1

ASSESSMENT OF READING COMPREHENSION AND PROBLEM

SOLVING SKILLS OF GRADE VI PUPILS

A Project Paper Presented to

The Faculty of the Graduate School
University of St. La Salle Bacolod
City

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Masters of Education in Mathematics

MELALYN M. PARALES, LPT

 2

May 25, 2019

APPROVAL SHEET

This research entitled “ASSESSMENT OF READING COMPREHENSION AND

PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS OF THE GRADE VI PUPILS” presented by
MELALYN M. PARALES, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Education of the University of St. La Salle-Project Free Programs has been
evaluated and approved by the panel of evaluators.

PANEL OF EVALUATORS

JUNE CARL S. SERAN, MEd

Chair

JOHN MICHAEL A. MONTELIBANO, MBA KIM A. PILLADA, MAEd

Member Member

JANICE A. BOLEN, PhD

Professor

SUNSUN J. CARNAZO, Ph.D

 3

Adviser

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Throughout the writing of this research paper in assessment of reading

comprehension and problem solving skills of elementary pupils. I am grateful for a

number of friends for helping me survive all the stress throughout my journey. To my

mentors and panel members’ thank you for your timely suggestions, enthusiasm and

dynamism have enabled me complete my research. To my adviser Sunsun J. Carnazo

PhD, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude in sharing your expertise, ample time

spent and consistent advice that bring me to success. I am extremely grateful to my

principal Ma. Teresa B. Yana for her unwavering empathy and patience without all her

approval I may not finish this research paper. I am humbly thankful also to my MEd –

Mathematics classmates whom make the environment smooth sailing and for the

guidance and friendship.

Foremost, I am grateful for our almighty god for giving me strength, good health,

wisdom and supportive people whom he knows can help me throughout this voyage. To

my dear family and boyfriend thank you so much in believing me and encouragement.

.
 4

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to determine the level of reading comprehension and
problem solving skills of the Grade VI pupils of Basak Elementary School enrolled
school year 2018-2019.The research design used was descriptive – correlational to
determine the relationship between reading comprehension and problem solving skills.
Participants were determined through G*Power which resulted to 44 (88%) participants.
Stratified sampling was utilized to determine the number of participants in each section.
The researcher employed questionnaires that determine the level of reading
comprehension and problem solving skills of the participants. The results revealed that
there is a significant relationship between reading comprehension and problem solving
skills. Majority of the participant were female and in section one. Female outperformed
male in both reading comprehension and problem solving skills due to local tradition,
enthusiasm and willingness. Results exhibit that there is a relationship between reading
comprehension and problem-solving skills at .098 significant level.
 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TITLE PAGE i
APPROVAL SHEET ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENT iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iv
LIST OF TABLES v
LIST OF FIGURES vi
ABSTRACT vii
INTRODUCTION 1
Background of the study 1
Statement of the Problem 2
Hypothesis 3
Theoretical Framework 3
Conceptual Framework 4
Scope and Limitation 5
Significance of the Study 6
Definition of Terms 6
Review of Related Literature 8
METHODS 15
Research Design 15
Participants of the Study 15
Sampling Procedures 16
 6

Research Locale 16
Research Instrument 16
Validity of the Research Instrument 17
Reliability of the Research Instrument 17
Data Gathering Procedure 18 TABLE
OF CONTENTS CONTINUED

Page
Data Analysis 19
Ethical Consideration 19
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 21

CONCLUSION 29

REFERENCES 33
APPENDICES 38
Appendix A: Letter to the Head Teacher 39
Appendix B: Assent Consent 40
Appendix C: Research Instrument 41
Appendix D: Good and Scates Validation Form 42
Appendix E: Consolidated Research Instrument Validation 48
Appendix D: SPSS Generated Data 49
 7

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. Distribution of the Participants 16

2. Benchmark scales for Kappa’s value, 18 as

proposed by Altman
3. Summary of Participants’ Profile 21
4. Mean and Standard Deviation Results for sex 22
and level of reading comprehension
5. Mean and Standard Deviation Results for 23
section and level of reading comprehension
6. Mean and Standard Deviation Results for sex 24 and
Fundamental Operations
7. Mean and Standard Deviation Results for section 26
and fundamental operations
8. Relationship between Reading Comprehension and 27
Problem Solving Skills
 8

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page
1. Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework of the Study 5
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Nyagi (2015) cited word problem in mathematics is a challenge to most of the

pupils because it requires reading and comprehending the text of the problem. In addition,

(Mullen, 2015, p.1) stated that pupils often say they know to solve the equation and it is

just that they have trouble with “word problems”.

According to (Oktarani, 2015) most of the learners made errors in solving word

problems because they didn't have active prior knowledge about the content they are

solving. It is also found out that pupil’s lack of specific reading strategies, vocabulary,

understanding on how to get the main idea and sequencing of events to generate

inferences that aid in the understanding of Mathematics word problems.

The Philippines has a long history and experience with the bilingual educational

system. In DECS Order No. 52, mathematics subject has a mandatory English medium of

instruction in the Philippine academic setting during the time of former President
 9

Corazon Aquino (Dawe, 2014). Various studies revealed that Filipino children find word

problems in English more difficult than those in Filipino (Salma, 2012). According to

(Briones, 2018) the implementation of “Philippine Informal Reading Inventory Manual

2018 (PHIL-IRI) to enhance pupils reading performance and comprehension in the

reading text became the gateway to developing fluency, word recognition and

comprehension of the learners that will affect good word problem - solving skills.

But in contrary, the researcher experienced that, pupils have difficulty in

understanding simple word problem. Pupils cannot conceptualize, visualize and

synthesize the problems without asking the teachers what is the problem is all about.

Learners have a weak reading foundation that affects low problem - solving skills. Word

problem skills continue to be a knot for teachers. It is a big matter that Basak Elementary

School battles in this generation of learners. In this regard, the researcher conducted a

study that determined the level of reading comprehension and problem - solving skills of

the Grade VI pupils of Basak Elementary School. The result of the study serves as a basis

for program development.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the level of reading comprehension and problem -

solving skills of the Grade VI pupils of Basak Elementary School enrolled S.Y. 2018-

2019.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the Grade VI in terms of:

a. Sex

b. Section
 10

2. What is the level of reading comprehension of the participants when grouped

according to the profile variables and in terms of participants:

a. Critical Comprehension

b. Inferential Comprehension

c. Literal Comprehension

3. What is the level of the problem - solving skills of the participants when grouped

according to the profile variables and in terms of the participants:

a. Addition
b. Subtraction

c. Multiplication

d. Division

4. Is there a significant relationship between the level of reading comprehension and

the level of problem-solving skills of the participants?

Hypotheses

There is no significant relationship between the level of reading comprehension

and the level of problem-solving skills of the participants?

Theoretical Framework

The study was anchored on Construction-Integration Model in the study (Gross,

2017)which focused on two phases in text comprehension: a construction phase and

integration phase wherein reading a word (decoding) automatically activates the word

and all of its meaning (vocabulary) in long term memory. The theory supplied a

conceptual basis on how reading comprehension affects mathematical word problem

performance. Thus, clear strategies and program deemed successful will afford to
 11

policymakers the opportunity to implement similar constructs to other relevant programs

to enhance problem-solving skills (Rollen, 2015). Doing so, the result of the study

included information about the role of reading comprehension to mathematics

performance.

In the present study, the researcher determined the level of reading comprehension

and problem-solving skills. As the theory implied, the result of the study may be a basis

for improving and enhancing reading comprehension and problem-solving

skills.
Conceptual Framework

In the Philippines, PHIL – IRI was implemented for all public schools to develop

reading comprehension. However, mathematics is considered to be a language itself

complete with its own notations and symbols "grammar" rule, with which concepts and

ideas are effectively expressed (Llego, 2018) Thus, teaching mathematics in English

language seems to teach two foreign languages simultaneously.

