AKROKERRI COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

USING CUISENAIRE RODS IN TEACHING ADDITION OF WHOLE

NUMBERS AMONG BASIC 7 PUPILS OF ABU BONSRA D/A JHS

MENSAH STEPHEN

2022
 AKROKERRI COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

USING CUISENAIRE RODS IN TEACHING ADDITION OF WHOLE NUMBERS

AMONG BASIC 7 PUPILS OF ABU BONSRA D/A JHS

BY

MENSAH STEPHEN

ARCE /JHS/18/0317

Project work submitted to the Mathematics and Science Department, Akrokerri

College of Education, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for award of Degree in

Education.

JULY, 2022
 DECLARATION

Candidates’ declaration

I hereby declare that this project work is the results of my own original Research and

that no part of it has been presented for another award to this University or

elsewhere.

Candidate’s Name: .............................................................................................

Signature: ....................................... Date: ……………………………….

Supervisor’s Declaration

I hereby declare that the preparation and presentation of the project work was

supervised in accordance with the guidelines on supervision of project work laid

down by the University of Cape Coast.

Supervisor’s Name: …….………………………………………………………

Signature: …………………………Date: ……………………………….

 ABSTRACT

This study explored the use of Cuisenaire rods in teaching addition of whole

numbers among basic 7 pupils of Abu Bonsra D/A JHS. Three research questions were

posed to guide the study.

A sample size of 35 basic 7 pupils were selected randomly from the class to

serve as subjects for the study. The researcher used tests only as the instrument for data

collection. Quantitative method was used for analyzing the analyzing data.

After introducing the intervention tool (Cuisenaire rods) to the pupils, they

improved immensely on their achievement in mathematics as a whole and whole

numbers in particular. It was recommended that teachers teaching mathematics at the

basic school must be familiar with it usage so that they can incorporate these materials

in their teaching processes.

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is indeed a matter of great pleasure and proud privilege to present this project

report. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all those who gave me

the possibility to complete this report.

Special thanks is due to my supervisor Mr. Adu Gyamfi Benjamin whose help,

valuable suggestions and constant encouragement helped me in all time of fabrication

process and in writing this report. I also sincerely thank him for the time spent

proofreading and correcting my many mistakes.

I owe a great thanks to my family members for their financial support

throughout this course. I am also grateful to my co – mentees in Fomena Abu Bonsra

D/A JHS for all their contributions and to all well – wishers.
 DEDICATION

In sincere appreciation to their valuable contributions invested in my education,

I dedicate this project work to my two big brothers Kwakye Augustine and Akwasi

Bekoe Prince, my lovely and caring mother, Madam Kwayewaa Mensah Victoria, my

siblings, Mensah Regina, Mireku Mensah Patience, Mensah Bekoe Charity and all well

– wishers.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION……………………………………………………………. ii

ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………… iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………………………………………………… iv

DEDICATION……………………………………………………………… v

CHAPTER ONE…………………………………………………….……… 1

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………….…… 1

Overview……………………………………………………………….…… 1

Background to the Study ………………………………………………..........1

Statement of the Problem …………………………………………………… 3

Purpose of the Study ………………………………………………………… 4

Research Objectives ………………………………………………………… 4

Research Questions …………………………………………………………. 4

Significance of the Study …………………………………………………… 5

Delimitation of the Study ……………………………………………………5

Limitation of the Study ………………………………………………………5

Definition of Terms ………………………………………………………….6

Organization of the Study ……………………………………………………6

CHAPTER TWO ………………………………………………………….... 7

LITERATURE REVIEW …………………………………………………… 7

Introduction …………………………………………………………………. 7

Theoretical Review ………………………………………………………… 7

The use of Cuisenaire Rods in Teaching Basic Operations…………………8

The Effects of Using Cuisenaire Rods in Teaching …………………………8

Cuisenaire Rods and Mathematics Teaching ……………………………… 10

Addition of Whole Numbers ……………………………………………… 11

Summary ……………………………………………………………………12

CHAPTER THREE ……………………………………………………… 13

METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………… 13

Introduction …………………………………………………………………13

Research Design ……………………………………………………………13

Population and Sample ……………………………………………………. 14

Sampling Techniques ………………………………………………………14

Instrumentation …………………………………………………………… 15

Data Collection …………………………………………………………… 15

Pre – Intervention Stage ……………………………………………………15

Intervention Stage ………………………………………………………… 16

Post – Intervention …………………………………………………………18

Data Analysis ………………………………………………………………18

CHAPTER FOUR …………………………………………………………19

RESULTS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ……………………………. 19

Overview ………………………………………………………………… 19

Results of Data and Analysis ………………………………………………19

Comparing the pre – test and post – test Results ………………………… 22

Discussion …………………………………………………………………22

CHAPTER FIVE …………………………………………………………. 25

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION ……………25

Overview …………………………………………………………………. 25

Summary …………………………………………………………………. 25

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………25

Recommendations …………………………………………………………26

References …………………………………………………………………27

Appendix …………………………………………………………………. 30
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Overview

Chapter one presents the insight as well as the background of the study which

aimed at improving pupils' performance in problems involving addition of whole

number. It also includes statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objective of

the study, research questions, significance of the study, delimitation and limitations of

the study, definition of terms and organization of the study.

Background to the Study

Mathematics plays a very important role in our daily living. Mathematics in

general is an essential subject for scientific and technological development of any

nation. It is useful in our homes, at school, at work places, at market places etc.

Mathematics relies on logic and creativity, and it is pursued both for a variety of

practical purposes and for its intrinsic interest.

Kline (1985) declared that mathematics is a creative or inventive process,

deriving ideas and suggestions from real problems. The process is based upon intuition

and construction, with the life’s source of this process coming from real problems.

As a logical body of knowledge, mathematics can be used as a guide for arriving

at a result in a systematic way. It is a way of thinking not only working but also the way

the individual plans his activities or schedules. In all, mathematics is a means of

sharpening the individuals mind, shaping his reasoning ability and developing his
personality, hence its immense contributions to the general and basic education of the

people of the world (Asiedu- Addo and Yidana 2004). The basic operations from the

basis upon which higher mathematics is developed. Therefore, every aspect of

mathematics has an amount of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

embodied in it. Calculators and computers, which are now a help to the present

generation and advancement of the world today depends largely on the basic operations

in mathematics.

The entire world has become digital and this digital innovation is irreversible.

It has become a world culture, which is progressing at a terrific speed for good. Any

person, community or country that resists or refuses to join these forces of progress will

be left behind and abandoned to languish in ignorance, penury and backwardness

forever (Talabi 2003).

With this understanding, the Ghana school curriculum made mathematics a

compulsory subject in her Basic, Second cycle and Tertiary levels of education

(CRDD,2004; CRDD,2007 and Dogbe, Morrison and speed,1995).

A thorough looked at the intended curriculum (syllabus) of schools in Ghana

revealed that the study of whole numbers as one aspect of mathematics that run through

all levels of education.

At the primary level for instance, addition of whole numbers can be found in

unit 1.3.3 for P1, unit 2.6.1 for P2, unit 3.2.2 for P3, unit 4.4.1 for P4, unit 5.4.1 for P5,

unit 6.4.1 for P6 (CRDD, 2018) with the increasing levels of scope underplay. In the

Junior High Schools, addition of whole numbers can be found in unit 1.1.9 for JHS 1

(CRDD, 2007).
 It is noted that knowledge of whole numbers like 0, 1 and 2 are the building

blocks to understanding more complex number identifiers like real numbers, rational

numbers, and irrational numbers. Rounding to the nearest whole number can also help

you make calculations or do mental mathematics more quickly.

We see whole numbers on nutrition labels, or signs on the highway telling us

how many miles are to the next exit or city.

People claim that some topics like fractions, statistics, investigation with

numbers etc require teachers or specialist but they do forget about whole numbers

which also need same attention. However, most teachers do not use appropriate

Teaching and Learning Materials (TLMs) to teach. Most importantly, some teachers do

not use appropriate methodology to enable pupils participate fully in lesson (INSET

project 2007).

In line with the above development, the educational climate in institutions

responsible for training the human resource needed for the nation for which the

Colleges of Education in Ghana are of crucial importance, is essentially driven by an

overriding interest in preparing students with the necessary Pedagogical Content

Knowledge (PCK) to become effective and efficient teachers at the basic schools.

The fact that, the use of manipulation and representation is strongly advocated

by many authors such as Martin (1994) and Apronti, Afful, Ibrahim, et al (2004), the

selection of Cuisenaire rods as effective TLMs was necessitated since it is a major

material outlined in the pupils course to be abreast with its use and to enable pupils

apply the three domains of learning – Cognitive (head), Affective (heart) and

Psychomotor ( hand ) in learning a mathematical concept. This entails the use of

concrete, physical, observable and touchable objects like Cuisenaire rods to teach

abstract concept.

