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Research Critque Fernandez Joel

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MARIKINA POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

Graduate School
Shoe Ave., cor. Chanyungco St. Sta. Elena, Marikina City 1800

JOEL T. FERNANDEZ April 10, 2021


MAT-Technical English

Research Paper Critique:

AN ANALYSIS OF FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS’ CONCEPTS OF FRACTIONS


USING THE MODIFIED TIMSS RELEASED ITEMS

By Ms. Jenny Lou A. Bermejo

MS MathEd, Ateneo de Manila University, 2017

Introduction

The research paper dealt with the analysis of pupils’ concepts on Fractions
based on the modified TIMSS released items. According to the researcher,
learning fractions in elementary school mathematics is crucial and critical. The
area of fractions makes mathematics cognitively complicated and difficult to teach
(Litweller & Bright, 2002, p. 3). Understanding fractions requires understanding all
the five multifaceted constructs of fractions (Kieren, 1993). Failure to grasp these
constructs causes misconceptions and a limited understanding of its applications
(Kieren, 1993; Kilpatrick, Swafford & Findell, 2006). Missing out on four of these
sub constructs of fractions leads to a weak foundational understanding of
numbers. The fourth grade is a critical year in elementary mathematics because it
is during this time that students are exposed to the more formal nature and
convention of mathematics. The Mathematics Framework for Philippine Basic
Education (MATHTED & SEI, 2010) described the children at this stage to be
ready for a more experimental approach to learning, are more adept with whole
number operations and are ready to do more than explore. The cognitive
demands for these students are of higher levels which include the ability to
represent quantities. At this level, students encounter large arrays of
manipulations rules that are more sensitive to syntactic constraints (Hiebert &
Lefevre, 1986).

Her study investigated and analyzed 4th grade students’ understanding of


fractions using modified released items on Fractions from the TIMSS studies of
1995, 2003 and 2011. The modifications made were the inclusion of the Filipino
version of the items and the addition of the task to explain the answer. The first
modification is in response to the usual concern about students’ weaknesses in
the second language being the reason for their poor performance in mathematics
assessments. The following questions guided the study:

1. How do students understand fractions?

2. What are the students’ difficulties in learning fractions? What weak


understanding do they manifest?

3. Is there a significant difference in performance on the modified TIMSS


items on fractions among students who were administered the test items
presented in all-English, all-Filipino and combined English-Filipino?

Her research was a case study in nature. According to Stake (1995), a


case study is both the process of learning about the case and the product of our
learning. According to Yin (2009), case studies can be used to explain, describe
or explore events or phenomena in the everyday contexts in which they occur.
These can, for example, help to understand and explain causal links and
pathways resulting from a new policy initiative or service development.

In her research, she dealt on how MTB-MLE affect the learners’


understanding toward a particular topic in Mathematics which is fractions. The
researcher was able to develop her study by means of giving them standardized
tests and conducting interviews using L1 and L2.
Review of the Literature

This part of her research paper looked at students’ concepts of fractions,


their difficulties in learning and understanding fractions, the importance of
fractions, and representations of fractions. It also discussed further the conceptual
and procedural understanding, relational understanding and role of schemas in
concept acquisition, language acquisition or understanding of mathematics and
role of language in assessing mathematical understanding. To contextualize the
study, she also presented some literature on the Mother Tongue Based-
Multilingual Education and some key studies from other countries.

What captured my interest in her study was that Fractions, as several


studies documented, is considered the most complex concept encountered by
children in the primary years. Behr et al. (1993) argue that learning fractions is
one of the major challenges to the maturation of mathematical knowledge
because of its many possible representations. Students’ notions of partitioning,
sharing, and measuring provide a starting point of concept formation to fractions
(Kilpatrick, Swafford & Findell, 2001, p. 7). Because young children appreciate the
idea of “fair shares”, this understanding can be used in partitioning quantities into
equal parts. Furthermore, understanding and working with these relationships
provides a solid foundation of elementary school mathematics (Kilpatrick,
Swafford & Findell, 2001, p. 8).

Concepts of fractions are the most difficult concept in elementary


mathematics. It is the first experience that students have with rational numbers.
Moreover, it is not only Filipino students who have difficulty with fractions. Fazio &
Siegler (2011) noted that even in countries where the majority of students do
achieve reasonably good conceptual understanding, such as in Japan and China,
fractions are still considered a difficult topic. They added that students around the
world have difficulty learning fractions and the average student never gains a
conceptual knowledge of fractions.
The basic principle of MTB-MLE is to use that language of the learners
they are most comfortable and familiar with; therefore, the common language in
the area or lingua franca shall be used as the language of instruction
(http://www.gov.ph/k-12/). Mother Tongue based education is an instruction that
emphasizes the use of the first language of the learner. The use of the Mother
Tongue facilitates optimum learning because pupils and teachers exchange ideas
more freely in the classroom (Quijano & Eustaquio, 2009). The first language
incorporates culture in the teaching mathematics for better understanding of the
concepts and ideas and to make mathematics look realistic to the primary
students who are going through the development stages acquiring mathematical
skills and ideas (Hafiz, 2016).

