Effect of Window Cards in the Mathematics Performance

of Grade 7 Students: A Comparative Study

Esther L. Galicano

Chapter 1

Introduction of the Study

Chapter 1 was composed of five parts, namely: (1)

Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study, (2)

Statement of the Problem and Hypothesis, (3) Significance

of the Study, (4) Definition of Terms, and (5) Delimitation

of the Study.

Part One, Background and Theoretical Framework of the

Study, presents the introduction, justifies the need for

the investigation and presents the theoretical framework,

which serves as the frame of reference in the conduct of

this research.

Part Two, Statement of the Problem and Hypothesis,

presents the general and specific problems that the study

sought to answer. It also presents the hypothesis to be

tested.
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Part Three, Significance of the Study, spells out the

recipients of the study and clearly discusses how each of

them will benefit from the result of the study.

Part Four, Definition of Terms, defines important

terms and key variables in the study, conceptually and

operationally.

Part Five, Delimitation of the Study, sets the scope

of the research in terms of participants, research design,

data gathering instruments, research variables as well as

its categories and statistical tools employed in the

analysis of the data.

Background and Theoretical Framework of the Study

Mathematics is much more than counting and simple

arithmetic. It is a cumulative science in which new results

are built upon and depend on earlier results. Mathematics

indeed has done great wonders in the universe. This is an

ancient study that remains very useful to mankind. No

wonder why the world struggles to understand and learn

mathematics because of its enormous achievement given to

the world. (www.in-thebrain.com/mathematics-and-

numeracy.html). Retrieved 7/29/2019.

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Recently, Trends in Mathematics and Science Study

(TIMSS) and International Association for the Evaluation of

Educational Achievement (IEA) data revealed the alarming

facts for the participating countries most especially the

Philippines. The TIMMS data showed that Filipino students’

poor mathematical performance has placed the country in the

36th rank out of 38 nations worldwide. The declining

popularity of mathematics among students and poor

mathematical performance of students are not only a

national but also a global concern for the past years

(PISA, 2013).

Also in the trend of students’ performance in WASSCE

mathematics in Nasarawa state has been, so far,

consistently unstable and poor as less than 50% of the

total number of candidates were able to pass at credit

level over the period of ten years reviewed. The situation

is similar to what research and data from national

examination bodies like WAEC has reported for the entire

country. It could be concluded that performance in WASSCE

mathematics in Nasarawa state the characteristic

performance in the next seven years (2014-2020) is expected

to keep decreasing, especially at credit level (Musa and

Dauda, 2014).
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As observed by the researcher in the classroom, most

of the students have difficulties in learning and

understanding mathematical concepts and doing solutions.

More so, most of the students seldom participate in the

class discussion, less motivated and not interested to

listen. Sometimes, the teacher felt frustrated because some

are struggled even in simple computation of addition,

subtraction, multiplication and division of basic

mathematics fact or less numerate. Mostly, students who are

struggling in numeracy are also poor in analysis and

problem solving that resulting them to have a poor

mathematics performance based on their quarterly

examinations and grades. Thus, the researcher believes that

numeracy or basic skills of a student are the best

foundation in learning higher mathematical concepts and

principles to have a good performance and better

performance in mathematics.

In teaching mathematics 7 under the K-12 curriculum,

it was a puzzling experienced why the grade 7 students

struggled in basic mathematics skills in which some of them

cannot recognized, identify, write and count numbers that

supposed to be learned in their elementary level. Resulting

students to have failing grade because of this problem

means something to the part of the teacher that need to

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attend to. Performed poorly in mathematics subject has

different reasons and have different factors and causes.

In Division Mathematics Assessment- an assessment

devised by the Division of Capiz to test and to determine

the numeracy level of the grade 7 students, the results

reveals that there are non-numerates among the grade 7

students in Sapian National High School and it was

alarming. The Education Program Specialist (EPS) of the

mathematics Department from Capiz Division during the INSET

wants all the mathematics teachers particularly in grade 7

level to conduct a numeracy class and use the window cards

or number cards to be drilled and practice for them to

enhance their math fluency also their accuracy and

automaticity in performing the four fundamental operations.

As per directed by the Education Program Specialist (EPS)

in mathematics of the Capiz Division, the researcher

prepared an intervention plan for numeracy class in which

the window cards or number cards was used as the material

or tool to enhance the students’ performance in performing

the four fundamental operations.

The researcher was started using window cards in the

classroom as a tool for an intervention every once a week

to struggling grade 7 students to help them becomes

numerate and develop their mathematics proficiency. It was

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indeed a great help and somehow even a little the students’

accuracy and automaticity in performing the basic

mathematics operations as well as their mathematics

performance was quite improved last school year 2018-2019.

In this school year 2019-2020 the Division of Capiz

issuance a memorandum no. 122 s. 2019 about the Division

Mathematics Assessment to be conducted yearly using the new

tool which is the Regional Unified Numeracy Tool (RUNT), to

gather data on the number of non-numerates in all grade

levels from Grades 1 to 10. Track learners’ numeracy level;

and plan for possible interventions to address learners’

difficulties. Learners who will get at least 80% correct

answers of the total number of items will be categorized as

numerates. In regards of this memorandum the mathematics

department of Sapian National High School still intended to

continue what we have started in using the window cards in

the class as our intervention.

In Umani (2003) as cited by Candelario et al, (2013)

also revealed that Grade VI pupils in the District of

Lucena were very poor in the four fundamental operations in

mathematics because of their weak foundations in the

previous years. More so, students who have struggle in

Mathematics learning regardless of their past instruction

and Mathematical knowledge prior to starting school is:

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demonstrate slow or inaccurate recall of basic arithmetic

facts; answer problems impulsively, without inhibition;

have difficulty representing mathematical concepts

mentally; have poorly developed number sense; and have

difficulty keeping information in their working memory

(http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report.pdf)

.Retrieved 7/21/19.

While in the study of Piansay (2016), found that Grade

six pupils have similarly “poor” mathematics performance in

the pretests both in the control and experimental group.

While after the intervention, pupils have “excellent”

mathematics performance in both the control and

experimental groups.

Based on the results of the Division Assessment

Learning (DAL) conducted by the Division of Roxas City,

students of Congressman Ramon A. Arnaldo High School have

poor performance in mathematics. The school got a mean

percentage score of 38.68%. Remarkably, regular poor

performance indicated by low scores in mathematics in the

Division Assessment Learning by the majority students is

fundamentally linked to application of ineffective teaching

strategies by teachers to impact knowledge to learners. The

researcher also observes that students seem to have a lack

of focus in the subject. Students’ minds are preoccupied

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and lack of concentration to do the tasks assigned to them.

Students are hesitant to participate in the activity.

Teachers have utilized different techniques so as to cater

the needs of the students but students still have a poor

performance in Mathematics. The nagging question of what to

do with the students for them to learn and make learning

more permanent so that they would be able to perform

satisfactorily in any achievement test or assessment

learning examination has become a challenge for everybody

in the teaching profession. To address this growing

concern, educators must determine what motivates students

to master and retain mathematical skills and determine what

type of pedagogy is most effective (Clores, 2019).

Window cards are tools to develop and enhance the

multiplication skills among grade IV pupils, through daily

drills pupils get to master the skill that will help them

to solve any mathematical problem. To develop the mastery

of multiplication the researcher decided to use

drill cards as daily routine before the formal class start.

Daily drills and practices were conducted for the first

three months to test the liability of the tools used

(window cards) that could lead to mastery for the three

successive months. The researcher observed that there was

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an increase of scores in every pupil. The researchers also

found out that pupils were encouraged and motivated to get

higher scores the next time that another drills conducted.

The researchers found out that the use of window cards are

helpful in developing the mastery of multiplication skill

among grade IV pupils (Gloria and Villacenco, 2017).

In the research conducted by Morales and Canindo

(2017), aims to improve students’ multiplication skills

(mathematics proficiency) to help them move towards

performing more complex tasks in mathematics in their next

grade level. Improvement in mathematics proficiency through

their mathematical fluency may be attained with the use of

sequentially implemented multiple strategies. A wide range

of literature dictates that enhancement in mathematical

fluency may be derived from sequentially implemented

multiple strategies such as skip counting, game,

discussions, games, worksheets, flashcards and window

cards, and timed-test. The majority of literature

underscores the effect of one particular teaching strategy

as intervention scheme to achieve mathematics proficiency,

particularly fluency. However, there is little information

on how combining and sequentially implementing the

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identified strategies may enhance grade schoolers’

mathematics fluency.

In Hurle et. al., (2013), children may require extra

support in mathematics in order to avoid an academic

downward spiral. The research suggested that supplementing

learning experiences through the provision of support

programs allows students to experience success and develop

a positive attitude toward mathematics. More research is

needed of students’ responsiveness to mathematical

interventions to assist in the diagnosis of mathematical

learning difficulties and the development of numeracy

support programs.

Rabino (2019), states that the responsibility does not

just rest in the arms of the higher officials but basically

on the classroom teachers. Innovations are conducted by

several teachers just to let the students realize the

beauty of Mathematics and the benefits it would give if you

have proficiency in it.

A study designed to determine the effect of a math

intervention class among first time freshmen from 107

community colleges. Results of this study indicated that

students who successfully passed math remediation courses

successfully transferred into regular math courses over 50%

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of the time. Thus, these results indicated that these

particular programs were effective in resolving skills

deficiencies among students (Coats et al, 2013).

With this thought the researcher would like to

investigate the effect of window cards and non-window cards

intervention in the mathematics performance of Grade 7

students in Sapian National High School. The researcher’s

curiosity whether Window Cards intervention can contribute

to the mathematics performance of students made the

researcher pursue this study.

This study is anchored on the Cognitive Development

Theory of Piaget as cited in Dapulano (2019). This theory

assumes that children are motivated learners and actively

construct knowledge about how the world operates by

combining information gathered from experience. Piaget

views that learning proceeded by the interplay of

assimilation (adjusting new experiences to fit prior

concepts) and accommodation (adjusting concepts to fit new

experiences). The to-and-fro of these two processes leads

not only to short-term learning, but also to long-term

developments were really the main focuses of Piaget’s

cognitive theory.

This study will investigate the effect of Window Cards

in the Mathematics performance of Grade 7 students in

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Sapian National High school for the school year 2019-2020.

The independent variables are the Window Cards and Non-

Window Cards intervention while the dependent variable is

the Mathematics Performance of the Grade 7 students.

The variable relationship in this study is shown in

Figure 1.

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

Window Cards
Intervention
Mathematics

Performance

NON-Window Cards
Intervention

Figure 1. A Schematic Diagram Showing the Effect of

Window Cards in the Mathematics Performance of Grade 7
Students.

Statement of the Problem and the Hypothesis

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the

effect of Window Cards in the Mathematics performance of

Grade 7 students of Sapian National High School.

Specifically, the study will seek to answer the

following questions:
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1. What is the level of the Mathematics performance

of Grade 7 students under the Window cards intervention of

Grade 7?

2. What is the level of the mathematics performance

of Grade 7 students under the Non-Window cards

intervention?

3. Is there a significant difference in the

Mathematics performance of Grade 7 students in the Window

Cards and Non-Window Cards intervention?

In view of the precedent problems, the following

hypothesis will be tested:

1. There is no significant difference in the

Mathematics performance of Grade 7 in the Window Cards and

Non- Window cards intervention.

Significance of the Study

This study will be essential to the following

stakeholders: students, teachers, school administrator,

parents and future researchers.

Students. The students are the direct beneficiary of

any improvement in the school system. Thus, it will be of

great help to the students as they will be able to

determine their mathematics performance as influenced by

the Window Cards intervention. Also the result of this

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study may provide information for those students who are

not using window cards. This study is significant to all

Grade7 students in Sapian National High School because this

may provide them awareness how helpful the window cards to

enhanced and improved their numeracy skills and mathematics

performance and can encourage them to engage in other

related activities.

Teachers. Findings of this study will provide insights

to teachers regarding the benefit and importance of Window

Cards, also to encourage students to practice more.

Findings of this study may give the mathematics teachers

the idea on how to find ways to enhance and improve the

mathematics performance of the students.

School Administrator. This study may give him ideas on

the effect of Window Cards intervention in the mathematics

performance of the students. This will provide information

to take possible actions that may encourage and improve the

implementation of the window cards intervention and other

related activities.

Parents. This will be beneficial to the parents

because they will also be informed of the significance of

the window cards intervention on the mathematics

performance of their children. Also, they will encourage

their children to participate, practice more even in their

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homes and give full effort and support to join in any

intervention or remedial program.

Future Researchers. This research is important to

future researchers for this will serve as a reference for

their further study about Window Cards intervention and

mathematics performance or other similar research

undertaking in the future.

Definition of Terms

For better clarification and understanding of the

terms related to this study, the following will be defined

conceptually and operationally.

Mathematics Performance– refers to the extent to which

a student, teacher or institution has achieved their

educational goals in mathematics.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mathematics_performance).Retr

ieved 7/18,2019.

In this study, “Mathematics performance” in this

referred to the grades obtained by the respondents during

the first grading period in their mathematics subject. This

will be arbitrarily categorized as Outstanding (90 – 100),

Very Satisfactory (85 – 89), Satisfactory (80 – 84), and

Did Not Meet Expectation (75 – 79).

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Window Cards Intervention - Math window cards, flash

cards, and oral recitation of math facts are the most

common drill and practice tools in the classroom.

(http://myteachermommy.com/2015/01/31/improve-math-fluency-

and-automaticity-with-math-drills/). Retrieved 7/19/2019.

In this study, “Window Card Intervention” referred to

the Grade 7 students that utilize window cards by the

teacher in teaching Mathematics.

Non-Window Cards Intervention- refers to the

conventional way of teaching mathematics. Conventional

methods were based on direct instruction where students

were shown one standard method of performing a task such as

decimal addition, in a standard sequence. Conventional

method relies mainly on textbooks and the presentation of

materials starts with the parts, then moves to the parts.

Conventional method emphasizes on basis skills and with

conventional method of teaching, assessment is seen as a

separate activity and occurs through testing

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionalmathematics)Retri

eved July. 10, 2019.

In this study, “Non-Window Cards Intervention”

referred to the Grade 7 students who are not engaged in

Window Cards as material use in teaching mathematics by

their teacher.
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Delimitation of the Study

This causal-comparative research will be conducted to

compare the Mathematics performance of Grade 7 students in

the Window Cards and Non-Window Cards Intervention of

Sapian National School for the school year 2019-2020.

The participants of this study consist of two groups

of the Grade 7 students. The number of participants for

both groups will be determined by comparing their grade 6

mathematics grades to ensure similarity of both groups.

Elimination of students in each group will made until their

grades become comparable using t-test for independence.

The grades in mathematics for the first grading period

as the secondary data from School Forms-10 (SF-10) will be

utilized as student’s mathematics performance.

The independent variables of this study will be the

window Cards and Non-Window Cards intervention of Grade 7

students while the dependent variable will be the

Mathematics performance.

The statistical tools that will be used in data

analyses will be the mean and standard deviation for

descriptive analysis, while t-test for independent samples

for inferential analysis set at 5% alpha level of

significance.