Abstract
Mathematics, a cornerstone of STEM education, significantly influences students' academic and career trajectories. This study investigated the relationship between study habits, learning environment, and mathematics performance among 303 Grade 11 STEM students using a descriptive-causal research design. Results showed that students had a high level of motivation and attitude, and a moderately high level of self-efficacy toward mathematics. In terms of the learning environment, students perceived a high level of supportive classroom atmosphere and peer collaboration, while access to resources was rated moderately high. Students’ mathematics performance, based on their final grades, fell within the “proficient” level, indicating very satisfactory but improvable performance. Despite the generally positive perceptions of study habits and learning environment, only peer collaboration showed a statistically significant influence on performance. The regression model explained just 3.8% of the variance, suggesting that other unexamined factors such as instructional quality, cognitive ability, and parental involvement may play greater roles. These findings highlight the complexity of academic achievement and the need for comprehensive, targeted interventions to support students in mathematics.
