ABSTRACT
The researcher-writer discussed the effectiveness of competency-based strategic intervention materials in English 5 which were given to learners to help develop their least mastered skills. The pretest mean scores are very low prompting the explanation behind the researcher to build up the Strategic Intervention Materials. This study focused on the competency-based strategic intervention materials covering only the first quarter topics in English 5. Nineteen (19) Grade 5 learners of Locloc Elementary School used as the respondents of this study. This topic centered in composing clear and coherent sentences using appropriate grammatical structures (Subordinating and Coordinating conjunctions). Developed Strategic Intervention Materials were used in classes remediation to give focus on developing the least mastered skills of the learners as identified in the pretest mean scores. The chosen 19 learners took the pretest and post-test.
Consequently, purposive sampling and z-test were used by the researcher-writer in utilizing the study. After utilizing the strategic intervention materials, the F-computed value 0.785 is less than F-tabular value 4.41 at 17.7% level of significance with 18 degrees of freedom, therefore the null hypothesis is accepted. There is a significant difference in the assessment of the two groups of respondents on the effectiveness of the competency-based SIM in terms of quality.
The researcher writer of the SIM observed that the learners were enjoying and learning as they go along with the SIM. In this case, the learners had already developed and improved their least mastered skills. They were able to compose clear and coherent sentences using appropriate subordinating and coordinating conjunctions appropriately. These led to the excellent performance of the learners towards English subject.
Keywords: Strategic Intervention Material; Purposive Sampling; Competency-based learning
INTRODUCTION
The Department of Education (DepEd) introduced the use of Strategic Intervention Materials (SIM) as a form of remediation to increase the academic achievement of low-performing learners in addressing this problem in schools. DepEd Memorandum No. 117 s. 2005, "Strategic Intervention Materials (SIM) Training Workshop for Successful Learning," paved the way for teachers to develop and use SIM in classrooms. Individual needs are addressed by instructions and interventions. DepEd also issued Department Order 08 s. 2015 or the Classroom Assessment Policy Guidelines. It states, "There must be sufficient and appropriate instructional interventions to ensure that learners are ready before summative tests," and “There must be intervention by remediation and extra lessons from that student's subject teacher to a student who receives a grade below 75 in any subject in any quarter." This policy guideline outlines the need to arrest academic underachievement by giving the learners adequate intervention. It also emphasizes inclusive learning. As such, there will be no learners left behind as appropriate instructions and interventions are given to meet individual needs.
The general goal of competency-based learning is to ensure that students are acquiring the knowledge and skills that are deemed to be essential in mastering the least mastered skills of the learners. Competency-based learning is more widely used at the elementary level, although more middle schools and high schools are adopting the approach. As with any educational strategy, some competency-based systems may be better designed or more effective than others.
It is a necessity for the educators to provide the learners various learning materials that will help them enhance their English language skills and obtain full mastery in the mentioned field. It has also been said that “English is a universal language”. As learners of English, it is important that each of the learners should meet all the learning competencies in English. The competency-based strategic intervention materials in English provide a solution to the poor language performance of such learners. These materials were based on the learning competencies of English and a combination of technology, creativity, and resourcefulness of the teachers. It is one of the instructional materials used for remediation or to reteach the least mastered competencies suited for 21st century learners.
In summary, the effectiveness of Strategic Intervention Materials, as outlined by DepEd orders, lies in their ability to provide targeted, engaging, and flexible support for students. By addressing specific learning needs and aligning with national educational standards, SIMs can significantly enhance the learning experience and outcomes for students across the Philippines.
In line with this, the researcher-writer felt the need to test the effectiveness of the said Strategic Intervention Material for English 5.
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