THE USE OF NEWS REPORTING

IN TEACHING SIMPLE PAST TENSE OF THE VERB

A Research Proposal

Presented to

SAMMY O. DOLBA

Professor, Faculty of Arts and Languages (FAL)

Philippine Normal University

National Center for Teacher Education and Research

Taft Avenue, Manila

In Partial Fulfilment of the Course Requirements for

ELE 709 – Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning

Master of Arts in English Language Teaching

by
Kathrine Joyce C. Tordilla
March 2019
ABSTRACT
Instructional materials play an essential role in the teaching and learning process and one

of the most useful instructional materials used in second language education is News Report. This

study aims to assess the effectiveness of News Report as a tool for teaching Simple Past tense of

Verbs to Grade 7 learners. It is believed that among all the other audio-visual tools, News Report

is the most appropriate and authentic. The instructional material had been evaluated through peer

assessments and expert validations before it was used in teaching the lesson. The results of the

study revealed that the material was appropriate and effective for the target learners and lesson.

INTRODUCTION

Instructional material is an aid to teaching and learning. It helps to raise learning from

verbalization to practical aspect of teaching and learning. Instructional materials make teaching

and learning interesting, easy and amusing. It makes learning more effective (Clark, 1997). This

is why the influence of instructional materials in teaching and learning processes is unarguable.

An example of this is a News report. News report is a commonly-used instructional

material as well as media tool in the language classroom. As defined, News report is a short

account of the news and is similar to a news article; it contains the basic facts of a story that is

currently happening or that just happened in a society or in any parts of the world. In addition,

critics considered it to be a great source of learning a language due to its authenticity and

practicality providing real-life events about the community where a student lives in. Teachers

carefully select events that are appropriate for their learners in terms of their age, gender, and

culture. When used correctly and appropriately in the class, it will then arouse student’s curiosity
and not only provide knowledge or information, but give a practical way of engaging students in

learning a second language. In addition, News Report can be used to conduct meaningful activities

such as group discussions among the learners for the improvement of their communication skills.

It can also be designed in a way to teach a specific lesson or learn a particular skill such as

grammatical skills.

For this reason, the researchers have agreed to use News Report in analyzing its

effectiveness in teaching a grammar lesson which is Simple Past Tense among Grade 7 learners.

This study’s primary objective is to check the tool’s efficiency and appropriateness for the target

lesson and learners. It is believed that among all the other audio-visual tools, News Report is the

most appropriate and authentic for the particular lesson. The instructional material has undergone

evaluations through peer assessments and expert validations to test its appropriateness and

correctness for a Grade 7 group of learners. Feedbacks and suggestions from both evaluations are

then observed, and followed by a demonstration teaching wherein the instructional material is

integrated as part of the discussion in the lesson proper. Several considerations are put in mind by

the researchers such as the length of the news, its timeliness, language and topic that could affect

the instructional material’s efficiency.

METHODOLOGY

The researchers took the following steps in the development of the instructional material

for the chosen lesson- Simple Past Tense of the Verbs.

Step I – Identifying of learning competency

Step II – Preparation of instructional material

Step II – Validation of instructional material

I. Identifying of learning competency

The researchers identified first the learning competency to be learned by the Grade 7

learners, so as to put concentration into the desired learning competency. Then, it was determined

that the Grade 7 learners’ learning competency is to use simple past tense in varied contexts after

the one-hour teaching period. The learning competency was based on the K to 12 Curriculum

Guide May 2016 version.

II. Preparation of instructional material

The researcher selected a video clip of a news report among the available videos in the

internet. The instructional materials’ content, audio and video quality, timeliness, and length were

put into consideration to fit the IM to the level of understanding of the Grade 7 student. The IM

shall be used as part of the lesson proper wherein the students watch it and list down the past

actions they heard in the news. Thus, a subtitle of the video clip was created to be used for the

correction of the students’ answer.

 III. Validation of instructional material

The researcher made use of expert validation and peer evaluation to validate the designed

instructional material. An evaluation sheet (See Appendix A) was given to one expert who is a

Master teacher in his respective public school and ten peers /teachers who are currently handling

an English class, to evaluate the instructional material after viewing it. They were encouraged to

give their additional comments and suggestions that would improve the IM.

To check the instructional material’s efficiency and correctness in teaching Simple Past tense

of the verbs, the class was observed and evaluated through an observation checklist (See Appendix

B) which targets the objectives of the lesson, content or topic, teaching procedure, medium of

instruction, instructional tools, students, and classroom management. Teachers handling the same

level were the ones who evaluated the class.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1 shows the result of the expert and peer evaluation of the instructional material of

which two experts and 8 peers / co-teachers took part in assessing the appropriateness and

correctness of the IM.

