CHAPTER 1

The Problem and its Background

Introduction

This chapter includes the introduction, background of the study,

statement of the problem, hypothesis, theoretical framework, conceptual

framework, scope and limitation of the study, hypothesis, significance of the

study, and definition of terms.

Background of the Study

According to a great American poet, Robert Lee Frost, “Poetry is what is

lost in translation. It is also what is lost in interpretation.” He emphasizes that the

distinctive essence of poetry lies not merely in its literal meaning, but also in the

individual experiences and emotions it invokes within readers. This illustrates that

a person's capacity to connect with and grasp the poem's intended meaning is

influenced by their subjective perspective. Although poetry has the power to elicit

profound emotions and stimulate critical thought, its inherent complexity often

constitutes a considerable obstacle to comprehension, especially among

students. This problem arises from the intricate use of language, which can result

in a superficial understanding that focuses solely on the words' literal meanings.

However, one must recognize that such an understanding can limit the richness

of the poetic experience.

 Poetry is both a both "simple" and “complex” form of expression. Poetry is

a deep and intricate use of language for establishing order, which is why it is so

beneficial for spiritual and emotional expression as well as for human existence.

Words are held together by both overt and covert poetic orderings, which shape

them into strong but flexible frameworks that both contain and channel the

tumultuous inner and outside experiences that humans want to communicate

(Stepenson, 2023).

Improving critical thinking skills in poetry analysis is essential essensial for

engaged engage
students, most especially HUMSS strand as they are more with

literature like poetry. Critical thinking involves assessing, evaluating and

interpreting information to arrive at well-reasoned conclusions (Bloom, 2024).

However, this process requires students to look into a text's deeper themes,

symbols and the author's intent, alongside its surface meaning. Although

challenging, such an analysis enriches the understanding of poetry's profound

impact on human cognition and emotion.

Since this study is focused on the Humanities and Social Science

students, a strand that provides an optimal setting for improving critical thinking

skills. This strand exposes students to a different array of literature (including

poetry), which necessitates the application of critical thinking and interpretive

abilities.

Although a lot of studies have broadly investigated the development of

critical thinking skills across various academic disciplines, few have specifically

addressed the level of critical thinking abilities in poetry analysis among Grade
12 HUMSS students in the Philippines. Because previous research often

emphasizes either general literary analysis or specific strategies for teaching

poetry, there exists a knowledge gap regarding the unique challenges and

benefits encountered by this particular group of students. This lack of focused

inquiry leaves a void in our understanding of their experiences.

The objective of this study (which focuses on Grade 12 HUMSS students

at VMIS) is to evaluate their proficiency in critical thinking, particularly in the

analysis of poetry. This research examines how effectively students can analyze,

evaluate and interpret information drawn from poetic texts.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to assess the level of critical thinking skills in poetry

analysis among Grade 12 Humanities and Social Science Students at Vicente

Madrigal Integrated School. Furthermore, this research will address the following

questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 Age ; and

1.2 Sex ?

2. What is the level of critical thinking skills in poetry analysis of the

respondents with respect to:

2.1 Analysis ;

2.2 Evaluation ; and

 2.3 Interpretation ?

[3.] Is there a significant difference in the of the level of critical thinking skills in

poetry analysis of students in terms of their age and sex?

Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis (H0): This hypothesis assumes that age and sex do not have a significant impact

● ]

Alternative Hypothesis (H1):This hypothesis proposes that there is a significant relationship betw

Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored to the Schema Theory of Richard Anderson,

Frederic Barlett, and Jean Piaget. According to this theory, people create mental

models, or "schemata," based on their prior knowledge and experiences. These

diagrams determine the understanding and analysis of literary content. especially

literary works Schema activation is the process by which readers draw

appropriate schemas from prior knowledge when encountering a text.

Throughout this process Also known as instantiation. Plans are selected and

implemented based on the specific content and context of the message.

According to Schema Theory, readers can impact reading comprehension from

the top down by using what they already know. This means that students with

good schemata for interpreting poetry are more likely to use critical thinking skills,

such as analyzing the author's aims, if they have strong schemata for interpreting

poetry, whether they have a strong framework for interpreting poetry. Books that

question or contradict presumptions are an excellent approach to provide

"schema refreshment," a term that promotes critical thinking. Engaging with

resources that challenge preconceived assumptions helps students build their

critical thinking skills. As a result, people are forced to rethink their assumptions

and consider competing perspectives. This concept claims that students' ability to

critique poetry is influenced by their schema, meaning the previous experiences

and information they know and understanding of their "capacities". Having

students argue over poetry, analyze texts, and consider different poetic forms all

