1

Chapter 1
THE PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND OF STUDY
This chapter presents the background and the purpose of the study,
Theoretical framework, conceptual framework and the paradigm, statement of
the problem, hypothesis, assumption, scope and limitation of the study and
definition of terms.

Background and Purpose of the Study

Everything in this world is constantly changing. The fashion trends,
climates, curriculum and even technologies. For every year there are several
developments that happen in a specific thing. For an instance, Curriculum is the
set of courses, and their content, offered at the school or university. Today, we
are on the modern era and we have our easiest way to communicate. 2 Text
messaging has brought a great deal of convenience, quickness and a new
language to our society. Technology is the mark of our innovative world today.
Many benefits have emerged from text messaging. However, many problems
have risen with the development and prevalence of text messaging as
well.Texting while driving, more parts of a phone bill, lack of substantive
communication, dinner table distraction at family meals, and possibly a decline in
the grammar and writing skills of our students are some of the negative aspects
of text messaging.
Text messaging seems to be the way of many people today especially the
teenagers when it comes to communicating with their classmates, friends and

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family but in some other way this technology caused some difficulty in terms of
their writing and grammar skills as a students because of very frequent used of
their cell phone using the text language wherein they abbreviate words and
shorten them and sometimes add symbol and numbers.
3

"The Filipinos love to talk and to interact, thus the penchant for gossip,

telebabad( the habit of engaging in long, often senseless conversations over the
telephone) and, this time, text messaging. The Filipinos are heavy users, not due
to big businesses, but because it is one form of entertainment. Filipinos love
talking. Filipinos love interacting so much he is using text messaging as a
medium"( Aguilar, 2000). Thus, many teenagers nowadays have been more
exposed in using cell phone in fact in the study of Nielsen of cell phone usage
the average number of monthly texts for a 13-17 year old teen is 1,742. The
study show that many teenagers are very much engaged in using cell phone in
that case they are creating a their own way or style in texting and possibly they
could adopt this when they are writing of a formal letter like essay and this could
affect their formal writing when they are in school.
Today the styles of texting our upgraded and their way of texting are now
change because of the influence of every individual in their environment.
4

The Philippine Daily Inquirer describes Jejemons as a "new breed

of hipsters who have developed not only their own language and written text but
also their own sub-culture and fashion. In this way of texting, they tried to
abbreviate words to shorten them and they also tried to add some numbers

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letters and symbols to make words long for instances they use 2 for to
and5y4b'$ for love.

In our subject Field Study and we are required to conduct an observation

in a specific class environment and in a specific school we have observed a class
wherein each student are required to report in a given topic and in our
observation we found out that they are pretty affected in using text messaging
in the sense that theyd already applied the style in texting in doing their report
that leads them in making some words to be short cut and for the outcome the
existence of confusion in the class has been flourished and the mind of their costudents and their teachers has puzzling about the things that they are written in
their report.
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Article XIV Section 9. The Congress shall establish a national language

commission composed of representatives of various regions and disciplines

which shall undertake, coordinate, and promote researches for the development,
propagation, and preservation of Filipino and other languages.

This research aims to know the possible effects of text messaging on the
writing proficiency of the high school students. High school students have four
English subjects; most of those subjects focus more on the grammar. According
to prof. Glenn Ison It is important to prevent this problem because after acquiring
the communicative competence next to it is the grammar rules the students need
to learn and master its structure and rules in order for them to communicate

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effectively because the other competence that a learner need to learn depends
on the grammar.
This study aims to help the students to be enlightened about the effects of
text messaging and it can serve as their eye opener, that text messaging has its
own disadvantages, most especially, on their writing proficiency. The mission of
this study is to tell the possible effects of using cell phones.

Theoretical Framework
This study was anchored on the theory by the Father of Educational
Psychology E.L. Thorndike which is the Law of Effect.

