WRITING SKILLS OF GRADE 9 APHRODITE STUDENTS OF NEW
ALBAY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL: BASIS FOR INDIVIDUALIZED
WRITING PROMPTS
An Action Research
Presented to the Teacher Education Department
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English
Aviso, Klent Joy
Cabudlan, Marry Joy
Lago, Jayra Mae
Pagaran, Alwyn John
Researchers
December 2022
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
In the field of English learning, writing seems to be the most challenging skill
because it demands learners to be engaged in many complex ways in terms of literary
and topical knowledge, writing experiences, and word use (Chen & Yu, 2019). Writing
in English language or sentences is not as easy as what they thought, sentences should
begin with the capital letter and ends with the full stop, exclamation point or even
question marks. Words are the primary source in constructing sentences but words
should use in the proper ways. Writing quality consists of some components. They
consist of spelling, vocabulary, story structure or organization, and syntax (Chong,
2018).
The college students in Pakistan have taken twelve years coaching for English
language but do not have mastery in English writings. Commonly, they take it just to
pass the examination instead to have hands on practice (Kannan, 2019). In all languages
some students face severe reading problems (developmental dyslexia) besides all other
supporting factors that grow in the form of writing difficulties (Commeyras & Inyega,
2017). Students face difficulties in the use of correct sentence structure and paragraph
development, and in creating a coherent form. Grammar skills include run-on
sentences, fragments and verbiage, inclusion of necessary information, use of different
type of sentences, subject-verb agreement, and placement of modifiers, tense agreement
and parallel construction (Leisak, 2019).
In Malaysia, students who are able to comprehend the knowledge of grammar
will be at an advantage because English is a compulsory subject in the curriculum, and
the educational context in Malaysia emphasizes writing as compared to other skills.
There is therefore a need for the students to have sound knowledge of grammar. Despite
the exposure to English language, both primary and secondary schools’ students still
struggle in writing well. Students’ inability to write well is believed to be due to the
influence of their mother tongue and also insufficient knowledge of grammatical rules
and concepts. In report writing, students need to know the appropriate use of tenses.
Regardless of the many exercises done in school, these students are still unsure about
the choice of tenses appropriate for report writing. There are a few general rules of
thumb for report writing (Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2017)
At Cagayan State University- Gonzaga Campus, a disturbing issue that students
who have been taking English subjects since the time they entered formal schooling
and who are majoring in English could not express themselves well either in written or
oral communication exists. Though they have passed the Basic English subjects like
Grammar and Composition 1 and 2, some still fail in expressing their thoughts and so
with putting them into writing (Sistoza, 2016).
Students of New Albay National High School specifically the Grade 9 students
encounter problems in sentence construction. This Grade 9 students are facing
difficulties upon constructing an English sentence; like using proper punctuation marks,
grammar, correct spelling and what words need to be use in writing a sentence.
According to the English teachers of New Albay National High School that we had
interviewed, because of the pandemic, student’s sentence construction become poor in
a way that they are using wrong punctuation marks, grammar, wrong spelling and also
the correct words to be use. One of the causes of this problem was because students are
in a stage of confusions of this full blast face-to-face school modality of learning.
Though the age of the student suits for their grade level, yet their learnings didn’t fit for
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that specific level. One of the English teachers concludes that, two years without school
environment for the students was one of the reasons why the Grade 9 students having
difficulties in constructing a sentence in English language.
Generally, the above statements persuaded the researcher to diagnose the
sentence construction deficiency of Grade 9 students of New Albay National High
School and to provide an intervention for the said existing problem. Poor skills in
sentence construction can be of negative impact to the learners, to their future
endeavors, and be labeled as non-productive in terms of their studies, especially on the
English language. As a result of the pandemic, the students were not able to experience
a full blast of learning especially to the subject, English. With this, the researchers
believe that having equipped with enough skills in terms of sentence construction is
very important. As the students continue on their journey towards learning, being
knowledgeable enough with the important aspects that may resulted to an effective
sentence construction is of beneficial to them. And, with the existing problem faced by
the students, the researchers came up with an intervention plan, to help them boast their
knowledge and assist them in constructing the proper sentences in English. The purpose
of this study is to enhance the poor writing skills in English that can be applied by the
students in constructing their own ideas.
Review of Related Literature
This section presents related literature, studies, and publication on the writing
skills of the Grade 9 Aphrodite students of New Albay National High School, for the
purpose of providing a background of the quantitative descriptive study.
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Effective Construction of English Sentences
Effective Sentences uses high-interest readings, useful vocabulary, and
straightforward grammar lessons to teach sentence writing. Effective Sentences has a
two-part structure. First, students learn to recognize basic sentence structure and closely
examine elements to take the mystery out of English sentences. Then, they learn to use
adjectives, objects, and prepositional phrases to create compound and complex sentence
structures from simple sentences (Dupuy, 2022).
