A Comparative Study On The Visibility of School Signages Between Grade 9 and 10 Students in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College For The School Year 2019-2020

OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOR COLLEGE
General Ordonez St., Concepcion Uno, Marikina City

S.Y. 2019-2020
Senior High School
A Comparative Study on the Visibility of School Signages between Grade 9 and 10
Students in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College for the School Year 2019-2020
by
De Guzman, David Timothy B.
Bitoon, Aira B.
Fernandez, John Carlo P.
Bacus, Christine Mae D.
Atayan, John Renier B.
Cosas, Godwin Diesel P.
A thesis submitted to Ms. Abiguel C. Cabarles
In partial fulfillment of the requirements in Practical Research 2
October 2019
ii
ABSTRACT
This study is entitled "A Comparative Study on the Visibility of School Signages
between Grade 9 and Grade 10 Students in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College for the
School Year 2019-2020". It was conducted to determine the visibility of the school
signages in terms of conspicuity and legibility amongst the students of grades 9 and 10 of
Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College and to see if there is a significant difference on
how grade 9 and 10 students find the visibility of the school signages. The researchers
used survey questionnaires that were divided into two categories: conspicuity and
legibility, in order to gather data that will support the said study. The researchers also
used simple random sampling to choose the eighty one respondents from grade 9 and
eighty respondents from grade 10. The results revealed that the grade 9 students found
the signages to be visibly conspicuous most of the time, but always visibly legible. On the
other hand, grade 10 students found the signages to be visibly conspicuous and legible
most of the time.
In conclusion, the grade 9 and grade 10 students have similar ways of deducing
the visibility of a school signage in terms of its conspicuity, but have different ways in
terms of its legibility.
Keywords: conspicuity, legibility, school signages, visibility

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
ABSTRACT........................................................................................................... ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................................................................... iii
LIST OF FIGURES………………........................................................................ vi
LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………... vii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................... viii
DEDICATION........................................................................................................ ix
CHAPTER 1—THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Introduction................................................................................................. 1
Statement of the Problem............................................................................ 3
Hypothesis................................................................................................... 3
Significance of the Study............................................................................. 4
Scope and Delimitations.............................................................................. 6
Definition of Terms...................................................................................... 7
CHAPTER 2— REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
Related Literature........................................................................................ 9
Related Studies............................................................................................ 14
Conceptual Framework............................................................................... 17
Synthesis...................................................................................................... 18
CHAPTER 3—METHODOLOGY
Research Design........................................................................................... 23
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Research Locale........................................................................................... 24
Participants................................................................................................ 24
Instrument.................................................................................................. 25
Data Gathering Procedure.......................................................................... 26
Treatment of Data....................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 4— PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION
OF DATA …............................................................................................... 28
The Visibility of School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and Legibility
among Grade 9 Students.............................................................................. 28
The Visibility of School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and Legibility
among Grade 10 Students............................................................................ 30
The Significant Difference of the Visibility of School Signages between
Grade 9 and 10 Students in terms of:
Conspicuity....................................................................................... 33
Legibility…....................................................................................... 35
CHAPTER 5— SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND
RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................. 38
Summary....................................................................................................... 39
Findings........................................................................................................ 41
Conclusions................................................................................................... 41
Implications................................................................................................... 42
Recommendations......................................................................................... 30
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 42
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APPENDICES.……………………………………………………………………. 48
A. Letter of Request for the Population of Old Grade 9
and 10 students……….................................................................................. 49
B. Cover Letter………………….................................................................. 50
C. Survey Questionnaire………..................................................................... 51
D. Computed Mean per Respondent………………………………………... 53

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LIST OF FIGURES
PAGE
Figure 2.1 Conceptual Framework……….…….………………………………… 17

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LIST OF TABLES
PAGE
Table 4.1 Sample Average Weighted Mean of the Visibility
of the School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and
Legibility among Grade 9 students ……….…….……………………… 29
Table 4.2 Sample Average Weighted Mean of the Visibility
of the School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and
Legibility among Grade 10 students ……….…….…………………….. 31
Table 4.3 The Significant Difference of the Visibility of Signages
in terms of Conspicuity between Grade 9 and Grade 10
students……….…….…………………………………………………...... 33
Table 4.4 The Significant Difference of the Visibility of Signages
in terms of Legibility between Grade 9 and Grade 10
students……….…….……………………………………………………... 35
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First and foremost, the researchers would like to thank our Almighty God for
giving them the knowledge, patience, and the will to do this research.
The researchers are grateful to everyone who gave academic, emotional, financial,
and spiritual support to them throughout the course of this research.
The researchers are especially thankful for the aspiring guidance, invaluably
constructive criticism and friendly advice of their research teacher, Ms. Abiguel C.
Cabarles, who actually suggested this research topic to the researchers, and panelists Ms.
Gireil M. Mariano and Ms. Joshualyn L. Perdido during the duration of the study. They
are sincerely grateful to them for sharing their truthful and illuminating views on this
thesis.
The researchers would also like to extend their gratitude to Mr. Marco P. Teoxon
for lending his time and skill at the Seminar for Quantitative Research, and
Mrs. Catherine Francisco for providing the needed number of respondents for the
research.
Lastly, the researchers would like to express their warm thanks to all the
respondents who gave their time and effort in answering the questions in the survey
questionnaire.
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For Ms. Abiguel C. Cabarles,
This thesis is the fruit of your teachings for the past five months.
As an expression of our overflowing gratitude, we dedicate this sweet fruit to you.
You have bestowed us with knowledge wholeheartedly; we hope you grade these pages in
the same spirit.