It is upon these bases that the researcher found it most expedient to use

Cuisenaire rods as an intervention to curbing the problem which has pervaded the

educational systems in Ghana

Statement of the Problem

The problem of not using effective and appropriate TLMs in teaching whole

numbers has been identified at the researcher’s school of practice during the off-campus

teaching practice (Macro teaching), when Basic 7 pupils of Abu Bonsra D/A JHS found

it difficult to add simple whole numbers.

Purpose of the Study

The main reason for conducting research in this area is to help Abu Bonsra Basic

7 pupils to improve upon their ability to add whole numbers by the use of Cuisenaire

rods.

Research Objectives

The research will be guided by the following objectives:

1. To use Cuisenaire rods to teach basic operations on whole numbers at

Abu Bonsra D/A JHS.

2. To find out the negative effect of not using Cuisenaire rods to teach basic

operations of whole numbers.

3. To determine the effective use of Cuisenaire rods to improve the

teaching of basic operations of whole numbers.

Research Questions

For the purpose of the study is to be established, relevant answers will be sought

to the following questions:

1. What accounts for not using Cuisenaire rods to teach basic operations

on whole numbers at Abu Bonsra D/A JHS?

2. What are the negative effect of not using Cuisenaire rods to teach basic

operations on whole numbers at Abu Bonsra D/A JHS?

3. How will the effective use of Cuisenaire rods help improve the teaching

of basic operations on whole numbers?

Significance of the Study

Cuisenaire rods which have been used in teaching the basic operations on whole

numbers are almost new to many trained teachers. It is therefore an opportunity for

users of this research to know and have an idea of the simple and attractive material.

How to identify the various colours and assign values for the activities that have been

explained?

The findings of the study when implemented will help mathematics teachers not

only to be able to teach well but also identify the usefulness of using Cuisenaire rods

as teaching and learning materials in teaching whole numbers. The teachers will

develop less difficulty in teaching whilst the pupils will develop interest and be more

courageous in solving problems relating to whole numbers. It would also serve as a

resource material for all stakeholders and others who would like to research further into

this.

Delimitation of the Study

 In this study, the research limits himself to the use of Cuisenaire rods only

because these materials are among the most suitable materials for teaching the basic

operations on whole numbers. However, the study was restricted to the addition of

whole numbers. It was confined to only Basic 7 pupils of Abu Bonsra D/A JHS in the

Adansi – North District located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Limitation of the study

Research of this nature will not have ended without any challenges to its

successful completion. Since tests, were the major instruments used to collect data,

biases could not be ruled out in this project. Financial constraints could not allow the

researcher to print enough tests and questionnaires but the study would have been more

representative if all Basic 7 pupils of Abu Bonsra D/A JHS were covered.

Definition of terms

For the purpose of the study, the following definitions are implied for the terms

below:

Concept – the idea or knowledge we hold about something.

Cuisenaire rods – they are versatile teaching and learning materials which are

used to teach the concept of addition of whole numbers whose sum does not exceed 10.

The rods are made up of 10 different colours which are associated with numerals. Thus,

1 – white, 2 – red, 3 – light green, 4 – purple, 5 – yellow, 6 – dark green, 7 – black, 8 –

brown, 9 – blue 10 – orange.

Organization of the Study

The study was organised in five chapters. Chapter one talked about the

background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objectives of

the study, research questions, significance of the study, delimitation, limitation and

organisation of the study. The relevant literature review was presented in chapter two

whilst chapter three talked about methodology. Chapter four talked about results,

findings and discussion of results whereas chapter five consisted of summary,

conclusion and recommendations.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

The review of the literature was focused on the theoretical review underlying

the research and related works on the study. This was based on the following themes:

❖ Theoretical review

❖ The use of Cuisenaire rods in teaching basic operations

❖ Effects of using Cuisenaire rods in teaching

❖ Cuisenaire rods and mathematics teaching

❖ Addition of whole numbers

Theoretical Review

The theoretical review for the study is based on the Shulman’s (1986)

knowledge in teaching. To teach all pupils according to today’s standards, teachers need

to understand subject matter deeply and flexibly so that they can help pupils create
useful cognitive maps, relate one idea to another and address misconceptions. Teachers

need to see how ideas connect across fields and to everyday life. This kind of

understanding provides a foundation for Pedagogical Content Knowledge that enables

teachers to make ideas accessible to pupils (Shulman, 1987). Teaching is not a matter

of knowing something. It is far more than mere transmitting of concepts and ideas to

learners. It involves bringing out the accumulated ideas and experiences that pupils

come to class with and working on those ideas and experiences together with the pupils

by way of refining, reorganizing and repairing these ideas and experiences into

meaningful and compressible form for students to assimilate (Shulman, 2000).

