THE LEVEL OF WRITING

COMPETENCY OF SENIOR HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS IN TERMS OF
RESEARCH
RESEARCHERS:
RICHELLE A. DACUYA
MICHELE ANN D. PANUELOS
RACHELLE ANNE R. TUSCANO
AVRIL C. RODELA
ALDREN SAMBO
JOMAR S. CERIAS
CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Society expect academic institution to take the lead in research. Which has resulted in a slew
of legislative proposal and program to support research and innovation. As a result, students
need to comply by submitting a research paper and defend it at the end of the school year
(Oriokot et al., 2011; Tabuena, 2020).

In writing a research paper, students are guided by the rules in terms of format, content, and
mechanics, which involves a critical in finishing the paper.

Research is integral to any learning institution in securing learning goals. An institution’s

inability to produce and publish high-quality research is a strong indication that higher
learning is not supported (Padagas & Hajan, 2020).
The primary objective of this study is to describe the competency level of the students
in writing the research papers. This present study involves the selected Senior High
School students taking research as an elective subject.

The result of this study would help the students in the research writing process and
research teacher to enhance and develop the curriculum that will benefit the students,
teacher and institution. This study would also aid future researcher in identifying new
ways to teaching research procedure, and serve as a reference if they were to do a
study on the subject.
STATEMENT OF
THE PROBLEM
This study is an attempt to evaluate the writing skills of grade 12 students in Northern
Canaman High School as reflected in their research specifically it seek to answer the
following question.

1. How competent are the grade 12 students as to:

a. Writing the Introduction.
a. 1 Content
b. 2 Coherence
b. Writing the Review of Related Literature and Studies.
a. 1 Content
b. 2 Coherence
c. Writing Citation
2. What are the common strengths and weakness in writing the Introduction and the
Review of Related Literature and Studies of grade 12 students in Northern Canaman
High School as to:

a. Writing Introduction
b. Writing the Review of Related Literature and Studies.
c. Writing Citation

3. What intervention in writing the Introduction and Review of Related Literature and
studies can be proposed to address the weakness identified?
ASUMPTION
The study focuses on the attempt to evaluate the writing skills of grade 12 students in
Northern Canaman High School as reflected in their research. The following
assumptions were made.

1. The researchers assumed that the respondents are highly competent in writing the
Introduction, Review of Related Literature and Studies and Citation.
2. The researchers assumed that the strength of the respondents is writing citation and
introduction, while their weakness writing the review of related literature and studies.
3. The researchers assumed that the intervention to address the weakness identified is
to have a research enhancement program for students.
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
The study gives school administrator, students, parents, and the general public enough
relevant information. This study, which focuses on the general academic strand of the
chosen grade 12 student’s will be valuable not only to Northern Canaman High
School, but also to entire Division of Canaman.

The findings of this study will illustrate how crucial writing abilities are for students
in closing communication gaps and their future occupation and work places.
Therefore, developing student’s abilities and confidence as well as ensuring their
success in their chosen sector depend greatly wonder communicative ability.
Students. This will help them to identify their key strength as well as their weakness in
writing a research paper in order to enhance their performance through the practices
they will get from the remedial intervention. They can use the essential information
and feedback from the study to better improve their writing skills.

Parents. It will help them to choose which career is suited for their children and also
for them to know the strength and weakness of their children in terms of writing a
research paper.
Senior High School Teachers. The findings of the study will also be beneficial for
them to reassess their professional practices in using in teaching the language which
later on help them improve their writing skills. This will further guide them to enhance
the students’ competence in writing by employing teaching approaches and strategies
which will answer the current deficiencies of the students. This will likewise provide
them ideas to generate instructional materials modules and every strand in order to
address the specific needs of the students.

Future Researchers. This will guide and inspire them in conducting related researchers
in academic writing to determine the writing skills of the students and its impact on
their performance.
 SCOPE AND
DELIMITATION
This study seeks to evaluate the competency level of grade
12 students in writing the Introduction, Writing Citation,
and Review of Related Literature and Studies. The
respondents are 30 students in Grade 12 of Northern
Canaman High School, school year 2023-2024. Excluded
from the study are the Grade 11 and the Junior High
School students.
DEFINITION OF
TERMS
Northern Canaman Highschool. It refers to the secondary school at Fundado,
Canaman Camarines Sur and is the research locale of the study.

Research. Is a piece of formal academic writing taken by a student in a senior high

school program as a final requirement.

