A STUDY ON THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF BANANA

PEELS AS POTENTIAL CHALKBOARD WAX

_______________________
A Case Study

Presented to the

Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation Inc.

Senior High School Department

_______________________
In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Subject

Media and Information Literacy

Researchers

NEV LEANNE K. APOLONIO

KERSHEY THERESE M. BARANDA

PYT ANDRE CEBUANO

JIAN FRANCES KYLA P. CORDETA

JERIKA MARIA C. DELLORO

JONATHAN KANT L. GUASIS

EMMANUEL AARON LEUTERIO

FRANCES ARMAN R. MONTA

Teacher

AARON A. CONTEJAR, LPT

2021
 INTRODUCTION

Education has been part of society since ancient History. However,

it was only in the 18th century that educators began to use chalkboards to
learn up to this day [6]. Chalkboards have been helpful in teaching, presenting
visuals, and not to mention cheap. In many developing countries, chalkboards
outnumbered whiteboards and projectors since they are easy to access [3].
Although chalkboard had been proven effective in teaching, it undoubtedly
exposes students and teachers to chalk dust that may cause respiratory
problems such as asthma, bronchial hyperactivity syndrome, etc. [7].

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and

Immunology (AAAAI), there are links between chalk dust and allergy problems
and air quality [5]. A student's asthma may worsen if he is exposed to too
much chalk dust. Chalks labelled as being anti-dust or dustless still release
small particles into the air [1]. When students erase the chalk from the board,
dust particles fly everywhere, and some particles remain on the board. These
remaining particles could slowly build up, and people could inhale them
unknowingly and harm them in the end.

The banana peel is one aspect of a banana plant used as an

antibacterial since it can inhibit microbial activity. The banana peel itself
contains non-nutritional polyphenols and flavonoids. Polyphenol compounds
are a possible source of antioxidants and antimicrobials against certain
pathogenic bacteria and potential disease prevention agents [8]. Additionally,
the banana plant is considered antibacterial since it can be an inhibitor of
microbial activity.

Banana peels have unique cleaning properties that make them

environmentally friendly cleaning agents. It has been used in teeth whitening,
skincare, hair health, household cleaning, and many more [4]. The peel
contains salicylic acid, a natural astringent; citric acid, a mild bleaching agent;
and a mixture of manganese, magnesium, and potassium, all of which can
safely remove stains. In addition, chalkboard wax made from banana peel

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mixed with candle wax and kerosene can be used instead of a wet towel to
remove chalk dust residua from the chalkboard.

Statement of the Problem

This research aims to utilize banana peels' contents to produce a wax

capable of extracting tiny dust particles and adding shine to the chalkboard.

Specific Objectives

A. Evaluate the Effectiveness of banana peels as chalkboard wax.

B. Assess if it is more effective than the chalkboard wax available in the

market.

Null Hypothesis

A. There are no significant effects of banana peels as chalkboard wax since

there are no contents in banana peels that can make it capable of cleaning
chalkboard dust.

B. Banana peels as chalkboard wax showed no effects compared to the

Effectiveness of the wax available in the markets.

Significance of the Study

To students, the findings of this study will provide them with a more
accessible and efficient way to clean the chalkboard when they are assigned
to do the said task.

To teachers, the results of this study can provide them with an affordable
and homemade chalkboard wax that is very easy to use. It can also lessen the
possibility of acquiring allergies or asthma when cleaning or erasing the dust
from the chalkboard.

To janitors, the results of this study can help them do their job more
accessible because the dust particles that usually accumulates on the floor will
be lessened, which makes sweeping and cleaning the floors easier.

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To society, the result of this study can open opportunities for members of
society. They can make this wax and sell it, which can be their source of
income.

To future researchers, the findings of this study may be used as a

foundation of new studies related to the topic.

Scope and Limitations

This study primarily focuses on testing the Effectiveness of banana

peels as the main ingredient in making chalkboard wax. The banana peelings
are to be obtained from a fruit stall located at Brgy. Guindapunan, Palo Leyte,
and other ingredients such as kerosene will be obtained from a nearby
gasoline station. Finally, the candle wax will be bought at a nearby sari-sari
store. Effectively cleaning the dust particles from the chalkboard is the only
parameter of this study.