According to Shulman (2000), teaching is about making the internal and

external capabilities of an individual and can only be achieved if teachers engage pupils

in the classroom discourse. It is only when pupils are engaged in an interactive

classroom environment that their ideas are made bare to the teacher to put them on

truck.

The use of Cuisenaire Rods in Teaching Basic Operations

In a Cuisenaire rods' approach (CRA) classroom, the lesson begins with students

shared into groups of threes or fours and a park of Cuisenaire rods given to each group.

They are acquainted with the content of the park and what each colour stands for. The

teacher explains to the students what is expected for them, the objectives of the lesson

and the type of cooperation needed. Here, the teacher is only a resource person, an

instructor and a guide to the experiment. It begins with the exploration of the learner’s

immediate environment and ends with the application of the lesson learnt to his

immediate environment. Learner's past experience forms the basis of the teaching and

learning. This means relating classroom activities to learner's life experience which
enables him to see the relationship between what is taught in school and what is done

at home thereby facilitating transfer of learning (Case, Cates Smith, & Jackson, 2003).

The Effects of Using Cuisenaire Rods in Teaching

As learners progress from one manipulative representation to the other, they

learn and understand important mathematics concepts and develop abstract logical

thinking. Endless opportunities are presented to investigate and reinforce key

mathematics topics and ask questions freely without fear. This lesson involves

cooperation, collaboration and individual works (Moyer, 2001).

This approach helps the learner to learn from others and be able to ask questions

when he does not understand or when in a fix as opposed in today’s mathematics

classroom. It requires minimal preparation for the teacher. The fun involved in this

approach makes pupils absorbed in the varieties of the activities (Butler, Miller, Crelan,

Babbitt, & Pierce, 2003). Studies carried out on this approach revealed that pupils are

taught using this approach rapidly acquired problem solving skills, maintained these

skills over a two – months period and transferred these skills to a paper and pencil

problem solving format (Case, Cates, Smith, & Jackson, 2003). This approach makes

teachers very creative, inquisitive, open and devoted to teaching and learning since they

have to improvise the materials to be used thereby fulfilling the purpose of teacher

education (FRN, 2004). This classroom game like activities creates fun and gives

immediate result and feedback to both pupils and teachers which fuels their energy and

arouses their interest to engage in more activities (Fox, 1976). It as well sustains the

interest of learners for a longer period because it is learning by doing which is at the

heart of mathematics knowledge (Weissglass, (1977). The newness, practical, result –

oriented and explorative nature excites the learners so much that they begin to emulate
the work of their teachers resulting in frequent practice at home even without being

given home exercise in and outside the classroom. Those who learnt, begin to teach the

younger ones. With this, long life education in mathematics is encouraged in

mathematics. This is so because, when what is learnt in school is taken home and taught

in turns to those at home, who neither know the origin nor are they part of the class, the

learning becomes continuous, moving from hand to hand. This type of handover and

teaching continues from generation to generation thereby encouraging continuous

learning. The use of concrete material for practical takes away the abstractness seen in

mathematics concepts (NCTM, 2000). Its problem solving ability leads to discovery

which is aesthetic. This method has no gender differentiation and suits every age by its

game – like activities (Weissglass, 1977). Since abysmal performance and lack of

interest in mathematics by pupils over a decade have been attributed to be caused by

the non inspiring method of teaching used by the mathematics teachers, this study wants

to see whether the use Cuisenaire rods as innovative strategy, will arouse basic 7 pupils

interest in whole numbers and hence facilitate their performance particularly in whole

numbers and in mathematics at large.

Cuisenaire Rods and Mathematics Teaching

Cuisenaire rods are versatile manipulative materials for teaching concepts in

mathematics and one of such very important concept is whole numbers. The rods were

invented in 1945 (over 76 years ago) by a Belgian mathematics teacher, Emile-Georges

Cuisenaire. (Kurumeh and Achor, 2008). Cuisenaire rods are collection of rectangular

rods, each of a different colour and size. The smallest rod is 1cm along and the longest

rod is 10cm long. They are made of wood or plastic. The colours are white, red, light

green, purple, yellow, dark green, black, brown, blue and orange. The rods showing

their lengths and colors are shown below:

 These rods could be used as manipulative and symbolic concrete representations

in teaching concepts in mathematics. Learners explore whole numbers, fractions,

measurements, ratio, area and perimeter etc using Cuisenaire rods (Thompson,1994)

and develop a link between ordinal and cardinal numbers and counting (Martin, 1994).

