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The Students Difficulties in Learning Mathematics

Introduction

Mathematics is the science and study of quality, structure, space, and change.
Mathematicians seek out patterns, formulate new conjectures, and establish truth by
rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions. There is debate
over whether mathematical objects such as numbers and points exist naturally or are
human creations. The mathematician Benjamin Peirce called mathematics "the science
that draws necessary conclusions". Albert Einstein, On the other hand, stated that "as far
as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are
certain, they do not refer to reality."

Through abstraction and logical reasoning mathematics evolved from counting,

calculation, measurement, and the systematic study of the shapes and motions of
physical objects. Practical mathematics has been a human activity for as far back as
written records exist. Rigorous arguments first appeared in Greek mathematics, most
notably in Euclid's Elements. Mathematics continued to develop, in fitful bursts, until
the Renaissance, when mathematical innovations interacted with new scientific
discoveries, leading to an acceleration in research that continues to the present day.

Mathematics is used throughout the world as an essential tool in many fields,

including natural science, engineering, medicine, and the social sciences. Applied
mathematics, the branch of mathematics concerned with application of mathematical
knowledge to other fields, inspires and makes use of new mathematical discoveries and
sometimes leads to the development of entirely new disciplines. Mathematicians also
engage in pure mathematics, or mathematics for its own sake, without having any
application in mind, although practical applications for what began as pure mathematics
are often discovered later.
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Mathematics is a complex subject including different domains such as

arithmetic, arithmetic problem solving, geometry, algebra, probability, statistics,
calculus, that implies mobilizing a variety of basic abilities associated with the sense of
quantity, symbols decoding, memory, visuospatial capacity, logics, to name a few.
Students with difficulties in any of the abilities or in their coordination, may experience
mathematical learning difficulties. Understanding the cognitive nature of the various
mathematical domains, as well as the mechanisms mediating cognitive development,
has fascinated researchers from different fields: from mathematics education to
developmental and cognitive psychology and neuroscience.

A difficulty is anything that gives you a hard or difficult time. If you eat a lot of
chips and dip before dinner, you may have some difficulty finishing your meal. A
difficulty is anything that causes problems. Forgetting an answer during a test could be a
difficulty.

A broken leg is a more painful difficulty. A poor economy is a difficulty, and losing
your job is a more personal difficulty. A difficulty is also anything that’s not easy to do,
like becoming a doctor or lifting a huge weight. Difficulties are generally serious or hard
to overcome. If you’re having difficulty, you’re having troubles.

In general, the term Mathematical Learning Difficulty (MLD) is used broadly to

describe a wide variety of deficits in math skills, typically pertaining the domains of
arithmetic and arithmetic problem solving.

Statement of the problem

1. What are the difficulties encounter of the students in learning mathematics?

2. How will you improve on solving math problems?
3. How do you overcome challenges when solving difficulties in math problems?

Significance of the Study

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The result of this study would greatly help the students, teachers, parents, and
future researchers in the following way a subject like mathematics, having a cumulative
nature, can’t be taught without relevant prior knowledge. It differs from other school
subjects for many reasons like its abstract nature, demand of higher cognitive process
and engagement and perseverance from learner. It is found that as the students move to
higher grades, due to reasons including their lack of previous knowledge they are
getting worse in Mathematics.

To the Students, this study can give them an idea on how they can overcome
the mathematical difficulties. Help students develop creativity and the ability to think,
communicate, and solve problems. Help students develop number and spatial sense and
the ability to appreciate patterns and structures of number and shapes. Enhance student’s
lifelong learning abilities through basic mathematical knowledge.

To the Teachers, this study would help them to know on how they can manage
the students who experiencing mathematical difficulties. Teachers were probed through
semi structured interview about possible reasons for student’s difficulties in learning
mathematics and then teacher cited reasons were used to probe into students
perceptions.

To the Parents, this study will help them to learn on how they can help their
child on overcoming the mathematical difficulties. Doing a math problem helps practice
the problem solving steps that apply to everyday situations: define the problem, think of
ways to solve it, implement a solution, and evaluate the results.
To the Future Researcher, this study can serves as their guide on how they can
conduct a research study about mathematical difficulties. Provides an effective way of
building mental discipline and encourages logical reasoning and mental rigor.

