ABSTRACT
This study aimed to develop and utilize an Innovative NAT reviewer in Araling Panlipunan 6. It sought to determine the perception of teachers of Araling Panlipuna of the National Achievement Test. The teachers’ perception of the root causes of failing in Araling Panlipunan was also focused on and the ways that these root causes be addressed. Twenty-one (21) respondents of this study who were chosen using the purposive sampling technique which was the appropriate method for them. These teachers provided the scenario from which this study was based since they all teach Araling Panlipunan 6. The method used was the descriptive method with the questionnaire as the instrument. It was revealed that judging from the high mean obtained by these indicators highlight the importance and effectiveness of the achievement test as well as the weaknesses of either the teaching or the learners themselves. The quality of the teachers are paramount to the success of this achievement test. The Araling Panlipunan teachers of Nasugbu West Sub-office had perceived the root causes of failing. The teachers of Araling Panlipunan 6 knew and were fully aware of the ways to counter the failing performance of Grade Six pupils in Araling Panlipunan. It was recommended that the Proposed NAT reviewer may be used to review for NAT in Araling Panlipunan. Likewise, teachers and parents may work together to achieve the aims of this study. Lastly, the sub-office may formulate plans in addressing the failing performance.
Keywords: NAT, failing, perception, root causes
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE
Education is a basic human right and a global public good (Unesco, n.d.). High quality education is an enormously the global and national educational systems main objective. Quality education is noticeably stated in the Global Goals or commonly known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.
As part of the evaluation to the effectiveness of the curriculum and to assess and monitor the quality of basic education in the Philippines, the National Achievement Test or NAT assessment has been administered by the Department of Education for public schools particularly for Grade 6, 10 and 12 students nationwide. The results of the National Achievement Test are utilized by DepEd to check and determine the students’ achievement level, strengths and weaknesses in five key curricular subject areas specifically Math, Science, English, Araling Panlipunan and Filipino (Philippines: The National Achievement Test, n.d.). Once the result has been gathered, DepEd takes actions to provide the necessary steps in developing the curriculum that will provide quality education to all Filipino learners (Behiga, 2022).
The National Achievement Test (NAT) is a standardized set of examinations taken in the Philippines by students in Grades 3,6,10 to 12. The test is designed to determine their academic levels, strengths and weaknesses, as well as their knowledge learnt in major subjects throughout the year (National Achievement Test, 2020).
NAT examinations aim to provide observational information on the achievement level of students to serve as guide for principals and teachers in their respective courses of action. It also identifies and analyzes variations on achievement levels across the years by region, division, school and other variables. It determines the rate of improvement in basic education with respect to individual schools within certain time frames (Teacher Ph, 2020).
Even in 2017, there had been studies that analyzed the factors affecting the NAT performance of schools in Araling Panlipunan of Grade 10 students and Araling Panlipunan teachers. Study habits, interest in the subject and teaching skills are said to have a direct relationship to the NAT performance of schools in Araling Panlipunan. It means that the more a value of independent variables increase, the more it is likely to cause favorable results. Meanwhile, other related factors do not affect the NAT performance of schools in Araling Panlipunan. Based on the summary of the findings, the participants’ schools did not perform well in the 2012-2015 National Achievement Test (NAT). Most of them are placed in the bottom half of the rankings and did not meet the passing rate of 75% (Sangalang and Badillo, 2017).
The recently concluded NAT results in Araling Panlipunan may had mimicked that result. It was a sad thing that there had been factors in this outcomes and the researcher embarked on finding them.
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