ENVERGA UNIVERSITY

I. Abstract
Research Title: Instructional Strategies Used for Academically-
Challenged Pupils in San Narciso Central
Elementary School

Name of the Researchers: Ken Angelo S. Calcitas

Giah Renz M. Aurellana

Degree: Bachelor of Elementary Education

Contact Details: 09289944748/09957854484

Research Adviser: Melca DG. Cabanggangan

This study focused on instructional strategies used to address the difficulties of

academically-challenged pupils of San Narciso Central Elementary School. This study

used descriptive method to identify the effective instructional strategies used for

academically-challenged pupils. The respondents of the study were limited to the total

number of teachers of San Narciso Central Elementary School which is 48. The

researchers utilized descriptive survey research method to gather data while Percentage

and Weighted Mean are the statistical tools used to interpret the gathered data. The

results revealed that most of the respondents belong to 51-60 age bracket and most of

them were Teacher I. Majority of them were teaching for about 31 years and above. The

results revealed that the respondents use the instructional strategies for academically-

challenged pupils often. It means that the teachers apply those strategies in teaching for

their pupils. They motivate their pupils always and praise them for what they did. They

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often use peer tutoring or buddy system for collaborative learning and sometimes use

mnemonic devices. The results also revealed that the difficulties of academically-

challenged pupils in terms of communication and interaction are evident. Pupils find it

more difficult in organizing thoughts despite normal hearing. Difficulties with skills in

speaking and listening, conversation, joining in, play, social situations is evident among

academically-challenged pupils. Then, the results revealed that the cognition and learning

difficulties are highly evident among academically-challenged pupils. They faced

difficulty in sentence structure, poor grammar, omitted words. Pupils find it difficult to

express ideas orally. Lastly, the results revealed that the difficulties of academically-

challenged pupils in terms of behavioral emotional and social development are evident.

Pupils have low self-esteem due to stereotyping. Difficulty in paying attention is also

evident among them. Thus, the researchers recommend that the teachers should be more

careful and observant in teaching academically-challenged pupils. Identify first their

learning needs to easily utilize the appropriate instructional strategies to address different

difficulties of academically-challenged pupils.

Keywords: Instructional Strategies, Academically-Challenged Pupils

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II. Background

A. Rationale of the Research

The world is currently struggling for free, equitable and quality education for

all. Starting with basic education, secondary and finally higher education through

Education for All (EFA) goals. These goals have been adopted in many countries

including Philippines. The Universal Declaration for Human Right in 1948 declared

education as an important right for every person. The right to education as has been

declared clearly in DFID (2012) gave the right to every person regardless of his/her

condition to get access to education.

According to the Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report 2010

reaching the marginalized children with disabilities remains one of the main problems

leading to wide exclusion of the group from quality education. People with

disabilities have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less

economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities

WHO (2011).

Regardless of existing challenges, the disabled have the right to primary,

secondary and higher level of education. Since the UN Universal Declaration on

Human Rights was released in 1948, there has been legislation on providing

education for all children. The convention established that disability is not only a

social welfare matter but also part of human rights.

DFID (2012) has further elaborated that; article 24 of the Convention on

Education emphasized that State Parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities

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are not excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability, and

that children with disabilities are not excluded from free and compulsory primary

education, or from secondary education, on the basis of their disability. Persons

with disabilities can access an inclusive, quality and free primary education,

secondary and higher-level education on an equal basis with others in

communities where they live. However, this is possible only if reasonable

accommodations of the individual’s requirements are provided; persons with

disabilities receive the support they require within the general education system to

facilitate their effective education; and effective individualized support measures

are provided in environments that maximize academic and social development,

consistent with the set goal for ultimate full inclusion of all.

The traditional methods of teaching exist in most classrooms today where

competitive and individualistic learning dominates. These are the most preferred

teaching strategy of some teachers. The teachers lecture and discuss the

lesson. Learners work on their own, being compared with one another so they tend to

complete and boast; the feeling of being a star. Unfortunately, some learners who are

left-behind and are unable to cope with the competitive atmosphere may feel

unacceptable; lessen their interest for learning and sometimes are discouraged to

attend classes.

In the district of San Narciso I, the overall MPS of 1st and 2nd in the school

year 2018-2019 is 67.93% and 71.61% based on their DMEPA. It was below the

standard of Department of Education (DepEd) which is 75%. Some of the reasons

behind this low performance include lack of support for a scientific culture reflected

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in the deficiencies regarding the school curriculum, inadequate teaching learning

process, insufficient instructional materials and lack of teacher training (Rabino,

2014). This is also supported by University of the Philippines National Institute of

Science and Mathematics Education Development or UP NISMED (2011) who

identified the several factors behind the low performance of Filipino pupils; these

factors are quality of teachers, teaching-learning process, the school curriculum,

instructional materials, and administrative support. This factor is most dominant

especially in the barangay schools which are less monitored by the government.

In view of the above scenario the “No Child Left behind Program” of the

Department of Education (DepEd, 2015) was implemented that continuously

encourage schools to ensure the provision of quality education through competent

delivery of teaching and learning among the students. With the said program also,

school are boosted to conduct intervention bridging the learning gaps encountered by

students.

With all that mentioned above, the researchers conducted study on identifying

instructional strategies to be used in teaching academically-challenged pupils. The

researchers being an elementary teacher, observed the difficulties of the pupils with

regards to learning different subjects. In teaching in a far-flung school formerly

Multigrade School, it is hard for the pupils to master and grasp certain topics

specifically the challenged students.

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B. Purpose of the Research

The purpose of this study is to identify instructional strategies used by

teachers in teaching academically-challenged pupils, the impact of these strategies to

students’ performance, and to document the common difficulties of academically-

challenged pupils.

1. What are the demographic characteristics of the respondents in terms of:

1.1. Age;

1.2. Position/Designation; and

1.3. Length of Service?

2. What are the instructional strategies used in teaching academically-challenged

pupils?

3. What are the common difficulties of academically-challenged pupils in terms of:

2.1. Communication and Interaction;

2.2. Cognition and Learning; and

2.3. Behavior, Emotional and Social Development?

C. Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored on this theory:

Vygotsky’s theory of zone of proximal development (ZPD) which

challenges traditional teaching strategies. This offers empirical evidence that

tutoring facilitates cognitive development over all traditional instructional

strategies employed by instructors. Reciprocal teaching allows for the creation of

a dialogue between the students and the teachers.