CONCEPTUAL LITERATURE
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The conceptual literature is composed of discussions of facts and principles of a

book, encyclopedias, journals, and other publications of which the present study is
related to.
In addition conceptual literature is where the researchers place each work in the
context that has a connection and contribution on understanding the research problem
that is being studied. Nevertheless the researchers find facts and opinion on the different
publication that has a connection on their conceptual literature that is based on their
statement of the problem. The researchers also point out the factors that affect the
students to develop a mathematical anxiety and what are the factors that can help to
avoid it.
A negative feeling is one of the factors that affect the students to develop a
mathematical anxiety. The researchers find different article or books to exploit this
factor to be their background in understanding their study and to be able to cope up on
why negativity is the first factor on helping the students to develop a mathematical
anxiety student’s capability on doing mathematical problems. The effect of
mathematical anxiety and negative attitudes towards mathematics in academic
performance found that the student who experienced mathematical anxiety will badly
affected their performance in mathematics (Nunez-Pena, 2013). According to Ashcraft
(2002), suggests that highly anxious math students will avoid situations in which they
have to perform mathematical calculation.
Unfortunately, math avoidance' results in less competency, exposure and math
practice, leaving students more anxious and mathematically unprepared to achieve. In
fact, Ashcraft found that the correlation between math anxiety and variables such as
confidence and motivation are strongly negative. In addition, Ashcraft and Moore
(2009), math anxiety causes an "affective drop" a decline in performance when math is
performed under timed, high-stakes conditions, both in Laboratory tests as well as in
educational setting. Moreover the primary cognitive impact of math anxiety is on
working memory, particularly problematic given the important role working memory
plays in math performance. Furthermore, Kirk (2002), the students who experience a
range of negative emotions such as Irritability and lack of peace to confusion, distress
and fear of math, will have less success in this course. In fact Ashcraft and Kirk (2001),
have shown that part of highly math-anxious individual's poor performance stems from
anxiety-induced depletion of the cognitive Resources that support complex math tasks.
Rossman (2006), Mathematics anxiety could develop as a result of a student's Prior
negative experiences learning mathematics in the classroom or at home. Mathematical
anxiety can be caused by environmental factor such as negative Experience with parents
or teachers in viewing mathematical might affect their children as negative beliefs
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(Aaros and Perkkila, 2012). Furthermore, students will affect mathematic attitudes such
as try to avoid Mathematic course with negative attitudes and belief in mathematics.
This will result their ability to successfully complete mathematical problems
(Maryam, 2010). In conclusion on Evans, Flower and Holton (2001), define peer
support or Tutoring as that part of the teaching process that involves learners teaching
other learners help the student to positively improve its confidence in doing math
problem. Furthermore, since environmental factor produces the highest level of anxiety,
it is recommended, that there be Parental involvement in reducing anxiety. Parent's role
should be recognized in changing attitudes toward mathematics. Parents need to take a
proactive role in the education of their children (Furner & Berman, 2003). In addition,
parents should talk with their children about their anxieties. They should discuss the
feelings that the child associates with mathematics and try to pin point when the
children started to experience these feelings (Rossman, 2006).
According to Oxford and Vordick (2006), the teacher's attitude is a major factor
since students do not want to teach a subject that the teachers seem uninterested in or
uncomfortable with. Other issues include impractical applications, high volumes of
assigned problems, and short time spans to complete an assignment.
Also Mc Naught (2007), indicated that good teachers are able to create a
learning environment in which students have high and positive expectations about their
learning co-operative behavior is pronounces, and the culture encourages learning to
occur.
Subsequently, Silvar (2012) insists that the responsibility of guiding the thinking
of the students is put into the shoulders of the teachers. This task is so great that the
teacher must make sure that he/she also understands what he/she is talking about.
Furthermore, she made mention that the interest of the students is based largely on how
the teacher delivers his/her class.
Furthermore, Shannon (2008) claimed that the development of over dependence
between the Math teacher and the math student is the root of the problem-the problem of
anxiety. She believed that because of this dependence, students are getting afraid on
doing initiative tasks since what the students often believed is that the sole source of
learning is the teacher. And this also caters another problem that students who can't
understand what the teacher is saying don't have that capacity to learn Mathematics, In
the same research, Shannon (2008) stated that it is when the utilization of more hands-
on exercise in the classroom is allowed when the students get to feel low- anxiety
atmosphere. Though it is necessary for teachers to ask questions to assess understanding
of the current topic, it would be wise to allow group activities with manipulation so the
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students could be assessed in a relaxed format and that students won't be afraid to be
called on to answer questions in front of their peers
In addition, Mutodi (2014) claimed that it is actually the traditional mathematics
classroom practices that cause the great anxiety among many students. These said
traditional practices include imposed authority, public exposure and time deadlines. He
added that the best way to reduce anxiety and probably, a sense of competition and
tension among students, is to apply teaching methods which include less lecture, more
student directed classes and more discussions. "Cooperative groups provide students a
chance to exchange ideas, to ask. Questions freely, to explain to one another, to clarify
ideas in meaningful ways and to express feelings about their learning. Much of the
anxiety happens in the classroom due to the lack of diversity in learning styles of the
students. Mathematics must be looked upon with a positive attitude to reduce math
anxiety. Therefore, teachers must re-examine traditional teaching methods which often
do not match student's learning styles and skills needed in a technologically advanced
society. Lesson must be presented in a variety of ways which accommodates students'
different learning styles. It may also be due to the complexity of the mathematics
curriculum where more advanced concepts are introduced at the higher level.
RESEARCH LITERATURE
The research literature or related literature are studies, inquires, or an
investigation that is already conducted to which the present study is related or has a
bearing similarities. They are usually unpublished materials such as manuscripts, thesis,
and dissertations. The researcher done this thing by finding different material and
doctoral thesis that is solely related to their study. This shall be also serves as a
foundation and guide of the researchers in pursuing their study.
Apart from studies in the United States, those conducted in other activities
revealed similar findings on the effects of teachers on the students' mathematics anxiety.
For example, Brady and Bowd (2005) examined the level of mathematics
anxiety, and past experiences with mathematics level of formal mathematics education
attained of 238 pre-service teachers (176 females, 62 males) who were enrolled in a
compulsory course at a Canadian University. The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale
(MARS) and an open-ended questionnaire, developed to find out about pre-service
teachers' prior experiences with formal mathematics instructions at the elementary and
secondary levels and their confidence to teach mathematics during their practicum, were
used to gather data. Person correlation coefficients were calculated and emerging
themes from the open-ended responses were noted. The findings revealed that: i)
females' mathematics anxiety scores were significantly higher than the males'; ii)
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participants' prior experiences with formal mathematics instructions were related to

