Filipino Language as an Auxiliary Medium of Instruction in Teaching Physics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.06.12.19Keywords:
Auxiliary medium of instruction, Bilingual learning, Filipino language, Physics education, Students’ performanceAbstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of using the Filipino language as an auxiliary medium of instruction in teaching Physics among Grade 10 students at Mindanao State University–Maguindanao Integrated Laboratory Science High School. The research employed an experimental pre-test and post-test design involving two groups: a control group taught through conventional English instruction and an experimental group taught with Filipino as a supplementary language during lessons on problem-solving and computations. Data were collected using validated and reliable test instruments and analyzed through mean scores, t-tests, and standard deviations. Findings revealed that the control group obtained a mean score of Fair, while the experimental group achieved a higher mean score of Good. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups before instruction, but a significant difference after instruction. These results indicate that incorporating the Filipino language as an auxiliary medium significantly enhances students’ comprehension and performance in Physics, particularly in solving numerical and conceptual problems. The study concludes that bilingual instruction, where Filipino complements English, can serve as an effective pedagogical approach in Physics education. It aligns instruction with learners’ linguistic and cognitive capacities, promoting inclusivity, confidence, and academic achievement. The researchers recommend further integration of Filipino in science classrooms and a review of language policies to strengthen equitable and meaningful science learning.
Downloads
References
Alhamami, M. (2023). Instructional communi-cation and medium of instruction: A study on proficiency and learning outcomes. SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/215824402311 72713
Alvarez, J. I., & Galman, A. S. M. A. (2023). Use of Filipino language as medium of instruc-tion in teaching advanced algebra class. European Journal of Science, Innovation & Technology, 3(2), 157-171. Retrieved from https://ejsit- jour-nal.com/index.php/ejsit/article/vie w/192
Baniqued, W. B., & Bautista, R. G. (2024). Teachers’ preparedness on pedagogical practices in K-12 science education: Foundations for crafting an effective sci-ence program. American Journal of Edu-cational Research, 12(8), 291-297. https://doi.org/10.12691/education-12- 8-1
Bernhofer, J., & Tonin, M. (2022). The effect of the language of instruction on academic performance. Labour Economics, 78, Arti-cle 102218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2022.1 02218
Buar, C. L., & Aure, K. L. (2022). Effects of using mother tongue as a medium of instruction for a physics class. Asia Pacific Journal of Advanced Education & Technology, 1(2), 29-37. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.681370 6
Deauna-Eusebio, R. (2007, October 24). Filipino? Or English? A study on the effect of medium of instruction on student performance in NASC 3 Physics in Every-day Life. Proceedings of the 25th Sama-hang Pisika ng Pilipinas Physics Con-gress. https://proceedings.spp- online.org/article/view/SPP-2007-1A- 02
Department of Education. (2012). Guidelines on the implementation of the mother tongue- based multilingual education (MTB-MLE). DepEd Order No. 16, s. 2012. https://www.deped.gov.ph/2012/02/17/ do-16-s-2012-guidelines-on-the-implementation-of-the-mother-tongue-based-multilingual-education-mtb-mle/
Department of Education. (2016). K to 12 curriculum guide: Science. https://www.deped.gov.ph/k-to- 12/about/k-to-12-basic-education- cur-riculum/
Diate, K., & Mordeno, I. C. (2021). Filipino Phys-ics Teachers' Teaching Challenges and Perception of Essential Skills for a Sup-portive Learning Environment. Asia Re-search Network Journal of Education, 1(2), 61-76. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2435- 5240.2021.3
Diestro, D. (2023). Exploring students’ perfor-mance using lingua franca in science edu-cation: A study of Grade Ten students in Capiz, Philippines. F1000Research, 12, Ar-ticle 1439. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research. 141170.1
Dizon, Aljean Russel, Efficiency of Using Filipi-no Language in Enhancing Comprehen-sion in Teaching Science (June 05, 2025). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5283263 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5283263
Dizon, A. R. (2025). Efficiency of using Filipino language in enhancing student participa-tion and comprehension in science instruc-tion. SSRN. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5283263
Domingo, D. R. (2016). Content area effective-ness: English vs. Filipino medium of in-struction. PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 2 (1 Special Issue), 929-944. https://doi.org/10.20319/pijss 2016.s21. 15141529
Igarashi, T., Maulana, S., & Suryadarma, D. (2024). Mother tongue-based education in a diverse society and the acquisition of foundational skills: Evidence from the Philippines. Labour Economics, 91, 102641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2024.10 2641
