III METHODOLOGY

Method of Study

The teacher prepared an Economics Strategic Intervention Material based on

the format and requirements of the Department of Education, capacities and abilities

of the learners, the characteristics and culture of the community. This study is based

on the developmental and experimental research methods in which the researcher

developed a Strategic Intervention Material (SIM) based on the Social Studies-

Economics subject. Meanwhile, the respondents undergo pre-test and post-test

regarding in Economics lessons to determine the control and experimental group.

Those who did not meet the curriculum standards after the pre-test were

assigned to the experimental group and were provided with a Strategic Intervention

Materials (SIM) that covered the basic concepts of Economics. The students who meet

the curriculum requirements are counted in the control group. The experimental

group was separated from the class and studied the Economics subject without the

presence of the teacher while those in the control group remained in the research

teacher online class. These two processes occur simultaneously or at the same time.

Population and Sample

The respondents of the study were the 36 students in Grade 9-Euclid of

Dinadiawan National High School this first quarter of the school year 2020-2021.

Table 1. Respondents of the Study

Group Number Percentage

Experimental 24 27%
Control 64 73%

Total 88 100
 Such a number of students are just a section that are all heterogeneous and

take on the subject of Economics. Participants in the experimental group were

identified by pre-test, which led the total number of students to use Strategic

Intervention Materials (SIM) at 24 students with a percentage of 27 and 64 students

from the control group with a percentage of 73.

Locale

This study was conducted at Dinadiawan National High School, Dinadiawan,

Dipaculao, Aurora. It is a public secondary school located in the outlying village and in

the Northern part of Dipaculao. It has a Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) that

covers junior and senior high school.

This school year 2020-2021, the school has a total of 574 students. Most of

them are from the barangay of Ipil, Mijares, Ditale, Borlongan, Calaocan and

Dinadiawan which are all within the district of Dipaculao. There are also from

neighboring barangay of Dibaraybay and Ditawini of Dinalungan town. There are also

from barangay of Bianuan and Calantas of Casiguran town. There are also from

barangay of Alcala, Dimanpudso, Malasin, Diaat and Florida of Maria Auora town.

There are also from barangay of Sabang, Suclayin and Pingit of Baler town. There are

also from barangay of Ditumabo of San Luis town. There are also from the outside of

Aurora province like barangay of Liciada of Bustos town, barangay of Cawayan of

Irosin town, Lingayen town, barangay of Quezon of Gerona town, barangay Sagubo of

Kapangan town, barangay of San Isidro of Rodriguez town, barangay Kapunitan of

Orion town, barangay of Langgam of San Pedro town, barangay of Dibuluan of Jones

town, barangay of Ambil of Looc town, barangay of Sibul of Orani town, barangay of

Casat of Bayombong town, barangay of San Dionisio II and Dissimungal of

Nagtipunan town, barangay of Apud of Libon town, barangay Anupul of Bamban town,
barangay of Abatan of Buguias town, barangay of Siempre Viva Sur of Mallig town,

barangay of Poblacion District I of Babatngon town, barangay of Malalinta of San

Manuel town, and barangay of Loboc of Tungawan town. There are also from various

city like barangay of Jose Ancheta and Lusod of Maddela City, barangay of Dalig and

Santa Cruz of Antipolo City, barangay of Panghulo of Malabon City, barangay of

Sagana and Rosario of Santiago City, barangay of Tambo of Paraňaque City, barangay

of Barangay 176 of Kalookan City, barangay of Digkilaan of Iligan City, barangay of

Santo Niňo 3rd of San Jose City, barangay of Basak of Mandaue City, barangay of San

Roque of Baliwag City, and barangay of Malagasan G I-F and Malagasan G I-G of Imus

City. This data is proof that the school is made up of students from different cultures,

beliefs and lifestyles. The teacher is composed of 28: 1 principal; 23 junior high school

teachers; 5 senior high school teachers; and 2 staff.

Instruments Used
Description of the Instruments

For the pre-test and post-test, the researcher created questions or tests to

assess the students’ proficiency in the Economics subject. The pre-test and post-test

both cover 50 items.

Administration of Instruments

Meanwhile, the experimental group used a teacher-developed Strategic

Intervention Materials (SIM) based on the Department of Education’s criteria for

creating this type of instructional material and subjected them to the validation of

three teachers among the assigned evaluators of the Schools Division Office – Aurora.

Validity and Reliability of the Instruments

Survey questionnaire in Strategic Intervention Materials (SIM) developed by the

researcher has been conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of the
instruments used in this research. It include the questions regarding on

contextualization, indigenization, localization, culture and values integration, content

standards, competency standards, and assessment standards of the Strategic

Intervention Materials (SIM) developed by the researcher.

