"Improving Students' Awareness on Local Heroes of Laguna

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to improve the level of student's awareness of local heroes of Laguna. Knowledge about the past is a great guide to our present and our future. Having a little knowledge of our past may give our students problems in the future. Likewise, nationalism among them may also suffer if this problem will not be given solutions. The researcher believes that Grade 8 students who have a low level of awareness on local history may face different challenges to understand Asian studies, world history and other topics related to Social sciences.

METHODS

T-test was used to assess whether there is a statistically significant difference between the participants' pre-score mean and post-score mean. This is to check if there is a significant improvement on the awareness of the respondents on the local heroes of Laguna after the alternative solutions have been done.

RESULTS

Written materials were given, multi-media activities were also done and a website that will serve as a portal of information on local heroes of Laguna was relayed to students for them to visit and explore. The results of the pre-test showed that 24% or 8 of the student respondents got the score of 0-3 with the corresponding description of "Not aware”. However, from the post-test scores, twenty-three (23) or 70% of the student-respondents got the score of 13-15 equaled to "Very Highly aware”. The results show that the student-respondents frequency and percentage in their pre-test signify that they have a low level of awareness on the local heroes of Laguna. While their scores in the post-test imply their improvement on the level of awareness on the local heroes of Laguna. Comparing the results of their post-test and pre-test, a percent of increase revealed a remarkable 71.47%. The result was beyond the expected increase of 50%. The computed t-test (-44.89) compared to its critical value (1.697) also showed that the post-test score and the pre-test score were significantly different.

DISCUSSIONS

After the findings, it was recommended that the students must bear in mind the heroism advocated by the local heroes of Laguna; the importance of their struggles, sacrifices in gallantly fighting foreign colonizers in the attainment of the much esteemed independence by studying and emulating the values of patriotism and nationalism put forth by the local heroes of Laguna and others. Social Studies teachers must also take extra effort in instilling to their students the importance of history, explaining to them why there is a holiday (e.g. National Heroes Day, Rizal Day, etc.) and its consequence on their citizenry so as to reevaluate their sense of civic responsibility.