Problems Encountered in K to 12 Curriculum

(by CIRILO B. BALA, JR. 7/20/2017)

RA 10533 also known as the Enhanced Basic Education K to 12 Curriculum is now fully implemented
from Kindergarten to Grade 12 and we found that there are some problems met in connection with its
implementation. These are the insufficient instructional materials and there are no teacher’s manuals,
some classrooms are already congested or lack of available classroom for growing number of students,
our newly – hired teachers although many of them are highly knowledgeable in the subject matter, but
they need to develop their teaching skills, the different pedagogical approaches.

The introduction of new grading system; classroom assessment, the new way of selecting honor
students; awards and recognition guidelines created confusions and complaints from the parents. Some
of them are still insisting the recent policy pertaining the giving of additional points for the extra and co
– curricular activities of their children, the students. Parents are not fully informed and there are many
questions arising in their mind that we need to address. Another problem is the lack of available
partners of the public schools that will provide appropriate immersion program to our grade 12
students. It is necessary that the school should have partnership in different industries related to the
courses offered and approved by high authority.

Another problem is the need of teachers to be trained on pedagogy, educational research,

measurement and evaluation and classroom management. Basically, newly – hired teaching personnel
are not actually BS Education graduates. They only have four – year course diploma before being
inducted into service. Lack of competence is a serious concern that we must address immediately.
Nevertheless, many professionals were really attracted to the positions offered by the DepEd
considering the high salary offered to them. But the problem is they do not know how to transfer the
learning from them to their respective students. Aside from this, some teachers also have low
commitment; they do not love their work and seriously not happy in their present situation.

For the meantime, we are doing our best to cope with our needs searching some activities in LRMDS,
educational websites and other supplementary books that will help us to meet the needs of our
learners. Schools administrators should guide them in choosing appropriate portals that can be accessed
from the internet. DepEd provides technical assistance to our teachers in looking for alternative or
remedy to their problems. All difficulties can be solved and eased its implications.

Schools must strengthen their partnerships with the private sectors, our local industries. They will serve
as venue of the immersion program of our senior high school students as part of their requirement for
graduation. Experiential learning is really important for our students and this can be provided through
linkages, this must be enhanced by our school administrators.

Our teachers shall undergo in – service trainings, local workshops and schools based seminars on
pedagogical approaches to improve their teaching skills. School administrators will facilitate periodic
learning action cell activities to further develop the skills of our teachers. Regular monitoring and
evaluation also help our teachers to improve their teaching performance and address their issues and
concerns.

http://www.deped-ne.net/?page=news&action=details&opt=popup&REFECODE=ARPRO2017070002

On being a MAPEH teacher

Sun.Star Baguio21 Apr 2015SAXTON V. ANAYASAN

TO a number of people, being a Music, Arts, Physical Education, Health ( MAPEH) teacher seems like an
easy job. You get to wear sweatpants or gym shorts to work and spend the day playing some of your
favorite sports. While being a physical education teacher may have its perks, it is not always fun and
games. As with any job in education, physical education teachers face challenges on a daily basis.

Believe it or not, every so often finding ways to motivate students to participate and move in class is one
of the most difficult struggles physical education teachers encounter in their field. MAPEH teachers face
unmotivated students and students who are living unhealthy lifestyles. While these students can pose a
challenge, they also provide an opportunity to help the students learn to value physical education and
make changes that could improve their health and well-being for a lifetime. Added to this, there are
problems with MAPEH teachers having too many classes to teach in a week/day and teaching
overcrowded and very large classes is difficult.

Teaching physical education is just one responsibility of a MAPEH teacher for this position requires a
great number of skills and proficiencies. A MAPEH teacher is a fully qualified teacher who has specialized
in arts, music, health, fitness and sports. In addition to general responsibilities during school days,
physical education teachers often double as coaches for at least one sport. Even if a teacher does not
coach, he may be responsible for attending sporting events and may be in charge of the general upkeep
of the gym and outdoor fields. In other words, you must be able to accommodate and serve a variety of
needs from students and from the school at which you are employed.

When it comes to school budgets, physical education often gets whatever is left over. If there is lack of
funds, physical education teachers must be creative with the equipment they have, and often must work
with worn-out or damaged
equipment. This may lead to teachers not having enough equipment for all students, especially when
class sizes are large.

Hence, as a MAPEH teacher you must be prepared to deal with and successfully intercede in a wide
variety of situations. Instructing students in the realm of sports and athletic activities presents
challenges that can be very different from those faced by classroom teachers. A MAPEH teacher must be
able to think on his feet, react quickly to an emergency or injury without panicking, and be physically fit
enough to keep up with each class throughout the school day. If you are out of shape or become cranky
after explaining a task five times, it will show during your instruction and will diminish your helpfulness
to students.

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Strategies in Teaching Music and their Perceived Effectiveness

July 23, 2015 · Volume 1 Issue 2

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Emailhttp://jsshr.anveshika.org/article/strategies-in-teaching-music-and-their-perceived-effectiveness/

Authors

Pablito P Gantan

Enrique G. Baking

Dolores T Quiambao

Reynaldo C Nicdao

Alvin V. Nuqui

Reynaldo C. Cruz

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the various methods used by the Music, Arts, Physical Education and
Health Teachers in the public secondary schools of Mexico Pampanga, academic year 2014-2015. The
work highlighted the profile of the teachers and described the eight commonly used methods used by
the teachers. The effectiveness of these methods was assessed by the respondents. The problems
encountered in music classes and proposed solutions were mentioned. To attain the purpose of the
study, the researcher used the descriptive survey type of research and used the following instruments
the surveyquestionnaires, unstructured interview, and documentary analysis and class observations. The
respondents of the study were the thirty three (33) MAPEH
Teachers handling music subject among the seven public schools of Mexico, Pampanga and the four
hundred eighty (480) fourth year students of San Juan High School. To gather data the researcher used
the following instruments surveyquestionnaires, interviews, classroom observations and data analysis,
frequency distribution and weighted mean were also used for the numerical computation and the t-test
was utilized for the statistical treatment of data. Based from the data collected, the following were
concluded; in terms of the profile, it was found out that most of the teacher-respondents were young
and single most of them are new in the government service. None attended a solely music seminar for
the past five years only two teachers in the whole town of Mexico were musically inclined but not
trained professionally. The methods the teachers used in teaching music were assessed as “much
effective” by the teacher-respondents but were assessed as “very much effective by the student-
respondents. The problems encountered in music were described as “serious problems” by the
respondents and most of it according to the data was caused by the institution. There were proposed
solutions and they fell under the “strongly agree” descriptive rating. The hypothesis was rejected and it
was proven that there was a significant difference between the teacher-respondents and the students-
respondents assessment on the methodologies used in teaching music. The conclusions on the study
were the following the female teachers outnumbered the male teachers, lack of support and
discrimination from the institution leads to the fluctuation of interest towards the subject and that there
is a great need to re-assess the role of music in the curriculum and its role to the students’ development.

