Learning in the MCU-GET Preparation Course via FSA Strategy Functional Sentence Analysis

Abstract

The objectives of this research article were to: (1) investigate the English proficiency problems of learners in the MCU-GET preparation course utilizing the Functional Sentence Analysis (FSA) strategy; (2) examine the effects of learners’ attitudes on their learning outcomes using the FSA strategy; and (3) analyze the relationship between the instructional outcomes and the learners' actual MCU-GET test scores. Utilizing a quantitative research methodology, the research population consisted of 45 graduate students, from which a sample of 39 students was selected through the simple random sampling technique. The research instruments comprised a four-skill instructional package developed by extracting frequently miscoded grammatical structures from past exams, PowerPoint-based animation media, and a 5-point Likert scale attitude questionnaire. The instruments yielded an Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) index of 0.760 and a reliability coefficient of 0.972. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and One-Sample t-test. The research findings revealed that: (1) Learners' Problems: The majority of learners (38.5%–46.2%) experienced difficulties across listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Specifically, these included problems in learning pronunciation combined with writing (30.8%), writing combined with grammar (25.6%), and writing alone (20.5%). (2) Effects of Attitudes on Learning Outcomes: Learners' attitudes exerted statistically significant effects on learning outcomes in 4 dimensions. Ranked from the highest to lowest impact, these were: instructional process (p = 0.664), instructor’s teaching capability (p = 0.700, indicating an inverse relationship), FSA strategy (p = 0.495), and attitude toward the English language (p = 0.328). The remaining 4 dimensions showed no statistically significant effects (p > 0.05). (3) Relationship with actual MCU-GET Scores: Overall, the correlation between the FSA instructional outcomes and the test scores was not statistically significant at the 0.05 level. However, a comparative analysis of the subgroup that took the exam more than once revealed that their average scores increased from 57.67 to 70.33, representing a total improvement of 21.95%. This demonstrates that the FSA strategy can significantly elevate learners' MCU-GET scores.