CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The development of physiological growth lies in continuous activities and explorations for

children in the process of growing up. To achieve the balance of physiological development,

children are born with thirst for physical activities and such thirst must be met. The living

environment in terms of physiological and psychological developments for children is a multi-

changeable and unstable situation, all sorts of learning help establish order in children’s lives and

among which only dancing requires physical postures to express directly, and it brings great

benefits to the establishment and promotion of self-worth and self-confidence (Chingchuan Huang,

2009).

Since the turn of the century, traditional teaching based on the framework of behaviorism,

such as the course in question, is being replaced by inquiry-based teaching, facilitating a

constructivist framework of learning. Advocates of the constructivist-teaching paradigm (Draper,

2002), recommend a more student-centered math classroom that deemphasizes rote memorization

of isolated skills and facts and emphasizes problem solving and communication. According to

Larochelle and Bednarz (2008), a constructivist classroom is rich in conversation. By conversing,

the teacher infers the learning level and preparation of the student and coaches the communication

so that the learner is able to construct meaning, understanding, and knowledge. Teachers who

embrace constructivism reject the transmission model of teaching (Richardson, 2007).

 Relating to the constructivist theory of learning, the learner is active and continuously

constructs and reconstructs conception of phenomena. The learning is not assessed with separate

examination at the end of the course, but assessment methods are integrated into the learning

process itself (Tynjala, 2008). The objective of the assessment is to encourage the learning process

resulting in the discovery of qualitative changes in the student’s knowledge base. As a result, the

course in question would benefit from an assessment method that stresses the application or

performance that displays development of metacognition and critical thinking in an authentic and

constructive way.

Many students consider Mathematics as a difficult subject to study. Mathematics is still

considered to be boring and too abstract despite its importance and use. But why do students find

Mathematics hard to learn? What are some of their difficulties? How can they be helped? These

questions post a significant challenge to Mathematics teachers today.

Mathematics involves problem solving skills which prove to be difficult for many pupils.

Researches show that the difficulty can be attributed to understanding Mathematics Language.

Students struggle in comprehending the Math terminologies and vocabularies in written or verbal

form. Another factor is inconsistency in computation. Students misread signs and symbols, carry

numbers wrongly, or sometimes putting the numeral in the wrong column. At times, students also

have difficulty in arithmetic operations. They are unable to remember facts, procedures or

formulas. Lastly, students have difficulty in analyzing word problem. They cannot perform the

challenge of a complex problem. The abovementioned difficulties should be taken into

consideration in planning a lesson. Teachers need to determine how to approach every learning

competency, the teaching aids to be used, through using the most effective method to help

struggling students understand the concepts and principles presented.

 In this modern times, one popular problem solving tool that can be used by teachers to

teach many challenging word problems is through the Block Model Approach widely known as

Singapore Math. It is introduced in 1983 by Dr. Kho Tek Hong and his team of educators from

Singapore Ministry of Education. It uses strips, bars, or rectangular regions called models to

visualize concepts. It is useful in exposing pupils to respond better to visual stimuli (e.g.

illustration, drawing, picture, etc.). According to Kho (1982), “This bar model method helps

pupils gain concrete experience which are prerequisites for understanding abstract symbols of

Mathematics and their manipulation.” The model helped the pupils solve Mathematics problem

that were traditionally for higher levels only. Its effectiveness has gone beyond helping

Singaporean students, it is now widely used around the world.

Findings in various studies conducted in the Philippines, like the study of De Guzman

(2015), confirmed the effectiveness of Block Model Approach in teaching the word problems. The

retention of concepts learned are enhanced. The pupils performed better in answering problem

solving. It is perceived to be easy to use in solving word problems. Lastly, it showed that Block

Model Approach can be used as an alternative approach in teaching problem solving.

This is just one of the many approaches that can be employed in teaching Mathematics.

Teachers must understand that there are varied ways to teach Mathematics to help struggling

students grasp difficult concepts. Teachers are called on to continue to adopt and use new

curriculum materials, active learning approaches and current methods of teaching proven to be

effective with today’s learners.

This research study specifically seeks to determine the effect of Bruner’s Block Model

approach in problem solving in Mathematics to the Academic Performance of Elementary Pupils

in the Division of Tacloban City.

Statement of the Problem

The rationale for this study is supported by the research literature which suggests that Block

Method Approach play an important role in the academic achievement of their pupils in

Mathematics through problem solving and the Block Method Approach can effect positive

changes. It is being hypothesized that the amount of involvement displayed by teachers and pupils

in problem solving in mathematics significantly improves the academic learning of the pupils.

Specifically, this study is designed to focus on the following questions:

1. Is there a significant difference between the problem solving performance of the control

group and the experimental group after the experiment?

2. Is the effect of the problem solving approach on the problem solving performance

moderated by the level of mathematical ability?

3. Is the effect of the problem solving approach on problem solving performance

moderated by the type of problem (one - step, two – step, three – step problem)?

4. How do pupils perceive the use of block model approach in problem solving?

Significance of the Study

Teachers play a very important role in improving quality education in the Philippines.

Given the chance to improve problem solving in Mathematics through Block Method approach

will surely motivate them to work harder.

This research study is significant to the following whose presence in the school system is

very necessary in policy and decision making process.

Policy Makers. The results of this study will provide them a clearer vision on upgrading

the options available for teaching methods.

 School Administrators. School administrators will be provided with some insights and

information on programs regarding teaching methods.

Teachers. This study will inspire and encourage them to undertake activities that will

augment student interest and academic performance through the use of Block Method approach.

Researchers. The findings of the study will provide knowledge and understanding on the

on the effect of Block Method approach on the academic achievement of Pupils in Tacloban City

Division.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The goal of this review is to present the literature review and conceptual framework of the

study through various related literatures and research works on Bruner’s theory, Block Method

Approach and problem solving in Mathematics and its impact on the academic achievement of the

pupils. To date, there is limited research on the subject matter, hence, research aims to fill this gap

in the literature and shine a light on the transformative power of this practice.

Related Literature

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

Humans are animals possessed of thinking ability, able to take the initiatives to conduct a

series of logical reasoning including understanding, reasoning, and judging, and the obtainment of

these thinking abilities is generated through a series of long-term qualitative changes. By observing

how children perform their thinking methods, such as highly imaginative, all things in the world

are similar to humans, and must depend on actual operating experiences; children’s mode of

thinking is utterly different from the adult. In terms of various theories concerning such

phenomenon, Piaget (J. Piaget, 1896-1980) is the best known for his research on cognitive

development. He was a Swiss scholar, who spent most of his life studying the development of

children and conducted the significant “theory of cognitive development”, which laid him the guru

status in the field of children’s development.

Piaget’s research placed importance on two major issues, “formation of knowledge” and

“increase of knowledge” (Shengfeng Tu, 1991). He believed that the process of thinking is

generated from proceedings from the concrete to the abstract, and his research on stages of the
cognitive development describes types of frameworks for children at different ages. Because each

stage of children’s development is different, thus learning will be limited as well as learning

patterns.

Piaget believed that infants after birth would use innate behavioral patterns to react to the

surrounding environment. As he/she encounters a situation, he/she then collates and deals with

through some sort of corresponding cognitive structure, and such behavior is called “schema”.

Schema is not innate nor acquired through experience, but through a series of actions. In the

process of adaptation to the environment, schema can achieve the expansion of knowledge through

assimilation, accommodation, and equilibration. These behavioral patterns go through continuous

integrations and form a network structure, which is called cognitive structure, and the cognitive

structure changes along with the cognitive development of subject, and hence the “theory of

cognitive development” will be formed via such a series of changes.

Piaget believed that an individual’s cognition began to develop at infancy and manifest in

childhood. The development of education derived though the basis of the theory was called

“positive teaching.” The main task for teachers was to inspire students, teachers should not only

act the role of knowledge instructor, but an innovator and researcher, the purpose was to enable

children to receive natural and comprehensive developments along with complete personalities.

From the above, we may find out that cognitive development is structural, connected with

a ring after a ring, it is seemingly independent, but in fact it connects with each other and affects

each other. Children must go through the above-mentioned four stages and none can be skipped,

but children will develop a series of procedures in different pace. Children require real

understanding of learning, they cannot rely on teachers to understand the process of dance postures

and developmental actions, but through themselves and spontaneous developments. Therefore,
you must comply with children’s cognitive development in order to help them learn how to dance,

teachers must be familiar with the theory of cognitive development to arrange various structural

and non-structural curriculum to go along with each stage of development, must know how to

make use of reversal hints, an environment full of resources and a group bathing in the atmosphere

of freedom are equally important, teachers need to provide the proper stimuli to promote students’

cognitive abilities. In dance teaching, teachers must grasp the process of children’s body

development, understand their thinking process, master cognitive characteristics of children’s

learning, and design curriculum in accordance with children’s ages and developmental stages.

Bruner’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Bruner (1915 - ) is best known mainly for his contribution to education. In “The Process

of Education” (Bruner, 1960), he claimed that knowledge of any subject could apply efficient

teaching to any child at any stage of development via certain reasonable ways. He is an educational

learning theorist, who conducts considerable contributions and enlightenment in the construction

of educational theories that gives far-reaching influence on researchers concerning human

thinking, learning, motivation, stages of cognitive development and knowledge structure, and

modern curriculum and teaching (Yuyi Wu, 1996)

Bruner believed that education and cognitive development skills are closely related to each

other; at the same time he emphasized that functions of curriculum structure could reach peak only

through education and teaching. Therefore, he emphasized that education was the key of helping

an individual to develop his/her mental skills; in order to bring out the efficiency of education,

curriculum arrangement should be thought highly of. Hence, again and again he emphasized that

the content of curriculum requires theories of cognitive development, structure of materials, and
teaching methods (Licho Chen, 1985). Bruner emphasized on the importance of “curriculum

structure” in his theory of learning; therefore, Bruner proposed the spiral curriculum in terms of

curriculum organizations. He was of the opinion that teachers must understand the cognitive

structure of children, the design of curriculum should meet the cognitive method and correspond

to cognitive approach, making students take the initiatives to discover the structural context, and

designing new curriculum should be benefited to the cognitive approaches that children could find

them easier to study, making students take initiatives to discover the content included in the

textbook, and further to promote the individual’s cognitive development as teaching methods

should be applied to stages of cognitive development in order to increase the effectiveness of

learning.

Bruner was of the opinion that by passing out and instructing knowledge cannot be

regarded as complete education, we should let children explore, reason and think, solve problems,

discover facts or principles, enjoy the happiness derived from learning results on their own in order

to further cultivate the curiosity, encourage the creativity, and explore the unknown world in the

future, as well as to cultivate innovative and responsible modern people (Lichao Chen, 1985).

Bruner emphasized that the important tasks for teachers are to teach children how to think and

discover principles from activities of acquiring knowledge, and then integrate and summarize them

and form it into their own experiences of knowledge. He proposed the “discovery learning theory”,

as the teacher instructed students to learn, the purpose was not to have them learn knowledge and

facts of all sorts, but have them discover whether meaning-related structure exist among teaching

materials and objects, and as children were familiar of “structure”, due to it comprised of generality

and categorization, larger effect of learning transferring could thus be generated, which could help

children face other similar situations. Bruner believed that the effective teaching environment
should be available during teaching to stimulate students’ curiosity and maintain their interests as

well as to guide students to explore into the right directions.

Conceptual Framework

This study employed the Pretest-Posttest Control Group design. The control and the

experimental groups were given a pretest, exposed to different treatments and then given a posttest.

The control group was taught problem solving using the traditional approach while the

experimental group was taught using the block model approach on problem solving. The

participants of the study were taken from the ten heterogeneous sections enrolled in the school

year 2007 – 2008. Intact groups and group - matching techniques were used to come up with the

comparable groups. Fishbowl technique was used as a sampling technique in selecting the control

and experimental group. The lessons covered by the study were one step problem solving, two step

problem solving and three steps problem solving.

There are two problem solving approaches namely the Block Model Approach treated for

the experimental group while the Traditional Method was employed to the control group. The

Traditional Method merely employ algorithmic method of solving word problems while the Block

Model Approach employ the concrete- representation – abstract method of solving word

problems. The Block Model Approach helps pupils visualize situations because it creates concrete

picture of from abstract situation. It may satisfy the pupil’s learning through seeing and doing.

Finally, it transforms words into recognizable pictures for young minds. The researcher wanted to

find out whether the problem solving performance of the Elementary pupils was moderated by the

problem solving approach. The intervening variables are mathematical ability and types of
problem. Under mathematical ability pupils are grouped into above average, average, and below

average; for type of problems, it was classified into one - step, two – step, and three – step.
 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter describes the methods that will be used in conducting the research that will be

involved in answering the research questions. It will begin with a rationale for the case study

methodology utilized in the design of the project. The chapter continues with a description of the

setting in which the research will takes place, including community, school and classroom

demographics. A section will also be devoted to the pupil participants in the study and will describe

the criteria used in selecting each individual, as well as a brief profile. In order to come up with a

conclusion about the effectiveness of Bruner’s Block mEthod Approach in Problem Solving in

Mathematics, the researcher will utilize several data gathering methods including interviews,

keeping a researcher’s journal and member checking.

Within the methods portion of this chapter, the procedures will be outlined to show a

positive correlation between Block Method Approach and Academic Achievement. The

trustworthiness of the research will be validated by the use of triangulation, participant validation

and prolonged engagement. This chapter is complete with a description of the ethical

considerations undertaken in conducting the study.

Research Design

This research study will employ a qualitative and an experimental research design. This

methodology will make it possible for the researcher to track the subtle changes in the outcome of

academic achievement of elementary pupils in Tacloban Cit with regards to the use of Bruner’s

Block Method approach in Problem Solving in Mathamatics.

Research Locale

It was decided that the study will be conducted in thethe different elementary schools

located within the Division of Tacloban City.

Research Respondents

The study will be conducted randomly on teachers and pupils of the different elementary

schools in the Division of Tacloban City..

Research Instrument

The research instrument consisted of two parts. Part 1 covered the Profile of Teachers

subdivided into Personal Profile and Professional Profile. Part 2 encompasses the factors that

influence the academic achievement of pupils with regards to Bruner’s Block Method approach.

Validation of Instrument

The validation of the research instrument will be done through a trial run in the Rizal

Central School and San Fernando Elementary School. The school is considered to have almost the

same characteristics as the sample of the study. Modification of the questionnaire will be based on

the results of the trial run.

Data Gathering Procedure

Permission to conduct the survey, using the research instrument was secured from the

Division Office of Tacloban. The questionnaire will be administered through the help of the
School Heads of Rizal Central School and San Fernando Elementary School. To minimize

potential bias, the researcher assured the respondents that all their responses would be held

confidential and would not in any way be counted against them.

Statistical Treatment

To facilitate the presentation and interpretation of the data, the researcher organized these

using the frequency counts, means, and percentages. In testing the hypothesized relationship of the

variable under study, mean and/or averages will be utilized for the following statistical measures.

The Pearson Product Moment coefficient of Correlation will be used to test hypothesis

concerning between the home visitation, student interest and academic performance with the

following formula:

𝑁 𝑋𝑌 − (𝑋)(𝑌)
𝑟=
√[𝑁 𝑋 2 − (𝑋)2 ][𝑁 𝑌 2 − (𝑌)2 ]

Where:

N = number of pairs of scores

XY = sum of the products of the paired score

X = sum of the scores on one variable

Y = sum of the scores on the other variable

𝑋2 = sum of the squared scores on X variable

𝑌2 = sum of the squared scores on Y variable

The probability for rejection or acceptance of the null hypothesis will be set at 0.05

significance level.