Publication: Difficulties in college algebra of first year nursing students
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Date
2005-03
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Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University - South La Union Campus
Abstract
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.
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Citation
Marcha, L. N., Geneta, J. V., Sapitula, D. E., & De Leon, C. C. (2005) Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University - South La Union Campus [Unpublished Undergraduate thesis]. Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University - South La Union Campus, Agoo, La Union.