ACADEMIC WRITING PERFORMANCE OF SHS STUDENTS: AN

EVALUATION

A Basic Research

By

Cherry Claire Petiluna-Medalle

Airyn Dayandayan Imperial

Bankal National High School-Senior High School

June 2021
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I. INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE

The importance of writing originates from the fact that writing lays the foundation

for a lot of things that people need to function well in a society. To write effectively is to

understand the basic systems of language. These are the core language skills that students

should gain mastery to excel in the K to 12 Curriculum which prepares the students to be

academically fluent and proficient in college English writing essentials. This is because

quality composition writing is central in the development of literacy education and

communicative skills. Hence, bridging the gap that exists between students and academic

writing means starting with evaluating the writing performance. By pursuing this study, a

supplementary academic writing module shall be formulated to address identified issues.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

This research posits that evaluating the academic writing performance of Grade 11

Senior High School students will be instrumental to the conception of effective

enhancement module that will in turn improve the performance in academic writing

activities.

This study is anchored on the Cognitive Writing Theory of Flower and Hayes

(1981). The Cognitive Model projects writing as an outcome of a writer's response to a

rhetorical situation. It starts with planning as the forming of internal representation of

knowledge for use in writing. Writers only solve the problems that they define for

themselves. Generally, academic writing operates within a set of rules, conventions, and

norms. It does not allow slang terms, clichés, colloquial expressions, gender bias and sexist

language. Pablo et al (2018) finds that the overall quality of academic essays produced by
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students is of poor quality, with consideration to areas such as content and ideas,

vocabulary and word choice, organization, formality and objectivity, and language use.

Barnett (1989) contends that teachers should refrain from investing too much

attention to correcting grammatical errors, instead assign more importance on content.

Valdes (2019) mentions of evidence-based arguments that must be well-informed as

supported by scholarly sources, results of a study or experiment, so long as evidence gives

credibility to an argument. Whitaker (2009) adds that there must be a single focus retained

throughout the writing by discouraging unnecessary, irrelevant or opposition among the

insights included.

Acknowledging that wrong use of words tends to obscure meaning and distract

readers from the purpose of the text, Santos (85) determines that it is ideal for writing

courses to include instruction on vocabulary building and lexical selection to pave the way

for impeccable and sure expression of ideas. Chi (2010) purports that students' limited

vocabulary hampered the quality of their academic writing outputs. Brun-Mercer and

Zimmerman (2015) note that students are not always aware of the register of a word and

there is evidently an extent of difficulty in terms of effectively and appropriately using

academic vocabulary.

Valdez (2019) suggests that academic writing demands the use of signposts that

enable readers to trace the relationships in the parts of the study or show a change in the

line of arguments to achieve explicitness in the expression of ideas. Whitaker (2009)

contends that academic writing is structured to follow a standard organizational pattern that

features each paragraph set to lead to the next one. Greetham (2013) relates organization

with the importance of the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, the
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interconnection of which must be characterized by clarity and coherence. Furthermore,

Valdez purports that formality is equally important for it reflects a writer's dignified stance

as part of the academic community while objectivity keeps the writing appropriately

impersonal. Hinkel (1999) argues that teaching objectivity, factuality and textual should

necessarily be the point to jumpstart L2 composition instruction.

As language use pertains to configuration of sentence structure and completeness,

grammatical correctness and clarity of meaning, Valdez (2019) believes academic writing

requires to show a level of complexity that reflects the sophistication of an academic writer.

However, Aragon et al (2013) finds that students had difficulties in expressing their

thoughts in their native tongue, more so with the use of the English language. Pelegrino

(2013) attributes students’ writing apprehension to issues in the areas of organization, tone

and style and grammar.

Taking motivation from the Cognitive Process Theory of Flower and Hayes (1981)

and the concepts of Valdez (2019), this study hypothesizes that SHS students can produce

academic essay by tapping a process-oriented skill.

