4.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

4.1. Research design

This study was designed to identify the levels of oral communication apprehension the

students feel and how it affects their speaking skills, especially in classes using English as their

language for communication. This study was qualitative- quantitative for it studied the behavior of

students on this aspect. This was a correlational study because it determined if there is a

correlation between communication apprehension and speaking skills of the students.

4.2. Subject of the study

The respondents in this study were the Grade 10 students of MSUN- IDS during the S.Y.

2015-2016. Out of the 120 Grade 10 students in 4 different sections, 15 students in every section

were chosen randomly. They were chosen as the respondents of this study because they have

been speaking in English inside and outside their classes and they have been in the school for

four years. Therefore, it is important to examine their communication apprehension and find out

how it affects their speaking skills.

4.3. Data gathering procedure

To determine the students’ communication apprehension, they answered the Personal

Report on Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24) questionnaire. Three varied speaking

activities were given to measure the students’ speaking skills. These included the individual and

group speaking activities. The former consisted of the impromptu speaking and the clinical

interview while the latter composed the peer discussion. All of these activities were rated using

PCC-ESLP rubric and SCICA form which were adapted only. One rubric was used to rate each

speaking engagement activity. Highness and lowness of the communication apprehension and

speaking skills was determined by a 5-point Rating Scale wherein 5 is the highest and 1 is the

lowest. Topics for the activity were life-based so that it will not stage the apprehension of the
Figure 2. Map showing the location of Mindanao State University at Naawan Integrated
Developmental School, Naawan, Misamis Oriental

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students beforehand. The one-shot activity was video recorded and backed up with an audio

recorder for further analysis of the activity. The results were tallied, summed up, and checked

which were examined and processed using descriptive statistics. The data were analyzed and

interpreted to come up with the possible conclusions and recommendations.

4.4. Instrument to be used in the study

This study made use of a set of questionnaires for the respondents to answer. The set of

questionnaires was adapted from McCroskey (1982), called as Personal Report on

Communication Apprehension (PRCA-24), to determine the students’ communication

apprehension. The PRCA-24 is currently the most widely-used instrument for the measurement of

communication apprehension. It is highly valid and reliable. This instrument is composed of 24

statements about feelings towards communicating with others. According to McCroskey (1982),

12 statements focus on the student’s uncomfortable feelings about communication in English and

the other 12 statements focus on the student’s enjoyment while communicating in English.

The overall result on students’ apprehension obtained from the instrument was classified

by level according to the following:

Score Interpretation

1.1 – 1.9 Very low

2.0 – 2.7 Moderately low

2.8 – 3.5 Moderate

3.6 – 4.3 Moderately high

4.4 – 5.0 Very high

This study also used a rubric in order to rate the students’ speaking skills. This rubric was

originally adapted from Pasadena City College in California, called as PCC-ESLP. However, a

slight modification on the quantifier was added. According to Pasadena City College, this helps

build the communicative foundation of all students who need to master and successfully use and

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perform the language. Another instrument which is a clinical interview is adapted from ASEBA

University, called Semistructured Clinical Interview for Children and Adolescents (SCICA).

The result was classified by using a scale according to the following:

Score Interpretation

1.1 – 1.9 Poor

2.0 – 2.7 Fair

2.8 – 3.5 Good

3.6 – 4.3 Very Good

4.4 – 5.0 Excellent

4.5. Data management

The statistical tools were used in the study:

1. Percentage (Walpole, 1982) was used to show the occurrences in an interval as a

percentage of the total number of items in the set.

W: f is the frequency of the responses

N is the total number of responses

2. Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation was used to measure the degree of correlation

between the oral communication apprehension of the students (X) and their speaking
skills (Y).

W: Ʃis the summation of the variables

x is the variable 1
yis the variable 2

Selection of respondents from the Grade 10 students

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Survey on oral communication apprehension questionnaires

Retrieval of survey questionnaires

Conduct of speaking activities in class

 Impromptu speaking
 Clinical interview
 Peer discussion

Evaluation of video-recorded speaking activities

Organization of data

Data analysis
1. Descriptive statistics
2. Percentage (Walpole, 1982)
3. Spearman’s Rank-Order Correlation

Concept Development

Figure 3. Flow chart of the methods to be used in the study

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