Enhancing Fish Cage Construction Skills: Effectiveness of Climb the Ladder to Aquaculture Success (CLAS) Among Grade 9 Students

Abstract

Fish cage construction competency in Grade 9 constitutes an essential prerequisite for Grade 10 promotion and TESDA certification for Aquaculture NC II; however, students consistently demonstrate deficient practical skills. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study evaluated the Climb the Ladder to Aquaculture Success (CLAS), a constructivist, gamified intervention, among 35 Grade 9 aquaculture students at the Ilocos Norte Regional School of Fisheries (INRSF) using total enumeration sampling. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used to measure practical skill gains, supported by thematic analysis of interviews with six purposively selected participants. The assessment rubric, validated through expert judgment using Aiken's V index (above 0.80) and an excellent inter-rater reliability of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.72–0.93, p < 0.001), demonstrated significant improvement from 41% MPS (M = 8.20, SD = 4.10; "Average") pre- intervention to 91% MPS (M = 18.20, SD = 2.17; "Closely Approximating Mastery") post-intervention. Distribution analysis showed that 94% of students achieved the top two mastery levels (Mastered and Closely Approximating Mastery), confirmed by a paired-samples t-test (t (34) = 18.22, p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 3.08; “Very Large Effect”). Assumptions of normality were verified using the Shapiro–Wilk test (p > .05). Qualitative themes revealed enhanced motivation, step-by-step mastery reinforcement, task readiness, and practical confidence, addressing cognitive obstacles in sequential skill development. Study limitations include a single-group design and a single-site sample, suggesting future research incorporate control groups, delayed post-tests, and multi-institution sampling. CLAS effectively transforms practical aquaculture competencies, providing a scalable, low-cost model for TVL programs. Its structured gamification aligns with constructivist principles, fostering psychomotor proficiency and engagement essential for fisheries workplace readiness.