mathematics anxiety, as participants indicated more enjoyment of studying mathematics
in elementary grades than in secondary grades; iii) 33% of the participants were found
to have undertaken formal mathematics instructions as far as grade 12, while only
11.8% studied mathematics beyond first year of university; thus, their highest level of
formal mathematics instruction had a negative correlation to their total MARS score.
The study established that lack of adequate preparation of pre-service and in-service
teachers in mathematics could cause their feelings of apprehension when faced with the
possibility of teaching or when they were teaching the subject. In addition, it was
revealed that the pedagogical techniques that were used and the attitudes of the
instructors toward students impacted the quality of Participants' experiences with
mathematics. Many of the participants felt that their mathematics education at the
elementary and secondary levels had not prepared them to teach the subject confidently.
According to Shannon (2008), the study "I conducted was an anonymous
questionnaire that included questions directed at elementary, middle and high school
teachers regarding Teacher's anxieties student's anxieties and what teaching techniques
and instructional Strategies were used to reduce these anxieties”. The questionnaires
were mailed to the Participants and were returned in a self-addressed stamped envelope.
There were 15 Teachers included in the survey but only ten of those choose to
participate.
The results of the study were very similar to the literature i have reviewed for
this project. The teachers commented on anxieties based on a lack of experience with a
particular topic of math, a lack of preparation for a lesson, and the fear that they were
not connecting the math to the student's prior knowledge. The majority of the teachers
stated that they reviewed extra problems and made sure they were prepared for the class
to help lessen their anxieties. The teachers were able to recognize math anxieties in their
students as well. They stated that some of the symptoms were frustration, avoidance,
disengaged, and low homework and test scores. They suggested that working one-on-
one with the students, increasing the number of hands- on activities, and connecting the
math to real world situations.
Ashcraft conducted a study in 2002 regarding math anxiety but found test
anxiety to be part of the problem as well. He set up the tests so that the level of
difficulty for each question from beginning to end. The format allowed the researchers
to see exactly when math anxiety presented itself. He found that there was very little
anxiety for the first half of the test because the questions were very basic. Mathematics
anxiety began when mixed fraction, percentages, factoring and equation with unknowns
were introduces. Ashcraft also found that the participants had substantially different
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levels of math and test anxiety depending on how they were tested. The subject who
were tested with paper and pencil had much less anxiety than those who were timed and
asked to solved the problems mentally. They were not burdened with the stress of being
required to answer the questions under pressure.
On the other hand the study by John, Schmader, & Martens (2005) found that
teaching about stereotype threat improved women's performance despite the fact that
they here highly aware of the stereotype deprecation women's math ability and believed
that the researcher expect men to outperform women. This confirmed the hypothesis of
the researcher that knowledge of stereotype threat improves performance
On the other hand the prior research with undergraduate female students in
mathematics and physics department investigated factors that influenced this student's
decision to pursue mathematics related disciplines (Adeyemi, 2010). Participants in the
study made connections between the elementary teachers' lack of subject knowledge and
their anxieties when teaching mathematics; which in turn may have deterred some of
their students from pursuing studies in field. The finding from this study presented
socializes specifically parents and teachers, as influential on the females' decisions to
pursue studies in mathematics fields. In particular, positive experiences provided by the
teachers took form of providing encouragement, using adequate teaching method, and
acting as role models at some points in this females' school year (Adeyemi, 2010).
Based on the participants' recollections, these factors increased their interest in,
enjoyment of, and fondness for mathematics and science. Thus from a young age,
teachers helped some of these females to develop positive attitudes toward mathematics
and other services (Adeyemi, 2010).

