INTERVENTION STRATEGIES UTILIZED BY

ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS TEACHERS AND

THEIR PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS IN
ENHANCING LEARNERS’ PERFORMANCE

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

2022
Volume: 5
Issue: 1
Pages: 281-292
Document ID: 2022PEMJ319
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7244162
Manuscript Submitted: 2022-10-15
Manuscript Accepted: 2022-10-23
Psych Educ, 2022, 5(1): 281-292, Document ID: PEMJ319, doi: 10.5281/zenodo.7244162, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Intervention Strategies Utilized by Elementary Mathematics Teachers and Their

Perceived Effectiveness in Enhancing Learners’ Performance
Noel A. Sabando*
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.

Abstract
This study aimed to determine the intervention strategies used by elementary Mathematics teachers
and their effectiveness in enhancing learners’ performance. Employing a descriptive-correlational
research design, the study described the demographic profile of the respondents and the intervention
strategies utilized by the teachers and their effectiveness in terms of fundamental, computational and
word problem-solving skills. It also determined the significant difference in the intervention strategies
utilized by the teachers when grouped according to their demographic profile and the significant
relationship between the intervention strategies and their extent of effectiveness in enhancing their
learner’s performance. Findings revealed that the teachers strongly agreed that they used Repetition
in helping their pupils learn better. A significant difference was also noted in the use of Repetition
and Timed-testing as intervention strategies specifically in terms of sex. Meanwhile, Male and female
teachers differ in their use of two strategies although there was no significant difference in all other
strategies under study. Moreover, the teachers did not exhibit any significant difference on the
perceived level of effectiveness of the intervention strategies based on the selected demographic
profile. Also, significant relationship between the intervention strategies and their perceived level of
effectiveness in enhancing learners’ performance was evident in the study. Finally, the study
concluded that teachers perceived the intervention strategies as effective in enhancing their learners’
performance.

Keywords: effectiveness, math teachers, intervention strategies, learners’ performance

Introduction alignment with their current grade level, it was

As Mathematics teaching in elementary schools is
challenged by the new normal in education, teachers
endeavor to employ practical approaches and strategies
to help increase their pupils' mathematical knowledge
and improve their Math outcomes. Coping with the
unprecedented demands of the times, they adapt or
innovate better and more creative ways of providing
support to pupils' learning by allowing them to
develop knowledge and cognitive skills, learn by
problem-solving, and experience situational
understanding. Hence, Math teachers continuously
search for the most effective strategies to encourage
their pupils to learn (McNelles et al., 2020).
Despite teachers' efforts to devise effective strategies
for enhancing their pupils' performance, glaring,
uncomfortable facts and figures about teaching and
learning Mathematics have surfaced and continue to
haunt educators.
Out of the 79 countries and regions participating in
PISA's (Program for International Student
Assessment) worldwide testing in 2018, the United
States came in at position 36. Except for Israel, which
has dipped below, and Sweden, which has risen above,
the US ranked behind the same group of nations in
mathematics. Due to the mathematical curriculum's
discovered that children are not mastering the subject's
content (Barshay, 2019).
According to the Trends in International Mathematics
and Science Study in 2019, students from the
Philippines scored much lower than students from
other countries. Only 19 percent of Filipino pupils met
the common criterion, which indicates that they had
some fundamental mathematical understanding, while
81 percent did not even come close. The results of this
international assessment represent a step in the right
direction toward closing curricular and learning gaps
in the primary education system in the Philippines
(Magsambol, 2020). Filipino students received an
average point on the PISA 2018 exam that is strikingly
low and classified as below Level 1 competency,
according to the National Report of the Philippines on
PISA 2018 (Department of Education, 2019). As part
of the quality primary education reform strategy and a
move toward internationalizing Philippine basic
education, the Philippines joined the PISA for the first
time in 2018 (Ciriaco, 2019).
Moreover, Region 12 fell below level 1 proficiency in
Mathematics with a mean score of 306. It means that
the students could not answer questions involving
familiar contexts and identify information to carry out
routine procedures according to direct instructions in
explicit situations.

