Pupils’ Journalistic Writing Skills: Basis for a Proposed Skill Enhancement Program

Abstract

This study assessed the journalistic writing skills of pupils at Santiago North Central School–Integrated SPED Center and used the findings as the basis for a proposed skill enhancement program. The study employed the descriptive-correlational approach stated in the thesis and gathered teacher assessments from 50 purposively selected respondents composed of school paper advisers, journalism coaches, and English and Filipino teachers involved in campus journalism. A structured questionnaire adapted from an existing student-journalism writing instrument was used, while mean scores were applied to the quantitative responses and thematic analysis guided the development of the proposed intervention. Pupils demonstrated an excellent reported category mean in news writing (M = 3.26) and good performance in feature writing (M = 3.15) and editorial writing (M = 3.10). Their journalistic writing strengths were generally rated competent (M = 3.19), with effective use of quotations and attributions and organization of facts emerging as notable strengths. Writing difficulties were rated challenging (M = 3.33), particularly in identifying distinctive story angles, balancing creativity with factual accuracy, developing compelling leads, and organizing information coherently. School support was generally rated positively (M = 3.27), especially through workshops and collaborative activities. Based on these findings, Project INKSPIRE was proposed as a sustained school-based intervention emphasizing writing practice, reading and research, digital journalism, ethics, authentic publication experiences, and performance-based monitoring. The findings indicate that continued coaching, structured practice, and institutional support are important for strengthening pupils’ journalistic writing competence and preparing them for responsible campus journalism.