Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Education is unquestionably one of the most important components in creating the

human resources required for a nation's progress on all fronts. In a broad sense, education

refers to any activity that significantly influences how someone's cognitive, skill, and

attitude are developed. It is made up of many disciplines that everyone should be taught

and trained in. Mathematics is one of the most well-established fields and is taught in

schools all across the world.

In Asia, mathematics is one of the subjects that students are encouraged to excel

in. According to Wei et al., (2014) it is in this view that in most Asian countries, guiding

practices on children’s mathematics achievements are quite more vigorous. Practically

every field requires it as a subject. Yet, issues with arithmetic proficiency continue to

exist, not just in the Philippine context but also in other nations.

In the Philippines, mathematics is taught as a general education subject in both

primary and higher education, and students are expected to understand and appreciate its

principles as they are applied in problem-solving, critical thinking, communicating,

reasoning, making connections, representing ideas, and making decisions in everyday life

while using the appropriate technology (K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, 2013).

In present days, mathematics became one of the foundations for students’

achievement. Learning mathematics is a medium while experiencing circumstances in

life that required calculation; subsequently, math is vital particularly in an everyday

premise. Therefore, mathematics must be taught thoroughly, learned with accuracy and

with much profundity ( DepEd K-12 Curriculum, 2012).

Mathematics education under the “K to 12 education program” of the Philippines

aims to inculcate “critical thinking and problem-solving skills” among Filipino learners.

Through provision of a strong and solid curriculum content, allocation of mathematical

tools and teaching significant skills and processes, sharpening values and attitudes

and considering the background of the Filipino learners (Department of Education, 2013).

In the Filipino context, educational modules include a particular subject and instructional

plan requirements to enable students to develop the consistency and numerical skills

required to grasp the basic mathematical concepts. However, low performance in this

area is still noticeable.

The present curriculum K to 12 provides mathematical tasks under five content

areas: “number and number sense, measurement, geometry, patterns and algebra, and

probability and statistics” to cultivate and foster the decisive reasoning, problem solving

and critical thinking skills of Filipino leaners (DepEd, 2013). Henceforth, this objective

remains far from being accomplished in view of the fact that there are many elements or

factors that inhibit the pupils from effectively learning the mathematics subject. One of

the hindering factors is mathematics anxiety.

The Merriam Webster word reference characterizes anxiety or uneasiness as an

abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by

physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse), by self-doubt about one's

capacity to cope with it. Mutawah (2015) said, individuals who feel strain, worry, and
apprehension about circumstances that involves mathematics are said to have

mathematics anxiety.

In addition, Krinzinger et al., (2009) emphasized that mathematics anxiety,

specifically, is one component that impacts the learning and proficiency in mathematics

and can adversely affect a person’s underlying learning of mathematics, which leads to

low level of mathematical abilities, thus, can unfavorably affect longer-term vocation

decisions and professional achievement.

Standardized test results and assessments from international organizations over

the years show that students in elementary and high school still have a long way to go in

acquiring "critical thinking and problem-solving skills". Learning mathematics is

challenging for many Filipino students. In fact, the results of the National Achievement

Test (NAT), a standardized test given annually by the DepEd, demonstrated that many

Filipino students struggled in mathematics at both the elementary and high school levels

before the "K to 12 education program" was adopted in 2013 (DepEd, 2013). According

to Caube et al. (2019), who referenced The National Achievement Test in the Philippines

(2013), students in grades 3 and 6, as well as the fourth year of high school, scored poorly

on the mathematics portion of the test, with mean scores of 59.87, 66.47, and 46.37,

respectively. Their scores fell below of the minimum required mean percentage of 75

imposed by the DepEd.

Moreover, the World Economic Forum, 2018 (as cited by Caube et al., 2019) the

Philippines failed in terms of the standard of mathematics and science education, coming

in at 67th place out of 140 nations during the 2015–2016 period, according to the World

Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report; 79th out of 138 countries during the
period 2016-2017; and 76th out of 137 countries in 2017-2018. Even after switching from

the outdated Basic Education Program to the K–12 Education Program, the

aforementioned statistics are clear indications that Filipino students are struggling to

grasp the competences demanded of them by the mathematics curriculum. It appears that

some circumstances make it difficult for kids to learn the subject of mathematics. One of

these factors is mathematics anxiety. Mutawah, 2015 (as cited in Thompson et al., 2016)

defines mathematics anxiety “as feelings of tension or fear that appear when a person is

required to undertake a Mathematics performance task.” When given a mathematical task

or problem to complete or solve, a student with mathematics anxiety feels a certain level

of unease and distress.

Many studies indicated that mathematics anxiety negatively impacts mathematics

performance among leaners. That is, learners with high mathematics anxiety tend to

demonstrate dismal mathematics performance suggesting that more attention must be

given to mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance of learners (Widiasih et al.,

2018). With this, educators will be guided as to what pedagogical initiatives should be

undertaken, and to the kind of strategies, innovations, and interventions to be developed.

Taking into account the afore-mentioned related studies or literatures and the

alarming issues and concerns regarding mathematical anxiety, these help the researcher to

take an action and further study about the difficulties in mathematics of Grade VI pupils

of the schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya. Moreover, the researcher is will also

determine their performance of the pupils and how it is being affected by their

mathematical anxiety.
 This study also asserts that studying the connections between grade VI pupils’

level of mathematics anxiety and performance will help teachers teach mathematics in a

way that is less stressful for the students, fostering a positive learning environment and

increasing interest in mathematics among grade VI pupils.

Statement of the Problem

This research ascertains to identify the mathematical anxiety and mathematics

performance of grade six pupils of the schools division of Nueva Vizcaya, Northern

Districts during the academic year 2022-2023.

Specifically, this study seeks to answer the characteristic of the respondents in

terms of age, sex, type of school, ethnicity, honors received, parents educational

attainment, parents’ income, and parent’s occupation. It also aims to determine the level

of mathematical anxiety of the respondents, the mathematics performance of the

respondents, the significant difference in the level of mathematical anxiety of respondents

when grouped according to characteristic, the significant difference in the mathematics

performance of respondents when grouped according to characteristic and lastly,

significant relationship between respondents’ mathematics performance and their level of

mathematical anxiety.

Objectives of the Study

This study was conducted to identify the mathematical anxiety and performance

of grade six pupils of the schools division of Nueva Vizcaya, Northern Districts during

the academic year 2022-2023.

Specifically, attempted to determine:

 1. the characteristic of the respondents in terms of age, sex, type of school,

ethnicity, honors received, parents educational attainment, parents’ income, and

parent’s occupation;

2. the level of mathematical anxiety of the respondents, the mathematics

performance of respondents;

3. if there is a significant difference in the level of mathematical anxiety of

respondents when grouped according to characteristic;

4. if there is a significant difference in the mathematics performance of respondents

when grouped according to characteristic and;

5. if there is a significant relationship between respondents’ mathematics

performance and their level of mathematical anxiety.

Null Hypotheses of the Study

The assumption of the subsequent null hypotheses aided the proponent in completing

this research with adequate and reliable data.

1. there is no significant difference in the level of mathematical anxiety of

respondents when grouped according to characteristic.

2. there is no significant difference in the mathematics performance of respondents

when grouped according to characteristic.

3. there is no significant relationship between respondents’ mathematics

performance and their level of mathematical anxiety.

Significance of the Study

This study is significant in the educational community for several reasons. This

study is beneficial to the following:

Teachers. The results of this study will be used as a springboard for

developing teaching-learning strategies and guiding principles that would further

develop and improve the mathematics teaching-learning process, such as creating

an environment that supports each individual's strengths and accomplishments

and takes into account a variety of learning styles.

Curriculum Planners. The findings of this study would aid in identifying

potential improvements or revisions to the mathematics curriculum guide.