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Research Article
In the schools in the municipality of Aleosan,
specifically in the context of the researcher, grade
school teachers in Mathematics have encountered
challenges with some learners' lack of mastery of
concepts in solving word problems. It is revealed in
their third quarter performance in Mathematics. With
the different issues and problems presented, the
researcher was prompted to study this problem.
Research Questions
This study aimed to determine the intervention
strategies used by the Mathematics teachers and their
effectiveness in enhancing the performance of pupils
from the public elementary schools in the Municipality
of Aleosan, Province of Cotabato, for the School Year
2021-2022. Specifically, this study sought to answer
the following questions:
1. What are the intervention strategies utilized by
Mathematics teachers to improve learners’
performance?
2. What is the perceived level of effectiveness of the
intervention strategies utilized by Mathematics
teachers in terms of fundamental, computational, and
word problem-solving skills?
3. Is there a significant relationship between the
intervention strategies and their perceived level of
effectiveness in enhancing learners’ performance?
4. What are the challenges encountered by the
respondents while conducting intervention strategies to
the pupils in Mathematics subject?
Literature Review
Teaching Mathematics
Wahyuningrum and Latifah (2020) emphasized that
Mathematics teaching and learning should support
students in developing their mathematical thinking and
reasoning abilities. Regarding how relevant the
problems, questions, or instructions the teacher
provides to make them think and articulate what they
think or understand, particularly during the COVID-19
pandemic, it leads to how mathematics teachers
establish mathematical dialogue in their teaching and
learning. Their research illuminated the reality of
mathematics teaching, learning, and teachers' efforts to
continue a mathematical dialogue through distance
learning during the pandemic.
According to Murtafiah et al. (2020), previous
research disclosed the influence of various ways of
presenting teaching materials on students'
Noel A. Sabando
mathematical problem-solving abilities. Some of these
studies showed that no research had found the types of
material presentations by Mathematics teachers during
the Covid-19 pandemic. Researchers want to
determine how prepared teachers are to present
information during the Covid-19 pandemic. According
to a study, thus the types of materials they produce are
crucial (Hosny et al., 2021).
In the study entitled "How Chinese Students Learn
Mathematics During the Corona Virus Pandemic,
Wijaya (2020) concluded that there is a good student
learning attitude towards the learning video. Because
they could comprehend the mathematical subject
taught, students believe the learning video is
fascinating and influential.
Teachers' efforts to empower many crucial variables to
meet the anticipated learning objectives throughout
this COVID-19 epidemic are crucial in resolving this
issue. Some tried to teach their students the necessary
Math abilities using their approaches, but they had
poor success. Others chose to adopt more convenient
or relatively simple methods for their students, failing
to give their students the tools they needed to prepare
for the far more difficult arithmetic issues they would
eventually experience.
According to Sinambela (2020), to be able to develop
attractive and varied learning materials and the ability
to introduce innovative strategies and choose models
or learning approaches as interventions to motivate
learners to be active in learning and improve their
performance, a teacher's creativity is necessary.
Studies on developing teacher intervention strategies
to improve student performance have been conducted.
This issue adds a significant element to the
framework-building process that will enhance the
connection between intervention strategies and their
efficiency in raising students' math performance.
Intervention Strategies
Children's future educational progress and
employment chances depend on their math aptitude. In
particular, during the COVID-19 epidemic, a growing
body of literature evaluates the effect of interventions
on mathematical achievement.
As stated by Goodrich (2018), Mathematics teachers
need to be able to use intervention strategies that are
specific and targeted to struggling learners to be able
to best address their needs. To determine interventions
that will progress learning, teachers must be able to
use assessments to pinpoint areas of need.
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Research Article
Visualization
Visualization facilitates comprehension, memory,
recall, and problem-solving. This is a critical
component of problem representation, yet many
students do not use this necessary process in learning.
Students must visualize ordinary circumstances or
locations and then describe what they perceive as part
of the visualization process. They learn how to
visualize mathematical issues using images, diagrams,
storyboards, tables, graphs, and other schematic and
graphic displays. They start by creating visual
representations on paper, such as drawings, photos, or
other things, but they have been informed that they can
also create mental images (Wagner, 2018).
In Malaysia, they found out that many studies have
engaged in paper-and-pencil tests to measure students'
instrumental understanding of fractions. However, few
have sought to learn about fraction sense. The results
showed that the low and intermediate achievers lack
fraction sense (Kor et al., 2019). On the other hand, the
high achievers showed flexibility in perceiving and
identifying the representations of fractions. They could
mentally picture and do calculations involving greater
numerators and denominators.
Furthermore, Garzon and Casinillo (2010) conducted a
study on Visualizing Mathematics: The Use of Block
Models for Strategic Problem Solving to grade 7
students in Ibarra National High School, Maasin City.
The data analysis revealed a significant increase in
scores and a significant mean difference in problem-
solving skills between groups who used and did not
use the block model method. He concluded that using
block models can significantly enhance students'
capacity for strategic problem-solving. It was
suggested that math teachers include this strategy in
their teaching intervention strategies.
Guess and Check
Guess and Check as a problem-solving strategy was
expounded by Lew (2019), stating that students can
use it to solve Mathematical problems by guessing the
answer and then checking that the guess fits the
conditions of the problem. One of the most effective
ways to solve differential equations, which are
equations containing an unknown function and its
derivatives, is to guess and check, which all research
mathematicians use. Mathematicians use the terms
"conjecture" and "proof" interchangeably when
referring to their educated guesses. Mathematical
research and problem-solving in the classroom vary
primarily because the former typically has a known
Noel A. Sabando
solution. Checking solutions is essential in the research
process because solutions are frequently unknown.
Guerrero (2018) added that the basic structure of the
strategy involves the following: form an educated
guess, check the solution to see if it works and solves
the problem, and if not, revise the guess based on
whether it is too high or too low. This is a beneficial
method when asked to identify the types or quantities
that make up the total after being given the total.
Alternatively, if the value of two or more distinct types
of items is being questioned. This strategy is quite
helpful and required to arrange the data in a table or
list to keep track of the various educated estimates.
This helps ensure that the following estimates are
rational and not random while visually representing
the crucial information. The most crucial concept for
students to grasp while using this strategy is that they
should make logical adjustments to their initial guesses
