Mathematical and Reading Comprehension Skills: Their Influence on Social Relations Among College Students

Abstract

Objectives: This descriptive-correlational study determined the level of mathematical skills, reading comprehension skills, and social relations of third-year college students on the external campuses of the West Visayas State University, Iloilo, Philippines. Methods: Three hundred twenty-five (325) third-year college students served as the study participants who were selected through a stratified sampling method. They were classified as to sex, family structure, and course. The instruments used for this study were obtained through a researcher-made mathematical skills test to determine the students’ level of mathematical skills and a reading comprehension skills test to determine their reading comprehension skills. A modified instrument on social relations was also used. Descriptive statistics employed frequent means, percentages, and standard deviations. The Mann-Whitney U Test, Kruskal-Wallis Test, and Spearman’s rho were used as inferential statistics set at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings: Generally, they had ”high” mathematical skills, reading comprehension skills, and social relations. The students differ significantly in their mathematical skills when classified as sex, family structure, and course. There was a significant difference in the students’ reading comprehension when organized to sex and course, and no significant difference was noted when classified to family structure. There was no significant difference in the students’ social relations when classified as sex, family structure, course, and reading comprehension skills. A significant difference was noted when classified as mathematical skills. Significant relationships existed among students’ mathematical skills, reading comprehension, and social relations. Novelty: Thus, teachers should employ various teaching techniques to respond to the diversity of learners considering their mathematical and reading comprehension skills that somehow affect their social skills. Keywords: Mathematical Skills; Reading Comprehension; Skill and Socia Influences; Social Relations; College Students