ABSTRACT
The study also explored the adaptation of MATATAG Curriculum in Kindergarten in terms of teacher competency, resource compatibility, and pupil development outcomes. Teachers demonstrated strong efficacy in connecting competencies to student readiness (M = 3.89) and infusing into daily lessons (M = 3.83), while horizontal mapping and assessment practices (M = 3.56) needed development. Social and government priorities such as inclusion and mental health were integrated over more than half the range (M = 3.73) whereas violence prevention programs were integrated the least (M = 3.61). The resource materials were used to develop language and social emotional skills but were not developed to provide vocabulary development, lessons on conflict resolution, or inclusive physical development. Even though music creativity was being promoted, artistic representation was underrepresented. Moderate to strong material effectiveness ratings (M = 3.54–3.59) were obtained in terms of support for teaching needs, specifically where development diversity and milestones were concerned. Strong positive relations were evident between resource alignment and language and creativity outcomes but not social studies. Addressing these disconnects, the study developed L-TEACH MATATAG (Localized Teaching and Learning Enhanced through the Application of 21st-century skills) project—a localized resource package for pedagogically-sensitive, 21st-century- skills-aligned, and developmentally relevant teaching and learning. The findings emphasize the importance of curricular alignment and responsive teaching yet point to areas where assessment practices, content domain linkage, and treatment of appropriate coverage need to be improved.
CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
A lot of people believe that education is a force that builds society, and by that it has to be adjusted to here-and-now needs of people. I have seen that the educational curriculum is in a big transition period - Innovation not only from a tech perspective but also from a world perspective. These changes come with difficulties. One for me is making clear the increasingly greater importance of effective teaching at all levels — from early childcare to higher education. I’ve learned that I can’t rely on doing what has always worked before to get me through complex problems and issues, as new thinking emerges that challenges the old methods. Therefore, I have observed that teaching of various subjects’ changes with time most especially with the introduction of new curriculum by subject educational bodies.
Philippine basic education has been undergoing a series of changes, modifications and improvement in the curriculum areas. Changes within the educational system have been constantly implemented by the Department of Education to adapt the Philippine educational system to the needs and demands of globalization. These were experienced by elementary and secondary teachers, especially of public schools. Some of these changes were manifested in curriculum programs and activities, which include the use of different approaches and teaching strategies such as the Cooperative Learning strategy, the Four Pronged Approach, UBD in the secondary level and the change of the time allotment in the teaching of different subject areas, and lately the inclusions of the use of both English and the Mother Tongue as the medium of instruction, of which was included the Double
Exposure in Mathematics. This program was included in the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE). And most recently, the implementation of K to 12 initiated in the school year 2012-2013 was considered the most astounding among the series of changes in the Philippine educational system.
Despite the implementation of the K to 12 curriculums, in recent years, there were claims that Filipino learners have displayed notably weak performance in various assessments, highlighting concerns regarding the effectiveness of the K to 12 programs. Identified issues include overloaded curriculum, excessive teaching demands within constrained timeframes, and an overall overwhelming academic load for both educators and students, which hindered the mastery of fundamental skills like reading and simple math.
In response, the MATATAG Curriculum, also known as "Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa," was introduced on January 30, 2023, under the leadership of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte. Aiming to address educational challenges, this initiative seeks to prioritize the mastery of literacy and numeracy skills among learners. It was initially rolled out in 35 schools across seven regions: Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas, Soccsksargen, CAR, Caraga, and NCR. MATATAG will serve as the core curriculum for all learners catered to by various inclusion programs such as the Indigenous Peoples Education Program, Madrasah Education Program, Special Needs Education, and the Alternative Learning System (Senate Public Hearing of the Committee on Basic Education, 2023).
As summarized by the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC), Republic Act No. 10533 (RA 10533), otherwise known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, has expanded the years of schooling in basic education from 10 years to 12 years. In the school year 2018-2019, an additional 2 years representing Grades 11 and 12 will be introduced in the basic education system through senior high school. Recognizing the need for additional support to students due to the added two years in basic education, the State, through RA 10533, further expanded Republic Act 8545 (RA 8545) to provide financial assistance to qualified grade 10 completers entering senior high school. RA 10533 has mandated the Department of Education (DepEd) to formulate programs to enact the abovementioned provision of the law. In line with this, DepEd Order No. 11 series of 2015 (DO 11 s.2015) introduced the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHS VP) as a mechanism to provide financial assistance to senior high school students. Through the SHS VP, the DepEd engages the non-DepEd Senior High School providers to enroll qualified voucher recipients from both Public and Private Junior High Schools. Once qualified voucher recipients are enrolled in non-DepEd Senior High School providers, the DepEd will aid these students through a voucher subsidy paid to the non-DepEd Senior High School provider.
Having this, it is observable that there is an endless change in the educational system until the desired goal of attaining quality education is reached. It doesn’t mean, however, that the implementation of changes should remain unaccounted for. Rather, they should be evaluated in terms of the outcomes manifested in the performance of the students to determine their effectiveness and those of the teachers. Measurement of educational outcomes, as one of the areas of research, should be reported to the district or school division for appropriate actions aimed at improving to a further extent the programs implemented. Ideally, these outcomes could be more reliable after a considerable period has lapsed. Three to five years after implementation, the program should be evaluated to gather reliable data on its extent of effectiveness. For the meantime, the only research that could be conducted currently about this K to 12 Program is its implementation and the reactions of people toward the same.
These changes are the challenges being associated with, and attributable to the transition period issues which brought huge concerns and reactions from stakeholders including the parents, students and community folks that were met by the School Head and Teachers whether it is affirmative or adverse. The foregoing situations necessitate urgent solutions and actions to erase negative implications on the minds of the masses.
Hardy (2017) argued that the increasingly rapid rate of change in schools has exacerbated a trend towards individualistic, de-contextualized and passive learning initiatives as part of teachers’ work. The provision of opportunities for genuine teacher learning is therefore difficult to achieve in schooling contexts because of work intensification within schools and schooling systems. These pressures militate against teachers reflecting upon their teaching, resulting in the substitution of intellectual creativity with cultures of compliance.
While various reforms have aimed to address the longstanding issues in the Philippine educational system, there remains a limited body of research focusing specifically on the early implementation and teacher support mechanisms of the MATATAG Curriculum in early childhood education. Particularly absent is a structured investigation into how localized, teacher-developed resource manuals can enhance teaching practices and address developmental domains in Kindergarten under the MATATAG framework. This gap highlights the need to evaluate both teacher preparedness and the alignment of instructional materials with the curriculum's core goals, especially at this early stage of its nationwide rollout.
Based on the foregoing discussions, the researcher was prompted to create teacher resource manuals specific to the MATATAG Curriculum in order to target early childhood developmental areas. This study seeks to investigate and provide insights into the application of K-12 Early Childhood Education. Furthermore, this study aims to enhance the efficacy of the curriculum in delivering high-quality education. The aim of this study is to improve the comprehension and success of early childhood education by providing customized materials that meet the unique developmental requirements of young students.
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