to move toward getting closer to the correct response.
Find a Pattern
One of the essential problem-solving strategies in
Mathematics is to look for patterns from a sequence of
numbers. Finding a pattern can be immensely helpful
and save time when working on a word problem.
Sometimes a learner may not immediately identify the
pattern or become overwhelmed by all the subject
specifics. One best approach to arrange items and
provide a visual so that the rule of the pattern may be
identified is to set up a table and fill in the facts from
the question. After that, the rule can be applied to
determine the response to the question. This eliminates
the arduous task of filling up a table, which is
particularly convenient if much computation is
involved (MathGeekMama.com, 2015).
Work Backward
Among the range of problem-solving strategies in
Mathematics, according to Hackenberg (2017),
working backward is an advantageous method in
situations when the result of a problem is known, and
one has to find the initial quantity. The backward word
approach effectively solves issues when an unknown
quantity is subjected to a series of procedures, and the
answer is provided. The approach starts with the
outcome and applies the procedures in reverse order
until the unknown has been discovered.
The backward working strategy is valuable and
efficient in many aspects of our lives when dealing
with word problems. The information given in a
problem can appear like a complex list of facts. In
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such problems, it is sometimes helpful, to begin with,
the last detail given. To apply this strategy, the
following steps must be followed: 1) Read the problem
from beginning to end and identify all components and
steps involved in the problem. 2) Check the outcome
of the problem. 3) From the outcome, start reversing
each Mathematical operation in each step until the
problem's beginning. 4) Resolve the initial state. 5)
Check the answer by starting from the initial state and
working through the steps to see if the outcome is
achieved (Neeman & Amit, 2015).
Kusumayanti et al. (2020) proved that (1) students
who utilized and those who did not employ the
backward working approach to problem-solving
exhibited excellent levels of mathematical reasoning,
but the students' emotional intelligence fell into the
medium range, (2) there were differences in the
Mathematical reasoning abilities between students
who used and those who did not use the working
backward problem-solving strategy, (3) there were
differences in Mathematical reasoning ability between
students who used and those who did not use the
working backward problem-solving strategy in terms
of student's emotional intelligence, and (4) there was
no interaction effect of working backward problem-
solving strategy towards the Mathematical reasoning
ability in terms of the emotional intelligence of the
students of grade VIII of MTCN 1 Makassar.
Repetition
Before entering a more complex subject, students must
first grasp basic math fundamentals. Students can
quickly understand the topics by using the
straightforward tool of repetition. Daily re-looping or
reviewing will bring the previous lesson back into
focus and allow teachers to improve those prior skills
(Wilson, 2020).
Burns et al. (2015) analyzed the number of repetitions
needed to master multiplication Math facts. Results
suggested that students with lower Math skills required
significantly more repetitions than more skilled
students.
Based on the analysis and findings of Lomibao and
Ombay (2015), they concluded that Mathematical
instruction that combines repetition and variety is
more successful in raising student achievement,
conceptual understanding, and retention. They
recommended that teachers could use repetition with
variation as an approach to teaching word problems in
Mathematics involving the four fundamental
operations to enhance the K-12 lesson guides.
Noel A. Sabando
Another study by Ombay and Roble (2020) revealed
that students exposed to repetition with complex
variations methods performed much better than their
counterparts in terms of mathematical cognition. The
researchers then recommend that Mathematics
teachers use this method as a basis for future studies
for more insights into instruction using repetition with
complex variations.
Timed testing
Teachers must include timed assessments that go over
material from the previous class or several classes
when they move beyond the fundamental concepts of
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Teachers can gauge students' understanding by having
them complete a quick test and then grade it in class.
Teachers can tell if pupils have mastered the
fundamental skills when the exam reveals that more
questions are being answered correctly within the
allotted time (Wilson, 2020).
He added that students would have a greater chance of
establishing automaticity if teachers employed a
combined approach of instructional practices and time
to practice chunks of knowledge while using timed
assessments to monitor progress and retention.
Mathematical timed tests can be used with
instructional time to produce automaticity. They can
concentrate their mental efforts on problem-solving
techniques rather than fact-checking. In addition to
being able to use mental math to solve issues, students
who are automatic with math facts find learning new
computing algorithms to be considerably more
straightforward.
Using Mathematical timed tests can bring about
positive, enriching experiences for students learning
chunks of facts. Mathematical timed examinations can
allow students to show off their mathematical skills
and intelligence in conjunction with teaching
approaches (whole group instruction, individual
practice time, review games, hands-on practice, etc.).
Teachers can gain information about a student's level
of recall and accuracy from the outcomes of timed
assessments. The timed exams can also demonstrate to
students what they are capable of and what they need
to practice and review. All ages, learning levels, and
talents can use mathematical timed assessments.
Participating in 6 timed examinations will benefit all
students, even though children with a learning
disability may need additional time or support or
customized instruction or activities to help them
acquire the skills and concepts that other children gain
with relative ease(Tsui & Mazzocco, 2017).
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Math games
Wilson (2020) expounded that reinforcing the
information learned in class is not always the most
straightforward task for teachers. However, Math
games provide the opportunity to make the lesson
exciting and encourage students to remember the
concepts. Games can vary depending on the number of
students in the class, the number of computers, and the
topic being taught. Teachers can use computer games
to practice specific abilities, or they can choose to
employ class games to liven up the session. To help
pupils learn the information, teachers should make
sure to include a strategy in the games.
Play is an integral part of childhood, according to
Smith (2020). It enables children to investigate their
surroundings and approach problems in original and
unique ways. It can also help them create and test new
theories about their world. Play is an integral part of
children's lives since it has sound effects on learning.
It has been demonstrated that playing games inside and
outside the classroom help students learn. Children can
develop academic abilities like logical thinking and
literacy by exploring the cycle of failure, effort, and
eventual achievement in a natural setting provided by
these organizations.
Phases of Effectiveness of Intervention Strategies
Fundamental Skills
McNelles et al. (2020) studied Fundamental Math
Skills and Elementary Math Students in Ontario to
determine the overall success rate associated with
mathematical skills in light of attention placed on
fundamentals. The analysis results show that students
can better demonstrate their skills in the multiple-
choice format than in an open-response item.
