Ed537715 PDF

WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City
BRAIN HEMISPHERICITY AND MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT
OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
A Thesis Presented to the
Faculty of the Graduate School
College of Education
West Visayas State University
La Paz, Iloilo City
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Arts in Education
(Secondary Mathematics)
by
Sanny Francisco Fernandez
October 2011
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City
APPROVAL SHEET
A Thesis for the Degree
by
SANNY F. FERNANDEZ
Approved by the Research Committee:
_________________________________________
ELVIRA L. ARELLANO, Ph.D., Chairperson
_________________________________________
EMELLIE G. PALOMO, Ph.D., Member
_________________________________________
LYGIA V. HOBILLA, M.A.T., Outside Expert, Member
_________________________________________
ALONA M. BELARGA, Ph.D., Adviser
_______________________
ELNORA V. LORIEGA, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Education
October 2011
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Acknowledgement
The researcher wishes to express his deepest gratitude and sincere
appreciation to the following persons who contributed and shared their precious time,
support, encouragement, and inspiration for the realization of this research study:
Dr. Alona Belarga, thesis and program adviser, for her meticulous comments,
enduring patience, and untiring effort in providing valuable suggestions all throughout
the process of writing this thesis;
Dr. Elvira Arellano, chair of the panel, for her constructive criticisms towards
refinement of the research study;
Dr. Emillie Palomo, research statistician, for helping interpret the research
data;
Prof. Lygia Hobilla, outside expect, for providing research materials;
Dr. Elnora Loriega, Dean of the College of Education, for the approval of the
study;
Prof. Cheryl Lyn Delgado for sitting as panel member during the title defense;
Dr. Shirley Jusayan, College Secretary, for facilitating the defense process;
Dr. Catherine Roces, Dr. Ma. Luzpercy Abolucion, Prof. Methuselah Adelantar,
Mr. Nestor Gicaraya, and Ms. Mary June Mayordomo, for validating the instruments;
Dr. Helen Hofeliña, Prof. Geneveve Parreño, and the staff of the University
Statistical Center for their invaluable help in generating SPSS results;

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Prof. Cynthia Lee Morga for serving as editor;
Prof. Jojie Ermel Laurea, Prof. Imelda Manalo and the first year high school
advisers and students of Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus for, participating in the
pilot testing of the research instrument;
The CSJ administration and the Daughter of Charity Sisters, especially to Sr.
Clara Enero, D.C. and Sr. Ester Orleans D.C.;
Dr. Ma. Helena Desiree Terre - Chair of the Vincentian Management Team,
Prof. Jerlyn Dadios – Principal of the Basic Education Department, Ms. Guillerma
Camus - Vice Principal for Academics, Mrs. Angela Balista – Reseach Moderator, and
the first year high school advisers for extending help in the administration of the
instrument; Miss Emely Lariosa – Registrar, for providing the list of students; Miss
Joerlyn Balandra - Guidance Coordinator, and the guidance staff, for providing the IQ
Test results;
The first year high school students of Colegio de San Jose,for doing their best
in answering the instrument;
Mrs. Rufina Caas, Mr. Jerson Jaurigue, and Mr. Ruel Java, for serving as
proctors in the during the test;
The on-line authors, for the availability of Torrance Hemisphere Dominance
Questionnaire and various studies on brain hemisphericity;
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Colegio de San Jose, Higher Education Department Family, headed by Dr. Ma.
Luzpercy Abolucion - Dean, Miss Norma Nodado - former Area Chair for Education,
Mrs. Susan Barbara Donato – Research Director, Mr. Globert Flores, Mrs. Rochelle
Flores, Ms. Irma Britaña, Ms. Ma. Luz Pagtolon-an, Mrs. May Anne Jaro, Mrs. Dolores
Baldeviso, Mr. Leo Prieto, Mrs. Serena Alavado, Ms. Eufemia Braseliño, Ms. Mercy
Fango, and other colleagues, for the prayers, guidance, and concern;
The Officers of the College Student Council and the Marillac Grantees
especially Michael Abajar ,for the power point presentations and Paul Bert Efondo, for
the random selection of the respondents;
The researcher’s parents, Mr. Cezar & Mrs. Anita Fernandez, his sisters, Sianita
and husband Leo Eulatriz, Annie and Joebert Calion; his brother Lemwel; niece and
nephews, Lynneth, Leo Jay and Andrie Johann; his grandmother Mrs. Clarita
Fernandez; his aunt Ms. Fely Fernandez, cousins, and all family members and friends
for their financial support, understanding, and inspiration;
Above all, the Almighty God, for His gift of life, unconditional love,
enlightenment, and countless blessings that made this research study possible.
October 2011
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BRAIN HEMISPHERICITY AND MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT
OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
An abstract
of
A Thesis Presented to the
Faculty of the Graduate School
College of Education
La Paz, Iloilo City
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
by
October 2011
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Iloilo City
Fernandez, Sanny F. Brain Hemisphericity and Mathematics Achievement of High

School Students. Unpublished Master of Arts in Education (Mathematics) Thesis,
West Visayas State University, Iloilo City, October 2011.
Abstract
This study aimed to find out the brain hemisphericity and mathematics achievement of
high school students. The respondents of the study were the 168 first year high school
students of Colegio de San Jose, during school year 2010-2011who were chosen
through stratified random sampling. The descriptive and interview methods of
research were used in this study. To determine the students’ brain hemisphericity, a
Hemisphere Dominance Questionnaire was employed, while the Mathematics
Achievement Test was utilized to find out their mathematics achievement. IQ results
were taken from the guidance center and interviews were conducted. Frequency
count, mean, and standard deviation were the descriptive statistics utilized while Chi-
square and ANOVA were the inferential statistics employed. The results revealed that
whether taken as an entire group or classified according to gender and intelligence
quotient, the dominant brain hemisphericity of the students was the left brain. Their
mathematics achievement when taken as an entire group and classified as to gender,
intelligence quotient, and brain hemisphericity was “average”. No significant difference
existed in the dominant brain hemisphericity of students when classified as to gender
and intelligence quotient. Similarly, no significant difference existed in their
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mathematics achievement when classified according to brain hemisphericity. In solving
mathematical problems, the left- brain students tend to write an equation and make
logical explanation while the right-brain students tend to make diagrams and
illustrations. It was found out in the interview that students tried their best to answer
the given problem; however, only very few completed the solution due to several
difficulties they encountered.
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Table of Contents
Page
Title Page i
Approval Sheet ii
Acknowledgment iii
Abstract vi
List of Tables xii
Figures xiii
List of Appendixes xiv
Chapter
1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1
Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study 2
Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses 5
Significance of the Study 6
Definition of Terms 7
Delimitation of the Study 8
2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 11
The Nature of Mathematics 12
Mathematics Achievement 15
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Brain Hemisphericity 19
Intelligence Quotient 25
Summary 33
3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 38
Research Design 38
Method 39
Respondents 39
Instrumentation 40
Procedure 43
Data Analysis Procedure 44
4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 46
Descriptive Data Analysis 46
Inferential Data Analysis 53
Differences in the Dominant Brain Hemisphericity 53
Differences in the Mathematics Achievement 54
Qualitative Data Analysis 55
5 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 63
Summary of the Problem, Method, and Findings 63
Conclusions 66
Implications 67
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For theory 67
For practice 68
Recommendations 70
REFERENCES 72
APPENDIXES 86
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List of Tables
Table Page
1 Distribution of Respondents 40
2 Brain Hemisphericity of Students as an Entire Group 47
3 Brain Hemisphericity of Students Grouped as to Gender 48
4 Brain Hemisphericity of Students Grouped as to Intelligence Quotient 50
5 Mathematics Achievement of Students Taken as an Entire
Group and Classified as to Gender, Intelligence Quotient,
and Brain Hemisphericity 52
6 Chi-Square Results for Differences in the Brain Hemisphericity
of Students Classified According to Gender and Intelligence
Quotient 54
7 ANOVA Results for Differences in the Mathematics Achievement
of Students Classified according to Brain Hemisphericity 55
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List of Figure
Figure Page
1 The paradigm of the study 4
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List of Appendixes
APPENDIX Page
A The Jurors 87
B Letter to the Jurors 89
C Letter to the Principals 92
D Letter to the Registrar 95
E Letter to the Guidance Counselor 97
F Sample Research Instrument 99
Mathematics Achievement Test 100
Hemisphere Dominance Questionnaire 102
Interview Schedule 103
Table of Specification 104
G Scoring Rubrics 105
H Sample Solution to Problem Solving 107
Left brain students 108
Right brain students 109
I Reliability Coefficients of the Research Instruments 110
J Predictive Validity 117
K SPSS Outputs 119
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Brain Hemisphericity and Mathematics Achievement
of High School Students
Sanny F. Fernandez
Chapter 1
Introduction to the Study
Chapter 1 is made up of five parts: (1) Background and Theoretical Framework
of the Study, (2) Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses, (3) Significance of
the Study, (4) Definition of Terms, and (5) Delimitation of the Study.
Part One, Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study, presents the
underlying reasons for conducting the research and the framework that served as
basis and support for the study.
Part Two, Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses, states the general
and specific problems as well as the hypotheses tested.
Part Three, Significance of the Study, describes the stakeholders of the
research and the manner by which they may be able to benefit from the results.
Part Four, Definition of Terms, defines conceptually and operationally the
important terms and the key variables used in the study.
Part Five, Delimitation of the Study, sets the limits of the research in terms of
the respondents, research design, variables, research instrument, and statistical tools.
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Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study
The brain is the most important part of the human anatomy. It tells all the
other parts what to do, and when to do it. The brain works as part of a network that
includes the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Together, they transmit and control
any information sent to and from the other areas of the body. Nonetheless, the brain
is the master controller (Jeanty, 2008).
Fifty to one hundred billion nerve cells or neurons that remain in constant
interaction with one another make up the human brain, making it one of the most
complex human organs. The constantly connected neurons relay messages through
electrochemical processes. Chemicals in the body move in and out of cells,
establishing an electrical current that tells the body what to do. Each message is sent
to either the left or right part of the brain in order to carry out the proper function
(Pena, 1998).
The concept of right brain and left brain thinking was developed from the
research in the late 1960s of an American psychobiologist, Roger W. Sperry. He
discovered that the human brain has two very different ways of thinking. Similarly,
Evans (2010) mentioned that the right brain / left brain theory emphasizes that the
brain has two hemispheres (commonly called the right brain and the left brain) which
think in different ways. One (the right brain) is visual and processes information in an
intuitive and simultaneous way, looking first at the whole picture then the details. The
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other (the left brain) is verbal and processes information in an analytical and
sequential way, looking first at the pieces then putting them together to get the
whole.
Brain hemisphericity is the tendency of an individual to process information
through the left hemisphere or the right hemisphere or in combination (Bradshaw &
Nettleton, 1981; McCarthy, 1996; Springer & Deutsch, 1993). Research has
demonstrated that the left hemisphere operates in a linear, sequential manner with
logical, analytical, propositional thought. On the other hand, the right hemisphere
operates in a nonlinear, simultaneous fashion and deals with non-verbal information as
well as dreams and fantasy (Iaccino, 1993; McCarthy, 1996; Oxford, 1996; Oxford,
Ehrman, & Lavine, 1991; Springer & Deutsch, 1993; Torrance, 1988).
Gardner (1983) proposed a theory of multiple intelligence (MI theory) that
there are eight major relatively independent dimensions of intelligence categorized as
special intelligence, namely: logical-mathematical intelligence, verbal-linguistic
intelligence, bodily-kenisthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, visual-spatial
intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence and natural
intelligence.
IQ tests still persist for certain purposes especially on academics tasks
(Warner, et al; 1987). The first two forms of intelligences which are logical-
mathematical and verbal-linguistic are characteristics of left brain thinking and are
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typically the abilities that contribute to strong performance in traditional school
environments and produce high scores on most IQ measures or tests of achievements.
Anchored on the theories mentioned above, the researcher conducted this
study in order to discover new knowledge on brain hemisphericity and mathematics
achievement. Despite the numerous research undertaken related to brain
hemisphericity, studies on correlation of brain hemisphericity and math achievement is
still wanting.
Antecedent Variables Independent Variable Dependent Variable
Gender
Brain Mathematics
hemisphericity achievement
Intelligence
quotient
Figure 1. The paradigm of the study.

