1

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I

The Problem and Its Background

Have you ever received messages like “OMG, How r u?, Wyd rn?, G2G, Ttyl,

Brb, C u l8ter!, etc.?” or are you the one sending messages like that? TBH (To be

honest) this type of texting is a common practice here in the Philippines, especially

among teenagers and young adults, where almost everyone already has cellular

phones. (Styles, 2013)

A fun fact about the Philippines is that according to ASEAN Now News (2021), it

is known as the “Text Capital of the World” due to the large volume of Short Messaging

System (SMS) traffic exchanges in the country. According to Mobivity (2012) and

Alabiso (2023), text Messaging or texting has become a normal part of people’s daily

lives and a necessity in communicating with their family, friends, and others. After the

year 1984 when the SMS (Short Message Service) concept was created, Neil Papworth,

a former developer at Sema Group Telecoms, successfully sent the first text message

"Merry Christmas" to Richard Jarvis at Vodafone on December 3, 1992. From that day

on, text messaging grew exponentially in the world with around 65% of the global

population using it.

Today, another type of messaging tool similar to SMS messaging, called “instant

messaging” (IM) or chatting has also become a very popular tool for conversing with

other people, with whom you chat, but through the use of the internet, such as

Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc., it is also a tool to converse with other

people around the world. Most students use this more often as a messaging device
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because it is more complex and convenient, especially for school purposes and

communication. (Lenhart and Madden, 2019). Both Text and Instant Messaging are

known as messaging tools. Holtgraves (2011) said that as messaging continues to rise,

there have been concerns raised about its potential impact on language skills,

particularly spelling proficiency among students, concerning the Grade 9 pupils. At this

stage, it is anticipated that most students already owned cellular phones and were

experts in these kinds of mediums. They are also expected to have developed and

much-improved language skills, including spelling proficiency. Furthermore, Holtgraves

added that many have questioned whether these popular communication mediums have

a positive or negative effect on the student's spelling abilities. Research has found that

one of the most noticeable aspects of texting and chatting is the use of emoticons,

acronyms, abbreviations, misspellings, and other grammatical changes (also known as

elliptical language).

Text-based communication has been able to take on a new world, concerning

language. Words are no longer restricted to just letters since text-based communication

accepts all characters, and words are no longer required to follow strict spelling and

grammar rules (Conti-Ramsden, Durkin, & Simkin, 2010). According to Gottlieb (2010)

and Smith (2011), language changes to fit the people who use it. Moreover, spelling is

one of the most important components of the English language. It is a foundational skill

that students will carry throughout their lives and has a significant role in the academic

performance of the students. (Shetty, 2019)

Learning correct spelling practices and avoiding spelling mistakes can help

students process, retain, and relay information more easily. It also has a huge impact on

their reading comprehension and phonics. Furthermore, spelling helps widen the

students' vocabulary, develop their English language, and improve their accuracy in

communication. (Silva, 2021)

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In this paper, the researchers seek to find out whether there is a connection

between messaging styles and spelling proficiency by examining the messaging

behaviors of the pupils, including the frequency and style of their messages.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to investigate the relationship between messaging styles and spelling

proficiency among Grade 9 students through the following questions:

1. What is the level of text and instant messaging styles among Grade 9

students?

2. What is the level of spelling proficiency among the Grade 9 students?3

3. What is the significant relationship between messaging styles and the

spelling proficiency of the students?

Hypotheses

Null Hypothesis

There is no significant relationship between text and instant messaging styles

and spelling proficiency among Grade 9 students.

Alternative Hypothesis

There is a significant relationship between text and instant messaging styles and

spelling proficiency among Grade 9 students.

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Significance of the Study

This study helps us open our eyes to how technology influences the writing skills,

particularly spelling, and the learning of the students. This seeks to inform and benefit

the following:

Students. The results of this study can be of help for the students to make a much

easier way of writing literature and a more effective way of communicating through

texting.

Teachers. Teachers may get ideas about how to improve communication by messaging

and giving literary pieces on devices or making literary projects for students so teachers

will be aware of what's lacking or what is needed for the students to understand.

School. The school also has a role for the students or parents to be updated about the

happenings or instructions. The school can get ideas on how to improve communication

through teachers, parents, and students.

Parents. This research also benefits the parents because they are not excused from

using some of these messaging styles. This could help them be aware of the influence of

these on their spelling proficiency as well.

Researchers. This study aids the researchers by investigating more of this generation’s

phenomenon, gaining new knowledge, and letting them dig deeper for an answer to their

questions.

Future Researchers. Other researchers may draw inspiration and insights from this

study's setting and develop suggestions for performing additional in-depth research. The
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research procedure will become increasingly clear as more and more studies will be

conducted.

