. text). Using content analysis, researchers can quantify and analyze the presence,
meanings and relationships of such certain words, themes, or concepts. As an example,
researchers evaluated the language used within a news article and searched for bias or
partiality. Researchers then made inferences about the messages within the texts, the
writer(s), the audience, and even the culture and time of surrounding the text.
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CHAPTER III
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data
collected and the results of the statistical treatment employed in the study with the purpose
of determining the influence of self-leadership skills and self-directed learning skills on
motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst pandemic of students in public junior
high schools.
The Self-Leadership Learning Skills of Junior High School Students Amidst

Pandemic
The self-leadership learning skills of the of junior high school students amidst
pandemic in this study can be described in terms of visualizing successful performance,
self-goal setting, self-reward, and self-observation.
The assessment of the junior high school students amidst pandemic as regards self-
leadership learning skills in terms of visualizing successful performance, self-goal setting,
self-reward, and self-observation were presented in Tables 2 to 5.
Visualizing Successful Performance
Visualizing successful performance refers to Junior High School students' ability
to imagine themselves succeeding in Mathematics amidst pandemic. The self-leadership

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skills of the of Junior High School students amidst pandemic in terms of Visualizing
Successful Performance are presented in Table 2.

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Table 2. The Self-Leadership Learning Skills of the of Junior

High School Students Amidst Pandemic
in terms of Visualizing Successful Performance
Responses = 287
Item Statement Mean VD
5 4 3 2 1
1. I use my imagination to picture myself
73 97 103 13 1 3.79 FT
performing well on Mathematics tasks.
2. I visualize myself successfully
91 89 85 19 3 3.86 FT
performing a Math task before I do it
3. I picture in my mind a successful
performance before I actually do a Math 82 101 81 19 4 3.83 FT
task.
4. I purposefully visualize myself
overcoming the challenges I face in 85 103 83 16 0 3.90 FT
Math.
5. I often mentally rehearse the way I
plan to deal with a challenge before I 87 101 71 20 8 3.83 FT
actually do tasks in Math.
Overall Mean 3.84 FT
Legend:
Scale Verbal Description
4.21 – 5.00 Always True of Me (AT)
3.41 – 4.20 Frequently True of me (FT)
2.61 – 3.40 Sometimes True of Me (STM)
1.81 – 2.60 Seldom True of Me (ST)
1.00 – 1.80 Never True of Me (NT)
It is observed in Table 2 that the item “I purposefully visualize myself overcoming
the challenges I face in Math” obtained the highest weighted mean of 3.90 with a verbal
description of “frequently true of me” while the item statement “I use my imagination to
picture myself performing well on Mathematics tasks” got the lowest weighted mean of
3.79 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”. The overall computed mean for
the table is 3.84 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”.
The results imply that the students thought they could answer any math activity.
Just before they started answering, they immediately find a way to do it right. They first
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tried to answer the math activity in their minds and planned what method they would use
to give the correct answer to each activity.
In accordance with this, Rösken, and Rolka (2006) concluded that visualization
proves to be a useful tool for working on the problems. Some students use visualization in
a creative way by modifying a given task and enables them to avoid the difficulties with
the given visualization and thereby sheds light on the underlying obstacles concerning this
task. Another interesting point is that even students that do not show visualization on their
paper were able to solve problem which highlighted the importance of pictures in the mind.
According to Tiwari et al. (2021), visualization is increasingly being used in
learning and other mathematical activities. The fact that visualization can lead to errors
should not be used to argue against its use in mathematics, because imaging in mathematics
can be very efficient and effective in a variety of mathematical processes. Even proper
techniques can sometimes lead to errors, which is not a reason to abandon such a method
of dealing. Mistakes should be seen as something natural that motivates us to work, and
they can sometimes lead to new discoveries in mathematics.
In the conducted interview with the students, they were asked “How important is
visualizing successful performance in studying Math in this new normal?” these students
answered that visualizing successful performance provides them a wide picture on how
they should study mathematics especially in this time of pandemic that they are on their
own. Furthermore, if they can set in their mind that they can answer those tasks and
overcome those challenges in mathematics, it will lead them to better and successful
performance doing those tasks.

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Self-Goal Setting
Self-goal setting refers to Junior High School students’ process for thinking about
their ideal future, and for motivating themselves to turn their vision or future into reality.
The self-leadership learning skills of the of Junior High School students amidst pandemic
in terms of self-goal setting are presented in Table 3.

in terms of Self-Goal Setting
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I establish specific goals for my own
92 109 73 10 3 3.97 FT
performance in Math.
2. I consciously have goals in mind for
94 103 68 18 4 3.92 FT
my work efforts in Math.
3. I work toward specific goals I have set
91 105 76 10 5 3.93 FT
for myself in Math.
4. I think about the goals that I intend to
108 84 71 14 10 3.93 FT
achieve in the future math subjects.
5. I write specific goals for my own
85 93 85 20 4 3.82 FT
Math performance.
Legend:
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It is displayed in Table 3 that the item “I establish specific goals for my own
performance in Math” got the highest weighted mean of 3.97 with a verbal description of
“frequently true of me”. Meanwhile, item statement “I write specific goals for my own
Math performance” obtained the lowest weighted mean of 3.82 with a verbal description
of “frequently true of me”. The overall computed mean for the table is 3.91 with a verbal
description of “frequently true of me”.
These results imply that the students planned what the outcome of their math tasks
would be. They set out what to do, what to prioritize, where to start and how to be
successful in giving appropriate answers to math tasks.
Parallel to this, the findings of Ong’Uti, Aloka, and Nyakinda, (2019) revealed that
goal setting and mathematics achievement are corelated. Students who set goals before
doing a task performed better in mathematics than to those students who did not set goals.
So that, they also suggested that universities who trains secondary school teachers should
include aspect of goal setting as a self-regulated learning technique.
goal settings in studying Math in this new normal?” these students replied that goal setting
is very essential in studying Mathematics especially now that they are doing their tasks
alone at home. Further, they added that if they have set their goals, they will be more
inspired and more motivated to attain these goals which in turn will give them better
performance in the aforementioned subject.
Self-Reward
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Self-Reward refers to a treat for oneself after successfully passing for an examination or
getting higher grades in Mathematics. The self-leadership learning skills of the of Junior High
School students amidst pandemic in terms of self-reward are presented in Table 4.