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Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses
This study aimed to determine the brain hemisphericity and mathematics
achievement of the first year high school students of Colegio de San Jose (CSJ) during
the school year 2010-2011.
Specifically, this study purposely sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the dominant brain hemisphericity of the students taken as an entire
group and classified according to:
a. gender, and
b. intelligence quotient?
2. What is the mathematics achievement of the students taken as an entire
a. gender,
b. intelligence quotient, and
c. brain hemisphericity?
3. Is there a significant difference in the dominant brain hemisphericity of the
students when classified according to:
a. gender, and
4. Is there a significant difference in the mathematics achievement of the
students when classified according to brain hemisphericity?

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5. How do the students in each group of brain dominance solve mathematical
problems?
In view of the preceding problems, the following hypotheses were tested:
1. There is no significant difference in the dominant brain hemisphericity of the
a. gender, and
b. intelligence quotient.
2. There is no significant difference in the mathematics achievement of
students when classified according to brain hemisphericity.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study may give insights to students, parents, teachers,
school administrators, and other researchers.
Students . The result of the study can help the students become aware of their
math performance so that they can take concrete steps to improve their mathematics
skills. Knowledge of their own brain dominance will lead them to discover and be
aware of their own interest, strength, weakness and utilize this discovery to become
more effective individuals.
Parents. The parents’ awareness of their children’s school performance and
cognitive styles will enable them, as parents, to assist their children improve their
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mathematical performance by using their dominant brain and developing the less
dominant to further enhance performance.
Teachers. Results of this study can help the teachers identify the students’
interest and brain hemisphericity so that they can choose better teaching approaches
that will best enhance students’ learning especially in mathematics.
Administrators . The findings of the study may guide administrators in creating
programs that match with the students’ abilities. The administration can provide on-
going formation for teachers especially on left-brain, right brain or bilateral individuals
in order for them to achieve excellently.
Other researchers . The results of this study may motivate other researchers to
conduct studies on brain hemisphericty with other variables.
Definition of Terms
For better understanding of the study, the following terms are defined
conceptually and operationally:
Gender--used as synonymous for sex, referring to the physical polarity of
anatomy which is commonly used to differentiate male from female (Webster’s
Dictionary, 1994).
In this study, gender referred to the male and female respondents.

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Intelligence quotient--the mental age divided by chronological age, usually
expressed as a multiple of 100 (Webster’s Dictionary 1989).
In this study, intelligence quotient referred to the IQ results (categorized as
high, average, or low) of the respondents obtained from the school’s guidance center.
Brain hemisphericity--one of the two principal parts of the brain, each roughly
hemispherical: the left or right cerebral hemispheres (http://www.wordiq 2010).
In this study, brain hemisphericity referred to the brain dominance of the
respondents using the Hemisphere Dominance Questionnaire classified as left brain,
right brain or whole brain dominance.
Mathematics Achievement --referred to the accomplishments or proficiency of
performance in mathematical skills (Good, 1973; in Mijares, 2004).
In this study, mathematics achievement referred to the respondent’s scores
(described as high, average, or low) from the teacher-made Mathematics Achievement
Test.
Delimitation of the Study
This descriptive research focused on the brain hemisphericity and mathematics
achievement of high school students. Moreover qualitative research was considered to
enrich the study. The antecedent variables were gender and intelligence quotient,
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while the independent variable was brain hemisphericity. The dependent variable was
mathematics achievement.
The participants of the study were the first year high school students of
Colegio de San Jose (CSJ) during the school year 2010-2011. CSJ, located at E. Lopez
Street, Jaro, Iloilo City, Philippines is a private-sectarian school owned and managed
by the Little Company of the Daughters of Charity – Philippine Province, a member of
the Iloilo Integrated Administration of St. Louise de Marillac Educational System of the
Daughters of Charity. This involved 168 students randomly selected from a total
population of 288. The Slovin’s formula of 5% margin of error was employed. The
selection in choosing the participants used stratified random sampling to maintain that
all the seven sections were proportionately represented.
The list of students was taken from the registrar’s office and the Intelligence
Quotient (IQ) or the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) result was obtained from
the school’s guidance services center.
To gather data on brain hemisphericity, a Hemisphere Dominance
Questionnaire adopted from Torrance (1980) was administered to the participants.
Mathematics Achievement was based from the result of the Teacher-Made
Achievement Test. In order to establish the validity and reliability of the instruments,
these were validated by three experts in psychology and mathematics and pilot tested
among the first year high school students of Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus.
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Mean, frequency count and standard deviation were employed for descriptive
analyses; and Chi-square and ANOVA wereemployed for the inferential analyses. The
.05 level of significance was adopted as the criterion for rejecting or accepting the null
hypothesis. To process the gathered data, the Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS) was utilized.

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Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature
This chapter presents a review of literature and studies both local and foreign
that have bearings on the present investigation. These include the following topics:
(1) The Nature of Mathematics, (2) Mathematics Achievement; (3) Brain
Hemisphericity, (4) Intelligence Quotient, and (5) The Summary.
Part One, The Nature of Mathematics, introduces the origin, evolution, and
importance of mathematics.
Part Two, Mathematics Achievement, explains the articles and studies on
achievement in the area of mathematics.
Part Three, Brain Hemisphericity, discusses theories and researches on brain
dominance.
Part Four, Intelligence Quotient, expounds I.Q. and link to Multiple
Intelligences.
Part Five, The Summary, summarizes the four preceding topics.

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The Nature of Mathematics
Like every other aspect of human invention, mathematics has its origin, and
like every technology, its origin is based upon the needs of mankind. The particular
needs are those arising from the wants of society. The more complex the society, the
more complex the needs. The primitive tribe has little mathematical needs beyond
counting. The complex society’s intent on building great temples, mustering skills in
conquering armies, or managing large capital assets has logistical problems that
demand mathematics to solve.
Long before Pythagoras considered proving the famous theorem named after
him, others tackled the just-as-complex operation of counting. For some, the concept
of two times two equals four is advanced beyond comprehension, and for others
counting past three is very complex. That counting began more than 50,000 years ago
and many people even today and even in complex societies who have trouble counting
suggest that its creation was not as simple as people may believe.
Mathematics is the science of numbers and their operations, interrelations,
combinations, generalizations, and abstractions and of space configurations and their
structure, measurement, transformation and generalizations (Webster, 1997).
Mathematics is variously considered a language, an art, a science, a tool, and a
game. It is a language agreed upon set of symbols or sounds. Mathematics may be
considered the language used to express size and order. Equations and statement of
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inequality are mathematical sentences. Mathematical elements such as constants and
variables are analogous to parts of speech. Actually, notions of artistic beauty and
harmony exist in the patterns, relationships and symmetries of arithmetic and
geometry. Developing new mathematical theories, concepts and system is
aesthetically satisfying. This makes the study of mathematics a rewarding experience
in much the same sense as the study of history, literature or music.
Mathematicians are divided into two schools of thoughts. There are those who
believe that mathematics exists in nature, just a certain laws of physics exist in
nature.On the other hand, there are also those who propose that mathematics is more
like a work of art, a painting that does not exist until the artist creates it (Bell, 1982).
There are still those who believe like the German Mathematicians Leopoldo
Leronecher, that “God made the integers, all the rest is the work of man.”
The Greek mathematicians Pythagoras, who lived in the sixth century B.C., also
believed that not only mathematics but also everything else could be deducted from
numbers since all traditional mathematics can be derived from natural mathematics.
Mathematics is the science of logical reasoning, in which valid conclusions are
arrived at from a set of axioms. It involves a search for truth. It is rigorous and
precise. Although some theories discovered centuries ago are still valid, mathematics
continues to change and develop.

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Mathematics is the tool that contains the skills for problem solving, organizing,
specifying and interpreting, and performing calculations that are necessary in subjects
such as science, business, and industry. The development of modern computers and
electronic calculators has enabled mathematicians to solve problems that previously
were extremely difficult or impossible to solve.
Some areas of mathematics were developed specifically to solve certain types
of problems. One goal of mathematics is to solve problem in a systematic way so that
similar problems can be solved easily in the same way. With mathematics, one can
create a set of consistent rules and regulations (axioms) and proceed by logical
reasoning to invent and play a mathematical game. Those who consider mathematics
as a game enjoy the challenge of developing new mathematics and solving problems.
Mathematics can be divided into three major areas: higher arithmetic, algebra
and geometry. Higher arithmetic is the study of structures, relation and operations in
the set of integers. It is considered as the only area of mathematics whose issues form
unbroken sequence of study from earliest man to today’s mathematics.
Algebra involves the operation of arithmetic. Unknown numbers are
represented by symbols called variables. Equation and equalities involving variables
are solved for the “unknown.” System of inequalities is issued to solve practical
problems. The solution of linear equations leads to the study of linear algebra, in
which elements are matrices and vectors.

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Abstract algebra is the study of system that satisfies certain sets of axioms.
Some of these structures are fields, rings, groups and domains. The elements used in
abstract algebra may be numbers, vectors or even geometric transformations.
Geometry deals with the set of points in a plane or in space. The study of
plane, curves, polygons and line is called plane geometry. The study of curve and
three-dimensional space such as spheres, cones and cylinder and polyhedral is called
solid geometry. In about 300 B.C., established sets of axioms are obeyed. Non-
Euclidian geometry has been developed by denying the validity of the famous fifth
postulate which states that “given a line and point not on the line, one and only one
coplanar line can be drawn through the point parallel to the given line.
Mathematics Achievement
Mathematics begins with basics in addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division. In order to succeed and advance in mathematics, one needs to start with
basics and continue to build his prior knowledge. Mathematics is among the most
ancient of subjects of instruction and has held a high place in all educational
programs. More importantly, it has retained its performance because of its continued
and ever increasing service to other fields.
However, Gervero (1998) explained that mathematics, to the majority of
students, seems to elicit negative attitudes compared to other subjects. Students react
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negatively to mathematics. This reality is evidently shown in the students’ poor
performance in the subject.
Billones (2000) noted that one of the major problems in student’s achievement
in mathematics is the ability to perform task involving higher-level thinking skills which
are developed through the flexibility of independent learning behaviors. Students who
are bound by rigid dependence on rules and authority often lack skills needed to
respond to new mathematics situations or to the irregularities of the real world’s
problem. Certainly, the problem must not be left to chance. Measures must be made
to identify those who have the aptitude and requisite skills demanded by the desired
course so that appropriate intervention schemes can be employed in order to prepare
students’ adequacy for their chosen field. One of these schemes should be
identification of the predictors of mathematics competencies (Arroyo, 1989).
There has been considerable discussion of gender differences in mathematics
achievement. Generally, the studies of gender differences in mathematics
achievements report that boys scored higher than girls, especially in problem solving
which involves higher order thinking skills (Fenema & Sherman, 1978; in Amor, 1999).
The study of Fenema and Carpenter (1981) revealed that males exceeded
females in performance or understanding and application at age 17, while females
exceeded males in multi-step problems at all ages. But in geometry and measurement
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exercises, the males consistently got higher scores than the females in all cognitive
skills.
Mercado (1987) found out that the academic achievement of male students
were poor in higher mathematics, especially those that involve mathematical
reasoning and spatial relationship, whereas the achievement of the female students
was better as they progress to higher levels. However, the study of Helms and Turner
(1986) showed that males seem to perform better than females in tests of
mathematical reasoning and visual spatial problems. Still, females tend to excel in
tasks involving verbal abilities.
Schiamberge (1988) confirmed the differences in cognitive abilities between
the sexes but suggested that part of the lack of scientific ability in girls maybe due to
cultural values, societal expectations, and sex role stereotypes.
Polya (1962) described mathematical problem as finding a way around a
difficulty, around an obstacle, and finding a solution to a problem that is unknown.
According to Kantowski (1997) an individual is faced with a problem when he
encounters a question he cannot answer or a situation he is unable to resolve using
the knowledge immediately available to him. He must then think of a way to use the
information at his disposal to arrive at the goal, the solution of the problem. For task
to be considered mathematical problem, they must be developmentally appropriate for