Furthermore, it was clear that students in Grades 3 and
6 have better knowledge and understanding of basic
math than is the case with their capacity to put those
abilities to use and to engage in critical thought about
them.
Lim et al. (2012) clarified that the term drill and
practice refer to an exercise that is structured and
repeated to develop and perfect a skill or practice. As
an instructional strategy, it encourages systematic
training through numerous repetitions, practice, and
participation in rehearsals to help students acquire or
develop their proficiency. Like memorization, drill and
practice involve repetition of specific skills, such as
multiplication. To develop or maintain one's specific
Noel A. Sabando
skills, the sub-skills built through drill and practice
should become the building blocks for more
meaningful learning.
Computational Skills
Computational skills in Mathematics are introduced
during the early elementary grades in the following
order: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division. Teachers often reinforce these skills through
games, timed tests, and drills. Prior information is
continually used as a foundation for new learning, and
this process endures until all four skills have been
mastered. These abilities apply to fractions, decimals,
mixed numbers, percentages, ratios, and proportions in
addition to whole numbers (Harris, 2017). He further
explained that computational skills are defined as the
ability to calculate essential addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division problems quickly and
accurately using mental methods, paper-and-pencil,
and other tools such as a calculator. It also requires the
execution of the steps to calculate the solution.
Victoria (2018) explained that children who learn
computational skills can logically express an issue and
reason. They can also use it to analyze the issue and
make future projections. They can investigate cause
and effect and consider how their actions or those of
others impact the current situation.
Word Problem-Solving Skills
Teachers now recognize that developing mathematical
literacy also involves complicated problem-solving,
which gains strength and adaptability with increased
practice (Klerlein & Hervey, 2018). Any circumstance
that needs to be handled mathematically but for which
there is no clear solution right away is referred to as a
problem in mathematics.
Furthermore, they emphasized that teachers need to
look at the theories supporting mathematical learning
to comprehend how pupils develop their problem-
solving skills. These include acknowledging the
developmental components of learning and
emphasizing the crucial reality that children actively
participate in learning mathematics through doing,
talking, reflecting, discussing, watching, exploring,
listening, and reasoning.
The idea that mathematics is essentially about
reasoning and not memorization leads to the
prominence of problem-solving in math education.
Instead of simply knowing and putting into practice a
set of instructions, it enables pupils to build
understanding and explain the methods used to arrive
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at solutions. Problem-solving in Mathematics supports
the development of the ability to think creatively,
critically, and logically, structure and organize,
process information, and solve problems that help
them investigate and understand the world (Wu &
Zhang, 2016).
In the article of Best (2020) entitled "Math Problem-
Solving Strategies That Make Students Say – I Get
It!", four common strategies for problem-solving were
identified, wit: a) Visualizing is an abstract problem
that makes it easier to solve where students could draw
a picture or simply draw tally marks on a piece of
working out paper; b) Guess and Check
shows students how to make an educated guess and
then plug this answer back into the original problem;
c) Find a pattern shows students how to extract and list
all the relevant facts in a problem so they can be easily
compared. Students can use this strategy to retrieve the
missing piece of information. Word Backward is
extremely helpful if they need to locate an ambiguous
number in a mathematical problem or statement.
Moreover, Wilson (2020) identified basic Math
teaching strategies. Repetition is a simple strategy that
teachers can use to improve Math skills. By repeating
and reviewing previous formulas, lessons, and
information, students can comprehend concepts at a
faster rate. When teachers are moving beyond the
simple concepts of numbers into addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division, it is essential to
incorporate timed tests that review the previous class
or several classes. Math games allow teachers to make
the lesson exciting and help pupils remember the
topics, which is not always the most straightforward
assignment for teachers to accomplish.
Mathematics teaching and learning should motivate
students to think and understand what they are learning
and develop their Mathematical skills. An intervention
program must be implemented to address the unique
needs of pupils to ensure greater proficiency in
Mathematics (Carsocho & Molato, 2019). A growing
body of literature assesses the impact of interventions
on mathematical achievement, especially during the
COVID-19 pandemic (Blankman, 2021).
Effectiveness of Different Teaching Strategies
The literature and studies above demonstrate how
much has been written about the intervention strategies
used by elementary mathematics teachers and how
well they improve students' performance. Some
interventions have been successful, while others have
been considered beneficial to the learners' growth.
Noel A. Sabando
The literature cited that the intervention strategies in
teaching Mathematics is to enhance the elementary
pupils' fundamental, computational, and word
problem-solving skills using visualization, guess and
check, find a pattern, work backward, repetition, timed
testing, and math games during the pre-pandemic time.
Given these interventions, it might be difficult for
math teachers to implement the best intervention
strategies while leading a remedial math class.
However, this current research was explored due to the
paucity of data demonstrating the utilization of the
intervention, as mentioned earlier, measures in any
remedial class during this epidemic.
Methodology
Participants
The study was conducted in the Municipality of
Aleosan, Province of Cotabato. The study's
respondents were 200 elementary Mathematics
teachers currently teaching Mathematics subjects in
two (2) Elementary Districts in the Municipality of
Aleosan, North Cotabato.
Instruments of the Study
The instrument used in this study is a researcher-made
survey questionnaire. Its contents were primarily based
on the readings of the related literature and studies,
which were taken from books, journals, and the
internet. All questions were written in English.
The survey questionnaire was divided into four (4)
parts. Part I consisted of ten (10) items regarding the
respondents' demographic profile, including sex, age,
educational attainment, and years of teaching
mathematics. Part II contained twenty (20) items that
will identify the intervention strategies the elementary
Mathematics teacher utilized. Part III included
questions about the effectiveness of the intervention
strategies in enhancing the learners' performance in
terms of fundamental skills, computational skills, and
word problem-solving skills. Each indicator is
composed of 10 items. Each question in Parts II and III
were rated using Vagias' (2006) five-point Likert scale
ranging from 1 to 5, where 1- Not at all Effective
(Strongly Disagree); 2 – Slightly Effective (Disagree);
3 – Moderately Effective (Moderately Agree); 4
–Effective (Agree); and 5 – Very Effective (Strongly
Agree). Part IV of the Questionnaire included the
challenges encountered by the teachers in
Mathematics. A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was
also conducted to gather qualitative data from the
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elementary Mathematics teachers.