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CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Introduction
Signages, nowadays, are all over one‘s field of vision. Its purpose may vary from
different forms such as to entertain, to persuade, and to inform. Humans developed
signages, or signs, as a medium to convey messages in just a quick glance. According to
the Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary (2010), a signage ―is the
design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message to a specific group.‖ A
commonly-used design is by means of a placard or a physical sign that can be posted on
walls. Signages are considered to be essential at all aspects that they are virtually utilized
in various fields, few of which are most commonly found in public areas such as
construction sites, shopping malls and most likely, in the vicinity of an educational
institution. In the context of education, signages help remind and instill instruction and
rules to students in which they contribute to the development of students‘
accustomization towards them. Therefore, a signage should be able to fulfill its purpose/s
in order to make the most impact in delivering its desired message to anyone who will be
able to see it. However, there are times that these signages lack effectiveness in their
purpose, or fail in what they are intended to do.
Furthermore, not every student is knowledgeable to the purpose of the signages
they see due to the certain factors that can affect them, with one being their visibility.
Visibility refers to the degree of clearness of an object which can be subdivided into two:
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conspicuity and legibility. Bullough (2017) defined conspicuity as the obviousness of the
sign, while legibility refers to a sign‘s readability or capability of being seen. For
instance, if junior high school students tend to ignore signs that say ―ONE LINE
POLICY‖ due to its obscurity in terms of its placement along the hall, this affects its
conspicuity. On the other hand, if the signs are also too small, or are not engaging
enough to be noticed, it lacks legibility. In these kinds of situations, it is obvious that due
to the lacking of the signs itself, students are or will be unable to follow the signs they
see.
With this, the researchers were committed to knowing the differences that might
be present in terms of visibility among the signages posted around the between the
grades 9 and 10 students of the junior high school department so as to know if these
signages serve their purpose toward its students. The researchers also analyzed the
specific details, such as the texts, symbols, and general message, of the signages in order
to determine what the signs lack and how it affects the understanding of the students
towards it.
Needless to say, it was the researchers‘ desire to conduct a study about the
signages posted around the campus in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College for the
school year 2019-2020 in order to determine the differences of sign visibility if there‘s
any in terms of legibility and conspicuity amongst the students as the purposes of these
signages are tantamount to determine, assess, and solve problems that may transpire,
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leading to further inculcate the student‘s well-being and mandate inside the school
campus.
Statement of the Problem
Signages are posted around Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College. These can be
found in school utilities such as faucets, the learning resource center, the canteen, and
along the corridors amongst other places. Some of these signages have been posted for
already a long time, and yet students still have the tendency to ignore them. In this
regard, the researchers attempted to answer the following research questions for this
study:
1. How do grade 9 students find the visibility of school signages in terms of:
a. conspicuity?
b. legibility?
a. conspicuity?
b. legibility?
3. Is there a significant difference between how grade 9 and 10 students observe the
visibility of signages in terms of:
a. conspicuity?
b. legibility?
4
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is an expected outcome which can only be used in quantitative
studies and not in qualitative (Highfield, n.d., as cited in Apolonio & Basilan, 2017,
p. 111). They further elaborated that a hypothesis must contain an independent and
dependent variable.
For this study, the researchers derived their hypothesis from their statements of
the problem. Specifically, the researchers‘ hypothesis is patterned after the third
statement of the problem:
Is there a significant difference between how grade 9 and 10 students observe the
visibility of school signages in terms of:
a. conspicuity?
b. legibility?
The constructed hypothesis is as follows:
There is no significant difference on the visibility of school signages in terms of
conspicuity and legibility between the students of grade 9 and grade 10.
Significance of the Study
This current study is significant in the development of a core value that every
OLOPSCian must have, but nowadays many lack; responsibility, which is reflected
through the adherence to signages of the school. This research aimed to determine the
difference of how grade 9 and 10 students find the visibility of signages in terms of
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conspicuity and legibility. Before the comparison was done, the researchers first
determined individually how the grade 9 and 10 students found the visibility of signs.
The results of this study will be of great help to the junior high school students,
other OLOPSCians, administrators, teachers, and future researchers.
The Junior High School students will benefit the most as the study is conducted
in their department, specifically in the grade 9 and 10 levels. This will help them in
determining if the signages are able to serve their purpose in terms of their visibility.
Other OLOPSCians, such as the senior high school students, will also benefit
from this study as it gives them an idea on how to properly follow the signages posted in
the campus based from their visibility.
OLOPSC administrators may use this research for possible modifications of
the current signages posted around the campus with regards to their visibility.
OLOPSC teachers will also benefit from this study as it gives them an idea of
whether or not the visibility of signages affects how students see, understand, and
respond to these signs.
The future researchers of studies related to this topic can use the information
presented in this research as additional literature, evidence, reference, or source for their
future investigations.
Aside from the people mentioned above, the findings that will be presented from
this study may also serve as a guide for other institutions in creating or modifying their
own signs.
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Scope and Delimitations
The current study mainly focused on comparing the visibility of the signages
posted around the campus based on the respondents‘ answers which are the students of
grade 9 and 10, excluding the transferees from the said levels. The researchers
disseminated surveys which are patterned to the researched evaluation tool by Bullough
(date?). The respondents came from grades 9 and 10 only due to the reason that they are
already accustomed with the junior high school department and the signs posted around
it. With the use of the Slovin‘s formula for each grade level, 81 students from the grade 9
level while 80 students from the grade 10 level were surveyed. The study was conducted
in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, Marikina City from August 2019 to October
2019.
In this current study, 81 students coming from grade 9 and 80 students coming
from grade 10 served as the respondents. The researchers selected the respondents
according to the following criteria: 1) they must be an old, grade 9 or 10 student in junior
high school in OLOPSC; 2) they possess a varying degree of knowledge about the
signages posted around OLOPSC; 3) they experienced both following and not following
these signages. The research was conducted in OLOPSC since the respondents was also
obtained within the school campus.

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Definition of Terms
The following terms are defined based on how they will be used in the study:
Comparative refers to the likenesses and dissimilarities of two variables.
Conspicuity refers to an object‘s visibility in terms of its capability to attract
attention or obviousness.
JHS is an acronym for Junior High School students.
Legibility refers to an object‘s visibility in terms of its capability of being seen.
Multistage Random Sampling is a type of unbiased sampling approach that
involves the combination of two or more SRS.
OLOPSC is an acronym for Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College; a private,
non-sectarian School in Marikina City.
OLOPSCian is a student studying or an employee working at Our Lady of
Perpetual Succor College.
Semiosis refers to the transfer of meaning from a sign to its viewer.
Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.
Signage is the design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message to a
specific group.
Simple Random Sampling (SRS) is a type of unbiased sampling approach in
which everyone is given a chance to be a participant in a study.

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Understanding is the depth of knowledge an individual possesses towards a
particular subject.
Visibility refers to the degree of clearness of an object which can be subdivided
into two: conspicuity and legibility.
Visual semiotics is a sub-domain of semiotics that analyzes the way visual
images communicate a message.

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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
Maintaining order and safety or implementing rules and regulations in a school
are heavily done with the use of signages. This is to remind its students about the rules
and regulations that are to be followed or the safety routes that are to be taken and to
simply retain that particular rule or safety measure in every student‘s memory. To further
understand how these signs work, a degree of knowledge pertaining to semiotics,
specifically visual semiotics, must be present. Knowledge about sign visibility in terms
of conspicuity and legibility is also a must. In this regard, this research focused on
comparing the visibility of signages in terms of conspicuity and legibility between the
grade 9 and 10 students in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College. Related literatures and
studies were gathered in this chapter to serve as evidence and to uphold the credibility of
this paper.
Related Literature
Before an individual is able to comprehend what he or she sees from a distance, it
first must be visible. Visibility is a broad terminology that covers many aspects which
certifies the need to narrow down this subject. With this, the two subdivisions of
visibility are legibility and conspicuity. According to Hesselberth, et. al. (2018),
something is only legible if it is presented in an unobstructed, recognizable manner. It
was also mentioned that legibility is tied to comprehension, enjoyment, interest and ease
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of understanding. It is more than just an object‘s capability of being seen; legibility also
pertains to the cohesiveness, or its unobstructability as Hesselberth et. al. (2018) puts it,
of what is being seen, and in the context of signages, it also refers to its conciseness and
use of a simple design which will make that sign recognizable to its intended observers.
On the other hand, conspicuity refers to the relation of the sign itself to its surroundings.
Sarkees and Taylor (2016) stated that in order for a sign to be conspicuous, it must be
able to stand out from its visual surroundings and has a high probability of being noticed.
This means that a sign, in isolation for example, can be legibly visible but not
conspicuous. In other words, for a sign to achieve conspicuity, it must be posted
appropriately in which it can be easily seen and posted strategically in which the
tendency for it to be ignored is low. A conspicuous sign should also be able to relate well
to its surroundings in the sense that it does not serve as an eye sore to the place it is
posted in. The technicalities of a sign, such as its size, font, borders, and colors should
also be considered in order for the sign to be conspicuous.
Furthermore, a signage itself is more complex than what its visibility suggests, but
can be simply and operationally defined as the design or use of signs and symbols to
communicate a message. Vinyline Graphics (n.d.) stated that the creation and
maintenance of school signages is critical when providing information and a safe and
welcoming environment to students. The information provided by these signages may be
about safety and a welcoming environment, as aforementioned; commonly, it is about the
rules and regulations of the school. School signages that communicate a message about
following a particular rule are for the purpose of maintaining discipline in that school.
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The correct usage of signs and symbols will yield to an effective signage in which it will
be able to perform its purpose of properly maintaining discipline in the school it is posted
in.
However, students have the tendency to ignore or shun away the signages they see
in school. This tendency primarily begins when a signage is not able to communicate its
intended meaning or message to the person seeing it. Curtin (2009) wrote that semiotics
is the analysis of the broad representation of languages, images, and objects that
generates meanings or the processes by which we comprehend or attribute meaning. To
simply put it, semiotics refers to the study of signs and signifying practices. What are
being studied here specifically are physical, visual signs, and therefore pertains to a more
specific domain of semiotics termed as visual semiotics. Visual semiotics can be
operationally defined as the sub-domain of semiotics that analyzes the way visual images
communicate a message. In order to understand why some signages are not able to
properly communicate their intended meaning to the person seeing it, one must have a
concrete understanding of visual semiotics first.
Moreover, Charles Peirce, who was widely known as the founder of semiotics and
the proponent behind the semiotic theory, coined the term semiosis which pertains to the
transfer of meaning that the signs created. Crow (2010) expounded on this by saying that
distinctively, Peirce‘s view of semiosis is that it is not a one-way process with a fixed
meaning. It is part of an active process between the sign and the reader of the sign, and is
an exchange between the two that involves some negotiation. In other words, a signage‘s
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communication of a message is not linear, but rather it is a transactional, active process
because a feedback is involved. Whatever message is written on a sign does not have any
arbitrary or fixed meaning; instead, it all depends on the standard that the society has
given to it which impacts the beliefs and culture of the one seeing the sign.
Peirce further explained his semiologist views through his theory on semiotics,
which is represented by ―a triadic model that contains the representamen, the object, and
the interpretant‖ (Baicchi, 2009, p. 205-209). The three trichotomies of Peirce‘s triadic
model are: (a) the representamen, which refers to the sign itself; (b) the object, which
pertains to the reference between a sign and the concept it represents; and (c) the
interpretant, which establishes the relationship between the representamen and the object.
In the illustration of the triadic model of the theory, the representamen and the object are
located on the two lower sides of the triangle, while the interpretant is located on the
upper side. This is to signify that by identifying the relationship of the sign and the
object, an understanding of that relationship can be deduced and established, which will
be the interpretant.
Another key figure in the field of semiotics was Ferdinand de Saussure. Scott
(2019) wrote that Saussure‘s semiology ―brings the valuable significant distinction in
differentiating the form of sign from its concept and meaning while in Peircian
semiology, the sign is linked to its object by the interpretant that offers a promising
framework which to explore the complexity of semiosis‖ (p. 220-221). Scott further
illustrates Saussurian semiology by taking Levi Strauss, a traveller, as an example.

