Biomolecules, Fantastic Four: A Strategic Intervention Material to Increase the Academic Performance of DL Osano Maputi National High School Grade 10 Students on Concepts in Biomolecules

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Learning science concepts is not easy and has been a great challenge to most students, especially at DLOMNHS, which in the past years have yield poor academic rating. With the use of a teacher-made strategic instructional material, this study aimed to improve the academic performance of the students with an intervention crafted to provide assistance in meeting the challenges.

METHODS

The researcher used a quasi-experimental research design method to test the effectiveness of SIM in improving the academic performance ofthe grade 10 students. The researcher utilized the least learned competency on biomolecules from the previous school year and made it a basis in crafting the SIM. The 34 grade 10 students were given 20 items teacher-made pre-test questionnaire following the table of the specification where 70% of the questions were in the knowledge type, 20% were in the process type and 10% were in the understanding level. After the pre-test, 3-days traditional class discussion teaching-style on biomolecules was used on the 60 minutes allotted time per day. On the third day, post-test was given and identifying the experimental group followed. The researcher used purposive sampling in identifying the experimental group. Half of the class with low scores was given the SIM as an intervention on the fourth day for the entire day as approved by the school head. Since there are 4 sub-topics in the SIM, students are only given 30 minutes to read and answer each sub-topic. After the implementation of the intervention, the 17 respondents who underwent the Strategic Intervention Material (SIM) would be given the same kind of post-test to see the effectiveness of SIM in improving their academic performance.

RESULTS

The researcher used the mean scores to compare the performance of the respondents in their pre-test and 1st and 2nd post-test scores. Also, paired samples t-test was used to test the significant difference between the scores of respondents in 1st and 2nd post-test scores at .05 significant level. From the scores of the respondents, after being treated with the intervention, it could be observed that the scores of each respondent and their mean score had achieved far than the 65% set standard of the researcher. A paired sample t-test found that there is a significant difference between means, t (16) = 12.22, p < 0.001. Together this suggested that there is a significant difference in the scores of the 1st post-test and 2nd post-test.

DISCUSSIONS

The results had shown that using strategic intervention material is an effective way of improving the academic performance of the students, thus, it gave them the enthusiasm to strive better.