A PISA-Aligned Evaluation of English Proficiency and Performance Among Grade 7 Learners

This descriptive-correlational study explored English Proficiency and Academic Performance among 126 Grade 7 learners at Wesleyan University Philippines Junior High School. It described the selected profiles of the learners, including their achievement in the PISA-Aligned English Test and their class academic performance using the average grade of their first and second grading periods. Additionally, the study digs deeper into the relationship that exists between the profile of the learners and their achievement in PISA and their academic performance. The study revealed that the Grade 7 students at Wesleyan University Philippines are largely similar in age and gender, mostly come from supportive, middle-class backgrounds, show particular interest in Science and English, and have stable daily allowances, all of which can guide teachers in tailoring lessons and activities to their needs and motivations. The Grade 7 learners generally demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency on the PISA-aligned test. Furthermore, they show very satisfactory overall academic performance with a mean grade of 86.5, though 13 students performed below satisfactory, indicating a need for aimed support to strengthen their skills.

Sex, school graduated from, and favorite subject are found to have significant influence on the academic performance of the learners, but fewer variables influence the PISA-aligned English language proficiency measures, which include females achieving significantly high grades, even though sex does not significantly influence PISA-aligned achievement. In contrast, graduating from a private school and favorite subject, which is English, influences academic and PISA-aligned English performance, which speaks to the development of higher-order language skills in the real world.