According to (Bahtash, 2018) children’s reading and spelling skills have been

found to be associated with parental educational level and family socioeconomic. SES has

also been shown to be an important demographic factor behind mathematical thinking

skills. Some gender differences in reading comprehension skills have been reported, often

in favor of girls. Results concerning gender differences in math performance are mixed:

some studies suggest that boys are better at mastering problem – solving tasks, but other

studies have been unable to replicate this finding. It has to be taken into account,

however, that there is a component – level differences in math performance between the

genders
 12

Relying on these previous findings, the present study investigated on pupil’s sex,

section, level of reading comprehension when grouped according to the profile variables

and in terms of literal comprehension, inferential comprehension and critical

comprehension and level of problem solving skills when grouped according to the profile

variables and in terms of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

R eadin g Comprehension

a. Literal Comprehension
b. Inferential Comprehension
c. Critical Comprehension
Respondents Profile

Pupils

a. sex
b. section Problem Solving Skills

a. Addition
b. Subtraction
c. Multiplication
d. Division

Figure1. Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework

The main concern of this study is to determine the level of reading comprehension

and problem-solving skills. The profile variable is the input, reading comprehension and

problem- solving skills as the process and the proposed enhancement as the output.
 13

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The focus of the study was to determine the reading comprehension and

problemsolving skills of Basak Elementary School Grade VI pupils’ school year 2018-

2019. The data was gathered in the fourth grading period. The participants of the study

were 44 pupils who compose of 18 boys and 26 girls.

Significance of the Study

The researcher considered these endeavors to be of help to DepEd Personnel,

teachers, parents, pupils, present researcher, and future researcher.

DepEd Personnel. May benefit from this investigation by upgrading teachers’

competence in teaching mathematics and providing instructional support through

coaching and provision of instructional materials.

Teachers. May enhance the word problem – solving skills of their students. This

may also give additional insights into the use of reading comprehension skills to improve

word problem skills.

Parents. This study may teach parents the enrichment activities that they can

provide to develop the reading comprehension and word problem skills at home.

Pupils. As the recipient of knowledge thru learning may benefit from this

research through improved classroom instruction and the development of reading

comprehension and problem-solving skills.

Future Researchers. As mathematics word problem becomes a challenge to

teachers, this study may be used as references for future related topics that will be

conducted.
 14

Definition of Terms

For a better understanding of the concepts and terms in this study, the following

words were defined operationally and conceptually.

Comprehension. Conceptually means once the pupil has decoded the words or

symbols, can he or she understand the question (Dorval, 2014).

Operationally, comprehension means how participants understand the given

mathematical word problems.

Critical Comprehension. Conceptually means that pupils require to use some

external criteria from his or her own experience in order to evaluate the quality, values of

the writing, the authors reasoning, simplifications and generalization (Hutura, 2019).

Operationally, critical comprehension means how pupils response to the explicit

question.

Inferential Comprehension. Conceptually means as a logical extension of the

recognition step of literal comprehension and in that readers are required to go beyond

recognizing that facts are derived from a passage to actually interacting with a text to

make inferences about meaning not explicitly stated in the text (Hutura, 2019).

Operationally, inferential comprehension means how pupils understand questions

that is in the text but doesn’t directly given.

Literal Comprehension. Conceptually means that a pupil must be able to extract

information that is explicitly stated in the passage (Hutura, 2019).

Operationally, literal comprehension means how good a pupil in scanning the text

to get correct answer.

Problem Solving. Conceptually describes as a variety of both analytical and

creative thinking (Auzar, 2017).

 15

Operationally, problem- solving means how participants solve or answer

mathematical word problems.

Reading. conceptually means as the most important and complex cognitive skill

and such importance have resulted in extensive studies over hundreds of years (Burke,

2014).
Operationally, reading means the capacity of the learners to identify words.

Reading Comprehension. conceptually means as a complex cognitive ability

requiring the capacity to integrate text information with the knowledge of the listener or

reader and resulting in the elaboration of mental representation (Cayubit, 2012).

Operationally, reading comprehension means how participants visualize and

interpret the mathematical word problem given.

Review of Related Literature

Word Problem

Problem- solving process was defined as a complicated process requiring multiple

skills together. The constituents of this process are listed as problem comprehension,

choosing the required information among the data, converting this information into

mathematical symbols and reaching a solution through required operations (Ulu, 2017).

In studies conducted by (Wijaya, van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Doorman, & Robitzsch,

2014) it was found that elementary pupils made reading comprehension – based errors

during problem-solving between 25% and 75%. .Also, in the studies conducted by Ulu

(2017) reading comprehension skills were seen to have a relation with problem-solving

skills. Wherefore, problem-solving is easy if there is understanding of the problem. Think

outside the box and you will get the perfect answer.
 16

According to (Yonson, 2017) pupils succeed in working out problems that involve

simple calculations and fell short on problems that require a deeper understanding. Thus,

it can be concluded that the language of mathematics goes far beyond the text that the

pupils read.

According to (Wüstenberg, 2014) males outperformed females because they

altered variables to a greater extent showing the impact of input variables on output

variables more apparently. One possible explanation among others females understanding

of the concept in mathematics is not deeper than males. It was supported by (Ileritürk &

Kincal, 2018), which cited male pupils performed better than female pupils when PISA

2003 and 2012 problem-solving results were analyzed in terms of gender, but the

difference between male and female students is not statistically significant.

Reading Comprehension

Auzar (2017) stated that language is required to understand the questions of the

mathematical word problems or word problems. Mathematics language that uses symbols

is intended to ease someone to make analysis so that s/he can solve his/her life problems

related to the use of Mathematics. One will be able to solve problems in mathematics

when supported by the understanding of language with familiar and by using symbols

which were already known beforehand. Therefore, language is used in books should use

simple language based on pupils’ language development level. In other words,

mathematical word problems should be realistic in terms of language, symbols, and

situation.

According to (Asgarabadi, 2015) females are usually more motivated both

intrinsically and extrinsically, to read texts on various topics. However, (Oda, 2017)cited
 17

that male pupils performed significantly better than the female students in their reading

performance of a familiar and an unfamiliar text.

Pupils must understand the language of mathematics if they want to successfully

learn mathematics (Moschkovich, 2013). The word problems are an important aspect of

mathematics and the process of mathematical thinking. However, in daily work, pupils

have difficulties solving word problems because to solve the word problems require

skills. They are easy to do basic mathematical operations, such as addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division. The pupil skillfully identifies the unit of measurement and

performs calculation tasks with numbers and equations. However, when working on word

problems and be able to identify some of the elements of the problem, but cannot

complete all the necessary operations (Vula, 2015)In addition, pupil’s lack of prior

knowledge to the problems would lead them to ask probe question to teachers. The lack

of critical thinking and techniques to gather data to solve problems was disregard.

According to (Marlina, 2019) reading is an activity or cognitive process that seeks

to find a variety of information in writing or text. Reading can also be regarded as the

activity of the complex by moving or using most of the action is fragmentary, includes

the reader should use the definition of delusion, observing, and remembering are

connected with the scheme reader. Furthermore, reading is the activity or process of

applying various skills to cultivate reading text to understand the content of the readings.

Therefore, reading can be said as the activity of obtaining information or message

delivered by the author in writing. In this case, reading means understanding the reading

text, both in literal, interpretative, critical and creative.

According to (Sepeng, 2013) pupils have difficulty in reading and understanding

the problems with mathematical language. According to Auzar (2017) analysis of

 18

Newman procedure, namely the method of analyzing the error of the sentence, indicating

that pupils experiencing obstacles in the completion of the word problems because they

are not fluent and don’t understand the concepts in the readings and do not understand the

meaning of a problem.

Fluent reading is defined as reading a text at accurately a proper speed as if

speaking ( Ulu, 2017). In addition, ( Ulu, 2017) stated that word recognition (reading

accuracy) level affects automaticity (reading rate). Automaticity is defined as the

recognition of each word in the text read and following the constructed meaning mentally

by comprehending the text fast and sleekly. Whatever its definition is, reading is done to

comprehend and this objective is divided into two; comprehending explicit expressions in

a text (literal comprehension) and configuring the meaning from the implicit messages in

a text (making inferences).

In a longitudinal study that followed 2,143 Dutch children through Grade 6,

(Perfetti, 2013) found that at Grade 1 reading comprehension was accounted for by a

structural model that combined word decoding and listening comprehension. Examining

later grades with time-lagged correlations, they found that earlier vocabulary predicted

later reading comprehension, whereas earlier listening comprehension did not.

Furthermore, reading comprehension is interconnected with mathematical word

problem skills of children. It was supported by (Cayubit, 2012) which cited that poor

reading skill is manifested with poor comprehension, wrong pronunciations, among

others. If no proper intervention is administered early, it could affect the academic, social

and psychological development of the child. As such, proper and correct diagnosis as

early as possible appears to be essential.

