EFFECTS OF LARONG PINOY AS A PLAY-BASED LEARNING STRATEGY IN TEACHING ASIAN HISTORY

In addressing multifaceted issues impacting academic engagement, learning, and overall performance, this action research aligns with the objectives of the "Traditional Games and Sports Act of 2010." This legislation aims to preserve Filipino identity and culture. This research enhances grade 7 students' mastery of Asian history by fostering interest, participation, a positive attitude, and developing essential values. Employing a Quasi-Experimental, non-equivalent group design, the researcher implemented the lesson "Kontribusyon ng Timog at Kanlurang Asya at ang Pagkakakilanlan ng Kulturang Asyano" during the third quarter, involving 69 grade 7 students from Regional Science High School III, A.Y. 2022-2023, divided into Controlled and Experimental Groups. Utilizing various descriptive analyses such as Shapiro-Wilk, Wilcoxon Signed Test, Kruskal-Wallis Test, and Pairwise Comparisons of Groups, the study revealed a significant improvement in post-test scores for both groups. Learners strongly agreed that the Play-Based Learning Strategy positively contributed to their academic development. This research established a noteworthy connection between learners' academic performance and perception of the employed strategy. Recommendations include expanding the sample size to 90% of the population and integrating the strategy more frequently for comprehensive data collection, emphasizing the importance of soliciting learner feedback on strategy implementation in the classroom.