Chapter I

THE PROBLEM

Introduction

A program that is considered vital in the total development of a student is

a program that caters for a sound body and mind (Marzano & Kendell, 1998).

This type of program is constantly found in the field of Music, Art, Physical

Education and Health (MAPEH) in any level of learning. Even though there is this

program that helps the students to be physically, mentally and socially healthy

the acquisition of learning silently shadows the learner’s proficiency and

achievement.

The government has been providing the kind of education to all Filipinos in

the country. In year 2002, the Department of Education implemented the Revised

Basic Education Curriculum (RBEC). This curriculum innovate all the subjects of

the said curriculum. But after years of its use the government seemed to be

unsatisfied of the outcomes of education here in the Philippines and they took the

first move to change the curriculum.

Recently the Department of Education (Dep.Ed.) implemented the K to 12

Basic Education Program. As cited from Dep.Ed. order No. 31, Series of 2012.

The K to 12 Enhanced Basic Education Program (EBEP) should be implemented

starting with the Grades 1 to 10 in all public elementary and secondary including

private schools. Last school year 2012 – 2013 the enhanced curriculum for

Grade 1 and Grade 7 was rolled out, and will be progressively introduced in the
 2

other grade levels in succeeding school years. The overall design of Grades 1 to

10 curriculum follows the spiral progression approach in all of the subjects by

giving the same concepts and is developed to a high degree of complexity

starting from Grade school. The educators are correspondingly expected to

follow and use the spiral progression approach in teaching the predicted learning

results which the learners need to attain.

The Enhanced K to 12 Basic Education Program seeks to provide for a

quality 12-year basic education program that each Filipino is entitled to. This is

consistent with Article XIV, Section 2(1) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which

states that “The State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete,

adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people

and society”.

Monitoring the student’s performance is essential it is the key points in

teaching MAPEH. The subject MAPEH necessitates related and suitable

instrument that will take part in finding weaknesses and strengths of the learners

in a specific area of the subject. A significant tool would be helpful in evaluating

the student’s acquired knowledge and performance through a systematic process

and this is widely known as an achievement test.

Test play vital roles in teaching-learning process, developing and

validating a test needs knowledge and skills in order to aid the real purpose of

education. To the part of the researchers, it is necessary to acquire the skills of

development and validation of achievement test. An achievement test plays

important role in the school program, both elementary and secondary school
 3

levels widely used published achievement test and this serves as evaluation to

the student’s performance and acquired knowledge. Thus, researchers were

inspired to develop an achievement test in MAPEH 8 students to appraise

students learning competencies and determine their achievement in the new

curriculum.

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to develop and validate an achievement test in MAPEH 8.

Specifically, the study will answer the following questions:

1. What are the content and performance standard of MAPEH 8 based on

the K-12 competencies?

2. How valid is the achievement test?

3. What test items could be developed based on the contents and skills?

4. What is the difficulty index, discrimination index, and the option

attractiveness of the test items?

5. How reliable is the achievement test?

Scope and Delimitation

The study is limited to the development of an achievement test in MAPEH

8 based on the K-12 competencies. The test was conducted to the Grade 9

students of Poblacion Polomolok National High School.

It covers the content of Asian Music, Asian Arts, Regional and National

Dances with Asian Influence and Communicable Diseases Prevention and

Control. The study was designed to measure the cognitive skills of the learner

their comprehension and analysis.

The validated tests undergo a process called item analysis that is to test

or set the discrimination index, difficulty index and option attractiveness of the

test items and this makes the test a reliable instrument.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to provide a valid test in MAPEH VIII as an implement to

assess the level of mastery Grade VIII students.

To the teachers, hopefully the test would be an effective instrument to find

out the level of mastery of the Grade VIII students. In terms of cognitive skills the

students are expected to comprehend and analyze what they have learned. It

can be a basis for the teachers in making decision if the learners attained the

needed skills. It can also help the faculty of the school in deciding about a

learner’s placement in a certain subject, the effectiveness of a program, and in

the readiness of the learners to proceed in the next level. Basically, if the test is

used, it would produce results that can be a cornerstone for the educators. This
 5

implies that the test will be a big help in establishing appropriate measures in the

learner’s level of mastery. Hence, this will be a call for upgrading teachers’

teaching approach and learners’ achievement.

To the learners, this test can help them find out their level of mastery in

Grade 8 MAPEH. This will also let them figure out their strengths and

weaknesses in every cognitive skills measured in the test.

Definition of Terms

In order to have a clearer view of the study, selected terms are defined

practically and are efficient.

Achievement test. This refers to an implement that measures the

proficiency level of a learner in a certain subject area. It is made to find out the

part in which the learner is proficient and not (Salvador, n.d.).

Analysis. This refers to the interpretation of a concept into its pieces and

explaining the idea in alignment to the concept (Santos, 2007). Operationally, it

refers to the cognitive skill where in a learner can look for motives, norms, cause

and effect relationship, differences and similarities, theories and inferences.

Comprehension. This refers to the understanding of facts, interpretation

of charts and graphs, translation, for instance from notes written in a piece into

sol-fa syllables.

Content. Operationally, it refers to the topics in Grade VIII MAPEH

specifically; Asian Music, Asian Arts, Regional and National Dances with Asian

Influence and Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control.

Difficulty index. This refers to the number of the students who answer

the test item correctly. It is the percentage or proportion of test takers who

correctly answer the item.

Discrimination index. This refers to the item’s ability to discriminate

students who know the answer and those who are just merely guessing

(Macarandang & Vega, 2009). Operationally, the desirable computed

discrimination index of a test item must be greater than 0.20.

K-12 Competencies. This refers to the list of expected learning outcomes

in different subjects and it follows the spiral curriculum approach across subjects

by teaching the same concepts but it increasingly develop its complexity in every

academic level that the learner takes.

MAPEH 8. This refers to a subject with four components namely: Music,

Arts, Physical Education and Health being thought in Grade VIII students. It is

under the program of K-12.

Distracters. This refers to the number of students who chose the

distracters (Macarandang & Vega, 2009). It is the incorrect option in the test. It is

made to test if the students really know the answer in the given question.

Reliability. Merriam in 1975 (as cited by Calmorin, 2004) explained that a

test is dependable, self-consistent and constant.

Validity. This refers to the reliability of the responses (Calmorin, 2011). It

concerns on what the test measures and how well it does. It includes the point to

which a test is capable of attaining the learning targets.