Karlsson, A., Nygård Larsson, P., & Jakobsson, A. (2020). The continuity of learning in a translanguaging science classroom. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 15(1), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-019- 09933-y
Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. (n.d.). Kasaysa-yan ng wikang Filipino. Retrieved October 31, 2025, from https://kwf.gov.ph/kasaysayan-ng- wikang-filipino/
Macaro, E., Curle, S., Pun, J., An, J., & Dearden, J. (2018). A systematic review of English medium instruction in higher education. Language Teaching, 51(1), 36–76. https://doi.org/10.1017/S02614448170 00350
Marquez, F. F. (2015). Formulating guidelines for policy making: Word lists and transla-tion of science terminology into Filipino. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 208, 195–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.1 1.192
Melegrito, M. C. P. (2022). The use of Filipino and English as mediums of instruction in the teaching of engineering courses at the tertiary level. European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences, 11(3), pp-668. ISSN: 1805-3602
Minoza, J., Albiso, M. C., Armas, A. K., & Cal-isang, A. (2024). EMI or bilingual instruc-tion? An experimental study in the teach-ing of oral communication among Philip-pine senior high school students. Interna-tional Journal of Education, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.17509/ije.v17i1.6145 6
Mönch, C., & Markić, S. (2022). Science teach-ers’ pedagogical scientific language knowledge: A systematic review. Educa-tion Sciences, 12(7), 497. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci120704 97
Morales, M. P. (2013). Culture and language integration in physics education (CLIIPE). In ICERI2013 Proceedings (pp. 5601– 5611). IATED. ISSN: 2340-1095
Morales, M. P. E. (2017). Exploring indigenous game-based physics activities in pre- ser-vice physics teachers’ conceptual change and transformation of epistemic beliefs. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(5), 1377–1409. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2017.0 0676a
Pierson, A. E., Clark, D. B., & Brady, C. E. (2021). Scientific modeling and translanguaging: A multilingual and mul-timodal approach to support science learning and engagement. Science Educa-tion, 105(4), 776–813. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21622
Redish, E. F. (2003). A theoretical framework for physics education research: Modeling student thinking. IOS Press.
Rossell, C., & Baker, K. (1996). The educational effectiveness of bilingual education. Re-search in the Teaching of English, 30(1), 7-74. https://doi.org/10.58680/rte199615328
Rutt, A. A., et al. (2023). Examining preserv-ice science teachers’ implementation of language-support practices in classrooms. Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21775
Santiago, J. G., & Dagdag, J. D. (2021). The effect of mother tongue-based multilingual edu-cation on science achievement and meta-cognitive learning orientations of Ilocano Grade 3 pupils: Implications for policy and practice. Journal of Research, Policy & Practice of Teachers and Teacher Educa-tion, 11(2), 46–58. https://doi.org/10.37134/jrpptte.vol11.2. 4.2021
Sultana, S., & Fang, F. (2024). English as the medium of instruction and mother-tongue- based translanguaging: Chal-lenges and prospects for tertiary educa-tion. International Journal of Educational Development, 104, 102951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023. 102951
Tabuyo, A. T. (2019). An alternative to English: Filipino as medium of instruction in teaching geometry. Asian EFL Journal Ar-ticles, 23(3).
Translanguaging in Science. (2024). Swirling around translanguaging spaces of mean-ing. International Journal of Science Edu-cation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2024. 2444439
Van Pinxteren, B. (2023). The relevance of me-dium of instruction and mother tongue for different types of educational systems. International Journal of Educational De-velopment, 103, 102923. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102923
Velasco, Y. P. (2024). The interplay between language ideologies and Mother Tongue- Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) policy implementation in the Philippines. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 34, 765–775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024- 00894-7
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The de-velopment of higher psychological pro-cesses (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman, Eds.; A. R. Luria, M. Lopez-Morillas, & M. Cole, Trans.). Har-vard University Press.
Walter, S. L., & Dekker, D. E. (2011). other- tongue instruction in Lubuagan: A case study from the Philippines. International Review of Education, 57, 667–683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-011- 9246-4
Downloads
Published
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Aljahir S. Abdulrahman, Samirudin L. Ali, Joel C. Arenas, Alibai L. Unsi, Solayha A. Sam

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access).