help them become better critical thinkers. Examinations of these aptitudes should

be accomplished with the multi-schemata in mind, and examine how some

schematic pronunciations/historical context may or may not affect a student’s

ability to interpret poetry as an example. This theoretical framework

demonstrates the application of Schema Theory to understanding the

development of critical thinking skills in poetry analysis. Understanding the role of

prior knowledge, schema activation, and schema refreshment allows us to better

understand how students approach the analysis of poetry and how to aid them in

developing critical thinking abilities. This framework provides a foundation for

research investigating the connections among Vicente Madrigal Integrated

School grade 12 Humanities and Social Science students between critical

thinking, poetry analysis, and Schema Theory.

Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Profile of the respondents Construction and Data gathered will

in terms of: Validation of the provide information on
questionnaire knowing how effectively
1. Sex
checklist students can engage with
2. Age
poetry through critical
thinking.
Level of critical thinking
skills in poetry analysis
with respect to:

1. Analysis
2. Evaluation
3. Interpretation

FEEDBACK

Scope and Limitation of the Study

This research focuses on the Critical Thinking Skills of Humanities and

Social Science (HUMSS) students at Vicente Madrigal Integrated Senior High

School in relation to poetry analysis. The primary objective of this research is to

examine how effectively students apply critical thinking when interpreting and
analyzing various forms of poetry. The study will target Grade 12 students

enrolled in the HUMSS strand at Vicente Madrigal Integrated Senior High School.

A sample of 40 students will be selected each of the 7 sections through stratified

random sampling. The data collection will occur during the first semester. from
,
November 2024 to Dec 2024. The study will investigate the students how they
,
use their critical thinking skills and their ability to analyze and interpret selected

poems. The research is confined to Vicente Madrigal Integrated Senior High

School, which is located in Pantok, Palangoy, Binangonan Rizal. This research

analyzes the Critical thinking skills, and the quality of poetry analysis. The study

will use a questionnaire and it will be given to the students to answer it. The

study is limited to 200 students from the HUMSS strand, which may not fully

represent the overall student body or students from other academic strands. The

relatively small sample size could limit the generalizability of the findings to other

senior high schools or regions. The research is constrained to a one-month data

collection period. (Nov. 2024 - Dec 2024) This time frame might not capture long-

term development or changes in students' critical thinking abilities over the

course of the academic year. While a rubric will be used to evaluate the quality of

students’ poetry analysis, the subjective nature of poetry interpretation may

introduce variations in how individual students’ responses are assessed, despite

efforts to ensure consistency. The external factors such as the students' prior

exposure to poetry, their reading habits, and the teaching methods used by their

literature teachers may affect their critical thinking and poetry analysis skills but

are beyond the control of the researcher. Since the study is conducted at Vicente
Madrigal Integrated Senior High School, the findings may not be applicable to

other schools with different teaching approaches, or student demographics.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to provide valuable insights about the level of critical

thinking skills in poetry analysis of Humanities and Social Science students in

Vicente Madrigal Integrated School, and examine how their demographic

profile affects their level of critical thinking skills. Furthermore, this study can

be beneficial to the following:

Students. The outcomes can help students develop a deeper

understanding of poetry and its complexities. It can also equip them with

valuable critical thinking skills that are transferable to other subjects and

real-life situations. By understanding the different aspects of critical

thinking involved in poetry analysis, students can become more confident

and effective learners.

Teachers. Provide teachers with valuable insights into the level of

critical thinking skills that HUMSS students possess and how these skills

can be further developed through poetry analysis. This can inform their

teaching practices and curriculum design, leading to more effective and

engaging lessons.
 Curriculum Developers. The findings of the study can help

curriculum developers create more effective poetry analysis units that

incorporate a focus on critical thinking skills. This can ensure that students

are adequately prepared for the demands of higher education and the

workplace.

Future Researchers. This study can serve as a foundation for

future research on critical thinking skills in poetry analysis. Other

researchers can build upon the findings by exploring different approaches

to poetry analysis, examining the impact of various teaching strategies, or

investigating the development of critical thinking skills across different age

groups or educational contexts.

Definition of Terms

Analysis. The process of breaking information into its parts and evaluating the

connections between them. It all comes down to understanding the details and

how they all connect.

Critical thinking. Ability to understand a text beyond its literal meaning. It

involves analyzing, evaluating, and interpreting.

Comprehension. It is the ability to recognize and analyze information, it

interprets what you see, hear or read.

Complexity. It is the state of having many parts that are complicatedly

connected to each other.

Interpretation. It has to do with appreciating the deeper significance of the data.