Scope and Delimitation

This study focuses on how text and instant messaging styles influence the

spelling proficiency of the Grade 9 students in Mountain View College Academy. The

respondents are limited to 50 selected Grade 9 students in the Academy through simple

random sampling. This study did not cover other problems that weren’t related to the

study. Each student was given the same questionnaires to answer. Pilot testing was

conducted by the researchers for content validation.

Operational Definition of Terms

Text and Instant Messaging Styles refer to the way of deciding how and through

what mediums you will send your message. Note that text and instant messaging are

one and this study only focuses on the messaging styles. There are various styles of

messaging and these are, Texism, it is a non-traditional digital cue used in text

communication to represent nonverbal information. Another is the Abbreviated

messages, which have two elements, Lexical Features and Syntactic and Textual

Features, abbreviated messages refer to the forms of words that are condensed and

shortened. It can save time and effort in typing. Brb or Be right back is one of the

examples of this. More of these are the Slangs, these are commonly used in casual

meetings or interactions, rather in academic purposes or in formal context. Have

informal phrases, words, and expressions. Further, Acronyms are also used in

messaging, which refer to a word that is formed because of the group of letters of a

phrase or set of words, and it is a word that is pronounced as a separate word.

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Spelling Proficiency refers to the specialized type of knowledge with which a

person has the ability to spell a word proficiently. It is used because of it is significantly

needed in messaging or any other writing forms in order for it to be understood. It is the

most affected part when it comes to text and instant messaging styles.
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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

Theoretical Framework

Constructivist theorists believe that students bring with them their prior

knowledge to assist in new learning situations and that students construct their own

knowledge based upon this prior knowledge (Williams, 2014). When learning to spell,

students are required to call upon their vocabulary and their understanding of the rules

and sounds involved within their verbal language before they are able to construct a

written language. Likewise, before we can learn how to spell we need to understand the

connection between the phonemes and graphemes of our language. Phonemes refer to

the sounds that are strung together to make words, while graphemes are the written

representations of these sounds that make up written language. In other words, we need

to have a prior knowledge of English orthography and its elements including the

alphabet as well as a base vocabulary.

This notion is supported by Hammond (2004) who states that “proficient spellers are a

self-directed but heterogeneous group who appreciate that spelling is a rule-governed

activity and draw on their knowledge of orthography to problem solve spelling by

applying personally meaningful strategies.” Yeong & Rickard Liow (2011) reiterate this

by stating that “spelling, like reading, involves vocabulary knowledge and temporary

memory processes, as well as metalinguistic.”

Similarly, the Phase Theory tendered by Ehri suggests that students require a “working

knowledge of the alphabetic system that grows and changes as beginners acquire word

reading and spelling skills.” Ehri’s Phase Theory purports that students develop reading
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and spelling skills through four phases; the pre-alphabetic, partial alphabetic, full

alphabetic, and consolidated alphabetic (Ehri, 2005, p. 173). The Pre-Alphabetic stage

is where children use images or “nonalphabetic, visually salient cues” to indicate words.

During the Partial Alphabetic stage students begin to process some of the letter-sound

cues in words to read and spell them. It is within this phase that students begin to use

letter names and distinguish how the first and last letters of words correspond to the

sounds in pronunciations although medial letters are ignored because they are “buried in

words and hence are harder to detect as sounds and because readers lack much

knowledge of the vowel spelling system.” The next phase of Ehri’s theory is known as

the Full Alphabetic phase where students control a “more complete knowledge of

graphophonemic relations” that is utilized to create more complete depictions of the

spelling of words within their vocabulary while also assisting in decoding new words. At

the same time, words that contain similar sounds are consolidated into “larger units

representing blends of phonemes.”

Textism Theory by Rosen, L. (states that Instances of non-standard written language

such as 4ever (forever) is. Previous studies have shown that textese has a positive

effect on children's literacy abilities. In addition, it is possible that children's grammar

system is affected by textese as well, as grammar rules are often transgressed in this

register. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate whether the use of

textese influences children's grammar performance, and whether this effect is specific to

grammar or language in general. Additionally, studies have not yet investigated the

influence of textese on children's cognitive abilities. Consequently, the secondary aim of

this study was to find out whether textese affects children's executive functions, the

effects of text messaging and instant messaging on literacy to determine whether they

positively or negatively affect literacy. Although the majority of studies found a positive

correlation between texting and/or instant messaging and literacy, others found a
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negative correlation, while still others report conflicting findings or no significant

correlation at all. The studies reveal that literacy scores may correlate differently with

frequency of texting, use of textese/textisms and knowledge of textisms, that there may

be different correlations for reading, writing and spelling; and that the correlations may

differ for formal and informal writing.

Text and Instant Messaging Styles

Dansieh, (2011) has found that students are becoming more and more

engrossed in text as the majority of them get and are using mobile phones to converse.

Due to this circumstance, a number of educators, parents, and students are voicing

worries that

writing abilities, especially spelling, among students, might be sacrificed on the altar of

texting. As Thurlow and Poff (2013) said, teenagers today favor text messaging over

other forms of communication when interacting with their peers because it allows them

to express themselves freely saying “When I text, I can say just what I want to say.”

Another study by Wei and Wang (2010) revealed that students who text often are more

likely to text during class which is found to be a distraction to their learning.

Lenhart, Ling, et al., (2018) discovered that just like texting, chatting or Instant

Messaging (IM) is another easy way for students to maintain communication with their

acquaintances through the use of the internet, mobile data, and even free data. Tang

(2022) stated that Instant Messaging applications typically have multiple features, such

as file sharing, group chats, audio/video chats, real-time location sharing, and the
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sharing of nonverbal visuals like stickers and emojis. Dietz, (2014) noted that IM has

similar qualities to texting and has been shown to be correlated also with academic

distractibility. As messaging became more advanced, there are a lot of noticeable

linguistic trends that have been observed that people use in this age of technology, the

following are:

Textism

Textism is the practice of using abbreviations, acronyms, homophones, and word-

shortening in text messages and instant messages. It is a common style of messaging

by users around the world. Although texting was created and made popular in the 1990s,

its popularity peaked in the 2000s. The limits imposed by earlier mobile phone models,

which only let up to 160 characters for one text message, was what initially caused it.

The text slang and abbreviations that every teen used back then would be familiar to you

if you were old enough to own a cellphone at the time. Texters type on alphanumeric

keypads, swapping out letters for numbers, and cutting vowels from words to make them

shorter. (Johnson, 2011)

For instance, R can be read as a misspelling of the word “Are” in the textism “R U

THERE” (for are you there). A lot of textisms are just shorthand for phrases, like BRB,

which stands for "be right back." B could be interpreted as a misspelling of "be," but R is

an acronym for the word “right” rather than a misspelling. Frequent use of these

abbreviations may lessen the opportunity to see and use the correct spellings of the

words, even though they may not have a direct impact on the orthographic

representation of the intended words. Kreiner and Davis (2011).

Abbreviated Messages
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Text abbreviations are one of the most noticeable linguistic trends in this age of

technology in which we are living right now. Text and Instant Messaging have prompted

the need to immediately deliver our messages as fast as possible, and in order to make

that happen, abbreviations came into existence. In addition to being an invented term,

"OMG" has several expressions and recreations to maintain its usage and circulation.

Even punctuation marks like "@" are now standard in handwritten documents as well as

typing. Although they facilitate faster communication, abbreviations lose some of the

language's elegance, have a less formal effect, and may even cause misunderstandings

among people. Gorney (2012)

Vasić, Avrutin, & Blom (2016) said that it is hypothesized that exposure to text

messaging abbreviations can hinder one's ability to recall word spellings, which could

explain the correlation between frequent usage of text and instant messaging language

and spelling proficiency.There are many different kinds of text messaging expressions,

and it's probable that these variations could have various effects on spelling

performance.

Research from Oladipupo, Odebiyi, Awotayo (2022) indicated that shortening and

abbreviation in various forms are the features specific to text and instant messaging

dialogue. These can be divided into two groups: (a) Lexical Features and (b) Syntactic

and Textual Features.

In Lexical Features, these are the features that have to do with words, some of

these are: (a) Pronunciation Spelling Technique/Graphones: This method of

manipulating spelling involves writing words exactly as they are pronounced (Baraba &

Mouis, 2010) For example, Where becomes “Wer”, Thanks becomes “Tenks”, Good to

“Gud”, Why to “Y”, No to “Naur”, Hello becomes “Haler”, etc.; (b) Word shortening /

Reduction: This is the case when a word has fewer letters in it. Thus, the word gets

shorter. Examples are, Nov for November, Dec for December, Bcos/coz for Because,
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Dept. for Department, Gov’t. for Government, Nat’l. for National, Admin for

Administration, etc. (c) Abbreviation: a shortened form of a written word or phrase, such

as TTYL for Talk to you later, OMG for Oh My Goodness, BTW for By the way, BRB for

Be right back, OMY for On my way, LOL for Laughing out loud or Lots of love, etc.; (d)

Vowel Deletion: a phonological process that eliminates an unstressed (schwa) vowel

during pronunciation, like Pls for Please, Txt for Text, Gdnyt for Goodnight, Tnx for

Thanks, etc.; (e) Phonetic Approximation: This method brought orthographic words down

to the phonological level.

