Saint Mary’s Academy of CapizP. Burgos St., Roxas City

REMEDIATING LOW PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS OF SMAC FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS

An Action Research

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement of

Saint Mary’s Academy of Capiz,

Roxas City

Presented by:

Mr. IRONE B. DESALES and Mr. ADONIS P. BESA

High School Faculty

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Saint Mary’s Academy of CapizP. Burgos St., Roxas City

ABSTRACT

This action research aimed to determine the level of

Problem-solving Skills and Interest of Fourth year students

towards the subject Physics this year. Most importantly it

aimed to describe qualitatively and quantitatively the

significant relationship of the levels of skill and interest

in improving the competency of the students in problem-

solving. Samples were gathered through random sampling

method to obtain the 30 respondents of the study. Data for

the Problem-solving skill and Interest levels were gathered

by means of using a Researcher-made Physics Problem

Questionnaire in which it indicated that the respondents’

shows low level on both aspects. To address the concurrent

problem on these areas, the researchers planned and

systematically implemented three useful strategies to help

students improve and these are the Competent Problem Solver,

Understanding Basic Mechanics, and Formulate-and-Solve

methods. It was found out, that after these three methods

were applied students gain better perception of how to go

through with a physics problem in an organized manner as

shown in the analysis and interpretation of scores, mean,

and ANOVA used in the study. The strategies were somewhat

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effective to enhance understanding of physics problem

analysis and computation.

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Saint Mary’s Academy of CapizP. Burgos St., Roxas City

TABLE of CONTENTS

Title Page 1

Abstract 2-3

Table of Contents 4

RATIONALE 5-8

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 9-18

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design 19-20

Research Procedures and Techniques 20-30

Statistical Tools Used 30-31

PRESENTATION and ANALYSIS of DATA 32-37

SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, and RECOMMENDATIONS 38-42

REFERENCES 43

APPENDICES 44-45

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RATIONALE

It cannot be denied that problem solving is an

important part of education. Physics, in general, is an

important subject because of its practical role to a person

and the society as a whole. However, before a student can

successfully solve a problem, he has to possess good reading

comprehension, analytic and computational skills. Problem

solving in Physics and reading comprehension go hand in

hand. Solving Physics problems entails or requires the

students to do or apply two skills at the same time- reading

and computing. It is a two-edged sword which the student

should conquer, so to speak.

As observed, many students are poor both in

comprehending and analyzing Physics word problems.

Specifically in SY 2011-2012 Fourth year class, only few out

of the many students can successfully solve problems in

Physics without or with just little help from the teacher.

The rest need to be guided to understand the problem. Most

of them find it hard to picture the situation indicated by

the problem they are trying to solve. The slow ones would

even ask the meaning of a certain word in the problem. When

they have understood it, it is only then that they fully

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grasp the event/situation pictured in the problem. However,

there are still some who cannot understand it, probably

because they can’t connect or relate the ideas explained in

the problem. When it is time to analyze or break down the

problem, only few can actively participate. During group

activities, the leaders would most often report that their

members have to be monitored closely so that they would be

able to correctly analyze the problem. Based on their

report, roughly 2 out of 6 members actively contribute in

their output. That is why, during unit and periodical tests,

only few can get a perfect score. Translating this into

analyzing the problems in Physics, there is a grim prospect

that they would find it hard to understand Physics problems

and thus affect their performance in the said area,

notwithstanding their numerical skills. In straight

computations like plain addition, multiplication,

subtraction and division, they can solve them successfully

with very little help. But when these are written in the

verbal context-not in the numerical context- they are

already at a loss, so to speak. Obviously, the bane of these

students is the understanding of the contents of the math

problems correctly and connecting the ideas expressed in it

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to fully grasp and find a way to successfully solve the

problem.

In line with this, this action entitled “Remediating

Low Problem-Solving Skills in Physics of SMAC Fourth Year

Students” was conducted to deal not only on the

determination of the skill level of understanding with

regards to the problem-solving skills of the students but

also apply useful approach to deal with the low level of

problem-solving skills. This study was undertaken to

improve the problem-solving skills in Physics of Fourth year

students and for that matter increase their interest in

physics and science at large.

