COMPREHENSION AND PROFICIENCY IN NUMERACY AMONG KEY STAGE

2 LEARNERS

A Research Proposal Presented to the Faculty of the Humanities and Social

Sciences Department of Eva J. Montilla Farm School
Senior High School Department

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements from the Subject

Practical Research 2 (Quantitative Research)
First Semester, Academic Year 2023-2024

Jericho A. Azuelo
Jessica C. Suarez
Rodel C. Sarentas
Cazupia T. Tapang
Dismaribeth R. Cario

January 2024
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INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

One of the most crucial objectives for today's education is to prepare

individuals with strong reading skills who are able to comprehend what they read.

According to Mullin, (2019), achieving the proper balance between reading

fluency and reading comprehension is important while according to Tomas et al

(2021), the quality of a student’s life can be enhanced by the high level of literacy

in reading

and comprehension since these are directly related to student’s working life.

On the other hand, numeracy is one of the skills that will assist students to

live and work successfully in the 21st century and provide a solid foundation on

which further learning and adult life can be built (Randall, 2019). This

revolutionizes the definition of numeracy as reasoning critically with mathematical

content, information and ideas and not just merely mastery of basic operations

skills. Thus, students need to have higher level of proficiency in numeracy skills

across key learning stages is necessary to survive in the 21st century.

However, the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) data shows that

only three children out of every 20 (15%) schoolchildren in the Philippines can

read simple texts which means that 85% of these 10-year-old school children

cannot read or understand a simple story (Tugado, 2023). In addition, Filipino

learners also have the difficulty in learning mathematical concepts where

international assessments showed that Philippines ranked lowest out of 79

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countries in the Program for International Student Assessment in 2018 (OECD,

2018) and fifthgrade Filipino students also lagged behind students in five other

Southeast Asian countries in Reading, Writing, and Math (United Nation

Children’s Fund [UNICEF], 2019). These results showed that Filipino learners

have performed poorly in comprehension and mathematics.

Moreover, comprehension and numeracy skills are related with each other.

According to Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc. (2018),

the initial level of reading skills was a powerful determinant of student’s later

mathematics performance and the initial level of mathematics skills was also

similarly predictive of reading comprehension. The association between

mathematics performance and reading comprehension suggests that

mathematics and reading problems may result to poor student performance

academically.

The Department of Education (DepEd) Memorandum 179 s. 2019

stipulated that the "gaps in reading comprehension" appear to be the root cause

of the poor levels of achievement of learners in Mathematics, English, and

Science. As student-researchers, there is a need to be aware of comprehension

and numeracy skills among elementary school learners in order to offer better

insights on current educational landscape especially in the local community. In

the context of Eva J. Montilla Farm School, no study has been conducted yet on

the relationship between comprehension and numeracy among Key stage 2

learners.
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Thus, this research aimed to determine the relationship between

comprehension and numeracy among Key Stage 2 learners.

Statement of the Problem

This research aimed to determine the relationship between

comprehension and numeracy skills among Key Stage 2 (Grades 4 to 6) learners

enrolled in school A,B,C,D,E,F enrolled in the school year 2023 – 2024.

Specifically, this research seeks to answer the following questions:

1) What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a) Sex;

b) Grade level

c) School location (upland – lowland )

2) What is the respondent’s level of comprehension skills?

3) What is the respondent’s level of proficiency in numeracy in terms of the

following fundamental operations in mathematics:

a) Addition;

b) Subtraction;

c) Multiplication; and

d) Division?

e) As a whole

4) Is there a significance difference in respondent’s level of comprehension

skills when grouped according to the aforementioned profile variables?

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5) Is there a significance difference in respondent’s level of proficiency in

numeracy when taken as a whole and classified according to the four

fundamental operations in mathematics when grouped according to the

aforementioned profile variables?

6) Is there a significant relationship between respondent’s level of

comprehension skills and proficiency in numeracy?

Hypotheses

Based on the above-stated research questions, this study hypothesized that:

1) There is no significance difference in respondent’s level of comprehension

skills when grouped according to the aforementioned profile variables.

2) There is no significance difference in respondent’s level of proficiency in

numeracy when taken as a whole and classified according to the four

fundamental operations in mathematics when grouped according to the

aforementioned profile variables.

3) There is no significant relationship between respondent’s level of

comprehension skills and proficiency in numeracy.

Theoretical Framework

This research anchored on the Theoretical Model of the Connection

between the Process of Reading and the Process of Solving Mathematical Tasks

as proposed by Ewa Bergqvist and Magnus Osterholm in 2010. The model takes

into consideration different types of previous research about the relationship

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between reading and solving mathematical tasks, including research about traits

of mathematical tasks (a linguistic perspective), about the reading process (a

psychological perspective), and about behavior and reasoning when solving

tasks (a mathematics education perspective). By examining existing research

about relations between reading and solving mathematical tasks in each of these

perspectives, the proponents argue for the necessity of a model that combines

them.