 19

Local studies in Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving skills

(Espada, 2012) stated that in the past years. Local, national and international

surveys showed the deteriorating ranks of Filipino pupils in mathematics and even in

other areas. The Philippines is challenged to step up in educating its people in

mathematics and science to be competitive since many in the business community have

complained about the country’s state of education. Indeed, in global competitiveness

indices, the Philippines have been rated poorly in terms of the quality of basic education,

quality of science and mathematics education, a low collaboration between industry and

the academe, and low in innovation.

As cited in (Yonson, Solving word problems performance of, 2017) found out the

Philippines placed 23rd among 25 countries for both Science and Mathematics for Grade

4. These data were quite alarming and calls for innovation in the way mathematics and

sciences are taught. In response, the Department of Education introduced the K to 12

Reform Curriculum in 2012. The said curriculum is expected to bring remarkable

innovations in the system of Philippine education and to bring forth excellence in the

delivery of quality education. One of the salient features of the said curriculum is the use

of mother tongue in teaching major and minor subjects including mathematics (DepEd

Order, 2012) This innovative change in the way mathematics is taught in school was

assumed to break down the gap between the language of the community where the

learner belongs and the language of learning in school. In contrary, (Nicolas, 2018)finds

out that Filipino learners have reading difficulties. Reading comprehension is affected by

the difficulty of the text, the vocabulary words used in the text, and the reader's

familiarity with the subject matter, among other factors. It was supported by the study of
 20

(Moschkovich, Principles, and Guidelines for Equitable, 2013) that stressed the learning

principle that pupils must learn mathematics with understanding. If pupils were not able

to read the questions accurately and understand what was being asked, then pupils were

not getting a full understanding of the mathematics topics because their reading skills

were an obstacle to comprehension. To compensate, the pupils tend to memorize the facts

and procedures instead of fully understanding them.

As Filipinos we study the English language as our second language but, we may

have difficulties in reading and understanding the content of the problem. Problemsolving

in Mathematics involves the process of combination of one's knowledge of sentence

structures, mathematical relations, basic numerical skills, and mathematical strategies in

order to solve a mathematics problem presented in a sentence or paragraph structure

(Cruz, 2016). In contrary, Imam, O. (2014) cited reading comprehension skills of pupils

had no direct bearing on their overall mathematics performance indicating that there are

other factors not related to reading should be explored to explain pupils low performance

in mathematics. Mathematical problem skills require the ability to read, interpret, and

transform the words into mathematical form before doing strategies on how to compute

for the unknown. Furthermore, developing ones reading comprehension is the doorway to

increasing the mathematics performance of the Philippine learners.

Synthesis

Various studies have been undertaken to examine the relationship of the reading

comprehension and word problem- solving skills and have established that reading is a

tool in learning in other fields, including mathematics, especially reading comprehension

which is a critical skill in understanding the mathematical process (Imam, 2013). In

addition, (Imam, 2013) found a correlation between reading comprehension skills and
 21

pupils’ performance in mathematics and their study showed that poor reading

comprehension skills of pupils are consistent with their performance in mathematics.

Among the different areas of mathematics, word problem solving is one area in

the study of mathematics where reading comprehension plays a vital role. In fact, Yonson

(2017) had proven that most pupils remain unsuccessful in solving word problems. There

were maybe a number of reasons why pupils often found difficulty in solving word

problems. According to (Johnson, 2016) one of these reasons was sectioning of pupils

most of the honor and average pupils belonged to section 1 while section 2 consists of

below and did meet the expectation of the curriculum or most of the sectioning is

homogeneous. While reading comprehension arises as a major problem of mathematics

teachers, based on the finding of Philippine Executive Report on the TIMSS as cited by

Yonson (2017) what is not clear is whether the lack of strategies and activities in teaching

or if it is just the understanding of children in the mathematical problem itself. It is for the

reasons that the researcher deemed the importance of conducting this research.
 22

METHODS

This section presents the research design, participants of the study, sampling

procedure, research locale, research instrument, the validity of the research, reliability of

the instrument, data gathering procedure, data analysis, and ethical consideration.

Research Design

This study employed the descriptive–correlational method of research; descriptive

since it examined the profile of pupils, reading comprehension skills, and problemsolving

skills; correlational since it looked into a possible relationship between pupils level of

reading comprehension and the level of the problem- solving skills. In the study of

(Tupou, 2013) it was cited that descriptive correlational method is appropriate to use if

the relationship between variables is to be measured.

Participants of the Study

The participants of the study were the Grade VI pupils who are officially enrolled

in the school year 2018-2019. The population of the study was 50. Measuring sample

participants, the researcher using G* Power analysis which shows 88% of 50 which is 44.

According to (Erdfelder, 2019) G*Power is a tool to compute statistical power analyses

for many different t-tests, F tests, χ2 tests, z tests, and some exact tests. G*Power can also

be used to compute effect sizes and to display graphically the results of power analyses.
 23

Table 1 Distribution of Participants

Section Male Female Total

1 11 14 25

2 7 12 19
Total 18 26 44

Sampling Procedure

Stratified Random Sampling using proportional allocation was used in

determining the number of participants. Stratified Random Sampling was a method of

sampling that involves the division of a population into smaller groups known as strata.

In stratified random sampling or stratification, the strata were formed based on members’

shared attributes or characteristics (Shi, 2015). Using proportional allocation 11 boys and

14 girls in Grade 6 section 1 answered the questionnaires while 7 boys and 12 girls in

Grade 6 section 2 answered the questionnaires.

Research Locale

This study was conducted at Basak Elementary School, District of Kabankalan I,

Sitio Basak, Barangay Tan –awan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental. Basak

Elementary School is one of the small-sized elementary school in the Division of

Kabankalan City.

Instrument

The instrument of the study has two categories; first, it was adopted from the

Revised PHIL – IRI (2018) grade VI questionnaires wherein 6 were critical

comprehension, 10 were inferential comprehension and 4 were literal comprehension in a

 24

total of 20 items. The second instrument was adapted from Metro Bank MTAP (2019)

Grade VI questionnaire wherein 5 were addition, 5 were subtraction, 5 were

multiplication and 5 were division in a total of 20 items.

Validity of the Instrument

Since the instrument was adopted from revised PHIL –IRI (2018) and it was

standardized no validity test was established, on the other hand, the adapted Metro Bank

MTAP (2019) questionnaires passed through necessary procedures to establish its

validity. Validity is the extent to which an instrument measures what it is supposed to

measure and performs as it is designed to perform (Shawn, 2013). As a process,

validation involves collecting and analyzing data to assess the accuracy of an instrument.

The research instrument was presented to three competent evaluators who were

considered experts in the field of education. The validity of the research instruments was

established using the Good and Scates criteria for validity. To get the validity of the

questionnaire the researcher combined the three scores and gets the mean. The validity

result shows 3.59 which are very good. The recommendations and suggestions by the

evaluators for the improvement of the instrument were taken into consideration.

Reliability of the Research Instrument

A data-gathering instrument was said to be reliable if it has the ability to elicit

stable, consistent, and dependable data from the participants (Polit, et.al, 2010). The

reliability of the Metrobank MTAP (2019) questionnaire was established by using 15

Grade 6 pupils of Balisong Elementary School who was used as dry-run participants and

was not included in the actual participants of the study. They were given questionnaires

and were requested to answer the items in the questionnaire. The data was tallied, the

mean scores was computed and was subjected to statistical computation with the use of
 25

Cronbach Alpha. The result showed .725 in reliability testing which exhibit questions

were good to conduct.

Benchmark scales for Kappa’s value, as proposed by Altman

Limits Interpretation

<.20 Poor

.21 to .40 Fair

.41 to .60 Moderate

.61 to .80 Good

.81 to 1.00 Very Good

Note: From Wongpakaran et al, BMC Medical Methodology (2013)

Data Gathering Procedure

After the validity of the research instrument complied, the researcher asked

permission from the Head Teacher of the school to seek for the administration of the

research instrument and to conduct the study. After the request was granted, the

researcher sets an appointment to the participants and gives assent consent to the

participants to inform them of the expectation and what data was gathered. As

participants agreed to all terms and condition, the researcher reproduced sufficient copies

of the research instrument and administered it. The test was untimed for the purpose of

making the child think of different ways to solve the problem. Phillips (2013) stated that

one of the reasons for the anxiety of pupils in mathematics was timed tests among others.

