Literature-Based Activity Sheets and Grade 10 Learners’ Argumentative and Persuasive Writing Performance

Abstract

This study examined changes in Grade 10 learners’ performance in argumentative and persuasive writing after instruction using literature-based activity sheets. A one-group pretest–posttest design was implemented at Teresa National High School in Rizal, Philippines, during the third quarter of School Year 2025–2026. The intervention integrated scaffolded writing tasks with summarized versions of Langston Hughes’s “Thank You, Ma’am” and Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace.” Learners’ outputs were evaluated using rubrics validated by education specialists and classroom practitioners; three Grade 10 English teachers independently scored each output, and their ratings were averaged. Descriptive statistics and dependent-samples t tests were used to analyze performance. The reported overall mean increased from 17.10 (SD = 5.66) before instruction to 34.93 (SD = 12.36) after instruction, out of 60 points. Mean scores increased in argumentative essay writing, persuasive essay writing, and the use of varied writing techniques. The source analysis reported statistically significant pretest–posttest differences for all three competencies and for the combined score (all p < .001). These findings suggest that scaffolded, literature-based activity sheets may support students’ essay-writing performance. However, the one-group design, absence of pilot testing, limited instructional period, and inconsistent sample-size description warrant caution when interpreting the results and limit causal conclusions.