Contextualized Guided-Audio Visual Materials for Grade 8 English Learners

Contextualized Guided-Audio Visual Materials for Grade 8 English Learners

Menchie P. Pacao, Maria Flora T. Pandes

Graduate School, Mabini Colleges, Inc.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2025.12010052

Received: 11 January 2025; Accepted: 14 January 2025; Published: 15 February 2025

ABSTRACT

This study developed and evaluated contextualized guided – audio visual materials (C-GAME) for grade 8 English learners in Lalawigan National High School. This study utilized quantitative methods with descriptive-inferential-evaluative design of research. Inferential statistics with researcher – made test and an adapted DepEd – LRMDS (Learning Resources and Management Development System) evaluation tool. Total enumeration was employed in this study which involved sixty – three (63) grade 8 learners in the locale of the study. In addition, six teachers with varied level of expertise in the district/division, specifically 1 English Head Teacher, 1 English Master Teacher, 1 EPS-LRMDS, and 3 ICT Coordinator Teachers, served as evaluators of the developed contextualized learning resources. Findings revealed that majority of the Grade 8 students had average learning proficiency in the most essential learning competencies in English 8 subject. Hence, the researcher developed contextualized learning resources dubbed as C-GAME: Guided-Audio Visual Materials in English, to address learning difficulties of Grade 8 learners. The developed contextualized learning resources or C-GAME was evaluated as highly acceptable and passed the evaluation of the experts using the standard LRMDS evaluation tool. Moreover, the utilization of the developed contextualized material improved the learning achievement of Grade 8 learners. This means the developed contextualized learning material has had a substantial impact on the academic performance of the learners. Therefore, there is a significant difference between academic performance before and after using the developed contextualized learning resource. Finally, the intervention activities proposed by the researcher addressed the least mastered competencies of Grade 8 English learners.

Keywords: Contextualized guided-audio visual materials, grade 8 English, least mastered learning competencies, academic performance, intervention activities, content quality, instructional quality, technical quality

INTRODUCTION

Teachers as individuals who impart knowledge and education have the responsibility to make their learners learn and develop holistically. Instructional materials about K-12 content play a significant role for the learners to acquire the needed competencies and 21^st century skills. Pictorial, colorful instructional materials, along with regular textbooks and workbooks, ensure the child is fully engaged and finds all the learning topics interesting enough (Bordia, 2022).

The K to 12 curriculum emphasizes contextualization, ensuring its relevance, appropriateness, and responsiveness to learners’ personal, biographical, and sociocultural backgrounds. This approach acknowledges the demands of both national and global communities. The program advocates pedagogical approaches that promote active learning, such as constructivism, inquiry-based learning, reflection, collaboration, differentiation, and integration (DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2019).

The call for contextualized instruction has gained momentum among educators (Tolbert et al., 2019). Aligned with this trend, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2021) emphasized the importance of educational reforms that consider local contexts, traditions, and values. Additionally, Pardilla (2020) further underscored the need for these reforms to address the specific needs and lived experiences of learners

According to Labiste (2019), contextualized curriculum uses authentic contexts to provide the students the means to learn language skills used in the real world. Contextualization remarkably improves students’ performance in English subjects, particularly in grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing.  Besides utilizing the language, teaching must integrate culture to facilitate the development of communication skills appropriate for the language users’ environment.

On the other hand, a study claims that students of English as a Second Language (ESL) fail to learn English grammar effectively because of the lack of authentic learning material (Yang, 2020). Thus, contextualizing the English Language Curriculum is important since putting language into context is believed to affect learning significantly.

According to DepEd Memorandum No. 173, s. 2019, national assessment results revealed that many early grade learners struggle to meet early language, literacy, and numeracy standards. This memorandum highlighted a concerning trend: low achievement in English, Math, and Science linked to deficiencies in reading comprehension. Many low-performing learners struggle to comprehend (read and understand) English-worded Math and Science word problems, hindering their ability to demonstrate content knowledge in these areas. The data suggested a broader issue – elementary and high school learners continue to exhibit deficiencies in both language and content area literacy skills, particularly in reading (DepEd, 2019).

The DepEd has launched and implemented various reading programs in order to reduce and eventually eradicate the number of those learners with difficulty in reading comprehension examinations. Aligned with the K to 12 Basic Education Program’s goal of fostering lifelong learners, the DepEd introduced the Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3Bs Initiative) reading program. This initiative supports DepEd’s mission to develop productive and responsible citizens equipped with essential competencies and skills. Through the 3Bs Initiative, schools nationwide are tasked with implementing programs that effectively enhance students’ reading proficiency at their respective grade levels.