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Strauss ―used Saussurian semiology to identify and reconstruct sign systems as seen to
operate in the indigenous tribes of South America. It enhances his experience as a
subjective individual and enables him to relativize it in relegation to the tribes he wants to
describe scientifically.‖ Basically, Saussurian semiology, as used by Strauss, is the
relationship of a sign with the meaning or message it wants to convey. With Saussurian
semiology, Strauss was able to identify the sign systems that operate in the indigenous
tribes of South America, and reconstruct them in such a way that the manner the signs‘
message was being conveyed was related to the signage itself. On the contrary, another
traveller by the name of Eugene Fromentin ―finds in the arid deserts of North Africa a
terrain as rich for the identification and interpretation of signs (sound, color, form,
movement as well as language and other more acculturated forms of expression) as any
other landscape, in the process of pinpointing mental operations that lend themselves
perfectly to analysis in terms of Peircian semiology‖ (Scott, 2019, p. 220-221). As
mentioned before, semiology to Peirce is an active process between the sign and the
reader of the sign, which is why Fromentin identified the signs that can be openly
interpreted in North Africa for the purpose of understanding the mental operations of the
people who lived there (Scott, 2019).
Furthermore, an individual‘s analysis of a signage may also be affected or
influenced by his or her development as a child or adolescent. Anonat (2009) mentioned
that the long-term store (LTS) is considered to be the permanent store of human
information-processing system which houses various information episodes during one‘s
younger years such as facts, abstract rules that allow you to understand language,
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problem solving strategies, smells, sounds, tastes, feelings and visual images. In simple
terms, the long-term store, or LTS, is a part of the human memory that serves as the
permanent storage of information. One of the forms of information kept in the long-term
store during an individual‘s younger years is visual images. These visual images can be
the cartoons these individuals have watched, the mobile games they have played, the
story books they have read, and of course, the school signages that they saw and observed
as a child.
Related Studies
Bullough (2017) concluded from his study that there are two factors affecting sign
visibility. The first factor is conspicuity which is affected by other smaller factors such
as the size of the sign, the distance of the sign from the observer, and the usage of borders
around the sign. The second factor affecting sign visibility is legibility. This is again
affected by other smaller factors such as the usage of font, font size, and geometric
characteristic, such as width and height which are also reflected on the sign‘s size.
Furthermore, Bessemans (2013) found in her study that a person‘s deduction of legibility
is related to a rather early conditioning with daily reading material in the beginning stages
of reading. In other words, the more that a person reads during their younger years, the
more that they are able to find or perceive visual images or texts to be legible, including
signages. This can be supported by the fact that legibility is synonymous and goes hand-
in-hand with the readability of a signage.

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Moreover, signages that are being used inside a single establishment or institution
have the tendency to be interrelated with one another. Thus, these may be termed as
signage systems. Abhinav (2014) defined signage systems in his study as ―visually
oriented communication and information system consisting of maps, signs, arrows, color
coding systems, gestures, pictograms and different typographic elements. Moreover,
being a system, it is a collection of correlated signs used with a coherent design and
purpose‖ (p. 2). In order for signages to be effective in serving their purpose, they must
not be completely separated from one another. Instead, they should be able to possess a
reasonable degree of relation with one another so that the people that will see these
signages shall be able to understand the message/s it wants to convey properly. However,
Xie (2011) found in her study that there is a lack of relevant data concerning how
individuals perceive, interpret and use the information conveyed by signages despite the
fact that signage systems are important components in an establishment. This goes to
show that studies about signages are either scarce or lacking; this is why it is very vital to
understand signages itself and the messages they want to communicate, and in order to do
so, studying the discipline of semiotics, particularly visual semiotics, must be done.
Kellaris (2011) found in his study that ―effective signage communication is a joint
product of both the signage and the viewer‖ (p. 4). Illustrated here is Peirce‘s theory on
semiotics, in which it is an active process between the sign and the reader of the sign. In
the context of Kellaris‘ study, consumers will buy a product if and only if the signage that
advertises that product is able to convey a clear message that the consumers would be
able to understand. If the signage is not able to communicate its message, then the
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viewer of it will not be able to follow what the signage intended to say. In addition, Parsa
(n.d.) in his study found that the images that people can see around have the tendency to
be so powerful that it is already enough for people to follow them without the use of any
words. With the study of visual semiotics, it is understandable how Parsa deduced the
data that he gathered in his study in order to form this finding. However, almost all
signages that are posted contain words. So, if visual images are already powerful enough
to make people follow the message/s they convey, what more if words are still inserted to
those images to form signs? It goes to prove that signages are indeed powerful mediums
of communicating a message, but then again, they are not always effective as people tend
to forget them eventually. In relation to this, Peirce also described a type of sign called
an icon, which is a relation between a sign and the signified (Wejher, 2015). Wejher also
noted in her study that advertisers use icons in order to leave a mark on consumers‘
minds about certain signages that advertise a particular product. Therefore, in order for a
signage to be memorable or ‗iconic‘, the relationship of the sign itself and the message it
wants to signify must be heavily emphasized.

