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CHAPTER II

Review of Literature

This chapter consists of various readings that are related to the study that gave

significant insights that helped much in the development of this present study. This

include the review of related literature about Mathematics Education in the K to 12

Curriculum.

According to Ontario Ministry of Education as cited by Sinay & Nahornick

(2016), mathematics is foundational in many ways that informs our decisions in areas of

our lives. Teaching and learning mathematics is at the heart of education. Learning

mathematics aims to link school to everyday life, provide skill acquisition, prepare

students for the workforce, and foster mathematical thinking. Mathematics involves

learning to problem-solve, investigate, represent, and communicate mathematical

concepts and ideas, and making connections to everyday life.

In the Philippines, we cannot deny the fact that yearly our educational institutions

across the archipelago are having mathematically unequipped students. In local scenario,

students’ performance in National Achievement Tests shows that Science and

Mathematics continue to be the most difficult field of study in education (Department of

Education, 2002). With this, educational institutions seek for innovative strategies to

counter the long- fought problem of low students’ performance in mathematics. Several

studies conducted had revealed that a good foundation on basic mathematical concepts

increases the numeracy rate of countries. Hence, it is essential to develop programs that

will address the mathematical needs of students (Estonato & Fungo, 2014).
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The Philippine Educational System has undergone several developmental stages

before it reached the current educational system today. For a very long time, the

Philippine government worked hard in the revisions of the educational curriculum to

make it suitable in giving quality education for every Filipino. Its objective of improving

the educational system has a fitting instrument for the achievement of national goals

which can be realized through proper reforms in the educational program. As a matter of

practice, the curriculum in the Philippines is revised every ten years, but the rapid change

in education and the fast obsolescence of knowledge necessitate continual revisiting and

updating to make it responsive to the emerging needs of the learners and the society.

The K to 12 Basic Education came in 2011. Republic Act No. 10533, otherwise

known as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 201”, Rule 2. Curriculum, Section

10.2.g. Standards and Principles, “The curriculum shall use the spiral progression

approach to ensure mastery of knowledge and skills after each level”. Enclosure No. 1 to

Department of Health (DepEd) Order No. 31, s 2012 is the “Implementing Guidelines of

Grades 1 to 10 to Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum”, which states that “the overall

design of Grades 1 to 10 curriculum follows the spiral approach across subjects by

building on the same concepts developed in increasing complexity and sophistication

starting from grade school. Teachers are expected to use the spiral progression approach

in teaching competencies.” Furthermore, the spiral progression of topics in the said

subject reveals how lessons are intertwined in every year level.

According to de Ramos-Samala (2018), on her study in the spiral progression

approach, it follows the progressive type of curriculum anchored on John Dewey’s idea

about the total learning experiences of the individual. Progression as a thing that
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describes students’ personal journeys through education, and ways in which they acquire,

apply, develop their skills, knowledge, and understanding in increasingly challenging

situations. On the other hand, Zulueta as cited by de Ramos-Samala (2018), stated that

this approach refers to the choosing and defining of the content of a certain discipline to

be taught using prevalent ideas against the traditional practice of determining content by

isolated topics. According to Cabansag as cited by de Ramos-Samala (2018), concluded

that students find the topics easy at first and gradually become hard, but there is mastery

of the topics because they are discussed in their own pace and longer years to study

The K to 12 curriculum implementation has institutionalized a curricular

framework anchored on spiral progression, and this calls for new perspectives in the

implementation of the teaching and learning process. Spiral Progression helps in

developing the same concepts from one grade level to the next in increasing complexity

and sophistication. It is more on revisiting concepts at each grade level with increasing

depth and building on pupils’ prior knowledge and skills to allow gradual mastery from

one grade level to the next (Tan, 2012). The challenge of today’s teachers is to

conceptualize programs and strategies on how to address this difficulty in Mathematics

and the implementation of the spiral progression approach in the K to 12 Curriculum.

