ARIANNE C.
DE LOS REYES MAEd-TESL 2
THESIS WRITING 1 – PROF. SUSAN V. DORADO
ACTIVITY 1
A Study on the In-depth Knowledge of Grammar among English Major Students at the
University of Makati: Basis for Worktext Development
Purpose of the Study:
This research aimed to identify relevant concerns that are necessary for addressing
teaching English to improve the grammar and performance of English major students. It
specifically sought to determine certain areas in grammar where students have difficulty
understanding and find appropriate methods or interventions that can enhance the
knowledge of the said students.
Methodology:
A total of forty (40) English major students answered a 20-item questionnaire which
constituted several grammar lessons, though basic yet if such simple lessons confuse the
respondents, all the more complex ones. The grammatical errors were then checked,
recorded, and discussed with the respondents via Google Meet class to inform the students
of the result of their test and explained comprehensively the grammatical errors they
committed. Then, a casual unstructured interview with the same students was also
conducted randomly to find out the difficulties they encountered in studying grammar.
Method of Analysis:
The scores of the respondents were arranged in tables and were interpreted using
Statistical Treatment. Then, their answers during the interview showed the difficulties they
have while answering the test.
Results/Conclusions:
The English major students’ common grammatical errors fall under incorrect verb
tense and its word order. When transformed into reported speech, incorrect use of
prepositions, incorrect use of articles (determiner), incorrect word form (modifiers-adjective
and adverb), number of nouns, and poor choice of words were found. According to the
respondents, they find it extremely hard to remember the tense and aspects of verbs,
various usage of prepositions, and rules in subject-verb agreement, alongside syntax and
prescriptive grammar as a whole. Therefore, teachers should prepare interesting and up-to-
date classroom activities such as grammar bingo, crossword puzzles, celebrity biographies,
play parts of speech uno, and rummy sentences, among others. These fun practices can
encourage learners to enhance and improve their grammar skills. In doing so, English
teachers can develop a module on English grammar that can be used in the elective course
as an additional enhancement.
Reference
Quiñones, T. F. (2022). A Study on the In-depth Knowledge of Grammar among
English Major Students at the University of Makati: Basis for Worktext
Development. https://ejournals.ph/article.php?id=19860
Grammatical Competence of Junior High School Students
Purpose of the Study:
The study determined the level of grammatical competence of 177 Junior High
School students and on the design and development of a supplementary learning material to
enhance the grammatical competence of the students along subject-verb agreement.
Methodology:
This study employed the descriptive-developmental method. The respondents were
one-hundred seventy-seven (177) Junior High School students from Salud-San Eugenio
National High School, Natividad, Pangasinan enrolled in the school year 2017-2018. Two (2)
instruments were used in gathering the data, namely: 1) the questionnaire that gathered the
profile of the students, and 2) the test on subject-verb agreement.
Method of Analysis:
Inferential technique was used in the study, specifically differential statistics. Social
scientists examine the relationships between variables, and thereby to create inferential
statistics, include but are not limited to: linear regression analyses, logistic regression
analyses, ANOVA, correlation analyses, structural equation modeling, and survival analysis.
Results/Conclusions:
The study revealed that students favored textbooks as their preferred reading
material at home. They are also exposed to various media types, with denser exposure to
books and television. The students’ parents are generally at par in their highest educational
attainment, which vary across cases of being either graduate or undergraduate in College,
High School and Elementary School levels. Majority of the students’ fathers are High School
graduate, parallel to the educational attainment of their mothers. The study concludes that
the Junior High School students need to further enhance their level of grammatical
competence in subject-verb agreement. The merits and essentials of the findings were
drawn and treated as inputs in the development of a supplemental learning material in
subject-verb agreement. The study offers a set of recommendations to improve strategies
and techniques in instruction and in the development of instructional materials that will
complement the goal to develop the relevant competencies of students in the field of English
language learning.
Reference
Sioco, E. C., & De Vera, P. V. (2018). Grammatical competence of junior high school
students. TESOL Journal (Laguna), 13(1), 82–94.
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1247221.pdf
Grammatical Competence of UM Digos College English Language Learners
Purpose of the Study:
This study aims to determine the impact on grammatical proficiency by scrutinizing
the different parts of grammar, such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs,
prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections, in the essays submitted by 39 third-year BSED
English students at UMDC.
Methodology:
The study employed a quantitative and descriptive research methodology. The
respondents of this study were comprised of 39 students from UM Digos College who were
obtained through random sampling. They were bona fide students of UMDC admitted in the
academic calendar year 2022- 2023 with an enrolled subject in ELT 22 from the college’s
Department of Teacher Education, majoring in English. In this study, the proponents used
students' essays to determine their grammatical competence with the use of the Grammarly
app, which is superior at identifying and minimizing errors on three indicators, including word
usage and punctuation, and identifying mistakes in parts of speech from students' output.
Method of Analysis:
The essays of the education students were interpreted through Likert scale. It also
used statistical analysis which involved the utilization of mean and frequency for identifying
the level of a student's grammatical competence and the frequency of errors in an essay. An
increased mean error rate signifies a more significant occurrence of errors in proportion to
the essay's length. With frequency, this denotes the cumulative count of distinct categories
of errors that occur within the essay. Grammar concepts such as subject-verb agreement,
consistent verb tenses, article usage, punctuation errors, and primarily parts of speech are
utilized to classify errors. A more significant occurrence of errors within particular
grammatical categories signifies potential deficiencies in the student's grammatical
proficiency.
Results/Conclusions:
It is evident that language learners had experienced significant challenges with a
diverse set of grammatical structures, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives, which are areas
where students frequently make mistakes. Language educators are thus faced with
employing inventive and pioneering methods to teach grammar to accomplish this objective
effectively. Regardless of the activities assigned, the teacher needs to offer students the
chance to generate grammatical structures using accurate examples of sentences that are
syntactically and semantically acceptable and include suitable and relevant terminology. The
study proposes an intervention and a set of guidelines for enhancing methods and
approaches in teaching and creating educational resources that will support the objective of
helping students get the necessary skills in English language learning.
Reference
Abendan, J. B., Briones, J. A., Tecson, J. C., & Monteza, A. M., PhD. (2024). Grammatical
competence of UM DIGOS College English Language Learners. International Journal of
Innovative Research in Multidisciplinary Education, 03(04).
https://doi.org/10.58806/ijirme.2024.v3i4n17
Students’ Attitudes Toward Grammar Teaching: Independent and Integrated Grammar
Teaching Methods
Purpose of the Study:
This study investigates students’ attitudes and preferences regarding the
independent and integrated grammar teaching methods.
Methodology:
The study was conducted in the English Language Education program of the Faculty
of Language and Arts, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, Salatiga. 110 questionnaires were
distributed to students of batch 2013 and 2015 of the English Language Education program.
Method of Analysis:
The collected data were analyzed through quantitative analysis of the questionnaires.
For the analysis of the closed-ended questions, the participants’ answers were categorized
into 4 categories – strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree. Then, their responses
from each of the categories were calculated to find the most stand-out category. Meanwhile,
for the open-ended question, the researcher used coding to analyze the participants’
answers and highlighted ideas that occurred frequently in the participants’ explanations. The
data were analyzed and categorized based on three main themes comprising Perceived
Effectiveness, Stimulation Level, and Preference.
Results/Conclusions:
The study found that the independent method was perceived as more effective to
help enhance the participants’ understanding of meanings, language accuracy, and
language competence. It was also believed to help the participants with the application of
grammar rules better. Meanwhile, related to rules understanding and language skills
development, the integrated method was seen to be more useful. In regard to stimulation
level, both batches found integrated grammar delivery to be more interesting, motivating,
and helpful to build their confidence in speaking English. However, the participants
considered both the independent and integrated methods to be applicable for their grammar
learning since both methods would complete each other’s weaknesses.