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students (Lesh & Zawojewski, 2007). A challenging problem solving task for a first
grader may only be a routine word problem for a fifth grader.
According to Newman (1983), difficulty in problem solving may occur at one of
the following phases namely: reading comprehension, strategy know-how,
transformation, process skill and solution.
Polya (1985) in his book “How to Solve It” suggested the following four-phase
plan for solving problems: (1) understanding the problem, (2) devising a plan to solve
the problem, (3) carrying out the plan to solve the problem, and (4) looking back at
the completed solution to review and discuss it.
Schoenfeld (1985) stated that students are not actually weak in solving
problems, but they lack the skill to marshal strategies that help solve particular
problems.
In her study, Saleh (2004) discovered that students who can successfully solve
a problem possess good reading skills, are able to compare and contrast, have the
ability to identify important aspects of the problem, are able to estimate and to create
analogies and are flexible in attempting to use various strategies.
Mahmud (2003) found that the main source of secondary school students’
difficulties in solving mathematical problem is their inability to understand the
problem. She found out that almost 98% of students admitted to having difficulties in
comprehending what a question required. Students did not pay much attention to the
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strategies involved in answering the question, and did not read the terms used in the
problem very closely. This shows that students face difficulties in solving word
problems.
Brain Hemisphericity
The right brain / left brain Theory has it that the brain has two hemispheres
(commonly called the right brain and the left brain) which think in different ways. The
right brain is visual and processes information by looking first at the whole picture
then the details. The left brain is verbal and processes information by looking at the
pieces then putting them together to get the whole. The right brain is more intuitive;
the left is analytical and sequential (Evans, 2010).
According to Bradshaw (1996) brain hemisphericity is the tendency of an
individual to process information through the left hemisphere or the right hemisphere
or in combination. Oxford (1996) cited that research has demonstrated that the left
hemisphere operates in a linear, sequential manner with logical, analytical,
prepositional thought. On the other, the right hemisphere operates in a non-linear,
simultaneously fashion and deals with non-verbal information as well as dreams and
fantasy. The left hemisphere appears to be specialized for language, whereas the right
hemisphere is specialized for Visio-spatial and oppositional thought. Ohrman and
Laviner (1991) maintained that the left hemispheric dominants are highly analytical,
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verbal, linear and logical learner, whereas right hemispheric dominants are highly
global, visual, emotional and intuitive learners. Whole brain dominants are those who
process information through both hemispheres equally and exhibits characteristics of
both hemispheres.
Ohrman and Laviner (1991) cited that research has demonstrated that
students are capable of mastery of new skills if they are taught through instructional
method that complements their hemispheric preference. Several studies have found
that students taught through methods that matched their hemispheric style achieved
statistically significant higher test score that they were taught through other teaching
methods. Studies have suggested that brain hemisphericity is associated with different
occupations and academic majors. Bernan, Bruno and Kolb (1984) believed that
people choose major/fields based on the congruence between their learning styles and
the norms of those major/fields. People chose their academic majors based on the
capability between norms of these disciplinary fields and the individual hemisphere
dominance. Academic subjects such as arts, the humanities and architecture are
believed by several researchers to require a more global, synthetic, and spatial
orientation which make them more suitable for right brain dominant students, whereas
other subjects such as science, engineering and language emphasized logic and verbal
analysis, which make them better fit for left-brain dominants students.
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Lavach (1991) examined the hemisphericity of the students with different
majors. He reported that humanities students showed preference for the right-
hemispheric dominance. Natural science students demonstrated a left-hemispheric
mode, while social science majors showed preference for left hemispheric dominance.
The left-brain has no trouble processing symbols. Many academic pursuits deal with
symbols such as letter, words and mathematical notations. The left-brain person tends
to be comfortable with linguistic and mathematical endeavors. Left brained students
will probably just memorize vocabulary words or math formulas.
The right brain, on the other hand, want things to be concrete. The left-brain persons
want to see, feel or touch the real object. Right brain students may have trouble
learning to read using phonics. They prefer to see words in context, to see how the
formula works.
Saleh (2001) investigated the correlation between students' choice of academic
majors and their brain hemisphericity. The participants in this research were 429
graduate and undergraduate students in a large university in the southern part of the
United States. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance to determine the
influence of brain hemisphericity on students' choice of academic majors. The results
lent support to earlier research in their findings of a strong correlation between
academic majors and brain dominance. The ANOVA model showed a significant effect
of brain hemisphericity on students' choice of academic majors. Arts/literature

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students tended to be right brained while business/commerce students were left
brained. Students majoring in education, nursing, communication, and law were right
brained, while students majoring in business/commerce, engineering, and science
were left brained. The study also demonstrated an evidence of a general shift in
students' brain hemisphericity from earlier research, where more students were
identified as whole brained.
The participants were asked to complete a demographic survey as well as
McCarthy's Hemispheric Mode Indicator (HMI) instrument to determine their individual
brain hemisphericity. The Hemispheric Mode Indicator was developed to measure the
preference in the individual's approach to learning with a bias for right, left, or whole
brain-mode processing techniques (McCarthy, 1987).
The Cronbach's alpha of the instrument is 0.90. The test-retest reliability
(Pearson product moment correlation coefficient) is 0.904 (Lieberman, 1986). The HMI
items were correlated, to check current validity, with the items of Torrance's measure
of hemispheric dominance (Your Style of Learning and Thinking, SOLAT-C). The
Spearman rank correlation coefficient is 0.819. The Pearson product-moment
correlation is 0.659.
Oliver (2009) examined the associations between problem solving strategies
and brain hemisphericity. A total of 98 ninth grade students were randomly selected
from a high school in South East Texas. Results showed that as hypothesized,
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students who tested high for left brain dominance tended to prefer a written, logical
explanation strategy to solve certain complexity levels of the mathematics problem.
Also, as hypothesized, students who tested high in right brain dominance, tended to
prefer drawing diagrams to solve certain complexity levels of the mathematics
problems. He further reported that the relationships identified in this study showed
that the general characteristics associated with each hemisphere of the brain, also
apply to mathematical problem.
There are many differences between the two hemispheres of the brain. The
persons nature largely depends on which part of his brain dominates the nervous
system (Naik, 2009).The right brain is intuitive, meaning it is led by feelings, while the
left brain is analytical, meaning it is led by logical approach towards problems. Right
brain tends to make lateral connection from the derived information, whereas left
brain tends to make logical deductions from the derived information. The right brain is
visual, stressing on music and pattern, while the left brain is verbal, stressing on
words, numbers and symbols. Right brained people struggle with mathematical
formulas and words to express themselves, while left brained people are very good at
memorizing mathematical formulas and also express them pretty well. In people with
right brain domination, organizational skills are very poor, on the other hand people
with left brain domination are highly organized. People with right brain don't give
attention to minute details, but people with left brain tend to focus on each and every
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minute detail and step taken. When given a task of assembling a particular thing, right
brain people will start working promptly without reading the instructions, while left
brained people will carefully go through the instructions and then start working. When
people with right brain communicate, they tend to make many gestures with their
hands, contrary to which left brain people hardly use gestures when communicating.
Right brain is designed to listen to 'how' something is being said, while left brain is
designed to listen to 'what' is being said. Although right brained people don't
rationalize things they do have the tendency to question the rules, on the other hand
left brained people never question rules, instead they readily accept them.
People with dominant right brain have difficulty in prioritizing things which
makes them execute things in hurry at the last moment, whereas people with
dominant left brain are well versed with planning the future which makes them be
prepared well in advance (Nick, 2005).
In general, the left and right hemispheres of the brain process information in
different ways. A person tend to process information using the dominant side.
However, the learning and thinking process is enhanced when both sides of the brain
participate in a balance manner. This means strengthening the less dominant
hemisphere of the brain (Restalk, 2002).

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Intelligence Quotient
The term IQ comes from German Intelligenz–Quotient. This was coined by the
German psychologist William Stern in 1912 as a proposed method of scoring early
modern children’s intelligence tests such us those developed by Alfred Binet and
Theodore Simon in the early 19th century (Makintosh, 1998).
IQ is a number used to express the apparent relative intelligence of a person
that is the ratio multiplied by 100 of mental age as reported on a standardized test to
the chronological age. IQ is a cognitive ability, such as the ability to learn or
understand or to deal with new situations; the skilled use of reason; the ability to
apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured
by objective criteria (as tests); mental acuteness; logic and analytical skills. Binet’s test
was explicitly designed to measure school abilities. IQ scores do correlate moderately
well with grades in school. It is related to the “academic tasks” (auditory and linguistic
measures, memory task, academic achievement levels) and much less related to task
where even precise handwork “motor function” are required (Warner et al; 1987).
IQ scores are used in many contexts: as predictors of educational achievement
or special needs, by social scientists who study the distribution of IQ scores in
populations and the relationships between IQ score and other variables, and as
predictors of job performance and income (Johnson et al; 2009).

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French psychologist Alfred Binet, together with Victor Henri and Theodore
Simon, after about 15 years of development, published the Binet-Simon test for the
practical use of determining educational placement. The score on the Binet-Simon
scale would reveal the child's mental age. For example, a 6 year-old child who passed
all the tasks usually passed by 6 year-olds—but nothing beyond—would have a mental
age that exactly matched his chronological age, 6.0. Binet was forthright about the
limitations of his scale. He stressed the remarkable diversity of intelligence and the
subsequent need to study it using qualitative, as opposed to quantitative measures.
Binet also stressed that intellectual development progressed at variable rates and
could be influenced by the environment; therefore, intelligence was not based solely
on genetics. It was malleable rather than fixed, and could only be found in children
with comparable background. American psychologist Henry H. Goddard published a
translation of it in 1910. The eugenics movement in the USA seized on it as a means
to give them credibility in diagnosing mental retardation. American psychologist Lewis
Terman at Stanford University revised the Binet-Simon scale which resulted in the
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (1916). It became the most popular test in the
United States for decades. Finally, when Binet did become aware of the "foreign ideas
being grafted on his instrument" he condemned those who with 'brutal pessimism' and
'deplorable verdicts' were promoting the concept of intelligence as a single, unitary
construct (Richardson, 2003).

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Carroll (1993) after a comprehensive re-analysis of earlier data proposed the
Three Stratum Theory, which is a hierarchical model with three levels. At the bottom is
the first stratum which consists of narrow abilities. The second stratum consists of
broad abilities. Carroll identified eight second-stratum abilities and accepted
Spearman's concept of general intelligence, for the most part, as a representation of
the uppermost third stratum.
The American Psychological Association's report "Intelligence: Knowns and
Unknowns" states that wherever it has been studied, children with high scores on
tests of intelligence tend to learn more of what is taught in school than their lower-
scoring peers. The correlation between IQ scores and grades is about .50. This means
that the explained variance is 25%. Achieving good grades depends on many factors
other than IQ, such as persistence, interest in school, and willingness to study
(Neisser, 1995).
Psychometricians generally regard IQ tests as having high statistical reliability.
A high reliability implies that while test-takers can have varying scores on differing
occasions when taking the same test and can vary in scores on different IQ tests
taken at the same age, the scores generally agree. A test-taker's score on any one IQ
test is surrounded by an error band that shows, to a specified degree of confidence,
what the test-taker's true score is likely to be. For modern tests, the standard error of
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measurement is about 3 points, or in other words, the odds are about 2 out of 3 that
a persons true IQ is in range from 3 points above to 3 points below the test IQ.
Another description is that there is a 95% chance that the true IQ is in range from
4-5 points above to 4-5 points below the test IQ, depending on the test in question.
Clinical psychologists generally regard them as having sufficient statistical validity for
many clinical purposes (Kaufman, 2009).
Men and women have statistically significant differences in average scores on
tests of particular abilities. Studies also illustrate consistently greater variance in the
performance of men compared to that of women (Lynn and Irwing, 2004).
IQ tests are weighted on these sex differences so there is no bias on average
in favor of one sex; however, the consistent difference in variance is not removed.
Because the tests are defined so there is no average difference,it is difficult to put any
meaning on a statement that one sex has a higher intelligence than the other.
However some people have made claims like this even using unbiased IQ tests. For
instance, there are claims that men tend to outperform women on average by three to
four IQ points based on tests of medical students where the greater variance of men's
IQ can be expected to contribute to the result, or where a correction is made for
different maturation ages (Stumpf & Jackson, 1994).

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The average IQ scores for many populations have been rising at an average
rate of three points per decade since the early 20th century, a phenomenon called the
Flynn effect. It is disputed whether these changes in scores reflect real changes in
intellectual abilities (Flynn, 1987).
IQ can change to some degree over the course of childhood. However, in one
longitudinal study, the mean IQ scores of tests at ages 17 and 18 were correlated at
r=.86 with the mean scores of tests at ages 5, 6 and 7 and at r=.96 with the mean
scores of tests at ages 11, 12 and 13. IQ scores for children are relative to children of
a similar age. That is, a child of a certain age does not do as well on the tests as an
older child or an adult with the same IQ. But relative to persons of a similar age, or
other adults in the case of adults, they do equally well if the IQ scores are the same
(Kaufman, 2009).
The theory of multiple intelligences was proposed by Howard Gardner in 1983
as a model of intelligence that differentiates intelligence into various specific (primarily
sensory) modalities, rather than seeing it as dominated by a single general ability.
Gardner (1983) argues that there are wide variety of cognitive abilities which
are only very weakly correlated with one another, despite the close correlations
between aspects of intelligence generally measured by traditional intelligence (IQ)
tests or psychometrics. For example, the theory predicts that a child who learns to
multiply easily is not necessarily generally more intelligent than a child who has more
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difficulty on this task. The child who takes more time to master simple multiplication
may best learn to multiply through a different approach, may excel in a field outside of
mathematics, or may even be looking at and understand the multiplication process at
a fundamentally deeper level. Such a fundamentally deeper understanding can result
in what looks like slowness and can hide a mathematical intelligence potentially higher
than that of a child who quickly memorizes the multiplication table despite a less
detailed understanding of the process of multiplication.
The theory's eight currently accepted intelligences are: spatial, linguistic,
logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and
naturalistic (Gardner & Seana, 2006).
Spatial deals with spatial judgment and the ability to visualize with the mind's
eye. Careers which suit those with this type of intelligence include artists, designers
and architects. A spatial person is also good with puzzles. Linguistics has to do with
words, spoken or written. People with high verbal-linguistic intelligence display a
facility with words and languages. They are typically good at reading, writing, telling
stories and memorizing words along with dates. Logical-mathematical has to do with
logic, abstractions, reasoning and numbers. While it is often assumed that those with
this intelligence naturally excel in mathematics, chess, computer programming and
other logical or numerical activities, a more accurate definition places less emphasis on
traditional mathematical ability and more on reasoning capabilities, recognizing

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abstract patterns, scientific thinking and investigation and the ability to perform
complex calculations. It correlates strongly with traditional concepts of "intelligence" or
IQ. The core elements of the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are control of one's bodily
motions and the capacity to handle objects skillfully. Gardner elaborates to say that
this intelligence also includes a sense of timing, a clear sense of the goal of a physical
action, along with the ability to train responses so they become like reflexes. Musical
has to do with sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones, and music. People with a high
musical intelligence normally have good pitch and may even have absolute pitch, and
are able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music. Since there is a strong
auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best
via lecture.
Interpersonal has to do with interaction with others. In theory, people who
have a high interpersonal intelligence tend to be extroverts, characterized by their
sensitivity to others' moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations, and their ability
to cooperate in order to work as part of a group. They communicate effectively and
empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers. They typically
learn best by working with others and often enjoy discussion and debate.
Intrapersonal has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. People with
intrapersonal intelligence are intuitive and typically introverted. They are skillful at
deciphering their own feelings and motivations. This refers to having a deep
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understanding of the self; what his/her strengths/weaknesses are, what makes
him/her unique, he/she can predict his/her own reactions/ emotions.
Naturalistic has to do with nurturing and relating information to one’s natural
surroundings. Careers which suit those with this intelligence include naturalists,
farmers and gardeners. Some proponents of multiple intelligence theory proposed
spiritual or religious intelligence as a possible additional type. Gardner did not want to
commit to a spiritual intelligence, but suggested that an "existential" intelligence may
be a useful construct. The hypothesis of an existential intelligence has been further
explored by educational researchers.
The theory of multiple intelligence break the psychometricians’ century-long
stranglehold in the subject of Intelligence Quotient or IQ (Gardner, 1999). However,
IQ tests still persist for certain purposes especially on academics tasks (Warner, et al,
1987). The first two forms of intelligences which are logical-mathematical and verbal-
linguistic are characteristics of left brain thinking and are typically the abilities that
contribute to strong performance in traditional school environments and produce high
scores on most IQ measures or tests of achievements.
Traditionally, schools have emphasized the development of logical intelligence
and linguistic intelligence (mainly reading and writing). IQ tests (given to about
1,000,000 students each year) focus mostly on logical and linguistic intelligence as
well. While many students function well in this environment, there are those who do
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not. Gardner's (1998) theory argues that students will be better served by a broader
vision of education, wherein teachers use different methodologies, exercises and
activities to reach all students, not just those who excel at linguistic and logical
intelligence.
Defenders of MI theory argue that the traditional definition of intelligence is
too narrow, and thus broader definition more accurately reflects the differing ways in
which humans think and learn. They would state that the traditional interpretation of
intelligence collapses under the weight of its own logic and definition, noting that
intelligence is usually defined as the cognitive or mental capacity of an individual,
which by logical necessity would include all forms of mental qualities, not simply the
ones most transparent to standardized I.Q. tests (Sternberg, 1991).
Summary
This chapter covers the general overview of all topics included in this study.
Mathematics is the science of logical reasoning, in which valid conclusions are
arrived at from a set of axioms. It involves a search for truth. It is rigorous and
precise. Although some theories discovered centuries ago are still valid, mathematics
continues to change and develop.
Gervero (1998) explained that mathematics, to the majority of students, seems
to elicit negative attitudes compared to other subjects. Students react negatively to

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mathematics. This reality is evidently shown in the students’ poor performance in the
subject.
Billones (2000) noted that one of the major problems in student’s achievement
in mathematics is the ability to perform task involving higher-level thinking skills which
are developed through the flexibility of independent learning behaviors. Students who
are bound by rigid dependence on rules and authority often lacks skills needed to
respond to new mathematics situations or to the irregularities of the real world’s
problem.
There has been considerable discussion of gender differences in mathematics
achievement. Generally, the studies of gender differences in mathematics
achievements report that boys scored higher than girls, especially in problem solving
which involves higher order thinking skills (Fenema & Sherman, 1978; in Amor, 1999).
However, a study conducted by Peterson and Carpenter (1985) concluded that
there are no sex difference in mathematics learning from kindergarten to third grade.
Differences in the performance of the sexes began to emerge in the fourth grade and
in the ninth grade, but they were not significant. Girls were slightly superior to boys in
computation while boys were found to be slightly superior to girls in mathematical
reasoning.
Mercado (1987) found out that the academic achievement of male students
were poor in higher mathematics, especially those that involve mathematical

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reasoning and spatial relationship, whereas the achievement of the female students
was better as they progress to higher levels. However, the study of Helms and Turner
(1986) showed that males seem to perform better than females in tests of
mathematical reasoning and visual spatial problems. Still, females tend to excel in
tasks involving verbal abilities.
Schiamberge (1988) confirmed the differences in cognitive abilities between
the sexes but suggested that part of the lack of scientific ability in girls maybe due to
cultural values, societal expectations, and sex role stereotypes.
The right brain / left brain theory has it that the brain has two hemispheres
(commonly called the right brain and the left brain) which think in different ways. The
right brain is visual and processes information by looking first at the whole picture
then the details. The left brain is verbal and processes information by looking at the
pieces then putting them together to get the whole. The right brain is more intuitive;
the left is analytical and sequential (Evans, 2010).
Oliver (2009) examined the associations between problem solving strategies
and brain hemisphericity. A total of 98 ninth grade students were randomly selected
from a High School in South East Texas. Results showed that as hypothesized,
students who tested high for left brain dominance tended to prefer a written, logical
explanation strategy to solve certain complexity levels of the mathematics problem.

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Also, as hypothesized students who tested high in right brain dominance, tended to
prefer drawing diagrams to solve certain complexity levels of the mathematics
problems. He further reported that the relationships identified in this study showed
that the general characteristics associated with each hemisphere of the brain, also
apply to mathematical problem.
The term IQ comes from German Intelligenz–Quotient. This was coined by the
German psychologist William Stern in 1912 as a proposed method of scoring early
modern children’s intelligence tests such us those developed by Alfred Binet and
Theodore Simon in the early 19th century.
The theory of multiple intelligences was proposed by Howard Gardner in 1983
as a model of intelligence that differentiates intelligence into various specific (primarily
sensory) modalities, rather than seeing it as dominated by a single general ability.
The theory's eight currently accepted intelligences are: spatial, linguistic,
logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and
naturalistic.
Intelligence quotient tests still persist for certain purposes especially on
academics tasks (Warner, et al; 1987). The first two forms of Multiple Intelligences
(Gardner, 1983) which are logical-mathematical and verbal-linguistic are
characteristics of left brain thinking and are typically the abilities that contribute to
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Iloilo City 37
strong performance in traditional school environments and produce high scores on
most IQ measures or tests of achievements.
Men and women have statistically significant differences in average scores on
tests of particular abilities. Studies also illustrate consistently greater variance in the
performance of men compared to that of women.
Gender and IQ and how these two variables affect the brain hemisphericity and
mathematics achievements have led the researcher to conduct the study on brain
hemisphericity and mathematics achievement of high school students.

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Chapter 3
Research Design and Methodology
Chapter 3 consists of three parts: (1) Purpose of the Study and Research
Design, (2) Method, and (3) Statistical Data Analysis Procedure.
Part One, Purpose of the Study and Research Design, presents the design
adopted in this investigation.
Part Two, Method, describes the participants and the method of choosing
them, the instruments used in gathering data and the procedure of the study.
Part Three, Statistical Data Analysis Procedure, presents the statistics used to
test the hypotheses.
Purpose of the Study and Research Design
The descriptive method of research was used in this study. According to Gay
(1992), descriptive research involves collecting data in order to test hypothesis or to
answer questions concerning the current status of the respondents. It determines and
reports the way things are. Moreover, qualitative method was also employed to
answer the question on how students in each group of brain dominance solve
mathematical problems.
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The antecedent variables were gender and intelligence quotient. Independent
variable is brain hemisphericity while the dependent variable was mathematics
achievement.
Method
Respondents
The study was conducted among the first year high school students of Colegio
de San Jose, during the school year 2010-2011. This study involved 168 students
randomly selected from a total of 288. In the selection, the researcher employed the
Slovin’s formula of finding the sample: n= N/(1 +Ne2 ) with 5% margin of error. The
sample represented around 58% of the total population. Stratified random sampling
was employed so that the seven sections were equally represented.
The distribution of the respondents is shown in Table 1.