Keywords

Methods, Teaching Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health, Public Secondary Schools

Introduction

In the educational process the three important factors are: the learner, the teacher and the subject
matter. The subject matter is the lesson to be taught, the student being the recipient of the message is a
vital factor while the key factor is the teacher. Therefore, the key to the educational process lies in the
hands of the teacher. High School teachers teach various subjects, the core subjects which are Math,
English and the Sciences and the skills subjects Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) and Music,
Arts Physical Education and Health (MAPEH).

One of the most challenging subjects that a secondary school teacher instructs is, MAPEH. Besides
having four components, it really does focus on the holistic development of the child. From discovering
future athletes, dancers, actors and actresses, doctors and nurses, the teacher also has to discover
future singers and musicians. Hence, these teachers have to perform multifarious functions to bring out
the best among the students.
However, the weakness of most if not all MAPEH teachers is the Music. Whether in the secondary or in
the tertiary level there is shortage of musician teachers who are supposed to give strong foundation in
music to their students. This is very evident in the town of Mexico, Pampanga. Music has its own
language and needs to be treated differently from the other components of MAPEH. It is not merely a
theoretical subject, but focuses mainly on the psychomotor and appreciative side of a learner. If the
teachers will only be teaching the theories, his endeavor will be futile. The teachers must be well
equipped with the basic skills of the subject taught.

In her published article, Borromeo (2008) stated that the inclusion of the subject music is premised
aesthetic (musical), and utilitarian (extra musical) contributions to general on its education and the
national culture. It is an all-encompassing subject, the musical premise deals with the technicalities of
the subject, specifically its rudiments. And these are the melody, harmony, rhythm, texture and timbre.
The utilitarian premise is the skills of the students. Whether these skills are natural or trained the
teachers should be keen in spotting these abilities possessed by the students. And it is the duty of the
teacher to enhance these skills.

Simply put one cannot give what one do not have. One cannot blame the teachers for they were not
trained properly during their undergraduate years. Most of the MAPEH majors lack the basic knowledge
and skills in teaching the subject appropriately. It makes the teachers inept in handling the subject, and
it is up to them to accept this as a challenge to continuously strive to grow professionally. Kellough
(2001) in the other hand pointed out that one characteristic of a competent teacher is the teacher
constantly striving to further develop a repertoire of teaching methodologies. The traditional way of
teaching is definitely obsolete and the new generation of learners require more than the mundane
strategy of imparting knowledge. Instructional methodologies form a continuum from a direct to
indirect teaching. On one end, there is direct instruction which is teacher-centered. Teachercentered
instruction believes that learning is a result of direct transmission of knowledge from teacher to student.
On the other hand, indirect-instruction is student-centered. Student-centered instruction believes that
learning is a result of a student’s ability to understand and process information.

Music education requires rapport from both the teacher and the learner there should be a strong bond
to aid in the discovery of talents and harnessing these. According to Questia (2009), in the field of
education, the experiences of field study is unique. That uniqueness is due in particular to the
relationship you form with the cooperating teacher, which is truly an apprenticeship one. It is the only
time in a teaching career that one is an apprentice under the close guidance of an experienced mentor
.The relationship of an apprentice to an experienced cooperating teacher is the same with a high school
teacher to a secondary student. Where closed guidance and learned methodologies are needed in the
proper grooming of the student’s mind. If a teacher fails to recognize these potentials and choose not to
give it due attention that teacher is corrupting the child of what is rightfully his.
According to Cruz (2005), there is a need to satisfy and improve the teaching practices or competencies
of MAPEH teachers so that the teachers themselves are able to interact better with the students. In that
way the goal of music teaching will be achieved. As proven through time, many successful musicians
cannot even read or write music, most of them rejected by the academe. And yet they managed to
produce and compose songs which has adamantly remained in the psyche of the listener and became
the soundtracks of their lives. Street musicians, club singers people who were randomly discovered by
providential producers and were taught the basics, already carry the mystical seeds of music and the
basic ideas that was given to them becomes the tools in music making. Their unofficial teachers became
the source of inspiration for them. It is thwarting on our part as members of the educational institution
to fail to see what these people saw. Many seminars have been facilitated and sponsored by the division
of Pampanga, to eradicate this problem but every attempt was always fruitless. Therefore, this problem
continues to occur and linger hence producing more unfitted music teachers every year. The poor
teacher performance is also associated with the lack of resources. According to the 2008 study, the
availability of instructional materials specifically updated references was the most frequent concern
aside from lack of course syllabi (http.unesdoc.unesco.org) which is very evident in Music. Furthermore,
the reference books and materials used are outdated. Based from the foregoing, the researcher found it
relevant to explore the various methods used by the MAPEH teachers in the public secondary schools of
Mexico, Pampanga.

Framework

The study focused on the methods used by the MAPEH teachers in the Secondary schools of Mexico,
Pampanga. The schematic diagram in shows the hypothesized relationships among the key variables:
independent variables (presumed cause), dependent variables (presumed effect), and intervening
variables (other variables that influence the effect of the independent variables). INPUT pertains to the
methods used by the teachers towards teaching music, the assessment of these methods, problems
encountered by the teachers. PROCESS refers to the data gathering procedures, documentary analysis
and class observations. procedure through the conduct of survey-questionnaires, unstructured
interviews the intervening key which is the development of a proposed music teaching program, which
will be achieved through data gathering tools such as the surveyquestionnaire, unstructured interviews
and the documentary analysis, raw achievement records and observation. OUTPUT refers to the
expected outcome of the study which is the preparation of a proposed teaching music program.

Schematic Diagram of the Study

Statement of the problem

The study intended to determine the various methods in teaching music among the Music, Arts, Physical
Education and Health Teachers in the Public Schools of Mexico Pampanga, academic year 2014-2015.
Specifically, this study sought answers to the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the teacher-respondents in terms of:

Age;

Gender;

Civil Status;

Educational Qualifications;

Length of Service; and

Relevant Conferences/Seminars/training Attended?

