INCREASING THE PERFORMANCE LEVEL IN BASIC MULTIPLICATION FACTS

OF GRADE 6 LAGYO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS S.Y. 2020-2021 THROUGH THE

UTILIZATION OF PROJECT DREAM(DAILY RECITATION ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY IN MULTIPLE
LEVELS)

ROSE ANN N. TRAQUEÑA

T-II

ABSTRACT
This study aimed to increase the performance level in basic multiplication facts of Grade 6 pupils
before and after utilizing Project DREAM (Daily Recitation Engagement Activity in Multiple Levels)
This study used Pre-experimental research design and was conducted at Lagyo Elementary
School Gumaca, Quezon. The participants of this study were Grade 6 students of Lagyo ES S.Y. 2020-
2021.
Teacher made test was validated by the school head. Mean percentage and t-test were utilized to
evaluate the performance level in basic multiplication facts of Grade 6 pupils.
The results showed that the post-test with the mean of 42.50 interpreted as Outstanding gained
higher results than of the result of the pre-test with 18.15 as the mean which is interpreted as Poor. The
computed t-value is 27.44 which is higher than its critical value of 2.01, significant at 0.05 level and thus it
lead to the rejection of null hypothesis.

I. INTRODUCTION:
The concept of automaticity in Basic multiplication level is critical for the general success of
students in mathematics.There are studies that have found that Multiplication fact automaticity to be a
predictor of performance on general mathematics tests (Stickney et al., 2012). Not only does automaticity
help with general math, information-processing theory supports the view that automaticity in multiplication
facts is fundamental to success in many areas of higher mathematics (Woodward, 2006).

However, In mathematics education today, it is very evident that students frequently find
memorizing multiplication facts as a stumbling block in their mathematical progress. The use of varied
techniques and strategies are not given much attention which cause learning difficulties among students
in recognizing multiplication facts. Many use inefficient and inaccurate counting methods and
encounter difficulties in memorizing tables (Geary, 2004)
In taking a plunge into the mainstream of the new normal in Education, the researcher foresees
this multiplication facts dilemma among her students based on the pre-test conducted which aims to know
the multiplication facts level of Grade 6 pupils thus, it manifests poor mastery of the multiplication facts.
This led the researcher to come up with the study in increasing the performance level in Basic
Multiplication facts of Lagyo Elementary School Grade 6 pupils’ through the utilization of Project DREAM
(Daily Recitation Engagement Activity of Multiple Levels).

Statement of the Problem:

The general objective of the study is to evaluate the Basic Multiplication Facts level of Grade 6
pupils through Project DREAM (Daily Recitation Engagement Activity in Multiplication)
More specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the performance level in Basic Multiplication Facts of Grade 6 pupils of Lagyo ES
S.Y. 2021-2022 before using Project DREAM (Daily Recitation Engagement Activity in
Multiple levels)?
2. What is the performance level in Basic Multiplication Facts of Grade 6 pupils of Lagyo ES
S.Y. 2021-2022 after using Project DREAM (Daily Recitation Engagement Activity in
Multiple levels)?
3. Is there a significant difference in the performance level in Basic Multiplication Facts of
Grade 6 pupils of Lagyo ES S.Y. 2021-2022 before and after using Project DREAM (Daily
Recitation Engagement Activity in Multiple levels)?

Hypothesis:
 H0: There is no significant difference in the performance level in Basic Multiplication Facts of
Grade 6 pupils of Lagyo ES S.Y. 2021-2022 before and after using Project DREAM (Daily Recitation
Engagement Activity in Multiple Levels).

II.BRIEF REVIEW OF LITERATURE:

Over the years, ideas have varied on the best way to teach those basic facts in mathematics, and
on the necessity of the fluency of those facts for students. Many changes have been made or suggested
throughout the years, but most researchers today agree that automaticity in math is very important for
children to acquire. When math teachers across grade levels are asked for their wish for their students,
the recall of the basic math facts is always a top priority (O’Donnell & SanGiovanni, 2011).
As emphasized by Woodward et.al (2015), Automaticity of facts in mathematics greatly enhances
a student’s chance to be successful with more complex math problems. If the process of retrieving facts is
too demanding, it often creates errors in other aspects of the task. Once a skill has become automatic for
a student, it takes very minimal effort and practice to maintain that knowledge (Bloom, 2018). If students
are not fluent in those foundational facts, all other math tasks will seem intimidating (O’Connell &
SanGiovanni, 2011). The application of those math facts in other math problems is one of the most
fundamental tasks in all math classrooms (Nelson, Burns, Kanive, Ysseldyke, 2013).
Stickney et al. (2016) found that in comparison to high achieving students, low achieving students
struggled in all areas of automaticity. They required more practice to obtain automaticity, and even their
speed of retrieval was behind the other students. Parkhurst et al. (2015) also studied ways to remedy
automaticity in math facts for students. The researchers found that overall, the method they used Detect,
Practice, Repair worked in the group of students studied. However, the students that were in the highest
group “Mastery” made more significant gain than other students. Therefore, automaticity in the math
classroom needs to be practiced early and often multiplication facts beginning at a young age. Students
need to establish those automatic skills so that cognitive space is available for the higher ordered thinking
problems as they get older.