The researcher gathered and checked the instruments afterward. Finally, the researcher

submitted to the statistician the data for statistical treatment and interpretation.
 26

Data Analysis

The following statistical tools were employed in this study.

To determine the profile of the Grade VI when grouped according to sex, and

section, the percentage, and frequency distribution was applied.

To determine the level of reading comprehension of the participants when

grouped according to the profile variables and in terms of literal comprehension,

inferential comprehension, and critical comprehension the mean with scale and

interpretation was used.

To determine the level of problem-solving skills of the participants when grouped

according to the profile variables and in terms of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and

division, the mean with scale and interpretation was employed.

To determine if there is a significant relationship between the level of reading

comprehension and the level of problem-solving skills of the participants when grouped

according to the profile variables and in terms of aforementioned areas, the Pearson’s R

was accustomed.

Ethical Consideration

According to Carnazo, S. (2016), the principles of ethical conduct below represent

an amalgam gleaned from many sources were strictly observed:

First, do no harm. The participants of this research endeavor will not be involved

in any situation in which they may be harmed.

Second, privacy and anonymity. Any individual participating in this research

study has a reasonable expectation that privacy will be guaranteed. Consequently, no

identifying information about the individual will be revealed in written or other

communication.
 27

Third, confidentiality. The participants’ information provided to the researcher

will be treated in a confidential manner. Pseudonyms will be assigned to the participants

in order to protect their identity.

Fourth, Ascent Consent. The participants will be informed of the nature of the

study and may choose whether or not to participate. A consent form will be signed by the

participants in order to assure that they permit participation (Appendix C – Consent

Form). They also have a reasonable expectation that they will not be coerced into

participation.

Fifth, rapport and friendship. Once participants agree to be part of a study, the

researcher will develop rapport in order to get them to disclose information. The

researcher will make sure that there is an environment that is trustworthy. But at the same

time, the researcher will be sensitive to the power over the participants. The researcher

will avoid setting up a situation in which participants think they are friends with the

researcher.

Sixth, intrusiveness. The participants will be assured that the conduct of the

researcher is not excessively intrusive. Intrusiveness can mean intruding on their time,

intruding on their space, and intruding on their personal lives.

Seventh, inappropriate behavior. The participants will not be engaged in the

conduct of a personal or sexual nature. Respect will be utmostly displayed.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

 28

Data gathered for this study is presented in this section. Presentation is

categorized into participants’ profile, level of reading comprehension and level of

problem-solving skills.

Table 1

Summary of Participants’ Profile

Variables Category Frequency Percent

Sex Male 18 40.9

Female 26 59.1

Total 44 100.0

Section 1.00 25 56.8

2.00 19 43.2
Total 44 100.0

As shown in Table 1, 18 (40.9%) were male and 26 (59.1%) were female while in

section, 25 (56.8%) were section 1 and 19 (43.2%) were section 2.It is quite clear that out

of the total participants investigated for this study, was the majority of females. Table 1

also presents the section profile section 1(56.8 %) has greater participants compare to

section 2 (43.2%).

Table 2:

Mean and Standard Deviation Results for sex and level of reading comprehension
Variables N Mean SD Interpretation
 29

Literal Comprehension

Male 18 1.5556 .85559 Moderately Low

Female 26 1.5769 .98684 Moderately Low

Inferential Comprehension

Male 18 2.6667 1.71499 Moderately High

Female 26 3.2692 2.25491 Moderately high

Critical Comprehension

Male 18 2.2222 1.35280 Moderately Low

Female 26 3.0385 1.37067 Moderately High

Note: N – Population, SD – Standard Deviation. From the study,A Note on

Standard Deviation and Standard Error. Copyright 2016 by Research Gate. The mean was
interpret following the limits cited by Morgan, D. (2016) which 1-1.49 – Low,
2.50 – 3.49 - Moderately High, 1.50 – 2.49 - Moderately Low and 3.50 – 4 - High

As shown in Table 2 male and female were rated moderately low with the mean

score of male (1.5556) and female (1.5769) in literal comprehension. In addition,

inferential comprehension was rated moderately high in both sexes with a mean score of

male (2.6667) and female (3.2692). However, in critical comprehension varies in sex; the

male was rated moderately low with a mean score of 2.2222 while a female was rated

moderately high with a mean score of 3.0385.

In general, Table 2 females were significantly outperforming males in the reading

comprehension test. The current results were supported by the study of (Asgarabadi,

2015) where females are usually more motivated both intrinsically and extrinsically, to

read texts on various topics. However, (Oda, 2017)cited that male pupils performed
 30

significantly better than the female students in their reading performance of a familiar and

an unfamiliar text.

Table 3

Mean and Standard Deviation Results for section and level of reading comprehension
Variables N Mean SD Interpretation

Literal Comprehension

Section 1 25 1.7600 .77889 Moderately Low

Section 2 19 1.3158 1.05686 Low

Inferential Comprehension

Section 1 25 3.4400 2.25610 Moderately High

Section 2 19 2.4737 1.64548 Moderately Low

Critical Comprehension

Section 1 25 2.8000 1.26121 Moderately High

Section 2 19 2.5789 1.40728 Moderately High

Note: N – Population, SD – Standard Deviation. From the study,A Note on

Standard Deviation and Standard Error. Copyright 2016 by Research Gate. The mean was
interpret following the limits cited by Morgan, D. (2016) which 1-1.49 – Low,
2.50 – 3.49 - Moderately High, 1.50 – 2.49 - Moderately Low and 3.50 – 4 - High

As shown in Table 3 literal comprehension differs from section; section one was

rated moderately low with a mean score of 1.7600 while section two were rated low with

a mean score of 1.3158. Moreover, sections one was rated moderately high with a mean

score of 3.4400 while section two was rated moderately low with a mean score of 2.4737.

However, both sections were rated moderately high in critical comprehension with a

mean score of section one (2.8000) and section 2 (2.5789).

 31

Overall the Table 3 shows section one compared to section two is higher in

reading comprehension. According to the study of (Johnson, 2016), one of the reason

was sectioning of pupils, most of the honor and average pupils belonged to section one

while section two consists of below and did meet the expectation of the curriculum or

most of the sectioning is homogeneous.

Table 4

Mean and Standard Deviation Results for sex and Fundamental Operations
Variables N Mean SD Interpretation

Addition

Male 18 1.1667 1.09813 Low

Female 26 1.3462 .84580 Low

Subtraction
Male 18 1.6667 1.41421 Moderately Low

Female 26 2.0385 1.45549 Moderately Low

Multiplication
Male 18 1.3333 .76696 Low
Female 26 2.0385 .95836 Moderately Low
Division
Male 18 1.4444 .85559 Low
Female 26 1.3462 .74524 Low
Note: N – Population, SD – Standard Deviation. From the study,A Note on
Standard Deviation and Standard Error. Copyright 2016 by Research Gate. The mean was
interpret following the limits cited by Morgan, D. (2016) which 1-1.49 – Low,
2.50 – 3.49 - Moderately High, 1.50 – 2.49 - Moderately Low and 3.50 – 4 - High

As shown in Table 4 male and female were low in addition with a mean score of

male (1.1667) and female (1.3462). In addition, subtraction was rated moderately low in
 32

both sexes with a mean score of male (1.6667) and female (2.0385). However, in

multiplication sex varies; the male was rated low with a standard deviation of (1.3333)

while the female was rated moderately low with a mean score of 2.0385. Moreover, the

division was rated low in both sexes with a standard deviation of male (1.4444) and

female (1.3462).

Overall the Table 4 shows male was lower in multiplication compare to female. In

contrary to the current result, (Wüstenberg, 2014) cited males outperformed females

because they altered variables to a greater extent showing the impact of input variables on

output variables more apparently. One possible explanation among others females

understanding of the concept in mathematics is not deeper than males. It was supported

by (Ileritürk & Kincal, 2018), which cited male pupils performed better than female

pupils when PISA 2003 and 2012 problem-solving results were analyzed in terms of

gender, but the difference between male and female students is not statistically

significant.