Data Gathering and Procedure

Authorization to conduct the study was approved by the principal of

Dinadiawan National High School and consulted with the Public Schools District

Supervisor of Dipaculao. At the beginning of the first quarter, the pre-test of the

Economics subject was given by the teacher to 88 Grade 9-Euclid students and

identified which of them needed intervention. This reference is based on the mark or

score they obtained. Those who scored 80% and above belonged to the control group

and those who scored 79% were included in the experimental group.

The selected 24 students were given a teacher-developed Strategic Intervention

Materials (SIM). To ensure that only SIMs can meet students in the study of such

subject, they are separated from the class. So every hour of the subject, only the

control group is the students of the teacher. The experimental group also made it clear

that all of the points they received in all of their activities would be their direct grades

in the subject, written works and performance tasks.

After nearly three months of study, the controlled and experimental group came

up with the post-test that the teacher was still preparing. At this stage, it is

ascertained whether there is a difference in student performance based on the result

of pre-test and post-test, and at the same time, assessment of the effectiveness of the

student-generated equipment.

Statistical Treatment of Data

 The mean scores on the pre-test and post-test of the respondents in the

experimental and control group were compared using the correlated t-test, weighted

mean, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). This is the preferred type of statistics

because both groups are from the same section and school.

IV PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

In this chapter, the data gathered from the pre-test and post-test conducted by

the students are presented which are also applied with corresponding analysis and

interpretation.

Table 2 provides data on the pre-test of the entire class. Based on the data

presented below, the standard deviation is 4.26 and the mean of the combined score of

88 students is 22.74. If the total number of assessment items is 30, it means that the

overall score of the students did not reach the set standard or 80%.

Table 2. Pre-test of the Whole Class

Number of Items Mean N SD

30 22.74 88 4.26

Although a gain of 75% is considered passable, it should not be the basis for

teacher satisfaction because students are in Grade 9 level where expectations on their

reading and evaluation ability are higher. Therefore, the ability of students to

understand or read different types of text can be said to be inconsistent. According to

Worthy and colleagues (2001), teachers, particularly those under the language

subject, are controlled by the high expectations they must meet. On the other hand,

expectations are also high for students especially in the 21st century. Students are

expected to understand all the texts they read especially when they are in high school.
Based on the Filipino curriculum line, Communication and Research in the Filipino

Language and Culture is the previous subject of Reading and Analysis of Various

Texts towards Research. In other words, the focus is not on comprehension and

reading of works but on the structure and grammar of the language.

However, no one can justify the structure of language or grammar he focused

on in the first semester so he is not good at reading and analyzing because if a person

understands each word and its relationship to each other, he also drifts it in smart

reading. Indeed according to Anderson (2003) also mentioned by Sun and Zhang

(2004) in their article, reading conforms to two theories: the Top-Down and Bottom-

Up. In the first theory, the reader processes the words and relates it to his or her prior

knowledge to form a conclusion and accept or reject such a conclusion after

understanding the entirety of the text. On the other hand, the second theory in turn

covers the technical processing, grammar and structure of words. If analyzed, the

second theory states that reading is also linked to the structure of language or

grammar.

Therefore, it cannot be the basis that since the subject of Communication and

Research in the Filipino Language and Culture is the prerequisite of Reading and

Analysis of Various Texts towards Research, they are not ready for analysis. But

according to Elliot (2005), the fact that students can read the words but not everyone

understands what they are reading cannot be hidden and as Juel and colleagues

(1996) said, when it is not resolved immediately, it will only be rooted in another

problem that will be shouldered by teachers and students.

According to Beers (2003), anyone can have difficulty with the texts given to

them but difficulty in the text read is not considered the main problem but what steps

the student has taken to understand this text. Nor is language the root of the problem
but the way the reader understands this language. Additionally, junior high school

students, especially of Grade 9, are expected to excel really in the field of reading.

Before they went up to the higher secondary level, the junior high school first focused

on reading a variety of works in which various literatures of Region III, the Philippines,

Asia and the world were discussed. This means that this problem may have taken root

during their elementary and continued until secondary especially as the lack of high

quality reading instruction in the early years of children greatly affects the later stages

of their study as stated by Berger and Gun (2003) also mentioned by Vejerano (2018)

in his study.

On the other hand, the current teacher should not blame the weak foundation

of the students on their former educators because the challenge to help the students

is no longer with their former teachers but is in the hands of the current teacher. In

case this problem of the students is still not addressed, it can only be passed on to the

next stage.

