Development and Validation of Assessment Tasks and Rubrics to Enhance Students' Proficiency in Solving Problems Involving Similarity of Triangles

The study focuses on developing and validating assessment tasks and rubrics to enhance students’ mathematical proficiency to solve real-world problems involving the lessons about the Similarity of Triangles. The assessment tasks and rubrics were developed to test their effectiveness in the mathematical proficiency level of Grade 9 students in geometry. This was undertaken using an embedded experimental mixed-methods research design. The quantitative data collection is the primary phase, while the qualitative data collection is the supplementary phase. The qualitative phase consisted of in-depth interviews before, during and after the quantitative phase. The researcher developed four assessment tasks and rubrics that involve lessons on the similarity of triangles. These were validated before the data collection procedure. When all the preliminaries were cleared, the respondents answered the pretest examination, including real-world problems involving the Similarity of Triangles. Assessment tasks and rubrics were utilized for four weeks before taking the post-test examination. A T-test for paired two samples for mean was used to determine the significant difference between students’ mathematical proficiency before and after the intervention phase. Results showed that the developed rubrics have positive effects on the level of proficiency of the respondents by improving their confidence level and by enhancing the accuracy of getting the correct answers to the problems. It was concluded that the tool may be used to guide and enhance students’ mathematical proficiency in solving problems involving the Similarity of Triangles. It is recommended that Grade 9 students may incorporate assessment tasks and rubrics as a learning guide in solving problems involving Similarity of Triangles.