Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 23 no. 8 (2024)

Impact of Handedness on Problem Solving Skills Performance and Attitudes among Junior High School Students

Bainalyn Abas

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

Students’ learning can be affected by different factors. One of these factors that is linked to how students acquire knowledge is their hand preference, widely known as handedness. This interconnection between handedness and brain lateralization shoots a tiny spark of thought to its influence on learning. This study determines the impact of handedness on the problem-solving skills and performance of junior high school students at Pilot Provincial Science and Technology High School. The test survey questionnaire for attitude towards problem-solving, the test questionnaire for problem-solving skills performance, and the test for handedness are the instruments of this study. The data are composed of the student's mean ratings in their attitude and mean scores for the test questionnaire on problem-solving. Descriptive statistics showed that the problem-solving skills performance of the right-handed and left-handed students in terms of understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back are found satisfactory as shown by the mean 22.03 and 22.91, respectively, and this means both are proficient in solving Math problems. In addition, the mean ratings on the attitude towards problem-solving of both the right- and the left-handed students yielded positive results, and all showed “agree” in cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains, as revealed by the mean values 3.145 and 3.115, respectively. This implies that both right- and left-handed students show positive attitudes toward problem-solving. It was shown that there is a significant relationship between the skills performance and attitude toward problem-solving of right-handed students (r=0.535, p=0.008). Further, there is a moderately significant relationship that exists between the skills performance of left-handed students and their attitude toward problem-solving (r=0.625, p=0.0002). It was also determined that there is no substantial evidence to show that the difference between the mean scores in problem-solving skills between the right- and left-handed students is significant (t=-0.558, df=19). Finally, there was no significant difference between the mean ratings in the attitude towards problem-solving of the right- and left-handed students (t=0.656, df=19).



References:

