Evaluation of Student Engagement in the Mathematics Camp

Abstract

Student engagement refers to learners’ meaningful involvement throughout the mathematics learning camp. It is best understood as a collaboration among students, teachers, peers, and the learning activities. The Mathematics Learning Camp was conducted to improve students’ achievement in and interest toward mathematics. This study investigated the learning outcomes obtained through students’ engagement during the camp. A descriptive qualitative research design was used. Purposive sampling was applied to select the student participants: sixteen Grade 8 students who attended the mathematics camp, eight of whom volunteered for the interview. Semi-structured focus group interviews were undertaken to elicit participants’ perspectives on their experiences during the camp. The interviewees included eight students, three females and five males. These students were interviewed in order to describe their experiences during the camp. The researcher also recorded class observations to gather more information about student engagement in class. A survey and an open-ended questionnaire were likewise used to collect data for analysis. Content analysis was conducted on the interview transcripts in order to uncover common themes and further analyze the data. Results from the achievement test were also obtained to support the qualitative findings. The findings show that the students enjoyed learning mathematics during the camp, as evidenced by their active participation in class activities and their improvement in the achievement test. Overall, the student participants were satisfied with the program. Participants also showed interest, enthusiasm, motivation, and a positive attitude toward mathematics after the camp. These outcomes contributed to the program’s primary goal and success.