The Impact of Classroom Dynamics on the Mathematical Connections of Students: A Mixed- method Study

The purpose of the study is to look into how classroom dynamics affect the mathematical connections specifically among non-board college students at Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences, and Technology (KCAST). This group is distinct and significant due to their diverse academic backgrounds and career aspirations, which present unique learning challenges and opportunities in mathematics, often being overlooked in broader research. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design (Clark & Creswell, 2013) was employed, chosen to allow for the simultaneous collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive, robust, and nuanced understanding through direct comparison and integration of findings. Participants included 283 non-board students randomly selected for the quantitative phase, and 14 purposively selected for the qualitative phase (seven for in-depth interviews and seven for focused group discussions). The study found that both classroom dynamics and mathematical connections were high among non-board students. Both quantitative and qualitative data sets generally indicated similar conclusions and supported each other, with the quantitative phase showing a majority of students reported high levels, and qualitative responses providing diverse subjective experiences. This study’s lies in confirming that classroom dynamics is a vital factor in enhancing mathematical connections for this specific demographic, as both data sets demonstrated that supportive classroom environments significantly improve non-board students’ mathematical comprehension and their capacity to make meaningful connections between mathematical concepts.