Therefore, even at the college level, there are still some students who have

difficulty reading and analyzing. By the time they graduate high school, students are

expected to possess critical thinking, communication skills, a passion for literature,

and the ability to keep up with the changing world. Therefore, in order for students to

be successful in the current form of society, they must be able to read (Dussling,

2008). But according to Lundang (2013) in his interview on the topic “Development of

Learning Modules in Teaching Quadratic Equation”, it is also a fact that many schools,

especially in the public sector, lack basic and reference books, supplements and

equipment instructive alarming. It can also delay the provision of quality instruction.

This is confirmed by the statement of Casareno (2000) in his article "Problems

of Textbooks" The Philippine’s Educator Volume XXXVII in which he revealed that

those in public schools have a shortage of textbooks and teaching materials each year.

He further added that in researches, there is a need to have high quality instructional

equipment and use content analysis as good workbook forecasting technique.

Therefore, it can also be said that one of the reasons why students have low

comprehension is due to the lack of reading materials or those books. This cannot be

disputed because until now some books that should have been used by students

especially in junior high school still do not reach public schools.

On the other hand, Table 3 shows the separate presentation of the results of

the pre-test and post-test of the control and experimental groups. Pre-test estimates

show that out of a total of 88 students, 64 of them scored 80% and were included in

the control group. Meanwhile, those who did not meet the standard were included in

the experimental group and led to the number 24. If the mean is the basis, it turns out

that 25.09 was obtained by the control group and 16.46 by the experimental.

25.09 as the mean of the control group can be considered to have reached the

set curriculum standard because it is more than 80% of the total number of 30 items.

Such a note is expected from students because they are in higher grade level.

Table 3. Pre-test and Post-test of Control and Experimental Group

Test Group N Mean SD t dt p-Value

Control 64 25.09 1.26

Pre-test 20.08 86 0.000**
Experimental 24 16.46 2.78

Control 64 25.70 1.69

Post-test 2.19 86 0.031*
Experimental 24 24.83 1.58
* related = p-Value is 0.05 or less but greater than 0.01
** highly relevant = the p-Value is 0.01 or less than this

On the other hand, 16.46 as the mean of those included in the experimental

group can be considered low because it is only half of the total number of items. This
can be considered a problem because all students should be proficient in reading,

further considering the fact that they are in Grade 9 level which is expected to have

higher capacity in such macro skills. The 24 students represent what we call “some”

who do not keep up with the flow of teaching. They are the students who need

intervention to not be left out of class because if they are not guided, these “some” will

have a huge impact on the whole class as indicated by the p-Value of 0.000. If we go

back to Table 2, the mean of the whole class reaches only 22.74. If only the control

group is the basis of efficiency, the class can be said to be good but it is not the only

measure because the class includes the experimental group that has made a big

difference.

Therefore, this “some” pulled the whole class so if the teacher could save the

learning of the 24 students it also saved the learning of the class in general because

falling and passing some is falling and passing well of all especially if the overall score

is the basis to see if a class passes. Based on the belief of Ross (2006), children who

are good at reading become more successful in school especially as they get older, but

for this to happen, a child needs thorough training. Therefore, even talented students

or those in the control group should still be properly educated by the teacher to

further develop their abilities.

On the other hand, the students who belonged to the experimental group were

said to lack comprehension ability so they did not meet the set standards. Based on

the statement of Collins (2002), comprehension as a level of reading is the

interpretation of the text read by relating its message to our prior knowledge and

according to Alverman and Earle (2003) also mentioned in article by Gayo and

colleagues (2014), a student can be considered to have a comprehension problem if he

or she has reached the secondary stage but for any reason is still unable to comply

with the reading standards set by the curriculum.

Comprehension allows readers to interact with the text being read in a

meaningful way. It is a bridge from passive to active reading and from letters or words

to context. Comprehension is what connects effective reading-a very powerful factor for

a person’s success (http://www.learningrx.com/reading-comprehension.htm).

According to Tracy (2013), while reading, two types of comprehension take place,

literal and profound. The former refers to what the reader has learned that is explicitly

mentioned within the text while the latter refers to what they have learned through

analysis.

This is supported by Logsdon’s statement also cited by Dakin (2013) who said

that deep comprehension responds to forming a conclusion or looking at the hidden

meaning of the text read. It combines the reader's previous knowledge with the

message conveyed by the text to produce new meaning. In these two types of

comprehension, readers must possess mental processing skills that will help them to

acquire new information, identify and classify it, relate to prior knowledge, and be able

to react to this information.

