Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
Motivation has been defined as a desire or disposition to engage and persist in a task
(Schunk, Pintrich, &Meece, 2014). Giving student a task to complete by competing promotes
motivation in learning, collaborations, enhance communication skills, critical thinking, encourage
participation, social interaction, and deeper understanding of the lesson. This interaction helps the
learners to grasp on various perspective needed to attain and connect further knowledge to their
own development with the guide of the instructor. According to Maslow (A Theory of Human
Motivation, 1943) a person is motivated to fill the needs of each level and they cannot move onto
subsequent levels until the prior level is fulfilled due to the persons “physiology and psychological
needs”, It states that people are driven to attain basic needs before moving on to other and requires
progress from basic to complex. People processes and engage in obtaining new knowledge as they
make meaning out of information and how they integrate that new information into their mental
models so that it becomes new knowledge. (Laura Saunders & Melissa Wong, 2020). “Motivation
refers to the psychological processes that stimulate excitement and persistent of voluntary action
aimed at some goal” As having a goal motivated people to be more attentive while still enjoying
what they were doing without knowing that they are to complete a given task.
According to Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Filipino learners
are not statistically significant, the decrease in the Science score in terms of ranking are inferior as
the Philippines placed 79th out of 81 countries in science. During the hearing of Senate Committee
on Basic Education, DepEd National Capital Region (NCR) director Joyce Andaya said that out
of all the schools in Metro Manila, only Makati City’s Benigno S. Aquino High School got a
passing mark in 2022 PISA, that emphasized how the Philippines’ educational system and
students’ performance are significantly worse than those other countries. “The Philippines’
dismissal ranking in the 2022 Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) for the
second time was a “clear indication” that the education system is in its “worst state” and that “much
work” needs to be done.” (M, Hernando-Malipot 2023). It also indicates that the students in the
country are five to six years behind in learning competencies, according to the Department of
Education (DepEd), which disclose that “The Education in the Philippines demands immediate
attention, collective effort, and a commitment to improvement” PBEd added. This will lead to
promote dedication and improvement to provide learners a high-quality pedagogy that they
deserve. As the technology evolves, today's generation are mostly relaying on technology, "The
rapid advancement of science and technology poses a significant challenge to the entire humanity
to keep up with the fast societal development rhythmically, most especially in the third world and
developing countries like the Philippines. The main factors that account for the low performance
in science of the Filipino students include the lack of support for a scientific culture reflected in
the deficiencies regarding the school curriculum, the inadequate teaching learning process,
insufficient instructional materials, and lack of teacher training. For instance, the lack of good and
engaging textbooks and lack of science equipment have hindered the conduct of scientific
investigations and hands-on activities among Filipino pupils. (Poor Science Education in the
Philippines: Cause, Solutions and Suggestions, 2014). With these, the researchers wanted to
explore the impact of SciPlay Handbook as science instructional materials on teaching and learning
on the content of Science in Junior High School.
Furthermore, the researchers hoped that this study will help teacher to engage students by
making science more interactive, enjoyable, encourage participation, to contribute deeper
understanding of the lesson and expand their understanding of the subject matter into real-world
application. The inclusion of the SciPlay Handbook as science instructional materials aims to
address the identified challenges in the Philippine education system, particularly in the realm of
science education. By leveraging interactive and engaging resources, teachers can foster a learning
environment that promotes active participation, deeper understanding, and application of scientific
concepts to real-world scenarios. Through initiatives like this, the educational landscape can
gradually shift towards a more effective and impactful approach to teaching and learning,
ultimately contributing to the improvement of student performance and the advancement of the
education system.
Theoretical Framework
This research is based on John Dewey’s Cognitive Constructivism Theory (1859-1952)
According to it, Education should be student-oriented rather than subject-oriented and that the
teaching should evoke problem-solving and original thinking. Dewey proposed a teaching method
of ‘directed living’ whereby students actively engage in real-world activities. He also emphasized
the importance of prior knowledge and experiences within the learning process, as well as
creativity and collaboration.
The traditional learning where the system focuses on memorization, reading, writing and
mostly classroom-based approach to learner is impliable, as the learners nowadays have diverse
approach in learning, introducing new learning style strategies such as game-based that will
capture the attention and curiosity of the learners would be beneficial to both learners and
instructor. Our world is an ever-changing, practical world that we can only know through actions
(John Dewey; My Pedagogic Creed 1897) thus by doing so, “learners can reflect on their
experiences, create mental representations, and incorporate new knowledge into their schemas that
will promotes deeper learning and understanding to the lesson”. This theory emphasized that
education, focusing on the individual learners with unique learning approach to the lesson by
implementing and engaging students with real-world activities as children are the first and
foremost interested in moving, communicating, exploring the world, constructing and expressing
themselves artistically (J, Dewey) by letting them exploring and perform, the students will achieve
significant learning through adapting to their surroundings, by doing so the learners can observe,
analyze, formulate and connect the real-world situation from the lesson.
Conceptual Framework
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
[Link] Profile
of the Teachers- [Link] Data
Respondents through Surveys and
[Link] of Questionnaires
SCIPLAY as a [Link] treatment Proposed handbook
learning guide in of Data Gathered based on MATATAG
teaching science in Curriculum Guides
terms of [Link], (MCGs)
analysis, and
a. Concept interpretation of data
b. Content
c. Clarity
d. Usefulness
e. Language and Style
FEEDBACK
Figure 1: Research Paradigm of the study.
Input box presented the demographic profile of teachers - respondents, including their age,
sex, years in service, and highest educational attainment. The indicators that assessed the
acceptability level of SCIPLAY as a guide in teaching science among secondary teachers in the
Municipality of Norzagaray are concept, clarity, usefulness, language, and style.
The process box involved the data gathering procedure and the use of statistical tool that
determined the level of acceptability of SCIPLAY as a guide in teaching science. After identifying
the level of acceptability, the researchers analyzed and presented the data.
The output of the study is to propose Handbook based on MATATAG Curriculum Guides
(MCGs) that aimed to help the secondary science teachers in teaching science in creature approach
to increases active learning. Feedback was helpful to the researchers as it determined the usefulness
of the book aid in the field of study.
Statement of the Problem
The study determined the significance and level of acceptability of SCIPLAY as a guide
in teaching science among secondary Science Teachers in the secondary schools of Norzagaray
Bulacan.
Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions.
1. What is the demographic profile of the teacher respondents in terms of:
1.1 Age-
1.2 Sex-
1.3 Years in service-
1.4 Civil Status-
1.5 Highest educational attainment?
2. What is the level of acceptability of SCIPLAY as a guide in teaching Science among secondary
Science
Teachers in the secondary schools of Norzagaray Bulacan.
2.1 Concept-
2.2 Content-
2.3 Clarity-
2.4 Usefulness-
2.5 Language and style-
3. Is there any significant differences in the level of acceptability of SciPlay as a guide in teaching
science among secondary Science Teachers in the secondary schools of Norzagaray Bulacan
according to their profile?
Hypothesis
There is no significant difference between the level if acceptability of SCIPLAY as a
learning guide in teaching Science among secondary Science teachers in the secondary schools of
Norzagaray Bulacan based on their profile.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
This study focuses on the creation of handbook and determining the level of acceptability
of SCIPLAY as a learning guide in teaching science among secondary science teacher in
Norzagaray, Bulacan.
Understanding science through a learning activity and making science more interactive and
enjoyable to the learners. The handbook was a researcher- made output that contain a collection of
learning activities based on MATATAG Curriculum Guides (MCGs).
This study only limited to the public secondary institutions and did not include the senior
high school and private school located within Norzagaray.
The five indicators that determined the level of acceptability of the handbook were concept,
content, clarity, usefulness, and language and style.
The questionnaires and book aid were provided and presented by the researchers to the
respondents that gathered data and information needed for the study.
Significance of the Study
This study has significance to the following:
Students. This study aimed to help the students to be more active and responsive in their science
classes. The students are expected to learn while entertained in every activity in their classes.
Parents. This study will give parents insight on how properly support their children in undertaking
lesson in science. This will guarantee the students to have a strong support mechanism in their
studies even outside the school.
Teachers. This study can help the teachers in their daily teaching skills by using a learning guide
as an alternative teaching approach to engage and motivate students to undertake the lesson in
science which is difficult. This book aid may also serve as a reference for teachers in combining
real life applications of science.
School administrators. This study offers opportunities to school administrators in the
development and implementation of learning guide as teaching approach in the study standardized
curriculum.
Researchers. This study allowed the future researchers to further develop the handbook and to
widen its use for the student's benefit.
Definition of Terms
The following are some terms used to further understand this study.
Clarity. The quality of being coherent and easily understood. ([Link],2020).
Concept. An abstract or general idea representing something, often used to convey understanding
or explanation within a specific context. (Muhammad Hassan, 2024). It refers to the idea that we
wanted to create a handbook to aid teachers.
Content. It refers to the substance or material contained within something, such as a document,
website, or media platform. It encompasses text, images, and any other elements intended to
convey information or ideas. (Herring, S. C., Scheidt, L. A., Bonus, S., & Wright, E. (2004). It
relates to the usefulness of the learning activities included in SciPlay.
Handbook. A book that contains instructions or advice about how to do something or the most
important and useful information about a subject. (Cambridge Dictionary, 2023). It refers to the
learning guide we are developing entitled SCIPLAY which contains various learning activities
with a certain topic which can be use as a learning guide for teaching Science.
Learning Guide. Is a user manual about effective ways to learn the subject matter and skills in a
course. Hartwig, M.K., Dunlosky, J. (2012). It relates to how Sciplay assist individuals in acquiring
knowledge or skills on a particular subject or topic. It provides structured information, instructions,
activities, and resources to facilitate learning and comprehension.
Language and Style. Language refers to the way in which written or spoken communication is
crafted and presented. Language pertains to the words, phrases, and syntax used to convey
meaning, while style encompasses the overall tone, organization, and aesthetic qualities of the
communication. (Strunk Jr., W., & White, E. B. (2000). It relates to how words are expressed
and the overall presentation of SciPlay.
Usefulness. It refers to the quality of being beneficial, valuable, or advantageous for a particular
purpose or goal. (Davis, F. D. (1989). It pertains to the ability of SciPlay to empower learners,
promote meaningful learning experiences, and facilitate the application of acquired knowledge and
skills in real-world contexts.