Effectiveness of Using Songs in Teaching Araling Panlipunan Among Grade 7 Learners

Araling Panlipunan as a subject in school plays a significant role in providing Filipino students with a comprehensive understanding of their nation’s history, culture, and society. This quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of using songs to improve geography learning among 81 Grade 7 students (ages 11–13) at Tambobong-Balacanas National High School. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following research questions: (1) How do the Control and Experimental Groups compare in the pretest? (2) How do they compare in the posttest? (3) What is the academic performance of both groups during the First and Second Quarters? (4) Is there a significant difference in test scores and academic performance between the two groups? and (5) Is there a significant effect of using songs in teaching Araling Panlipunan on the academic performance of learners in the Experimental Group? The study employed pretest and posttest assessments (50-item researcher-made test) and academic performance data from the 1st and 2nd grading periods. Results revealed that both groups initially performed below expectations (means of 15.92 and 16.77), but the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the posttest (36.41 vs. 30.13). Academic performance remained at the “Very Satisfactory” level for both groups, but only the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement. While the findings appear beneficial, the study’s single-site quasi-experimental approach may limit generalizability. Nonetheless, the results demonstrate the importance of incorporating music into Araling Panlipunan instruction. Practical implications include using teacher-created songs and easily available YouTube songs to improve geography learning and student engagement. Teachers are encouraged to experiment with innovative ways that use multimedia resources to assist curriculum delivery and improve conceptual memory in social studies courses.