This chapter presents the research design, subjects of the study, data gathering instruments, data gathering procedures and the statistical treatment of data.
Research Design
The study made use of the descriptive method of research as this method support the present facts concerning the nature and status of a group of persons, conditions, system of thoughts, a class of events or any kind of phenomena. According to Ariola (2006) descriptive types of research describe the data and characteristics about what is being studied. It is deemed appropriate for this study in determining the required information through analysis and interpretation of the information gathered.
To accomplish the objectives of the study, information were gathered pertinent to the present undertaking through teacher made test for student respondents and survey questionnaire for the teacher respondents of the Study.
Subjects of the Study
The subjects of the study are composed of 30 faculty members teaching Basic English course in the three colleges in Bacgiang namely Ngo Gia Tu College, Industry and Technology College and Vocational
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines College and 299 first year college students taking up Basic English course.
Table 1 shows the distribution of student respondents in the three colleges.
Table 1
Distribution of student respondents in the three colleges Name of
Colleges Population(N) Class Sample (n) Bacgiang Ngo
Gia Tu College
476 10 120
Industry and Technology College
384 8 97
Vocational
College 328 7 82
TOTAL 1188 25 299
As shown in the table, the total number of population is the 25 classes of the three colleges is 1,188. With the use of Slovin’s formula, the number of respondents per class is determined. In Bacgiang Ngo Gia Tu College, the population of ten classes is 476. Out of these population all student-respondents were arranged in numerical order from 1-50. For the six classes, twelve students belonging to odd numbers from each class from the bottom to the top were selected and
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines as for the remaining 4 classes, those 12 respondents who belong to even numbers per class were selected same with that of the six classes. The process of selecting the student respondents holds true to the college of Industry and Technology.
As regard to the Vocational College, out of seven classes, 11 students were selected from the first five classes from the top or from number 1 to eleven and in the last two classes twelve students were taken from the bottom to the top list.
Data Gathering Instruments
This study made used of the following data gathering instruments.
Documentary Analysis. This was used to gather information regarding the learning contents of the subject Basic English course I.
Survey Questionnaire. This was used to assess teachers’
perceptions as to students performance in the macro skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Focus Group Discussion. This was used to confirm some issues and concerns regarding students level of performance in the four macro-skills. Four
Teacher Made Test. This instrument is designed to determine the level of students’ performance in terms of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines Data Gathering Procedure
In gathering information required in the study, books and other relevant materials and references containing concepts and related literature as well as unpublished dissertations and journals including online references were utilized.
Two sets of questionnaires for both teachers and students were constructed and submitted to the adviser for review and comments.
Through the help of the adviser, the final drafts were produced. The survey questionnaire for teachers were submitted to English Language teachers who were taking Master of Arts in English, Language teaching at Batangas State University Graduate School for comments and suggestions while the teacher made test for students were pilot tested to college students of Batangas State University to test the strength and weaknesses of the said test.
In validating the instruments, letters of requests were then sent to the members of the panel and expert on the field to go over the research instruments, to give their comments and suggestions for the improvement of the two sets of questionnaires. After incorporating all the suggestions, final copies of validated tests were produced for administration.
Another set of letters of reports were written for the administration of Bacgiang Colleges for permission to administer the survey
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines questionnaire for teachers, group discussions for selected teachers and students and teacher made test for students. With the approved letter of the administrators, the two sets of questionnaires were administered to teacher respondents and student respondents. 30 English wteachers of the three Bacgiang Colleges answered the survey questionnaires while 299 students the teacher made tests. Then 16 teachers and 15 students indicated were willing to take part in a discussion group and provided very valuable information about the level of students’
performance in terms of reading, writing, speaking and listening. These teachers and students were chosen among 30 English teachers of the three Bacgiang Colleges and 299 students in English section as the evaluators because these teaches all taught English for the first year students of different classes for 8 years to 18 years and 15 students were chosen at random from 299 students.
Schedules of administration of the two sets of test were prepared. After the administration of the test, test papers, group discussion and survey questionnaires were retrieved and later data gathered were analyzed.
Statistical Treatment of Data
Cronbach alpha. This was used to measure internal consistency of the scores pertaining to the level of students’ performance in the four macro- skills.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines Frequency Distribution and Percentage. This was used to provide meaningful description of the respondents’ performance in Macro skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Weighted Mean. This was used to quantify the student’s performance in the Macro skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Standard Deviation. This was utilized to determine the level of students’ performance in the Macro skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Student’s T-test. This was used to test the significant relationship between each pair of Macro skills in English Language.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines CHAPTER IV