He believed, was

controlled by stimuli occurring in the environment after the occurrence of a

behavior. Thorndike used these observations to create the law of effect, which
states that if an organism encounters a pleasant or satisfying stimulus after first
demonstrating an act, it will repeat the act. He also believed that the converse
Also holds true: If an action is followed by an unpleasant change in the
environment, that action will be unlikely to occur. Later, however, he found that
unpleasant out-comes did not always diminish the incidents of specific behaviors.
In relation to our study the child is being affected by the things that
surrounds them especially in using cell phone, when they get prone in using it,
their stimulus will reacted and it may occur to the great effects of using cell phone
in their behavior in terms of writing proficiency; in their grammar, tenses, usage of
the words, and the coherence of their writing most especially when they doing
some written works in their school, when they are asked by their teacher to do

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some paper works like essay, they are sometimes failed in complying to a better
writing for the reason that their writing skills has already been declined by too
much depending in using cell phone as their one of their leisure object;
Furthermore their level of comprehension in grammar and in writing itself are now
become lower because of the effects that brought by the too much using of cell
phone.

Conceptual Framework
This study used theory which was discussed in the theoretical framework.
The paradigm on page 7 shows the conceptual model of this study as well
as the variables which affect the writing skills.
The first frame refers to independent variable which consists of
respondents profile and areas of writing proficiency in the English language. The
second frame refers to dependent variable in the writing skills itself.
Respondents profile and areas of writing proficiency in the English
language serve as the independent variables of the study while writing
proficiency in the English language is the dependent variable. The arrow shows
the effect of the respondents profile and areas of writing proficiency in the
English language on text messaging.

Independent
Variables
A. Respondents Profile
-sex
- Length of ownership
of cellular phone
- Language used in text
messaging
- Length of time of
using cellular phone
B. Areas of writing
proficiency in the
English language
-spelling
-mechanics and
-grammar

Dependent Variable

The Effects of
the Writing
Proficiency in the
English
Language of
Morong National
High School
students

Fig.1 A conceptual Model showing The Effects of Text Messaging on the Writing
Proficiency in the English Language of Selected High School Students

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Statement of the Problem
This study aimed to determine the effects of text messaging on the writing
proficiency in the English language of High School students in Morong National
High School during the School Year 2010-2011.

Specifically, it sought answer to the following questions,

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 sex;
1.2 length of ownership of cellular phone; and
1.3 language used in text messaging;

2. How does text messaging affect the students writing proficiency based on the
transcription made by the respondents with respect to:
2.1 spelling;
2.2 mechanics; and
2.3 grammar;

3. How does text messaging affects the level of writing proficiency in English with
respect to the variables mentioned in terms of;
3.1 sex;
3.2 language used in text messaging; and
3.3 length of ownership of cell phone

4. What is the level of performance in the writing proficiency on;

4.1 Word Translation ;
4.2 Phrase Translation ;
4.3 Sentence Translation; and
4.4 Supply Type Test.

5. Is there a significant relationship between the level of performance in the writing

proficiency and the text messaging proficiency?

Hypothesis
This study tested the null hypothesis that there is no significant different in the
extent of effects of text messaging in the writing proficiency of the respondents with
respect to aspect of age; sex; language used in text messaging; and length of time
using cell phone.

Assumption
The study was conducted on the following assumptions:
1. The use of text messaging as the easiest way of communication is one of the
reasons why the writing competency of the respondents when it comes in writing.
2. The effects of text messaging on the writing proficiency in the English
language are reflected in spelling, mechanics and grammar.

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Scope and Limitation of the Study
This study aimed to determine and analyze the effects of the messaging on the
writing proficiency in the English language of high school students. It was conducted
at the Morong National High School, Morong, Rizal during academic year 2010-2011.
This study was limited to the use of variables such as age, sex, language used and
performance in text messaging.
The respondents of this study were the 120 high school students. The
researchers used the purposive method because its aim is to select samples or
respondent in accordance to some sort of special qualification.
To obtain the needed data they used books, internet and related research. They
also used the researchers made questionnaire-checklist and researcher made test
which was face-validated by the panel members. With this, they determined and
measured the writing proficiency in the English language of the respondents. The
study was limited on the effects text messaging in the writing proficiency and not on
their oral or verbal competence.