Table 1. Peer Evaluation/ Expert Validation

N 5 4 3 2 1 Mean Interpretation
1. The material is appropriate to the 10 4 5 1 0 0 4.3 Very
needs of the learners. Satisfactory
2. The material is appropriate to the 10 2 6 1 1 0 3.7 Very
age and level of the learners. Satisfactory
3. The material promotes 10 3 4 3 0 0 3.4 Very
application to real-life situations. Satisfactory
4. The material is enjoyable and 10 1 5 4 0 0 3.7 Very
attainable. Satisfactory
5. The material promotes 10 1 5 0 1 3 3.0 Satisfactory
cooperation.
6. The material promotes different 10 1 8 0 0 1 3.8 Very
language tasks. Satisfactory
7. The material promotes English 10 4 6 0 0 0 4.4 Very
Language skills. Satisfactory
8. The material is accurate and up- 10 3 4 3 0 0 4.0 Very
to-date. Satisfactory
9. The material promotes Language 10 2 8 0 0 0 4.2 Very
use. Satisfactory
10. The material promotes learning. 10 4 5 1 0 0 4.3 Very
Satisfactory
Mean Interpretation
4.5 – 5.00 Outstanding
3.50 – 4.49 Very Satisfactory
2.50 – 3.49 Satisfactory
1.50 – 2.49 Needs Improvement
1.00 – 1.49 Not Evident
 The interpretation reveals that the IM was rated very satisfactory ranging from 3.50 to 4.49

in all the criteria given. The experts and peers were all in the same judgment that the IM is above

passed which means the material achieved its goal- appropriateness and correctness for the target

learners.

Comments given are as follows: “The material can be very useful for the execution of the

lesson. It promotes localization that is very essential for today’s trend. The issue in the video shows

negative news; could it be something good?” “She (The teacher) uses ICT as an alternative for

Traditional method for teaching.”

Next, Table 2 presents the results of the observation rate in the one-hour demonstration

teaching where the class was composed of 50 Grade 7 learners.

Table 2. Observation Results

A. Objectives: Were they -- 5 4 3 2 1 Mean interpretation

1 Clear and Specific? 5 1 0 0 0 4.8 Excellent
2 Sound and based on actual needs? 5 0 1 0 0 4.7 Excellent
3 Comprehensive; i.e. covering all important phases 5 1 0 0 0 4.8 Excellent
of content?
4 Known and understood by the students? 1 5 0 0 0 4.8 Excellent
5 Attained? 4 2 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
B. Content: Was it -- 5 4 3 2 1 Mean interpretation
1 Suited to the needs of the students? 5 0 1 0 0 4.7 Excellent
2 Suited to their level of understanding? 3 3 0 0 0 4.5 Excellent
3 Suited to their level of appreciation? 0 5 0 1 0 3.7 Superior
4 Suited to their level of action? 1 3 2 0 0 3.8 Superior
5 Adequate to achieve objectives? 3 2 1 0 0 4.3 Superior
C. Teaching Procedure 5 4 3 2 1 Mean interpretation
1 Teacher’s mastery of the subject matter 6 0 0 0 0 5 Excellent
2 Evidence of careful planning 6 0 0 0 0 5 Excellent
3 Organization of the lesson 6 0 0 0 0 5 Superior
4 Correlation of subject matter to the broader aspect 2 3 1 0 0 4.2 Superior
of the lesson/topic
5 Integration of values 1 3 2 0 0 3.8 Superior
6 Method suited to the students’ abilities 4 2 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
and to the subject matter
7 Approach is student-oriented 5 0 1 0 0 4.7 Excellent
 8 Pleasant and non-threatening manner 5 1 0 0 0 4.8 Excellent
of presentation
9 Technique of questioning handling 1 2 3 0 0 3.7 Superior
student responses
10 Provision for individual differences 1 4 1 0 0 4 Superior
11 Clear and purposeful assignment 4 1 1 0 0 4.5 Excellent
D. Medium of Instruction 5 4 3 2 1 Mean interpretation
1 Mastery of the language 5 1 0 0 0 4.8 Excellent
2 Ability to make information comprehensive 5 1 0 0 0 4.8 Excellent
to the students
3 Use of concrete, imaginative, and interesting 4 2 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
language
E. Instructional Tools 5 4 3 2 1 Mean interpretation
1 Variety: AV, anecdotes, illustrations, etc 5 0 1 0 0 4.7 Excellent
2 Adequacy in reinforcing learning 4 2 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
3 Adequacy in arousing interest 3 1 2 0 0 4.2 Superior
4 Preparation, economical of time and effort 3 3 0 0 0 4.5 Superior
5 Effective utilization 4 2 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
F. Students 5 4 3 2 1 Mean interpretation
1 Activity, participation, and cooperation 3 2 1 0 0 4.3 Superior
2 Evidence of critical thinking 1 3 2 0 0 3.8 Superior
3 Reinforcement of values and attitude 0 4 2 0 0 3.7 Superior
4 manifest communication skills 3 2 1 0 0 4.3 Superior
5 Learning is evident 3 3 0 0 0 4.5 Excellent
G. Classroom Management 5 4 3 2 1 Mean Interpretation
1 Order and cleanliness 4 2 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
2 Aesthetic appearance 4 2 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
3 Freedom from disturbance 4 2 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
4 Human atmosphere, congenial and 5 1 0 0 0 4.7 Excellent
conducive to learning