School Heads. The outcome of this study would offer essential data and

information valuable in the creation of an organized mathematics course and plan

of action towards a sound and balanced activity geared to a effective mathematics

program. With these objectives, the school principal can provide administrative

assistance for the teaching of mathematics to the teacher and students in a way

that will benefit both parties.

Parents. The findings of this study will help them better understand their

childrens' beliefs, abilities, and challenges in mathematics in school so they can

provide guidance and take proactive steps to inspire and enhance their childrens'

self-confidence.

Pupils. Students will learn more from the study's findings regarding

mathematical anxiety and how to handle it in order to do better in mathematics.

 Future Researcher. Researchers who may conduct parallel studies may

find the results of this study relevant as a basis or reference in making related

studies associated with mathematical anxiety and performance of students.

Scope and Delimitation

This study limits its scope on the mathematical anxiety and mathematics

performance of grade VI pupils of the schools division of Nueva Vizcaya, Northern

Districts of the academic year 2022-2023

The following factors were considered in this study, respondents-related factors

such as age, sex, type of school, ethnicity, honor’s received, parents educational

attainment, parents’ income, and parent’s occupation, the level of mathematical anxiety

and mathematics performance.

Conceptual Framework of the Study

Guinocor et al., (2020) conformed to the call of New Philippine Constitution's,

Article XIV, Section 10, which declares that “Science and Technology are fundamental

for national advancement and progress. The state will offer need to innovative work,

creation, development, and their usage and science and innovation, instruction, preparing,

and benefits”. Science and technology, when examined, are inseparable, as everyone is

aware, mathematics serves as the master and steward of sciences.

Unquestionably fundamental in many areas of study, mathematics is used in many

aspects of daily life. Lee- Chua (2005) expounded that the United States, Singapore,

Japan, China, and other countries with high mathematics literacy rates are more

prosperous economically than their counterparts in third-world nations. This may

reinforce the notion that the nation's slow economic growth is a result of the

underdeveloped fields of science, technology, and mathematics.

In the Philippines, one cannot deny the fact that yearly the educational institutions

across the archipelago are producing mathematically unequipped graduates. Both results

in the Trends for International Mathematics & Science Studies (TIMSS) in 1999 and

2003 were unsatisfactory which placed the country in the underachievers in the said

examinations.

Moreover, the National Achievement Test (NAT), which is given countrywide

every year, gave Magpet National High School the following Mean Percentage Scores

(MPS): in SY: 2012-2013- 61.56; SY: 2013-2014- 55.26; SY: 2014-2015- 45.65.

Furtherr, 50.55 is the MPS for mathematics in 2015. According to the statistics, the MPS

for the school's previous years was declining. The outcome is below the passing rate,
which is 75%, and indicates that students struggled with the subject, which is alarming

and a common occurrence. It is considered that majority of the pupils feel tough and

tiresome to handle the subject. So, it presents a significant challenge for the teachers to

address these issues in the classroom with a variety of strategies. One of these is that a

teacher needs to include cooperative learning, such as the reciprocal learning technique,

in the classroom (Braza and Supapo, 2014).

Gender has been linked to mathematical anxiety. In a survey of 885 students,

done by Science Daily, 2009, it was discovered that male students experienced less

anxiety when dealing with mathematical tasks than female students, with a contrast of

47% for male and 62% for female. Male pupils were more confident and motivated in

mathematics than female.

According to Curtain-Phillips (1999), there are three tactics used in the typical

mathematics classroom that greatly increase student anxiety. These are, imposed

authority, public exposure, and timed deadlines. She pointed out that teaching strategies

need to be reconsidered, and more attention should be put on the particular approaches,

which include less lectures, more student-directed classes, and more discussion. In

conclusion, teachers need to be more aggressive in getting children enthused about

mathematics and helping them see themselves as competent, confident mathematicians.

Mathematics educators need to recognize the causes of mathematics anxiety by

reading related literature and attending workshops and conferences on the topic. Students

should be encouraged to understand that misconceptions about mathematics, such as the

idea that arithmetic prowess is inherited (Woodard, 2004). Students' performance, college

choices, and career options will be limited if negative attitudes are not altered.
 Shores (2005) also described how a mild case of math avoidance can quickly turn

into a severe case of mathematics anxiety. As the student encounters more difficult

concepts and abilities, anxiety and avoidance increase. According to Shores, arithmetic

anxiety can become a persistent barrier if it is not addressed. He believed that teachers

can help break down this block by assisting the child in approaching arithmetic with

confidence, in addition to the assistance and support from the child's family. Deficit

Hypothesis, which was promoted by Rubinsten and Tannock (as quoted in Carey et al.,

2016), stated that students who perform poorly in arithmetic at first are more likely to

experience math anxiety. This idea suggests that their success or failure in mastering the

subject depends on the level of mathematics anxiety.

The researcher undertook the enormous challenge of conducting this study in n an

effort to address the pressing problem because she was interested in investigating and

learning the variables and factors of students' anxiousness and whether such a situation

affects their academic performance in mathematics. She was also inspired to contribute to

the enhancement of mathematics instruction by examining the students' attitudes,

interests in mathematics, levels of anxiety, and performance in the class.

Figure I depict the study's paradigm. The dependent variables in this study are

students' mathematical anxiety and their performance in the subject mathematics. These

dependent variables are a function of the relationships between and among the other

dependent variables of the students' characteristics. Age, sex, parental income, type of

school, and parental level of education are among the demographic characteristics of the

respondents that are thought to significantly predict the dependent variables.

 Profile of the respondents Mathematical Anxiety

Age

Sex

Type of school

Ethnicity

Honors Received

Parents’ educational
attainment

Parents’ income

Parents’ occupation

Mathematics
Performance

Figure 1. Conceptual paradigm of the study showing relationships of the variables.

Definition of Terms

The profile of the respondents was described in conformity with the methodology

employed in the study.

Age. This pertains to the length of time that somebody has existed, usually

expressed in years.

Sex. This relates to a person's identification, whether they are male or

female.

Type of school. It relates to the institution where the respondent is

enrolled regardless of whether it is a central or non-central elementary school,.

Ethnicity. This describes a person's identity as determined by their blood,

background, heritage, culture, religion, and lineage, particularly the Indigenous

Peoples (IPs).

Honors Received. It is recognition of exceptional academic achievement

awarded to every student who attained the required proficiency.

Parents’ Educational Attainment. This refers to the continuing or

completed highest degree of education that the parents of the respondents have

completed.

Parents Income. The total amount of all income that the respondent's

parents have earned, particularly on a regular basis from sources like job or

investments.
 Parents’ occupation. Refers to the work, job, or business the parents

engage in to support the family.

Mathematical Anxiety. Most frequently attributed to a person's inability to

conduct mathematical calculations, such as the ability of an otherwise intelligent

individual to deal with quantification and mathematics more broadly, according to Perry

(2004).

Mathematics Performance. This refers to the competency displayed by the

student in his/her mathematics studies. It is the outcome of acquired knowledge or

information, comprehension, abilities, and practices that have been developed in his or

her Mathematics subject throughout Grade V period.

 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Mathematical methods encompass all fields of human endeavor and play a critical

role in a country's economic development. On our path to scientific and technological

advancement, we require nothing less than strong performance in mathematics at all

levels of education. Its use is undeniable, but few individuals are eager to study it, and the

majority of today's generation is passive and anxious about it (De la Cruz et al., 2022).

Potential Origins of Mathematical Anxiety

Shields (2005) stated that mathematics anxiety can have many causes and can

persist in the classroom, in society, and at home.