According to Martin (1995), Cuisenaire rods are useful for developing the concept of

addition. Pupils learn to associate the colours of the rods with their numbers much more

quickly than adults and surprisingly some pupils find adding with the rods easier and

quicker than adding with sets. The use of Cuisenaire rods approach is a hands-on and

minds-on manipulative activity filed approach for teaching abstract concepts in

mathematics and sciences. It is valuable educational tool for modelling relationships

between what is taught in school and their everyday life activities (Elia, Gagatsis &

Demetrico, 2007) thereby enabling pupils to work independently and in groups on

meaningful mathematics while the teacher provides individual attention to other pupils.
Because Cuisenaire rods are ready-made tools, its approach minimizes preparation and

set up time both for the teacher and the pupils. This approach helps to develop key skills

such as classification, critical thinking, problem solving and logical mathematics and

spatial reasoning (Rule & Hilagan, 2006). It involves a lot of cooperatively and

collaboratively working group (Butler, Miller, Crelan, Babbitt, & Pierce, 2003). It

allows for pre and post exposure to mathematical concepts which leads to a better

overall comprehension supported with in – depth students’ group discussion.

Addition of Whole Numbers

Addition algorithms should not be introduced until pupils have started to

develop a familiarity with basic addition. This can be developed by giving pupils hands-

on experiences, including the use of manipulatives and practice with mental strategies

for addition based on the basic properties of numbers. A review of the addition of

single-digit numbers is essential to ensure pupils have achieved fluency. The first step

is to understand that this case simplifies to the case of adding single-digit numbers.

Using hands-on materials like Cuisenaire rods, is necessary in early stages. Pupils then

need to mentally apply decomposition and commutativity to produce arguments such

as the following:

2+5=5+2=7 or

2+5=7 & 5+2=7

OR

………………………… =
Summary

In this chapter, the literature review has pointed out the appropriateness of the

Cuisenaire rods for development of basic concepts on whole numbers and the

uniqueness of basic operation on whole numbers at the primary level. The approaches

have been exposed for effective teaching and learning of mathematics in the primary

schools. Emphasis is also laid on understanding and relationship rather than on facts.
 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter of the research dealt with the methods and procedures used to

obtain data for the research work. This was done under the following themes:

➢ Research Design

➢ Population and sample

➢ Sampling techniques

➢ Instrumentation

➢ Data collection

➢ Data analysis

Research Design

The design for this study is an action research in the form of pre – test,

intervention and post – test structured to examine the use of Cuisenaire rods in teaching

addition of whole numbers among basic 7 pupils of Abu Bonsra D/A JHS.

Action research according to Cannae (2004) involves the application of

scientific methods to solve classroom problems. It uses pre-test and post-test data from

the teaching. Action research is attractive to educational researchers because it seeks to

identify peculiar problem in the educational field especially in the classroom and

suggest possible rectification to the problem by offering suitable intervention and

recommendations for use by other educators to also apply such intervention. The design
was chosen in order to find possible solution to the problem identified and that teachers

will be able to have command on teaching whole numbers in Ghanaian schools.

Action research has some of the following strengths:

It is a practical way for individuals to explore the nature of their practice and

improve it, action research also encourages practitioners to become knowledge –

makers, rather than merely knowledge – users.

Since action research has an advantage, it also has the following as some of its

limitations:

The process can be messy; as research proceeds, wider links are likely to be

identified, action researcher works in the hurly burly of his/her own practice. It is

therefore difficult to maintain rigor in data gathering and critique.

Population and Sample

Population according to Creswell (2012) is a group of individuals who have the

same characteristics. In this study, the population of the researcher’s school of practice

was 178 which include all pupils and teachers at the JHS level of which 12 are teachers

and 166 are pupils. Out of the 166, 71 are boys and 94 are girls. The researcher used

basic 7 pupils as his target population. Out of the target population of sixty – one (61)

basic 7 pupils of Abu Bonsra D/A JHS for which 26 are males and 35 are females, a

sample size of 35 pupils comprising 15 males and 20 females were selected for the

study.

Sampling Techniques

The sampling technique used was the simple random sampling to select the

samples for the study. Simple random sampling is the most basic of probability designs.
This type of sampling gives all units of the target population an equal chance of being

selected. The percentage representation of males and females pupils was calculated to

be 43% and 57% respectively. Therefore, to have a good representation, these

percentages were used on the sample size of 35 pupils. The sample was therefore

selected by using the lottery method where numbers (1&2) were written on slips of

paper and was put in a container and mixed. Both boys and girls were given the chance

to remove one slip of paper at a time from the container without looking into it. The

researcher’s idea was to select or use pupils who will choose 1 from the container. After

the pickup, the female group picked 20 1’s and 15 2’s and the male group picked 15 1’s

and 11 2’s and the 1’s were selected as the sample population.

Instrumentation

The instruments used for the collection of data were tests. The tests were used

in two folds, that is, pre – test and post – test.

Tests as a research instrument is a means of measuring the knowledge, skill,

feeling, intelligence or aptitude of an individual or group. Produce numerical scores

that can be used to identify, classify or evaluate test takers (Gay, 1996).

Data Collection

Before the researcher collected his data, he sought permission from his mentor

and the pupils as well to carry out the study. The researcher used four (4) working days

for the study. The collection of data the researcher used was in three (3) stages, that is:

pre-intervention, intervention and post-intervention stages. These stages are described

below:

Pre – Intervention Stage

 The researcher conducted a 25 minutes pre – test in the class in order to identify

the pupil’s performance anterior to the beginning of the intervention. The researcher

made his possible best to supervise the test strictly by inviting or allowing his colleague

student teachers and his mentor to help the supervision. The strictness of the supervision

was done in a relaxed form but not to frighten them.

Intervention Stage

The subsequent days was used for the implementation of the Cuisenaire rods

activities. Before the implementation was done, the researcher prepared a detailed

lesson plan on addition of whole numbers using Cuisenaire rods. During the

implementation, the pupils were given the chance to use the Cuisenaire rods since

Cuisenaire rods approach is a hands – on and minds – on manipulative activity. As

pupils were given the chance, different strategies like demonstration, whole class

discussion etc were used and intervention activities started as follows:

Activity 1 : The use of Cuisenaire Rods in Teaching Basic Operations

Pupils were guided through demonstration using the Cuisenaire rods to know

how to use the rods to solve basic operations (addition to be precise). The rods are used

by joining the colours end – to – end and find a single rod that would be equal in length

to the joined rods. In order for pupils to get this concept, pupils were grouped and each

group was instructed to join the red and purple colours. Pupils realized after joining the

red and purple colours, they had the same length as the dark green
 The pupils after realizing the two colours were same as the dark green, they

rehearsed on their own by joining other colours for which one is illustrated below:

Activity 2: The Effective use of Cuisenaire Rods in Teaching Addition of Whole

Numbers

The detailed lesson plan prepared by the researcher was used at this stage (day)

which have Cuisenaire rods as the teaching and learning material.

Objective – by the end of the lesson, the pupils will be able to solve questions

on addition of whole numbers using Cuisenaire rods.

R.P.K. – pupils can add single digit numbers by counting their fingers.

During the preparation of lesson notes, references were made to the teacher’s

handbook. Mathematics for Ghanaian Schools.

Introduction – the lesson was introduced by reviewing pupils R.P.K by giving

them a short try question to solve which relates to addition of whole numbers. Before

the main activity was done, the researcher and his mentor distributed the Cuisenaire

rods to pupils in groups and the researcher asked the pupils to play with the rods, build

towers, arrange the rods to represent letters and explore the relationship between the

rods. This was done in order to help the pupils to recognize the previous activity.

After all these free play activity, the researcher asked pupils to form a train of

two or more rods, not necessarily the same colour, placed them end – to – end in a

straight line. If white rod is the unit, what does red rod represent? How would you show
this? The researcher guided pupils to make a train out of two white rods and the length

of the train is the same length as red as shown below:

If one white rod is the unit, what is purple?

The researcher asked pupils to proceed similarity for each colour rod and

determine its numerical value when white rod is the unit.

Post – Intervention

After the implementation of the intervention, a 25 minutes’ post – test was

conducted for the pupils by using the Cuisenaire rods.

Data Analysis

In the study, the researcher used the quantitative method of data analysis. Data

from the tests were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive statistics mainly frequency

and percentages.
 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Overview

This chapter dealt with the presentation of data, analysis of scores collected

from the pre – test and the post – test and discussion based on the results of the study.

Results of data and Analysis

Table 4.1 shows the frequency distribution of the raw scores of the pre – test

conducted for 35 pupils.

