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Effects of Concept Scaffolding Teaching Approach on Grade 7 Students’

Conceptual Understanding and Problem Solving Performance in Mathematics

Conference Paper · February 2023

DOI: 10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2023.27

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 Effects of Concept Scaffolding Teaching Approach on Grade 7 Students’ Conceptual
Understanding and Problem Solving Performance in Mathematics

Asgar M. Anda, Mindanao State University, Philippines

Jocelyn P. Aman, Mindanao State University, Philippines

The Asian Conference on Education 2022

Official Conference Proceedings

Abstract
Teachers must encourage their students to embrace mathematics and study it as simple as
possible because majority of the students consider mathematics as one of the difficult
subjects. This study aimed to investigate how the conceptual understanding and problem-
solving performance of the students in mathematics were affected by the concept scaffolding
teaching approach on the topic domain such special products and equations and inequalities
in one variable. Quasi-experiment with pretest-posttest control group design was utilized.
Participants were Grade 7 students from Mindanao State University-Saguiaran Community
High School. The results revealed that after intervention, there was a significant difference on
the mean scores between the control and experimental groups on the conceptual
understanding test. Similarly, a significant difference was observed on mean gain scores
between control and experimental groups on the conceptual understanding test. The mean
score on the problem solving performance test showed a significant difference on control and
experimental groups as well. However, it was discovered that there was no significant
difference on the mean gain scores between the control and experimental groups on the
problem solving performance test, even though the experimental group had a higher mean
gain score than the control group. The results of this study showed that the concept
scaffolding teaching approach has a favorable effect on the conceptual understanding and
problem solving performance of students in mathematics. The study was unable to
distinguish the difference in the mean gain scores on the control group and experimental
group in the problem solving performance test.

Keywords: Concept Scaffolding Teaching Approach, Traditional Teaching Approach,

Problem-Solving Performance, Conceptual Understanding

iafor
The International Academic Forum
www.iafor.org
Introduction

Mathematics is a subject that needs ample time to comprehend, especially in solving word
problems in the textbook. Some of the problems are not easily visualized by the students and
the situation being depicted. Students nowadays are continually undergoing changes. They
are more interested on the context which they can visualize easily and relate the topic in a
more practical situation. This can only be made possible if the teacher’s approach in teaching
his lesson is being guided and contextualized according to the interest of his learners and
their life circumstances.

One of the difficult subjects is regarded to be mathematics according to some research. Ganal
& Guiab (2014) describe mathematics as difficult, obscure, and of little interest to students.
According to Eduafo (2014), the ability to use mathematics effectively is essential for
academic success as well as civic engagement, job success, and personal fulfillment. The
Department of Education (DepEd) in partnership with the Mathematics Teachers Association
of the Philippine conducts an annual competition in mathematics to build the competitiveness
to both elementary and high school students. Most of the questions are problem solving
which need an extreme analysis and time to solve the given problem. In the year 2017, one of
the students in Bangasamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao won a gold medal in
an international mathematics competition. It is indeed inspiring to see students competing and
excelling in such contest despite of the weakening status of mathematics education in the
Philippines. The K–12 programs could further worsen high school students' results on the
National Achievement Test (NAT) in both private and public schools. It is very dismaying
because the result is very poor specifically in mathematics.

In the year 2006, most schools in the country have not reached the cut-off score which is 75%
in mathematics. NAT scores below 50% indicate a low mastery of the subject. In the year
2011, the DepEd admitted that 67% of high schools fared poorly in the said test. Students
sometimes struggle with answering math questions by applying formulae, properties,
theorems, and/or laws improperly and failing to fully solve problems even when they follow
the initial procedure correctly (Capate and Lapinid, 2015). Also, the poor achievement of
students in mathematics is caused by four factors: the students, teacher, classroom
management and evaluation (Andaya, 2014). In addition, out of 45 nations, the Philippines
scored 42nd on the International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) in mathematics.
The Philippines’ rank has not improved since 1999 and did not participate in the 2007, 2011,
2015 TIMSS. Hence, based on this stagnation, this simply implies that the education in the
Philippines needs to improve specifically in mathematics.