Table 5

Mean and Standard Deviation Results for section and fundamental operations
Variables N Mean SD Interpretation
 33

Addition

Section 1 25 1.1600 .89815 Low

Section 2 19 1.4211 1.2632 Low

Subtraction

Section 1 25 2.3600 1.49666 Moderately Low

Section 2 19 1.2632 1.09758 Low

Multiplication

Section 1 25 2.0800 .95394 Moderately Low

Section 2 19 1.3158 .74927 Low

Division

Section 1 25 1.6400 .86023 Moderately Low

Section 2 19 1.0526 .52427 Low

Note: N – Population, SD – Standard Deviation. From the study,A Note on

Standard Deviation and Standard Error. Copyright 2016 by Research Gate. The mean was
interpret following the limits cited by Morgan, D. (2016) which 1-1.49 – Low, 2.50 –
3.49 - Moderately High, 1.50 – 2.49 - Moderately Low and 3.50 – 4 - High As
shown in Table 5 both section were rated low in addition with a standard deviation of
section one (1.1600) and section two (1.4211). In subtraction, section one was rated
moderately low with a mean score of 2.3600 while section two was rated low with a
mean score of 1.2632. The same as in multiplication section one was rated moderately
low with a mean score of 2.0800 while section two were rated low with a mean score of
1.3158. In addition, the division was rated moderately low with a mean score of 1.6400
whereas section two was rated low with a mean score of 1.0526
Overall Table 5 shows section one outperformed section two in three fundamental

operations (subtraction, multiplication, and division). According to the study of

 34

(Johnson, 2016), one of the reason was sectioning of pupils, most of the honor and

average pupils belonged to section one while section two consists of below and did meet

the expectation of the curriculum or most of the sectioning is homogeneous.

Table 6

Relationship between Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving Skills

Significant Relationship r - test p-value Interpretation

Reading Comprehension Skills

Problem Solving Skills .253 .098 Significant

*Significant at .098 level.

There was a low positive correlation between reading comprehension and

problem-solving skills, r = .319.In addition, there is a significant relationship between

reading comprehension and problem-solving skills. It was supported by the study of

Auzar (2017) which cited that language is required to understand the questions of the

mathematical word problems or word problems. One will be able to solve problems in

mathematics when supported by the understanding of language with familiar and by using

symbols which were already known beforehand. In addition, according to (Wijaya, van

den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Doorman, & Robitzsch, 2014) elementary pupils made reading

comprehension – based errors during problem- solving between 25% and 75%.

.Also, in the studies conducted by Ulu (2017) reading comprehension skills were seen to

have a relation with problem-solving skills. Wherefore, problem-solving is easy if there is

understanding of the problem. In contrary, Imam, O. (2014) cited that reading

comprehension skills of pupils had no direct bearing on their overall mathematics

 35

performance indicating that these are other factors not related to reading should be

explored to explain pupils low performance in mathematics.

CONCLUSION

This section presents the summary of findings, the conclusion based on the set of

recommendations addressed to concerned stakeholders.

 36

Summary of Participants’ Profile

Majority of the participants were female 26 (59.1%) and male were 18 (40.9%). In

section, most of the participants were in section one which consists of 25(56.8 %) and

section two has 18 (43.2%) participants. Based on the consolidated enrollment of the

school female enrollment was higher than male in Grade VI school year 2018-2019. The

total attendance of section two when the study was conducted was only 18 due to

traditional market day, and harvest season.

Mean and Standard Deviation Results for sex and level of reading comprehension

Generally, male and female were rated moderately low with the mean score of

male (1.5556) and female (1.5769) in literal comprehension. In addition, inferential

comprehension was rated moderately high in both sexes with a mean score of male

(2.6667) and female (3.2692). However, in critical comprehension varies in sex; the male

was rated moderately low with a mean score of 2.2222 while the female was rated

moderately high with a mean score of 3.0385. Based on school form 2 of the advisers

males were always absent due to local tradition wherein boys were required to work and

help their parents at home than girls. These affect the reading comprehension of boys than

girls. Moreover, most females were motivated to read and study compared to a male who

are not affectionate with books.

Mean and Standard Deviation Results for section and level of reading comprehension

In Section, literal comprehension differs from section; section one was rated

moderately low with a mean score of 1.7600 while section two was rated low with a

mean score of 1.3158.In addition, sections one was rated moderately high with a mean

score of 3.4400 while section two was rated moderately low with a mean score of 2.4737.
 37

However, both sections were rated moderately high in critical comprehension with a

mean score of section one (2.8000) and section 2 (2.5789). The school was practicing

homogeneous sectioning wherein nonreaders were identified and was given special

activities in section 2.

Mean and Standard Deviation Results for sex Fundamental Operations

In fundamental operations, male and female were low in addition with a mean

score of male (1.1667) and female (1.3462). In addition, subtraction was rated moderately

low in both sexes with a mean score of male (1.6667) and female (2.0385). However, in

multiplication sex varies; the male was rated low with a standard deviation of (1.3333)

while the female was rated moderately low with a mean score of 2.0385. Moreover, the

division was rated low in both sexes with a standard deviation of male (1.4444) and

female (1.3462). Males were low in multiplication considering that they cannot memorize

basic table of multiplication than females.

Mean and Standard Deviation Results for section and Fundamental Operations

Both section were rated low in addition to a standard deviation of section one

(1.1600) and section 2 (1.4211). In subtraction, section 1 was rated moderately low with a

mean score of 2.3600 while section two was rated low with a mean score of 1.2632. The

same as in multiplication section 1 was rated moderately low with a mean score of 2.0800

while section two was rated low with a mean score of 1.3158. In addition, the division

was rated moderately low with a mean score of 1.6400 whereas section 2 was rated low

with a mean score of 1.0526. Homogeneous sectioning was considered one of the reasons

why section two was low than section.

Relationship between Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving Skills

There was a low positive correlation between reading comprehension and

 38

problem-solving skills, r = .319.In addition, there is a significant relationship between

reading comprehension and problem-solving skills. Reading comprehension has an

impact to low word problem performance of the pupils. Word problem needs broad

reading comprehension since mathematics has its own language.

Based on the results and conclusion of this research, recommendations were

made. Reading Comprehension plays a vital role in improving problem solving skills.

DepEd Personnel may take seriously the implementation of Revised PHIL – IRI

specifically in English. Appropriate strategies may develop pupils’ critical thinking in

problem solving skills. Baby steps may be applied by teachers for example Dolch words

in primary level in remedial classes and may make a habit to make pupils memorize table

of multiplication. For the parents they may follow up the needs of their children in the

designated advisers to what enrichment activities are appropriate for their children to

improve reading comprehension at home and may make memorization of table of

multiplication a challenge to their children. May the willingness and enthusiasm of the

pupils may a great help to improve reading comprehension as well as problem solving.

Pupils are encouraged to take time reading book and memorizing table of multiplication

instead of having most of their time playing games in their phones. It may serve as

references and basis to improve reading comprehension and problem solving for future

researchers and may be a basis for program development.

 39

REFERENCES

Asgarabadi, Y. R. (2015). Learners' Gender, Reading Comprehension, and Reading

Strategies in Descriptive and Narrative Macro-genres. Academy Publication.

Retrieved from

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1b63/1da07527897042539d3fb18bc05882f9f44

6
 40

Auzar, M. (2017). The relationships of reading comprehension ability with the ability to

understand the questions of mathematical word problems. Mediterranean

Journal of Social Sciences, 145. Retrieved from

www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/

Bahtash, E. (2018). The impact of spelling strategies instruction on the iranian efl

intermediate learners' writing performance. esmail zare-behatsh chabahar

maritime university. International Journal of Instruction, 30-37. Retrieved from

www.academia.edu/.../The_Impact_of_Spelling_Strategies_Instruction_

Briones, L. (2018). Policy guidelines on the administration of the revised Philippine

informal reading inventory. Manila: Republic of the Phlippines, Department of

Education. Retrieved from www.deped.gov.ph/.../do-14-s-2018-policy-guidelines

Burke, M. B. (2014). Reading Interventions for Middle and Secondary Students With

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Quantitative Review of Single-Case

Studies. Sage Journal, 39(1), 1-20. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25164773

Cayubit, R. (2012). Vocabulary and reading comprehension as a measure of reading

skills of Filipino children. Assessment Handbook, 9, 1-12. Retrieved from

https://www.ssrn.com/abstract=2282646

Cruz, M. (2016). Dual Language Fluency and Math Word Problem Performance of

Selected Students. THE BEDAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, 53-60.

