Exploring the Perceptions and Challenges Faced by the Bachelor in Elementary Education

Students in Mastering English Grammar

A Research Proposal

Presented to the Faculty of the College of Teacher Education

NEGROS ORIENTAL STATE UNIVERSITY

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree,

Bachelor of Elementary Education Major in
General Curriculum

Atig, Quegin Mae T.

Bagot, Charito
Romano, Jessa Mae B.
Tuble, Crizzel S.

2024
NEGROS ORIENTAL STATE UNIVERSITY

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

Title Page i
Approval Sheet ii
Acknowledgments iv
Executive Summary v
Abstract xi
Table of Contents

CHAPTER I. The Problem and Its Scope

Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Significance of the Study
Scope and Limitation of the Study
Operational Definition of Terms
Theoretical Framework
Conceptual Framework
Review of the Related Literature
Research Methodology

Research Design
Research Respondents
Research Environment
Research Instrument

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 LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1: The Theoritical Framework of the Study
Figure 2: The Conceptual Framework of the Study

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 CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
Introduction
The Philippines is recognized globally as one of the largest English-speaking nations with

majority of its population having at least some degree of fluency in the language. English has

always been one of the official languages of the Philippines and is spoken by more than 14 million

Filipinos. Proficiency in the language is also one of the country’s strengths that has helped drive

the economy and even made the Philippines the top voice outsourcing destination in the world,

surpassing India in 2012 (Magbanua, 2016). Grammar and pronunciation are some of the essential

English language elements that must be studied by the learners. Especially it is mandatory to use

the second language as a medium in teaching and learning for students and teachers. Knowledge

in grammar helps the learners in the correction of mistakes and improvement of both written and

oral works. As the accuracy of grammar used by the students affects their overall performance

(Quines, 2023).

The grammar mastery using English can be referred in the Executive Order NO. 210,

Establishing the Policy to Strengthen the Use of the English Language as a Medium of Instruction

in the Educational System, SECTION 2, the Institutions of Higher Education states that the

Institutions of higher education, including State Colleges and Universities [SUCs], are hereby

encouraged to adopt the use of the English language as the primary medium of instruction in the

tertiary level. In an article written (Cabigon, 2015), the Philippines is recognized globally as one

of the largest English-speaking nations, with the majority of its population having at least some

degree of fluency in the language. With K to 12, English is offered in both the Junior and the

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Senior High School curricula. It is also the medium of instruction in teaching other subjects such

as Mathematics and Science, among others. Filipinos are regarded to be among the more fluent

speakers of the English language. This is one of the reasons that fellow Asians from other ASEAN

countries have chosen to study here in the Philippines or resort to learning English from Filipino

mentors. Despite the economic benefits of being an English-speaking nation, Filipinos have not

fully maximized its potentials. Studies show that the Filipinos' grasp of the English language is

slipping while other Asians are catching up fast. But despite these challenges, as researchers, we

will conduct this study to analyze, assess and describe the mastery in English grammar of the

Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEED) students in the College of Teacher Education at Negros

Oriental State University. The study aims to investigate the syntactical competence, vocabulary

and morphological awareness of the students in the English language. The study also will seek to

determine if there is a relationship between their level of agreement and the challenges the faced

in mastering Englich grammar.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the perception and challenges faced by the First Year, Second Year,

Third Year and Fourth Year Bachelor in Elementary Education Students in Mastering English

Grammar in the college of teacher education at Negros Oriental State University, Main Campus I.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 Sex;

1.2 Senior High School Strand;

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 1.3 General Percentage Average (GPA)?

2. What is the level of agreement of the Bachelor in Elementary Education students in terms

of:

2.1 Syntactical competence;

2.2 Vocabulary; and

2.3 Morphological awareness

3. What are the challenges faced by the Bachelor in Elementary Education students in terms

of:

3.1 Pronunciation; and

3.2 Grammar

4. Is there a relationship between the:

4.1 Profile of the students and their level of agreement in terms of syntactical competence,

vocabulary, and morphological awareness; and

4.2 Profile of the students and the challenges they faced in terms of pronunciation and

grammar?

Significance of the Study

This study aims to provide valuable information about mastering English grammar the

Bachelors in Elementary Education students in the college of teacher education at Negros Oriental

State University, Main Campus 1 and its relevance in the field of education.

