This document summarizes a presentation on the effects of language in learning college organic chemistry. It was presented at a conference on Filipino as a global language. The presentation was based on a doctoral dissertation that examined the effects of language and other factors on learning chemistry. The objectives were to provide a basis for developing a language model for teaching chemistry and to inform policymakers on creating language education policies to benefit Filipino college students learning science. The presentation covered topics like models of the teaching/learning process, effects of bilingual instruction, importance of mother tongue-based schooling, and studies on language proficiency and use in the Philippines. It described the methodology, instruments used, results showing performance differences between experimental and control groups, and

1. EFFECTS OF LANGUAGE IN
LEARNING COLLEGE ORGANIC
CHEMISTRY
Dr. Marilou M. Saong
University of Baguio
Dr. Amelia E. Punzalan
University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and
Mathematics Education Development
August 2012

2. EFFECTS OF LANGUAGE IN LEARNING COLLEGE
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
This presentation is based on the University of the
Philippines Open University Doctoral Dissertation of
the first author entitled Effects of Language and
Other Correlates in Learning College Chemistry and
presented during the 3rd International Conference:
Filipino as Global Language held in DLSU, Manila,
Philippines in August 2012.
Please send communication to:
marilousaong@yahoo.com

3. Introduction

4. Introduction

5. Introduction

6. Introduction

7. Introduction

8. Introduction

9. Introduction

10. Introduction
 Bernardo (2007) - holistic understanding of
the socio-psycholinguistic reality of
multilingualism in the Philippines
 make teaching and learning in Philippine
schools, colleges, and universities
empowering
 efficient use of language in communication
on the part of the students

11. Introduction

12. Introduction

13. Introduction

14. Introduction

15. Objectives of the Study
 a basis in developing a language model in
teaching and learning tertiary level organic
chemistry particularly in Baguio City
 a foundation among policy makers to create a
language and education policy explicitly in
favor of Filipino college students in learning
science

16. Huitt’s Model of the
Teaching/Learning Process

17. A school-based model of
science learning (Guo, 2007)

18. Effects of Bilingual
Instruction
 Cummins (1981)
 balanced bilinguals who learned their
languages in additive learning environment
had cognitive advantage over monolinguals
or those who have learned mathematics in
the first language

19. Effects of Bilingual
Instruction
those who begin school in their first
language with careful bridging with
the two second languages emerge as
more competent in all areas of study
than the children who do not
(Quijano, 2010)
 MLE in the Philippines: History and Possibilities

20. Importance of Mother Tongue-
Based Schooling for
Educational Quality (Benson, 2004)
 facilitated bilingualism and biliteracy
 classroom participation, positive attitude and
increased self-esteem
 valorization of the home language and
culture
 increased parent participation
 increased participation of girls

21. Mother Tongue Based Multilingual
Education in the Philippines
Iloilo Experiments (1948-54 and 1961-
64)
Rizal Experiment (1960-66)
First Language Component-Bridging
Program (1986-93) in Ifugao Province
Lingua Franca Project (1999-2001)

22. Mother Tongue Based Multilingual
Education in the Philippines
 Culture-Responsive Curriculum for
Indigenous People –Third Elementary
Education Project (CCIP-TEEP) case study
(2003-07)
 Lubuagan First Language Component (FLC)
multilingual education (MLE) (1998 to
present)

23. Mother Tongue Based Multilingual
Education in the Philippines
 Borbon (1992) - effectiveness of Filipino
and English as media of instruction in
developing science enquiry skills
 Gabriel (2002) - comprehensible input
strategies and pedagogical moves using
Filipino or English as medium of
instruction, and relate them to
mathematics achievement

24. Mother Tongue Based Multilingual
Education in the Philippines
 Pitpit (2004) - codeswitching (CS) as a
communication strategy is more effective
than the use of pure English in terms of the
mastery of concepts and effective
communication
 Inducfiro (1994) - use of CS
communication strategy in Science, its
effects on pupils’ achievement, attitude
and class participation in a Grade IV
exclusive girls’ school.