Specifically, this study aims to answer the following

questions,

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of age

and gender?

2. What is the level of students’ problem-solving skills

and interest in physics when classified as to age and

gender before and after the implementation of the

interventions?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the

problem-solving skill performance and interest of the

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students in physics before and after the implementation

of the interventions?

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REVIEW of RELATED LITERATURE

Problem solving is a mental process which is the

concluding part of the larger problem process that

includes problem finding and problem shaping where problem

is defined as a state of desire for the reaching of a

definite goal from a present condition that either is not

directly moving toward the goal, is far from it or needs

more complex logic for finding a missing description of

conditions or steps toward the goal [1]. Considered the most

complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has

been defined as a higher-order cognitive process that

requires the modulation and control of more routine or

fundamental skills.[2] Problem solving has two major

domains: mathematical problem solving and personal problem

solving where, in the second, some difficulty or barrier is

encountered.[3] Further problem solving occurs when moving

from a given state to a desired goal state is needed for

either living organisms or an artificial

intelligence system.

While problem solving accompanies the very beginning of

human evolution and especially the history of mathematics,

[3] the nature of human problem solving processes and methods

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has been studied by psychologists over the past hundred

years. Methods of studying problem solving

include introspection, behaviorism, simulation, computer

modeling and experiment.

History

The early experimental work of

the Gestaltists in Germany placed the beginning of problem

solving study e.g. Karl Duncker in 1935 with his book The

psychology of productive thinking [4]. Later this

experimental work continued through the 1960s and early

1970s with research on conducted relatively simple but novel

for participants laboratory tasks of problem solving. [5]

[6] Choosing simple novel tasks was based on the clearly

defined optimal solutions and their short time for solving,

which made possible for the researchers to trace

participants' steps in problem-solving process. Researchers'

underlying assumption was that simple tasks such as

the Tower of Hanoi correspond to the main properties of

"real world" problems and thus the characteristic cognitive

processes within participants' attempts to solve simple

problems are the same for "real world" problems too; simple

problems were used for reasons of convenience and with the

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expectation that thought generalizations to more complex

problems would become possible. Perhaps the best-known and

most impressive example of this line of research is the work

by Allen Newell and Herbert Simon [7]. Other experts have

shown that the principle of decomposition improve the

ability of the problem solver to make good judgment.[8]

Simple laboratory-based tasks can be useful in explicating

the steps of logic and reasoning that underlie problem

solving; however, they usually omit the complexity

and emotional valence of "real-world" problems. In clinical

psychology, researchers have focused on the role of emotions

in problem solving (D'Zurilla & Goldfried, 1971; D'Zurilla &

Nezu, 1982), demonstrating that poor emotional control can

disrupt focus on the target task and impede problem

resolution (Rath, Langenbahn, Simon, Sherr, & Diller, 2004).

In this conceptualization, human problem solving consists of

two related processes: problem orientation, the

motivational/attitudinal/affective approach to problematic

situations and problem-solving skills. Working with

individuals with frontal lobe

injuries, neuropsychologists have discovered that deficits

in emotional ontrol and reasoning can be remedied, improving

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the capacity of injured persons to resolve everyday problems

successfully (Rath, Simon, Langenbahn, Sherr, & Diller,

2003).

In Europe, two main approaches have surfaced, one

initiated by Donald Broadbent (1977; see Berry & Broadbent,

1995) in the United Kingdom and the other one by Dietrich

Dörner (1975, 1985; see Dörner & Wearing, 1995) in Germany.

The two approaches share an emphasis on relatively complex,

semantically rich, computerized laboratory tasks,

constructed to resemble real-life problems. The approaches

differ somewhat in their theoretical goals and methodology,

however. The tradition initiated by Broadbent emphasizes the

distinction between cognitive problem-solving processes that

operate under awareness versus outside of awareness, and

typically employs mathematically well-defined computerized

systems. The tradition initiated by Dörner, on the other

hand, has an interest in the interplay of the cognitive,

motivational, and social components of problem solving, and

utilizes very complex computerized scenarios that contain up

to 2,000 highly interconnected variables (e.g., Dörner,

Kreuzig, Reither & Stäudel's 1983 LOHHAUSEN project;

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Ringelband, Misiak & Kluwe, 1990). Buchner (1995) describes

the two traditions in detail.

