INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 9, ISSUE 02, FEBRUARY 2020 ISSN 2277-8616 4000 IJSTR©2020 www.ijstr.org Mathematical Thinking On Problem Solving And Self-Regulation Strategies Of Filipino Primary Grade Pupils Lily G. Salangsang, Gener S.Subia Abstract: This study explored the mathematical thinking on problem solving and self-regulation strategies of Filipino primary grade pupils in a school located in an urban area in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The pupils solved arithmetic story problems in English. Results showed that the pupils were capable of solving story problems written in English and did much better when the problems were translated in Tagalog, their home language. They were able to solve multiplication and division problems prior to receiving formal instructions of these operations. Results also showed that the pupils employed self-regulated solution strategies like writing a number sentence, algorithm in subtraction, estimation, backward counting, trial and error, use of tally marks, making a drawing, skip counting, repeated addition, and invented algorithm. Because they were free to employ solution strategies of their own choice, invented algorithms and creativity came out from their works. The proficiency on the language in which the problem is written plays an important role in pupils’ success in solving story problems in mathematics. The results of the study present relevant implications to p roblem solving pedagogies and mathematics instruction particularly in the primary level. Index Terms: Algorithm, arithmetic, creativity, mathematical thinking, problem solving, proficiency, self-regulation strategies ——————————  —————————— 1 INTRODUCTION Problem solving is the most important aspect of learning mathematics. In the mathematics curriculum, early childhood mathematics is the basic foundation which paves the learner’s foundation to a better and meaningful learning to solve problems in the upper grades and eventually in college. If schoolchildren learn to solve problems early, they will be more capable of solving a wide variety of complex and meaningful problems as they grow older. In a mathematics class, problem solving is a means to probe mathematical thinking of the learner. Mathematical thinking of children evolves from the different story problems that they can solve, and from the solution strategies that they can construct on their own. In the conventional way of teaching and learning problem solving, explanation is dominated by ―teacher talk‖. The learners usually imitate the ―teacher’s way‖ of how to solve problems. The students spend their time copying definitions, mathematical formulas, problem solutions from chalk boards and recorded texts, and listening to the teacher’s explanation until they ―memorize‖ the information. Learners who have developed this conventional way of solving problems may not be a meaningful strategy to other and novel problem situations. The problem solving competence that the learner previously learned from memorized tasks would only be limited to problems of similar context and structure. Children think differently from adults. The children are naturally curious and have the intuitive ideas and skills to solve different types of problems. By looking into the capabilities of pupils to solve different problems even without direct instructions, their abilities may develop further and deeper. As a way of thinking, problem solving is not directly transmitted, but it rather develops progressively. If young learners are allowed to use or invent strategies that are meaningful to them and not forced to memorize procedures to follow, a problem solving schema is expected to emerge naturally. Problem solving is closely related to self-regulated learning [1]. According to [2], self-regulation is a skill that enables the learners to engage in learning activities and take charge of their thoughts, feelings, and actions that are planned, monitored, and reflected upon. Problem solving and self-regulation are both complex tasks that require the learners to be active and strategic problem solvers [3]. The learners tend to use self-regulated learning strategies while solving complex and challenging problems [4]. The author in [5] claimed that ―meta-cognitive self-regulation can be central to success in problem solving because it enhances the selection and use of strategies for successful task completion‖. The study of [6] investigated elementary school learners’ problem solving performances and their meta-cognitive self-regulatory behaviors. Findings of the study showed that while solving problems, the learners displayed different meta-cognitive behaviors such as suggesting a plan, assessing difficulty, reviewing progress, recognizing error, and self-questioning their thinking. Self-regulation may serve as a comprehensive framework for understanding how learners become active agents of their own learning process [7]. The use of self- regulation strategies is a crucial characteristic of, and significantly contributes to problem solving processes [8]. Zimmerman (2005) [2], added that motivation is also a core component of self-regulation. When a learner is motivated to achieve his/her goal, the greater is the ability to strive toward the achievement of that goal. When mathematical thinking in problem solving and self-regulation learning are determined early on among primary grade learners, these constructs develop progressively to adult life. This study explored the mathematical thinking in problem solving and the self-regulation strategies which Filipino primary grade learners used in the tasks given. Specifically, it answered the following questions: 1.What level of understanding do primary grade pupils have on different types of story problems? __________________________________ • Lily G.Salangsang,Ph.d., is currently a faculty of Mathematics and Statistics in the Graduate School of Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, Philippines. E-mail: lilysalangsang@yahoo.com • Engr. Gener S.Subia,Ph.D. is currently a faculty of Mathematics and Statistics in the Graduate School of Wesleyan University Philippines, Philippines. E-mail: subiagener@yahoo.com