The Scientific Reasoning Skills and Mathematical Problem Solving Ability of the Grade 11 Students in Camp Vicente Lim integrated School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Scientific and mathematical literacy have a huge implication on the cognitive development of an individual. The achievement of these two significant skills enable individuals to apply analytical thinking and quantitative reasoning. Besides, these skills are also being merged as academic requirements. They commonly appear on college and scholarship examinations. This motivates the researcher to assess the level of Scientific Reasoning Skills (SRS) and Mathematical Problem Solving ability (MPS) of the Grade 11 students.

METHODS

The researcher utilized descriptive-correlational research design to gather data from 115 Grade-11 students. The respondents were determined through the use of G-Power, following stratified random sampling technique. The Lawson Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR) was employed to measure the SRS of the students and adapted a five-item problem solving test formulated by Mathematics teachers to assess the respondents' MPS. Statistical treatment applied to the research data were frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and Pearson's r using SPSS 23.

RESULTS

The researcher found that the scientific reasoning skills of the respondents are in concrete operational level, while their mathematical problem solving ability was found to be low. The researcher found out that there was a significant relationship between SRS and MPS, which further implies that the higher the scientific reasoning skills, the better the mathematical problem solving performance of the students.

DISCUSSIONS

The outcome of the study indicated that the Scientific Reasoning Skills and Mathematical Problem Solving Ability of Grade 11 Students were not completely established. Besides, it showed that their SRS and MPS are both in the low level. This is because the students are not yet fully engaged in explicit instructions in reasoning and problem solving.