Investigating the Students’ Mathematical Fluency and Procedural Skills using P‑cube (P³) as an Authentic Assessment

Abstract

Mathematical fluency and procedural skills are essential for students to deepen their understanding of mathematics and apply knowledge to real-world situations. However, the 2022 PISA results revealed that the Philippines continues to perform poorly in mathematics, underscoring the need to strengthen these competencies among students. To address this, the researcher developed the P-cube(P³) assessment approach, which stands for Practice, Participate, and Portfolio. This study implemented P³ as an authentic assessment tool to describe the mathematical fluency and procedural skills of Grade 10-Astudents at Libertad National High School and to explore their perceptions of the assessment. Results indicated positive student responses, with only a few negative remarks. Procedural skills, measured through student scores, clustered around the mean, and the standard deviation was within acceptable limits, suggesting consistent performance levels. Few extreme scores were recorded. Interviews further revealed that students found mathematics more understandable and enjoyable through interactive and engaging activities. Although they encountered challenges such as multiple drills, extensive hands-on tasks, and complex problems, they reported improvements in problem-solving, communication, and creativity. These qualitative results aligned with strong performance on P-cubeactivities, though the study did not track improvement over time. Overall, the P-cubeassessment proved engaging and effective in promoting mathematical fluency and procedural understanding. Students expressed that learning mathematics—particularly topics like polynomial functions, became more enjoyable through this authentic, activity-based approach, making P³ a promising model for future classroom implementation.