This theoretical model of Bergqvist and Osterholm (2010) describes the

aspects of both reading and solving mathematical tasks and that takes into

account research from three perspectives; linguistics, psychology, and

mathematics education. This model of the reading comprehension of a

mathematical task within linguistic research can therefore be seen as a simple

function of two variables, the reader’s prior knowledge (including different kinds

of abilities) and the complexity of the text; that reading comprehensions

increases with better prior knowledge and with lower text complexity. In the

psychological perspective (the process of reading), which provides no room to

cover the complexities of different types of characterizations of mental processes

and mental representations in order to discuss different possibilities for

describing the reading and solving of mathematical tasks as seen from a

psychological perspective. In the mathematics education perspective (the

process of solving), speaks of a creative reasoning which is based on the

intrinsic mathematical components of the task, and the reasoning is new (to the

solver) and flexible. In order to solve a problem (a task that is basically new to
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the solver) it is necessary to use creative reasoning, since it is not possible to

identify the task and choose a memorized method based on its surface

properties.

Conceptual Framework

This research aimed to determine the relationship between

comprehension skills and proficiency in numeracy among key stage 2 learners in

the school year 2023-2024.

The research framework used the Independent Variable – Dependent

Variable (IV – DV) Model. The independent variable of the study are the

respondent’s profiles such sex, age, parent’s educational attainment, and family’s

monthly growth monthly income while the dependent variables are the

respondents’ level of comprehension skills and proficiency in numeracy.

There are three analytical schemes is used in this quantitative

investigation. First, the respondent’s profiles as to sex, age, parents’ educational

attainment, and family’s monthly growth monthly income, the level of

comprehension skills and the proficiency in numeracy will be descriptively

analyzed. Second, through comparative analysis, this investigation will attempt to

establish differences in respondents’ level of comprehension skills and

proficiency in numeracy when grouped according to profile variables, and third,

through correlational analysis, this investigation will establish a relationship

between comprehension skills and proficiency in numeracy. On the succeeding

page shows the schematic diagram of the study.

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Schematic Diagram
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Figure 1. Paradigm of the Variables of the Study

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This research aimed to determine the relationship between

comprehension and numeracy skills among Key Stage 2 (Grades 4 to 6) learners

enrolled in school A,B,C,D,E and F enrolled in the school year 2023 – 2024.

This study used correlational research design using an adopted-type

research instrument. The three (3) analytical schemes to be used in the study are

the descriptive, comparative, and correlational analysis. This study will be

participated by the Key Stage 2 (Grades 4 to 6) learners.

This research used the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI)

and the Enhanced Regional Unified Numeracy (E-RUNT) for Grades 4 to 6 test

results as the source of data. This will be taken from the respective teachers of

the respondents.

The descriptive statistical tools to used in the study are the frequency and

percentage analysis for profile of the respondents and mean and standard

deviation analyses to determine the respondent’s level of comprehension skills

and proficiency in numeracy; the parametric tests of T-test for Independent

Samples and One-way Analysis of Variance for the significant differences in the

level of comprehension skills and the level of proficiency in numeracy when

grouped according to profile variables, and the Pearson Product Moment

Correlation Coefficient to determine the relationship between comprehension

skills and proficiency in numeracy.

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Based on the foregoing conditions, the findings of the study will be limited

to the above-mentioned research design, respondents, and locale. The results

and conclusions will therefore be being true for this group of respondents and for

that period of time. However, the results can be used as basis for similar studies

that may be conducted at other times and in other schools in other cities and

municipalities. Patterns of similarities may be observed and made use of during

the conduct of the study.

Significance of the study

This study was noteworthy to the following:

School administrators. This research is significant to school

administrators to aid teachers in designing literacy and numeracy interventions

that provide a strong literacy and numeracy skills which lay the foundation for all

students to succeed at school, at work and their daily life.

Teachers. This study will also beneficial to teachers in order for them to

design engaging lessons, provide clear explanations, and offer various teaching

methods to cater to diverse learning styles of learners. This research can also

provide valuable insights into effective teaching methods, learning strategies, and

interventions tailored to enhance comprehension and numeracy skills at key 2

stage.

Parents. This research was significant to parents since this will provide

reflective thinking on their children’s actual performance and may provide support

their children's learning by creating a conductive environment at home,

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encouraging regular homework completion, and fostering a positive attitude

towards math and reading.

Students. Students play a crucial role in the comprehension and

proficiency in numeracy where their active participation and engagement in the

learning process significantly impact their understanding of mathematical

concepts and

skills.

