International Journal of Arts and Humanities Studies (IJAHS)
ISSN: 2754-4311
DOI: 10.32996/ijahs
Journal Homepage: www.al-kindipublisher.com/index.php/ijahs
Learners’ Knowledge of Local History and Culture
Charle F. Ysulan
Masters of Arts in Education Major in Social Studies, Licensed Professional Teacher, Iloilo City, Philippines
✉ Corresponding Author: Charle F. Ysulan, E-mail: [email protected]
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Received: 08 October 2021 This descriptive study determined the learners' knowledge of local history and culture.
Accepted: 14 November 2021 The participants were Grade 10 students enrolled for the school year 2018-2019,
Published: 23 November 2021 categorized according to sex, type of school, and family income. The data were
DOI: 10.32996/ijahs.2021.1.1.9 tabulated and analyzed using SPSS (Software Package for the Social Sciences Software)
with Frequency, Mean, Standard Deviation, t-Test, and One-way ANOVA. The findings
KEYWORDS demonstrated that when learners were categorized by sex, type of school, and family
income, their knowledge of local history was partly knowledgeable. When taken as a
Local Culture, History, whole, the learners' knowledge of local culture was also partly knowledgeable. Both
Contextualized Learners’ males and females were partly knowledgeable when it came to sex. In terms of the
Knowledge type of school, public schools were knowledgeable, whereas private schools were only
partly knowledgeable. Finally, when it came to family income, learners with low and
average family income were partly knowledgeable, whereas learners with high family
income were knowledgeable. With this study, learners' knowledge gained knowledge
of local history and culture.
1. Introduction1
The history and culture of Iloilo City relied on its agriculture. It serves as a hub where Malay, Spanish, Chinese and American cultures
have met for centuries (Marin 2013; Somo, 2014). Its current success can be attributed to its advantageous geographical and
strategic location. With Iloilo's recent recovery, the claim that it is now the "next big thing" in the Philippines has been called into
doubt, as the city was previously ranked second only to Manila as a hub of business and education, trade and commerce, arts, and
culture (Tejero, 2017). In 2015, the city was the champion in the Asian Development Bank's search for livable cities, with only a few
global awards, and among the highly urbanized cities of the government. It ranked first in terms of efficiency. That is why Pedroso
(2020) posited that in learning local history and culture, learners would understand its wealth, the Ilonggo elite's culture. It is
reflected through its education, business, politics, superstitious beliefs, and even sports nurture strong ties, spiritual growth, and a
strong sense of cultural identity with a completely new meaningful learning experience about Ilonggo culture and history.
Along with the introduction of the K12 revised social studies curriculum, bringing this context of local history and culture has been
integrated as a form of localization and contextualization of the topics (DepEdBohol, 2016), including 10th-grade modern topics.
Students will take classes in business, the environment, human rights, education, civil rights, and citizenship. As a result, Araling
Panlipunan's effective education is marked by significant integrated value. Because of the practical application, it makes sense for
students to understand the value of education in their life. It also makes sense when students are challenged to build meaning
through focused research or advanced thinking skills. (Llanos, 2017). In this regard, the researcher and professional teacher were
to provide the conditions for students to learn about history and culture. It was also a step toward instilling a deeper grasp and
internalization of history and culture in students. He believes in the slogan "Banwa Ko, Bugal Ko! My City My Pride!" when learning
about the city's history and culture.
Copyright: © 2021 the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Published by Al-Kindi Centre for Research and Development,
London, United Kingdom.
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Learners’ Knowledge of Local History and Culture
The purpose of this study was to determine students' knowledge of local history and culture during the 2018-2019 school year.
This research looked into the learners’ levels of knowledge on local history and culture when they were classified by sex, type of
school, and family income. No significant differences were likewise hypothesized. Hence, this study was conducted.
2. Methodology
This descriptive quantitative research study utilized a duly-validated researcher-made questionnaire. The learner's sex, school type,
and family income were independent variables, whereas knowledge of local history and culture were the dependent variables.
Multi-stage sampling was employed, with cluster sampling, stratified proportionate random sampling, and basic stratified sample
all being used. The participants were Grade 10 students from two private and two public schools in the city. A stratified
proportionate random sample of 449 individuals was obtained from a total population of 1,361 students. The sample size was
calculated using Slovin's formula with a margin of error of 0.05 percent among the 449 learners in the sample.
The results were submitted for computer processing using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software after the
questionnaire was administered. The test results of the participants were tabulated and computed using the following statistical
treatments: descriptive statistical procedures such as frequency, mean, and standard deviation were used to assess learners'
knowledge of history and culture. The t-test for Independent Samples and One-way Analysis of Variance (One-way ANOVA) were
employed for inferential analysis. With a significance level of.05., all statistical computations were done on a computer.
