1

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region XII
ESPERANZA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat

IMPROVING MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT AND POSITIVE ATTITUDES OF

STRUGGLING STUDENTS THROUGH GAME-BASED AND
ACTIVITY-ORIENTED ASSESSMENT

AN ACTION RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Funded By
Basic Education Research Fund (BERF)
REGION XII
Carpenter Hill, Koronadal City

EDEN JOEY T. PAGHUBASAN, MAEM

Teacher III
(Researcher)

January 2018
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. TITLE PAGE 1

II. ABSTRACT 3

III. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4

IV. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE 5

V. INNOVATION, INTERVENTION AND STRATEGY 6

VI. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY 7

VII. ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS 9

VIII. OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS 11

IX. ACTION RESEARCH METHODS 12

Research Design 12
Locale of the Study 13
Respondents of the Study 14
Data Gathering Instrument 14
Sampling Technique 15
Data Gathering Procedure 15
Statistical Treatment 17

X. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND REFLECTION 18

Level of Mathematics Achievement and Attitudes of Students 18
Comparison of mathematics Achievement and Attitudes of Students
Before and After the Experimentation 20
Mathematics Achievement of Students 22
Attitudes of Students in Mathematics 24

XI. ACTION PLAN 26

XII. REFERENCES 27

XIII. FINANCIAL REPORT 29

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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region XII
ESPERANZA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat

IMPROVING MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT AND POSITIVE ATTITUDES OF

STRUGGLING STUDENTS THROUGH GAME-BASED AND
ACTIVITY-ORIENTED ASSESSMENT

EDEN JOEY T. PAGHUBASAN, MAEM

Teacher III
edenjoeypaghubasan@gmail.com, CP # 09364400470

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted among the struggling students and primarily focused on

determining the effect of game-based and activity-oriented assessment methods on the

Mathematics achievement of students. Quasi-experimental research design was employed

to provide good analysis, interpretation and implication of the results. Respondents

included 90 students and 90 parents. Mean Percentage Scores (MPS), weighted means, t-

test and ANOVA were applied to make inferences from the collected data.

It was found out that students had comparable Mathematics achievements and they

showed negative attitudes towards Mathematics before the start of experimentation. After

their exposures to three assessment methods, Mathematics achievement and positive

attitudes of students exposed in game-based and activity-oriented assessment methods

was significantly higher compared with those who were exposed in traditional assessment

style. Students who were subjected with traditional assessment tool still had negative

impression in Mathematics.

Thus, this study concluded that game-based and activity-oriented assessment

methods had a positive effect on the academic achievement and attitudes of students in

Mathematics.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researcher wishes to recognize with profound gratitude and sincere

appreciation the valuable assistance she received from all those who in one way or another

made this action research possible. In particular, she is grateful to:

To the Basic Education Research Fund (BERF) Committee particularly to Dr.

Evelyn R. Fetalvero and Dr. Gleen A. Bisnar, for their untiring efforts to read and revise

this action research and the rest of the working force of Performance, Planning, Review

and Development (PPRD) section especially to Ma’am Helen Armada.

Dr. Eskak M. Delna, CES, Principal IV of Esperanza National High School, for his

countless motivation that pushed her to submit action research proposal as well as his

encouragement to finish this manuscript.

Dr. Samsudin N. Abdullah, her friend, for the constructive comments and worthy

suggestions for the improvement of this manuscript. Special appreciation is also extended

to him for the statistical treatment of data as well as his efforts in the data analysis of this

action research.

To all Mathematics Teachers of Esperanza National High School, her second

family, for their valuable comments, suggestions and scholarly ideas leading to the

improvement of this action research.

To her husband, son, and daughters, her sources of inspiration and strength, for

their unconditional love and understanding. Not because of them, this endeavor would not

be successful.

To her close friends and relatives, for their moral support and understanding in all

odds and sacrifices despite the tasking work and hectic schedule.

Above all, to the Almighty LORD, who provided her everything she needs to

complete this manuscript.

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CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

Mathematics is a form of reasoning. Thinking mathematically means reasoning in a

logical manner. Demonstrating mathematical behaviour means recognizing and describing

patterns, constructing and conceptualizing physical models of phenomena, creating system

symbols to help students represent, manipulate, and reflect fundamental ideas, and invent

procedures to solve problems. Mathematical problem is an excellent vehicle for the

development and improvement of students’ intellectual competence, logical reasoning,

spatial visualization, concrete analysis, abstract thinking, and problem solving. In fact, we

are at competitive edge of lifting our academic performance to spell the difference in our

educational goals. Researches reveal that students do not perform to the expected level.

Paculanan (2013) stated that students’ under achievement in Mathematics is not just a

concern of a particular school, but has become a national concern over the years.

