Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region IX, Zamboanga Peninsula
Division of Zamboanga City
Vitali District

SIBUKTOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

School ID: 126243

Action Research Proposal:

“Mathematics Problem-Solving
Skill and Reading
Comprehension”

JAY-AR M. VENIGRA
Teacher-1/Sch. Math Coordinator-Designate

JOCELYN P. MALIK
Head of School

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 I. Introduction

Mathematics problem-solving and reading comprehension go hand-in-

hand. It cannot be denied that problem solving is an important part of Mathematics

education. Mathematics, in general, is an important subject because of its practical role

to a person and the society as a whole. However, before a student can successfully

solve a problem, he has to posses’ good reading comprehension, analytic and

computational skills. Solving Math problems entails or requires the students to do or apply two

skills at the same time- reading and computing. It is a two-edged sword which the student

should conquer, so to speak.

As a teacher of Mathematics in Grade 4 in our school, I have encountered many pupils

who are poor both in comprehending and analyzing Mathematics word problems. Specifically in

SY 2014-2011 Grade 4 class, only 11 out of 60 pupils can successfully solve problems in Math

without or with just little help from the teacher. The rest need to be guided to understand the

problem. Approximately 82% find it hard to picture the situation indicated by the problem they

are trying to solve. The slow ones would even ask the meaning of a certain word in the problem.

When they have understood it, it is only then that they fully grasp the event/situation pictured in

the problem. However, there are still some who cannot understand it, probably because they

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can’t connect or relate the ideas explained in the problem. When it is time to analyze or break

down the problem, only the 11 pupils mentioned earlier can actively participate.

During group activities, the leaders would most often report that their members have to

be monitored closely so that they would be able to correctly analyze the problem. Based on their

report, roughly 3 out of 7 members actively contribute in their output.

That is why, during formative tests, only 11 can get a higher score. Majority of the class

get 0-3 correct answers out of 5 given problems. Since the beginning of the school year, I have

noticed that roughly 85%of the class has poor reading comprehension skills. The Grade 3

teacher warned me beforehand that this class is the slowest batch she has handled; particularly

in reading comprehension. Many of the pupils in the class have poor vocabulary skills. True

enough, I experience the same thing now. It seems that the present batch of pupils is worse

than the previous one. Translating this into analyzing the problems in Mathematics, there is a

grim prospect that they would find it hard to understand Math problems and thus affect their

performance in the said area, not withstanding their numerical skills. In straight computations

like plain addition, multiplication, subtraction and division, they can solve them successfully with

very little help. But when these are written in the verbal context-not in the numerical context-

they are already at a loss, so to speak. Obviously, the bane of these pupils is the understanding

of the contents of the math problems correctly and connecting the ideas expressed in it to fully

grasp and find a way to successfully solve the problem.

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II. The Problem

The problem is the failure of the Grade IV pupils of Sibuktok Elementary School, SY

2014-2015, to correctly analyze word problems in Mathematics due to poor reading

comprehension abilities.

Possible Causes:

1. Limited vocabulary words in Mathematics.

2. Lack of techniques and interest in solving word problems.

III. Generation of Alternative Solution

This action research offers alternative solution to the following:

1. Limited Mathematics vocabulary

a. Provide unlocking of difficulties through vocabulary development before the

beginning of the Math class.

b. Establish a tutor-tutee relationship wherein a good pupil tutors or teaches a

slow classmate assigned to him in areas of reading comprehension and problem-

solving.

c. Provide interesting and challenging vocabulary activities involving Mathematics

vocabulary such as in contests and games.

2. Lack of technique in solving word problems

a. Organize the given information found in the problem.

