Enhancing Students' Spelling Proficiency through the Use of Digital Applications: An Action Research Study

The purpose of this descriptive quantitative study was to address the spelling proficiency among high school students. The study participants were 34 seventh-grade students from Baltazar Nicor Valenzuela National High School. The study introduced an intervention called Digital Application Intervention to improve student spelling proficiency. The pre-test and post-test results showed a significant difference: the pre-test had a mean score of 14.3 (SD = 5.81), while the post-test showed a mean score of 43.6 (SD = 3.62). The statistical analysis revealed improvement in spelling proficiency following the intervention, t (33) = 29.4 p<.001. Findings suggest that the intervention effectively improved students’ mastery levels. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the students' insights during and after the intervention, the researchers conducted interviews with selected individuals. From the responses gathered, five themes emerged regarding the insights of students: (1) enhanced learning engagement and motivation from using the digital applications, (2) using digital applications in the intervention as helpful in mastering word spelling, (3) confusing in-app instructions as a learning barrier, (4) immediate feedback and correction as notable and helpful features of the digital applications, and (5) deeper understanding of words through the integration of word spelling in sample sentences. Educators are encouraged to adopt digital tools across subjects to create more interactive and engaging learning environments tailored to modern learners. To maximize effectiveness, developers and teachers must ensure that digital applications offer clear, user-friendly instructions to avoid confusion and support student success.