ASSESSING THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACHIEVEMENT AMONG PUBLIC JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE DIVISION OF SULU

Abstract

English language achievement is shaped by a complex interplay of academic and social factors, particularly in multilingual educational settings where learners navigate multiple linguistic and cultural identities. Despite extensive research on English language learning, empirical evidence from geographically and culturally distinct contexts such as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) remains limited. This study examined the academic and social factors affecting English language achievement among public junior high school students in the Division of Sulu. Specifically, it assessed the levels of academic and social factors, determined students' English language achievement based on Grade Point Average (GPA), examined differences across selected demographic characteristics, and analyzed the relationships between these factors and English language achievement. Employing a quantitative descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 200 public junior high school students using an adapted survey questionnaire, while students' English GPA was obtained from official school records. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson product-moment correlation were utilized for data analysis. The findings revealed that respondents generally perceived both academic and social factors as influential to English language achievement, with academic factors receiving higher ratings. Students demonstrated a satisfactory level of English language achievement. Significant differences were observed in academic factors according to parents' monthly income and in social factors according to age and grade level, while English language achievement differed only across parents' monthly income. Furthermore, academic factors exhibited a significant positive relationship with English language achievement, whereas social factors showed no significant association. These findings emphasized the importance of strengthening instructional practices while recognizing the influence of learners' socioeconomic and multilingual contexts in designing responsive English language education programs.