Future Researchers: Future researchers may conduct similar studies on

comprehension and numeracy in a wider context.

Definition of Terms

The following conceptual and operational definitions of the terminology used in

this study have been provided for the convenience of the readers.

Comprehension. According to Wexler (2019), comprehension is the

ability to make meaning and the ultimate goal of reading which is much more

than a collection of skills and strategies that students apply to text and requires

metacognitive skills, vocabulary, background knowledge, and verbal reasoning

ability.

In this research, this term refers to the level of comprehension of Key Stage

2 learners manifested from the given Phil-IRI comprehension scores.

Learners. According to UNESCO (n. d.), learners are equal and right

holders entitled to quality education provision and other services that ensure

survival, development, learning, and wellbeing.

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In this study, learners refer to the Key Stage 2 officially enrolled learners of

the elementary schools of Sitio Hanot, Capaclan, and Calutan of Barangay

Inayawan in the Municipality of Cauayan in the Province of Negros Occidental.

Numeracy. According to Basdas (2020), numeracy is not simply the ability

to do calculations but it is about the interpretation of those calculations, the

understanding of the relationship between numbers, and manipulation of material

components of the world.

In this research, this term refers to the proficiency of learners in the four

fundamental operations in mathematics like addition, subtraction, multiplication,

and division and assessed using the E-RUNT for Key Stage 2 learners.

Review of the Related Literature

This review presents the related concepts, theories from various literature,

and readings from the internet which are mathematically arranged to create a

visual representation of the study.

Comprehension Skills

According to the study of Pagal (2017), reading comprehension is a

widespread topic in academic researches. Some researchers considered this

subject matter as cliche, overused, hackneyed. However, we cannot deny the

fact that even in this modern time one of the vivid and top ranked problems in the

Philippine education system is learners' reading comprehension. Teaching areas

across the nation are mixed together with students who experience the reading

comprehension frustration every day. Without comprehension, reading is just

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uttering the words without understanding them. The words on the page have no

meaning.

DeBruin-Parecki et al. (2015) as cited by Alghonaim (2020) states the

reading enables students to become independent in comprehending complex

text structures while improving proficiency in academic and professional skills.

Successful readers tend to have a higher extent of comprehension as they are

able to create connection between different ideas, understand complex notions

and reflect on the information simultaneously while reading. Hence, educators

are required to implement educational strategies that promote critical thinking

and prereading to develop comprehension skills in students (Javed et al. 2015).

The study conducted by Jiang (2016) as cited from by Alghonaim (2020)

examined the association between oral reading and level of comprehension in

ESL students with different backgrounds in first language. The finding suggested

that difference first language backgrounds tend to have different factors that

develop reading comprehension as its first language tend to be orthographically

distant from English. Jiang (2016) provides implication regarding the ESL

curriculum design and regarding activities to improve the extent of reading

comprehension among ESL learners.

The prevalence of reading comprehension is actually the output of

decoding and understanding, and such process becomes more complex for

second

language learners (Bellocchi, et al, 2017). This study enlightens the significance

of comprehension in second language acquisition and provide evidence

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regarding the efficacy of oral reading activities in improving the extent of reading

comprehension in ESL students.

The study conducted by Meyer and Ray (2017) indicate that ESL

educators should group reading on the basis of problem solving, comparison,

causation, collection and description in texts. Thus, the prevalence of variety in

ESL reading material helps in teaching the students an effective means of

comprehension while providing the ESL educators with feedback that is specific

to the modeling and need of adaptation in the text structure.

This is the reason, reading comprehension skills are so important. Without

them, the reader is not in a position to gather any information and use it to

efficiently function and enjoy the richness of life. Henceforth, this study claimed

that sex, age, parent’s educational attainment, and socio-economic status as

represented by the family’s monthly income, could influence reading

comprehensibility.

Differences in Comprehension between sex of learners

In terms of gender factor, there have been only a few studies that have

incorporated the investigation on gender differences in reading comprehension.

In

Sun, et al (2013)’s study, it was found that males participants performed better in

on-screen reading whereas females outperformed males in print reading.

In another study, Wu (2014) investigated gender differences in an online

reading activity, metacognitive strategies, navigation skills and reading literacy

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among students from nineteen countries and found that there were gender

differences concerning the knowledge of metacognitive approaches, navigation

skills, as well as in electronic reading assessment (ERA) and printed reading

assessment (PRA), showing that females exhibited reading prominence in

printed reading assessment as compared to males.

Differences in Compression between Grade Level of learners

The level of reading comprehension refers to the type of mental

representation that is made of the written text. The reader builds a mental model

in which he can integrate explicit and implicit data from the text, experiences, and

previous knowledge (Kucer, 2016; van den Broek et al., 2016).

