The Impact of Math Journals on Students’ Mathematics Performance and Self-

Efficacy

Victor M. Disilio
Secondary School Teacher III
Sta. Catalina National High School
Quezon Division
Region IV-A (CALABARZON)

Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this experimental study is to determine the impact of Math Journals on students’
Mathematics performance and self-efficacy. Specifically, the study is intended to identify the
level of students’ performance and self-efficacy in Mathematics before and after the intervention
which is journal writing (Math Journal) in Mathematics and the perception of students on Math
Journals.

Design/Methodology/Approach
This study employed quasi-experimental method specifically the matching-only pretest-posttest
control group design. Purposive sampling was used to determine the respondents of the study.
The respondents that participated in this study were 80 grade 10 students of Sta. Catalina
National High School in the school year 2017 – 2018 which was divided into two groups, the
experimental and control groups. The experimental group received both instruction and treatment
for eight weeks while control group received instruction only. To assess the level of mathematics
self-efficacy of the students before and after the treatment, the researcher adapted the
Mathematics Self-Efficacy and Anxiety Survey Questionnaires (MSEASQ) of Dr. Diana K.
May. The researcher crafted a 40-item multiple choice test covering the topics of series and
sequence and polynomial equation to assess the performance of students in mathematics before
and after the treatment and to assess the perception on math journals of the student-respondents,
the researcher constructed a 20-item survey questionnaire. Both independent and dependent t-
test were utilized to determine the significant difference of the pre-test and post-test results of the
experimental and control groups.

Findings
Findings revealed that both experimental and control groups have LOW LEVELS of
Mathematics performance and self-efficacy before the treatment (Math Journals) but
significantly increased after the treatment. Both experimental and control groups posted HIGH
LEVELS of Mathematics performance and self-efficacy. Results also indicated that there is a
significant difference in the levels of Mathematics performance and self-efficacy between the
experimental and control groups. Experimental group showed higher performance and self-
efficacy in Mathematics. Further, experimental group signified that they really benefited from
journal writing. Thus, math journals have significant and positive impact on students’
mathematics performance and self-efficacy.
Research Limitations/Implications
This study is focused on determining the impact of math journals on students’ mathematics
performance and self-efficacy among Grade 10 students. Every week, for eight weeks, the
experimental group undergo journal writing in Mathematics, reflecting on their learning and
roadblocks in Mathematics.

Originality/Value
This experimental study found out that Math Journals can increase the Mathematics performance
and self-efficacy of the students. Implementation of journal writing in any subject is
recommended.

Keywords
Math Journals, Mathematics Performance, Mathematics Self-Efficacy
 Introduction

The role of every teacher in the classroom is to deliver quality instruction so as to

maximize learning. A teacher should exhaust all means so that none of his learners will be left
behind.

The Mathematics department of Sta. Catalina National High School is experiencing the
perennial problem of students’ low performance in Mathematics as shown by results of recent
National Achievement Test (NAT). Even if teachers employed differentiated instructions, still
majority of the students cannot perform well in Mathematics. As a teacher of Mathematics for
eight years, the researcher has observed how his students learn. Their learning of Mathematics is
very much dependent on their experiences of Maths and their confidence to do Maths. Some of
his students would say, “We understand the lesson while it is being discussed, but after
discussion, we don’t what to do.” And others would say, “We know in ourselves that we can
solve problems but we lack the confidence to do it.” Not only in his class, his co-teachers are
also experiencing the same problems.

As Mathematics teachers respond to the need for fostering Mathematics literacy, there is
a need to find out related factors to low Mathematics performance. It is for this reason that led
the researcher to conduct a study which will assess and analyze the impact of Math journals on
student’s Mathematics performance and self-efficacy.

There were so many researches that have shown that Mathematics self-efficacy is
positively correlated to Mathematics performance. It means that if students have high level of
Mathematics self-efficacy, then this predicts high performance in Mathematics.