3. Results
Table 1. Learner’s Knowledge of Local History
M Description Sd
A. Entire Group 1.93 Partly Knowledgeable .52
B. Sex
Male 1.97 Partly Knowledgeable .53
Female 1.90 Partly Knowledgeable .50
C. Types of School
Public 1.97 Partly Knowledgeable .53
Private 1.85 Partly Knowledgeable .48
D. Family Income
Low 1.92 Partly Knowledgeable .50
Average 1.92 Partly Knowledgeable .53
High 2.16 Partly Knowledgeable .56
Note: The description was made based on the indicated scale: Highly Knowledgeable (3.51-4.00), Knowledgeable (2.51-3.50) Partly
Knowledgeable (1.51 -2.50), Not Knowledgeable (0-1.50).
Table 1 reveals that when learners are classified by sex, type of school, and family income, their knowledge of local history is "partly
knowledgeable."
Table 2. Learners’ Knowledge in Local Culture
M Description Sd
A. Entire Group 2.50 Partly Knowledgeable .64
B. Sex
Male 2.41 Partly Knowledgeable .63
Female 2.50 Partly Knowledgeable .65
C. Types of School
Public 2.52 Knowledgeable .63
Private 2.35 Partly Knowledgeable .65
D. Family Income
Low 2.47 Partly Knowledgeable .63
Average 2.43 Partly Knowledgeable .66
High 2.54 Knowledgeable .63
Note: The description was made based on the indicated scale: Highly Knowledgeable (3.51-4.00), Knowledgeable (2.51-3.50) Partly
Knowledgeable (1.51 -2.50), Not Knowledgeable (0-1.50).
Table 2 demonstrates that learners were "partly knowledgeable" about local culture when taken as a whole and when grouped by
sex. Public school students were "knowledgeable" (M=2.52, sd=.63), whereas private school students were "partly knowledgeable"
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IJAHS 1(1): 57-62
(M=2.35, sd =.65). Learners with low and average family incomes were "partly knowledgeable" (M=2.47, sd=.63) and
"knowledgeable" (M=2.43, sd=.66), respectively, but those with high family income were "knowledgeable" (M=2.54, sd=.63).
Table 3. Significant Differences of Learners’ Knowledge of Local History when grouped according to Sex and Types of School
Mean Mean Difference t df Sig (2tailed)
A. Sex
Male 1.97 .07 1.572 455 .117
Female 1.90
B. Types of School
Public 1.97 .13 2.63 455 .009
Private 1.85
** Significant at p <.05
Table 3 shows that when learners were categorized by sex, there is no significant difference in their knowledge of local history
(t (455) =1.572, p=.117). On the other hand, when learners are categorized according to the type of school, there is a significant
difference in their knowledge of local history (t (455) =2.626, p=.009).
Table 4. Significant Differences of Learners’ Knowledge in Local History when grouped according to Family Income
Mean Mean Square F Sig(2tailed)
A. Family Income
Low 1.92 .843 3.199* .042
Average 1.92
High 2.16
*Significant at p<.05
Table 4 shows that there is a significant difference in learners' knowledge of local history when grouped according to family income
(F=3.199, p=.042).
Table 5 Significant Differences on Learners’ Knowledge of Local Culture when grouped according to Sex and Types of School
Category Mean Mean Difference t df Sig(2tailed)
A. Sex
Male 2.41 .08 1.36 455 .175
Female 2.50
B. Types of School
Public 2.52 .16 2.56 455 .011
Private 2.36
*Significant at p<.05
Table 5 reveals that when learners are categorized by sex, there is no significant difference in their knowledge of local culture
(t(455)= 1.36, p=.175). When learners are categorized according to the type of school, however, there is a substantial difference in
their knowledge of the local culture (t(455)= 2.56, p=.011).
Table 6. Significant Differences Learners’ Knowledge in Local when grouped according to Family Income
Mean Mean Square F Sig(2tailed)
Family Income
Low 2.47 .160 .392 .676
Average 2.43
High 2.54
*Significant at p<.05
Table 6 reveals that when learners are categorized by family income, there is a significant difference in their knowledge of local
culture (F=.392, p=.676).
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Learners’ Knowledge of Local History and Culture
Table 7. Correlation of Learners’ Knowledge of Local History and Culture
r Sig (2tailed)
History .658** .000
Culture
***P<.005
Table 7 reveals that learners' knowledge of local history and culture has a significantly high positive correlation (r=.685**, p=.000).