The home. Parents who experience arithmetic anxiety themselves may

unknowingly pass that anxiety to their children at home. In relationships between parents

and children, the emotions that one expresses in the context of math will invariably and

reciprocally shape the other (Else-Questet al., 2008). Children who receive criticism for

their mistakes, for instance, may grow afraid of taking chances and exploring new

avenues as well as begin to despise arithmetic. Parents who give mathematics poor status

or put pressure on children may also contribute to the development of mathematics

anxiety. Parental disappointment and despair are particularly demoralizing because

youngsters cherish their parents' high regard (Fraser et al., 2000)

 Society. For some pupils, social issues like myths about mathematics may also

cause or feed their anxiety in the subject. For example, the myth that guys are better than

girls in mathematics and that only some people have a 'mathematics mind' might impede

positive self-efficacy views. We experience circumstances much too frequently when it is

"popular" to despise arithmetic, with people proudly declaring, "I'm no good at math," as

though wearing a badge of honor or flaunting membership in the I Hate Mathematics

"Facebook" club. Mathematics is unusual in that failure frequently does not result in

embarrassment. According to a study involving over 1000 college students in the United

States, failing math is socially acceptable since the participants felt less uncomfortable

about their math deficiencies than they did about their language deficiencies (Latterell,

2005).

The classroom. Despite the fact that young children typically enter school with a

strong foundation of informal math skills, it is clear that the classroom can also be a

location where mathematics anxiety can grow and thrive. When combined with parental

and societal issues, research studies (such as Vinson, 2001) imply that mathematics

anxiety may have its origins in teaching and teachers, with mathematics nervous teachers

occasionally leading to mathematics worried children. Teaching by math-anxious

teachers is characterized by an excessive reliance on traditional educational strategies like

drills, flash cards, and work sheets; assigning the same tasks to each student; teaching

from the textbook; insisting that there is only one right answer to a problem; focusing

more on fundamental skills than concepts; and whole-class instruction (Gurganus, 2007).

Despite comprehensive initiatives to improve primary mathematics curricula in New

Zealand, there is still a "long tail of underachievement in mathematics" and old methods

of teaching mathematics are still used in classrooms.

One explanation for people with high mathematic anxiety are inherently less

skilled mathematicians due to their long-term avoidance of the subject and lesser level of

competency in mathematics. This low level of proficiency might even apply to

elementary carrying, which is usually always introduced in the second grade mathematics

curriculum. It would undoubtedly apply at harder mathematics levels. The second

explanation for math anxiety effects proposed by Ashcraft et al., (2001), who noted that

when math anxiety is heightened, working memory capacity of people with high levels of

arithmetic anxiety is reduced. This decline lowers performance levels in any arithmetic

activity or math-related task that heavily relies on working memory, such as addition with

carrying and probably any task based on counting.

Meanwhile, according to Santillan et al. (2017), The following factors can be used

to explain mathematics anxiety: (1) anxiety before taking a test, (2) anxiety when dealing

with numbers, (3) anxiety when dealing with tests, (4) anxiety when dealing with reading

materials related to mathematics, and (5) anxiety when dealing with other mathematical

tasks. The results of their research showed a coefficient of a determination of 65.62

percent, meaning that the aforementioned factors account for 65.62 percent of the

variances in the learners' "degree of mathematics fear."

Arem (2010) outlined also a number of causes for why students experience

mathematics anxiety. These include having embarrassing experiences while performing a

mathematical task, having negative life experiences that become connected to

mathematics learning, feeling pressure from others to perform well, perceiving success or
failure in mathematics as a measure of ability level being exposed to inappropriate and

incorrect teaching methods, and labeling mathematics as boring.

Another way to look at it is that students' regular communication with parents and

instructors who struggle with math anxiety tends to have an impact on how much

mathematics anxiety students experience and how well they perform in arithmetic.

Students who have parents who have high mathematics anxiety typically perform worse

in math than students who have parents who have low mathematics anxiety (Maloney et

al., 2015).

Teaching Methods Used by Mathematics Teachers

Many studies have linked pupils' poor academic performance to the ineffective

teaching strategy(s) employed by mathematics teachers. Poor academic performance in

mathematics at the Ordinary Level is influenced by teaching experience. Studies found

that inexperienced teachers lack the knowledge and abilities needed to appropriately

instruct students in mathematical concepts. According to Armstrong's 2009 study,

students perform better when their teachers have a background in the subject they are

studying or in the education of that subject and have between 26 and 30 years of

experience teaching. This is in line with a study by Adeyemi (2008), which showed that

the teaching experience of the teacher had a big bearing on the educational outcomes of

the students as determined by their performance. As such, a student's performance in

mathematics may suffer from a teacher's lack of relevant teaching experience. Obikwere

(2008) asserts that when teachers use ineffective teaching strategies, students develop a

general dislike for the subject. The author came to the further conclusion that in order for
students to love mathematics, teachers must implement innovative pedagogies and

technology that will encourage students to become motivated in mathematics lessons.

According to Johnson et al., (2015), students are encouraged to discover and

improve their knowledge through active engagement in the contemporary educational

era. Educators should use approaches that encourage students' active engagement while

keeping students' interests in mind. According to Lal (2016), due to the test-oriented

system, teachers are too concerned with completing the syllabus and drilling the pupils

with examination questions and answers. He also emphasized that teachers are hesitant

and sometimes apprehensive of using alternative techniques to mathematics teaching and

learning as they might take up too much time and are deemed unimportant to passing

examination

The literature is filled with suggestions for treatments to be used and methods that

educators and students should try out in order to lessen mathematics anxiety. Geist (2015)

outlined that teachers who are confident in their ability to teach mathematics have a

tendency to adopt progressive, situation-appropriate teaching approaches and procedures.

In order to boost students' arithmetic performance, he also suggests giving instructors

training that increases their self-awareness of teaching mathematics. Lossi, 2007 (as

mentioned in Thompson et al., 2016) identified three main types of treatments: (1)

curricular, (2) instructional, and (3) non-instructional. These interventions are all targeted

at lowering learners' apprehension about mathematics. Offering mathematics seminars

and remediation at re-teaching mathematics are examples of curricular interventions.

Teachers design instructional interventions, which involve student participation. Non-

instructional interventions are ones that target a learner's behavior or cognition in a

specific way.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), as cited in Furner,

2017) advises the following measures to reduce mathematics anxiety in the classroom:

(1) take into account students' learning modalities; (2) use a variety of assessment

procedures; (3) promote enjoyment in learning mathematics; (4) eliminate competition

among students; (5) stress that making mistakes is just normal; (6) demonstrate why

learning mathematics is important; and (7) use cooperative analytic strategies.

Similar to this, Vakili and Pourrazavy (2017) suggest the following in order to

lower mathematics anxiety in the classroom: (1) give brief and varied assessments; (2)

gradually increase the difficulty of the given mathematics tests and exercises; (3)

incorporate optimism in the mathematics lesson; and (4) promote and maintain a friendly

mathematics environment.

According to Yuksel-ahin (2008), teachers should be encouraging and supportive

as well as use instructional strategies that enable pupils to form good attitudes toward

mathematics. In order to increase students' passion for arithmetic and help them

overcome their math fear, Smith (2004) also recommends that teachers show their own

interest in mathematics. So, this study has consequences for all parties, including

teachers, schools, and parents, and it encourages those with a stake in their students'

performance to consider math anxiety levels before deciding on successful and suitable

teaching and learning tactics. It is thought that by doing this, the level of arithmetic

anxiety can be decreased.

 Stuart (2000) concurs with the above assertion and states that poor academic

performance in Mathematics is traceable to poor or ineffective teaching. Studies done in

America also made similar observation when they showed that poor Mathematics

achievement is attributed to classroom factors such as poor teaching methods.

A study by Ale (2000) showed that lack of appropriate materials for use by

mathematics teachers compounds the problem of poor academic performance in the

subject. In his study he found out that 60% of the students interviewed indicated that they

performed badly in Mathematics because there were no adequate text books in their

schools.