Education researchers have recently given much attention on how teachers should

improve their teaching competence and practices particularly in Mathematics. Although

teachers have attended various trainings and workshops to attain high performance level in

Mathematics proficiency, yet they still found a number of ineffective ways to address the

problem. Some have cited the causes and solutions to the emerging issue and have

pointed at the improvement of learning assessment styles. Mathematics is the most poorly

taught, widely hated and most abysmally understood subject in secondary schools. That’s

why, the quality of Mathematics education remains to be poor and challenging. Learners’

poor performance in Mathematics over the years has been attributed to the fact that the

subject is difficult. These adversities in Mathematics can be simplified through modern

assessment styles. To improve students’ mathematical abilities means to enhance their

reasoning and thinking skills. Developing the cognitive skills of students can be done

through modern assessment styles motivated by games, puzzles and other hands-on

activities.
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Games and activities have similarities and differences. Gough (2009) stated that a

“game” needs to have two or more competing players who take turns, each trying to

achieve a winning situation of some kind, each exercising some choices about how to

move at any time through the playing. Oldfield (2011) added that “game” involves a

challenge, usually against one or more opponents. It is governed by a set of rules and has

a clear underlying structure and normally has a distinct finishing point and has specific

mathematical cognitive objectives. On the other hand, Abdullah (2012) defined “activity” as

a task that a certain person should do just for fun or in order to achieve something. Activity

can be accomplished by one or more persons. Although it has a goal but no winner will be

declared. Paculanan (2013) added that game is also an activity but activity is not

necessarily a game.

Hence, it is essential to integrate the types of learning assessment to demonstrate

mathematical concepts through modern strategies like game-based and activity-oriented

assessments to develop mathematical principles particularly for struggling students. These

learning assessments will utilize viable games, puzzles and other hands-on activities that

will encourage the use and synchronization of both minds and hands.

INNOVATION, INTERVENTION AND STRATEGY

Game-Based Assessment (GBA) and Activity-Oriented Assessment (AOA) are two

different modern assessment styles that encourage the slow learners to love puzzles and

other hands-on classroom activities and further improve their performance in Mathematics.

The three sections that were utilized for the experimentation had the same set of topics

and activities. They were exposed into both modern and traditional instructions. They only

differed in the form of assessing students’ learning performance. The first-two sections

enjoyed assessment styles that were motivated by various games and activities,

respectively. The third section used the traditional assessment such as paper-pencil test,

etc.
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The ultimate benefit of this study was to improve the Mathematics achievement and

positive attitudes of low performing students enrolled in Grade 10 Mathematics through

assessment styles motivated by games, puzzles and activities. The researcher assured

that with these learning assessments, teaching methodologies and techniques were

improved. Game and activity sheets helped the students master the subject matter they are

currently taking up. The assessment tools were very useful to the teachers on how to

construct and develop different means of enhancing Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

of their students.

Since the two modern assessment styles were proven effective, the researcher

produced the learning assessment materials in volume and distributed them to the Grade

10 Mathematics teachers for them to utilize in their classroom activities particularly in the

lower sections. Corrections and suggestions from the teachers were noted for the

improvement of the materials. These materials again went through series of validation

before they were submitted in the Division Office for adoption of some Mathematics

teachers. The researcher-made instrument in this study was also submitted to the School

Guidance Office for future reference in constructing standardized test.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY

Many students are not able to cope up with the teacher’s assessment styles. In

order to promote active participation of students, teachers should adjust their strategy in

doing class activities to a more learner-centered style. As stated by Paculanan (2013), the

process of documenting students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes should require peer

interaction and this can be effectively done through student-centered assessment. Two of

these are the game-based and activity-oriented assessments (Abdullah, 2012). These

types of assessment will require different relatable games, puzzles and other hands-on

activities.
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Games and activities used in assessing the learning outputs of the students will be

designed based on the 1st Quarter and 2nd Quarter Competencies in Grade 10

Mathematics. The four (4) main lessons covered in the experimentation stage were: (1)

division of polynomials, (2) the remainder theorem and the factor theorem, (3) polynomial

equations, and (4) circles. There were two (2) games and two (2) activities for each main

lesson, a total of eight (8) games and eight (8) activities and a grand total of twenty (16)

games and activities which were validated by at least five (5) Mathematics Experts. The

materials were developed following the four (4) basic criteria: content, relevance,

acceptability, and practicability.

Figure 1 shows the three groups under the study. The exposure of the three groups

to Game-Based Assessment (GBA), Activity-Oriented Assessment (AOA) and Traditional

Assessment (TA) was an important aspect of the present research process. The groups

exposed to GBA and AOA were designated as experimental groups and the group

subjected to TA was regarded as control group. The effect of these three learning

assessments on the Mathematics achievement and attitudes of struggling Grade 10

students was determined by the pre-test and the post-test.

Thus, the two Experimental Groups that were exposed to Game-Based

Assessment (GBA) and Activity-Oriented Assessment (AOA) and one Control Group which

was subjected with the Traditional Assessment (TA) served as the independent variables.

