The Role of Remedial Instruction in Improving the Competence and Confidence of Grade 7 Students in Mathematics

This study examined the role of remedial instruction in improving the mathematical competence and confidence of struggling Grade 7 learners, with emphasis on the four fundamental operations. A quasi-experimental quantitative pre-test-post-test design was used with 25 purposively selected Grade 7 students from Dasmariñas Integrated High School during School Year 2025-2026. The learners participated in six weekly 40-minute remedial sessions that used guided practice, drills, scaffolding, peer support, and individualized feedback. Mathematical competence was assessed in conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and problem-solving skills, while confidence was assessed through self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety, and attitude toward Mathematics. Means, weighted means, standard deviations, and paired-samples t-tests at the .05 level were used. Descriptively, competence scores increased in conceptual understanding (3.12 to 3.48), procedural fluency (3.16 to 3.56), and problem-solving skills (3.04 to 5.52). Self-efficacy increased from 2.56 to 2.92, mathematics anxiety decreased slightly from 2.78 to 2.71, and attitude increased from 2.96 to 3.10. Inferential analysis showed significant improvement in problem-solving skills (t = 3.52, p = .002) and self-efficacy (t = 2.85, p = .010), whereas changes in conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, anxiety, and attitude were not statistically significant. The findings indicate that structured remediation can strengthen selected cognitive and affective outcomes, particularly problem-solving and self-belief. The study consequently proposed PROJECT ASCEND Plus as an enhanced classroom-embedded remediation program for struggling Grade 7 learners.