An assessment of number sense among Grade 7 students of De La Salle University Integrated School

• Main Author: Padua, Perlita Torrente
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/4790
• Institution: De La Salle University

Mathematics aims to develop in each student a meaningful understanding that grows to meet changing demands. This study explored the number sense of 330 Grade 7 students of De La Salle University Integrated School, divided into two groups: New Students and Old Students. New Students are those who did not study at De La Salle University Integrated School during their Grade 6 years and/or earlier while the Old Students are those who studied in De La Salle University Integrated School during their Grade 6 years and/or earlier. Students sense of numbers was quantified using a Number Sense Test adapted from McIntosh et al., (1997). Results indicated that students scored less than half in the 40-item Number Sense Test. However, New Students scored significantly higher (49.5%) than Old Students (45.8%). Moreover, both New Students and Old Students shared similar difficulties in the five components of number sense, namely Number Concepts, Multiple Representation, Effect of Operations, Equivalent Expression, and Counting and Computations. They scored less than 50% in all components except Equivalent Expression Component (53.8%). Respondents showed lowest performance in the Counting and Computations Component. Data also revealed that the students had difficulty in fractions and decimals. The low performance of the respondents indicates that they do not possess adequate number sense. Since number sense is now part of the early maths in the K12 mathematics curriculum, it is recommended that mental calculations and computational estimation should be part of primary school mathematics education. This will help develop in the young students good number sense.