The subjects of the study are the academic essays of the SHS students. The main

purpose for evaluating the writing performance of students is to be able to device a

workable solution to the areas of deficiency, if there is any, in the form of a Supplementary

Academic Writing Module. The recognized areas of writing are classified into content and

ideas, organization, vocabulary and word choice, language use, formality and objectivity

and referencing. In addition, the study determines the overall quality of the academic essays

of SHS students through the criteria.

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III. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This study will determine the academic writing performance of Grade 11 students

of Bankal National High School – Senior High, Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City for the School

Year 2021 – 2022 as basis for developing effective writing enhancement module.

Specifically, this answers the following sub-problems:

1. What is the academic writing performance of SHS students in terms of:

a. content and ideas,

b. organization,

c. vocabulary and word choice,

d. language use,

e. formality and objectivity?

2. What is the overall quality of the students’ academic essays?

3. Based on the findings, what writing enhancement module may be designed to

improve the academic writing skills of students?

IV. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This study will be conducted in the Division of Lapu-Lapu City, particularly in

Bankal National High School – Senior High School, Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City during the

School Year 2021-2022. Currently, the Senior High School department is sustained by

thirty-eight (38) teachers, one school registrar, one school principal and the yet incoming

Grade 11 student population. As inputs, the study will regard the respondents’ academic

essays compose after an orientation of a set of criteria for evaluation. The target
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respondents are the upcoming Grade 11 students under the Academic Track, specifically

those coming from the Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), Accountancy, Business

and Management (ABM) and General Academic Strand (GAS) strands. The output to be

formulated will be a supplementary academic writing module for the students.

V. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This part discusses the research method, sampling, data collection, ethical issues,

and plan for data analysis.

A. Sampling

The researchers will use random sampling, through which 50 percent of the Grade

11 students under the Academic Track shall be selected as respondents.

B. Data Collection

The researchers will submit a letter of request to conduct the study to the Office of

the Schools Division Superintendent in the Division of Lapu-Lapu City as well request

permission from the School Heads. The researcher-teachers will focus on the quality of

academic writing of whom the incoming grade 11 students will immediately be identified

as subjects for selection of respondents.

In Phase 1, prior to making students write their outputs, the criteria in evaluating

their written words will be discussed to them so that they will be aware of the different

standards to be adhered to. In Phase 2, subsequently, the teacher-researchers will give the

topics to be written by the students without limiting the number of words in their academic

essay examination output.

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Finally, in Phase 3, the outputs of the respondents will be evaluated using the

Standardized Analytic Rubric to determine the overall quality of the academic essays. The

researchers, then, will analyze and evaluate the selected students’ academic essays.

C. Ethical Issues

To maintain the current standards for the ethical well-being of the learner

respondents, following the recommendations of the Division Research Committee

throughout the different phases of this study is paramount. In connection with these, the

researchers will stringently follow through the approval of the principal and the approval

of the Superintendent of the division. Researchers will ask respondents to complete the

informed consent before commencing the survey. The consent form contains information

relating to the purpose of the study, known risks, benefits and duration. In line with the

approval requirements of the Division Research Committee, the researchers will ensure the

safekeeping of research data and relevant resources.

D. Plan for Data Analysis

The study will utilize the Standardized Analytic Rubrics in Evaluating Academic

Writings of Jacobs (1981) improved by Valdez (2019) to determine the overall quality of

the students’ academic essays. There are five criteria, with which the Standardized Analytic

Rubric of Jacobs (1981) conformed. These are content/ideas, organization,

vocabulary/word choice, language use, formality, and objectivity. Each criterion features

a set of descriptors that demonstrate the performance in writing academic essay.