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Table 1
The Distribution of the Respondents
Category f %
Entire group 168 100
Gender
Male 88 52.4
Female 80 47.6
Intelligence quotient
Low 128 76.2
Average 40 23.8
High 0 0.00
Instrumentation
There were three instruments used in this study: Hemisphere Dominance
Questionnaire (HDQ), Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT), and Interview Schedule
(IS).
In order to establish the validity of the instruments HDQ and MAT, these were
validated by experts of the field, three psychologists for HDQ and another three
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mathematicians for MAT and IS. Corrections were integrated to make the final
instruments. The instruments were then pilot tested among the first year high school
students of Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus who were of the same
characteristics as the identified respondents.
For reliability of the instruments, MAT had a Cronbach’s Alpha of .733 while
HDQ had a Cronbach’s of .826. The alpha coefficient was within the acceptable range
(Mcmillan, 1992). For predictive validity, Mathematics Achievement Test and IQ results
from the pilot tested group were correlated with Pearson r of .745.
To obtain the data on students’ brain dominance , HDQ was used. This was
adopted from Torrance (1980). It consists of 50-items. Descriptions for Column A
represent left brain dominance, the Column B for right brain dominance, and Column
C for whole brain dominance. Students answered by putting an X in the appropriate
column, A, B, C beside the description that was most like them. Only one X mark was
needed in each item, either that mark is in column A, B or C.
To determine the dominant brain hemisphericity the following steps were
done:
1. The score was computed by counting the number of X’s for column A,
column B and column C.
2. Column A score was subtracted from column B score.
3. The column C score was taken.

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If the C score was 15 or higher, the “column B score – column A score”
in step 2 was divided by 3, and the answer was rounded to the nearest whole
number. The answer was the score which can either be a negative or positive
number.
If the C score was from 9 to 14, the “column B score – column A score”
in step 2 was divided by 2, and the answer was rounded off to the nearest
whole number. The answer was the score which either can be a negative or
positive number.
If the C score was less than 9, “column B score – column A score” in
step 2 was not divided at all. The result of step 2 was the answer.
A negative score meant left brain dominance. A positive score meant right
brain dominance while a score of zero meant whole brain dominance.
Mathematics achievement was based from the result of the researcher-made
MAT. This consisted of two parts: Part One, a 40-item multiple choice and Part Two, a
6-item open-ended questions. Items covered topics on measurement, plane figures,
solid figures, integers, algebraic expressions, and linear equations in one variable.
These topics were lessons in the first and second quarters of first year curriculum and
within the DepEd minimum requirements. A scoring rubrics adopted from Belarga
(2007) was used in the scoring of problem solving.

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Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) was
described as low, average, or high if the results were 95 and below, 96 - 127, and 128
and above respectively.
For the qualitative part, the researcher prepared an IS consisting of five
questions which were answered by the selected 20 students, 10 of them were
identified as left brain dominance and another 10 were identified right brain
dominance. The questions centered on how do students in each group of brain
dominance solve problems. The IS is shown in Appendix F.
Procedure
The list of students with gender identification was taken from the registrar’s
office. IQ results were obtained from the school’s guidance service center. Prior to
obtaining these data, the researcher wrote a letter to the registrar and the guidance
counselor of the school. Information was treated with confidentiality and used only for
the purpose of this study.
The researcher also wrote to the principal of CSJ asking permission to
administer the instrument of the study. Upon approval, the schedule of testing was set
and the participants were given one hour and a half to answer the two questionnaires.
Few days after, 20 participants identified as left and right brain dominant were
subjected for interview.

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Results of the gathered data were tallied, tabulated, computer-processed,
analyzed and interpreted.
Statistical Data Analysis Procedure
The data gathered for the study were subjected to computer-processed
statistics which included the following statistical tools:
Mean. To obtain mean scores to describe the respondents’ mathematics
achievement, the mean was employed.
Frequency count. Frequency count was used to determine the number of
participants belonging to a category.
Standard deviation. To find out the homogeneity and heterogeneity of
respondents’ mathematics achievement, the standard deviation was utilized.
Chi-square. Chi-square was used to determine the significant difference in
dominant brain hemisphericity of students when classified according to gender and IQ.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA). To obtain the significant difference in the
mathematics achievement of students when classified according to brain
hemisphericity, ANOVA was employed.

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Content and documentary analyses were used in the qualitative data by
looking into the respondents’ solution to problem solving. This was supplemented by
their answers during the interview.
The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) program was utilized in
processing the gathered data. The .05 level of significance was adopted as the
criterion for rejecting or accepting the null hypotheses.

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Chapter 4
Results
Chapter 4 is divided into three parts: (1) Descriptive Data Analysis,
(2) Inferential Data Analysis, and (3) Content and Documentary Analyses.
Part One, Descriptive Data Analysis, presents the descriptive data and their
respective analyses and interpretations.
Part Two, Inferential Data Analysis, presents the inferential data and their
respective analysis and interpretations.
Part Three, Qualitative Data Analysis, presents the ways on how students solve
math problems and their responses in the interview.
Descriptive Data Analysis
To determine the brain hemisphericity of the students, the frequency count
and percentages were obtained.
Table 2 presents the brain hemisphericity of the students as an entire group.
Of the 168 students, 84 or 50% were left brain dominant; 57 or 33.9% were right
brain dominant; and 27 or 16.1% were whole brain learners. This simply showed that
the dominant brain hemisphericity of the first year students at Colegio de San Jose
was the left brain.

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Ali (2007) analysis revealed that 71% of the sample of his study were left-brain
dominant (n=30) whereas 24% (n=10) were right-brain dominant and the remainders
(n=2) were whole-brain learners in his study. Marquelenza (2004) also reported
similar findings left brain dominance among his subjects.where the dominant brain
hemisphericity of her subjects was left brain too.
Table 2
Brain Hemisphericity of Students as an Entire Group
Category f %
Brain hemisphericity
Left brain 84 50.0
Right brain 57 33.9
Whole brain 27 16.1
Total 168 100
The results in Table 3 showed the brain hemisphericity of the respondents
when they were classified according to gender. Out of 88 male respondents, 41 or
46.6% were left brain dominant; 35 or 38.9% were right brain dominant; and 12 or
13.6% were whole brain learners. Among the female participants, 43 or 53.8% were
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left brain dominant; 22 or 27.5 were right brain dominant; and 15 or 18.8% were
whole brain learners. This showed that both the male and female students were left
brain dominant.
Table 3
Brain Hemisphericity of Students Grouped as to Gender
Gender
Category Male Female
f % f %
Left brain 41 46.6 43 53.8
Right brain 35 39.8 22 27.5
Whole brain 12 13.6 15 18.8
Total 88 100 80 100
The results in Table 4 showed the brain hemisphericity of the respondents
when they were classified according to intelligence quotient. Out of the 128 students
belonging to the low classification, 64 or 50% were left brain dominant; 46 or 35.9%
were right brain dominant; and 18 or 14.1% were whole brain learners. Among the
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40 students belonging to the average classification, 20 or 50% were left brain
dominant; 11 or 27.5 were right brain dominant; and 9 or 22.5% were whole brain
learners. This showed that the dominant brain hemisphericity of the students in either
low or average classifications was the left brain. There was no student belonging to
the high IQ classification.
IQ can change to some degree over the course of childhood. However, in one
longitudinal study, the mean IQ scores of tests at ages 17 and 18 were correlated at
r=.86 with the mean scores of tests at ages 5, 6 and 7 and at r=.96 with the mean
scores of tests at ages 11, 12 and 13. IQ scores for children are relative to children of
a similar age. That is, a child of a certain age does not do as well on the tests as an
older child or an adult with the same IQ. But relative to persons of a similar age, or
other adults in the case of adults, they do equally well if the IQ scores are the same
(Carroll, 1999).
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Table 4
Brain Hemisphericity of Students Grouped as to Intelligence Quotient
Intelligence Quotient
Category Low Average
f % f %
Brain Hemisphericity
Left brain 64 50.0 20 50.0
Right brain 46 35.9 11 27.5
Whole brain 18 14.1 9 22.5
Total 128 100 40 100
The results in Table 5 showed the mathematics achievement of students when
taken as an entire group and when classified according to gender, intelligence
quotient, and brain hemisphericity. As an entire group, the students had “average”
mathematics achievements (M = 24.92, SD = 6.33).
When the participants were grouped according to gender, both males
(M = 23.88, SD = 6.72) and females (M = 26.06, SD = 5.69) had “average”
mathematics achievement.
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As to the intelligence quotient, students classified in the low IQ group low
(M = 22.86, SD = 5.03) and students classified in the average IQ group (M = 31.50,
SD = 5.56) had “average” mathematics achievement.
As to the brain hemisphericity, left brain dominant (M = 25.63, SD = 6.51);
right brain dominant (M = 23.84, SD = 6.80); and whole brain learners (M = 24.96,
SD = 6.32) all had “average” mathematics achievement.
The dispersion around the mean and SD are more or less the same for the
different categories involved.

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Table 5
Mathematics Achievement of Students Taken as an Entire Group and Classified as to
Gender, Intelligence Quotient and Brain Hemisphericity
Category n M Description SD
Entire group 168 24.92 average 6.33
Gender
Male 88 23.88 average 6.72
Female 80 26.06 average 5.69
Intelligence quotient
Low 128 22.86 average 5.03
Average 40 31.50 average 5.56
Left brain 84 25.63 average 6.51
Right brain 57 23.84 average 6.80
Whole brain 27 24.96 average 6.32
Scale Description
43.01 and above High
22.01 – 43 Average
22 and below Low
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Inferential Data Analysis
The Chi-square and ANOVA were used to determine the significant differences
among variables. Significance was set at .05 alpha.
Differences in the Brain Hemisphericity of students
As shown in Table 6 no significant difference existed in the brain
hemisphericity of students when classified according to gender X2 = 0.226, p > .05,
and as to intelligence quotient, X2 = 0.370, p > .05. Thus, the null hypothesis stating
that there is no significant difference in the dominant brain hemisphericity of students
when classified according to gender and intelligence quotient was accepted.
This result supports the study conducted by Peterson and Carpenter (1985)
wherein they concluded that there are no sex difference in mathematics learning from
kindergarten to third grade. Differences in the performance of the sexes began to
emerge in the fourth grade and in the ninth grade, but they were not significant. Girls
were slightly superior than boys in computation while boys were found to be slightly
superior than girls in mathematical reasoning. Ali (2007) also found out that there was
no significant association between brain hemisphericity with gender.

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Table 6
Chi-Square Results for Differences in the Brain Hemisphericity of Students
Classified According to Gender and Intelligence Quotient
Category X2 df Sig.
Gender 2.972 2 0.226
Intelligence Quotient 1.989 2 0.370
Differences in the Mathematics Achievement of Students
As shown in Table 7 no significant difference existed in the mathematics
achievement of students when classified according to brain hemisphericity
F (2, 165) = 1.363, p > .05. Therefore, the null hypothesis stating that there is no
significant difference in the mathematics achievement of students when classified
according to brain hemisphericity was accepted. It can be deduced that both left and
right brain students perform equally in math.
Marquelenza (2004) similarly found that academic achievement in mathematics
among college freshmen was not significantly different when they were categorized
according to brain dominance. The absence of significant difference in

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the mathematics achievement of participants could be attributed to the fact that the
learners learn individually based on their strengths and weaknesses (Sulit, 2005).
Table 7
ANOVA Results for Differences in the Mathematics Achievement of Students Classified
According to Brain Hemisphericity
Sources of Sum of df Mean F Sig.
Variation squares squares
Between groups 108.732 2 54.366 1.363 0.259
Within groups 6580.101 165 39.879
Total 6688.833 167
Qualitative Data Analysis
To answer the research question on how do students in each group of brain
dominance solve a mathematical problem, content and documentary analyses were
applied. Students answers to problem solving were scored using the rubrics.
To gather data, 20 randomly selected students 10 coming from the left-brain
group and 10 from the right brain group were interviewed.

