Effectiveness And Acceptability Of Audio Amplifier Trainer

ABSTRACT


INTRODUCTION
Instructional materials are human and nonhuman materials and utilities that can support, inspire, strengthen, and stimulate teaching and learning activities. They are any resources that are employed during the teaching process. They are a vast group of resources that could help teachers be more effective. (2015, IGI Global). Teaching and learning activities use various methods defined by the tools used to assist the learner in grasping the concept. (Mulwa et al., 2020). The Model and the Mock-up represent a somewhat different class of concrete teaching materials than the object and the specimen. These teaching materials have a definite place in the teacher's approach to a unit of instruction (Blanc, n.d).Educators who can provide direct, real-world experience to students, particularly in Vocational High School, are ideal for the learning process. If this is impossible, it can be provided using a computer program and the experience of imitation, dramatizations, demonstrations, field experience, modeling, or simulation. (Ramadhan et al., 2017). The study used a mock-up to show the fundamental issues of using g an audio amplifier as a teaching tool. Instructional aides are devices that assist a teacher in the teaching-learning process. Instead (Part One: Instructional Aids and Training Technologies, 2020). Ex presidential learning is founded on the premise that the best way to improve new things is via experiences.
(2020, Western Governors University) The constructivist approach is a widely recognized learning philosophy educators use to engage students to enhance learning. The philosophy mentioned above is based on the notion that people actively construct or make their ideas, and the learning experiences shape their reality. (Western Governors University, 2020b).
Simulations are a type of experiential learning. It is a strategy that adheres to student-centered and constructivist learning and teaching principles. (Simulations | UNSW Teaching Staff Gateway, 2018). The learner gains knowledge by doing things on their own. Actual hands-on experiences are used to learn. (Dale's Cone of Experience, n.d.). With this instructional device, students had hands-on experience in learning the basic troubleshooting of an audio amplifier.
Under the technical vocational livelihood track, Service Consumer Electronic Products and Systems is one of the core competencies under Electronic Products Assembly and Servicing. It encompasses the technical skills and practices required to install consumer electronic products, services, and systems. A combination of formal education and on-the-job experience is the cornerstone of vocational education. (Rahman and colleagues, 2014).
Installing, maintaining, and repairing audio-video products/systems, as well as household electronic appliances and home security systems, are all necessary to service consumer electronic devices and systems. TESDA (TESDA, 2013). In acquiring this qualification, the learner must accomplish different competencies through various activities, such as practical demonstrations for developing knowledge and skills (McClure, n.d.). Access to and use of oratory materials in a subject strongly correlate with student performance in a particular topic. (Olufunke, 2012). The lack of available instructional material led the researcher to come up with the study to address the need to teach the basic troubleshooting of an audio amplifier.
In servicing audio amplifiers, transistor failure is the most common cause of trouble in direct-coupled amplifiers. Usually, two or more transistors fail. Ohmmeter in-circuit tests of all the transistors in the chain of transistors usually pinpoint defective ones. The DC operation of each transistor in a direct-coupled amplifier depends on one another. It means that one lousy affects the operation of the others in the amplifier (Pagarigan, n.d).
This research aimed to develop an instructional device called an audio amplifier trainer.
The primary objective of this instructional device is to simulate the fundamental troubles of a transistorized audio amplifier. Another object of this instructional device is to demonstrate to the students the basic troubleshooting technique of an audio amplifier instead of the usual amplifier system. This will address the problem of the availability of an audio amplifier system to be used in an actual classroom setup.
The instructional device provides basic troubleshooting and servicing of the typical troubles of a transistorized audio amplifier, such as no audio, distant sorted, and weak sound. It likewise provoffersortunities to test electronic components (resistor, capacitor, and transistor), volts age reading,d checking open and short circuits. A further objective of this instructional device is to provide economic advantages by using a simple amplifier circuit with simulation switches connected across the different portions of the course for the simulation of the primary troubles rather than using an audio amplifier unit which is expensive and impractical in learning the basic troubleshooting of an audio amplifier.
In this research, the respondents were Grade 12 Senior High School (SHS) students specializing in Electronics. It aimed to answer the following questions: 1) What is the level of acceptability of the audio amplifier trainer in terms of (a) portability, (b) usability, and (c) content; and 2) What is the level of effectiveness of the audio amplifier trainer in teaching audio servicing?