In view of this, the researcher was motivated to conduct an action research to address
these problems. In order to deepen students’ understanding of Mathematical concepts, the
researcher planned and implemented Math journaling in his classes for six weeks. Specifically,
the researcher will look into the impact of Math journal on student’s Mathematics performance
and self-efficacy and try to answer the following questions: (1) What is the pre-test and post-test
scores of the experimental and control group? (2) What is the level of Mathematics Self-Efficacy
of the experimental and control group before and after the treatment? (3) Is there any significant
difference in the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental and control group? (4) Is there
any significant difference in the levels of Mathematics Self-Efficacy of the experimental and
control group before and after the treatment? (5) What is the perception of the experimental
group about Math journal?
 Literature Review

The use of Math journals is supported by the Constructivist Learning Theory. The
research suggests that Math journals are an excellent way for students to demonstrate their
understanding. Research also supports the success of the use of Math journals for teachers to
assess and understand student thinking. According to Maggie Johnston, a 9th grade Mathematics
teacher at Denver, Colorado, “Writing in Mathematics gives me a window into my students’
thoughts that I don’t normally get when they just compute problems. It shows me their
roadblocks, and it also gives me, as a teacher, a road map”. The use of Math journals is effective
for students in enhancing their learning as well as providing an authentic assessment in which
teachers can identify what students understand and in what areas students need more instruction
(Camahalan & Young, 2012).

Math journals are a means of providing a record of the students’ own involvement with
the learning experience. Incorporating writing into math class encourages students to think about
math and reflect on what they are learning. According to Frontier Math Consultants, Frontier
School Division, the purposes of math journaling are to increase students’ awareness of how they
learn and remember, to provide a record of students’ thinking, to provide a vehicle for writing
about thinking as a way of learning, to provide a context for recalling previous learning and
summarizing present learning, and to provide an ongoing record of challenges the students are
encountering during learning which may help to direct future instruction.

Utilizing writing in the mathematics classroom is a practice that is becoming more

common in schools today. Burns and Silbey as cited by Palmer (2011) states “Math journal helps
students stretch their thinking and make sense of problems that can sometimes leave them
confused or frustrated” (p. 18). The marriage of mathematics and writing is not yet fully
ordained by the entire community of educators in the field, but the two disciplines are starting to
be merged in many school systems. There are several studies that show writing can have a
positive effect on one’s ability to learn in the math classroom. Carter as cited by Palmer (2011)
emphasized that students should be precise with mathematical language and be able to analyze
other people’s mathematical strategies, and the use of math journaling is an effective way to
meet both skills.

Palmer (2011) stated that there are several ways that writing can be implemented in the
mathematics classroom, but journal writing is the most common method. Math journals help
students to better grasp both concepts and vocabulary centered on mathematics education. The
use of math journals as diagnostic tool in determining student understanding of concepts is
amazing (Moore, 1991, p.7), help students to understand that math is all around them, and not a
subject limited to the classroom. The study of Burns (1998) as cited in Palmer’s (2011) was able
to turn real life problems into activities through the use of journaling giving students greater
understanding that mathematics will be used in the students’ daily lives.
 There are a number of reasons why math journals are gaining popularity at all grade
levels: Why math journaling? Kids have the opportunity to reflect on their strategies and assess
their own learning. Students practice putting their knowledge into words both verbally and in
writing. Instructional focus is shifted from computation to problem solving and real-life
application. The teacher gains insight into children’s abilities, opinions, understandings, and
misconceptions. It creates a documented portfolio-like record of student growth and progress.
Math journaling is an open-ended and naturally differentiated assessment tool. They’re an
incredibly versatile tool that can be used by students of all ability and age levels. Because the
topics are open-ended, math journals are an easy way to incorporate differentiated instruction
and meet the needs of every child in your class.

The use of math journals allows students the opportunity to reflect their understanding of
concepts obtained in mathematics class. This allows teachers to have an authentic assessment for
each student, and better prepare lessons to ensure each student’s success. The teachers also
benefit from the students use of math journals. The teachers are able to give individualized
feedback to every student, and they are able to diagnose problems or misconceptions early in the
learning process. This allows more time for students to have remediation or interventions on
concepts that are troubling to a struggling student. Math journaling also allows teachers the
ability to quickly diagnose problem areas for students before the final assessment.

Math journals are being instituted in classrooms all across the country with much success,
and journal writing in math has been supported by several research studies (Koirala, 2002).
These benefits include critical thinking, better understanding of mathematical concepts,
increased problem solving skills, and increased vocabulary of the subject. Manning and Manning
(1996) insisted that journaling is a powerful tool for thinking in math, and it will also improve
the students writing abilities.

Bandura (1997) as cited by May (2009) defined mathematics self-efficacy as an

individual’s beliefs or perceptions with respect to his or her abilities in mathematics. An
individual’s mathematics self-efficacy is his or her confidence about completing a variety of
tasks, from understanding concepts to solving problems, in mathematics.