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Bachelor in Elementary Education students. This research could assist them in recognizing the

significance of mastering English grammar in improving communication and self-expression. It

may also help them understand that there are solutions to their challenges concerning their

grammatical skills. This understanding could lead to enhanced academic performance and a deeper

level of competence and agreement.

Instructors. The study seeks to enable them to pinpoint their students' strengths and areas for

improvement on mastering English grammar. This insight may encourage teachers to investigate

other classroom management techniques that could benefit both the students and their teaching

strategies. Ultimately, this could enrich the overall learning experience and promote more effective

communication skills among students.

Curriculum developers. This research may serve as a foundation for designing future higher

education curricula, particularly in teacher education. They might incorporate practices aimed at

increasing students' awareness of their mastery of the English grammar. By integrating these

practices, the curriculum can better prepare future educators with the skills necessary for fostering

effective communication in their classrooms.

The College of Teacher Education. This study could aid the institution in maintaining or

improving the quality of its teacher education programs, thereby contributing to the development

of more capable graduates.

The future researchers. This study will act as a reference point for those exploring related

subjects in mastering English grammar or language proficiency.

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Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study focuses on assessing the English grammar mastery of first year, second year,

third year, and fourth year students enrolled in the College of Teacher Education at Negros Oriental

State University, Main Campus I. It aims to evaluate their proficiency in three specific linguistic

areas: syntactical competence, vocabulary, and morphological awareness. The scope is limited to

the Bachelor in Elementary Education students. Data will be collected through survey

questionnaire. The results will depend on how honest and accurate the students are.

This study limits its coverage on Bachelors in Elementary Education students only.

Each of the respondents are given some questionnaire to answer. The study's findings rely on the

accuracy and reliability of the instruments used to measure competence and agreement levels.

Operational Definition of Terms

This operational definition of terms provides clear and specific meanings of key concepts

used in the study to ensure a common understanding among readers.

Grammar. It is the set of rules that govern how words are combined to form sentences in a

language.

Level of Agreement. It refers to how strongly a respondent agrees or disagrees with a statement.

Morphological Awareness. This skill involves the ability to recognize, understand, and use parts

of words to determine their meanings and how they are formed. It aids in the creation of new

words.

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Pronunciation. It refers to the way in which a word or a language is spoken. It's about producing

the sounds of speech correctly, including proper intonation (the rise and fall of the voice), stress

(emphasis on certain syllables or words), and rhythm.

Syntactical Competence. This is the ability to construct sentences correctly by understanding the

rules of order and sentence structure.

Vocabulary. This refers to the set or group of words you are familiar with and understand well. It

can range from simple, everyday terms to more complex and advanced words.

Theoretical Framework
This research is grounded on three theories: Theory of Transformational Grammar

(Chomsky, 1957), Communicative Competence (Hymes, 1972), Second Language Acquisition

theory (Krashen, 1980’s).

Transformational grammar, a system of language analysis that recognizes the relationship

among the various elements of a sentence and among the possible sentences of a language and

uses processes or rules (some of which are called transformations) to express these relationships

(Yadav, & Yadav, 2020). The transformational-generative grammar outlined in Syntactic

Structures have three sections, or components: the phrase-structure component, the

transformational component, and the morphophonemic component. Each of these components

consists of a set of rules operating upon a certain “input” to yield a certain “output”. The most

common and persistent grammatical rules for constructing sentences in each language were called

by N. Chomsky “grammar principles”. For example, the proposal “John goes to the pub”

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corresponds to the principle of constructing sentences with the 3rd person singular according to

the rules of English grammar (Millrood, 2014).

Communicative competence is a term in linguistics which refers to a language user's

grammatical knowledge of syntax, morphology, phonology and the like, as well as social

knowledge about how and when to use utterances appropriately. The term was coined by Dell

Hymes in 1966, reacting against the perceived inadequacy of Noam Chomsky's distinction

between competence and performance (Ablakulov, 2023). Communicative competence is a broad

concept that reflects a set of more specific competencies. Part of the foreign language

communicative competence is grammatical competence. The success of speech activity depends

on the level of language knowledge. The level of proficiency is associated with the skill of word

formation, sentence construction.

