Multimodal Instruction for Grade 9 Earth Science: Enhancing Mastery of Least-Learned Competencies at Cabancalan National High School
Keywords:
multimodal instruction, Earth Science, least-learned competencies, cognitive load theory, quasi-experimental, Grade 9Abstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of multimodal instruction in improving Grade 9 students mastery of three least-learned competencies in Earth Science at Cabancalan National High School, Mandaue City, for SY 2024-2025. Grounded in Sweller Cognitive Load Theory, Kress Multimodal Theory, and Vygotsky Social Constructivism, the study employed a quantitative quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design. Thirty-four students from Section Serenity (18 males, 16 females), identified as the lowest-performing section based on SMEA reports (2020-2024), served as respondents through purposive sampling. A validated 30-item multiple-choice instrument from the DepEd Learning Portal covering (1) explaining what happens when volcanoes erupt, (2) describing global climatic phenomena, and (3) inferring characteristics of stars based on the Sun, was used. Descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-test were utilized. Pretest revealed low mastery: Volcanoes M=3.74, SD=1.24, 55.88 percent Average Mastery; Climate M=4.34, SD=1.94; Stars/Sun M=3.23, SD=1.70, 32.35 percent Low Mastery, with zero Master. After 15 days of multimodal intervention integrating visual (infographics, Stellarium, videos), auditory (volcanic sounds, discussions), kinesthetic (DIY volcano, collage, model-making), and digital tools (Star Walk 2, VR), posttest scores increased significantly. Stars/Sun showed highest gain M=7.43, SD=1.40, 26.47 percent Master, 47.06 percent Closely Approximating Mastery, followed by Climate M=5.86 and Volcanoes M=5.63. Paired t-test confirmed significant differences for all: Volcanoes t(33)=4.83, p<.001, d=0.816; Climate t(33)=4.25, p<.001, d=0.719; Stars/Sun t(33)=10.31, p<.001, d=1.742, indicating large effects. Findings support that multimodal instruction effectively reduces cognitive load, enhances engagement, and promotes deeper conceptual understanding. Enhanced multimodal learning activities are proposed for broader adoption.
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