Raising Students’ Fluency in Determining Means and Medians using Mental Mathematics Games with Consecutive Numbers’ Datasets

The study assessed the effect of mental mathematics games with consecutive numbers’ datasets on students’ fluency in determining with means and medians of datasets. The embedded mixed methods design was employed using the non-equivalent group quasi-experimental design. A purposive sample of two schools out of four senior high and technical schools in the district were selected, and simple random sampling technique was used to select one Form 2 intact class from each school, one as control group and the other as experimental group. A sample size of 61 students were involved comprising 30 in the control group and 31 in the experimental group. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected using tests and interview guide. Pre-test was administered to all students before the experiment, which was followed by a post-test. The experimental group was taught using mental mathematics games with consecutive numbers’ datasets and the control group was taught with the conventional method without mental math exercises. The findings from the independent samples t-test showed that the mean score of students taught using mental mathematics games with consecutive numbers’ datasets (M=19.71; SD=6.28) was significantly higher than the mean score of students taught using the conventional method (M=12.17; SD=3.65), leading to a statistically significant difference in the students’ mean scores [t (59) = 7.48, p = .000). This suggests there was a positive effect of the treatment in improving the students’ fluency in determining means and medians. Though the results demonstrated that both groups improved, the paired sample t-test indicated the experimental group’s effect size, 1.47, was higher than the control group’s 0.75. The interview results indicated the students perceived the mental mathematics games as making their learning meaningful, enjoyable and led to better conceptual understanding. It is recommended that teachers should incorporate the use of mental mathematics games in their lessons to improve students’ mental computational fluency.