2.How do the respondents assess the effectiveness of the methods used in teaching music?

3.Is there a significant difference between the teacher and student respondents’ assessments among
the methods used in teaching music?

4.What are the problems encountered by the respondents in using the methods?

5.Based from the finding what solutions can be offered?

Materials and Methods

Research Design

To attain the purpose of the study, the researcher used the descriptive survey type of research. Ariola
(2006) pointed out that descriptive survey of research is usually used by graduate and under graduate
students when they attempt to analyze, interpret and report the present state of their subject matter
and problem. This method of investigation involves the collection of data in order to answer questions
concerning the current status of the subject of the study. It aims to describe the nature of situation, as it
exists at the time of the study and explore the causes of the particular phenomena. Garcia and Regamit
(2010) confirmed that descriptive research seeks to describe systematically, factually, accurately and
objectively a situation, problem or phenomenon. It seeks to describe” what is”. Calmorin (2010) pointed
out that descriptive method of study focuses at the present situation (what is) the purpose to find new
truth. Descriptive research is valuable in: (1) providing facts in which scientific judgment may be based;
(2) provide essential knowledge about the nature of objects and person; and (3) for closer observations
into three practices, behavior, methods and procedures. The study aimed to identify the methods used
by the music teachers of Mexico, Pampanga, it also explores the problems and challenges encountered
by the respondents everyday as well as the corresponding solutions were given due account which
served as a basis for a Proposed Music Teaching Program (PMTP)

Locale of the study

As shown in Table 1, the respondents of the study were the 480 fourth year students of San Juan High
School and 33 MAPEH teachers teaching in Mexico, Pampanga

Table 1

Distribution of the Population of the Respondents

Respondents Total

Student Respondents 480

Teacher Respondents 33

Total Number of Respondents 513

Instrumental Analysis

To collect the data essential to the realization of this study, a set of data gathering tools was used. The
researcher utilized the following data gathering instruments: (1) questionnaire (2) unstructured
interviews (3) observation; and documentary materials.

Survey Questionnaire

A survey questionnaire was adopted to obtain data for the assessment of the methods used in Teaching
Music in the host school. The questionnaire on the approaches used by Music teachers were divided in
two parts: Part I highlighted the profile of the teacher respondents, from the basic questions to years in
service in teaching the subject, length of service to the relevant seminars attended by Music teachers.
Part II. A. pertained to the assessment of teaching methods. It draws out the different teaching
methodologies used by the respondents and a checklist of their affectivity to the students. Part II. B.
Contained questions pertaining to the students assessments of the reaching methods used by their
MAPEH teachers. The administration of the survey questionnaire was conducted during free periods,
lunch breaks and after class hours. The researcher took almost a month in gathering the required data.

Unstructured Interview

Unstructured interview with the MAPEH teachers was conducted by the researcher. The interview
begins with a question “What does music means to your life?” And “How do you convey Musical
information to you students?” Then, a series of questions were followed depending on the respondent’s
answers.

Observation

The researcher conducted observations during MAPEH classes. It was noted that proper coordination
with the key officials of the respondent schools was secured. Any significant voice enunciation and
behavioral gestures were recorded so as to further substantiate and enrich the primary data collected.

Documentary Analysis

The researcher referred to various documentary materials to supplement the finding of the study.

Data analysis

The data gathered through the questionnaire were classified, organized, tallied and tabulated. These
were treated with the use of frequency distribution and weighted mean. The data to answer specific
problems were treated as follows:

1. In determining the profile of the teacher-respondents in terms of age, gender, civil status, educational
qualifications, length of service and relevant conferences/seminars attended, frequency distribution and
percentage was used

To compute the percentage, the formula used was

P = n/N x 100

Where: P = percentage

n = number of cases

N = total number of respondents

2. In assessing the effectiveness of the methods used by the MAPEH Teachers, norms of interpretation
and weighted mean was used:
Descriptive Rating Weight Point Scale

Very Much Effective 5 4.21 – 5.00

Much Effective 4 3.41 – 4.20

Moderately Effective 3 2.61 – 3.40

Fairly Effective 2 1.81 – 2.60

Not Effective 1 1.00 – 1.80

To be able to interpret the computed mean, the following descriptive ratings were used:

Descriptive Rating Point Scale

Very Much Effective (VME) 4.21 – 5.00

Much Effective (ME) 3.41 – 4.20

Moderately Effective (MDE) 2.61 – 3.40

Fairly Effective (FE) 1.81 – 2.60

Not Effective (NE) 1.00 – 1.80

3. In assessing the seriousness of the problems encountered by the Music Teacher, norms of
interpretation and weighted mean was used:

Descriptive Rating Weight Point Scale

Very Serious Problem 5 4.21 – 5.00

Serious Problem 4 3.41 – 4.20

Moderately a Problem 3 2.61 – 3.40

Minimal Problem 2 1.81 – 2.60

Not a Problem 1 1.00 – 1.80

4.In assessing how much the respondents agree to the proposed solutions the following scale was used:

Descriptive Rating Weight Point Scale

Strongly Agree 5 4.21 – 5.00

Agree 4 3.61 – 4.20

Moderately Agree 3 2.41 – 3.60

Disagree 2 1.81 – 2.40

Strongly Disagree 1 1.00 – 1.80

5.In the computation of weighted mean, the formula used was:

WM = ΣWV

Where: WM = total of the products weighted multiplied by their corresponding frequency

N = the number of rates or total frequency

ΣWV = sum of the weighted value

6.In testing the null hypothesis, t-test for independent sample was used. The following formula was
used:

Where: x1 = mean of sample 1

x2 = mean of sample 2

n1 = sample sizes in sample 1

n2 = samples sizes in sample 2

s1 = variance of sample 1
s2 = variance of sample 2

Decision Rule: Reject Ho if /t/ ≥ /t tabular/

Results and Discussion

Profile of the Teacher Respondents

Among the thirty three teacher respondents half of them are 20 to 25 years old, indicating that majority
of the MAPEH teachers are young, three (3) of them are 26 to30 years old, seven (7) are 31-36 years old,
three (3) are from the ages 37-40 years old, three (3) are 41 to 46 years old and two (2) are from the
ages 46 to 50 years old. With regards to the gender ten (10) of the respondents were male and twenty
three (23) are female. Eighteen (18) of the respondents are single and twenty three (23), of them are
married. In the educational qualifications six (6) of them has master’s unit, 25 are graduates of
bachelor’s degree with a major in MAPEH, and one respondent is a P.E major. In the length of service
twenty one (21) teachers are novice teachers with five years and below in the service. Six (6) of them
has been teaching for 6-10 years, four (4) of them have been in public service for 11-15 years, one (1)
teacher has been teaching for 16-20 years, curiously enough though, none has been teaching 21-25
years, but one (1) has been teaching for more than 26 year. When it comes to the relevant trainings,
seminars and conferences attended, thirty (30) of the respondents attended the division level k-12
seminar for the grades 7 to 9, and three (3) respondents did not attend any music seminar for the last
three years.