On the other hand, the Mathematics achievement and attitudes of the Grade 10 students

were determined using the result of their Pre-test and Post-test before and after the

experimentation, respectively. The result of the tests served as the dependent variable.
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INDEPENDENT VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLES

Mathematics Achievement of Struggling

Students

- Polynomials and Division of

Polynomials
Groups under - The Remainder Theorem and The
Experimentation Factor Theorem
- Polynomial Equations
- Circles
- Game-Based
Assessment Attitudes of Students towards
Mathematics
- Activity-Oriented
Assessment - Positivity in Mathematics
- Relation to Real World
- Traditional - Importance of Formulas
Assessment
- Dependence on Procedures
- Confidence in Solving
- Exploration in Problem Solving
- Independence in Learning
- Use of Technology

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study was carried out to determine the effect of Game-Based Assessment

(GBA) and Activity-Oriented Assessment (AOA) on the Mathematics achievement and

attitudes of the Grade 10 struggling students.

Specifically, this study sought answers to the following questions:

1. To what extent are the pre-test and post-test scores of students exposed in

the following learning assessments:

1.1 Game-Based Assessment,

1.2 Activity-Oriented Assessment, and

1.3 Traditional Assessment?

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2. To what degree are the attitudes of students towards Mathematics before

and after the experiment in terms of:

2.1 Positivity in Mathematics,

2.2 Relation to Real World,

2.3 Importance of Formulas,

2.4 Dependence on Procedures,

2.5 Confidence in Solving,

2.6 Exploration in Problem Solving,

2.7 Independence in Learning, and

2.8 Use of technology?

3. Is there a significant difference in the Mathematics achievement and

attitudes of students exposed the following assessment methods before and

after the experimentation:

3.1 Game-Based Assessment,

3.2 Activity-Oriented Assessment, and

3.3 Traditional Assessment?

4. Is there a significant difference among the mean percentage scores of

students exposed in Game-Based, Activity-Oriented and Traditional

Assessments at the beginning of the experiment?

5. Is there a significant difference among the mean percentage scores of

students exposed in Game-Based, Activity-Oriented and Traditional

Assessments at the end of the experiment?

6. Is there a significant difference among the attitudes of students exposed in

the Game-Based Assessment, Activity-Oriented Assessment and

Traditional Assessment before and after the experiment?

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OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

There are a few important terms or variables discussed throughout this study and

these terms need to be operationally defined for clarity of meanings.

Attitude is a positive and negative value, which the students gives to the teaching and

learning of Mathematics in terms of positivity in Mathematics, relation to real

world, importance of formulas, dependence on procedures, confidence in

solving, exploration solving problem, independence in learning and use of

technology.

Activity-Oriented Assessment (AOA) is a cooperative learning assessment that will

be exposed to the second experimental group after a direct instruction in

discussing the basic Mathematics principles and concepts. In this learning

assessment style, one or more students will be given an activity sheet to

comply at the specific time allotment. No winner will be declared since there

will be no competing groups. The student or group of students will

accomplish the task as one.

Experimental Group refers to the class that will be subjected to either Game-Based

Assessment (GBA) or Activity-Oriented Assessment (AOA) with the use of game

and activity sheets, respectively. Aside from these assessment tools provided for

this group, interaction between the teacher and students will also be observed

for additional inputs to the subject matter. Series of games or activities will be

exposed to students for better learning interactions.

Game-Based Assessment (GBA) is a cooperative learning assessment which the study

will employ on the first experimental group after a direct instruction in discussing

the basic Mathematics principles and concepts. In this learning assessment

style, two or more students will be tasked to accomplish a mathematical goal

related to the present lesson to compete with other. Winner will be declared after

the task has been done.

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Learning Assessment is a researcher’s designed process of documenting students’

knowledge, skills and attitudes to confirm what students know about the

classroom activities, demonstrate whether or not they have met learning

outcomes or goals to certify proficiency and make decisions about their learning

deficiency or advancement. There are three learning assessment styles

designed in this study, to wit: game-based, activity-oriented and traditional

assessments.

Mathematics Achievement is the students’ mastery level in the following topics, to wit:

polynomials and division of polynomials, the remainder theorem and the factor

theorem, polynomial equations and circles. Mastery level of the students will be

determined through pre-test and post-test.

Post-test is a test to be administered to the three groups to evaluate if there is a significant

difference regarding the Mathematics achievement of the students in the

experimental groups to that of the students in the control group.

Pre-test is a test given to the three before they will be exposed into the experimentation.

Traditional Assessment is the learning assessment which the study will employ on the

control group. The teacher spends more time to write on the board all the types

of assessment like quizzes, assignments, etc. Demonstrating the basic concept,

examples and applications of the principles will be done through chalk-and talk

method.

ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

Research Design

This study employed a quasi-experimental design particularly a non-equivalent

control group to verify the effect of Game-Based Assessment (GBA) and Activity-Oriented

Assessment (AOA) on the Mathematics achievement and attitudes of Grade 10 struggling

students. It was a three-group design composed of two experimental groups and one
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control group. The group was randomly assigned to a method of assessment. The two

experimental groups were exposed to GBA and AOA, respectively and the control group

was treated with Traditional Assessment (TA). Comparing the three groups was a big

factor to measure the degree of change occurring as the result of assessment methods.

