Effect of Mnemonic-Aided Instruction on Academic Performance of Maritime Students in Calculus

Abstract

This paper describes the effect of mnemonic aided instruction on the academic performance of maritime students in Calculus. Specifically, it aimed to determine the level of academic performance of students before and after the intervention when taken as a whole and in terms of the topic areas. Furthermore, it aimed to determine the significant difference between the level of academic performance before and after the intervention when taken as a whole and in terms of the topic areas (Derivative and Integral). A One-Group Pre-test Post-test Quasi-Experimental research design was used to assess the effect of mnemonic aided instruction on the academic performance of maritime students in calculus during the school year 2021-2022. The data were gathered using a researcher-made instrument in order to answer the study’s objectives, as reflected in the table of specifications prepared by the researcher, which had undergone validity and reliability testing. Thirty-four (34) maritime students participated in the study, considering they have complete attendance from the administration of test before intervention up to the administration of test after the intervention. The results showed that maritime students got low academic performance in calculus before the intervention and average level of academic performance in calculus after the intervention. This implied a favorable increase in students’ level of academic performance when taken as a whole and in terms of the topic areas after they are infused with mnemonic-aided instruction. Furthermore, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test results revealed a significant difference between the level of academic performance before and after the intervention when taken as a whole and in terms of the topic areas. From the results, this study emphasizes the need to consider the infusion of mnemonic-aided instruction to improve students’ learning through memory retention in calculus, specifically in the topic areas of derivative and integral.