Abstract
This action research examined the effectiveness of DEALS in enhancing the least mastered competencies on cell cycle and cell division of Grade 11-STEM students of Gonzaga National High School using a quasi-experimental design, particularly the Two-Groups Pretest – Posttest Research Design utilizing 4o-item parallel teacher-made pretest and posttest questionnaires. Total enumeration was employed in the selection of the participants. Mean, Standard Deviation, Paired Sample T-test and Cohen’s d were used to analyze the data. Findings of this study revealed that there is an increase in the performance of the students and that scores are closer to one another reflecting a homogenous performance among them as shown in their means and standard deviations. Moreover, there exists a significant difference on the obtained scores of the students using the Paired Sample T-test. Furthermore, the result reveals that there is a small effect of the strategy in the performance of the participants as shown by the Cohen’s d computed value which implies that DEALS is a catalyst in enhancing the competency on cell cycle and cell division. It is therefore recommended that Biology teachers may utilize DEALS in teaching on cell cycle and cell division to improve the performance of the students in Biology, develop more strategic intervention materials considering other features and subject areas and conduct similar study for further validation and improvement of the DEALS. Finally, results of the study must be included in the school improvement plan to improve learning outcomes and generate support from stakeholders for the sustainability of the intervention.