In an interview with Krashen (Sadeghi, 2019) he mentioned that acquisition is a process

that occurs subconsciously; you are unaware of it while it is taking place. Mastery of grammar is

a significant aspect in fostering second language competence. The grammatical competence of the

teacher education students is influenced by their English language exposure; the more exposed the

students are in the English language, the higher is their grammatical competence (Cagurangan,

2018).

Together, the ideas of transformational grammar theory, communicative competence,

and second language acquisition (SLA) theory advance our knowledge of language acquisition

and usage. Chomsky's transformational grammar highlights how humans may generate and

understand an endless amounts of phrases due to natural cognitive processes. This theory does not

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adequately address the social and functional components of communication. In response to

Chomsky's idea of linguistic competence, Dell Hymes developed the concept of communicative

competence, which broadens the definition of language ability to encompass not only grammatical

knowledge but also the capacity to use language in social and cultural situations. This idea

emphasizes how crucial pragmatics, sociolinguistic principles, and strategic proficiency are to

clear communication. It emphasizes that effective communication calls for more than just

grammatical correctness, bridging the gap between linguistic theory and everyday language use.

Additionally, SLA theory explains how people learn a second language by combining ideas from

communicative competence and transformational grammar. Chomsky's theories were a major

influence on early SLA research, which concentrated on the function of universal grammar and the

mental processes involved in language acquisition. But as the profession developed, it came to

recognize the value of communicative skill more and more, stressing the necessity of exposure to

real-world language use and meaningful engagement. communicative competence expands the

framework of transformational grammar to encompass the social and functional facets of language

usage, while transformational grammar offers the structural basis for comprehending language

acquisition. By combining these viewpoints, SLA theory provides a thorough method for

comprehending how second language learners pick up and apply a language in a variety of settings.

Schematic Diagram of the Theoretical Framework

Figure 1 depicts a schematic diagram of the theoretical framework of the study. The

theories of Chomsky, Hymes and Krashen served as the foundation for this framework. These

theories have a profound impact in understanding and developing the grammatical competence or

the core linguistic ability of the students which is central to understanding and producing language.

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 The diagram showas that grammatical competence is a multifacted skill which involves

knowledge of various elements. These elements are: Vocabulary or the lexicon required to

communicate effectively, morphological structure which is the knowledge of how morphemes

combine to form words, morphological awareness which is the recognition of structure formation

of words, syntax which focuses on sentence structure and rules and syntactical competence of the

understanding of the grammatical arrangement of words and phrases. These elements are

interconnected with each other showing a step-by-step process in understanding language use and

contributes in determining the grammatical competence level of the students.

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Transformational Grammar Communicative Second Language
Theory Competence Acquisition Theory
(Chomsky, 1957) (Hymes, 1972) (Krashen, 1980’s)
• Vocabulary • Linguistic • Input and
• Generative Competence
Interaction
Grammar • Sociolinguistic
• Cognitive Processes
• Universal Grammar Competence
• Affective Factors
• Discourse
• Output and
Competence
Feedback
• Strategic
• Sociocultural
Competence
Influences

Perceptions and Challenges

Vocabulary

Morphological
Pronunciation
awareness
English Grammar
Mastery

Syntactical
Grammar Competence

Fig. 1 Theoretical Framework

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Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework

Conceptual Framework
Fig. 2 illustrates the conceptual framework of perceptions and challenges of the Bachelor

in Elementary Education students in the College of Teacher Education, Main Campus I with the

input, process and output clearly illustrated. Inputs are factors in determining the outputs which

are presented in the beginning. Process is represented by the conversion of inputs to outputs. As

shown within the model, the input includes the outline of the demographic profile of the

respondents, their level of competence and self-assessed agreement, on which the researchers

based their problem statements. The following stage is the process, which involves ensuring the

validity and reliability of the questionnaire that will be used to collect data which is one of the

steps that the researchers will absorb in order to seek out solutions/answers to the matter, primarily

through the employment of a survey questionnaire. The output is the possible intervention/s that

can be made in order to develop the mastery in English grammar among the BEED students.

Finally, the feedback loop indicates that the findings of the study can be utilized to inform future

research and interventions aiming to improve grammatical competence among students.

