Instructive Strategies Utilization for Teaching – Learning Secondary Numeracy : Basis for Enhanced Learning Plan

Abstract

This study examined the utilization of instructive strategies in teaching Grade 7 Mathematics and their association with students’ academic performance in selected public secondary schools in Santa Fe District, Bantayan 1 District, and Tabogon District, Cebu Province, during School Year 2026–2027. Recognizing the challenges learners face in understanding mathematical concepts and solving numerical problems, the study aimed to identify instructional practices that could support meaningful learning and improve numeracy competencies. A descriptive-quantitative research design using a correlational approach was employed. The respondents consisted of 100 participants, including four Grade 7 Mathematics teachers and 96 Grade 7 students from Kinatarcan National High School, Santa Fe National High School, Bantayan National High School, and Loreto-Remedios Montebon National High School. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The study focused on inquiry-based learning, gamification, cooperative learning, and real-world applications, alongside students’ competencies in understanding rates, solving rate-related problems, representing and ordering rational numbers, and performing operations on rational numbers. The analysis was intended to determine the extent of strategy utilization, describe students’ academic performance, and establish whether a significant association existed between teachers’ reported instructional practices and students’ numeracy performance. The findings were intended to serve as the basis for an enhanced learning plan featuring practical, engaging, and competency-based activities responsive to learners’ needs. The proposed plan seeks to strengthen classroom instruction, encourage active participation, develop mathematical reasoning, and help learners apply numeracy skills to everyday situations. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning instructional strategies with identified learning needs to support continuous improvement in Grade 7 Mathematics education.