To enable concise and effective communication, words are segmented, blended,

and manipulated (Wood, Jackson, Plester & Wilde, 2010). Examples are, U for You,

Rgrds for Regards, In bisaya, there are words like Unsa man? (What?) that sometimes

turns to “Saman?” to “Man?”, Ambot (I don’t know) to “Mbot” or “Bot”, etc.; (f) Consonant

Deletion: An absence of the final consonants in all words due to phonological

processing. These are, Hapi for Happy, Uwese for Always, Wil for Will, Stil for Still, etc.

(g) Symbol for Word Representation: These are common symbols that are used to

represent words or phrases such as @ for at, & for and, / for or, # for Hashtag, % for

Percent, $ for dollars, ₱ for Peso, etc. (h) Phoneme/Letter for Word Representation: A

letter that represents a whole word. For example, C U for See You, G for Go, Y for Why,

N for And, O for Oh, K for Okay, etc.Letter to Number Homophones: It is when a word or

part of a word is replaced by a single homophonous symbol like 2day for Today, Gr8 for

great, 2morrow for Tomorrow, 2nyt for tonight, b4 for before, L8er for Later, etc. (i)

Spelling Manipulations: Certain words are simply twisted in order to be shorter; this type

of distortion is not recognized. Because of this, it is inconsistent. Examples are, Goin for

going, Comin for Coming, Brother for Brotha, Sister for Sista, Ova for over, etc.

Slang Words
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Slang terms were once used by criminals as patterns. Slang is now a part of vocabulary

that expresses an individual's age. Slang also becomes a youth privilege and is

generally regarded as unusual by older people. In addition, Slang is a part of a specific

group's identity. These are words that belong in a very casual conversation and are

inappropriate in a formal setting. Filipino slang is an intriguing subject for it is lively and

constantly changing. In order to create new words, syllables can be added or removed,

prefixes and suffixes can be changed, words from different languages can be borrowed,

and words can be read backwards. Limos (2019).

Language has always changed and developed, and so has the development of

new vocabulary, similar to slang terms. Slang terms are now used on a daily basis.

These are no longer the vernacular of criminals or the ignorant, rather, they serve as a

symbol of the common language or even young people. Slang terms are used to add

interest and novelty to the conversation. A variety of word formation processes result in

slang words. Slang terms can range from new, unique terms to words taken from

another language, and acronyms, others are clipped or blended, and certain ones are

clipped and blended. Some examples of slang words Filipinos use today are: Forda (For

the), Forda Ferson (For the Person), Forda Go (For the Go), For Todis Bidyow (For

Today’s Video), Alam na this (We know what’s gonna happen), Siszt (Sister), Ssob

(Boss), Korique (Correct), and there are a lot more.

Spelling Proficiency

One of the important components of the English language is spelling. Research

has shown the importance of spelling in academic excellence. However, the focus on

spelling as laid down by English teachers and other subject teachers may not be the

same.
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While English teachers focus on the accuracy of spelling in addition to other components

of the language, other subject teachers focus on the content accuracy of their respective

subjects. (Shetty, 2019)

According to VoiceofShark (2022), “Accurate spelling is essential in academic

writing, and spelling errors will cost you points.” Spelling is one of the major parts of

literacy (reading, writing, and spelling). Without spelling, writing is impossible to

understand and read. Here are some reasons why spelling is important in writing: (a) It

enhances clarity in writing; (b) Helps us understand others’ writing; (c) Helps avoid

miscommunication; (d) Enhances our reputation and credibility; (e) Essential skills for

writers, etc. Ali, Y (2023)

Element (2023) noted that spelling and writing have a close connection, which

highlights the significance of spelling even more. Particularly, improper spelling has a

significant impact on a student's capacity for productive and efficient writing. Additionally,

spelling in English requires the integration of phonology, orthography, and morphology,

and is a complex linguistic problem-solving process (Dafern, 2015, 2018; Garcia, Abbott,

& Berninger, 2010). In order to spell a foreign word, for instance, phonological processes

must be engaged, requiring knowledge of spoken sounds both at the syllable and

phoneme levels.

Poor spelling skills might result in low self-esteem and subpar academic

performance. Spelling and reading are related, therefore getting better at spelling is a

step towards getting better at reading. Spelling proficiency affects success in both school

and in life. Until and unless the spelling is correct, the piece of writing is not considered

correct at all.