Definition of Terms
The following terms used in this study are defined conceptually and
operationally for better comprehension of the study.

Corrects Usage. This refers to the correctness on how the part of speech such
as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjective, adverb etc. are used.

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English Proficiency. This refers to the respondents skill in English language
specifically in the correct use of subject-verb agreement, English or grammar.
Grammar This refers Grammar This refers to the source dealing with the
systematic rules of the language, its form and inflection.
Jejemon. Refers to the group of the people who has their own way of texting
which is hard to understand.

Law of Effect. Pertains to the belief of Edward Thorndike that responses closely
followed by satisfaction will become firmly attached to the situation and therefore
more likely to reoccur when the situation is repeated.

Level of Performance. Pertains to the performance of the student when it comes

in text messaging.

Sex. This refers to male or female high students who are the respondents of this
study.
Subject-verb Agreement. Pertains on how the verb in the subject defending on
the rules to follow, say singular subject must take singular verb.
Text Messaging. Pertains to the giving information to others by writing by
pressing the keypad of the cell phone.

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NOTES
1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curriculum.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/9039239/Text-Messaging-and-its-Effect-onTeen-Grammar.
3

Albert C. Veron and Angelo Alindogan, Life Changes Brought About by Text
Messaging to the La Salle University Students: (Manila: Unpublished Thesis,2002).
4

Harvey Marcoleta, Jejemons : The New Jologs Philippine Daily Inquirer

(April 24, 2010)
5

http://www.jejeschool.com/index.php

http://www.chanrobles.com/philsupremelaw1.htm

Thomas U. Crowl, Sally Kamisky and David M. Podell, Education

Psychology (U.S.A. : Brown and Benchmark Publishers 1997), p. 29

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Chapter 2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research designs, setting the study as well as
the subject of the study as well as the subject of the study, sources of data and
procedure in the gathering data and the statistical treatment used in the study.

Research Design
This study used the descriptive method of research utilizing questionnaire
checklist in gathering the needed data.
1

Descriptive research does not fit neatly into the definition of either

quantitative or qualitative research methodologies, but instead it can utilize

elements of both, often within the same study. The term descriptive research
refers to the type of research question, design, and data analysis that will be
applied to a given topic. Descriptive statistics tell what is, while inferential
statistics try to determine cause and effect.
Descriptive research can be either quantitative or qualitative. It can involve
collections of quantitative information that can be tabulated along a continuum in
numerical form, such as scores on a test or the number of times a person
chooses to use a-certain feature of a multimedia program, or it can describe
categories of information such as gender or patterns of interaction when using
technology in a group situation. Descriptive research involves gathering data that
describe events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts, and describes the data

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collection (Glass & Hopkins, 1984). It often uses visual aids such as graphs and
charts to aid the reader in understanding the data distribution. Because the
human mind cannot extract the full import of a large mass of raw data,
descriptive statistics are very important in reducing the data to manageable form.
When in-depth, narrative descriptions of small numbers of cases are involved,
the research uses description as a tool to organize data into patterns that emerge
during analysis. Those patterns aid the mind in comprehending a qualitative
study and its implications.

Setting of the Study

This study was conducted at Morong National High School which is
located in Morong, Rizal. One of the Basic Programs of the present
administration of the municipality of Morong is Education, through the initiative of
local officials head, Morong National High School was conceived with all the
funds and budget being provided by the municipality. The school starts its
operation in June 1997 with 67 first year students, 8 regular teachers, 10 RPC
volunteer teachers, 2 office personnel and 1 utility man. The school was then
transferred to a nearby area donated by Municipal Government of Morong as
approved by Municipal Order No. 43-S-1996. The first school building is a two
storey ynares type with ten (10) classrooms to accommodate on enrollment of
almost 2,435 students. It was during school School Year 1998-1999 when the
school assume its full operation under the jurisdiction of DECS Rizal pursuant to
Rep. Act No. 7973, sec. 3.