Introduction. Is the chapter 1 of a research that introduces the background of the study,
statement of the problem, assumption, scope and delimitation, definition of terms and
significance of the study.

Review of related literature and studies. This is part of the the research chapter 2, that
contains the related literature, related study, synthesis, conceptual framework, and
theoretical framework.
Intervention. Is the act of making a change or introducing a new strategy in order to
address the weakness of the grade 12 students identified, such has the research
enhancement program for students.
Competency. Is the skill or proficiency display by the grade 12 students in writing a
research paper.
Content. This refers to the two chapter of the research paper which is the Introduction
and Review of Related Literature and Studies.
Citation. Is the process of identifying in the acknowledging the author/s or source their
names, year of publication, and page number in the textual presentation or discussion.
Coherence. Means the togetherness of ideas within a paragraph or a longer discourse
where sentences with each other using discourse markers and transitional words,
phrases or clauses.
CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE AND
STUDIES
Level of Writing Competency of Students
Writing a research paper is one of the major activities in educational institutions.
In order to promote quality, the researcher writing process should be considered. This
study aims to explore the specific research part where the students have difficulty
writing the research paper. Identifying the weakest point can lead to the success of the
research writing process. This study made an assessment of the competency level of
the research students in writing their research paper. It utilized the quantitative
descriptive method and followed the purposive sampling technique, where in the lead
researchers and writers were chosen as respondents in the study.
Related Studies
 According to Perez (2019), Writing comprises many dimensions, one of its
dimensions is the technical writing. Teaching technical writing among students is
significantly needed as preparation for on the job skills required for future
employment. The study yielded that the students acquired low competence. The result
explains that students, school and teacher are perceived to have high level of
contribution as factor in the students technical writing competence needs thorough
enhancement, in doing so, the students, school, and teachers may consider working
collaboratively to equip their skills in technical writing.
Moreover Maharani (2021) says that, most of the students fulfil the content of the
texts but does not cover sufficient range of points and most of the texts are poorly
organize; only one out of five texts is ordered locally but, therefore, and however are
used to connect one sentence or one paragraph to the others though they sometimes
are not properly used. Besides, students also have insufficient knowledge of
vocabulary and grammatical structures, for example the repeated use of the word
English in the same paragraph instead of using pronoun it or the wrong use of
reflective pronoun in the sentence of the students itself where itself should be
themselves. In the sense of the appropriateness of style to the topic, text type, purpose
and target reader, it shows that all of the styles of the texts are formal and appropriate.
Furthermore, according to Alova and Benedicto (2023), the students’ sex has no
significant difference in the students’ level of competence in grammar and academic
writing, while the students’ parents’ highest educational attainment has a significant
difference with the students’ academic writing competence, especially with parents’
that has a post-graduate degree. It can be concluded that the proficiency of the
students in grammar does not correlate with their academic writing skills of the
students.
In addition base on Hikma (2021), the students are good in writing contents, style and
organization but they are still poor in mechanics and grammar; the students have more
errors in grammar aspects such as the usage of thoughts, contracted words,
distributions of thoughts per sentence, and on mechanics wherein students have errors
on usage of punctuation, capitalization of proper nouns, proper indention of the
paragraph and sentence breaks, and the supplementary learning material must be
developed to improve the writing skills competence of the students.
According to Harmer and brown (2007) as cited by Novi Yulianti, there are two views
that can be seen in writing, these are product and process of writing. Product of
writing should give the attention in the final of writing. Such as report, essay, the story
and others. It means that the writing should be paid attention in certain standard of
writing in English, the accurate grammar, and the alue of the end product. On other
hand, when writing is seen by the process, it focuses on the process of how the ideas
to be transformed into words
Related Literatures
 There are some previous studies which is taken by some researchers.
According to Buffe (2020), writing is meant as the expression of ideas, opinions,
or thoughts and feelings but writing is a recursive process, which means students,
revise throughout the process, frequently moving back and forth among the stage. The
