Abstract
Abstract
In mathematics education, the transition from procedural fluency to conceptual understanding remains a significant barrier for secondary school learners, particularly when translating natural language word problems into algebraic equations. This action-research study evaluated the efficacy of interactive and cooperative problem-solving strategies in enhancing senior high school (SHS) students' mastery of linear equation word problems. Utilizing a mixed-methods design, the study sampled 45 Form One Home Economics students at Lashibi Community Senior High School in Tema West Municipal, Ghana. Pre-intervention assessment revealed that 80.00% of students performed below average due to severe gaps between natural and mathematical language, teacher reliance on traditional lecture-based methods, and a lack of instructional context. A targeted two-week pedagogical intervention incorporating peer collaboration, mathematical modeling, and explicit linguistic decoding was administered. Post-intervention results demonstrated a profound statistical improvement, with 86.66% of participants achieving above-average scores (8–10 out of 10) and below-average scores dropping to 6.67%. Qualitative interviews highlighted increased student engagement, reduced mathematical anxiety, and improved conceptual representation. The findings demonstrate that active, group-based problem-solving frameworks successfully bridge natural language decoding with formal algebraic modeling, providing actionable recommendations for secondary mathematics pedagogy and curriculum reform.