Table 4.1.1: Frequency distribution of pre – test scores by percentage

Marks Frequency Percentage (%)

0 1 2.9

1 0 0.0

2 3 8.6

3 2 5.7
 4 7 20

5 9 25.7

6 10 28.5

7 2 5.7

8 1 2.9

9 0 0.0

10 0 0.0

TOTAL 35 100

Table 4.1.1 shows that none of the pupils scored marks 1,9 and 10 representing

0.0%, only 1 pupil scored 0 who seem to be a special pupil representing 2.9%, 3 pupils

scored marks 2 representing 8.6%, 2 pupils scored marks 3 representing 5.7%, 7 pupils

scored marks 4 representing 20%, 9 pupils scored marks 5 representing 25.7%, 10

pupils scored marks 6 representing 28.6%, 2 pupils scored marks 7 representing 5.7%,

and only 1 pupil scored 8 representing 2.9% of the total number which indicates poor

performance of pupils relating to addition of whole numbers.

Table 4.1.2: post – test results for 35 pupils by percentage

Marks Frequency Percentage (%)

0 0 0.0

1 0 0.0

2 0 0.0

3 0 0.0

4 0 0.0

5 1 2.9
 6 2 5.7

7 4 11.4

8 9 25.7

9 8 22.9

10 11 31.4

TOTAL 35 100

From the post – test results in table 4.1.2, it can be seen that none of the pupils

scored /obtained marks 0,1,2,3, and 4 representing 0.0%, only 1 pupil representing 2.9%

scored marks 5 (the special pupil, this time around he had the concept but couldn’t work

fast or on time). Two (2) pupils representing 5.7% scored marks 6, 4 pupils scored

marks 7 representing 11.4%, 9 pupils scored marks 8 representing 25.7%, 8 pupils

obtained marks 9 representing 22.9% and 11 pupils scored marks 10 which is the

highest mark and which indicates clearly that the performance of pupils has now

increase after using the concrete materials (Cuisenaire rods). Since the concept would

have been taught at the primary school, the pupils were able to cope with the methods

and concepts easily.

Table 4.1.3: pre – test and post – test marks

N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Dev.

Pre– test 35 0 8 4.77 2.2176

Post–test 35 5 10 8.54 4.1996

From table 4.1.3, the mean of pre – test marks were 4.77 and that of post – test

marks were 8.54. Thus, the gain marks which is 8.54 – 4.77 is 3.77 when compared to
the pre – test mean mark of 4.77 show a significant improvement in pupil’s performance

in solving problems leading to addition of whole numbers using Cuisenaire rods.

A comparison of standard deviation of the pre – test mark which was 2.2176

and post – test mark which was 4.1996 revealed that the standard deviation of post –

test was more than that of the pre – test which indicates the marks in the post – test was

more spread around the mean mark which is 8.54 than it was in the pre test marks. The

minimum and maximum marks of pre – test marks and post – test marks are respectively

0,8 and 5,10. It is clear that both the minimum and the maximum marks of post – test

are by far larger than that of the pre – test marks. Also, the range which is the difference

in the maximum and minimum marks of pre – test and post – test is 8 and 5 respectively.

Comparing the pre – test and post – test Results

Considering the pre – test marks, 62.8% of the pupils obtained marks greater

than the pass mark. This is an indication that pupils had difficulty in working with

problems related to whole numbers. From the post – test, 100% of the pupils scored

half or more of the pass mark. This is an improvement in pupil’s performance compared

to their performance in the pre – test. The mean pre – test mark of 4.77 and the mean

post – test mark of 8.54 with a gain mark of 3.77 indicated that pupil’s performance

was about twice better than when the intervention was not administered. In answering

the research questions, it is clear that after the intervention, the evidence gathered

suggest that incorporating the intervention tool (Cuisenaire rods) into mathematics

classroom teaching of whole numbers improved the achievement marks of pupils.

Discussion

Research Question 1: What account for not using Cuisenaire rods to teach basic

operations on whole numbers at Abu Bonsra D/A JHS?

 In answering the first research question, the researcher realized from the results

of the pre – test and post – test that since the school don’t have the materials ( Cuisenaire

rods ), teachers too don’t use them in teaching which in some way don’t help the pupils

to know the relationship between what is taught in school and at home but after the

researcher used the materials in his teaching, the concept that could have been taught

at the primary level, which was a burden to the basic 7 pupils were solved meaning if

the school have the materials, teachers too would use them to promote or gain effective

teaching and pupils now know the relationship between what is taught in school and

home.

This has agreed with what (Case, Cates, Smith & Jackson 2003) said in the

literature review that through the use of Cuisenaire rods, learners do know the

relationship between what is taught in school and what is done at home

Research Question 2: What are the negative effects of not using Cuisenaire rods to

teach basic operations on whole numbers at Abu Bonsra D/A JHS?