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When solving problems, the left-brain dominant students used written
explanation and equation (Appendix H), while the right-brain dominant students drew
diagrams or pictures in their solution (shown in Appendix H). This supports the study
of Oliver (2009) stating that those who tested high for left brain dominance tended to
prefer a written, logical explanation strategy to certain complexity levels of problem
solving and those who tested high in right brain dominance tended to prefer drawing
diagrams to solve certain complexity levels of the mathematics problems.
Whether students are left or right brain dominant, their scores revealed that
only a few could completely give solution to the problem. Majority got a rating of 2 or
1 or even 0 based from the rubrics scale. This shows that students find it difficult to
solve word problems. Mahmud (2003) found that the main source of secondary school
students’ difficulties in solving mathematical problem is their inability to understand
the problem. She found out that almost 98% of students admitted to having
difficulties in comprehending what a question required. Students did not pay much
attention to the strategies involved in answering the question, and did not read the
terms used in the problem very closely.
When asked if they understood the problem, all 20 participants replied “yes.”
When made to identify the strategy they used to come up with the correct answer,
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The left-brain dominant group replied the following:
1)“I analyze and understand the problem very well. I solved all the
problems step by step and I did the trial and error method;”
2) “ I was able to know about the PEMDAS, using of equation and shortcuts of
solving problems. Solving about meter, liter, and gram;”
3) “ I use to solve the problem, read the question properly and I understand
it;”
4)“First is, I try to understand and find out ways in order to get the correct
answer. But before answering any problem I tried to recall everything that I had
learned before. Everything that came up was actually introduced to me when I was in
Grade 6 and my previous school. Every formula, terms and similar problems were
actually familiar to me. That’s why I actually know how to solve a particular problem;”
(5) “I first answered the easier problems and skip the difficult ones and then
after answering the easier ones, I go back to the difficult problems.”
The answers of the left-brain group somehow show some logical ways in
solving problems.
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Here are some answers from the right-brain dominant group:
1)“The strategy that I use was the strategy given to us by our math teacher on
how to solve a certain problem and a problem which was given to us as a sentence;”
2) “Using diagram or illustration;”
3) “I find what is given, then I try to figure out the correct formula. Once I
finally understood it all then I try my best to answer it correctly. However, this
strategy will prove invalid if I don’t understand the question given;”
4)“The strategy is to understand the problem correctly;”
5) “I used my basic learning about mathematics in order to get the correct
answer.”
The answers of the right-brain group somehow show their preference of using
illustration.
Students from both brain groups indicated some of the strategies in problem
solving. These have similarities to Polya’s (1985) suggestions using the following four-
phase plan for solving problems: (1) understanding the problem, (2) devising a plan to
solve the problem, (3) carrying out the plan to solve the problem, and (4) looking back
at the completed solution to review and discuss it.
The students were also asked if the strategy they used were introduced to
them before. Most of them answered “yes”. When querried, what other ways do they
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think can solve the problem, and introduce the process, the left-brain dominant group
answered the following:
1) “I give the formula first, then I tried to solve it step by step. 1. Analyze the
problem, 2. Identify what problem it is, 3. Give the formula, and 4. Solve it step by
step;”
2) “I just put for example ½ =.5. Multiplication, addition, subtraction and
division is important. I memorized the multiplication table in order for me to solve
easily;”
3)” Use the four fundamental operations, use formula in solving area, volume
and surface area;”
4) “The other ways that I think I can solve the problem is by showing the
process so that you can make sure that your answer is correct;”
(5) “In finding the circumference, we must use the formula C = 2r x ∏. In
finding the area, we use the formula s x s.”
Something common among the answers of the left-brain dominant group are
the rules that they would follow which really are characteristics of the left brain
dominant.
Here again are the responses from the right-brain dominant group.
1) “The other ways to solve a certain problem is to simply understand the
question then think of a strategy or process which suited to the problem;”

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2) “Using diagrams, using drawings;”
3)” I could just answer them systematically until I finished them all. I would do
my best to answer them all;”
4) “By thinking or being conscious and very understanding. You have to read
and remember stored knowledge. But if you have trouble with that then try to think
about it and just answer what you know, because sooner or later as you answer you
will remember how to get an answer to the other problems or try to familiarize;”
5) “I first read the problem thoroughly and thought about the processes or
equations to be used. Afterwards, I first answered the easier ones than the hard
ones.”
Answers show that they are creative since they would prefer using drawings or
diagrams. They have the tendency to pick up items randomly whichever is easier for
them. These really are manifestations of the right brain dominant.
Responses of the students showed that they tried their best in answering the
problems. Schoenfeld (1985) stated that students are not actually weak in solving
problems, but lack the skill to marshal strategies that help solve particular problems.
In her study, Salleh (2004) discovered that students who can successfully solve a
problem possess good reading skills, are able to compare and contrast, have the

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The students were asked what difficulties did they encounter in solving the
problem. The left-brain dominant group, have these responses:
1) “That I have to solve or find out if what is exactly the answer;”
2) “There are so many difficulties I encountered like knowing the areas and
many more;”
3) “Analyzing the problem. I find it hard to understand;”
4) “The difficulties I had encountered is when I’m solving about the radius of a
cylinder because I can’t remember the lessons we had;”
5) “The difficulties I did encounter in solving the problem is by solving
algebraic expression.”
The right-brain group’s answers are:
1) “I encountered a lot of difficult problems, most of them involve the linear
function/equation;”
2) “The difficulties that I’ve encountered in solving the problem
is some of the problems are hard for me to understand and due to lack of knowledge
in any topic;”
3) “The difficulties I have encountered is when I forget something or get
mental blocked about the processes to be used in the problems;”
4) “Most of my problems were from geometry since most of it was to
familiarize and recall geometric processes;”

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5) “The difficulties that I encountered were forgetfulness and not
understanding the problem. I forgot part of the process and for some of the
questions.”
As expressed in their answers, students encountered various difficulties in
analyzing problems whether they may be left or right brain dominant. According to
Kantowski (1997), an individual is faced with a problem when he encounters a
question he cannot answer or a situation he is unable to resolve using the knowledge
immediately available to him. He must then think of a way to use the information at
his disposal to arrive at the goal, the solution of the problem.

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Chapter 5
Summary, Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations
Chapter 5 contains four parts: (1) Summary of the Problem, Method, and
Findings, (2) Conclusions, (3) Implications, and (4) Recommendations.
Part One, Summary of the Problem, Method, and Findings, reflects the vital
points of the study and the results.
Part Two, Conclusions, gives the inferences drawn from the results of the
study.
Part Three, Implications, clarifies the relationships between the findings of the
present investigation and the theories presented in relation to the present study.
Part Four, Recommendations, offers suggestions in terms of the findings,
implications, and conclusions.
Summary of the Problem, Method, and Findings
This study aimed to determine the brain hemisphericity and mathematics
achievement of the first year high school students of Colegio de San Jose (CSJ) during
the school year 2010-2011.

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Specifically, this study purposely sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the dominant brain hemisphericity of the students taken as an entire
a. gender, and
2. What is the mathematics achievement of the students taken as an entire
a. gender,
b. intelligence quotient, and
c. brain hemisphericity?
3. Is there a significant difference in the dominant brain hemisphericity of the
a. gender, and
4. Is there a significant difference in the mathematics achievement of the
students when classified according to brain hemisphericity?
5. How do the students in each group of brain dominance solve mathematical
problems?
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In view of the preceding problems, the following hypotheses were tested:
1. There is no significant difference in the dominant brain hemisphericity of the
a. gender, and
b. intelligence quotient.
2. There is no significant difference in the mathematics achievement of
students when classified according to brain hemisphericity.
Data for the study were obtained using the three sets of instruments,
Hemisphere Dominance Questionnaire (HDQ) adopted from Torrance, Mathematics
Achievement Test (MAT), and Interview Schedule (IS).
The descriptive statistics employed were frequency count, mean and standard
deviation while the inferential statistics were chi-square and ANOVA, all set at .05
alpha. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was employed in
the analysis of data gathered.
The findings of the present study revealed that:
1. The dominant brain hemisphericity of the students as an entire group and
when classified according to gender and intelligence quotient was the left brain.
2. The mathematics achievement of students as an entire group and when
classified according to gender, intelligence quotient, and brain hemisphericity was
average.
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3. No significant difference existed in their dominant brain hemisphericity when
they were classified according to gender and intelligence quotient.
4. No significant difference existed in their mathematics achievement when
they were classified according to brain hemisphericity.
5. In solving mathematical problems, the left- brain students tend to write an
equation and make logical explanation while the right-brain students tend to make
diagrams and illustrations.
Conclusions
Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:
It appears that the dominant brain hemisphericity of the participants was the
left brain and their mathematics achievement was average.
The absence of significant difference in the dominant brain hemisphericity of
students when grouped according to gender and intelligence quotient could be
attributed to the fact that the learners learn individually based on their strengths and
weaknesses. It is apparent that no gender is superior than the other and that the
average or low IQ is not respective of one’s brain hemisphericity.
The not significant difference in their mathematics achievement when they
were classified according to brain hemisphericity may be attributed to the fact that
learners are not necessarily strong left or strong right brain dominant since both group
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seem to perform equally. The teaching approach towards the subject matter somehow
caters to the three types of brain hemisphericity. Exposure of the students to the
classroom environment reflect the level of achievement they attain.
Solution of the students in the problem solving part made use of particular
strategies which somehow reflect the characteristics of left or right brain dominant
students.
Implications
The findings of the present study have led to certain implications for theory
and practice in relation to the brain hemisphericity and mathematics achievement of
high school students.
For theory. The right brain / left brain theory stresses that the brain has two
hemispheres (commonly called the right brain and the left brain) which think in
different ways (Evans, 2010).
The left-brain dominant person tends to be comfortable with linguistic and
mathematical endeavors. The right-brain, on the other hand, wants things to be
concrete. Ali (2007) found out that most respondents were left brain dominated. In
addition, results revealed that left brain dominant individuals tend to be sensing and
sequential learners.
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Ohrman and Laviner (1991) cited that students are capable of mastery of new
skills if they are taught through instructional method that complements their
hemispheric preference. Several studies have found that students taught through
methods that matched their hemispheric style achieved statistically significant higher
test score than they were taught through other teaching methods. This may be the
reason why students belonging to low IQ classification have average mathematics
achievement.
In general, the left and right hemispheres of the brain process information in
different ways. One tends to process information using the dominant side. However,
the learning process is enhanced when all of the senses are used. This includes using
the less dominant hemisphere. According to Kichura (2005) the right and left
hemispheres also work together and need each other for the brain to operate
effectively.
For practice. The findings of this study will challenge all mathematics teachers
to determine the brain hemisphericity and mathematics achievement of their students.
Student’s brain dominance somehow influences one’s learning style which leads to
better achievement. It is when students’ learning styles are matched with appropriate
approaches in teaching that their motivation, performance, and achievement will
increase and be enhanced (Brown, 1994). This information could be used to help
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develop more whole brained mathematical problem solvers, by teaching strategies
that are associated with both hemispheres (Oliver, 2009).
William and Murr (1987) mentioned that teachers' increased awareness of
learning styles and brain hemisphericity and their efforts to include a variety of
teaching methods and learning activities and students' increased exposure to video
games and computer activities are believed to promote imagination and spatial skills.
Schoenfeld (1985) stated that students are not actually weak in solving
problems, but lack the skill to marshal strategies that help solve particular problems.
In her study, Saleh (2004) discovered that students who can successfully solve a
problem possess good reading skills, are able to compare and contrast, have the
Newman (1983) noted that difficulty in problem solving may occur at one of
the following phases namely: reading comprehension, strategy know-how,
transformation, process skill and solution.
Educators, therefore, must always seek solutions to the perennial problem
solving difficulties of the students. They should employ varied strategies to address
the varying needs of the learners.

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Recommendations
Based on the findings and conclusions of this study, the following
recommendations are advanced:
Students should study their math lessons diligently, memorize the formulas
with understanding where these came from, and learn and apply the different
strategies in solving problems. Awareness of their brain dominance will lead them to
discover effective study habits in order to have high achievement in math subjects.
Teachers should be aware of student’s dominant brain. In this way the
application of teaching techniques can be adjusted in order to fit dominant brain and
the needs of the students in the classroom so that effective learning could be effected.
Attendance to seminars is highly recommended to give more ideas to teachers to
develop effective teaching techniques that match with the teaching style preference of
dominant brain.
Parents should be informed of their children’s brain dominance and
mathematics performance so that they can assist in the studies of their children.
The school administration should include in their faculty development program
seminars of teachers on brain hemisphericity and on improving their mathematical
skills using such concept. This information can help administrators in secondary
schools and advisors in higher education to place students in programs that are
compatible with their interests and abilities.

