Summary: The Importance Of College Algebra

Mathematics is the science that deals with the logic of shape, quantity, reasoning and arrangement. It is concerned chiefly on how ideas, processes and analyses are applied to create useful and meaningful knowledge that man can use throughout his life (Prakash, 2010). It has also become one of the powerful tools of man in cultural adaptation and survival. Recorded history narrates that mathematical discoveries have been at the forefront of every civilized society and in use even in the most primitive of cultures. The needs of mathematics arose based on the wants of society. The more complex a society is, the more complex is the mathematical need. Primitive tribes needed little more than the ability to count, but also relied on mathematics to

Cool (2011), enumerates some of the uses of algebra in today’s world. Algebra is used in companies to figure out their annual budget which involves their income and expenditure. Various stores use algebra to predict the demand of a particular product and subsequently place their orders. It also has individual applications in the form of calculation of annual taxable income and bank interest on loans. Algebraic expressions and equations serve as models for interpreting and making inferences about data (Okello, 2010). Further, algebraic reasoning and symbolic notations also serve as the basis for the design and use of computer spreadsheet models. Therefore, mathematical reasoning developed through algebra is necessary through life, affecting decisions people make in many areas such as personal finance, travel, cooking and real estate, to name a few. Thus, it can be argued that a better understanding of algebra improves decision-making capabilities in society (The Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa, Vol. 2, No.1,

In addition, the national survey conducted by
Drs. Lambitco, Laz and Malab (2009) on the readiness of Filipino students in College Algebra revealed that the students are not ready to take up College Algebra course. Further, according to Professor Ramos (2012), 40-50% of the students enrolled in College Algebra failed. According to him, this performance is caused by poor instruction and cognitive unpreparedness. This low performance was also highlighted when Leongson (2003) revealed that Filipino students excelled in knowledge acquisition but fared considerably low in lessons requiring higher-order-thinking skills.
On the provincial scene, Picar (2009) strongly presented in his study that students’ anxiety in College Algebra is high but their performance is low. Pamani (2006) also mentioned that more than 60% of the college freshmen in La Union have low to fair competence. Pamani (2006) stressed that these results point out to a problematic situation in education. These facts are also strengthened by Bucsit (2009) when she revealed that out of 195 college freshmen in the Private Schools