Chapter 1INTRODUCTIONBackground Of The Study The

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study The National Achievement Test (NAT) is a major event in a student’s life as well as for schools. This examination, administered annually during March, is designed to determine the students’ academic strengths and weaknesses though the five key-major subjects: Mathematics, Science, English, Filipino, HeKaSi (Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika) in elementary and Araling Panlipunan in high school. Ratings obtained from NAT for Grade VI and Fourth Year serves also as a tool to measure the school’s competency and effectiveness as well as the students’ aptitude and mastery towards the basic learning areas.
To prepare for the examination, schools conduct mock exams / review sessions. These exams/review sessions include lessons and selected items from major tests from the past school year. Review teachers are selected based on their area of specialization. Review sessions are undertaken usually every Saturdays, after school hours or every 1:00 PM before Class Review.
Several factors affect the performance of the pupils in their academic performance including the National Achievement Tests. These include individual characteristics and family and neighborhood experiences (RAND Education, 2013), class size (Glass et al., 1982; Mosteller, 1995), teacher qualifications Ferguson, 1991), school size (Haller, 1993) and other variables.
However, for this particular study, focus will be on review intervention programs as implemented by Maria Palacios Presbitero Elementary School (MPPES). Among the elementary schools in the District of Valladolid, MPPES garnered the highest performance in the Math subject of the NAT with 78.06%, way above the district average of 64.21%. This study, through the case study method, will explore causal links, if any, on the review intervention programs implemented by MPPES and its Mathematics performance in the NAT for school year 2011-2012.
Theoretical Framework of the Study Gagne (1965)espoused a theory of learning that influenced the design of instructional materials that are adopted by most schools today. Gagne (1985), in his conditions of learning theory distinguishes between two types of conditions, internal and external. The internal conditions can be described as "states" and include attention, motivation and recall. The external conditions can be thought of as factors surrounding one's behavior, and include the arrangement and timing of stimulus events. Thus, his phases of learning include:
Phase I: receiving the stimulus situation
Phase II stage of acquisition
Phase III storage
Phase IV retrieval
According to Norton and Wilburg (1998) Gagne's (1965) model for design of instruction includes a sequence of nine instructional events and its corresponding learning processes that guide the design of instruction.
Instructional Event
Relation to Learning Process
1. Gaining attention
Reception of patterns of neural impulses
2. Informing learner of the objective(s)
Activating a process of executive control
3. Stimulating recall of prerequisite learning
Retrieval of prior learning to working memory
4. Presenting the stimulus material
Emphasizing features for selective perception
5. Providing learning guidance
Semantic encoding; cues for retrieval
6. Eliciting the performance
Activating response organization
7. Providing feedback about performance
Establishing reinforcement
8. Assessing performance
Activating retrieval; making reinforcement possible
9. Enhancing retention and transfer
Providing cues and strategies for retrieval

The design for review intervention programs for the National Achievement Test follows this design model, particularly Instructional Event No. 9 on enhancing retention and transfer. This study focuses on the external conditions that impact on the learner’s performance without discounting the fact that internal conditions similarly affect the pupil. While it is understandable that many factors contribute to a student’s academic performance research suggests that, among school-related factors, teachers matter most and that when it comes to student performance on reading and math tests, a teacher is estimated to have two to three times the impact of any other school factor, including services, facilities, and even leadership (RAND, 2013). The same source reported that “the best way to assess teachers’ effectiveness is to look at their on-the-job performance, including what they do in the classroom and how much progress their students make on achievement tests.” Since review intervention programs are closest instructional event before the holding of the NAT and teachers that taught the students in the regular classroom sessions are also the review teachers, this study will focus on these variables.

Conceptual Framework of the Study
Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study.

The Independent variables of the study includes the review intervention program of MPPES particularly focusing on the Schedule of Review, Qualification of the Teacher, Review Hours, Teacher’s Length of Service, and Pupil’s Attendance. The Dependent variables include the results of the National Achievement Test in Mathematics.

Statement of the Problem
Generally, the purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the review intervention programs implemented by MPPES to the National Achievement Test in Math performance of its Grade VI pupils.
Specifically this study aims to answer the following questions:
1. What is the review intervention program conducted by Maria Palacios Presbitero Elementary School for the National Achievement Test School Year 2011-2012?
2. What is the level of performance of Grade VI pupils in the National Achievement Test in Math during the School Year 2011-2012?
3. Are there significant relationships between the level of performance of Grade VI pupils in the National Achievement Test and the review intervention programs conducted by Maria Palacios Presbitero Elementary School?

Hypotheses of the Study Based from the foregoing stated problems of the study, the hypotheses formulated were:
1. The Maria Palacios Presbitero Elementary School (MPPES) conducted a half-day Saturday class review intervention program in Math for 2 months before the National Achievement Test by their Math Adviser.
2. The level of Performance of Grade VI pupils in Math of the Maria Palacios Presbitero Elementary School is based on the NAT is 78.06 percent.
3. There is no significant relationship between the level of performance of Grade VI pupils in Math based on the NAT and the review intervention program conducted.

Significance of the Study
Since awareness of student's various problems is an important factor in classroom management, several groups of people can profit much from the results of this study. The findings of this study will be of great value to the following:
1. Government – This undertaking will greatly help in the formulation of policies for the improvement of the educational setting of the country particularly in improving teachers’ qualification and review intervention programs. Since the national government believes that education, particularly basic education, is vital for the advancement of the poor, showing the correlation between the factors and achievement test performance is a relevant topic for education research.
2. School Administrators – The findings of the study will guide the administrators or their educational planners in adopting policies and programs regarding review intervention programs.
3. Teachers - The teachers will be benefited from this study because they can identify gaps in their review intervention programs and adopt corrective measures appropriately.
4. Future Researchers - This study will serve as a basis for future researchers to undergo similar studies on review intervention programs.

Scope and Limitation of the Study
The concern of this study is the effect of the review intervention conducted by the MPPES to the level of academic performance of Grade VI pupils in Math based on the National Achievement test. The period covered in this research with regards to the National Achievement Test of Grade VI pupils of MPPES is School Year 2011-2012.
Furthermore, this study covers all Grade VI pupils of MPPES. Specific and significant information will also be taken from the Grade VI adviser/review teacher.
Likewise, the selected variables used in this study which are believed to have an influence to the effect of the review intervention programs to the National Achievement Test are: schedule of review, qualification of the teacher conducting the review, and the teacher’s length of service.
Definition of Terms There are some terminologies which are conceptually and operationally defined that would guide and provide the readers a better understanding to the nature of the study. National Achievement Test Performance. It refers to the pupil's performance in the National Achievement Test. This is obtained through computing for the Mean Percentage Score of the Student per section. Mean Percentage Score. Mean Percentage Score (MPS) indicates the ratio between the number of correctly answered items and the total number of test questions or the percentage of correctly answered items in a test, the National Achievement Test (DepEd, 2008).
Review. An inspection or examination for the purpose of evaluation. It is a process of going over the subject again in study or recitation in order to fix it in the memory or summarize the facts.
Intervention. An intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one or many people – usually family and friends – to get someone to seek professional help with an addiction or some kind of traumatic event or crisis, or other serious problem. In this study, intervention refers to the review strategies conducted by a school in order to address the need for higher National Achievement Test MPS in different subjects, specifically Mathematics. Mathematics. The study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of quantities and sets, using numbers and symbols.Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus are branches of mathematics.
Teacher. A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils (children) and students (adults). The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education
Attendance. The act of being present at a meeting or event etc. Attendance of pupils in school is said to be one of the factors that affect learning.

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This chapter provided significant information and ideas that can enhance the knowledge and information of the researcher and readers relevant to the nature of the study, and are therefore useful in achieving the goals of the study.
According to the http://academic-clinic.com/2012/04/nat-exam-overview/, the Department of Education aims to lead young Filipinos in the discovery of their own potential through the academe provided for every Filipino enabling them to create their own destiny to the global community. To achieve this vision, DepEd reaches out responsive efforts for the students’ educational and worthwhile needs. One way is to determine the students’ capacity of learning. There comes, National Achievement Test.
The National Achievement Test is administered by the Department of Education through the National Educational Testing and Research Center (NETRC) which heads on research and assessment of the education provided for our youth, specifically in the Basic Education.
ABS-CBN News reported: NAT for Grade Six and Second Year, the DepEd said in a statement, shall be administered in both public and private schools nationwide. On the other hand, NAT for Grade Three shall be given to public schools only.
The annual NAT is used to determine what the students know, understand and can do at their level. NAT for Grade Three includes Grammar and Reading Comprehension in English and Filipino, Science and Mathematics.
NAT for Grade Six focuses on five basic subjects, namely, Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and HEKASI. On the other hand, NAT for Second Year High School includes Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and Araling Panlipunan.
"By measuring our students' strengths, weaknesses and achievement levels, we can derive ways on how the present education system can be further improved," said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, the department said they are "happy" on how the results of NAT have improved.
"From 2006-2009, the percentage increase of 21.36 percent was achieved. This only indicates a steady improvement in primary education in the country's public school system," Lapus said.
In 2009 NAT, Mean Percentage Score (MPS) showed a mark improvement of 11.67% or 66.33 percent from 54.66 percent in 2006.
The NAT results guide decision makers in formulating policies relative to progression and promotion of students especially in the public school system. These will also determine the deficiencies of students which need further intervention.
"NAT is just a part of DepEd's report card and the whole education system. Results of this indicator will help us formulate appropriate interventions aimed at improving the education system. We have to keep the commitment and hard work we put to education," Lapus said.
The above mentioned articles state the purpose and importance of National Achievement Test in Philippine Education. Thus, schools come up with different ideas or review interventions to achieve a desirable score in the NAT. This study also identifies the different elements under the review programs conducted by MPPES which made them garnered the highest MPS in Mathematics among the eight schools of the District of Valladolid, School Year 2011-2012.
As written on the Teacher_Summary_Exec, teacher quality matters. In fact, it is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement. Moreover, teacher compensation represents a significant public investment: in 2002 alone, the United States invested $192 billion in teacher pay and benefits. Given the size of this investment, there is remarkably little research to guide such critical decisions as whom to hire, retain, and promote.

Teacher experience
• Several studies have found a positive effect of experience on teacher effectiveness; specifically, the “learning by doing” effect is most obvious in the early years of teaching.

Teacher preparation programs and degrees
• Research suggests that the selectivity/prestige of the institution a teacher attended has a positive effect on student achievement, particularly at the secondary level. This may partially be a reflection of the cognitive ability of the teacher.
• Evidence suggests that teachers who have earned advanced degrees have a positive impact on high school mathematics and science achievement when the degrees earned were in these subjects.
• Evidence regarding the impact of advanced degrees at the elementary level is mixed.

Teacher certification
• Research has demonstrated a positive effect of certified teachers on high school mathematics achievement when the certification is in mathematics.
• Studies show little clear impact of emergency or alternative-route certification on student performance in either mathematics or science, as compared to teachers who acquire standard certification.
Teacher coursework
• Teacher coursework in both the subject area taught and pedagogy contributes to positive education outcomes.
• Pedagogical coursework seems to contribute to teacher effectiveness at all grade levels, particularly when coupled with content knowledge.
• While the studies on the field experience component of teacher education are not designed to reveal causal relationships, they suggest positive effects in terms of opportunity to learn the profession and reduced anxiety among new teachers.

Dante L. Silva, Milagros C. Tadeo, Cesar Romeo V. Delos Reyes, and Robert M. Dadigan in their “Factors Associated with Non-Performing Filipino Students in Mathematics: A Vision of Student’s Cognitive and Behavior Management” identify several factors which cause difficulties in Mathematics. 1. For the student-related factors, the subjects generally have an average mental ability as evidenced by their I.Q. score. They have positive attitude and interest toward Mathematics and their study habits, as shown by the different dimensions, fall within the acceptable range. Some problems though may be attributed to occasional laziness, boredom, and personal problems. 2. The mathematics faculty were academically prepared but may not be well-equipped with the skills to teach the subject. Furthermore, inadequate knowledge on human growth, learning and development make them unable to deal with appropriate instructional methods and strategies. This is attested by their beliefs and them unable to deal with appropriate instructional methods and strategies. This is attested by their beliefs and styles of teaching. 3. Parents are generally supportive of the students and they are positive that their children have the capacity to tackle Mathematics. Students do not consider their parents as contributory factors to their problems in their study of the subject. 4. Though the students have average mental ability, they still encounter difficulties in mathematics which is attributed to the reading deficiencies in vocabulary, comprehension and study skills.
The District of Valladolid, with its eight schools, conduct a review intervention program as a response to these different factors that may deter pupil’s performance in the National Achievement Test. This study will try to present the relationship between these review intervention program and the NAT result of 2011-2012.

Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the research design, the subject and the respondents’ of the study, the research instrument, validity and reliability of the research instrument, data gathering procedure, and data analysis.

Research Design This study aims to find out the achievement level of Grade VI pupils of Maria Palacios Elementary School in Math in the National Achievement Test during the School Year 2011-2012. Thus, it involves the use of the descriptive design. It will be using the different types of a research design: the case study method and the survey method.

Subject and Respondents of the Study
Respondents will be the Grade VI pupils of Maria Palacios Presbitero Elementary School who took the National Achievement Test 2011-2012.

Population and Sample Size
There were only 30 Grade VI pupils of Maria Palacios Elementary School who took the NAT 2011-2012. Because of this, the researcher decided to make the whole population (30 pupils) as the study participants.