Retrieved from www.sanbeda-alabang.edu.ph/bede/images/

Dawe, C. (2014). Language governmentality in Philippine education policy. WPEL

Working Papers in Educational Linguistics, 29(1), 61-67. Retrieved from

https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article
 41

Dorval, F. (2014). Flexibles grouping and explicit reading instruction in Journal of

Instructional Pedagogies, Elementary school. 10(1941-3394), 1-12. Retrieved

from https://www.researchgate.net/Flexible_Grouping_for_Literacy

Erdfelder, F. (2019). G*Power: Statistical Power Analyses for Windows and Mac.

Heinrich Heine. Retrieved from www.gpower.hhu.de/

Espada, J. (2012). The Native Language In Teaching Kindergarten Mathematics. Journal

of International Education Research, 8(4), 13 - 16. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/.../264890281_The_Native_Language_In_Teaching

Gross, J. W. (2017). Marking stress explicitly in written English fosters rhythm in the

reader's inner voice. Reading Research Quarterly, 1-90. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/.../318764198_Marking_Stress_ExPLICitly_

Hutura. (2019, February 26). Literal, inferential, and critical comprehensive reading.

Retrieved March 12, 2019, from Owlcation - Academia: Reading. Retrieved

from https://owlcation.com › Academia.

Ileritürk, D., & Kincal, R. Y. (2018). Analysis oPISA 2012 Participant Countries'

Success Rankings in Terms of Their Patent Productivities. International Journal

of Instruction, 11(4), 191. Retrieved from https://www.e-iji.net/dosyalar/

Imam, O. M. (2013). Correlation between Reading Comprehension Skills and Students

Performance in Mathematics. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in

Education, 1-8. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5a36/

Johnson, A. (2016). Homogeneos grouping and effectiveness in the elementary school

setting. Carson - Newman University. Retrieved from

https://www.cn.edu/libraries/tiny_mce/tiny_mce/plugins/.
 42

Llego, M. (2018). Updated PHIL - IRI. Bataan: Teacher.ph. Retrieved from

https://www.teacherph.com/phil-iri-manual-2018/

Mansoor Ahmed Channa, Z. S. (2016). A Qualitative Study of Reading Comprehension :

An Insight from Pakistani Context Bridging the Needs of Engineering Students.

International Journal of English Linguistic, 6, 85-87. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/.../299487538_A_Qualitative_Study_of_Reading

Moschkovich, J. (2013, July 1). Principles and Guidelines for Equitable. Mathematics

Teaching Practices and, pp. 45-57. Retrieved from

http://edosprey.gsu.edu/ojs/index.php/JUME/article/view/204

Mullen, J. (2015). Helping Students Develop Better Skills in Solving Word Problems.

Seattle Making Value for Society, 2. Retrieved from

https://www.asee.org/.../Helping_Students_Develop_Better_Skills_in_Solving

Nicolas, C. E. (2018). An Integrative Approach through Reading. International

Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 26(3), 40-64.

Retrieved from https://openjournals.library.sydney.edu.au/index.php/CAL/

Njagi, M. (2015). Language Issues on Mathematics Achievement. International Journal of

Education and Research, 167 -175. Retrieved from https://www.ijern.com/journal

Oda, A. (2017). The Relationship between Gender and Reading Comprehension at

College Level. Journal of Basra researches for Human, 42(6), 426-442. Retrieved

from https://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=144091

Oktarani, L. (2015). Improving students' reading comprehension by using inquiry based.

Center of Language Innovation Journal of Linguistics and Language Teaching,

2(1), 1-12. Retrieved from ejournal.iainbengkulu.ac.id/index.php/linguists/

Perfetti, C. S. (2013, November 9). Word Knowledge in a Theory of Reading. Theories of

 43

Reading: What We Have Learned From Two Decades of Scientific Research,

8(1), pp. 22-37. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/

Salma, J. (2012). Students' difficulties in comprehending mathematical word problems in

english language learning contexts. International Researches Journal, 1(3), 16-

29. Retrieved from www.academia.edu/.STUDENTS_DIFFICULTIES_IN_

Sepeng, P. S. (2013). Making Sense of Errors Made by Learners in Mathematical Word

Problem Solving. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 4(13), 325-333.

Retrieved from www.mcser.org/journal/index.php/mjss/article/

Shi, F. (2015). Study on a Stratified Sampling Investigation Method for Resident Travel

and the Sampling Rate. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 1-7. Retrieved

from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ddns/2015/

Tupou, S. (2013). A descriptive correlational study of teacher participation in

professional development and teacher efficacy. University of Oregon. Retrieved

from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED558879

Ulu, M. (2017). The Effect of Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving Strategies

on Classifying Elementary 4th Grade Students with High and Low Problem

Solving Success. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 5(6), 44-63.

Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/

Vula, E. R. (2015). Mathematics Word Problem Solving Through Collaborative Action

Research. Journal of Teacher Action, 34-46. Retrieved from

www.practicalteacherresearch.com/uploads/

Wijaya, A., van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, M., Doorman, M., & Robitzsch, A. (2014).

Difficulties in solving context-based PISA mathematics tasks: An analysis of

 44

students' errors. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 11(3), 555-584. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/.../268813902_Difficulties_in_solving_context-

Wüstenberg, S. l. (2014). Cross-national gender differences in complex problem solving

and their determinants. Learning and Individual Differences, 29, 18-29.

Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/

Yonson, D. (2017). Solving word problems performance of. International Journal of

Development and Sustainability, 628-640. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/.../319617826_Solving_

Appendices
 45

Appendix A

Letter to the Head Teacher

University of St. La Salle – Bacolod City

Project Free Program

Kabankalan City Center

March 18, 2019

MA. TERESA B. YANA

Principal II
Basak Elementary School

Dear Ma’am:
Warm Greetings!
I am currently conducting a research study entitled "Assessment of Reading
Comprehension and Problem Solving Skills of Grade 6 Pupils". I am now on our data
gathering phase. In this connection, may I ask for your approval for the administration of
my initial and actual survey to your elementary pupils? The study will be conducted after
your approval. I am anticipating for your affirmative response to this matter.
 46

Thank you for your unwavering support. God bless.

Respectfully yours,

MELALYN M. PARALES, LPT

Researcher

Approved by:

MA. TERESA B. YANA

Principal I

Appendix B

University of St. La Salle

Project Free Program
Assessment of Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving Skills
Assent Consent Agreement

Good day. My name is Melalyn M. Parales from the University of St. Lasalle -
Project Free Program. I am presently conducting a study on "Assessment of Reading
Comprehension and Problem Solving Skills of Grade 6 pupils. The purpose of this study
is to determine the level of reading comprehension and problem- solving skills and the
study will serve as a basis for future researches and program development.

I would like to seek your permission to answer the questionnaires related to

reading comprehension and problem solving specifically word problems. I am humbly
asking you to answer all the questions given to you for me to gather accurate results in
this study. You are given unlimited time to finish answering all the questions.

No one will charge you for your participation or give you any money, whether or
not you agree to participate in the study conducted.

I want to assure you that your participation will not affect any of your
engagements in the community and performance in school. If you have any questions you
 47

may ask or contact me through these numbers, 09078260725 or email address

melalyn.parales@deped.gov.ph.

If you agree to participate, please sign this page. Your name will not be used in
any report, but your answers will help me achieve the objectives of this study.

If you do not wish to participate, thank you for your time.

_____ Yes, I agree to answer the questionnaires.

_____ No, I do not agree to answer the questionnaires.
Prepared by:
MELALYN M. PARALES, LPT
Researcher

Approved by:

___________________________
Signature of Participant

Appendix C
Research Instrument

University of St. La Salle –Bacolod City

Project Free Program

I. Demographic Profile:
Name (Optional):____________________________________________
Direction: Check the appropriate category you belong.
Sex: Section:
( ) Male ()1
( ) Female ()2

II. Reading Comprehension Test

Direction: Read each selection silently. Then read the questions that follow
and encircle the letter of the correct answer.
 48

A. Chameleons
Chameleons are extraordinary animals. They are one of the few animals that can change their
color. This is their way of hiding themselves. Chameleons that live in trees are often green. Those
that live in desert lands are usually brown.
It is also their way of keeping warm. Turning a darker shade helps them absorb more heat. They
also change colors to send messages to other chameleons. Their
bright colors may attract other chameleons or warn enemies.
1. What is one unique characteristic of
chameleons? (Literal)

a. Their color changes.