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Kendra (2020) supported the theory of Vygotsky but defining that the

zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the range of abilities that an individual

can perform with assistance, but cannot yet perform independently. This follow-

up explanation gave meaning to the interaction between teachers and students that

without the diligence of the teachers, students might not learn well. In this case,

strategies of the teacher are important factors in teaching academically-challenged

pupils

The major theme of Vygotsky’s theoretical framework is that social

interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition (Culatta,

2018). Vygotsky in his book on 1978 states: “Every function in the child’s

cultural development appears twice: first, on the social level, and later, on the

individual level; first, between people (interpsychological) and then inside the

child (intrapsychological).” This applies to the present study because students

must conform equally to voluntary attention; this is in connection to logical

memory, and to the formation of higher concepts that will help in the tutoring

process. All the higher functions originate as actual relationships between

individuals, such as between the teachers and the students. A second aspect of

Vygotsky’s theory is the idea that the potential for cognitive development

depends upon ZPD level of development attained when children engage in social

behavior. In the study, the application of the theory is full social interaction

between teachers and students by guidance and formulating innovative strategies

applicable with the attitudes of the students.

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Further, ZPD refers to the difference between what a learner can do

without help and what he or she can achieve with guidance and encouragement

from a skilled peer/partner. Vygotsky believed that providing the appropriate

assistance will give the student enough of a "boost" to achieve the task.

This theory of Vygotsky is of great relevance or application to the present

study because when teachers engaged in tutoring academically challenged

students, it is expected that they will exhibit improvements with the guidance of

the teacher, allowing peers to help in the process and create tutees own responses

later with minimal assistance. However, attitudes of the pupils and teachers/peers

might affect why learning may become slower or less than what is expected.

D. Literature Survey

This part discusses the related information necessary to provide

background to ensure better understanding of the study. Literature survey

provided the researcher useful insights to achieve the purpose of this study.

Instructional Strategies

Instructional strategies are the techniques or methods that a teacher can

adopt to meet the various learning objectives. These strategies help students to

walk on the path of independent learning and become strategic learners. They

equip teachers to make learning fun and help students to awaken their desire to

learn. Instructional strategies focus on not only the educational content but also on

the method and environment of the teaching process. Students’ development

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level, interests and experiences are considered while choosing a particular

teaching strategy so that they can self-accomplish their goals.

Instructional strategies enable students to focus their attention, organize

their learning material for better understanding and help teachers to provide a

suitable platform for strategic learning. There are a number of teaching methods

with their various pros and cons. Therefore, the selection of a strategy is critical

and must be done with utmost care by teachers in coordination with their students.

We shall discuss the different strategies and their main benefits and challenges in

our following sections.

Teaching strategies, also known as instructional strategies, are methods

that teachers use to deliver course material in ways that keep students engaged

and practicing different skill sets. An instructor may select different teaching

strategies according to unit topic, grade level, class size, and classroom resources.

Many kinds of instructional strategies are employed to achieve teaching and

learning goals and support different kinds of students.

Instructors can also select classroom activities according to instructional

method, such as using a tic-tac-toe strategy for differentiated instruction. Specific

strategies can also be employed to teach particular skills, like strategies for

problem solving. Activities that promote thinking and discussion in small groups

like think-pair-share activities are ideal for cooperative learning, while activities

that get students outside work well for active learning frameworks.

Teaching strategies refer to methods used to help students learn the

desired course contents and be able to develop achievable goals in the future.

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Teaching strategies identify the different available learning methods to enable

them to develop the right strategy to deal with the target group identified.

Assessment of the learning capabilities of students provides a key pillar in

development of a successful teaching strategy.

Similarities and difference identification are a strategy used that enables

learners to compare and contrast the different elements. This strategy helps in

classification, enabling the learners to distinguish between various ideas.

Ander, Guryan and Ludwig (2016) stressed that students who fall behind

grade-level material tend to stay behind. When these students miss developing

crucial foundational skills, they can have major difficulties in subsequent learning

tasks, which worsen the gap between them and their grade-level peers as they

move from one grade to the next. This persistent mismatch between the learning

needs of students and what classroom instruction delivers can seriously

undermine students’ chances of success in the workforce and beyond. They

propose scaling up a daily, individualized tutorial program that would allow

students who have fallen behind grade level to reengage with regular classroom

instruction, likely increasing their chances of graduating high school and

achieving the many long-term economic benefits that go along with academic

success.

In this strategy, students are allowed, and even encouraged, to move at

their own pace. Students can be reshuffled easily across tutorial groups so that

they are paired with another student working at a similar level. The program has

many of the benefits of what has historically been called “tracking” in education

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circles, but without the major downside (Cook, Dodge, Farkas, Fryer, Guryan,

Ludwig, Mayer, Pollack and Steinberg, 2015). Whereas a student placed in a low

“track” in school has a hard time making the discrete jump to a middle or upper

track, a student who begins the tutorials at a fourth-grade level can move with his

tutor to fifth-, sixth-, or eventually seventh-grade as quickly as he is able to master

the material.

Note taking and summarising is a teaching strategy that enables the

students to keep information for a long time while being able to use it for analysis

and presentation purposes. This method of teaching encourages participation

through questions and other forms of clarification.

Tutoring is a process in which expert and trained people help and support

other people who are less skilled and have low level of knowledge (or expertise),

in an interactive, meaningful and organized way. Usually shy children learn

effectively through tutoring by sharing their thoughts with classmates. As far as

peer tutoring is concerned, it is a teaching strategy where a group of students

interact to help each other’s learning by one student occupying the role of tutor

and the other the role of tutee. Usually peer tutoring involves the linking of

intelligent students with less-intelligent ones. Peer interaction among children is

useful in learning new skills, knowledge and solutions to each other’s problems

by playing, talking, quarreling and sharing ideas (Bombardelli, 2016). Peer

tutoring helps to develop the skills of students to manage and plan learning

experiences, work in association, give and receive responses about their activities

and finally evaluate their own learning.

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In peer-tutoring, the peer tutors are revising and reviewing with their

tutees the same content and concepts that they have been through in their own

classes, which is very helpful to increase and crystallize their own mastery and

understanding of the subject matter (Matsuda, Keiser, Raizada, Stylianides,

Cohen & Koedinger, 2010). Most peer tutors follow shallow strategies in helping

their peers like summarizing and highlighting. The peer tutors are already

outstanding their tutees in their academic performance and excellence, so

following strategies like highlighting only does not add noticeably to the tutors'

academic gains.

According to Eisenkopf (2010), peer tutoring has positive impacts on

student learning, motivation and socialization. Peer tutoring was found effective

in the development of creativity and problem-solving skills of both tutors and

tutees. Due to its interactive nature, peer tutoring helps the tutor in understanding

the mental level of the tutees and concept about the topic. Results are very

successful if the tutor and tutees are engaged in collaborative work and

meaningful activities under planned and structured program

In Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT), two or more students alternate

between acting as the tutor and tutee during each session, with equitable time in

each role. Often, higher performing students are paired with lower performing

students. RPT utilizes a structured format that encourages teaching material,

monitoring answers, and evaluating and encouraging peers. Both group and

individual rewards may be earned to motivate and maximize learning. Students in

RPT may prepare the instructional materials and are responsible for monitoring

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and evaluating their peers once they have selected a goal and reward as outlined

by their teacher (Kapil & Malini, 2017).

Another one is the Same-age Peer Tutoring, with peers who are within

one or two years of age are paired to review key concepts. Students may have

similar ability levels or a more advanced student can be paired with a less

advanced student. Students who have similar abilities should have an equal

understanding of the content material and concepts. When pairing students with

differing levels, the roles of tutor and tutee may be alternated, allowing the lower

performing student to quiz the higher performing student. Answers should be

provided to the student who is lower achieving when acting as a tutor in order to

assist with any deficits in content knowledge (Bombardelli, 2016).

Provision of recognition and effort reinforcement is a strategy that enables

students to understand the link between effort and the recognition they expect.

Recognition provides the students with the motivation to continue adding efforts,

ensuring that they are able to achieve their goals.

Tutorials are designed to complement home studies rather than the usual

school lectures. In lectures, information, theories and principles are typically

presented by a lecturer to a large number of students. During the lecture there is

usually very little opportunity to discuss or question what the lecturer says.

Contrary to common belief, slow learners in the regular classroom are

neither rare nor unique. The student commonly called a slow learner is one who

cannot learn at an average rate from the instructional resources, texts, workbooks,

and learning materials that are designed for the majority of students in the

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classroom. These students need special instructional pacing, frequent feedback,

corrective instruction, and/or modified materials, all administered under

conditions sufficiently flexible for learning to occur. Slow learners are usually

taught in one of two possible instructional arrangements: 1) a class composed

mostly of average students, in which case up to 20%may be slow learners, or 2) a

class specially designed for slow learners. Whether you meet slow learners in a

regular class or special class, you will immediately feel the challenge of meeting

their learning needs. Their most obvious characteristic is a limited attention span

compared to abler students. To keep these students actively engaged in the

learning process requires more than the usual variation in presentation methods

(direct, indirect), classroom climate (co-operative, competitive), and instructional

materials (films, workbooks, co-operative games, simulations). If this variation is

not part of your lesson, these students may well create their own variety in ways

that disrupt your teaching. Other immediately noticeable characteristics of slow

learners are their deficiencies in basic skills (reading, writing, and mathematics),

their difficulty in comprehending abstract ideas, and most disconcerting, their

sometimes unsystematic and careless work habits.

The study of Vejerano (2011) mentioned that the existing remedial

program in the school is considered as one special program implemented to help

under-achieving students cope with their learning difficulties. It is further

emphasized that the teacher handling the program must consider the attendance of

the students and strategies appropriate to the students under the remediation

which are significant factors in the success of the intervention program. This is

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related to the present study in the sense that remedial program which is also

considered as intervention program is being used in the school to help students

cope with the learning difficulties.

Ullah, Tabassum and Kaleem (2018) found that the mean score of the

experimental group was significantly better than that of the control group. It was

concluded that peer tutoring enhanced the academic achievement of students in

the experimental group significantly as compared to the control group; hence, it

was an effective method of instruction for teaching biology at secondary level. It

was suggested that peer tutoring may be incorporated along with other teaching

methodologies for the subject of biology and it may be given due consideration in

all teacher education practices in the country.

According to Kapil & Malini (2017), peer tutoring method helps the

students to interact with their fellow peer group and clarify their doubts. They will

be placed in a more comfortable zone. The students get an opportunity to share

their ideas and creativity can also be induced through peer tutoring method. Thus,

this peer tutoring strategy is a boon to the teachers and it has to right planned and

implemented by the teacher to get effective result.

The study of Matsuda, Keiser, Raizada, Stylianides, Cohen & Koedinger

(2010) prove the success of the adopted one-on-one peer-tutoring program in

contributing to the peer tutors' development. The PTs benefited academically

through the resources available and exchanging knowledge with their peers. They

also found peer-tutoring a good chance to practice their language skills.

Furthermore, the experience opened a horizon for students to expand their social

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network by making friendships with different students and staff. The PTs learnt to

be more responsible, confident, patient, outgoing, and punctual. Most of all, the

peer tutors explored the feelings of fulfillment and achievement through hearing

positive feedback from their tutees and believing themselves to be productive

tutors.

While teachers recognized the importance of providing the so-called

‘human assistance’ for children with disabilities through teacher and peer support,

they did not underestimate the big contributions the use of technology gave in

employing assessment for the said children.

Cress (2011) stated that computer-supported collaborative learning has an

unexploited potential of becoming an effective learning method for pupils with

intellectual disabilities. Moreover, Ulrike Cress, Katrin Wodzicki, Martina

Blentzie, Andreas Lingnau (2011) stated that computer-supported collaborative

learning has an unexploited potential of becoming an effective learning method

for pupils with intellectual disabilities.

In an empirical study conducted by Kaniel (2010), it was found out

those children with specific learning disabilities benefit from the use of

dynamic assessment’s ‘sandwich design’ especially in doing reading exercises.

However, Long (2012) argues, “Static and dynamic assessments should be

seen as complementary process both aiming to provide meaningful learning to

all learners”.

Similar to that of dynamic assessment, several pieces of literature extol

the merits of mediated learning experiences especially in practice. One of

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which is the empirical study conducted by Tzuriel (2013) which emphasizes

the positive effects of mediated learning experiences to the cognitive

development of children with learning difficulties.

Self-assessment strategy provides the students the opportunity to reflect

and identify their strength and weaknesses in the learning process. Apart from

diaries and journals, self-assessment can be done in a variety of ways such as

writing conferences, reflection logs, weekly self-evaluation, checklists and

teacher-student/ interviews Bennett (2011).

Brady and Kennedy (2011) conducted a study involving science teacher in

a large multicultural primary class with some students manifesting signs of

behavioural disabilities. The study aimed at examining assessment as a formative

process, rather than summative. This was concretely manifested with the teacher’s

perspectives on what purposes assessment should serve: (1) provide feedback to

students on how they are progressing so that they can target areas of need, (2)

provide the same feedback to parents and, (3) provide information to teachers to

inform teaching.

Motivation leads pupils to reach their goals. As Ormrod (2011) says, “it

leads to increase the effort and energy in pursuit of those goals”. Therefore,

motivation is the key to open their future success. Motivation has an important

role to influence the power of learning activity. Similarly, Sukmadinata (2011)

notes that motivation also can be functioned to activate and increase the activity.

If the students have a good motivation, they will more enthusiastic in the studying

process and surely they will get a better result than the pupils without motivation.

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Bear (2010) agrees, and adds that the teacher who uses frequent global praise

avoids the use of criticism and punishment, thus, enhancing a positive class

climate. Moreover, Webster-Stratton (2012) believes that what she calls

‘proximity praise’ serves as a redirection to the disengaged students. Bear (2010)

argues we need to use praise more strategically to develop the social, emotional

and behavioural competencies of self-discipline so that in the absence of praise

students none-the-less act in a socially and morally responsible manner.

McMiller (2010), in his study on assessment of children with disabilities,

highlighted the importance of assessment as means of demonstrating the real

achievement of students. The primary school teacher involved in his study was

passionate about assessment that effectively demonstrates student achievement

and thereby promotes student self-esteem. As McMiller (2010) asserts from the

perspective of the teacher, “assessment should entail multiple ways for students to

demonstrate an understanding. Some students may be able to explain knowledge

but not write it. Some may be able to represent it by drawing but not explain it.

This is typical to students with learning disabilities”.

Within the context of student-centered learning, project-based teaching

method has become increasingly prominent as a response of schooling to the

challenges of the 21st Century. The project method teaching approach (PMT) or

project-based learning (P-BL) involves study/research of a topic in depth where

students’ ideas, questions, predictions and interests from the experiences lived and

the works/activities undertaken.

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Filippatou and Kaldi (2010) found out on their study that pupils with

learning difficulties can gain benefits through project-based learning in academic

performance, motivation and group work. The students also preferred experiential

learning to traditional teaching.

Difficulties and Challenges of Academically-Challenged Pupils

Communication and Interaction Difficulties

Struggling readers often “fail to link new information with prior

knowledge or monitor their comprehension of what they are reading” (Narkon

& Wells, 2010, p.2)

Handler (2010) indicated that dyslexia is the most common learning

disability. They added that 1 out of every 5 people of the children in the U.S.

have dyslexia. Dyslexia can vary from mild to severe. It occurs in boys

slightly more than in girls. But boys are diagnosed significantly more often

than girls, perhaps because they tend to “act out” when they are unable to do a

task properly while girls tend to try to become “invisible” in the classroom.

Dyslexia is a language-based disorder of learning to read and write

originating from a core or basic problem with phonological processing

intrinsic to the individual. Its primary symptoms are inaccurate and/or slow

printed word recognition and poor spelling – problems that in turn affect

reading fluency and comprehension and written expression. Other types of

reading disabilities include specific difficulties with reading comprehension

and/or speed of processing (reading fluency). These problems may exist in

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relative isolation or may overlap extensively in individuals with reading

difficulties.

Dyslexia is a learning disability that commonly runs in families and this

learning disability is not determined by the intelligence quotient of the

individual. It has also reported by International Dyslexia Association,

Professional Standards and Practices Committee report (2010) that around

40% of siblings, children, or parents of a dyslexic individual will have

dyslexia; as such, family history of an individual might be an identification

instrument of a reading disability. Dyslexia is not a temporary developmental

lag condition; it is a life-long problem, for example, the treatment might result

in remarkable reading gain, yet some dyslexics might continue being

challenged by reading fluency even when they learn to read words accurately.

They won’t achieve remarkable and efficient gains as the unimpaired readers

(Handler & Fierson, 2010). In addition, they indicated that children with

dyslexia might lose their place because they get challenged by decoding the

words or the letters while reading. As such, the dyslexics won’t be able to

comprehend the text and they might have difficulties with memory or

attention. The “tracking abnormality” problem is the ramification of being

dyslexic and not the cause of the reading problem. However, some teachers

might note mistakenly that the dyslexic pupils who are challenged by writing

or reading problems might have a vision problem. However, dyslexia is a

reading problem that is not due to a visual disorder. The reading fluency

challenges are not based on problems with “eye tracking”.

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The regulations, systems and methods of dyslexia evaluation and

identification vary among states, cities and clinics and even amongst schools.

The evaluation in private centers, adopt less specific assessment methods than

those used in public schools. As such, the diagnostic methods and standards

used to diagnose learning disabilities in public schools are different from those

who used by evaluation in private practice. In fact, the administrative

regulations and policies used in the diagnosis in the public schools are

different from those outside the public schools. Public schools and private

evaluators are governed by different government agencies, bounds and

regulations which give even different definitions of the learning disability. As

such, there are differences from place to place in the diagnostic criteria.

National Center for learning Disabilities (2010) asserted that the

treatment for dyslexia consists of using educational tools to improve reading

ability. These are the appropriate treatment that should be utilized by the

Educational therapists or educators who have received training in learning

disabilities and dyslexia. The treatment plan should aim at strengthening the

student’s weaknesses and reinforcing the strengths. The majority of the

students with learning disabilities should receive training on the instructional

strategies necessary for the success of reading comprehension.

Cognition and Learning Difficulties

Learning disabled students are those who demonstrate a significant

discrepancy, which is not the result of some other handicap, between academic

achievement and intellectual abilities in one or more of the areas of oral

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expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skills,

reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, mathematics reasoning or

spelling. Liang and Li (2010) stated that the reason for children’s poor academic

performance is that they have significant difficulties in listening, speaking,

reading, writing, calculating, thinking and other aspects of learning ability, social

interaction and behavioral adjustment.

The ability to write is a fundamental component of literacy, and is crucial

for success not only in school but also in most workplace environments.

Unfortunately, a significant proportion of children suffer from developmental

dysgraphia – that is, impairment in acquisition of writing skills. Dohla & Heim

(2016) recently estimated that 7-15% of school age children exhibit some form of

development writing deficit.

Dysgraphia interferes with students’ ability to learn, communicate, record

ideas, demonstrate knowledge and keep up with peers and teacher instruction.

This interference can also create or exacerbate deficits in emotional, academic and

social development and affect factors related to educational motivation,

achievement and persistence such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, anxiety and

depression in students (Martins, et al., 2013). However, Hannell (2013) explains

the effect of the disability: “Pupils with Dyscalculia have been taught in the same

way and engaged in the same mathematical activities and yet they encounter

distinct difficulties in mastering the basics of mathematical thinking. Therefore,

we can see how dyscalculia can be a serious obstacle to learning in the classroom

and often times manifests itself even when doing other tasks, not directly related

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to calculations, which require logical thinking. Finally, it is urgent to address this

need because pupils’ constant struggle creates a sense of fear of mathematics

which leads to anxiety and reduced self-esteem (Henderson 2013).

Another important point to consider is that dyscalculia “persists into

adulthood” if not treated right. Kaufmann (2012) some consequences of

dyscalculia include: “impair personality development, schooling and occupational

training” therefore constituting a main obstacle in the job market.

In today’s interconnected world, knowing how to deal with numbers is

essential for using all digital tools and not providing pupils with necessary

numeracy support would be a huge blast to their future lives.

Behavioural, Emotional and Social Development

A student’s disclosure of disability is always voluntary. However, students

with disabilities may feel nervous to disclose sensitive medical information to an

instructor. Often, students must combat negative stereotypes about their

disabilities held by others and even themselves.

Grzegorz and Karwowski (2012) found that pupils with intellectual

disability in special schools had a more positive psychosocial situation with

regard to peer relations and motivation to study. However, May and Stone

(2010) on disability stereotypes found that undergraduates with and without

learning disabilities as being less able to learn or of lower ability than students

without those disabilities. In fact, students with learning disabilities are no less

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able than any other student; they simply receive process, store and/or respond

to information differently (National Center for Learning Disabilities).

In Barbara Davis’ Tools for Teaching, she explains that it is important

for instructors to “become aware of any biases and stereotypes may have

absorbed…. Your attitudes and values not only influence the attitudes and

values of your students, but they can affect the way you teach, particularly

your assumptions about students…which can lead to unequal learning

outcomes for those in your classes”.

Students with disabilities continue to face negative attitudes and

stereotypes in the education system. Lack of knowledge about and sensitivity to

disability issues on the part of some educators, staff and students can make it

difficult for students with disabilities to access educational service equally.

Behaviour issues can increase the risk of problems at school. Children

with learning disabilities like dyslexia and auditory processing disorder APD

struggle with schoolwork regardless of their intellectual abilities. They require

specialized learning strategies to meet their potential and avoid self-esteem

problems and behavioural difficulties.

Communities as argued by Chataika (2010) advised of being aware on

the importance of treating equally each member within and outside the

community with much love, care and support regardless of condition one has.

Communities were also educated that people with disabilities are part and parcel

of the community and we should provide them any necessary support when

needed.

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Synthesis of Literature Survey

There is always appropriate instructional strategy for every difficulty

faced by the pupils. Instructional strategies enable students to focus their

attention, organize their learning material for better understanding and help

teachers to provide a suitable platform for strategic learning. There are a number

of teaching methods with their various pros and cons. Therefore, the selection of a

strategy is critical and must be done with utmost care by teachers in coordination

with their students. We shall discuss the different strategies and their main

benefits and challenges in our following sections. One of those strategies is

providing frequent feedbacks and checking the progress of the pupils. So, Brady

and Kennedy (2011) conducted a study involving science teacher in a large

multicultural primary class with some students manifesting signs of behavioural

disabilities. The study aimed at examining assessment as a formative process,

rather than summative. This was concretely manifested with the teacher’s

perspectives on what purposes assessment should serve: (1) provide feedback to

students on how they are progressing so that they can target areas of need, (2)

provide the same feedback to parents and, (3) provide information to teachers to

inform teaching. Another one is peer tutoring. According to Kapil & Malini

(2017), peer tutoring method helps the students to interact with their fellow peer

group and clarify their doubts. They will be placed in a more comfortable zone.

The students get an opportunity to share their ideas and creativity can also be

induced through peer tutoring method. Thus, this peer tutoring strategy is a boon

to the teachers and it has to right planned and implemented by the teacher to get

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effective result. However, stereotyping and self-esteem hold the pupils to

collaborate and let their peer tutor them. Grzegorz and Karwowski (2012) found

that pupils with intellectual disability in special schools had a more positive

psychosocial situation with regard to peer relations and motivation to study.

Students with disabilities continue to face negative attitudes and

stereotypes in the education system. Lack of knowledge about and sensitivity to

disability issues on the part of some educators, staff and students can make it

difficult for students with disabilities to access educational service equally.

Thus, Chataika (2010) advised of being aware on the importance of

treating equally each member within and outside the community with much love,

care and support regardless of condition one has. Communities were also

educated that people with disabilities are part and parcel of the community and we

should provide them any necessary support when needed.

E. Significance of the Research

With the present condition of academically-challenged pupils in San

Narciso Central Elementary School, the researchers intend to study for the

following benefits;

Academically-challenged pupils. They will be encouraged to develop

further their skills with the help of best strategy.

Public School teachers. They may be assisted in analyzing and improving

appropriate instructional strategies that will best fit for the academically

challenged students.

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Principals and public schools district supervisors. They could help in

determining the appropriate instructional strategies to be used on the different

schools located in other schools aside from San Narciso Central Elementary

School.

Future researchers. They will be benefited with the effectiveness of

instructional strategies which will help in formulating other strategies and test in

their studies.

Department of Education particularly the Regional Directors and

Schools Division Superintendent. They will be guided by the results of this

study in revising curriculum content/curriculum guide.

F. Statement of Desired Outcomes

After conducting this study, the researchers aimed to identify the

instructional strategies used to address the common challenges and difficulties of

the academically-challenged pupils. Teachers play a crucial role in the

development of academic performance of the pupils and help to cope with the

difficulties in learning.

G. Major Final Output

The final output of this study is the compilation of the instructional

strategies applicable for all academically-challenged pupils. This output will be

based from the findings of the study and is expected to be a significant help to the

pupils. It is also expected to help in coping with difficulties in learning and

improve the academic performance of the academically-challenged pupils.

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H. Target Beneficiaries of Research Results

This study targets the following benefits:

Target Beneficiaries Total

Academically-challenged pupils in San
337
Narciso Central Elementary School
All teachers of San Narciso Central
48
Elementary School

I. Definition of Terms

For the better and easier understanding, the following terminologies which

are mentioned in the study are operationally defined with the use of different

references.

Academically-challenged pupils are the group of pupils who has

difficulties in learning including communication and interaction difficulties,

cognition difficulties, emotional difficulties and sensory difficulties.

Instructional strategies refer to the techniques or methods that a teacher

can adopt to meet the various learning objectives. In this study, it refers to the

strategies used for academically-challenged pupils.

Communication and Interaction difficulties include difficulties with

producing or responding to expressive or receptive language; difficulties uttering

speech sounds; difficulties understanding spoken and other communications from

others; and difficulties with understanding age-related social conventions of

interaction, such as turn-taking during conversations or appropriate level of

physical contact during play.

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Cognition and Learning difficulties generally account for difficulties in

curriculum-related areas such as reading, writing and spelling; numerosity;

comprehension; processing difficulties such as sequencing, inference, coherence

and elaboration; working memory; short term verbal memory; and other types of

executive function difficulties.

Behavioural, Emotional and Social Development difficulties (BESD)

are a type of special educational needs in which children/young people have

severe difficulties in managing their emotions and behaviour. They often show

inappropriate responses and feelings to situations.

J. Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study focuses mainly on determining the suitable Instructional

Strategies Used for Academically-Challenged Pupils, by asking San Narciso

Central Elementary School Teachers through conducting a survey on which

instructional strategies are they going to use to improve the academic

performance of the academically-challenged pupils.

This study will also document the challenges and difficulties encountered

by the academically-challenged pupils. This study will be limited to four common

difficulties of academically-challenged pupils which are communication and

interaction difficulties, cognition and learning difficulties, behavior, emotional

and social development difficulties and sensory or physical difficulties.

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III. Description of Method or Approach

In this part, we present the research design, instruments for data collection,

data gathering procedures, the respondents, sampling design and procedures, and

the data analysis plan. In addition, the input, process and output of the research

are discussed.

A. Research Design

Descriptive research design accurately and systematically describes a

population, situation or phenomenon. It can answer what, where, when and how

questions but not why questions (Mc Combes, 2020) Mainly because it is

important to have a proper understanding of what research problem is about

before investigating why it exists in the first place. Survey research allows you to

gather large volume of data that can be analysed for frequencies, averages and

patterns.

This study utilized the descriptive-survey research method. Specifically,

this research is centering on instructional strategies for academically-challenged

pupils. A single group of research participants which are the teachers were asked

set of questions about the common difficulties of academically-challenged pupils

and about the instructional strategies to be used to address those common

difficulties.

With the use of this design and method of research, the researcher believes

that it will be able to generate the various aspects of in-depth information about

the instructional strategies use by the teachers for academically-challenged pupils

which are the primary purposes of the study.

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B. Research Instrument

The researchers constructed a researcher-made questionnaire for the

respondents to determine the instructional strategies for academically-challenged

pupils and to describe the common difficulties and challenges encountered by the

academically-challenged pupils especially in current situation. This questionnaire

is divided into three parts. The first one is for the demographic profile of the

respondents. The second part is for instructional strategies and the last part is for

the common difficulties of academically-challenged pupils.

The validity and reliability of the researcher-made questionnaire were

checked and validated before it is presented to the actual respondents. The results

were measured with analysis to determine the instructional strategies for

academically-challenged pupils.

C. Data Gathering Procedures

The researchers worked with the following activities in the preparations of

the paper, instruments and other related documents for the duration of the study;

Necessary permits to conduct the study were secured from the adviser for

the purpose and conduct of the study. Upon approval, the researchers then seek

permission from the District Supervisor of San Narciso District I and the Principal

of San Narciso Central Elementary School.

Once the conduct of the study was approved, the researcher then initiates

the survey to the respondents. The data gathered were tabulated, analyzed, and

interpreted.

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D. Respondents

The respondents of this study are the teachers in San Narciso Central

Elementary School. This group of respondents is composed of 48 teachers. The

respondents were chosen based on the appropriateness to the study since they are

the one who determine the instructional strategies making them appropriate

candidates for the respondents for this study.

E. Sampling Design and Procedures

The researchers used the purposive sampling since all teachers in San

Narciso Central School are the target respondents of the researchers. Purposive

sampling is non-probability sampling procedure in which the elements are

selected from the target population on the basis of their fir with the purposes of

the study and specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. It is used to determine the

appropriate respondents for data gathering regarding the instructional strategies

used for academically-challenged pupils. The respondents were composed of 48

teachers in San Narciso Central Elementary School.

F. Data Analysis Plan

The data were tallied and tabulated as subjected to statistical formula; the

mean and the percentage were used

In determining the instructional strategies best for the academically-

challenged pupils, weighted mean was applied. According to Walpole, Myers,

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Myers & Ye (2012), mean is the centroid of the data in the sample and is

influenced considerably by the presence of the extreme observations. Thus, by

using mean, the researcher determined the instructional strategies used for the

academically-challenged pupils.

Meanwhile, to determine the common difficulties of the academically-

challenged pupils, weighted mean is used.

WM = ∑ FW / N

Where,

WM = Weighted Mean

∑FW = the sum of the product of the frequency and weight.

N = total number of respondents

The Likert Scale is used to interpret the result of the gathered data of instructional

strategies.

Weighted Point Mean Score Interpretation

5 4.51 – 5.00 Always

4 3.51 – 4.50 Often

3 2.51 – 3.50 Sometimes

2 1.51 – 2.50 Rarely

1 1.00 – 1.50 Never

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Mean interpretation table for the common difficulties of academically-challenged

pupils

Weighted Point Mean Score Interpretation

4 3.51 – 4.00 Highly Evident

3 2.51 – 3.50 Evident

2 1.51 – 2.50 Moderately Evident

1 1.00 – 1.50 Not Evident

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G. Research Paradigm

Input Process Output

 Questionnaire
 Instructional
validation
Strategies  Compilation of
instructional
 Data analysis
 Common strategies used for
plan
difficulties of academically-
academically- challenged pupils
challenged pupils
 Data
interpretation

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

Presented in the figure is the framework of the study showing the Input-

Process-Output (IPO) type. The input frame includes the common difficulties of

academically-challenged pupils and Instructional Strategies . The process frame

contains the development of research instrument, the questionnaire validation, data

analysis plan and data interpretation. The output or evaluation contains the

compilation of instructional strategies used for academically-challenged pupils.

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IV. Results and Discussion

In this part, the results of the study are presented and analysed. Tables are

presented to ensure a systematic presentation of the data gathered. They were

carefully classified, categorized and summarized. All the data presented were

based on the response of all the teachers San Narciso Central Elementary School.

Part I. Demographic Characteristics

Table 1.1 Distributions of Respondents According to Age

Age Frequency Percentage (%)

21-30 years old 5 10.42
31-40 years old 6 12.5
41-50 years old 10 20.83
51-60 years old 27 56.25
TOTAL 48 100

Table 1.1 shows the distribution of respondents according to their age. Out

of forty-eight (48) respondents, 27 or 56.25% belongs to the respondents with an

age of 51-60 years old, followed by the respondents at the age of 41-50 years old

graduated with a frequency of 10 or 20.83%, 6 of the respondents are at the age of

31-40 years old which is 12.5% and lastly, 5 or 10% of respondents are at the age

of 21-24.

The results show that most of the respondents were at the age range of 51-

60 years old.

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Table 1.2 Distributions of Respondents According to their Designation

Position Frequency Percentage (%)

Teacher I 33 68.75
Teacher II 9 18.75
Teacher III 4 8.33
Others 2 4.17
TOTAL 48 100

Table 1.2 shows the distribution of respondents according to their

designation. Most of the respondents are Teacher I which is 68.75% of the

respondents. 9 of them are Teacher II which is 18.75% of the total respondents,

followed by 4 Teacher III respondents. The other 2 respondents were Master

Teachers.

The results revealed that only few of the teacher respondents have masters

in teaching pupils with learning disabilities. Majority of the respondents are

teacher 1 giving an implication that they rarely practice different instructional

strategies and lack of professional growth for them to integrate relevant

instructional strategies in different subjects.

Table 1.3 Distributions of Respondents According to the Length of their

Service in Teaching

Length of Service Frequency Percentage (%)

0-5 years 3 6.25

6-10 years 1 2.08
11-15 years 2 4.17
16-20 years 5 10.42
21-25 years 4 8.33

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26-30 years 11 22.92

31 years above 22 45.83
TOTAL 48 100

Since it is central school, 45.83% of the respondents were already 31 years

in service, they are seasoned teachers. 22.92% of them were teaching for about

26-30 years. Out of forty-eight respondents, four of them were already 21-25

years in teaching, followed by 5 teachers who are 16-20 years in service. 6 of the

total respondents were beginner teachers yet competitive.

The results show that most of the respondents are seasoned teachers. They

are already expert in using different teaching methods and instructional strategies

in teaching their pupils. They might also change lives of their pupils for 31 years

in service.

Part II. Instructional Strategies Used for Academically-Challenged Pupils

Table 2 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Responses on Instructional

Strategies Used for Academically-Challenged Pupils

STATEMENTS WM QD R
I give motivation such as praise for what they did. 4.90 A 1
I give clear oral instructions for students with reading difficulties. 4.88 A 2.5
I make frequent progress checks and reward good behavior 4.88 A 2.5
I use graphic organizers to connect ideas 4.77 A 4
I use concrete objects such as models, diagrams, realia, samples 4.75 A 5
and the like.
I give concrete examples that connect math to real life for pupils 4.73 A 6
with dyscalculia.
I use physical contact (a hands on the shoulder) and frequent eye A 7
4.67
contact to focus attention
I operate technology or ICT for those who have short attention 4.54 A 8
spans
I use peer-monitoring or buddy system. 4.27 O 9.5

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I employ cooperative learning activities 4.27 O 9.5

I give written or pictorial directions. 4.19 O 11.5
I use written and oral explanations as well as visual graphics or 4.19 O 11.5
pictures or organizers to help academically-challenged pupils
learn.
I use peer tutoring to one another 4.13 O 13
I use audio-recording device 3.90 O 14
I utilize mnemonic devices 3.31 S 15
GRAND MEAN 4.43 Often
LEGEND

1.00 – 1.50 Never (N) QD – Qualitative Description

1.51 – 2.50 Rarely (R) WM – Weighted Mean
2.51 – 3.50 Sometimes (S) R - Rank
3.51 – 4.50 Often (O)
4.51 – 5.00 Always (A)

Table 2 shows the weighted mean of the instructional strategies used by

the teachers in San Narciso Central Elementary School for the academically-

challenged pupils. It displayed a grand mean of 4.43 which indicates that the

respondents often use those strategies often in teaching academically-challenged

pupils.

Giving motivation such as praise for what the pupils did have the highest

weighted mean of 4.90. It means that the respondents always give motivation for

their pupils. It is followed by giving clear oral instructions for students with

reading difficulties and makes frequent progress checks and reward good behavior

with the weighted mean of 4.88. However, the instructional strategies they don’t

usually use are audio-recording device with 3.90 and mnemonic device with the

weighted mean of 3.31.

Motivation leads pupils to reach their goals. As Ormrod (2011) says, “it

leads to increase the effort and energy in pursuit of those goals”. Therefore,

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motivation is the key to open their future success. Motivation has an important

role to influence the power of learning activity. Similarly, Sukmadinata (2011)

notes that motivation also can be functioned to activate and increase the activity.

If the students have a good motivation, they will more enthusiastic in the studying

process and surely they will get a better result than the pupils without motivation.

Bear (2010) agrees, and adds that the teacher who uses frequent global praise

avoids the use of criticism and punishment, thus, enhancing a positive class

climate. Moreover, Webster-Stratton (2012) believes that what she calls

‘proximity praise’ serves as a redirection to the disengaged students. Bear (2010)

argues we need to use praise more strategically to develop the social, emotional

and behavioural competencies of self-discipline so that in the absence of praise

students none-the-less act in a socially and morally responsible manner.

Part III. Difficulties of Academically-Challenged Pupils

Table 3.1 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Responses on Difficulties of

Academically-Challenged Pupils in terms of Communication and Interaction

STATEMENTS WM QD R
Poor organizational skills. 3.52 HE 1
Difficulties with skills in speaking and listening, 3.06 E 2
conversation, joining in, play, social situations.
Difficulty in attending to spoken language, 3.00 E 3.5
inconsistent concentration
Difficulty in coordinating information with what 3.00 E 3.5
they hear.
Take a long time to assimilate, understand and 2.98 E 5
act on spoken information.
Problems in describing events or stories in 2.96 E 6.5
proper sequence
Difficulty in processing information presented 2.96 E 6.5

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orally, despite normal hearing

Has difficulty in following simple directions or 2.94 E 8.5
instructions.
Poorly formed letters, difficulty with spacing, 2.94 E 8.5
capitals and punctuation
Difficulties with breaking down words into 2.92 E 10
smaller units e.g. rhyme, blending, beginning
and ending sounds and syllables.
GRAND MEAN 3.03 Evident
LEGEND

1.00 – 1.50 - Not Evident (NE) QD – Qualitative Description

1.51 – 2.50 - Moderately Evident (ME) WM – Weighted Mean
2.51 – 3.50 – Evident (E) R – Rank
3.51 – 4.00 - Highly Evident (HE)

Table 3.1 shows the difficulties of the academically-challenged pupils. It

registered the grand mean of 3.03. It shows that those difficulties mentioned

above are evident among academically-challenged pupils in San Narciso Central

School.

Poor organizational skills are highly evident among the pupils getting the

weighted mean of 3.52. This was followed by difficulties with skills in speaking

and listening, conversation, joining in, play, social situations having the weighted

mean of 3.06. Placing to the third rank is difficulty in attending to spoken

language, inconsistent concentration and difficulty in coordinating information

with what they hear, with a weighted mean of 3.

Meanwhile, the problems in describing events or stories in proper

sequence and the difficulty in processing information presented orally, despite

normal hearing fall into the lowest rank yet still find it difficult and evident

among academically-challenged pupils.

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According to Dassel (2019) children with attention difficulties often miss

details and find organization difficult. Those with executive functioning issues

often have trouble with prioritizing and sequencing. “Children with auditory

processing difficulties often don’t take in everything that is being taught” she

added. Thus, recognizing the child’s individual needs and teaching them how to

compensate with organizational skills will be a lesson leading to success for a

lifetime.

As argued by many theorists, fear of mistake becomes one of the main

factors of students’ reluctance to speak in English in the classroom. In accordance

with this making mistake issue, Juhana (2012) stated that this fear is linked to the

issue of correction and negative evaluation. In addition, this is also much

influenced by the pupils’ fear of being laughed at by other pupils or being

criticized by the teacher. As a result, pupils commonly stop participating in the

speaking activity. Therefore, it is important for teachers to convince their pupils

that making mistakes is not a wrong or bad thing because pupils can learn from

their mistakes.

Table 3.2 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Responses on Difficulties of

Academically-Challenged Pupils in terms of Cognitive and Learning

STATEMENTS WM QD R

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Difficulty in sentence structure, poor grammar, omitted words. 3.69 HE 1

Frequent errors in spelling 3.67 HE 2
Difficulty in expressing ideas orally although the pupil seems to 3.63 HE 3.5
understand the ideas
Difficulty in understanding numbers and learns math facts. 3.63 HE 3.5
Difficulty in reading comprehension skills. 3.62 HE 5
Has trouble in interpreting a nonverbal cue like facial expressions 3.60 HE 6
or body language and may have poor coordination.
Difficulty in reading and language-based skills. 3.58 HE 7
Difficulty in comprehending and solving word problems 3.56 HE 8.5
Difficulty that affects a person’s handwriting ability and fine 3.56 HE 8.5
motor skills.
Difficulty in memorizing basic facts 3.5 E 10
GRAND MEAN 3.60 Highly
Evident
LEGEND

1.00 – 1.50 - Not Evident (NE) QD – Qualitative Description

1.51 – 2.50 - Moderately Evident (ME) WM – Weighted Mean
2.51 – 3.50 – Evident (E) R – Rank
3.51 – 4.50 - Highly Evident (HE)

Table 3.2 shows the assessment of the respondents on difficulties of

academically-challenged pupils in terms of cognition and learning. It registered a

grand mean of 3.60 meaning the cognitive and learning difficulties are highly

evident among academically-challenged pupils in San Narciso Central Elementary

School.

