Philippine E-Journals

Instrumental and Relational Understanding in Math Problem Solving Among Grade V Pupils

RENATO SAGAYNO | CECILIA O. ARES | JIGGER ABABON | STEVEN RAZONABLE

 

Abstract:

In teaching mathematics, the essential task of the teachers is to motivate their students to understand and appreciate the concepts and usefulness of mathematics. This study determined the mathematics performances of the Grade V pupils in the context of Skemp’s (1976) relational and instrumental concepts of understanding. The study utilized the descriptive-comparative method of research using a researcher-made test to gather data on the performances of the Grade V pupils in instrumental and relational understanding types of tests. Most of the pupils involved in the study failed in the instrumental type of test and more so in the relational type of test. The majority of schools manifest significant differences in the pupils’ performance in the instrumental and relational types of tests. Based on the mean scores, the pupils’ performances in the relational type of test is more deficient than the instrumental type of test. The analysis of variance and the post hoc test supports the idea that there is a variation in pupils’ performances in the instrumental type of test. Likewise, a variation in the relational type of test exists.