According to Catalan & Daruban (2012), to provide quality education to all

students is the most important mission of every educational institution. However, with the

multifarious problems facing the public schools, its delivery is hindered. Reality tells us

that even if the public school teachers are qualified to teach, the lack of instructional

materials, inadequate facilities and lack of training for professional growth hindered them

to perform at their best. It is sad to note that with students reaching up to sixty pupils and
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students in a classroom, the learning environment is distorted. It is also expected that

problems really occur inside the classroom.

Mathematics anxiety has been continually found to correlate negatively with

students’ mathematics performance. The most frequently cause is the teacher, as the main

source of the students’ tension. Traditional methods in teaching also intensified students’

anxieties. Mathematics is also viewed as an inherently difficult subject. Many students

are unable to see its practicality and teachers seldom attempt to make the connections.

Due to its cumulative and sequential nature, when students missed out something along

the way, it is likely that they never fully comprehend it (Ng, 2012).

Another problem encountered in teaching is the student’s attention. According to

Weimer (2014), most teachers daily confront the reality that student’s attention wanders

in class and it is a problem that the teacher should address. Students consistently reported

fewer lapses when teachers were pedagogies including things like demonstrations, group

work and clicker questions. This result confirms well-established findings that students

are more engaged and attentive when they are doing something other than listening to the

teacher lecture. Weimer added that teachers should try to improve student’s attentiveness

by using instructional approaches, especially those actively engaged students. These

activities enable students to encounter the content in different formats and make it easier

for them to pay attention after the activity has ended.

The use of instructional materials in teaching and learning help the learners to

explore experiment, create and interact with the environment intensively. According to

Meremikwu as cited by Adipo (2015), many uses of instructional materials help to

provide learners with an enabling environment to learn Mathematics. Instructional

materials make teaching and learning more effective. They can be manipulated, seen,

heard or talked about as instruments which facilitate such activity. Esu, Enukoha and

Umoren as cited by Adipo (2015) stated that instructional materials are necessary

ingredients in the development of any curriculum. She asserted that the main aim of

instructional materials in the teaching of Mathematics is to increase the effectiveness of

teaching mathematics as a means of preparing learners for future responsibilities as

adults. As cited by Adipo, textbooks and other learning materials may influence teacher’s

beliefs about mathematics. Mathematics is used as a basic entry requirement in any of the

prestigious courses such as medicine, architecture and engineering among other degree

programs.

Instructional materials play a very important role in the teaching and learning

process. It enhances the memory level of the students. At this time that education has

spread wide and entirety, oral teaching cannot be the key to successful pedagogy;

therefore, the teacher has to use instructional materials to make teaching and learning

process interesting. Instructional materials are tools locally made or imported that help to

facilitate the teaching-learning process (Effiong, et al, 2015).

Igiri, C. E., & Effiong, O. E. (2015), the use of instructional materials can

enhance the learning achievement. The important elements of behaviour that provides the

base for learning theory situation which consists of all the objects, persons and symbols

in the learning environment. Experience in situation prepares a person to respond to

similar situation in future. Use of instructional materials can appeal to the individual

attention by creating interest goal that will help the learner achieve direct effort.

Teacher’s problem of motivation is essentially one of arranging situation with

instructional materials in which the learner will see goals he wants to attain. It does not

only help to motivate and develop interest on the part of the student, but also help to

bring about an enhance respect for teacher’s knowledge of the subject.

According to Akpan & Uno (2017), Instructional Materials allow students to have

relatively uniform attention and opportunities to practice and acquire skills. They make

teaching experiences flexible and rich enough to meet individual pupils learning styles.

Students are able to use a combination of sense (smell, hearing, touch, taste and sight) for

easier and better acquisition of concepts and facts they are being taught. Instructional

materials enable students to see as a whole certain relationship that are difficult to

conceptualize in parts.

The nature of the learning and the wide range of student’s abilities in the average

classroom require a high degree of teachers and experience in the method of presenting

the subject matter. This has been truncated with the unavailability of instructional

materials in schools.

