Fishbowl Discussion as an Instructional Intervention in Social Studies: Evidence from a Philippine Grade 8 Classroom

Abstract

The study examined the use of fishbowl discussion as an instructional strategy for improving Grade 8 students’ written assessment performance in Araling Panlipunan, particularly on the topic of European power expansion. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study involved 39 students from a laboratory high school in the northern Philippines with complete paired pretest and posttest scores. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, while qualitative data from interviews with ten purposively selected students were analyzed thematically. Results showed that students’ mean scores increased from 8.82 to 15.44 out of 30, indicating a movement from poor to good performance. The improvement was statistically significant, p < .001. Qualitative findings further revealed that students perceived fishbowl discussion as helpful in deepening understanding, promoting engagement, building confidence, and supporting peer-assisted learning. However, some students also reported challenges, particularly speaking pressure and limited time for individual study. Although the one-group design limits causal claims, the findings suggest that fishbowl discussion can be a useful learner-centered strategy in social studies instruction when supported by clear roles, structured guidelines, and inclusive facilitation.