Good sentence structure is essential to good writing; it adds both clarity and
interest. Poor sentence structure can befuddle or weary the audience, making the task
of reading more unpleasant than informative. One important way to enliven a piece of
writing is to vary the length and structure of your sentences. Effective academic writing
is precise and concise when it comes to language choices. This precision and concision
must be evident at all levels, from the overall document, to paragraphing, to sentence
structure to word choice, and even to punctuation. Every word or phrase should have a
distinct and useful purpose. Writers worry that their sentences don’t sound smart
enough and they feel like they need to use the thesaurus to find fancy words instead of
using their natural vocabulary. Fancy words and complicated sentences are not always
better. Clear sentences are strong sentences (Lumen, 2022).
English is a very structured language. The sentences in it consist of needed parts
that stand in a certain order; otherwise, it can affect the entire meaning of the sentence.
This way, when you start speaking English, the first thing you need to understand is
sentence construction (Ellis, 2021). According to an article from Master Class (2022),
a great sentence verbalizes ideas clearly and efficiently, establishing effective
communication through writing. The content of a sentence and how it is structured
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determines if it is good—but a complex sentence does not necessarily mean it is wellwritten, and a short sentence can say just as much as a long one. All writers vary their
sentence structure from time to time, and using different types of sentences is one of
the key ways’ writers engage and maintain their readers’ interest.
Organization
When it comes to structure and organization of a text, the paragraph is
unarguably the most important thing to be discussed. Words come together to form
sentences; sentences join together to make a paragraph; and paragraphs combine
together to form letters, reports, essays, and other larger texts (Sattayatham &
Ratanapinyowong, 2018). Organization is the structural framework for writing,
providing a clear path through a flow of ideas that enables a reader to understand the
point of the words. Organizing ideas lays the groundwork for your reader to follow the
sequence of ideas, enabling him to expect what should be coming next. A wellorganized piece of writing makes it easy for readers to follow; a badly organized piece
of writing frustrates and confuses readers. Organization is a logical progression of ideas
that creates a structure to support a complete picture of ideas. There are several basic
elements to effective organization in writing (Leonard, 2018).
Once you have decided upon your topic and your audience and possibly
brainstormed some ideas or even completed your first draft, you will want to revise by
reorganizing your thoughts into a structure or format that works best to convey your
message. This does not mean having a certain number of sentences or paragraphs; it
simply means having an organization that matches the purpose of your writing so that
your audience can more easily follow along. Unless you define your essay's audience,
readers may be less likely to consider or understand your message. Having a specific
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readership in mind aside from your instructor can help you organize your ideas to meet
their needs. You might consider their ages, previous knowledge of the topic and any
pre-existing attitudes that may affect whether they accept your viewpoint. As part of
your organization, clearly define your audience by writing down responses to these
questions, as well as how you might use voice, structure and research to help them
better understand your paper (Morgan, 2017).
Organization typically refers to the large elements of text structure.
Organization in writing is how ideas are presented. Typically, organization refers to the
larger parts of a piece of writing, although it also refers to how paragraphs and sentences
are written. Research suggests that writing something worthy of reading is a tough task
for native and non-native learners alike because one has to be careful about a number
of things ranging from spelling to organization of text (Rass, 2017). Writing needs to
be effective by having accuracy of grammar and vocabulary, appropriateness of
sentence-structure and subject-matter, and development and organization of ideas
(Alfaki, 2019). Another researcher states that writing skill demands that the thoughts
be presented in well-structured and well-organized way (Javed et al., 2019).
Clarity
The fundamental principle of writing says that whatever is written should have
clarity and lucidity. Clarity means whatever is written must be conveyed to the reader
as the writer intended. In primary classes, see sentences such as, do not be afraid, let us
go home etc. Now every reader will understand the same meaning, people having
different intellectual levels will also understand the same meaning. This clarity is the
essential attribute, feature of language. Primary level text is clear and easy but as we
move towards higher level of education language becomes more and more complex,
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still it must retain its essential quality of clarity. There are five C’s of writing –
corrections, conciseness, control, coherence, and clarity. But the greatest of these is
clarity of the five C’s of writing, the single most important attribute of effective writing
is clarity. The whole purpose of writing is to convey thoughts from one person to
another. The trouble is, our thoughts can be far more complex and less linear than the
language used to convey them. No matter how brilliant the thoughts behind the writing
are, if our writing is unclear, chances are that readers will give up on it before getting
very far. Of course, clarity is no guarantee that our writing will be effective. What we
write could be boring, superficial, or tedious. However, if writing is unclear, its
appropriate destination is the waste-basket (Collins, 2019).