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 b. Use object representation and manipulative to picture clearly the given Math

problem.

c. Substitute large numbers by simpler numbers or restate the problem in much

simpler terms through improved reading comprehension

d. Make a number sentence out of the word problem

e. Use the “trial and error” method or the “guess and check”

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IV. Plan of Action

a. Objectives

1. Improve the pupils’ limited vocabulary words in Mathematics and enhance

reading comprehension ability of the students

2. Develop the pupils’ techniques in solving word problems

b. Time Frame

This study will be conducted for one quarter, from July to September of SY 2015-2016

c. Target Subjects

Target subjects for this study are the Grade IV pupils of Sibuktok Elementary School
during the academic year 2015-2016.

d. Activities to be undertaken

Persons
Target Date Activities Expected Results
Involved

A. Inform the school

head about the action Granted permission to conduct
June 2015 School Head
research to be the research
undertaken

1. Constructed
Test Questions
2. Administered
June 12, 2015 Grade VI pupils Pre-Test Pre-test Scores
3. Interpreted Pre-
Test Results

The class will have 75% or

June 15-18, 2015 Grade VI Pupils Use a powerpoint
more CPL
presentation in
teaching Science

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 Persons
Target Date Activities Expected Results
Involved

Orient and Assess the

pupils for research the
assign topic in the E- The pupils will be oriented and
June 22-25, 2015 Grade VI Pupils
classroom using the familiar in using the program
installed topics in the
desktop

Let the pupils use the

games related to the
100% of the pupils will
July 6-9, 2015 Grade VI pupils lessons installed in
participate
laptop and ipad as the
evaluation part

Using the computer let

the pupils individually 100% of the class will get
July 20-24, 2015 Grade VI pupils
answer their worksheets passing score
installed to their
assigned desktop

3. Establish a tutor-tutee
relationship in reading
comprehension and
Grade IV pupils, 100% of the slow pupils will
July 21-23, 2015 problem-solving wherein
Teacher learn from their tutor-classmates
a good pupil tutors a
slow classmate assigned
to him

4. Evaluated the Degree

August 5, 2015
Grade VI pupils , of learning achieved
until the end of the First Quarter Test Results
Teacher through administering
school year
the First Quarter Test

1. Draw a graph, chart,

graphic organizer or list 100% of the pupils will be able
July 20 to August Grade IV pupils, to help the students to organize the given data and
10, 2015 Teacher organize their connect the ideas expressed in
information found in the the problem
word problem.

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 Persons
Target Date Activities Expected Results
Involved

2. Ask the students to

make representation of
objects so they will be 100% of the pupils can
Grade IV pupils, able to visualize the manipulate and be aided by
August 17-20, 2015
Teacher problem clearly. They these materials in solving word
can use ruler, play problems
money, realia, blocks,
dice, etc.

3. Substitute large
numbers by simpler
100% of the pupils will be able
numbers and use them
August 24 to Grade IV pupils, to simplify the problem and
instead of what are given
September 4, 2015 Teacher substitute simpler numbers for
in the problem, Problems
the given numbers
can also be restated in
much simpler terms.

4. From the given

problem, make a number
sentence by substituting
the English sentences
100% of the pupils will be able
September 7-18, Grade IV pupils, into Mathematics
to master writing the number
2015 Teacher sentences. Another
sentence
technique is to translate
the problem into a dialect
most understood by the
students.

5. Solve by "trial and

error" or "guess and
100% of the pupils will be able
September 21-25, Grade IV pupils, check" by using the
to apply the guess and check
2015 Teacher answers provided in
technique
multiple choice
problems.

V. Evaluation Criteria

The result of this research shall be reported after 100% of the Grade IV pupils have
improved their Mathematics problem-solving skills.
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VI. Research Design

This action research is purely descriptive in nature which uses pre-test/post-test results
and survey results to address the pupils’ problem.

Activities Data To Be Collected Statistical Treatment

1. Conduct a pre-survey of
the previous Math
Pre-survey result Average
vocabulary and reading
comprehension of students

2. Administer the pre-test Result of the pre-test Percentage

3. Conduct daily test on

Result of the daily test Percentage
Math vocabulary

4. Conduct weekly test on

Weekly test result Percentage
problem-solving

5. Conduct a post-survey of
the Mathematics vocabulary Post-survey result Average
of the pupils

6. Administer the post-test Result of the post-test Percentage

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