Writing on the role of instructional materials in teaching and learning, Balogun as

cited by Tety (2016), commented that science education programmes cannot be taught

effectively without the existence of equipment for teaching. This is because instructional

materials help those who learn to develop problem-solving skills and scientific attitudes.

Elaborating further on the same point, he also cited Ajayi and Ogunyemi statement which

emphasizes that when instructional materials are provided to meet relative needs of

teaching process, students will have access to the reference materials mentioned by the

teacher, and also each student will be able to learn at his or her own pace. The overall

result is that students will perform much better.

Instructional materials serve as a channel between the teacher and the students in

delivering instructions. They may also serve as the motivation on the teaching-learning

process. It is use to get the attention of the students and eliminate boredom. Instructional

materials are highly important for teaching; especially for inexperienced teachers.

Teachers rely on instructional materials in every aspect of teaching. They need material

for background information on the subject they are teaching (Adalikwu & Iorkpilgh,

2013).

According to Awolaju (2016), the importance of instructional materials in

teaching and learning is too obvious to be overemphasized. A lot has been written to

show the indispensable role of materials in curricular implementation. He stressed out

that Onyejemezi, Ogunranti, and Afolaju are the authors who pointed out that

instructional materials increase the rate of learning, save the teacher time and effort,

increase learners interest and facilitate retention of what is learned. He also cited the

statement of Akinfe, Olofinniyi, Fashiku which states that the use of instructional

materials in teaching process is less stressful for both teacher and students. To further

show the importance of instructional materials, reported factors responsible for poor

performance in science, technology and mathematics which include poor laboratory

facilities, inappropriate teaching methods and inadequate number of learning facilities in

schools as against consistent increase in number of students.

According to Wales as cited by Wambui (2013), the use of instructional materials

would make discovered facts glue firmly in the memory of learners. Instructional

Materials make them enjoy participating in science lessons and even make them repeat

the activity during their free time. This enables the learners to keep the idea in their long
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term memory. He also cited the statement of Savoury (2003) which states that a well-

planned use of instructional material in lessons should do much to banish apathy. In

addition, he said that selection of instructional material which are related to the basic

activity of a lesson helps in in-depth understanding of such a lesson by the learners, in

that it makes the lesson attractive to them, thereby arresting their attention and thus,

motivating them to learn and participate. Participation helps teachers to discover their

learners’ potential, to realize their talents and raise their self-esteem. In turn this can help

them to question their boundaries and explore issues, voice aspirations, identify needs

and facilitate their learning and personal development.

Olumorin, Yusuf, Ajidagba and Jekayinfa (2010) also observe that instructional

materials help teachers to teach conveniently and the learners to learn easily without

stress. They assert that instructional materials have direct contact with all the sense

organs of the students. Kochhar (2012) supports this view by saying that, instructional

materials are very significant learning and teaching tools. He adds that there is need for

teachers to find necessary and relevant instructional materials to complement classroom

interaction and textbooks in order to broaden and arouse student’s interests in the subject.

Studies on learning theories and skill acquisition also emphasised on the use and

effect of instructional materials on learners’ cognitive domain as it revealed that a single

approach or strategy cannot adequately explain the concept of how people learn, how

materials should be used, how the various interactions affect learning and how best to

organize the teaching and learning process (Nsa, 2012).

According to Esu, Enukoha and Umoren as cited by Ajoke (2017), instructional

materials facilitate learning of abstract concepts by helping to concretize ideas and

stimulate learners‟ imagination. Moreover, instructional materials help to increase active

participation in the learning process while saving teacher’s energy, reducing the teacher

centeredness in teaching. In the same vein, Mathew (2012) states that the use of

instructional materials makes teaching effective as it enables learners to participate

actively in classroom instruction. All these views suggest that the use of instructional

materials can improved student’s performance.

The need to emphasis on the use and importance of instructional materials in any

learning and teaching environment cannot be underestimated. For any learning to take

place, the teacher has to make use of these materials that would enable him to teach

effectively.