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
This research aims to develop a utility model called an audio amplifier trainer. The primary objective of this utility model is to simulate the fundamental troubles of a transistorized audio amplifier. Another object of this utility model is to demonstrate to the students the basic troubleshooting technique of an audio amplifier instead of the usual amplifier system. It will address the problem of the availability of an audio amplifier system to be used in an actual classroom setup.
The utility model provides basic troubleshooting and servicing of the typical troubles of a transistorized audio amplifier, such as no audio, distant sorted, and weak sound. It likewise provoffersortunities to test electronic components (resistor, capacitor, and transistor), volts age reading, and checking open and short circuits. A further objective of this utility model is to provide economic advantages by using a simple amplifier circuit with simulation switches connected across the different portions of the circuit for the simulation of the primary troubles rather than using an audio amplifier unit which is expensive and impractical in learning the basic troubleshooting of an audio amplifier. The data gathered strictly adhered to research norms and ethics, the Data Privacy Act was followed, and their information was used solely for research purposes.

METHODS
The research method used in this study is the exploratory sequential approach. The experimental research method was employed in this study to analyze and interpret the data gathered from the expert's acceptability of the instructional device using an adopted and modified questionnaire to evaluate the device in terms of portability, usability, and content.
Acceptability relates to whether a pa the target respondents will take a particular intervention or its elements and how well they will suit the demands of the target demographic and organizational setting. (Also called adaptability, Green & Kreuter, 1999; Steckler & Linnan,  design. The control group is the one that will not get the treatment or intervention that they want. (Frey B, 2018). The researcher administered a post-test to measure the student's performance after being applied to the treatment to measure the effectiveness of the instructional device.
For the acceptability of the device, the respondents considered in this study were the five purposively selected experts in the field of electronics technology, one (1)

Level of acceptability
The Tables present the technical experts' assessment results based on the trainer's degree of acceptability in terms of ability, usability, and content. (n=5). A portable device is any device that can easily be carried (Techopedia, 2013)-implying that the device is handy or portable.   Table 3. Acceptability of the device as assessed by the experts along with Content  As shown in the table, the evaluation results are the following: a) The weighted mean for portability was 4.8, which is very acceptable, indicating that the device is light in weight and made from locally available materials. b) usability got 4.6 which is very much acceptable and means that the device is easy to manipulate and provides safety for the users. c) It received a weighted mean of 4.6 for the content, which is very acceptable, indicating that the device demonstrates the fundamental problems of an audio amplifier and covers the necessary competencies about the fundamental problems of an audio amplifier. It was evaluated as very much acceptable.

Level of effectiveness
The developed audio amplifier trainer was used in the teaching-learning process by the researcher to determine its effectiveness as an instructional device. The researcher used the post-test-only design in this experiment. The control group used a simple amplifier circuit and lecture method, while the experimental group used the audio amplifier trainer to learn an audio amplifier's basic troubleshooting. Afterward, the post-test and the result of both group tools were statistically treated with a t-test through a computer-generated computation called Simplified Statistics for Beginners (SSB). Table 5 shows the development of the calculation. As reflected in the table, the Null Hypothesis was rejected; hence There is a significant difference in performance between the two groups. The experimental group has a mean score of 90.48, which is higher than the control group's mean score of 75.33. This result suggests that students' performance using the audio amplifier trainer is superior to that of students using the conventional instructional device. As a result, the trainer is a highly effective instructional tool for troubleshooting audio amplifiers.

CONCLUSION
The audio amplifier trainer was made possible using available materials in the area. The expert rated the instructional device as Very Much Acceptable in terms of portability, usability, and content. The trainer effectively demonstrated the primary troubles of an audio amplifier, revealing a significant difference in performance between the controlled and experimental groups. It shows that the trainer is an effective instructional device. The researcher recommends that further developmental studies be conducted on the design and packaging

RECOMMENDATION
Based on the summary of findings and the conclusion reached, the following are recommended: