Different Strokes, Different Folks: Addressing Speech Anxiety through Differentiated Instruction among Grade 11 Students of Pantay Integrated High School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The anxiety that goes with any public speaking performance can either be personal, situational, or both. This study was conducted to investigate how differentiated instruction helps reduce the reported levels of public speaking anxiety among the Grade 11 students of Pantay Integrated High School.

METHODS

This descriptive study examined the change in the speech anxiety levels ofsixty (60) Grade 11 students before and after differentiated instruction using McCroskey's Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) scale, and was carried out in two phases: (a) identification and validation on the existence of high public speaking anxiety levels among students and (b) implementation of differentiated instruction to address the students' public speaking anxiety.

RESULTS

The results of the study revealed that there was a decrease in the number of moderately high and high anxiety levels at the end of the semester. From a total of 40 moderately high anxious students, it went down to 11, a 72.5% notable decline. Out of the 15 high anxious learners identified at the beginning of the study, only 4 remained to categorize themselves as such. The z value was found at 2.11, which was quite above the 1.645 value at .05 significance level, supporting that the decrease was significant.

DISCUSSIONS

It was found out that most speech-related anxieties were mainly situational, rather than personal. The study established the crucial role of teachers in managing a learning environment that is positive, engaging, and learner-centered.