0

GRAMMATICAL COMPETENCE AND READING COMPREHENSION AS

DETERMINANTS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF GRADE 10

STUDENTS OF SELECTED HIGH SCHOOLS IN LUPI DISTRICT

A Thesis Presented to the

Faculty of Graduate Studies

Naga College Foundation

Naga City

In Partial Fulfilment of

the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Education

Major in English

MELISA MARIE B. NAPERI

March 2017
 1

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

INTRODUCTION

The global importance of English as the international lingua franca, calls

for the demand of producing learners who are proficient and competent in using

the language. English is needed everywhere being the international lingua

franca. In the Philippines, the study of English is mandatory in all levels of

education and the state is mandated to produce learners with communicative

competence to be a productive contributor in the global work trade in the future.

To respond to this call, the National Achievement Test for Fourth Year/Grade 10

students is conducted yearly to determine the students’ achievement level and

proficiency in the Core Learning Areas. English, being a core learning area, is one

of the subjects being taken into consideration and given utmost attention since it

is assumed that it has a great impact on the students’ academic achievement.

Usually, the test determining students’ English proficiency is divided into two

parts; the first part is a test for grammar competence and the second part is for

reading comprehension. It is along these competencies where students’

proficiency in English is being measured. But despite the combined efforts

exerted by the administrators and the teaching staffs of the public and private
 2

schools all over the nation, the fluctuating results of National Achievement Tests

show how undeniable it is that letting the students’ achieve English Proficiency is

highly tasking and requires a lot of patience and hard work.

Grammatical competence is one of the major areas of communicative

competence being assessed in National Achievement Test. According to Gao

(2001) grammatical competence focuses on command of the language code,

including such things as the rules of word and sentence formation, meanings,

spelling and pronunciation. However, this study is centered on the ability to write

and use the language conforming to the rules of its grammar. The students’

ability to use the language with the correct grammar allows them to

communicate effectively both in written and oral communication situation.

However, the result of the latest survey conducted by Social Weather Stations

(SWS) revealed the continuous deterioration of English Proficiency among

Filipinos. From 77% of Filipino adults who understand English before, it

diminished to 65% and about 35% only of the population can speak in English,

and the sad thing is only a very small portion of it could speak and write in

correct grammar.

Reading is the key that unlocks the door to the world of enlightenment

and enjoyment, the basic tool for learning in the content fields. It is another

important language skill being assesses in the National Achievement Test. In our

daily lives, 80 per cent of the things we do involve reading. In the field of
 3

education, reading is really important and assumed one of the causes why the

rate of the NAT of students in public schools is low which eventually affects their

performances as they enter the work place. An efficient reader can quickly

recognize what is important on each page he reads. He can readily spot the main

idea of a paragraph. Likewise he can easily pick out the supporting details. Low

proficiency in reading comprehension may threaten global competitiveness that if

the upcoming generation cannot read properly, then there is a big chance they

will have difficulty writing and speaking well.

This research study assumes that the two linguistic competences

mentioned above have a direct and indirect impact in the academic achievement

of the students, taking into consideration that most of the core learning areas in

basic education are taught using the language. Difficult subjects such as

Mathematics and Sciences are using English as a medium of instruction.

Academic books distributed all over the world are also written in English for ease

of communication. This implies that everything we learn in our day to day living

involves the application of the international lingua franca. Thus, this study also

seeks to determine the relationship between the linguistic competencies and the

academic achievement of the students.

Paterno (2010) says that the best way to solve the problem is to attack its

very roots. A longer and careful preparation is needed to meet the goal of

attaining English Proficiency among the students and making them ready enough
 4

to take the National Achievement Test. In early studies, Wong (2008) stated that

teaching a language is not purely a linguistic matter. The High Schools in Lupi

district strive to cater their utmost service in teaching the English language. They

also strive to get/gain high percentage score in National Achievement Test as

much as possible. But NAT Test results still show the fluctuating scores in English

of the secondary schools. Recently, it is noticeable that the scores of the

secondary schools in Lupi district are below 75% MPS (Mean Percentage Score).