Teaching strategies and other teaching techniques need to be improved and should fit the
needs of the society if we are to address the need to improve learning outcomes in the schools
that were categorized as having poor achievement and lower average rates. Its purpose is to
enhance students’ performance and motivate them to learn particularly in solving
mathematical problem. It can be said that mathematics is a tool to train students enabling
them to solve problems, building thinking process that will lead them to further ability in
solving non-mathematical problems. One way to assess and examine the students' problem-
solving abilities is to develop a method for teaching mathematics. This study sought to
develop a highly recommended teaching approach. The researcher studied the effects of
concept scaffolding teaching approach on conceptual understanding and problem-solving
performance of Grade 7 students in mathematics.
In general, the purpose of this study was to look into how the concept scaffolding teaching
approach affected the conceptual understanding and problem-solving performance of Grade 7
students in Mathematics. Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:

1. What are the conceptual understanding levels in the control group and experimental
group of Grade 7 students before and after intervention?
2. Is there a significant difference in the conceptual understanding test mean scores
before and after intervention on the control and experimental groups of Grade 7
students, and in the mean gain score?
3. What are the problem-solving performance levels in the control group and
experimental group of Grade 7 students before and after intervention?
4. Is there a significant difference in the problem solving performance test mean scores
before and after intervention on the control and experimental groups of Grade 7
students, and in the mean gain score?

Conceptual Framework

The effects of the independent variable on the dependent variables were involved in the
investigation of this study. The concept scaffolding teaching approach and the traditional
teaching approach are the independent variables. Conceptual understanding and problem-
solving performance are the dependent variables. The research paradigm in Figure 1
illustrates the flow in which the independent variable influences the dependent variables. The
arrows show that the instructional approaches in the form of concept scaffolding teaching
approach and traditional teaching approach affect the students’ conceptual understanding and
problem solving performance. The research paradigm that illustrates the conceptual
framework is shown in Figure 1 to illustrate the direction of the investigation and to show the
links between the dependent and independent variables.

Independent Variable Dependent Variables

Figure 1: Research Paradigm

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

The scope of the study was limited to investigating how the concept scaffolding teaching
approach affected the conceptual understanding and problem solving performance of Grade 7
students in mathematics. Data were limited in the forms of test scores and declared views
coming from two sections of Grade 7 students of MSU-Saguiaran Community High School
of school year 2019-2020. The topic domains covered in the study were limited only on
special products, equations, and inequalities. The focus of instruction was mostly on using
guess and check to solve linear equations and inequalities in one variable, algebraically
solving linear equations and inequalities, algebraically solving first degree inequalities in one
variable, and solving absolute value equations and inequalities. Results of the study are non-
conclusive in nature.

Research Design

This study employed both quantitative and qualitative research method. The quantitative part
utilized the quasi-experimental research design. Two intact groups were used as recipient of
instruction. The two groups were compared using their mean scores and mean gain scores in
the Conceptual Understanding Test and Problem-solving Performance Test. The pretest-
posttest control group design with matching-only was employed. The design is shown below.

The experimental group refers to the group of students who received instruction using
concept scaffolding teaching approach while the control group refers to the group of students
who received instruction using traditional teaching approach. The symbol M denotes for the
matching of samples of students in the second quarter grade in mathematics for the academic
year 2019–2020. The symbol O stands for observation. The first column of O's refers to the
first observation which is the administration of the pre-tests for the Conceptual
Understanding Test, Problem Solving Performance Test, and other measurements. The
concept scaffolding teaching approach used with the experimental group is denoted by the
symbol X as the instructional intervention. The control group or comparison group is denoted
by the symbol C. The second column of O's refers to the second observation which is the
administration of post-tests for the Conceptual Understanding Test, the Problem Solving
Performance Test, and other measurements.