In the scientific literature, there are investigations (Yussof et al., 2013; Ulum,

2016) that also identify levels of reading comprehension ranging from a literal

level of identification of ideas to an inferential and critical level that require the

elaboration of inferences and the data transformation.

In Brazil, reading has been widely discussed, mainly due to the published

results of national and international performance exams of Brazilian

schoolchildren. The most recent results of the International Student Evaluation

Program (PISA), coordinated in Brazil by the National Institute of Studies and

Educational Research Anísio Teixeira (INEP), applied in 2018, were released in

2019 (Brasil, 2019; OECD, 2019).

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However, reading comprehension is essential for future learning and

understanding, and without it, pupils will struggle academically. The study aimed

to evaluate the reading comprehension skill level of the Grade 5 pupils through

contextualized learning materials. The study was conducted in the school year

2022-2023 at Guadalupe Central Elementary School in the school division of

Agusan del Sur.

Furthermore, the level of reading comprehension skills of students with

learning difficulties in the Kasbah of As-Salt, and the study used the descriptive

method on a sample of (54) male and female students chosen randomly. The

reading comprehension scale was developed and prepared by Al-Mahalla and Al-

Ramamneh (2019), and the results indicated that the level of reading

comprehension was at an intermediate level and in all its three dimensions

(literal, deductive, and creative). And the existence of statistically significant

differences in the level of reading comprehension due to the variable of gender in

favor of males, and there are also statistically significant differences in the level

of overall reading comprehension due to the variable of the educational level of

parents and in favor of holders of a bachelor's degree.

Differences in Compression between School Location

Disparities in access to educational resources between urban and rural

schools in the Philippines contribute to differences in comprehension levels.

Research by Fernandez et al. (2020) revealed that urban schools often have

better infrastructure, instructional materials, and technology compared to rural

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schools. These resources play a vital role in facilitating effective teaching and

learning, thereby influencing comprehension outcomes.

However, The quality of teaching also varies between urban and rural

schools in the Philippines, impacting comprehension levels among Key Stage 2

learners. A study by Ramos and Martinez (2021) emphasized the importance of

teacher training and professional development in enhancing instructional

practices. Urban schools may have greater access to qualified and

experienced teachers, whereas rural schools face challenges in recruiting and

retaining skilled educators.

Urban schools contend with challenges such as larger class sizes and

diverse student populations, affecting individualized attention and tailored

teaching methods (Jones et al., 2019). Conversely, rural schools often face

resource constraints and limited access to educational support services, which

can impact comprehension outcomes (Smith & Johnson, 2020). Understanding

these disparities is crucial for implementing targeted interventions to ensure

equitable learning experiences for all students, regardless of their geographical

location.

However a study comparing comprehension levels of key stage 2 learners

in urban and rural areas of China, Wang and Guo (2018). They found that

students in urban schools generally exhibited higher comprehension skills

compared to their rural counterparts, attributed partly to better educational

resources and infrastructure available in urban settings.

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Furthermore, Liu et al. (2020) investigated regional disparities in

comprehension among key stage 2 learners across different provinces in

China. They identified significant variations in comprehension outcomes, with

coastal regions generally showing higher performance levels compared to

inland and remote areas. Factors such as economic development, educational

investment, and access to quality teaching resources were cited as influential

factors.

In addition, the impact of socioeconomic status on comprehension

outcomes among key stage 2 learners in various school locations in China,

Chen and Zhang (2019). Their findings indicated that students from lower

socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly in rural and underdeveloped regions,

faced greater challenges in comprehension due to limited access to

educational resources and support.

Differences in 4 Fundamental Operations in Mathematics Between

Proficiency in Numeracy in Elementary School

The indicators reflect understanding mathematical concept, its meaning,

characteristics, symbols, correlated procedures, method of application in life

situations, and inferring relevant mathematical generalization. Shteiwi, Zubi,

and Barakat (2019) define conceptual understanding as: “the ability to

completely perceive mathematical ideas, the ability to present such concepts in

more than one way, and correlating them to relevant procedures, and finally the
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ability to conclude and assess interrelations in a reasonable and correct way”.

It also involves accurate and swift use of such symbols in a correct

mathematical language that provides the student with flexibility and fluency

needed for mathematical problem solving.

Singha et al. (2012) reported that mathematics students and teachers

face various problems in learning and teaching mathematics. According to the

NAS report (2017), the performance of students in mathematics is much poorer

at the state level (Odisha) than at the national level (India). Students are not

able to perform the basic skills of mathematics. The question pattern of NAS

2017 is competency-based,but the students are not able to solve the

questions.

Mathematics has a vital role both in the classroom and in our daily lives.

Its application and reasoning skills help students strengthen themselves in

different areas of mathematics. But students have a fear of mathematics. The

reason behind this may vary from student to student. Some problems behind

such causes are a lack of understanding or misunderstanding of important

concepts or not attending the previous class. Children who have a bad attitude

towards mathematics experience performance issues as a result of their fear.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the difficulties faced by pupils in

solving mathematical problems in various schools in the Bonth and

Basudevpur blocks in the Bhadrak district of Odisha. In the present study, an

attempt has been made to know the students’ difficulties in solving different

mathematical problems and also to analyse these difficulties.

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Numeracy of Schoolchildren in the Philippines

There were worrying indications of an education crisis in the Philippines

even before the pandemic. The report from the Program for International Student

Assessment (PISA) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and

Development (OECD) in 2018 that revealed Filipino students had the lowest

scores in mathematics, science, and reading among 79 countries was the source

of the crisis's most widely reported news. Filipino 15-year-old children performed

better than the 489 OECD average in math and science, scoring 353 and 357

points, respectively (Villegas, 2021). In comparison to the majority of the nations

and economies that took part in PISA 2018, the Philippines' 15-year-old children

performed worse in reading, mathematics, and science, according to the OECD's

(2018) PISA Country Note for the Philippines. The Philippines and the Dominican

Republic had the lowest scores of any nation. One of the greatest shares of low

performers among all PISA-participating countries and economies is the

Philippines, where more than 80% of pupils did not achieve a minimum level of

competency in reading. These exams were introduced in 2000 and are repeated

every three years. In both math and science, the Philippines came in second to

worst place (Dominican Republic) in the 2018 examinations. It came in last when

read.

Villegas (2021) went on to say that in another international test, the 2019 report

of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), our

Grade 4 students obtained the lowest scores in mathematics and science among

the 58 countries involved in the study. There was a clear deterioration from 2013
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to 2019. The Philippines scores decreased by 61 points (from 358 in 2003 to

297) and by 83 points (from 332 in 2003 to 249) in mathematics and science

achievement, respectively. A third international test, the Southeast Asia Primary

Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) Program 2019 Main Regional Report revealed that

only 10% of our Grade 5 students met the proficiency standards of reading, 2%

writing, and 17% in mathematics. The same report showed that more than half of

our Grade 5 students are taught by teachers who got training in the language of

instruction from in-service trainings or none at all.

It is realistic to anticipate that the ongoing pandemic's impact on public health

will cause the students' subpar academic performance to worsen. Due to the

frequent lockdowns, there has been little face-to-face interaction throughout the

new normal, and students are now forced to rely only on their course materials to

complete their education. Poor content quality in modules and materials for

distance learning are a common result, which has created a learning crisis.

Approximately 2.7 million students have left school due to widespread job loss

and financial declines. Many of those who have managed to stay in school do not

have access to the learning tools required for online instruction. To make matters

worse, budget cuts have been made to government spending on training and

education since it competes with needs for medical care.

Former Education Secretary Armin Luistro presented a dire assessment of our

students enrolled in basic education in a report to a joint committee of members

of the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) and certain legislators. PBEd

(2018) found that among learners, 52% are in poor health, 44% have inadequate
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diet, and 37% don't get enough sleep while 30.7% of people experienced hunger

in September 2020, the pandemic's height; 1.9 million students are wasted,

including 309,000 who are seriously wasted; 60% of the students report being

bullied; 26% feeling lonely; and 20% feeling uncomfortable; 40% of teachers are

absent, and 35 to 60% of teachers are tardy, which affects the quality of

instruction; and 20% of the students must exchange textbooks due to a lack of

educational resources.

In the Philippines, the outlook on this problem is met with worry, a little defiance,

but largely it is treated as a national emergency. Not without cause, either.

According to the World Bank's State of Global Learning Poverty (2022), which

was just released and revised, the nation has some of the highest levels of

learning poverty in Asia. The Philippines outperformed all of its ASEAN neighbors

in terms of learning poverty, with the exception of Lao PDR (97.7%) and Brunei

(90.9%). (no assessment included). Being ranked higher than other nations does

not necessarily indicate that the nation is doing well. Instead, the scoring is set

up so that a greater score indicates a worse performance.

Students, especially in the basic level and those who are marginalized, need

intensive and active support from the government to recover education lost due

to school closures, aggravated by economic, personal, and social circumstances.

There is a need, too, “to rebuild their mental and physical health, social

development and nutrition” (UNICEF, 2022), which requires more than a return to

face-to-face modality of learning.

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The window for regaining fundamental literacy abilities that have been

harmed by learning disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic is small.

To expedite this recovery and address the nation's high rate of learning poverty in

a sustained manner, a more explicit expression of political will is required, one

that places literacy and education recovery as a top priority alongside other

urgent issues (Garcia, 2022).