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I. Demographic 1. Validity and 1. Development of
Profile of Reliability of the instructional
Respondents Standardized materials or
a. Sex Questionnaire curriculum
b. Senior High 2. Data Gathering enhancements
School Strand 3. Statistical Treatment 2. Workshops or
c. General of Data through seminars for
Percentage survey questionnaires educators and
Average (GPA) learners
3. Development of
II. Challenges faced grammar-learning
in mastering apps or online
English grammar courses
a. Grammar 4. Policy
b. Pronunciation recommendations for
improving English
III. Self-assessed grammar education
Level of
Agreement
a. Morphological
Awareness
b. Syntactical
Competence
c. Vocabulary

Feedback

Fig. 2 Conceptual Framework

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 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Introduction

The word “grammar” refers to the way words are understood, formed and how they are

combined to form sentences. It serves not only as a guide for effective communication but also an

individual’s self-expression. In teaching and learning process, grammar play a role in how students

are able to express themselves in a way that the teacher and the rest of the class can understand.

Most of the time, students are reluctant to express their ideas because they lack the competence to

organize them or they want to contribute but lack the grammatical knowledge to explain

them. Grammar provides framework which serve as backbone of any language to convey

information. The accuracy of grammar used by the students affects their overall performance

(Quines, 2023).

Grammar

Grammar may be roughly defined as the way a language manipulates and combines words

in order to form longer units of meaning. There is a set of rules which govern how units of meaning

may be constructed in any language: one may say that a learner who knows grammar is one who

has mastered and can apply these rules to express him or herself in the acceptability of the language

forms (Chung and Pullum, 2015). By studying grammar people come to recognize the structure

and regularity which is the foundation of language and people gain the tools to talk about the

language system. (Richards, 2016) discloses that grammar is the system of rules used to create

sentences refers to the knowledge of parts of speech, tenses, phrases, clauses and syntactic

structures used to create grammatically well-formed sentences in English. (Hans and Hans, 2017)

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believed that the better the grammar, the clearer the message, and the more likelihood of

understanding the message’s intent and meaning. Grammar is one of the most difficult aspects of

a foreign language to master. It is the rules that govern how a language’s sentences are formed.

The rules for constructing grammatically correct sentences belong to sentence grammar.

Moreover, (Hakimah, 2020) identified insufficient knowledge of grammar as a hindrance

to speaking. On the contrary, having the command of correct grammar builds confidence (Yacob

& Yunus, 2019). Grammar, when taught the right way, can scaffold the learners' overall learning

experience (Ly, 2020). The English proficiency of Filipinos has served as an edge toward the

progress of the country's economy, hence, developing English proficiency is of utmost concern

(Jang, 2018). It enhances English language literacy and proficiency, for instance, good vocabulary,

grammar and communication (Andrino & Arsenal, 2022). The application of grammar in genuine

communicative acts should be implemented in the classroom and not just focused on language

examples found in reference materials or simply explaining grammar topics. Learners claimed that

learning and practicing grammar enhances communication abilities and vocabulary (Tarigan &

Stevani, 2022). The integration of grammar, communication and vocabulary into other subjects

should be done considering the learners' potential and needs (Bentsen, 2017).

(Atta, Doe, Tekpetey, and Boham, 2014) emphasized that there is a continuous challenge

about the student’s weakness in grammar areas of language, which in return, affects their general

performance in other subject areas. Without the knowledge of grammar, one will find difficulty

applying the correct usage of the language.

Difficulties of Learning English Grammar

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 One of the most important difficulties is the inability of the curriculum to provide

educational situations similar to reality (Saeed and Jafar, 2016). The study of (Widianingsih and

Gulö, 2016) also confirmed that teachers lack the ability to diversify the methods of teaching

English language skills and grammar, and the study also emphasized the lack of students'

motivation towards learning grammar because of the difficulty of its presentation in activities. The

students in the educational stages proceed to learn the English language without any enthusiasm

because of their feeling that it is not a priority in their life, and their focus is in the success of the

subject in order to move to the next academic level. Students focus on memorizing English

grammar and words in order to pass the final exam (Nasser, 2018).

Moreover, Students in various stages face many difficulties and problems in learning

English grammar, which can be traced back to the old teaching style, inappropriate

curriculum, and the non-enthusiastic psychological state of the student (Ajaj, 2022).

There is a need to adopt a set of proposed methods to overcome the difficulties of

learning English grammar for students, such as preparing and training English

language teachers on using modern learning methods and techniques to teach

English grammar, directing students’ focus towards applied grammar exercises instead of

theoretical ones, and enhancing students' self-confidence and ability to learn

grammar and inspire their learning enthusiasm( Ajaj, 2022).

