IMPACT OF HANDS-ON MANIPULATIVES ON ENHANCING CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE AND SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS IN GRADE 6 STUDENTS

Lead Proponent: John Alexis D. Talastas
Co-Proponent: Kelvin S. Mallari
Research Agenda
Category: Teaching and Learning
Topic: Mathematics
Office/School: Tenejero Integrated School

Hands-on manipulatives were integral to science education, offering students practical experiences that helped them better understand scientific concepts and develop essential process skills. These manipulatives allowed learners to engage actively with the material, making complex ideas more accessible and fostering deeper comprehension. Despite the advantages, many science teachers faced challenges in accurately assessing students’ proficiency in using these tools due to the absence of standardized evaluation methods. This gap in assessment was critical, as highlighted in DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2022, which emphasized the need for reliable instruments to evaluate students’ manipulative skills in laboratory settings.

Research by Fadzil and Saat (2019) aimed to bridge this gap by developing a resource guide designed to assess students’ manipulative skills in secondary school science laboratories. Through a comprehensive methodology, this guide was tested and validated by science educators, proving its effectiveness in assessing student performance during practical science activities. The study underscored the importance of such tools in preparing students for practical exams, thereby addressing a key area of need in science education.

Similarly, studies like those by Disbudak and Akyuz (2019) explored the use of different instructional approaches, such as concrete manipulatives and digital tools, to enhance student achievement. Their findings reinforced the value of hands-on manipulatives in improving students’ understanding of abstract concepts, particularly in subjects like geometry. These studies suggested that a combination of physical and digital tools could optimize learning outcomes, making them essential elements in the instructional design of science education.

This research investigated the impact of hands-on manipulatives on the conceptual knowledge and science process skills of grade 6 students at Tenejero Integrated School, SDO Balanga City. Building on existing literature and addressing the need for a standardized assessment tool, this study aimed to provide practical recommendations for educators to improve science teaching and learning. The research hoped to contribute valuable insights for the enhancement of elementary-level science education by examining how manipulatives influenced student outcomes.