Teaching Through Problem-Solving in Enhancing Students' Learning in Radicals

Problem-solving played an important role in Mathematics and should be a prominent part of the Mathematics education of K-12 students. Teaching through problem-solving could help students develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and methods by engaging them in tasks where the mathematics to be learned is embedded. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of teaching through a problem-solving approach on the mathematical learning skills of the Grade 9 students of Lala Proper Integrated School, Division of Lanao del Norte, for the Academic Year 2018-2019. This study employed a quasi-experimental research design with two groups of respondents: the teaching through problem-solving group and the traditional group using the conventional teaching method. The result showed that a one-way between-subjects ANCOVA was used to determine the effect of the problem-solving approach on post-test scores, with learners' pre-test scores controlled for. Pre-test scores were not significantly related to post-test scores. The group showed a significant difference in post-test scores after accounting for respondents' pre-test scores. The result showed a statistically significant difference between the groups after controlling for pre-test scores. Learners in the Teaching through Problem-solving group performed better than those in the Traditional group. This result further illustrated that the problem-solving approach had a positive effect on the learners' understanding of radical expressions.