In North America, initiated by the work of Herbert Simon on

learning by doing in semantically rich domains (e.g. Anzai &

Simon, 1979;Bhaskar & Simon, 1977), researchers began to

investigate problem solving separately in different

natural knowledge domains – such as physics, writing,

or chess playing – thus relinquishing their attempts to

extract a global theory of problem solving (e.g. Sternberg &

Frensch, 1991). Instead, these researchers have frequently

focused on the development of problem solving within a

certain domain, that is on the development

of expertise (e.g. Anderson, Boyle & Reiser, 1985; Chase &

Simon, 1973; Chi, Feltovich & Glaser, 1981).

Areas that have attracted rather intensive attention in

North America include fields as:

Reading (Stanovich & Cunningham, 1991)

Writing (Bryson, Bereiter, Scardamalia & Joram, 1991)

Calculation (Sokol & McCloskey, 1991)

Political decision making (Voss, Wolfe, Lawrence &

Engle, 1991)

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Problem Solving for Business (Cornell, 2010)

Managerial problem solving (Wagner, 1991)

Lawyers' reasoning (Amsel, Langer & Loutzenhiser, 1991)

Mechanical problem solving (Hegarty, 1991)

Problem solving in electronics (Lesgold & Lajoie, 1991)

Computer skills (Kay, 1991)

Game playing (Frensch & Sternberg, 1991)

Personal problem solving (Heppner & Krauskopf, 1987)

Mathematical problem solving (Polya, 1945; Schoenfeld,

1985)

Social problem solving (D'Zurilla & Goldfreid, 1971;

D'Zurilla & Nezu, 1982)

Problem solving for innovations and inventions: TRIZ

(Altshuller, 1973, 1984, 1994)

To sum up, researchers' realization that problem-solving

processes differ across knowledge domains and across levels

of expertise (e.g. Sternberg, 1995) and that, consequently,

findings obtained in the laboratory cannot necessarily

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generalize to problem-solving situations outside the

laboratory, has during the past two decades led to an

emphasis on real-world problem solving. This emphasis has

been expressed quite differently in North America and

Europe, however. Whereas North American research has

typically concentrated on studying problem solving in

separate, natural knowledge domains, much of the European

research has focused on novel, complex problems, and has

been performed with computerized scenarios (see Funke, 1991,

for an overview).

Characteristics of a difficult Problem

As elucidated by Dietrich Dörner and later expanded upon

by Joachim Funke, difficult problems have some typical

characteristics that can be summarized as follows:

Intransparency (lack of clarity of the situation)

Commencement opacity

Continuation opacity

Polytely (multiple goals)

Inexpressiveness

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Opposition

Transience

Complexity (large numbers of items, interrelations and

decisions)

Enumerability

Connectivity (hierarchy relation, communication relation,

allocation relation)

Heterogeneity

Dynamics (time considerations)

Temporal constraints

Temporal sensitivity

Phase effects

Dynamic unpredictability

The resolution of difficult problems requires a direct

attack on each of these characteristics that are

encountered.

Problem Solving Techniques

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These techniques are usually called problem solving

strategies.

Abstraction: solving the problem in a model of the system

before applying it to the real system

Analogy: using a solution that solved an analogous problem

Brainstorming: (especially among groups of people)

suggesting a large number of solutions or ideas and

combining and developing them until an optimum is found

Divide and conquer: breaking down a large, complex problem

into smaller, solvable problems

Hypothesis testing: assuming a possible explanation to the

problem and trying to prove (or, in some contexts, disprove)

the assumption

Lateral thinking: approaching solutions indirectly and

creatively

Means-ends analysis: choosing an action at each step to move

closer to the goal

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Method of focal objects: synthesizing seemingly non-matching