25. Mother Tongue Based Multilingual
Education in the Philippines

26. Mother Tongue Based Multilingual
Education in the Philippines
 Reyes (2004) - explain the performance of
students in the English and Filipino
versions of a mathematics test, consisted
of 21 first year high school classes
 Ocampo (2002) - investigated literacy
development and difficulties in the context
of bilingualism involving 6 to 13 y/o
children bilinguals in English and Filipino

27. Language Proficiency

28. Conceptual Framework

29. Methodology – Research
Locale
 major university in Baguio City

30. Research Design
 quasi-experimental
 Control group – English instruction
 Experimental group – bilingual instruction

31. Sample
Experimental Group Control Group
Total = 27 Total = 29

32. Sample
Experimental Group
Control Group
Total = 27
Total = 29

33. Sample
Ethnic background Percentage
Experimental Group Control Group
Cordilleran 48.15 27.59
Tagalog 18.52 17.24
Ilocano-Tagalog 11.11 13.79
Ilocano 7.41 24.14

34. Sample
Ethnic background Percentage
Experimental Group Control Group
Kapampangan 7.41 3.45
Cordilleran-Ilocano 3.70 0.00
Cordilleran-Ilocano-Tagalog 3.70 0.00
Bisaya 0.00 6.90
Tagalog-Kapampangan 0.00 3.45
Tagalog-Bicolano 0.00 3.45

35. Sample
Language Spoken at Home Frequency (%)
Experimental Group Control Group
Tagalog and other languages 22 (81.48) 25 (86.21)
like Ilocano, English, etc.
Ilocano only plus other languages 4 (14.81) 2 (6.90)
Kapampangan only 1 (3.70) 0 (0.00)
Twali only plus other languages 0 (0.00) 1 (3.45)
Kankana-ey only 0 (0.00) 1 (3.45)

36. Instruments
 17 instruments
 Reliability – Test-retest, Cronbach Alpha,
KR20, Inter-rater reliability
 Chemistry Diagnostic Test
 based on the major topics in general and
inorganic chemistry syllabus

37. Instruments
 Demographic Questionnaire
 determine students’ age, ethnic
background, parents’ highest
educational attainment and
language/s spoken at home

38. Instruments
 Language of Learning and Instruction
Interview Guide
 determine preferred language in
teaching organic chemistry and the
language in learning organic
chemistry

39. Instruments
 Seven quizzes and three examinations
 determine the academic performance
of the two groups
 consisted of all topics in organic
chemistry

40. Instruments
 English and Filipino Proficiency Tests
consist of grammar, vocabulary and
reading comprehension
English proficiency test is adapted
from Transparent Language®
Filipino proficiency test is researcher
made

41. Results and Analysis
English Proficiency Test
Class N Mean Descriptive SD t-value Significance
Interpretation level (2-
tailed)
Experimental Group 27 77.97 High 13.22
-.149
.882*
Control Group 29 78.49 High 12.93

42. Results and Analysis
Filipino Proficiency Test
Class N Mean Descriptive SD t-value Significance
Interpretation level (2-tailed)
Experimental 27 74.46 High 10.42
Group .364
.718*
Control Group 29 73.41 High 11.17

43. Results and Analysis
Language Preference
Language Teaching Learning
Frequency (%)
Experimental Control Group Experimental Control Group
Group Group
English 3 (11.11) 11 (37.93) 5 (18.52) 16 (55.17)
Bilingual 21 16 20 12
(77.78) (55.17) (74.07) (41.38)
Filipino 3 (11.11) 2 (6.90) 2 ( 7.40) 1 (3.45)
Total 27 (100) 29 (100) 27 (100) 29 (100)

44. Results and Analysis
Scientific Idea
Essay Experimental Control Group t-value Significance
Question Group Mean Mean Score level (2-tailed)
Score
1 87.04 80.00 2.86 .006*
2 88.15 83.22 1.13 .264
Over-all 87.70 82.62 1.78 .081
Mean