Those schools who belong to the top English proficient schools unfortunately

failed to retain their status. This determines the fact that the needs of the

students are not always addressed. In the light of this concern, further

investigation on the subject matter is hoped to reveal needed solutions to

difficulties that will pave the way toward better language skills.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to examine the grammatical competence and reading

comprehension of the Grade 10 students of selected high schools in Lupi district

S/Y 2016-2017 as determinants of their academic achievement. Specifically, it

aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the profiles of the respondents along:

a. elementary school graduated,

b. gender,

c. age,
 5

d. family income, and

e. availability of mass communication materials at home?

2. What is the level of grammatical competence of the respondents in terms

of:

a. subject-verb agreement,

b. verb tenses,

c. use of adjectives,

d. use of adverbs,

e. prepositions,

f. transitional verbs /cohesive devices,

g. verbal nouns,

h. and pronoun-antecedent agreement?

3. What is the level of reading comprehension of the respondents in terms of

the following:

a. deducing the theme/main idea of the selection

b. understanding words through context clues

c. identifying/interpreting figurative language used in the sentence

d. identifying values reflected in a text

e. identifying whether the text is journalistic, literary, academic or

scientific

f. drawing conclusion
 6

g. paraphrasing lines/passages

h. noting details

i. making inference

j. and interpreting illustrations and schematic diagrams?

4. What are the persistent grammar errors and reading comprehension

difficulties of the respondents?

5. Is there a significant relationship between the persistent grammar

errors/reading comprehension difficulties and the respondents’ profile

variables?

6. What is the level of academic achievement of the respondents, as

represented by their general weighted average for the last school year?

7. Is there a significant relationship between the grammatical competence

/reading comprehension and the academic achievement of the

respondents?

8. What particular intervention/instructional material could be made to

address the students’ grammar errors and reading comprehension

difficulties?

HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY

This study will test the following hypotheses:

a. There is a significant relationship between the respondents’ profile

variables and grammar errors.

 7

b. There is a significant relationship between the respondents’ profile

variables and reading comprehension difficulties.

c. There is a significant relationship between the level of grammatical

competence and reading comprehension of the respondents and their

academic achievement.

ASSUMPTIONS

This study is premised on the following assumptions:

a. There are persistent errors in the respondents’ grammar and difficulties in

reading comprehension.

b. There is an association between the respondents’ profile variables and

their persistent grammar error and reading difficulties.

c. Grammatical competence and reading comprehension affect students’

academic achievement.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study focuses on grammatical competence and reading

comprehension of the Grade 10 students S/Y 2016-2017 of selected high schools

in Lupi district as determinants of academic achievement. The competencies that

will be measured are those included in the National Achievement Test. This will

serve as a diagnostic analysis of the respondents’ readiness to take the

evaluation of their proficiency level in English. The scope of grammatical

competencies to be examined by this study includes the following: subject-verb

 8

agreement, verb tenses, and use of adjectives, use of adverbs, prepositions,

transitional verbs /cohesive devices, verbal nouns, and pronoun-antecedent

agreement. For reading comprehension, the following competencies will be

measured: deducing the theme/main idea of the selection, understanding words

through context clues, identifying/interpreting figurative language used in the

sentence, identifying values reflected in a text, identifying whether the text is

journalistic, literary, academic or scientific, drawing conclusion, paraphrasing

lines/passages, noting details, making inference, and interpreting illustrations

and schematic diagrams. This will also use the respondents’ general weighted

average to determine if it has a significant association with the level of

grammatical and reading comprehension of the students.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study entitled “Grammatical Competence and Reading

Comprehension as Determinants of Academic achievement of Grade 10 of

Selected High Schools in Lupi District” will be very beneficial to the following

groups:

Respondents. This study will develop the respondents’ awareness of

their common difficulties in learning the English language which will provide

them the drive to take an initiative in helping themselves attain communicative

competence and eventually improve their academic achievement.

