Teachers’ Perspective on the Students’ Performance in English Language Acquisition

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explored teachers’ perspectives on the performance of Senior High School students in English language acquisition at Illana Bay Integrated Computer College Inc.–Basic Education, Parang, Maguindanao, during School Year 2020–2021. Specifically, it examined the factors influencing students’ performance, the challenges they encountered, and the coping strategies they employed in the following subjects: 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World, English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Oral Communication in Context, and Creative Writing. The participants were three purposively selected English teachers who handled these subjects in the Senior High School Department. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis within a phenomenological framework. The findings revealed that students’ performance was influenced by several interconnected factors, including teaching quality, the learning environment, limited vocabulary, mother-tongue interference, weak reading comprehension, family and financial problems, and lack of motivation or learning engagement. The teachers also identified several challenges encountered by the students, such as inadequate vocabulary, uncontrolled emotions, shyness, fear of making mistakes, speaking anxiety, pronunciation difficulties, and poor grammar construction. These challenges affected students’ ability to understand texts, express ideas, participate in oral activities, and produce clear written outputs in English. To address these difficulties, students employed various coping strategies, including the use of educational technology, online applications, instructional videos, English-language audio materials, books, magazines, dictionaries, and other learning resources. The students also explored reliable websites and social media platforms to supplement classroom instruction and improve their language skills. Overall, the findings indicate that English language acquisition is shaped by the interaction of personal, instructional, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. The study emphasizes the importance of supportive teaching practices, a positive learning environment, vocabulary and grammar development, reading and speaking practice, and the responsible use of technology. It further recommends strengthened collaboration among teachers, students, families, and school administrators to help learners overcome language-related difficulties and improve their academic performance.