b. They live in trees.
c. They live in deserts.
d. They climb trees fast. They send messages to other
animals.
2. What will happen to a chameleon on a cold day? (Inferential)
a. It will become invisible.
b. It will turn a shade lighter.
c. It will turn white.
d. It will turn a shade darker.
3. Changing its color is the chameleon‘s way of ___________.
(Literal)
a. Showing its special power.
b. Hiding itself from other animals
c. Finding its family
d. Shedding its skin.
4. Chameleons are extraordinary animals. Another word for
extraordinary is ___________. (Inferential) a. Amazing
b. Not known
c. Common
d. Unusual
5. What is the advantage of changing color? (Inferential)
a. It can hide itself.
b. It can kill enemies
c. It can join with other chameleons.
d. It can hold on to the branch as it climbs.
6. The main idea of the selection is_____. (Critical)
a. Why chameleons change colors.
b. How chameleons survive in the wild
 49

c. Where chameleons come from

d. Where chameleons live
7. The best title for this selection is _____. (Critical)
a. How chameleons Communicate with Other Animals
b. Why Chameleons Change Color
c. The Different Habitats of Chameleons
d. The Enemies of Chameleons

The Philippine Eagle

The Philippine Eagle has replaced the Maya as our national bird. It is one of the three

largest and strongest eagles in the world. But it is in danger of extinction. Hunting and
deforestation have caused the number of Philippine Eagles to dwindle. Scientists have tried
to increase their number by breeding them in captivity. The first eagle to be bred in captivity is
Pag- asa. At 25 years old. Pag – asa is not yet suited to be released to the wild as she has
developed dependency on her human keeper.

8. The Philippine Eagle is in danger of extinction. It means this type of eagle will
eventually _________. (Inferential)
a. disappear
b. increase
c. migrate
d. starve
9. When birds are bred in captivity, they are ________________. (Inferential)
a. allowed to freely fly in the wide forest
b. cared for in a safe environment
c. caught and sold as pets
d. given a diet of bread
10. What is responsible for the decrease in the number of Philippine Eagles?
(Inferential)
a. their migration to cooler countries
b. their transfer to warmer places
c. the activities of humans
d. lack of available food
11. Pag – asa is the name of the first eagle which ______. (Literal)
a. was discovered first in our country
b. was born in captivity
 50

c. was kept in the wild

d. was given as a gift
12. What is the problem posed in the selection? (Critical) The Philippine Eagles
_________________________.
a. are in danger of being gone forever
b. are dying because of a disease
c. migrate to other countries
d. are not growing fast
13. The purpose for writing the selection is to _________. (Critical)
a. invite researchers to study the Philippines
b. make the reader proud of the Philippine eagle
c. warn the hunters not to harm the Philippine eagle.
d. raise an alarm about the possible disappearance of the Philippine Eagle 14. A
good title for this selection is _____________. (Critical)
a. Help save the Philippine Eagle
b. See the Race Philippine Eagle
c. Breeding the Philippine Eagle
d. The Effects of Deforestation

Home to Millions of Fish

Coral Reefs are found in shallow areas of tropical ocean waters. They are
like beautiful underground gardens that grow in salty waters. Millions of fish and sea
plants make their home in the reefs as these provide a safe sanctuary for them. They
allow small fish to hide from large predator fish.
But many coral reefs are in trouble. Water pollution is destroying many reefs.
15. Coral reefs are dTourism likewise harms them. It reefs are damaged we will
lose many of our scribed as underground gardens because ____________.
(Inferential) beautiful fish.

a. they are full of flowers

b. there are many sea plants
c. they have many enormous fish
d. there are many types of pebbles
16. Coral reefs provide safe sanctuary to live for the small fish. A sanctuary is
synonymous to ___________. (Inferential)
a. water b. shelter
c. cage d. cave
17. Which of these bodies of water would have coral reefs? (Inferential)
a. the sea b. the lake
c. the river d. the pond
 51

18. Why are the small fish safer in the coral reefs than in the open sea?
(Inferential)
a. The water is saltier.
b. The waves are not so big.
c. There is no pollution there
d. It is less likely that the big fish will eat them.
19. How is the last paragraph of the selection developed? (Critical)
a. by giving a list of effects
b. by enumerating a series of sequenced events
c. by stating the main topic and giving examples
d. by defining the problem and the possible solution
20. Which cause of the destruction of coral reefs is mentioned in the last
paragraph? (Literal)
a. pollution
b. the presence of big fish
c. the strong wind and big waves
d. the increasing temperature of the ocean

III. Problem Solving Skills Test:

Direction: Solve each item on a scratch paper, when necessary. Then encircle
the letter of the correct answer on the space provided.

1. Rio walked 5 steps forward, 8 steps backward, 9 steps forward, and 3 steps
backward. How many steps is Rio from where he started?
a. 5 b. 4 c. 3 d. 6
2. A kilo of grapes costs Php 200.50. How much will you pay if you buy 3 kilos?
a. 602.5 b. 601.5 c. 603.5 d. 601.4

3. There are 13 blue marbles. The blue marbles are three more than twice the
number of red marbles. How many red marbles are there?
a. 10 b. 7 c. 5 d. 8
4. What is the sum of all odd numbers greater than 1 and smaller than 21?
a. 100 b. 98 c. 99 d. 101
5. On a test consisting of 30 questions, Susan had 50% more right answers than
she had wrong answers. Each answer was either right or wrong. How many
questions did she answer correctly?
a. 15 b. 20 c. 12 d. 9
6. Instead of multiplying a number by ¼, I multiplied it by 1/8 and got 2. What
number was I originally supposed to get as a result?
a. 40 b. 32 c. 20 d. 10
 52

7. Joana can type 288 words in 8 minutes. How many words can she type per
minute?
a. 36 b. 40 c. 35 d. 30
8. There were 90 children at the birthday party. If 3/5 of them were boys, how
many were girls?
a. 40 b. 36 c. 45 d. 50
9. Karen’s father has 18 m nylon string. He gave 10 m of it for his friend’s
fishing rod. About how long is the nylon string that is left?
a. 3 b. 5 c. 8 d. 10
10. For the school’s intramurals, a group of students prepared 1235 liters of
lemonade to sell. At the end of the day, they had 24 liters leftover. How many
liters of lemonade were sold?
a. 1212 b. 1210 c. 1211 d. 1215
11. A car is able to travel 210 km in 3 hours. How far can it travel in 5 hours?
a. 350 km b. 340 km c. 320 km d. 400 km
12. Mrs. Baclaya made some muffins and gave them to Vincent and Brylle.
Vincent received 12 of the number of muffins and Brylle received 5 of the
muffins. How many muffins did Mrs. Baclaya make if she had 9 muffins left?
a. 30 b. 26 c. 35 d. 28
13. If each of 7 cakes is cut into eights, how many pieces will there will be?
a. 60 b. 55 c. 56 d. 54
14. Shella has 4 meters of cloth to be made into handbags. She uses ½ meter for
each handbag. If she sells each handbag for P 50.00. How much money will
she earn?
a. 100 b. 200 c. 300 d. 400

15. In a sale, a washing machine costs P 3, 999.99. Its price has been reduced by P
500.00. What was its price before the sale?
a. Php 5,000.00 c. Php 3,499.00
b. Php 4, 499.00 d. Php 4,500.00
16. An apple costs P 11.50 each. How many apples can you buy if you have P
200.00?
a. 18 b. 17 c. 15 d. 16
17. Maine bought 1 kilo of banana for Php 65.00 if she gave Php 1000.00 to the
vendor. How much is her change?
a. Php 900.00 b. Php 875.00 c. Php 950.00 d. Php
935.00 18. Sipnayan magazine had an introduction offer of P2, 388.75
for sixty – five issues. What was the cost of a single issue?
a. Php 38.50 c. Php 37.50
 53

b. Php 35.75 d. Php 36.75

19. Miguel was born in 1998 and died in 2019. How many years did he live?
a. 21 b. 25 c. 30 d. 21
20. Jojo owes the sari – sari store P 135.00. Each of his 5 friends will help him
pay off his debt. How much will each friend equally share to pay his debt?
a. 27 b. 30 c. 25 d. 36

Appendix D

Research Instrument Validation Form

Assessment of Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving Skills of the Grade 6

Pupils

Direction: Kindly evaluate the research instrument using the rating scale according to the
following criteria set forth by Calter V. Good and Douglas E. Scates.