Hence, the great Philosopher, Aristotle commented on the role of repetition in learning by saying
“it is frequent repetition that produces a natural tendency” (Ross & Aristotle, 1906,) and “the more
frequently two things are experienced together, the more likely it will be that the experience or recall of
one will stimulate the recall of the other”. On the same manner, Ivan Pavlov proved that through repeated
pairing of a conditioned stimulus (or stimulus which is to be conditioned) and an unconditioned stimulus
(i.e., a stimulus which naturally produces a reflex response) Pavlov was able to condition the reflex to be
triggered by the conditioned stimulus. In the course of repeated trials, Skinner was able to employ
contingencies of reinforcement (Skinner, 1938) to sustain or produce a desired behavior. Through
shaping he was able to teach new behaviors that do not naturally occur (Peterson, 2004) The different
views from the different Psychologists and Philosophers support the effectiveness of repetition and daily
recitation of multiplication facts as utilized in the Project DREAM; As Skinner also discovered that “a
significant change in behavior is often obvious as the result of a single reinforcement” the Increase in the
Multiplication fact level of Lagyo ES students.

Research Paradigm
Independent Dependent
Variable Variable

Performance level
The use of DREAM in Basic
(Daily Recitation Multiplication facts
Engagement Activity in of Grade 6 pupils
Multiple Levels)
 Scope and Limitations
This study focused on increasing the performance level in Basic Multiplication facts of Lagyo
Elementary School pupils through the utilization of Project DREAM (Daily Recitation Engagement Activity
on Multiple levels). The research focuses on the mean percentage score of Grade 6 pupils’ mastery level
in Multiplication facts before and after the utilization of Project DREAM. The study will be conducted at
Lagyo Elementary School Brgy. Lagyo, Gumaca, Quezon. This study was done through the utilization of
researcher’s made test answered by the students as a reference. The researcher made 50 items self-
devised questions which were answered within 250 seconds and a 10 itemed self-made questionnaire to
measure the implication of Project DREAM. The study is only limited within 6-week time frame. Mean
percentage and T-test was used for the statistical treatment of data.

III. METHODOLOGY:

Research Design
The researcher used Pre-Experimental design. The design of this study is experimental design
because the researcher wants to measure the effect of Project DREAM in increasing multiplication facts
level of Lagyo ES Grade 6 students. The researcher used the one-group pretest-posttest design which
usually involves three steps: (1) administering a pretest measuring the dependent variable; (2) applying
the experimental treatment X to the subjects; (3) administering a post-test, again measuring the
dependent variable (Arikunto 2006). Differences attributed to application of the experimental treatment
are then evaluated by comparing the pretest and post-test scores.

Locale of the Study

The research was conducted at Lagyo Elementary School, town of Gumaca, municipality of
Quezon Province. The researcher had chosen Lagyo ES as the locale of the study since she is
also a teacher of this school . On the same manner, She also found out that the Grade 6 pupils
are struggling with the Basic Multiplication operation, so she decided to come up with this
intervention.
Population and Sampling
To determine the participants of the study, the researcher utilized the purposive sampling
technique wherein, Grade 6 pupils enrolled in the S.Y. 2019-2020 and taking up Mathematics subject
were chosen as the participants to provide valuable feedback in the study.

Research Instrument
The researcher made 50 items self-devised timed questions by which the instructions were
carefully read and explained to the participants. It was noted that the test are only answerable within 250
seconds only to measure the mastery level in Basic multiplication facts of the students. Questions were
delivered among the respondents through phone call and video call for which the researcher utilize
checklist while conducting the oral assessment. Similar questionnaires were utilized in the pre-test and
post-test. In the same manner, to measure the implication of Project DREAM, the researcher made a 10
item self-made questionnaire. It should be noted that the questionnaire was given to pupils through phone
call and video call to limit the face to face encounter with the pupils.

