From Media to Mastery: Examining Instructional Media Utilization, Student Engagement and Mathematics Achievement of Grade 10 Students

Abstract

Instructional media are increasingly used in Mathematics classrooms to support the presentation and understanding of abstract concepts, while student engagement remains an important component of effective learning. However, the extent to which instructional media utilisation and students’ cognitive, affective, and behavioural engagement are associated with Mathematics achievement requires further examination, particularly within specific school contexts. This study examined teachers’ instructional media utilisation, student engagement, and Mathematics achievement among Grade 10 students at Bonbon National High School in the Cebu City Division during School Year 2025–2026. Using a quantitative descriptive-correlational design, the study gathered data from 100 Grade 10 students through a structured questionnaire and official Third Quarter Mathematics grades. The questionnaire included 12 items on instructional media utilisation adapted from Heinich et al. (2002) and 32 indicators of cognitive, affective, and behavioural engagement based on Hart et al. (2011). Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, weighted means, standard deviations, and Pearson product-moment correlation. The respondents were predominantly female and mostly 15 years old. Teachers’ instructional media utilisation was rated high (M = 4.15, SD = 0.77), with particularly high use of PowerPoint and internet-supported laptop instruction. Overall student engagement was also high (M = 3.85, SD = 0.95), with affective engagement highest (M = 4.07), followed by cognitive (M = 3.95) and behavioural engagement (M = 3.52). Mathematics achievement was very satisfactory (M = 87.64, SD = 8.11). Instructional media utilisation was not significantly related to Mathematics achievement (r = −.037, p = .718), whereas student engagement showed a statistically significant, although negligible, positive relationship with Mathematics achievement (r = .289, p = .004). The findings suggest that the presence and frequency of instructional media alone may not be sufficient to explain achievement; rather, meaningful student engagement and purposeful pedagogical integration remain important considerations. An action-oriented set of recommendations is proposed to strengthen media integration, engagement, and Mathematics learning.