FACTORS AFFECTING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

ON MATHEMATICS COURSES AMONG

BEED STUDENTS

SHERLINE T. GLORIA

BACHELOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

MAY 2023
 INTRODUCTION

Significance of the Study

Mathematics is a vital topic in the realm of education, and it plays

a critical role in the development of analytical and problem-solving abilities in

pupils. However, many students struggle with math classes, particularly at

higher education institutions. Math is thought to be extremely difficult for

pupils. Furthermore, mathematics is one of the most important problems in the

educational system, particularly in its teaching and comprehension.

The academic performance of students, some factors can affect their

performances in mathematics, and students who struggle in mathematics

subject may have trouble achieving their academic goals. In the study of

Kumah & Wonu (2022), many students found that they struggled in

mathematics at all levels of education and that is affecting their performance. It

shows that the factors were negatively correlated with the mathematics

performance of the students.

Moreover, many teachers find teaching mathematics to be a difficult

task since it requires a thorough knowledge of mathematics, strong

communication abilities, and the capacity to engage and motivate students.

Teachers who teach mathematics courses are the ones who are concerned

about those students who are facing challenges in learning mathematics. It

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can have many effects on the learning of students. As stated by Kusumadewi

and Retnawati (2020), teachers must focus their mathematics lessons on the

students' thought processes to help them develop their high-order thinking

skills.

With the factors faced by the students in mathematics that affect their

academic performance, the researcher will conduct this study which aims to

determine the factors affecting academic performance in the mathematics

course of BEED students. Further, the data that will be presented by this study

will encourage students and teachers to give focus on mathematics courses.

The aims of this study is to contribute research-based data and

knowledge on the possible factors affecting academic performance on

mathematics subject among USM BEED students.

Specifically, this study will be beneficial to various groups of people.

For the students, this study is essential for students as it provides

valuable insights into the factors that impact their academic performance in

mathematics courses. Through this study, students can decide regarding their

learning and identify effective strategies to improve their performance in these

courses.

For the educators, they can use this study to better understand and

develop the academic performance of students in mathematics courses.

Educators can use this information to adjust their teaching strategies and

methods.
 For the school, the results of this study could be used as support for the

school. Through this study, school can develop policies and programs that

support student learning and improve their academic.

For future researcher, this study can be used by other researchers as

reference material for conducting new research. It gives them a background or

an overview of the factors affecting academic performance on mathematics

among BEED students.

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Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study is to determine factors

affecting academic performance in mathematics courses among BEED

students.

Specifically, the study aims to:

1. determine the factors that affect the academic performance in mathematics

courses in terms of:

a. Student-related factors

b. Teacher-related factors

c. Home-related factors

d. School-related factors

2. determine the Grade Weighted Average (GWA) of mathematics subjects of

the respondent.

3. determine the significant relationship between the factors affecting the

academic performance in mathematics courses and the Grade Weighted

Average (GWA) of the respondent.

Expected Outputs of the Study

 This study is expected an outcome that will produce factual and reliable

results in determining the factors that affect the academic performance of

mathematics courses among BEED students.

Place and Time of the Study

This study will be conducted at the College of Education University of

Southern Mindanao, Kabacan, North Cotabato from August – December

2023.

Operational Definition of Terms

For a factual understanding of the terms used in the study, the following

is defined operationally:

Academic Performance – is the measurement of a student’s academic

achievement.

Factors – refers to various factors that can affect a student’s academic

performance. These can include student-related factors and teacher-

related factors.

Grade Weighted Mean (GWA) – refers to the general average that a learner

achieves. In this study, it is the achievement of students in

mathematics subject.
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Mathematics courses – a subject that includes Mathematics in the Modern

World and Applied Statistics.

Student-related factors – refer to characteristics of the students that affect

their academic performance.

Teacher-related factors – refer to characteristics of teachers that affect the

academic performance of the students.

The Hypothesis of the Study

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between factors affecting academic

performance in mathematics courses among BEED students.