Mean Interpretation
4.5 – 5.00 Excellent
3.50 – 4.49 Superior
2.50 – 3.49 Good
1.50 – 2.49 Fair
1.00 – 1.49 Unsatisfactory

It is clear that majority of the observers rated Criterion A/ Objective as Excellent similar

with Criterion D/ Medium of Instruction, and Criterion G/ Classroom Management, while in all

the other criteria, the demonstration teaching received Superior. Also, it should be noticed that one

observer rated the Criterion B/ Content with regards to its level of appreciation as Fair/2, the lowest

score received by the demonstration teaching. This will be considered in the improvement of the
IM. Despite this, the demo in totality scored Excellent. This means the instructional material was

effective in teaching Simple Past tense of the Verbs.

References
Chapter 7: Choosing and Using Instructional Resources. (1997). National Research Council Science
Teaching Reconsidered: A Handbook. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Evaluating Technology-Based Curriculum Materials. (2016, November 2). Retrieved from

http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED449118.pdf

PRIMO selection criteria . (2016, November 2). Retrieved from http://primodb.org/

Shaik Iliyas Ali, P. (2013). Role of Newspaper In English Language Teaching.

APPENDIX A
PEER EVALUATION / EXPERT VALIDATION

Below is the list of criteria for evaluating the proposed instructional material, The Use of News
Reporting in Teaching Past Tense of the Verbs. Kindly rate each item by checking the corresponding
equivalent value in the Likert-5 point Scale.

5- Outstanding 2- Needs Improvement

4- Very Satisfactory 1- Not Evident
3- Satisfactory

5 4 3 2 1
1. The material is appropriate to the needs of the learners.

2. The material is appropriate to the age and level of the learners.

3. The material promotes application to real-life situations.

4. The material is enjoyable and attainable.

5. The material promotes cooperation.

6. The material promotes different language tasks.

7. The material promotes English Language skills.

8. The material is accurate and up-to-date.

9. The material promotes Language use.

10. The material promotes learning.

Comments/Suggestions
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APPENDIX B

CLASSROOM OBSERVATION

Respond to each statement/ question by using the scale below.

5 – Excellent 2 - Fair
4 – Superior 1 - Unsatisfactory
3 - Good

A. Objectives: Were they -- 5 4 3 2 1

1 Clear and Specific?
2 Sound and based on actual needs?
3 Comprehensive; i.e. covering all important phases of content?

4 Known and understood by the students?

5 Attained?
B. Content: Was it --
1 Suited to the needs of the students?
2 Suited to their level of understanding?
3 Suited to their level of appreciation?
4 Suited to their level of action?
5 Adequate to achieve objectives?
C. Teaching Procedure
1 Teacher’s mastery of the subject matter
2 Evidence of careful planning
3 Organization of the lesson
4 Correlation of subject matter to the broader aspect of the lesson/topic

5 Integration of values
6 Method suited to the students’ abilities
and to the subject matter
7 Approach is student-oriented
8 Pleasant and non-threatening manner
of presentation
9 Technique of Questioning handling
student responses
10 Provision for individual differences
11 Clear and purposeful assignment
D. Medium of Instruction
1 Mastery of the language
2 Ability to make information comprehensive
to the students
3 Use of concrete, imaginative, and interesting language

E. Instructional Tools
1 Variety: AV, anecdotes, illustrations, etc
2 Adequacy in reinforcing learning
3 Adequacy in arousing interest
4 Preparation, economical of time and effort
5 Effective utilization
F. Students
1 Activity, participation, and cooperation
2 Evidence of critical thinking
3 Reinforcement of values and attitude
4 manifest communication skills
5 Learning is evident
G. Classroom Management
1 Order and cleanliness
2 Aesthetic appearance
3 Freedom from disturbance
4 Human atmosphere, congenial and
conducive to learning