ABSTRACT
The main thrust of this study was to assess the implementation of school Learning Action Cell (LAC) among public elementary schools in Calamba East 5 and determine its relation to the teachers’ level of competency and eventually on pupils’ performance. The Continuous Professional Development Plan was the output of the study. This study followed the quantitative research design. Through simple random sampling, the respondents of the study came from 6 different elementary schools of East 5 including 30 teachers from Banlic Elementary School, 18 teachers from Crossing Elementary School, 30 teachers from Parian Elementary School, 29 teachers from Real Elementary School, 18 teachers from San Cristobal Elementary School and 13 teachers from Uwisan Elementary Schools in East 5. A Standardized survey questionnaire was used for gathering of data.
Using five-point Likert Scale and the simple mean, t-test for independent samples, Pearson-r correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression, findings revealed that the implementation of School Learning Action Cells in terms of Learner Diversity and Student Inclusion, Content and Pedagogy of the K to 12 Basic Education Program, Assessment and Reporting in the K to 12 Basic Education Program, 21st Century Skills and ICT Integration in Instruction and Assessment and Curriculum Contextualization, Localization and Indigenization were all extremely evident. There is a significant relationship between the dependent and independent variables. This implied that teachers’ level of competency has a moderate positive significant relationship with pupils’ academic performance. On the other hand, significant relationship between the Extent of Implementation of SLAC and Teachers’ Level of Competency were interpreted as negligible or no correlation and the result shown was there is no significant relationship between the dependent and independent variables.
Introduction
Quality teachers are needed to achieve the quality education. They set standards so that learners will be productive. If this would be the case, they can address their public interest and support leaners' progress and development. Activities for teachers lead to improvement of teaching-learning process. This will head up to the rightful position learners are aiming of. According to UNESCO 1996, DepEd fully supports teachers' program to push through seminars and workshops to fully equip with new knowledge and skills.
Good education system is equal to good opportunities for teachers to be accessible in professional development program. It is equivalent to CPD unit and contained in the framework of School-based Management (SBM) and School Improvement Plan (SIP) (Whitehouse, 2011).
DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2016 institutionalized Learning Action Cells (LACs), aiming to expand and assist teachers to bring up their knowledge, attitudes, skills, and competencies in terms of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in their work stations. In DepEd, a Learning Action Cell is attended by teachers whose goal is to have a collaborative learning to solve shared challenges encountered in the school facilitated by school head or LAC coordinator. LACs will become the school-based communities of practice that are positive, caring, and safe spaces.
In this policy, the DepEd highlights the fact that the focus of learner development is molded at school where purposive measures would be taken to enhance learning outcomes. Quality learning is equal to great influence of quality teaching. DepEd hire quality teachers to support the development in the teaching profession. To address the present needs of learners, they aid teachers in constructing new knowledge as well as in revising traditional beliefs (Little, 2003).
The policy also adopted UNESCO (GMR, 2014) descriptions of successful teaching as a result of the systematic use of appropriate strategies for delivering and assessing learning objectives. Successful teachers (1) are content-based which they can transfer to sound learning objectives, (2) are able to implement effective strategies and techniques, (3) make instructional decision through formative assessment results, (4) promote holistic and sincere progress, and (5) have ethical conduct.
Key features of the process are on-going collaborative learning or problem solving within a shared terrain of professional inquisitiveness, independent learning, profound practice leading to action and self-analysis, and collective ability. The following are the objectives of this policy: to improve the teaching-learning process that will lead to successful learning outcome; to boost successful teachers; to develop camaraderie among teachers and improve their content and pedagogical knowledge, practice, skills, and attitudes; and to build up professional collaborative team work among school heads, teachers, and the community as a whole.
In this regard, the researcher aims to gather input to teacher’s CPD for the improvement of school performance by assessing the implementation of SLAC as a continuing professional strategy. The researcher also aims to assess the implementation of SLAC in terms of learner’s diversity and inclusion, content and pedagogy of the K to 12 Basic Education Program, assessment and reporting, 21st century skills and ICT integration in instruction and assessment and curriculum contextualization, localization and indigenization. The implementation of SLAC will be highlighted to foster harmony in the class, for teachers to learn to adjust and differentiate their instructions and to emphasize learners as the reason for all education processes.
With the above tenet and positive expectation to develop by engaging with LAC, at this stage, the researcher will decide to determine the implementation of the school LAC and its relationship to the teachers’ level of competency and learners’ academic performance in the public elementary schools in Calamba East 5. In this way, the researcher will be able to provide a proposed Continuing Professional Development to be presented in a school assembly meeting.
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