mproving the Writing Skills of Grade 10 Students through the Strategic Use of Transitional Devices for Cohesion and Coherence

This study investigated the effectiveness of using transitional devices to enhance the writing skills of Grade 10 students at Kapalong National High School. Specifically, it aimed to determine how a 4-week intervention focusing on explicit instruction and guided practice in transitional devices could improve students’ writing performance. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed, involving 50 purposively selected students who completed pretest and posttest assessments measuring five writing indicators: content, organization, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. Results showed a marked improvement in mean scores, from 50.70 (pretest) to 82.50 (posttest), with the most significant gains in grammar and organization. A paired samples t-test confirmed a statistically significant difference, t(49) = 10.92, p < .001. This demonstrates the strong positive effect of the intervention. In addition, thematic analysis of student interviews revealed enhanced cohesion, clearer logical flow, improved paragraph unity, and better readability. Students expressed greater confidence and clarity in organizing their ideas. The study concludes that teaching transitional devices is a practical strategy for improving writing competence and recommends its wider adoption in language instruction at various grade levels.