Further, teachers in Mathematics department have indicated that some pupils have

memory problems and they also would like to attribute that result to negative attitude as

well. Some demonstrate difficulty in addition, multiplication and division. In sums which

require multiple steps, some pupils display ignorance which serves to show that they have

problems with memory. This again boils down to the fact that they have problems with

their information storage because the information they got will never be stored in the

Long Term Memory (Sparks et al., 2011). Some of the challenges teachers face includes

lack of mastery of Mathematical skills needed to find solution to particular problems. For

most learners their skills take a long time to perfect. Another challenge is that of the

method of teaching. Mathematics need to be taught in a way which is clear, informative

and interesting enough to attract learners’ attention (Sparks et al., 2011).

Attitude and Perception of Students toward Mathematics

Attitude determines the effort a student is likely to put in his or her learning of a

subject. It refers to someone’s basic liking or disliking of a subject. Several studies have
been carried out in many countries to find the factors that influence the students’

performance in mathematics. Among these factors, student attitude and perception is one

significant factor that has been consistently studied. The study of Mabena et al., 2021

found that lack of motivation to learn mathematics, ill-discipline, and language barriers

were the learner-related factors contributing to poor performance in mathematics. It was

clear from the findings that learners bunked classes. In addition, the use of social media

also contributed to poor performance, because learners were using the internet for

WhatsApp and Facebook, but not to Google their assignments and other relevant

information based on mathematics. Misuse of cell phones leads to disappointing

mathematics performance and disruption in lessons. Studies attributed challenges to

teaching mathematics to the negative attitudes and perception of students as they perceive

mathematics as a difficult subject to pass.

International studies by Asikhia (2010) found that insufficient learning support,

principal teachers' dissatisfaction with the in-career training of mathematics teachers, and

students being taught by teachers who have not participated in career professional

development are the causes of poor performance in mathematics in Britain. According to

Cascio's (2013) research, teachers have a big impact on how well students perform in

school in South Africa. For instance, if the teacher is inexperienced or uninterested in

their subject matter, students may struggle to gain a thorough understanding of it. It is

further thought that if the teacher lacks good classroom management techniques and

adopts an overly authoritarian style, the learning atmosphere in the classroom may be

conducive to unproductive class debates and individual student collaboration. Also, it

may discourage students from making their best effort.

 On the contrary, a study by Enu et al., (2015) on the three colleges of Ghana

found that students had a positive attitude toward mathematics with a willingness to

learn. However, they are uncomfortable due to the conditions around them. These

conditions do not necessarily mean that a student is always liable for his or her poor

achievement. However, to date, while there have been local studies assessing school

teachers’ preparedness for mathematics and secondary students’ attitude in science and

ICT there has been no research carried out locally to assess students’ attitude and

perception toward mathematics.

Students' attitudes about mathematics were shown to be unfavorable in Chand et

al (2021) study. Moreover, it was determined that the weak performance in mathematics

was due to a weak secondary school mathematics program. Moreover, many primary

school teachers lacked the aptitude and expertise necessary to instruct mathematics at the

primary school level. This significantly contributed to the pupils' lack of enthusiasm,

which resulted in subpar performance at both upper and lower secondary levels. As far as

the delivery of the subject matter and the teaching of mathematics were concerned, it was

learned that secondary school teachers were generally positive, good quality, performing,

and competent. A few of the key recommendations from their study included revising and

updating the year 12 and 13 mathematics curricula, using technology to teach

mathematics, improving the caliber of primary school math teachers, putting less

emphasis on exams, and adding internal assessments, projects, and field work to the

mathematics curriculum.

According to a recent study by Suleiman et al., (2019), 92.50% of pupils disliked

mathematics, while 86.25% were afraid of it. Students' continuous nervousness and
anxiety in mathematics eventually results in a bad attitude that becomes largely

permanent in the future. Additionally, Mabena et al., (2021) found that learners have no

interest in learning mathematics. They believe mathematics is a tough topic, which is

typically influenced by their parents and culture. Similar to South Africa, math students'

performance in other nations, including Kenya, has constantly been poor, and this fairly

mediocre performance has been attributed to a number of causes, including students' lack

of motivation and their bad behavior. It is challenging for parents to serve as role models

for their children in academic concerns because most parents did not complete secondary

school and are not actively involved in their children's academic affairs (Mbugua et al.,

2012)

Attitude and Perception of Teachers Teaching Mathematics

Teachers' misperceptions of mathematics have a significant impact on students'

attitudes and mathematical achievement. Research has shown that math teachers' attitudes

are a crucial factor of pupils' unfavorable attitudes. In the Kwagga West District of the

South African province of Mpumalanga, Mabena et al. (2021) found that teachers' lack of

pedagogical content knowledge and skills to teach mathematics, as well as their

insufficient experience in the subject, were the teacher-related factors that contributed to

poor learner performance. The literature also indicates that learners’ positive attitude

towards mathematics is enhanced by teacher-related factors such as teachers’ enthusiasm,

teachers’ resourcefulness, helpful behaviour and teachers’ thorough knowledge of the

subject-matter and their making mathematics interesting (Mensah et al., 2013)

Students' attitudes toward mathematics will depend on how they view educators'

personalities. Students' attitudes toward mathematics are significantly influenced by the

personal and professional traits of their teachers. According to research by Mazana et al.

(2018), teachers' unfavorable attitudes are related to their dull classes, lack of

commitment, personalities, students' low exam results, and students' lack of

comprehension of the material. A global study by Mbugua et al. (2012) indicated that the

majority of mathematics teachers in secondary schools exhibit a favourable attitude

toward teaching mathematics, despite the lack of pertinent studies in Fiji. However,

Chand et al 2021 claim that no observations of this problem have ever been made in Fiji.

Absence of subject-specific pedagogical knowledge has a significant impact on student

performance because a teacher who lacks understanding is more likely to refrain from

teaching a subject that they are unfamiliar with. Because teachers instruct students using

a question-and-answer format rather than allowing them to collaborate with peers and

come up with ideas on their own, teacher-centered methods may contribute to the

students' poor performance.

Hlalele (2012) have stated that “students often develop mathematical anxiety in

schools, often as a result of learning from teachers who are themselves anxious about

their mathematical abilities in certain areas”. In the South African context, research by

Khatoon et al., (2010) indicated that learners’ inferior performance in mathematics is

influenced by their negative attitudes towards the subject that emanate from societal

views that it is a difficult subject.

In the study made by Chand et al, 2021, students’ attitude and perception toward

mathematics, teachers’ attitude, and perception toward mathematics, teaching

methodologies of mathematics teachers, quality and performance of mathematics

teachers, and the effectiveness and relevance of mathematics curriculum were the five
factors identified to be influencing students’ achievement in mathematics at the senior

grades of secondary schools in Fiji.

Mathematics Anxiety and Demographic Factors

Over the years, a number of researches have been carried out to identify the

predictors of mathematics achievement among various categories of people. Socio-

economic status, students’ employment status, teaching methods, gender and continuous

assessment are a few of the indicators that have been identified. Moreover, reading skills,

mathematics self-efficacy, teacher evaluation, and pupils' prior knowledge have all been

demonstrated to have an impact on arithmetic achievement.

Gender is mentioned as a demographic variable that might account for variations

in academic performance. Gender is one of the factors that received the most attention in

the research on mathematics anxiety. Much recent research indicates that in countries

where both genders are educated equally, males and females perform similarly in

mathematics (Spelke, 2005). Gender has been studied since the 1970s as a variable that

influences student performance and attitude toward mathematics. There is a widespread

belief that boys are more adept in math than girls. Studies on gender and mathematics,

however, reveal that the gender gap in mathematical ability has significantly narrowed

over the past 40 years and is no longer a significant concern. The same studies claim that

the study of gender and mathematics is frequently restricted to examining the connection

between gender variations in attitudes toward mathematics and gender inequalities in

mathematical achievement. When evaluated in the context of various types of

mathematical knowledge, gender may not, however, be sufficient to account for large

disparities in performance (Alves et.al, 2012).

