Learners’ Mathematics Performance in PISA-Style Questions

Abstract

This study examined learners’ mathematics performance on PISA-style questions during the School Year 2025 - 2026 as a basis for the development of supplementary materials. It focused on four mathematical areas: Quantity, Changes and Relationships, Space and Shapes, and Uncertainty and Data. The study also examined differences in learners’ performance when grouped by sex, average monthly family income, parents’ highest educational attainment, and access to ICT tools. A total of 263 learners participated in the study. Data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, the mean, and an independent-samples t-test. Findings showed that the learners had a high level of mathematics performance, with an overall mean of 19.98. Among the four areas, Changes and Relationships obtained the highest mean of 5.19, while Space and Shapes obtained the lowest mean of 4.74, interpreted as Moderate. Significant differences were found in Quantity by sex (p=0.046) and in Uncertainty and Data by parents’ highest educational attainment (p=0.036). However, no significant differences were found in the other areas when grouped according to family monthly income and access to ICT tools. Based on these findings, the study recommends developing contextualized, interactive PISA-style STEM supplementary materials, with a greater focus on Space and Shapes. The materials may include real-life problems, hands-on activities, visual tasks, and situations involving maps, designs, measurements, structures, graphs, and everyday decision-making to help learners strengthen their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills.