COMPREHENDING CHALLENGES OF STUDENTS

STRUGGLES IN SOLVING MATHEMATICAL

PROBLEMS AMONG SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (STEM)
STUDENTS OF ASIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- DIGOS INCORPORATION
 RATIONALE

OBJECTIVES OF THE

contents: STUDY

THEORETICAL LENS

METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH AGENDA
 RATIONALE
A number of research projects in educational assessment reveal that students
struggle when it comes to accomplishing problem-solving tasks in Mathematics. Such
a struggle is primarily due to the complexities of problem- solving. (Dinah V. & Maria
Q. 2021) As supported by Mazana et al., (2019), students' learning of and
performance in mathematics is affected by a number of factors, including students'
attitude toward the subject teachers' instructional practices, and the school
environment. Math anxiety is widely considered a potential barrier to success in
STEM. Current thinking holds that math anxiety is directly linked to avoidance of and
underperformance in STEM domains. The purpose of this research was to gain a
better understanding and provide solutions for the difficulties that Asian Institute of
Technology - Digos Incorporation STEM students have when attempting to solve
mathematical problems. By closely investigating these problems, the research aims to
identify practical tactics and solutions that can help students overcome challenges
when addressing mathematical problems.
OBJECTIVES OF THE
STUDY
2.1 GENERAL
To comprehensively examine and understand
the difficulties and struggles encountered by
students in the fields of Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) when
solving mathematical problems.
2.2 SPECIFIC
A. What are the common types of
mathematical problems faced by STEM
students at the Asian Institute of Technology?

B. How effective are group activities in

enhancing the math skills of STEM students
at the Asian Institute of Technology?

C. How do STEM students seek assistance or

Back to Agenda Page
support when they encounter difficulties with
mathematical problem-solving?
 THEORETICAL LENS
It is stated to Hugar (2011), pointed out that the types of things we might think about in a
mathematics classroom are equations, procedures, and word problems, but in learning them, a
student needs to master them to solve problems. Thus, over the last couple of decades, there
has been a move to approach the teaching of mathematics through problem-solving. Bandong
(2000), of the University of the Philippines Baguio, stated that as long as a student is patient
and sets his mind to it, he can learn everything. All he needs is an understanding of the four
fundamental operations of arithmetic – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Teachers and students believe that Mathematics needs patience in analyzing and solving every
problem. The heart determination is needed to make the subject interesting and easy.
According to Polya (1981), solving a routine problem did not contribute to the mental
development of the student. He believed that to provide an opportunity for students to develop
higher order thinking in the process of understanding, analysis, exploration, and application of
mathematical concepts, non-routine problems should be employed. However, students
generally fear the idea of solving non-routine problems because these problems are usually
non-standard and involve unexpected and unfamiliar solutions. Besides, students are also
apprehensive, anxious, and extremely uncomfortable because they are not able to recall and
apply learned procedures in a straightforward way.
METHODOLOGY
The research employs a qualitative exploratory study design, specifically a
phenomenological approach, to investigate the challenges faced by STEM
students in mathematical problem-solving at the Asian Institute of Technology
- Digos Incorporation. Purposive sampling will select 15-20 STEM students
who self-report difficulties in mathematical problem-solving, with data
collection methods including semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis
will be conducted on interview transcripts to identify common themes, while
descriptive statistics will analyze survey data and content analysis will be
applied to observational data. Ethical considerations include obtaining
informed consent, ensuring confidentiality, and obtaining Institutional
Review Board approval. To enhance validity and reliability, triangulation of
data sources, member checking, and peer debriefing will be employed
throughout the study.
 RESEARCH PROJECT
RESEARCH AGENDA
DURATION
Research Objective
Participant Selection
Interview Protocol Development
Data Collection 7-8 MONTHS
Data Analysis
Data Interpretation and
Reporting
THANK YOU!!