RESEARCH PROPOSED TIMELINE

The project is expected to be completed in 9 weeks with the following indicated

as the activity durations for every section of the research project:
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Estimated
Duration/
Research Section Research Activity Deliverables Expected
Completion Date
Research design -Formulate a Confirmed research
and planning research topic problem/questions
-Write research May 01, 2023 –
tittle Draft research design May 12, 2023
State research section for the final
questions report
-present a written
statement of the Research
problem proposal/ethical
-Formulate a approval submission
Concept Paper
-Prepare a research
Proposal
Literature Review -Search, capture Notes and other
and synthesize output from the
relevant local and review process May 15, 2023 –
foreign May 26, 2023
-Prepare a draft Draft literature review
literature review section for the final
report
Data Collection -Finalize sampling Sampling plan
plan
-Develop data Draft data collection May 29, 2023 –
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collection instruments June 09, 2023

instrument
-carry data Finalized data
collection collection instrument
-Write up data
collection
Data Analysis -Prepare data for June 12, 2023 –
analysis Data Ready June 23, 2023
-Analyze data
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REFERENCES

mustapha adeniyi, “Dec. 22, 2015”, “mathematics efficacy, anxiety and students

performance in introductory technology”

https://www.slideshare.net/mustaphaadeniyi/mathematics-efficacy-anxiety-and-

students-performance-in-introductory-technology

Sian L. Beilock, “October 2015”, “Math Anxiety: A Factor in Math Achievement Not to

Be Ignored”

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282437772_Math_Anxiety_A_Factor_in_Mat

h_Achievement_Not_to_Be_Ignored

GAIL HACKETT, (1994) “Toward a Unifying Social Cognitive Theory of Career and

Academic Interest, Choice, and Performance”

https://stelar.edc.org/sites/default/files/2022-12

M Olango, (2016) “Mathematics anxiety factors as predictors of mathematics”

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1216175.

SN Shaikh, , Mar 2013’ “Mathematics Anxiety Factors and Their Influence on

Performance in Mathematics in Selected International Schools in Bangkok”

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/288023897

Z Esmaeili ·-2015 “The role of teacher's authority in students' learning”

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1079519
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J Zhang · 07 August 2019 “The Relationship Between Math Anxiety and Math

Performance” https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01613

P Mutodi – January 2014 “Exploring Mathematics Anxiety: Mathematics Students’

Experiences” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272708427

K Abdul Gafoor – (2015) “ Learner and Teacher perception on Difficulties in Learning

and Teaching Mathematics” https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED568368

Lester Lou Segumpan – (August 2018) “Mathematics performance and anxiety of

Senior High School Students” https://www.researchgate.net/publication