Instructional Policy and Students’ Academic Performance: A Case Study in Marikina Science High School and Parang High School

Abstract

This study was conducted primarily to determine the differences of instructional polices and the level of students’ academic performance, particularly in Marikina Science High School and Parang High School, secondary schools both located in the City of Marikina, Philippines. Instructional policies, the independent variable are: the classroom curriculum, the instructional behaviour of teachers, and instructional approaches. Meanwhile, the dependent variable, academic performance was measured in terms of the Marikina Science High School (MSHS) and Parang High School (PHS) students’ performance in the summative test and in the college placement exam- UPCAT. Parang High School was then chosen as the representative of all regular public secondary high school because the school is the second top achievers among secondary schools in the City of Marikina (DECS Office, Division of City Marikina). The UPCAT was chosen because it is one of the tough college placement exam in the Philippines. The researcher used the content-analysis method to present the different curriculum tracks employed by both schools also, a survey of the students on the instructional behaviour of teachers was conducted among the two institutions, the MSHS and PHS- as the representative of all regular public secondary schools. The sample included 167 students, 88 students from the MSHS and 79 students from PHS. Further, the researcher personally administered a semi-structured interview of the teachers concerning different instructional approaches used in both schools. The following are the findings of the study: 1. In Marikina Science High School, they employed different curriculum tracks in each year level. For freshmen students’, the school used the Science Curriculum; for sophomore and junior students, the Basic Education Curriculum, and the New Secondary Education Curriculum is used for the senior students. Further, additional time is allotted for the teaching of two major subjects: science and mathematics. An additional one-hour was spent on more laboratory activities, mathematical analysis and problem solving. As such, the periodical tests result of students in MSHS is twice as higher | than the periodical test results of PHS students. (See Appendices E & F- Periodical Tests Results of Marikina Science High School and Parang High School. 2 There is no significant difference concerning the instructional behaviour of teachers in MSHS and PHS. The survey results revealed that selected teachers to be evaluated in Marikina Science High School have the same teaching behaviour among the selected teachers in PHS. 3. The researcher found out that instructional approaches used by the teachers in Marikina Science High School have shown significant effects on students’ academic performance. The use of direct instruction, as opposed to the methods of instruction used in Parang High School, provides a positive result for the academic learning of the students.