Assessment of the Teaching Methodologies According to the Teacher-Respondents

The average weighted mean for the assessment of teaching methodologies is 3.14, with a descriptive
method much effective. The first item in the Deductive method got a weighted mean of 4.15, 4.09 for
the second item, 4.12 for the third and 3.39 for the last item. In the demonstration method, the
weighted mean are as follows, for the first item a weighted mean of 3.03 was computed, 3.18 for the
second item and 3.82 for the last item. On the drill/practice method, the results are as follows 3.95 for
the first item and 2.94 for the last item. For the expository method, the computed weighted mean are as
follows for the first item it is 3.42, 3.55 for the second item and4.18 for the last. The computation for the
weighted mean in the inductive method is as follows 3.88 for the first item, 4.21 for the second and 3.00
for the last. The result for the lecture or discussion method is 4.21 for the first item and 3.67 for the last.
And finally for the last method mastery, the result of the computation is as follows;4.21 for the first
item,3.91 for the second,4.30 for the third, 4.00 for the fourth item and 4.36 for the last item.

Assessment of the Teaching Methodologies According to the Fourth Year Students

The findings on the students’ assessment of the teaching methods being used by the music teachers are
as follows; in the inductive method the first item had a weighted mean of 4.62, the second item got a
weighted mean of 4.38, the third item gained a 4.11 weighted mean and the last item got a weighted
mean of 4.35. In the Demonstration Method the weighted mean are as follow; 4.18 for the first item,
4.42 for the second and 4.28 for the last. In the drill or practice method the weighted mean is as follows;
4.30 for the first item, and 4.38 for the last item. In the expository Method the weighted mean are as
follows 4.46 on the first item, 4.46 for the second and 4.57 for the last. The inductive method got a
weighted mean of 4.42 for the first item, 4.47 for the second and 4.44 for the last. In the integrative
method the following were computed 4.32 for the first item, 4.50 for the second and 4.56 for the last. In
the lecture or discussion method the following weighted mean were found 4.50 for the first item and
4.62 for the last. And on the last method, the mastery, the weighted mean that were computed are as
follows 4.47 for the first method, 4.46 for the second, 4.56 for the third, 4.48 for the fourth and the last
item got a weighted mean of 4.56. The average weighted mean of all these is 4.43.

Problems Encountered by the Respondents

The problems encountered by the respondents were rated as “Serious Problem”. In the teacher factor
are as follows: there is deficiency in the interest of teaching the subject, the rudiments of music are
frequently not taught in class, the lessons are deemed inappropriate and trifling, the teachers abhor
singing in the class, does not play any musical instrument, can teach other components of MAPEH but
not music, do not appreciate and recognize the composers and skips most of the lessons.

Under the descriptive rating “serious problem” of the student factor the results were as follows; the
students’ tediousness in the subject, the indifference of the students in the subject, the insufficiency of
the students’ talents, that is to say the students cannot sing well and a handful of individuals play any
musical instruments, majority of the students excel in other subject but not in music, the unhelpfulness
of the students for the duration of the class and the students do not partake during the “listening”
activities.

In the institutional factor, under the “very serious problem” descriptive rating the following were
discovered; the results are: the inadequacy of the musical instructional equipment and supplies and the
limited amenities of the school.

Proposed Remedies to the Problems Encountered

The proposed solutions to the problems encountered by the Music teachers that were on the
descriptive rating as “Strongly Agree”, were as follows: the teachers should provide more games and
activities in the class, make the lesson interactive than monotonous. The students should be given the
chance to maneuver musical instruments and should be encouraged to demonstrate their talents and
should be supported to join music clubs in the school. The department should provide more music
seminars, must organize more music activity and should purchase musical instruments to be used in the
class.
Conclusions

Based from the summary of the findings, the researcher came out with the following generalizations:

According to the profile of the teacherrespondents majority are young and new to the system, female
teachers outnumber the male and that there are very few music training programs organized by the
Division of Pampanga.

The methods used by the MAPEH teachers were described as “much effective”.

There is a significant difference in the assessment of the student and teacherrespondent in assessing the
methods used in teaching music.

Lack of support and discrimination from the institution leads to the fluctuation of interest towards the
subject.

There is a great need to re-assess the role of music in the curriculum and its role in the students’
development.

Recommendations

Based from the findings of the study and the above stated conclusions, the researcher offers the
following recommendations:

Consistent music trainings, programs and seminars should be provided by the department to update the
teachers to the latest trends in music teaching

Peer-Teaching and insets about music, within the MAPEH department is highly recommended.

The methods of the teachers must supplement the musical needs of the students.

During intramurals a musical awareness program or a “music week” can be added to give students a
chance to demonstrate their talents in music.

An enthusiastic music teacher and a talented student are keys in re-assessing the role of music in a
students’ development.

References

Ariola, M.M 2006 Principles and Methods of Research. Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc

Bello, Ruel C.2014Instruction Preparedness of secondary Teachers of Archdiocesan Schols in Pampanga

(Unpublished Master’s thesis, Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University, Bacolor, Pampanga.)

Borromeo, J.F2008 In teaching Music in the Secondary schools Calmorin,, Laurentia (2010) Research and
statistics with computer, National Bookstore
Canlas, Aiza D.2014 Effectiveness of the Guidance services of the Public schools of the North District of
the Division of Cuty of San Fernando, Pampanga (Unpublished Master’s thesis, Don Honorio Ventura
Technological State University, Bacolor, Pampanga.)