Kiamanesh, Hejazi and Esfahani (2005) defined mathematics self-efficacy as “ a

situational assessment of an individual’s confidence in her or his ability to successfully perform
or accomplish a particular mathematical task or problem”. Mathematics self-efficacy, then, has
concerned whether mathematics students believed in their abilities to meet the course objectives.

Self-efficacy, in general, has been linked with motivation. It has been well-established
that students with higher levels of self-efficacy tend to be more motivated to learn than their
peers and are more likely to persist when presented with challenges (Britner and Pajares, 2008).
 Method

This study employed quasi-experimental design, specifically the matching-only pretest-

posttest control group design. Participants involved two classes of 47 students each, one class
was identified as the experimental while the other class, the control group. To collect the
necessary data, the researcher crafted a 40-item test covering the topics of series and sequence to
determine the performance of the respondents in mathematics. To determine the level of
mathematics self-efficacy of the respondents, the researcher adapted the MATHEMATICS
SELF-EFFICACY AND ANXIETY QUESTIONNAIRES developed and validated by Diana K.
May. Also, the researcher developed a 20-item survey to determine the perception of the
experimental about math journals. Both independent and dependent t-tests were utilized to
determine significant differences in the pre-tests and post-tests of the experimental and control
groups. To determine the level of mathematics performance of the respondents, the researcher
used the range of scores below:

33 – 40 Very High

25 – 32 High

17 – 24 Average

9 – 16 Low

1–8 Very Low

To assess the level of mathematics self-efficacy of the respondents, the scale below was utilized:

4.20 – 5.00 Very High

3.40 – 4.19 High

2.60 – 3.39 Average

1.80 – 2.59 Low

1.00 – 1.79 Very Low

To determine the perception of the respondents on math journal, the scale below was used:

4.20 – 5.00 Strongly Agree

3.40 – 4.19 Agree

2.60 – 3.39 Moderately Agree

1.80 – 2.59 Disagree

 1.00 – 1.79 Strongly Disagree

The researcher gave both instructions and math journaling to experimental group for six
weeks while the control group received only instructions. The students (experimental group)
responded to journal prompts every week for six weeks. The researcher was the teacher of both
groups who gave feedbacks on the math journals of the experimental group.

Results and Discussion

All students in the experimental group showed a significant performance gain as shown
by the pre-test and post-test measures. 51% of the respondents posted low to very low
performance in the pre-test and 26% from high to very high. But this significantly changed in the
post-test as manifested by 9% low to very low performance and 62% high to very high
performance.

16
16
14
14 13
12 12
12 11

10
7 Pre-test
8
Post-test
6 5

4 3

2 1

0
Very Low Low Average High Very High

Figure 1. Pre-test and Post-test Mean Scores of the Experimental Group

Table 1. Pre-test and Post-test Mean Scores in Mathematics Performance of Experimental and
Control Groups

Groups Pre-test Post-test Mean Computed Tabular t- Remarks*

Difference t-Value Value
Experimental 17.27 27.31 10.04 12.76 2.013 Significant
Control 15.49 18.46 2.97 6.36 2.013 Significant
*significant at 0.05 level of significance

Shown in Table 3 is the significant differences in the pre-tests and post-tests mean scores of the
experimental and control groups. Results indicated that there is a significant difference in the
pre-test and post-test mean scores of the experimental group. This implies that a mean difference
of 10.04 is statistically significant which indicates that the increase in the performance of the
experimental group is significant. Further, experimental group showed higher performance than
the control group. Thus, math journal was found to be effective in improving the mathematics
performance of the students. The results confirmed that the use of Math journals is effective for
students in enhancing their learning as well as providing an authentic assessment in which
teachers can identify what students understand and in what areas students need more instruction
(Camahalan & Young, 2012). Also Kostos & Shin as cited by Banken (2015), stressed that
reflective journals resulted in increased mean test scores, increases complexity of mathematical
explanations, and increased use of content specific academic language. Banken (2015) found out
that when students are allowed to journal about their learning, they are able to connect to the
material in a personal way, making it more relatable and memorable.
 Presented in Figure 2 is the level of mathematics self-efficacy of the experimental group
before and after the treatment (math journals). Only 21% of the respondents have high to very
level of self-efficacy before they undergo journal writing. But after undergoing journal writing,
there was a significant change, 91% of the respondents manifested high to very high level of
mathematics self-efficacy.