5-Excellent 4-Very Good 3-Good 2-Fair 1-Poor

 54

No. Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
1. The questionnaire is short enough such that the respondent will
not reject it because it will not drain much of his/her precious time.
2. The questionnaire has face appeal such that the respondent will be
inclined to accomplish it fully.
3. The questionnaire can obtain some depth to the responses and
avoid superficial answers or information.
4. The items/questions and their alternative responses are not too
suggestive.
5. The questionnaire can elicit responses, which are definite but not
mechanically forced.
6. The items/questions are stated in such a way that the responses
will not be embarrassing to the person/persons concerned.
7. Items/questions are framed in such a manner as to allay suspicion
on the part of the respondents concerning hidden purposes in the
questionnaire.
8. The questionnaire is not too narrow nor restricted or limited in its
scope or philosophy.
9 The responses to the questionnaire when taken as a whole could
answer the basic purpose for which the questionnaire is designed
and therefore considered valid.
Total:

Rating:

Interpretation:

_______________________________
Signature over Printed name of Evaluator

March 4, 2019
Date
Appendix E

Consolidated Research Instrument Validation

Assessment of Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving Skills of the Grade 6 Pupils

Rating Scale according to the following criteria set by Calter V. Good and Douglas E.
Scates.
 55

5 – Excellent 4 – Very Good 3 - Good 2 – Fair 1 - Poor

Validators’ Name Rating Interpretation

1. Saturnino T. Pabalinas Jr. PhD 4.33 Very Good

2. Alberto P. Dela Cruz, PhD 4.44 Very Good

3. Rena V. Tejada, PhD 5 Excellent

Total 4.59 Very Good

Appendix F
SPSS Generated Data
Problem Solving Reliability Test

Case Processing Summary

N %

Cases Valid 20 100.0

 56

Excludeda 0 .0

Total 20 100.0
a. Listwise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.

Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's Alpha Based on
Cronbach's Alpha Standardized Items N of Items

.725 .741 15

Item Statistics

Mean Std. Deviation N

Participant 1 2.0000 .91766 20
Participant 2 2.0000 .85840 20

Participant 3 2.0500 .99868 20

Participant 4 2.0000 1.07606 20

Participant 5 2.5500 .99868 .91 20
Participant 6 191 20
2.1000

Participant 7 2.6000 1.27321 20

Participant 8
1.14248
Participant 9
.91047
2.6000 20
2.2500 20

Participant 10 2.4500 1.05006 20

Participant 11 2.1000 .96791 20

Participant 12 2.2500 .85070 .94 20
Participant 13 2.4500 451 20

Participant 14 1.9500 1.05006 20

Participant 15 2.0500 .94451 20

Inter-Item Correlation Matrix

 57

Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa Participa

nt 1 nt 2 nt 3 nt 4 nt 5 nt 6 nt 7 nt 8 nt 9 nt 10 nt 11 nt 12 nt 13 nt 14 nt 15

Participa

nt 1 1.000 .535 .533 .115 .755 .135 .050 -.063 .000 .237 .270 .061 -.273 -.061
.345

Participa

nt 2 .535 1.000 .430 .285 -.061 .672 -.096 .054 -.135 -.292 .000 .505 .260 -.175 .065

Participa
.345 .430 1.000 .294 .024 .399 .265 .295 -.014 -.274 .430 .232 .031 .003 .109
nt 3

Participa
.294
nt 4 .533 .285 1.000 .000 .375 .115 .385 .107 .140 .505 .575 .311 .047 .362

Participa
.024
nt 5 .115 -.061 .000 1.000 .225 .141 -.074 -.043 .153 .212 .201 .059 -.324 -.421

Participa
.399

nt 6 .755 .672 .375 .225 1.000 -.145 -.162 .032 -.049 .167 .441 -.055 -.489 -.189

Participa
.135 -.096 .265 .115 .141 -.145 1.000 .246 -.272 -.528 .120 -.146 -.280 .142 -.158
nt 7

Participa
.050 .054 .295 .385 -.074 -.162 .246 1.000 .000 .114 .466 .433 .419 .333 .507
nt 8

Participa
-.063 -.135 -.014 .107 -.043 .032 -.272 .000 1.000 .261 .149 .459 .168 .289 .291
nt 9

Participa
.000 -.292 -.274 .140 .153 -.049 -.528 .114 .261 1.000 .264 .103 .316 .165 .135
nt 10

Participa
.237 .000 .430 .505 .212 .167 .120 .466 .149 .264 1.000 .479 .466 .264 .397
nt 11

Participa
.270 .505 .232 .575 .201 .441 -.146 .433 .459 .103 .479 1.000 .573 .133 .377
nt 12

Participa
.061 .260 .031 .311 .059 -.055 -.280 .419 .168 .316 .466 .573 1.000 .395 .504
nt 13

Participa
.003
nt 14 -.273 -.175 .047 -.324 -.489 .142 .333 .289 .165 .264 .133 .395 1.000 .693

Participa
.109

nt 15 -.061 .065 .362 -.421 -.189 -.158 .507 .291 .135 .397 .377 .504 .693 1.000

Summary Item Statistics

Maximum /
Mean Minimum Maximum Range Minimum Variance N of Items

Item Means 2.227 1.950 2.600 .650 1.333 .058 15

Scale Statistics

Mean Variance Std. Deviation N of Items

 58

33.4000 46.253 6.80093 15

Participants’ Profile
Statistics
Sex section

N Valid 44 44

Missing 0 0

Mean 1.5909 1.4318

Std. Deviation .49735 .50106

Sex
Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid male 18 40.9 40.9 40.9
female
26 59.1 59.1 100.0
Total
44 100.0 100.0
 59

Section
Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent
Valid section 1 25 56.8 56.8 56.8
section 2
19 43.2 43.2 100.0
Total
44 100.0 100.0
 60

Reading Comprehension in terms of sex and section

Report
Literal Inferential Critical
Sex Comprehension Comprehension Comprehension
male Mean 1.5556 2.6667 2.2222
N 18 18 18
Std. Deviation
.85559 1.71499 1.35280
female Mean 1.5769 3.2692 3.0385
N 26 26 26
Std. Deviation
.98684 2.25491 1.37057
Total Mean 1.5682 3.0227 2.7045
N 44 44 44
Std. Deviation
.92504 2.05153 1.40728

Report
Literal Inferential Critical
section Comprehension Comprehension Comprehension
section 1 Mean 1.7600 3.4400 2.8000
N 25 25 25
Std. Deviation
.77889 2.25610 1.52753
section 2 Mean 1.3158 2.4737 2.5789
N 19 19 19
Std. Deviation
1.05686 1.64548 1.26121
Total Mean 1.5682 3.0227 2.7045
N 44 44 44
Std. Deviation
.92504 2.05153 1.40728
 61

Fundamental Operation in terms of sex and section

Case Processing Summary

Cases

Included Excluded Total

N Percent N Percent N Percent
Addition * Sex 44 100.0% 0 0.0% 44 100.0%
Subtraction * Sex 44 100.0% 0 0.0% 44 100.0%
Multiplication * 44 100.0% 0 0.0% 44 100.0%
Sex
Division * Sex 44 100.0% 0 0.0% 44 100.0%

Report
Sex Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division

male Mean 1.1667 1.6667 1.3333 1.4444

N 18 18 18 18
Std. Deviation
1.09813 1.41421 .76696 .85559
female Mean 1.3462 2.0385 2.0385 1.3462
N 26 26 26 26
Std. Deviation
.84580 1.45549 .95836 .74524
Total Mean 1.2727 1.8864 1.7500 1.3864
N 44 44 44 44
Std. Deviation
.94902 1.43407 .94315 .78402

Report
Section Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division
 62

section 1 Mean 1.1600 2.3600 2.0800 1.6400

N 25 25 25 25
Std. Deviation
.89815 1.49666 .95394 .86023
section 2 Mean 1.4211 1.2632 1.3158 1.0526
N 19 19 19 19
Std. Deviation
1.01739 1.09758 .74927 .52427
Total Mean 1.2727 1.8864 1.7500 1.3864
N 44 44 44 44
.94902 1.43407 .94315 .78402

Relationship between Reading Comprehension and Problem Solving Skills

Descriptive Statistics
Mean Std. Deviation N
Multiplication 1.7500 .94315 44
Reading Comprehension 7.2955 3.04676 44
 63

Correlations
Reading
Multiplication Comprehension
Multiplication Pearson Correlation 1 .253
Sig. (2-tailed) .098
N 44 44
Reading Comprehension Pearson Correlation .253 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .098
N 44 44