 According to Rubenstein (2015), students who struggle with mathematics anxiety

see mathematics as stressful stimuli. While people carry on acting in this way, their

mathematics fears likely to increase. Some studies were conducted to investigate gender

difference in Mathematics anxiety. Female leaners demonstrated much higher levels of

mathematics anxiety than their male counterparts. From the study Beilock et al., (2010)

for students majoring in primary education at the majority of US schools and universities,

there aren't many mathematics prerequisites. So, even those who tend to avoid

mathematics can effectively pursue a profession as an elementary school teacher.

Curiously, the majority of primary education majors are women, and they have the most

mathematics anxiety of any college major. Women are more likely than men to

experience mathematics anxiety, which appears as a negative emotional reaction to

arithmetic or the thought of completing math. Due to these adverse effects, individuals

with high levels of math anxiety frequently avoid mathematics courses and careers in

mathematics. Even more surprising is the possibility that there may not be a consistent

relationship between teacher anxiety and student progress. Girls may be more likely than

boys to enroll in early elementary school since gender is a very salient characteristic to

children at this age and early elementary school teachers in the United States are virtually

exclusively female. This may then have a detrimental effect on the mathematics

performance of girls.

Hill et al. (2016) found that female students at the secondary and university levels

also exhibit more mathematics anxiety compared to male students. Delgado et al. (2017)

added that while male and female students experience the same levels of test anxiety,
they do not differ in their anxiety regarding the course or subject of mathematics.

According to the study, the gender gap in mathematics anxiety can be related to female

learners' greater propensity for expression compared to male learners. Similarly, Love's

(2018) research states that female students show much higher mathematical anxiety than

male students and over the past 50 years, many experts have regularly noticed this,

particularly among students in secondary and postsecondary school.

They do, however, show that females tend to rate themselves lower and express

more anxiety about mathematics, though these differences are not significant. Most

studies suggest that such gender differences only emerge during adolescence, and that

primary school children do not exhibit gender differences in mathematics anxiety though

even at a younger age, boys frequently rate themselves higher in mathematics than girls

do. This heightened anxiety may result from a variety of factors, including exposure to

gender stereotypes and the social effect of female teachers who themselves are anxious

about mathematics (Beilock et al., 2010).

In addition, Beilock et al., (2010) hypothesized that female teachers may be

modeling gender stereotypes to their female students through their mathematics fears.

These results provide a glimpse into the differences between genders' aptitude for

mathematics. On the other side, Mizala et al., (2015) suggested that teachers with high

levels of math anxiety place lower demands on students' ability to execute mathematics

than do teachers with lower levels of mathematics anxiety. According to Stoehr's (2017)

research, students who are taught by teachers who have a high level of math anxiety are

more likely to experience this anxiety themselves, which negatively affects their

arithmetic performance.
 One possible explanation for females having more mathematics anxiety than

males is stereotype threat. Stereotype threat occurs when people feel threatened by the

possibility of confirming a negative stereotype about mathematics anxiety. This usually

refers to females being reminded of the stereotype that males are better at mathematics

than females, but it can also occur with regard to other stereotypes (Dowker et al., 2016)

Age. In general, math anxiety appears to rise with age during childhood. Although

most studies indicate that severe mathematics anxiety is uncommon in young children,

some researchers have discovered significant mathematics anxiety in early primary

school children (Wu et al., 2012). This apparent increase in mathematics anxiety with age

is consistent with research indicating that other attitudes toward mathematics change with

age. Regrettably, they deteriorate as children grow older. According to Blatchford (1996),

(excerpted by Dowker et al., 2016) two-thirds of 11-year-olds rate mathematics as their

favorite subject, but only a minority of 16-year-olds does. According to some studies, the

decline in attitudes begins even before the end of primary school.

Age-related increases in math anxiety can occur for a number of reasons. One

explanation is that, during childhood and adolescence, general anxiety seems to rise with

age, which may be due to an increase in the susceptibility to experience general anxiety.

Both greater general anxiety and increased mathematics anxiety, in particular, may be

brought on by characteristics like increased intolerance of uncertainty or increased

awareness of social comparison. The relationships between attitudes and performance can

also change as people become older. Studies have shown that young children's

performance is not strongly correlated with anxiety but rather with their interest in

mathematics, and more specifically with their own perceptions of their own abilities.
There is a considerable correlation between anxiety and performance in early children;

however the findings of many studies are inconsistent.

There are at least three possible explanations for the conflicting findings. One is

that the results may differ depending on the aspect of mathematics anxiety being studied.

A second explanation is that as working memory changes, mathematics anxiety becomes

more closely related to mathematics performance. Working memory grows with age in

childhood, which may influence the relationship between anxiety and performance

(Henry, 2012). A cultural explanation is a third possibility. The studies that do show a

link between mathematics anxiety and achievement in young children tend to be from the

United States, though this could be a coincidence, and there are no obvious reasons why

the link should be stronger in the United States than elsewhere. Nonetheless, there is

evidence for cultural influences on mathematics anxiety in general (Dowker et al., 2016)

Culture, Nationality, and Mathematics Anxiety. Some aspects of attitudes to

mathematics seem to be common to many countries and cultures: e.g., the tendency for

young children to like mathematics, and for attitudes to deteriorate with age (Dowker,

2005). Different countries, however, differ not only in terms of actual mathematics

performance, but also in terms of liking mathematics; whether mathematics is attributed

to ability or effort; and how much importance is attributed to mathematics (Askew et al.,

2010).

Parents. Parents may unintentionally increase their children's mathematics

anxiety by giving them a justification for quitting when they are upset or disappointed

with a mathematical activity. Parents who say things like, "Don't worry, I've never

understood fractions" or "Never mind, arithmetic was always tough for me at school too"
create a conviction in their children that they are unable to grasp mathematics, which may

evolve into a strong belief. Even high achievers can experience parental pressure. High

achievers who struggle with math may have anxiety related to the subject due to

overbearing parental pressure for achievement or fear about the subject's difficulties for

their children (Stolpa 2004).

According to research done by Lee (2009), there is no consistent correlation

between a country's average level of mathematics anxiety among children and the general

level of mathematical achievement in that country. In high-achieving Asian nations, such

Korea and Japan, exhibited high mathematics anxiety, but those in high-achieving

Western European nations, including Finland, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, and

Switzerland, tended to exhibit less mathematics fear. At present, the reason for these

differences is not clear. They could be related to the fact that there is probably a lot of

pressure to do well in exams greater in Asian nations. They could also be related to

specific aspects of educational systems or curricula that have yet to be determined.

Another explanation is that people's willingness to admit to experiencing

arithmetic anxiety, or the nature of the relationship between mathematics fear and

performance, varies according to their cultural or racial background. Numerous studies

have indicated that, despite inequalities in ability, ethnic minority pupils in the United

States and the United Kingdom had more favorable attitudes toward mathematics than

white students.

As the difficulty of math learning increases with age, the math anxiety might also

increases. However, the relationship between Mathematics anxiety and mathematics

performance remained unclear for the elementary group. Based on these results, grade
level might modulate the math anxiety-performance link. Geographical Region Previous

studies have implied that geographical region may influence the math anxiety-

performance link. For example, the negative math anxiety-performance link was stronger

in China than in the USA according to the findings of Ching (2017).

Ching (2017) found a negative link (r = −0.318) between mathematics anxiety and math

performance in young Chinese students, also indicated a negative link between

mathematical anxiety and math performance in young USA children. In contrast, students

seem to be less critical of their academic performance and feel relaxed in European

countries. Therefore, additional details regarding how cross-cultural information

modulated this negative relationship are needed.

Performance in Mathematics

Students' motivation to learn is influenced by grades and other components of the

classroom evaluation, and these also give them access to knowledge that they utilize to

learn (Brookhart, 2008). The insightful assessment of students' perceptions of their grades

at the completion of the school year provides a glimpse into how they regarded their

capacity to perform and overcome all of the problems during that particular time or year.

