DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF CHEMISTRY STUDENTS' PEER-ASSISTED RESOURCE KNOWLEDGE-BOOK (CHEM-SPARK)

Abstract

The study addressed a critical shortage of specialized instructional materials for science 8 (General Chemistry) that are adapted for peer tutoring and classroom remediation, with few existing resources that align with essential learning competencies. To fill this gap, the CHEM-SPARK was developed, basing its content foundation on the least-learned concepts identified among Grade 8 students in a public high school in the City of Malolos. Following initial revisions, the CHEM-SPARK was rated by six teacher-experts, who awarded it an exceptional overall mean rating of Excellent (X̅ = 4.90) across all criteria. A subsequent formal review by the School Quality Assurance Team (SQAT) confirmed its quality, validating that the CHEM-SPARK passed all criteria in the LRMDS evaluation tool, scoring highly in content (27.75), format (71), presentation and organization (20), and accuracy and up-to-datedness (24). The validated CHEM-SPARK was then utilized over seven weeks in both face-to-face (18 tutor-tutee pairs) and online (19 pairs) peer tutoring sessions. Feedback from face-to-face tutors (X̅ = 4.88), online tutors (X̅ = 4.84), face-to-face tutees (X̅. =4.57), and online tutees (X̅ = 4.68) was overwhelmingly positive. Tutors reported growth in valuable 21st-century skills (e.g., leadership and communication), while both groups affirmed the CHEM-SPARK's effectiveness for conceptual understanding and exam preparation. These findings collectively demonstrate the CHEM-SPARK's high pedagogical quality and its efficacy as a validated instructional resource for enhancing student engagement and achieving mastery of foundational Chemistry concepts, making it a sustainable resource for peer tutoring in classroom remediation programs.