Dela Cruz, Joel C. Extent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Utilization of Teachers and
It Influence on School Effectiveness in public Elementary School in Sta. Rita, Pampanga (Unpublished
Doctor’s Dissertation, Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University, Bacolor, Pampanga.

Franco, Samboy, F.2010 Problems Encountered by Music Teachers in Sta. Ana, Pampanga (best Thesis
Future Mentors Organization) Pampanga Agricultural College Magalang, Pampanga

Garcia R.D, Regamit2010 The Descriptive Type of Research Goodwill bookstore Publishing Guevarra, A.L
Competencies on experiential Learning Courses vis-à- vis Preparedness of Pre-service Teachers on
Student Teaching (Unpublished Master’s thesis, Don Honorio Ventura Technological State Uiversity,
Bacolor, Pampanga.)

Hornilla, A. T. 2008 Music as an Art, National Bookstore

Kellough, R.D 2001 Teaching in the Middle and Secondary School, Goodreads Press. Lacson, Rachelle
R.(2014) Learning Difficulties in Science of Grade Four Pupils of Mexico Elementary School: A Basis for
Science Remediation Program (Unpublished Master’s thesis, Don Honorio Ventura Technological State
University, Bacolor, Pampanga.).

Manalo, Anabelle G.2014 Transformational Leadership and Strategic Planning Among Educational
Leaders in the District of Guagua West,Division of Pampanga (Unpublished Master’s thesis, Don Honorio
Ventura Technological State University, Bacolor, Pampanga.)

Ragudo, R.P2014 Organizational Climate: Influence on Organizational Commitment of Teachers of Public

Elementary Schools in The District of Sto. Tomas, Division of Pampanga (Unpublished Master’s thesis,
Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University, Bacolor, Pampanga.

Ramos, Rigette Ryan,2014 Factors affecting the Mathematics Proficiency level (Unpublished Master’s
thesis, Don Honorio Ventura Technological State University, Bacolor, Pampanga.)

Statistics2013 Australian Bureau of Statistics academia.edu. Retrieved. November 22, 2014

http.unesdoc.unesco.org Retrieved. November 5, 2014“Q&A- research Paper tips from Questia”
Questia. Retrieved. September 10, 2014 www.ncsu.edu. Retrieved. September 10,
2014www.Wikipedia.comthe free encyclopaedia. Retrieves. September 11, 2014

http://jsshr.anveshika.org/article/strategies-in-teaching-music-and-their-perceived-effectiveness/

E.

Expected Outcomes:
1.

Upgrade the competence of at least 90% of the MAPEHteachers.2.

At least 50% enroll / earn units in MAPEH to become amajor.3.

100% of MAPEH teachers attend training / seminars toupgrade their competence.Prepared by:

BONIFACIO B. LEDDA

MT I-Fe del Mundo NHSNoted by:

WINONA E. SANQUE

School Principal II

https://www.academia.edu/8934362/Teachers

Obstacles for physical education teachers in public schools: an unsustainable situation

Renata Osborne1 *

Rachel Saraiva Belmont1

Rodrigo Portal Peixoto1

Ivone Ouverney Santos de Azevedo2

Arlindo Fernando Paiva de Carvalho Junior3

1Universidade Salgado de Oliveira, Niterói, RJ, Brasil

2Colégio Pedro II , São Cristóvão, RJ, Brasil

3Instituto Benjamin Constant, Urca, Brasil

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to identify difficulties and aspirations of physical education teachers at public schools in
Niterói, inspired by UNESCO's quality physical education goal. An action research containing quantitative
and qualitative data was conducted. Thirty-five physical education teachers completed a questionnaire
and seven teachers were interviewed. The results indicated that the major difficulties faced were low
wages, precarious infrastructure and lack of materials. Physical education is devalued, the space
allocated is inadequate, and it is treated as mere recreation. Teachers criticized the lack of commitment
of some colleagues who work without planning. They also complained about undisciplined students and
lack of interest from their families. They aspire to self-improvement, infrastructure improvements, and
more support from school and families. Teachers who do not educate and lack of support from school
and government are an unsustainable reality. A synergy of efforts should be implemented, based on a
systems view.

Keywords recreation; sport; teaching; school management

INTRODUCTION

Education is related to the vision of society that we have and the one we would like to create; children
and young people go to school to be educated in order to become critical-constructive and participative
citizens in their society. On one hand, it is necessary for children and young people to adapt to society;
on the other hand, it is also important that new generations are able to transform the world in which
they live. Education is thus linked to a real current society and also to the perspective of a future better
society.

We live in a world full of serious and complex problems at local and global levels. The United Nations
(UN) highlights issues in society, presenting visions of a better world and promoting actions to achieve
these. Many people think that sport and physical education (PE) can contribute little to extreme
situations. However, the UN advocates the opposite. In 2003, for instance, it launched a task force
between its agencies to use sport and PE in a more systematic manner in activities related to
development and peace(1). In 2005, the UN promoted the International Year of Sport and Physical
Education, noting that in many countries, sports and PE face marginalization within education systems,
despite being indispensable for physical development, promotion of health and cultivation of necessary
values for social cohesion and intercultural dialogue(2).

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) led the Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development, from 2005 until 2014, which had links with other international
initiatives such as the Millennium Development Goals, the Education for All Movement and the Decade
of the United Nations Literacy. These are all tuned to ideas of quality of life, realization of human rights
and investing in the quality of basic education(3).

In 2015, UNESCO affirmed that the offering of physical education is declining all over the world, which
increases the concern regarding public health and reinforces the importance of governments taking
political measures to guarantee that PE is taught in schools' curricula. The World Health Organization
(cited by UNESCO(4)) states that levels of physical inactivity are rising and are responsible for increasing
risk of diseases. The Organization explains that, for many people, the opportunities to do sport and
exercise are not easily available, which makes it even more important to value PE in schools. Considering
this situation, UNESCO(4) recommends political measures to provide Quality Physical Education (QPE),
which is defined according to the Association for Physical Education as:

[...] planned, progressive, inclusive learning experience that forms part of the curriculum in early years,
primary and secondary education. In this respect, QPE acts as the foundation for a lifelong engagement
in physical activity and sport. The learning experience offered to children and young people through
physical education lessons should be developmentally appropriate to help them acquire the
psychomotor skills, cognitive understanding, and social and emotional skills they need to lead a
physically active life. (4)