Good writing skills enable you to convey your information with clarity and ease
to a far larger audience than through face to face or telephone conversation. In academic
writing you need to be able to explain quite complex ideas or arguments and have them
understood by other people, who might not be experts in the same field as you. This
means that you need to write with clarity. If your writing is clear people will be able to
understand the concepts you’re trying to explain (Dodgon, 2020).
The clarity in writing is essential to convey the meaning of the text concisely.
In addition, it makes it easier to understand and read the content. The clarity in writing
can be achieved by using simple language, active words, and specific language that
answers the reader’s question.
Word Choice or Diction
Word Choice in writing is the usage of effective and precise language that
conveys information not just in a functional way, but also to enlighten the reader.
Effective word choice examples are the ones that use clichés sparingly, focuses on
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denotations and connotations, delivers straightforward meaning, avoids jargon, and is
not characterized by a wide vocabulary (Enago Academy, 2021).
All strong writers have something in common: they understand the value of
word choice in writing. Strong word choice uses vocabulary and language to maximum
effect, creating clear moods and images and making your stories and poems more
powerful and vivid. The meaning of word choice may seem self-explanatory, but to
truly transform your style and writing, we need to dissect the elements of choosing the
right word. The definition of word choice extends far beyond the simplicity of choosing
the right words. Choosing the right word takes into consideration many different
factors, and finding the word that packs the most punch requires both a great vocabulary
and a great understanding of the nuances in English. Good word choice takes the reader
into consideration. Consider your word choice to be the fingerprint of your writing.
Every writer uses words differently, and as those words come to form poems, stories,
and books, your unique grasp on the English language will be recognizable by all your
readers. Style is not something you can point to, but rather a way of describing how a
writer writes. Ernest Hemingway, for example, is known for his terse, no-nonsense, tothe-point styles of description. Virginia Woolf, by contrast, is known for writing that’s
poetic, intense, and melodramatic, and James Joyce for his lofty, superfluous writing
style (Glatch, 2022).
In an article from Toppr (2021), word is the simplest part of any language. While
communicating or delivering any ideas or thoughts, one must use a proper word. Word
choice is a person’s choice or selection of words. There are many factors which determine
or compel a person for a word choice. A word choice is an important part of
any communication. It is a manner in which something is expressed in words. The choice
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of words is the style of expression. A person, in general, chooses words to which he feels
comfortable, confident, and simple enough for a general audience to understand.
Mechanics
Punctuation is the system of signs or symbols given to a reader to show how a
sentence is constructed and how it should be read. Punctuation is as important to
your writing as your word choice, syntax, and structure. When any one of these
elements is missing, you don’t have a coherent piece of writing. Punctuation is
important because it directs your writing’s flow. If your writing is a roadway, the
punctuation marks are the traffic signs. They show the reader where to pause, where to
come to a complete stop, and how to interpret the phrases they come across (Kramer,
2022).
Punctuation is essential and is used to convey and clarify the meaning of written
language. It is such simple marks as the full stop or the comma, and the more complex
ones of semicolons and hyphens. Getting punctuation wrong can change the entire
meaning of a sentence (Jones, 2022).
According to McLeod (2022), one of the main things that any editor or
proofreader looks out for while editing a piece of text is punctuation marks. The reason
is simple — they can alter the meaning of your text if you do not use them correctly. It
becomes even more prominent when you are writing an academic paper. In academic
writing, an author may be easily misunderstood when ambiguous sentences are used.
Punctuation marks mainly serve the purpose to disambiguate sentences. While literary
or other types of writing will have a certain degree of freedom for using punctuation
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marks, academic work needs to be precise and correct. This article will cover the
importance of punctuation marks in academic writing.
The English language and all its rules can create ambiguous sentences for
emerging writers, and it is easy to become overwhelmed or even lazy when it comes to
making sure your punctuation is correct. Punctuation adds precision and clarity to your
writing and is essential to the meaning of written language. A misplaced end mark,
misuse of a comma, or ignoring quotation marks can be the difference between a
confused reader or even an accusation of plagiarism. When you communicate through
writing, you want your reader to understand what it is you are conveying. Punctuation
provides structure to your words and highlights the tone you are taking to convince your
audience of your message. Your writing is often the first impression your audience
receives of you, whether it be for a job, college application, or award. Making sure you
present yourself through your writing in an accurate and presentable way is very much
dependent upon your use of grammar and punctuation (Mcleod, 2022).
Spelling is the ability to segment phonemes in words and map the sounds to the
correct graphemes. It is a skill that is dependent upon other literacy skills, such as
phonemic awareness and alphabetic principle. Understanding the linguistic features of
spelling, such as phonology, orthography, and morphology, helps one reach the
conventional stage of spelling (Silliman et al., 2017). Being able to produce the correct
spelling of words is a measure of a person’s literacy level and their ability to decode
words, as good spellers tend to be good decoders (Mehta, 2016; Treiman, 2016).
