Philippine E-Journals

Fishbowl Discussion as an Instructional Intervention in Social Studies: Evidence from a Philippine Grade 8 Classroom

Shiela Donato | Paula Katleen Elveña | Francis Dave Mabborang | Evelyn Balbalec | Maria Rita Flores | Rhea A Quileza

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

The study examined whether fishbowl discussion was associated with changes in Grade 8 students' written assessment performance in Araling Panlipunan, particularly on the topic of European power expansion. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study involved 39 students from a laboratory high school in the northern Philippines with complete paired pretest and posttest scores. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, while qualitative data from inter- views with ten purposively selected students were analyzed themat- ically. Results showed that mean scores increased from 8.82 to 15.44 out of 30, corresponding to a shift in the mean performance classifi- cation from poor to good. The pretest-posttest difference was statis- tically significant, W = 34.50, p < .001, with a large matched-pairs rank-biserial correlation, r = .90. Qualitative findings further revealed that students perceived fishbowl discussion as helpful in deepening understanding, promoting engagement, building confidence, and sup- porting peer-assisted learning. However, some students also re- ported challenges, particularly speaking pressure and limited time for individual study. Although the one-group design limits causal claims, the findings suggest that fishbowl discussion can be a useful learner-centered strategy in social studies instruction when sup- ported by clear roles, structured guidelines, and inclusive facilitation.