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Conceptual Framework
18
Synthesis
In this current study, A Comparative Study on the Visibility of School Signages
between Grade 9 and 10 Students in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College for the
School Year 2019-2020, the researchers had gathered related literatures and studies as
connections and relations to factually prove and support this study. The first related
literature is from Hesselberth, et. al. (2018) in their book entitled Legibility in the Age of
Signs and Machines. Here, Hesselberth, et. al. (2018) talked about one of the factors that
affect sign visibility, which is legibility. They stated that an object is on it legible if it is
presented in an unobstructed, recognizable manner. Similarly, the school signages being
utilized in OLOPSC must first be legible in the sense that they are cohesively presented
before they can be noticed by students. Another factor that affects sign visibility is its
conspicuity which Sarkees and Taylor (2016) discussed in their journal article entitled Do
bans on illuminated on-premise signs matter? Balancing environmental impact with the
impact on businesses. They stated that in order for a sign to be conspicuous, it must be
able to stand out from its visual surroundings and has a high probability of being noticed.
In OLOPSC, the visibility of signs, in terms of its conspicuity or noticeability, has been
questioned from time to time due to the fact that some signs do not ―stand out‖ from the
place it is posted on, causing the signs to fail in communicating their intended messages.
Another related literature is from Vinyline Graphics (n.d.) in their article entitled ―School
Signage: Inspiring Excellence and Creativity‖ wherein it is stated that the creation and
maintenance of school signages is critical when providing information, safety, and a
welcoming environment to students. The information provided by these signages are not
just limited to a safe and welcoming environment, but also to a disciplined one in which
19
OLOPSC does with their school signages. Studying these signages falls under the study
of semiotics, which Curtin (2009), in his article entitled ―Semiotics and Visual
Representation‖, defined as the analysis of how representation, in the broad sense
(language, images, objects) generates meanings or the processes by which we
comprehend or attribute meaning. Semiotics, as Curtin puts it, is a broad analysis of
representation, which is why the researchers will focus more on its sub-domain called
visual semiotics, which analyzes the way visual images, such as school signages,
communicate a message. Another related literature comes from Crow (2010) in his book
entitled Visible Signs: An Introduction to Semiotics in the Visual Arts, specifically from
the chapter entitled ―How Meaning is Formed‖. Here, Crow introduces Charles Peirce,
one of the key figures in the field of semiotics who coined the term ―semiosis‖. Peirce‘s
view of semiosis is that it is not a one-way process with a fixed meaning, but rather a part
of an active process between the sign and the reader of the sign. This active process
between the sign and its reader, in this case the students, will be studied by the
researchers by incorporating this study‘s statements of the problem. Peirce was also
mentioned by Baicchi (2009) in the chapter entitled ―Signs and Semiotics‖ from the book
Key Ideas in Linguistics and the Philosophy of Language. She introduces Peirce‘s theory
on semiotics through the triadic model which illustrates the ―representamen‖, ―object‖,
and ―interpretant.‖ This model was chosen by the researchers as part of the conceptual
framework as it helps them in understanding the relationship between the school signages
and the students who see them, and the link of the school signage itself to the rule it
wants to convey, which is vital for the study. Moreover, in the chapter entitled
―Semiotics‖ by Scott (2019) in the book entitled Keywords for Travel Writing Studies: A
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Critical Glossary, Ferdinand de Saussure and his semiology was introduced. Basically,
Saussurian semiology pertains to the relationship of a sign with the meaning or message
it wants to convey. Identifying the relationship of the school signage to the rule it wants
to convey falls under Saussurian semiology. On the other hand, Peircian semiology is
about understanding that the relationship between the school signage and the rule forms a
link from the school signage itself to the rule. The last related literature is from the book
entitled Child and Adolescent Development by Anonat (2009), in which the long-term
store or LTS was mentioned. The LTS is a part of the human memory that serves as the
permanent storage of information which houses various information episodes during
one‘s younger years. This gives the researchers an idea if whether or not a student‘s
analysis of a school signage may be affected or influenced by his or her development as a
child or adolescent through the memories that are stored in the LTS. This also explains
why this research only focused on grade 9 and 10 students and not the whole junior high
school department being that the LTS of grade 9 and 10 students are more developed in
the context of the junior high school signages. Moving on, the first related study is
entitled Factors affecting sign visibility, conspicuity and legibility: Review and Annotated
Bibliography in which Bullough (2017) found that there are two factors affecting sign
visibility: conspicuity and legibility. Although these factors are being considered when
signages are posted for varying purposes in OLOPSC, there are times that a particular
sign is lacking in one or both of these factors which negatively affects the visibility of the
sign. The second related study is entitled Type Design for Children with Low Vision in
which Bessemans (2013) found that a person‘s deduction of legibility is related to a
rather early conditioning with daily reading material in the beginning stages of reading.
21
In other words, the more that a person reads during their younger years, the more that
they are able to find or perceive visual images or texts to be legible, including signages.
In OLOPSC, the school signages are made sure to be legible first by considering their
readability factors, which is aligned with students‘ reading skills, before their
noticeability are prioritized. Moreover, in his study entitled Effective Signage System,
Abhinav (2014) defined signages as a system which are correlated with one another and
is used with a coherent design and purpose. With this in mind, the researchers will be
able to determine if the signages posted in OLOPSC function as a system which will
make the comparison of these signages in terms of their visibility easier. In relation to
signage systems, Xie (2011) found in her study entitled The Investigation into the
Interaction of People with Signage Systems and its Implementation within Evacuation
Models that there is a lack of relevant data concerning how individuals perceive, interpret
and use the information conveyed by signages despite the fact that signage systems are
important components in an establishment. This goes to show that studies about signages
are either scarce or lacking, which makes this study relevant and important, especially to
OLOPSC. Furthermore, in the study of Kellaris (2011) entitled 100,000 Shoppers Can't
Be Wrong: Signage Communication Evidence from the BrandSpark International
Grocery Shopper Survey, he found that an ―effective signage communication is a joint
product of both the signage and the viewer.‖ This reinforces the researchers‘ focus of
understanding the difference between the sign visbility between grade 9 and 10 students
and how the signs are linked to the rule it wants to convey in order to formulate the
necessary actions needed to be taken with regards to these signages. In addition, the
study of Parsa (n.d.) entitled Visual Semiotics: How still images mean? Interpreting still
22
images by using Semiotic Approaches found that that the images that people can see
around have the tendency to be so powerful that it is already enough for people to follow
them without the use of any words. Given this finding in which signages are regarded as
powerful mediums of conveying a message, it is the researchers‘ aim to find out if the
signages in OLOPSC are not lacking in terms of their visibility among grade 9 and 10
students. Finally, the last related study comes from Wejher (2015) entitled The Central
Role of Language in the Semiotics of Advertising in which it is noted that advertisers use
icons, a type of sign, in order to instill the advertised product to consumers‘ minds.
Therefore, in order for a signage to be memorable or ‗iconic‘, the relationship of the sign
itself and the message it wants to signify must be heavily emphasized. The researchers
will determine if this relationship is heavily emphasized on the school signages and
whether or not it is elevated by the sign‘s visibility in OLOPSC as it apparently leaves a
mark in the students‘ minds. These related studies and literatures connect greatly to this
study because these involve most of the aspects included in the study and, from the
background and overview researched, provides possible answers for the study‘s main
problem.
23
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the methods of research and procedures this study will
undertake. It includes the design that this study was patterned after, the place in which
the study was conducted, the selection of the respondents, the instrument that was
utilized, the methods of data gathering, and the statistical tool that used to interpret the
collected data.
Research Design
This current study made use of a research method called comparative research.
Comparative research has something to do with defining the degree of relationship
between two or more variables using statistical data. This type of research seeks to
interpret the relationships between and among a number of facts (Melegrito & Mendoza,
2016, p. 25). A comparative type of research was the most appropriate method to use
since this method is designed to compare two or more variables by means of statistical
data which allowed the researchers to maximize the extent of the data that was collected
about the variables being compared; as a result, the accuracy and authenticity of the study
were upheld which in turn will yielded accurate and authentic results as well. This study
mainly focused on the comparison of the visibility of the school signages between grades
9 and 10 students. In other words, the comparative research design aimed to deduce the
similarities or differences which were present in the two or more variables that were
being used for the study by means of the data gathered which were analyzed and collated
24
by the researchers in order to construct a proper comparison between the two said
variables.
Research Locale
The current study was done in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, an
educational institution located in Concepcion Uno, Marikina City. OLOPSC offers
education from the basic until the tertiary level. Approximately 5000 students study
annually in this school, with 1291 coming from the junior high school level as of this
school year (2019-2020). The study was conducted in OLOPSC since the researchers
themselves studied from the junior high school department of the school, and are still
currently studying in its senior high school department. Furthermore, the target
population of the researchers is grade 9 and 10 students who regularly see signages
around the campus. OLOPSC is known to be the largest school in Marikina in terms of
population size, making its students a good representation for the study.
Participants
