Difficulties of Grade 7 Learners in Mathematics: Basis for an Instructional Intervention Plan

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the level of difficulties encountered by Grade 7 learners in Mathematics in the vicinity of a secondary public high school in a medium-sized division in the island of Negros Region. With this regard, this served as the basis for an instructional intervention program during the School Year, 2025-2026. A number of 7 learners participated in the study using a valid research instrument, accentuating the learning environment and support systems. The after-mentioned difficulties were measured across the domains of cognitive, affective, and motivational factors. At the same time, profiling variables inclusive of sex, average monthly income, the highest educational attainment of parents, and number of siblings, were part of considerations. Results revealed that the majority of respondents were male, coming from families who earn below Php 6,000 monthly, with parents having elementary-level education, and apparently, had fewer than four siblings. In addition, learners appeared to have moderate difficulty in Mathematics across cognitive, affective, and motivational areas, however, they experience less difficulty with the learning environment and support systems. Meanwhile, female students had a little bit of difficulty in basic arithmetic. Results also showed that learners coming from lower-income families, having less educated parents, and who came from larger family size, faced higher level of cognitive difficulties, particularly with arithmetic fluency and problem-solving ability. Additionally, many learners seemed to fear failure which has become evident among males and those from larger families. Also, difficulties with the learning environment appeared generally low with male learners who were less likely to ask for help. In the same way, income played a poignant difference in cognitive challenges, while sex had a significant difference in learning environment challenges. Last, implications on the targeted instructional strategies and intervention programs are recommended to be implemented in improving foundational skills and advocacy on help-seeking behaviors that targeting the vulnerable group of learners.