Effectiveness of Diverse Teaching Strategies on Academic Performance of Students in the Mathematics Intervention Program

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of three teaching strategies namely Differentiated Instruction, Direct Instruction, and Collaborative Learning on the academic performance of junior high school students in a Mathematics Intervention Program in a private school in Central Mindanao, Philippines. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was employed involving 117 Grade 10 students, each assigned to one of the three strategies over one school quarter or six weeks. Academic performance was measured using a validated researcher-made mathematics test administered as both pretest and posttest. Descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests were used to examine changes in mean scores within each group, while a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) compared academic gains across the three strategies to determine which produced the greatest improvement. Findings showed statistically significant gains for all strategies, with performance improving from Fairly Satisfactory to Satisfactory levels (p < 0.05). Differentiated Instruction yielded the largest mean gain, followed by Direct Instruction, with Collaborative Learning also producing positive, though comparatively smaller, gains. Anchored in Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory, the study underscores the importance of responsive pedagogy in interventions and recommends prioritizing differentiated and direct instruction while incorporating collaborative activities to deepen understanding and engagement.