Improving Fraction Proficiency and Developing Positive Attitude towards

Fractions of Grade 9 Students through Remediation

by Lito B. Larino, TI at Moonwalk National High School

I. IDENTIFIED PROBLEM
Most of my Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson students could not do operations with fractions

II. POSSIBLE SOURCES OF THE IDENTIFIED PROBLEM

 Poor study habits
 Lack of knowledge
 Disinterested in Math
 Poor foundation in fractions
 Negative attitude towards fractions

III. POSSIBLE ACTIONS TO SOLVE THE IDENTIFIED PROBLEM

 Allot 10-15 minutes of the regular class session for remediation
 Introduce shortcuts in dealing with fractions

IV. RESEARCH QUESTION/S

 If I provide a 10-15 minute remediation every regular class session for at least 4
weeks, will my Grade 9 students improve their fraction proficiency and develop
positive attitude towards fractions?

V. ACTION PLAN
This action research took place at Moonwalk National High School. The participants of
this action research were my students in Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson. The students who
were considered as actual participants of this action research were those who were always
present during the remediation, 35 of which from section Thomson while 37 were from
section kelvin. As their mathematics teacher, I observed for a couple of times that when I
gave examples, they always told me not to include fractions. I also observed that when I
insisted to give fractions in the examples, they became less motivated to participate in the
discussion. As a result, I asked them why they did not want me to include fractions in our
examples. They said that it was complicated and confusing. Due to this, I decided to help
them address this difficulty through remediation.
This action research was undertaken for the whole month of August 2018 or 20 school
days. However, the remediation was interfered due to suspensions of classes as a result of
inclement weather. Students’ school activities also interfered the remediation process.
Since the remediation would be done 10-15 minutes of the regular class sessions, I asked
permission from my subject coordinator assuring him that the remediation would not
negatively affect the competencies the students need to learn for the day.
It is my desire to help my students improve their fraction proficiency that is very
important in learning higher competencies in mathematics. Thus, I doubled my efforts in
preparing the instructional materials for the lessons in the regular class sessions and for the
remediation.
VI. PRESENTATION OF THE GATHERED DATA

A. Analysis and Interpretation of the Gathered Data

Attitude towards Fractions of Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson Students

Before I started my remediation, I assessed the attitude towards fractions of my Grade 9

Kelvin and Thomson students. I utilized a standardized 15-item Likert-type Attitude towards
Fractions questionnaire.

Table 1
Attitude towards Fractions of Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson Students During the Pretest
Attitude f %
Positive Attitude 17 24.00%
Negative Attitude 55 76.00%
Total 72 100.0%

I found out, as Table 1 shows that majority or 55 or 76.00% of my Grade 9 Kelvin and
Thomson students have negative attitude towards fractions and only 17 or 24.00% have
positive attitude. It is clear to me now why during our discussions they did not want me to
include fractions.

Table 2
Attitude towards Fractions of Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson Students During the Post Test
Attitude f %
Positive Attitude 34 47.00%
Negative Attitude 38 53.00%
Total 72 100.0%

Table 2 reveals the attitude of my Grade 9 students towards fractions after they
underwent a 20-day remediation. To assess their attitude towards fractions after the
remediation, I utilized the same questionnaire that I used in the pretest. This time, 34 or
47.00% of my Grade 9 students have positive attitude towards fractions while 38 or 53.00%
have negative attitude. Even though there are still students who have negative attitudes
towards fractions, I could say that my remediation somewhat helped some of my students
overcome their problems about fractions.

Level of Fraction Proficiency of Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson Students

Similarly, before I started the remediation, I assessed the level of fraction proficiency of
my Grade 9 students. I developed a 20-item multiple choice test which I used to assess my
students’ proficiency in identifying the numerator and denominator of a fraction, simplifying
fractions, changing from improper fractions to mixed numbers and vice versa, and operations
with fractions which include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
 Table 3
Level of Fraction Proficiency of Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson Students During the Pretest
Level Frequency Percentage
Very High 0 0.00%
High 6 8.33%
Average 36 50.00%
Low 29 40.28%
Very Low 1 1.39%
Total 72 100.0%

Table 3 presents the level of fraction proficiency of my Grade 9 students before I

provided them a remediation. Results show that 36 or that is half of my Grade 9 students have
only average level of fraction proficiency while only 6 or 8.33% have high level. 29 or 40.28%
have low level of fraction proficiency and there was 1 student who has very low level of fraction
proficiency. Moreover, none of my Grade 9 students have a very high level of fraction
proficiency. These results clearly helped me understand why my students wanted me to skip
fractions in giving examples in our daily lessons. My students’ negative attitude towards and
anxiety in fractions may be attributed to these results which may speak that they were not
fraction proficient specifically in operations with fractions.

Table 4
Level of Fraction Proficiency of Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson Students During the Post Test
Level Frequency Percentage
Very High 15 20.83%
High 20 27.78%
Average 29 40.28%
Low 8 11.11%
Very Low 0 0.00%
Total 72 100.0%

After the pretest, I consumed 10 to 15 minutes of our regular class session for
remediation. I taught my Grade 9 students the competencies in fractions giving more emphasis
on adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions. In my remediation, I utilized shortcuts
in operations with fractions. Furthermore, I discussed to them how to employ the best method
applicable in operations with fractions. I did this for twenty school days. Then, I administered
the same 20-item multiple choice test to my students as the post test.
Results are presented in Table 4 which indicates that after my remediation, 15 or
20.83% of my grade 9 students have very high level of fraction proficiency and 20 or 27.78%
have high level. Moreover, 29 or 40.28% have average level of fraction proficiency while only 8
or 11.11% have low level. And I am happy to state that after my remediation, none of my Grade
9 students now has very low level of fraction proficiency. This simply indicates that my
remediation somewhat helped my students improve their skills in fractions especially in adding,
subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions.
 B. Presentation of the Recurring Patterns and Themes

Table 5
Attitude towards Fractions of Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson Students During Pretest and Post Test
f %
Attitude
Pretest Post Test Pretest Post Test
Positive Attitude 17 34 24.00% 47.00%
Negative Attitude 55 38 76.00% 53.00%

Table 5 reflects the attitude of my Grade 9 students towards fractions before and after
the remediation. The table indicates that the number of students who have positive attitude
towards fractions doubled from 17 to 34. Meanwhile, the number of students who have
negative attitude towards fractions decreased from 55 to 38. This result may support my claim
that my remediation helped some of my students developed a positive attitude towards
fractions. I believe that through the remediation, I was able to help some of my students
understand how to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions. In this way, they started to
conquer their anxieties in solving problems involving fractions.

Table 6
Level of Fraction Proficiency of Grade 9 Kelvin and Thomson Students During Pretest and Post Test
f %
Level
Pretest Post Test Pretest Post Test
Very High 0 15 0.00% 20.83%
High 6 20 8.33% 27.78%
Average 36 29 50.00% 40.28%
Low 29 8 40.28% 11.11%
Very Low 1 0 1.39% 0.00%

Table 6 provides the data on the level of fraction proficiency of my Grade 9 Kelvin and
Thomson students before and after they received the remediation. The table clearly shows that
the number of students who have very high level of fraction proficiency increased from 0 to 15
and those who have high level rose from 6 to 20. Meanwhile, the number of students who have
only average level of fraction proficiency decreased from 36 to 29, and those who have low
level also decreased from 29 to 8. In addition, the table shows that after the remediation none
of my students have very low level of fraction proficiency. These results may mean that the
remediation that I provided to my students was quite effective in improving my Grade 9
students’ level of fraction proficiency and in developing positive attitudes towards fractions.

C. Reflection on the Evidence

The results of the study provide evidence that my remediation is quite effective in
improving fraction proficiency and in developing positive attitude towards fractions to some of
my Grade 9 students. However, some of my Grade 9 students still have negative attitude
towards fractions and still have low to average level of fraction proficiency. But I believe that in
the foregoing regular sessions that we will have, they will gradually master the competencies in
fractions.

VII. PRESENTAION OF THE RESULTS WITH PEERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS THROUGH
SLAC (SCHOOL LEARNING ACTION CELL) SESSION
VIII. REFLECTION
This action research led me to realize that there are issues or problems that students
encounter in their daily lives as learners that are addressable with the aid of the teachers
through proper remediation. On the contrary, several constraints arose during the
implementation stage. One was my students could not master the skills in operations with
fractions, and that they wanted me not to continue the remediation since it confused them.
But, I did not give up, rather I put more efforts to explain to them and made them
understand even the basic concepts about fractions. Later, they were able to successfully
operate with fractions and I was happy with the results.
My research question, “If I provide a 10-15 minute remediation every regular class
session for at least 4 weeks, will my Grade 9 students improve their fraction proficiency and
develop positive attitude towards fractions?” was successfully achieved even though not to
all my Grade 9 students. At the start of the remediation, my students were not interested
but later after I explained to them the purpose of the remediation, they became active and
very participative. When I gave them seat works, they asked their classmates or me if they
forgot something which showed that they became interested to master the skills about
fractions. And it surprised me that their skills about fractions specifically in using shortcuts
in operations with fractions improved and was not like before that they did not even know
how to simplify fractions.
Finally, this action research has made me realize that I should keep on discovering my
students difficulties in learning mathematics and helping them overcome these difficulties
through remediation. This also challenged me to think of effective methods of remediation
that would help my students enter a mathematics class with confidence and anxiety-free.