Reflective Thinking Skills and Attitude towards Problem-solving as Mediated by Mathematical Resilience of the Students

Abstract

Aims: This paper explored the mediating effect of mathematical resilience on the relationship between reflective thinking skills and student’s attitude towards problem-solving. Study design: This study utilized a non-experimental quantitative research design utilizing the descriptive-correlational technique. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at public high schools in the Province of Bukidnon, Philippines in the school year 2021-2022. Methodology: The respondents of the study were 469 Junior High School students. The respondents were chosen using stratified sampling to simple random sampling. There were three questionnaires utilized to collect the data. The items in each indicator revealed a good interpretation for both validity and reliability of the questionnaires. Results: The result revealed that the respondents have a high level of both reflective thinking skills and mathematical resilience and has moderate level in their attitude towards problem-solving. The relationship between reflective thinking skills and attitude towards problem-solving; reflective thinking skills and mathematical resilience; and mathematical resilience and attitude towards problem-solving revealed an r-values of .521, .348, and .356 respectively, with a p- value of <.001 which is highly significant at 0.01 level of significance. Furthermore, the result also shows that mathematical resilience partially mediates the relationship between reflective thinking skills and attitude towards problem-solving. Conclusion: The attitude towards problem-solving is directly impacted by one’s capacity for reflective thinking. On the other hand, the ability to engage in reflective thinking has an effect, albeit an indirect one, on students' mathematical resilience, which in turn influences the students' attitude toward problem solving.