ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 1

APPLIED RESEARCH PROPOSAL

ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON

STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 3

Review of Related Literature and Studies ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 3

Conceptual Framework ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 4

Research Questions ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 5

Hypothesis ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 5

Significance of the Study ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 5

Scope and Limitations ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙

Method ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 7

Type of Research ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 7

Respondents and Sampling Method ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 7

Sources of Data ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 8

Instruments ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 8

Data Collection Procedures and Ethical Considerations ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 9

Data Analysis ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 9

Timetable/Gantt Chart ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 9

Cost Estimates ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 11

Plan for Dissemination and Advocacy ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 11

 ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 2

REFERENCE ∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ 11

INTRODUCTION

On the daily basis of learning new things, many students somehow manage to have fun

and easily pick up the lessons without fail. On the other hand, some students miserably fail their

exams, having wrong answers in recitation and left behind from group activities. These students

have the characteristics of having low self-esteem and confidence, not having interest in the

lesson and other reasons students say when they are tired and hit by laziness. In result, they also

fail their quarterly periodical tests for not taking them seriously, but what for if they didn’t learn

anything from the lesson?

In order to have interactions with the low performer students, teachers can apply ice-

breaking strategies to help them boost their self-esteem and confidence and able to catch up in

the lesson for no one will ever left behind.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Dover (2004) considers ice breakers as "discussion questions" or "interaction activities"

that can be used to help learners to learn to speak easily and enjoyably. He believes that

developing an environment which decreases students' anxiety, "breaks the ice" between learners

and learning with fun activities is the primary goal of ice breakers.
ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 3

Pillai (2007) mentions the purpose of ice breakers as helping new and shy students to

strike a conversation by developing communication skills and team building, breaking cultural

barriers among students, promoting a sense of trust and friendship among them, encouraging,

and preparing them to learn by stimulating their minds and/or their bodies.

According to Varvel (2002) ice breaker is an activity used to help individual ease into the

group setting.

According to Sapp (2007), principles of successful ice breakers are as follows:

1- Simple

2- Non-threatening

3- Open ended

4- Relevant

5- Energizing

In reality, students' success in class depends mostly on how well the teacher breaks the

ice among them. From this point of view, Teachers should take more attention about the

methodology they can claim in their classes and try to improve their teaching ability.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Profile of respondents in terms of - Ice Breaking Activities

Performance Output and Pre-
- Group tasks
Test Results
- Discussion and Oral
Recitation
Students improved their
- Post -Test
performance output
ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 4

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The primary question this study tries to answer is whether or not providing students with

ice breaking tasks as their class activities can exert any impact on their performance.

Generally, in every classroom, there are students who are silent most of the time and they

prefer to let others participate and do the activities. By encouraging students to participate in

enjoyable and low risk ice breaking activities they, will be more successful in learning process.

Specifically, this study will answer the question:

Does providing low performer students with ice-breaking tasks have any effect on

their performance in class?

HYPOTHESIS

The class will be exposed to ice breaking activities in the hopes of improving their

performance output. The study postulates two hypotheses to be tested:

H1: If students will do ice breaking activities, then their performance output will be

improved.

H2: By doing ice breaking activities, students will have a big significant difference

between pre-test result and post-test results.

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 5

Peterson (2010), states that if teachers start their lesson plan with a five-minute ice

breaker activity, it will cause students to focus on the topic, start "creative thinking" and try

learning in a new way.

Leblanc (2011) confirms that by doing ice breaking activities students will lose their

interest for the outside world and will focus on the lesson. So, after doing an ice breaking activity

each student is going to be able to concentrate on their lesson issue and as the result, learning

will be more useful. Finally, it will be easier for teacher to reach each student and in this way the

teacher can facilitate the way that students will attain their learning goals.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

LIMITATIONS

It seems that the subsequent factors have limited this study in one way or another:

1. Actually, for giving each person in a population a similar likelihood to be included in the

sample, "random sampling" is needed. Yet the type of sampling, which was employed in this

study, was the available group selection, i.e. instead of individual subject selection, there was

group selection.

2. Subjects' social classes were certainly unheeded as well.

3. Teachers' age, gender, and social class were unheeded, too.

4. The number of the subjects was restricted to one class and also the extension of the experiment

was limited to one term.

ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 6

5. The general ability to other learning proficiency levels desires further research and analysis.

DELIMITATIONS

In order to meet the criterion of manageability and to permit a satisfactory analysis of the

results, narrowing down and delimiting the problems in any study have proved to be inevitable.

1. The participants were chosen from amongst the male and female who are improving the

performance output in

2. To reduce the subject anxiety during the lesson, the examiner was the students' own teacher.

METHOD

TYPE OF RESEARCH

This study is an action research uses analytical research. The data which are collected

through steps are analyzed in order to create a analysis which will answer our research questions.

RESPONDENTS AND SAMPLING METHOD

This study is an action research concerning students in New Cabalan Elementary School,

School Year 2017-2018 as well as, top five low performers in the class. These students got 3

consecutive low scores (four less out of ten items).

The data were collected during some steps. These steps include giving pre-test, giving the

treatment, group task scores and giving the post-test.

ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 7

The type of sampling employed in this study was the available group sampling. The class

is to be divided into 5 groups; one of the top five low performers is to be distributed to each

group.

SOURCE OF DATA

This research will provide quantitative data in order to find out whether there is

significant changes prior to the involvement of the interventions provided. In order for this

research to be relevant, there are sources of data needed.

In this research, there will be rubrics in every group activities on which different criterion

will be judged depending on the outcome of their report. There will be also the classroom

discussion, recitation and as well as the quizzes and homeworks. Finally, their examinations as

well as the periodical tests are also be taken consideration in the sources of data. All for the sake

of answering whether there will be an effect on the students’ performance.

INSTRUMENTS

This research requires different materials in order to apply ice breakers. To exhibit dance

and singing entertainments, one should acquire certain objects such as DVD player, television

etc. In utilizing games as ice breakers, one is in need of a related material in order to move the

game in action. And lastly in doing experiments as ice breakers, one should prepare audio-visual

aids in order to understand properly on what would be the objective of the said experiment.

DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 8

Ice breaking activities should be considered as one of the performance output of the

students. It may differ by the way the students actively participate on such activities. One can

also score the group activities by applying certain competencies with allotted points to help in

the scoring of the group and also by individual. Pre-Test and Post-Test share an important role in

the research for they help to answer whether the performance of the students improved or not.

DATA ANALYSIS

By recording their scores based from group tasks and ice breaking activities, all of the

students of Grade 3 obtained score of 10 higher in all of their performance output. Post-test

results obtained 15% higher in MPS than on the Pre-test. In fact, they obtained nearing mastery

beyond the DepEd target which is 75% passing scores.

TIMETABLE

ACTIVITIES/INTERVENTION TO BE
TARGET DATES
UNDERTAKEN

Construction of Performance Assessment of

June – August 2017
Pre-Test.

Prepare daily plans on the required

competencies to be developed including

September, 2017
assigning ice breaker between the low

performers before starting the class.

Grouped the class into 5 where each five low
September – November, 2017
performers distributed in each group.
Conducted the different group activities which September – November, 2017
ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 9

each group was given certain task to answer.

After solving each task, the low performers in

each group will report what they have done to

solve the problem.

Discussion and oral recitation followed by on
September – November, 2017
the required competencies.
Conduct of Post- Test February 27, 2018

The Pre-Test is utilized to gather data and determine the achievement of Grade 3 K to 12

pupils. The Pre-Test is conducted in July after which the results was recorded and analyzed.

Interventions are made to enhance the respondent group. Interventions such as ice breaker

activities, games, and others were taken to boost the confidence of the students during discussion

and oral recitations.

Followed by the conduct of Post-Test at the end of the competencies allotted for the

Fourth Grading Period using the same set of questions used in the Pre-test Results will be then

analyzed and interpreted.

COST ESTIMATES

Varies on the instruments needed. The materials needed in the presentation of the group

work. As well as the materials needed in presenting the problem. If possible, the dvd player and

television for an innovative display of lessons. Overall, this research estimates that the cost that

most likely to be needed will be less than three hundred pesos (P500.00).
ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 10

PLAN FOR DISSEMINATION AND ADVOCACY

This research will most likely be useful to those who struggle in making their low

performers do more. This traditional way of enhaincing their social skills to boost their

confidence into providing some informaation about the given topic without knowing that they

are achieving something. This study is relevant to those who are finding another way to bring fun

in their lessons with giving a different perspective on the lesson.

REFERENCE

Dover, K. H. (2004). Break the ice in classrooms and meetings. Icebreakers . Retrieved

March 24, 2017 from http://adulted.about.com/cs/icebreakers/a/icebreaker.htm.

Leblanc, R. (2011). The function of warm up activities for learning English. Retrieved

March 24, 2017 from http://www.ehow.com

Peterson, M. (2010). “Dynamic Stretching” Squared. Essential Somatics.com. Retrieved

March 24, 2017 from http://essentialsomatics.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/

pandiculation-dynamic- stretchingsquared/

Pillai, M. (2007). Classroom icebreaker activities for students. Retrieved March 24,

2017 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/classroom-icebreaker-activities-for-

students.html.

Sapp, K. (2007). What is an icebreaker? Retrieved 10 March, 2017 from

http://creativeyouthideas/searchwarp.com/swa250303.html.
ICE BREAKING ACTIVITIES: EFFECT ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE 11

Varvel, E.V. (2002). Ice-breakers. Retrieved March 24, 2017 from

http://www.ion.uillions.edu/resources/pointersclickers/2002_01/index.asp.