The Language of Word Problems: Enhancing Solving Problem Skills through Vocabulary Development of Grade Six Pupils of Venancio Trinidad Sr. Memorial School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Several training and workshops were conducted to enhance teaching competencies of Mathematics teachers. One of the objectives is to gain new knowledge in order to teach Mathematics effectively. In the end, teachers are not only concerned about the correct responses given to them. They are also interested in the process or the steps on how they arrive at the correct answer.

METHODS

This study is descriptive in nature and is focused only on enhancing of solving problem skills through vocabulary development of grade six pupils of Venancio Trinidad Sr. Memorial School. 153 students were chosen as a sample for this study using the Slovinformula. To enhance the problem-solving skills through vocabulary development, the paper-pencil type of test is used as a method in data gathering. The researcher also used the AGONA method to solve Mathematics word problem.

RESULTS

The results show the impact of limited vocabulary awareness on solving word problem in Mathematics of Grade Six pupils at Venancio Trinidad Sr. Memorial School. Out of 153, only 46 were able to answer question number 3. Since most of the pupils did not understand the problem, they cannot identify the operations to be used, and this is the reason why they cannot give the correct number sentence, and also the correct answer to the given problem. Students' limited understanding of mathematical terms is one of the factors that affect their scores but using Mathematics Cue Words/Key Concepts that are associated to the four fundamental operations in Mathematics help the students to understand the problem and get the correct solution. Through cue words and translation of mathematical terms, progress in post-test results were observed.

DISCUSSIONS

The limited knowledge on vocabulary will determine the pupils' skill in problem solving. The use of supplementary activities such as the words that signal the four fundamental operations and the mathematical terms with Filipino/Tagalog translation really helps a lot in enhancing the solving problem skills through vocabulary development of grade six pupils. After the utilization of the suggested supplementary activities to the pupils, there has been an increase in terms of proficiency level in solving word problems in Mathematics.