Algebra difficulties among second year bachelor of secondary

ALGEBRA DIFFICULTIES AMONG SECOND YEAR

BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENTS OF SPUD SY

2012-2013

Researchers:Junarie Ramirez BSED-2

Rickleoben Bayking BSED-2Patrick Floyd Catigtig BSED-3

ABSTRACT•This study examined the different causes or reasons why students have a difficulty in college algebra. Also, the researchers included certain topics in algebra that students have difficulties

•Undergraduate students were tested indirectly through self-validated questionnaires

ABSTRACT•The researchers predicted that the respondents will have somewhat have the same reasons why they have a difficulty in learning college algebra. Likewise, on the specific topics that they have a hard time in coping so

ABSTRACT•With the results, the researchers have tabulated each of the respondents’ answers

•The researchers also made graphical data presentations to easily interpret the differences among the respondents’ answers

ABSTRACT•The researchers concluded that math teachers have a very great responsibility in letting students to understand mathematics lessons and that they will find ways on the causes that students acquired on the difficulty of learning college algebra

ABSTRACT•On the other hand, math teachers will have to take into consideration the phase of students’ ability to learn a specific topic in algebra especially in special products and factoring, and rationalizing denominator

INTRODUCTION•The researchers view that there is no subject which can be considered as easy as to there are no difficulties that the students will be encountering especially mathematics

INTRODUCTION•The researchers ask their fellow education students to major in math but their responses will be: “Math is difficult.” “I’m not good in math.”

•With that statements it can be implied that they possess a negative attitude towards the subject, and they have lack of interest

INTRODUCTION•Within the language of algebra, most linguistic difficulties are related to variables and expressions; most translation difficulties arise in translating word problems into equations(S. Wagner & S. Parker)

INTRODUCTION•Most of the students will have a difficulty solving algebraic expressions. It is because of the variables or letters placed together with the constants. But for the fact that it is just expressed into variables with numerical coefficients, so the same process of solving it remains the same. Do students are the ones who complicate it?

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

•Do the respondents will have a difficulty in college algebra because it has no connection to real life-situation?

•Do the respondents will have a lack of interest because it is not their field of study?

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

•Why do the respondents have mathematical learning difficulties in college algebra? What are the causes or factors that affect the respondents in learning college algebra?

•What specific topic in algebra tend to have more difficulties?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

•As the researchers, it is very important to tackle problems which have to be helpful to anybody

•In this study, the researchers will have to find the causes why students have a difficulty in college algebra. It is important to explore those so that there will be an improvement. This is by encouraging


students to love the subject, finding ways on how ton make students to be comfortable with algebra, and letting them feel the significance of the subject


•This study is important to teachers so that they will have an idea on what strategies they will use to cater the needs of students in learning algebra and on the specific lessons in algebra that students have difficulty

SCOPE AND LIMITATION•This study includes only the reasons why students have a difficulty in learning college algebra and certain topics in college algebra that tend to have more difficulties.

•The respondents will be all 2nd year coming from SPUD taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education

SCOPE AND LIMITATION•This study limits on the teaching strategy used by teachers in teaching college algebra. This will be done probably on further studies

•The data generated from the respondents will be kept into confidentiality

METHODOLOGYRESEARCH DESIGN & PROCEDURE

Develop Research goals

Collect data

Organize the data

Analyze the data

generated

Evaluate the

results

METHODOLOGYRESEARCH PARTICIPANTS•The respondents come from the College of Arts and Education in St. Paul University Dumaguete. The sample is taken from the 2nd year Bachelor of Secondary Education students which comprise 12 students of which 6 of them take English, 5 of them take Biological Science, and 1 who take MAPEH

METHODOLOGYRESEARCH PARTICIPANTS•The respondents have already taken the college algebra subject in the first semester of school year 2012-2013

METHODOLOGYRESEARCH ENVIRONMENT•St. Paul University Dumaguete is an ISO Certified(International Organization for Standardization) and PAASCU Accredited (Philippine Association of Accrediting Schools, College & Universities), and the Region’s Most Sustainable & Eco-Friendly School

METHODOLOGYRESEARCH ENVIRONMENT•The only Catholic University in the Province of Negros Oriental, SPUD stands tall and steadfast as the bulwark of Catholic education. It continues to uphold the vision-mission of the school, of the congregation, and of our founder, Father Louis Chauvet, in the molding of Christ-like, integrated, competent, self-giving

METHODOLOGYRESEARCH ENVIRONMENTand responsible persons in the service of the Church and society.•The University’s academic programs integrate knowledge, attitudes, basic skills, moral values and good habits for everyday living. SPUD instills in the students’ pride for socio-religious cultural heritage of their race

METHODOLOGY•The researchers choose St. Paul University Dumaguete as their research environment because this is the institution where the researchers study and they want to study the behaviors of the students on what are the causes why they have difficulties in learning algebra

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

•Applying the entire process of mathematics can be shown in the following diagram:(Bernkopf, 1975)

Real problemTranslation into mathematicsMathematical manipulation

Mathematical answer Translation from mathematics

Solution of real problem


• Algebra is thinking logically about numbers rather than computing with numbers. In algebra you are a second step of abstraction removed from everyday to the world: those x’s and y’s usually denote numbers in general, not particular numbers. In algebra you use analytic, quantitative reasoning with numbers.


