LaroTuro (Teaching Game Approach): Its Effectiveness on Test Performance in Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) of Grade III Learners in Dadiangas West Central Elementary School

Background. Araling Panlipunan (term for Social Studies in the Philippines) is one of the subjects included in the K-12 curriculum that learners tend to find uninteresting. It is often ignored and considered as a minor subject. Objectives. To gain insight into the problem and contribute to addressing it, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of LaroTuro (Teaching Game Approach in the Philippines) as an intervention in improving test performance in the Araling Panlipunan. Materials and methods. Using an embedded experimental mixed-method design, twenty-eight (28) selected Grade III learners from Dadiangas West Central Elementary School participated in the study during the 2023-2024 academic year. Pre-test and post-test assessments, along with interviews, were conducted. A statistical analysis involved in carrying out the study comprised t-tests, descriptive statistics, and thematic analysis to measure the effect of the intervention. Results. The findings revealed that before implementing the method of LaroTuro as an intervention, learners had a very low level of test performance in the Araling Panlipunan due to factors like information overload, teacher-centered instruction, and limited engagement. However, after the intervention, they achieved a high level and significant enhancement in test performance, attributing to the features of the intervention such as comprehensible scope and sequence of topics, participatory game-based learning, and questioning techniques. Conclusion. LaroTuro effectively improves the learners’ test performance in Araling Panlipunan, elaborated by relationship patterns between factors and features. This research recommended conducting further studies incorporating other local games to optimize the effectiveness and practicability of LaroTuro.