However, comprehension skills still remain a challenge to students (Ness,

2011). Therefore, even in secondary school teachers experience this problem of

students who should not have reached up to the college level. Richards and Renandya

(2002) also emphasize the need to be aware of the needs of students so that teachers

can be effective developers of various strategies. But according to Manring (2013),

finding a way to cultivate students’ reading skills is a very difficult task. Therefore,

developing Strategic Intervention Materials really takes time, money, skills and

dedication to succeed.
 Meanwhile, the post-test indicates the rise of the controlled and experimental

group. The controlled mean had a 25.70 mean which rose 0.61 from its previous mean

of 25.09 while the former experimental mean of 16.46 became 24.83 or 8.37 which

was an increase. Based on its p-Value of 0.031, the score of the controlled and

experimental group can be said to be related to the post-test. This is proof that the

students' education has helped greatly for their lift in test. The control group

underwent teacher online-instruction for about two months. All the teaching styles the

teacher knew as well as the topics stated in the book were shared with the control

group. They performed all tasks while supervised or monitored by the teacher through

online teaching. Although their mean did not increase much, the result was still good

because their score did not decrease but slightly exceeded the previous record. This

increase is expected from them because they are the students who pass the pre-test.

Meanwhile, those belonging to the experimental group can also be said to have

been successful in the study using Strategic Intervention Materials (SIM) because the

8.37 increase can be considered a huge increase especially since these students are

those who did not meet the score set by the curriculum when the pre-test was

conducted. It can also be explicitly said that the use of Strategic Intervention Materials

is effective because the mean of the experimental group has reached 80% expected

from them as Grade 9 students. Although they still did not match the mean of the

controlled group, the fact remains that they rose and not only rose but passed the

standard set on them. It is also true that all classes, whatever grade level they belong

to, are not really equal in ability. There are definitely higher and there are higher but

the important thing is that everything passes.

If the students pass the post-test, the SIM as an intervention can be said to

really encourage the students to actually read. According to Hung and Tzeng (2001)
who were also mentioned in Romea’s (2015) research, reading is a very important skill

that can help people to learn from other people’s knowledge and experience. Through

reading, knowledge can greatly contribute to the development of mankind. Reading is

also the fastest way to raise people’s level of education. It is like opening the door to

understanding the past of humanity that will serve as a mirror of our present. Reading

also activates our brain cells, cultivates language skills, enriches organizational skills,

sharpens self-control, and provides strength to fight loneliness.

In other words, reading is a very effective way to have new experiences and old

perspectives on people’s lives exchanged. This is the reason why in the post-test the

students already had stored knowledge and answered the questions correctly. Based

on Oberholzer (2001), reading is meaningless if students do not understand what they

are reading. This means that reading should not only focus on mechanical skill but on

comprehension or digging into the message of the text being read. Therefore, if the

students pass the post-test, it only means that they are successful in providing

comprehension.

Meanwhile, according to Good who was also mentioned by Mangulabnan

(2000), the SIM and workbook is a guide to students’ learning, usually related to the

textbooks with activities, situations, equipment, directions for use, space for answers

and occasionally basis for forecasting their performance. These activities give them the

opportunity for application training and skill development. (Development and

Validation of a Basic Education Curriculum-Based Workbook in Mathematics for

Grade 6 by Valdez, 2011)

These factors or elements of SIM are the reason why even without a teacher to

present and guide students can learn especially those who are left behind, students

who have had an illness and have long been absent from class, students who wish to
have Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM), and those who become frequently absent.

Based on Shuttleworth’s (2010) statement, the use of intervention is an approach used

for students who do not keep up with other students. This is a remedy to promptly

resolve their failure in an assignment. According to Burns (2001), in conducting such

an instructional program, students are given the opportunity to learn to read without

neglecting the designed curriculum.

It is very important that the teacher identify students' reading problems and

apply solutions that will increase their comprehension ability. Reading to learn should

be imprinted in the minds of students. If they are good in the field of reading, other

skills will follow.

Based on the report of the National Policy Board for Educational Administration

(2002), the role of school administrators is enormous because they themselves must

show the initiative to encourage teachers to implement various interventions for the

learning of students. This is supported by the statement of Elliott (2005) who said that

as school managers, they are also expected to introduce to their faculty instructional

programs that have gone through excellent research such as intervention. Therefore,

allowing the principal to conduct the study for the intervention and utilizing some

classrooms for the experimental and controlled group can be said to be a great help to

ensure the effectiveness of the research conducted. The administrator was part of why

the students passed the post-test.

But based on Langer’s (2001) statement, there are more interventions being

done by elementary teachers compared to secondary at present. Therefore, if this

intervention was successful for the experimental group, the other secondary school

teacher should also develop another intervention so that all students who need

intervention at this level are not left out.

