Action Research Physical Science
Action Research Physical Science
Action Research Physical Science
STRATEGY
An Action Research
NINQUE C. SOLTERAL
ninquesolteral@deped.gov.ph
July 2021
ASSESSING GAPS BETWEEN STUDENT’S PREREQUITIES SKILLS IN
STRATEGY
I. Context/Rationale
Psychologists who study how we learn have stated that prerequisite skills is the single
most important factor in learning. Prerequisite skills make it easier for us to learn new things
because of how our brain works. When we learn, we connect new learning to what we already
have in our brains, forming something like a bridge, or connection, makes learning easier.
whether a student is prepared to be immersed in a new lesson, most especially if the you are
gearing towards curriculum such as Physical Science. Students come to the classroom with a
broad range of pre-existing knowledge, skills, beliefs, and attitudes, which influence how they
attend, interpret and organize in-coming information. How they process and integrate new
information will, in turn, affect how they remember, think, apply, and create new knowledge.
Since new knowledge and skill is dependent on pre-existing knowledge and skill, knowing what
students know and can do when they come into the classroom or before they begin a new topic of
study, can help teachers craft instructional activities that build off of student strengths and
acknowledge and address their weaknesses. Prerequisite skills or prior knowledge are
quintessential to understand and perform better in the subject. Enrolling in a Senior High School
for which you have not met the prerequisite can set a student up for failure and hinder the
academic experience for other students. Some of the set of skills needed before learning Physical
Science are; observing, classifying, measuring, inferring, predicting and communicating.
Moreover, Student’s motivation, engagement and interest also plays a vital role in learning and
retaining knowledge. If these skills were not met, it paves way for learning gaps. Learning
gap refers to the relative performance of individual students. The disparity between what a
student has actually learned and what he or she was expected to learn at a particular age or grade
level. One of the more consequential features of learning gaps is their tendency, if left
unaddressed, to compound over time and become more severe and pronounced, which can
increase the chances that a student will struggle academically and socially or drop out of school.
As students progress through their education in these recent times, remediating learning gaps
tends to become more difficult because of the Covid 19 pandemic that resulted to the many
restrictions like travel, school closures and the like. Face to face engagement of students and
teachers within the school has also been suspended. The Philippines Educational system is in the
process of adapting to the new normal form of education, and continuous innovations of
Hence, the key purpose of this research is to assess the gap in the prerequisite skills of
grade 11 students of General Climaco National High School School year 2020 – 2021. This is
also a basis for proposed a technology – based intervention strategy that would cater the needs of
The purpose of the study is to assess the gap between student’s prerequisite skill in
Physical Science in General Climaco National High School Year 2020-2021 . This serves as the
2. What is the performance of Grade 11 students in General Climaco National High School
in terms of the:
3. Based from the assessed learning gaps in Physical Science, what intervention strategy can
be proposed?
A chatbot is a software tool that interacts with users on a certain topic or in a specific
domain in a natural, conversational way using text and voice. For many different purposes,
chatbots have been used across a wide range of domains, including marketing, customer service,
technical support, as well as education and training. Current developments in this area suggest
that interaction with technologies, either by natural language or by speech, is possible because
technology develops, and users become more used to interacting with digital entities. Rather than
creating a human-like smart machine application, it is about creating effective digital assistants
who are able to provide information, answer questions, discuss a specific topic, or perform a
task.
Chatbots have had a long history of use as pedagogical agents in educational settings.
From the early 1970s, pedagogical agents within digital learning environments known as
pedagogical agents use artificial intelligence techniques to enhance and personalize automation
in teaching. The design and research knowledge are important in developing engaging, useful,
and valuable pedagogical agents that not only make the most of technological advancements, but
also understand emotional, cognitive, and social educational concerns (Gulz, Haake, Silvervarg,
Sjödén, & Veletsianos, 2011) (King, 2002). In addition, conversational agents have been built
into software and devices. Moreover, in recent years more and more organizations have started to
immature. Incorporation of chatbots into the educational area over the last decade implies an
increase in interest in the ways in which chatbots might be implemented for teaching and
learning. Useful chatbot systems can provide benefits of instant availability and ability to
respond naturally through a conversational interface with the same advantages as an interview.