 9

English Teachers .The identification of students’ linguistic difficulties and

of its roots, as well as the level of proficiency/competence of the students will

provide teachers the direction on planning a competent instruction that will

surely address the needs of their students.

Administrators .This study will let the school administrators provide

direction for upgrading the educational curricula, programs, and activities in

response to the needs of the learners.

Curriculum makers. This will provide curriculum makers and planners a

direction on designing a curriculum that will suit the students’ needs.

Parents. This study will help parents be more acquainted with the needs

of their children to facilitate in achieving English language competence. Knowing

their children’s deficiencies will let them provide both material and moral support

essential for effective learning.

Other Researchers. This study will serve as a guide to future

researchers who wish to conduct a related study.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For the purpose of this study, the following terms are defined conceptually

and operationally.

Grammar. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary (2009) defines this term as the set

of rules that explain how words are used in a language. In this undertaking, it is
 10

the set of rules which will become the basis of determining the errors in

grammar committed by the respondents in terms of the following:

a. subject-verb agreement, showing the conformity of action words used to

the noun portraying the action;

b. verb tenses, which indicates the proper form of the verb that is used to

show when an action happened;

c. use of adjectives and adverbs, as modifiers to denote the quality,

quantity or extent of something;

d. prepositions, which show direction, location, time, or to introduce an

object;

e. verbal nouns or words that combine characteristics of a verb with those of

a noun or adjective;

f. and pronoun-antecedent agreement showing the conformity of a pronoun

to its referent.

Grammatical Competence. Gao (2001) defined this term as an area of

communicative competence that focuses on command of the language code,

including such things as the rules of word and sentence formation, meanings,

spelling and pronunciation. In this study, it is the term applied to the ability to

use a language conforming to the rules of grammar.

Grammar Error. Zhang (2005) defined this term as the inaccurate word

and sentence formation, meanings and pronunciation usually committed by

 11

second and foreign language users. In this study it is the term applied to

mistakes or failure of the users to use a language conforming to the rules of

grammar.

Reading Comprehension. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary (2009) defines this

term as the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning

through interaction and involvement with written language. In this study, it

refers to the ability of the students to grasp the meaning of the text read.

Academic Achievement. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary (2009) defines this

as the extent to which the learner has improved or accomplished something

academically as a result of effort or hard work. In this study, this refers to the

quantitative description of the students’ extent of learning represented by their

general weighted average.

General Weighted Average. This means general weighted average of

students in a school year as defined by Sabang (2015). As used in this research,

it means the previous average incurred by the respondents in the previous grade

or year level to be compared with the present result of the study.

Demographic Profile. Sabang (2015) defined this term as the cultural,

personal and educational background of an individual or group. In this study, this

refers to gender, elementary school attended, family income, and availability of

learning resources.
 12

National Achievement Test. Sabang (2015) defined this term as the

DepEd’s annual examination given to grades III, VI, X in the Philippines. In this

study it refers to the test given to grade 10 students to determine their level of

proficiency in the core learning areas.

 13

NOTES

Paterno, A. (2010). Handbook for oral readers as of English as a second

language. Manila:Rex Bookstore pp.12,

Gao, A. (2001). Common, persistent errors in English. TEFL Web Journal.

Retrieved September 12, 2015 from http://www.tflweb-j.org.

Chambers, E.A., & Schreinber, J.B. (2004).Girls academic achievement.

Gender Education 927 – 346

Krashen, S. (2005). Principles and practices in second language

acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Larsen-Freeman, D. (2001). Teaching grammar. In M. Celce-Murcia

(Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp.251-266). Boston,

MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Reading. (2011). Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica

Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.

Grammar. (2011). Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica

Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.

Achievement. (2011). Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica

Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica.