Morphological Awareness

As many studies have now demonstrated that morphological awareness contributes to

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students' literacy development, there is growing interest in the educational value of instruction in

morphological awareness. Morphological awareness is the ability to reflect upon and manipulate

morphemes and to understand that morphemes are the building blocks of language. It is typically

measured using tasks that require oral manipulation of morphemes or identification of morphemes

in words. (Deacon et al., 2014) defines morphological awareness as a unique longitudinal predictor

of reading comprehension skills. Stronger morphological awareness enables readers to accurately

identify the semantic and syntactic roles of words in context to facilitate reading comprehension,

likely supporting the transition from novice to expert reading ability (Castles et al., 2018; Levesque

et al., 2021).

Moreover, morphological awareness contributes significantly to vocabulary knowledge,

according to (Y cel-Ko, 2015). As well, morphological awareness will enhance in reading and

understanding academic vocabulary by English language learners (Y cel-Ko, 2015; Crosson et al.,

2018). Morphological awareness, for example, is essential for the proficient use of a language,

and teaching about morphology can facilitate the acquisition of new words (Sukying, 2020). As

Yunus et al. (2016) mentioned acquiring vocabulary and expanding vocabulary size would become

obstacles for students due to diverse problems such as learning disability, lack of self-confidence,

lack of exposure to English, and a lack of comprehension of effective vocabulary strategies.

According to previous studies, a semantic relation exists between different morphological forms

of a word, and the meanings of morphologically complicated words can be derived from the

meanings of their component morphemes (Sparks & Deacon, 2015). Consequently, morphological

awareness is essential for the proficient use of a language, and teaching morphemes can facilitate

the acquisition of new words (Sukying, 2020). There is no shortage of evidence that morphological

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awareness makes positive contributions to spelling (Levesque et al., 2021), vocabulary knowledge

(Chen, 2021), and reading comprehension (Görgen et al., 2021) in both the first language and in a

second or foreign language. Morphological understanding is critical to children's reading

development particularly to inference making and meaning manipulation in spoken and written

language (Levesque et al., 2021). It supports decoding, influencing phonological and orthographic

processing, and semantic/syntactic understanding that facilitates reading comprehension.

Morphological awareness significantly contributed to reading comprehension even after

controlling for word-level reading.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation refers to the way we utter them. The majority of people have an accent that

is specific to the region of the country they are from or reside in, and they speak the standard

English dialect. The way we employ rhythm and stress in speech is another crucial aspect of

pronunciation. It is crucial to understand, for instance, which syllables in a word are stressed and

how various stressed and unstressed syllable patterns are pronounced. For a language learner,

pronunciation can be one of the most difficult skills to master while for the language teacher, one

of his/her goals is to help students become proficient in their pronunciation especially that of the

second language. There are many things that English teachers need to teach into their limited class

time—grammar and vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Pronunciation

often gets pushed to the bottom of the list. But if students need or want to speak English

understandably, pronunciation is important. The days when learners only needed reading and

writing skills in English are past.

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 More than the correct production of individual sounds or isolated words, pronunciation is

crucial in integral in any communication which should be incorporated in classroom

activities. (Azarias, & Capistrano, 2019) Pronunciation has long been known as one of the main

issues encountered by speakers who are in the process of acquiring English proficiency as a second

or foreign language. Fear is one of the most crucial factors behind the squandering of the brilliant

potential that pronunciation possesses. In point of fact, these feelings of unease and uncertainty

are so powerful and permeating that they can seep into the minds of students, making them become

self-aware of their limitations and in turn allowing them to develop an apprehension for making

unconscious errors (Postiglione, & Martín, 2024). Non-native learners of English are likely to face

some difficulties in pronouncing English sounds (Plailek & Essien, 2021). (Luthfianda, et.al. 2024)

revealed that informal English course the participants took plays a bigger role in influencing the

eligibility of the participants pronunciation, compared to their English subject’s score.Teachers

should learn more from their strategies and devise methods to do so. Further, it would be important

for teachers to set the learning environment as an avenue in which learners are being encouraged

and to learn and practice English pronunciation spontaneously. On the one hand, because teachers

can be an external stimulus to learners, they always serve to model the correct means on how to

conduct pronunciation lessons. Teachers should pay more attention to their own English

pronunciation skills, which will lead some of us to reconsider our own professional role as an

English teacher.