students should learn strategies for invention and discover, and teacher should help
students generate content and discover a purpose. It is also stated that readers, purpose
and occasion, all define types of writing, writers’ intention, and the readers’ needs. It
means that writing is a complex process and it seems reasonable to expect, then, that
the teaching of writing is complex as well.
According to the Grade Network (2019), different studies show positive results in the
proficiency of the learners who were taught at an early age. In other words, language
learners who are exposed to the different approaches in learning the target language are
less likely to struggle in overall literacy and to communicate. One way to help students
improve their writing skills is to increase writing activities that focus not just on
penmanship but on strategies, planning, ang organization moreover, learners with
confidence and writing skills can help them to be more effective in communicating. This
allows them to express their thoughts by demonstrating their knowledge and by
engaging in informative discussions that would help them to further their personal
understanding. Concerns regarding the relationship between student communication
skills and course material were addressed by Nadine rice in her article, “Meeting the
Reading Challenges of Science Textbooks in the Primary Grades.”
According to Dominguez and Judikis (2016), development of a research competence in
university student of Mexico through blended learning. It identifies the knowledge skill
and values that the research competence must contain and also identify the knowledge
and skill that a university student must possess to be considered with the competence
which are: scientific and technical knowledge, methodological knowledge, correct
punctuation, grammar and spelling, procedures for asking and identify issues of the
research project, procedure for planning the time needed to work on the
research/formulation of research projects. Identifying and writing scientific hypothesis
for research project developing communication skills, developing goals and purposes,
academic skills, skills to manage research among others.
According to Caliwan-Fuentes (2017) Descriptive study was adopted for this, a total of
136 students were randomly selected. The study revealed that respondents are
practitioners in the field of research with a mean of 3.34, and also the respondents are
practitioners in writing introduction, methodology, results and discussion, conclusion
and recommendation, abstract and references which implies that writing research is an
activity the respondents are familiar with. The study also revealed that sources of
research competences which are current research course, self-study/reading reference
material and research, training and seminars and study mission. The study also revealed
that the common problem encountered by the respondents in the conduct of research is
lack of time/class schedule which does allow the conduct of research.
According to Memarpour, Fard and Ghasemi (2015) conducted research on evaluation
of attitude to, knowledge of and barriers toward research among medical science
students. They examined knowledge and obstacles to conduct research among
undergraduate and postgraduate students in the field of medicine in addition to their
attitude. Their study showed favourable knowledge of research, but students’ opinion
towards research was inadequate. Undergraduate showed better attitude than
postgraduate students and females had better knowledge than males, but no gender-
based difference was observed in attitude to research.
SYNTHESIS
According to Perez (2019) and Maharani (2021), the students are low competent in
writing, students also have insufficient knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical
structures while according Hikma (2021), the students are good in writing content, style
and organization but they are still poor in mechanics and grammar. Moreover, Alova and
Benidicto (2023) says that the students sex has no significant difference in their level of
competence in academic writing, but according to Memarpour, Fard and Ghasemi
(2015), females had better knowledge than makes. Furthermore, according to Harmer
and Brown (2017), writing should be paid attention in certain standard of writing and
accurate, this is also one of the most important things to do for the students nowadays.
For them to have better improvements in addition according to Buffe (2020) and
Grade Network (2019), students should revise throughout the process, and frequently
moving back and form among the stage learners are more proficient in writing who
were taught at an early age. Domiguez and Sudikis (2016) says that research
competence must contain and also identify the knowledge and skill that a student must
possess to be considered with the competence which are scientific and technical
knowledge, correct punctuation, and grammar and spelling. And according to Caliwan
Fuentes (2017) the common problem encountered by the respondents in the conduct
of research is lack of time/class schedule this is one of the most problem that the
students are facing because of too much requirements they are having lack of time
making or conducting their research.
CONCEPTUAL
FRAMEWORK
 THE LEVEL OF WRITING COMPETENCY OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AS
REFLECTED IN THEIR RESEARCH

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1.) Determining the 1.) Providing regular feedback on
Competency level of grade 12 students as to: > Survey progress and areas improvement.

a. Writing Introduction 2.) use quality reliable sources.

> Data Gathering
b. Writing the review of literature and studies
c. Writing Citation
3.) Collecting and analyzing data
> Data Analysis accurately.
2.) Determining the strengths and weakness
in writing the review of related literature and
studies. 4.) Determining the intervention that
> Data Interpretation can propose to address the weakness
identified.

FEEDBACK
 Input – The following are the inputs of this study: (1) Determining the competency level of grade 12

students as to: Writing the introduction and review of related literature and studies (2) Determining the

strength and weakness in writing the introduction, review of related literature and studies, and writing

citation.

Process -the procedure started by letters that the researcher prepared, and with the permission of the

school head of Northern Canaman High School. Upon having the permission of the school head, the

researcher will held data gathering by having a survey containing 20 questions that will be answered of the

students. This survey will help us to identify the level of their writing competency. The results were treated

and interpreted with appropriate statistical tools.

 Output – the following output are: (1) providing regular feedback on progress and areas

improvement: (2) use quality reliable sources: (3) collecting data accurately (4) determining

the intervention.

Feedback – The arrow from the output going to the input shows the effect of the following

output. This show that the following output will solve the following output will solve the

following problems in input. Meanwhile the broken arrow in the process simply shows that if

the process didn’t work properly then it would have a problem in output and the process

should be reviewed.
THEORITICAL
FRAMEWORK
Cognitive Processes Theory Sociocultural Theory L. Vygotsky Grounded Theory B. Glaser
L. Flower and J. Hayes (2018) (2015) (2010)
-Is the theory in which the author -The process in which students -A systematic methodology that has
uses their own goals in two key learning different concepts increases, been largely applied to
ways: by generating both high-level through engagement with their qualitative research conducted by
goals and supporting sub-goals peers’ work and receiving peer
feedback on their own writing. It is a social scientists. The methodology
which embody the writer’s perspective on writing which tries to involves the construction of
developing sense of purpose, and account for the cognitive operations hypotheses and theories through the
then, at times, by changing major and representations that underlie the collecting and analysis of data.
goals or even establishing entirely social process of communicating Grounded theory involves the
new ones based on what has been meaning through discourse in a application of inductive reasoning.
learned in the act of writing. specific social context.”

THE LEVEL OF WRITING

COMPETENCY OF
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS AS
REFLECTED IN THEIR
RESEARCH
Cognitive processes

L. Flower and J. Hayes (2018)

Is the theory in which the author uses their own goals in two key ways: by

generating both high-level goals and supporting sub-goals which embody the writer’s

developing sense of purpose, and then, at times, by changing major goals or even

establishing entirely new ones based on what has been learned in the act of writing.
Sociocultural Theory

L. Vygotsky (2015)

The process in which students learning different concepts increases, through engagement with their peers’ work and receiving

peer feedback on their own writing. Social cognitive is “a perspective on writing which tries to account for the cognitive

operations and representations that underlie the social process of communicating meaning through discourse in a specific

social context.” Lastly, the ecological theory is “a way of looking at literacy using concepts from ecology.” There are many

theories when it comes to writing literature, however the theory that I follow the most when writing is Cognitive process

theory. Sociocultural theory emphasizes the importance of culture and interaction in the development of cognitive abilities .

Vygotsky differed with Piaget in that he believed that a person has not only a set of abilities but also a set of potential abilities

that can be realized if given the proper guidance from others.

Grounded Theory
B. Glaser (2010)
Grounded theory is a systematic methodology that has been largely applied
to qualitative research conducted by social scientists. The methodology
involves the construction of hypotheses and theories through the collecting
and analysis of data. Grounded theory involves the application of
inductive reasoning. The methodology contrasts with the
hypothetico-deductive model used in traditional scientific research. A study
based on grounded theory is likely to begin with a question, or even just
with the collection of qualitative data. As researchers review the data
collected, ideas or concepts become apparent to the researchers.
CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY
Research
Design
 According to the formulated research objectives and specific
problems, the researchers chose the quantitative method as an
appropriate research method.
CONTEXT AND
PARTICIPANTS
 The participants involved in this study were selected grade 12
students from General Academic Strand and Technical
Vocational Livelihood Program in Northern Canaman High
School during the second semester of school year 2023-2024.
The total number of participants is 30 learners. Convenience
sampling was utilized by the researcher in choosing the
participants in this research.
INSTRUMENT
 The researcher choose to use the survey questionnaire. That will
question the respondents' profiles and evaluate their competency
level in writing a research paper. The first part consist their
personal information and the second part consist of 25 items,
which shows the different task in writing the Introduction, Review
of Related Literature and Studies, and writing Citation. The
respondents needs to evaluate their research writing competencies
by checking their level of competencies using the 5 scale.
 DATA
PROCEDURE
 The researcher find a respondents by convenience sampling, and
give them a rating scale consists of 25 questions that is required to
be answered. After collecting the data the researchers will tabulate
and do data analysis to have a conclusion. This survey will be held
in Northern Canaman High School.
STATISTICAL
ANALYSIS
 Descriptive statistical analysis was chosen as statistical treatment of the
researchers that has been use in this study, which summarizes the data
collected in the survey. The summary will help the researcher to determine the
level of writing competency of the grade 12 students in Northern Canaman
High School as reflected in their research.