Math Plus as a Tool for Increasing

the Level of Numeracy of the Grade
7 Students of Talipan National
High School
An Action Research Presented to
the DepEd, Division of Quezon
by: JUANITO A. MERLE
I. The Situation
 The Talipan National High School
(TNHS), true to its vision of providing
quality education to its clientele,
conducted a numeracy test to the
student-applicants for Grade – 7.
 The said test was given to the
incoming Grade – 7 students during
their application for enrolment in May
2013.
 To measure the student-applicants’
numeracy level, a ten-item test was
administered. T
 The following are the significant findings: Out

of 531 student-applicants, there were 434 or

81.73% who belonged to non-numerate level,
84 or 15.82% were classified as instructional
learners and 13 or 2.45% were categorized as
numerate learners.
 With the above mentioned statistical data, the

Mathematics Department of Talipan National

High School was faced with a dilemma.
 Why? (1) The mastery of basic mathematical skills is
needed in order to cope with the demand of life.
Such demands include being numerically literate,
gaining tools for future employment, developing
the prerequisites for further education, and
appreciating the relationship between Mathematics
and technology; and
 (2) Mathematics is the language of sciences, and
many disciplines depend on this subject as a
symbolic means of communication; and
Mathematics education can play an important part
in developing students’ general decision making
and problem solving skills (Benito as cited in
Derecho (2013).
II. The Problem

 Considering the contents of the numeracy test

administered to the new entrants, the statistical
data revealed that most of the Grade 7 students of
Talipan National High School were non-numerate
upon their entrance to high school. These students
needed assistance in the competencies covered by
the test such as: (1) addition of 6 – digit numbers;
(2) subtraction of numbers without regrouping; (3)
multiplication of a 5-digit by a 3-digit number; (4)
division of a five digit by a 2-digit number; (5)
addition and subtraction of dissimilar fractions; (6)
division of fractions; (7) division of decimals; (8)
word problem involving addition and division;
(9) word problem involving multiplication of
whole number and decimal number; and (10)
word problem involving multiplication of whole
numbers.

 Because of the felt need of the Grade 7

learners in the area of Mathematics, the
researcher with the consent of the School
Principal, Math Head Teacher and Math 7
teachers attempted to improve the level of
numeracy of the Grade 7 students using an
intervention program called Math Plus.
III. Generation of Alternative
Solutions
 In response to the needs of the Grade

– 7 students of the TNHS as disclosed

by the numeracy test result, Math Plus
had been conceived and implemented
on June 22, 2013 to July 27, 2013
based on the decision made by the
Math 7 teachers together with the
Math Head Teacher with the approval
of the School Principal.
 Math Plus as agreed by the
Mathematics mentors of TNHS is an
intervention program offered by the
Mathematics Department of Talipan
National High School to Grade - 7
students. This program was designed
in response to the result of the
numeracy test administered to Grade -
7 students during their application for
enrollment for the current school year,
2013 – 2014
 It is one strategy suggested by the
researcher during the meeting of Grade – 7
Math teachers with the School Principal,
Head Teachers, and Research Coordinator.
 As the name suggests, Math Plus provides

the Grade – 7 students an additional

opportunity to gain supplementary
knowledge, values and skills in Math which
are acquired during weekends (6
Saturdays, from June 22, 2013 to July 27,
2013).
IV. The Plan of Action
A. Objectives
 Math Plus, as an intervention program, aimed
to develop five Math student-leaders for every
section of Grade – 7 classes. The development
of these students focused on their proficiency
in the following topics: operations on whole
numbers, decimals, fractions and integers.
 Likewise, the Math Plus aimed to involve these
student-leaders in assisting their classmates in
learning Math during their free time and in
assisting their Math teachers in facilitating the
small group activities held during their regular
Mathematics encounters.
B. Time Frame
 The Math Plus was implemented for seven

consecutive Saturdays i.e. from June 22,

2013 to July 27, 2013 at 8:00 a.m. to 12:00
noon.
C. Target Subjects
 Math Plus involved five Math student-

leaders from each section of 13 groups of

Grade – 7 students. The five chosen
participants for every section of Grade – 7
students regularly attended the Math Plus
session which was facilitated by the
researcher.
These student-leaders assisted
their classmates in learning Math
during their free time. Math – 7
teachers also mobilized these
student-leaders in facilitating the
small group activities held during
their regular Mathematics
encounters.
D. Activities Undertaken
 To successfully implement the Math Plus,

the researchers prepared 13 copies of 24

researcher-made modules.
 The learners took ownership of the lesson
since the modules provided them with
customized, meaningful learning
experiences.
 The researcher prepared modules that
tackle the (1) Properties of Operations; (2)
Addition and Subtraction of Whole
Numbers;
 (17)Ordering Fractions; (18) Addition
and Subtraction of Fractions; (19)
Multiplication of Fractions; (20)
Division of Fractions; (21) Addition
and Subtraction of Decimals; (22)
Multiplication of Decimals; (23)
Division of Decimals; and (24) Problem
Solving Involving Decimals.
 (3) Multiplication of Whole Numbers; (4)
Series of Operations; (5) Solving Word
Problems Involving the Four Fundamental
Math Operations; (6) Set of Integers; (7)
Addition and Subtraction of Integers; (8)
Multiplication and Division of Integers; (9)
Factors and Multiples; (10) Divisibility Tests;
(11) Prime and Composite Numbers; (12)
Prime Factorization; (13) Greatest Common
Factor; (14) Least Common Multiple; (15)
Fractions; (16) Equivalent Fractions;
 Aided with the researcher-made modules,
the Math Plus students collaboratively
accomplished the learning activities. This
decision of the teacher-researcher was
influenced by the Cooperative Learning
Theory of Clifford S. Zimmerman (cited in
Dillenbourg, 2013).
 After the completion of the suggested