The participants in this current study included eighty-one (81) students from
grade 9 and eighty (80) students from grade 10 for the school year 2019-2020, regardless
of their ages and genders. The researchers arrived to this sample size by making use of
the Slovin‘s formula for each grade level. For grade 9, the population consisted of 334
students, excluding transferees; with a margin of error of 9.66%, a sample of 81 students
was obtained in which there will be 9 participants for each of the 9 sections in the grade 9
level. For grade 10, the population consisted of 316 students, which also excludes
25
transferees; with a margin of error of 9.66%, a sample of 80 students was obtained in
which there will be 10 participants for each of the 8 sections in the grade 10 level. The
total number of participants was 161 out of 650 students from both grade 9 and 10 levels.
In order to choose the participants for each section, a simple random sampling (SRS)
approach was done. This enabled the researchers to exclude the transferees from being
part of the sample. The participants were selected from the old students of grades 9 and
10 who have already studied in OLOPSC for at least two years since the study focused on
them. These old students have already seen or are able to regularly see the school
signages, unlike new students who are just beginning to grasp the signages they see
inside the campus.
Research Instrument
This research utilized surveys in conducting the current study. It was the most
convenient instrument to be used especially in a quantitative research in order to collect
unbiased results and findings from the participants as the data gathered was numerical.
Answering survey questionnaires are generally easier for the respondent, especially if
what are sought are quantifiable and objective data. The survey questionnaire was
adapted and modified from Bullough‘s research on the Factors Affecting Sign Visibility,
Conspicuity and Legibility (2017). It was divided into two parts: Part I is about the
respondent‘s profile, which will include the respondent‘s name (optional), and grade &
section; Part II included survey questions that will be patterned after this study‘s
statements of the problem and the evaluation tool mentioned above. The questions in
Part II wasanswered using a 5-point Likert scale. The researchers used questions that
26
were close-ended which gave the respondents an opportunity to answer as briefly and as
objectively as possible.
Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers received instructions to be followed from their research adviser
for the proper dissemination of survey questionnaires needed for the study. The said
survey questionnaires were given during the dismissal time, which depended on the
availability of the respondents. The researchers waited by the section‘s classroom door
until they were dismissed. Once dismissed, the researchers sought and coordinated with
one of the officers of the class, most presumably the class president in order to hand out
the survey questionnaires to the rest of the class. Afterwards, the researchers gathered the
respondents' answers for each question in the surveys and started to analyze and code
them by means of statistical and graphical treatment in order to properly construct the last
two chapters.
Treatment of Data
The data that was collected from the surveys was treated statistically using the z-
test for two population/sample means. Research questions using the z-test can involve
testing the difference between two population proportions or means (Schumacker, 2015).
This type of inferential data analysis was applicable to the study since it did not test a
significant relationship of the variables; instead, it focused on testing the difference
between the variables, which are the the grade 9 and 10 students, and the visibility of the
school signages. Additionally, since the survey was answered using a Likert scale, the
27
data that will be gathered will be expressed in terms of ranks, meaning that the variables
present are ordinal. Being that the variables are ordinal, the computations for the mean
for each questionnaire, the average weighted mean, the standard deviation, the variances,
as well as the construction of frequency tables were also required in treating the data.
28
CHAPTER IV
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter of the paper presents the data gathered from the eighty-one grade 9
students and eighty grade 10 students of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College who
served as respondents of this research. It also provides the analysis and interpretation of
data that has been organized according to the research questions enumerated in the first
chapter of this paper.
The Visibility of School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and Legibility among
Grade 9 Students
This section is devoted to presenting, analyzing, and interpreting data gathered
through the survey relevant to the visibility of school signages in terms of conspicuity
and legibility among grade 9 students. Information regarding this variable is based on
their responses to the 20 items in the questionnaire. In each of these statements,
respondents were asked to rate the signages along a five-point Likert scale that includes
Always (5), Most of the time (4), Sometimes (3), Rarely (2), and Never (1).
Table 4.1. Sample Average Weighted Mean of the Visibility of the School Signages in
terms of Conspicuity and Legibility among Grade 9 students
GRADE 9
Sign Visibility in Average Weighted Standard
Interpretation
terms of: Mean (̅) Deviation (Տ)
Conspicuity 4.16 Most of the time 0.54
Legibility 4.33 Always 0.49
29
Legend
4.20 – 5.00 5 – Always
3.41 – 4.20 4 – Most of the time
2.61 – 3.40 3 – Sometimes
1.81 – 2.60 2 – Rarely
1.00 – 1.80 1 – Never
Table 4.1 shows the average weighted mean and the sample standard deviation of
the answers of the eighty-one grade 9 students to the twenty statements in the
questionnaire relative to the visibility of school signages in terms of conspicuity and
legibility, having 10 statements for each category. For conspicuity, an average weighted
mean of 4.16 was computed with an interpretation of most of the time, having a standard
deviation of 0.54. On the other hand, sign visibility in terms of legibility obtained an
average weighted mean of 4.33 with an interpretation of always, having a standard
deviation of 0.49.
Based from the table, it can be deduced that grade 9 students collectively find the
school signages posted around the campus visible more in a legible sense rather than in a
conspicuous sense. However, the average weighted mean of legibility is only higher than
the average weighted mean of conspicuity by a small margin.
This finding corroborates with Peirce‘s theory on semiotics represented by his
triadic model as explained by Baicchi, (2009) in the book entitled Key Ideas in
Linguistics and the Philosophy of Language. Baicchi explained the three trichotomies of
Peirce‘s triadic model are: (a) the representamen, which refers to the sign itself; (b) the
object, which pertains to the reference between a sign and the concept it represents; and
30
(c) the interpretant, which establishes the relationship between the representamen and the
object. With this, the relationship between the sign and its intended meaning would not
be understood if the sign itself was not legible in the first place. A sign can be
conspicuous in the sense that it exhibits a reasonable size, or the presence of borders
around the sign is evident, but once an individual starts to have difficulty in reading these
signs, their ability to understand and respond to these signs would be affected as well.
This points the reason why it is very significant that the visibility of signages among
grade 9 students yielded high average weighted means in both categories, most especially
to legibility as it proves that by being legible, the school signages are able to
communicate their intended meaning to the grade 9 students which stems from the
intended meaning having a well-established relationship to their respective sign.
The Visibility of School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and Legibility among
Grade 10 Students
This section is devoted to presenting, analyzing, and interpreting data gathered
through the survey relevant to the visibility of school signages in terms of conspicuity
and legibility among grade 10 students. Information regarding this variable is based on
their responses to the 20 items in the questionnaire. In each of these statements,
respondents were asked to rate the signages along a five-point Likert scale that includes
Always (5), Most of the time (4), Sometimes (3), Rarely (2), and Never (1).
31
Table 4.2. Sample Average Weighted Mean of the Visibility of the School Signages in
terms of Conspicuity and Legibility among Grade 10 students
GRADE 10
Sign Visibility in Average Weighted Standard
Interpretation
terms of: Mean (̅) Deviation (Տ)
Conspicuity 4.05 Most of the time 0.54
Legibility 4.14 Most of the time 0.54
Legend
4.20 – 5.00 5 – Always
3.41 – 4.20 4 – Most of the time
2.61 – 3.40 3 – Sometimes
1.81 – 2.60 2 – Rarely
1.00 – 1.80 1 – Never
Table 4.2 shows the average weighted mean and the sample standard deviation of
the answers of the eighty grade 10 students to the twenty statements in the questionnaire
relative to the visibility of school signages in terms of conspicuity and legibility, having
10 statements for each category. For conspicuity, an average weighted mean of 4.05 was
computed with an interpretation of most of the time, having a standard deviation of 0.54.
On the other hand, sign visibility in terms of legibility obtained an average weighted
mean of 4.33 with an interpretation of most of the time, having a standard deviation of
0.54.
Based from the table, it can be deduced that grade 10 students collectively find
the school signages posted around the campus visible equally in a legible sense and
conspicuous sense. Although the average weighted mean of legibility is only higher than
the average weighted mean of conspicuity by a small margin, it is still evident that the
32
visibility of the signages according to grade 10 students are as conspicuous as they are
legible which is denoted by their respective interpretations.
This finding corroborates with the study of Bullough (2017) entitled Factors
Affecting Sign Visibility, Conspicuity and Legibility: Review and Annotated Bibliography.
He concluded from his study that there are two factors affecting sign visibility; as
mentioned already, they are conspicuity and legibility. Although Bullough provided
separate descriptions of the two, he did not deviate from the fact that these two factors go
hand in hand with regards to the overall visibility of a signage. With this, the finding
presented above is authentic and accurate because not only did it come from a diverse,
random sample, but a scholarly piece of literature which also happens to pattern the point
of comparison of this study supports the aforementioned finding. In other words,
Bullough‘s finding that there are indeed two factors affecting sign visibility is equivalent
to the finding yielded by the grade 10 students with regards to the visibility of school
signages in terms of conspicuity and legibility. This finding also corroborates with the
article of Vinyline Graphics (n.d.) entitled School Signage: Inspiring Excellence and
Creativity. It is stated in the article that the creation and maintenance of school signages
is critical when providing information and a safe and welcoming environment to students.
With this in mind, the area of focus, which would be the visibility in terms of legibility
and conspicuity of signages, can be inferred to be doing well in the maintenance
department according to the results shown at the table above.