This allowed the researcher to associate the final post-test results among the three groups,

giving her an idea of the overall effect of the GBA and AOA on the Mathematics

achievement and attitudes of students. The design of the study is symbolically represented

by the table below.

Table 1. Pre-test – Post-test Non-Equivalent Control Group Design

Mean of the Tests/Attitudes

Groups Mean Gain
Pre-test Post-test
Experimental Groups
Game-Based Assessment x1 y1 /x1 – y1/ = d1
Activity-Oriented Assessment x2 y2 /x2 – y2/ = d2

Control Group
Traditional Assessment x3 y3 /x3 – y3/ = d3

Table 1 shows that there are three assessment methods developed in this study, to

wit: Game-Based Assessment (GBA), Activity-Oriented Assessment (AOA) and Traditional

Assessment (TA). The first-two were under the experimental groups and the third one

belonged to the control group. Based from the table, mean gain scores which was the most

important data needed in the study were computed by getting the absolute difference of the

pre-test and post-test scores of each group.

Locale of the Study

This study was conducted at Esperanza National High School, the biggest public

high school in Sultan Kudarat with a total of 5,900 students for the School Year 2017 –

2018. The school is situated in Mabolo St., Poblacion, Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat.
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Respondents of the Study

The first type of respondents of this study was the Grade 10 struggling students of

Esperanza National High School for the School Year 2017 – 2018. These students were

probably from the lower sections whose final grades in Grade 9 Mathematics were below

80%. The three sections were utilized as the two experimental groups and one control

group. The second type of respondents was the parents/guardians of the students. The

parents were included as respondents to triangulate the data given by the students

regarding their attitudes towards Mathematics. Table 2 presents the number of student-

respondents per group.

Table 2. Distribution of Respondents

Groups Male Female Total

G1 16 14 30
G2 17 13 30
G3 20 10 30
Total 53 37 90

As can be glimpsed in the table, there were 90 student-respondents, 53 of them

were males and 37 were females. Each group had the same number of students. Then, 90

parents/guardians were additional respondents of the study, a grand total of 180

respondents.

Data Gathering Instrument

The quantitative data needed in the study were collected and analyzed using a

researcher-made test to measure the Mathematics achievement of students as well as the

adopted questionnaire on attitudes of students in Mathematics. The researcher-made test

initially consisted of 75 items, 15 items per major lesson. The items were based on

Curriculum Guide of Grade 10 Mathematics during first and second quarters. To ensure

proper distribution of the test items, Table of Specification (TOS) was prepared with five (5)
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major topics and four (4) levels of objectives following the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy. The

research instrument went through validation process, which was the most important feature

of an instrument. The items were reviewed and validated by at 5 Mathematics Experts.

After the validation process, the reliability test was conducted.

Sampling Technique

Simple random sampling using lottery method was utilized to identify the three (3)

sections and this was also applied to determine the actual student-respondents of the

study. Not all students in the three (3) sections were part of the study. Thus, proportional

sampling procedure will be used to obtain the number of student-respondents per group.

Although all students under experimentation enjoyed same set of activities per class, only

the target respondents’ pre-test and post-test scores were recorded for the purpose of the

study.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher firstly focused on the construction of the 75-item test instrument

which went through series of validation process. The item analysis of the instrument was

carried out to determine the discrimination and difficulty indices. After discarding or revising

some items, 50-item test instrument was finalized and this was firstly pilot-tested to the

selected Grade 11 students. After testing the validity and reliability of the research

instrument, the researcher now determined the three groups as well as the respondents of

the study.

Before the experimental study, the pre-test was administered to the three groups of

student-respondents as well as to the parent-respondents (Questionnaire on Attitudes

towards Mathematics only) to measure their achievement and attitudes’ level and, likewise,

to find out if both groups possessed the same cognitive level. The treatment for the

experimental groups differed from that of control group in only one aspect, the assessment

method. Direct instruction was still applied to all groups in discussing the basic principles.

During the period of study, the first experimental group was exposed to GBA and the
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second experimental group was subjected to AOA. The control group was solely taught

with talk-and-chalk method of teaching and assessment. In order to have a successful GBA

and AOA activities, the teache carefully explained the instructions as well as the

mechanics.

Subsequently, the treatment stage began with the introduction of Game-Based

Assessment and Activity-Oriented Assessment to the two experimental groups and

Traditional Assessment to the control group. The same set of topics and instructional

methods were employed to the three groups. The researcher still utilized the direct

instruction to all groups except for the assessment styles. She handled the three sections

during the period of experimentation to avoid bias in the study.

At the end of the treatment phase, post-test was administered. The researcher

conducted the pre-test and post-test to ensure the reliability of the data needed in the

study. Treatment effect was appraised based on mean gain scores. The experimentation

was done in 2 months. The content of the post-test was the same as that of the pre-test.

