The Effect of a Program Based on Preventive Educational Support Strategies on Improving the Academic Achievement of Low-Achieving Students in English

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a program based on Preventive Educational Support Strategies in improving the academic achievement of low-achieving students in English. To achieve the study objectives, the researcher designed an instructional program based on Preventive Educational Support Strategies consisting of 20 English language lessons supported by a variety of appropriate learning activities.

The study employed a one-group quasi-experimental design using pre-test and post-test measures. The participants comprised 40 ninth-grade low-achieving students from Al-Najah Asabah Basic and Secondary School in Al-Shamayatayn District, Taiz Governorate, Yemen. The sample was selected purposively. To assess students' academic achievement, the researcher developed an achievement test consisting of seven questions covering five domains: reading comprehension, grammar and language structures, translation, verbs, and vocabulary. The validity and reliability of the instrument were established prior to its administration before and after the implementation of the program.

The findings revealed statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test mean scores at the significance level of α ≤ .05, with the post-test scores significantly outperforming the pre-test scores. The results demonstrated substantial improvement across all test domains, indicating that the program effectively enhanced students' academic achievement in English. Moreover, the overall mean score increased from 0.50 in the pre-test to 0.77 in the post-test, representing an improvement of 54%. This considerable gain provides strong evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed program in enhancing the academic achievement of low-achieving ninth-grade students.

Based on these findings, the study recommends that English language teachers adopt a gradual instructional approach that progresses from simple to more complex learning tasks, diversify classroom activities, and integrate educational platforms, internet access, and digital technologies into classroom instruction. Furthermore, future experimental studies are recommended to investigate the effectiveness of Preventive Educational Support programs in improving students' academic achievement and learning motivation across different subjects and educational stages.