Table 1. Summary of Intervention Strategies
Procedures

The researcher secured approval from the Dean of the

Graduate School of Notre Dame of Midsayap College
and the Division Superintendent of the Department of
Education through the Supervisor. Upon approval, the
endorsement letter from the Division was copy Effectiveness of the Intervention Strategies Utilized
furnished to the supervisors and school principals of
by Teachers in Enhancing Learners' Performance
the selected public elementary schools in the
municipality of Aleosan. The schedule of the Table 2. Summary of the Effectiveness of the
administration of the instruments was made. The Intervention Strategies as Perceived by Mathematics
researcher explained the purpose of the study and Teachers
personally distributed and retrieved the Questionnaire.
They were observing the health and safety protocols.
After the data were gathered, coding sheets were
prepared, and data were treated with an appropriate
statistical program.
The findings revealed that fundamental skills obtained
the highest mean of 4.34, interpreted as effective, with
Results a standard deviation of 0.58. on the other hand, item 3
on problem-solving skills obtained the lowest mean of
4.21, interpreted as effective, with a standard deviation
This section presents the result of the study. The data
of 0.60.
are presented in a tabular form, including the
intervention strategies utilized by Elementary further, data generally revealed that the intervention
Mathematics Teachers, the effectiveness of the strategies are effective as perceived by mathematics
Intervention Strategies, and challenges encountered by teachers, with a mean of 4.28 and a standard deviation
Elementary Mathematics Teachers in conducting of 0.59.
Intervention classes.
Relationship between the Intervention Strategies
Intervention Strategies Utilized by Elementary Used by Mathematics Teachers and the Perceived
Mathematics Teachers Level of Effectiveness in Enhancing Learners'
Performance
As presented in Table 1, the area of Repetition topped
Table 3 presents the relationship between the
the list of intervention strategies utilized by
intervention strategies used by Mathematics teachers
Elementary Mathematics teachers with a mean of 4.53 and the perceived level of effectiveness in enhancing
interpreted as Agree and a standard deviation of 0.60. learners' performance.
The area on Timed-Testing was the second highest
area the respondents agreed on, with a mean of 4.36 Table 3. Relationship between the Intervention
interpreted as Agree and a standard deviation of 0.69. Strategies Used by Mathematics Teachers and The
However, the Work Backward intervention strategy Perceived Level of Effectiveness in Enhancing
obtained the lowest mean of 4.16, interpreted as Agree Learners’ Performance
and with a standard deviation of 0.66. Overall, the
respondents agreed with the intervention strategies as
it obtained a grand mean of 4.29, which was
interpreted as Agree and with a standard deviation of
0.65.