The students’ scores in the pre-test and post-test were converted into Mean

Percentage Score (MPS) and were dichotomously categorized, described and interpreted

following the criteria adopted from National Educational Testing Research Council

(NETRC). Table 3 presents the criteria.

Table 3. Students’ Academic Achievement Criteria

Mean Percentage Score (MPS) Descriptive Rating

96 – 100 Mastered
86 – 95 Closely Approximating Mastery
66 – 85 Moving Towards Mastery
35 – 65 Average Mastery
15 – 34 Low Mastery
5 – 14 Very Low Mastery
0–4 Absolutely No Master
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To find out the degree to which students behave in Mathematics class before and

after the experimentation, the following criteria adopted from the research instrument of

Tapper (2011) were employed and presented in Table 4.

Table 4. Criteria on Students’ Attitudes towards Mathematics

Mean Score Verbal Description Interpretation

4.20 – 5.00 Very High Students’ positive attitudes towards
Mathematics are VERY HIGH.

3.40 – 4.19 High Students’ positive attitudes towards

Mathematics are HIGH.

2.60 – 3.39 Fair Students’ positive attitudes towards

Mathematics are FAIR.

1.80 – 2.59 Low Students’ positive attitudes towards

Mathematics are LOW.

1.00 – 1.79 Very Low Students’ positive attitudes towards

Mathematics are VERY LOW.

At the end of the study, the post-test was administered to measure the achievement

level of the students. Both the pre-test and post-test were supervised by the researcher

together with the Guidance Counsellor and Testing Coordinator. The results of the pre-test

and post-test were checked, tabulated, analyzed, presented in the form of tables and

interpreted using the appropriate statistical tools.

Statistical Treatment

The data generated in the pre-test and post-test were tabulated and subjected to

statistical treatments. The mean along with standard deviation was used in determining the

level of the pre-test and post-test as well as the extent of students’ attitudes towards

Mathematics for both the experimental and control groups. To determine the significant

difference in the pre-test and post-test mean scores and extent of attitudes of students

towards Mathematics, one way ANOVA was used. t-test was employed to determine if
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there is a significant difference on the Mathematics achievement and attitudes of students

before and after the experimentation.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND REFLECTION

This section deals with the discussion of results and reflection considering the

specific action research questions which sought to answer the main problem of the

research. The data were sequentially presented below in the form of tables for the

systematic and comprehensive analysis.

Level of Mathematics Achievement and Attitudes of Students

Assessment is operationally defined in this study as a process of documenting the

Mathematics achievement and attitudes of students. Tables 5 and 6 present the

Mathematics achievement and attitudes of students before and after the experimentation.

Table 5. Level of Mathematics Achievement of Students

Types of Before After

Assessment MPS Description MPS Description
1 Game-Based 28.62 Low Mastery 79.24 Moving Towards
Assessment Mastery
2 Activity-Oriented 28.14 Low Mastery 81.66 Moving Towards
Assessment Mastery
3 Traditional 26.90 Low Mastery 58.90 Average Mastery
Assessment

Table 5 shows that students who are exposed to Game-Based Assessment,

Activity-Oriented Assessment and Traditional Assessment obtained the respective mean

percentage scores of 28.62, 28.14 and 26.90 all respectively as Low Mastery. After their

exposure to three different assessment methods, students who are subjected with Activity-

Oriented Assessment got the highest mean percentage score of 81.66% described as

Moving Towards Mastery. Students who were provided with Game-Based Assessment

received a mean percentage score of 79.24% interpreted as Moving Towards Mastery too.

Students who were given the Traditional Assessment got the lowest mean percentage

score of 58.90 with a verbal description of Average Mastery. This finding means that before
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the exposures of students to three different assessment styles, they really lack knowledge

about the topics covered in this study. Yet, after their exposures to the assessment styles,

their level of Mathematics achievement all increased.

Table 6 discloses the attitudes of students towards Mathematics before and after

the experimentation.

Table 6. Level of Students’ Attitudes Towards Mathematics

Before After
Attitudes of Students towards
Mathematics Mean Verbal Mean Verbal
Description Description
1 Positivity in Mathematics 1.75 Very Low 4.21 Very High
2 Relation to Real World 1.55 Very Low 3.55 High
3 Importance of Formulas 1.78 Very Low 3.42 High
4 Confidence in Solving 1.78 Very Low 3.45 High
5 Exploration in Problem Solving 1.74 Very Low 3.44 High
6 Independence in Learning 1.67 Very Low 3.67 High
7 Use of Technology 1.57 Very Low 3.60 High
Overall Mean 1.72 Very Low 3.62 High

It is clearly shown in the table that students had a Very Low interest in Mathematics

as signified by the overall mean of 1.72 prior to their exposures to different assessment

methods particularly in the indicator Relation to Real World which received the lowest

mean of 1.55 (Very Low). After their exposures to different assessment styles, their

attitudes towards Mathematics instantly increased as manifested by the overall mean of

3.62 interpreted as High. This implies that students’ perceptions towards Mathematics were

very negative but after their exposures to modern assessment tools, their behaviors

towards the subject became positive especially in the indicator Positivity in Mathematics

which got the highest mean of 4.21 described as Very High. Further, due to these modern

assessment strategies, they realized the importance of Mathematics in real world

scenarios.

