Effectiveness Of Implementing Positive Reinforcement in Addressing

Disruptive Behavior of Grade 10 Students in Science

An Action Research Proposal

Presented to the
Department of Teacher Education
College of Teacher Education Arts and Sciences
Visayas State University Villaba
Cagnocot, Villaba, Leyte

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the PrEd 154
Field Study 2
Participation and Teaching Assistantship

Presented by

LEAH A. HERMOSILLA
BSED III - Science

Presented to

JONATHAN Q. MONSANTO
Course Instructor

Second Semester
May 2024
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

COVER PAGE …………………………………………………………………i

TABLE OF CONTENTS …………………………………………………………ii

I. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE …………………………………………………1

II. ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS …………………………………………

III. PROPOSED INNOVATION, INTERVENTION AND STRATEGY …………

IV. ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

Participants/Other Sources of Data and Information …………………

Data Gathering Methods …………………………………………………

Data Analysis Plan ………………………………………………………...

V. ACTION RESEARCH WORK PLAN AND TIMELINES …………………

VI. COST ESTIMATES …………………………………………………………

VII. PLANS FOR DISSEMINATION AND UTILIZATION …………………

VIII. REFERENCES …………………………………………………………

APPENDICES …………………………………………………………………

A. Letter Request to Conduct the Study …………………………………

B. Informed Consent ………………………………………………...

C. Pretest and Posttest Questionnaire ………………………………...

I. CONTENT AND RATIONALE

Education is a tool for producing skilled individuals who drive economic

development and address community challenges. Students are expected to

dedicate significant time to their education in order to graduate with strong

academic performance (Tadese & Mulu, 2022).

Students' academic performance has garnered considerable attention

for researchers. Trainers, educators, and researchers are focused on

identifying variables that positively affect learners' performance (Alshammari

et al., 2017). Academic performance is essential for students as it reflects the

knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired during their educational journey in

college. It is a crucial determinant of students' success in their future careers

(Mappadang et al., 2022). Moreover, academic performance assesses a

student's proficiency in various academic areas. Educators often assess

student achievements by analyzing classroom performance, graduation rates,

and standardized test scores (Shahjahan et al., 2021).

According to the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment

(PISA) results, the mean performance in mathematics across Organization

Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries dropped by 15

points between 2018 and 2022. In fact, math had remained steady between

2003 and 2018 but it was decrease by 15 points between 2018 and 2022.

Our country is one of the participating countries in PISA. Based on the

result, mathematics performance scored 355 points, which is below the

OECD points (472). In short, our country ranks 77th out of 81 countries in

which one of the reason of that rank is the poor performance of students in

mathematics.

Based on the results mentioned above, it is very alarming for our

country to be at that rank wherein the academic performance of students

towards mathematics is low to the OECD average and one of the solutions to

that problem is suggested by the study of Capinding (2021) which suggest

that teachers use a variety of methods to inspire students to improve their

academic performance. Teachers can enhance their academic performance

by innovating and implementing new strategies that cater to the needs of

students.

Particularly, here in Villaba National High School (VNHS) poor

academic performance of students towards mathematics is very evident as

shown in their numeracy test results which I personally observed during my

participation and observation in that school. This observation was supported

by my resource teacher and the mathematics coordinator of VNHS.

Additionally, the study of Pitogo and Oco (2023) which states that

One of the innovations that might solve that problem is the used of

peer tutoring. According to Nawaz & Reman (2017), peer-tutoring is described

as a teaching strategy where students are paired up in twos, regardless of

their abilities, to serve as both tutor and tutee in order to maximize the

benefits they receive from each other.

 As a whole, this study will use peer tutoring in improving the academic

performance of grade 10 students of Villaba National High School towards

mathematics.

II. ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of peer tutoring in

improving the poor academic performance of grade 10 students towards

mathematics.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the pretest mean score of the students before they exposed

to peer tutoring?

2. What is the posttest mean score of the students after they exposed

to peer tutoring?

3. Is there a significant difference between the pretest and posttest

mean score?

III. PROPOSED INNOVATION, INTERVENTION AND STRATEGY

Poor academic performance in mathematics will be improved through

the use of peer tutoring. In this intervention, the students will be paired with

each other. During pairing, the previous mathematics grade of the students

will be considered. High average students will be paired with lower average

students in which high average students will serve as a mentor and low

average students serve as mentee. They will help each other every activity

that I give to them during my discussion.

 Positive reward will be given to the mentor when their mentees got a

passing score during assessments like giving them additional points,

chocolates and many more. In order to motivate the mentor to strive more to

teach their respective mentees.

The said intervention will start its implementation this coming first

quarter of the school year 2024-2025 during my internship.

IV. ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

A. Participants/Other Sources of Data and Information

This study will be conducted to the grade 10 students of Villaba

National High School located at Cagnocot, Villaba, Leyte during the first

quarter of the school year 2024-2025. Specifically, the Grade 10 – Melon

students since this section shows a poor academic performance in

mathematics based on the low mean results of their numeracy test and this

observation was validated by my resource teacher and mathematics

coordinator during my classroom observation and participation in VNHS.

B. Data Gathering Methods

This study will use the quantitative research design, specifically the

experimental design utilizing the pretest and posttest methods. These

methods will be the appropriate methods in conducting this action research as

shown in the study of AbdulRaheem et al. (2017) which utilize the use of

pretest and posttest design in his study entitled “Effect of Peer Tutoring on

Students' Academic Performance in Economics”. However, this study will be

using peer tutoring in improving the poor academic performance of grade 10

students towards mathematics at VNHS.

Furthermore, the researcher will write a formal letter to Mrs. Sheina

Marie S. Macalla, the principal of VNHS asking permission to conduct this

action research. Subsequently, the approved letter will be submitted to the

adviser of grade 10 – Melon to formally inform that her advisory class will be

my participants.

After that, the participants will be inform by the researcher through the

use of informed consent which contain the explanation and purpose of the

study. The researcher will entertain questions if they have and let them sign

the consent voluntarily. Since the participants is already set, the conduct of

the pretest will be administered and the mean score of the pretest will be

computed.

Moreover, the implementation of peer tutoring will be implemented to

the participants in improving their poor academic performance in

mathematics. Additionally, the posttest will be conducted to the participants

right after the end of the implementation.

Finally, the creation of findings, conclusions and recommendations will

be made based on the data collected from pretest and posttest.

C. Data Analysis Plan

The data collected from pretest and posttest will be analyze by the

following statistical tools:

 Mean. It will be used to determine the pretest and posttest mean score

of the students before and after the conduct of the study.

Standard Deviation. It will be used to determine the variation of

scores of the students during pretest and posttest.

Shapiro Wilk Test. It will be used to test of the normality of the scores

collected from the pretest and posttest. If the scores are normally distributed t

test will be used and if not, Mann Whitney Test will be used.

On Sample T-Test. It will be use if the scores collected from pretest

and posttest are normally distributed. This test will determined if there is

significance difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the

students.

Mann Whitney U Test. It will be use if the scores collected from

pretest and posttest are not normally distributed. This test will determined if

there is significance difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the

students.

V. ACTION RESEARCH WORK PLAN

This part presents the weekly target, activities and person involves in
conducting this action research.

Weekly
Activities Person Involves
Target
Week 1 1. Submission of Request Researcher, Cooperating
Letter to Conduct the Teacher, School
study. Head/Principal.

2. Signing of the Researcher, Participants and

participant consent. Cooperating Teacher
 Researcher, Participants and
3. Conduct of Pretest Cooperating Teacher

4. Implementation of Peer Researcher and Participants

tutoring in improving the
Week 2-7 poor academic
performance of the
students in mathematics
5. Conduct of Posttest Researcher, Participants and
Cooperating Teacher
Week 8
Researcher and Student
6. Data Analysis Teacher Coordinator

7. Making of Results and Researcher and Student

Discussions Teacher Coordinator

Week 9
8. Making of Summary of Researcher and Student
Findings, Conclusions and Teacher Coordinator
Recommendations
9. Securing a clean copy Researcher
of my completed action
research.
Week 10
10. Plagiarism Test and Researcher and English
Human Editor Instructors/Professors
11. Final checking, Researcher and Student
Week 11 submission and soft Teacher Coordinator
bounding.

V. COST ESTIMATES

This part presents the estimated cost in conducting this study.

Activity/ Materials Materials Cost

1. Printing of Communication
letter, informed consent and 1 ream of bond paper Php 250.00
Pretest test questionnaire.
2. Implementation of the 1 box of Chalk Php 100.00
study 20 Manila Paper Php 300.00
20 Cartolina Php 150.00
1 ream bond paper Php 250.00
3. Making of Results and ½ Ream Bond paper Php 125.00
Discussion; Summary of Load/Computer Php 250.00
findings, Conclusions and Payment
 Recommendations
4. Printing of Completed
Action Research for final
1 ream bond paper Php 250.00
checking, plagiarism test and
human editing.
5. Printing the clean copy for
1 ream bond paper Php 250.00
soft bounding
Total Estimated Cost 10,000.00

VI. PLAN FOR DISSEMINATION AND UTILIZATION

The study results and findings of this study will be shared with all

educators who experience the same problem being studied. It might help

them improve their teaching strategies in handling students, especially for

teachers handling the mathematics subject. Additionally, the results and

findings will be forwarded to the school where I conducted my study.

Furthermore, it will be published in online journals to help teachers in

our country and the mathematics community as a whole.

VII. REFERENCES

Mappadang, A., Khusaini, K., Sinaga, M., & Elizabeth, E. (2022). Academic
interest determines the academic performance of undergraduate
accounting students: Multinomial logit evidence. Cogent Business &
Management, 9(1). Retrieve form https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.20
22.2101326

Nawaz, A. & Rehman, Z.U. (2017). Strategy of peer tutoring and students’
success in mathematics: An analysis. Journal of Research and
Reflection in Education (1), 15-30.

Pitogo, Shallinie & Oco, Richard. (2023). Pupils' Numeracy Skills and
Mathematics Performance. 6. 333-340.
APPENDICES
Appendix A. Letter Request to Conduct The Study
Appendix B. Informed Consent
Appendix C. Pretest and Posttest Questionnaire