Proficiency in Numeracy and Sex

The relationship between proficiency in numeracy and sex have been

researched extensively for the past decade (Abaidoo, 2018). According to

Ghazvini and Khajehpour (2011) there is a difference between the cognitive

levels of boys and girls. They noticed that the learning task of girls is more

adaptive than boys.

Research findings presented by Anjum (2015) revealed that significant

difference was found between mathematics achievement of girls and boys at

upper primary school stage. Di Tommaso, et al (2016) presented results that girl

systematically underperform boys in mathematics, even after controlling for an

array of individual and family background characteristics, and that the average

gap increases with children’s age. Mutai (2011) also revealed that gender was

strongly associated with mathematics achievement where boys’ schools

performed better than girls’ schools and showed that boys had a stronger affinity

and interest towards mathematics.

Meanwhile, Ghasemi, et al (2019) reported findings that no statistically

significant large differences were observed comparing the performance of girls

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and boys in mathematics achievement and the number of high achievers where

boys were found to have more variability in mathematics achievement than girls.

This finding further isolates the potential cause of women’s underrepresentation

in mathematics-related careers as policies driven by implicit and explicit cultural

biases.

Rodriguez et al (2020) made a review on gender differences in

mathematics performance and revealed that gender differences, even in primary

education, in mathematics self-concept, self-efficacy, and interest, suggesting

that boys generally have better motivational profiles in mathematics than have

girls. The study of gender differences in mathematics motivation in these first

educational phases is of particular interest.

From the discussion above, the influence of gender on numeracy is not

clear; whiles some researchers have found a statistically significant difference,

other found no significance difference. In assessing the performance of boys and

girls, it has been revealed that it depends on the subject but it has been

established that they have different cognitive level

Relationship between Comprehension and Proficiency in Numeracy

In a review of the study conducted by Anselmo et al. (2017) involving 298

students that attended a rural middle school in the Southeast where the

participating school enrolled students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades” from North

Carolina, USA where probes were group administered in language arts

classrooms and scored by teachers who had been trained to administer and
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score based on standardized procedures” showed results that math performance

reflects on basic reading skills such as, “reading comprehension where a

stronger part of math ability than calculation skills and should not be ignored

when considering overall math skills”. Meanwhile, Fuchs et al. (2015) studied

206 children from 54 2ndgrade classrooms in 14 schools. shows the importance

between comprehension and math as seen in text comprehension.

Moreover, Fuchs et al. (2018) conducted a study on 325 students

“selected to represent high, average, and low reading and mathematics

performance from

133 2nd-grade classrooms in 24 schools” and employed a stringent model that

simultaneously controlled for TC and early word-problem skill, both of which have

been shown to share variance with language”. The world problem (WP) language

was assessed with WP assessment”. Researchers concluded that “language

predicted each of the word problem outcomes substantially and significantly

more strongly than the contrasting mathematics outcome involving pure

calculations. This provides strong evidence for the role of language in word

problem solving”. Furthermore, in the study of MacDonald & Banes (2017) to 29

Grade 4 students in Applegate Elementary showed that reading comprehension

is strongly correlated with students’ success on mathematical word problems”.

Researchers found that using different strategies such as discussing with a

partner, drawing, and writing improved students’ comprehension of word

problems.
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In finality, Trakulphadetkrai et al. (2020) studied fifty-two urban schools

across the south of England and the data collection took place between

December 2014 and March 2015, and in June 2016. A battery of five tests was

administered to each child and this took around an hour per child to complete”.

Researchers found “prominent role language plays in the development and

assessment of mathematical ability”. In addition, researchers concluded, “FLE

learners significantly outperform EAL learn-errs in the word-based component of

the mathematics test only. The results of this study also indicate that there are

differences in how reading comprehension ability is related to the mathematical

word problem solving performance for FLE and EAL learners”.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This section of the action research study discusses the participants of the

study, research design, data gathering methods, plan for data analysis, and

ethical considerations.

Research Design

This study used descriptive correlational research design to determine the

relationship between the relationship between comprehension and proficiency in

numeracy among key stage 2 learners Descriptive-correlational research,

according to Stangor and Walinga (2019), is research designed to discover

relationships among variables and to allow the prediction of future events from

present knowledge and involves the measurement of two or more relevant

variables and an assessment of the relationship between or among those

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variables. Descriptive – correlational method was appropriate to be used since it

presents the existing relationship between gross motor skills and social skills

among preschoolers.

In this investigation, the descriptive method used to quantify the profile variables

such as sex, age, parents’ educational attainment, and family gross monthly

income. The same descriptive method will also be used to determine the

respondent’s level of comprehension skills and proficiency in numeracy. The

descriptive-comparative analysis will also be used to determine the significant

differences in the respondent’s level of comprehension skills and proficiency in

numeracy when grouped according to the aforementioned profile variables. The

correlational analysis used to determine the relationship between comprehension

skills and proficiency in numeracy among key stage 2 learners.

