Improving Pupils' Skills in Addition and Subtraction of Fractions through Developmentally Appropriate Materials (DAMs)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

This study, as funded by the Basic Education Research Fund, observed the increasing number of pupils who have poor skills in addition and subtraction of fractions. The main purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of utilizing Developmentally Appropriate Materials (DAMs) in teaching addition and subtraction of fractions to the pupils. The 5 DAMs were created and categorized such as Strategic Intervention Materials, Fraction Game, Manipulatives, Worksheets, and Computer-Based Reformative Teaching Materials. Furthermore, the 5 DAMs served as the intervention of the study and proved that it was an effective way of improving the pupils' skills in addition and subtraction of fractions.

METHODS

The analyzed and interpreted data were derived from 9 grade 6 academically challenged pupils. Also, the research design consisted of the following phases: Pre-testing, Implementation of Developmentally Appropriate Materials and Post Testing. The pre-test and post-test results were recorded, analyzed, compared and interpreted after the utilization of the DAMs to determine the significant difference between the pupils' fraction skills and effectiveness of the DAMs using the T-Test.

RESULTS

The researcher identified that the mean score of the pupils during fraction skills pre-test was 19.11. This indicated that the pupils' skills in fraction have low mastery level. Moreover, the 5 DAMs were utilized to improve the pupils' in addition and subtraction of fractions these were: Strategic Intervention Materials, Fraction Game, Manipulatives, Worksheets, and Computer-Based Reformative Teaching Materials. In the pre-test of the pupils mean score was 19.11 while in the post-test the mean score was 32. 78. There was a 13.67-point gain in the mean score. This implies that from low mastery level it improves to average performance level. The improvement in the pupils' fraction skills was credited to the utilization of DAMs.

DISCUSSIONS

This only means that the teachers must give importance to the utilization of instructional materials to come up with interactive and better learning strategies. Also, the researcher crafted an action plan for the teachers to help them improve the skills of their academically challenged pupils using DAM in teaching addition and subtraction of fractions. Generally, the utilization of these 5 DAMs was a great help and an effective way of improving the pupils' skills in addition and subtraction of fractions.