Therefore, to reach QPE goals, UNESCO recommends policy actions to improve learning environments
regarding adequate infrastructure, teacher education, curriculum flexibility, community partnerships
and monitoring and quality assurance. Public policies must ensure financial commitments to provide
suitable spaces, facilities and equipment, as well as didactical resources to foster students' learning(4).
Adequate infrastructure in Brazil is perhaps one of the greatest challenges ahead. Neto, Jesus, Karino,
and Andrade(5) state that 15.5 percent of private and public Brazilian schools had appropriate and
modern structures; 40 percent of them had basic infrastructure; and 44.5 percent had minimum
infrastructure that consists of only water, sewer, toilet, electricity and kitchen. In the context of
precarious infrastructure, PE in schools has struggled over the years as it depends on a variety of indoor
and outdoor spaces. Gaspari et al.(6) demonstrated that a common difficulty faced by PE teachers in
Brazil was related to lack of appropriate space and didactical resources.
Integrated with improvements in infrastructure, continuing teacher education is essential for success.
UNESCO(4) explains that children's learning is highly dependent on the effectiveness of teachers.
Therefore, authorities must provide ongoing continuous professional development for teachers to
strengthen their knowledge base and inclusive practice. Teachers need to be qualified in order to
implement a well-balanced PE curriculum that contributes to a cross-curricular learning, is innovative
and enables all students to improve their diverse skills and develop positive lifelong health habits.

Although PE in schools is essential and a starting point to foster lifelong participation in physical activity,
it has limited curriculum time allocation and thus is not able to meet all the needs of children.
Consequently, to provide ample opportunities for children, it is vital to build strategic partnerships
between schools and community organizations(4).

QPE programs should have monitoring and quality assurance clear systems undertaken with objectivity
to supervise and support teachers. Monitoring should reveal strengths and weaknesses with the
purpose of recommending better actions and improvements(4). Schools are not composed only by
students and teachers, but also by managers, supervisors, advisors and parents, who work collectively to
achieve better outcomes(7). The optimum arrangement of these stakeholders with schools' facilities and
daily work processes constitute what has been called quality management in education, based on a
systems view.

The education system is seen as a constituent as a constituent of subsystems and processes, comprising
the inputs, processes and outputs; the inputs include factors relating to the students, teachers,
administrative staff, physical facilities and infrastructure, the processes include activities of teaching,
learning, administration, and the outputs include examination results, employment, earnings and
satisfaction. The different parts in a system must work together to produce a synergistic effect
culminating in customer and stakeholder satisfaction(8)

The first author of this article, coordinator of a research group that looks at relationships between PE
and sustainable development, has been interested in UN concepts since the International Year of Sport
and Physical Education 2005. Subsequently, in 2007 and 2008, in line with the Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development, led by UNESCO, the research group conducted a study that aimed to
investigate how PE professionals thought they should collaborate for sustainable development. The
results of that research in Niterói, Brazil, pointed out some possibilities and difficulties to use sport and
PE as sustainable development tools in public schools. The possibilities included work values and rules,
walking in the neighborhood, playing with scrap materials, use of alternative materials, cooperative
games, adapted sports, dance and gymkhana exploring environmental issues, and the knowledge that
PE can work in a diverse range of topics. The difficulties referred to national historical issues, such as the
lack of materials and infrastructure, the devaluation of PE teachers, and the students' resistance to a PE
able to overcome the culture of being just a physical activity practice(9).
The issue of sustainable development can show different contours when one relates it with the
education scenario. It may have a more specific meaning within the school when dealing with cross-
cutting themes, or gain a broader meaning when it takes into account what people really want to
address: problems related to situations that become unsustainable, such as lack of material resources,
precarious school management, teacher disengagement and violence.

In 2011 and 2012, another investigation was conducted, continuing the abovementioned partnership,
deepening the historical issues as they represent old knots which must be loosened so that more
specific issues can be worked out. The results presented in this article are related to this period and to
identifying the difficulties and aspirations of PE teachers in regards to the QPE goal.

METHODS

This study was inspired by an action research approach, which utilizes intersecting notions of
complexity, sensitive listening, collective researcher, evaluation, negotiation and change, moving from
research to action and vice versa(10). For Thiollent(11), the main technique of action research is
seminar, in which problems are examined and decisions are taken; data collection is through various
procedures that include questionnaires, interviews, and observations. A mixed method was also used,
which contains elements of quantitative and qualitative approaches(12).

Together with the coordinator of PE teachers of public schools in Niterói and the PE teachers, the
process of action research in cycles had the purpose of contributing to continuing education. The action
research approach was not fully successful because measurable change was not accomplished and
teachers' involvement was lower than the researchers' expectations. However, research was collectively
produced, which blended theory with action through dialogue and negotiation. In the first cycle, the
university group and the PE coordinator of the public schools decided to apply a questionnaire with
teachers, create a blog to discuss several themes, and invite potential authors regarding writing a book
intended for PE teachers. The research process was able to produce a seminar and generate a book on
PE, published in 2013(13).

The research was approved by the Salgado de Oliveira University's Ethical Committee that participates in
the Brazilian National Commission for Ethics in Research and had the support of FAPERJ, a local
institution that provides grants to research in Rio de Janeiro. After approval by the University Ethical
Committee, 35 PE teachers, who participated in the meeting convened by the PE coordinator,
completed the questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed by PE teachers (elementary and
middle school) who agreed to participate in the research and therefore signed a consent form. The
questionnaire referred to the difficulties faced by PE teachers and also gave them space to suggest
improvements in teaching practice.

The second cycle consisted in visiting schools to interview seven PE teachers. One of the main objectives
of this part was to understand their standpoints. An interview guide was chosen which, according to
Patton(14), involves building a list of predetermined questions to be explored during the interview. This
list serves to help the interviewer to keep the focus on predetermined topics, but with freedom to add
several questions to elucidate the answers. Questions were constructed to investigate
behavior/experience and opinion/values, inspired by Patton's ideas. Other types of questions used were
hypothetical, devil's advocate and ideal position, as described by Merriam(15).

Peer examination method was the trustworthiness strategy employed(15,16) that exists when a
colleague, who usually has knowledge of research, works as a devil's advocate, reviewing the data and
the conclusions, questioning them. This procedure was used to enhance the questionnaire and interview
guide as well as interpret data and discussion. With peer examination, the researchers were able to
verify if their findings were correct or if rectification was needed.

