Are Filipino parents putting too much pressure on their students?
Recent statistics now point out to high “math anxiety” among Filipino 15-year-old students, mostly due to “fear of failing” the subject.
The fear of getting poor marks at mathematics (recorded at 65 percent) of Filipino 15-year-old students who participated in the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the Overseas Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is what led to their poor performance in the test subject.
Another 55 percent said they felt anxious about failing and 40 percent said they felt nervous, helpless or anxious while solving math problems or doing homework.
Math anxiety is dangerous to the country's economic survival, which “stems from a lack of preparation and an inability to relate the mathematical problem to their daily life, making math a purely conceptual subject,” Prof. Leonardo Lanzona of the Ateneo de Manila University was quoted by Business World.
The Philippines was among five countries with the highest level of math anxieties among 15-year-old students, with such anxiety threatening the country's manufacturing ambitions that rely heavily on engineers.
The anxiety towards math was reported from 2012 to 2022 PISA results.
Low self-efficacy
Results of the fifth edition of the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) also showed the Philippines was among 10 economies with the lowest levels of self-efficacy among students aged 15 years old, Business World reported.
The OECD report, released last November 13, said most education systems that had the lowest levels of self-efficacy also show the highest levels of mathematics anxiety.
These countries include three Southeast Asian countries — Cambodia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and seven Latin American countries — Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Mexico.
“These shares were even higher in Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, El Salvador, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand,” OECD said, as it noted a sharp rise in mathematics anxiety from 2012 to 2022 in most PISA-participating countries and economies.
An earlier PISA edition showed 16 percent of Filipino students attained at least Level 2 proficiency in mathematics, significantly lower than the 69 percent average across OECD countries.
Almost no Filipino students were top performers in mathematics, meaning that they attained Level 5 or 6 in the PISA mathematics test.
In the 2022 report, the OECD said low math performers or those who perform below Level 2 showed higher levels of mathematics anxiety than skilled students or those who perform at Level 3 or above.
“This suggests that while anxiety is an obstacle to lifelong learning for all learners, it is even more so for those who also struggle with basic skills,” it said.
“Skilled students who have a solid foundation and strong mathematical skills will be able to build on those and be less likely to experience high levels of anxiety about mathematics,” it added.
In the assessment, 53.4 percent of Filipino participants said they ask questions when they do not understand the math material being taught, lower than the 46.8 percent global average.
About 80 percent of Filipino students said they wanted to do well in mathematics, slightly lower than the 89.3 percent global average.
“There is no clear association between mathematics performance and knowing what job students want to do in the future,” OECD said.
“However, a difference emerges in terms of the type of job students want to do based on their performance.”
The study also noted that more skilled performers expect to do highly paid jobs, noting that the Philippines presented the “widest gap” with 79 percent of its skilled performers and 32 percent of its low performers wanting to become managers or professionals.
On average, 48 percent of skilled performers and 25 percent of low performers among OECD countries wanted to become a manager or professional.
“Mathematics is crucial for manufacturing since this sector is conducive to scale economies that can be achieved through learning by doing and problem solving, skills that are honed in mathematics,” added Prof. Lanzona.
Detriment to learning
The OECD said the link between anxiety and mathematics can be detrimental to lifelong learning, adding that students who develop negative feelings towards mathematics may be less likely to opt for further education that includes the subject.
“They may avoid reskilling opportunities that involve mathematics as well,” it said.
The OECD said reducing students’ mathematics anxiety is a key policy challenge in improving students’ readiness for life-long learning.
“All major economic sectors will be adversely affected by these results in the long term,” said Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) economics teacher Emy Ruth Gianan.
In particular, growing mathematics anxiety among students threatens prospects for sectors that demand more technology-driven innovations including agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors, she noted.
Increased gov’t support
The OECD said governments and schools should craft “tailored support” early on to build confidence among students and enable them to develop resilience and adaptability, “which are crucial for academic success and personal well-being.”
It also called for strong teacher-student relationships, which contribute to reducing student anxiety and improving academic outcomes.
“Education systems should focus on equipping students with critical digital literacy skills to help them discern the quality of information and promote responsible online behavior,” it added.
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