Though the research is rich in terms of literature, it failed to give related


studies as it claimed that the research is a current study or first of its kind. Related
literature and studies help the researcher understand his/her topic better because
it may clarify vague points about his/her problem. It also guides the researcher in
making comparisons between his findings with the findings of other similar
studies. So it is necessary that the related materials should have true value.

Methodology

The study used a mixed methods design. Two types of data were collected
and analyzed. The quantitative data consists of the test scores obtained by the
student respondents in a 12-item Test on Fractions. The qualitative data consist of
students’ explanations, interview responses, drawings and utterances.

The researcher used 36 pupils of a public school in Cainta, Rizal during the
SY 2016-2017. These students went through three years of primary school using
the mandated Mother Tongue Based-Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE). Twelve
released items on fractions from TIMSS 1995, 2003 and 2011 were modified in
two ways: first, Filipino translations and versions were provided and second,
students were asked to explain their answers. The 36 students were randomly
grouped into three groups to answer the modified All-Filipino (Group A),
Combined Filipino and English (Group B) and All-English (Group C) tests. To
further investigate, 5 interview questions were given to 12 randomly selected
participants, 4 students from each group.

In terms of data analysis, the researcher used the Kruskal-Wallis Test, a


rank-based nonparametric measurement, to test the statistical significance of the
differences in the scores among the three groups. This test was used to
investigate if the language of the test was statistically a factor in the students’
performance in the 12-item test. On the other hand, the qualitative data were
analyzed using the Descriptive-Interpretive Analysis method. As qualitative
research requires flexibility, this Descriptive-Interpretive Analysis also has to be
systematic and organized so that information can easily be located and can
results traced back to the context of the data (Elliot & Timulak, 2005). Thus, this
approach aimed to give insights and to make sense of the interviews and
explanations by the participants.

The Kruskal-Wallis is more general than a comparison of means: it tests


whether the probability that a random observation from each group is equally
likely to be above or below a random observation from another group. The real
data quantity that underlies that comparison is neither the differences in means
nor the difference in medians, (in the two sample case) it is actually the median of
all pairwise differences - the between-sample Hodges-Lehmann difference.
However, if you choose to make some restrictive assumptions, then Kruskal-
Wallis can be seen as a test of equality of population means, as well as quantiles
(e.g. medians), and indeed a wide variety of other measures. That is, if you
assume that the group-distributions under the null hypothesis are the same, and
that under the alternative, the only change is a distributional shift (a so called
"location-shift alternative"), then it is also a test of equality of population means
(and, simultaneously, of medians, lower quartiles, etc).

Interpretive description is a qualitative research methodology aligned with a


constructivist and naturalistic orientation to inquiry. The aim of interpretive
description, a relatively new qualitative methodology, is to generate knowledge
relevant for the clinical context of applied health disciplines. To date there has
been little discussion in the literature of the particular merits and limitations of this
methodological framework. In this article I draw on my experience of using
interpretive description as methodology for an inquiry into the moral experience of
clinicians in humanitarian work. I identify and discuss strengths and challenges
that can arise in the application of interpretive description. Strengths identified
include a coherent logic and structure, an orientation toward the generation of
practice-relevant findings, and attention to disciplinary biases and commitments.
Challenges include limited resources for situating the methodology, challenges in
employing a lesser-known methodology, and uncertainty regarding the degree of
interpretation to seek.

Discussions, Conclusions, and Recommendation

The following were the findings derived from the analysis of the data from
the research conducted. On the research question that asks about the students’
understanding of fractions:

1. Drawing out from the interview question on how students understand


fractions, students have a limited concept of fractions. The images of a
circle or rectangles that have shaded regions are commonly held.
Furthermore, considering the numerator and denominator as separate
entities is common among students. Dividing a whole into parts is
another common view of fractions.

2. In response to one of the interview questions that asked students to


represent 23 in the way they could illustrate, all the students
represented fractions as part of a whole. Furthermore, they used either
circles or rectangles to represent fractions.
On the research question that asks about the students’ difficulties on
fractions:

3. Students are incognizant of the key ideas of equal parts in the construct
of a fraction as part of a whole. This was seen in their responses to
Items 1, 2 and 3 of the Test on Fractions. It is also evident that students
work more easily with squares and rectangles and not as easily with
triangles. Several students use the construct of fractions as a ratio of
shaded to unshaded parts.

4. Students do not have a good grasp of the concept of equivalent


fractions. Responses to Items 4, 9 and 12 of the Test on Fractions
showed that students simply focused on either the numerator or the
denominator alone and completely disregarded the other. They failed to
recognize fractions that are equivalent. They also showed difficulties with
the language and were unable to accurately or correctly express their
thoughts. A possible intervening factor is the schema they hold of
particular contexts or situations which cause them to misunderstand the
problem. This was evident in some responses to Item 12.