Intellectual. The word "intellectual" describes a person who does tasks involving

reasoning, critical thinking, analyzing, and comprehending complicated concepts.

Instantiation. “Exemplification," or "the ideal example or representation.

Students. Humanities and Social Science Students in Vicente Madrigal

Integrated School.

Overt and Covert. Overt: Something visible, apparent, or simple to observe.

Everything is visible. Covert: anything obscure, covert, or difficult to perceive.

From sight, it is concealed.

Profound emotion. having or showing great knowledge or understanding.

 CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

Variables

The study examines various variables such as the sex, age and the level

of critical thinking skills in poetry analysis. The independent variable is the sex

and age of the respondents, which will be investigated to determine the

difference in poetry analysis between females and males within specific age

groups. The dependent variable is the level of critical thinking skills of the
how their how does their
students, specifically assessing age and sex affect their

level critical thinking skills in poetry analysis.

Additionally, the study includes confounding variables that can significantly

influence the result. These include the motivation and interest of

the respondents
a respondents
in poetry. While these variables will not be measured

nor observed in the study, it’s important to recognize that it can still
have a significant
have significant
impact on the findings.

Foreign Literature

Azizi et al. (2022), investigated the effectiveness of using poetry to

cultivate critical thinking skills in EFL learners. The authors highlight the

importance of critical thinking in today's fast-paced world, acknowledging its

significance in literature teaching. They emphasized that poetry significantly

improved students' critical thinking skills, leading to the development of good

critical habits. The authors found that poetry can be a valuable tool for enhancing

critical thinking skills, and that incorporating poetry into the curriculum can lead to

significant improvements in students' ability to analyze and interpret literary texts.

Hajajra (2020), investigate the influence of including reflective critical

reading, creative writing, and text analysis in curricular that are presented to

students in schools to better understand the values of the Palestinian struggle.

The study selected a random sample of students from different educational

levels. The investigation was conducted through interviews to gather qualitative

information. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were performed in other

forms of quantifiable data gathering. The findings indicate that the addition of

reflective critical reading makes students scrutinize texts on the Palestinian

cause critically. This leads to better practice and contextual understanding of the

subject matter. It would also be important to find out whether the creative writing

activities made the students relate to the Palestinian cause, articulating their

feelings appropriately and giving them a sense of belonging and solidarity. The

study also indicated that the use of text analysis enabled them to break down

complicated narratives surrounding the Palestinian cause and adopted more

multifaceted approaches toward understanding issues. Such outcomes therefore

underscore the necessity of using such methods in fostering critical thinking and

deep engagement of students with very highly significant social and political

causes.
 Ibrohim et al. (2024), studied the POPBL model in creating critical and

creative thinking skills for high school students. In this study, the data gathering

instrument used was tests on critical and creative thinking skills. Meanwhile, the

data were analyzed using an analysis of covariance test. The results proved that

POPBL is an effective method of promotion for critical and creative thinking skills

among the students. It was further revealed that the POPBL model which

focuses on the cognitive, collaborative, as well as content-based approach to

learning is very rewarding in developing the critical thinking skills notably for

problem formulation, logical reasoning, and evaluation. The study also recorded

a positive impact of POPBL on creative thinking skills, especially fluency,

flexibility, originality, and elaboration. The process is highlighted with interaction

among the students involved while executing the POPBL activity and ends with

the sociocultural learning theories; thus, this study concludes that the POPBL

model is an effective learning model with respect to developing critical and

creative skills, which can be encouraged for its widespread use in academic

settings.

Local Literature

Cadiz et al. (2024), examined the pedagogy of effectively teaching poetry.

It also tried to find out the development of higher-order thinking skills in poetry

analysis. It looks into various aspects such as the need for critical thinking, the

elements of poetry which include the senses and images, diction, and sound, the

RPIE model (Read-Paraphrase-Interpret-Extract), interpretation, assessment,

and discussion. Then, the study emphasizes the fact that by engaging students

in meaningful discussions and activities we can build their understanding and

thus make them appreciate the art of poetry. It suggests alternative assessment

tools, such as artwork, rap/song, tableau, and interpretive reading, that expose

the student's intellectual abilities and show their capacity for deeper thinking.

More, in line, the examination, also, adds that one must introduce performance

and recitation of poetry, yet to the extent that students perceive the rhythmic and

emotional elements, in class so as to help them understand better. The findings

of the study, on the whole, conclude that the use of this system, which is based

on the developed framework and the RPIE model, can effectively facilitate the

development of high-order thinking skills needed in poetry analysis. Also, it

insists on the framework and model's validation, the sharing of pedagogical

experiences in literature and the creative arts so as the literature education and

pedagogy may be further improved.