Participants of the Study and Sampling

This research aimed to determine the relationship between

comprehension and numeracy skills among Key Stage 2 (Grades 4 to 6) learners

enrolled in school A,B,C,D,E and F enrolled in the school year 2023 – 2024. This

will be participated of two hundred eleven (211) out of three hundred seventeen

learners of these elementary schools which was determined using the Raosoft

Online Sampling Calculator. This online sampling calculator was created to

calculate sample sizes and determine the number of responses required for

observational surveys to achieve the needed confidence level with a margin of

error of usually 5%.

 28

This study used two-stage sampling technique, a stratified random

sampling on the first stage and a systematic random sampling on the second

stage. Stratified random sampling is a method of sampling involves the division

of a population into smaller subgroups known as strata (Hayes, 2022) while

according to Wright, et al (2015), systematic random sampling (SRS) is a

stereological tool which provides a framework to quickly build an accurate

estimation of the distribution of objects or classes within an image whilst

minimizing the number of observations required.

During sampling, learners can be identified based on the classroom

setting arrangement with reference to the entrance door of the classroom. The

sample will be the second child as computed based on systematic sampling

technique.

Sample distribution is showed in the table below.

Table 1
Sample distribution of the participants of the study
Strata Population Size Sample size Total sample Male
Female Male Female size

A4S1 15 7 10 5 15
A5S1 12 8 8 6 14
A5S2 10 8 7 6 13
A6S1 21 15 15 10 25
B4S1 7 8 5 6 11
B5S1 12 8 8 6 14
B6S1 18 5 12 3 15
C4S1 5 8 4 6 10
C5S1 7 2 5 1 6
C6S1 5 7 3 4 7
D4S1 9 10 5 6 11
 29

D5S1 13 11 7 6 13
D6S1 9 6 5 3 8
E4S1 8 11 4 6 10
E5S1 3 9 2 5 7
E6S1 6 12 3 7 10
F4S1 6 6 3 3 6
F5S1 3 12 2 7 9
F6S1 5 7 3 4 7

Total 174 143 211

Research Instrument

This study used adopted type research instrument modified to fit on the

variables intended to measure. The first instrument will use the Phil-IRI Reading

graded passages for Grades 4 - 6 to determine the comprehension level of Key

xStage 2 learners. This Phil – IRI graded passages will compose of four

passages with 6 items each passage.

The second instrument is the Enhanced-Regional Unified Numeracy Test (E-

RUNT) which is composed of forty (40) – item test in addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division to determine the proficiency level in numeracy. The

ERUNT is a standardized test taken from the Regional Memorandum No. 827, s.

2022 to determine the proficiency level in numeracy and performance of the

learners across grade levels (DM 782, s. 2022). Grades 4 to 6 questionnaires are

comprised of 40 items distributed equally in four (4) basic mathematical

operations. Further, the type of basic numerical facts given in each operation

varies according to the grade level of the learners. Basically, the Key Stage 1

learners will solve one-digit by one-digit number of numerical facts while the Key
 30

Stage 2 learners will solve one-digit by two-digit or two-digit by two-digit

numerical facts.

The instrument used is consisted of three (3) sections. The first section

will be intended for the profile of the respondents as to sex, age, parent

educational attainment, and the family’s monthly income. The second section is

the Phil-IRI results while the third section is the E-RUNT results.

Data Gathering Methods

This study employed the following data gathering procedure:

A Letter of Consent (LOC) will be sent to the principal of Capaclan Elementary

School, Calutan Elementary School, and Hanot Elementary School . Soon after

the approval of the LOC, copy of which will be sent to the respective advisers of

the target participants to inform that a study on the comprehension and

proficiency in numeracy among key stage 2 learners will be conducted. Soon

after all advisers were properly informed, an Informed Consent Form (ICF) will be

sent to the respective participants. After the return of the ICF, the survey

questionnaires will be administered to both the learner-participants and the

participant’s parents using the survey method.

The distributed questionnaires are expected to be accomplished after two

(2) weeks. After all questionnaires were retrieved, data encoding and coding will

follow. The encoded and coded data will be tabulated, analyzed, and interpreted

for conclusions and recommendations.

 31

Statistical Analysis Plan

This study employed the following statistical tools:

For the first objective, the frequency and percentages will be used to determine

the demographic profile of the participants according to sex, age, parent

educational attainment and family gross monthly income.

