Improving Mathematical Problem-Solving Skill for Grade IV Pupils at Risk in Pinamukan Ibaba Elementary School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Problem-solving is one of the mathematics skills that we should develop among our pupils. The researcher noticed that the Grade Four pupils' rating in mathematics during first and second periodical test got the lowest MPS and after analyzing the result, the root cause of such weaknesses of pupils was solving mathematical word problems. This is alarming in the sense that they are entering to the intermediate level. This situation motivated me to conduct this study.

METHODS

The researcher employed the descriptive method of research in conducting the study. She used Pre-Test and Post Test design to assess solving mathematical word problem ability among Grade Four pupils. The Pre-Test was given to the pupils to identify the level of performance before they exposed to the strategy, and the post-test was given to the pupils to measure the result in the level of performance after they exposed to the strategy. She also used a survey questionnaire to know a pupil's perception of their problem-solving abilities. The respondents of the study were 28 Grade 4 pupils at risk. They were given treatment and the results were gathered at the end.

RESULTS

The results demonstrate that the majority of the pupils had a high-performance level in solving mathematical word problems after exposing them to different strategies. Pupils' perceptions of their problem-solving abilities change to a high level through the use of direct teaching and giving them supplementary activities. Pupils' performance revealed an increase in the performance in solving mathematical word problems using different strategies in teaching solving word problems.

DISCUSSIONS

In this study, she found out that at-risk students were unaware of the different strategies and how to apply them in solving math problems effectively. Students' performance in the pretest had a negative effect because of students' lack of knowledge on the use of different strategies. After the study, Students were able to connect the use of each strategy to specific word problems and learned how to apply these strategies effectively. Student problem-solving performance had a positive increase. During the test, students were no longer leaving the word problems unanswered. Student performance in the post-test revealed that seventy-five percent of the students were in the very high and high-performance level of solving mathematical word problems. Twenty-five percent of the students were in the low and poor performance. Overall, students' performance revealed an increase in the performance in solving mathematical word problems through direct teaching using different strategies in solving word problems and different supplementary activities.