Innovative Game Board: A Strategy to Enhance the Least Learned Skills of Grade IV Learners

This study examined the effectiveness of implementing innovative game boards in enhancing the least learned skills of Grade IV learners in Mathematics within a school located in the District of Valladolid, Negros Occidental, during the School Year 2024-2025. Guided by constructivist learning theory, gamification theory, and Bloom’s taxonomy, the research aimed to evaluate the extent of game board integration and its impact on students' mastery of core mathematical skills. A pretest-posttest experimental design was employed, involving 145 learners identified through quarterly examination scores as having the most difficulty in specific mathematical areas. Data were collected using self-developed instruments that were aligned with the identified least learned skills, and analyzed through the computation of mean scores, standard deviations, and t-tests. The results showed that, prior to the intervention, learners' skills ranged from nearly proficient to proficient across the grading periods. After the implementation of the game boards, there were noticeable improvements in students' performance, with mean scores rising to proficient and highly proficient levels. The t-test results indicated that the differences between pre- and post-intervention scores were statistically significant across all grading periods, confirming the positive effect of the game-based strategies. The findings demonstrated that the use of game boards effectively enhanced students’ understanding, engagement, and mastery of fundamental mathematical concepts. The study concluded that interactive, game-based instructional strategies had a significant positive influence on learners’ skills, helping to reduce learning gaps and promote higher-order thinking skills. These results supported the integration of innovative game-based tools in primary education, particularly to improve mathematical proficiency and address specific learning deficiencies among young students.