Transactional Communication Skills of Senior High School Students: Crafting Intervention Program for Enhancement

This qualitative study sought to identify current issues and challenges encountered by SHS students in their transactional communication skills and propose the needed intervention program to address the identified problems. The study employed a descriptive-phenomenological approach which aimed to understand the experiences of SHS students when it comes to their transactional communication skills. In-depth interviews were used to gather the grade 12 SHS students and teachers’ experiences and observations in transactional communication. Results showed that SHS students encountered issues and challenges were (1) communication anxiety, (2) low level of confidence, (3) vernacular dependence, (4) limited grammar and vocabulary, and (5) pronunciation struggles. In addition, coping mechanisms employed by the students were (1) conversation termination, (2) self-regulation, (3) obervational coping and assistance finding, and (4) technology assistance. All these provide empirical evidence for the need to have and implement an intervention program that would address the identified issues and challenges. Furthermore, the use and integration of technology in the instruction and intervention program provide meaningful learning. Future studies should identify the effectiveness and long-term effect of the interventions provided to the students, especially with technology integration in their transactional communication skills. Moreover, it is hoped that the proposed intervention plan will be materialized to address SHS students' encountered issues and challenges.