characteristics of different objects into something new

Morphological analysis: assessing the output and

interactions of an entire system

Reduction: transforming the problem into another problem for

which solutions exist

Research: employing existing ideas or adapting existing

solutions to similar problems

Root cause analysis: eliminating the cause of the problem

Trial-and-error: testing possible solutions until the right

one is found

Proof: try to prove that the problem cannot be solved. The

point where the proof fails will be the starting point for

solving it

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

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Research Design

This study is an experimental at the same time a

descriptive correlational research aimed at improving the

problem solving skills of physics students through the use

of the competent problem solver, the understanding basic

mechanics and formulate-your-own-problem methods at Saint

Mary’s Academy of Capiz. The study offered the opportunity

to engage in continuous cycles of planning, acting,

observing and reflecting, which generally characterize

action research approaches. McNiff & Whitehead (2002),

elaborate on these cycles to describe spontaneous, self-

recreating system of enquiry as a systematic process of

observe, describe, plan, act, reflect, evaluate, modify, but

they stress that the process is not linear, but

transformational, which allows for greater fluidity in

implementing the process. The action research cycle is

generally given as a four-step cycle of reflect → plan → act

→ observe. That is: reflecting on one’s practice and

identifying a problem or concern, planning a strategy or

intervention that may solve the problem, acting or carrying

out the plan, and finally, observing the results or

collecting the data. It is common for practitioners to

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follow the observation phase with reflecting anew, planning

and carrying out another intervention, and, again, observing

the results, continually repeating the cycle, continually

seeking improvement (Higher Education Academy 2009).

Research Procedures and Techniques

PROCEDURAL DESIGN

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Determination of the Low Performing Students in Physics

Random Sampling for the final number of the Respondents

Administration of the Pre-test

Implementation of the Methods- Competent Problem Solver

- Understanding Basic Mechanics- Formulate-and-Solve

Assessment of the Methods by means Board work, Challenge Problems, Quizzes, Quarterly Projects and Examinations

Administration of the Post test

Analysis and Interpretation of Data ( Mean , Comparative and Correlation)

Determination of the Problem-solving skill and interest level for the Pre=test

Determination of the Problem-solving skill and interest level for the Post test

Saint Mary’s Academy of CapizP. Burgos St., Roxas City

The researchers used pre-intervention activities such

as class works, projects, tests and assignments. Students

were made to take a teachers-made test which consisted of

five questions each in Kinematics and in Dynamics after

students were taught the concepts. The researchers underwent

series of activities to implement the strategies in order to

help improve the problem-solving skills of the selected

students.

Date Activities Data to be Collected

Statistical Treatment

August 31, 2011

Administration of the pre-test

Scores of the pre-test

Mean Scores/ANOVA

September 1, 2011 – January 31, 2012

Implementation of the Remedies

- Competent Problem-solving Method

- Understanding the Problem

Result of the daily, unit, periodical tests and projects.

Mean Scores

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Data Gathering (Frequency Count)

Analysis and Interpretation of Data ( Mean , Comparative and Correlation)

Saint Mary’s Academy of CapizP. Burgos St., Roxas City

Mechanics

- Formulate-and-Solve your own problem method

February 1, 2012

Administration of the post-test

Scores of the post-test

Raw scores and ANOVA

Time and Place of Study

This study was conducted from Second to Fourth Quarter

of the School Year 2011-2012 at Saint Mary’s Academy of

Capiz, Roxas City Capiz.

Respondents of the Study and Sampling Method

This study utilized thirty (30) randomly selected

fourth year students enrolled during the current school

year. These respondents were selected based on their

performance on the First Periodical Test in Physics and then

Random sampling was applied to identify the 30 respondents.

Nature of Techniques Used

A. The Problem-Solving Skill Questionnaire

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This is a researchers-made questionnaire which is

consist of 10 word problems to be solve with 5-point mark

each which makes it 50 points. Each problem has different

components such as given, unknown quantity, illustration,

equation, and computation. At the end of the questionnaire

is a scale 1-10 indicating the rate of interest of the

respondents towards the subject Physics. The problem-solving

skill level is then identified using the classification

below:

Scores Interval Level of Skill

0 – 10 Very Low

11 – 20 Low

21 – 30 Moderate

31- 40 High

41 – 49 Very High

50 Excellent

For the level of interest in the subject Physics,

the following scale will be used.

