METHODS

This section deals with the methodology and various steps adopted to collect and

organize data for the study. Research methods: involve research design, research

participants, an instrument used, reliability and validity, data gathering methods, plan

for data analysis, Proposed Innovation, Intervention and Strategy, Research Work plan

and timeline, cost estimates, plan for dissemination and utilization, and ethical

considerations.

Research Design

The study used a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design involving

two groups: an experimental group was given an experimental treatment – the PBL

approach. In contrast, the control group was assigned no therapy over the same period

as the conventional approach. Consequently, the researcher used an experimental study.

Both groups underwent the same academic achievement test in science as a pretest

before the testing process to determine the group's performance level. Here, the

academic achievement test was employed as a post-test and administered to both

groups after the experimental procedure to determine the effect of the treatment.
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Since the Grade level had three sections and was heterogeneous, the researcher

used the lottery method to have two experimental and control groups with an equal

number of participants. The threat of assignment bias was lessened using pretest. The

pretest scores were analyzed, and if they appeared to be alike before the actual period

of experimentation, the researcher was confident that the two groups were not different.

Thus, bias is minimized but not eliminated. (Gravetter & Forzanpo, 2010).

The researcher's intervention, Project-Based Learning, was carried out only on

the experimental group. The non-equivalent pretest-posttest group design allowed the

researcher to compare the pretest scores of two groups before the study's actual conduct

to ensure that the two groups had identical proportional scores by minimizing the bias.

Here, were going to analyze the experimental and control group post-test scores

to determine the effects of the intervention on both groups (Shuttleworth, 2008).

Participants

The study participants are the Grade 7 junior high school students of Manapla

NHSPurisima Extension at Brgy. Purisima, Manapla, Negros Occidental S.Y.

20212022. The participants were at the same level. Three sections in Grade 7 had a

total population of one hundred seven (104) students, categorized heterogeneously. Out

of the sample, Group 1 was assigned to an experimental group (n=35), while the other
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group, Group 2, formed the study's control group (n=35). All the students in the group

took the pre-test and compared it with the post-test to determine students' performance.

Table 1

Distribution of Participants

Groups N Percentage

Experimental group 35 50 %

Control group 35 50 %

Total 70 100 %

Grade 7 had three sections with a total of 104 students. Among these three

sections, the researcher chose only two sections with equal number of students who

would participate in the study.

Validity

Validity is how an instrument measures what is supposed to measure and perform

as it is designed to perform. It is rare, if nearly impossible, for a tool to be 100% valid,

so validity is generally measured in degree. Validation involves gathering and

analyzing data to assess the accuracy of an instrument in the process. Numerous

statistical tests and measures to evaluate the validity of quantitative tools generally
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involve pilot testing (Denzin & Lincon, 2005). To get the result, the researcher

presented the test instrument to the adviser and then let the three chosen expert jurors

prominent in the field of science. The juror was a Master of Education in Science, and

each expert was given a validation request attached to a validation rating sheet with

statements sourced from the criteria developed for evaluating survey questionnaires

designed by Good and Scates (1972). The scales used for rating by the evaluators are as

follows: 5 for strongly agree, 4 for agree, 3 for undecided, 2 for disagree, and 1 for

strongly disagree. The basis in scaling for interpretation purposes is the highest score

minus the lowest score divided by the desired number of categories. In this category are

4, which are as follows: very good, good, poor, and very poor. The highest possible

score is five, and the lowest is 1. The range, therefore, is 1.00 for every scale.

Recommendations and suggestions for improvement are taken into consideration by the

researcher.

Reliability

Reliability refers to how test scores are free from a measurement of error (Cohen,

2007). In addition, it is a measure of stability or internal consistency of an instrument in

measuring certain concepts (Muijis, 2011).

To find out the reliability index of the instrument, the researcher used thirty (30)

Grade 7-Aster students of Manapla NHS-Purisima Extension as dry-run respondents.

The researcher administered the test once.Following the steps to observe in solving the
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reliability index, the researcher divided the test into halves by assigning odd-numbered

items to one half of the test and even-numbered articles to the other half. It is called

oddeven reliability. Second, the researcher solved the correlation of scores between the

two halves using the Pearson r formula. Then, the researcher used the Spearman-

Brown formula to test the instrument's reliability. In statistics, the possible degree of

relationship between two variables can be numerically determined, and the numerical

value of the relationship interpreted in some sense. This relationship between two

variables is known as the Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation (Mamhot

et al., 2013). To be reliable, the test's value must be from 0.70-to 1.00.

The reliability of the research instrument for Project-Based Learning: An Aid to

Enhancing Students’ Performance of Grade 7 in science was conducted at Manapla

National High School-Purisima Extension with 30 participants from Grade 7. The

researcher computed a Pearson correlation to assess the test-retest reliability of the

research instrument. The results of 40- the item questionnaire were 0.866, which

indicates that the research instrument obtained a Good reliability result.

Instrument

According to Arikunto (1997: 225 – 235), a research instrument is a tool when

the researcher uses a method so that instrument is needed to get the data from a

researcher. In this study, research instrument refers to any equipment used to collect the
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data (Arikunto, 2010:262). In quasi-experimental research, the tool used is a teacher-

made pretestposttest material. The teacher himself makes teacher-made tests to

measure the achievement of his pupil from time to time (Athiranandan, 2019).

According to Ary et al. (2006:201), a set of stimuli is presented to the individual to

elicit responses based on which a numerical score will be used. Here, there are two

kinds of tests that; the researcher should do: pretest and posttest.

The researcher used a teacher-made test as a tool to gather the data. The input was

modified from Science Modules of DepEd K-12 Science Curriculum as the basis for

the questionnaire. The questionnaire prepared by the researcher covered all the lessons

in the Second Quarter: The Microscope, The Cell, The Asexual and Sexual

Reproduction, and the Ecosystem for two groups, the experimental and the control

group and was strictly aligned to the learning competencies in the previous quarter. A

total of 40 items in a multiple-choice format with an attached Table of Specification

(TOS) was used. The items were content validated by one Doctor of Philosophy in

Science and two Med Natural Science graduates. The adapted articles fit the processes

in the PBL and lectures on the topic. The teacher-made test was composed of four parts

(4) these are as follows: Part I. In this part, a multiple-choice test comprised ten items

about the topic of microscopes.

Part 2. In this part, another multiple-choice test was used with ten numbers about

the topic Cell.

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Part 3. In this part, the researcher used a Multiple-choice type of test with ten

numbers on the topic of Sexual and Asexual Reproduction

Part.4 The last part has another multiple-choice type of test which consists of 10

items that were all about the Ecosystem.

Data Gathering Procedure

After the validity and reliability of the research instrument were ready for

distribution, the researcher sought the approval of the Principal of Manapla

NHSPurisima Extension to conduct the quasi-experimental study. After the permission

was granted, the researcher completed the survey of her respondents. The researcher

gave a teacher-made test for pre-test, and post-test was given to both the control and

experimental groups on the first days of the Second Quarter. It is necessary, claims

Shuttleworth (2009), to analyze first the pre-test results of the two groups to ensure that

both have an approximate level of knowledge.

Students under the control group had their regular schedule, 1:00-2:00 PM, which

was reflected on their Weekly Home Learning Plan (WHLP). The experimental group

was required to do the tasks and consulted their outputs with their teacher during a

period. Here, both groups were unaware that they were part of the experiment. Before

conducting the study, the researcher created separate chat groups for each group of
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participants wherein she could monitor their attendance in every activity. The

researcher ensured they were all included in the chat group with no students left

behind. After all the tests were conducted on the participants, the researcher proceeded

to analyze the data with the assistance of the statistician. Here, a researcher used a

statistical table to summarize findings parallel with the study's objectives.

Statistical Treatment

Based on the research objectives, this study employed the following procedure for

data analysis.

1. In Problem 1 which aimed to determine the pre-test and post-test scores

between the control and experimental group, mean and standard deviation were used.

2. Problem 2, which aimed to determine a significant difference in the

pretest and post-test scores between the experimental and control group, paired t-test

was used.

3. Problem 3, which aims to determine a significant difference in the post-

test scores between the experimental and control groups, paired t-test was used.
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Innovation, Intervention, and Strategy

Intervention is program elements or techniques designed to produce behavior

changes or improve education status among individuals or students. Intervention may

include educational programs, new or more robust policies, environmental

improvements, or a health promotion campaign. Interventions that include multiple

strategies are typically the most effective in producing desired and lasting change.

This section discusses the independent and the dependent variables significant in

this study. The independent variables include the two kinds of instruction: the

traditional modular approach in the control group and the experimental group's Project-

Based Learning (PBL) Activities. On the other hand, the dependent variable presents

the effects of these two instructions in both the control and experimental groups. Both

groups will undergo a pre-test administered by the researcher at the start of the second

quarter. Before conducting the study, the researcher shall secure a waiver that permits

students to serve as participants. After gathering the pre-test result, the researcher will

conduct a series of activities during the intervention period, comprising two months of

monitoring and facilitating students ‘progress in the experimental group. In contrast,

the control group will continue to take the traditional modular approach. Furthermore,

the researcher makes sure that the participants are unaware that they are being

experimented on. The experimental group will be exposed to project-based learning

activities in this study. Instruction, the activities are based on student learning goals,
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specifically on developing standard-based content, critical and creative thinking, and

problem solving.

During the intervention, students will do the Project-Based Learning Activities in

the list below: Intervention Notebook, 3-Dimensional Model, Infographics, and

Diorama. The first activity is Interactive Notebook which refers to an instructional

strategy that allows students to organize systematically the information distributed by

the teacher and create a helpful learning tool filled with huddle materials of subject

content. Next is 3-Dimensional, another strategy wherein students can create a real-

world concept, be creative, and discover new skills. Third, Infographics refer to visual

representations of information or knowledge intended to present what he learned from

the lesson. Lastly is the Diorama, a strategy where graphical pictures of a place,

concept, scene, or idea are shown and let students create their display. In this research,

the teacher was a facilitator that guided them throughout the activity motivator

encouraged students to build a connection with one another. On the other hand, the

control group will undergo the traditional method of modular instruction in which the

teacher will only provide formative assessments such as quizzes, individual tasks, and

summative tests. The effects of this twin method of instructions- the PBL activities for

the experimental group and Project-Based Learning, as a strategy, will be employed to

enhance students performance in Science 7. The participants will have been given

enough time to make an output after the necessary skills are taught.
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Plan for dissemination and Utilization

Science teachers will use the possible findings of this study as the basis to

increase their MPS every year. Likewise, they will utilize the study's findings in

formulating interventions to enhance students' performance in science. Finally, the

researcher will disseminate the findings of this study to other educators and researchers

during the research forum in the school.

Ethical Considerations

Given the fact that the Grade 7 students were children and considered to be

protected by the Child Protection Policy in the Philippines, the researcher observed

utmost care and very cognizant of ethical considerations in all phases of the conduct of

the study.

Before administering the instrument, the researcher will obtain permission to

conduct the study from the Office of the School Principal and class advisers of Grade 7

students. Likewise, the researcher will secure parental consent from the participants'

parents before they are permitted to answer the questionnaire. The researcher will treat

all data gathered in this study with utmost confidentiality and anonymity and if students

should ask data regarding the result of this study, they would be accommodated and be

given precise information.