ASSESSMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PROFICIENCY IN TRANSLATING WORD PROBLEMS INTO MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSIONS AND INTERPRETING MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSIONS INTO WORD PROBLEMS IN THE CALABAR EDUCATION ZONE, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated word problem solving in proficiency in Mathematics and English language interpretation skills among Upper Basic students in Calabar Educational Zone in Cross River State, Nigeria. Proficiency in solving word problems requires the ability to interpret, translate, and manipulate mathematical language effectively. The challenges students face in understanding word problems underscore the need for a study of the role of language proficiency in Mathematics learning. This study adopted an ex-post facto research design, which examines relationships between existing variables without manipulation. A multi-stage sampling approach combining purposive, proportionate, and simple random sampling techniques was use to select 350 Upper Basic students from 10 schools. Two instruments used for data collection were a 25-item English Language Achievement Test (ELAT) and Mathematics Language Proficiency Level Test (MLPLT). For statistical analysis, population t-test was used to compare mean scores of the study groups with level of significance set at 0.05. Among 350 students studied, the mean (SD) scores for interpretation from word problems to mathematical language; interpretation from mathematical language to word problems; and English language performance respectively were 15.43 (6.671), 10.32 (4.028) and 25.46 (4.163). This implies that the difference in students' proficiency in interpreting word problems into mathematical language is significantly high (t-statistic 41.568, p < 0.001). Also, the difference in students' proficiency in interpreting mathematical language to word problems is significantly high (t-statistic 18.494, p < 0.001). Students' proficiency in interpreting word problems into mathematical language and interpreting mathematical language to word problems differ significantly among these students. Regular practice in word problem interpretation and problem-solving should be integrated into mathematics lessons