Further, Shankweiler et al., (2018) suggested that spelling provides a valuable indicator
of the level of orthographic skill on which all literacy activities ultimately depend (p.
287). Moreover, studies have found spelling abilities to be predictive of future reading
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development and abilities (e.g., Abbott et al., 2019; Bahr et al., 2020; Ehri, 2017), and
formal, appropriate spelling instruction to significantly increase reading abilities across
K–12 (Graham & Satangelo, 2019).
Seminal studies by Read (2017), Beers and Henderson (2019), and Treiman
(2017) have shown that phonology, the study of speech sounds of a language, is a major
factor in teaching students to spell. Additionally, one spells based upon the sounds they
can hear in a word. Therefore, phonological knowledge is different in spelling than in
other basic language construct tasks in which participants count the number of
phonemes in a word. In spelling tasks, the participant may have to choose from multiple
graphemes to map to the correct phoneme, due to English’s opaqueness.
Spelling is a complex skill and an important part of writing. Good spelling is
also a social expectation and contributes to clear communication of a written message.
The ability to spell is without doubt a literacy skill that does span the entire
curriculum. Students need to write accurately in almost every subject they study. One
recent development in teaching spelling has implications for all teachers. It has been
found that treating spelling as part of a broader concept, namely ‘word study', can
greatly increase students' interest in words – for example, discovering where the
words came from, how they are constructed and can be changed, and how different
parts of words signal different units of meanings (Westwood, 2016).
Syntax
To understand appropriate sentence structure is to understand the grammatical
building blocks of the English language. By having a strong grip on the structures of
your sentences, you will be a more versatile writer. Sentence structure is how the basic
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grammatical elements (a subject, predicate, and sometimes direct or indirect objects) of
a sentence are put together. The rules for how a sentence are constructed are simple but
firm. These include the necessity for a subject, predicate, and object (in that order) in
every sentence. Beyond that, we can add additional elements like prepositions and
dependent clauses. Advanced sentences can weave these elements together to create
more and more complex structures. Paying attention to basic sentence construction is a
great way to look at the rhythm of your writing more carefully. Knowing how sentences
are structured can help you become a more thoughtful and varied writer (Provost, 2022).
In English grammar, sentence structure is the arrangement of words, phrases,
and clauses in a sentence. The grammatical function or meaning of a sentence is
dependent on this structural organization, which is also called syntax or syntactic
structure. In traditional grammar, the four basic types of sentence structures are the
simple sentence, the compound sentence, the complex sentence, and the compoundcomplex sentence. The most common word order in English sentences is Subject-VerbObject (SVO). When reading a sentence, we generally expect the first noun to be the
subject and the second noun to be the object. This expectation (which is not always
fulfilled) is known in linguistics as the canonical sentence strategy (Nordquist, 2019).
Good sentence structure is essential to good writing; it adds both clarity and
interest. Poor sentence structure can befuddle or weary the audience, making the task
of reading more unpleasant than informative. One important way to enliven a piece of
writing is to vary the length and structure of your sentences. Sentence structure is how
all the parts of a sentence fit together. If you want to make more advanced and
interesting sentences, you first have to understand how sentence structure works (Ellis,
2022). The sentence is one of the most basic building blocks of communication, so
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making sentences clear, concise, and complete is fundamental. Common problems with
sentence structure involve sentence fragments, sprawling sentences, and run-on
sentences. Efficient communication requires a combination of different aspects of
English. One of the most important aspects of language is sentences. A sentence should
hold a certain meaning by itself. A combination of different sentences with different
thoughts will help you to pass certain information to the reader (Jotform, 2022).
Using proper language makes you appear smarter, more educated, and more
professional. Clients may be turned off by poor grammar, especially if you write. A
single error isn't a big concern, but a string of errors points to sloppy attention to detail.
The rules and guidelines that control spoken and written language are referred to as
grammar. Language functions as a code thanks to grammar. Communicate properly
and, in a way, that readers or listeners can comprehend by using good language.
Effective communication depends on clear grammar, while poor grammar frequently
results in unexpected errors. Its goal is to create a barrier between what you mean and
what the audience can comprehend. Grammar exists to make communication easier. It
is a way to standardize how we use the English language, which cuts down on
communication errors. Poor grammar leads to confusion and misunderstandings.
Everything is online these days, which means people are constantly reading. From
email and social media to news articles and online learning, we are using written
language more than ever. This means the chance for misunderstandings is even higher.
Good grammar builds bridges by making effective communication easier (Craiker,
2022).
Grammar is important because it provides information that helps the reader’s
comprehension. It is the structure that conveys precise meaning from the writer to the
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audience. Eliminate grammatical errors from your writing, and reward your readers
with clear communication (MacMillan, 2017). Correct grammar is your key to speaking
English fluently and confidently. Knowing your grammar will help you avoid errors
that make your English sound strange to native speakers. English grammar can seem
daunting in places, learning to understand and use it correctly is incredibly rewarding
(Woodford, 2022).
