Correlation of Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematics Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Mathematics is a vital subject in all levels of education in which many students want to do well, but are hampered by many obstacles. The subject is challenging students must still grapple with the internal fears associated with Mathematics anxiety. In Gamut National High School, results showed that Mathematics subject obtained the least mean percentage score among other subjects with a mean score of 53.94% which was far below the standard passing rate of 75. With that research in mind, the first purpose of this study was to look at math anxiety and how it affected students' achievement of grade 9 students. The second purpose was to better understand the issues related to math anxiety so policies and strategies can be implemented to reduce math anxiety.

METHODS

The study aimed to determine the correlation of students' mathematics anxiety to their mathematics achievement in the first grading period. It utilized the descriptive survey method to answer the research problems posed at the beginning of the study. It used the adapted questionnaire to generate data. The respondents of the study were all the grade 9 students of Gamut National High School, Gamut, Tago, Surigao del Sur comprising the seven sections namely Avogadro, Calvin, Dalton, Newton, Rutherford, STE, and Thomson. Weighted mean and Pearson-Product Moment correlation was the statistical tools used to interpret the gathered data.

RESULTS

Results revealed that the level of mathematics anxiety got an overall weighted mean of 3.09 which indicates "undecided" as perceived by the respondents from seven (7) sections namely Avogadro, Calvin, Dalton, Newton, Rutherford, STE, and Thomson. Mean academic performance in Mathematics is also determined. A weighted mean of 80 percent to a satisfactory category, as perceived by the students, is also seen which implies a positive outlook in their academic performance. The level of Mathematics anxiety and Mathematics academic performance of the Grade 9 students based on their Mean grade has no significant correlation.

DISCUSSIONS

The correlation of the Mathematics academic performance and Mathematics anxiety of the students had no significant correlation. It implies that the student's level of Mathematics anxiety did not affect the students' Mathematics academic performance of the students.