33
The Significant Difference of the Visibility of School Signages between Grade 9 and
10 Students in terms of:
a. Conspicuity
This section is focused in the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of the
gathered data regarding the visibility of signages in terms of conspicuity which was
treated using the z-test for two sample means.
Table 4.3. The Significant Difference of the Visibility of Signages in terms of Conspicuity
between Grade 9 and Grade 10 students
Sign Visibility in terms of Conspicuity
z-test: Two Sample for Means Grade 9 Grade 10

Average Weighted Mean ( ̅ ) 4.16 4.05
Known Variance (Տ2) 0.30 0.29
Observations 81.00 80.00
Hypothesized Mean Difference 0.00
Z 1.21
P(Z<=z) one-tail 0.11
z Critical one-tail 1.30
P(Z<=z) two-tail 0.23
z Critical two-tail 1.66
Table 4.3 shows the variables needed in order to compute for the z-test for two
sample means for the conspicuity of sign visibility. These variables include the average
weighted mean from both grades 9 and 10, the known variances from both of the said
levels which were computed by squaring their sample standard deviations, and the
observations or sample size of both levels with their hypothesized mean differences.
Based from the table, the grade 9 level has an average weighted mean of 4.16, a known
34
variance of 0.30, and a sample size of 81. For the grade 10 level, the average weighted
mean is 4.05, the known variance is 0.29, and the sample size is 80. The hypothesized
mean difference of 0 is uniform for both grade levels. With the utilization of these values
by means of the z-test for two sample means, a z-score of 1.21 was obtained, having 1.30
as the critical value for a one-tailed z-test and a critical value of 1.66 for a two-tailed z-
test.
Based from the table, it can be deduced that both grade levels share the same
hypothesized mean difference since the null hypothesis suggests that there is no
significant difference between the two grade levels. The statistical treatment also
revealed that both of the critical values for one-tailed and two-tailed z-tests are greater
than the z-score of sign visibility in terms of conspicuity. Since the z-score is lesser than
the two critical values, the null hypothesis, which states that there is no significant
difference on the visibility of school signages in terms of conspicuity between the
students of grade 9 and grade 10, is accepted. In other words, the students from grades 9
and 10 have similar ways of deducing the visibility of a school signage in terms of its
conspicuity. This finding corroborates with the study of Wejher (2015) entitled The
Central Role of Language in the Semiotics of Advertising in which it was found that
advertisers use icons, a type of sign, in order to instill an advertised product to
consumers‘ minds. In other words, icons are used in order to leave a mark on the icons‘
observers‘ minds. This is highly related to the conspicuity of a sign in the sense that the
more it exhibits obviousness or eye-catching aspects, the more that the students are drawn
to that sign, thus leaving a mark on those students‘ minds which render the school
35
signages as ‗iconic‘ to the students. To simply put it, school administrators or teachers,
in place of the advertisers Wejher mentioned, make use of ‗iconic‘ signs to make them
visibly conspicuous to the students, resulting to the same responses about sign visibility
in terms of conspicuity from both grade 9 and 10 levels.
b. Legibility
This section is focused in the presentation, analysis, and interpretation of the
gathered data regarding the visibility of signages in terms of legibility which was treated
using the z-test for two sample means.
Table 4.4. The Significant Difference of the Visibility of Signages in terms of Legibility
between Grade 9 and 10 students
Sign Visibility in terms of Legibility

z-Test: Two Sample for Means Grade 9 Grade 10
Average Weighted Mean 4.33 4.14
Known Variance 0.24 0.29
Observations 81.00 80.00
Hypothesized Mean Difference 0.00
Z 2.35
P(Z<=z) one-tail 0.01
z Critical one-tail 1.30
P(Z<=z) two-tail 0.02
z Critical two-tail 1.66
Table 4.4 shows the variables needed in order to compute for the z-test for two
sample means for the legibility of sign visibility. These variables include the average
weighted mean from both grades 9 and 10, the known variances from both of the said
36
levels which were computed by squaring their sample standard deviations, and the
observations or sample size of both levels with their hypothesized mean differences.
Based from the table, the grade 9 level has an average weighted mean of 4.33, a known
variance of 0.24, and a sample size of 81. For the grade 10 level, the average weighted
mean is 4.14, the known variance is 0.29, and the sample size is 80. The hypothesized
mean difference of 0 is uniform for both grade levels. With the utilization of these values
by means of the z-test for two sample means, a z-score of 2.35 was obtained, having 1.30
as the critical value for the one-tailed z-test and a critical value of 1.66 for the two-tailed
z-test.
Based from the table, it can be deduced that both grade levels share the same
hypothesized mean difference since the null hypothesis suggests that there is no
significant difference between the two grade levels. This hypothesis, which states that
there is no significant difference on the visibility of school signages in terms of legibility
between the students of grade 9 and grade 10, is rejected. This is because the obtained z-
score is higher than the critical values for both one-tailed and two-tailed z-tests. In other
words, the students from grades 9 and 10 have different ways of deducing the visibility of
a school signage in terms of its legibility. This corroborates with the book of Anonat
(2009) entitled Child and Adolescent Development. She mentioned the long-term store
(LTS) which is considered to be the permanent store of human information-processing
system that houses various information episodes during one‘s younger years such as
facts, abstract rules that allows individuals to understand language, problem solving
strategies, smells, sounds, tastes, feelings and visual images. In simple terms, the long-
term store, or LTS, is a part of the human memory that serves as the permanent storage of
37
information. The LTS plays an important role for a student‘s development from a child
to an adolescent, as most of the information stored during one‘s younger years are visual
images. In this regard, it can be said that the grade level of a student does not play a role
on the student‘s understanding and way of response to a sign that they have read; instead,
it is the LTS, which accounts for the development of a child to an adolescent that affects
the student‘s understanding and response to a sign that they have read. The pieces of
information stored in the LTS are surely of diverse origins as each student comes from
varying degrees of backgrounds and upbringing, hence, they also have varying ideas as to
how signs become visibly legible. This provides a concrete foundation for the finding
that there is indeed a significant difference on the visibility of school signages in terms of
legibility between the students of grade 9 and grade 10.

38
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter contains the conclusions drawn from the analysis and interpretation
of the data discussed in the preceding chapter and the recommendations of the
researchers based on the conclusions. It also presents the summary, findings, and
implications of the study.
Summary
Signages are being used in the school setting for different purposes. However,
before these signages are able to fulfill their purpose/s, they must first be able to
communicate their intended message properly. The problem is that there are times that
they fail to accomplish this, as brought about by aspects that are lacking with regards to
the visibility of a sign which is further subdivided into two factors: conspicuity and
legibility. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the visibility of the school signages in
terms of conspicuity and legibility between the grade 9 and 10 students of Our Lady of
Perpetual Succor College for the school year 2019 – 2020. This research was conducted
from August 2019 until October 2019. The study is a quantitative type of research which
made use of survey questionnaires as the main instrument of the study. The researchers
gave 9 surveys for each of the 9 sections in grade 9, having a sample of 81 respondents
from the said level, while 10 surveys were disseminated for each of the 8 sections in
grade 10, having a sample of 80 respondents from the said level.

39
Specifically, the researchers aimed to answer the following research questions:
a. conspicuity?
b. legibility?
a. conspicuity?
b. legibility?
3. Is there a significant difference between how grade 9 and 10 students observe the
visibility of signages in terms of:
a. conspicuity?
b. legibility?
Findings
Based on the data provided by the respondents, the researchers found the following:
1. From the 81 surveyed respondents from grade 9, the average weighted mean and
standard deviation of sign visibility are as follows:
a. In terms of conspicuity, an average weighted mean of 4.16 was computed with
an interpretation of most of the time, having a standard deviation of 0.54.
b. In terms of legibility, an average weighted mean of 4.33 was computed with
an interpretation of always, having a standard deviation of 0.49.
2. From the 80 surveyed respondents from grade 10, the average weighted mean and
standard deviation of sign visibility are as follows:

40
a. In terms of conspicuity, an average weighted mean of 4.05 was computed with
b. In terms of legibility, an average weighted mean of 4.14 was computed with
3. With the use of the z-test for two sample means to statistically treat the data, the
significant differences of the visibility of school signages between grade 9 and 10
students are as follows:
a. In terms of conspicuity, the grade 9 level has an average weighted mean of
4.16, a known variance of 0.30, and a sample size of 81. For the grade 10
level, the average weighted mean is 4.05, the known variance is 0.29, and the
sample size is 80. The hypothesized mean difference of 0 is uniform for both
grade levels. With the utilization of these values by means of the
aforementioned statistical tool, a z-score of 1.21 was obtained, having 1.30 as
the critical value for a one-tailed z-test and a critical value of 1.66 for a two-
tailed z-test. Since the z-score is lower than both of the critical values, the
null hypothesis which states that there is no significant difference on the
visibility of school signages in terms of conspicuity between the students of
grade 9 and grade 10 is accepted.
b. In terms of legibility, the grade 9 level has an average weighted mean of 4.33,
a known variance of 0.24, and a sample size of 81. For the grade 10 level, the
average weighted mean is 4.14, the known variance is 0.29, and the sample
size is 80. The hypothesized mean difference of 0 is uniform for both grade
levels. With the utilization of these values by means of the aforementioned