Good grammar helps you communicate clearly and get what you want.
Grammar is the groundwork of clear communication. The better the grammar, the
clearer the message, the more likelihood of understanding the message’s intent and
meaning. Good grammar makes content easier to read and understand. While texting
and verbal slang are widely accepted in many scenarios, your grammar skills will set
you apart in professional settings. Poor grammar skills, fairly or unfairly, can taint you
or your brand’s credibility and have an impact on the way others perceive you or your
brand (Krause, 2018).
Synthesis
Based on the literatures above it is apparent that teaching and learning the
aspects and guidelines of writing have been challenging whether it is in a physical
classroom. Despite the modality, the nature of sentence construction and its processes
perceived to be difficult in terms of word choice, punctuation, grammar and spelling.
Students experienced difficulties applying the proper choices of words, punctuation,
grammar and correct spelling of words.
Writing skill is designed to express the ideas and thoughts of the students to
incorporate the concepts in real-life situation. However, the Grade 9 students of New
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Albay National High School as well as in some countries around the globe
experiences poor sentence construction skills in English particularly in terms of
correct choices of word, grammar, punctuation, and correct spelling of the words.
There is a lot of intervention to aid this problem and the researcher come-up with an
intervention called sentence constructing activity with three parts and incorporated in
actual school environment.
Research Questions
Various of studies highlighted the effectiveness of giving an activity to the
students to improve their skills in writing. With this basis, the researcher thought of
incorporating writing activity through face-to-face modality. In relation with this, this
research is underpinned by these questions.
1. What is the level of writing skills of Grade 9 students in New Albay National
High School in terms of;
1.1. Organization
1.2. Clarity
1.3. Word choice/Diction
1.4. Mechanics
1.5. Syntax
2. What is the possible intervention for the writing skills of Grade 9 students in
New Albay National High School?
Conceptual/Theoretical Framework
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This study was anchored on Kolbs’s Experiential Learning which is a theory for
learning by doing and specifically centers on the idea that knowledge is an outcome
form the combination of grasping and transforming the experience. The theory called
Experiential Learning to emphasize the central role that experience plays in the learning
process, an emphasis that distinguishes ELT from other learning theories. Kolb’s
suggested that learning requires the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied
flexibly in a wide range of situations. Therefore, knowledge is created through the
transformation of experience. Learning through giving students an activity allows them
to acquire knowledge through practice.
It provides a powerful foundation for learning and development by describing
the ideal processes where knowledge is created through experience. This theory applies
to the study where students’ experience from the intervention put into practice to
improve their writing skills. Writing skills of the students will improve through the
experience they have acquired from the Individualized Writing Prompts.
Presented below is the conceptual diagram of the study in which is in connection
with the theory mentioned above.
Writing Skills
Individualized
Writing
Prompts
Figure 1.1. Conceptual Paradigm of the Study
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The conceptual paradigm illustrates the flow or procedures to be carried out by
the researchers. From the paradigm above, it illustrates the problem and the
intervention. It was stated in related literature that students experienced difficulty in
their writing skills in terms of word choice or diction, punctuation, grammar and
spelling. The problem will be addressed through implementing the intervention which
is through Individualized Writing Prompts. This intervention can be associated by the
theory which is learning by doing. It allows the students experience put into practice
through the activity given by the researchers. The goal of the intervention is to improve
the poor writing skills of the students.
Significance of the Study
The findings of the study are significant to the following.
For the students, this study will help them to have a clearer picture of their ways
and experiences in terms of writing, they can create something out of these experiences
for them to create a better self-image amidst the struggle to help them in continuing the
learning process.
For the teachers, as agents of implementing the setting of education, can have
a better picture of the students and their experiences in writing English sentences. By
having an idea of these, they can implement programs suited to helping the students
face them and continue in a quality learning process.
To the school administrators, who served as the foundation of implementing
the different programs in the new normal setting of education, to be aware of the
different struggles of the students in the 21st century setting of education. By this, they
can be a great help in assisting the students through some programs on how they can
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cope up with these struggles and continue meaningfully in their learning process in the
new setting of education.
For the future researchers, this will serve as their additional related review of
literature for the improvement of this study. Also, this is a great help for them to know
the underlying reasons for how students deal with writing English sentences.
Scope and Delimitation
This study will be focused on the Writing Skills of the grade 9 Aphrodite
students of New Albay National High School, New Albay, Maragusan Davao de Oro.
The participants of this study were grade 9 students who were enrolled in the school
year 2022-2023. This research was limited only to the thirty (30) grade 9 students who
were enrolled in the school year 2022-2023. Only the above-mentioned participants are
included in this study, students from other year level is excluded, they are not subject
to any of the outcomes of this study. In addition, there were no other topics that were
not part of the interviews conducted but only the focus of the study as stated.
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Chapter 2
METHODS
The procedures and methods used by the researchers to carry out the study are
described in this chapter. These procedures and methods include the following:
Research Design, Participants (Source of Data and Information: Sampling and Location
of the Study), Data Collection, Data Analysis, and Ethical Consideration.
Research Design
This paper will employ a descriptive design through quantitative approach.
Quantitative research design is aimed at discovering how many people think, act or feel
in a specific way. The standard format in quantitative research design is for each
respondent to be asked the same questions, which ensures that the entire data sample
can be analyzed fairly. The data is supplied in a numerical format, and can be analyzed
in a quantifiable way using statistical methods. This descriptive research design will
aim to systematically obtain information concerning the writing. More specifically, it
helps answer the what, when, where, and how questions regarding the research problem
rather than the why, Voxco (2021).
The researchers will conduct a test to know the level of writing skills of the
Grade 9 Aphrodite students in terms of organization, clarity, word choice or diction,
mechanics, and syntax. The intervention will be implemented by the researchers after
the results of the test. Intervention has six parts of activity; open vessel, treasure, dreamcatcher, the unrequited love poem, dictionary definition, and dear diary.
These
activities are used to test the skills of the students in term of writing.
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Participants
Source of Data and Information
The participants of this study will be the grade 9 students specifically, the
Aphrodite section of New Albay National High School. This implies that students not
enrolled in the said year level are excluded from the study. The whole research process
had taken place face-to-face interaction, they were asked to answer the adopted survey
test questionnaires. The duration of the study will take up to one (1) month.
The exam's inquiry specifically addresses the subjects of writing skills and the
corresponding indicators. The level of writing skills of the respondents was also
determined, as well as whether there is a statistically significant difference between the
respondents' test scores, allowing researchers to determine whether the intervention
used improved students' problem-solving abilities in the given topic. Using the
appropriate statistical technique, the data gathered from the participant's test results
were quantitatively evaluated and interpreted.
Sampling and Locale of the Study
The setting of the study is at New Albay National High School. It is situated at
Barangay New Albay, Municipality of Maragusan, Province of Davao de Oro.
Maragusan, formerly San Mariano, is a first-class municipality in the province of Davao
de Oro. It is composed of twenty-four (24) barangays with twenty-four (24) captains
respectively. A total population of 64,412 people, ranks 3rd most populated
municipality of first district based on the 2020 census. New Albay is a barangay in the
municipality of Maragusan, in the province of Davao de Oro. Its population as
determined by the 2020 Census was 4,185. This represented 6.50% of the total
population of Maragusan. Before choosing this place as the locale of the study, the
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researcher pre-conducted observation about the place and the environment. After
gathering and interpreting the information, the researchers conclude that this place is
suited for our study. The researcher found a problem about the learning development
of the students during this pandemic and aimed to aid the problem found.
Figure 2.1. Map of New Albay National High School
In choosing the participants in this study, the researchers used a total population
sampling, as it includes all the students in a given section as participants in the study.
Total population sampling is a type of purposive sampling where the whole population
of interest or a group whose members all share a given characteristic is studied (Glen,
2018). Total population sampling is a sort of purposeful sampling that involves looking
at the complete population that has a specific set of characteristics. As a result of the
entire population being so small and well-defined, and a portion of which may not
measure what is necessary, researchers frequently utilize this sampling technique. By
using sampling techniques, it can eliminate any potential bias, but aside from that, it is
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not really necessary to use up extra time and resources (Canonizado, 2021). Moreover,
the researchers will be using total population sampling to determine the research
participants. This sampling is suitable for the study, as it includes all the students in a
specific section, and this study aims to know the level of skills of the grade 9 aphrodite
students in terms of writing.
Data Collection
In this study, the researchers will ask for permission to conduct the study, the
researcher will write a letter of request, to the research coordinator which the adviser
authorized. It is a very important step to get permission from the school administrator
upon conducting the research because part of their responsibility is the welfare of each
student, especially during these times of pandemic. The researchers ensured a checked
and verified manuscript, questionnaires, and other needed forms from the Research
Ethics committee of the institution to ensure the safety and morale of the concerned
schools, researcher and participants, and to ensure that the study is conducted in
accordance with the appropriate rules and does not violate ethical guidelines.
The researchers met the potential participants to introduce, orient, and explain
the objectives and methods of the study. A total number of thirty (30) grade 9 students
from the section Aphrodite of New Albay National High School. The researchers
identified the participants through on-site observation and checking of their written
outputs. With this, the researchers with the support of English teachers in the said
school, identified that this section have poor English sentence construction skills,
Prior to the conduct of survey, participants will be instructed to read the
questionnaire. Additionally, study participants will receive and sign an informed
consent form to confirm that providing answers and submitting themselves for the study
22
are entirely optional. The researcher was ready to conduct the study once they had
reviewed and approved the questions.