For the second, the mean and standard deviation analyses will be used to

determine the participant’s level of comprehension skills and proficiency in

numeracy and when grouped according to profile variables as to sex, age,

parents educational attainment-, and the family’s monthly income. According to

Andrade (2020), the mean tells us what the average value is and the SD tells us

what the average scatter of values is, around the mean. Taken together,

especially along with the range, these statistics give a good mental picture of the

sample.

The Phil-IRI reading test uses predetermined set of criteria in identifying

the reading level of each student for each passage. These criteria include the

percentage of word recognition accuracy and the percentage of correct answers

to comprehension questions (adapted from Johnson, Kress and Pikulski, 1987).

The comprehension scores will be interpreted using the scale scores below.

Comprehension Score Range Comprehension Level

80-100% Independent
59-79% Instructional
58% and below Frustration
 32

For the third objective, the mean and standard deviation analysis will also

be used to determine the proficiency level in numeracy of Key Stage 2 learners.

This is adapted from DepEd RO6 Regional Memorandum No. 630, s. 2023. The

E-RUNT scores will be interpreted as shown below.

Mean Percentage Score Proficiency Level in Numeracy

36 -- 40%. Highly Proficient
30 – 35% Proficient
20 – 29% Nearly Proficient
10 – 19% Low Proficient
0 – 9% Not Proficient

For the fourth and fifth objective, the T-test for Independent Samples will be used

to determine the significant differences of the respondent’s levels of

Comprehension and Proficiency in numeracy when grouped according to sex.

According to Laerd Statistics, the independent t-test, also called the two-sample

ttest, independent-samples t-test or student's t-test, is an inferential statistical

test that determines whether there is a statistically significant difference between

the means in two unrelated groups. The null hypothesis for the independent t-test

is that the population means from the two unrelated groups are equal.

On the other hand, the One-way Analysis of Variance (One-way ANOVA)

will be used to determine the significant differences of the respondent’s levels of

Comprehension and Proficiency in numeracy when grouped according to age,

parents’ educational attainment, and family monthly income. According to Laerd

Statistics, the One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be used to determine

 33

whether there are any statistically significant differences between the means of

three or more independent (unrelated) groups. The one-way ANOVA compares

the means between the groups you are interested in and determines whether any

of those means are statistically significantly different from each other.

Finally, for the sixth objective, the Pearson Product Moment Correlation

Coefficient will be used to determine the significant relationship between

comprehension and proficiency in numeracy. According to Yeager (2020), the

Pearson’s correlation coefficient is a measure of linear correlation between the

two given variables that produces a sample correlation coefficient, r, which

measures the strength and direction of linear relationships between pairs of

continuous variables.

By extension, the Pearson Correlation evaluates whether there is

statistical evidence for a linear relationship among the same pairs of variables in

the population. Fulton (2019), describe correlations range from -1.00 to 1.00

where the negative numbers indicate negative relationships; positive numbers

indicate positive relationships; and correlation of 0.00 indicates no relationship.

Lakens (2013) managed to describe the correlation’s effect sizes in order

to verbally describe the strength of the correlation using the guide that Evans

(1996) suggests for the absolute value of r: 0.00-0.19 “very weak”, 0.20-0.39

“weak”, 0.40-

0.59 “moderate”, 0.60-0.79 “strong”, and 0.80-1.0 “very strong. The closer the

value is to 1 or –1, the stronger the linear correlation.

 34

Ethical Considerations

The study will carried out within the perimeter of ethical standards: to

ensure informed consent from all participants an explanation of the purpose of

the study will be outlined in an introductory paragraph at the beginning of the

questionnaires. This will give the participants an explanation of the nature, and

purpose of the research. The issue of respecting the confidentiality of all

participants will be considered, anonymity will be guaranteed to all participants by

assuring that no individual’s name will be disclosed during the course of the

study.

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APPENDIX A Research Instrument COMPREHENSION AND PROFICIENCY

IN NUMERACY AMONG KEY STAGE 2 LEARNERS

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE

Information herein provided will be used for the research study alone and will be kept
with utmost confidentiality. Do not write your name on this questionnaire.

Section I: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION. Put a check mark to where it is

appropriate.
Demographic Information
1) Sex □ Male □ Female
2) Age (in years) ______________
3) Parent’s Educational □ Elementary level/graduate
Attainment □ Secondary Level/graduate
□ College Level/graduate
□ Post Graduate Studies 4)
Parent’s Gross Monthly □ Php 5,000 & below
 40

Income □ Php 5,001 to Php 10,000

□ Php 10,001 to Php 15,000
□ Php 15,001 to Php 20,000
□ Php 20,001 & above

Section 2. Comprehension Scores

Please indicate learner’s comprehension score on the black provided:
_______________

Section 3. Numeracy Scores. Please indicate learners’ numeracy scores below:

Addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division
Total