Sabang, J. (2015). Critical thinking and problem solving skills in

Mathematics of Grade 7 and Grade 8 students of Labangco High School.

Unpublished Master’s Thesis. pp.14.

 14

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of related literature and studies arranged

in topical form, Synthesis of State-of-the-Art, Gap bridged by the study,

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework.

Grammatical Competence

Diaz-Rico & Weed (2010) stated that grammatical competence acts to

promote accuracy and fluency in second language production and increases in

importance as the learner advances in proficiency. It is very significant especially

in attaining a successful communications situation. It was also described by Gao

(2001) as a competence focusing on command of the language code, including

such things as the rules of word and sentence formation, meanings, spelling and

pronunciation. The goal is to acquire knowledge of, and ability to use, forms of

expression that are grammatically correct and accurate.

Since English is not Filipinos’ vernacular language, achieving competence

in this area seemed a very challenging task for educators. Thus, Freeman (2001)

pointed out that we need to pay attention to the three dimensions of grammar:

form, meaning and use. Simply teaching grammar rules or having student

memorize verb conjugations will not help students acquire grammatical

 15

competence. A competent, creative, and well-designed instruction is needed and

will suffice.

The study of Cabansag (2015) revealed the persistent errors committed

by the respondents in their written compositions namely: use of verbs, verb

tenses and proper use of capitalization. It revealed that there is no significant

relationship between the written language proficiency of the respondents and

their profile variables. It revealed further that there exists no significant

relationship between the persistent written language errors of the respondents

and their profile variables. However, the present study still wants to test the

conclusion he made using different respondents.

Cabansag (2015) also mentioned that the Department of Education also

strives to cater its best to achieve English proficiency among learners through

DEpEd Order No. 31 s. 2012, which includes language proficiency on its priorities

for the upcoming school years. Results of the previous test on language

proficiency through National Achievement Test reveal that our student’s

performance was low. Hence, this research study acts as support evidence on

the common mistakes Filipinos commit in terms of grammar which inspires the

researcher of the present study to delve deeper on the subject matter.

Reading Comprehension

Grabe & Stoller (2002) stated that reading ability has always been viewed

as critical to academic success and studies have recognized the importance of

 16

reading in academics. Students may have the ability to read and know the

words, identify and locate information, and recall content, but may be unable to

analyze, summarize, or critique the text when asked to do so. This is

experienced from elementary level until the middle high school, which produces

negative impact on learning.

A study by Chege (2012) also concluded that reading comprehension is

related to academic performance. Bender et al., (2008) argued that when

reading skills are insufficient, a number of problems occur which lead to

frustration in learning. Research has demonstrated the importance of reading

skill for both comprehension and academic achievement. Thus, research

recommends vocabulary development and reading activities to achieve learning

goals. Moreover, studies consistently revealed that students’ inability to read

comprehensively is a major stumbling block which frustrates them to perform

well in all disciplines.

Sierra (2008) mentioned that Dayan conducted a study on reading

comprehension of fourth year students in high school. The researcher found that

students were classified average in terms of acquired readings skills as measured

by the standardized tests used in the study. In terms of comprehension skills,

students fared better in literal compared with inferential. It was also determined

that a significant relationship existed between reading comprehension skills and

academic achievement of students; however the relationship was found weak. It

 17

implies that though students in secondary high schools could already understand

the meaning of words literally, still they experience difficulty to dig deeper and

comprehend what the author really tries to convey. This suggests that students

must be exposed to different reading activities to hone their ability to understand

complex materials.

Fang (2006) mentioned in his study that when readers are unfamiliar with

the words, they cannot fully comprehend what they are trying to read. This

proves the importance of boosting one’s vocabulary as one important feature of

reading. Understanding of the text may fail if the reader does not comprehend

the words he read.

As cited by Orogo (2014), Souvignier and Moklesgerami (2006)

mentioned on their article that reading comprehension skills allow us to read

proficiently, learn effectively, solve problem, stratregize, conceptualize, and

succeed in life. Thus without reading comprehension skills, many students are

left behind. Reading comprehension can be defined as one’s ability to read,

remember, reproduce, learn from and find deeper meaning in the text for future

use. Thus, it is indeed important that educators determine the level of reading

comprehension of the students so that action could be promptly made.

Factors Associated with English Proficiency and Academic Achievement

Feldman (2010) states that “teaching the students in a language other

than English simply hinders non-native English speakers’ integration in society

 18

and ultimately does them a disservice”. It points out that the use of Bilingual

Education in our educational system is a primary factor which hinders

competence in English. It is a manifestation that the first language has a great

impact in learning English as a second language. As a result the academic

achievement of the student becomes low because the language needed to

succeed academically is absent.

Acero, Javier, and Castro (2004) in their explanation on language

learning, acknowledge the role of Thorndike’s law of exercise in second language

learning which states that “exercise, practice, or repetition strengthens the bonds

or connections between the stimulus and the response.” For a connection to be

fixed, it must be used repeatedly. In accordance with Thorndike’s Law of

Exercise, one can only learn to speak and write in correct grammar and

understand comprehensively a written material through practice. Exposure to

drill lessons will contribute to have a more effective learning which will

immediately contribute to a good academic performance and achievement.

Sierra (2008) in her study on the Oral English of Tertiary Students: The

International Islamic University of Malaysia (IUUM) Experience, insists that early

exposure to the language either used as a subject or spoken at home contributes

to the language proficiency of the students. Her findings show that teacher’s

training in English as a second language should be a priority thrust. Students’

 19

acquisitions of skills were very much affected by lack of reading materials,

strategies used, and the community environment. Thus, it shows that indeed

learning a language is not purely a linguistic matter. It is affected by some

outside factors. These outside factors could help improve learning and academic

performance of the students.

Chambers and Scheinber, (2004) concluded that gender, ethnicity, school

environment, parent’s occupation are significant contributors of students’

achievement. A gap between the achievement of boys and girls has been found,

with the girls showing better performance than boys. It points out that there are

some factors associated with the respondents’ demographic profile that could

affect learning and academic achievement.

Krashen (2005) believe that students whose parents score higher on

standardized tests than those whose parents are not educated. Educated parents

can communicate better with their children regarding the school work, activities

and the information being taught at school. The environment and the personal

characteristics of learners play an important role in the student’s academic

success. The school personnel, members of the families and the communities

provide help and support to students for the quality of their performance.

The literatures and studies mentioned above encouraged the present

researcher to test whether there is indeed a relationship between English

proficiency and the students’ profile.

 20

Synthesis of State-of-the-Art

The related literature and studies have allowed the researcher to

understand deeply the problem of the present study. A total of 15 literature and

studies related to the present study have been discussed in this chapter.

The studies of Gao (2001) and Cabansag (2015) are both relevant to the

present study for they emphasized the importance of grammar competence

among users of English language. But the limitation of the two is that they only

focused on the above-mentioned competency. Gao (2001) viewed the skill as a

factor and contributor in achieving communicative competence. Cabansag

(2015), concluded that based on his study, Filipino students usually commit

mistakes in grammar along: use of verbs, verb tenses and proper use of

capitalization. This observation was strengthened by the DepEd Order No. 31 s.

2012 that proposes the boosting of curriculum with instructional activities helpful

to the achievement of English Proficiency of students after finding out through

the result of NAT that students’ academic progress is getting low.

Chege (2004), Orogo (2014) and Dayan as cited by Sierra (2008) pointed

out the importance of reading comprehension skills and its relevance to

academic performance. Dayan concluded that high school students already have

the ability to grasp a text literally however still they find difficulty in

understanding the deeper meaning that the text tries to convey.Soveigner &
 21

Moklesgerami (2006) as cited by Orogo (2014) stressed the importance of

identifying the level of comprehension skills of the students to be able to know

where to start with the remediation and to come up with the most appropriate

solution. They proved that students with low comprehension skills also have low

academic achievement. The studies are relevant to the present for they prove

that reading is indeed an important determinant of the students’ academic

achievement.

Sierra, in her study emphasized that exposure to drill lessons will

contribute to have a more effective learning. It is relevant to the present study

since they suggest ways on how to address students’ language learning

difficulties. She emphasizes the role of environment and exposure to the use of

language as key aspect for improved pronunciation.

Gap bridged by the study

Despite the relevance of those previous studies, the setting and the

respondents used are different from the present. There was no study conducted

about the grammar competence and reading comprehension of grade 10

students in Haluban National High School for the school year 2016- 2017. The

researcher will also determine whether the respondents’ profiles have

contributing effect on their level of grammatical competence and reading

comprehension. Moreover, this will also determine whether grammatical

 22

competence and reading comprehension have a significant contribution in the

learner’s academic achievement. This is the gap to be bridged by the study.

Theoretical Framework

The researcher used Noam Chomsky’s Cognitive Language Learning

Theory, as the basis of the conduct of the study and supported by the following

theories: Jackobson’s Markedness Theory, Krashen’s Creative Construction

Theory, Edward Thorndike’s Law of Exercise, Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory,

and Jean Piaget’s Environmentalism theory.

Noam Chomsky’s Cognitive Learning Theory (1959) claimed that the

human capacity for learning a language is innate. He theorized that the human

brain is “hardwired” for language as a product of evolution. By pointing to the

primary importance of biological dispositions in the development of language,

Chomsky’s theory dealt a serious blow to the behaviorist assumption that all

human behaviors are formed and maintained by reinforcement. Since human

capacity is innate, educators can assume that a child has already a built in gift

inside his brain which lets him do things he ought to do. This innate capacity

could just be brought out effectively by some outside factors. It is at this

circumstance where educators do their service for it is in the hand of educators

on how to hone their capacity and help them come out of their shells.
 23

THEORETICAL PARADIGM

Environmen- Cognitive
talism Theory Learning
(Piaget) Theory(Noam
Chomsky)

LEARNER Creative
Socio- Construction
Cultural Theory
Theory (Krashen,)
(Vygotsky,)

Markedness Law of
Theory Exercise
(Jackobson) (Thorndike)

Figure 1

Theoretical Paradigm
 24

To support the statement above, Under Creative Construction Theory, the

Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis by Krashen (1987) emphasized that second

language can be both learned and acquired. It was mentioned earlier that

human’s capacity for learning a language is innate but could be brought out

through some other factors and could be honed by a process called learning.

Learning is the product of conscious process resulting to conscious knowledge

while acquisition is the result of subconscious process in which learners acquire

second language through their daily communicative activities. It means that

learning a second language may occur through formal instruction and social

interaction or environmental influences. On the other hand, Krashen’s Monitor

hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and learning, and how

the latter influence the former. According to Krashen, the acquisition system is

the “utterance initiator”, while the learning system performs the role of the

“monitor” or the “editor”. He added that “the role of conscious learning is to

correct deviations from normal speech and to give speech a more refined

appearance”. It is reflected by these two hypotheses that learning a second

language can be best achieved when learning and acquisition come and work

together.

To be able to help educators come up with a very effective instruction for

language teaching there are principles which are found very helpful. The

Markedness theory by Jackobson (1941) proposes that in every linguistic

 25

opposition; phonological or semantic, there is one member of any pair of

opposites that is psycholinguistically unmarked (more basic and neutral, more

universal, more frequent, first acquired) and one that is marked (less frequent,

less universal, limited). This theory is helpful in explaining differences among

languages which hinder second language learners acquire some elements of the

target language. In our own language system, those elements which are found

in our language system are the unmarked systems while those which are not

found in our language system are the marked systems.