Data Analysis
Data analysis is the process of systematically applying statistical and/or logical
techniques to describe and illustrate, condense and recap, and evaluate data (Shamoo
& Resnik, 2018). The data that were obtained from the respondents would be collated
and analyzed using the appropriate statistical tool. To attain the objectives of this study,
the researchers use the following statistical tools.
Mean. This statistical tool was used to determine the level of writing skills of
Grade 9 Aphrodite students of New Albay National High School.
Standard Deviation. This statistical tool was used to tell how spread out the
data is. It is a measure of how far each observed value is from the mean.
Ethical Consideration
It is necessary to collect data from the participants that will serve as the foundation for
the study's goals in order to achieve its goals, thus it is important to make sure that the
responders who agreed to provide the researchers with their full cooperation won't
suffer any harm. The following ethical measures were taken into consideration in order
to justify research ethical compliance from the DDOSC REC. Before gathering the data,
the major ethical issues in concerning voluntary participation, informed consent,
confidentiality, privacy and safety, vulnerability, recruitment, risk, benefits of the
participants and as well as the community considerations will be given necessary
attention.
23
Voluntary Participation
The participation was voluntary. Voluntary participation is an ethical principle
protected by international law and many scientific codes of conduct, it means that all
research subjects are free to choose to participate without any pressure or coercion.
Take special care to ensure there’s no pressure on participants when working with
vulnerable groups of people who may find it hard to stop the study even when they
want to. It is important to make it clear to the participants that there are no negative
consequences or repercussions to their refusal to participate. After all, they are taking
the time to contribute in the research process, so the researchers should respect their
decisions without trying to change their minds.
The selected participants were not forced or coerced to take part in the study.
The researchers must disclose to every possible participant that they are free to decide
whether or not to engage in the study and that they are free to leave at any moment
without suffering any consequences. Participants have the right to refuse and or
withdraw from the study. They may withdraw their consent anytime and discontinue
their participation from the study, without being held accountable to any penalties. They
were given the freedom to participate or not.
Informed Consent
Informed consent refers to a situation in which all potential participants receive
and understand all the information they need to decide whether they want to participate.
This includes information about the study’s benefits, risks, funding, and institutional
approval. Protecting human participants in research is extremely important, and part of
that process is informed consent. Informed consent is an ongoing communication
process between research participants and the investigator to ensure participants'
24
comfort. Informed consent allows potential research participants to volunteer their
participation freely, without threat or undue coaching. The potential participant is also
provided with information an individual would want to know before participating, so
an educated decision can be made whether or not to participate. Generally, the purpose
of informed consent is to protect each participant's welfare, ensure the participants are
voluntary and informed, and promote positive feelings before and after completing a
study.
Consent forms were sought to the participants after they were recognized, and
before conducting the study. This includes reading the consent of participation and
asking them to sign as a proof of consent and willingness to participate in this study.
The researchers ensured that the participants were informed on the whereabouts of the
study particularly the objectives and the procedures. They were fully informed of the
possible risks as well as the benefits and their rights to as a respondent.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Privacy is recognized as an individual human right in various international
treaties and conventions such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR). Privacy refers to persons and to their interest in controlling the access
of others to themselves, and no participant should ever be forced to reveal information
to the researcher that the participant does not wish to reveal. Protecting privacy is key
to ensuring human dignity, safety and self-determination. It allows individuals freely
develop their own personality. Information privacy is crucial to the broader right to
privacy. It relates to an individual’s ability to determine for themselves when, how, and
for what purpose their personal information is handled by others.
25
Information is only accessible to those who are authorized by its confidentiality.
Restricted access is just one element of confidentiality. It is also crucial for the
researcher to guarantee the research subject's confidentiality. The level of information
sensitivity and research subject vulnerability are typically correlated with an increase
in secrecy requirements. Respect for confidentiality is also important in the interests of
the research. Breach of confidentiality undermines the trust and credibility enjoyed by
the research, and in a wider perspective will make it difficult to engage in research in
the future. This does not apply only to the researcher who has been in breach of
confidence, of course. The research community as a whole will suffer.
In essence, confidentiality in the relationship between researcher and research
subject is to be regarded as an obligation for the researcher and a right for the research
subject. Everyone has a right to restrict the access of others to certain types of
information about their person. The participants were informed about confidentiality,
it includes the protection of the personal information. It means keeping a participant’s
factual data without act of sharing it to others. The respondents’ personal information
and data will be kept by the researchers, and shall not be revealed to other personalities
and to the public. Considering confidentiality is a sign of respect to the respondents’
privacy and the will to keep their personal information hidden.