in terms of Self-Reward
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. When I do Math assignment
especially well, I like to treat myself to 117 87 66 13 4 4.05 FT
some thing or activity I enjoy.
2. When I do something well in Math, I
90 71 84 26 16 3.67 FT
reward myself with my favorite food.
3. When I feel inadequate in some way, I
try to remind myself that feelings of 70 107 82 24 4 3.75 FT
inadequacy are shared by most people.
4. When I have successfully completed a
task in Math, I often reward myself with 96 83 77 21 10 3.82 FT
something I like.
5. When I got higher scores in Math test,
I reward myself by watching my favorite 88 79 79 25 16 3.69 FT
movies online.
Legend:
It can be gleaned from Table 4 that the item “When I do Math assignment especially
well, I like to treat myself to some thing or activity I enjoy” obtained the highest weighted
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mean of 4.05 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”. On the other hand, item
statement “When I do something well in Math, I reward myself with my favorite food”
obtained the lowest weighted mean of 3.67 with a verbal description of “frequently true of
me”. The overall computed mean for the table is 3.79 with a verbal description of
“frequently true of me”.
These results imply that the students so as not to lose their interest in answering
math lessons was to give treats to themselves. They know how hard math is and by
rewarding themselves they will regain their appetite for learning. They thought of doing
their best in answering, no matter how hard the math was because eventually they would
be able to do what they wanted. This is the way they thought of to give even more of their
best and answer their lesson correctly as well as their math tests.
In relation to these findings, Jovanovic and Matejevic (2014) posited that personal
effort, and “inner senses” has been placed on the contribution of valuable learning. That
may be its time that the students especially the adolescents should be oriented in external
and internal motivation within the accepted teaching skills and competencies necessary for
creative and productive future. And only recently, researchers illustrate some interventions
that may enhance the interest and therefore the value, importance and meaning of the
activities or polishing of the structure of the task.
self-reward in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students replied that self-
reward or treating their selves after successfully completed the task in Mathematics helped
them to be motivated that after they finish it, they can do or have what they want. It makes
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them feel so excited because they can now watch movies online since they cannot go
outside to watch in cinemas because of the pandemic and eat their favorite food. Self-
reward helps them to think that after a very challenging task or test in math, there will be a
way for them to relax and enjoy.
Self-Observation
Self-Observation refers to an awareness practice where students turn their attention
inward, and observe their thoughts, feelings, and actions without judgment. The self-leadership
learning skills of the of Junior High School students amidst pandemic in terms of self-observation
are presented in Table 5.

in terms of Self-Observation
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I make a point to keep track of how
62 104 99 15 7 3.69 FT
well I’m doing in Math.
2. I usually am aware of how well I’m
76 107 83 18 3 3.82 FT
doing as I perform an activity in Math.
3. I pay attention to how well I am doing
106 92 73 12 4 3.99 FT
in my Math work.
4. I keep track of my progress on Math
94 84 90 18 1 3.88 FT
projects I’m working on.
5. I record my scores in test for me to
73 73 82 41 18 3.49 FT
know my standing in Math.
Legend:
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It can be seen from Table 5 that the item “I pay attention to how well I am doing in my
Mathematics work” garnered the highest computed weighted mean of 3.99 with a verbal
description of “frequently true of me”. While item statement “I record my scores in test for me
to know my standing in Math” obtained the lowest weighted mean of 3.49 with a verbal
description of “frequently true of me”. The overall computed mean for the table is 3.77 with a
verbal description of “frequently true of me”.
These results imply that even when students were on their own and studying with
their modules, they pay attention to how well they were doing in mathematics. They kept
track of and document all of their activities in order to see how far they have progressed in
their Mathematics performance task. They were determined their mathematical position in
this method.
Accordingly, Karaali (2015) illustrated that to help students keep their focus on
learning deeply we should have a weekly metacognitive and self-reflective activities. This
will allow the students to remain engaged and motivated for the whole academic year. We
should ask the students weekly to evaluate their own progress and this is done to review
their own development in accordance with students’ personal goals.
self-observation in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students replied that
in this time of pandemic where face to face classes is limited, it is very important to monitor
their progress. They should know whether their performance tasks were submitted properly
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and on time. They must observe their level of thinking and knowledge towards the subject
in Mathematics to get high scores in their summative tests.
The Self-Directed Learning Skills of Junior High School Students Amidst Pandemic
The self-directed learning skills of junior high school students amidst pandemic in
this study can be described in terms of assignment, time, stress, and procrastination
management.
The assessment of the junior high school students amidst pandemic as regards self-
directed learning skills in terms of assignment, time, stress, and procrastination
management. were presented in Tables 6 to 9.
Assignment Management
Assignment Management refers to Junior High School students’ abilities to accomplish
their mathematics activities and assessments on time. The self-directed learning skills of Junior
High School students amidst pandemic in terms of assignment management are presented in
Table 6.
Table 6. The Self-Directed Learning Skills of Junior

in terms of Assignment Management
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. The information I gathered for my
53 132 86 13 3 3.76 A
Math assignments is relevant.
2. I am able to present the information in
52 94 97 37 7 3.51 A
my Math assignment clearly.
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3. I can answer my Math assignments

77 96 93 18 3 3.79 A
without any assistance.
4. I can understand my Math
assignments through the use of old 83 111 72 16 5 3.87 A
notes, books and the internet.
5. I am able to accomplish my Math
86 129 64 7 1 4.02 A
assignments on time.
Overall Mean 3.79 A
Legend:
4.21 – 5.00 Strongly Agree (SA)
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
2.61 – 3.40 Moderately Agree (MA)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
1.00 – 1.80 Strongly Disagree (SD)
It is shown in Table 6 that item “I am able to accomplish my Math assignments on time”
attained the highest computed weighted mean of 4.02 with a verbal description of “agree”.
While the item statement “I am able to present the information in my Math assignment clearly”
got the lowest weighted mean of 3.51 with a verbal description of “agree”. And the overall
computed mean for the table is 3.79 with a verbal description of “agree”.
These results imply that students seek to keep up with their teachers by turning in
their math homework on time. When they don't comprehend a math lesson, they prefer to
conduct internet research in order to better understand and answer math problems.
In the same vein, Fernández-Alonso, Diaz, Alvarez and Muñiz, J. (2017) asserted
that the daily minutes that a student spends on assignment can be associated positively with
academic results. The students who work individually doesn’t affect academic result. What
important is the amount of homework assigned which have more explanatory power than
time spent.
assignment management in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students

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answered that since they are alone, and it is required for them to pass activities such as
assignment in the form of a performance task, they must make sure that they understand
what the task are. Learn to manage those tasks well by accomplishing it on time and make
sure that they do it properly with the help of internet.
Time Management
Time management refers to the ability to use students’ time effectively or
productively, especially in doing Mathematics tasks. The self-directed learning skills of
Junior High School students amidst pandemic in terms of time management are presented
in Table 7.

in terms of Time Management
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I plan what I need to learn in Math. 95 112 70 6 4 4.00 A
2. I set targets to achieve for Math
95 115 65 11 1 4.02 A
assignments and examination
3. I set aside enough time to study for
examinations and/or do the assignments 84 113 76 11 3 3.92 A
in Math.
4. I find time to study the learning
80 114 83 8 2 3.91 A
materials and/or resources in Math.
5. I allotted more time in solving Math
66 117 80 17 7 3.76 A
problems.
Overall Mean 3.92 A
Legend:
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
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It is specified in Table 7 that the item “I set targets to achieve for Math assignments
and examination” reaped the highest computed weighted mean of 4.02 with a verbal
description of “agree” while the item statement “I allotted more time in solving Math
problems” got the lowest weighted mean of 3.76 with a verbal description of “agree”. The
overall computed mean for the table is 3.92 with a verbal description of “agree”.
These results imply that the students highly value their mathematics work. They
took time to study the math lessons that were given to them. So, whenever they knew that
the math test was coming, they immediately study it thoroughly, gave priority to lessons
that they think were too difficult and take longer to learn. They study mathematics seriously
and willing to give every effort that is needed to finish the tasks assigned to them.
In consonance to the findings of the present study, Ahmad, Batool, and Hussain Ch.
(2019) stated the managing time effectively is the main achievement of distance learning
and regular students. The academic achievement of the students will be affected if
mismanagement occurs. To improve learner’s performance and accomplishments, we
should focus on time management which plays a vital role in learning. If the students want
to survive, then he or she should have the ability to utilize time properly. And yet, we may
say that managing time is a skill that every learner must have to gain better results in their
tasks.
time management in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students answered
that time management is very important especially in the new normal where they need
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more time to understand the lessons in their Mathematics modules since there is no teacher
who can assist them. They should spend more time in studying worded problems because
it is hard to understand without explaining it.
Stress Management
Stress Management refers to the use of specific techniques, strategies, or programs
such as relaxation training, anticipation of stress reactions, and breathing techniques for
dealing with stress-inducing situations and the state of being stressed. The self-directed
learning skills of Junior High School students amidst pandemic in terms of stress
management are presented in Table 8.

in terms of Stress Management
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I am able to manage my fear in Math
by constantly practicing the concepts 73 121 74 12 7 3.84 A
and problems presented in the modules.
2. I listen to my favorite song to ease my
114 90 56 13 14 3.97 A
tension or Math stress.
3. When I get very tense when I have to
do mathematics homework, I seek help 83 108 69 18 9 3.83 A
from my friends.
4. I replace negative self-talk with
positive self-talk to avoid negative 87 115 71 7 7 3.93 A
attitude towards math.
5. I utilize all the resources to do well in
71 138 65 8 5 3.91 A
Math tests.
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Overall Mean 3.90 A

Legend:
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
It is exhibited in Table 8 that the item statement “I listen to my favorite song to ease
my tension or Math stress” obtained the highest computed weighted mean of 3.97 with a
verbal description of “agree” while the item statement “When I get very tense when I have
to do mathematics homework, I seek help from my friends” got the lowest weighted mean
of 3.83 with a verbal description of “agree”. The overall computed mean for the table is
3.90 with a verbal description of “agree”.
These results imply that the students knew that math was a very difficult subject.
So that, whenever they had trouble and they thought that they can no longer continue to
answer. They tried to think that math was not that difficult. This reduces the stress they felt
in answering the math activity. They were also looking for other ways to reduce bad
attitudes in math such as listening to songs and other activities that can calm them down.
According to Odicta (2016), quality emotions and feelings could help students’
success in mathematics. The students’ performance in mathematics we’re strongly
associated in terms of students’ intrapersonal and stress management. So that, stress
management on emotional intelligence is needed to promote learning.
In contrary, Jolejole-Caube et al. (2019) concluded that students' stress has an
adverse influence on their math performance. Learners who have a higher "mathematics
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anxiety level" perform less well in mathematics. Learners that have a lower "mathematics
anxiety level" generally do better in mathematics.
stress management in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students replied
that it is very essential since they experience stress staying at home. Adding other tasks in
mathematics can be more stressful because the subject is very hard without the guidance
of the teachers. So that, they need to learn how to manage their stress and learn to embrace
the new set up in the new normal.
Procrastination Management
Procrastination Management refers to students’ ways of breaking the habit of delaying
an important task, usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier activities
instead. The self-directed learning skills of Junior High School students amidst pandemic in
terms of procrastination management are presented in Table 9.

in terms of Procrastination Management
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I avoid anything related to the task
49 113 97 23 5 3.62 A
that I am procrastinating on.
2. I attempt to explain how I can still
achieve my goals, despite my 73 130 65 16 3 3.89 A
procrastination.
3. I am comparing my procrastination
52 99 87 36 13 3.49 A
issues to someone else’s problems or to
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my past behavior, in an attempt to

downplay my current actions.
4. I am using humor in an attempt to
downplay or validate my procrastination 53 106 92 26 10 3.58 A
problem.
5. I am focusing on the things that I
accomplish, in an attempt to ignore how 64 117 83 18 5 3.76 A
much I have procrastinated.
Overall Mean 3.67 A
Legend:
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
It is portrayed in Table 9 that the item “I attempt to explain how I can still achieve
my goals, despite my procrastination” attained the highest computed weighted mean of
3.89 with a verbal description of “agree” while the item statement “I am comparing my
procrastination issues to someone else’s problems or to my past behavior, in an attempt to
downplay my current actions” got the lowest weighted mean of 3.49 with a verbal
description of “agree”. The overall computed mean for the table is 3.67 with a verbal
description of “agree”.
These results imply that students were aware that delaying math homework would
bring them bad luck and have an adverse effect on their grades, so they tried to divert their
attention to other activities in order to avoid being lazy and continue to study. They'll be
discouraged to continue answering math task and activities if they were lazy, so they
resisted it as much as they can.
In accordance with this, the findings of Asri et al. (2017) specified that the belief
of the students of the tasks is not important, lack of knowledge, too inconvenient and
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difficult to do, poor learning time management, and becoming to perfectionist are some
factors leading to academic procrastination in learning Mathematics. And these contributes
to the low learning achievement in mathematics. So that, they suggested based on their
findings that teachers should use students’ center-learning strategies like project-based
learning to encourage the students to conduct in-depth investigation and encourage them
the responsibility to complete the task assigned by their teachers.
procrastination management in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students
replied that it is very important to know how to manage procrastination to avoid delays
doing their tasks. Since no one will help them, adding delays will result to incompliance or
non-submission of the given task.
The Mathematics Motivation of the of Junior High School Students Amidst Pandemic
The Mathematics motivation of Junior High School students amidst pandemic in
this study can be described in terms of intrinsic value, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and
utility value.
The assessment of the Junior High School students amidst pandemic as regards
mathematics motivation in terms of intrinsic value, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and utility
value were presented in Tables 10 to 13.
Intrinsic Value
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Intrinsic value refers to the enjoyment experienced by performing a particular
academic task. The mathematics motivation of junior high school students amidst
pandemic in terms of intrinsic value are presented in Table 10.
Table 10. The Mathematics Motivation of Junior High School

Students Amidst Pandemic in terms of Intrinsic Value
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I enjoy learning math 118 92 67 4 6 4.09 FT
2. The math I learn is more important to
131 91 45 12 8 4.13 FT
me than the grade I receive.
3. I find learning math interesting. 116 93 64 10 4 4.07 FT
4. I like math that challenges me. 96 91 71 19 10 3.85 FT
5. Understanding math gives me a sense
147 81 43 10 6 4.23 AT
of accomplishment.
Legend:
It can be seen from Table 10 that the item “Understanding math gives me a sense
of accomplishment” obtained the highest computed weighted mean of 4.23 with a verbal
description of “always true of me”. While item statement “I like math that challenges me”
got the lowest weighted mean of 3.85 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”.
The overall computed mean for the table is 4.07 with a verbal description of “frequently
true of me”.
These results imply that students still have an appreciation for math. That is why
they feel when they get the right answer in math as if they are very happy and seem to have
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achieved the success they hoped for. Although math is often very difficult, to them it is still
a pleasant lesson.
In accordance with this, the findings of Abah, Ogugua, and Okoh (2022) shown
that it is possible for the students to set and achieve high academic performance in
Mathematics with the help of intrinsic motivation. Regardless of the good or poor
background and environment that he lives with. They also concluded that intrinsic
motivation has a positive impact to learn mathematics and a key to a good academic
performance in the said subject.
intrinsic value in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students answered
that it is very important to encourage themselves to enjoy, understand and see mathematics
in a good perspective. Through this, they will be motivated to face the challenges and
continue to learn mathematics.
Self-Regulation
Self-regulation refers to students’ ability to understand and manage their behavior and
reactions to feelings and things happening around them. The mathematics motivation of Junior
High School students amidst pandemic in terms of self-regulation are presented in Table 11.
Table 11. The Mathematics Motivation of the of Junior High

School Students Amidst Pandemic
in terms of Self-Regulation
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. If I am having trouble learning the
106 116 52 10 3 4.09 FT
math, I try to figure out why.
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2. I put enough effort into learning the

102 114 62 5 4 4.06 FT
math.
3. I use strategies that ensure I learn
106 106 64 10 1 4.07 FT
math well.
4. It is my fault if I do not understand
93 97 80 14 3 3.92 FT
math.
5. I prepare well for math tests and
91 111 65 14 6 3.93 FT
quizzes.
Legend:
It is specified in Table 11 that the item statement “If I am having trouble learning the
math, I try to figure out why” obtained the highest computed weighted mean of 4.09 with a
verbal description of “frequently true of me” while the item statement “It is my fault if I do not
understand math” got the lowest weighted mean of 3.92 with a verbal description of
“frequently true of me”. The overall computed mean for the table is 4.01 with a verbal
description of “frequently true of me.”
These results imply that the students gave all they could to respond to each math
lesson. The mentality that mathematics is hard does not prevent them from borrowing math
but whenever they have difficulty instead of stopping, they look for other methods to get
the right answer. They were determined to learn and will not give up on any challenges no
matter how difficult it is.
According to Zimmerman and Martinez-Pons (1986) as cited by the study of Wang
and Sperling (2020), found that when compared to low-performing students, researchers
discovered that high-performing students used numerous tactics rather than just one. SRL
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methods were also reported to be used more frequently by high-performing students than
by low-performing pupils. SRL techniques were linked to academic accomplishment
across academic domains and task situations, according to this finding. SRL, on the other
hand, is regarded domain specific because it is associated with students' cognitive abilities
in specific academic fields.
self-regulation in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students replied that
self-regulation is crucial. Failure will happen if they are unable to regulate their feelings
for the subject, and they will be unable to continue studying the subject. They also stated
that they are aware of how difficult mathematics is, and that failing to put out sufficient
effort, particularly in this new normal, may result in worse grades and failure to
comprehend the lesson.
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in his or her ability to carry out the actions
required to achieve specified performance goals. The Mathematics motivation of Junior High
School students amidst pandemic in terms of self-efficacy are presented in Table 12.
Table 12. The Mathematics Motivation of the of Junior High

in terms of Self-Efficacy
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
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1. I expect to do as well as or better than

57 110 83 20 17 3.59 FT
other students in math.
2. I am confident I will do well on math
75 99 87 18 8 3.75 FT
modules and projects
3. I believe I can master the knowledge
75 97 94 16 5 3.77 FT
and skills in math.
4. I am confident I will do well on math
65 96 97 20 9 3.66 FT
tests.
5. I believe I can earn an “outstanding”
62 106 92 19 8 3.68 FT
grade in the math.
Legend:
It is stated in Table 12 that the item statement “I believe I can master the knowledge
and skills in math” attained the highest computed weighted mean of 3.77 with a verbal
description of “frequently true of me” while the item statement “I expect to do as well as
or better than other students in math” attained the lowest weighted mean of 3.59 with a
verbal description of “frequently true of me”. The overall computed mean for the table is
3.69 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”.
These results imply that students are confident in their ability to learn and do
everything their teacher asks of them. Because of their self -confidence that they can do
everything, it has a positive effect on their tasks, not only in math activities, but also in
their performance task and summative tests.
In accordance with this, the findings of Arifin, Wahyudin and Herman (2021)
shows that students' self-efficacy in mathematics (SMSE) is high, and students'
mathematical understanding is positively connected (SMU). Furthermore, their findings

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shows that different levels of mathematics self-efficacy result in varying levels of
mathematical knowledge performance. Students with a high level of mathematics self-
efficacy outperform students with a medium or low level of mathematics self-efficacy on
a mathematical comprehension test. As a result, the outcome suggests that mathematics
self-efficacy may be the strongest predictor of student mathematics accomplishment,
particularly in the context of this study, which is the student's mathematical
comprehension.
self-efficacy in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students replied that
self-efficacy in this new normal is very important. Being confident that they can master the
lesson in mathematics helps them boost their morale and have faith in their ability that they
can do the task assigned to them.
Utility Value
Utility value refers to how the task relates to future goals. While students may not enjoy
an activity, they may value a later reward or outcome it produces. The mathematics motivation
of junior high school students amidst pandemic in terms of utility value are presented in Table
13
Table 13. The Mathematics Motivation of the of Junior

in terms of Utility Value
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Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. The math I learn relates to my
79 102 85 17 4 3.82 FT
personal goals.
2. I think about how the math I learn will
124 91 59 7 6 4.11 FT
be helpful to me.
3. I think about how I will use math I
105 94 73 12 3 4.00 FT
learn.
4. The math I learn is relevant to my life. 92 90 88 15 2 3.89 FT
5. The math I learn has practical value
94 109 67 10 7 3.95 FT
for me.
Legend:
It is manifested in Table 13 that the item statement “I think about how the math I learn
will be helpful to me” attained the highest computed weighted mean of 4.11 with a verbal
description of “frequently true of me” while the item statement “The math I learn relates to my
personal goals” got the lowest weighted mean of 3.82 with a verbal description of “frequently
true of me”. The overall computed mean for the table is 3.95 with a verbal description of
“frequently true of me.”
These results imply that the students often think about how they can apply what
they have learned in math. Because they knew that every lesson learned in math was
important that they can apply someday in their daily lives. In other words, they were
motivated to study math because they knew that there is a use for it in their lives.
In accordance with this, the findings of Dobie (2019b) emerge three primary
themes. The necessity of mathematics being helpful was first stressed by students. Second,
the students in this study had strong interdependent values, which included family and
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collaboration with others. Third, some students created linkages between their interrelated
values and the utility of mathematics, emphasizing how mathematics could be used to aid
others.
utility value in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students replied that
knowing why they should study mathematics is very important. It motivates them to study
mathematics if they know its actual usage in their lives and on how it can be useful for their
future and daily living.
The Mathematics Engagement of the of Junior High School Students Amidst

Pandemic
The Mathematics engagement of the of Junior High School students amidst
pandemic in this study can be described in terms of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and
social engagement.
The assessment of the Junior High School students amidst pandemic as regards
Mathematics engagement in terms of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social
engagement were presented in Tables 14 to 17.
Cognitive Engagement
Cognitive engagement refers to students using their deep learning strategies and
exerting the necessary cognitive strategies for the comprehension of complex ideas. The
mathematics engagement of the of Junior High School students amidst pandemic in terms of
cognitive engagement are presented in Table 14.

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Table 14. The Mathematics Engagement of the of Junior

in terms of Cognitive Engagement
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I go through the work for math class
76 115 77 14 5 3.85 FT
and make sure that it's right.
2. I think about different ways to solve a
93 109 74 9 2 3.98 FT
problem.
3. I try to connect what I am learning to
95 118 66 7 1 4.04 FT
things I have learned before.
4. I try to understand my mistakes when
131 98 49 6 3 4.21 AT
I get something wrong.
5. When work is hard, I try and try until
138 90 50 7 2 4.24 AT
I got the correct answer.
Legend:
It can be seen from Table 14 that all items indicated therein, including the computed
overall mean of 4.06 yielded the verbal description of “frequently true of me”. Further
analysis of the table shows that item statement “When work is hard, I try and try until I got
the correct answer” registered the highest computed weighted mean of 4.24 with a verbal
description of “always true of me”. On the other hand, item statement “I go through the
work for math class and make sure that it's right” garnered the lowest computed weighted
mean of 3.85 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”.
These results imply that the students gave their full attention to be able to answer
the tasks given to them by the math teacher. They did everything to learn the lessons in
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math, they were forced to identify their math deficiencies and solved them in any way they
could.
According to Hidayah, Sa’dijah, Subanji and Sudirman. (2021), cognitive
engagement of the students is very important in the learning process. And it can still be
done in online learning process. The task can be collected easily and effectively after
students’ intense discussion. They also discovered that many students ask or answer true
knowledge-based questions, but the students do not pursue further questions.
In accordance with this, the findings of Marpa (2016), students engaged in the
cognitive process, which means they desire to go beyond the basic requirements and still
want to face challenges. However, they are not emotionally engaged. In this respect, they
become less interested in the subject and have some reservations about mathematics.
cognitive engagement in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students
replied that no matter what happen they should learn mathematics even in this time of
pandemic, so that they will do their best in accomplishing every task given to them
correctly.
Behavioral Engagement
Behavioral engagement refers to the Junior High School students’ involvement in
academic and class-based activities, presence of positive conduct, and absence of disruptive
behavior. The mathematics engagement of the of Junior High School students amidst pandemic
in terms of behavioral engagement are presented in Table 15.

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Table 15. The Mathematics Engagement of the of Junior High

in terms of Behavioral Engagement
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I stay focused in my modules in Math. 76 113 84 9 5 3.86 FT
2. I put effort into learning math. 107 105 67 6 2 4.08 FT
3. I keep trying even if something is
122 108 48 8 1 4.19 FT
hard.
4. I complete my homework on time. 97 90 85 11 4 3.92 FT
5. I talk about math with my family and
61 88 81 35 22 3.46 FT
friends.
Legend:
It is detailed in Table 15 that the item statement “I keep trying even if something is
hard” obtained the highest weighted mean of 4.19 with a verbal description of “frequently
true of me” while the item statement “I talk about math with my family and friends” got
the lowest weighted mean of 3.46 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”. The
overall computed mean for this table is 3.90 with a verbal description of “frequently true
of me”.
These results imply that the students showed a positive outlook that no matter how
difficult math was they were willing to do anything so that it would be learned and answer
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the tasks assigned to them. The positive study habits of these students will give them the
courage not to fear but to love math.
According to Martin and Liem, (2010) as cited by Putwain, Nicholson, and Becker
(2018), students will not be able to receive instruction, extend or deepen their learning, or
receive feedback on their learning if they do not attend school regularly or actively
participate in lessons. Numerous studies using various indicators of behavioral engagement
in diverse samples of primary and secondary school students have supported this link.
Measures of persistence, participation, and involvement in secondary school students have
a positive correlation with standardized measures of numeracy and literacy.
Accordingly, Marpa (2016) concluded that students' mathematical learning
engagement can be predicted by their behavior toward mathematics and their teachers'
teaching competencies. This means that how they develop an enthusiasm for learning and
behave in class demonstrate their dedication to the subject. Similarly, the teaching abilities
of mathematics teachers in charge of mathematics classrooms encourage students to
actively participate in their mathematics lessons, thereby increasing their academic
performance.
behavioral engagement in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students
replied that behavioral engagement is important in the new normal because they have to
put enough effort, guts and positive behavior to study and learn mathematics.
Emotional Engagement
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Emotional engagement refers to the Junior High School students’ presence of positive
emotional reactions to teachers, peers, and classroom activities, as well as valuing learning and
having interest in the learning content. The mathematics engagement of the of junior high
school students amidst pandemic in terms of emotional engagement are presented in Table 16.

in terms of Emotional Engagement
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I enjoy learning new things about
110 99 64 9 5 4.05 FT
math.
2. I want to understand what is learned
99 99 70 13 6 3.95 FT
in math online class.
3. I feel good when I am answering
68 101 89 17 12 3.68 FT
Math modules.
4. I think that math online class is
74 85 91 25 12 3.64 FT
interesting.
5. I really care about learning math. 105 104 63 12 3 4.03 FT
Legend:
Table 16 revealed that the item statement “I enjoy learning new things about math”
obtained the highest weighted mean of 4.05 with a verbal description of “frequently true
of me” while the item statement “I think that math online class is interesting” got the lowest
weighted mean of 3.64 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”. The overall
computed mean for the table is 3.87 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me”.
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These results imply that the students love learning new arithmetic concepts and
were interested in doing so. They have a favorable attitude toward learning mathematics,
even if it was done online, and felt satisfaction once they have completed the modules.
According to Fanshawe, Burke, Tualaulelei, and Cameron (2020), students’
responses indicate that engagement occurs when support is provided across the dimensions
of content, learning behaviors, student collaboration, and social and emotional interactions.
Notably, their study highlighted that the students' need to feel emotionally connected to the
course to engage more meaningfully. Successful online teaching entails providing clear
and accessible content and demonstrating to students that the teachers care through
thoughtful and deliberate course design.
In accordance to this, Bishop and Kalogeropoulos (2015) discovered that features
of the classroom environment may promote or facilitate engagement behaviors. These may
include "social relationships, contexts, and tasks [as well as] pedagogical caring, parental
and peer support, poses challenges, autonomy - supportive, school environment, school
discipline and management approaches, and the existence of the academic work."
However, the extent to which these occur in a distant learning environment is likely to be
different.
emotional engagement in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students
replied that emotional engagement is important in the new normal because they need to see
mathematics in a good manner. For them to enjoy and learn math even it is modular or
online set up.

