Applications of Equivalent Fractions in Improving Addition and Subtraction of Fraction Skills

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The Philippine education system is perpetually facing challenges especially in its performance in key subjects like Science and Math. In the 2003 Trends in Mathematics and Science Study, the Philippines' 8th-grade students ranked 42nd out of 46 participating countries. Addition and subtraction of fractions are some of the most important skills that a high school student should have already learned. Despite the importance of these skills, many high school students still have difficulty adding and subtracting even simple fractions.

METHODS

The main purpose of this action research is to determine the effectiveness of the application of equivalent fractions in improving addition and subtraction of fraction skills of Grade 11 Bread and Pastry Students. All Bread and Pastry students were given a pre-test on the addition and subtraction of fractions. All students who got a score of 5 and below were the participants of the study and had undergone the intervention program. A post-test was administered to the participants after the conduct of the intervention program to determine if there is an improvement in their addition and subtraction of fraction skills.

RESULTS

Results of the study show that there is no significant difference between the participants' scores in addition and subtraction of fractions when they are grouped according to their sex and section before and after the intervention program was conducted. Furthermore, the results of the study show that there is a significant difference between the participants' scores in addition and subtraction of fractions before and after the conduct of the intervention program. The performance of the participants increased by 272.5% when they applied the idea of equivalent fractions compared to common classroom instruction.

DISCUSSIONS

The results demonstrate the need for various intervention programs to improve the mathematical skills of students. The results also show that the use of equivalent fractions in teaching addition and subtraction of fractions has a positive impact on students' performance.