Locale of the Study

This research was conducted at the Mindanao State University-Saguiaran Community High
School which is located in the barangay of Poblacion in Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur. The school
is a part of Mindanao State University - Main Campus' High School Units. One of the most
prestigious public high schools in Lanao del Sur, it is regarded as the top external high school
for Mindanao State University.

Participants of the Study

Participants in this study were the two intact groups of Grade 7 students who were formally
enrolled at the MSU-Saguiaran Community High School for the academic year 2019–2020.
The researcher chose Grade 7 students because the topic domains such as the special
products, equations and inequalities are being taught in this level. There were three sections
in the grade 7 who handled by the two mathematics teachers and a total of 119 Grade 7
students including the participants of the study such as the Grade 7 – Diamond consisted of
38 students and Grade 7 Emerald consisted of 40 students.

Results and Discussions

This section presents the data, its analysis and interpretation. The presentation of the data
follows the sequence/order of the statement of the problem.
What are the conceptual understanding levels in the control group and experimental
group of Grade 7 students before and after intervention?

As shown in Table 1, almost all students in the control group (86.4%) and experimental
group (77.3%) had less developed level conceptual understanding prior to the instructional
intervention. Very few students from control group (13.6%) and experimental group (22.7%)
demonstrated a develop level of conceptual understanding. None of the students
demonstrated a well-developed level of conceptual understanding from both groups. These
findings appear to indicate that the majority of the students had little prior understanding of
the subjects covered in the lecture, such as special products, equations, and inequalities, and
this is to be expected. Obviously, students with no prior knowledge on the topic domains are
defeated in problem-solving tasks. They have no pre-existing knowledge that they can utilize
in solving the problem.

After the intervention, so few (13.6%) from the control and half (50.0%) in the experimental
groups demonstrated well-developed level of conceptual understanding. Similarly, most
(86.4%) of the students in the control group while half (50.0%) in the experimental group
showed a developed level of conceptual understanding. None (0%) of the students in both
groups showed a less-developed level of conceptual understanding. As seen in the post-test
results following the intervention, many students from both groups increased their conceptual
understanding levels. The experimental group, however, showed higher level of conceptual
understanding than the control group.

Is there a significant difference in the conceptual understanding test mean scores before
and after intervention on the control and experimental groups of Grade 7 students, and
in the mean gain score?

Table 2 shows the comparison of the groups on the conceptual understanding test mean
scores before and after the intervention, as well as the mean gain scores. The .05 level of
significance was applied to the t-test on independent samples. Prior to the instructional
intervention, students in the both groups recorded lower mean scores (15.77 vs. 14.55), which
were near to each other and thus not statistically significant (p=0.38 > .05). This indicates that
both groups were initially comparable in their conceptual understanding on the topic domains
of this study. Apparently, both groups of students had very limited or had no prior knowledge
about the coverage of the third grading period in their mathematics before the intervention.
After intervention, the experimental group recorded a mean score that was higher than the
control group (30.45 vs. 25.18), and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.00<.05)
in the favor of the experimental group. The mean gain score of the experimental group is also
considerably greater than the control group (14.68 vs. 10.64), and statistically significant
(p=0.01< .05) with a t-value of 2.99 in favor of the experimental group. Evidently, the
instructional intervention utilized with the experimental group showed to be effective in
improving students' conceptual understanding. The use of scaffolding of concepts everytime
they solved worded problems helped them in rehearsing and reflecting their understanding
which is a constructivist way of learning. This is reasonable to expect because scaffolding is a
metacognitive way of learning by guiding students as a technique of remembering.

What are the problem-solving performance levels in the control group and
experimental group of Grade 7 students before and after intervention?

Table 3 shows that prior to the intervention, neither the experimental group nor the control
group of students had any students perform at the high or moderate level in terms of problem
solving performance. Both the control group and the experimental group of students perform
low level of problem-solving performance. This implies that all students from both groups
had no prior knowledge in the problem-solving performance test. After the intervention, few
(13.64%) students from experimental group demonstrated high level of problem solving
performance while none (0%) from the control group. Moreover, more than a quarter
(36.36%) of the students in the control group while closer to the three-fourths (72.72%) in the
experimental group demonstrated moderate level of problem-solving performance. More than
half (63.64%) of the students in the control group while few (13.64%) in the experimental
group remained in the low level of problem-solving performance.

