Title: Teachers Communication Behavior and Students Performance in Physics

CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Statement of the problem:
The main problem of the study is How do the Physics teachers communication behaviors
affect students performance in Physics in selected High school in Baliwag, Bulacan during
the school year 2013-2014?
Specifically it sought answers to the following questions:
1. What is the profile of Physics teachers in terms of
1.1 gender
1.2 civil status
1.3 length of service
1.4 major field
2. How may the teachers communication behavior be measured in terms of the
following
2.1 challenging
2.2 encouragement and praise
2.3 non-verbal support,
2.4 understanding and friendly
2.5 controlling
3. What is the level of performance of the students in Physics?
4. Do the teachers communication behaviors significantly affect the students
perception in Physics, controlling for the profile variables?
Significance of the Study
This study would be of help to students, teachers, school administrators and
curriculum developers in assessing the effects of Physics teachers communication behaviors
in students performance in Physics. It is deemed significant to:
Students. This study may ultimately benefit the learners. Given proper
considerations the effect of teachers communication behavior to academic performance, the
quality of education will be improved. Students may recognize that an effective way, by which
they may improve their performance in physics and most probably in other learning areas as
well, is through the cooperation with their teachers in the learning process. Furthermore,
students will appreciate more the subject being taught
Teachers. This study will help educators find ways to improve their teaching skills
and to be more aware of their effect on learners. This study will help them to be more
conscious and more creative in developing strategies to provide quality education.
Parents. These findings will also benefit the parents, as these will serve as a
reminder of the important role they play in their childrens learning. With this in mind, parents
should always try to assist in the proper motivational drive that every learner should possess.
School Administrators. The outcome of this study may inspire school
administrators to consider teachers communication behavior as a tool to elevate the academic
performance of their clientele and to improve science instruction of their faculty. This study
may encourage administrators to strengthen their faculty development by sending them to
seminars, workshop and training.
Future Researcher. This study will be valuable for future researchers for it will
serve as a guide or reference in conducting their study of the same field.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The focus of this study is to determine the effects of Physics teachers communication
behaviors on the performance of students in Physics, controlling for the Profile Variables. This
study also determined the level of communication behaviors of Physics teachers and their
personal profile in terms of gender, civil status, length of service and their major field of
specialization. This also determined the level of performance of the fourth year students in the
school year 2013-2014.
This study includes all physics teachers with at least one year in service in public high
school in Baliwag which offer up to fourth year level. These schools are as follows: Mariano
Ponce National High School, Sulivan National High School, Virgen delas Flores High School,
and Sto. Nino High School and Teodoro Evangelista High School.
This study is delimited to public high schools which offer grade 7 to fourth year because
the respondents of the study are fourth year students and their Physics teachers.
It is an expressed limitation of the study that the extent of Physics teachers
communication behavior is measured only among public high school in Baliwag, Bulacan. In
addition, the second quarter grades in Physics for school year 2013-2014 of the student
respondents were used to gauge their performance in the subject.
The study used computer software of Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social
Sciences.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Conceptual Framework
The researcher attempted to determine the effect of the independent variable which is the
teachers communication behaviors on the dependent variable which is the performance of
students in Physics. Five categories of Physics teachers communication behaviors were
considered to have significant effects on the performance of students. The profile of Physics
teachers was also used as moderating variables in this study.
Independent Variable

1.
2.
3.
4.

Dependent Variable

Teachers
communication
Behavior
challenging,
encouragement and
praise
non-verbal support,
understanding and
friendly

5.

Performance of
Students in Physics

controlling

Moderating Variables
1.
2.
3.
4.