4. Discussion
The value of local history education in increasing cultural awareness among the younger generation cannot be overstated (Pedroso,
2020). Aktekin (2010) believes that including local history in the school curriculum is beneficial and that it has advocated since the
beginning of the twentieth century that it "should not displace other aspects of history teaching in the school, but rather should
add to and enrich the teaching of the subject as a whole." Thus, having a component on local history encourages learners to
expand their knowledge, as (Bhar 2018) asserted that teaching local history astonished them by providing them with the history
of the local community, thus serving as an information service. Based on the significant findings, Cowgill and Waring (2017) backed
up their statements, claiming that there was a lack of involvement among activities related to historical inquiry and the use of
primary sources in learning about the past. Thus, these learnings were thought to have been brought about by the manner of
instruction that had been offered to them, which sought for possibilities to learn but had not been acquired better. Meanwhile,
Uztemur et al. (2018) .'s research found that implementing the developed activities resulted in positive outcomes in terms of
gaining historical knowledge and local awareness, which was backed up by Oguzhan (2015), who concluded that using the model
increases students' awareness of local history in a positive way.
Furthermore, when these students were classified by their type of school and monthly family income, they had considerably varied
levels of knowledge in local history. Learners in public schools had learned differently from those in private schools. Learners from
low and middle-income families obtained the same degree of information as improbable learners from high-income families who
learned local history in a different way. These results corresponded to Drajea and O’Sullivan's (2014) findings, which found a link
between parents' income, reading levels, and the quality of their children's education support. Gobena's (2018) findings, on the
other hand, suggested that family income had no effect on students' academic achievement and had a statistically significant
negative association with their sex. From a gender viewpoint, this sheds light on history teaching aimed at developing historical
and social thinking abilities (Ortega-Sanchez, 2019).
Learners were also partly knowledgeable about the local culture of their community. However, learners from public schools and
learners with high family incomes showed that they were knowledgeable. These learners had reflected on the culture that they
were living in. Nevertheless, this kind of set-up has exposed a limited range of learning local culture to some learners. Moreover,
these learners had expressed interest in participating in their communities as they had an insufficient background to their culture.
In light of the findings of this study, Heusden's (2016) advice that learners must appreciate the existing culture may help to improve
the current situation and it was then supported by Khan's (2016) findings on local culture in terms of pushing students to learn
more. The major variances in learners' awareness of local culture among school types reflect the deployment of diverse school
programs to instill the value of local culture that moulded one's identity. Furthermore, Ahmed and Unlu (2016) revealed a
statistically significant relationship between heritage as part of local culture awareness and heritage knowledge as part of local
culture. Cox (2018) also highlights the best scaffolding strategies for middle-school students' interaction in order to build a deep
interest in learning about the culture in their community. Then, according to Kanoksilapatham (2015), integrated local culture
education has a beneficial impact on students, who have significantly higher gain scores in terms of local culture knowledge and
a positive attitude toward the integrated instruction and activities. It indicates that when students have a great extent of knowledge
of history, they will also have a great extent of knowledge of culture. Learners' knowledge of local history and culture is
contextualized, resulting in a sufficient information flow.
In terms of contextualization, these claims agreed with Ma'unah et al. (2018) findings, which found that a learning package of local
history was appealing and practical to use, and Miller and Abdou (2018) believed that the task of creating a positive engagement
system of cultures that embrace growing cultural diversity was a difficult one. Hugjen et al. (2018) proposed implementing
contextualization tasks and instructions in order to develop and test a pedagogy promoting students' knowledge beyond the role
of educating students across all academic domains, as there appears to be an inverse relationship between students' reluctance
to study history and their level in historical culture (Obeidat et al., 2011).
5. Conclusion
Learning can be aided by incorporating local history and culture into the current curriculum. Providing learning tools increases
learners' knowledge and makes it easier for them to understand each concept, which is then determined as a practice, and a way
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IJAHS 1(1): 57-62
of life. Sufficient learning increased learners' knowledge and made them more historically and culturally sensitive to some
initiatives, allowing them to become more vital to the formation of local identity.
It is beneficial to assist more learners in becoming motivated by demonstrating interest, providing opportunities, and enriching
learning environments, such as exposure to historic locations, educational trips, and classroom activities, as well as merging
technology to increase knowledge. Regardless of sex, type of school, or family income, history, and culture-based lessons can be
a good approach to increase learners' knowledge and be socially aware citizens to participate in any associated activity that geared
them to be more responsible, engaged, and educated.
Funding: This research received no external funding
Acknowledgments: The researcher wishes to thank his mentor, panel members, participating schools, and students from the
bottom of his heart. Also, the researcher's inexhaustibly adored and ever-supportive family, who displayed unfathomable sacrifices,
eternal consolation, and limitless affection. Especially to the Almighty God, who has showered him with benefits and detailed
guidance by supporting him in making judgments, valuing faith, keeping him safe and healthy, and preparing the route for the
researcher to reach the peak of his accomplishment.
Conflicts of Interest: The author declares no conflict of interest.
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