From table 4.1.1 and table 4.1.2 that is the pre – test and post – test, it suggests

that the overall performance of pupils in solving problems or questions relating to

addition of whole numbers was not all that good or impressive in the pre – test but was

quite ok or normal or good at the post – teat meaning after the intervention, the evidence

gathered from the results suggested that the incorporating tool ( Cuisenaire rods ) into

mathematics classroom, the performance of pupils was impressive because considering

the pass mark of both the pre – test and post – test, pupils had 100% pass at the post –

test whereas pupils obtained 62.8% at the pre – test.

This evidence revealed that the use of Cuisenaire rods on pupils have positive

effect since pupils performance improved tremendously and this go with what ( Case,
Cates, Smith & Jackson 2003 ) said in the literature review that studies carried out on

this approach revealed that pupils are taught using this approach rapidly acquired

problem solving skills, maintained these skills over a two – month period and

transferred these skills to a paper and pencil problem solving format but the negative

effect of not using Cuisenaire rods results in low academic performance on pupils as

showed in the pre – test and this go contrary with the literature reviews.

Research Question 3: How will the effective use of Cuisenaire rods help improve the

teaching of basic operations on whole numbers?

Since Cuisenaire rods is a hands – on and minds – on manipulative activity, the

researcher allows or gave the pupils chance or opportunity to use the rods and this yield

a result at the post – test. At the intervention stage, it was shown that pupils were given

ample time to play with the rods which made them familiar with it and were later guided

by the researcher to use them to solve questions or problems relating to addition of

whole numbers. These classroom activities create fun and provide immediate results to

both pupils and teachers.

After the researcher guided the pupils to use the Cuisenaire rods, the pass mark

which was 62.8% at the pre – test increased to 100% at the post – test which clearly

shows that the performance or concept of addition of whole numbers which pupils had

a challenge at the primary level have been improved.

This agree with what (Fox 1976) said that this classroom game like activities

creates fun and gives immediate results and feedback to both pupils and teachers which

fuels their energy and arouses their interest to engage in more activities.
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Overview

This chapter contains a summary of the project, where it was conducted, the

sample, how the data was collected and analyzed. It ends up with conclusion and

recommendations

Summary

The research was conducted to use Cuisenaire rods to teach addition of whole

numbers among basic 7 pupils of Abu Bonsra D/A JHS. The data collected from the

pre – test scores and post – test scores revealed that before the intervention, only 62.8%

of the pupils were able to solve problems involving whole numbers satisfactorily,

during the pre – test but after teaching them by the use of Cuisenaire rods through

activities, 100% of the pupils were able to solve problems involving whole numbers

satisfactorily.
 The process of intervention revealed that there is a significant difference in the

mean achievement scores of pupils using the Cuisenaire rods to their mean achievement

scores than when Cuisenaire rods were not used. The statistical difference showed that

the intervention tool (Cuisenaire rods) used improved pupil’s knowledge in problems

involving whole numbers. The pupils now develop more positive attitudes towards

whole numbers and mathematics as a whole because they were excited as they could

easily answer problems and reach conclusion once they can manipulate the material.

Conclusion

It is evident from the findings of the study that using Cuisenaire rods improved

immensely on pupils' achievement in mathematics and whole numbers in particular.

There was a common feeling of confidence among pupils using the Cuisenaire rods.

There is therefore growing evidence in the research conducted by (Case, Cates, Smith,

& Jackson, 2003) who have found transfer of learning by relating classroom activities

to learner's life experience which enables him to see the relationship between what is

taught in school and what is done at home.

Recommendations

The importance of mathematics cannot be overemphasized. It was useful in

helping pupils through the use of Cuisenaire rods to develop a meaningful

understanding in problems involving whole numbers. Based on the results gathered

from this study, the researcher has this recommendations and suggestions to make.
 ✓ Since Cuisenaire rods is one important material that pupils are required

to be abreast with in learning mathematics concepts, the researcher recommends that,

teachers teaching mathematics at the basic school must be familiar with it usage so that

they can incorporate these materials in their teaching processes.

✓ This study as well as the study conducted by Kurumeh and Achor (2008)

in Nigeria suggests that there is significantly positive effect of using Cuisenaire rods in

teaching mathematics. It is therefore recommended that more emphasis should be laid

on its use especially at the Colleges of Education.

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX A
Pre – test

APPENDIX B
Post – test