•When students start to learn algebra, they inevitably try to solve problems by arithmetical thinking. That’s a natural thing to do, given all the effort they have put into mastering arithmetic, and at first, when the algebra problems they meet are particularly simple (that’s the teacher’s classification), this approach works


•In fact, the stronger a student is at arithmetic, the further they can progress in algebra using arithmetical thinking. (Many students can solve the quadratic equation =2x+15 using basic arithmetic, using no algebra at all.)


•Paradoxically, or so it may seem, however, those better students may find it harder to learn algebra. Because to do algebra, for all but the most basic example, you have to stop thinking arithmetically and learn to think algebraically. (Algebra_Devlin.pdf)


REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES•Anna Sierpinska*Concordia has an overview on difficulties in learning. First, evidence of students’ difficulties with algebra. Second, theories about the sources of difficulties. And, third, attempts to improve the teaching of algebra


REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES•According to her, the evidence of students’ difficulties starts with the feature of algebra. That is, the use of symbols or letters to represent numbers (such as x, y, z, or a) and expressions such as (y=3x+15, z=-3y). In learning algebra, it is the first difficulty for students

RESULTS(Tabular Data)

TALLY OF THE RESULTSRESPOND-ENTS

LACK OF

INTER-EST

NEGATI-VE ATTITU-DE

LACK OF

MOTIV-

ATION

STRAT-EGY USED

UNRE-

LATED-

NESS

SELF-EXPECTAT-ION

STUDE-NT-TEACH-ER REL.

TOTAL

A 2

B 5

C 4

D 1

E 3

F 3

G 3

H 1

I 2

J 6

K 4

L 2

TOTAL

7 7 5 8 1 3 5 36

TALLY OF THE RESULTSRESPON-DENTS

SPECIAL PRO-

DUCTS &

FACTOR-ING

RATIO-NALIZ-ING

DENOMI-NATOR

EXPO-NENTS

RADI-CALS

QUAD-RATIC EQUA-TIONS

TOTAL

A 1

B 3

C 4

D 3

E 2

F 2

G 2

H 1

I 5

J 3

K 5

L 2

TOTAL 9 9 5 5 5 33

RESULTS(Graphical Data)

TABLE 1.0 THE NUMBER OF PREFERENCES AMONG 12 SECOND YEAR BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENTS ON THE REASONS WHY THEY HAVE A DIFFICULTY IN LEARNING

COLLEGE ALGEBRA

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

58% 58%

42%

67%

8%

25%

42%

TABLE 1.1 THE NUMBER OF PREFERENCES AMONG 12 SECOND YEAR BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENTS ON THE SPECIFIC TOPIC OF COLLEGE ALGEBRA

THAT THEY HAVE DIFFICULTIES

Spec

ial p

rodu

cts & fa

ctor

ing

Ratio

naliz

ing

Denom

inat

or

Expo

nent

s

Radical

s

Qua

drat

ic e

quat

ions

0

2

4

6

8

10 75% 75%

42% 42% 42%

RESULTSINTERPRETATION OF DATA•From table 1.0, the researchers’ found out that the most reason why the respondents have difficulty in learning college algebra is the teaching strategy used by the teacher which receives a percentage of 67%.

RESULTSINTERPRETATION OF DATA• On the other hand, the least reason is the unrelatedness of the subject to real-life situations which receives a percentage of only 8%.

RESULTSINTERPRETATION OF DATA•Based from table 1.1, there is a percentage of 75%, which is the highest, who considered that special products and factoring, and rationalizing denominator is the most difficult topic in college algebra

RESULTSINTERPRETATION OF DATA• Then, 42% of the respondents’ have a difficulty on exponents, radicals, and quadratic euations

CONCLUSION•In general, the researchers found out that most of the respondents was not being catered with an effective strategy by their teacher when they took college algebra. Therefore, teachers should provide effective strategies that would help students to learn certain subject matter. But most of the respondents were able to apply the subject to real-life situations

CONCLUSION•Also, almost all of the respondents did not understood on how to factor and rationalize denominator. And that almost half of the respondents have a difficulty in solving expressions with exponents, radicals, and in solving quadratic equations. So, teachers will have to further discuss those lessons and encourage peer tutoring

RECOMMENDATION•Based from the results of the study, the researchers would like to recommend that:

1. Teachers should realize the students’ needs in coping the subject college algebra especially those topics where most students have difficulties


2. The teacher would design effective strategies in teaching college algebra3. The students should also take their part in the discussion especially that it is a mathematics subject


4. To the future researchers, they would explore more about other methods, approaches, and strategies in teaching effectively mathematics especially algebra

BIBLIOGRAPHYBernkopf M. (1975). Mathematics An Appreciation. Pace University, New York N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company.Wagner S., Parker S. (1999). Advancing Algebra. Retrieved January 29, 2013 from www.ask.com

BIBLIOGRAPHYMoses B. (Ed) (n.d.). Algebraic Thinking. Reston, VA. National Council of Teaching Mathematics(NCTM) INC.,p.328Russel D. (n.d.). Algebra Difficulty. Retrieved January 29, 2013 from math.about.com/od/algebra/a/Why Algebra.htm

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Algebra difficulties among second year bachelor of secondary