Abstract
This research assessed the relationship between students' perception and engagement of the collaborative learning approach in relation to the academic performance in Mathematics of Grade 7 students in Aloguinsan National High School in the Division of Cebu Province for the school year 2023 – 2024. It also utilized a descriptive correlational method, and respondents were identified using simple random sampling in which a member of population had an equal chance of being selected. One hundred forty-six respondents were asked to answer the survey questionnaire in order to measure their level of perception and engagement in the collaborative learning approach. Their academic performance was assessed using their Grade Point Average (GPA) in Mathematics during the 1st quarter of the school year 2023-2024. The data gathered were statistically treated using frequency count, percentage, weighted mean, and Pearson's r. Results showed that most of the respondents were females, and their ages were 12 years old. Under the respondent's parent's highest educational attainment, most of them had completed high school and had a combined monthly family income of 10,000 pesos below. In addition, it revealed that there was a high level of student perception towards utilizing a collaborative learning approach in Mathematics. Also, there was a very high level of affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement, while the level of respondents' academic performance belongs to the proficient group. Moreover, it was also found that there was no significant relationship between students' perception of cooperative learning and their academic performance in mathematics, but there was a significant relationship between the overall data on respondents' engagement and their academic performance in Mathematics. Furthermore, it was concluded that students with positive perceptions of collaborative learning in school might not be directly impact to their grades, but their attitudes of engagement were significantly relevant to their academic performance in mathematics. Hence, a math performance enhancement plan is highly recommended for adoption.