Another theory could be used as a framework of the conduct of study. It

is the Law of Exercise by Thorndike (1949) which is referred to as the

“strengthening of connections, S-R bonds, through the use of practice, and

weakening of other responses caused by the lack thereof”. The law is applied to

repetition habits, rote memorizing, and so on. It appeared that the more one

practices a task, the stronger the bonds become. Its implication to education is

that students must be exposed to extensive grammar drills and reading exercises

to improve their grammatical competence and reading comprehension skills.

As a support dictum to the theory of Thorndike, Socio-Cultural Theory by

Lev Vygotsky (1934) stresses learner’s active engagement with their

environment. He viewed that learning is maximized through social interaction. In

the teaching and learning process, it is advised that students must be exposed to
 26

activities that will encourage social interaction. It is because of the belief that

every society has a considerable contribution to the process of learning. Students

have to be trained at the earliest age to read well. This means access to a wide

variety of quality books at their schools and a program that encourages reading

for pleasure — because the sure way to develop good reading comprehension is

by making reading a habit.

Environmentalism Theory also by Jean Piaget (1954) asserts that the

learning condition on speech patterns is greatly influenced by his environment

and/or natural surroundings. Therefore, teachers must be responsible in

establishing an environment that aims to maximize and facilitate the process of

learning a language. It is the task of the teacher to find for activities and

instructional aids that will suit a language learning class.

From the foregoing theories, the researcher has been able to come up

with a view that learners have their innate capacity to learn but this gift could be

brought out best by some outside factors mentioned above. These theories

become the supporting dictums of this study. Grammatical competence and

reading comprehension is a result both of formal instruction and acquisition; and

can be best achieved through constant practice, observation, social interaction,

reinforcement, and environment conducive for learning.

 27

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Based on the supporting dictums used in the study, the researcher makes

use of the systems approach reflecting the input, process, and output of the

study.

Input. The inputs of the study are the students’ grammatical competence

and reading comprehension based on the result of a written test parallel to NAT

(distributed by DepEd). It will also serve as a diagnosis of the students’ grammar

errors and reading difficulty through the aid of item analysis. Their profiles will

also be determined for further investigation of the nature of the difficulty. The

previous general weighted average of the students will also be used to determine

the level of their academic achievement.

Process. In order to get the data needed for the study the following

processes will be undertaken. The profile of the respondents will be determined

through a survey questionnaire. Then a written test will be given to the students

to determine their level of grammatical competence and reading comprehension

as well as their grammatical errors and reading comprehension difficulties.

Moreover, the researcher will also get the previous weighted average of the

students which will be correlated to their grammatical competence and reading

comprehension.

Output. An instructional tool, a skill booster module which will help

teachers address the needs of the students in improving their grammatical
competence and reading comprehension.
 28

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

I.Students’ I. Data gathering I. Skill Booster Module

grammatical a. Test parallel to
competence and a.Grammar
NAT
reading
comprehension based b. Survey Improvement
on the result of a Questionnaire
written test parallel to c. Request for grades b.Reading
NAT(distributed by
DepEd). Comprehension Drills
II. Statistical Analysis
II. Student’s profile
a. Data Analysis
(age, sex, elementary
school graduated, and b. Correlation
family income)

III. Student’s previous

school year general
weighted average

FEEDBACK

Figure 2

Conceptual Paradigm
 29

NOTES

Díaz-Rico, L. T. & Weed, K. Z. (2010). The crosscultural, language, and

academic development handbook: A complete K-12 reference guide (4th ed.).

Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Gao, A. (2001). Common, persistent errors in English. TEFL Web Journal.

Retrieved September 12, 2015 from http://www.tflweb-j.org. Freeman, D. E., &

Yvonee, S. Freeman. (2004). Essential Linguistics What You Need to Know to

Teach. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

Chambers, E.A., & Schreinber, J.B. (2004).Girls academic achievement.

