BLENDED LEARNING: INCREASING INSTRUCTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS IN EDUKASYON SA PAGPAPAKATAO (EsP) SUBJECT OF GRADE 7 SPECIAL SCIENCE CLASS STUDENTS

Abstract

The study is geared towards increasing instructional effectiveness in EsP subject of Grade 7 Special Science Class students through Blended Learning (BL). It also aimed to identify the profile of the student-respondents in terms of age, first quarter grades in EsP, technology frequently used, and the level of the student-respondents before and after implementing BL; to differentiate students’ outputs and scores in a traditional versus blended class; and to ascertain the measures of instructional effectiveness. Using Paired t-test, it was found out that BL is effective in increasing the instructional effectiveness in the EsP subject of the student-respondents. It means that the instructional strategy matches its technology. For this research, Facebook and Google are the languages of BL. Appropriate use of technology is a major tool in BL. In this digital age, learners learn best through computer-mediated instruction. Blended learning promotes improved pedagogy, increased access and flexibility, increased cost effectiveness, social interaction, personal agency, and ease of revision (measures of instructional effectiveness). The researcher recommends the following: as part of the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP) stipulated in DO No. 78 s.2010, schools should have its own computer facility to help learners meet the demands of the 21st century education; applications/software such as Google, Facebook and e-Mail among others should now be used as part of the virtual classroom to augment classes or tasks missed during typhoons, holidays or unexpected disruption of classes; students’ use of smartphones, embedded with the aforementioned applications/software, should be legitimized in classes only when its use is needed i.e. when the class exercises BL; and teachers, as the frontline movers of global education, should be equipped with proper training in technology-assisted instruction.