Easy Multiplication Technique Board for Improving the Visualization and Multiplication Skills of Grade 3 Pupils at San Agustin Elementary School

Author(s): Broqueza, Mary Rose R.
Publication year: 2026
Material type: Research paper
Subject: Elementary Mathematics Education — Multiplication Instruction
Program: Teacher Education

Description

Multiplication is often difficult for elementary learners when instruction emphasizes memorization without sufficiently developing conceptual understanding. This study developed and tested the Easy Multiplication Technique (EMT) Board, a hands-on instructional tool that allows pupils to manipulate visual elements while solving multiplication problems involving the factors 1 to 10 and 6, 7, 8, and 9. It aimed to determine whether the EMT Board could improve the visualization and multiplication skills of Grade 3 pupils at San Agustin Elementary School.

The study used a pretest–posttest research design involving 25 Grade 3 pupils. Before the intervention, the participants completed a pretest to establish their initial level of performance. They then used the EMT Board and accompanying flash cards during the lessons to represent multiplication as repeated addition and to observe how equal groups form a product. A posttest was administered after the intervention. The data were analyzed using weighted mean and a t-test to determine whether the change in scores was statistically significant.

The pupils obtained low pretest scores, indicating difficulty with multiplication concepts and procedures. Their posttest performance improved substantially after using the EMT Board, and the statistical analysis indicated a significant difference between the pretest and posttest results. The findings show that the material helped the pupils connect concrete representations with symbolic multiplication and visualize multiplication as repeated addition.

The study concludes that the EMT Board is a useful instructional aid for making multiplication more concrete and understandable to Grade 3 pupils. Mathematics teachers may use the material to supplement classroom instruction, particularly for learners who experience difficulty with multiplication facts and concepts. Further studies may improve the board’s design, test it with larger and more diverse groups, and examine its applicability to related topics such as division.