  1. Armagan, et. al (2009). The Effect of Students’ Problem-Solving Skill on their Understanding of Chemical Rate and their Achievement  in this Issue. World Conference on Educational Sciences.
  2. Bletchy, R. and Best,S. (2011). Lefty or Righty? The Surprising Effects of being Right- or Left-handed
  3. Bradshaw, Z. and Hazell, A. (2017). Developing a Problem Solving Skill in my Lesson Study. International for Lesson and Learner  Studies
  4. Boonen et. al (2014). Word Problem Solving Skill in Contemporary Math Education: A Plea for Reading Comprehension Skills.  Frontier Psychology, Boston University, USA.
  5. Butukan, H. U., Mohamad, H. A., Bawa, L. S., & Kandong, N. A. (2024). LIVED EXPERIENCES OF TEDURAY ENGLISH  LANGUAGE LEARNERS ON MODULAR DISTANCE LEARNING. Ignitian International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research,  2(6), 1041-1068. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo. 11633960 
  6. Cai J. and Lester F.K. (2010). Why is Teaching with Problem-solving Important. to Student Learning. National Council of Teachers  of Mathematics, Virginia, USA
  7. Cheyne et. al (2010). The Effect of Handedness on Academic Ability: A Multivariate linear Mixed Model Approachh, Laterality. 15:4,  451-464
  8. De Kovel et. al (2019). The Molecular Genetics of Hand Preference Revisited from http://www. nature.com. 
  9. Del Mundo-Sales, R. N., Mohamad, H., Sinsuat, D. R. R., Parcon, M., & Labangan, B. (2022). Transitions in Tumultuous Times:  Teachers’ Experiences with Distance Learning Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary  Journal, 4(3), 299-315.
  10. Dodgson, L. (2019). The Reason Some People are Left-Handed Could Have. Nothing to Do with the Brain from  http://www.businessinsider.com
  11. Emore et. al (2008). A Look on the Effect of Hand Dominance in Learning. Journal of Applie Sciences. 15:1, 173-176 Forrester, G. (2016). What being Right or Left Handed Says about your Brain. University of Westminster, London, UK.
  12. Guiaselon, B., Luyugen-Omar, S., Mohamad, H., Sinsuat, D.R.R., Samson, C., Maidu, N., Maguid, N., (2022). Mismatch of Teachers’  Qualifications and Subjects Taught: Effects on Students’ National Achievement Test. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary  Journal, 6(7), 573-590.
  13. Ghayas, S. and Adil, A. (2007). Effects of handedness in the Intelligence Level of Students, Handedness. 33:1, 85-91. Gregoire, C. (2016). How Left-Handed People Think and Feel Differently from http://www.huffpost.com/
  14. Grillo et. al (2018). Handedness and the Neurocognitive Foundations of Public Attitudes about International Laws and Norms, Politics  and Life Sciences. 37:1, 1-15.
  15. Johnston et. al (2009). Nature’s Experiment? Handedness and Early Childhood Development. The University of Melbourne, Victoria,  Australia.
  16. Julius et. al (2018). Attitude of Students towards Problem Solving in Algebra: A Review of Nigeria Secondary Schools, Journal of Research and Method in Education, Volume 8 pp. 26-31
  17. Krulik, S. and Rudnick, J. A. (1995). A New Sourcebook for Teaching Reasoning and Problem-Solving in Elementary School. Boston:  Allyn and Bacon.
  18. Lavelle, N. (2017). Are Left-Handed People in their Right Minds?
  19. Lore, D. (2017). Left-Handed People Maybe Better at Applying Math and Logic Skills
  20. Mastin, L. (2012). An Investigation of Handedness, Some facts, Myths, Truths, Opinion and Research
  21. Mata et. al (2012). Attitude towards Mathematics: Effect of Individual, Motivational and Social Support factors, Child Development  Research, Volume 2. 
  22. Manakan, P., Untong, L., Mohamad, H., Sinsuat, D.R.R., (2023). English Speaking Skills: The Plight of Maguindanaon Students: A  Phenomenology. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 8(6), 640-647.
  23. Mangelen, B.J.Z., Bawa, L. S., Untong, L. P., & Mohamad, H. A. (2023). Maguindanaon Love Songs as Tool and Springboard in  Teaching Figurative Language for Maguindanaon Culture Preservation. Journal of Natural Language and Linguistics, 1(1), 31-41.  https://doi.org/10.54536/jnII.v1i1.2035 
  24. Mcmanus, C. (2019). Half a Century of handedness Research: Myths, Truths, Fiction, Facts; Backwards but mostly Forwards Mehrdad, A.G. and Ahghar, M. (2011). Learning Styles and Learning Strategies of Left-handed EFL Students Mohd, N. and Mahmood, J.F. (2011). The Effects of Attitude towards Problem- Solving in Mathematics Achievement 
  25. Mohamad, H., & Parcon, M. (2022). Unfolding Stories of English Teachers with Multiple Ancillary Functions in Maguindanao-1  Division: A Phenomenological Study. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2(6), 496-501.  https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6793527 
  26. Monaco, M. and Martin, M. (2001). The Millenial Student: A New Generation of Learners
  27. Nelson et. al (2015). Infand Hand Preference and the Development of Cognitive Abilities. The University of North Carolina, NC, USA. Papadatou-Pastou et, al (2020). Human Handedness: A Meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin , 146(6), 481-524. Porac, C. (2004). What causes some people to be left-handed and why are fewer people are left-handed than right-handed? 
  28. Pulindao, F. L., & Mohamad, H. A. (2023). Learners’ View of English Language Learning Through Modular Approach-A  Phenomenology. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, 2(4), 20-35.
  29. Reyes, F. M., Abdulgani, M. A., Faheem, M., Aliuden, M., Mantikayan, J. M., Guiamalon, T. S.,.. & Sittie, Z. D. (2022). Event  Management System with SMS Notification for Mindanao People’s Care Foundation, Inc. Psychology and Education: A  Multidisciplinary Journal.
  30. Rivas, A., Mohamad, H., Lumabao, B., & Sinsuat, D. R. R. (2022) Vlogging Among Filipino Youth: A Discourse Analysis. Psychology  and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 4(9), 846-854. 
  31. Sala et. al (2017). The Relationship between Handedness and mathematics is Non-Linear and is Moderated by Gender, Age and Type  of Task
  32. Sala, G. and Gobet, F. (2017). Are Left-Handed more Gifted than the Others?
  33. Saygihi, S. (2017). Examining the Problem-Solving Skills and the Strategies used by High School Students in Solving Non-Routine  Problems, International Journal of Education Research , Vol. 8,No.2,2017, pp. 91-114 
  34. Sinsuat, D. R. R., Abdulgani, M., Mantikayan, J., & Mohamad, H. (2022). The Effectiveness of Augmented Reality (AR) as a Tool of  Office for Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Psychology  and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 3(5),468-479. 
  35. State Fisher, J. (2006). Psychosocial Differences between Left-Handed and Right-Handed Children
  36. Torres, J. (2010). Right-Handed and Left-Handed people do not see the Same Bright Side of Things
  37. Vijayan et. al. (2017). Handedness and Learning styles: A Study of its Inter Relationship
  38. Wismath et. al (2019). Student Perception of Problem Solving Skills
  39. Wyndam, J. and Saljo, R. (1997). Solving Word Problems: A Case of Modelling, Learning and Instruction. 7:4, 389-397. Zaniel, Z., Mohamad, H., Parcon, M., (2023). Grade II Learners Early Language Literacy (ELL) in Modular Distance Learning at Simuay Junction Central Elementary School. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 7(2), 47-60.

Tools


Copyright © 2025  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic