THE USE OF THE ER COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRUCTURES TO IMPROVE

PERFORMANCE OF THE GRADE SIX PUPILS IN FRACTION

A COMPLETED RESEARCH

PRESENTED TO:

THE SCHOOLS DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT

SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF CAGAYAN
LINGU,SOLANA, CAGAYAN

Submitted by:

ELISHER A. RAÑA, MT1

Libertad Elementary School
Abulug District
S.Y.2016-2017
 The Use ER Cooperative Learning Structures to Improve Performance of the
Grade Six Pupils in Fraction

ELISHER A. RAÑA
Master Teacher 1
Libertad Elementary School
Abulug District

INTRODUCTION
Learners’ cooperation in the classroom is worth to employ since Clowes
(2011) denotes that it “creates a positive interdependence among the learners who
perceive that they can reach their goal best when others in the same learning group
also do as well as positive”. Activities are designed in a way where learners can
inquire and discuss with their peers in a small group; they are actively engaged in
the learning process working in a shared interdependence. However, learning
cooperatively is not a total instruction system. It can be used as a part of a cycle of
classroom activities. At the heart of this is a group processing of information to be
studied and an exchange of the thinking involved in the cognitive processing. They
are engaged in a meta-cognitive involvement, an act of constructive thinking.
Since Mathematics is the most critical subjects across all disciplines it has
to involve all the learning taxonomy in every mathematical problem in the classroom-
thus the need to create atmosphere where each pupil learn according to his own
pace. This is a concern since in Abulug District, Mathematics is one of the least
mastered subjects as revealed in the District Achievement Test conducted.
Libertad Elementary School conducts a comprehensive Fourth Quarter
Test that covers all the competencies of the subjects required by the curriculum for
the grade at the end of each academic year (1) to evaluate the learning
achievement of each learner, (2) to evaluate teacher’s effectivity and efficiency for
the whole school year and (3) to serve as basis of the school administrator to assist
teachers for a better academic instruction. As the biggest school in the district, it is
in its effort to improve towards a better quality of instruction in Mathematics
specifically on fractions.
 Based from the analyses made by the two master teachers in the school,
competencies under fractions got the lowest for the two consecutive years.
This action research suggested an alternative solution to the mentioned
problems. It made use of the worksheets designed by the teacher as an intervention
in the ER Cooperative Learning Structures that enhanced varied learning modes of
pupils. These four structures were originally conceived by the proponent. ER is the
initial of the proponent. These are ER Snowball, ER Search, ER Trade, ER Hunt
and ER Rally.

METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH DESIGN

This action research made use of quasi-experimental sampling method. This

means that all the eighty four (41) Grade VI pupils enrolled at Libertad Elementary
School, School Year 2016-2017 will be part of the study.
The identification of the problem in the low performance on fraction was
revealed both from the result of the two Quarter Tests of the same set of pupils from
their Grade IV (2014-2015) and Grade V (2015-2016), thus this action research.
The data were gathered from the result of the pre-test and the post test.
The test is composed of fraction items in all forms: from guided to word problems.
The researcher sought the approval of the School Principal to conduct this
action research.
The pretest was conducted at the beginning of the Second Semester and was
analyzed. At the end of the treatment, the Post Test was conducted. Both results
were treated accordingly.
Respondents to this were protected and dignified and to the utmost. Each
parent signed the letter of consent in the conduct of the treatment.
Letters of approval was properly received and documented. Protocols was
observed and processed which includes the Routing Slip of the District Office and
the Division Office, respectively.
A certification was issued by the district committee as a proof that the research
proposal undergone the proper screening processes.
 This action research made use of the Paired Samples T-test in the treatment of
the pretest and post test to determine the effectiveness of the ER Cooperative
Learning Structures from a target group of pupils.
A teacher-made test was served as a pre-test solidly on fraction. After the
pretest, the worksheets was used in the ER Cooperative Learning Structures on
daily instructions. The five strategies were maximized depending upon the
appropriateness to the teacher’s instruction. At the end of the quarter, a Post-Test
was conducted to the target group.
Results of both tests was organized and analyzed to determine if there is an
improved result which helped the researcher determine the effectiveness of the ER
Cooperative Learning Structures.

The three-point Lykert scale shown below was used to determine the
mastery level of the pupils:

Mastery Level Numerical Mastery Level

Equivalent Description

75-100% High Mastery

50-74% Average Mastery

0-49% No Mastery

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 01: Pretest and Posttest on Comprehension of Fraction

Scores Pretest Posttest

 f fx % f fx %

8-9 39 331.5 95.12%

6-7 2 13.0 4.88%
4-5 5 22.5 12.20%
2-3 15 37.5 36.59%
0-1 21 10.5 51.21%
Total 41 70.5 100.00% 41 344.5 100.0%
Mean 1.72 8.40

Mastery Level 19.44 93.33

Description No Mastery High Mastery

The difference between the pretest and the posttest mastery levels (Table 1)
proves that using the ER Cooperative Learning Structures in teaching
comprehension on fraction is effective. Giving manipulative supplemental
materials in the learning process is effective to improve the mastery levels and
conceptual understanding the lesson presented to them.

Table 02: t-Test Result Between the Pretest and Posttest on Comprehension of
Fraction
Variables Pretest Posttest

Mean 1.72 8.40

Mastery Level 19.44 93.33
N 41 41
SD 1.202
SD2 1.445
t-Test -36.38

There are nine items that fall under these competencies (Table 2). In the
pretest, the mean score is 1.72 with a very low mastery level at 19.44. While in the
Posttest, the means score is 8.40 with 93.33 mastery level. This equates the
effectivity of the ER Cooperative Learning Structures in teaching comprehension of
fraction.
 The t-test result shows that there is a significant difference between the
pretest and the posttest of pupils. It is significant at 0.05 level of two-tailed test. The
tabular value at 1.684 is greater than the computed t-test of -36.38.

Table 13: Overall Comparison between the Pretest and Posttest

Variables Pretest Posttest
Mean 8.07 36.22
Mastery Level 20.18 90.55
N 41 41
SD 3.366
SD2 11.330
t-Test -53.55

The overall comparison between the pretest and the post test results of the
floated questionnaire is relatively positive (Table 3). It shows that the intervention is
effective in teaching the competencies in fraction.

The following findings were drawn from the conduct of this research: (1) The
Grade VI pupils of Libertad Elementary School revealed a generally low mastery
level regarding concepts and application on fraction, prior to the conduct of the
action research. To address the low performance level of the pupils on these topics
in Grade VI Mathematics, the use of the ER Learning Structures with the use of the
teacher-made worksheets as an approach to teaching was administered. (2) The ER
Learning Structures is an effective tool to observe not only a learning output, but the
process of cooperative learning among pupils, thus authentic assessment is evident.
(3) Using the ER Learning structures in teaching Mathematics was found very
effective as shown by the significant increases of mastery levels shown by the t-test
results.

The following recommendations were formulated based from the findings and
conclusions: use the ER Cooperative Learning Structures in teaching; further study
on proposed strategy should be conducted not only in Mathematics but also to other
disciplines to address pupils’ difficulties and to further validate the result of this study
and teachers should be used in various learning assessment tool to properly quantify
performance.

References

Azizi, A. A. (2012, January). http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/jltr/vol03/01/06.pdf.

Retrieved from Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 51-57.

Clowes, G. (2011). Starting Point for Kagan Cooperative Learning. Kagan Publishing. Kagan Online
Magazine, Spring.