This study is to be done at the researcher's house in Brgy.

Guindapunan, Palo Leyte since the materials and ingredients to be used are
readily available there. The Effectiveness of the banana peels will be measured
by erasing the dust particles from the chalkboard first and then using the wax
to clean it thoroughly.

Definition of Terms

For purposes of clarification, the following terms are defined:

Air Quality. The degree to which the surrounding air is free of pollution.

Allergy. A chronic condition involving an abnormal reaction to an ordinarily

harmless substance.

Asthma. A long-term respiratory illness in which the airways narrow suddenly

and unexpectedly, usually due to an allergen, cold air, exercise, or emotional
stress.

Banana peel. The several outermost layers of a banana, which can

collectively be stripped off of the fruit's interior flesh, may be slippered if
stepped on.

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Chalk. A soft, white, powdery limestone made up primarily of foraminifer
fossil shells.

Chalk Board. A large flat surface, finished with black slate or similar material,
can be written upon with chalk and subsequently erased.

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 METHODS

Research Design

As for this study, the researchers consider the research design

appropriate to use is the Quasi-Experimental Research. This research design
aims at a cause-and-effect relationship between an independent and
dependent variable [18]. However, unlike an actual quasi-experiment, on the
other hand, it does not rely on random assignment. Subjects are instead
divided into groups depending on non-random factors.

Researchers deemed it suitable to use to scrutinize Banana Peel's

Effectiveness as a chalkboard wax. The independent variable is the banana
peel chalkboard wax. The dependent variable is the amount of chalk dust
particles present on the chalkboard. Furthermore, a control group will be
utilized for comparison. In doing this, researchers will determine and compare
whether a banana peel chalkboard wax is effective for eliminating residual
chalk dust particles on the chalkboard.

Experimental Setup

The researchers did throughout the procedure to make the number of

experiments to three in total. In the initial attempt, the researchers did not
employ precise measurements for the ingredients of the wax. In the second
study, the researchers used exact measurements and methods, such as
melting 150ml of finely sliced candles in a medium-sized cooking pot on low
heat for 10 minutes before, adding five large banana peels to the pot once the
candle had melted entirely. Slowly combined the candle wax and banana
peels. They have turned off the heat after 10 minutes. Next, poured in 80ml
of kerosene and brought to a boil for five minutes before straining the mixture
into a small metal tin jar using a wire mesh strainer. Allowed the mixture to
set and firm for 20 minutes before forming it into a wax. The researchers used
the second trial as a checkpoint for a possible change in the ingredient ratio;
this prompted them to move on to the third experiment, in which they made
significant changes to the ingredient ratio using the same procedures as
before, starting with melting 80ml of finely sliced candles in a medium-sized
cooking pot over low heat. Ten minutes. When the candles were melted
entirely, five big banana peels were added to the saucepan. Slowly combine

5
the candle wax and banana peels. They have turned off the heat after 10
minutes. Then added 150ml of kerosene to the pot and allowed it to boil for
five minutes; after that, the researchers added another 150ml of kerosene as
part of the ingredient ratio change, giving a total of 300 ml of kerosene. And
then poured the mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a small metal tin
jar. It was allowing the mixture to cure and harden for 20 minutes before
forming it into a wax. After cooling, the said banana peel wax had the same
consistency similar to commercial floor wax.

Small chalkboards were utilized rather than using chalkboards seen

in a traditional classroom. Three (3) miniature chalkboards are needed to
conduct the experiments. Each chalkboard will be coated with chalk and
erased using a standard chalkboard eraser. Using a clean cloth, apply a
generous amount of the banana peel wax to the surface of one (1) of the three
(3) chalkboards. Using another clean towel, wet it with ordinary tap water and
squeeze it half dry to remove any extra water. As with the previous sample,
clean the other chalkboard with the wet towel and leave the last blackboard
untouched. These two will serve as the study's control group. It will be
repeated twice more for a total of three trials, testing the three sets of
concocted banana peel wax while comparing each to the two control groups.

Data Collection Procedure

As the whole experimentation has no sufficient budget to be able to

acquire and use a particle mobility scanner and a dust size analyzer to
measure the amount of chalk dust particles left on the chalkboard or a good
product tester, a specific scale was designed to make up for the lack of utility
and equipment in this study (see Appendix). To determine the impact of the
product sample used in the experiment, an observation sheet was drafted in
Google form with a five-point scale format addressing each sample's effectivity
on the chalkboards. As mandated by the researchers' professor, the
researchers involved 18 external respondents and eight (8) researchers to
avoid bias outcomes. The respondents are mainly students. Respondents,
including the researchers, will access the form through Messenger, provided
to their chatbox. After each sample is applied, the researchers and the

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respondents (a total of 26 respondents) assessed each chalkboard individually
with the scale created using Google Forms in order for the researchers to
obtain their data. The researcher's utilized smartphones aiding to record the
experiment while also documenting the setup where the banana wax was
applied to the chalkboard, the documented photos were attached to the said
form as a basis for assessing the experiment, and this will become a means
of assisting the data gathering procedure because the researchers have
collected data via Google Forms.

Data Analysis Procedure

There are five classes of data within the observation sheet: data that
evaluates illuminance, cleanliness, chalk dust residua, Effectiveness, and
convenience (whether applicable for practical use). These data were analyzed
through a computer program, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet 2013 (MS Excel)
and SPSS software.

The data were tallied, subjected to a mean, and were compared

together. The data was done via an automated data analysis system of the
aforementioned statistical test within MS Excel. The alpha level was set to the
default level of 0.05 (5%). The data was gathered using the Kruskal Wallis H
Test and Pairwise comparison as a reference. The data was examined using
the Kruskal Wallis Test. Although this test enables us to determine a significant
difference between the three groups, our data set are ordinal. In other words,
there is no actual distance between each category (eg. The distance between
1 and 2 may be the same as the distance between 4 and 5. (on a five-point
scale). In general, a pairwise comparison compares two entities in order to
determine which is preferred. A quantitative feature is whether or not the two
entities are identical.

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 RESULTS

After a series of observations on the banana peel wax and the two
control groups, the chalkboard was cleaned with a wet cloth. Finally, with only
an eraser, the following data were collected.

Table 1. Rank
Group N Mean Rank
Cleanliness Banana Peel 26 60.35
Wet Cloth 26 42.92
Eraser 26 15.23
Total 78

Chalkdust Residual Banana Peel 26 33.65

Wet Cloth 26 36.56
Eraser 26 48.29
Total 78

Illuminance Banana Peel 26 61.48

Wet Cloth 26 37.04
Eraser 26 19.98
Total 78

Convenience Banana Peel 26 44.83

Wet Cloth 26 37.23
Eraser 26 36.44
Total 78

Table 1 shows each sample tested on four categories: cleanliness,

chalk dust residua, illuminance, and convenience. As the data is ordinal, the
mean rank, the average rank of observation within each sample, was
recorded instead of a score mean. Thus, the mean rank of each sample can
determine the standing within the category.

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 Table 2. Kruskal Wallis HTest Statisticsa,b
Cleanliness Chalk dust Residual Illuminance Convenience
Kruskal-Wallis H 55.021 6.361 46.701 2.342

df 2 2 2 2

Asymp. Sig. (p value) <.001 .042 <.001 .310

a. Kruskal Wallis Test

b. Grouping Variable: Group

A Kruskal Wallis H test was used to compare a statistical difference

between the independent and two control groups. An implication level of 0.05
was used as a threshold value (Table 2). According to the values in the table,
there is a significant difference between each sample group in all categories
except convenience with a p-value that exceeds 0.05 alpha value. For
example, the p-value for the three categories: cleanliness, chalk dust residual,
and illuminance, is <0.01, 0.42, <0.01, respectively. Nevertheless, we do not
know what specific group showed the most difference, so a Pairwise
Comparison was used with a significance level of 0.05.

Table 3. Pairwise Comparisons of Group (Cleanliness)

Sample 1-Sample 2 Test Statistic Std. Error Std. Test Statistic Sig. Adj. Sig.a
Eraser-Wet Cloth 27.692 6.134 4.514 <.001 .000

Eraser-Banana Peel 45.115 6.134 7.354 <.001 .000

Wet Cloth-Banana Peel 17.423 6.134 2.840 .005 .014

The null hypothesis is that the dissemination of Sample 1 and Sample 2 are identically tested in each row.
The significance of asymptotic testing (2-sided tests) is shown—the level of importance is.050.
a. For multiple tests, the Bonferroni correction was used to alter significance values.

Table 3 shows a significant difference between the eraser and wet cloth
sample group, with a p-value of 0.00, between the eraser and banana peel
wax, and with a p-value of 0, between the wet cloth and banana peel wax.
Thus, we can infer using the test statistics that the level of cleanliness between

9
the banana peel wax and the wet cloth is close in value. At the same time, the
eraser sample group cannot clean as much compared to the other two.

Table 4. Pairwise Comparisons of Group (Chalk Dust Residual)

Sample 1-Sample 2 Test Statistic Std. Error Std. Test Statistic Sig. Adj. Sig.a
Banana Peel-Wet Cloth -2.904 6.144 -.473 .637 1.000
Banana Peel-Eraser -14.635 6.144 -2.382 .017 .052
Wet Cloth-Eraser -11.731 6.144 -1.909 .056 .169
The null hypothesis is that the dissemination of Sample 1 and Sample 2 are identically tested in each
row.
The significance of asymptotic testing (2-sided tests) is shown—the level of importance is.050.
a. For multiple tests, the Bonferroni correction was used to alter significance values.

Table 4 shows that the findings indicate a significant difference

between the groups of samples according to the Kruskal Wallis H Test.
However, all the sample groups adjusted p-value fall below the 0.05 alpha
value threshold. The adjusted p-value is where the Bonferroni correction has
corrected it for multiple tests to avoid the statistical error of it happening by
chance.

Table 5. Pairwise Comparisons of Group (Illuminance)

Std. Test
Sample 1-Sample 2 Test Statistic Std. Error Statistic Sig. Adj. Sig.a
Eraser-Wet Cloth 17.058 6.105 2.794 .005 .016

Eraser-Banana Peel 41.500 6.105 6.798 <.001 .000

Wet Cloth-Banana Peel 24.442 6.105 4.004 <.001 .000

The null hypothesis is that the dissemination of Sample 1 and Sample 2 are identically tested in each
row.
The significance of asymptotic testing (2-sided tests) is shown—the level of importance is.050.
a. For multiple tests, the Bonferroni correction was used to alter significance values.

Based on the given data in Table 5, the banana peel wax can polish the
chalkboard's surface; that is why there is a statistically significant difference
between the two sample groups. In terms of illuminance, the most pair to

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have a significant difference is between the banana peel wax and the eraser
sample group with a p-value of 0.00 and test statistics of 41.500 followed by
wet cloth – banana peel wax pair (p-value 0.00, test statistics of 24.442), and
lastly the eraser- wet cloth pair. The illuminance was measured based on the
level of how much light illuminates the surface of the chalkboard.

To compare the effects of each banana sample on the chalkboard.

Instead of four, two categories were used this time. Visual, which pertains to
the wax's capability to polish and Effectiveness, measures its texture on the
chalkboard and whether it is still writable.

Table 6. Ranks
Trial N Mean Rank
Visual First Trial 26 39.85

Second Trial 26 26.63

Third Trial 26 52.02

Total 78

Effectiveness First Trial 26 32.92

Second Trial 26 28.67

Third Trial 26 56.90

Total 78

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 Table 7. Test Statistics,b

Visual Effectiveness
Kruskal-Wallis H 17.261 25.002

df 2 2

Asymp. Sig. <.001 <.001

a. Kruskal Wallis Test

b. Grouping Variable: Trial

Table 7 shows a significant difference between the three banana peel

samples with a p-value <0.01 for each category.

Table 8. Pairwise Comparisons of Trial

Visual
Sample 1-Sample 2 Test Statistic Std. Error Std. Test Statistic Sig. Adj. Sig.a
Second Trial-First Trial 13.212 6.112 2.162 .031 .092

Second Trial-Third Trial -25.385 6.112 -4.153 <.001 .000

First Trial-Third Trial -12.173 6.112 -1.992 .046 .139

Effectivity
Sample 1-Sample 2 Test Statistic Std. Error Std. Test Statistic Sig. Adj. Sig.a

Second Trial-First Trial 4.250 6.088 .698 .485 1.000

Second Trial-Third Trial -28.231 6.088 -4.637 <.001 .000

First Trial-Third Trial -23.981 6.088 -3.939 <.001 .000

The null hypothesis is that the dissemination of Sample 1 and Sample 2 are identically tested in each row.
The significance of asymptotic testing (2-sided tests) is shown—the level of importance is.050.
a. For multiple tests, the Bonferroni correction was used to alter significance values.

In this study, researchers found out that there is a 0.00

significant difference between the second trial and the third trial sample in
terms of visual aspect because The p-value is lower than the 0.05 alpha
threshold. It would mean that the second trial sample does not polish the

12
chalkboard as much as the first and third trial samples (Table 8). On the other
hand, the effectivity showed a 0.00 p-value from two pair groups, second –
third trial and first – third trial, respectively. From this, there is a significant
difference between both pairs. It can be analyzed, as, in terms of effectivity
on the chalkboard, there is a difference between the third trial and the second
and first trial. The effectiveness level from the first and second trials is mostly,
if not the same.

DISCUSSION

There were four criteria or categories to Test the Effectiveness

of the banana peel wax: cleanliness, chalk dust residual, illuminance, and
convenience. Researchers found out that there is no difference between the
sample groups (Table 2). In other words, there is an equal or the same
number of people that will use either one of the three to clean a chalkboard.
It seems worth noting that banana peel wax can be used to clean and polish
a chalkboard since it produces a noticeable difference compared to using an
eraser and a moist towel (Table 3 and 5). Suppose the criteria is the amount
of chalk dust left on a chalkboard's surface. In that case, statistically, it simply
is not enough of a difference among the sample groups. However, there is
absolutely no difference between the banana peel and eraser chalk dust
residua.

Furthermore, it was not enough to be statistically significant since we have to

account for the error level resulting from repeated tests. However, if you look
at the mean rank of each sample in Table 1, you can see that the banana peel
wax has the least mean rank amongst the three samples. Thus, considering
how this category is interpreted, the low number indicates little to no residua
on the chalkboard.

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 There are also three samples of banana peel wax, and they
were tested in two categories: visual and Effectiveness. There is not much
difference between the three banana peel wax samples except the second and
the third trial samples in polishing and illumination, which shows a significant
difference (Table 8). The Effectiveness, however, shows a significant
difference between the pair second trial - third trial; and first – third trial
samples compared to the pair of the first and second trial banana sample
(Table 8). It would mean that effectivity of the third trial sample is higher than
that of the first and second trial. In contrast, the first trial works better than
the second trial. Considering the test statistics in Table 8 and the mean rank
of each sample in Table 6, we can find out that the third trial performed best
among the three banana samples, followed by the first trial banana sample,
then the second trial banana sample.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the data gathered from the experiment, banana peel

chalkboard wax can be an effective cleaner for chalkboards, especially when
made with the exact measurement of ingredients. Almost all of the
researcher's trials were successful, but some factors did not make it perfect.
The third banana peel chalkboard wax that was made showed the most
significant results and the most effective in cleaning the chalkboard. It is
suggested that future investigations use proper tools in observing the effect
of the chalkboard wax. Such tools are a dust size analyzer and scanning
mobility particle sizer. Researchers should also have an observation in an
actual classroom setting. Give the participants/observer, including the
researchers, time to observe how efficient the banana peel chalkboard wax is.

14
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