Validity of Project U.S.E. (Uncovering the Secrets in the Elements) in increasing the Performance Level of Grade Eight Students in Science

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

David O. Adeife once said, "Never innovate to compete; innovate to change the rules of the game”. Funded under the Basic Education Research Fund (BERF) the purpose of the study is to test the validity of Project U.S.E. (Uncovering the Secrets in The Elements) in increasing the performance of Grade Eight students in Science. It is an innovative instructional material constructed by the researcher. The material aims to solve an issue about the low-performance level of Grade Eight students in Science in competencies under the content "Matter and Its Interactions". The selected participants are four heterogeneously grouped grade eight students of Luis Y. Ferrer Jr. West NationalHigh School in the Division of General Trias City.

METHODS

The researcher employed a mixture of experimental design and survey methods. The Solomon Four-Group experimental design was used to test whether the use of innovative instructional material could improve students' performance as compared to students who did not use it, while survey method with the use of questionnaires was done to determine the student's level of appreciation about the usage of the instructional material.

RESULTS

Collected data from the comparison between the experimental groups and control groups indicated that Project U.S.E. can help increase students' performance specifically in competencies related to the study of the periodic table of elements. Thus, the material is valid to be used as an instructional tool because it can perform what is intended to perform. Most essentially, the material is highly appreciated in general by the students who use it.

DISCUSSIONS

It is then reiterated by the researcher the importance of innovative instructional materials in the teaching-learning process and that there are different ways to help students learn better aside from employing the conventional ones. Creating innovative instructional material does not necessarily mean that you will invent new or undiscovered things. This doesn't also mean that you will apply high-level forms of technology. Using materials that are already available to achieve something more uniquely and effectively can be the most premium point of innovation. The purpose of instructional material is not only for the convenience of the teacher but also to support student learning.