Analyzing the level of interest of high school students in solving mathematical problems in the modular and face-to-face learning

Abstract

As schools continue to adjust to changing circumstances, it is essential to use strategies that not only help students learn, but also interest and inspire them. More effective and engaging learning experiences can be created with the use of knowledge on how different strategies affect students’ levels of interest. This quantitative study aimed to analyze the interest levels of students in solving mathematical problems as mediated by different teaching ideas/strategies i.e., with gamification, with graphic and visuals, and with digital resources. Likert-scale was used to code and assign weight for the questionnaire. Findings indicated that interest levels of students were high during distance learning because they can access online resources (e.g., search engines, YouTube, e-books) to be used for independent learning. In face-to-face classes, students reported high level of interest in solving mathematical problems if there are learning aids (e.g., graphs, pictures, charts) presented to them and access to online resources. As suggested, teaching strategies require teachers to focus more on visual and online-assisted learning to make students feel interested in solving mathematical problems and in learning mathematical concepts. The findings offered teachers an opportunity to integrate more on innovative teaching through adapting to resources which their students have access to. Such instructional direction required in-depth assessment to establish some novel instructional strategies that stimulate students to learn more.