Manifested Difficulties in Word Problem Solving in Mathematics by Grade Six Pupils of Jose K. Obando Memorial Elementary School: Basis for Designing an Intervention Strategy

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Weaknesses in solving word problems in Mathematics are common among many pupils in different schools, as in this school where the researcher teaches. The common reason for this phenomenon is the nature of the difficulty of Mathematics as a subject. For nearly seventy years, teaching methods have relied on a behaviorist model of learning, a paradigm which emphasizes learning-by-rote; that is, memorization and repetition. In mathematics, this meant that a problem was presented, together with a technique of solution, and these were practiced until sufficiently mastered.

METHODS

The utilization of this study was the experimental method. The pre-test result was regarded as the control variable, while that of the post-test was deemed as the experimental variable. The results of the separate tests were compared to determine the effects aimed at. In this study, the pre-test or control variable was assigned to the result of a test in Mathematics before the application of an intervention strategy. Contrariwise, the post-test was assigned to the result of a test in the same subject after the teacher's utilization of intervention strategy. The test performance of pupils on the separate tests was documented for data gathering purposes.

RESULTS

There were difficulties manifested by pupils in Math-related activities such as difficulty in identifying the given variables, what is/ are asked for in the problem and the mathematical operation to be used to arrive at the correct answer. Based on observation of classroom activities, some of the pupils are inadequately knowledgeable in counting more than three-digit numbers; hence a deficiency in counting-most specifically in mental counting. The null hypothesis accorded to the results between the pre-test and the post-test was rejected.

DISCUSSIONS

The causes of the cited difficulties are insufficient interest in Mathematics-related activities, pre-occupation with children's games and insufficient exposure to consistent problem-solving activities. The utilization of an intervention strategy is effective in Mathematics-related activities as sustained by pupils' improvement in solving word problems after the experimental period. This finding was supported by the increase in the number of pupils who obtained correct responses in word problems from the pre-test to the post-test, such increase of which signifies the rate of improvement manifested by the said pupils.