Improving the Grade-9 Students’ Academic Performance on Chemical Bonding through Code-switching Techniques

Abstract

Code-switching, or the practice of shifting between two or more languages during conversation, is increasingly being recognized for its valuable role in enhancing learning in the science classroom. Objective: This action research was conducted to test the effectiveness of code- switching in improving the academic performance of Grade 9 students on chemical bonding at the Claveria School of Arts and Trade, in Cagayan Valley, Philippines. Methods: The subjects were Grade 9 students, consisting of 17 males and 16 females. The study followed a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design, using the pretest and posttest scores as main sources of data. Findings: The study found that using code-switching as a teaching strategy proved to be highly effective in helping Grade 9 students understand chemical bonding. The noticeable improvement in their scores from the pretest to the posttest, backed by a very large effect size (Cohen‘s d = 3.42), clearly shows that the intervention had a positive influence on their learning. Novelty: This research presents an innovative model for bilingual educators, promoting the use of code-switching across different subject areas to improve student achievement by catering to their varied language skills.