Alpahando (2021), emphasizes the study of the word of poetry among

Grade 5 pupils in private schools in Surigao City. The purpose of the study was

to ascertain that reading comprehension in poetry among the students is

achieved on the literal, interpretive, and applied levels of comprehension. Results

showed that there is no pronounced difference in the levels of comprehension

among male and female students. The material level of comprehension was

labeled as phenomenal, which implies that the comprehension of the text was at

a high level. Interpretive comprehension skill was reported as good, while applied

comprehension skills were identified as poor by the respondents which means

that technology did not extend concepts beyond the text as a result. To sum up,

the survey underscored that the appropriate starting point is to come up with

suitable tactics that will enable the students to comprehend poems and to focus

on the interaction among the stakeholders that will direct the enhancement of the

mastery of reading.

Diva and Suarez (2022), studied the impact of the Reader Response

Strategy on the critical thinking skills of Grade 11 students at San Bartolome

Integrated High School. The study found that while the strategy positively

affected students' abilities in defining, classifying, and drawing conclusions, it did

not significantly improve their skills in finding relationships. The research also

explored the relationship between critical thinking and the affective learning

domain, finding no significant correlation. The study suggests that the Reader

Response Strategy, while effective in enhancing some critical thinking skills, may

need to be implemented for a longer duration to see more significant

improvements in overall reading comprehension.

Foreign Studies

Fowler (2019), studied the effect of annotations on poetry study and

critical thinking. Annotations are a constructivist in nature because students must

be in control of their learning, and they reflect their knowledge as well as the

thought process by which they used to gain said information. Poetry was

selected because it is an abbreviated form of verse requiring various types of

“artistic treatments of language” through which students use to demonstrate

interpreting and innovative thinking. The study confirmed that annotations can be

used as a tool to foster critical thinking. Yet arguably the most important findings

to come out of the study was the renewed sense of capability and assurance that

participants felt having used annotations as a way to approach critical thinking.

When we feel empowered, we succeed.

Thakur (2021), studied the motivations behind using poetry to cultivate

higher-order thinking skills in English Language and Literature (ELL) classrooms.

It argues that poetry, as a rich and engaging form of language, can be used to

promote critical thinking through carefully designed tasks and activities that

encourage active engagement and interaction. The paper provides a framework

for understanding creativity and critical thinking, demonstrating how these

concepts can be integrated into ELL classroom practice using poetry.

Bhasin (2022), explores the benefits of integrating literary works into

language education to foster critical thinking skills. The authors argue that

focusing solely on grammar overlooks the valuable insights and language

learning opportunities offered by literature. They contend that literature provides

a rich linguistic input, stimulates engagement, and serves as a source of

inspiration for learners. The authors also discuss the importance of developing

both cognitive abilities and personality traits, such as openness, inquisitiveness,

and flexibility, to foster critical thinking. They emphasize the need for specific

critical thinking instruction, application of knowledge in new contexts, and

collaborative learning methods.

Local Studies

Castro (2019), studied the effectiveness of the literature circle strategy as

an improvement in the critical thinking of the Grade 12-ABM students of the

University of Cebu-Banilad Campus during the academic year 2019-2020. Upon

conclusion, it was stated that the literature circle strategy has potential to

enhance students' critical reading through effective results as examined and

derived. The study further recommended an action plan on the implementation of

the said literature circle strategy in teaching literature for promoting it to teachers

through workshops, curriculum integration and further research.

Nieves and Recillo (2021), studied the lived experiences of Grade 9

English teachers and students in the Philippines as they navigate the challenges

of teaching and learning poetry. The study reveals that traditional methods, often

relying on rote memorization and passive learning, struggle to engage students

and foster a genuine appreciation for poetry. Students find these approaches dull

and struggle to grasp the deeper meaning and context of poems. The

researchers propose a solution: integrating songs and calligrams into the

classroom. Drawing on multimodal theory, constructivism, and experiential

learning, the study showcases the potential of these innovative methods to

transform poetry instruction. By incorporating music and visual elements, songs

and calligrams create a more engaging and accessible learning experience for
students. The study provides compelling evidence that this approach leads to

improved student performance, enhanced language skills, and a more positive

attitude towards poetry. The researchers advocate for the creation of a

compendium of poems and songs as a resource for teachers, highlighting the

importance of adapting teaching methods to meet the needs of 21st-century

learners. Ultimately, this research underscores the significance of incorporating

creative and engaging teaching methods to foster a love of literature and

empower students to become active and critical thinkers.