This finding is supported by the study of Paculan (2016) who found out that

reciprocal peer tutoring assessment styles really helped the students boost their positive

attitudes in Mathematics.
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Comparison of Mathematics Achievement and Attitudes of Students Before and

After the Experimentation

Tables 7 and 8 present the t-test analysis on the Mathematics achievement and

attitudes of students before and after the experimentation.

Table 7. t-test Analysis on the Mathematics Achievement of Students Before and

After
Experimentation

Types of Before After p-value α Interpretation

Assessment
1 Game-Based 28.62 79.24 0.002 0.05 Significant
Assessment
2 Activity-Oriented 28.14 81.66 0.000 0.05 Significant
Assessment
3 Traditional 26.90 58.90 0.010 0.05 Significant
Assessment

As can be shown in the table, all types of assessment tools gave significant

increase in the Mathematics achievement of students as indicated by the p-values of 0.002

(for game-based), 0.000 (for activity-oriented) and 0.000 (for traditional) which are all less

than α = 0.05. This means that regardless of assessment method, students really learned

from the teachers’ discussion on Mathematics topics. This further means that game-based,

activity-oriented and traditional assessment methods were all effective in improving the

Mathematics achievement of students. Abdullah (2012) supports this finding when he

emphasized that traditional method of teaching still gave significant improvement in the

achievement of students. Further, Paculanan (2013) found out that although students

exposed in the peer tutoring activities had better learning performance compared with

those who were not peer assisted, experimental and control groups still gave significant

improvement in their Mathematics achievement.

To compare the attitudes of students in Mathematics before and after the

experimentation, the following table discusses the result.

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Table 8. t-test Analysis on the Attitudes of Students Before and After

Experimentation

Types of Before After p-value α Interpretation

Assessment
1 Game-Based 1.74 4.38 0.001 0.05 Significant
Assessment
2 Activity-Oriented 1.80 4.40 0.000 0.05 Significant
Assessment
3 Traditional 1.77 2.08 0.612 0.05 Not Significant
Assessment

It is show in Table 5 that both game-based and activity-oriented assessment styles

registered a significant improvement of students’ positive attitudes towards Mathematics as

proven by the p-values of 0.001 (game-based) and 0.000 (activity-oriented) which are all

less than α = 0.05. This means that from the start of experiment, students perceived that

Mathematics is a difficult subject but due to their exposures into modern assessment tools,

their positive attitudes towards Mathematics significantly improved. This is attributed by the

fact that game-based and activity-oriented assessment styles captured the interests of

students in solving problems since the exercises were introduced through games and

activities. Daily and summative assessment styles in the experimental groups were game-

based and activity-oriented.

Further, students’ attitudes before and after the experimentation were comparable

as shown by the p-value of 0.612 > 0.05. This means that traditional assessment style such

as paper-pencil test and those quizzes done in intermediate papers didn’t boost students’

positive attitudes in Mathematics. Although, students learned a lot using the traditional

approach in teaching and assessment, their negative impression about Mathematics didn’t

change.

It is emphasized by this research that Mathematics teachers should devise modern

assessment tools that attend to the different needs of students. It is hereby recommended

that the developed assessment tools in this study should be adopted to boost students’

academic achievement and positive attitudes in Mathematics.

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Mathematics Achievement of Students

Mathematics Achievement is the students’ mastery level in the following topics, to

wit: polynomials and division of polynomials, the remainder theorem and the factor

theorem, polynomial equations and circles. Mastery level of the students will be determined

through pre-test and post-test. Table 9 and 10 present the analysis of variance on the

Mathematics achievement of student before and after the experimentation.

Table 9. Analysis of Variance on the Mathematics Achievement of Students Before

the
Experimentation

Types of Assessment MPS p-value α Interpretation

1 Game-Based 28.62 0.588 0.05 Not Significant
Assessment
2 Activity-Oriented 28.14
Assessment
3 Traditional 26.90
Assessment

It can be gleaned from the table that p-value > 0.05. This means that students from

three different groups had the same level of Mathematics achievement prior to the start of

experimentation. This also connotes that the three groups under experimentation didn’t

have the prior knowledge about topics. This finding is in consonance with the study of

Abdullah (2012) who stated that two or more groups under experimentation should have

the same level of academic competence. He stated as much as possible, before the pre-

test will be given to two groups under experimentation, standardized test should be

conducted to ensure comparable mastery level of students. Paculanan (2013) added that if

the two randomly selected groups’ academic achievement under study will be significantly

different after giving pre-test, work plan and timelines of the study will be affected. That’s

why, standardized test should be given before administering the pre-test in conducting an

experimental research.