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Other researchers may use the result of this study in conducting studies
related to brain hemisphericity involving wider scope and more variables. An
experimental study may be conducted grouping students according to brain
hemisphericity.
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Iloilo City 80
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Iloilo City 81
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APPENDIXES
GRADUATE SCHOOL
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APPENDIX A
The Jurors
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 88
The Jurors
DR. MA. LUZPERCY M. ABOLUCION

Dean, Higher Education Department
Colegio de San Jose
MISS MARY JUNE MAYORDOMO

Faculty, Mathematics Area
High School Department
Colegio de San Jose
MR. NESTOR GICARAYA

Math Area Coordinator
Assumption Iloilo
DR. CATHERINE O. ROCES

Guidance Counselor
PROF. METHUSELAH V. ADELANTAR

Guidance Counselor
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 89
APPENDIX B
Letter to the Jurors

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 90
February 12, 2011
DR. MA. LUZPERCY M. ABOLUCION

Dean, Higher Education Department
Colegio de San Jose
Dear Dr. Abolucion:
Peace!
The undersigned is undergoing thesis writing entitled “ Brain Hemisphericity
and Mathematics Achievement of High School Students” in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree, Master of Arts in Education (Mathematics).
In this connection, I am respectfully requesting your favor to validate my
instrument on Mathematics Achievement Test.
I would be very grateful for your consideration regarding this matter.
More power and God bless.
Very truly yours,
SANNY F. FERNANDEZ
Candidate, M.A. Ed. Mathematics
Noted by:
ALONA M. BELARGA, Ph. D.

Thesis Adviser
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 91
February 12, 2011
DR. CATHERINE O. ROCES

Guidance Counselor
Dear Dr. Roces:
Peace!
In this connection, I am respectfully requesting your favor to validate my
instrument on Brain Hemisphericity.
I would be very grateful for your consideration regarding this matter.
Very truly yours,
SANNY F. FERNANDEZ
Noted by:

Thesis Adviser
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 92
APPENDIX C
Letter to the Principals

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 93
February 23, 2011
PROF. JOJIE ERMEL LAUREA

Principal
Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus
Dear Prof. Laurea:
Peace!
In this connection, I am respectfully requesting your favor to allow me to pilot
test my instruments on Mathematics Achievement and Brain Hemisphericity among the
first year high school students in your school the soonest time possible preferably not
later than March 4, 2011. One section will take Mathematics Achievement Test and
another section will take Brain Hemisphericity test. The tests will last for more or less
one hour only.
I would be very grateful for your consideration.
Very truly yours,
SANNY F. FERNANDEZ
Noted by:

Thesis Adviser
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 94
March 9, 2011
MISS JERLYN DADIOS

Principal
Colegio de San Jose
Dear Ms. Dadios:
Peace!
In this connection, I am respectfully requesting your favor to allow me to
administer my instruments on Mathematics Achievement and Brain Hemisphericity to
the randomly selected 168 out of 288 first year high school students the soonest time
possible, preferably not later than March 2011.
Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) Part I, a 40-item Multiple Choice and
Hemisphere Dominance Questionnaire will last for one and a half (1 ½) hour. MAT
Part II, Problem Solving will be given for one hour preferably the following day.
Moreover, twenty (20) students, 10 identified as left and 10 as right brain
dominant will be subjected for interview within one week after the examination.
I would be very grateful for your positive response.
Very truly yours,
SANNY F. FERNANDEZ
Noted by:

Thesis Adviser
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 95
APPENDIX D
Letter to the Registrar

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 96
March 9, 2011
MISS EMELY LARIOSA

Registrar
Colegio de San Jose
Dear Miss Lariosa:
Peace!
The undersigned is undergoing thesis writing entitled “Brain Hemisphericity
In this connection, I am respectfully requesting from your office the list of first
year high school students this school year 2010-2011.
I would be very grateful for your positive response.
Very truly yours,
SANNY F. FERNANDEZ
Noted by:

Thesis Adviser
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 97
APPENDIX E
Letter to the Guidance Counselor

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 98
March 9, 2011
MISS JOERLYN BALANDRA

Coordinator, Guidance Services Center
Colegio de San Jose
Dear Miss Balandra:
Peace!
The undersigned is undergoing thesis writing entitled “Brain Hemisphericity
requirements for the degree, Master of Arts in Education (Mathematic).
In this connection, I am respectfully requesting from your office the
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) score or the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test result of the
first year high school students for this year 2010-2011.
I would be very grateful for your consideration. Thank you very much.
Very truly yours,
SANNY F. FERNANDEZ
Noted by:

Thesis Adviser
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 99
APPENDIX F
Sample Research Instruments

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 100
Mathematics Achievement Test
Name: ____________________________________________Score: _____________

Grade/Year Level and Section: _________________________Equivalent: _________
Adviser: ___________________________________________Date: _____________
Test I MULTIPLE CHOICE

Directions: Read each item carefully. Choose the letter of the correct
answer and place it on the blank before the number. See
to it that you answer every item. (40 items)
_____1. What is the basic unit of length in the metric system?

a. meter b. liter c. gram d. celsius
_____2. Which of the following is equal to three meters?

a. 300 mm b. 30 dkm c. 0.3 dm d. 0.003 km
_____3. Which of the following is equal 150 decigram?

a. 1.5 kg b. 15 g c. 15, 000 cg d. 150,000 mg
_____4. How many pounds are there in 10 kilograms?
a. 2.2 lbs b. 22 lbs c. 50 lbs d. 220 lbs
_____5. Which of the following is approximately the same as one glass of water?
a. 200 ml b. 2 cl c. 0.3 hl d. 0.002 kl
_____6. Which of the following is equal to five liters?

a. 0.05 kl b. 50 dkl c. 50 dl d. 50,000 ml
_____7. Three centuries is equal to how many years?

a. 20 b. 30 c. 100 d. 300
_____8. Eight hours is equivalent to how many seconds?

a.3,600 b. 28,800 c. 80,000 d. 100,000
_____9. What is the length of a side of a square if the perimeter is 25 m?

a. 4.5 m b. 5 m c. 6.25 m d. 8 m
_____10. What is the perimeter of a regular hexagon if the side is 4.2 cm?
a. 22.5 cm b. 25.2 cm c. 30 cm d. 42 cm
GRADUATE SCHOOL
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Test II PROBLEM SOLVING

Directions: Analyze each item. Show your solution on the space
below each number. Try your best to answer each item. (5
items)
1. Suppose you need to measure exactly one (1) cup of water. All that you have in
your kitchen are two containers. The smaller container holds three (3) cups
and the larger holds five (5) cups. How can you use these two containers to
measure exactly one (1) cup of water?
2. A square room five (5) meters to a side will be laid with square tiles, each side of
which is 10 centimeters. How many tiles will be used in all?
3. Find the surface area of a cube whose side is 20 centimeter long.
4. Find the volume of a cylinder five (5) meters tall with a radius of three (3) meters.
Use π = 3.14.
5. The Yellow Team was 6 points ahead of the Blue Team at the end of the third
quarter. With 2 minutes remaining in the final quarter, the Yellow’ lead was cut
down to 5 points. Before the bell rang, however, De Villa of the Blue team
made a 3-point score. Who won the game?
6. Red took the elevator at the fourth floor. He went up 3 floors and then went down
5 floors. What floor is he in now?
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Hemisphere Dominance Questionnaire

Name: ______________________________________Score: __________________
Grade/Year Level and Section: ___________________Equivalent: ______________
Adviser: _____________________________________Date: ___________________
Directions: Answer by putting an X in the appropriate column, A, B, or C for
the description that is MOST like you. Mark only one X for each
item.
# Description A A B B C C
1 I remember best… names faces both names &

faces
2 I prefer to have things with words by showing them to me both ways

explained to me…
3 I prefer classes… with one assignment at a where I work on many both ways
time things at once
4 I prefer… multiple choice tests essay tests both kinds of

tests
5 I am… not good at body good at body language sometimes

language, I prefer to good, but other
listen to what people say times not good
6 I am… not good at thinking of good at thinking of sometimes

funny things to say and funny things to say and good
do do
7 I prefer classes… where I listen to in which I move around where I listen

“experts” and try things and also try
things
8 I decide what I think by looking at the facts based on my both ways

about things… experience
9 I tend to solve with a serious, business- with a playful approach with both
problems… like approach approaches
10 I like… to use proper materials to use whatever is a little of both

to get jobs done available to get jobs
done
11 I like my classes or planned so I know open with opportunities both planned

work to be… exactly what to do for changes as I go and open to
along changes
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 103
Interview Schedule
How do students in each group of brain dominance solve mathematical

problem?
1. Did you understand the problem?
2. What strategy did you use to come up with the correct answer?
3. Was the strategy used introduced to you before?
4. In what other ways do you think can you solve the problem? Would you mind
to introduce the process?
5. What difficulties did you encounter in solving the problem?

GRADUATE SCHOOL
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TABLE OF SPECIFICATION
Topics/Contents Number of Items
Multiple Choice Problem Solving
A. Measurement - - - - - - - 1
1. length - - - - 2
2. Weight - - - - 2
3. Capacity - - - - 2
4. Time - - - - 2
B. Plane Figures - - - - - - - 1
1. Perimeter/Circumference - - - 4
2. Area - - - - 4
C. Solid Figures - - - - - - -
1.Surface Area - - - - 4
2. Volumes - - - - 4
D. Integers - - - - - - - 2
1. Absolute Value - - - - 1
2. Operation on Integers - - - 4
E. Algebraic Expression
1. Evaluating Algebraic Expression - - 1
2. Operation on Algebraic Expression - - 4
F. Linear Equation in One Variable

1. Properties of Equality - - - 2
2. Word Problem - - - - 4
Total Number of Items - - - - 40 - - 6

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 105
APPENDIX G
Scoring Rubrics
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 106
Criteria for Rating Students’ Solutions/Explanations in the Problem Solving Test
Description Points Criteria

No attempt at 0 The student made no attempt to solve the problem.
a solution/
explanation
Fails to begin 1 Some work (processes/explanations) was present, but the
effectively student showed no understanding of the problem.
Begins problem The student used an inappropriate strategy, proceeded to

with some 2 get an incorrect answer, but the work showed some
understanding understanding of the problem;
OR
The student started toward a solution/explanation that
reflected some understanding of the problem, but that
start could not lead to a solution;
OR
The student used appropriate strategy, but failed to
implement the strategy correctly.
(The student used an appropriate strategy but the
Fairly complete 3 process/explanation is fairly complete;
solution/ OR
explanation The student implemented appropriate strategies, but a
copying or computation error prevented him from getting
the correct answer.)
AND
Solid supporting arguments for the solution/explanation
are presented, but some aspects are not clearly explained.
Some terms are not properly used.
The student give a complete solution/explanations;
Complete 4 AND
solution/ The explanation of the process/techniques used in solving
explanation the problem is clear and accurate;
AND
The solution/explanation shows full understanding of
mathematical concepts and processes involved.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 107
APPENDIX H
Sample Solutions to Problem Solving

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 108
Left Brain Students

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 109
Right Brain Students

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 110
APPENDIX I
Reliability Coefficients of the Research Instruments

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 111
Reliability (Mathematics Achievement Test)
Warnings
The space saver method is used. That is, the covariance matrix is not calculated or
used in the analysis.
Case Processing Summary
N %
Cases Valid 39 100.0
Excludeda 0 .0
Total 39 100.0
a. Listwise deletion based on all
variables in the procedure.
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's
Alpha N of Items
.733 46
R E L I A B I L I T Y A N A L Y S I S - S C A L E (A L P H A)
N of
Statistics for Mean Variance Std Dev Variables
SCALE 35.8462 38.0810 6.1710 46
_
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 112
Item-total Statistics
Scale Scale Corrected

Mean Variance Item- Alpha
if Item if Item Total if Item
Deleted Deleted Correlation Deleted
VAR00001 34.8974 37.6208 .1497 .7314