After Before

21
Very High 5

22
High 5

2
Average 10

1
Low 12

1
Very Low 15

Figure 2. Level of Mathematics Self-Efficacy of the Experimental Group Before and After the
Treatment

Table 2. Mathematics Self-Efficacy of the Experimental and Control Group Before and After the
Treatment

Groups Before After Mean Computed Tabular Remarks*

Difference t-Value t-Value
Experimental 2.54(Low) 4.04(High) 1.50 14.20 2.013 Significant
Control 2.44(Low) 3.46(High) 1.02 13.48 2.013 Significant
*significant at 0.05 level of significance

Table 2 shows the levels of mathematics self-efficacy of the experimental and control
groups before and after the treatment. Both experimental and control groups posted a LOW
LEVEL of mathematics self-efficacy before a treatment is given. They obtained a weighted mean
of 2.54 and 2.44 respectively. After the experimental group undergone journal writing, their
mathematics self-efficacy level significantly increased to a HIGH LEVEL with a weighted mean
of 4.04 same as with the control group at weighted mean of 3.46. But the experimental group
showed a higher level of mathematics self-efficacy than the control group posting a mean
difference of 0.58. Thus, it was found out that math journals really capable of increasing the
mathematics self-efficacy of the students.

Table 3. Perception of the Experimental Group on Math Journals

Statements Weighted Descriptive

Mean Rating
1.Math journals help boost my confidence in doing 4.15 Agree
mathematics.
2. Math journals help me organize my thoughts. 3.76 Agree
3. Journal entries in which I explain solutions to 4.23 Agree
mathematical problems increase my understanding.
4. I feel comfortable communicating my thoughts to my 4.19 Agree
teachers through math journals.
5. I feel relaxed in my math class after accomplishing 4.23 Strongly
my math journal. Agree
6. Math journals help me reduce the tension and 4.11 Agree
nervousness I feel during math class.
7. Journal writing in math class is very beneficial for me 3.79 Agree
as a student.
8. I believe math journal boosts my confidence in doing 4.05 Agree
mathematics.
9. Math journal, in a way, increases my performance in 4.12 Agree
mathematics.
10. Math journal helps me better understand the 4.32 Strongly
processes and procedures in solving math problems. Agree
11. Accomplishing math journal is a burden for me. 2.46 Disagree
12. I enjoy writing my math journal. 3.42 Agree
13. Journal writing in math class is a waste of time. 1.58 Strongly
Disagree
14. Math journal strengthens my understanding of math 4.16 Agree
lessons.
15. Math journal helps me appreciate the real essence of 4.05 Agree
mathematics.
16. Math journal gives me a reason to give more 3.95 Agree
attention and understanding of mathematics.
17. Math journal has made me to like mathematics. 4.11 Agree
18. Math journal helps me develop my mathematical 4.03 Agree
skills.
19. Math journal has help me a lot in explaining the 4.12 Agree
solutions in a given math problem.
20. Math journal helps me to express my feelings and 4.36 Strongly
thoughts freely about math subject. Agree
Overall Weighted Mean 3.96 Positive
Impact
 Table 3 presents the perception of the experimental group on math journals. The
respondents STRONGLY AGREE that Math journal helps them to express their feelings and
thoughts freely about math subject, helps them better understand the processes and procedures in
solving math problems, increase their understanding and they feel relaxed in math class after
accomplishing math journal. Further, they indicated that math journal is not a burden and waste
of time. Also, they AGREED that math journals able them to gain confidence in doing
mathematics. Overall, the respondents clearly signified that math journal has positive impact on
their learning of mathematics.

Conclusion

The purpose of this experimental study is to determine the impact of Math Journals on
students’ Mathematics performance and self-efficacy. Findings revealed that both experimental
and control groups have LOW LEVELS of Mathematics performance and self-efficacy before
the treatment (Math Journals) but significantly increased after the treatment. Both experimental
and control groups posted HIGH LEVELS of Mathematics performance and self-efficacy.
Results also indicated that there is a significant difference in the levels of Mathematics
performance and self-efficacy between the experimental and control groups. Experimental group
showed higher performance and self-efficacy in Mathematics. Further, experimental group
signified that they really benefited from journal writing. Thus, math journals have significant and
positive impact on students’ mathematics performance and self-efficacy.

While the findings have been encouraging with most of the students showing an increase
in the scores in performance and in the levels of mathematics self-efficacy, the researcher is
aware of the inherent limitations of the study which involved only 94 students in total. Further
research involving more participants would be needed to establish more conclusive results. The
findings of this study can be used in understanding students’ progress in mathematics and how
their levels of self-efficacy affect their performance. Teachers can now maximize the use of math
journals in deepening students’ conceptual understanding and assessing their learning.
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