When a student just has difficulty with spelling, in other words, they can read well

but not spell, typically they have a spelling disability. That just means they have difficulty
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with spelling and often it is because children are struggling readers and don’t have

spelling competence. And sometimes, even students who are gifted can and often do

have problems with spelling. (Terry, 2023) According to Best, J. (2023), possessing

confidence in one's spelling skills contributes to one's overall literacy level.

Text and Instant Messaging Styles and Its Relationship with Spelling Proficiency

Research indicated that texting negatively impacts grammar, especially spelling.

While written form is affected, English proficiency will not be diminished. Users tend to

capitalize words incorrectly or don't punctuate their writing. They use all lowercase or all

capital letters when composing messages. Abbreviations are so widespread now that

they will continue to be used when predictive text becomes more popular. Some people

grow dependent on abbreviations as a result of using them, particularly students who

frequently text. Due to the limited character count on their phones, students frequently

shorten or abbreviate words. This explains why, when doing homework or writing a

formal letter, some students forget to spell words correctly or occasionally become

confused about which spelling to use, which has an impact on their vocabulary.

It is said that the use of SMS and IM language has severely harmed students'

ability to write. It has a significant impact on the students' spelling, vocabulary, and

sentence structure. A major issue is that instead of using traditional formal writing for

formal emails, letters, speeches, and exams, people are substituting SMS language. In

formal settings, these condensed and shortened words can occasionally be challenging

to understand. Students' ability to learn correct and real spelling forms is being impacted

by language. It leads to confusion and misinterpretation when communicating with

students by using improper grammar and spelling. The user's ability to accurately and
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appropriately use words in the context is the primary reason why people fail to

meaningfully express themselves in writing. (Kamran, 2018)

Conceptual Framework

Text and Instant Spelling

Messaging
Styles Proficiency

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter introduces the details of the research design, protocols, ethical

considerations, participants and sampling method, research instrument, data collection

procedures, and data analysis method.

Research Design

Quantitative Research design was used in the study, specifically the descriptive-

correlational research design. It was used to identify the correlation between Texting and

the Spelling Proficiency of the Grade 9 students.

Research Locale
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This study will be conducted at a faith-based institution owned by the Seventh-

Day Adventist Church specifically in Mountain View College (Academy Department).

This institution provides a highly Christian education that develops students to be well-

mannered and prepared-to-do-anything kind of individuals. In junior high school, the

academy offers proper training in Pathfindering, SRA (Science Research Associates)

learning, and many other activities. While in senior high school, they also offer three (3)

different strands, namely: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM);

Accounting and Business Management (ABM); And Humanities and Social Sciences

(HUMSS). The subject courses under these strands are taken in preparation for the

degree that the students might take. Moreover, there are also a lot of extracurricular

activities in this school, such as clubs in different subjects, the CSC (Central Student

Council) program, Voluntary works such as the MVCA Media, MS (Ministerial Seminar),

and many more.

Instrumentation

The researchers used a survey questionnaire and an activity test as their

research instruments. A text and instant messaging style scale by Kamran (2018), and a

spelling proficiency scale by Miralles J., Belgira, M., et. al (2013). The questionnaire is

adopted to test the level of text and instant messaging styles by the Grade 9 students. It

has 15 items. The interpretations of the data are the following:

Likert Scale: Range: Verbal Description: Interpretation:

4 3.51 – 4.00 A lot

3 2.51 – 3.50 Sometimes
2 1.51 – 2.50 A little
1 1.00 – 1.50 Not much

The activity test by Miralles J., Belgira, M., et. al (2013) is used to assess the

respondents' spelling proficiency. The terms applied in the spelling quiz come from the
 18

internet's List of Frequently Misspelled Words. These assessments aim to determine

whether students' use of shorthand text and instant messaging styles has an impact on

their spelling proficiency. Our data collection will be based on the pre-survey and the

spelling test.

Research Population and Sampling

The target participants of the study are the Grade 9 high school students at

Mountain View College Academy (MVCA). In this study, a Simple Random Sampling

method will be used. It is a kind of probability sampling wherein a subset of participants

is chosen at random by the researcher from the population. The researchers chose at

least 50 Grade 9 students to answer the given questionnaires. Specifically, the

participants should qualify for the following criteria: (a) He or She is a Grade 9 high

school student; (b) He or She must be a student of MVCA; and (c) He or She is willing to

become a participant.

Protocols and Ethical Considerations

In conducting this study, the Ethical Consideration of Brinkman and Kvale (2015)

shall be used:

Informed Consent. The researchers shall send informed consent to the school,

the participants, and parents/guardians if the participants are underage.

Confidentiality. All information that will be gathered for this study will be

considered confidential, and the findings will be presented in a way that respects the

participant’s privacy.

Consequences. By all means, if the participants decide to withdraw in the middle of the

data gathering collection, they will be, by no means, forced.

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Role of the Researchers. The researchers in this study will ensure that the data that

will be collected will be used by the researchers alone. They will also serve as

interviewers and observers during the said process.

Data Collection Procedures

To guarantee the standards of ethical research, the researchers have provided

consent letters to the Authors, Participants, Principal, and School. Since most of the

grade 9 students are minors, a consent letter to the parents was also made. Then, the

grade 9 students were given the questionnaire and activity test with their consent to

voluntary participation. The grade 9 students were assured to keep their confidentiality

and anonymity safe. If there are leaks of the data, then the researchers are one hundred

percent responsible for the consequences. The participants were given the instructions

to honestly and carefully answer the questionnaires for reliable data.

Data Analysis Method

All completed questionnaires will be double-checked and verified for

completeness and consistency. Thus, the data collected will then be entered into

Microsoft Excel and Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). With regard to the

impact of text messaging on their spelling abilities. This study will make use of the

descriptive-correlational research. Thus, the Pearson Correlation method will be used to

determine whether there was a significant association or relationship in their profile.

 20

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 26

APPENDIX A.

Letter of Intent to the Principal for Pilot Test

Mountain View College Academy
College Heights, Mt. Nebo Valencia City
Bukidnon

Date

Dr. Liel Gem Pondara

Academy Principal
Mountain View College
Mt. Nebo, Valencia City
Bukidnon Philippines

Dear Dr. Pondara,

Greetings and Salutations!

We are the Grade 12 students enrolled in Humanities and Social Sciences

(HUMSS) at Mountain View College Academy. As part of our Practical Research 2
assignment, we are currently working on our research project, "Spell it! THE INLUENCE
OF TEXT AND INSTANT MESSAGING STYLES ON SPELLING PROFICIENCY
AMONG GRADE 9 STUDENTS” Under the direction of our research mentor, Mrs.
Andrea Sue Basagan, and advisor, Mr. Erfigen Basagan.

In fulfillment of our study and for validation, we would like to ask for permission to
conduct our pilot testing at Mountain View College Academy. We are hoping that the
school administration will allow us to collect data from the Grade 9 students. Be assured
that absolute confidentiality and anonymity will be observed. Further, since participation
in this study is voluntary, Participants will not be forced to answer or take part in any of
the procedures during the data gathering that is against their will. We greatly appreciate
your positive response. Thank you, and God Bless.

CARL G. BALMOCENA IMEE A. LABITAD THAYRAH MAE V. ALBORIA

Researcher Researcher Researcher

RIENZEL VINCHE H. CARPENTERO JEDRICK O. CABAÑOG

Researcher Researcher

RYAN CLAYFORD E. RUBIO LEONA FAITH S. BREGOLI

Researcher Researcher
 27

Research Adviser:
MR. ERFIGEN BASAGAN
Approved By:
Research Teacher: DR. LIEL GEM PONDARA
MRS. ANDREA SUE BASAGAN Academy Principal

Appendix B.
Letter to the Research Participants for Pilot Test
Mountain View College Academy
College Heights, Mt. Nebo Valencia City
Bukidnon

Date

Mountain View College

Mt. Nebo, Valencia City
Bukidnon Philippines

Dear Mr./Miss__________________________.

Christian Greetings!

We are the Grade 12 students enrolled in Humanities and Social Sciences

(HUMSS) at Mountain View College Academy. As part of our Practical Research 2
assignment, we are currently working on our research project, "Spell it! THE INLUENCE
OF TEXT AND INSTANT MESSAGING STYLES ON SPELLING PROFICIENCY
AMONG GRADE 9 STUDENTS”.

We would like to request your humble participation and solicit a little bit of your
time. In this study, there will be 2 self-rated questions that will assess your Text and
Messaging Styles Level (1) and one activity test for Spelling Proficiency. Be assured
that absolute confidentiality and anonymity will be observed. Your information will serve
as data for the study and will only be utilized for further research.
If you agree to this, you will be given a participation consent form that you are to
sign and to indicate that you are willing to participate in the study.
We greatly appreciate your support and time devoted to our study. May God
bless you and your studies.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research Participation Consent
 28

I, (name)______________________________of Grade 9___________ would voluntarily

participate in the study entitled “Spell it! THE INFLUENCE OF TEXT AND INSTANT
MESSAGING STYLES ON SPELLING PROFICIENCY AMONG GRADE 9 STUDENTS”
pilot test for validation. By signing this consent form, I hereby authorize the researchers
to access my demographic profile and answer all questions for their study.

________________________________
SIGNATURE OVER PRINTED NAME Date Signed:

Appendix C.