With the expectation that grade distribution will reflect this belief, students displayed a

conceptualization of grading where effort should be weighted comparably to actual

accomplishment in the composition of a grade (Tippin, 2012).

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (as

cited by De la Cruz et al., 2022)., learning mathematics in early childhood paves the way

for future academic endeavors and can be a reliable indicator of whether or not learners
will be able to tackle or conquer new challenges as they become older. Similar to this, as

students go through the educational system, more mathematics is required of them in

their daily life at home and at work. To function in the future in a mathematically literate

manner, students need to have a solid background in mathematics. The rote application of

procedural knowledge is only one aspect of a solid foundation. A 2004 report from the

Ontario Ministry of Education demonstrates all students should be able to comprehend

and interpret and make use of mathematics. It has also been observed that students who

excel at mathematics are more confident and have a better chance of success in the future.

Despite the undeniable value of mathematics in everyday life, there are a number

of factors that have a significant impact on a learner's capacity to comprehend and apply

mathematical ideas. De la Cruz et al., (2022) cited instances where young learners'

mathematics proficiency is consistently declining. International and national polls in

mathematics have shown this dismal situation. The Philippines was placed 78th out of 79

countries in the most recent results of the Programme for International Student

Assessment (PISA), a global assessment conducted by the Organization for Economic

Co-operation and Development (OECD). In addition, the nation's high school students

scored 42nd out of 45 nations in the 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and

Science Study (TIMSS). Additionally, since this nationwide test was initially

administered, the mean percentage score on the National Achievement Test (NAT) for

secondary math has barely surpassed 500.

Furthermore, in Magpet National High School, it gained the following MPS in

National Achievement Test (NAT) which is administered nationwide yearly: in SY:

2012- 2013- 61.56, SY: 2013- 2014- 55.26, SY: 2014- 2015- 45.65. Moreover, the MPS
for Mathematics in 2015 is only 50.55. As observed in the statistics, the MPS for the past

years of the school were diminishing. The outcome is below the passing rate, which is

75%, and indicates that students had difficulty with the subject, which is alarming and a

common occurrence. The majority of students find the topic to be challenging and

monotonous. So, it presents a significant challenge for the teachers to address these issues

in the classroom with a variety of strategies. One of these is that a teacher needs to

include cooperative learning, such as the reciprocal learning technique, in the classroom

(Braza et al., 2014).

In South Africa, the low learner achievement levels revealed by regional

assessments such as the Southern and Eastern Consortium for Monitoring Education

Quality (SACMEQ), and international assessments such as the Trends in Mathematics

and Science Study (TIMSS) corroborate the state of affairs in mathematics performance.

The TIMSS reported that between 68 per cent and 90 per cent of African boys and girls

in Grade 8 failed to reach the low international benchmark in mathematics (Mullis et al.

2012), and unfortunately no significant progress was registered in TIMSS 2007 or

TIMSS 2011. The 2015 TIMMS reported that Grade 9 South African learners’

performance in mathematics had improved compared to the 2011 results; however, South

Africa remains a low performing country in mathematics (Reddy et al., 2016). According

to the report, the national average score for the country is 372 points for mathematics,

ranking South Africa 38th out of 39 countries. Generally, learners at independent schools

performed very well, followed by fee-paying public schools. The worst affected learners

are those from no-fee public schools (Reddy et al., 2016).

 On learner performance in mathematics across contexts, a lot has been written.

Many factors that contribute to low performance in elementary and secondary schools in

different nations have been discovered by prior studies. The factors that influence the

effectiveness of mathematics instruction and learning can range from teacher-centered,

learner-centered, school-centered, to family and environmental influences, among others.

International studies have shown that learner-centered factors, including as

misunderstandings regarding mathematics as a difficult subject and fear and anxiety

among learners, contribute to low performance in mathematics among senior secondary

schools (Asikhia, 2010).

Relationships between Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Performance

All teachers are concerned with student performance, which is a topic that

frequently comes up in research studies. Due to mathematics' significance, academic

success in this subject has drawn the attention of educators, and it is becoming a more

popular area of study. Several researchers have talked about the problem of arithmetic

learning and the variables affecting it. Many studies have shown that emotional factor,

particularly math anxiety, may significantly affect mathematical ability. While there is

often no substantial correlation between linguistic ability and achievement, the results on

aptitude and accomplishment tests for mathematics and mathematics anxiety do. Those

with greater degrees of mathematics anxiety are more inclined to avoid math-related

activities and circumstances, which may account for the negative link between

mathematics anxiety and actual performance. They have less practice as a result, which

will probably affect their fluency and potential mathematics learning (Dowker et al.,

2016).
 Based on the degrees of arithmetic anxiety, the results of Zakaria et al(2012)

study also revealed substantial disparities in kids' math proficiency. High achievers have

lower anxiety levels than low achievers in math, who have higher levels of anxiety. This

is so because high achievers comprehend mathematics well and are more self-assured

than low achievers. These results corroborate those of Woodard (2004), who found that

pupils with high levels of anxiety typically do worse in mathematics. On the other hand,

pupils who experience less worry typically perform better in math.

During the 2013–2014 academic year, 381 middle school students in a middle

school in northern Colorado were given a 12-item Math Questionnaire (MQ) as part of

Siebers' (2015) research. Math achievement and mathematical anxiety were compared

using information from the Transitional Colorado Assessment Program (TCAP) for the

2012–2013 academic year. Students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades in middle

school are between the ages of 11 and 14 years old. The quantitative study's findings

demonstrated that there were statistically significant differences between math anxiety

and TCAP performance. Children who have a lot of arithmetic anxiety typically perform

poorly in math. According to other findings, sixth-graders experienced less arithmetic

anxiety than seventh-graders. Compared to eighth graders, sixth graders experienced less

arithmetic anxiety. Students in the seventh grade reported more math anxiety than those

in the eighth. Last but not least, the results revealed that across all middle school grades,

sixth grade children had the highest achievement in mathematics. Students in the eighth

grade demonstrated the least proficiency in math compared to those in the sixth and

seventh grades.
 Working memory overload caused by mathematics anxiety may also have an

immediate effect on performance. Those who are anxious are more prone to experience

intrusive thoughts about how poorly they are doing something, which can draw focus

away from the activity or issue at hand and exhaust working memory resources.

Throughout the years, numerous studies have discovered a link between overall anxiety

as a trait and poor working memory.

In fact, it seems that mathematics anxiety affects both far more fundamental

numerical abilities and performance in high-level calculation tasks that call for the use of

working memory resources. For instance, Maloney et al. (2011), quoted by Dowker et al.

(2016), presented two versions of the symbolic numerical comparison task to individuals

with high mathematics anxiety (HMA) and low mathematics anxiety (LMA). The effect

of numerical distance on response times was greater for HMA persons than for LMA

individuals in two studies, which revealed a numerical distance by mathematics anxiety

(MA) interaction. The authors asserted that persons with HMA represent numerical

magnitude less precisely than their LMA colleagues, and that this may be the root cause

of the mathematics anxiety. In other words, low-level numerical deficiencies that impede

the development of higher level mathematical skills may be linked to mathematics

anxiety. Núñez-Peña et al., (2014) , quoted by Dowker et al. (2016), discovered that those

with HMA displayed higher size and distance effects (longer reaction times to

comparisons involving larger numbers) than those with LMA. According to Maloney et

al. (2012), exposure to professors who also experience math anxiety may contribute to

mathematics anxiety as well as pre-existing problems with mathematical cognition. They

also suggested that those who first struggle with math are likely to be more susceptible to

harmful social influences, which could lead to a vicious cycle.

Another study of Zhang et al., (2019) explored the link between mathematics

anxiety and performance. The results indicated a robust negative math anxiety-

performance link. Furthermore, regarding the analysis of moderator variables, this

negative link was stronger in the studies that involved Asian students, but this link was

the weakest in the studies that involved European students. Moreover, this negative link

was stronger in the studies within a senior high school group, whereas it was the weakest

in the studies within an elementary group.