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The normality test using Kolmogorov-Smirnov and
Shapiro-Wilk provided the p-values 0.000, 0.000,
0.000, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000, and 0.000 respectively. The
appropriate statistical tool is Spearman Rho correlation
to test the relationship between the intervention
strategies and the Effectiveness level of the
Intervention Strategies utilized by Teachers.
It can be noted in Table 3 that a relationship exists
between intervention strategies used by Mathematics
teachers and the perceived level of effectiveness in
enhancing learners' performance which yielded p-
values less than the .01 level of significance. Hence,
the null hypothesis that there is no significant
relationship between the intervention strategies and
their perceived level of effectiveness in enhancing the
learners' performance is rejected.
Challenges Encountered by Mathematics Teachers
in Conducting Intervention Strategies
Table 4 presents the challenges encountered by
Mathematics teachers in conducting intervention
strategies.
Table 4. Challenges Encountered by Mathematics
Teachers in Conducting Intervention Strategies
Table 4 revealed that item 9, indicating "parents have
no time to help their children to engage in their
learning activities," obtained the highest mean of 3.12,
interpreted as moderately a problem and with a
standard deviation of 1.40.
Further, item 5 on "teachers' heavy workload due to
ancillary duties" obtained the second highest mean of
3.02, interpreted as moderately a problem, with a
standard deviation of 1.36.
Also emerging as moderately a problem was item 4,
which indicated "learners' negative attitude towards
Noel A. Sabando
mathematics subject" after it obtained the third highest
mean of 2.99 and a standard deviation of 1.25.
On the other hand, item 7, which indicated "lack of
support from their schools' administrators in the
provision of funds needed to purchase instructional
materials," obtained the lowest mean of 2.57,
interpreted as moderately a problem and with a
standard deviation of 1.27.
Overall, the respondents viewed the challenges
encountered by mathematics teachers in conducting
intervention strategies as moderately a problem, as
evidenced by the mean of 2.51 obtained and with a
standard deviation of 1.14.
Discussion
This section presents the discussion of the result of the
Intervention strategies utilized by Elementary
Mathematics Teachers, the perceived level of
Effectiveness of the Intervention Strategies, challenges
encountered in conducting Intervention classes, the
difference between the Intervention Strategies used by
Mathematics Teachers in terms of sex, age, number of
years in service, and educational attainment and the
relationship between the Intervention Strategies used
by Elementary Mathematics Teachers in enhancing
learners' performance.
Profile of the Respondents
Regarding their age, most of the respondents are aged
41-50, which reached the highest count, followed by
those who belonged to ages 31-40. Moreover,
respondents aging from 61 and above showed the
lowest frequency. On the other hand, as to their sex,
there were more female respondents than males. This
shows that most of the respondents are female in the
two districts in the Municipality of Aleosan. In terms
of the number of years in teaching Mathematics, the
study revealed that more than half of the respondents
had taught Mathematics for 1-10 years already. In
terms of their educational attainment, the majority of
them have earned MA units.
Intervention Strategies used by Elementary
Mathematics Teachers
Regarding the intervention strategies utilized by the
elementary Mathematics teachers, the study revealed
that the teachers Agreed to have used Repetition as
their topmost strategy to improve the performance of
their learners. This indicates that this strategy enhances
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pupils' mathematical skills and performance and helps
them master the learning competencies in
Mathematics. This gives an implication that this
strategy is an effective technique to improve the
learning of the pupils. These findings support Wilson
(2020), who asserts that the preceding lesson will be
brought back into focus through daily re-looping or
reviews, enabling teachers to build on those prior
skills. Further, the result supports Burns's (2015)
statement that Repetition was substantially more
necessary for students with lower math skills than for
children with higher math skills.
The result also revealed Timed-testing as the other
intervention strategy the elementary Mathematics
teachers Agreed to use in improving their learners'
performance. This shows that teachers gave a short test
as another intervention teaching strategy to asses if the
pupils could solve the problem within a time limit.
These findings were congruent with the statement of
Wilson (2020). He underscored that when a test
reveals that students correctly answer more questions
within the allotted time, teachers can tell whether or
not a student has mastered the fundamental abilities.
This suggests that pupils are deemed to have learned
the fundamental ideas and skills when they can react to
word problems within the allotted time. In contrast,
they lack mastery of the required knowledge and
abilities when they take too long to respond to a
question with the correct response.
Finally, teachers Agreed that they also utilized Math
Games as another intervention to improve their
learners' performance. This indicates that they allow
students to participate in performances or play board
games to practice counting, estimation, and
understanding how money is used in real-world
situations. They also allow students to play dominoes
to practice matching numbers with objects, math facts,
and fraction names with fraction pictures. The result
was congruent with the statement of Smith (2020),
who claimed that children could explore their
surroundings and solve problems in imaginative and
creative ways while playing. This suggests that
learning mathematics can be accomplished not only
through the conventional chalk-talk method or by
paying attention to a teacher who is a wise man on
stage but also by engaging in enjoyable activities.
Math teachers should be creative to make teaching and
learning math harder and fun.
