Relationship between Academic Interest of Students and Their Achievements: The Problem and Its Background

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Introduction

Classroom has been the second homeroom of our students. It is a place where they stayed for more than 12 years of their lives, shared experiences, met new friends, and many others. Hence, it plays a significant part to who they will become in the future. In the same manner, it is a learning space in which students are being taught. It is room where they gain knowledge and understanding on the different aspects of life. This is where most of the student’s skills where being trained and enhanced by the teachers in order to prepare them in their future endeavours. Likewise, it is where their attitudes and behaviours are being guided and developed for them to become a well-rounded citizen of the country.

Classroom plays a vital part in the learning process of the students, hence, learning environment should have to put into priority. According to Miller & Cunningham, nd., classroom environment encompasses a broad range of educational concepts, including the physical setting, the psychological environment created through social contexts, and numerous instructional components related to teacher characteristics and behaviour.

In this study, it will determine other aspects of classroom learning environment, such as classroom space and ventilation, student’s interest and participation, teacher support and encouragement, as well as fairness and clarity of the rules and tasks in the classroom, which may or may not have an effect to the academic performance of the students.

Learning starts from the time that the students enter the classroom. First to observe is the physical setting, as part of the environmental system, which might influence the student’s comfort and ability to learn. The classroom space and ventilation could have an effect to student’s interest to listen and participate in classroom activities. This has been justified in the study of Shamaki (2015) where he revealed that poor ventilation must be catered for and equally be discouraged so that the classroom temperature should be kept moderate in order not to hinder quality academic activities. Also, he found out that overcrowd does harm to learning mathematics, therefore, he recommended that government should make sure that the number of students per class should not exceed (40) forty. However, classrooms specifically in the public schools, are still catering more than 40 students in a class due to its shortage especially now that more classrooms are needed in the implementation of K-12 curriculum.

Second, students’ interest and participation, as one of the aspects in the classroom learning environment, could have an effect to student’s learning. Classroom participation can lead to interesting and fruitful discussions which results to a high level of energy and enthusiasm in the classroom learning environment. However, poorly managed participation can also lead to teacher’s frustrations and student confusion.

According to Ezike (2018), he reported that there is a significant relationship exists between academic interest of students and achievement in Senior Secondary School Chemistry. This result is tenable because of the role interest plays in various life activities including academics. It is a well-known/established fact that the decision to exert extra effort or even to engage in an activity is dictated by the level or degree of interest in an individual.

Furthermore, interest has to do with a learner’s predisposition to react positively in certain ways towards certain aspects of the environment and is usually developed in relation to and remains allied to more basic motives (Adeyemi, 2014). In the same way, situational interest which could be generated by the classroom environment is a potent medium that can be harnessed by teachers to motivate students’ interest in learning even by the disengaged and unmotivated students to more effectively learn for probable better performance (Kpolovie et al, 2014).

Third is the support and encouragement of a teacher which he/she plays a key role in the learning of the students. Teacher’s support is likely to influence both student’s learning goal orientation and task value. The implications of these statistically significant relationships between the learning environment dimension and student motivation and self-regulation (Velayutham, 2012). Student’s feeling that they are belong in the class keeps them motivated to achieve their goals in life. Giving them continuous support and encouragement makes them inspired and be better every day. On the contrary, teacher’s discouragement could results to student’s anxieties and poor academic performance.

Lastly, fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom. Classroom rules are identified as an integral part of effective classroom management as they are relatively simple to implement and focus on preventing challenging behaviors before they occur. There are two characteristics of classroom rules that were most important to their overall effectiveness were that the classroom rules were taught and that they were tied to positive and/or negative consequences. The majority of the experimental studies described how classroom rules were taught to students either through recitation, classroom discussion, or through modelling of examples and nonexamples. In addition, both descriptive studies noted that one of the key differences between more effective and less effective classroom managers was that classroom rules were taught to students in clear and effective ways (Alter, P. & Haydon, T., 2017).

Many studies also revealed the effect of classroom learning environment to the academic performance of the students.

According to Ezike, B. (2018), he concluded in his study entitled “Classroom Environment and Academic Interest as Correlates of Achievement in Senior Secondary School Chemistry in Ibadan South West Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria” that classroom environment is a vital factor that can affect academic achievement of learners. It has the potential to dictate the level of interest, motivation and subsequent commitment in any activity. Students’ academic interest is also crucial since it was found to have positively affected achievement in Chemistry.

