Browsing by Author "De Leon, Christopher C."

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    Difficulties in college algebra of first year nursing students
    (Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University - South La Union Campus, 2005-03) Marcha, Leo N.; Geneta, Juvelyn V.; Sapitula, Darwin E.; De Leon, Christopher C.
    This study aimed to find out the Difficulties of the First Year Nursing Students in College Algebra of DMMMSU-SLUC, Agoo, La Union. Specially, it sought to answer questions related to: 1) the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, civil status and grade in college algebra; 2) the performance of the respondents in the given performance test; 3) the result of the respondents performance test in the four categories of cognitive domain and identification of the most difficult category; 4) the difficult sub-topics under the major topics in college algebra that the students encountered; 5) the major topics in college algebra where students find difficulties; 6) the determination whether there is no significant relationship between score in the given performance test and a) age b) sex c) civil status and d) grade in college algebra. This study tested the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between the grade of the respondents in college algebra and their scores in the given performance test. This hypothesis was tested at .05 level of significance using t-test and Pearson r Moment Correlation. Other data were analyzed and treated using frequency counts, percentages, weighted mean and rank. The descriptive method using questionnaire and researchers made test was used in gathering the needed data. A five points scale was used to describe the performance of the respondents in two variables. The data gathering tools were tried out on 52 randomly selected first year nursing students of DMMMSU-SLUC, Agoo, La Union. The data obtained revealed the following finding; 1) as to the respondents profile (75%) of the respondents are within the age of 17, majorities (73.08%) of them are female, almost (98.08%) of the respondents are still-single and more than one-third (36.54%) of them obtained a grade of 80-84 and is describes as satisfactory; 2) as to the performance in the given performance test, more than one-third had a grade of 80-84 and described as satisfactory; 3) as to the mean of the cognitive domain; comprehension had the greatest mean with 6.46, followed by application with 6.08 mean, followed by knowledge with 3.98 mean, and the least mean was the analysis with 1.5; 4) the percentage of correct answer per sub-topics in college algebra as follows: real number system, 29%; set 12%, special product, rational expression, factoring, addition, subtraction, division and multiplication of polynomials with above average percentage from 52% - 96%; integral exponent, 37%; rational exponent, 81% and zero exponent, 75%; multiplication and division of radicals 87% and rationalizing radicals, 90% and in linear equation had 56% in the form of knowledge and 12% in the form of analysis or problem-solving; 5) the average percentage of correct answer per major topics are the following: sets and real number with 26%; equation with 28%; exponential form with 64%; fraction with 70%; radicals 73% and polynomials with 74%. 6) The computed t of age, sex, civil status and grade in college algebra was 2.47, .36, 0.86 and 0.143. Hence null hypothesis is accepted to the sex, civil status, grade in college algebra since the computed t was less than the tabulated value, And null hypothesis is rejected to the age since computed t was greater than the tabulated value t. As a result of the above-listed findings, the researcher came out the following conclusion: 1) the performance of the first year nursing students based on the given performance test was satisfactory; 2) analysis is the most difficult category in the cognitive domains; 3) the age of 17 is just the appropriate age for the curriculum level, nursing as a course is dominated by women, being single is important while studying and the grade of the respondents in college algebra was satisfactory; 4) sex, civil status, and grade in college algebra were independent from the performance test score, while age was dependent from the performance test score; 5) students found difficulties in the following sub-topics: equation, sets and real number system; linear equation in the form of analysis or problem solving; factoring polynomials and integral exponent; and 6) students found difficulties in the following major topics: exponential form and sets and real number system. Based from the findings and conclusion, the following recommendation are drawn: 1) students should be properly guided and motivated through further orientation on the importance of mathematics to the course to improve their attitudes toward it; 2) students should help themselves counteract the common causes of failure in mathematics, particularly in college algebra. Learning must be a two way process where teacher and the students have a good interaction; 3) students should keep on practicing learned principles so that they will not easily forget them; 4) teachers should give emphasis on the identified difficulties of the students in this study; 5) the teacher should give exercise that need critical difficulties of the students skill in mathematics; 6) the teacher should give more emphasis on the higher level of cognitive tasks in mathematics rather than on its rote memory components; 7) the teacher should use factual practical and relevant experiences of the students in teaching word problem; 8) the institute of Nursing of the university should adopt a good mathematics program which will give emphasis on mathematical vocabulary and algebraic skills in the first stage gradually building up so that analytical skills are developed; and 9) a similar study conducted in other schools or colleges may be undertaken to validate the result of the present study.