Teachers Personal
Factors
gender
civil status
length of service
major field

The students performance in Physics can be affected by the communication behaviors of

teachers measured in terms of challenging, encouragement and praise, non-verbal support,
understanding and friendly, and controlling as well as the moderating variables like teachers
personal factors such as gender, civil status, length of service and their major field of

specialization. This relationship can be shown in the research paradigm (Figure 1). The arrows
connecting the frames showed that the performance of students in Physics can be affected by
their teachers communication behavior and personal profile.
Hypotheses of the Study
The hypothesis tested in the study is: The teachers communication behavior do not
significantly affect the students performance in Physics, controlling for the profile variable.
METHODS OF RESEARCH
Methods and Techniques of the Study
This study uses the descriptive correlation method of research in determining the
effects of teachers communication behaviors on students performance in Physics in Baliwag
Bulacan for school year 2014-2015. The researcher utilized the descriptive survey method in
this study.
A major purpose of descriptive research is to clarify ones' understanding of important
phenomena through the identification of relationships among variables. Moreover, the data
from the descriptive survey may be used as bases for influences in aid of solving practical
problems by focusing attention on the specific dimensions of a phenomenon. This study uses
descriptive research to describe the effects of teachers communication behavior on the
performance of students in physics
Population of the Study
The subjects of the study were all 20 Physics teachers and one hundred fourth-year
student respondents from five high schools located in Baliwag Bulacan for school year 2014205. These public schools consist of the following: Mariano Ponce National High School,
Sulivan National High School, Virgen delas Flores High School, Sto. Nino High School and
Teodoro Evangelista High School.
Table 1 shows the distribution of respondents by school. There were 20 Physics
teachers in Baliwag Bulacan included in the study. Five students per physics teacher were
considered as student respondents and being chosen using simple random sampling. It is a
technique chosen as each member of the population has an equal chance of being included in
the sample and all possible combination of sizes has an equal chance of being selected as
sample
Table 1
Population of the Study
Name of Schools
Number of Physics Teachers
Mariano Ponce National High School

Sulivan National High School

Virgen delas Flores High School

Sto Nino high school

Teodoro Evangelista High School

TOTAL

2
20

Research Instruments
The study used the Teachers communication Behavior Questionnaire (TCBQ) developed
by She and Fisher (2000). The 40-item questionnaire assesses students perception of the
following 5 important teacher behaviors: challenging, encouragement and praise, non-verbal
support, understanding and friendly, and controlling. The reliability and factorial validity of

TCBQ was found to be satisfactory for both Taiwanese and Australian data. Each item is
scored into five-point scale ranging from 1 (almost never) to 5 (almost always)
Documentary analysis was used for the grade of students and the personal profile of physics
teachers. The second grading grades of student respondents were obtained from their physics
teachers as a basis for their performance in Physics. Likewise, the personal profile of the
Physics teachers were also collected and documented
Data Gathering Procedure
The researcher sought permission from the Division Superintendent of Bulacan and
principals of secondary schools involved in the study using a letter noted by the Dean of
Graduate Studies to administer the Teachers communication Behavior Questionnaire to gather
students perception of their teachers communication behavior. The researcher collected the
personal profile of teachers in terms of gender, civil status, length of service and their major
field of specialization.
The researcher personally administered the questionnaire to the respondents and
informed them about the purpose of the study and the confidentiality of their answers.
Data and Statistical Treatments
To quantify the data that were obtained in this study, the following statistical measures
were used.
Frequency and percentage distribution. These were used to describe the profile of the
teacher respondents as to their gender, civil status, length of service and their major field.
These also describe the level of performance in Physics.
Arithmetic mean and standard deviation. These were used to give summary statistics
and information on the level of teachers communication behavior as perceived by their
students.
Multiple Regression Analysis. It is the method of analyzing the separate and individual
contributions of two or more predictors to the variance of the dependent variables. This was
used to determine the effect of teachers communication behaviors on the students
performance in physics and the effects of teachers communication on the students
performance in physics controlling for the profile variables.
The students perceptions of their teachers communication behaviors were interpreted
using the scale as follows:
Range of Scores
Descriptive Rating
4.60-5.0
Outstanding
3.60- 4.5
Very satisfactory
2.60-3.5
Satisfactory
1.60-2.5
Fair
1.00-1.50
Poor
The performances of students in Physics using their grades in second grading period
were collected and described using frequency count and percentage. It was interpreted as
follows.
Range of Scores
Descriptive Rating
96-100
Outstanding (O)
91-95
Very satisfactory (VS)
86-90
Satisfactory (S)
81-85
Fair (F)
75-80
Poor (P)