The Effectiveness of Paraphrastic Approach in Teaching Philippine Literary Prose to Grade 9 Students of Tabaco National High School

This study investigated the effectiveness of the paraphrastic approach in teaching Philippine literary prose to Grade 9 students at Tabaco National High School during School Year 2025–2026. Using a quasi-experimental design, sixty-six students were divided into control and experimental groups. The control group was taught using traditional methods, while the experimental group was exposed to paraphrastic strategies. A teacher-made pre-test and post-test assessed performance across seven competencies, including identifying bias, analyzing partiality, and relating literary messages to real-life issues. Results revealed no significant difference between groups in the pre-test, but a statistically significant improvement was observed in the experimental group’s post-test scores. The paraphrastic approach enhanced mastery in competencies such as analyzing content and reacting to critical issues, though challenges remained in relating literature to real-life concerns and evaluating truthfulness of ideas. Findings suggest that paraphrastic strategies foster deeper comprehension, critical thinking, and communicative competence. Enhanced lesson plans were developed to address least mastered skills. The study concludes that paraphrastic pedagogy is a viable intervention for improving literacy and appreciation of Philippine prose.