Syntactical Competence

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 Competence in syntax included students’ ability to apply the correct use of the

following: Subject-Verb agreement, verb tenses, sentence modification/transformation,

recognizing sentence parts/ functions and sentence embedding. In the study conducted by

(Reforsado & Raymundo, 2024) with the title Syntactical Structure Competence in Academic

Writing of Senior High School Students: Designing a Contextualized Instructional Material, the

analysis of syntactical structure competence among students indicates varying levels of

proficiency. While a significant portion of students demonstrate an intermediate grasp of syntactic

rules, a considerable number exhibit low mastery or minimal understanding. This highlights a

critical need for targeted instructional strategies that focus on enhancing syntactic competence

from foundational to advanced levels. Effective interventions should include explicit teaching of

grammar rules, ample practice opportunities, and personalized feedback mechanisms to support

students' language development. By enhancing syntactical competence through targeted

interventions and promoting digital and print literacy skills, educators can better prepare students

for academic success and lifelong language proficiency in an increasingly digital and

interconnected world.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary is the set of words known and used by a person, language, or group. It includes

the meanings, usage, pronunciation, and nuances of words, allowing for effective communication

and comprehension. Vocabulary knowledge is of fundamental importance to reading

comprehension, and many students lack the vocabulary knowledge necessary to facilitate learning

to read. It is one element of a language component that should be learnt and taught. Academic

vocabulary rather than general vocabulary predicts grades in four subjects, controlling for age,

22
gender, language background, and nonverbal cognitive abilities. These results support the claim

that already in primary school academic language proficiency significantly influences academic

careers (Schuth, Köhne, & Weinert, 2017).

There are some factors that account for the vocabulary problem. In a country where

medium of instruction is not English, teachers always pay more importance on learning English

grammar instead of vocabulary and such a process creates fear among the students. As a result,

they gradually fail to learn how to communicate in English through adequate and competent

vocabulary (Higby, Donnelly, Yoon, et. Al 2020). Vocabulary knowledge is significantly correlated

with GPA and students' ability to learn words in a limited amount of time. Students with higher

vocabulary scores earned higher gain scores and GPA (Irvin, & Blankenship, 2022).

Moreover, knowing a wide range of words can boost confidence in speaking and writing,

helping individuals feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts. Vocabulary engages critical

thinking aiding in analyzing, interpreting, and responding to complex concepts. Good vocabulary

is often linked to better academic performance and can be essential in many professional fields

where precise language and understanding are critical. There is a positive correlation between the

students’ vocabulary mastery and students’ speaking skills (Jamari, Khaerina, Siswanto, et. Al

2021) Students do not devote their efforts to learn a language unless they have a need or desire to

learn it. So, the teachers should help them to become motivated, involved in their own learning, or

self-sufficient endeavor (Higby, Donnelly, Yoon, et. Al 2020).

23
Research Methodology

The purpose of this study is to explore the English grammar mastery of the BEED students

in the College of Teacher Education at Negros Oriental State University. The objectives also

included the instrument's reliability, benefits, and drawbacks. To address these research objectives,

the researcher chose to gather the opinions of First Year, Second Year, Third Year, and Fourth Year

students who were enrolled in the 2024–2025 academic year. Participants will be handed a survey

form to collect data. The information obtained from this study tool will thereafter be calculated

and interpreted. To support the survey results, the researcher used secondary resources, such as

published articles and literature, in addition to primary data.

Research Design

This study employs a survey design to explore the perceptions and challenges faced by the

Bachelor in Elementary Education students enrolled in the College of Teacher Education at Negros

Oriental State University (NORSU), Main Campus I. The primary objective is to evaluate the

English grammar mastery of these students. This will provide insights into their current proficiency

in grammar, which is essential for their development as future educators. The target population are

all BEED students in the College of Teacher Education through a stratified random sampling.

Online survey questionnaire/s will be used in assessing the knowledge of the students in terms of

vocabulary, morphological awareness, syntactical competence as well as a researcher-made

questionnaire to assess their level of agreement and the challenges they faced.

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Research Environment

The study will be conducted at Negros Oriental State University Main Campus I. The

researchers chose this location because it provided convenient access to the target population and

the necessary resources for data collection.

