USING VENN DIAGRAM AS VISUAL MATHEMATICAL REPRESENTATION (VMR’s)

TO MEET THE DIFFICULTIES OF GRADE 7 STUDENTS IN SOLVING MATH

PROBLEMS

Proponent: MARK RYAN F. BANCUAL

T-I, TALAONGA NHS

I. Background of the Study

Mathematics plays a big role in our everyday life and has

become an indispensable factor for the progress of our present-
day world. Counting starts from day one of the birth of a person.
Most students would like to know why they have to study various
mathematical concepts.

In mathematics, ineffective instructional strategies may

explain the poor problem-solving performance of students with
learning disabilities. One commonly used instructional approach
is the “key word” strategy, in which students are taught key
words that cue them as to what operation to use in solving
problems. For example, students learn that altogether indicates
the use of the addition operation, whereas left indicates
subtraction. Similarly, the word times calls for multiplication,
and among indicates the need to divide. However, Parmar et al.
(1996) argued that “the outcome of such training is that the
student reacts to the cue word at a surface level of analysis and
fails to perform a deep-structure analysis of the
interrelationships among the word and the context in which it is
embedded” (p. 427).

Venn diagrams have turned out to be visual tools that are

enormously popular, but diagrams to help visualize relationships
between classes or concepts in logic had existed prior to those
of John Venn. The use of diagrams to demonstrate valid logical
arguments has been found in the works of a few early Aristotelian
scholars and appeared in the works of the famed mathematicians
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Leonhard Euler.

In a 1686 fragment (which remained unpublished for over 200

years), the universal genius Leibniz illustrated all of
Aristotle’s valid syllogisms through circle drawings. In 1761,
the much-admired master mathematician Euler used almost identical
diagrams to explain the same logical syllogisms. One hundred and
twenty years later, John Venn ingeniously altered what he called
“Euler circles” to become the familiar diagrams attached to
Venn’s name. This paper explores the history of the Venn diagram
and its predecessors.

A Venn diagram is a visual representation that makes use of

circles to highlight the connections between two objects or a
small group of objects. Circles that overlap share certain
characteristics, whereas circles that do not overlap do not share
those traits. Venn diagrams are useful for representing both the
contrasts and similarities between two concepts visually.

According to the study of Bautista et al 2010, Young

Filipino students are expected to solve mathematical word
problems in English, a language that many encounter only in
schools. Using individual interviews of 17 Filipino children, we
investigated why word problems in English are difficult and the
extent to which the language interferes with performance. Results
indicate that children could not solve word problems
independently when these were given in English. However,
appropriate interventions such as presenting problems in Filipino
or narrating them led to improved performance. Implications for
teaching are proposed.

It is for this reason that the researcher embarks on

developing and validating the use of Venn diagram as visual
 mathematical representation (VMR’s) in solving mathematical
problems this will help the mathematics teachers to cope up with
the problem on mathematical word problems.

II. Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to use of Venn diagram as visual

mathematical representation (VMR’s) to develop the skills of the

students in solving mathematical problems. Specifically, it

sought to answer the following sub-problems:

1. What is the level of performance of Grade 7 students in

solving mathematical problems before the use of Veen diagram

as visual mathematical representation (VMR’s)?

2. What is the level of performance of Grade 7 students in

solving mathematical problems after the use of Venn diagram

as visual mathematical representation (VMR’s)?

3. Is there a significant difference between the level of

performance of Grade 7 students in solving mathematical

problems before and after the use of Venn diagram as visual

mathematical representation (VMR’s)?

III. SIGNIFICANCE

Due to several factors students nowadays cannot comprehend

even simple problems related to mathematics. In addition, this

pandemic can made even worse due to the absence of teachers in

doing their modules at home.

 The main purpose of this action research is to use Veen

diagram as visual mathematical representation in solving

mathematical problems. This intervention material was used to

improve the level of performance of the Grade 7 students in

mathematics.

The said Venn diagram used as a visual mathematical

representation of the teachers and students to simplify the word

problem in mathematics. This includes different types of Venn

diagram and thoroughly discuss to the students before it was

given to them.

To ensure the content of the activities it was first

consulted to the experts such as Headteacher in math as well as

master teachers. It was also coherent to the learning competency

of the Department of Education.

A pre-test and post test were given to the students. Pre-

test determines the performance of the grade 7 students before

the use of the innovation while the post test used to determine

whether the innovation really effective tool to improve the

performance of the students in solving mathematical problems.

The effectiveness of the teaching tool determined using the

following instrument: assessment tool for evaluating the

worksheets by the experts, pretest and posttest results. The

pretest and posttest items were drawn from item banks, related

references, and research-made tests.

 This intervention was conducted during home visitation to

all grade 7 students of Talaonga National High school. In

addition, parents, teachers and advisers were directly involved

in the study. Junior high school students from Grade 8-10 and

senior high school students from other strands will not be

included in the study.