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-inhand. 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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cant 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 contextthey 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 problemsolving.
c. Provide interesting and challenging vocabulary activities involving Mathematics
vocabulary such as in contests and games.
2. Lack of technique in solving word problems

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a. Organize the given information found in the problem.

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
Target Date

June 2015

June 12, 2015

Persons Involved

School Head

Grade VI pupils

Activities
A. Inform the school
head about the action
research to be
undertaken

Expected Results
Granted permission to conduct
the research

1. Constructed
Test Questions
2. Administered
Pre-Test
Pre-test Scores
3. Interpreted PreTest Results

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Target Date

June 15-18, 2015

Persons Involved

Activities

Grade VI Pupils Use a powerpoint

presentation in
teaching Science

June 22-25, 2015

July 6-9, 2015

July 20-24, 2015

July 21-23, 2015

Expected Results

The class will have 75% or

more CPL

Orient and Assess the

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

Grade VI pupils

Let the pupils use the

games related to the
lessons installed in
laptop and ipad as the
evaluation part

Grade VI pupils

Using the computer

let the pupils
individually answer 100% of the class will get
passing score
their worksheets
installed to their
assigned desktop

Grade IV pupils,
Teacher

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

100% of the pupils will

participate

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 the
school year
First Quarter Test
July 20 to August
10, 2015

Grade IV pupils,
Teacher

1. Draw a graph, chart, 100% of the pupils will be able

graphic organizer or list to organize the given data and
to help the students
connect the ideas expressed in

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Target Date

Persons Involved

Activities

Expected Results

organize their information

found in the word
the problem
problem.

Grade IV pupils,
August 17-20, 2015
Teacher

2. Ask the students to

make representation of
objects so they will be
able to visualize the
problem clearly. They
can use ruler, play
money, realia, blocks,
dice, etc.

August 24 to
Grade IV pupils,
September 4, 2015 Teacher

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

September 7-18,
2015

Grade IV pupils,
Teacher

4. From the given

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

September 21-25, Grade IV pupils,

2015
Teacher

5. Solve by "trial and

error" or "guess and
100% of the pupils will be able
check" by using the
to apply the guess and check
answers provided in
technique
multiple choice problems.

100% of the pupils can

manipulate and be aided by
these materials in solving word
problems

V. Evaluation Criteria

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

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
vocabulary and reading
comprehension of students

Average

2. Administer the pre-test

Result of the pre-test

Percentage

3. Conduct daily test on

Math vocabulary

Result of the daily test

Percentage

4. Conduct weekly test on

problem-solving

Weekly test result

Percentage

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

Average

6. Administer the post-test

Percentage

Result of the post-test

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