 On the other hand, Brabham and Villaume (2003) emphasize that the teacher

with adequate skills and knowledge in assessing student achievement as well as

aligning their ability level is the key to teaching success. Richards (2001) also

mentioned that it is also a need for teachers to serve as trainers and use a variety of

strategies that can help increase the level of understanding of students.

In the end, there really isn't the best educational program, all there is the best

school where we can find great teachers - teachers who don't need a script to know

what they have to do. But a big question for the education sector, are we creating a

school every year the teachers are getting better? (Allington, 2002) On the other hand,

Table 4 reveals the relationship of the pre-test and final post-test of the whole class,

whether controlled or experimental. The table shows that the former mean of 22.74

became 25.47 or rose 2.73. The standard deviation of 4.26 also became 1.70 which

explains why the p-Value leads to 0.000 or highly relevant.

Table 4. Pre-test and Post-test of the Whole Class

Mean of SD of t p-Value
Test Mean N SD
Difference Difference

Pre-test 22.74 88 4.26

2.73 3.84 6.67 0.000**
Post-test 25.47 88 1.70
** highly relevant = the p-Value is 0.01 or less than this

If the result is examined carefully, the two methods used by the teacher in

teaching have a significant impact: the actual teaching and the use of the SIM. From

22.74 which is less than 80% or 24 set standards, it even exceeded and became 25.47.

This proves that the controlled and experimental group rose at the same time and

nothing was left.

 Therefore, the use of SIM coincides with other strategies used by teachers.

According to the report of the National Reading Panel (2000), a challenge then and

now for all educators is how to promote high levels of reading among students,

especially when it comes to the problem of learning to read, cases of drop-out and

poverty of students.

Still, according to him, the lack of time for students to comprehend what they

are reading can also be considered a reading problem. Therefore, if all teachers

develop a SIM, those students who are always in a state of absence can still keep up

with the study because the time to complete the intervention tasks is in their hands.

It is also a fact that textbooks and other teaching aids add knowledge and make

teaching successful (Development and Validation of a Worktext on Systems of Linear

Equations with MATHLAB Software Guide by Mallare, 2003) so it should create and

even developed many learning tools. Cruz (2016) said in an interview on the topic of

Development and Validation of Worktext in Drawing 2, when instructional tools such

as intervention materials are used properly in the classroom can be the most effective

way to capture interest and understanding of students and lead to better teaching.

Nicholls (2000) and Raw (2003) added that instructional materials play a major role in

the teaching and learning process. This is why students who use SIM have increased

score.

Intervention material therefore means students ’learning guides typically

associated with books that contain exercises, activities, guidelines to follow, and a way

to study and review answered tasks. The exercises provide an opportunity to train

oneself and cultivate the skill. (Development and Validation of Workbook in IC3

Computing Fundamentals for First Year High School Students by Manalili, 2012)
 It is also a way to keep students interested and give them activities that they

can do individually after being given the right guidance, instruction as a teaching tool

such as a workbook, module or SIM that will give them interest in learning.

(Development and Validation of a Workbook in Elementary Math VI, International

Journal of Humanities and Management Sciences IJHMS Volume 2, Issue 3, 2014)

According to Beers (2003), the development of interventions that help the

development of reading skills is very necessary and should be developed by the faculty

and other factors of the school. Students are also a very important factor for the

development of the intervention especially in its use, they themselves formed the

decisions for their response. It also increases students' self-confidence because

teachers give them the opportunity to take control of their own learning. Instead of

relying on students' learning to be forced to set strict instruction, they themselves

develop self-assessment while learning that can bring about a positive change in their

behavior. An environment that focuses on self-assessment is also a safe environment

because they themselves are in control of the situation. Because not all students are

able to keep up with all instructional strategies, a single intervention is still required

for students to have their own assessment such as SIM.

As stated by Pappas (2014), students are provided with in-depth and effective

learning tools to reduce the teacher’s speaking time in front of them and instead,

students are encouraged to study on their own learning equipment. The use of

intervention is also an effective method especially in classes that have a large number

of students that will not suffice the number of teachers.

He added that the main idea behind one-on-one learning such as the use of

intervention with students is the concept where they will not only understand the
equipment presented to them but the information contained in it will remain in their

minds longer.

Students who understand what is being taught in a short period of time can

move on to the next lesson but those students who have difficulty understanding the

lessons can progress in a slower way so that they can completely understand it.

Because children hold the time to answer the SIM, they will certainly be able to devote

more time to understanding what they are reading. Slow process and gradual progress

but importantly, progress.