Theoretical Framework

This study was supported by the Theory of Educational Productivity that

was pioneered by Herbert J. Walberg in 1981.

Walberg’s theory is about factors influencing learning that affects the

academic performance of students. It is an exploration of academic

achievement wherein Walberg used a variety of methods how to identify the

factors that affect the academic performance of a student. His theory can be

related to the student-related, teacher-related, home-related, and school-

related factors that influence academic performance.

In student-related factors, Walberg’s theory reflects the characteristics

and abilities of the student that influence their academic performance. There

are student-related factors that influence academic performance such as study

habits, motivation, ability, and prior knowledge. In teacher-related factors,

Walberg’s theory reflects the instruction that emphasizes the role of effective

teaching practices. This includes providing direct instruction and feedback and

using formative assessment. Further, in home-related factors, Walberg’s

theory emphasizes the importance of creating and supportive learning

environment, which can help to make less the negative home-related factors

on student performance. Parental involvement and family support are the

home-related factors that play a role in academic performance. Lastly, school-

related factors, Walberg’s theory acknowledges the importance of school-

related factors, such as school culture, educational resources, and quality of

school leadership. By creating an effective learning environment, schools can

help to enhance student performance and increase educational productivity.

The educational Productivity of Walberg's theory sought to explain

student performance. He emphasizes the need to consider student-related,

teacher-related, home-related, and school-related factors to give focus on the

academic performance of students and increase educational productivity.

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Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Student-Related Factors
Academic Performance
Teacher-Related
Factors
on Mathematics Courses
Home-Related Factors
School-Related Factors

Figure 1. Schematic diagram showing the student-related factors, teacher-

related factors, home-related factors and school-related factors affecting the

academic performance of mathematics courses among BEED students.

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Academic Performance on Mathematics Subjects

One of the issues in the educational system is the teaching and

understanding of mathematics. According to Guinocor et al. (2020), many

scholars are working hard to identify the factors that affect students'

performance on this topic. But, it shows that there is a significant positive and

highly correlated relationship between the Grade Point Average (GPA) of

students and their academic performance in mathematics topics. Also,

programs for teaching mathematics were discovered in some circumstances

that could improve student motivation to learn mathematics and improve

student academic performance in mathematics Forsström & Kaufmann (2018).

As stated by Mijares (2022) the learners perceived attitudes toward

Mathematics are not significantly affecting their academic performance in

mathematics. However, in the students’ anxiety levels between the students’

mathematics academic performance, there was a weak positive correlation

Siaw et al, (2020). Wong & Wong (2019) mentioned the importance of interest

among students with lower mathematics performance given its strong

relationship to mathematics performance. It showed significant differences in

the academic performance of students taught using DI and those taught using
traditional methods, with those students, taught using DI performing much

better academically. It showed that there were no significant academic

performance differences between male and female students taught using DI.

Also, it has implications on theory and practice concerning the teaching of

academically diverse mathematics students in universities Rudhumbu & Dziva

(2023).

Factors that Affect Academic Performance

Student-related factors. The academic performance of students can

be influenced by various student-related factors. As stated by Pasha et al.

(2019), School resources are seen as sufficient by students, and they are

achieving satisfactory marks in mathematics. There is an influence of school-

based factors on students' mathematics achievement, but the factors

influencing the failure rate are not correlated with students' perceptions of

studying mathematics Casinillo (2019).

As Budul (2021) mentioned, the determinants of students' success

include a lack of a strong background in mathematics, a lack of study habits,

not securing placement in the right department, and not being academically

prepared to study mathematics. Further, the relationship between the student

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and teacher in academic areas must be interactive for the students to increase

their learning performance through self-effort Khan & Golder (2020).

Teacher-related factors. Teachers play a crucial role in shaping

students’ academic performance. According to Xiang et al., (2019), it has been

shown that the impact of learning initiatives on a student's learning is mainly

influenced by their strengths and weaknesses in mathematics. It has been

found that teachers' affective support is positively correlated with students'

cognition and self-efficacy in learning. Ren and Smith (2018) mentioned that

there is a significant correlation between teachers' mathematical knowledge

for teaching, teacher-centered beliefs, motivation in learning math, and anxiety

toward learning math that is related to teachers' mathematical knowledge for

teaching.

