The use of pictologics as a sentence enhancer in the writing skill competencies

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of Pictologics as a sentence enhancer to enhance students' writing skill competencies. The study utilized a quantitative methodology, employing a pre-experimental approach where one group was tested before and after the Pictologics intervention to evaluate enhancements in students' writing skill competencies. The respondents included 33 grade 7 students from a private institution in Iloilo City during the academic year 2023-2024, selected through purposive sampling. The data collection instruments comprised three action pictures using the 5 Ws and H framework (who, what, where, when, why, and how), a rubric for scoring students' sentence writing, and activity sheets for pretest and posttest. During March 2024, a pretest was conducted using traditional lecture-discussion methods. After a one-week break, Pictologics was introduced, followed by a posttest incorporating Pictologics and the 5 Ws and H framework. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test and Statistical Package Social Sciences (SPSS), with a one-tailed test applied and a significance level set at p = .025. Before the Pictologics intervention, in pretest most students achieved a "standard" level, with a mean score of 21.20, indicating basic sentence construction abilities with room for improvement. In the posttest, the majority of students reached an "outstanding" level, with a mean score of 28.39, showing enhanced sentence length and complexity with a significant value of p= .000. Therefore, the results suggest that the use of Pictologics significantly enhanced the students' understanding and execution of sentence construction, thus positively impacting their writing competencies.