ACTION RESEARCH

PROPOSAL

Proposed Title

FILLING IN SYNTACTIC GRAMMATICAL LOOPHOLES IN THE ACADEMIC

WRITING THROUGH
CONSTRUCTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING INTERVENTIONS

Name of researchers
CHRIS REY R. RODRIGUEZ, LPT
MARILOU T. RECAMARA, LPT

Positions
SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS – II

Institution
POTUNGAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Abstract

Keywords

Acknowledgement
Context and Rationale

Purpose and Significance of the Study

This action research proposal is conducted mainly to fill the syntactic grammatical gaps
or loopholes of the learners in terms of academic writing.

This will benefit the identified students or learners mainly because they would then be
able to write accurately following the conventions of the Standard English Academic Writing.

This action research proposal will also be beneficial to the teachers who will be handling
the said subject in the near future for they will already be having a basis for continued
pedagogical improvement and a barometer on the assessment of the students’ academic writing
skills.

Introduction (Problem Identification)

Among the many native tongues used by people in all sectors, e.g. in school, the
academe, or in the business workplace, the English language had played its part as the prime
language in use as a medium of instruction and of communication (spoken or written). With all
its many scopes, grammar proves vital in the achievement of efficacy in the
delivery/exemplification of information. Since the English language has its grammar governed
by rules and principles, native and non-native speakers of the language make concerted efforts to
learn how words are put together to form sentences to enable them to effectively communicate in
the language. Grammar is merely a subclass of its general umbrella “linguistics” which deals
with the study of language and its many forms and uses and as a subclass; it too has its own set
of fields of study to consider. One of which is syntax – the means on how words are organized or
put together in order to form a coherent, acceptable and a comprehensive capsule of words called
sentence.
 In my current position, I am concerned about my HUMSS 11- A students’ ability to
organize words and phrases in forming generally accepted and correct sentences in the context
of the subject English for Academic and Professional Purposes. Their skill in subject-verb-
agreement/syntactical knowledge is poor and can clearly be seen in the series of written outputs
that I had critiqued.

Review of Related Literature

As a country that makes use of English as a medium of instruction, business and

communication, it a known fact that errors in the use of English in the professional field must be
observed, more so in the educational system. The efforts of teaching grammatical accuracy and
the usage of specifically subject-verb-agreement rules in the country’s educational sectors are
agreeably in decline due to its exclusion from the curriculum. Quagie (2011) as cited in the work
of Wornyo (2016), Attending to the Grammatical Error of students using Constructive Teaching
and Learning Activities, argues that much more effort needs to be directed towards the teaching
of English grammar in schools to improve the students’ ability in formal academic writing.

To address students’ writing needs, engaging teaching pedagogies, correct and precise
classroom instructions, and a set of learning interventions to be used in the class must be
emphasized.

Innovation, intervention and strategies

In order to prove my concern or issues, I needed to gather information or data regarding

their writing ability from previous written outputs they had produced and compared it to the
series of written works a had prepared myself.

These outputs were critiqued on grounds of the effective and correct use of subject-verb-
agreement rules anchored on a set of rubric which validated the said rules. From my experience
in using different tools and techniques, I found out that the most important/relevant problem or
issue that I needed to focus on is the re-teaching of these English grammar rules and the refining
of the teaching and learning interventions to my students for them to relearn the concepts,
principles and rules of proper writing in a more engaging way. It is essential to write the
language in a manner that conforms to the standards of formal English academic writing, but
that does not hinder students from learning the said concepts, principles and rules the way a
millennial do.

Based from the following pieces of evidence, inadequate knowledge of the English
grammar rules or poor language proficiency affects the performance of students in the various
disciplines and for that matter, affecting their academic progress.

To cater for students’ writing needs at the senior high school level, I found out that there
is a number of classroom interventions that I could use in order to supplement for the need of
academic knowledge, that is, the re-acquisition of necessary skills in writing. Among these are;
(a) the use of daily word banking which enables the learners to build a wider account of
vocabulary. (b) the employment of the correcting of errors chart so that the students would
immediately be able to transform incorrect word forms into its correct form . (c) the use of
sentence tree diagramming/word mapping in order to determine the correct usage of all word
classes in a sentence, and (d) the blank space method which triggers the student’s ability to
identify which word class to use in a series of sentences.

All these interventions are encapsulated in a enhancement writing worksheet to be able

to provide adequate and constructive tasks, activities and drills for the improvement of the
learners’ syntactic knowledge.
Research Questions and Hypothesis/Assumptions

The problem of this action research is the inability of students to write grammatically
correct sentences.

Basis for this action research was identified through a series of written exercises planned
before the realization of this proposal, and the group of students mentioned have been confirmed
and identified to have had poor grammatical awareness which also paved the way for their poor
performance in academic writing.

I would now like to know ;

1. How can I improve my teaching pedagogies?

2. What strategies can I apply to motivate my learners?

3. Will the making of worksheets improve my students performance in academic

writing?

4. Will there be learning when conducive classroom is provided?

It is assumed that;

1. Teaching pedagogies will improve.

2. Various strategies ( e.g. word banking, error charting, tree diagramming, etc. ) are
can be applied to motivate learners.
3. Designing and making writing worksheets can improve students’ performance in
academic writing.
4. Learning is present due to a more conducive classroom.
Action Research Methods

a. Participants and/ or other Sources of Data and Inquiry

b. Data Gathering Methods

Data Collection and Analysis

Discussion of Results and Reflection

The result shows that the implementation of the worksheets and the utilization of
contextualized teaching pedagogies greatly improved the students’ awareness on grammar in
writing.
As an English secondary school teacher, I found it very satisfying to be able to address
and give immediate interventions to problems that really are happening inside the classroom. It is
not easy to be working with students whose capabilities and skills should have been presumed to
be ready or polished from their previous years, but since the spectrum of the teaching and
learning process is a long and continuous one, I must do my part to be able to contribute to the
many needs of the system that I am part of - all for the glory and success of the department and
of the students whom we dedicated ourselves to serve, facilitate, and cater regardless of race,
age, gender, status, behaviour or even academic and non-academic capabilities. The making of
this action research made me feel like I really am quantifying for the fact that I am truly a public
servant. Always ready and vigilant in noticing the needs and meeting demands .
Action Plan

Activities Time Frame Person Verifiable Resources

responsible Indicators needed

Send a letter of
notification to Subject teacher
the school head Principal
for the conduct Learners
of the action Stakeholders Approved
research 1 day letter/communication
Pool of English
teachers
Communication
Collaborate letter
The subject
with fellow
teacher
English Minutes
teachers The
Attendance
regarding the students/learner
issue identified 3 days s
Critique series 4 days Subject teacher Written works /
 of compositions concerned compositions
to quantify for
the identified
problem and
analyze data
for Rubrics
intervention

Data record

Design and
make
constructive
and effective
teaching and Subject teacher
learning concerned and
interventions to the pool of
English teachers Lesson plan
supplement for
the identified Conglomerated set of
problem activities for printing
( worksheets ) 6 days

Implementation Plan

Strategy Time Source of Instrument Verifiable

Frame Data needed Data Indicators

Drill 5 minutes Pool of English Bowl of

( activating words books, words, cut-
prior students are internet, out words,
learning ) familiar fellow pictures,
and English charts, tree
unfamiliar teachers map
with and
where they
 can justify
or give
meaning
about
Constructed
activities for
individual
writing(tree English
mapping, books,
charting, internet,
word fellow Paper and
recognition English pen, charts,
Activity 15 minutes etc.) teachers tree map
Curriculum
guide
Class proper ,lesson plan,
following new printed
pedagogies in materials, Curriculum,
the teaching etc English
and learning books,
process 20 minutes Etc. pedagogy
Enrichment 20 minutes Guided English worksheet
tasks Written teachers ‘
activities consolidated
ideas,
English
books,

References

Financial Report