The analysis did not focus on the mathematics anxiety-performance link,

therefore, to guide future studies in mathematics education, an up-to-date meta-analysis

exploring the mathematics anxiety-performance link in recent years is needed.

Furthermore, based on the studies from 2000 to 2018, a range of potential moderators,

including gender, grade level, geographical region, measurement of math anxiety,

measurements of math performance, measurement aspects of math performance and

publication year, may influence the math anxiety-performance link (Gunderson et al.,

2018).

Studies of the relationship between mathematics anxiety and performance also

need to take into account that, mathematics anxiety consists of different components,

often termed “cognitive” and “affective.” The cognitive and affective dimensions seem to

be differently related to achievement in mathematics. It also needs to be remembered

that, even before considering the non-numerical aspects of mathematics, arithmetic itself

is not a single entity, but is made up of many components (Dowker et al., 2005).

Assessments of Mathematics Anxiety

So far, we have been discussing mathematics anxiety without much reference to

the methods used for studying it. However, in order to study mathematics anxiety, it is

necessary to find suitable ways of assessing and measuring it. Most measures for

assessing mathematics anxiety involve questionnaires and rating scales, and are

predominantly used with adolescents and adults. We are aware of Dreger and Aiken's

(1957) questionnaire as the first of its kind; and subsequent well-known examples include

the Mathematics Anxiety Research Scale or MARS (Richardson and Suinn, 1972) and

the Fennema–Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (Fennema and Sherman, 1976).

Some questionnaires, mainly including pictorial rating scales, have since been developed

for use with primary school children; e.g., the Mathematics Attitude and Anxiety

Questionnaire (Dowker et al., 2012) and the Children’s Attitude to Math Scale (James,

2013).

The reliability of mathematics anxiety questionnaires has generally been found to

be good, whether measured through inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability or internal

consistency. The test whose psychometric properties have been most frequently assessed

is the MARS, in its original form and in various adaptations, and it has been consistently

found to be highly reliable (Hopko et al., 2003). Good reliability has also been found for

other mathematics anxiety measures such as Betz’s (1978) Mathematics Anxiety Scale

(Pajares et al., 1996) and the Fennema–Sherman scales (Mulhern et al., 1998). The

mathematics anxiety scales developed specifically for children have also been found to
have good reliability, including Thomas and Dowker’s (2000) Mathematics Anxiety

Questionnaire (Krinzinger et al., 2007); James’ (2013) Children’s Anxiety in Math Scale;

and the scale developed by Vukovic et al. (2013). As a result, any ambiguous or

contradictory results in different studies are unlikely to be due to unreliability of the

measures. However, there are some issues with questionnaire measures in general. A

potential issue with questionnaire measures, in particular, is that, like all self-report

measures, they may be influenced by both the accuracy of respondents' self-perceptions

and their honesty in reporting.

Another scale is the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale (AMAS) Hopko et

al., (2003) constructed a brief assessment of math anxiety, investigated its psychometric

characteristics, and evaluated the model's capacity to generalize across samples. A nine-

item measure produced by exploratory factor analysis was shown to have good

convergent/divergent validity with an independent sample and strong internal

consistency, test-retest reliability, and test-retest reliability. Indexes recommended an

excellent model fit when given to a replication sample. An efficient and reliable method

to measure math anxiety is the Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (AMAS). The Internal

consistency was excellent within the AMAS (α = .90), as well as the LMA (α = .85) and

MEA subscales (α = .88). Test-retest reliability, two-week test-retest reliability was

excellent on the AMAS (r = .85) as well as the LMA (r = .78) and MEA subscales (r

= .83).

Lastly, the modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (mAMAS) was developed

by Carey et al., (2017) in response to the need for a brief and appropriate scale to assess

Mathematics Anxiety in British children and adolescents. Modified Abbreviated Math

Anxiety Scale (mAMAS) is a self-report questionnaire with a total of nine items.

Respondents will use a 5- point Likert scale to indicate how anxious they would feel

during certain situations involving mathematics (1 = low anxiety to 5 = high anxiety).

Research indicates that the original AMAS is as effective as the longer Math Anxiety

Rating Scale (MARS; Hopko et al., 2003 e.g., internal consistency: Cronbach α = 0.90; 2

week testretest reliability: r = 0.85; convergent validity of AMAS and MARS-R: r =

0.85). Carey et al., (2017) examined the ordinal alpha for the entire sample. Ordinal alpha

was examined for the total scale was 0.89, for the Learning subscale was 0.83 and for the

Evaluation subscale was 0.83. Ordinal alpha was not increased by removing any item

from either subscale or the total scale. Cronbach alpha for the whole scale was 0.85 (95%

confidence interval 0.83–0.87), for the Learning subscale was 0.77 (95% confidence

interval 0.74–0.80) and for the Evaluation subscale was 0.79 (95% confidence interval

0.76–0.83). Cronbach alpha was not increased by removing any item from either subscale

or the total scale.

Potential Treatments of Mathematics Anxiety

The nature of emotions and attitudes toward mathematics has previously been

extensively studied in the literature. We now know less about how to alter these attitudes

and how to manage or, preferably, avoid mathematics anxiety. Early treatments can help

prevent a vicious cycle in which math problems lead to anxiety, which leads to more

math problems, if they are given to children who are having problems with the subject.

It's interesting to note that mathematics instruction and education can lower

anxiety. This shows that the primary education degree requirements for basic

mathematics courses need to be reconsidered. More attention needs to be paid to

cultivating both strong mathematics abilities and positive attitudes in the next generation

of teachers, especially those who teach in elementary schools, to effectively instruct their

students. In order to prevent instilling unfavorable views in their children, parents and

educators should aim to display positive attitudes about mathematics. If the parents or

teachers also struggle with math anxiety, this could be challenging. In the media,

mathematics could be portrayed as being more engaging and significant (Dowker et al.,

2016).

Emotions profoundly and significantly strengthen and drive mathematical

thought, it is necessary to attend to students' emotional requirements. Determining

students' feelings toward mathematics is just as crucial as determining any cognitive skill

(Zambo et al., 2006). Before bringing student emotions into the open during a class

discussion about math anxiety, teachers may choose to first recognize students' feelings

in a variety of ways. Teachers must make sure that all students have the opportunity to

develop mathematical proficiency that includes a positive mathematical disposition in

accordance with current reforms in mathematics education that "spotlight squarely on the

social and cultural aspects of mathematical development" (Walshaw et al., 2008).

Journal writing can be used for expressing and reflecting on thoughts about and

experiences with mathematics, even though it is often intended to give pupils the chance

to communicate their comprehension of mathematical topics (Furner et al., 2003).

Students may also have the chance to express their thoughts about mathematics through

the use of autobiographies (Ellsworth et al., 2000), in which they are encouraged to write

about their individual mathematical backgrounds; including any experiences their

families have had with mathematics.

 The use of children's literature in mathematics lessons, according to Furner

(2018), lowers learners' apprehension about mathematics and fosters comfort in the

learning environment. Using children's literature also increases students' interest in and

confidence in their ability to understand mathematics. Technology-based therapies have

also been shown to be successful in reducing students' anxiety about mathematics. In the

study of Love (2018) female students who participated in online mathematical activities

showed less mathematics anxiety than their non-participant counterparts, whereas male

students showed the opposite. Hence, only female students may benefit from this activity.

Moreover, Berkowitz (2018) advised that students with parents who are extremely

concerned about arithmetic to use mathematical iPad applications. He discovered that this

kind of intervention lessens how much learners' mathematics anxiety is influenced by

their parents' arithmetic anxiety, which enhances their mathematics performance.