VAR00002 35.4103 36.2483 .2612 .7260
VAR00003 35.6923 37.0081 .2112 .7288
VAR00004 35.5385 35.5182 .4206 .7190
VAR00005 35.0256 36.9204 .2137 .7286
VAR00006 34.8462 38.0810 .0000 .7335
VAR00007 35.0513 37.2078 .1414 .7314
VAR00008 34.8462 38.0810 .0000 .7335
VAR00009 35.2564 37.7746 .0095 .7379
VAR00010 35.0769 35.7045 .4302 .7195
VAR00011 34.9487 37.4184 .1511 .7310
VAR00012 35.5385 34.7287 .5686 .7121
VAR00013 35.6154 38.0850 -.0354 .7385
VAR00014 35.2564 35.8273 .3362 .7224
VAR00015 35.6667 36.6491 .2721 .7265
VAR00016 35.6667 38.3333 -.0838 .7395
VAR00017 35.6154 38.0850 -.0354 .7385
VAR00018 35.7179 37.5236 .1067 .7324
VAR00019 35.3846 38.5587 -.1168 .7439
VAR00020 35.6154 35.9798 .3748 .7218
VAR00021 35.3333 35.9123 .3151 .7234
VAR00022 35.1795 35.6248 .3908 .7201
VAR00023 35.6410 37.0256 .1784 .7299
VAR00024 35.4615 36.6235 .2036 .7288
VAR00025 35.3333 35.7018 .3508 .7216
VAR00026 35.2308 34.4980 .5769 .7107
VAR00027 35.6154 36.8219 .2079 .7287
VAR00028 35.1795 35.3090 .4482 .7174
VAR00029 35.1282 35.3779 .4601 .7175
VAR00030 35.7436 37.2483 .1968 .7297
VAR00031 35.0513 37.8920 .0043 .7366
VAR00032 35.6154 36.9271 .1873 .7295
VAR00033 35.3590 36.6572 .1904 .7295
VAR00034 35.3846 37.1377 .1118 .7332
VAR00035 35.1026 37.8313 .0099 .7369
VAR00036 35.6154 35.8745 .3959 .7209
VAR00037 35.4359 36.5155 .2187 .7281
VAR00038 35.1026 36.7787 .2062 .7287
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 113
VAR00039 35.2821 35.8920 .3217 .7231

VAR00040 35.2821 36.1552 .2770 .7253
VAR00041 34.2564 35.7220 .0832 .7502
_

VAR00042 33.3590 37.0256 .1103 .7338

VAR00043 33.4872 36.0985 .1602 .7333
VAR00044 33.5897 34.6694 .4367 .7155
VAR00045 32.6410 36.0783 .1308 .7371
VAR00046 32.0000 37.5789 .0822 .7333
Reliability Coefficients
N of Cases = 39.0 N of Items = 46
Alpha = .7332
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 114
Reliability (Hemisphere Dominance Questionnaire)

Warnings
The space saver method is used. That is, the covariance matrix is not calculated or
used in the analysis.
Case Processing Summary
N %
Cases Valid 36 100.0
Excluded a 0 .0
Total 36 100.0
a. Listwise deletion based on all
variables in the procedure.
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's
Alpha N of Items
.826 50
N of
Statistics for Mean Variance Std Dev Variables
SCALE 101.6944 165.5325 12.8659 50
_
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 115

VAR00001 99.2222 160.8063 .2401 .8240

VAR00002 99.0556 167.1397 -.1355 .8303
VAR00003 99.7778 162.5206 .1149 .8271
VAR00004 99.7222 156.9492 .3142 .8221
VAR00005 99.1389 157.4373 .3667 .8209
VAR00006 99.1111 159.0159 .3723 .8214
VAR00007 99.1389 166.6373 -.0853 .8316
VAR00008 99.3611 157.4373 .3753 .8207
VAR00009 100.1389 162.0659 .1283 .8269
VAR00010 100.0000 161.3143 .1519 .8265
VAR00011 100.0000 156.0000 .3939 .8199
VAR00012 99.4167 160.2500 .2697 .8233
VAR00013 99.5833 155.7357 .3753 .8203
VAR00014 99.3056 159.3040 .3100 .8224
VAR00015 99.6944 161.2468 .1816 .8254
VAR00016 99.3611 152.1230 .5958 .8145
VAR00017 99.8611 157.8373 .2880 .8229
VAR00018 99.6389 154.1230 .4600 .8179
VAR00019 99.6944 158.9611 .2819 .8230
VAR00020 99.6667 162.8571 .1483 .8257
VAR00021 99.8333 156.6000 .3770 .8204
VAR00022 99.6944 156.1611 .3834 .8202
VAR00023 99.7778 159.0921 .2574 .8236
VAR00024 100.0833 166.3643 -.0771 .8298
VAR00025 99.1667 159.2286 .3101 .8224
VAR00026 99.8333 155.0571 .4504 .8184
VAR00027 99.6667 160.0000 .2255 .8244
VAR00028 99.3611 164.6944 .0270 .8281
VAR00029 99.5833 158.2500 .3202 .8220
VAR00030 99.6111 151.3873 .6494 .8132
VAR00031 99.6111 157.7302 .3066 .8223
VAR00032 100.3056 168.3897 -.1956 .8324
VAR00033 100.2778 163.9778 .0682 .8274
VAR00034 99.5833 157.9071 .2936 .8227
VAR00035 99.9167 162.3643 .1097 .8275
VAR00036 100.0000 163.3714 .1003 .8268
VAR00037 99.9444 163.3683 .1167 .8263
VAR00038 99.5278 157.1706 .4507 .8194
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 116
VAR00039 99.4444 155.7968 .3940 .8199

VAR00040 99.1667 157.6857 .4517 .8197
VAR00041 99.3611 158.7516 .2780 .8231
_

VAR00042 99.5556 159.1683 .2696 .8233

VAR00043 99.9167 154.8786 .4076 .8193
VAR00044 100.2500 159.7929 .2800 .8231
VAR00045 99.4444 161.2254 .2029 .8248
VAR00046 99.8333 160.6571 .2374 .8240
VAR00047 99.7500 158.9929 .2551 .8237
VAR00048 99.5556 155.1111 .4920 .8178
VAR00049 99.9444 158.5683 .3723 .8212
VAR00050 100.1389 165.5516 -.0230 .8285
Reliability Coefficients
N of Cases = 36.0 N of Items = 50
Alpha = .8263
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 117
APPENDIX J
Predictive Validity
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 118
PREDICTIVE VALIDITY
Correlations
Correlations
IQ MAT
IQ Pearson Correlation 1 .745 **
Sig. (2-tailed) . .000
N 39 39
MAT Pearson Correlation .745 ** 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .
N 39 39
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level
(2-tailed).
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 119
APPENDIX K
SPSS Outputs
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 120
Frequencies
Statistics
brain
hemisph intelligennce
GENDER ericity quotient
N Valid 168 168 168
Missing 0 0 0
Frequency Table
GENDER
Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid male 88 52.4 52.4 52.4
female 80 47.6 47.6 100.0
Total 168 100.0 100.0
brain hemisphericity
Cumulative
Valid left brain 84 50.0 50.0 50.0
right brain 57 33.9 33.9 83.9
whole brain 27 16.1 16.1 100.0
Total 168 100.0 100.0
intelligennce quotient
Cumulative
Valid low 128 76.2 76.2 76.2
average 40 23.8 23.8 100.0
Total 168 100.0 100.0
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 121
Crosstabs
brain hemisphericity * GENDER Crosstabulation
GENDER
male female Total
brain hemisphericity left brain Count 41 43 84
% within GENDER 46.6% 53.8% 50.0%
right brain Count 35 22 57
% within GENDER 39.8% 27.5% 33.9%
whole brain Count 12 15 27
% within GENDER 13.6% 18.8% 16.1%
Total Count 88 80 168
% within GENDER 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
Chi-Square Tests
Asymp. Sig.
Value df (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 2.972a 2 .226
Likelihood Ratio 2.992 2 .224
Linear-by-Linear
.032 1 .858
Association
N of Valid Cases 168
a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The
minimum expected count is 12.86.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 122
Crosstabs
brain hemisphericity * intelligennce quotient Crosstabulation
intelligennce quotient
low average Total
brain hemisphericity left brain Count 64 20 84
% within intelligennce
50.0% 50.0% 50.0%
quotient
right brain Count 46 11 57
35.9% 27.5% 33.9%
quotient
whole brain Count 18 9 27
14.1% 22.5% 16.1%
quotient
Total Count 128 40 168
100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
quotient
Chi-Square Tests
Asymp. Sig.
Value df (2-sided)
Pearson Chi-Square 1.989a 2 .370
Likelihood Ratio 1.920 2 .383
Linear-by-Linear
.395 1 .530
Association
N of Valid Cases 168
a. 0 cells (.0%) have expected count less than 5. The
minimum expected count is 6.43.
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 123
Oneway
Descriptives
math achievement
N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error

left brain 84 25.6310 6.51001 .71030
right brain 57 23.8421 6.80543 .90140
whole brain 27 24.9630 4.24700 .81734
Total 168 24.9167 6.32874 .48827
ANOVA
math achievement
Sum of
Squares df Mean Square F Sig.
Between Groups 108.732 2 54.366 1.363 .259
Within Groups 6580.101 165 39.879
Total 6688.833 167
Means
math achievement * GENDER
math achievement
GENDER Mean N Std. Deviation
male 23.8750 88 6.72072
female 26.0625 80 5.69109
Total 24.9167 168 6.32874
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Iloilo City 124
math achievement * brain hemisphericity
math achievement
brain hemisphericity Mean N Std. Deviation
left brain 25.6310 84 6.51001
right brain 23.8421 57 6.80543
whole brain 24.9630 27 4.24700
Total 24.9167 168 6.32874
math achievement * intelligennce quotient
math achievement
intelligennce quotient Mean N Std. Deviation
low 22.8594 128 5.02707
average 31.5000 40 5.55624
Total 24.9167 168 6.32874

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WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY

BRAIN HEMISPHERICITY AND MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT

OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

A Thesis Presented to the

Faculty of the Graduate School

West Visayas State University

La Paz, Iloilo City

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Education

Sanny Francisco Fernandez

A Thesis for the Degree

Master of Arts in Education

Approved by the Research Committee:

The researcher wishes to express his deepest gratitude and sincere

the process of writing this thesis;

refinement of the research study;

Prof. Lygia Hobilla, outside expect, for providing research materials;

Statistical Center for their invaluable help in generating SPSS results;

Prof. Cynthia Lee Morga for serving as editor;

pilot testing of the research instrument;

Clara Enero, D.C. and Sr. Ester Orleans D.C.;

in answering the instrument;

proctors in the during the test;

The on-line authors, for the availability of Torrance Hemisphere Dominance

Questionnaire and various studies on brain hemisphericity;

the random selection of the respondents;

for their financial support, understanding, and inspiration;

Sanny Francisco Fernandez

BRAIN HEMISPHERICITY AND MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT

OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

A Thesis Presented to the

Faculty of the Graduate School

West Visayas State University

La Paz, Iloilo City

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Education

Sanny Francisco Fernandez

Fernandez, Sanny F. Brain Hemisphericity and Mathematics Achievement of High

through stratified random sampling. The descriptive and interview methods of

Hemisphere Dominance Questionnaire was employed, while the Mathematics

whether taken as an entire group or classified according to gender and intelligence

mathematics achievement when taken as an entire group and classified as to gender,

intelligence quotient, and brain hemisphericity was “average”. No significant difference

existed in the dominant brain hemisphericity of students when classified as to gender

and intelligence quotient. Similarly, no significant difference existed in their

mathematics achievement when classified according to brain hemisphericity. In solving

difficulties they encountered.

List of Tables xii

List of Appendixes xiv

1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY 1

Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study 2

Statement of the Problem and the Hypotheses 5

Significance of the Study 6

Delimitation of the Study 8

2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 11

The Nature of Mathematics 12

3 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 38

Data Analysis Procedure 44

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 46