Filipino Ethnic Game-Based Approach: Effects on Gender Differences in Students’ Interest and Skills in Physics

Physics education plays a vital role in developing students' cognitive, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. However, traditional methods often fail to align with how students naturally learn, making physics more challenging and less engaging. This highlights the need for innovative, culture-based, and interactive teaching approaches to enhance student engagement and learning relevance. This study investigated the effect of the Filipino Ethnic Game-Based Approach (FEGBA) on the interest and physics skills of Grade 9 students at Datu Embak Mangansing Memorial High School (DEMMHS) in the Division of Special Geographic Area of BARMM (SGA-BARMM). Using a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test one-group design, validated tests and survey questionnaires were administered to assess changes in student interest and skills. Results revealed significant improvements in male and female students' interest across science classroom experiences, teacher influence, and informal science learning. Male and female students' cognitive, problem-solving, and decision-making skills in physics showed marked advancement, with many transitioning from "Did Not Meet Expectation" to “Satisfactory”, "Very Satisfactory" and "Outstanding" categories after FEGBA implementation. Statistical analyses confirmed no significant gender differences in interest or skill improvement, and a strong positive correlation was observed between interest and physics skills. These findings highlight FEGBA's effectiveness in enhancing student engagement and academic performance through culturally relevant and interactive teaching strategies, offering valuable insights for educators in similar contexts.