45. Results and Analysis
Academic Achievement
Class N CDT Sig. AP Mean Sig. AA Sig.
Mean (2-tailed) (2- Mean (2-tailed)
tailed) (CDT –
AP)
Experimental 27 43.80 65.51 .500 -21.71
Group .033* .004*
Control Group 29 53.88 62.98 -9.10

46. Correlation Analysis
(Experimental Group)
Correlation Pearson Descriptive Significance
Interpretation (2-tailed)
(Relationship)
English Proficiency .461 Moderate .015*
Filipino Proficiency .621 Strong .001*
Attitude Towards Science .229 Weak .252
Chemistry Diagnostic Test .539 Moderate .004*
Language Preference for
Teaching
Bilingual .250 Weak .209
English -.050 Very Weak .803
Language of Learning
Bilingual .330 Weak .093
English -.140 Very Weak .485

47. Correlation Analysis
(Control Group)
Correlation Pearson Descriptive Interpretation Significance (2-tailed)
(Relationship)
English Proficiency .578 Moderate .001*
Filipino Proficiency .293 Weak .123
Attitude Towards .475 Moderate .009*
Science
Chemistry Diagnostic .523 Moderate .004*
Test
Language Preference for
Teaching -.169 Very Weak .380
Bilingual .273 Weak .153
English
Language of Learning
Bilingual .010 Very Weak .960
English .016 Very Weak .934

48. Path Analysis (Experimental
Group)
0.349*
0.485*
0.683** eAP= 0.40
0.411*
-0.452*
0.029*
0.567** 0.512**
0.390*
0.432*

49. Path Analysis
 The positive correlation between English and
Filipino proficiency is consistent with the
“developmental interdependence
hypothesis” by Cummins (1981).
 bilingual students’ first and second languages
acted on each other.

50. Path Analysis
 Ocampo (2002) – although literacy
development in English and Filipino seems to
progress at different rates, underlying skills in
literacy show a high degree of cross-language
interdependence.

51. Path Analysis (Control
Group)
0.432*
0.362*
eAP= 0.502
0.308*
0.435* 0.372*
0.534** 0.449*

52. Conclusions
 There was a significant difference between
the mean scores of the control and
experimental group in the Chemistry
Diagnostic Test.

53. Conclusions
 There were no significant differences
between the performances of the control and
experimental groups in the English
Proficiency Test, Filipino Proficiency Test,
Scientific Attitude Survey and Scientific idea
test.

54. Conclusions
 There was a significant difference in the
academic achievement in organic chemistry
between the control and experimental groups
based on the language of instruction used in
class.

55. Conclusions
 There were significant predictors of academic
performance in organic chemistry and there
were significant correlations between
academic performance and the different
variables investigated.

56. Recommendations
 1a) Commission on Higher Education
(CHED) - develop a dual language
program in Baguio City employing
English and Filipino languages

57. Recommendations
 To achieve higher academic
performance, the bilingual program
must acknowledge the contribution
of the context variables

58. Recommendations
 college chemistry teachers and teacher
trainees in Baguio City must be trained in
order to develop adequate competencies
and skills in bilingual education in terms of
required language, content and methods

59. Recommendations
 policy makers and school administrators
need to carry out the implementation of
the bilingual program and to allocate
appropriate resources for teacher training
and development of instructional
materials

60. Recommendations
 curriculum developers need to
formulate more teaching materials
for tertiary level chemistry written in
the Filipino language

61. Recommendations
 undertake other studies using larger
samples in other Science Education
institutions in Baguio City or in the
Northern part of Luzon for more
conclusive databases

62. Recommendations
 CHED, curriculum developers, policy makers,
school administrators, chemistry teachers
and the community should be involved in the
decision-making regarding implementation
of bilingual schooling as well as which
languages will be used and how they will be
developed.

63. .
 THANK YOU!!!