Instructional Processes, Psychological Attributes and School Environment of Students in Araling Panlipunan: A Causal Model

Abstract

This study generally sought to determine the performance of students in Araling Panlipunan. Specifically, it aimed to determine the level of students' performance in Araling Panlipunan, assess the level of instructional processes in the teaching and learning of Araling Panlipunan curriculum among learners, ascertain the learners' level of psychological factors in Araling Panlipunan, identify the level of school environment of students in Araling Panlipunan; correlate the students' academic performance to instructional processes, psychological factors, and school environment; identify the variable that best predicts students' performance, and develop a causal model of students' performance in Araling Panlipunan. The study utilized the descriptive-correlational and causal-comparative research designs. This was conducted among 488 grade seven learners in Lanao del Sur I Division, ARMM using the instrument of Abrami (2007) and data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage distribution, correlation, regression and path analysis. The questionnaire was pilot-tested to fifty (50) students with reliability coefficients of 0.98., 0.98 and 0.98, respectively, for instructional processes, psychological factors and school environment. Grade 7 students have approaching proficiency performance in Araling Panlipunan. Instructional process particularly curriculum is moderately positive in learning Araling Panlipunan. Learners are positively motivated to learn and have a moderately positive attitude towards Araling Panlipunan. Learners have a positive outlook in their school environment, specifically on the facilities and equipment available, classroom climate conditions, learners' interaction, cultural relations and administrative support. Moreover, learners’ performance is correlated to instructional processes, particularly curriculum. Learners' performance is also correlated to school environment factors, particularly cultural relations, which is also the best predictor variable for learners' academic performance in Araling Panlipunan. The best fitting model on learners' performance in Araling Panlipunan is anchored on cultural relations and students' attitude toward the subject.