5. Students also have problems with order relations of fractions, which is a


fundamental concept. Many were unable to determine whether one
fraction is greater than, less than or equal to another fraction. Their
explanations also revealed that wrong generalizations about fractions
(multiplication and addition to one of the numerator or denominator
yields larger fractions).

6. Students also have difficulty identifying fractional parts in a set. Most of


them are used to “shading” a part of a whole that they failed to apply this
concept to parts of a set.

7. Many students were confounded about numbers between whole


numbers and were unable to recognize fractions and fractional parts
between whole numbers.
8. Many of the students could not express where fractions may be used
outside of the classroom. The functional use of mathematics is not in
their schema. All students thought of fractions as part of school lessons
and nothing more.

9. The students were more inclined to answer the test and interview
questions in Filipino. The group that answered in Filipino took lesser
time in completing the questionnaire.

On the research question that asks about the effect of the Language of the
Test on Fractions on the students’ performance in the test:

10. There is no significant difference in the performance of students on the


modified TIMSS items on fractions, whether the test items are
presented in All-Filipino, Combined English and Filipino and All-English
tests. Using the Kruskal-Wallis test on the group scores, with a 0.05
level of significance, the computed p-value was 0.368095. This means
that there was no significant difference in the performance of the
students among the three groups. This implies that the language of the
test had no effect on the students’ performance on the test.

In line with the findings of this study, the following conclusions were
derived:

1. Students understand only the basic concepts of fractions showing little


mastery of these concepts. They work on figures that are familiar to
them which are circles or rectangles. Students can identify the
numerator and denominator in a fraction though look at these numbers
separately. Dividing a whole is their general view of fractions.

2. Students show difficulties and weaknesses in their concepts of fractions.


Many of the students are confined to the Part-Whole Construct. Even
when the Part-Whole Construct is applied in different situations, students
cannot link concepts together. Students are incognizant of the key ideas
of equal parts in the construct of a fraction as part of a whole. They do
not have a good grasp of the concept of equivalent fractions. Students
also have problems in order relations, which is a fundamental concept.
Students also have difficulty identifying fractional parts in a set. Many
students are confounded about numbers between whole numbers and
are unable to recognize fractions and fractional parts between whole
numbers. Many of the students cannot think of other uses of fractions
outside of the classroom. They also have difficulties with language and
are unable to accurately or correctly express their thoughts. They have a
limited schema of fraction concepts.

3. Language is a non-factor in the students’ performance in the Test on


Fractions. Any weaknesses or difficulties cannot be attributed to the
language of the test.

In line with the findings and conclusions of the study, the researcher
provided the following recommendations:

1. Multiple representations of Fractions are required to lead the way to


deeper conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking.

2. Students must be offered opportunities to answer varied types of


mathematical problems and tasks.

3. One goal of mathematics is for students to be able to communicate their


thoughts clearly. A well-developed language also helps develop
mathematical understanding. Teachers should therefore foster an
atmosphere within which students’ analytical and conceptual skills are
further developed. This includes allowing students to explain their work
in addition to written assessments.

4. The use of the Mother Tongue has a lot of advantages. More studies
that look at how the Mother Tongue helps develop mathematical
concepts and skills among Filipino students will help educators in
mapping out their teaching approaches in the classroom.

In general, I am grateful on the inclusion of MTB-MLE in our education


curriculum. It has been very useful to both teachers and pupils. It is based on
numerous researches and whether some of the people in the academe are still
not in favor of it, I still believe in the findings of researches like Miss Bermejo’s.

References

Bermejo, J. (2017). An Analysis of Fourth Grade Students’ Concepts of Fractions


Using the Modified TIMSS Released Items. Ateneo de Manila University
Library

Bruce, C., Chang, D. & Flynn, T. (2013), Foundations to Learning and Teaching
Fractions: Addition and Subtraction, Ontario Ministry of Education

Quijano, Y.S. & Eustaquio, O.H. (2008a) Current policies governing the use of
language in the Philippine public schools. A paper presented at the
Regional Consultative Workshop on “Using the Mother Tongue as Bridge
Language of Instruction in Southeast Asian Countries: Policy, Strategy and
Advocacy”. Bangkok, Thailand, 19 – 21 February 2008.

Quijano, Y.S. & Eustaquio, O.H. (2008b) Using the Mother Tongue as a Bridge
Language of Instruction in Two Schools in La Paz, Agusan del Sur,
Philippines: A case Study. A paper presented at the Regional Consultative
Workshop on “Using the Mother Tongue as Bridge Language of Instruction
in Southeast Asian Countries: Policy, Strategy and Advocacy”. Bangkok,
Thailand, 19 – 21 February 2008.

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