Learners' anxiety and least mastered competencies in Mathematics: Bases for a humanized instructional material

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a Humanized Instructional Material to address Anxiety and the Least Mastered Competencies of the Grade 10 learners in the Mathematics 10 curriculum. This study utilized a Type 1 Developmental Research Design employing the ADDIE model. The study participants are the 90 (ninety) Grade 10 learners and 5 (five) panel of experts. The quantitative data were analyzed using frequency count, rank, mean, and standard deviation, while the qualitative data were analyzed through narrative analysis. The results revealed that the Grade 10 learners had a high Mathematics Anxiety and had not mastered the following competencies: Illustrating the center-radius form of the equation of a circle; determining the center and radius of a circle given its equation and vice versa; solving problems on circles; applying the distance formula to prove some geometric properties; Graphing a circle and other geometric figures on the coordinate plane and lastly, proving theorems on secants, and segments. The combined rating of the learners' and experts' evaluation of the developed material was "Highly acceptable." According to the learners' experiences, Humanized Instructional Material improved their understanding of the topic. It was attractive, colorful, and unique. They also added that it was engaging and interesting, and lastly, it was Motivating and De-stressing. Hence, it addressed the anxiety and difficulty of the learners in learning mathematics. It also enhanced the least-mastered competency of the learners in the Mathematics 10 curriculum. Therefore, it is highly recommended that Humanized Instructional Material be used as a supplement to improve learning gaps among learners.