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Social Engagement
Social engagement refers to the Junior High School students’ quality of social
interactions with peers and adults, as well as the willingness to invest in the formation and
maintenance of relationships while learning. The mathematics engagement of the of Junior High
School students amidst pandemic in terms of social engagement are presented in Table 17.

in terms of Social Engagement
Responses = 287
5 4 3 2 1
1. I build on others' ideas. 76 105 87 14 5 3.81 FT
2. I try to understand other people's ideas
100 111 65 7 4 4.03 FT
in math class.
3. I try to work with others who can help
98 115 58 12 4 4.01 FT
me in math.
4. I try to help others who are struggling
90 101 75 11 10 3.87 FT
in math.
5. I care about other people's Math ideas. 101 110 60 11 5 4.01 FT
Legend:
It can be noticed from Table 17 that all items indicated therein, including the
computed overall mean of 3.95 garnered a verbal description of “frequently true of me”.
Further perusal of the table reveals that item statement “I try to understand other people's
ideas in math class” yielded the highest computed weighted mean of 4.03 with a verbal
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description of “frequently true of me”. On the other hand, item statement “I build on others'
ideas” received the lowest computed weighted mean of 3.81 with a verbal description of
“frequently true of me”.
These results imply that the students sympathized with their classmates. By
working together whenever they have an unintelligible math lesson, they can overcome it
with ease. They knew each other's abilities, who to approach for help and who needed help.
According to Wang et al. (2016), as cited by Tuovinen, Tang, and Salmela-Aro
(2020) social engagement is defined as social interactions with peers and adults, as well as
the willingness to maintain the relationships while learning. For example, it can include
participating in a discussion or listening to one's peers, but it can also include working
cohesively, respectfully, and supporting the learning of other students.
In the conducted interview, students were asked, "How important is social
engagement in studying Mathematics in this new normal?”. These students responded that
social engagement is important in the new normal because interacting with one another and
sharing different ideas about mathematics will help them solve problems and complete
tasks correctly.
The Relationship between the Junior High School Students’ Self-Leadership Skills
and their Mathematics Motivation amidst Pandemic
Table 18 exhibits the results of the correlation analysis which was done to
determine if significant relationship existed between the junior high school students’ self-
leadership learning skills and their Mathematics motivation amidst pandemic.

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Table 18. Results of the Correlation Analysis on the Relationship

between the Junior High School Students’ Self-Leadership
Learning Skills and their Mathematics Motivation
amidst Pandemic
Mathematics Motivation
Self-Leadership Learning Skills intrinsic self- self- utility
value regulation efficacy value
visualizing successful performance 0.547** 0.650** 0.653** 0.554**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
self-goal setting 0.616** 0.666** 0.651** 0.645**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
self-reward 0.431** 0.589** 0.473** 0.448**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
self-observation 0.502** 0.632** 0.612** 0.549**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
Legend: ** = highly significant (p≤0.01) Numbers in the upper entry are correlation values (r-values)
Numbers enclosed in parentheses are probability values (p-values)
It can be noted from the table that highly significant relationship was found between
the Junior High School students’ self-leadership learning skills (visualizing successful
performance, self-goal setting, self-reward and self-observation) and their Mathematics
motivation (intrinsic value, self-regulation, self-efficacy and utility value) amidst
pandemic. This highly significant relationship was brought about by the fact that the
computed probability value (p=0.000) for these variables is less than the 0.01 significance
level. Further perusal of the tabulated results reveals that direct or positive relationship (as
implied by the positive sign of the correlation values that ranged from 0.431 to 0.666)
existed between the variables.
These findings imply that as Junior high school students' self-leadership learning
skills in terms of visualizing successful performance, self-goal setting, self-reward, and
self-observation improve, so does their Mathematics motivation in terms of intrinsic value,
self-regulation, self-efficacy, and utility value. Furthermore, when students can influence
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themselves to achieve the self-direction and self-motivation required to behave and
perform in desirable ways, they are in the internal state where they can initiate and maintain
goal-directed behavior in completing Math tasks.
Motivation, according to Verreland et al. (2018), is a catalyst for human activity.
Because of its importance in understanding the learning process, it is one of the most
researched constructs in educational psychology. Motivation is defined as the ability to
direct one's actions and feelings about what to do. It is the presence of conduct as a result
of academic accomplishment and functioning. Motivation is a multidimensional entity that
includes beliefs, objectives, values, desires, needs, and emotions.
self-leadership learning skills in your mathematics motivation in this new normal?”. These
students replied “Self-leadership learning skills help me with my interest in learning Math,
by giving me a guide to properly planning how I will study our math lesson and it gives me
direction to be more focused to my study”.
The Relationship between the Junior High School Students’ Self-Directed Learning
Skills and their Mathematics Motivation amidst Pandemic
Table 19 displays the findings of a correlation analysis conducted to determine
whether a significant relationship existed between junior high school students' self-directed
learning skills and their Mathematics motivation amidst pandemic.

between the Junior High School Students’ Self-Directed
Learning Skills and their Mathematics Motivation
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amidst Pandemic
Self-Directed Learning Skills intrinsic self- self- utility
value regulation efficacy value
assignment management 0.545** 0.563** 0.586** 0.500**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
time management 0.622** 0.680** 0.613** 0.562**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
stress management 0.530** 0.600** 0.525** 0.580**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
procrastination management 0.393** 0.586** 0.553** 0.439**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
It can be observed from the table that highly significant relationship was found
between the Junior High School students’ self-directed learning skills in terms of
assignment management, time management, stress management, and procrastination
management and their Mathematics motivation in terms of intrinsic value, self-regulation,
self-efficacy, and utility value. This significant relationship was manifested by the
computed probability values for these variables which are all equal to 0.000 and smaller
than the 0.01 significance level.
Further observation of the tabulated findings shows that direct relationship existed
between the variables as indicated by the positive sign of the computed correlation values
that ranged from 0.393 to 0.680.
These findings imply that as students' self-directed learning skills in terms of
management improve, so does their Mathematics motivation in terms of intrinsic value,
self-regulation, self-efficacy, and utility value. Furthermore, when students have the ability
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to decide with or without the assistance of others, to determine what student needs for
learning, to express learning achievements clearly and implicitly, to select and implement
appropriate learning strategies, and to assess learning outcomes, they are in the internal
state that allows them to initiate and maintain goal-directed behavior in completing Math
tasks.
Motivated students, according to Harnett (2016), are persistent. They stick with a
task, trying different approaches and strategies, asking themselves and other questions until
they reach an acceptable solution (intrinsic satisfaction), whether correct or incorrect. They
return to the task when necessary, willing to rethink their solution process until they reach
an accurate solution. To encourage persistence in our students, our lessons should provide
the appropriate level of challenge. Tasks should be challenging but not overwhelming for
students. We must give students enough time to complete the assignment. Good tasks will
most likely take more time. Classwork and homework assignments must be carefully
chosen to allow students to reason about and make sense of the mathematics they are
learning. When possible, we should give students options so that they can choose an
assignment that interests them.
Accordingly, Ahmad, Batool, and Hussain Ch. (2019) stated that mismanagement
will have an impact on students' academic achievement. To improve learner performance
and accomplishments, we should concentrate on managing time, which is essential in
learning. If students are to survive, they must be able to manage their time effective manner.
Even so, we could indeed state that time management is a skill that every learner must
acquire in order to achieve better performance in their tasks.

