Cognitive Development Levels and Learning Styles: Problem Solving Ability Indicators

Abstract

Introduction

Education plays a very important role in imparting to the youth and gives opportunities for complete development of their competencies and potentials, especially in Science and Mathematics. It is an undeniable fact that the primary concern in our educational system is the development of the cognitive and affective domain. This study needs to determine the relationship of cognitive development levels and learning styles to the problem-solving ability of the students.

Methods

The study used the descriptive survey method of research to describe the cognitive development levels and learning styles and its influence to problem-solving ability of Grade 7 students, the researcher used quantitative data in which the result of the cognitive development levels and learning styles test and result of abstract reasoning and numerical ability test of students were used as bases in evaluating students' problem-solving ability in mathematics. The Grade 7 students of selected high schools in Candaba, Pampanga during the S.Y. 2014-2015 as the respondents in this study.

Results

The cognitive development levels of the respondents in solving mathematical problems in terms of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation was described as satisfactory. Meanwhile, a convergent learning style was found the most dominant among the student respondents. The performance of the respondents in solving mathematical problems in terms of abstract reasoning and numerical ability was described as average.

Discussions

Based on the findings, the following conclusions were derived: There is a significant relationship between cognitive development levels of the students and their problem-solving ability in mathematics in terms of abstract reasoning. However, there is no significant relationship between cognitive development levels of the students and their problem-solving ability in mathematics in terms of numerical ability. There is a significant relationship between the learning styles of the students and their problem-solving ability in mathematics in terms of abstract reasoning. However, there is no significant relationship between students' learning styles and their problem-solving ability in mathematics in terms of numerical ability.