The corpus material of the research consisted in the answered questionnaires and the interview
transcripts that were analyzed separately. The questionnaires were analyzed first, quantitatively, using
MS Excel software. The interview transcripts were analyzed as guided by qualitative content analysis
'[...] defined as a research method for the subjective interpretation of the content of text through the
systematic classification process of coding and identifying themes or patterns.'(17). A conventional
approach was utilized that, according to Hsieh and Shannon(17), allows categories to emerge from the
data, directly from the respondents' perspectives '[...] without imposing preconceived categories or
theoretical perspectives' (p. 1279). The interviews were compared to find similarities and differences
among the answers of respondents, sorting out the most significant ideas in a process of constant
comparison(18). This process involved the research team that, together, identified sub-categories and
interpreted them.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The main problems that teachers usually face in the school system studied were low salary, lack of
materials and poor infrastructure, as cited in Figure 1. Low salary seems to be related to other issues,
such as the need for extended working hours and insufficient training.
Figure 1 This Figure shows the difficulties faced by physical education teachers in public schools in
Niterói

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(19), which reports on the educational
systems of 34 countries around the world, provided some important data about Brazil. On the one hand,
Brazil has increased investment in education compared to other countries; but on the other hand, the
salaries of Brazilian teachers are below the average paid by other countries and student numbers per
class are higher.

In regards to low wages paid to teachers in Brazil, Barbosa(20) produced a documentary and
bibliographic research identifying several implications: a) teaching as a profession becomes unattractive
and therefore recruitment and teacher retention is difficult; b) teachers have no purchasing power, thus
not having enough money to pay living costs and invest in continuing education; c) teachers start taking
additional jobs, making their working hours too long, which causes illness and decreases the quality of
their work.

The author concludes that although there are other factors that affect the quality of teachers' work,
such as school conditions and the large number of students, 'impoverished teachers, [...] unhappy, tired,
with few opportunities for professional development, with no time for leisure and rest, hardly will be
able to carry out their work satisfactorily'(20). Although increasing teachers' salary will not solve all
problems, the author argues that without good salaries, it will be pretty difficult to improve quality of
education.

Although lack of respect from students and lack of recognition were not considered to be huge
difficulties, as cited in Figure 1, teachers reported that these aspects bother them, a situation that will
be discussed later in this paper. Teachers were also asked about some of their suggestions in order to
improve PE, and their responses are summarized in Figure 2.

Figure 2 This Figure shows suggestions of physical education teachers on how to improve their working
conditions at public schools in Niterói

One of the greatest wishes listed by teachers refers to the incentive for refresher courses. Comparing
the first with the second graph in Figure 2, it is interesting to note that although insufficient training has
not been considered one of the most relevant problems, there is a great desire from teachers to
participate in training courses. Teachers seem willing to improve their teaching of PE and have a desire
for self-improvement. In this regard, UNESCO(4) recommends that regular continuing professional
development actions for quality PE is a priority policy. Other suggestions synthesized by Figure 2-
infrastructure improvements, salary increase and purchase of equipment-are in line with the difficulties
presented in Figure 1.

After the questionnaires, the interviews deepened the comprehension of difficulties related to PE
working conditions, and added discussion points about improvement of uncommitted teachers and
undisciplined students.

Working conditions

With regard to the spaces for PE, it is possible to identify differences between schools. While some
schools have covered spaces of suitable dimensions for physical practice, in other schools the reality can
be very different. The criticism expressed by Teacher 1, for example, refers to the size of a playground
that is insufficient. Teacher 5 points out that some of his students complain of headaches, mainly
triggered by exposure to the sun, as the playground has no coverage or adequate conditions for PE.
These two cases are related to inadequate working conditions.

Another problem is the lack of demarcation of the area reserved for PE. Some schools have only one
area for PE and students' recess. Therefore, in such cases, classes must share the same space and time
with students from other grades in their recess. This situation makes the development of PE classes
extremely difficult and reveals depreciation related to the professional performance of the PE teacher
within the school's setting.

One of the teachers interviewed who works in a school that has no separate space for PE asks how it is
possible to teach in such circumstances, as sometimes his class is invaded by children from other classes.
Uncomfortable with this situation, peculiar only to PE class, he says that this kind of thing does not
happen with the rest of the teachers. Contrary to what happens in PE classes, nobody will open the door
of a classroom and let 200 children enter. He says:

I was talking with them [the students] last week and a kid fell on top of me, [...] in the middle of the
court, when everybody was concentrating. You cannot teach, you get to class and then you cannot
continue [...] one child comes to fight with another who is in your class, mess with them, one child
comes and throws food on the floor and you are there giving lessons [...] There is no other place to have
recreation, there's no other place? They will then come into my class? Why they do not go into another
room? All the time there is someone to disturb you. In Math and Portuguese class they do not go in [...]
In PE they come in, why? Because they do not value it, because it is recreation for them, then whatever,
it bothers me a lot [...] No one teaches this way, only the PE teacher [...] has to believe what? I have no
value, so what am I doing there? If you have 200 students for them, PE for them is the same, it will not
make any difference to my class, [for them] my class has no content, so that's what I believe. Nobody
opens the door of a class and sends in the children on recess, because that is impossible [...], but PE can
work [that way]?!

His criticisms highlight not only a difficult routine, but also the context in which PE is devalued, and in
this sense, exposes the negative reality faced by PE teachers. His testimony reinforces the idea that PE is
still not recognized as an essential component of the school experience. In a certain way, this non-
recognition means that although it is necessary, PE is not sufficiently relevant compared to others school
subjects.

This current situation characterizes the known status of PE as a marginalized subject in the school
setting in many countries. For example, PE in primary schools in the United Kingdom context is not as
important as other core subjects such as Math and English(21). Rink(22) explains that PE has historically
been marginalized in the education system in the United States, which means that it is not valued in the
same way as other core subjects. In his assessment, even art and music, other non-core subjects, have
more political support than PE. However, Dyson(23) believes that PE is now gaining more attention from
wider society because of the high levels of overweight children in America.

Regarding devaluation of PE, Teacher 6 commented that PE is often seen as a subject that has no
significant content. For him, when there are no classes or the students have nothing to do, the PE
teacher usually is instructed to deal with this situation. This kind of reality is also part of Teacher 7's
routine, who said that if a teacher does not turn up for work then the school often places the students in
PE classes. For these reasons, he explains that PE should be seen as a subject that is not an appendix or a
complement for other subjects.