Mean Level of Interest

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0 – 2.00 Very Low

2.01 – 4.00 Low

4.01 – 6.00 Moderate

6.01 – 8.00 High

8.01 – 9.99 Very High

10 Excellent

B. The Competent Problem Solver Method

The key component of these instructional strategies is

the competent problem solver method is a five-step

structured problem solving strategy as follows:

1. Visualize the problem

2. Describe the problem in physics terms

3. Plan a solution

4. Execute the plan

5. Check and evaluate

C. Understanding Basic Mechanics Method

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This method has three basic steps: Analyze the Problem,

Construct Solution, and Check (and Revise if need be). The

first and third steps are broken down into a list of

questions the student needs to ask about the problem and

factors that should be taken into account. The second step,

the ‘meat’ of the method, concerns itself with finding

appropriate sub- problems that resemble the exercises the

students are already capable of working, or can easily

figure out how to work. In constructing the solution, the

student first determines what needs to be done: is there

missing information? Are there unknowns that might be

removed by proper combination of relations? Once that has

been determined, the student is helped along the path to

accomplishing the sub-goal. This method is a heuristic

method, in that it teaches the student ways of thinking and

learning. In constructing the solution, the student first

determines what needs to be done by asking these self

questions: Is there missing information? Are there unknowns

that might be removed by proper combination of relations?

Once that has been determined, the student is helped along

the path to accomplishing the sub-goal. Among the two

methods described above, it is considerably easier to work

with the competent problem solver method in collaboration

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with the Understanding Basic Mechanics Method because of the

following reasons: The Competent Problem Solver Method has

rigorously shown to work in group settings where the total

class size was small enough that the teacher could

effectively manage the groups (Heller & Hollabaugh 1992).

There are sixteen (16) physics students in Somanya Secondary

Technical School; hence it was expedient to apply this

method. Also the Competent Problem Solver Method is used

since it teaches a general strategy with emphasis on the

specific methods needed for physics problem-solving. This

method helps overall problem-solving skills of students

especially in the areas of focusing the problem and checking

the results (Heller & Hollabaugh 1992). Secondly, problem-

solving skills are often a limiting factor on students. They

may understand the concept or think they understand it but

are blocked by inability to do the problem itself.

Researchers in various fields of science education have

pointed out how students often seem to have great difficulty

with problems that are simply concatenations of several

exercises the students can already work ( Bodner 1991). By

improving the problem-solving skills of the student

population, it may become easier to spot conceptual

difficulties that the students have.

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Below is a brief description of the steps followed when

using the understanding of basic mechanics method and the

competent problem solver method.

Step 1 – Understand the problem

To really understand the problem, the following sub-

steps are needed to be considered.

a. Read the problem carefully.

b. Find the important information.

c. Write down the known values and the unknown values.

d. Identify what the problem wants you to solve.

e. Ask if your answer is going to be a larger or

smaller number compared to what you already know.

Step 2 – Decide how you are going to solve the problem

Decisions on how to solve the problem may depend on

your choice of one of the following strategies.

Use a graph

Use formulas

Make a list

Find a pattern

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Work backwards

Use reasoning

Draw a diagram

Make a table

Act it out

However, in this study the strategy of ‘draw a diagram’

was used.

Step 3 - Solve the problem

Problem is solved by plugging known values into

relations or formulas to solve for unknown value.

Step 4 - Look Back and Check

This is done by re-reading the problem and comparing

the information from the problem to your work.

After that, ask yourself this question, “Did I solve

what the problem asked me to solve?”

In order to ensure that students go by these steps when

solving problems, the following grading criteria were used

to assess students on the steps as shown in Table 3.1

Formulate-and-Solve-Your-Own Problem

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This is a culmination of the two methods stated above.