Research Instrument
A survey questionnaire will be used to obtain the following information:
a. Schedule of the review intervention program/programs conducted by Maria Palacios Presbitero Elementary School in preparation for the NAT 2011-2012
b. Qualifications of the teacher who conducted the review.
c. Review hours spent for each review session.
d. Teachers’ length of service.
e. Pupil’s attendance for each review session.
f. Relationship between the review intervention programs conducted by MPPES and their National Achievement Test result 2011-2012
Furthermore the researcher will also make use of Observations and Personal Interviews through phone if the situation arises.
The research tools used by the researcher largely depends on the sincerity, thoughtfulness and objectivity of the respondents. The researcher will see to it that her methodologies guard against the perceived bias.

Data Gathering Procedure
Appropriate permissions will be sought from the Office of the Division Superintendent, School Head of Maria Palacios Presbitero Elementary School, and the Secondary Schools where the Grade VI pupils are now studying, and the Class Adviser before the conduct of the study. After securing the approval of the school officials, the researcher will discuss the mechanics of answering the survey questionnaire to the class adviser.

Methods on Data Analysis
Three statistical tests will be used so as to come up with a sound and thorough analysis and processing of the raw data, to wit:

1. Frequency. According to Pagoso and Montana (1997), this tool facilitates the tallying and counting of frequencies falling under each category. In this study, frequency will be used to measure the respondents answer to specific set of questions.

2. Percentage. It is the ratio of the responses to the total, to find the trends in opinion (Triola, 1997). This will be used to determine the trends of the subject of the study's profile as well as the significant difference on the respondents' assessment. Specifically, this will be used to compare the frequency of responses according to the number of sections.

% = F/N x 100
Where:
F = Number of Respondents
N = Total no. of Respondents
% = Percentage

3. Weighted Mean. Triola (1997), asserted that a mean is computed with the different scores assigned different test. It will be computed using the following formula: x = Σfx N
Where:
Σ = Summation f = Frequency x = Mean
N = Total frequency

These tests will try to summarize and analyze the subjects’ response with regards to the factors that constitutes the review intervention program conducted by MPPES and program’s relationship to the National Achievement Test result 2011-2012.

Bibliography

RAND Education, Teachers Matter: Understanding Teachers’ Impact on Student Achievement

Darling-Hammond, Linda. (2000). Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: A Review of State Policy Evidence, Volume 8 Number 1 January 1, 2000, Education Policy Analysis Archives, Stanford University

Nicolas-Victorino, Anastacia (2011), Factors Affecting The National Achievement Test Performance Of Selected Second Year High School Students In Santa Maria, Bulacan, Polytechnic University of the Philippines Open University

Silva, Dante L., Tadeo Milagros C., Delos Reyes, Cesar Romeo V., And Dadigan, Robert M.2006. Factors Associated with Non-Performing Filipino Students in Mathematics: A Vision of Student’s Cognitive and Behavior Management

Survey Questionnaire for the Grade VI Pupils
Name (Optional): ___________________
Age: ________________________
In what grade were you last School Year 2011-2012: Yes No
If Yes, in what school were you enrolled: _______________________
Did you take the National Achievement Test for SY 2011- 2012?: Yes No
Did your school conduct a review for Mathematics in the NAT 2011-2012? Yes No
Which of the following review intervention program did your school practice in preparation for the NAT 2011-2012? Saturday Class Review After Class Review 1:00 PM before Class Review Others. Please specify __________________
How many hours did your class spend for each review session in Math? 1 hour 2 hours 3 hours Others. Please specify _______
Who was your review teacher?:_____________________

What was her position? Teacher I Teacher II Teacher III Others. Please Specify ________________________
What can you say about your attendance during the review program/intervention for NAT conducted by MPPES? Perfect with zero absences
With very few absences With few absences With numerous absences
Do you think the review intervention program conducted by MPPES helped in increasing the result of the NAT in Math? Yes No Maybe

Survey Questionnaire for Grade VI Adviser/Review Teacher
Name (Optional):
Highest Educational Attainment:
Date of Appointment:
Years in Service:
Position:
School:
Grade level taught:
Subject:
Did you conduct a review for the NAT 2011-2012? Yes No
Which of the following review intervention program did your school practice in preparation for the NAT 2011-2012? Saturday Class Review After Class Review 1:00 PM before Class Review Others. Please specify __________________
How many hours did you spend for each review session in Math? 1 hour 2 hours 3 hours Others. Please specify _______

What is the performance level of your school in Math in the National Achievement Test 2011-2012?__________

How can you compare the result of the NAT 2011-2012 in Math to the NAT result of the previous years? Increased Decreased Remained the same Do you think the review intervention program you conducted helped in increasing the result of the NAT in Math? Yes No Maybe