Vulnerability
Research on human subjects is thought to be fundamentally ethically
challenging, requiring ethics standards to guide researchers as well as approval and
oversight of research proposals from independent committees. Plays a central role in
research ethics thinking, drawing attention to situations where these conditions may not
be met. The theoretical foundation and practical implementation of ethics in human
26
subject’s research are built around the idea of vulnerability. Human study participants
must be protected from dangers, which means that risks must be kept to a minimum.
Additional protections are needed for vulnerable subjects.
This study would consider the vulnerability of the research participants. The
exclusion of non-vulnerable individuals must be given immediate attention, in order to
avoid any kind of negative circumstances that may affect the study and especially the
participants. The researchers must consider the vulnerable and non-vulnerable
individuals carefully. This is to ensure that the participation will be successful, in terms
of providing information for the research. In order to accomplish this study, respondents
must adhere to their responsibilities effectively. They must be able to perform their
responsibilities as respondents very well.
Recruitment
Recruitment of research participants takes many forms that involve presenting
potential participants with information about the study, prior to their enrollment, to help
establish interest and willingness to serve as research subjects. Researchers must be
certain that participants match the key traits and behaviors of your target users thanks
to effective user recruitment. In other words, you can do research with a smaller sample
size and still apply the results to a much broader population.
This study considers the ethical recruiting of volunteers, which includes
selecting suitable research subjects. The researchers made sure the participants were
appropriate for this study's participation when they made their selection of study
participants. Participants must be able to supply the appropriate needed information in
order for the study to be successful. Choosing participants in a study is one of the most
important matter researcher’s needed pay attention to, as they will take part in giving
27
the needed data for the study. Researchers will choose the right suitable participants.
The researchers shall introduce the study in a manner that allows the participants to
have adequate time to decide whether or not they wish to take part in the study.
Risks
The researcher will pay closer attention to the participants' feelings and
emotions during the intervention. The participants will not be forced to do anything that
makes them uncomfortable, nor will they be forced to violate their personal safety.
Assessing risk in a research study is one of the primary responsibilities of an IRB and
one of its most controversial tasks. By nature, studying human beings is a complicated
process because the subject matter itself is complicated. The level of risk can vary
because of many factors including: the population included in the study, the situations
encountered by the participants, and/ or the experience of the researcher or team.
Despite having a full blast of face-to-face classes in various schools in the
country, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to surge the world and that is still present in
our surroundings until now, it is a risk to all the respondents. In the midst of the
pandemic, various establishments in the educational sector utilizes most of the online
platforms available and accessible to all, to disseminate lectures, and this study will
undergo a face-to-face interaction with the participants, the researchers will adhere to
the health protocols implemented by the government in order for the participants to be
safe. During this time, students are able to go to school to continue learning, hence
school administrators still adhere to the health protocols set by the national and local
government. The researchers will also adhere to the implemented protocols to avoid
any negative circumstances and hindrances throughout the duration of the study. The
researchers value the participation and as well as the welfare of the participants.
28
Benefits
A benefit is a valued or desired outcome, or an advantage. In research, benefits
generally fall into two categories: benefits to the individual participants in the research
and benefits to science or society. Direct benefits to participants can take the form of
therapy, education, information, resources, or empowerment. Any study that involves
an intervention could have an anticipated direct benefit.
This study will benefit the participants as they can be able to learn their level of
writing skills with a proper consideration to the corresponding indicators. The positive
and negative skill will be purely determined, which directly benefited the research
participants, and that it will serve as a tool for them in enhancing their writing skills in
English. Researchers can also gain benefits in this study, knowing the skills of the
participants will be helpful to their future endeavors as future educators. Study benefits
is necessary for both the researchers and respondents to identify the positive output of
the study. As a study participant, you get a unique chance to stand up and take action.
Contribute to the study and provide help in accomplishing the study. A benefit that will
make them take actions on the existing problems present in the society.
Community Considerations
Considering the community is an ethical concept necessary in conducting a
research study. Community, as a major component of a society is crucial in
accomplishing a specific study. The researchers will carefully consider the community.
This study must not include a certain information that may affect a specific traditional
aspect in the community. A specific community is composed of different people with
corresponding different traditions and beliefs. With this, the researchers will conduct
the study with careful consideration to the differences of every individual. In order for
29
the study to be successful, the researchers must consider the welfare of the community,
including the benefits, impact, and its involvement to the study.
Awareness about the community is generally defined as knowledge created
through interaction between community people and its environment, a setting bounded
in space and time. It involves states of knowledge as well as dynamic process of
perception and action. It is the knowledge that must be maintained and kept updated to
complete some tasks in the environment. Community Awareness generation is
considered as core element of successful disaster risk reduction among the settlers of
the specific community.
30
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