TACTILE TEACHING STRATEGIES: CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING IN GRADE 10 SCIENCE

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of tactile teaching strategies in enhancing the conceptual understanding of Grade 10 Science learners. As it was anchored in Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, Bruner’s Discovery Learning and Theory of Instruction, and Constructivist principles, this study used a quantitative quasi-experimental one-group pretest and posttest design involving five intact classes consisting of 210 learners of Bitoon National Vocational High School, Dumanjug, Cebu. All data were collected using a validated assessment instrument and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The results confirmed that learners showed various perceptual learning styles, with auditory and visual preferences being the most preferred. The pretest findings showed that all participants were at the Beginning Proficiency Level, indicating limited background information and prior knowledge about the concept. After the implementation of the intervention, posttest scores significantly improved, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) and a large effect size observed (Cohen’s d = 2.90). However, no significant differences were found in posttest performance when grouped according to their perceptual learning styles, suggesting that learning preferences did not significantly influence learners’ academic learning outcomes. These findings indicated that tactile teaching strategies effectively enhance conceptual understanding regardless of learners’ preferred learning modalities. The study also emphasized the value of multimodal, scaffolded, and experiential instructional approaches incorporating tactile teaching strategies in Science education and designing an enhanced lesson exemplar to guide teachers in creating meaningful learning experiences that support conceptual development.