CREATE VIA GC IN IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

OF GRADE VI PUPILS IN ENGLISH

GRACE L. CAMMAYO
St. Paul University Philippines – Tuguegarao
grace.camayo@deped.gov.ph

ABSTRACT

In line with the goals of an effective learning environment that aims to dynamically integrate theory and
practice, this study was conducted to test the effectiveness of CREATE VIA GC to improve the academic
performance through narrating events and making explanation of the Grade VI pupils of Dassun
Elementary School for the school Year 2022-2023. It employed quasi-experimental particularly One
Group Pretest-Post test research design among 29 Grade 6 pupils in which 14 were considered as the
control group as they have no internet access while the remaining 15 were the experimental group
having an internet access. Using pretest and posttest, results showed that there is a great increase in the
posttest scores of the experimental group compared to the control group supporting the effectiveness of
the intervention in the performance of the pupils in English. CREATE VIA GC intervention then is highly
recommended for English teachers to use as a tool in improving the academic performance of pupils as
this supports distance learning which is now the trend of new normal education. It is also concluded that
effective use of online platform in support to offline platforms plays a significant role in supporting
learning transfer not only for distance education but also during in-person learning.

Keywords: CREATE via GC, group chat, multimedia

 
 INTRODUCTION

Pupil participation has been a perennial concern of teachers worldwide. In fact, classroom
participation has always been a critical factor in yielding positive learning outcomes for students and
further developing their abilities more so in reading comprehension. Reading comprehension is one of
the important competencies that every pupil must develop, if not improve. Despite the strategies
provided by teachers, pupils’ reading comprehension ranks below the proficiency level.
In the recent global survey conducted by Program for International Student Assessment, among
the 79 countries participated in the said International Assessment, Philippines ranked as last in reading
comprehension (PISA, 2018). Pupils’ participation in elementary nowadays as compared to pupils
centuries ago marks a big difference. Pupils of today find difficulty in organizing their ideas and
expressing their own opinions. Simply because they are not encouraged to do so and sometimes
teachers pretend the lessons were all understood well because there is no reaction from pupils.
Improving class participation is a common issue in all schools nationwide but this remains unsolved.
In view of the foregoing, there is a scarce number of research which used Group Chat (GC) as a
tool to facilitate class participation to improve academic performance. Young people have embraced
social media as a platform for communication and sharing information (Olaleke, Iroju, & Olajide, 2015).
Also, Cetinkaya (2017) highlighted in his study that social media acts as an indispensable role in
collaboration, community building and participation. Even though they are somehow structurally
different, social media platforms that have become a part of users' daily lives, they are now used in
education. Butnaru et al., (2021) found out also in their study that online support in education has been
effective during pandemic. Moreno –Guerrrero et al., (2020) emphasized in their study that e-learning
gives a positive effect on the learning of students compared to traditional approach of modular learning
during pandemic. In addition, Sefriani et al., (2021) made a study on blended form of learning using an
online scheme which is blended learning and used control and experimental group through pretest and
posttest. The result also supports an increase in the posttest of the experimental group who were taught
using Edmodo as a form of online learning while the present study used group chat as the online
integration for blended learning.
In the context of Dassun Elementary School with 29 Grade 6 pupils, there is an occurring
problem on the development of the competency in English subject specifically on lesson using correct
and appropriate multimedia resources when orally giving information, instructions, making explanations
and narrating events in personal or factual recounts. During district academic contests such as district
schools press conferences, reading jousts, science and math quiz and others, the school is always at the
bottom. DES is one among the low performing schools in the district in terms of NAT result in English
with an overall MPS of 65%. In embracing the new normal, series of educational reforms and
innovations were done to come up with possible solutions or alternative to the different learning
modality. In the context of Dassun Elementary School, it is observed that most of the pupils have
cellphones, and based on their LESF, 26 Grade 6 pupils have smart phones with Facebook accounts.
Social media helps teachers, students, and parents to get more helpful information and connect
with learning groups. Social media even promotes self-directed learning in students, which prepares
them to search for answers independently. Since GC is currently considered as the most popular
platform for social networking, the proponent conducted a study on the use of CREATE via GC in
improving the academic performance of grade 6 pupils in English.
 Hence, this quasi-experimental study aimed to find out the effectiveness of utilizing CREATE via
GC (Challenging Reinforcement Exercises to Achieve Total Engagement of Pupils via Group Chat) in
improving the academic performance of Grade 6 pupils specifically in English in the New Normal.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

The Social Learning Theory of Albert Bandura shed light and better understanding to this study.
The concept of sustainability that our modern society faces asks for pedagogies and learning styles that
equip students to deal with change that is accelerating, complexity that is expanding, contested
knowledge claims, and inevitability of ambiguity (Lotz-Sisitka et al., 2015). The idea behind the social
learning hypothesis is that new behaviors can be picked up through other people's observation and
imitation. It asserts that learning is a cognitive process that occurs in a social setting and can still happen
just through direct instruction or observation, even in the absence of muscular reproduction or
immediate reinforcement (Smith, 2012). To improve learning, cognition, environment, and behavior all
interact with one another (Smith and Smith, 2008). The social learning hypothesis is supported by
particular social learning instruments, as explained. Tools used for educational objectives that make use
of social media and/or social software to promote learning through interactions between people and
systems are known as social learning tools (Smith, 2012). The goal of establishing "social learning tools"
is to improve education and the teaching-learning process while also expanding the reach of education
in terms of communication and teamwork with the general population (Smith, 2012). Social learning
technologies enable for user and/or software engagement, which can change the way that people learn.
Social learning tools can act as a bridge between students, teachers, and knowledge in both formal and
informal learning settings.

For a clearer understanding of the study, the paradigm below shows the relationships among
variables used in the study. The first box of the figure below shows the independent variable which is
the intervention used in the study; while the second box shows the dependent variable, which is the
academic performance of grade 6 pupils in English.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

CREATE via GC (Challenging Academic performance of Grade 6

Reinforcement Exercises to pupils in English
Achieve Total Engagement of
Pupils via Group Chat)

Figure 1. A paradigm showing the relationship of the variables used in the study
Statement of the Problem
The research attempted to find out the effectiveness of utilizing CREATE via GC (Challenging
Reinforcement Exercises to Achieve Total Engagement of Pupils via Group Chat) in improving the
academic performance of Grade 6 pupils specifically in English in the New Normal.
Specifically, it sought to answer the following:
1. What is the performance of the pupils in the pretest and posttest?
2. Is there a significant difference in the pretest and posttest scores of the 2 groups of
respondents?
3. What is the effect-size of CREATE via GC in the Academic Performance of the pupils in English?
4. What activity plan should be done to sustain/improve/develop the intervention and its
utilization?
METHODOLOGY

Research Design
The study utilized quasi-experimental research particularly pre-test post-test design to establish
a cause-and-effect relationship between the intervention CREATE via GC and the academic performance
of grade 6 pupils in English.

Participants of the Study

This action research was conducted in the academic year 2022-2023 at Dassun Elementary
School. It was applied among the 29 Grade 6 pupils comprising of 12 males and 17 females of Grade 6
Genesis in which 10 of the pupils was set to be the control group as they have been identified of having
no internet access while the remaining 19 was the experimental group having an internet access.

Research Instrument
The main data gathering instruments used in this action research are teacher-made pre-tests
and post-tests. The intervention used in the study is CREATE via GC where additional critical questions,
assignments, review questions, and advance activities were posted. The printed and online materials
used were downloaded from the DepED Learning Resources Management and Development System
(LRMDS) portal.

Data Collection Procedure

A written permission to conduct the study was sent to the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS)
of the Schools Division Office of Cagayan and the Public Schools District Supervisor (PSDS) of Solana
North District. Upon approval, the same letter was prepared for the school head of Dassun Elementary
School.
After seeking permission from the authorities, a 50-item pre-test was administered first to 29
pupils of Grade 6-Genesis followed by the implementation of the intervention.
Profiling was done by the researcher to investigate the number of pupils who have internet
access and those who do not have. Within the third grading period, the class used CREATE via GC where
additional critical questions, assignments, review questions, and advance activities were posted.
Activities were quality assured by the School Head and Master Teacher before uploading in the group
chat. There were two groups used in the conduct of CREATE via GC intervention. The first group used the
online intervention wherein activities are posted in the group chat. On the other hand, the second group
used printed materials.
Each pupil was given liberty to react and express his or her opinions. The activities used were
downloaded from the LRMDS portal and uploaded in the Group Chat created for the class. Activities
were uploaded every Friday at 9:00 am in the morning and printed materials were delivered to the
respective houses of pupils who don’t have internet access. Pupils were advised to answer the activities
once uploaded. Links were posted for additional activities, thus making every pupil fully engaged with
the challenging activities on giving directions, information, and narrating events in factual and personal
recounts. The proponent collected the answered activities every Saturday at 3:00 to 4:00 pm to their
respective houses following the IATF health and safety protocol.
Each week, each pupil was evaluated using both a rubric scoring guide and a checklist. After the
full implementation of the intervention a parallel test was given to the pupils. Their scores were
recorded and summated every month. The trend of participation was statistically determined.
It is believed that CREATE via GC contributed to the increasing participation rate and eventually
the achievement grade of pupils in the third grading period of the present school year. The result of the
pretest and posttest was recorded and compared to validate its effectiveness.