The potential of cognitive tutoring to intervene with mathematics anxiety has

recently been investigated. Supekar et al. (2015) investigated whether MathWise, an

intensive 8-week one-on-one math tutoring program developed by Fuchs et al. (2013) to

improve mathematical skills, could alleviate mathematics anxiety in children aged 7-9

years old. Children were subjected to three sessions of 40-50 minute math tutoring per

week. They completed the Scale for Early Mathematics Anxiety (Wu et al., 2012) and

were scanned with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) before and after training. This

study found that tutoring reduced math anxiety scores and remediated aberrant functional

responses and connectivity in emotion-related circuits associated with the basolateral

amygdala in children with high mathematics anxiety, but not those with low mathematics
anxiety. In particular, they found that children with greater tutoring-associated decreases

in their amygdala activity showed higher reductions in mathematics anxiety.

Synthesis

The findings on the studies on mathematical anxiety and performance of elementary

pupils have been presented in the reviewed literature and studies. It provides the pertinent

data and contributes to a broader perspective. The related literature and study

strengthened the current research; it provided important data as the foundation for the

construction of the study. Helping pupils learn and advance in mathematics requires

addressing their mathematics anxiety. Potential origins of mathematical anxiety, teaching

methods used by mathematics teachers, attitude and perception of students toward

mathematics, attitude and perception of teachers teaching mathematics, mathematics

anxiety and demographic factors, performance in mathematics, relationships between

mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance and potential treatments of

mathematics anxiety were discussed. International and national polls and examination

results were cited where in illustrations of young learners' mathematics proficiency is

consistently declining. Lastly, information is provided about the various scales that assess

mathematical anxiety to determine the prevalence among pupils at various grade levels.

The related literature and studies also directly and indirectly pointed relationships

between mathematical anxiety, mathematics performance and learners’ characteristics.

Some studies indicated significant relationship between the variables.

 Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study utilized the descriptive-correlational design. The descriptive statistic

was used to describe the characteristics of the student-respondents, the level of

mathematics anxiety and the mathematics performance of the students. Correlation will

was used to ascertain the relationship between specific variables related to the

mathematical anxiety of the respondents.

Research Environment

This study is to be conducted at the Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya, Northern

Districts during the academic year 2022-2023.

Nueva Vizcaya is one of the provinces of the Cagayan Valley or Region 02,

which has 15 municipalities. It is regarded as the entrance to the stunning and fruitful

valley of the Northern Philippines. The capital city is Bayombong, where the Schools

Division Office is located, and Solano is the province's commercial core. Basic education

is currently administered by the Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya, one of the nine (9)

divisions of the DepEd Regional Office 02. There are 23 districts traversing 47 public

high schools and 333 elementary public schools. In accordance with laws, policies, and

procedures based on the tenets of customer satisfaction and continuous improvement for

good governance, the Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya is dedicated to offering all of
its customers a quality, accessible, liberating K–12 basic education curriculum and

services.

The study was conducted at the northern districts due to the geographical

dispersion of the districts and schools. This study took into account five (5) districts out

of nine (9) particularly, Bayombong I, Bayombong II, Solano II, Villaverde, and Bagabag

I through multi-stage sampling.

Respondents and sampling Procedure

The respondents of this study are the Grade six pupils of the different schools in

the Northern District, Schools Division of Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines.

Multi-stage cluster sampling was used to determine the school samples. During

the initial phase of this study, five (5) districts were drawn from the nine (9) northern

districts through the fishbowl draw sampling method. These districts were Bayombong I,

Bayombong II, Solano II, Villaverde, Bagabag I. For the second stage, two schools were

drawn from each district schools identified as central and non-central. There were 1282

Grade VI pupils enrolled in both two categories. To determine the number of student-

respondents in this study, Slovin’s formula was used to determine the samples of the

study per stratum. As a result, 305 student-respondents were drawn.

Table 1. Distribution of samples of the study.

Districts Type of school N Sample size Percent

N %
Bayombong Central 200 48 15.74
I (Bayombong Central School)
Non-Central 123 29 9.51
(Bayombong South Elementary
School)
Bayombong Central 145 35 11.48
II (Bonfal Pilot Central School)
Non-Central 89 21 6.89
(Bayombong West Elementray
School)
Solano II Central 195 47 15.41
(Solano South Elementary
School)
Non-Central 80 19 6.23
(Aggub Elementary School)
Villaverde Central 160 38 12.45
(Villaverde Central School)
Non-Central 60 14 4.59
(Bintawan South Elementary
School)
Bagabag I Central 170 40 13.11
(Bagabag Central School)
Non-Central 60 14 4.59
(Paniki Elementary School)
Total 1282 305 100

Research Instrument

In order to gather the pertinent information of the study, the following instruments

from the different previous related studies and concepts were adopted to suit the study.

The questionnaire is composed of three parts: Part I is intended to gather

background and information that is based on the enumerated sub-variables shown in the

research paradigm, it includes the students’ profile such as age, sex, parents’ income and

parents’ educational attainment, type of school and honors received.

 Part II is the mathematics anxiety rating scale which will determine the level of

mathematical anxiety of respondents. Mathematics Anxiety will be measured using a

modified version of the Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale (AMAS; Hopko et al.,

2003); the modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (mAMAS) was developed by

Carey et al., (2017) in response to the need for a brief and appropriate scale to assess

Mathematics Anxiety in British children and adolescents. Modified Abbreviated Math

Anxiety Scale (mAMAS) is a self-report questionnaire with a total of nine items.

Respondents will use a 5- point Likert scale to indicate how anxious they would feel

during certain situations involving mathematics (1 = low anxiety to 5 = high anxiety).

Research indicates that the original AMAS is as effective as the longer Math Anxiety

Rating Scale (MARS; Hopko et al., 2003 e.g., internal consistency: Cronbach α = 0.90; 2

week testretest reliability: r = 0.85; convergent validity of AMAS and MARS-R: r =

0.85). Carey et al., (2017) examined the ordinal alpha for the entire sample. Ordinal alpha

was examined for the total scale was 0.89, for the Learning subscale was 0.83 and for the

Evaluation subscale was 0.83. Ordinal alpha was not increased by removing any item

from either subscale or the total scale. Cronbach alpha for the whole scale was 0.85 (95%

confidence interval 0.83–0.87), for the Learning subscale was 0.77 (95% confidence

interval 0.74–0.80) and for the Evaluation subscale was 0.79 (95% confidence interval

0.76–0.83). Cronbach alpha was not increased by removing any item from either subscale

or the total scale.

Lastly, in order to describe the mathematics performance of the respondents the

Grading system of the Department of Education will be utilized.

 Grade Descriptive Equivalent Remarks
90-100 Outstanding Passed
85-89 Very Satisfactory Passed
80-84 Satisfactory Passed
75-79 Fairly Satisfactory Passed
Below 75 Did Not Meet Expectation Failed

Data-Gathering Procedure

To observe research protocol, the researcher sought the approval of the Schools

Division Superintendent (SDS) at the Department of Education – School Division of

Nueva Vizcaya to conduct the study to the Northern District Schools of Nueva Vizcaya.

The approved endorsement was forwarded to the Public School District Supervisors or

Districts in-charge for proper coordination and support of the different school heads and

teachers. Lastly, the researcher administered personally the instruments to the student-

respondents.

Moreover, the researcher observed the research ethics to conform with data

privacy. Further, permission from the teachers was done to obtain the grades of the

pupils in their mathematics subjects during the school year 2021-2022.

The gathered data were tabulated for statistical analysis.

Statistical Treatment of Data

Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentages and mean were used

to describe the respondents’ characteristics, level of mathematical anxiety and

performance in Mathematics.
 Correlational Analysis particularly the chi-square, point biserial correlation and

Pearson product moment correlation were utilized to find out the relationship between

and among the variables.

Inferential Statistics such as f-test and ANNOVA will be used to determine the

differences between level of mathematics anxiety and mathematics performance of the

respondents when group according to variables.