Letter of Intent to the Principal

Mountain View College Academy
College Heights, Mt. Nebo Valencia City Bukidnon

Date

Dr. Liel Gem Pondara

Mountain View College
Mt Nebo, Valencia City
Bukidnon, Philippines

Dear Dr. Pondara,

Christian Greetings!

We are the Grade 12 students enrolled in Humanities and Social Sciences

(HUMSS) at Mountain View College Academy. As part of our Practical Research 2
assignment, we are currently working on our research project, "Spell it! THE INLUENCE
OF TEXT AND INSTANT MESSAGING STYLES ON SPELLING PROFICIENCY
AMONG GRADE 9 STUDENTS” Under the direction of our research mentor, Mrs.
Andrea Sue Basagan, and advisor, Mr. Erfigen Basagan.

In this letter, we would like to ask for permission to conduct our study at Mountain
View College Academy. We are hoping that the school administration will allow us to
collect data from the Grade 9 students. Be assured that absolute confidentiality and
anonymity will be observed. Further, since participation in this study is voluntary,
Participants will not be forced to answer or take part in any of the procedures during the
data gathering that is against their will. We greatly appreciate your positive response.
Thank you, and God Bless.
 29

CARL G. BALMOCENA IMEE A. LABITAD THAYRAH MAE V. ALBORIA

Researcher Researcher Researcher

RIENZEL VINCHE H. CARPENTERO JEDRICK O. CABAÑOG

Researcher Researcher

RYAN CLAYFORD E. RUBIO LEONA FAITH S. BREGOLI

Researcher Researcher

Research Adviser:
MR. ERFIGEN BASAGAN
Approved By:
Research Teacher: DR. LIEL GEM PONDARA
MRS. ANDREA SUE BASAGAN Academy Principal

Appendix D.

Letter of Intent to the Participant’s Parents

Mountain View College Academy
College Height, Mt. Nebo Valencia City Bukidnon

Date

Mountain View College Academy

Mt. Nebo, Valencia City
Bukidnon, Philippines

Dear Mr. and Mrs.___________________________

Greetings!

We are the Grade 12 students enrolled in Humanities and Social Sciences

(HUMSS) at Mountain View College Academy. As part of our Practical Research 2
assignment, we are currently working on our research project, "Spell it! THE INLUENCE
OF TEXT AND INSTANT MESSAGING STYLES ON SPELLING PROFICIENCY
AMONG GRADE 9 STUDENTS” Under the direction of our research mentor, Mrs.
Andrea Sue Basagan, and advisor, Mr. Erfigen Basagan.

In fulfillment of our research study, we would like to ask for your permission to
allow your child _________________________ to participate in answering some given
questionnaires and an activity. It is to assess his/her text and instant messaging level
 30

together with spelling proficiency. Please be assured that absolute confidentiality and
anonymity will be observed. Further, since participation in this study is voluntary,
Participants will not be forced to answer or take part in any of the procedures during the
data gathering that is against their will. We greatly appreciate your positive response.
Thank you, and God Bless.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Research Participation Consent

I (name)_________________________ allow my child _________________________

to participate in your research study. By signing this consent form, I hereby authorize the
researchers to access my child’s demographic profile and answer all necessary
questions.

_______________________________________
PARENT’S SIGNATURE OVER PRINTED NAME Date Signed:
 31

Appendix E.

Letter of Intent to the Authors

Mountain View College Academy
College Height, Mt. Nebo Valencia City Bukidnon

Date

To: @neust.leste.

Dear Sir:

Greetings!

I am Thayrah Mae Alboria, a Grade 12 student from Mountain View College

(Academy Department). In fulfillment of our Practical Research subject, I, together with
my research groupmates, are writing our research paper entitled, “Spell it! "TXT
MESGNG AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE SPELLING PROFICIENCY OF THE
GRADE 7 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. With the guidance of our research teacher, Mrs.
Andrea Sue Basagan, and advisor, Mr. Erfigen Basagan.

We would like to ask permission to use your (Research Survey Questionnaire)

instrument from your research, “Influence of Text Messaging on the Spelling Skills
Among the High School Students,” in our research study. And I would like to use and
print your survey under the following conditions:

 We will use the surveys only for our research study and will not sell or use them
for any compensated development activities.
 We will include the copyright statement on all copies of the instrument.

If the terms and conditions listed above are acceptable to you, please let me know by
responding to this email: thayrahmaealboria25@gmail.com.

I hope that my request will merit a positive response from you. Thank you, and have a
great day!

Sincerely yours,

Thayrah Mae Alboria

Grade-12 HUMSS Student
 32

I do ____ do not ____ grant permission for my work to be used for the purpose stated
above.

Name ________________________ Signature__________________

Appendix F.
QUESTIONNAIRE #1
Text and Instant Messaging Styles Scale – Kamran
(2018)

Name ___________________ Grade _____________________

General Instructions: This questionnaire contains a statement about Messaging Styles.

Please read the directions carefully and answer honestly. Encircle the letter if it
corresponds to your answer. Don’t forget to answer every item.

1. Which medium do you prefer to use for message communication through

technology?
a. Voice message b. Text Message c. Not Sure
2. Do you use clipped words while texting? (Like “Tab” for tablet etc)
a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d.Not sure
3. How many times do you use short abbreviated terms in messages?
a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d. Not sure
4. Do you make your own short forms while texting?
a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d. Not sure
5. Do you use Mobile dictionary while texting?
a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d. Not sure
6. Do you use words for sharing your feeling and expression?
 33

a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d. Not sure

7. Do you use Emoticon for sharing your feelings and expression? ( Like etc.)
a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d. Not sure
8. For shortening of text, do you ever use numerical letters in words? (Like gr8 etc.)
a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d. Not sure

9. Do you understand the following sentence?

(i m a Lvr nt a fiter bt I’ll fite fr wht i lve) a. Yes b. No c. Not Sure

(if u herd abt it u will nvr b da trgt) a. Yes b. No c. Not Sure

10. Do you prefer “checking” and “editing” text before you send it?
a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d. Not sure
11. Do you use text language in formal writing?
a. Most of the time b. Sometimes c. Never d. Not sure

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT. GOD BLESS!

QUESTIONNAIRE #2
 34

Spelling Proficiency Activity Test – Styles (2018)

Name _____________________ Grade ______________

Age ______________

General Instructions: This questionnaire contains a statement about Spelling

Proficiency. Please read the directions carefully and answer honestly. Encircle the letter
if it corresponds to your answer. Don’t forget to answer every item.

1. When was the first time you had a cell phone?

a.1 year ago b. 2 years ago c. 3 years ago d. 4 years e. more

2. How much time do you spend using your cell phone for texting?
a.12 hours b. 8 hours c. 3 hours d. 1 hour e. more

3. Directions: Spell the word pronounced by the facilitator.

1. Received
2. Sergeant
3. Maintenance
4. Mississippi
5. Fluorescent
6. Odyssey
7. Continuous
8. Occasionally
9. Rhythm
10. Miscellaneous

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. GOD BLESS!

ACTIVITY TEST
 35

MESSAGING STYLES – Wordwall.net

Name _________________________ Grade______________

Age ______________

List all abbreviated words you know (Like LOL, OMG, etc.)

“Spell it!” THE INFLUENCE OF TEXT AND INSTANT MESSAGING

 36

STYLES ON SPELLING PROFICIENCY

CARL G. BALMOCENA
IMEE A. LABITAD
THAYRAH MAE V. ALBORIA
RIENZEL VINCHE H. CARPENTERO
JEDRICK O. CABAÑOG
RYAN CLAYFORD E. RUBIO
LEONA FAITH S. BREGOLI

2024
 37

MOUNTAIN VIEW COLLEGE

“Spell it!” THE INFLUENCE OF TEXT AND INSTANT MESSAGING

STYLES ON SPELLING PROFICIENCY

A thesis
presented in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the course
Practical Research 2

By

CARL G. BALMOCENA
IMEE A. LABITAD
THAYRAH MAE V. ALBORIA
RIENZEL VINCHE H. CARPENTERO
JEDRICK O. CABAÑOG
RYAN CLAYFORD E. RUBIO
LEONA FAITH S. BREGOLI

2024
 38

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………………. ix
DEDICATION................................................................................................................. x
LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................... xi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................ xii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS............................................................................................ xii
CHAPTER
1. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................... 1
The Problem and Its Background................................................................ 2
Statement of the Problem............................................................................ 4
Hypotheses.................................................................................................. 4
Significance of the Study............................................................................. 4
Scope and Delimitation............................................................................... 5
Operational Definition of Terms.................................................................. 6

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES................................ 7

Theoretical Framework................................................................................ 8
Review of Related Literature and Studies................................................... 9
Text Messaging....................................................................................
9
Instant Messaging................................................................................
11
Text and Chat Messaging Styles..........................................................
13
Spelling Proficiency.............................................................................
13
Conceptual Framework..............................................................................
3. METHODOLOGY
Research Design.........................................................................................
Research Locale..........................................................................................
Instrumentation............................................................................................
Questionnaires...................................................................................
Activity Test.......................................................................................
Research Population and Sampling............................................................
Ethical Considerations and Protocols..........................................................
Data Collection Procedures.........................................................................
Data Analysis...............................................................................................