In SY 2017-2018, 7,343 teachers did not teach their Senior High School (SHS) specializations in English, Filipino, Mathematics, and Science.
These represent 10% of the total number of teachers in the four subject areas, often identified as “difficult to fill.”
Almost 65% or 4,765 non-major teachers received no special training to prepare them for their assignments.
Providing training for non-major teachers assigned to teach science may also be challenging. Sub-topics in science include highly specialized topics in Physics, Chemistry, and Life Sciences.
Table of Contents
Number of Senior High School (SHS) Teachers by Teaching Assignment Not in Area of Specialization
Table 1 below details the number of teachers teaching, not their specialization in SHS.
Table 1: Number of Senior High School (SHS) Teachers by Teaching Assignment Not in Area of Specialization by Region, SY 2017-2018
Mismatched With Specialization Needs
In a Teacher Development Needs Study conducted by Philippine National Research Centre for Teacher Quality (RCTQ), Grade 6, 8, and 10 teachers of Filipino, English, Mathematics, and Science revealed that many teachers are not well prepared to teach their subjects.
The teachers also showed poor skills in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. These are crucial components of higher-order thinking and are foundational elements of 21st Century skills that are directly relevant to the Philippines’ emerging high-value, knowledge-based, export-oriented manufacturing, and service industry economy.
Lack of Systemic Professional Development
Teachers do not have an organized, professional development program that will provide additional expertise in their varied teaching assignments.
Most of the recent K to 12 teacher training is based on the “cascade method,” with teachers attending a seminar and then returning to their school and passing it on to other teachers.
Instructional supervision within a school is not always accessible to all teachers, leaving them to determine their continuous improvement path.
It is apparent that instructional leadership – focusing on the teaching and learning in school – is the most important of all principals’ tasks.
Research by OECD155 shows that when principals replaced the time spent on administrative leadership with increased levels of instructional leadership, they were also more likely to develop:
- a professional development plan for their school;
- observe teaching in the classroom as part of a teacher’s formal appraisal;
- spent more time on curriculum and teaching-related tasks and
- reported greater job satisfaction and a higher level of mutual respect among colleagues at the school.
DepEd is strengthening the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) to address the expansion and targeting of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program. Such transformation is expected to streamline professional development, make training activities programmatic and accountable, effectively link professional development with career progression, generate efficient use of resources, and ultimately realize NEAP’s mandate of providing the learning and development needs of the increasing number of teachers and school leaders.
READ:
The Education Situation of Vulnerable Groups in the Philippines
The Importance of a School-Based Management System (SBM)
Total Number of DepEd Teachers by Position Title and Level of Education
The Proportion of Teachers With Teacher III and Master Teacher Positions
Unfilled Positions in DepEd by Regions
Overall Passing Rate in Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET)
Administrative Cases Filed by Private Lending Institutions Against DepEd Personnel
Source:
Office of the Undersecretary for Administration (OUA)