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self-directed learning skills in your mathematics motivation in this new normal?”. These
students replied “Self-directed learning skills are important in my mathematics motivation
in this pandemic so that I can see what I can and cannot do from our math tasks. Here I
can also see how I can use my time well in studying our lesson and in answering our tests
in mathematics”.
The Relationship between the Junior High School Students’ Self-Leadership Skills
and their Mathematics Engagement amidst Pandemic
Table 20 displays the results of a correlation analysis conducted to determine
whether a significant relationship existed between junior high school students' self-
leadership learning skills and their Mathematics engagement during the pandemic.

between the Junior High School Students’ Self-Leadership
Learning Skills and their Mathematics Engagement
amidst Pandemic
Mathematics Engagement
Self-Leadership Learning
cognitive behavioral emotional social
Skills
engagement engagement engagement engagement
visualizing successful 0.642** 0.644** 0.609** 0.537**
performance (0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
self-goal setting 0.668** 0.708** 0.705** 0.587**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
self-reward 0.505** 0.542** 0.534** 0.561**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
self-observation 0.560** 0.603** 0.604** 0.565**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
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The table shows a highly significant relationship between Junior High School
students' self-leadership learning skills (visualizing successful performance, self-goal
setting, self-reward, and self-observation) and their Mathematics engagement (cognitive
engagement, behavioral engagement, emotional engagement, and social engagement)
during the pandemic. The computed probability value (p=0.000) for these variables is less
than the 0.01 significance level, resulting in this highly significant relationship. A closer
look at the tabulated results reveals that the variables had a direct or positive relationship
(as indicated by the positive sign of the correlation values, which ranged from 0.505 to
0.708).
These findings imply that as students' self-leadership learning skills in terms of
visualizing successful performance, self-goal setting, self-reward, and self-observation
improve, so does their Mathematics engagement (cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and
social engagement) during the pandemic. Furthermore, when students can influence
themselves to achieve the self-direction and self-motivation required to behave and
perform in desirable ways, they can engage in classroom mathematical activity and
committed to learning the mathematical content.
Young children are naturally curious about the world, according to Lazowski and
Hulleman (2016). Students are interested and want to learn when their curiosity is
encouraged, and they have the opportunity to explore mathematics in the context of their
world. Too often, when children enter school, they lose the gift of curiosity. In the student's
mind, the goal is to get the correct answer or to do what the teacher says. From preschool
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to high school, we must consider how we structure our lessons and present tasks to
encourage students to retain their natural curiosity.
Meanwhile, student engagement is critical for successful learning, student
achievement, and well-being. "Flexibility in problem solving, a propensity for hard work,
and positive coping in the face of failure" are all examples of cognitive engagement.
Students' emotive reactions, including as curiosity, boredom, happiness, grief, and worry,
are referred to as emotional involvement. Participation in learning tasks and behaviors such
as effort, persistence, attention, and contributing to class discussion are all examples of
behavioral engagement. These aspects of engagement are characterized as "an emotional
interest or dedication to an item" when taken together. Students who are disengaged are at
risk of poor academic performance and social outcomes (Hancock & Zubrick, 2015).
self-leadership learning skills in your mathematics engagement in this new normal?”.
These students replied, “It is important for us to learn self-leadership learning skills in
order to continue to enjoy learning Mathematics and to give us a deep reason to improve
our learning.”
The Relationship between the Junior High School Students’ Self-Directed Learning
Skills and their Mathematics Engagement amidst Pandemic
Table 21 shows the results of a correlation analysis performed to see if there was a
significant relationship between junior high school students' self-directed learning skills
and their Mathematics engagement amidst pandemic.

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between the Junior High School Students’ Self-Directed

Learning Skills and their Mathematics Engagement
amidst Pandemic
Mathematics Engagement
Self-Directed Learning Skills cognitive behavioral emotional social
engagement engagement engagement engagement
assignment management 0.577** 0.619** 0.581** 0.492**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
time management 0.648** 0.680** 0.608** 0.579**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
stress management 0.584** 0.576** 0.577** 0.587**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
procrastination management 0.489** 0.508** 0.478** 0.563**
(0.000) (0.000) (0.000) (0.000)
The table demonstrates a highly significant relationship between Junior High
School students' self-directed learning skills in terms of assignment management, time
management, stress management, and procrastination management and their Mathematics
engagement in terms of cognitive engagement, behavioral engagement, emotional
engagement, and social engagement amidst pandemic. The computed probability value
(p=0.000) for these variables is less than the 0.01 significance level, resulting in this highly
significant relationship. A closer examination of the tabulated results reveals that the
variables had a direct or positive relationship (as indicated by the positive sign of the
correlation values, which ranged from 0.478 to 0.680). This suggests that as students' self-
leadership learning skills improve, so does their level of mathematics engagement.
These findings imply that as students' self-directed learning skills in terms of
management improve, so does their Mathematics engagement (cognitive, behavioral,

ISSN: 2643-9123
emotional, and social engagement) during the pandemic. Furthermore, when students have
the ability to decide with or without the assistance of others, to determine what student
needs for learning, to express learning achievements clearly and implicitly, to select and
implement appropriate learning strategies, and to assess learning outcomes, they can
already engage in classroom mathematical activity and are committed to learning the
mathematical content.
Stay-at-home orders, according to Duffy et al. (2018), can be expected to have a
strong impact on feelings of social integration because they result in a significant decrease
in social interactions with fellow students and faculty members. As a result, they
hypothesize that students with higher levels of social integration will experience a drop in
academic motivation following stay-at-home orders. This may be especially true for
students who have a high level of extraversion and enjoy social interaction.
Furthermore, working from home may place new demands on students' skills.
Students with higher levels of self-leadership and self-directed learning outperform their
peers with lower levels of self-directed learning (Duckworth, 2019). These abilities may
be even more important in distance education, and thus in stay-at-home situations.
Academic procrastination, which impairs academic performance in normal school settings
(Kim & Seo, 2015), may be more strongly related to performance during school closure,
when normal routines of lectures and seminars cease to be a trigger for study activities,
resulting in more opportunities for procrastination. However, conscientiousness, a
personality attribute linked to academic performance, may be more important in situations
were working alone is required rather than studying on campus (Furnham et al., 2018).
ISSN: 2643-9123
self-directed learning skills in your mathematics engagement in this new normal?”. These
students replied, “Self-directed learning skills are important in continuing to enjoy
learning math so that we can weigh our ability to answer tasks and know what our
limitations are and when we need our teacher's help”.
Intervention/s or Programs of Activities could be Crafted from the Result of the Study
Results of this study revealed that as the junior high school students’ self-leadership
and directed learning skills increases, their mathematics motivation and engagement will
ISSN: 2643-9123
also increase. The researcher identified that the lowest overall mean in self-leadership
learnings skills was self-observation and the lowest overall mean in self-directed learning
skills was procrastination management. Hence, on a matrix below, the researcher proposed
an action plan that will help students increase their self-observation and procrastination
management skills.
Table 22. Proposed Action Plan based from the Result of the Study
Objective Action Timeline Persons Involved Expected