Despite existing initiatives, recent national assessments continue to highlight shortcomings in student learning. To address these gaps, DepEd has emphasized the need to prioritize strengthening English reading proficiency and fostering a culture of reading across all content areas. This renewed focus is reflected in the department’s efforts to bolster the “Every Child a Reader Program” (ECARP). ECARP’s goals remain crucial: equipping students with the necessary reading skills to become proficient and independent readers at their grade level, empowering teachers to excel as reading instructors, and cultivating a love of reading within schools, communities, and all levels of governance (DepEd Memo No. 173, s. of 2019).

Moreover, the low performance of learners in English is evident in the result of the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) conducted to Grade 8 learners in Lalawigan National High School, Mercedes District, Division of Camarines Norte. There is 31 or 65.07% out of 63 Grade 8 learners who fall under Frustration Level.

This figure only shows that Grade 8 learners at present are generally encountering problems or difficulties in English or in Filipino. This serves as the motivation of the researcher to pursue a study that would develop and evaluate Contextualized Learning Resources dubbed as C-GAME: Guided-Audio Visual Materials in English, to address learning difficulties in English of Grade 8 learners of Lalawigan National High School in the Division of Camarines Norte. Specifically, it answered the following sub-problems: 1) What are the least mastered learning competencies of Grade 8 English learners based on the result of first quarter periodical examination; 2) What contextualized learning resources may be developed to address learning difficulties in English of Grade 8 learners of Lalawigan National High School; 3) What is the level of acceptability of the proposed contextualized learning resources along with LRMDS tool in terms of content quality, Instructional quality, and Technical quality; 4) What is the academic performance of Grade 8 learners after the utilization of contextualized learning resources; 5) Is there significant difference between the academic performance before and after the utilization of the developed contextualized learning resources; 6) What recommendations may be given to improve the contextualized learning resources?

METHODOLOGY

This study utilized quantitative method with descriptive-inferential-evaluative design of research. Inferential statistics, specifically the paired t-test was utilized in computing the significant difference between the academic performance of Grade 8 learners before and after utilization of the developed learning resources. After the development of the proposed contextualized learning resources the researcher requested the experts to evaluate it along the following criteria: content quality, instructional quality and technical quality. Based on the recommendations of the set of experts’ modifications to the contextualized learning resources were done.

The study involved sixty – three (63) grade 8 learners of Lalawigan National High School Total enumeration was utilized for the study. The primary data in this study are the least mastered learning competencies in Grade 8 English as a result of the first quarter examination given to 63 Grade 8 learners last October 2023 in the locale of the study. This served as basis in the development of the contextualized learning resources. In addition, six teachers with varied level of expertise in the district/division, specifically 1 English Head Teacher, 1 English Master Teacher, 1 EPS-LRMDS, and 3 ICT Coordinator Teachers, served as evaluators of the developed contextualized learning resources. They were tasked to evaluate the proposed contextualized learning resources using the evaluation tool adapted from Learning Resources Management and Development System (LRMDS) of DepEd. Likewise, the result of teacher-made test served as the primary source of data.

The data on the Contextualized guided-audio visual materials for grade 8 English learners in Lalawigan National High School in the Division of Camarines Norte were analyzed using descriptive analysis, frequency count and percentage, documentary analysis, DepEd- LRMDS Evaluation Tool, and t-test. Descriptive analysis, frequency count and percentage with documentary analysis determined the least mastered learning competencies of Grade 8 English learners based on the result of first quarter periodical examination, and their academic performance after the utilization of contextualized learning resources. Meanwhile, t-test determined the significant difference between the academic performance before and after the utilization of the developed contextualized learning resources

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This part presents the results of the data analysis in response to the problems covered by this study.

Least Mastered Learning Competencies of Grade 8 in English

Table 1 presents the least mastered learning competencies of Grade 8 learners in English subject. The results showed that among easy tasks, 29 out of 63 learners achieved a 45.39% proficiency level, while 22 learners scored 35% on average tasks, and 25 learners had a 39.8% average proficiency. This was assessed across competencies such as determine the meaning of words and expressions that reflect the local culture by noting context clues, use conventions in citing sources, use modal verbs, nouns and adverbs appropriately, identify and use signals that indicate coherence and use a range of verbs, adjectives and adverbs to convey emotional response or reaction to an issue to persuade others.

