FOSTERING NUMERACY SKILLS AND INTEREST AMONG GRADE 7 STUDENTS THROUGH CROSS-AGE PEER TUTORING

ABSTRACT This study examined the impact of cross-age peer tutoring on the numeracy skills and mathematical interest of non- and low-proficient Grade 7 students. Highly proficient Grade 9 students were tutors in a structured tutoring program designed to support struggling learners through collaborative and personalized instruction. To assess the effectiveness of the intervention, the Enhanced Regional Unified Numeracy Test (ERUNT) was administered before and after the program to measure the changes in numeracy skills. Additionally, students’ interest towards mathematics was evaluated using bivariate analysis to determine any significant relationships between the intervention and affective outcomes. Recognizing students' challenges in developing numeracy skills and maintaining engagement, the research focused on utilizing older, highly performing peer tutors from higher grade levels to provide structured, collaborative support to Grade 7 learners. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining pre- and post-assessments of numeracy performance with a survey questionnaire to gauge changes in student interest and attitude toward mathematics. 70 Grade 7 students were identified as participants, divided into a control and an experimental group. Results revealed a statistically significant improvement in numeracy performance and a positive shift in students’ interest and attitude towards mathematics. These findings suggest that cross-age peer tutoring effectively enhances academic performance and student engagement in mathematics among Grade 7 low-performing students. The study recommends integrating such peer-based approaches into regular mathematics instruction to support differentiated learning and promote a collaborative educational environment. Keywords: Cross-age peer tutoring, Numeracy skills, Mathematical interest, Numeracy performance, Student engagement, Grade 7 Students, Collaborative educational environment