Barriers in Learning Mathematics among the Grade 7 Students During the New Normal

To create an action plan and learning intervention plans, this study highlighted the obstacles that Grade 7 students from the three public national high schools in Mandaue City faced when learning mathematics during the 2020–2021 academic year. A sample of 114 students who completed the adopted research instruments, the Phil-IRI and Students Perception towards Math, was selected as respondents using a descriptive-correlational approach. The data were statistically analysed using Pearsons r, weighted mean, frequency counts, and percentages. According to scientific findings, there were more females than males. Many of them are in the 12-year-old age bracket and spend only 30 to 60 minutes studying their math sessions. Additionally, nearly half of them are performing well in the fourth quarter. The 4th Q Grade falls by 1.173 for every unit rise in mathematical perceptions mathematical perceptions account for 0.8 percent of the 4th Q Grade. The 4th Q Grade then drops by 0.134 for each unit rise in pre-requisite mathematical skills pre-requisite mathematical skills account for 0 percent of the 4th Q Grade. Finally, the fourth-quarter grade rises by 3.342 for every unit improvement in reading comprehension reading comprehension accounts for 18.7 percent of the fourth-quarter grade. It is crucial to remember that the values generated by the previous variables were negligible. The only thing worth mentioning is reading comprehension. Having better reading comprehension skills translates into a higher grade and better overall academic performance. Furthermore, there was no discernible relationship between grade and the perceived necessity of math skills. The only skill that reliably indicates overall academic success is reading comprehension. According to these results, reading comprehension is the main obstacle that seventh-grade students face in learning mathematics in the new normal. As a result, the concerned parties are advised to use the Learning Intervention Plans.