Research Locale

The study will be conducted at Negros Oriental State University Main Campus I.

Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) is a public/state nonsectarian higher education

institution in Dumaguete, Philippines. It was founded in 2004 by virtue of RA 9299. It is the only

state university in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. The Dumaguete campuses of

NORSU are composed of nine colleges offering several undergraduate degrees. The Graduate

School is located at the Main Campus. The university adopted a bi-semestral system wherein

students enroll twice each year. Starting S.Y. 2019-2020, NORSU opened the school year in

August following the mandate of CHED. The Dumaguete campuses alone have an average

enrollment of about 12,000 students per semester. University-wide enrollment reaches more than

20,000 because NORSU doesn't only cater to Oriental Negrenses but also to students from other

provinces, notably Siquijor, Negros Occidental, Cebu, and Zamboanga del Norte. Some may come

from farther provinces, even from Luzon. NORSU is also known as the school for poor but

deserving students. As a state university, NORSU is covered by the free tuition law and thus attracts

even more students. NORSU consistently produces many board passers and top notchers every

year, including: (November 2021 Civil Engineer Licensure Examination: NORSU had a 100%

passing rate), (November 2024 Civil Engineer Licensure Examination: NORSU placed 9th in the

25
top 20 schools in the Philippines, with a passing rate of 66.67%), (November 2024 Nurse Licensure

Examination: NORSU had a 100% passing rate, along with St. Paul University Dumaguete

(SPUD), Silliman University (SU), and Foundation University (FU)). The researchers chose this

location because it provided convenient access to the target population and the necessary resources

for data collection.

Respondents of the Study

The subjects of this research are the First Year to Fourth Year Bachelor in Elementary

Education students in the College of Teacher Education at Negros Oriental State University

(NORSU), Main Campus I enrolled in the school year 2024-2025.

Research Instrument

The study utilized a survey questionnaire to gather data pertinent to the perceptions and

challenges faced by the Bachelor in Elementary Education Students in mastering English grammar.

The first part is the profile of the BEED students in terms of Sex, Senior high school strand and

the student’s general percentage average (GPA). Part two is the researcher made questionnaire.

The level of agreement of the BEED students in terms of; (1) morphological awareness; (2)

vocabulary; and (3) syntactical competence. The third part included the challenges encountered by

the BEED students in mastering English grammar. This will be measured through a questionnaire

adopted from the Difficulties in Learning English Language Among Bachelor of Arts in English

Language Studies Students at Mindanao State University-Sulu by Rosana Samsula Yusop. Last

part is determining the relationship between the Profile of the BEED students and their level of

agreement.

26
Data Gathering Procedure

The data gathering process will be obtained through asking for permission from the head

of the offices of Negros Oriental State University to conduct the study. When permission is granted,

a pilot testing will be done to other Majors who are non-participants of the study.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The following statistical tools will be used to analyze data.

Frequency Distribution. This will be used to place every variable in its appropriate

category particularly on profile items such as the Bachelor in Elementary Education student’s

profile.

Percentage. This will be utilized for numerical analysis to show how a part is related to

the whole.

Mean. This will be used to answer problems number 2 and 3 in analyzing the deeper

meaning of each value in getting the average of each item.

Spearman rho. This will be used to determine the relationship between the profile of the

BEED students and their level of agreement and challenges they faced in mastering English

grammar.

27
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31
 Appendix A.
Approval Letter Request

32
 Research Questionnaire
Dear Respondents,
The objective of this research study is to assess your perceptions and challenges faced in mastering
English grammar. Your kind assistance in answering the questions for our research is needed. Your
cooperation is highly appreciated. Thank you!
Respectfully,
The Researchers:

Quegin Mae T. Atig

Charito Bagot
Jesamae B. Romano
Crizzel S. Tuble

Part I. Profile of the Bachelor in Elementary Education Students from First Year to Fourth
Year.
Direction: Please read carefully and answer all the questions honestly. Put a check on the box ( )
provided.
1. Sex

 Male

 Female

2. Senior High School Strand

 ABM

 HUMSS

 GAS

 STEM

3. General Percentage Average (GPA)

 1.50 (90 and above)

 1.60 - 2.00 (85- 89)

 2.10 - 2.50 (80- 84)

33
 2.60 - 3.00 (75- 79)

 5 (below 75)

Part II. Level of Agreement in terms of Morphological Awareness, Syntactical Competence

and Vocabulary.
Instruction: Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements regarding your
mastery in English language. There are no right or wrong answers, so please answer it according
to your personal beliefs and experiences. Don’t leave any item unanswered.
Use the 5-point Likert Scale
5 – Strongly Agree
4 – Agree
3 – Neutral
2 – Disagree
1 – Strongly Disagree

Kindly put a check-mark ( ) that corresponds to your response.

