Problem Comprehension Skills and its Relation to Students’ Mathematics Performance: Basis for Enhancement Plan

This study aims to explore the significant relationship between students' mathematical problem comprehension skills and their mathematics performance in terms of measuring central tendency, organizing data in a frequency distribution table, drawing conclusions from graphic and tabular data, and using appropriate graphs to organize data. This study is conducted to come up with an effective enhancement plan to help students improve their problem comprehension skills in Mathematics. This study starts by randomly selecting Grade 7 students from the different schools under Manjuyod District I in the Division of Negros Oriental. This study used a descriptive-correlational design and gathered data through surveys and tests as well as documents pertaining to the mathematics performance of the students. The surveys and tests were for the students while the school registrar and class advisers were for the documents pertaining to the mathematics performance such as Forms 9 and 10 of the students. It examined the students' profile in terms of age, sex, living with at home, parents' educational level, and employment status. It also assessed the students' comprehension skills in measuring central tendency, organizing data, drawing conclusions, using appropriate graphs, and solving word problems. Furthermore, it investigated the students' level of mathematics performance and the significance of demographic factors on their problem comprehension skills and mathematics performance. The findings revealed that most of the students surveyed were 57 % female and 74% stayed with their parents. The students' comprehension skills in measuring central tendency were found to be fairly satisfactory (mean=78.496; SD=16.214), for improvement in organizing data (mean=78.496; SD=16.214), drawing conclusions (mean=67.168; SD=11.297), using appropriate graphs (mean=73.805; SD=13.250), however, did not meet expectations. It implies that mathematical problems comprehension skills are low. The level of mathematics performance of Grade 7 students was found outstanding (mean=90.327; SD=3.247). Age (F-value=2.428; p-value=0.031), sex (F-value=2.428; p-value=0.031), living with parents at home (F-value=2.428; p-value=0.031) and employment status of parents (F-value=2.428; p-value=0.031) were found to have significant impact on problem comprehension skills related to measuring central tendency and drawing conclusions from graphic and tabular data. Moreover, the educational level of parents (F-value=0.932; p-value=0.425) significantly affected mathematics performance. The study also found a significant relationship (Pearson Correlation=0.189; p-value=0.045) between competency in measures of central tendency and their overall mathematics performance. Based on the results, this study recommends an enhancement plan to improve students' mathematical comprehension skills by incorporating more interactive and real-life applications of mathematical concepts in the curriculum.