Effect of School-Based Feeding Program on the Academic Performance of Grade III Severely Wasted and Wasted Pupils

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Hacienda Elementary School (HES) is an island school that caters to a total population of 482. This school year, only 64 pupils are considered to be the recipients of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) as they either fell under Wasted or Severely Wasted categories in the Nutritional Status. SBFP is on its 4th-year implementation as it started in 2014.

METHODS

This action research covered 10 Grade III pupil-recipients from a total of 64. The purpose of the study is to consider the effect of the School-Based Feeding Program on the academic performance of Grade III Severely Wasted and Wasted pupils in HES for the school year 20172018. It made use of statistical tools to answer the research questions. Periodical tests were used to test the mastery level and proficiency level of the pupils in all subjects. This action research covered 10 Grade III pupil-recipients from a total of 64. The purpose of the study is to consider the effect of the School-Based Feeding Program on the academic performance of Grade III Severely Wasted and Wasted pupils in HES for the school year 2017-2018. It made use of statistical tools to answer the research questions. Periodical tests were used to test the mastery level and proficiency level of the pupils in all subjects.

RESULTS

The researcher was able to find out that the averaged result of the children's grades was 79.2%. This was taken beforethe feeding program started. She also computed the average result of the recipients' grades after the feeding program and the result was 82.1%. It can be noted that there is only a 2.9% increase in the pupils' academic performance after the program implementation.

DISCUSSIONS

Using a t-test, the researcher calculated for the significant difference before and after the feeding program. The result showed that the t-computed value of -12.4357 was beyond the t-critical value of -2.262 at 0.05 level of significance with 9 degrees of freedom thus the null hypothesis was rejected. It means that there is a significant difference in the academic performance of Severely Wasted and Wasted pupils before and after the feeding program. It implied that the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) was effective in increasing the academic performance of the 10 pupil-recipients in Grade III.This study was funded by the Department of Education through the Basic Education Research Fund (BERF).