Finally, the Standardized Analytic Rubric enriched by Valdes (2019) will also be

used for the evaluation of the overall quality of the academic essays that contain four scales,
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the corresponding merits of which are: a) excellent (4 points); b) average (3 points); c) fair

(2 points); and d) very poor (1). To evaluate and analyze the data gathered, the following

statistical tools will be employed:

Frequency and Percentage Distribution will be used in identifying the

difficulties of Senior High School students’ in writing academic essays.

Weighted Mean, along with frequency and percentage distribution, will be utilized

to identify the overall quality of the students’ academic essay.

The scoring procedure shall be as follows:

Range Category Verbal Description

The respondents demonstrate very clear competence in the
3.25 – 4.00 Excellent
specific criteria.
The respondents demonstrate clear competence in the
2.50 – 3.24 Average
specific criteria.
The respondents demonstrate minimal competence in the
1.75 – 2.49 Fair
specific criteria.
The respondents demonstrate developing competence in
1.00 – 1.74 Poor
the specific criteria.

VI. GANTT CHART

No. of
Activity/ Task Date
Days
1 Orientation of the Academic Writing Test August 2021 2
2 Administration of the Academic Writing Test August 2021 2

3 Evaluation of Academic Essays August - September 60

4 Analysis and Interpretation of data October 2021 30

5 Making of Conclusion and Recommendations November 2021 5

Crafting of Supplementary Academic Writing
6 November - January 90
Module
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VII. COST ESTIMATES

Details of Activities/Tasks Materials Cost

Students’ academic essays shall be
processed through a Plagiarism Plagiarism Checker Software 5,000.00
Checker Software.
Analysis, Interpretation, Conclusion and
Bond Paper 200.00
Recommendation shall be formulated.
Supplementary Academic Writing
Bond Paper and Ink 2,000.00
Module shall be crafted.
Total of Estimated Expenses 7,200.00

VIII. PLANS FOR DISSEMINATION

After appropriate permissions are granted from the designated Division, PSDS,

School Head, Parents, and Students prior to the conduct of the study, the respondents,

parents/ guardian are informed of the orientation program pertaining to the study at hand.

IX. REFERENCES

Aragon, J. & Claudia E, Et.al. (2013). An Analysis of the Writing Skill Difficulties of the

English Composition I Students at the Foreign Language Department of the

University of El Salvador. University of El Salvador.

Barnett, M. A. (1989). Writing as a Process. The French Review, Volume 63(1) pp. 31-34

www.jstor.org/stable/394684. Accessed 13 April 2019.

Brun-Mercer, N., & Zimmerman, C. B. (2015). Fostering Academic Vocabulary Use in

Writing. The Catesol Journal, Volume 27(1), pp. 131-148

www.catesoljournal.org/volume-27-1/. Accessed 14 April 2019.

Chi, A. L. (2010). Applying Formal Vocabulary to Academic Writing: Is the Task

Achievable? Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

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Flower, L. & Hayes J. R. (1981). A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing. College

Composition and Communication, Volume 32(4), pp 365-387.

www.jstor.org/stable/356600. Accessed 02 March 2019.

Greetham, B. (2013). How to write better essays. Macmillan International Higher

Education.Jacobs, H. L., & Zinkgraf, S, Et. Al. (1981). Testing ESL Composition:

a Practical Approach. January 1981.www.researchgate.net/publication/247716030.

Accessed 02 March 2019.

Hinkel, E. (1999). Objectivity andCredibility in L1 and L2 Academic Writing. Seattle

University.

Pablo, J. I., & Lasaten, R. S. (2018). Writing Difficulties and Quality of Academic Essays

of Senior High School Students. Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag.

Pelegrino, S. A. (2013) Process Approach and Procedural Facilitation in College Academic

Writing. Cebu Normal University.

Valdez, P. (2016) English for Academic and Professional Purposes. Quezon: Phoenix

Publishing House.

Whitaker, A. (2009) Academic Writing Guide. September 2009.

www.vsm.sk/Curriculum/academicsupport/academicwritingguide.pdf. Accessed

23 April 2019.