Gender Education 927 – 346

Krashen, S. (2005). Principles and practices in second language

acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Larsen-Freeman, D. (2001). Teaching grammar. In M. Celce-Murcia

(Ed.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 251-266). Boston,

MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Sabang, J. (2015). Critical thinking and problem solving skills in

Mathematics of Grade 7 and Grade 8 students of Labangco High School.

Unpublished Master’s Thesis. pp.14.

 30

CHAPTER III

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

This chapter presents the methodology that will be used in this study. This

includes the method of research used, research setting, respondents, research

instrument, validity and reliability, data gathering procedure, and statistical

treatment to find out the grammatical competence and reading comprehension

of the Grade 10 students of selected High School in Lupi District as Determinants

of Academic Achievement s/y 2016-2017.

RESEARCH DESIGN

This research on the grammatical competence and reading comprehension

of grade 10 students of selected High Schools in Lupi District as determinants of

academic achievement s/y 2016-2017 will use a descriptive-correlation method

of research. Descriptive method will be used to describe the level of grammatical

competence and reading comprehension of the respondents and the persistent

grammar and reading comprehension errors/difficulties. Correlation will be used

to test whether there is a relationship between grammatical competence/reading

comprehension and respondents’ profile variables and whether the above-

mentioned competencies have a significant effect to their academic achievement.

 31

Population

The respondents of the study are the Grade 10 students of selected High

School in Lupi District for the S/Y 2016-2017. The respondents that have been

selected are the total grade 10 population of Colacling High School, Iligan High

School and Haluban National High School. The distribution of respondents are as

follows:

Table 1

Distribution of Respondents

School Frequency Percentage

1. Colacling HS 250 52.08

2. Iligan HS 150 31.25
3. Haluban HS 80 16.7
Total 480 100 %

Table 1 shows the frequency distribution of the respondents. As

manifested from the table, there are 250 respondents from Colacling High School

which gained 52.08 percent of the total population, 150 from Iligan High School

gaining 31.25 percent and 80 or 16.7 percent from Haluban High School.

Procedure of investigation

The research will employ different methods of gathering data. It includes

written tests and survey that will carry out the result of the study. Before the
 32

administration of the test, appropriate communication letters will be sent

to concerned offices for the approval of the request for research purposes. The

researcher will ask permission to the authorities of the schools to allow them

administer the written test and conduct survey to grade 10 students of the

selected high schools. The data that will be gathered will be analyzed and

interpreted with the aid of different statistical treatment to find the desired

outcome of the study.

Tools in Gathering Data

The research will be carried out by a written test parallel to NAT

adapted from the test designed by DepEd Cam. Sur modified by the researcher ;

to determine the grammatical competence and reading comprehension as well as

the persistent grammar errors and reading comprehension difficulties of the

respondents, and a survey; that will determine the respondents’ profile. The

written test consists of two parts; Part I for grammatical competence and Part II

for reading comprehension. The results will help the researcher determine the

difficulties met by the respondents and the appropriate activities and drills to

enhance it.

The instrument will no longer undergo validation since it is adapted from

the instrument and table of specification devised by the DepEd officials.

 33

Statistical Tools

Presented below are the discussions of the statistical instruments or tools

that will be primarily used in the study.

1. Frequency count and percentage will be used in describing the distribution

of the respondents.

2. Percentage will be utilized to determine the grammatical competence and

reading comprehension of the respondents.

3. Mean and rank order will be used to describe the grammatical errors and

reading comprehension of the respondents.

4. Frequency count, percentage, and rank distribution will also be used to

determine if which among the components of the grammar of English

language and reading comprehension, the respondents are more prone in

committing mistakes.

5. Sums of rank and rank distribution will also be used in describing the

respondents in terms of different profile variables.

6. Chi-square will be used to test the hypothesis, “there is a significant

relationship between the respondents profile variables and their level of

grammatical competence and reading comprehension.”

7. Pearson’s Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation will be used to

determine if the grammatical competence and reading comprehension of

 34

the students have significant relationship with the academic achievement

of the students.