Brain dominance, attitudes and performance in mathematics of fourth year Civil Engineering students as influenced by gender in selected private and public College or University in Cavite / Rosalia D. Sarmiento

Thesis (M.A. - - Education) Cavite State University.

Includes bibliographical references.

Graduate Studies Open Learning College (GSOLC)

SARMIENTO, ROSALIA DE LA CRUZ, Brain Dominance, Attitudes and
Performance in Mathematics of Fourth Year Civil Engineering Students as influenced r
Gender in Selected Private and Public College/University in Cavite. Master's Thesis. Master of Arts in Education. Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite. April 2005. Adviser: Dr. Lorna Penales.
The study aimed to determine brain dominance, attitudes in Mathematics, and Math performance as influenced by gender among Fourth Year civil engineering students at the
San Sebastian College Recoletos and Cavite State University in Cavite during the Second Semester, School Year 2003-2004. Furthermore, it aimed to determine the relationship among the respondents' gender and brain dominance, gender and attitudes in Mathematics, gender and Math performance of the respondents, brain dominance and math performance, attitudes in Math and Math performance, and brain dominance and attitudes in Math.
Specifically, it sought to identify the e characteristics of the respondents in terms of gender, brain dominance, attitudes in Mathematics and Math performance; to determine the degree of relationship of gender to brain dominance, attitudes in Mathematics and Math performance; to find out the degree of relationship among brain dominance, attitudes in Mathematics and Math performance; to determine the degree of relationship between
attitudes in Mathematics and Math performance, and to determine the difference between
the male and female students in terms of brain dominance, attitudes in Mathematics and
Math performance.
Based on the findings, the researcher made the following conclusions:
l. There are more male than female students in the Civil Engineering Course at
the Cavite State University and San Sebastian College-Recoletos. Several male respondents have a slight preference toward right-brain dominance and a slight preference toward left-brain dominance; some of them have a moderate preference toward left-brain dominance, and only a few are whole-brain thinkers. Majority of the female respondents have a slight preference toward left-brain dominance; some of them. have a slight preference toward right-brain dominance, and only a few of them are whole-brain thinkers. Most of the male respondents have positive attitudes in mathematics; a few have neutral and negative attitudes in mathematics. Most of the female respondents have positive attitudes in mathematics and a few of them have neutral attitudes in mathematics. Several male respondents have satisfactory math performance; some of them have good math performance, and only a few have passing grades in mathematics. Less than one-half of the female respondents have very satisfactory math performance; some of them have passing grades in mathematics and good math performance, and only a few have very good math performance.
Gender does not affect the respondents' brain dominance, attitudes in mathematics and math performance.
There is no significant relationship between the respondents' brain dominance and math performance.
There is no significant relationship between the respondents' brain dominance and math performance and between brain dominance and attitudes in mathematics. However, there is a significant relationship between the respondents' math attitudes and math performance.
Male and female respondents do not differ in their brain dominance, attitudes
in mathematics and math performance.
Based on the conclusions, recommendations were made as follows:
I The administration should encourage both male and female high school students to enroll in Math-related courses like civil engineering.
The administration and the faculty members should be aware of the importance of identifying the brain dominance of the students because different students have different brain dominance like the right-brain, left-brain, and whole-brain thinkers among the students. Activities that require visual and spatial skills can be designed for the right-brain students while activities that require analytical skills can be prepared for the left-brain students. Activities for the whole brain require both visual and spatial and analytical skills.
The administration should consider the importance of indenting through a test the kinds of attitudes in mathematics of college entrants who plan to enroll in math related courses. College professors should also identify their students' brain dominance and attitudes in mathematics at the beginning of the semester because brain dominance can be utilized as a reference in designing classroom activities suited to the class.
Math teachers should be consistent in evaluating the Math performance of their students. They should provide remedial lessons through peer teaching for those who have passing grades only.
Gender should not be a gauge in identifying the brain dominance, attitudes in
Mathematics and Math performance of college students.
In like manner, gender should not be a factor in determining the respondents' brain dominance, attitudes in Mathematics and Math performance.

Submitted to the University Library 05/04/2005 SP-3060