41
statistical tool, a z-score of 2.35 was obtained, having 1.30 as the critical value
for the one-tailed z-test and a critical value of 1.66 for the two-tailed z-test.
Since the z-score is higher than both of the critical values, the null hypothesis
which states that there is no significant difference on the visibility of school
signages in terms of conspicuity between the students of grade 9 and grade 10
is rejected.
Conclusions
Based on the findings, the following are concluded:
1. Most of the time, the school signages are visibly conspicuous and are always
visibly legible among Grade 9 students.
2. Most of the time, the school signages are both visibly conspicuous and visibly
legible among Grade 10 students.
3. The grade 9 and grade 10 students:
a. have similar ways of deducing the visibility of a school signage in terms of its
conspicuity.
b. have different ways of deducing the visibility of a school signage in terms of
its legibility.
Implications
The usage of school signages for various purposes within OLOPSC will always
be implemented. In this regard, it is important to take into consideration the results,

42
findings, and implications that this study ended up with, most especially since there is a
scarcity of related studies about this topic. This study would help grade 9 and grade 10
students in following and understanding the signages that they see posted around in the
campus as it offers findings that explain the visibility of these signages in terms of their
conspicuity and, most especially, legibility, since its null hypothesis was rejected. Based
from the answered survey questionnaires, the key factors that have caused the change of
the signage‘s visibility in terms of the legibility among grade 9 and 10 students are: (1)
the signage being read from a distance; (2) the rate of response of a student to the
signage; (3) and, the overall area of the sign that contains a blank, white space that avoids
clutter. Besides the students, teachers would be guided by this study in maintaining the
high level of frequencies as to how grade 9 and grade 10 students find the sign visibility
in terms of the two aforementioned factors. Finally, school administrators would be able
to easily identify the areas needing improvement in the implementation and usage of
these school signages.
Recommendations
1. Junior high school students, especially from grade 9 and 10, must understand the
concept of sign visibility and its factors so that not only will they be able to
properly follow the signages, but they would be able to provide first-hand
feedback about these signages as well.
2. Other OLOPSCians, specifically senior high school students, are recommended to
focus their research papers on this topic as it would broaden the study of the
43
school signages from the junior high school department to the senior high school
department in OLOPSC.
3. OLOPSCian administrators are recommended to refer to this study should they
see any need to modify or improve the implementation of school signages in
OLOPSC.
4. OLOPSCian teachers are recommended to hold seminars or forums about school
signages in order for them to increase their knowledge about signs, sign visibility,
and other signage-related topics, which would enable them to utilize the school
signages to the highest of the signs‘ capabilities.
5. Now that a comparative study about the sign visibility among two grade levels
exists, future researchers, may it be senior high school OLOPSCians, OLOPSCian
teachers conducting their action research, or non-OLOPSCians are recommended
to conduct an evaluative quantitative research regarding this topic that gauges the
effectiveness of one of the purposes of school signages (e.g.: discipline, safety,
etc.).
44
REFERENCES
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Rourkela. Retrieved from: http://ethesis.nitrkl.ac.in/6257/1/110ID0
582-3.pdf
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Books Atbp. Publishing Co.
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(Ed.), Practical research 2 (p. 111). Manila, PH: Unlimited Books Library
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ideas in linguistics and the philosophy of language (p. 205-209). Edinburgh, SCT:
Edinburgh University Press.
Bessemans, A. (2013, October 1). Type design for children with low vision. Hasselt
University, Belgium. Retrieved from
https://typography.guru/journal/legibility-children/
Bullough, J. (2017). Factors affecting sign visibility, conspicuity and legibility: Review
and annotated bibliography. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York.
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Crow, D. (2010). How meaning is formed. Visible signs: An introduction
to semiotics in the visual arts. (2nd ed., p. 34). Lausanne, CH: Ava Publishing.
Curtin, B. (2009). Semiotics and visual representation. Retrieved from
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e106/68409de8b1ab9b1965fee0a94432699e074d
.pdf?_ga=2.218445785.1134324689.1566022149-1121686599.1566022149
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Hesselberth, P., Houwen, J., Peeren, E., & de Vos, R, (2018). Legibility in the age of
signs and machines.(p. 1). Leiden, NL: Koninklijke Brill NV.
Kellaris, J. J. (2011). 100,000 Shoppers Can't Be Wrong: Signage Communication
Evidence from the BrandSpark International Grocery Shopper Survey.
University of Cincinnati, Ohio. Retrieved from
https://journals.shareok.org/ijsw/article/view/4
Melegrito, M. L., & Mendoza, D. (2016). Applied research: An introduction to
quantitative research methods and report writing. (p. 25).
Quezon City, PH: Phoenix Publishing House.
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Anna%20Maria%20Ndeto.pdf
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_Interpreting_Still_Images_by_Using_Semiotic_Approaches
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46
Schumacker, R. E. (2015). Learning statistics using R. (p. 223). Thousand Oaks, CA:
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advertising. University of Iceland, Reykjavík. Retrieved from
https://skemman.is/bitstream/1946/20404/1/Malwina%20Barbara%20Wejher.pdf
Winter, M. (2011, September 30). Tips on how to create effective signage. Retrieved
from https://identitypr.com/public-relations/marketing/tips-on-how-to-create-
effective-signage/
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795351.pdf
47
APPENDICES
48
Appendix A
Letter of Request for the Population of Old Grade 9 and 10 students

S.Y. 2019-2020
Senior High School
August 28, 2019
Mrs. Catherine Francisco
Registrar
Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College
Marikina City
Dear Mrs. Francisco,
Good day!
We are a group of researchers from Grade 12 – Isaiah who are currently conducting a
study on ―A Comparative Study on the Visibility of School Signages between Grade 9
and 10 Students in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College for the School Year 2019-
2020.‖ The researchers are in need of the current population of old students in grades 9
and 10. In this regard, we request your good office to provide us a list or table of
enrollees from grades 9 and 10 which excludes transferees for the school year 2019 -
2020.
Thank you very much for your very kind response to our request and if you are interested
we will supply you with the results of our study.
Sincerely yours,
____________________________ ____________________________
David Timothy B. De Guzman Godwin Diesel P. Cosas
____________________________ ____________________________
John Renier B. Atayan John Carlo P. Fernandez
____________________________
Approved by: Christine Mae D. Bacus
____________________________ ____________________________
Abiguel C. Cabarles, LPT Aira B. Bitoon
Research Adviser
Noted by:
____________________________
Daniel B. Ambrocio, LPT, MAE
Senior High School Principal
49
Appendix B
Cover Letter

S.Y. 2019-2020
Senior High School
Dear Junior High School Student,
Good day!
You are chosen to be a respondent of this survey questionnaire for the research study
entitled ―A Comparative Study on the Visibility of School Signages between Grade 9 and
10 Students in Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College for the School Year 2019-2020.‖ In
this regard, we have constructed a series of questions to gather information for our study.
This survey is important to the progression of this study. Your participation in the study
by way of answering the questionnaire is very vital. Without it, the study will not be as
complete as it should be. Kindly fill up the questionnaire and return it to us on Friday,
September 13, 2019, through your class president.
Rest assured that your anonymity and the information you will give will be treated with
the strictest confidentiality. Thank you for giving us your precious time and if you are
interested we will supply you with the results of our study.
Sincerely yours,
____________________________ Approved by:
David Timothy B. De Guzman ______________________________
____________________________ Abiguel C. Cabarles, LPT
John Renier B. Atayan Research Adviser
____________________________
Godwin Diesel P. Cosas Noted by:
____________________________ ______________________________
John Carlo P. Fernandez Daniel B. Ambrocio, LPT, MAE
____________________________ Senior High School Principal
Christine Mae D. Bacus
____________________________ ______________________________
Aira B. Bitoon Perpetua R. Hernandez, MAT
Junior High School Principal
The Researchers
50
Appendix C
Survey Questionnaire
Part I: Respondent’s Profile

Name (Optional): _______________________ Grade and Section: ________________
Part II: Survey Proper