activities, the teacher led the discussion

guided by questions for analysis which are
also found in the modules.
 With the topics clearly discussed with the
Math Plus participants, the 65 Grade 7
students shared their acquired knowledge
and skills with their classmates during their
free time and during their regular Math
classes.
 Afterthe completion of the Math Plus, the
Math Head Teacher administered the posttest
to 579 Grade 7 students in order to measure
the acquired knowledge and skills of all
Grade 7 students.
 Afterthe discussion of each lesson,
the 13 small groups of students were
made to answer the Oral and Written
Assessments as an integral part of the
modules. Checking of students’
responses was done right away for the
learners to unlock their difficulties
encountered in the lessons.
E. Evaluation Criteria
 The numeracy level of the Math Plus
participants was measured by the researcher
through the numeracy test given to the Grade
– 7 students during their application for
enrolment in May 2013 and the same test
administered by the Mathematics Head
Teacher on July 29, 2013.
 The Grade 7 students’ responses to the

numeracy test were interpreted using a

continuum prepared by the researcher-
statistician.
 The researcher used the scale of 0- 4 for
non-numerate, 5 - 7 for instructional, and 8
- 10 for numerate.
 To measure the effectiveness of the Math Plus

as an intervention strategy to improve the

numeracy level of the Grade 7 learners, t-test
for dependent samples was calculated by the
researcher and its result was tested
statistically at 0.05 level of significance.
V. Presentation and Interpretation of Results
VI. Conclusions
 (1) That upon admission in Talipan National High
School, majority of the Grade 7 students were non-
numerate;
 (2) That the Grade 7 students demonstrated marked
improvement in numeracy test after the implementation
of the Math Plus;
 (3) That the Math Plus as an intervention program
helped the Grade 7 students improve their performance
in the numeracy test that covered (a) addition of 6 –
digit numbers; (b) subtraction of numbers without
regrouping; (c) multiplication of a 5-digit by a 3-digit
number; (d) division of a five digit by a 2-digit number;
(e) addition and subtraction of dissimilar fractions;
(f) division of fractions; (g) division of decimals;
(h) word problem involving addition and
division; (i) word problem involving
multiplication of whole number and decimal
number; and (j) word problem involving
multiplication of whole numbers;
 (4) That the Math Plus as an intervention
program was found effective as evidenced by
the significant difference in the pre-test and
posttest scores of the Grade 7 students in the
numeracy test.
VII. Recommendations

 With the findings discussed in Part V and the

conclusions drawn from the findings, the
researcher recommends the following: (1)
Continue the administration of numeracy test
to student-applicants; (2) Utilize the result of
the numeracy test in addressing the students’
needs; (3) Offer Math Plus 2 to further
enhance the mathematical knowledge, skills,
and values of the Grade 7 students; and (4)
Compile the Math Plus modules for future use
of the TNHS.
VII. Reflection
 Mathematics plays a very important tool in people’s
daily living…the knowledge of Mathematics serves as
the weapon in rapid change, uncontrolled technological
advancement and the globally competitive world. In the
field of science, medicines, businesses and other
related areas and even in the economic development of
the entire nation, Mathematics plays a role of an ever
increasing importance (Vidal, 2013).
 Following the line of thought of Vidal, all schools in the
country should seriously accept the responsibility of
molding the youth through holistic formation of the
learners. Formation of the learners always means
helping the students advance themselves in terms of
knowledge, values and skills.
 Talipan National High School (TNHS), true to its vision
of providing quality education to its clientele, does
not have the right to select its students. Whoever
applies for enrolment as long as the applicant is
qualified for high school schooling, he/she is given
permission to enroll in this institution of learning.
 In the beginning of the SY 2013 – 2014, the Grade 7
teachers, in particular, discovered a problem on
numeracy level of the new students. Instead of
passing the blame to the elementary school teachers
who had been the learners’ formators in the
elementary level, the TNHS Mathematics teachers
recognized the learners’ problem and provided a
solution to it in the form of an intervention program
known as Math Plus.
 To implement an intervention program like Math Plus
entails seriousness, deeper commitment and dedication
on the part of the school administrators and teacher-
volunteer. The program required a lot of sacrifices
including the preparation and production of modules and
the execution of the teacher’s plan aided with the
teacher-made modules.
 Administrators’ support including program monitoring
played an important role in the successful
implementation of the Math Plus.
 The aforementioned sacrifices bore fruits since this
action research proved that the program helped the
Grade 7 students improve their numeracy level. It is the
realization of the current researcher that if every teacher
dedicates himself to the profession called teaching, the
DepEd Quezon’s motto i.e. “Bawat bata kinakalinga” will
find its meaning.