1. Morphological Awareness

Language Skill Level

Statements
5 4 3 2 1
Writing 1. I can effectively brainstorm to gather ideas before writing.

2. I can take good notes on readings and then use them to

help support my ideas in my writing

3. I can write an outline, map, or flowchart to logically

organize my ideas before writing.
4. I can write clear topic sentences that identify the topics and
controlling ideas of paragraphs.

5. I can accurately summarize information that I have read in

English.

6. I can revise my own writing to improve the development

and organization.

34
 7. I can use grammar, punctuation, and mechanics well so
my errors do not interfere with peoples’ understanding of
my ideas.

8. I can use correct word forms and parts of speech when

I write.

9. I consult handbooks, handouts, dictionaries, and other

resources to find rules that can help me to fix my
grammar, punctuation, and mechanic error.
10.I ask my friends for help with finding and fixing my
grammar, punctuation, and mechanics errors.

2. Syntactical Competence

Language Questions Level

Skill 5 4 3 2 1

Writing 1. I can write creatively and expressively in English.

2. I can write coherently organized paragraphs in

English.

3. I can use appropriate vocabulary and tone in

writing in English.

4. I can write clear and concise emails, reports and

other professional documents in English.

5. I can write creatively and expressively in English.

6. I can express my ideas and thoughts clearly

written English.

35
 7. I can write cohesive and coherent paragraph in
English.

8. I can effectively use grammar and vocabulary in

writing English sentences.

9. I can write effective business emails in English.

10. I can I can express my ideas and opinion clearly

in English.

3. Vocabulary

Language Questions Level

Skill 5 4 3 2 1

Listening 1. I can understand English speakers of different

accents and dialects.

2. I can follow English conversations and lectures

without difficulty.

3. I can distinguish between literal and implied

meanings in English conversations.

4. I can extract key information from English

audio recordings.

5. I can listen, recognize, and use English

idiomatic expressions and colloquialisms.

6. I can listen and comprehend spoken English in

a variety of accents and dialects

7. I can understand complex instructions and

directions given in English.

36
 8. I can listen and comprehend different Genres of
English speech (news, interviews,
presentations, etc.)
9. I can effectively listen for specific details and
main ideas in English.

10. I can listen with 100 percent comprehend

English spoken at a normal conversational speed.

Part III. Challenges Faced by the Bachelor in Elementary Education Students

1. In the context of Pronunciation

Statements Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never

(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

1. Fluent English Pronunciation

is difficult for me.

2. I am afraid that other students

will laugh at me because of my
pronunciation.

3. I don’t want to participate in

the class when the teachers ask
to read.

4. I feel nervous when teachers

make an oral examination.

5. I mispronounce certain sounds

in English.

6. Lack of knowledge
contributes to pronunciation

37
errors.

7. Students have major problems

with phonetic transcription.

8. Students make pronunciation

errors because of lack of practice
rules.

9. Mother-tongue interference
leads to pronunciation errors.

10. Lack of confidence in

pronouncing words correctly.

2. In the context of Grammar

Statements Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

1. Due to poor grammar, students

are not able to learn English as a
second Language.

2. Correct grammar confuses me

when I speak

3. I find it challenging to
remember and apply complex
grammar rules

4. I am afraid of grammatical
errors.

38
5. I often make grammar mistakes
when speaking and writing.

6. I feel afraid of being center of

attention because of my grammar

7. I find grammar lesson in

textbook is quite challenging and
difficult for me.

8. I feel less confident in my

learning of basic grammar rules.

9. I feel less motivation to learn

more about grammar to improve
my language proficiency.

10. I can’t easily identify the

correct grammar in my own
writing.

39
 Appendix B.
MAP OF NEGROS ORIENTAL STATE UNIVERSITY

40
 Appendix C.
DOCUMENTATION
DATE DOCUMENTATION
January 7, 2025

February 14, 2025

41
42