The respondents will then formulate a problem based on the

mechanics of word problem formulation, illustrate with

accuracy of measurements, and solve analytically applying

mathematical computations and equations. This was done

during every Periodical tests (2nd to 4th Quarter) and as

their project in the Second and Third Quarter. The students

were also tasked to formulate and solve their own version of

a kinematics and dynamics word problems as their project in

the second quarter and the teacher also incorporated items

for synthesis part during the second and third quarterly

examination to assess the level of problem-solving skill of

the respondents. The researchers used the following criteria

in marking their works:

Problem:

Grammar and Mechanics – 2 points, Accuracy and

Appropriateness of the quantities – 2 points

Solution:

Illustration/Given – 2 points, Equation Derived – 2 points,

Accuracy of the Computation – 2 points

Total: 10 points

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A post-intervention test was conducted after the

implementation of the intervention activities. The test was

made up of ten questions similar to the questions in the

pre-intervention test. Students’ responses to the questions

were collected, marked and analyzed.

Statistical Tools Used

A. Mean

This tool was used to get the average scores of the

respondents from the pretest and posttest given. The mean

will represent the level of problem-solving skill of the

respondents. The higher the mean the more competent the

respondent is.

B. One-way Analysis of Variance

The Analysis of Variance is used to determine the

significant relationships among variables. In this study, it

is used to determine the significant relationship between

the problem-solving skill performance and the level of

interest of students in physics before and after the

implementation of the interventions.

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PRESENTATION and ANALYSIS of DATA

Table 1. Profile of the Respondents

Table 1 shows the profile of the 30 respondents of the

study as grouped into age and gender. There are 10

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respondents (20%) who ages 15 years old, mostly ages 15

years old (63%) and 5 respondents (17%) ages 17 years old.

There were 15 respondents selected on both genders.

CATEGORY FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

A. Entire Group 30 100

B. Age

15 y.o. 10 33

16 y.o. 15 50

17 y.o. 5 17

C. Gender

Male 15 50

Female 15 50

Table 2. Level of Problem-solving Skill of the Respondents

Table 2 shows the means and corresponding descriptions

of the respondents’ problem-solving skill as classified into

different categories of variables. In general, the

respondents had a low level of problem-solving skill in the

pre-test with a mean of 13.43 and moderate level in the

post-test with 27.59 mean. Specifically, it can be gleaned

from the data that:

1. In terms of age, respondents who age 15 years old has

the lowest problem-skill with a mean score of 8.60 while

16 and 17 years old has low level with 13.93 and 18.80

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respectively in the pre-test. In the post test, there are

improvements exist as the 15 and 16 year-old respondents

are classified as moderate level with 23.20 and 28.07

mean scores while the 17 year-olders has high level of

problem-solving skills gained. This means that students

as they grow and mature take on better problem-solving

skills as they are educated.

2. In terms of gender, female respondents comprehend lower

than male with 11.6 and 12.8 mean scores respectively. In

the post test, the same trend is shown as the male

outscores the female respondents with mean scores 28.73

and 24.93 respectively. This means that the lads are good

in problem-solving than the gals.

Table 2. Mean and Description of Students’ Problem-solving Skills

CATEGORY Mean DescriptionPre-test Post-

testPre-test Post-test

A. Entire Group

13.43 27.59 Low Moderate

B. Age15 y.o. 8.60 23.20 Very Low Moderate16 y.o. 13.93 28.07 Low Moderate17 y.o. 18.80 33.00 Low High

C. GenderMale 11.60 24.93 Low ModerateFemale 12.80 28.73 Low Moderate

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Table 3. Level of Interest of the Respondents

Table 2 shows the means and corresponding descriptions

of the respondents’ level of interest in physics as

classified into different categories of variables. In

general, the respondents had a low level interest in the

pre-test with a mean of 2.18 and moderate level in the post-

test with 4.64 mean. Specifically, it can be gleaned from

the data that:

1. In terms of age, respondents who age 15 years old has

the lowest problem-skill with a mean score of 1.83 while

16 and 17 years old has low level with 2.02 and 2.56

respectively in the pre-test. In the post test, there

are improvements exist as the 15 year-old respondents

are classified as low level with 3.65 while both the 16

and 17 year-olders has moderate level of interest

gained with 4.33 and 5.16 respectively. This means that

as students grow older they tend to learn physics as an

interesting field gradually.

