Brain Gym: A Comparative Effect Analysis on Student Learning Outcomes in Mathematics Word Problems

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Brain gym is either mental or physical exercise designed by the teacher as an activity to be performed before the class session starts. Brain Gym is support for transporting cognizance, preferable mind functioning, and the enhancement of information understanding for those learners to embrace it and perform it as well (Cohen & Goldsmith, 2003). The basic problem of mathematics teachers is on how students’ best learns word problems in the real classroom setting. Indeed, an inevitable question is "what quality teaching can facilitate utmost learning.” This study was conducted to determine how effective brain gym in the progress of the students' learning outcomes in math word problems.

METHODS

This study applied quasi-comparative experimental research design. The comparative groups were taken from intact heterogeneous sections chosen randomly from the Humanities and Social Sciences Track. Brain gym was applied to one section every class session, while the other made use of a usual classroom setting. T-test was applied to measure students' equivalency in terms of prior knowledge and testing the differences between the learning outcomes of the comparative groups. However, eta square was used to determine the effect size of applying brain gym to the students' learning outcomes.

RESULTS

The study showed that the groups were comparable at the beginning of the experimentation (p-value = 0.20). Statistically, both groups displayed significant learning. However, the mean difference of-5.96 revealed that section with brain gym learned better. Usual teaching displayed small effect on student learning, while Brain gym revealed a large effect on the students' learning outcomes in math word problems.

DISCUSSIONS

Based on the results, both students in the comparative groups had improved learning outcomes; however, the group with brain gym performed better in the class. Brain gym was found very effective in the learning outcomes of the students. This result agreed with the study of Mahar et al, (2006) who found out that activity engaging bodily works in everyday classes arise the ability of decoding instruction that will be performed. It was supported by Coe et al. (2006) as it claimed that learners who rely on body contact activities have excellent grades in their class. Jean Blaydes (2001) discovered that the utilization of physical exercises does not just sharpen the mind in remembering but also turns on the protein that makes memory stability tougher.