Data Analysis
To answer the first research question, mean was used to get the average of the scores in the pre
and post-tests and standard deviation was used to determine the homogeneity of the test. T-test for
independent samples was used as the statistical tool to determine the significant difference of the
scores before and after the implementation of GRACE via GC. Eta2 was used to evaluate the effect size
of the intervention in Guided Reinforcement Activities through Collaborative Engagement via Group
Chat.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This section presents the discussion of results based on the analysis of data gathered using
appropriate statistical tools. Here, to facilitate reading, the researcher arranged the tables, descriptions
and implications in a manner consistent with the order of the specific questions which the study at hand
sought to answer.

Table 1. Pretest and posttest mean scores of the pupils before and after utilization of CREATE via GC

Group Mean Standard Deviation

Pretest Posttest Pretest Posttest
Control Group 18.1 35.8 5.09 5.19
Experimental 22.58 46.79 7.07 1.55
Group
The mean pretest scores for the control group and experimental group were 18.1 and 22.58,
respectively, while the mean posttest scores for the two groups were 35.8 and 46.79, respectively. This
indicates that the experimental group experienced a greater increase in test scores than the control
group. Moreover, the table demonstrates that the pretest scores of the control group had a standard
deviation of 5.09, which was lower than the experimental group that has a standard deviation of 7.07,
indicating that the control group's scores were nearly like those of the experimental group prior to the
administration of CREATE GC. However, the standard deviation of the posttest scores of control group is
5.19 which shows that after the intervention, the scores were more comparable and intact than those of
the experimental group, which had a standard deviation of 1.55. This implies that the intervention
CREATE VIA GC significantly improved the scores of the participants over the traditional modular
approach.
It is crucial to recognize that many students use social media communication nowadays to
communicate with classmates, teachers, and other group members as well as to keep in touch with old
acquaintances and as a practical means of transferring resources. Most students today participate in a
variety of social media community groups, including Facebook and Instagram pages follow many
academic websites to advance their knowledge. As the study suggests, the more that the students are
involved and socially engaged, the better learning experience they have. Hence, there is a need to bridge
the application of social learning tools to make enough of an impact in practice rather than implying that
the preference for technological advancements solely applies to virtual learning (Cilliers, 2021).

Table 2. Significant difference in the pretest and posttest means scores before and after the
utilization of CREATE via GC
Tests t-Value p-Value Remarks
Pretest -1.96 0.06 Accept Null Hypothesis
Posttest -4.94 0.001 Reject Null Hypothesis
As determined by the Independent Samples t-test, the p-value of 0.06, which is greater than the
alpha (alpha=0.05), supports that the performance of the two group are equal accepting the null
hypothesis that there is no significant difference between the two participant groups' pretest scores
prior to the administration of CREATE VIA GC. Furthermore, the p-value of 0.001 is lower than .05 under
the posttest, shows a highly significant difference in the two groups of students' scores following the
implementation of CREATE VIA GC, rejecting the null hypothesis that there is no difference between the
two groups of students' posttest scores. This indicates that the two groups do not have the same
performance even before the administration of CREATE VIA GC, likewise, after the administration.
Hence, there is a significant difference in the academic performance of the participants.
This corroborates with the study of Ansari and Khan (2020) who found out that usage of social
media for collaborative learning has a substantial positive correlation with online knowledge sharing
behavior. As a result, the more intensely students use social media for collaborative learning, the more
likely they are to share their information online, increased peer and workplace information sharing.
Also, interactions with teachers have a strong statistically favorable correlation with students'
involvement.
The present study suggests that more engaged students in collaborative learning through social
media lead better academic performance. In line with Liu Y. (2010), it can be gleaned that judicious use
of social learning tools might include students in interactive learning, which is essential to a successful
education. The educator can establish a supportive learning environment and pique the student's
interest in continuing their education by understanding the preferences of the Generation Z learner and
using such preferences as part of higher education teaching-learning methodologies.
Table 3. Effect size of CREATE via GC in improving the academic performance of pupils in English.

Group Sample Size t-Value Eta² Interpretation

Control 10 -4.94 2.17 Large Effect
 Experimental 19

The table above shows the result on the effect size of CREATE via GC in improving the academic
performance of the pupils in English. The effect size was determined using Cohen’s d for independent
group samples. The value of 2.17 supports a large effect. This indicates that the intervention CREATE VIA
GC has a large effect on the increase of the mean posttest scores of the pupils.
Furthermore, social learning tools change the traditional learning process in a way that affects
the learner and those in his or her social network. It produces a learning environment that is more
accurate to society today. By interactions with the program and other users of the application,
technology used in social learning tools enables physical and cognitive learning. According to Albert
Bandura's research, the emergence of social media has altered the landscape of human interaction and
experience.
It is now possible to increase student engagement and learning in a social media setting
(Deaton, 2015), which is in line with the goals of an effective learning environment that aims to
dynamically integrate theory and practice (Gurran et al., 2008). Furthermore, it is noted that adopting
social media for educational objectives, the key motivational factor which drives them to use was
effective and quick means of communication technology (Akçayır, 2017; Ansari & Khan, 2020).

Table 4. Action Plan to improve the intervention and its utilization.

 Resources Imple
People Materials Financi menta
Strategies Programs Activities/ Task
al tion
Date
To improve Use of Write a School Copy of 500 March
H
the a v
CREATE i n
letter g fHead o u
complete n d 2023 t o
interventio via GC in seeking Propone d
n and its IMPROVI permissio nt research.
utilization NG THE n for the Teacher
Academic dissemina s
Performa tion of
nce of the result
Grade 6 of the
pupils in study.
narrating
events Present
and the result 500 April,
making of the School 2023
Explanati study to Principal O
ons the Teacher c
Create school s t
and Head and o
develop Teachers 500 b
partnersh to share e
ip work learnings Teacher r
with gained. s 2
teachers. 0
April ,
2023
Encourag Maximize
e use of
teachers CREATE
on the VIA GC
use of
CREATE
VIA GC
for Teacher
Improve s May,2
ment of Give 023
learning. moral
support
and share
ideas.

Conduct a
related
study on
CREATE
VIA GC
events and making explanations, it is deemed necessary to create an action plan to improve,
disseminate and utilize CREATE via GC as a strategic intervention. Using SPATRES format, to sustain the
intervention, a letter seeking permission for the dissemination of the result of the study is necessary.
There is also a need to create and develop partnership work with teachers, encourage teachers on the
use of CREATE VIA GC for improvement of learning, and conduct a related study on the use of CREATE
VIA GC. Also, it is essential to present the result of the study to the school Head and Teachers to share
learnings gained, maximize use of CREATE VIA GC, and give moral support and share ideas to teachers.
Persons involved will be the school head, head teachers, teachers, pupils and even their parents.

CONCLUSION/S
Based on the result of the study, it is concluded that CREATE via GC using reinforcement
exercises significantly increases the performance of pupils in English. It is also concluded that effective
use of online platform in support to offline platforms plays a significant role in supporting learning
transfer not only for distance education but also during in-person learning.

RECOMMENDATION/S

In the light of the preceding findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are hereby
advanced:
1. Use of online platform to support learning during the present distance education is highly
encouraged.
2. Implementation of CREATE via GC is highly recommended to other English teachers as it is
deemed effective in increasing the performance of pupils.
3. Other forms of online support for learning during pandemic is recommended as it is effective in
supporting learning in distance education.
4. Continuous improvement and development of online learning interventions must be done by
teachers to effectively support learning transfer.

5. Other teacher proponent may conduct similar study to improve the research finding.

References
Ansari, J.A.N., Khan, N.A. (2020). Exploring the role of social media in collaborative learning the new
domain of learning. Smart Learn. Environ. 7, 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-020-00118-7

Blickenstaff, J. et al., (2017). "The Effects of Reading Strategies Comprehension for Elementary Age
Learners". Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers. Paper 2.

Butnaru, G. et al., (2021). The Effectiveness of Online Education during Covid 19 Pandemic—A
Comparative Analysis between the Perceptions of Academic Students and High School Students from
Romania. MPDI

Cetinkaya, L. (2017). The Impact of Whatsapp Use on Success in Education Process. The International
Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(7).

Cilliers EJ (2021) Reflecting on Social Learning Tools to Enhance the Teaching-Learning Experience of
Generation Z Learners. Front. Educ. 5:606533.doi: 10.3389/feduc.2020.606533
Moreno-Guerrero, A. et al., (2020). E-Learning in the Teaching of Mathematics: An Educational
Experience in Adult High School. MPDI

Olaleke, J. et al., (2015). An Assessment of the Use of Online Social Network Sites for Enhancing
Computing Students’ Academic Activities. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 5, 489-499.

Sefriani, R. et al., (2021). Blended learning with Edmodo: The effectiveness of statistical learning during
the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE). Vol. 10,
No. 1, March 2021, pp. 293~299