Outcome
Develop Conduct a webinar Quarterly Researcher, Increased
students’ self- on students’ self- in School School heads, students’
observation to awareness towards Year Head teacher mathematics
increase their Mathematics 2022- Subject teachers, motivation
mathematics ➢ Create self- 2023 Homeroom and
motivation and evaluation adviser, engagement
engagement checklist Parents/Guardian,
and Students
Develop the ➢ Conduct a series Quarterly Researcher, Improve
students’ of online in School Homeroom students’
procrastination consultations and Year adviser, performance
management to follow ups on 2022- Parents/Guardian, as reflected in
increase their student’s task 2023 and Students their
mathematics accomplishments performance
motivation and tasks and
engagement summative
➢ Make a study Weekly tests
planner (It is
composed of
days from
Monday to
Sunday and time
from 6am to 9pm
onwards)
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary of the major findings, the conclusions arrived
at based on the findings, and the recommendations given in accordance with the
conclusions.
Findings
This study determined the junior high school students’ self-leadership and directed
learning skills on motivation and engagement in mathematics amidst pandemic in the
Municipality of Bustos, Bulacan during the School Year 2020-2021.
Using the procedures described in the preceding chapter, the answers to the
problems raised in this study were ascertained and summarized as follows: Findings
revealed that the self-leadership learning skills of the of junior high school students amidst
pandemic in terms of visualizing successful performance, self-goal setting, self-reward,
and self-observation was described as “frequently true of me”. On the other hand, the
students’ self-directed learning skills in terms of assignment, time, stress, and
procrastination management was described as “agree”.
The mathematics motivation of the junior high school students amidst pandemic in
terms of intrinsic value, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and utility value was described as
“frequently true of me”. Similarly, the students’ mathematics engagement in terms of
cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social engagement was also described as “frequently
true of me”.
A highly significant relationship was mathematics engagement in terms of
found between the junior high school cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social
students’ self-leadership learning skills in engagement.
terms of visualizing successful performance, A highly significant relationship was
self-goal setting, self-reward, and self- found between the junior high school
observation and their mathematics students’ self-directed learning skills in terms
motivation in terms of intrinsic value, self- of assignment, time, stress, and
regulation, self-efficacy and utility value procrastination management and their
amidst pandemic. mathematics engagement in terms of
Similarly, a highly significant cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social
relationship was found between the junior engagement.
high school students’ self-directed learning
skills in terms of assignment, time, stress, and Conclusions
procrastination management and in their Based on the findings of the study, the
mathematics motivation in terms of intrinsic following conclusions were drawn: There
value, self-regulation, self-efficacy and is significant relationship between the junior
utility value amidst pandemic. high school students’ self-leadership learning
Likewise, a highly significant skills and their mathematics motivation
relationship was also found between the amidst pandemic. The higher is the students’
junior high school students’ self-leadership self-leadership learning skills, the better is
learning skills in terms of visualizing their mathematics motivation.
successful performance, self-goal setting, There is significant relationship
self-reward, and self-observation and their between the junior high school students’ self-
directed learning skills and their mathematics 1. Since in self-leadership and
motivation amidst pandemic. The more self- directed learning skills of the
directed learning skills of the students, the students in terms of self-
higher is their mathematics motivation. observation and procrastination
There is significant relationship management is quite low
between the junior high school students’ self- respectively, the teacher should
leadership learning skills and their coordinate to the principal,
Mathematics engagement amidst pandemic. parents/guardians and to the
As the students’ self-leadership learning students and may conduct an
skills increases, their mathematics online webinar or consultation on
engagement also increases. how students can develop their
In the midst of the pandemic, there is self-observation and
a significant relationship between junior high procrastination management
school students’ self-directed learning skills towards mathematics.
and their mathematical engagement. 2. Through a series of online
Students’ mathematical engagement grows as consultations and ongoing follow-
their self-directed learning skills improve. up on the students’ given tasks,
teachers and parents can
Recommendations collaborate on how to boost
In light of the findings and students’ mathematical
conclusions of the study, the following motivation and engagement.
recommendations were drawn: 3. For future researchers, further
research along this line could be

conducted. Similar study could be
conducted in the senior high
school to validate the significance
of self-observation and
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Students' Self Leadership and Directed Learning Skills On Motivation and Engagement in Mathematics Amidst Pandemic

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International Journal of Academic and Pedagogical Research (IJAPR)

STUDENTS’ SELF LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTED LEARNING

1Teacher I, Alexis G. Santos National High School

self-directed learning skills in terms of assignment management, time management, stress

management, and procrastination management and their Mathematics motivation in terms of

terms of assignment management, time management, stress management, and procrastination

management and their Mathematics engagement amidst pandemic.

Keywords: self -leadership learning skills, self-directed learning skills,

Background of the Study

proficient in Mathematics, so their knowledge is lacking or insufficient. That is why

fail to perform the task.

Motivation is a catalyst of human behavior. It is one of the most studied constructs

in educational psychology because of its importance in understanding learning process. In

presence behavior due to academic functioning and success. Motivation is not a

unidimensional concept; instead, it is a complex, multidimensional construct that

emotions (Verreland et al., 2018).

According to Mamolo (2022b) students in the online method of instruction had a

significant decline in motivation and self-efficacy while maintaining "High Anxiety,"

self-efficacy in mathematics decreased. This could be because, because everything takes

for help if they are having trouble with a topic.

Student’s learning engagement in mathematics can be predicted through their

commitment to the subject. Similarly, the teaching abilities of mathematics teachers in

charge of mathematics classrooms encourage students to participate actively in their

mathematics lessons, boosting their academic success (Marpa, 2016).

find acceptable (intrinsic satisfaction), whether it is correct or incorrect. When necessary,

that is particularly interesting to them (Hartnett, 2016).

According to Duffy et al, (2018), stay-at-home orders can be expected to strongly

situation. In particular, academic procrastination, which impairs academic performance in

Furthermore, conscientiousness, which is a personality trait often found to predict

than studying on campus (Furnham et al., 2018).

Meanwhile, student engagement, including cognitive, emotional and behavioral

engagement is fundamental to effective learning, student achievement and well-being.

Behavioral engagement includes involvement in learning tasks and behavior’s such as

effort, persistence, attention and contributing to class discussion. Collectively, these

dimensions of engagement have been defined as “an emotional involvement or

commitment to some object”. Disengaged students are at risk of lower academic

achievement and poorer social outcomes (Hancock & Zubrick, 2015).

Research suggests that engagement is malleable. For example, Bishop and

Kalogeropoulos (2015) found that mathematics students labelled by their teachers as

Engagement behaviors may be promoted or facilitated by features of the classroom

environment as compared to the classroom face-to-face environment. He explained that

and academic success in the course.

Engagement in math classes is a key contributing factor to adolescents' academic

STEM pipeline, conceptualizing and measuring “student engagement” is needed

appropriately. Unfortunately, research in this area has been hindered by inconsistencies in

Despite these variations, there is growing consensus that engagement is a multidimensional

Learner engagement is regarded as a way of addressing problems and emotional

dispositions such as demotivation, anxiousness, and disengagement that learners often

dispositions in an endeavor to encourage learners to accomplish learning tasks, persist in

tasks (Halverson and Graham, 2019).

Previous research has shown that student engagement is a strong predictor of

courses and career aspirations within STEM-related fields (Wang, 2018).

It is in this premise that researcher was motivated to undertake this research. It is

engagement in Mathematics in this new normal.

Statement of the Problem

This study determined the influence of self-leadership skills and self-directed

learning skills on motivation and engagement in Mathematics amidst pandemic of students

Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:

amidst pandemic be described in terms of:

1.1 visualizing successful performance;

1.2 self-goal setting;

1.3 self-reward; and

amidst pandemic be described in terms of: