Least mastered competencies and least developed basic process skills in Living Things and Their Environment: Input for the development of boost - a contextualized self-learning workbook

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a contextualized self-learning workbook in Living Things and Their Environment based on assessing the least mastered competencies and least developed basic process skills of students in Grade 8 Living Things and Their Environment. Specifically, this study adopted the Input-Process-Output instructional design. Thirty (30) Grade 9 STE students participated in the data gathering and three (3) science teachers in the evaluation of the workbook using the modified evaluation form based on West Visayas State University Evaluation Form A (Printed Materials) and the DepEd Evaluation Rating Sheet for PRINT Resources with a reliability coefficient of 0.87. Two tests were conducted: the Mastery Test (MT) and the Basic Process Skills Test (BPST), with reliability coefficients of 0.74 and 0.70, respectively. The study utilized frequency, percentage, and rank to identify the least mastered competencies and least developed basic process skills of the students. To evaluate the developed and validated workbook, the mean and standard and standard deviation were used. Results revealed that the Grade 9 STE students least mastered competencies were to compare mitosis and meiosis, and their role in the cell-division cycle; classify organisms using the hierarchical taxonomic system; explain the advantage of high biodiversity in maintaining the stability of an ecosystem; and explain how materials cycle in an ecosystem. Meanwhile, the students' least developed basic process skills were observing, classifying, and measuring. After determining the least mastered competencies and the least developed basic process skills, designing and developing the proposed instructional material were the next steps undertaken based on the anchored theories. The developed instructional material was designed, created and anchored on the contextual teaching and learning, instructional design, and constructivism theories. Overall, the developed workbook was "Very Acceptable" as this was evaluated by science teachers in terms of content, format, presentation, organization, accuracy, up- to-datedness, and instructional quality using mean and standard deviation as statistical tools. Teacher evaluators rated the workbook as appropriate to the level of the student's improvement, promoting the development of higher cognitive skills, and engaging the student's interests. The format was reader-friendly, logical, and had a clear arrangement, with good quality printing, the layout is simple yet appealing. The workbook also contained interesting, engaging, and understandable activities, and the facts and concepts included were accurate and updated. Hence, the developed workbook can serve as support instructional material for science teachers to bridge the gaps in the mastery of concepts and development of basic process skills of students as it includes activities that can enhance students' knowledge, conceptual understanding, skills, and experience, especially in Living Things and Their Environment.