"Performance of Grade 10 Students in Algebra Towards a Proposed Contextualized Plan"

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Mathematics is considered essential in almost every field of arts and sciences. With a fast-paced and high-tech society nowadays, Mathematics has gained more attention. Mathematics is not just computation but a tool for understanding complex real-life problems, a necessity for people of all ages to be successful in life.

Algebra, for example, one of the topics in Mathematics, is truly important and indispensable for understanding structures, relationships, and patterns to produce solutions for complex real-life problems. Learning Algebra does not only mean learning it as a subject but also applying its lessons in certain situations in our daily life. Algebra, being one of the hard-learned content of mathematics is surely a great part of the teaching-learning process and surely a contributor to the overall performance in mathematics.

However, when one starts seeing not only numbers but also letters coupled with parenthesis and exponents and a whole potpourri of other symbols, everything seems to make no sense at all. This single fact more than anything else turns many people off to learning algebra. It is now significant to determine the factors that can somehow explain our students' perceptions about the mathematics of real life.

METHODS

In this study, the researcher used the descriptive method of research. A descriptive study collects, organizes, and reviews information about the matter being studied. The study consisted of a mixed method data analysis with phase one being quantitative and phase two being qualitative. The quantitative method was used to measure/analyze the demographic characteristics of the respondents. In order to answer the research question regarding the levels of learners in the formative and summative assessments, it is imperative to analyze the levels of performance of the learners. Quantitative analysis is, therefore, an appropriate strategy to determine the level of each learner in both tests.

This researcher chose the descriptive process, which was widely used in doing scientific research such that, only few limitations were observed on its use. In descriptive research, the identification of the relationships that existed between concerned variables served to generate answers to the hypotheses framed for further exploration.

RESULTS

The result of the formative and summative tests is a reliable basis for creating a contextualized plan and sample lesson plans. Topics in Algebra perceived to be difficult were to solve real-life problems involving arithmetic sequence, to solve real-life problems involving geometric sequence, to prove the Remainder Theorem and the Factor theorem, and to solve problems involving polynomials and polynomial equations.

DISCUSSIONS

Contextualization is a vast factor for learners to fully understand the given lesson in mathematics.