Oral Participation Challenges and Strategies Among English Major Students at Mindanao State University-Sulu

Abstract

This study examined the oral participation challenges and strategies among 132 English major students at Mindanao State University–Sulu during the School Year 2025–2026. Utilizing a descriptive–correlational research design, the study assessed the extent of student-related and teacher-related challenges, as well as the strategies students employed to enhance their oral English proficiency. Demographic data revealed that the majority of respondents were aged 21–23, predominantly female, and came from low-income households with college-educated parents.  The findings indicated that student-related challenges, particularly linguistic concerns like pronunciation (x̄ = 3.05) and grammatical errors (x̄ = 3.03), were generally experienced by respondents (Total x̄ = 2.8561), whereas teacher-related challenges were only moderately perceived (Total x̄ = 1.8879). Despite these difficulties, students actively engaged in self-directed improvement strategies (Total x̄ = 3.2091), such as self-correction (x̄ = 3.38), reading for comprehension (x̄ = 3.36), and reading books for vocabulary (x̄ = 3.32). Statistical analyses using T-tests and ANOVA showed no significant differences in challenges or strategies based on age, gender, or parents' educational attainment. However, a significant difference was found in teacher-related challenges when respondents were grouped by parents' average monthly income (p = 0.043). Correlation analysis revealed no significant relationship between student-related challenges, teacher-related challenges, and the strategies employed. The study concludes that internal linguistic and psychological factors are the primary barriers to participation, rather than instructional practices, and recommends that administrators and teachers implement supportive programs and interactive strategies to build student confidence.