It is indeed emphasized by this study that students’ academic preparation should be

investigated before assigning groups to undergo treatment stage.

 23

Table 10. Analysis of Variance on the Mathematics Achievement of Students After

the
Experimentation

Types of Assessment MPS p-value α Interpretation

a
1 Game-Based 79.24 0.000 0.05 Significant
Assessment
a
2 Activity-Oriented 81.66
Assessment
b
3 Traditional 58.90
Assessment
LSD0.05 = 18.27

Table 10 reveals the analysis of variance on the Mathematics achievement of

students after the experimentation. The p-value of 0.000 < 0.05 indicates that at least one

pair of comparing the mean percentage scores of students is significantly different.

Applying the Post-Hoc analysis, students exposed in Game-Based (79.24) and Activity-

Oriented Assessment (81.66) have comparable mean percentage scores as indicated by

the same superscript a. This implies that the effect of game-based assessment on the

academic achievement of students is similar with that of activity-oriented assessment as

confirmed by the same superscript received by the two modern assessment styles.

Although the control group subjected with traditional assessment obtained a significant

improvement of the academic achievement after the experimentation, its mean percentage

score (MPS) of 58.90 is significantly lower than that of the two modern styles of

assessment as shown by the different superscript received by traditional assessment. This

means that exposing the students in different modern assessment tools such as game-

based and activity-oriented assessment definitely boosts their academic achievement.

This finding is in consonance with the findings of Simpal (2017). He found out that

the use of modern approach in teaching like exposing the students with visual

representation models gave positive impact on the academic performance of students in

problem solving in Mathematics and Physics. Adullah (2012) validates the above finding

when he concluded that practical work approach using supplemental learning materials

enhanced the positive attitudes and academic performance of students in Trigonometry.

 24

Thus, this study encourages the Mathematics teachers to contextualize and localize

the learning resources provided by the DepED to suit the interests of the students. Many

textbooks supplied by the DepED have higher level of difficulty which discourages the low

performing students to solve by themselves. If these exercises will be simplified, all types

of students will be accommodated.

Attitudes of Students in Mathematics

Many people have negative attitudes towards Mathematics and these attitudes are

hindering mathematical learning and engagement. Tables 8 and 9 explain the attitudes of

students before and after the experimentation, respectively.

Table 11. Analysis of Variance on the Attitudes of Students Before the

Experimentation

Types of Assessment Mean p-value α Interpretation

1 Game-Based 1.74 0.610 0.05 Not Significant
Assessment
2 Activity-Oriented 1.80
Assessment
3 Traditional 1.77
Assessment
LSD0.05 = 18.27

As can be shown in the table, attitudes of students in three different groups under

experimentation are not significantly different as confirmed by the p-value of 0.610 > 0.05.

This indicates that before the experimentation, students from the three groups considered

Mathematics as a difficult subject. They initially thought that Mathematics will give them a

hard time to adjust with the subjects. Moreover, finding tells that have comparable negative

attitudes towards Mathematics before their exposures to different assessment styles.

This finding is justified correct by Akinsola (2008) when he stressed that negative

mathematical attitudes and poor achievement or engagement are related. Abdullah (2012)

personally observed that students’ first impression in Mathematics is really negative.

Students even hate Mathematics teachers when the latter don’t apply modern approach in

teaching that prompts the former’s interest in solving problems. It has been his personal
 25

reflection that Mathematics is considered as the most difficult subject. Anderson (2007)

stated that teachers’ attitude is the most significant potential to influence students’ identities

which exist in Mathematics classroom.

This finding suggests that to minimize students’ aversion towards Mathematics,

teachers should possess positive attitudes in teaching. Teachers’ positive attitudes include

wearing a smile before the start of the lesson and giving concrete examples where the

students can relate their personal experiences.

To further compare the attitudes of students exposed in different assessment styles

after the experimentation, Table 8 presents the results.

Table 12. Analysis of Variance on the Attitudes of Students After Experimentation

Types of Assessment Mean p-value α Interpretation

a
1 Game-Based 4.38 0.020 0.05 Significant
Assessment
a
2 Activity-Oriented 4.40
Assessment
b
3 Traditional 2.08
Assessment
LSD0.05 = 0.58

The p-value of 0.020 < 0.05 confirms that attitudes of students after the

experimentation were significantly. Applying the Post-Hoc analysis using Least Significantly

Different (LSD) at 0.05 level of significance, students exposed to game-based assessment

tool had similar attitudes with that of those subjected with activity-oriented assessment

style as shown by the same superscript. Students’ attitudes exposed in traditional

assessment tool are very far behind compared with the positive attitudes of students in

game-based and activity-oriented assessment methods as affirmed by the different

superscripts. In layman’s language, the two modern assessment methods really changed

the negative impression of students towards Mathematics into positive behviors.