Furthermore, as stated by Malik, R. and Rizvi, A. (2018), they revealed that the subscales “Involvement”, “Personal Relevance”, and “Emphasis on Understanding” were major predictors contributing towards classroom learning environment and students’ academic achievement whereas subscales “Investigation” and “Autonomy” have negative effect on the students’ academic achievement.

Moreover, Falsario, H., Muyong, R. & Nuevaespana, J. (2014) found out in their study entitled “Classroom Climate and Academic Performance of Education Students” that classroom climate could not influence academic per performance of BEED students. Classroom climate might not be the only factor contributing to their academic performance. Positively, there might be other factors contributing to it like their personal persistence and determination to have academic success wherever they are or they can still attain academic success regardless of classroom climate. However, for the BSED students there was a moderately low positive correlation between their academic achievement and classroom climate. To a certain extent, classroom climate had contributed to their academic performance. Teacher factor, class activities and general classroom atmosphere can significantly motivate them to attain academic success.

Indeed, classroom learning environment plays a major role in shaping the quality of academic performance of the students and this includes Mathematics. Understanding Mathematics is one of the important knowledge that students should have to learn. It is an integral part of the K to 12 curriculum and considered a key subject to many fields in education. One of the subject in this field of learning is General Mathematics. This is a core subject of Grade 11 students and pre-requisite of Statistics and Probability. It is one of the important subject not only in the point of view of getting academic qualification at school or college, but also a subject that prepares the students for the future as well as irrespective of which work of life they choose to be part of. Despite of its importance, it is still one of those subjects that is poorly understood by the students.

Creating a safe, positive classroom environment is a key factor to effective student’s learning. Hence, this study aims to determine the effect of the classroom learning environment to the academic performance of the students of San Mariano National High School-Main, San Mariano National High School.

Conceptual Framework

In this study, the identified variables are the classroom learning environment that may have or may not have a relationship with the final grade of students in their General Mathematics subject.

Figure 1 shows that classroom learning environment as independent variables particularly on the following aspects: student’s interest and participation, teacher support and encouragement, fairness and clarity of the rules and tasks in the classroom, and classroom space and ventilation. The dependent variable is the final grade of the students in General Mathematics subject.

a. Student’s Interest and Participation
b. Teacher’s support and Encouragement
c. Fairness and Clarity of Rules and Tasks in the Classroom
d. Classroom Space and Ventilation

Research Paradigm

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the classroom learning environment and the academic performance of San Mariano National High School students in General Mathematics. Specifically, this will seek to answer the following:

What are the perceptions of the students in their classroom learning environment as regards to:
1. students interest and participation;
2. teachers support and encouragement;
3. fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom; and
4. classroom space and ventilation?
What is the academic performance of the students in General Mathematics?
Is there a significant relationship between the perceived classroom learning environment and the academic performance of the students?

Hypothesis

The following Null Hypothesis (Ho) will be tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance:

There is no significant relationship between the perceived classroom learning environment and the academic performance of the students.

Importance and Significance of the Study

This study is significant to the following individuals:

Administrators. This study may guide the Principal and School Heads to create programs or trainings for the teachers to develop and enhance their knowledge and skills in improving classroom learning environment. Also, to give priority for classroom renovations and improving its physical facilities such as providing electric ventilations.

Teachers. This study may serve as their basis of evaluating student’s level of interest and participation in the classroom by making necessary adjustments in their strategy. Likewise, this study will assist the teachers to organize their classrooms to create a better learning environment in order to yield more positive atmosphere.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is limited in determining the classroom learning environment of San Mariano National High School based on perceptions of the students who are enrolled during the first semester of school year 2019-2020. This is design to cover the following aspects of classroom learning environment such as student’s interest and participation, teachers support and encouragement, fairness and clarity of rules and tasks in the classroom and classroom space and ventilation. This will excludes the teacher’s rating score in their classroom observation.

The respondents of the study covers those students who had finished their General Mathematics subjects.

Definition of Terms

To gain a better understanding and appreciation of this research, the following terms are operationally defined.

Classroom – This refers to a learning space, a room in which both children and adults learn (Wikipedia).

Learning Environment – This refers to an educational approach, cultural context and physical setting in which teaching and learning occur (Wikipedia).

Academic Performance – This refers to the final grade of the students in their General Mathematics during school year 2019-2020.

General Mathematics – This refers to the subject of the Grade 11 students taken during the first semester of the school year 2019-2020.

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