Towards the Solution of Abysmal Performance of Fraction in Navrongo Presbyterian Primary School: Comparing the Sets of Objects and Paper Folding Designed Interventions

Abstract

This is an interventional study sought to find the difference in the performance of pupils who were taught using sets of objects (sets model) and paper folding activities, to solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of proper fractions. A total of thirty pupils, of Navrongo Presbyterian Primary School Basic Five A, were used in the study. A well-structured lesson, with teaching and learning materials, was used. A pretest and posttest assessments were deployed to ascertain the effect of the interventional teaching strategies. Prior, to the intervention of the study, 73.3% of the pupils (total of 30) scored below the average mark ranging from 5-7. These represented the experimental group of the study. 26.7% of the pupils (control group) scored the average mark. However, after the intervention, both strategies (sets of objects and paper folding activities) showed remarkable performance. Although both strategies showed remarkable performance in pupils, 59% of the experimental group (total of 22 pupils) scored above the average mark in the paper folding as compared to 50% of the experimental group who scored above the average mark in the usage of sets model. While 87.5% of the control group scored above the average marks ranging from 8-10 during the paper folding activities, 62.5% of the control group scored above the average marks from 8-10 during the use of sets model. The posttest results of both the control and experimental groups taught using paper folding performed far better compared to sets model. The study has shown that pupils’ level of performance had improved drastically with the help of paper folding method. In conclusion, paper folding activities help pupils to appreciate word problems involving addition and subtraction of proper fractions.