IMPACT OF MANIPULATIVE-BASED INSTRUCTION ON STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF BASIC GEOMETRY IN A SECONDARY SCHOOL

Catherine E. Carcueva, Braian B. Basmayor, Roselyn D. Boiser, Grace F. Rabadon, Ritchie T. Saavedra

Abstract


This research assessed the impact of manipulative-based instruction on students’ understanding of basic geometry using a quasi-experimental design with 84 Grade 7 students at a public high school in Cebu, Philippines, during the school year 2025-2026. The participants were divided into two groups: 42 participants in the experimental group were taught using manipulative-based instruction, while 42 participants in the control group were taught traditionally. Pretest and posttest scores were collected and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, paired t-test and t-test for independent samples. Results showed that both groups had fairly satisfactory performance during the pretest. During the posttest, the control group had satisfactory performance, while the experimental group had very satisfactory performance. Moreover, both groups showed a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the participants. On the other hand, there was a significant mean gain difference on the pretest and posttest scores between the two groups, which indicates that the experimental group performs better than the control group. This means manipulative-based instruction helped students understand geometry concepts better than the traditional method. The study concludes that using manipulatives is an effective way to teach geometry because it gives students concrete and hands-on experiences with abstract ideas. It is recommended that teachers use manipulative-based strategies in teaching geometry and other math topics to improve students’ learning and participation.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter


Keywords


manipulative-based instruction, basic geometry, quasi-experimental design, grade 7 students

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ahmad, S., & Siller, H.-S. (2024). Investigating the effect of manipulatives on mathematics achievement: The role of concrete and virtual manipulatives for diverse achievement level groups. Journal on Mathematics Education, 15(3), 979–1002. https://doi.org/10.22342/jme.v15i3.pp979-1002

Alatlı, B. K. (2020). Investigation of factors associated with science literacy performance of students by hierarchical linear modeling: PISA 2015 comparison of Turkey and Singapore. Education and Science, 45(202), 17-49. https://doi.org/10.15390/EB.2020.8188

Bourne, J., & Winstone, N. (2021). Empowering students’ voices: the use of activity-oriented focus groups in higher education research. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 44(4), 352-365. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2020.1777964

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111

Hattie, J., & Zierer, K. (2017). 10 Mindframes for Visible Learning: Teaching for Success (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315206387

Hulley S, Cummings SR, Browner WS, Grady DG, Newman TB (Ed.) (2013). Designing Clinical Research (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Retrieved from https://apn.lwwhealthlibrary.com/book.aspx?bookid=1278

Luzano, J. F. P. (2024). Understanding the disparities in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) implementation in the Philippines: An integrative review in the mathematics education context. International Journal of Academic and Applied Research, 8(5), 122–128. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/49sukhbd

Maciejewski, M. L. (2018). Quasi-experimental design. Biostatistics & Epidemiology, 4(1), 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/24709360.2018.1477468

Moyer-Packenham, P. S. & Westenskow, A. (2013). Effects of Virtual Manipulatives on Student Achievement and Mathematics Learning. International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning Environments (IJVPLE), 4(3), 35-50. https://doi.org/10.4018/jvple.2013070103

Peconcillo Jr, L. B., Peteros, E. D., Mamites, I. O., Sanchez, D. T., & Suson, R. L. (2020). Structuring Determinants to Level Up Students' Performance. International Journal of Education and Practice, 8(4), 638-651. DOI: 10.18488/journal.61.2020.84.638.651. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1279528

Peteros, E. D. (2024). Impact of pre-service teachers’ self-regulation and self-efficacy on their mathematics performance in blended learning. Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn), 18(2), 526-534. https://doi.org/10.11591/edulearn.v18i2.21074

Peteros, E. D., Benemerito, G. N., Peconcillo Jr, L. B., de Vera, J. V., & Alcantara, G. A. (2022). Investigating the attitudes and performance of retained students in mathematics: A case of Cebu, Philippines. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 6(3), 8692-8704. Retrieved from https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/view/5180

Ponte, R., Viseu, F., Neto, T. B., & Aires, A. P. (2023, June). Revisiting manipulatives in the learning of geometric figures. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 8, p. 1217680). Frontiers Media SA. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/2m7kr9rk

Sharma, P. (2021). Importance and application of mathematics in everyday life. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology, 9(11), 868-879. https://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2021.38869

Silangan, C. S., Mocsir, R. M., Regner, R. M., & Peteros, E. D. (2023). Predictive analysis on students’ academic performance in mathematics. Global Journal of Educational Studies, 9(1), 17-30. https://doi.org/10.5296/gjes.v9i1.21040

Siller, H. S., & Ahmad, S. (2024). The effect of concrete and virtual manipulative blended instruction on mathematical achievement for elementary school students. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 24(2), 229-266. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/3rhn2akk

Sokolowski, A. (2021). Parametrization of Projectile Motion. In Understanding Physics Using Mathematical Reasoning: A Modeling Approach for Practitioners and Researchers (pp. 101-126). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-80205-9

Tessema, G., Michael, K., & Areaya, S. (2024). Realist Hands-On Learning Approach and Its Contributions to Learners' Conceptual Understanding and Problem-Solving Skills on Solid Geometry. Pedagogical Research, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.29333/pr/14096

Trust, T., Whalen, J., & Mouza, C. (2023). Editorial: ChatGPT: Challenges, Opportunities, and Implications for Teacher Education. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 23(1), 1-23. Waynesville, NC, USA: Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education. Retrieved November 27, 2025, from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/222408/




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i11.6409

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Catherine E. Carcueva, Braian B. Basmayor, Roselyn D. Boiser, Grace F. Rabadon, Ritchie T. Saavedra

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015-2026. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).