Campus Journalism Involvement and Language Proficiency among Public High School Students in Escalante City, Philippines

Using Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, and Cummins’ Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills/Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency distinction, this study examined the relationship between campus journalism involvement and English language proficiency among 102 junior high school student-journalists from nine public schools in Escalante City, Philippines. A quantitative descriptive-correlational design employed a validated survey and a standardized proficiency test on grammar, vocabulary, and writing. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance with Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference post-hoc test. Most students reported over one year of involvement, served primarily as writers, and participated weekly or monthly. Training was sourced mainly from school workshops, motivated by a passion for writing, but constrained by time and a lack of mentorship. Overall proficiency was Nearly Proficient (M = 20.00, SD = 4.68). No significant differences emerged by age, sex, duration, role, frequency, or activity type. Grade level was significant, F(5, 96) = 2.47, p = .035, with Grade 9 outperforming Grade 10. Perceived influence also differed significantly, F(2, 99) = 4.27, p = .017: students who reported moderate improvement outscored those who reported slight improvement. Findings indicate campus journalism is an equitable platform for academic English, but gains depend on sustained engagement, language-intensive roles, mentorship, and metacognitive awareness. Results highlight the need for targeted support in Grade 10 and greater emphasis on reflective practices.

campus journalism, language proficiency, CALP, rural education, Philippines, metacognition

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