Is there a significant difference in the problem solving performance test mean scores
before and after intervention on the control and experimental groups of Grade 7
students, and in the mean gain score?

Table 4 shows that before intervention both the control and experimental groups of students
poster lower mean scores (9.73 vs. 8.23), were closer to each other, and were therefore not
statistically significant (p=0.08>0.05). This suggests that both groups of students were
initially comparable on their problem-solving performance before the instructional
intervention. In addition, this also suggests that students were lack of necessary knowledge
skills to be used in solving worded problems under the topic domains of the study. This is
natural to expect because students are already defeated before they attempt to solve the
problems with no armory of knowledge to retrieve in solving the problems.

After intervention, the experimental group was higher the control group in terms of mean
score (23.00 vs. 18.73), and this difference was statistically significant (p=0.00< .05) in favor
of the experimental group. The mean gain of experimental group was also higher than the
control group (13.27 vs. 10.50), but the difference is not statistically significant
(p=0.06>0.05). This shows that teaching mathematics using a scaffolding technique has been
found to be effective in assisting students in solving problems in mathematics. Furthermore,
this also suggests that students from the experimental group improved their Problem Solving
Performance Test scores because during the intervention, they were exposed on the
instructional intervention in which they practiced worded problems with the guides and
supports that could help them develop their problem-solving skills.

According to Lin and Singh (2016), some students were able to take advantage of the
scaffolding supports provided and transfer their learning from the solution to the problem
provided to solve the analogical problem. The use of scaffolding, which takes the form of
written questions and step-by-step instructions, can help students in solving problems (Arifin
et al., 2020). Apparently, this study found evidence on improvements of students’ Problem
Solving Performance Test scores after the intervention in favor of the experimental group.
However, the study did not find sufficient evidence to detect significant difference between
the control and experimental groups of students’ mean gain score even though, as a matter of
fact, such an effect existed. Moreover, we cannot conclude that the concept of scaffolding in
problem solving performance of students is not effective because the results could be
accounted to the fewer number of sample (n=22) for each group and the short duration of the
intervention done only for almost 7 weeks. According to Murphy et al. (2014), if the number
of samples and effect sizes were increased and the criteria for statistical significance were
more flexible, a test would have a higher level of p-value.

Conclusion

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn. (1) Both the
control and experimental groups of students had higher levels of conceptual understanding
after using the concept scaffolding teaching approach but more students in the experimental
group were able to advance from a less-developed to a well-developed level. (2) After the
intervention, there was a significant difference in the mean conceptual understanding test
scores between the control and experimental groups (p= 0.00< .05). The mean gain score on
the conceptual understanding test for the students in the control and experimental groups also
showed a statistically significant difference (p= 0.01< .05). This implies that the idea
scaffolding instructional strategy improved the students’ conceptual understanding of
mathematics. (3) Moreover, both the control and experimental groups of students had an
increase in their level of problem-solving performance, but more students in the experimental
group were able to increase from a low to a moderate or high level. (4) Finally, the students’
mean scores on the problem-solving performance test differed significantly between the
control and experimental groups after the intervention (p=0.00< .05). However, the students’
mean gain scores on the problem-solving performance test showed no significant difference
between the experimental and control groups (p= 0.06 > .05). The study did not find
sufficient evidence to detect a difference between the experimental and control groups of
students’ mean gain score in the problem-solving performance test.

Acknowledgement

We would like to extend our gratitude to the Department of Science and Technology –
Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), headed by Dr. Josette T. Biyo, for the financial
assistance in the oral presentation of this paper during the 14th Asian Conference on
Education (ACE 2022) on November 28 to December 2, 2022 at Toshi Center Hotel, Tokyo,
Japan.
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