Reference
Arsari, R.W (2017). Students’ Attitudes Toward Grammar Teaching: Independent and
Integrated Grammar Teaching Methods. English Language Education Program Faculty Of
Language And Arts Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana.
https://repository.uksw.edu/bitstream/123456789/14457/2/T1_112013005_Full%20text.pdf
Grammatical Competence and Grammatical Knowledge Of Senior Secondary
Students in the New Normal: Learning Interventions
Purpose of the Study:
This study assessed the levels of English grammatical competence and grammatical
knowledge of the selected Grade 11 and Grade 12 Technical Vocational-Livelihood and
General Academic students from the selected Senior High Schools in the Division of Siquijor
for School Year 2022-2023. The study sought to answer the demographic profile of the
respondents, as well as their grammatical competence and knowledge levels.
Methodology:
The study utilized a quantitative method with a descriptive-correlational research
design. The participants of this study were the 234 Grade 11 and 12 students studying in five
selected Senior High Schools in the Division of Siquijor for School Year 2022-2023. A
questionnaire adapted from Oxford University Press (Oxford Intermediate Exit Test by John
Eastwood, 2019; Oxford Practice Grammar Advanced Tests by George Yule, 2022) was
used to acquire the data required. It includes an assessment of grammatical competence
and knowledge of word classes, relative clauses, and subject-verb agreement, the profile of
the senior secondary students, and the academic and psychological impacts of the
pandemic on students. The questionnaire was validated through the Quality Assurance
Team and the questionnaire's reliability was tested through pilot testing.
Method of Analysis:
Retrieved data were used for tabulation and computation for analysis to develop
interpretations and suggestions relative to the results and were then analyzed through
Cronbach Alpha.
Results/Conclusions:
The findings revealed that most students were 17 years old and female, primarily
learning English in school. Most own books, cellular phones, and television at home and
come from poor-income households. Their grammatical competence ranged from somewhat
to moderate mastery, and their grammatical knowledge ranged from slight to somewhat
mastery. Their profiles significantly influenced their grammatical competence, knowledge,
and psychological emotions amidst the pandemic. Thus, schools should enrich reading
culture to address grammar difficulties while the government should consider giving social
welfare benefits to truly deserving yet underprivileged students.
Reference
Andilab, D., & Amante, E. (2024). Grammatical Competence and Grammatical Knowledge of
Senior Secondary Students in the New Normal: Learning Interventions. Journal of Ongoing
Educational Research, 1(2), 92–103. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11215377
Assessing the Grammar Skills of Grade 8 Junior High School Students: Basis for
Developing Learning Resource Materials
Purpose of the Study:
The study was conducted to assess the grammar skills of the Grade 8 students,
which will serve as the main basis in developing appropriate learning resource materials.
Methodology:
The descriptive method, which employs objective and summative needs analysis,
was used by the researcher for this purpose. It was conducted at Parada National High
School and the participants were composed of 22 sections in Grade 8 during School Year
2018-2019. The researcher administered a 75-item teacher-made diagnostic test in the form
of a cloze test. The following essays were used: “A Strong and Beautiful People” and “The
Revolutionaries” by H. P. Ladera and “Why are Filipinos so Poor?” and “Why Freedom?” by
F. Sionil Jose. Another questionnaire was used to assess teachers’ perception of grammar
needs of student-participants. The test questionnaire checklist was composed of the
following grammar points: modals, parallel structure, subject and verb agreement, sentence
patterns, simple past tense, simple future tense, simple present tense, active and passive
voice, direct and reported speech, conjunctions, subject, object, and possessive pronouns,
pronouns and antecedents, definite, indefinite, and null articles, prepositions, formulating
who, what, when, where, why, and how questions, infinitives, relative pronouns, modifiers,
possessive case, adjectives in different degrees of comparison, grammatical signals,
gerunds, progressive tenses of verbs, prefixes, and suffixes. Selected English 8 teachers
answered the test-questionnaire checklist.
Method of Analysis:
Statistical treatments of data included the use of frequency distribution and
percentage score, mean, grand mean, standard deviation, and spearman rho. The computed
weighted mean was used to analyze and interpret the level of acceptability of the
contextualized drills as evaluated by selected specialists.
Results/Conclusions:
Modals; parallelism; subject and verb agreement; sentence patterns; simple past
tense; direct and reported speech; simple future tense; simple present tense; active and
passive voice; conjunctions; subject, object, and possessive pronouns; pronouns and
antecedents; articles; prepositions; and formulating who, what, when, where, why and how
emerged as the subject matter of contextualized drills proposed to be developed. English
teachers in Grade 8 and other levels may use the results of the needs analysis in developing
contextualized drills in English grammar. That way, the poor level of grammar skills of the
students will be addressed.
Reference
Pascual, M. N. (2021). Assessing the Grammar Skills of Grade 8 Junior High
School Students: Basis for Developing Learning Resource Materials. International Journal of
Academic and Applied Research (IJAAR), 5(6), 85–92.
http://ijeais.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/6/IJAAR210613.pdf
Assessing the English Grammar Proficiency of Online Filipino English Teachers
Purpose of the Study:
This study assessed the English grammar proficiency of 401 Filipino English
teachers who are currently teaching online. It aims to discover the current standing of
English proficiency among professionals and experienced Online Filipino English Teachers
(OFETs) by surveying their grammar proficiency using a customized grammar placement
test.
Methodology:
Descriptive research with quantitative approach was employed in this study. This
involved 401 random Online Filipino English teachers with minimum teaching experience of
one year and are based in the Philippines and are currently working in various online English
school platforms. The study modified the online grammar exam of British Study Centres
(2021), a training and educational institution based in England since 1930, for the purpose of
identifying the proficiency on specific grammar elements such as tenses of verbs and
prepositions of the respondents. The study based the question selection randomly from the
book published by Marian (2014) about most common mistakes in English where the author
divided the textbook into five categories (things, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, and
commas) that English learners most likely commit mistakes in and that teachers should be
adept in.
Method of Analysis:
Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data gathered.
Results/Conclusions:
Results showed that 90% of the respondents did not score more than 75% and that
they struggled with basic grammar particularly in the use of verbs and adverbs. The test
results imply that the OFETs lack the mastery of the English language, which is expected by
the learners, presumed by their employers, and will be demanded by their potential
employers. The respondents scored very poorly in some of the basic grammar concepts
such as verbs and adverbs. This suggests that the teachers have not mastered these
concepts yet despite the fact they have studied them in their schools and have been
teaching them to their students for at least a year. While this study found that the grammar
proficiency levels of the Online Filipino English teachers are relatively lower than the desired
or expected English language proficiency threshold for the teaching profession, it does not
necessarily mean that they cannot generally and operationally communicate in English as
they carry out their duties and responsibilities in teaching. It simply implies that there seems
much to be done if the respondents of this study aim to be at par with their international
counterparts in other parts of the globe. If Filipino English teachers want to remain
competitive and rebrand themselves, they must undertake a self-analysis of their English
skills to find their weak points and undergo a training and development program by
themselves or with their current employers.
Reference
Pablo, J. M. (2023). Assessing the English grammar proficiency of online Filipino English
Teachers. International Journal on Open and Distance e-Learning, 8(2).
https://doi.org/10.58887/ijodel.v8i2.230
What goes on in an English Classroom: A Look at How Grammar is Taught
Purpose of the Study:
This paper aims to discover what is taught in the high school grammar classes in one
of the girls‘ exclusive schools in the Philippines. Specifically, this study also wants to know
whether grammar is taught in a prescriptive or descriptive way.
Methodology:
This study employed a one-time audio recording of one of the four meetings of an
English class in high school. An examination of the course syllabus used for this class was
likewise undertaken for validation purposes. A 30-year old female teacher who has been
teaching English in the secondary level for the past ten years and is currently pursuing a
master‘s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language in one of the prestigious
schools in Manila and her 40 female freshman high school students participated in this
study.
Method of Analysis:
The researcher solicited the help of one of her former colleagues who teaches
English in an exclusive high school in Pasig, Philippines. The researcher requested her to
audio tape one of her English classes particularly the session where grammar would be the
topic/lesson for the day. The informed consent of the students was solicited prior to the
recording. The teacher brought the cassette recorder to her class and placed it on her table
beside her instructional materials. After 30 minutes, the recording was stopped. It was then
given to the researcher who transcribed the proceedings. The first five minutes of the
session was not transcribed to let the students ―warm up‖ to the idea of being recorded and
would eventually get accustomed to it and not be conscious of being recorded. No
transcription notations were used.
Results/Conclusions:
There is a strong evidence that discrete-point analysis is used in the teaching of
grammar and that in this particular English class and school, the prescriptive approach or the
traditional way is still employed.
Reference
Regala, E. (2010). What goes on in an English Classroom: A Look at How Grammar is
Taught. TESOL Journal, 3, 99–117.
https://tesol-international-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/A7_V3_TESOL.pdf
English Grammar Competence Of Filipino College Freshmen
Purpose of the Study:
This study aimed to ascertain the basic English grammar proficiency of first-year
technology students at Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University and to produce a
worktext as an output.
Methodology:
The descriptive method of research design was used in this study. This was done at
Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University. The researcher-made test was the primary
data-gathering instrument of the study. The achievement test (100 items) dealt with the
selected grammatical structures focused on nouns (pluralization and possessive form),
pronouns (types and pronoun-antecedent relationship), verbs (tenses and subject-verb
agreement), adjectives (degree of comparison and order), adverbs (functions and order),
conjunctions (correct usage) and prepositions (correct usage). The validity of the test was
determined through content validation. The contents of the achievement test were based on
the use of the seven parts of speech. The contents were validated by five English
Instructors/Professors. The test was field-tested on 30 College freshmen of the College of
Engineering. The reliability calculator determined the instrument's reliability using the Kuder-
Richardson Formula 20.
Method of Analysis:
To determine the strengths and weaknesses of the respondents in English grammar,
the researcher used a 7-point scale. The means which fell within the 1.00-4.5 range were
interpreted as weaknesses while means which fell within 4.6-7.0 were interpreted as
strengths.
Results/Conclusions:
The study discovered that the subjects were moderately competent in basic English
grammar but excelled in the correct use of conjunctions, prepositions, possessive forms of
nouns, and verb tenses; they were weak in the pronoun-antecedent relationship, noun
pluralization, subject-verb agreement, adverb, and pronoun types, adjectives and adverbs
order, and adjectives' degree of comparison. A validated Worktext for Basic English
Grammar was developed.
Reference
Merza, H. N. (2022). English Grammar Competence Of Filipino College Freshmen. Journal
of Positive School Psychology, 6(4), 2949–2958. http://journalppw.com/
Enhancing Grammar Competence of the Senior Secondary Students through
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
Purpose of the Study:
This study sought to determine how Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)
enhances the grammar competence of the senior students. This made use of teaching
grammar in six areas: verbal, modifier, subject-verb agreement, pronoun, preposition, and
possessive noun, in a communicative way through varied communicative strategies with
grammar and language focus.
Methodology:
The research design used in this study was the quasi-experimental design. The study
has 28 participants in the experimental group and 24 in the control group, making them 52
participants in all. A pretest and posttest were given to each section prior to and subsequent
to the study for comparison to determine the significance. There were two instruments used
namely the test instruments which refers to the researcher-made test and the planned
learning guides using CLT Approach and Traditional Approach. Before each content area
was taken, a pretest was given to the participants. Subsequent to the study of each content
area, a posttest was given. Answers were readily available for easy gathering of data. Then,
data were gathered for comparison.
Method of Analysis:
The researcher used the mean percentage to analyze the pretest mean scores and
the T-test for the posttest mean scores. The T-test was used to test the significant difference
between the mean of the experimental and control group when they were analyzed in terms
of pre-test and post-test. All computations were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS) at 0.02 level of significance to determine the high affectivity of the result.
Results/Conclusions:
When posttest results were compared in the six areas, the experimental group’s
result using communicative language teaching (CLT) showed significant difference in their
performance as reflected in their posttest mean score in all areas while there were only four
learning areas in the control group using traditional approach. Subsequently, when
compared in groups, findings showed that there was no significant difference between CLT
(experimental) and Traditional approach (control) in teaching English language. This implies
that either of the two approaches used could enhance grammar skill.
Reference
Alvarez, E. (2017). Enhancing Grammar Competence of the Senior Secondary Students
through Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). International Journal of Research in
Humanities and Social Studies, 4(11), 9–16. https://www.ijrhss.org/papers/v4-i11/2.pdf