Directions: Kindly look at the examples of school signs below. Put a check mark on the
most applicable choice for each question in reference to those examples.
Choices Interpretation
5 - Always
4 - Most of the time
3 - Sometimes
2 - Rarely
1 - Never
Examples include, but not limited to: “Observe Silence and One Line Policy” along the
JHS Stairways, “For Drinking Only” in the JHS Canteen, and “Quiet Zone” in the LRC
Most of
A. Sign Visibility in terms of Always Sometimes Rarely Never
the time
Conspicuity (5) (3) (2) (1)
(4)
1. The size of the signages makes them
visible and easy to read at a glance.
2. The signages are hard to miss or are

generally obvious in the campus.
3. The font used and its size is

appropriate to the signage.
4. The usage of borders in the signages
makes it easier for me to focus on the
message/s.
5. The message/s in the signages is/are
easy to read because of the contrasting
background and font color.
6. The signages are not eye sores to the
overall façade of the place it is posted
on.
7. The signages are posted
appropriately in which they can be
easily seen by the students.
8. The signages are posted
strategically in which their tendency
for them to be ignored is low.
51
9. Generally, the signages are readily

visible.
10. Generally, the signages are able to
attract attention from its intended
observers.
Most of
B. Sign Visibility in terms of Always Sometimes Rarely Never
the time
Legibility (5) (3) (2) (1)
(4)
1. Generally, I can swiftly read the
signages I see in the campus.
2. Generally, I can swiftly understand

the signages I see in the campus.
3. Generally, I can swiftly respond to

the signages I see in the campus.
4. The messages of the signages are
short and concise.
5. The signages can be easily read from
a distance.
6. The signages utilize simple designs
that makes it easy for me to understand
the message/s of the sign.
7. The overall sign area contains a
blank, white space that avoids clutter.
8. Capitalization is neatly observed in
the construction of the signages‘
message/s.
9. The signages do not require a high
level of comprehension skills for them
to be understood.
10. Overall, the signages are
cohesively structured.
52
Appendix D
Computed Mean per Respondent
GRADE 9
Mean
Sections
Conspicuity Legibility
Amazing Grace
1 4.2 4.8
2 4.4 4.5
3 4.6 4.7
4 3.6 4.6
5 4.0 4.3
6 3.9 4.5
7 4.2 4.6
8 4.3 4.8
9 4.2 4.7
Adorable Savior
1 3.2 3.8
2 3.5 3.5
3 4.5 4.4
4 5.0 5.0
5 4.5 4.9
6 4.2 3.9
7 4.4 4.0
8 4.6 4.7
9 2.6 3.1
Bread of Life
1 4.1 4.7
2 3.9 4.1
3 4.2 4.0
4 4.5 4.4
5 4.2 4.6
6 5.0 4.5
7 4.0 3.9
8 2.4 3.3
9 3.3 3.6
Wonderful Counselor
1 4.4 4.4
2 4.5 4.6
3 4.7 4.8
4 4.6 4.5
5 4.3 4.6
6 2.9 4.6
7 4.0 4.2
53
8 4.6 4.3
9 4.1 4.5
Holy Trinity
1 5.0 5.0
2 4.3 4.6
3 4.1 4.3
4 4.7 4.6
5 4.4 4.7
6 5.0 5.0
7 3.7 3.4
8 4.6 4.2
9 4.4 4.3
Holy Redeemer
1 4.2 4.4
2 4.4 4.4
3 4.8 5.0
4 4.5 4.7
5 4.8 4.9
6 4.9 4.9
7 4.1 4.5
8 4.1 4.0
9 4.7 4.5
Lamb of God
1 3.4 4.2
2 4.4 4.1
3 3.4 3.5
4 4.3 4.5
5 4.8 5.0
6 4.0 4.0
7 3.8 4.5
8 3.1 2.6
9 4.0 4.6
Quiet Light
1 4.5 4.5
2 4.1 3.8
3 3.9 4.5
4 3.1 3.8
5 3.9 4.6
6 3.6 3.9
7 3.6 3.9
8 3.6 3.5
9 3.6 4.5
Prince of Peace
1 3.9 3.8
2 4.7 4.5
54
3 4.1 4.6
4 4.8 5.0
5 4.6 4.6
6 4.8 4.6
7 4.2 4.3
8 4.2 4.2
9 3.9 3.3
AVERAGE 4.16 4.33
WEIGHTED MEAN
GRADE 10
Mean
Sections
Conspicuity Legibility
Assumption of Mary
1 3.9 3.8
2 3.5 4.0
3 3.9 4.2
4 3.6 3.6
5 3.5 4.3
6 4.2 4.5
7 3.3 4.1
8 3.5 4.2
9 3.8 4.0
10 3.8 4.5
Our Lady of Grace
1 4.1 3.8
2 4.1 3.7
3 4.2 4.4
4 4.0 4.6
5 4.0 4.6
6 4.2 4.3
7 4.5 4.4
8 4.7 4.4
9 4.6 4.5
10 4.2 4.6
Legion of Mary
1 4.5 4.4
2 3.7 3.6
3 4.3 4.4
4 4.3 4.4
5 2.8 3.0
6 4.2 4.8
7 4.4 4.8
8 3.7 3.3
55
9 4.0 4.3
10 4.7 4.6
Mother of Divine
Providence
1 4.5 4.6
2 4.5 4.6
3 4.1 4.5
4 4.0 3.8
5 4.3 4.9
6 4.6 4.3
7 3.6 4.0
8 4.9 4.0
9 3.6 4.7
10 4.0 4.4
Mother of Good
Counsel
1 4.8 5.0
2 4.9 4.0
3 4.8 4.4
4 3.0 3.0
5 4.7 4.7
6 3.7 4.9
7 4.6 4.6
8 4.6 3.0
9 3.5 3.6
10 4.9 3.8
Our Lady of Fatima
1 3.0 2.6
2 4.8 5.0
3 4.0 4.0
4 3.8 4.5
5 3.0 2.9
6 3.5 3.8
7 3.8 4.5
8 4.3 3.8
9 3.4 3.5
10 4.0 3.8
Mother of Mercy
1 4.6 4.5
2 3.8 3.8
3 4.4 4.0
4 4.6 4.5
5 3.5 3.6
6 3.4 4.3
7 5.0 5.0
56
8 4.4 3.9
9 4.3 4.5
10 3.9 4.3
Solemnity of Mary
1 3.3 3.6
2 3.7 3.8
3 2.7 2.9
4 4.2 4.8
5 4.7 4.8
6 4.4 4.3
7 3.6 3.5
8 4.6 3.8
9 4.1 4.2
10 3.6 3.7
AVERAGE
4.05 4.14
WEIGHTED MEAN

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OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL SUCCOR COLLEGE

General Ordonez St., Concepcion Uno, Marikina City

Senior High School

A Comparative Study on the Visibility of School Signages between Grade 9 and 10

De Guzman, David Timothy B.

Fernandez, John Carlo P.

Bacus, Christine Mae D.

Atayan, John Renier B.

Cosas, Godwin Diesel P.

A thesis submitted to Ms. Abiguel C. Cabarles

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in Practical Research 2

most of the time.

terms of its legibility.

Keywords: conspicuity, legibility, school signages, visibility

TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................................................................... iii

LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………... vii

CHAPTER 1—THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Statement of the Problem............................................................................ 3

Significance of the Study............................................................................. 4

Scope and Delimitations.............................................................................. 6

CHAPTER 2— REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Data Gathering Procedure.......................................................................... 26

CHAPTER 4— PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION

The Visibility of School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and Legibility

among Grade 9 Students.............................................................................. 28

The Visibility of School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and Legibility

among Grade 10 Students............................................................................ 30

The Significant Difference of the Visibility of School Signages between

Grade 9 and 10 Students in terms of:

CHAPTER 5— SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND

A. Letter of Request for the Population of Old Grade 9

D. Computed Mean per Respondent………………………………………... 53

Figure 2.1 Conceptual Framework……….…….………………………………… 17

Table 4.1 Sample Average Weighted Mean of the Visibility

of the School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and

Legibility among Grade 9 students ……….…….……………………… 29

Table 4.2 Sample Average Weighted Mean of the Visibility

of the School Signages in terms of Conspicuity and

Legibility among Grade 10 students ……….…….…………………….. 31

Table 4.3 The Significant Difference of the Visibility of Signages

in terms of Conspicuity between Grade 9 and Grade 10

Table 4.4 The Significant Difference of the Visibility of Signages

in terms of Legibility between Grade 9 and Grade 10

and spiritual support to them throughout the course of this research.

For Ms. Abiguel C. Cabarles,

As an expression of our overflowing gratitude, we dedicate this sweet fruit to you.

the same spirit.

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

different forms such as to entertain, to persuade, and to inform. Humans developed

signages, or signs, as a medium to convey messages in just a quick glance. According to

design or use of signs and symbols to communicate a message to a specific group.‖ A

commonly-used design is by means of a placard or a physical sign that can be posted on

rules to students in which they contribute to the development of students‘

purpose, or fail in what they are intended to do.