2. In terms of gender, female respondents have a low level

of interest compared than males with 2.21 and 2.39 mean

scores. In the post test, the same trend is shown as the

male outscores the female respondents with mean scores

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5.78 and 4.28 respectively. This means that boys gain

more interest in the subjects as they learn from

everyday discussion and learning activities.

Table 3. Mean and Description of Students’ Level of Interest

in Physics

CATEGORY Mean DescriptionPre-test Post-

testPre-test Post-test

D. Entire Group

2.18 4.64 Low Moderate

E. Age15 y.o. 1.83 3.65 Very Low Low16 y.o. 2.02 4.33 Low Moderate17 y.o. 2.56 5.16 Low Moderate

F. GenderMale 2.39 5.78 Low ModerateFemale 2.21 4.28 Low Moderate

Table 4. Analysis of Variance of the Pre-test and Post Test

Table 4.1 and 4.2 show the Analysis of Variance between

Problem-solving skills and the Level of interest of the

respondents in physics during the pre-test and posttest. It

can be extracted that both in the pre-test and posttest the

computed f values (0.122 and 0.083, respectively) are

greater than the significant value which is 0.05 thus there

is a significant relationship between the skill and interest

of the students upon dealing with a physics problem. So it

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means that students as they learned the concept and problem-solving skills and techniques

given by the teacher develop their interest in Physics as a subject.

Table 4.1 Pre-test Analysis of Variance of the Problem-solving skill and Interest

Sum of Squares df

Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups

609.967 14 43.569 1.863 .122

Within Groups

350.833 15 23.389

Total 960.800 29

Table 4.2 Pre-test Analysis of Variance of the Problem-solving skill and Interest

Sum of Squares df

Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups

903.867 17 53.169 2.215 .083

Within Groups

288.000 12 24.000

Total 1191.867 29

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SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary

This descriptive correlational research was primarily

undertaken to ascertain the profile and significant

relationship between the levels of problem-solving as well

as the interest of SMAC high school students as categorized

in terms of the variables age and gender. Various methods

such as the Competent Problem Solver, Understanding Basic

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Mechanics, and Formulate-and-Solve Methods were utilized to

treat the low level skills of the respondents. After all the

gathering and analysis of data before and after the

implementation of the above remedies it was found out that

somehow they are effective in improving the problem-skill of

the students. Thus developing students’ tendencies to

visualize the problem, derive appropriate equations, and

accurately compute for the solutions. This study will be

beneficial to those who are involved in the educational

process. Primarily the Students, after knowing their level

of problem-solving skill it will make them aware about how

they react towards word problems in physics exams. It will

help them develop a positive self-concept that can enhance

their knowledge, self-confidence, and motivate them to face

classroom-based or even real-life problems courageously to

improve their academic performance in Physics as a subject.

And for the Physics or even Math Teachers, who are the

facilitators of descriptive and inferential scientific

learning, it will foster awareness of how student react to

their testing techniques and approaches. The findings of the

study will provide teachers with factual information of

their students’ level of problem-solving skill; hence,

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intervention programs can be employed with regards to

teaching approach and test making.

Findings

In terms of profile, most of the respondents were 15

years old and equally distributed as to gender.

In general, the respondents had a low level of problem-

solving skill in the pre-test and moderate level in the

post-test.

In terms of age, respondents who age 15 years old has

the lowest problem-skill while 16 and 17 years old has low

level. In the post test, there are improvements exist as the

15 and 16 year-old respondents are classified as moderate

level. This means that students as they grow and mature take

on better problem-solving skills as they are educated.

In terms of gender, female respondents comprehend lower

than male. In the post test, the same trend is shown as the

male outscores the female respondents. This means that the

lads are good in problem-solving than the gals.

The skill was significantly related to the interest of

the students in dealing with a physics problem. So it means

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that students as they learned the concept and problem-

solving skills and techniques given by the teacher develop

their interest in Physics as a subject.

Conclusions

Based on the aforementioned results, the researchers

have drawn the following conclusions:

1. Most of the high school students suffers on how to

analyze and solve word problems in the subject Physics.