Relative to this finding, Bramlett and Heron (2009) as stressed by Paculanan (2013)

stated that several studies and researches have been done in many countries to find the

factors that influence the students’ performance in Mathematics. Students’ attitude towards

Mathematics is one important factor that has been consistently studied. Often, the studies
 26

on relationship between student’s attitude and the students’ academic performance show a

positive relationship. Hence, students’ attitude towards Mathematics is a major factor that

might influence the performance of the students. Several studies have been conducted in

different countries in order to find to find out the students’ attitude towards Mathematics.

This study finally proved that game-based and activity-oriented assessment

methods improved the Mathematics achievement and positive attitudes of students of

struggling students. Thus, the developed modern assessment tools should be adopted to

give optimum learning of the students and further enhance their critical thinking particularly

the struggling students.

ACTION PLAN

The following actions and initiatives were taken to effectively implement the result of

the action research as well as to encourage Mathematics teachers to adopt the developed

modern assessment tools for slow learners.

Activities Persons Target Resources Possible Budgetary

Involved Date or Materials Result Requirement
Needed

Orientation with Researchers, December Summary of The principal and 500.00

the Principal and Principal, and 2017 Findings Mathematics
Mathematics Mathematics teachers was
Teachers about Teachers acquainted of the
the significant significant
findings of the findings of the
study. study.

Orientation of Researchers December Summary of The parents were 1,500.00

the Parents of and Parents 2017 Findings and inspired to
the Respondents Answered support their
regarding the Questionnaire students to cope
Observed on Attitudes of up the difficult
Attitudes of their Students lessons
Children towards towards particularly in
Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics.
after and before
the
Experimentation

Compilation of Researchers December Meals, Snacks, Each 1,500.00

the Developed and Other 2017 Bond Papers Mathematics
Assessment Tools Mathematics and Other teacher in our
 27

inspired by Teachers School Supplies school was given

Games, Puzzles a copy of the
and Modern Developed
Activities for Assessment Tools
Slow Learners. in Mathematics.

Submission of Researchers Snacks, Meals The Division 1,000.00

the Developed December and Assorted Office was given
Assessment Tools 2017 School Supplies a copy of the
as well as the Developed
result of the Assessment Tools
study in the for Slow Learners
Division Office. and the result of
the study for
future related
researches.

Submission of Researchers December Assorted The Regional 1,000.00

the Developed 2017 School Supplies Office was given
Assessment Tools a copy of the
as well as the Developed
result of the Assessment Tools
study in the for Slow Learners
Division Office. and the result of
the study for
future related
researches.

Total 5,500.00

REFERENCES
BOOKS
Anderson, L.W. & Krathwohl R.(2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and
Assessing: a revised of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.
New York : Longman.
Bohner, G & Wanke M. (2002). Attitudes and Attitude Change. 27 Church
Road, Hove, UK: Psychology Press.
Crano, W. D. (2010). The Psychology of Attitudes and Attitude Change: An
Introductory Overview.207, Madison Avenue, New York: Psychology
Press.
Emerson, J. D. & Mosteller, F. (2004). Cooperative Learning in Schools and
Colleges . Wesport , CT: Libraries Unlimited Inc.
Forgaz, H. & Rivera, D. ( 2012).Towards equity in Mathematics education:
gender, Culture and diversity , advances in Mathematics education .
Heidelberg: Springer
 28

Posamentier, A.S. (2006). Teaching Secondary Mathematics Techniques and

Enrichment Units. New Jersey: Pearson Education

THESIS
Abdullah, S. N. (2012). Practical Work Approach Using Supplemental Learning Materials
for Effective Teaching in Trigonometry, Sultan Kudarat State University, Tacurong
City
Paculanan, A. M. (2013). Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT): Its Effect on Mathematics
Achievement and Attitudes of Students, Sultan Kudarat State University, Tacurong
City

JOURNALS
Baines, E. & Galton, M. (2003). Changes in grouping practices over primary
and secondary school, International Journal of Educational Research, 39(1),
9-34.
Bettenhausen, S. (2002). Students as Teachers. Journal of Educational
Psychology.Kappa Delta Pi Record, 38(4), 188 – 190.
Campbell, B. G. (2003). Helping Students Improve Academic Achievement and
School Successes Behaviour, Professional School Counselling, Journal of
Educational Psychology
Fantuzzo, J.(2005). Peer- assisted learning intervention with elementary school
students: A meta- analytic review. Journal of Educational Psychology.95(2), 240 –
257.
 29

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region XII
ESPERANZA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat

FINANCIAL REPORT

The following were the expenditures that had been incurred for the successful

conduct of the study and the implementation of the action plan to disseminate findings of

this research.

No. Particulars Amount

1 Meals and Snacks of the Respondents, Research 9,460.00
Consultants and Critic Readers
2 Assorted School Supplies (Bond papers, Printer Ink, Ball 14,143.00
pens, Folders , Sign Pens and Other Related School
Supplies)
3 Bookbinding, Printing and Photocopying Services 3,400.00
4 Pocket Wifi Load 2,997.00
Total 30,000.00

Prepared:

EDEN JOEY T. PAGHUBASAN

Researcher