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Title
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THE MEDIATING ROLE OF STRATEGIC COMPETENCE BETWEEN PROCEDURAL FLUENCY AND CONCEPTUAL
UNDERSTANDING IN MATHEMATICS
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Graduate School
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Author(s)
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Quilab, Sheila Joy O.
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Affiliation
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Misamis University
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Degree Program
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Master of Arts in Education major in Education Management (MAEd-EM)
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Contributor
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Baluyos, Genelyn R. - Adviser
Villanueva, Haydee D. - Panel Member
Calimpong, Michelle S. - Panel Member
Entera, Reywel C. - Panel Member
Superable, Cynthia S. - Chairman
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Year
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2026
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Abstract
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Mathematics learning becomes meaningful when students not only perform
procedures accurately but also understand concepts and apply effective problem-solving
strategies. This study examined the relationship between procedural fluency and
conceptual understanding in mathematics learning, focusing on the mediating role of
strategic competence among junior high school students in one of the basic education in
Ozamiz City during the school year 2025–2026. A quantitative explanatory correlational
design with mediation analysis was employed. The respondents consisted of 180 junior
high school students, selected from a population of 337 through stratified random
sampling, from a private non-sectarian educational institution in Ozamiz City, Misamis
Occidental, Philippines. The data were gathered using three researcher-made instruments:
the Procedural Fluency Questionnaire (PFQ), Conceptual Understanding Questionnaire
(CUQ), and Strategic Competence Questionnaire (SCQ). Mean and standard deviation,
Spearman's rank-order correlation, stepwise multiple regression analysis, and general
linear mediation analysis were used to analyze the data. Results showed that students
demonstrated high levels of procedural fluency, strategic competence, and conceptual
understanding. Significant positive relationships existed among students' procedural
fluency, strategic competence, and conceptual understanding. Efficiency in problem
solving, flexibility in applying procedures, appropriateness of procedures, problem
representation, strategy formulation, evaluation, and justification were predictive of
conceptual understanding. Strategic competence significantly mediated the relationship
between procedural fluency and conceptual understanding, indicating a partial mediation
effect. The findings highlight that students demonstrated high levels of procedural fluency, strategic competence, and conceptual understanding in mathematics, with
significant positive relationships among these variables, where problem-solving efficiency
and related skills predicted conceptual understanding, and strategic competence partially
mediated the link between procedural fluency and conceptual understanding. Mathematics
instructors may promote the balanced development of procedural accuracy, conceptual
reasoning, and strategic problem-solving to support students' holistic mathematical
proficiency.
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Keywords
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conceptual understanding, mathematics learning, mediation analysis, procedural fluency, strategic competence