Data Gathering Procedure

The parents or guardians were instructed ahead of time about the procedures of Project DREAM.
The pre-test was administered at home upon receiving the SLMs. The results of the Pre-test were used in
determining the level of numbers to be included in the materials. After the 5-week engagement in the
Project DREAM, the participants with the guidance of their parents and guardians were tasked to
accomplish the Post-test. The administered test was the same as in the Pre-test.
 Both the Pre-test and Post-test were assessed using Mean for interpretation of the data gathered
and T-test computation to derive the significant difference between the pretest and post-test scores. The
gathered results and data were subjected for statistical treatment. All the data was then organized, tallied,
tabulated, and presented in a series of tables and graphs. Frequency counts, percentage weight values
and weighted mean were used in the analysis and interpretation of data.

V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1. PERFORMANCE LEVEL ON BASIC MULTIPLICATION FACTS OF GRADE 6 PUPILS

BEFORE AND AFTER THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT DREAM

Test Mean SD MPS Verbal Description

Before (Pre-Test) 18.15 2.26 36.30% Poor

Using Poject DREAM
After (Post-Test) 42.50 6.52 85.00% Outstanding
Using Project DREAM
Table 1 presented Mean Percentage Score in Multiplication facts of Lagyo ES Grade 6 pupils
before and after the utilization of Project DREAM, wherein, among the 45 students who partake in the
pre-test, the Mean was 18.15 with the MPS of 36.30% and SD of 5.81 which is interpreted as Poor. On
the other hand, results after the utilization of Project DREAM reflected the Mean of 42.50, MPS of 85%
and SD of 6.52 with the verbal description of Outstanding.

This finding supports the use of a strategy like Project DREAM to help students increase their
successful retrieval rate of such facts. Thus, according to Burns, 2005; De Visscher et al., 2018; Greene
et al., 2018 to increase the time pupils need to complete fundamental multiplication tasks, it is necessary
to practice individual items, provide drill and practice besides frequency-building procedures that combine
timed repetition with feedback as learning opportunities. Both drill and practice and frequency-building are
well-grounded and highly effective strategies.

Table 2. TEST OF SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PERFORMANCE LEVEL ON BASIC

MULTIPLICATION FACTS OF GRADE 6 PUPILS BEFORE AND AFTER THE UTILIZATION OF
PROJECT DREAM.

Variables df means Computed Critical t- Decision Impression @

compared t-value value 0.05 Level
Pre-test 44 x 1 = 33.81 27.44 2.01 Reject H0 Significant
Post-test x 2 = 42.50

Shown in Table 2 is the significant difference in the mastery level in Multiplication Facts of
Lagyo ES Grade 6 pupils’ before and after the utilization of Project DREAM.

Presented in table is the computed t-value of 27.44 which is higher than its critical value of 2.01,
significant at 0.05 levels with 44 as the degree of freedom. Hence, the decision made by the researcher
was to reject the null hypothesis.

The results only imply that there is a significant difference in the in the Multiplication Facts level of
Lagyo ES Grade 6 pupils’ before and after the utilization of Project DREAM.

The findings support the study of Boon et al., 2019 which involves adding to strategy training,
peer tutoring, and schema-based learning, direct instruction and intense drill and practice are evidence-
based tools that individually and combined, have proven particularly helpful and necessary successfully
teaching struggling students basic skills and improving their automation processes.
Conclusion
Based on the results of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:
1. There is evidently great increase in the Basic Multiplication Facts level of Grade 6 pupils of Lagyo ES
after the utilization of Project DREAM.

2. Daily Recitation Engagement Activity in Multiple Levels enable the pupils to memorize and develop
fluency in solving Multiplication problems.

3. As Repetition is the “Mother of learning” so teachers must implement this Project in their daily
Mathematics routine.

Recommendation
Based on the results obtained in this study, the following recommendations are offered.

1. For the Mathematics teachers, to devotedly develop strategies and techniques that will enable the
students to enjoy learning Mathematical operations amidst the Modular Distance Learning.

2. It is also recommended that teachers notify the parents to make use interactive games even at
home to develop the Multiplication facts level of the students.

3. For the parents or guardians, to continuously unite with the teachers in guiding the students learning
at home.

4. For the future researchers, to engage themselves in conducting studies that will boost the
mathematical abilities of the students amidst the new normal in education.

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