Additionally, chatbots demonstrate the ability to create easygoing interactions with users so that
they can be leveraged to support engagement, as well as setting out goals, strategies and
which people create their own subjective representation of reality. These representations are
subjective because new information is always linked to people’s prior knowledge. He said that
Personal experience, motivation, interest and engagement along with the learner’s environment,
help to build knowledge. Learners constantly test ideas through social negotiation. And since
learning can only take place when a student is ready to learn. When students feel ready,
they learn more effectively and with greater satisfaction than when not ready. The more a
person practices something, the better he or she is able to retain that knowledge. The
knowledge that has not been used becomes weakened and disappears from memory.
Learning design should take this into account and provide learners the opportunity to use
new information so that it sticks. This means repeating the information, applying it
likely to happen again in the future. Learning is weakened when associated with an
unpleasant feeling, becoming less likely for learning to occur again in the future.
Learning occurs when it results in satisfaction and the learner derives pleasure out of it.
Therefore, we can say students are more likely to learn when they feel satisfied or are
rewarded for learning, rather than punished for not learning. They need to feel good in
In recent times, where learners have been immersed to the global internet connectivity,
extensive interest has been directed towards applying technologies in educational settings, to
enhance the learning process. Digitalizing education and reinventing the learning experience is
one of the big challenges in this age of information. In the field of E-learning, the application of
chatbot as a medium of learning Physical Science and as part of the education as a whole, has
shown interesting potential, both as a teaching and administrative tool (Smutny, 2020)
Studies show that there is a close relation between students’ learning styles and the
teachers’ teaching strategies (Usdan et al., 2001, Trigwell, 1999). However, students and
teachers may have different goals and their perspectives on how to learn and what to teach can
create a gap between the teaching strategies and the students’ learning styles (Hedin, 2006).
Therefore, to narrower this gap as it can affect the quality of learning it is vital to consider both
teachers’ and students’ needs when designing technology -based intervention for learning
purposes. In the student – centered learning environment, the main task is to promote students’
learning by giving them more control over their own learning and by disseminating new
Many learning theories including the theory of multiple intelligences emphasize that students
presented in the theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983; 1985; 1993; Gardner, 1999).
However, despite the widespread use of these theories and the impact they have on learning,
many teachers are unconvinced of their value and therefore, they continue to use the teacher-
centered approach to educate students (Lea et al. 2003; O’Neill and McMahon, 2005).
In a traditional classroom, it is common that the interaction between teacher and students
is restricted and the teacher plays an autocratic role. This situation was epitomized by Kassim
and Ali, in saying “The teacher is holding the power to knowledge, the power to deliver the
knowledge, and the power to control the learning and teaching environment.” (Kassim and Ali,
2007). In a SCL environment, in contrast the teachers become facilitators, and they encourage
their students to interact, help others, and to learn from one another. This form of teaching
becomes even more effective when integrated with ICT (Li, 2007) and this assists the students
across the curriculum to work together and with other teachers to share their knowledge and
environment replete with electronic devices such as computers, social media, videogames, digital
music players, video cameras, cell phones, and a multitude of digital toys. “Our students have
changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was
Through assessing gaps in learning, educators can constantly improve their skills and
become more proficient at their jobs. In the field of K-12 education, it is particularly imperative
for teachers to be at par with the changing times in education, use the new resources to cater the
needs of individual, multiple intelligent learners not only to ensure the best learning outcomes
for their students but also to be more effective and satisfied in various other aspects of their work
The researcher utilized the action research design in which the researcher collected data
through the administration of a diagnostic test to Grade 11 students in General Climaco National
High School. To determine the internal consistency, validity and reliability, the test has been
subjected to Cronbach’s Alpha. Slovin’s formula was employed to calculate the number of
demographic profile and background. The study was based on a descriptive research method.
From this the researcher will arrive at a conclusion as well as formulate recommendations and
suggestions. The result will serve as the basis for a proposed intervention strategy.
VII. Respondents
The research participants were taken using simple random sampling from 157 Grade 11
The computation of the sample size that were applied was Slovin’s formula.
Formula:
N
n=
1+ Ne2
Where:
N
n=
1+ Ne2
225
¿ 2❑
1+157∗(.05)
225
¿
1+157∗.0025
157
¿
1+ 0.5625❑
The research environment is located at General Climaco National High School in General
Climaco Toledo City. Formerly known as Malubog, is a barangay of Toledo City that comprises
conduct the study was secured in the concerned office. After permission was granted to
undertake the study, the administration of the questionnaire followed. The questionnaire will be
constructed by the researcher himself and was subjected to test of validity and reliability. Of the
157 total population, only 113 respondents was taken from the total population using Slovin’s
Formula with a 0.05 margin of error. Small sample sizes can provide highly reliable findings
X. Data Analysis
Frequency and Percentage formulae will be used to describe the demographic profile in
terms of: (1.1. distance from home to school; 1.2. accessibility to internet connection;
A. Percentage
percent.
F
P= x 100 Analysis of Data
N
Where:
P = percentage
F = Frequency
N = population
100 = constant
A. Discussion of Results
1. What is the profile of the students in terms of:
1.1 Distance from house to school
According to the graph, 33.63% of the respondents commute to school for 100 and above
minutes. Since the school is located at the center of many remote barangays, it was evident that
students took long enough to reach school given they travelled by foot or commuted to school
The chart displayed the student’s internet connectivity. Grade 11 students mainly uses
mobile data 4g with 49.56% followed by mobile data 3g which has 16.81 % while none of the
respondents used BPL and Satelite.
The Grade 11 students’ monthly income comprises of 5,000 – 8,000 pesos with 27.43%
of the total population while only 1.77% respondents have a family income of 17,000 – 20,000
pesos monthly.
1.4. Family Literacy
It is evident in the graph that most of the respondent has a parent or guardian who is an
elementary graduate. It comprises of 23.89 percent of the total population which is 113
respondents. I is followed by respondents whose parents/guardian is a high school undergraduate
with 17.7%. Only 4.42% of the respondent has a parent/guardian who is a licenced professional.
Most respondents are Visual learners with 68% out of 113 population. 14 % are auditory
while the remaining 18 % are kinesthetic learners.
1.6. Multiple Intelligences
2. What is the performance of the Grade 11 Students of General Climaco National High School
in terms of the:
2.1. Number of Learners who mastered the prerequisite skills in Physical Science
There are 7 sections in Grade 11 for the S.Y. 2020-2021 which are Cookery, SMAW,
EIM, Dressmaking, HUMSS 1 and HUMSS 2 and CSS. It is evident in the graph that most of the
respondents haven’t mastered the prerequisite skills in Physical Science. 4 of the cookery
students, 1 o the SMAW students, 1 of the EIM Students, none of the Dressmaking Students, 9
HUMSS student and none of the CSS students have mastered the prerequisite skills.
According to the data gathered above, with regards to the 6 prerequisite skills in physical
Predicting is the highest percentage among the other prerequisite skills among all sections
followed by classifying, observing, measuring, and inferring respectively. The HUMSS 1 and 2
sections have higher scores compared to the other sections. It can be said that the scores of the
sections are closer with each other signifying that they are homogenous in nature. Students have
a hard time measuring and inferring data which is why they scored low in the diagnostic test.
B. Conclusion
General Climaco National high school is undoubtedly the one of the most remote High
school in the Toledo City. Thus, the students took longer hours to reach school which makes it
harder for home visitation or have a one- on -one conference since most of the students lived in
remote sitios and barangays with a difficult terrain. Moreover, the only mode of transportation in
the barangay is the jeepney and motorcycle which adds to the burden of both the teachers and
students. The flow of intervention and other enhancement activities can be so strenuous even
more so amidst this pandemic. The average time it took to reach school is 1 hour and 10 minutes
for those with one way commute. Most of the students said that they commute for almost 1 hour
and 40 minutes. In terms of Internet accessibility, almost all students own a cellphone in one way
or another with 4g prepaid mobile data. The students have access to internet given that they also
used the internet in their modular learning studies. The students wrote that they have active
social media account such as facebook, twitter, whatsapp, Instagram, tiktok and messenger that
they use mainly to communicate with one another and their teachers. The teachers can mainly
reach them through email and messenger. The respondents wrote that their parents/guardians is
literate with 16.81% High School graduate, and 2.89% Elementary graduate. Although they are
literate, however, the level of their knowledge does not exceed that of their senior high school
students to teach them with the new curriculum. They will not be able to teach them Physical
Science and the students are left with their own devises to be able to learn the subject. Most of
the students opt to look for the answers in the internet and confide with their teachers. With this
restrictions, it was very difficult to have access to a library and understand modules so having
enhancement lessons via messenger or to sites that is easy to access is most welcome. Most of
the students are visual learners with 68% of the total population. To be able to have a material or
resources to read is usually the most preferred mode of intervention. Granted that the material is
easy to relate to, clear and interesting. In terms of multiple intelligences, 42.9 % of the
respondents are intrapersonal. People with high intrapersonal intelligence are aware of their
strengths and weaknesses. They preferred accomplishing the task alone and can do it by
After assessing the gaps with the student’s prerequisite skills through a diagnostic test
with regards to the 6 prerequisite skills in physical science which is observing, classifying,
measuring, inferring, predicting and communicating, a conclusion that be made that only 13.27%
or 15 students out of 113 have the skills to learn about Physical Science. Most of the respondents
don’t have the required skills and need to have intervention. The learning gap that needs to be
objects or events. The scope and application of measurement are dependent on the context and
discipline. In physical science, experiments are usually performed. During these experiments,
readings should be taken. Thus, all these experiments require some measurements to be made.
evidence or an explanation for an observation a person has made. They are based on their past
experiences and prior knowledge. Inferences are often changed when new observations are
made. When one is able to make inferences, and interpret and explain events around them, they
have a better appreciation of the environment. Scientists' hypotheses about why events happen as
they do are based on inferences regarding investigations. Moreover, when physicals science
students communicate more effectively, science thrives. Being able to communicate the
relevance and impact of their ideas and discoveries can enhance their ability to find a job. It
allows them to write better and more comprehensible research papers too. In conclusion, it is
imperative for the respondents to be able to learn independently and teachers should provide a
platform for them to gain access anytime. The platform should include a clear understanding of
the objectives of what prerequisite skills in physical science are needed and how to obtain them.
An intervention strategy that is accessible, clear and precise, and technology – based should be
made to cater the needs of individual learners and provide them with timely and quality
education.
C. Reflection
In response to the pandemic, educators have rapidly developed practices for remote
instruction and fought to address dire inequities. Our goal is not to get back to normal but to
build a better society that is inclusive. We are forced to reimagine new techniques to deliver our
lesson remotely. Virtual school is a whole other challenge of its own. When in traditional
classroom, you can assess firsthand the inadequacies of the students in terms of prerequisite
skills and address them. However, in the new normal it is quite a challenge since you don’t have
the facilities to assess the real needs of the learners. As an educator, being creative takes a lot of
time and takes a toll on us specially that we are also bombarded with reports and other task that
needs to be accomplished. But I think one of the biggest challenges has been the pressure I have
placed on myself. This year, more than any other, I have left school thinking about the day and
what I should have done differently or asking myself if my students are learning anything or if
what I am doing is even effective. I have not been following my own advice of giving myself
grace, which is so easy to say and to tell people, but when it comes to yourself, it’s hard
sometimes to take this well-intentioned advice. It is quite difficult most importantly that students
lack the desired skills to take on a certain lesson in Physical Science. That is why to design an
alternative technology – based intervention material is much needed in our education system.
When much is demanded from us, and when we are not there to answer our learners, we make
D. Recommendation
With teacher’s busy schedule, therefore, a chatbot application software tool that interacts
with users on a certain topic or in a specific domain in a natural, conversational way using text
and voice is recommended. For many different purposes, chatbots have been used across a wide
range of domains, including marketing, customer service, technical support, as well as education
and training. Current developments in this area suggest that interaction with technologies, either
by natural language or by speech, is possible because technology develops, and users become
more used to interacting with digital entities. Rather than creating a human-like smart machine
application, it is about creating effective digital assistants who are able to provide information,
answer questions, discuss a specific topic, or perform a task. With this, teachers can design any
lesson or incorporate the prerequisite skills for the students to access remotely in their free time.
The software is quite flexible and if used properly, can deliver lesson well without supervision
A. Work Plan
B. COST ESTIMATES
Proposed Budget:
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/30/20/modular-learning-most-preferred-by-parentsdeped
FlipScience. (2020, October 5). 'Tagapagdaloy’: How Filipino parents can help ensure successful modular
distance learning. FlipScience - Top Philippine Science News and Features for the Inquisitive Filipino.
https://www.flipscience.ph/news/features-news/tagapagdaloymodular-distance-learning/
Llego, MA. (n.d). DepEd Learning Delivery Modalities for School Year 2020-2021. TeacherPh.
https://www.teacherph.com/deped-learning-delivery-modalities/
1Ysthr Rave Pe Dangle, 2Johnine Danganan Sumaoang (2020), The Implementation of Modular Distance
https://www.intechopen.com/books/virtual-learning/a-review-of-distance-learning-and-learning-
management-systems
https://www.dpublication.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/27-427.pdf
https://www.dpublication.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/27-427.pdf