Advisers

Ryan Christopher M. Villalon, PhD

Discipline

Education

Abstract

This study evaluated Animal Explorers cards as a manipulative learning tool for supporting Grade 6 students’ understanding and memory retention in animal classification. It addressed the need for interactive, hands-on science instruction that combines verbal and visual information. A quantitative quasi-experimental design was used with 275 Grade 6 students from Maligaya Elementary School selected through simple random sampling. Pretests and posttests measured performance in animal classification, and a survey questionnaire gathered students’ perceptions of the tool. Descriptive statistics summarized demographic and performance data, while the Wilcoxon signed-rank test examined the pretest–posttest difference. Most Grade 6 participants were aged 10–12 years; males comprised 51% and females 49%. Mean performance increased from 6.24 (SD = 2.11), interpreted as “low proficient,” on the pretest to 11.25 (SD = 1.81), interpreted as “proficient,” on the posttest. Students rated verbal (mean = 3.62) and visual (mean = 3.54) coding strategies highly. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated a significant difference (Z = 13.9624, p < 0.05). For Grade 6 learners, the findings suggest that Animal Explorers supported learners’ understanding and recall of animal-classification concepts. Science teachers may combine age-appropriate manipulative activities with verbal and visual instruction, formative assessment, and equitable participation. Long-term retention was not directly reported and should be evaluated in follow-up studies.

Keywords

memory retention, science, grade 6, dual coding, animal explorers, classification of animals, manipulative learning materials