The findings indicate that a significant portion of learners are struggling with essential language competencies, particularly in easy and average tasks. With only 29 out of 63 achieving a 45.39% proficiency level on easy tasks, this suggests a foundational gap in understanding critical skills, such as interpreting local cultural expressions and using proper citation conventions. The low scores across various competencies highlight the need for targeted instructional strategies to enhance learners’ abilities in these areas. Specifically, the data suggests that there is a pressing need to incorporate more diverse and challenging materials that can engage students and promote deeper understanding.

The analysis indicates that the researcher’s proposed instructional materials target these specific competencies. Notably, all data points associated with these competencies fall significantly below a 75% mastery benchmark. This suggests that the C-GAME (Contextualized, Guided Audio-Visual Materials in English) resources, once developed and evaluated, could offer learners more engaging and effective activities to achieve proficiency in these areas.

Contextualized Learning Resources to Address Learning Difficulties in English of Grade 8 Learners

Republic Act 10533, or the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013,” requires that the curriculum be contextualized to meet students’ needs. This means adapting lesson plans, teaching methods, and classroom activities to reflect students’ local experiences and goals. This approach is a central feature of the K to 12 Program, enabling educators to tailor content and materials to their community’s specific context (DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2016).

The researcher developed the Contextualized Learning Resources dubbed as C-GAME: Guided-Audio Visual Materials in English, which contains localized examples that resonate with the learners’ specific context or area. It incorporated interactive elements like activity sheets and quizzes, with clear visuals. The lesson’s design allows for seamless integration into both online and in-person teaching environments. It has structured content, with engaging narration and ensuring accessibility features makes the lesson usable by all learners, regardless of their abilities or technical constraints. Moreover, it has high-quality audio and video production.

Level of Acceptability of the Developed and Evaluated Contextualized Learning Resources

Table 2 presents the results of the evaluation by the set of evaluators from the field composed of one English Head Teacher, one English Master Teacher, three ICT Coordinators and seven English Classroom Teachers in Mercedes District in the Division of Camarines Norte.

As revealed in the table, the developed learning materials got a total point of 37 along content quality which indicates that the learning materials passed the evaluation criteria making the learning highly acceptable. The findings indicate that the developed learning materials received a total score of 37, demonstrating that they meet the evaluation criteria and are considered highly acceptable. This has several important implications such as the high score reflects a commitment to quality in educational resources, ensuring that they are suitable for effective teaching and learning.

Moreover, the developed learning materials got a total point of 36 along instructional quality which indicates that the learning materials passed the evaluation criteria making the learning highly acceptable.  The finding indicates that the materials are likely to support effective teaching and learning, instilling confidence in teachers about their use in the classroom. High acceptability suggests that the materials can lead to improved student engagement and learning outcomes, provides a strong foundation for implementing the curriculum successfully and can motivate further development and refinement of educational materials in the future.

Furthermore, the developed learning materials got a total point of 39 along technical quality which indicates that the learning materials passed the evaluation criteria making the learning highly acceptable. The findings suggest that the materials will significantly improve student engagement and comprehension, leading to better learning outcomes. Teachers can confidently use the developed learning materials knowing they are reliable and well-designed. This positive evaluation supports ongoing development and fosters greater support from teachers, administrators, and parents. Overall, the materials effectively enhance the educational experience of Grade 8 learners in the locale of the study.

Summing up the computed points from the three main indicators used, a total point of 37 was revealed. This score point is thereby interpreted as highly acceptable, which was shown from the LRMDS Tool designed for this purpose. Thus, it can be generally said that in terms of content quality, instructional quality and technical quality, the developed contextualized learning material to address the learning difficulties of Grade 8 learners in Lalawigan National High School is regarded as highly acceptable.

Academic Performance of Grade 8 Learners after the Utilization of Contextualized Learning Resources

Table 3 presents the academic performance of Grade 8 learners after the utilization of contextualized learning materials. As revealed in the table, before the utilization of the contextualized learning material there were 11 learners with a grade of 90-100% interpreted as “outstanding”, 85 to 89% with 13 learners interpreted as “very satisfactory”, 80 to 84% with 20 learners interpreted as satisfactory and 19 learners with 75 to 79% interpreted as fairly satisfactory.

After the utilization of the contextualized learning material, there were 15 learners with a grade of 90 -100% interpreted as “outstanding”, 14 learners with 85 – 89% interpreted as “very satisfactory”, 22 learners with 80-84% interpreted as “satisfactory” and 12 learners with 75-79% interpreted as very satisfactory.  It can be noted that the utilization of the developed contextualized material improved the learning achievement of Grade 8 learners. This indicates that the contextualized materials significantly improved the academic performance of Grade 8 learners.

Difference Between the Academic Performance Before and After the Utilization of the Developed Contextualized Learning Resources

The test for significant difference that may exist between the academic performance before and after the utilization of the developed contextualized learning materials was computed thru Paired Sample t-Test.

The mean value of 1.50794 suggests that on the average, there is a significant increase in the academic performance of the students. The standard deviation of 0.59224 demonstrates the variability in the data. This indicates that there were some variations in the extent of improvement among the learners.

The results indicate that some learners may have shown a greater improvement in their scores while others may have shown a little improvement. Moreover, the t-value of -20.210 is a measure of the magnitude of the difference between the mean scores before and after utilizing the developed contextualized learning resources.  It shows that difference is significant and unlikely to have occurred by chance due to the p-value of 0.000 at 0.05 level.  This led to the conclusion that the developed contextualized learning material has had a substantial impact on the academic performance of the learners.

Recommendations to Improve the Contextualized Learning Resources

The recommendations to improve the contextualized learning resources composed of intervention activities for Grade 8 English learners specifically along  comprehension and appreciation of local cultural nuances in English language usage, gain confidence and competence in integrating citations into their academic writing, build their understanding and proficiency in using language elements effectively in their writing and communication, develop learners ability to create well-organized and logically connected written compositions and enhance their ability to use language effectively in persuasive writing and communication.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of the findings of the study, the following conclusions were arrived at: 1) Majority of the Grade 8 students had average learning proficiency in the most essential learning competencies in English 8 subject; 2) The researcher developed contextualized learning resources dubbed as C-GAME: Guided-Audio Visual Materials in English, to address learning difficulties of Grade 8 learners of Lalawigan National High School; 3) The developed contextualized learning resources or C-GAME was evaluated as highly acceptable and passed the evaluation of the experts using the standard LRMDS evaluation tool; 4) The utilization of the developed contextualized material improved the learning achievement of Grade 8 learners. This points to a strong positive impact of the contextualized learning materials on learner achievement; 5) The developed contextualized learning material has had a substantial impact on the academic performance of the learners. Therefore, there is a significant difference between the academic performance before and after using the developed contextualized learning resource; 6) The recommendations given to improve the contextualized learning resources composed of intervention activities for Grade 8 English learners.

RECOMMENDATION

The following recommendations to the area of research and development are hereby given: 1) English teachers may regularly monitor the performance of their learners in English subjects for proper intervention. 2) The contextualized learning resources may be based on the quality standards of LRMDS-DepEd to ensure its effectiveness specifically along teaching and learning process. 3) The results of the evaluation made by the experts may serve as basis in the modifications of the proposed intervention activities. 4) Schools in Mercedes District may adopt the proposed learning materials and intervention activities to address the least mastered learning competencies of the Grade 8 English learners. 5) The local government unit as partners in education may allocate funds for the reproduction of the developed learning materials. 6) The developed learning materials may be subjected to evaluation of other experts in the field and be uploaded to LRMDS portal. 7) The study encourages future researchers to develop innovative approaches for creating teaching and learning materials.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The researcher would like to extend her deepest sincerest gratitude to all the people who helped her in any manner and who shared their knowledge in order to make this research a reality: her thesis adviser – Maria Flora T. Pandes, EdD, for the guidance, patience and encouragement to pursue her research; the panel experts: Dr. Erlinda J. Porcincula, the late Dr. Ela N. Regondola, Dr. Jennifer Rubio and Dr. Anicia S. Madarang for the constructive criticism which allowed for a better version of her research; and the Dean of Graduate School, Dr. Sonia S. Carbonell, for the feedback to continue and push through with her research.

REFERENCES

1. Bordia, D. (2022). The Importance of Instructional Materials. Teachmint.
2. DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2019- Policy Guidelines in the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program.
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6. DepEd Memorandum No. 173, s. 2019- Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3Bs Initiative).