Poster #41 - Assessment of Grade 5 Children's Mathematics Competencies: A Random Sample of 2400 Bangladeshi Children

• In Event: Poster Session 09

Abstract

This study presents findings related to mathematical achievement of grade 5 learners from three types of non-government elementary schools in Bangladesh. The total sample size was 2,400 children, equally pulled from each kind of school (e.g. BRAC Primary School or BPS, BRAC Shishu Niketan School, and Education Supported Program School or ESP school) using simple random sampling process. The number of schools was 127 and they were located throughout the country. A competency-based test was developed by the research and evaluation division of BRAC (educational NGO) in 2017 to measure grade 5 students’ achievement of elementary level competencies in language (Bangla, the mother tongue and English, a foreign language) and Mathematics. In the case of Mathematics, there were 24 items covering eight areas: basic rules of arithmetic, concept of average, concepts of highest common factor (HCF) and lowest common multiple (LCM), concept of percentage, concept of fraction, units of measurement, geometric shapes, and graphical presentation of data. The duration of the mathematics test was an hour, administered in a school setting, by two trained test administrators. Necessary instructions were written in the test. However, students were provided with additional explanations of the instructions while they required. Assessment criteria were defined as fully achieved (scoring 60% or more), partially achieved (scoring 40-59%), and not achieved (scoring below 40%). The reliability coefficient of the test was 0.92.
The findings indicate that above 60% of the children fully achieved only one of the competencies, which was related to graphical representation of data. Around 50% of the students did reached competency for knowing geometric shapes. Less than 40% of children fully achieved the other six competencies, such as basic rules in arithmetic, average, HCF and LCM, fraction, percentage, and units of measurement. Among the eight competencies measured, the students fully achieved 2.34 competencies on average; therefore, the average achievement was 29.3%. If we consider the partially achieved competencies, the average would have increased to 4.54 competencies which would have taken the average achievement to 56.8%.
Thus, students faced challenges in most of the mathematical tasks including basic arithmetical rules. Not knowing the steps of solving mathematical word problems was a big challenge to them. A good proportion of the students did not take the initiative to solve the sums at all or erred in the calculations. They also had limitations in using the proper unit of measurement. In terms of gender, boys were ahead of the girls in two competencies- average and HCF and LCM.
That study results can inform teachers and their trainers so that they understand the nature of the mistakes made by children in mathematical problem solving. Also, the results can be used to redesign training programs to focus on areas in need of improvement.

Group Authors

NA

Authors

• Rasel Babu, McGill University

• Samir Ranjan Nath, BRAC University

• Adam Kenneth Dubé, McGill University
  Presenting Author