Most of the cognitive and learning difficulties are highly evident among

the pupils. Difficulty in sentence structure, poor grammar, and omitted words is

the most difficult and got the highest rank having the weighted mean of 3.69.

Frequent errors in spelling are also highly evident with a weighted mean of 3.67.

It is followed by difficulty in expressing ideas orally although the pupil seems to

understand the ideas and difficulty in understanding numbers and learns math

facts with a weighted mean of 3.63. However, difficulty in memorizing basic facts

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is on the lowest rank with a weighted mean of 3.5 but still evident among the

pupils.

Efforts to understand developmental deficits also require theoretical

framework specifying how the affected cognitive system is learned (Castles,

Kohnen, Nickels, & Brock, 2014). Developmental deficits arise from disruption

of normal learning processes. Consequently, a theory characterizing the learning

processes is crucial for understanding the failures of learning that underlie

developmental cognitive impairments. In the domain of writing, theories of

learning are currently less well-developed than theories of the normal adult

system.

According to Benyo (2014), spelling errors are due to those sound

problems. Bad spelling is a hindrance for the reader to get the meaning of written

language.

Moreover, Glynis (2013) explains that pupils with dyscalculia or difficulty

in understanding numbers and learns math facts have been taught in the same way

and engaged in the same mathematical activities and yet they encounter distinct

difficulties in mastering the basics of mathematical thinking. Therefore, we can

see how dyscalculia can be a serious obstacle to learning in the classroom and

often times manifests itself even when doing other tasks, not directly related to

calculations that require logical thinking. Finally, it is urgent to address this need

because pupils’ constant struggle creates a sense of fear of mathematics which

leads to anxiety and reduced self-esteem.

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Table 3.3 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Responses on Difficulties of

Academically-Challenged Pupils in terms of Behavioral, Emotional and Social
Development
STATEMENTS WM QD R
Shame and poor self-esteem due to stereotyping. 3.76 HE 1
Difficulty in paying attention 3.00 E 2
Difficulty in staying focused and paying attention, 2.88 E 3
controlling behavior and hyperactivity.
Easily confused and often cannot control emotions 2.42 ME 4
Poor self-concepts related to their school functioning. 2.40 ME 5
Has low tolerance level and a high frustration level 2.33 ME 6.5
Difficulty in working with others in small or large 2.33 ME 6.5
group settings
Disorientation in time, difficulty telling time 2.31 ME 8
Difficulty in controlling anger, losing control and 2.29 ME 9
acting violently.
Difficulty in reading facial expressions, body 1.94 ME 10
language
GRAND MEAN 2.57 Evident
LEGEND

1.00 – 1.50 - Not Evident (NE) QD – Qualitative Description

1.51 – 2.50 - Moderately Evident (ME) WM – Weighted Mean
2.51 – 3.50 – Evident (E) R – Rank
3.51 – 4.50 - Highly Evident (HE)

Table 3.3. shows the assessment of the respondents on difficulties of

academically-challenged pupils in terms of behavioral, emotional and social

development. It registered the grand mean of 2.57. It simply means that the

behavioral, emotional and social development difficulties are evident among the

academically-challenged pupils of San Narciso Central Elementary School.

The table shows that the shame and poor self-esteem due to stereotyping is

highly evident among the pupils based on the answers of the respondents with a

weighted mean of 3.76 followed by difficulty in paying attention with a weighted

mean of 3. And difficulty in staying focused and paying attention, controlling

behavior and hyperactivity with the weighted mean of 2.88.

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Meanwhile, difficulty in reading facial expressions, body language has the

least weighted mean. It is moderately evident and has a weighted mean of 1.94.

Researcher Schlichtmann (2018) describes stereotype threat as “the fear of

being judged oon the basis of negative stereotypes, and the fear of doing

something that would confirm those stereotypes,” which can lead to reduced

academic achievement and can affect students’ social-emotional well-being.

Each of us have work to do to address the stereotype threats our students

face, whether based on race, gender, learning difference, sexual orientation, or

religion. We have the power to address the biases that impact our pupils

throughout the school days and work to resolve the stereotype threats our pupils

face.

V. Conclusions

From the findings that have been gathered, the researchers arrived at the

following conclusions based on the responses of the respondents.

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1. The results revealed that most of the teacher-respondents were at the age range

of 51-60 years old. But many were Teacher I mostly 31 years or above in service.

2. The results revealed that the respondents use the instructional strategies for

academically-challenged pupils often. It means that the teachers apply those

strategies in teaching for their pupils. They motivate their pupils always and

praise them for what they did.

3. The results revealed that the difficulties of academically-challenged pupils in

terms of communication and interaction are evident. Pupils find it more difficult

in organizing thoughts despite normal hearing. They have poor organizational

skills. Then, the results revealed that the cognition and learning difficulties are

highly evident among academically-challenged pupils. They faced difficulty in

sentence structure, poor grammar, omitted words. Pupils find it difficult to

express ideas orally. Frequent errors in spelling are also highly evident. Pupils

also have difficulty in understanding numbers and learn math facts. They have

difficulty in reading comprehension skills, difficulty in reading and language-

based skills, difficulty in comprehending and solving word problems and

difficulty that affects a person’s handwriting and fine motor skills. Pupils have

also trouble in interpreting a nonverbal cue like facial expressions or body

language and may have poor coordination. Lastly, the results revealed that the

difficulties of academically-challenged pupils in terms of behavioral emotional

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and social development are evident. Pupils have low self-esteem due to

stereotyping and difficulty in paying attention is also evident among them.

VI. Recommendations

The following recommendations were derived from the conclusions that

have been formulated.

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1. Teachers should continue education for their professional growth and

development. It’s one way to improve their skills and in turn, boost pupils

learning outcomes. By that, they can utilize and improve their teaching methods

using different instructional strategies.

2. Teachers should always use effective instructional strategies for academically-

challenged pupils and consistently give motivation among pupils. They should

also have utilized different strategies such as mnemonic device and audio-

recording devices always or often for the pupils with short attention span.

3. Teachers should provide clear oral instruction and step-by-step procedure for

those who have poor organizational skills. They should also recognize different

learning needs and interests of the pupils.

4. Teachers should address the difficulties and needs of the academically-

challenged pupils such as difficulty in comprehending and solving math problems

as soon as possible because it may turn to anxiety or fear of numbers.

5. Teachers should be more observant on what’s happening inside or outside the

classroom and practice more cooperative leaning to avoid stereotyping and shame

to join even a small group.

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