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There was an increase in the number of teaching and non-teaching
personnel. A total of 18 teaching personnel and 4 non-teaching personnel greatly
attended to the needs of the entire populace. Despite of the difficulties and
problems encountered by the school. The school continued its task of producing
highly educated students. MNHS students actively participated in different
activities both in and out of the institution. Although as neophyte in educational
system the school significantly improved its academic aspect through the unified
effort of school personnel and entire support of the Municipality of Morong. Thus,
Morong National High School started with a vision of developing academically
skilled individuals and will continue its vision of providing high quality education.

Sources of Data
This study used the researchers questionnaire checklist and researchers
made test as their main instrument to gather the needed. It has four parts. Part 1
contains the profile respondents while Part 2 indicates the effects of text
messaging in the writing proficiency of high students in Morong National High
School. Part 3 Contains the level of the knowledge by the students in using the
cell phone, and the last part dealt on the knowledge of the students in grammar.
It was face validated by the panel members for content validation.

The statement on the extent on the effects of the messaging is to be

measured according to the following scale.

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Mean

Scale

Verbal Interpretation

4.20 - 5.0

Highly Affected

3.40 - 4.19

2.00 - 3.39

Moderately Affected

1.80 - 2.29

A little bit affected

1.00 - 1.79

Affected

Not Affected

The transcription of word, phrase. Sentence, and the answer of the respondents
in the last part of the researcher made test and was measured according to
following scale:

Score

Verbal Interpretation

0 10

not affected

10 20

moderately affected

30 40

highly affected

Subject of the Study

The subject of this study consisted of 120 selected second year high school
students in Morong National High School during the S.Y 2010-2011. They were
chosen through purposive sampling technique. They were chosen since they are
in the best position to answer the said questionnaire and exam. They are more
prone in using cellular phone.

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Procedure of the Study

The researchers underwent the following steps in conducting the research.

The researchers considered the planning procedure of making their research into
reality. They sought different sources of materials which is relevant and
significant to their chosen topic.
The planning period of the study, started with the identification of research
problem. The researchers started to gather data and work for chapter 1.
Research methodology was chosen and the preparation of the research
instrument was undertaken. After which, the researchers finally prepared for the
colloquium.
After the pre-oral examination, a constant consultation with their research
instructor and adviser was done for the instrument to be used in data gathering.
Right after the approval of the questionnaire-checklists, they distributed them to
respondents and retrieved them after sometime.
They analyzed and interpreted the results using the appropriate statistical
treatment. After completing the four chapters of the manuscript, they underwent
the final defense. Several revisions and corrections were done and frequent
consultations with the panel members occurred. Finally, when everything was
polished and all corrections were incorporated, the hard bound copies were
submitted.

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Statistical Treatment
To answer the specific problems the following statistical tools were used:
1. To determine the profile of the respondent in terms of sex, age, language
used in text messaging, and length of ownership of cell phone, frequency, and
percentage distribution will be used.
2. To determine the extent of effects of text messaging on the writing
proficiency in the English language of the respondent with respect to spelling,
grammar, and mechanics mean will be used.
3. To determine ho the extent of effects of text messaging on the writing
proficiency in the English language significantly differ with respect of different
aspect in terms of variables One Way Analysis of Variance ( ANNOVA ) will be
used.
4. To determine the level of performance of the respondents in writing
proficiency in terms of spelling, mechanics and grammar mean and standard
deviation will be used.

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NOTES

http://www.aect.org/edtech/ed1/41/41-01.html