Learning Approaches of Grade 11 Students in Physics at Antipolo City Senior High School

Research on student learning at school can be very useful for improving teaching and learning. Not all learning is the same. Sometimes, for a number of reasons, students avoid the hard work of deep learning and instead fall back a surface learning practice. Blaming students due to their poor performance does not encourage them to engage in their lessons because it only prevented us from applying teaching strategies which may have a positive effect on their learning. Being able to identify these practices allows astute and conscientious educators to diagnose problem in the organization of courses or curricula.

This study aimed to determine the learning approaches of students in Physics. Eighty senior high school students were used as the respondents. There were sets of questionnaires given to them to determine the different learning approaches of students in Physics.

Based on the gathered data, 70%   of the populations have shown deep learning though, 30% of them showed surface learning. However, based on the tabulated data, the following skills were seen as weaknesses of students that need mastery. Their approaches to learning on these aspects are surface approach. [1] Interpretation of plotted graphs [2] Derivation of formulas [3] Sketching vector diagrams [4] Solving a variety of Physics problems.

Based on the findings of the study, the researcher has come up with the following recommendation: [1] there must be more time on plotting of graphs (position versus time and velocity versus time) and as much as possible, there will be more practice exercises on plotting of graphs with interpretations. [2] The teacher needs to show the derivations of general formulas in front of the class. He/she needs to give more sample problems where students could be challenged to derive equations for unknown quantities. This could be done during class discussions. [3] The teacher needs more patience and dedication to guide her students on how to draw vector diagrams. [4] The teacher needs to help students review their Algebra and Trigonometry as tools to understand Physics. Selected topics in algebra and Trigonometry should be reviewed during first week of school days. [5]The teacher needs to discuss students’ weaknesses in Mathematics collaboratively with the Mathematics Teachers as feedback to prepare students in Physics course.