Although it will take time for them to master the art

of problem solving, the teacher is an important medium

for them to learn and appreciate Physics. Students

learn as they mature and see word problems in real-life

applications. Boys are good in analysis and arithmetic

processes compared than girls, as what can be deduced

from the data. So this should be regarded in the

educational system of the school.

2. High school life is a challenging stage for our

students. It is where they establish their love for a

certain subject which will anchor them on their future

careers. In the field of physics. Although most of the

students will not take engineering or physical science

courses has to undergo the basic physical nature of

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thing that they can see and anything that they can do

involves physics on it. They must at least develop an

interest on this field for them to be aware that

everything they see and uses are products of the so-

called Physics. Modernization is brought by the

advancement of Physical fields. If they appreciate

their life, they have first to appreciate Physics.

Recommendations

The researchers would like to recommend the use or

addition of more and effective problem-solving techniques to

be conducted to a greater number of populations so as to

evaluate effectively and enhance more this ability to the

students especially in the subject Physics.

Careful learning planning should be given emphasis by

the teacher to arouse the interest of the students and to

address their individual differences in terms of attacking

the problems.

Drill and exercises should be integrated in case

students cannot master well the concepts of problem-solving

and further enhance their skills.

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The need to look into the other interventions should be

given attention to respond to the need of the female

students in order to somehow enhance their skill and

interest the same as the male students.

The researchers also further recommend that a

correlation study between the language communication skill

and the problem-solving skill of the students should be

conducted to determine if there is a significant

relationship exists.

And lastly, the implementation of the methods used in

this study to the field of Mathematics and other Science

courses will be held to help improve also the problem-

solving skills of the young Scientists and Mathematicians.

REFERENCES

Aman Rao (2002-2004), Teaching Physics. 4th ed.

Borich, G.D (1996). Effective Teaching Methods.3rd ed.

Englewood Criffs: Merrill 3.

Christoph Schiller 1997-2007, Motion Mountain (The

adventure of physics),20th revision.

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Saint Mary’s Academy of CapizP. Burgos St., Roxas City

Williams. (1987), participation in education, Australia

Council for educational research, hawthorn.

E. Perrtt (1982), Effective teaching and practical to

improve teaching, 3rd ed.

Elliot, Educational psychology, Effective teaching,

effective learning teaching, learning and social class.

The McGrawil

Hill University, 3rd edition.

Robert S. Feldman (2002), Understanding psychology,

University of Massachusetts at Amherst McGraw Hill

Company 6th edition.

APPENDICES

PHYSICS PROBLEM QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: ______________________________ Section:_________

First Quarter Grade: _______________ Gender: _________

Part 1: KINEMATICS

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1. An ant travels 3.5 m down to its subterranean nest. What would be its speed in 1.2 seconds?

2. A minivan traveled at a distance of 90 km in 1.3 hours. How fast would it be in m/s?

3. An ostrich is the largest bird in the world. If it travels at a speed of 35 mps. How long will it take to cover a distance of 100 ft?

4. How far would it take a trailer to reach its next destination if it is traveling a velocity of 50 mps in 0.3 hours?

5. A helicopter is moving at an acceleration of 400 km/hr2

north. What would be its velocity in 2.5 hours?

Part 2:DYNAMICS

1. A boy on a bridge throws an stone vertically downward toward the river below with an initial velocity of 14.7 mps. If the stone hits the water 2.0 s later, what is the height of the bridge from which the boy stands?

2. A ball is dropped out of a window near the top of the building. If it accelerates downward at -9.8 mps2, how fast will it hit the ground?

3. If a bullet is fired horizontally with a velocity of 600 mps from a height of 48 m, how long will it hit the ground?

4. A tractor pulls a loaded wagon with a constant force of 440 N. If the total mass of the wagon and its contents is 275 kg, what is the wagon’s acceleration?

5. A 100 kg football player runs straight down the field with a velocity of 4 mps. A 1 kg dodgeball was thrown at him at a velocity of 500 mps. Which of them has greater momentum?

Part 3: Physics Interest Scale

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From a scale of 1 – 10, rate your level of interest in the subject Physics. Write your answer on the box provided.

ANSWER SHEET

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Given, Illustration and Unknown: (3 points)

Equation and Solution: (2 points)