Chand et al, (2021) discovered that students had a negative attitude

and perception toward mathematics. In addition, the students believed that

their mathematics teachers had a positive outlook toward teaching

mathematics and possessed the necessary qualifications to teach

mathematics at the secondary school level. This perception extended to the

teacher's teaching style and ability to convey the subject matter effectively.

Further, Yu & Singh (2018) stated that the conceptual teaching of mathematics

has a positive impact on the achievement of students in mathematics, while

procedural instruction harms student achievement in mathematics. Support

from teachers has an indirect impact on students' mathematics performance

through their perceptions of their mathematical competence. It also has an

impact on students' interest in mathematics courses.

Home-related factors. The home environment plays a significant role

in shaping a student’s motivation, and support system, and potentially

impacting their academic achievement. Karki (2018) found that the home

environment is key to good student achievement, as it affects the performance

of girls in mathematics. Factors such as lack of time, resources, occupation of

parents, income, household workload, and parental behavior limit students'

ability to study at home.

In addition, it was found that there is a relationship between a home

learning environment and a student’s performance in mathematics at the

secondary level, which states that those students perform poorly at the

secondary level in mathematics as a result of poor performance in

mathematics by Etshiano et al., (2021). As stated by Geesa et al. (2019),

education opportunities and resources are necessary for students to meet

their educational needs to acquire knowledge, skills, and abilities. It has been

shown that both home resources and students’ attitudes toward mathematics

were positively and significantly related to their achievement in mathematics.

There was an interesting pattern emerging from the data, as Turkish students’

attitudes towards mathematics were higher than those of students from South

Korea and the United States, but their mathematics achievement scores were

lower than theirs.

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School-related factors. Many studies have explored the factors that

influence academic performance, with a particular focus on school-related

factors. Rana 2021 identified a lack of peer contact in mathematics as the

main reason behind the problem. Primary school education can be affected by

factors such as the classroom, the absence of an appropriate textbook, poor

classroom management, the incompetence of the teacher, the high number of

students in a mathematics class, the absence of teaching methods and

materials, and the incompetence of the teacher. Additionally, factors unrelated

to the classroom, such as the learner’s interest level, the environment in which

they live, their parent’s education level, and their prior knowledge of the

subject, can also affect students’ progress in mathematics. Karki (2018)

revealed that the student’s home environment is the key factor in good student

achievement due to the lack of time to study their lessons at home, the lack of

necessary resources, the occupation of their parents, their income, household

workload, and the parents’ behavior.

As stated by Tomul et al. (2021), all of the attributes related to students,

families, and schools were fully related to achievement. The student-related

variables accounted for the majority of the variance in the achievement

scores. Several factors contributed to the variation in students’ math

achievement across all schools, but student confidence in mathematics

accounted for almost all of the variance in students’ math achievement across

all schools. These factors included early numeracy tasks, absenteeism from
school, parents’ high educational and occupational levels, and early numeracy

activities before school.

As Thagurathi and Ijmtst (2022) stated that the factors affecting Grade

10 pupils’ mathematics performance show that in some schools, particularly

those with community backgrounds, math performance is not sufficient. There

was a difference between the mathematics performance of students in

community schools and those in institutional schools. However, it has been

found that schools whose pupils are not provided with a comfortable study

environment have a detrimental effect on the academic performance of their

pupils.

Aru and Kale (2019), indicate that it has been found that school-related

factors, as well as early learning experiences, have a profound effect on math

achievement at a student’s level, as are the learning resources at home,

communication between parent-child on homework and assignments, early

childhood activities with parents, and the skills that are acquired throughout

these years. In primary school students, these skills were found to have

statistically significant effects on their math academic achievement scores.