Perceived Level of Effectiveness of the Intervention
Strategies Used by Elementary Mathematics
Teachers in Enhancing Learners' Performance
Noel A. Sabando
In terms of enhancing the Fundamental Skills of the
learners, the study disclosed that the teachers
perceived the intervention strategies are Effective.
Item 1 states that the learners "perform practice tests or
drills to master core concepts," which is described as
Effective. This shows that teachers let their students
solve word problems repeatedly to assist their students
in improving their skills and understanding of the
fundamentals of mathematics. It implies that students
would acquire and improve their knowledge and skills
in analyzing not only mathematical problems but also
problems in everyday life through the use of this
technique, so enabling them to become 21st-century
learners.
However, it was also found that Item 6, "highlight
essential information and leave out unnecessary
information for solving a problem using a diagram," is
the item with the lowest mean but perceived Effective.
This strategy works well in teaching students how to
solve issues correctly. This suggests that this
intervention helps students learn the correct way to
approach problems and improves their ability in
mathematics.
Computational Skills
This study found that the teachers utilized different
intervention strategies, and all items are described as
Effective. Among the ten indicators, item 2 states that
teachers "match numbers with objects, math facts,
fraction names with pictures of fractions" obtained the
highest mean value interpreted as Effective. This
means that pupils learn better and faster if teachers
utilize instructional materials to deliver instruction.
This implies that pupils enhance their performance in
Mathematics if the teacher is creative and innovative
in the presentation of the lesson. This finding
corroborates the statement of Harris (2017), who
explained that computational skills are the capacity to
perform essential addition, subtraction, multiplication,
and division calculations rapidly and correctly using
mental calculations, paper and pencil, and other aids
like calculators.
Moreover, the teachers during the FGD affirmed the
current study's findings. During the focus group
discussion, the teachers verbally stated that they
should be creative and imaginative when using
instructional materials to improve their students'
computational skills by contrasting the abstract with
the tangible or the unfamiliar with the familiar. The
responders state that since their students initially
disliked the topic, they offered more accessible and
practical methods to help them become proficient in
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computation.
Word Problem Skills
In terms of Word-Problem Skills, the teachers
perceived all skills as Effective in enhancing the
learning performance of their learners. Further, item 9,
which states, "read the problem from beginning to end
and identify all components and steps involved in the
problem," obtained the highest mean interpreted as
Effective.
The result aligned with the statement of Klerlein and
Hervey (2018) that when pupils actively participate in
learning mathematics, mainly through doing,
reflecting, observing, and inquiring, they develop
problem-solving skills. It implies that pupils become
better word problem solvers when they are taught to
approach a word problem strategically, such as when
they read, comprehend, and consider all of its features.
In order to equip pupils with word-problem abilities,
teachers should openly and frequently practice reading
and identifying details in the problem.
Item 1, "Extend the patterns visually, algebraically,
numerically to solve the problem," was perceived as
Effective by the respondents as it obtained the second
highest mean of 4.26 with a standard deviation of 0.58.
This means that the respondents were equipped with
alternative methods for solving the word problem,
empowering their students to handle and solve word
problems in class using visuals, expressions, and
numbers. This suggests that teachers and pupils can
work through arithmetic issues together in a
meaningful and productive manner.
Item 2, "Compare one data with another to discover a
pattern," was perceived as Effective by the
respondents for having obtained the third highest mean
of 4.24 and with a standard deviation of 0.59. This
result means that teachers utilize critical information
offered in the issue and recognize the connections
between the data and other pertinent ones.
Furthermore, comparing the data from the problem or
other problems allows the teachers to draw
connections through some valuable patterns. This
suggests that even outside of the given word problem,
their pupils may be able to use math to create a pattern
out of the data at hand.
However, the findings along this line also disclosed
that item 7, which states, "Solve problems by thinking
and by working from the end to the beginning without
using equations," obtained the lowest mean but was
interpreted as Effective. This means that the
respondents often approach word puzzles from
Noel A. Sabando
beginning to conclusion. They may have attempted to
adopt the opposite approach, but since they were
unsuccessful, they gave the intervention the least
amount of importance. This suggests that the
respondents are never at a loss for how to solve word
problems because they have studied all possible
approaches or have at least considered adopting the
unpopular end-to-beginning method.
Furthermore, results from the FGD participants
revealed that this strategy is Effective if the pupils are
proficient in Mathematics. Although this approach is
inappropriate for students who are still considered
beginners, the professors acknowledged that some
students had trouble reading even simple numbers. As
a result, the professors guided their students in
recognizing the pieces of a given problem and got
them involved in reading the problem.
Relationship between Intervention Strategies Used
by Mathematics Teachers and the Perceived Level
of Effectiveness in Enhancing Learners'
Performance
The null hypothesis is rejected in terms of the
significant relationship between intervention strategies
used by Mathematics teachers and the perceived level
of effectiveness in enhancing learners' performance.
