"Figure Me If You Can": A Strategy to Improve the Pupils' Mastery Level in Analyzing Figurative Language in English 5

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

In the real classroom setting, a teacher cannot obtain 100% mastery level among the pupils in all her lessons. Teachers must address the learners' needs in order to reach their academic potential through remedial teaching. One of the least learned competency in English 5 for the 1st grading period is to analyze figures of speech (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole) in a given text. It is for this reason that the researcher embarked on developing "Figure Me If You Can" -Strategic Intervention Material in English 5 as the treatment to improve learners' mastery level and reduce the least mastered skills.

METHODS

The study made use of the quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design. Specifically focused to improve the mastery level of the 14 Grade 5 Francia pupils in analyzing figures of speech in a given text through the use of Strategic Intervention Material. After conducting the pre-test, pupils answered the SIM during the 20-minute remedial period in the afternoon and were expected to finish all the tasks in 5 days. Post-test was immediately conducted.

RESULTS

During the focused group discussion, the researcher found the following as the causes of pupils difficulty in analyzing figures of speech in English 5. Five answered that the lack of instructional materials contributed to their difficulty in mastering the lesson; nine responded that the activities during the 50-minute lesson were monotonous; two claimed that they had difficulty remembering the lesson, and five said that time pressure caused their low performance. It is notable that 14 out of 21 implied that the lack of and monotonous instructional materials affected their learning. After the 5-day intervention through the use of the teacher-made Strategic Intervention Material and the conduct of the post-test, the results revealed that there was a significant difference in the pre-test and post-test scores of the cases under study.

DISCUSSIONS

The results demonstrate that the use of Strategic Intervention Material significantly improved the mastery level of the respondents. It also points out that careful selection and design of IMs play a vital role in the teaching-learning process. Kochhar (2012) supports this view by saying that instructional materials are very significant learning and teaching tools. Findings of this study further confirm that of Togonon (2011) that SIM enhances students’ achievement.