Project HANDLE: Home-Based Activities Needed for Distance Learning Experiments and their Effect on the Development of Science Process Skills of Grade 7 Learners
AUTHORS
Michae Bibon,Cawayan National High School, Bacacay South District, Bacacay, Albay, Department of Education (SDO-Albay), Legazpi City, Albay, the Philippines
ABSTRACT
This mixed-design study was implemented through a one-group pretest-posttest pre-experimental design in a secondary school at Cagraray Island, Philippines using the printed Project HANDLE manual. Project HANDLE is a stand-alone intervention composed of home-based laboratory experiments that target the development of science process skills (SPS) of 35 Grade 7 learners in Life Science delivered through distance learning modality. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of Project HANDLE in improving the SPS of Grade 7 learners as a springboard for the construction of a framework for home-based laboratory exercises. A validated researcher-made test and a survey questionnaire were used to collect data on scores of the pretest and posttest, and experiences in the implementation of Project HANDLE. To rank the tested SPS, descriptive statistics such as mean, percentage, and mean gains were employed, while inferential statistics such as t-test and Cohen's d were used to assess the significance of the differences in scores and the degree of influence of the intervention. Results revealed significant improvement in the level of each tested SPS (p<0.05) with Measuring as the most developed SPS and Observing on the opposite extremity. The code of experiences of the learners in Project HANDLE showed five factors, (1) overcoming anxiety, (2) independence, (3) enjoyment, (4) conceptual formation, and (5) ease. A framework for distance learning modality on laboratory experiments was proposed, integrating contextualization, culture-based approach, and brain-based approach to assure the development of SPS and other laboratory factors. Project HANDLE was found to be effective in developing SPS, while it is recommended to use the intervention for integrated SPS and implement the proposed framework. Furthermore, the outcome implies that SPS can be developed without the supervision of a teacher or an expert.
KEYWORDS
Distance learning, Experiments, Home-based learning, Laboratory work, Science process skills
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