Factors Affecting Academic Performance on Mathematics

Course
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According to Wijaya et al. (2023), mathematics education doctoral

students in Indonesia experienced the greatest positive impact on their

academic performance from teacher support. In addition, student engagement

was found to be the most important factor in improving their well-being, while

parental support was the most effective way to reduce their stress levels.

Kapur (2018) states that various factors affect academic performance, such as

the number of students in a class and parental involvement. Additionally,

school-related factors play a significant role in student's academic

achievement, while poverty and other factors can contribute to lower academic

performance. Aquino (2019) suggests that strategies for parental involvement,

such as mentoring, parental involvement initiatives, awarding schemes, and

achievement recognition, have an impact on student's academic performance

in Mathematics, but the effect is not considerable. The study of Iddrisu et al.

(2023) found that student's academic performance in mathematics was

influenced by several factors, including their willingness to learn the subject,

their perception of its difficulty, their readiness to use the available teaching

and learning materials, their relationship with mathematics teachers, and their

attentiveness during mathematics lessons.

Mazana et al. (2019), students tend to have a favorable attitude toward

mathematics at the beginning of their education, but this attitude gradually

becomes less positive as they progress to higher levels. The study found a

significant, yet weak positive correlation between students' attitude towards

math and their performance in the subject. The enjoyment of mathematics and

attitude towards it were both found to be significant predictors of students'

performance. It identified several factors that influence students' liking or

disliking of mathematics, including their aptitude, instructional environment,

and social and psychological factors. Yusof et al. (2019) stated that the most

important factor in achieving success in mathematics is the attitude of the

students, rather than the type of learning or classroom environment.

Therefore, higher education institutions need to prioritize efforts towards

enhancing students' attitudes toward math and improving the quality of

student-centered learning at the university.

 METHODOLOGY

This chapter will present the methods to be employed in collecting and

analyzing the data that will be gathered in conducting the research.

Research Design

This study will use a quantitative design specifically, descriptive-

correlational research design. This study will be quantified through the

collection and analysis of data. A descriptive research design will be used to

determine the factors affecting academic performance in mathematics

courses and the Grade Weighted Average (GWA) of mathematics subjects

the respondents. To determine the significant relationship between the factors

affecting academic performance in mathematics courses and the Grade

Weighted Average (GWA) of the respondents, a correlational design will be

used.

Respondents of the study

The respondents to the study will be the one hundred twenty (120)

Bachelor of Elementary Education students at the University of Southern

Mindanao, specifically, third-year students who are taking up Bachelor of

Elementary Education at the University of Southern Mindanao who are

officially enrolled in the academic year 2023-2024.

Sampling Procedure

This study will employ stratified random sampling, with a quota

allocation of 30 respondents per section of third-year BEED students in the

College of Education of the University of Southern Mindanao.

Research Instrument

The researcher will utilize the survey questionnaire adapted from the

study "Factors Affecting Mathematics Performance" by Balbalosa (2010) and

“Factors Affecting Academic Performance” by Macasojot (2020). The data

collection questionnaire is divided into five parts. Part I, determine the Grade

Weighted Average (GWA) of the students in mathematics subjects. Part II of

the questionnaire deals with student-related factors. Part III of the

questionnaire deals with teacher-related factors. Part IV of the questionnaire

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deals with home-related factors. Part V of the questionnaire deals with school-

related factors.

Data Gathering Procedure

To gather the necessary data, the researcher will prepare a letter from

the Dean of the College of Education. Upon approval, the researcher

communicated with the BEED students at the school. The researcher will

distribute the questions to the respondents and give them enough time to

answer the questionnaire. The questionnaire is retrieved immediately. Finally,

the researcher recorded the necessary information.

Statistical Analysis

The responses to each item on the questionnaire will be tabulated and

accurately counted. The acquired data will be examined using descriptive

statistics such as weighted mean and percentage to present the score.

Pearson R will be used to determine the significant relationship between the

factors affecting academic performance in mathematics courses and the

Grade Weighted Average (GWA) of the respondent.

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