The result shows that the more varied the intervention
strategies utilized by teachers, the higher the level of
effectiveness in enhancing the performance of pupils
in Mathematics. This implies that the strategies
effectively prepare pupils to face and solve more
challenging problems in real-life situations.
Challenges Encountered by Mathematics Teachers
in Conducting Intervention Strategies
Among the challenges encountered by teachers in the
delivery of instruction using the different intervention
strategies, the result revealed that "parents have no
time to help their children to engage in their learning
activities" obtained the highest mean interpreted as
Moderately a Problem. The result means that in
helping the pupils become better skilled in
Mathematics, teachers found that parents could not
mentor their kids throughout program implementation
as they completed math learning tasks. This implies
that when the intervention measures were employed,
the parents also had to handle the issue of scheduling
time for mentoring. This is hardly surprising,
considering some parents find it difficult to understand
mathematical instructions. As a result, parents found
teaching their children their tasks extremely
challenging.
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Research Article
Further, item 5 on "teachers' heavy workload due to
ancillary duties" obtained the second highest mean
interpreted as Moderately A Problem. It implies that
teachers are hindered by their ancillary work or tasks
other than their teaching loads which typically
consume much of their time in school. Although they
came up with plans to implement the intervention to
their pupils, they were confronted with time
constraints since they, too, had to perform other tasks
expected of them.
It also emerged as Moderately A Problem was item 4,
"Learners' negative attitude towards Mathematics
subject," which obtained the third highest mean. This
means that the pupils viewed the subject as difficult,
tedious, or something that would never benefit them.
Therefore, teaching learners the intervention strategies
is challenging since they tend to have biases towards
the subjects.
Conclusion
Based on the study's findings, elementary Mathematics
teachers utilized intervention strategies to enhance
their pupils' learning performance. The teachers
Strongly Agreed that they used Repetition to help their
pupils learn better, while for the rest of the
intervention strategies, the teachers Agreed that they
used them. A significant difference was noted in using
Repetition and Timed-testing as intervention
strategies, specifically regarding sex. Male and female
teachers differ in their use of two intervention
strategies. However, the teachers did not significantly
differ in all other strategies under study. Moreover, the
teachers did not exhibit any significant difference in
the intervention strategies' perceived effectiveness
when grouped according to the selected demographic
profile. However, a significant relationship between
the intervention strategies and their perceived level of
effectiveness in enhancing learners' performance is
evident in the study. Finally, parents' time to help their
children perform school tasks at home was the
teachers' most significant challenge when conducting
the interventions.
Acknowledgement
First of all, let me say that I am encouraged upon
realizing that all labors, sweats, pains, tools has now
came into fruition. It is a genuine pleasure to express
my deep sense of thanks and gratitude to all of you
who extended worthwhile suggestions and
constructive criticisms for this work. Dr. Michelle T.
Vina, Dean of Graduate of School, who became the
Noel A. Sabando
source of encouragement and led me through in
pursuing the study; Dr. Evelyn A. Lopez, my research
adviser, who provided time and effort in making this
study a comprehensive one and for her patience,
motivation, enthusiasm, and immense knowledge. I
could not have imagined having a better adviser and
mentor for my study. Ms. Ma. Ezelle M. Bayog, my
research reader, for the encouragement, valuable ideas
and suggestions for making my thesis well-presented
because of the grammar and corrections made; Dr.
Librado V. Lopez, my statistician for the tabulation
and analysis of the data gathered; Dr. Oldric C.
Licaros, Dr. Daisy O. Medalla, and Dr. Rose C.
Maghari, my panelists, for their constructive criticisms
and brilliant suggestions that led me to produce a
refined and quality paper; My sincerest gratitude is
also extended to the following who have also
contributed in the completion of this research study;
Dr. Isagani S. Dela Cruz, CESO V, Schools Division
Superintendent, Cotabato Division, for granting the
researcher the time and the positive and favorable
response on the request to conduct the study. Mrs.
Grace C. Pastolero and Dr. Alicia C. Chavez, District
Supervisor of Aleosan West and Aleosan East together
with the school heads for their approval, concerns and
encouragements in pursuing my higher education for
my professional growth; Mrs. Primitiva C. Villaflor,
HT my School Head, for encouraging me to pursue
this journey. My fellow Elementary Teachers at
Aleosan West and Aleosan East, my respondents, for
the time you shared and spent in answering my
questionnaire, without you this thesis would not be
possible; My friends and classmates who kept on
cheering, motivating, and pushing me to never give up
amidst the struggles in making this research; My
sincerest gratitude and thanks to all the teachers of
Lawili Elementary School who have given their
support and prayers in order for me to accomplish this
work. I would like to give special thanks to my family
for their continuous support and prayers when I was
undertaking my research. Your prayer for me was
what sustained me this far. Above all, Our Almighty
God, who always guide me day by day and keep me
going towards the accomplishments of this works.
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Affiliations and Corresponding Information
Noel Sabando
Lawili Elementary School
Department of Education – Philippines

Lim C.S., Tang K.N., & Kor L.K. (2012). Drill and Practice in
Learning (and Beyond). In: Seel N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the
S c i e n c e s of L e a r n i n g . S p r i n g e r , B o s t o n , M A.

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