From the teachers' reports, the main complaints relate to three aspects: 1) the space for PE is seen not
as a classroom but as a free area, where all students can enter any time they want; 2) the lack of
overhead coverage of the space, which exposes teachers and students to weather conditions; 3) PE is
treated as a supporting subject in schools. All these aspects highlighted by the respondents reflect and
reinforces the PE devaluation scenario in schools.

According to research from Santini and Neto(24), the lack of overhead coverage of the playground is one
of the stressors commonly related by PE teachers, many of whom claim to suffer from complications in
the vocal cords, headaches and sinusitis due to this working condition. One of the teachers interviewed,
who teaches during the morning, described that she starts working very early in the cold morning and by
the end of the morning she has the sun on her head. The reports cited by Santini and Neto(24) reveal
problems related to school administration. In the researchers' view, teachers must ask for better
working conditions, but the schools must also provide immediately at least minimum working conditions
that better organize the times and spaces for PE.
For a QPE, administrators must provide adequate resources that include accessible and safe facilities,
equipment and materials; in other words, students and teachers need a well-managed environment for
teaching and learning(4). For example, optimum conditions include that all courts are covered, but
minimum conditions include: a) when PE is conducted in open courts, the school should allocate periods
of the day that avoid extreme sun exposure; b) defining spaces for PE so that there is no interference
from other children or adults; c) valuing and respecting PE as a subject, and not asking its teacher to
cover the absence of other teachers, a situation that is rarely applied to teachers of other subjects.

The standard of quality comes from what the researchers observed in the research and in their
professional experience; working conditions considered optimal or minimal vary according to the
context. Today, what is considered great may become the minimum standard in another reality or time.
According to UNESCO(4), QPE will not look the same in all places around the world, as quality will have
different meanings in different national settings and educational contexts.

Working without content by some teachers

The teachers interviewed were critical about the work without content developed by some colleagues.
Teacher 1 states that there are some who work without any kind of educational planning, focusing their
classes on a few sports, such as soccer or handball. Children usually take this practice as a reference.
Because of that, when a teacher wants to do their job well, some students have difficulties.

Teacher 5 reported that he asked the students what the previous teacher used to do. The answer was
almost always the same; they said that the teacher just gave them balls for the boys to play soccer and
girls to play queimado, a kind of recreational game played in Brazil that is like prison dodge ball, played
with just one ball. So he had to explain that PE class is not like that, it has other aspects. However, the
students preferred the other teacher, who let them play whatever they wanted; they got used to the
bad teacher. Teacher 5 also commented that the students will only realize that this teacher was not
good for them when they graduate, as he did.

Regarding any teacher who do not develop content, Teacher 6 called him or her an 'accomodated
teacher', who just throws the ball and let the kids do what they want. For Teacher 6, PE, like any subject,
has content and values that must be worked out, and failure to take responsibility for education of
students upsets him. This uncompromising and accommodated teacher devalues PE within the school
context.
The teacher that 'rolls the ball' or 'gives the ball' is not new, criticisms have already been made in this
direction. Silva and Bracht(25) explain that there are three main PE pedagogical practices in Brazilian
schools, one is concerned with teaching sport competences based on a high performance model, a
second is characterized as the 'teacher who rolls the ball' or 'shadow pedagogy', and a third would be
called innovative. In the second, the teacher is not investing in pedagogy, he is reduced to an
administrator of didactical material and has a posture of a recreationist, or a teacher of a class that will
compensate boredom produced in other subjects.

For Darido(26), when a teacher assumes a recreationist position, he is disregarding procedures and
failing to intervene and mediate knowledge. Although she criticizes this kind of teacher, she explains
that there are other factors that must be taken into account. For her, firstly, in PE 'what not to do' has
been discussed theoretically, but these theories have not been accompanied by 'what to do', leaving an
empty space for the teachers in their practice. Another factor relates to the lack of public policies that
would facilitate teachers' work: working conditions, space, suitable material, wage policies, and
especially support for continuing education. This scenario, in Darido's view, seems to be contributing to
a stressful situation that has been debated in academic literature. In this sense, the study by Santini and
Neto(24) draws attention to the perception of the PE teacher as a 'ball teacher'. The authors state that
this behavior may be consequence of a burnout syndrome that teachers are going through, which
results from a number of factors that have been accumulated for years such as the lack of administrative
support, the demand on the teacher to pursue multiple roles, the anxiety about the inadequacy of the
training received at university to meet the challenges of reality in public schools, weak interpersonal
relationships at school, and living in an environment of violence.

Many teachers are really going through a burnout syndrome. However, the researchers have witnessed
new teachers who already fit the 'ball teacher' profile, which may be a result of inadequate training
and/or a non-commitment to the teaching profession. The reality is very difficult and it is necessary to
demand better working conditions, but PE teachers also have to engage, building their practice in co-
authorship with students, conscious of their role as educators.

Teachers' intentions, combined with good strategies in relation to PE content, are essential to their duty
with children and young people. Teachers are of great importance to students' education; their
influence is not easy to measure. Their gestures, attitudes and words can go a long way in the life of
each person.

Aspiration to improve uncommitted teachers' work

Regarding the work of PE teachers, Teacher 1 thinks there should be an inspection of the teachers who
are not doing their job properly in accordance with the schools' system proposal. Compared to other
classrooms teachers, he comments that PE teachers 'are free to teach what they want to teach'.
Therefore, for him, PE teachers need to be monitored.

Considering the already mentioned situation of poor school management and lack of adequate materials
and infrastructure, the view of monitoring PE teachers seems too hierarchical. According to Silva(7),
nowadays the school supervision is not so hierarchical, exerting a power relation over the teachers, but
this should instead be undertaken by educators who work together with teachers, in a partnership effort
for optimum results in the school teaching and learning environment.

The researchers agree that supervision needs to become better so as to overcome this behavior of doing
whatever one desires, without a commitment to a substantial collective proposal. It is essential to build
a better partnership between teachers and school management, in order to promote a dialogue where
the teacher receives more attention, support, and therefore is able to better teach and facilitate
students' learning.

Teacher 5 states that as some PE teachers are doing a poor job, there should be more fixed guidelines,
obliging teachers to follow certain lesson content for a few terms, until the situation improves and then
this could be more flexible. In his opinion, this obligation to work with certain lesson content would be
difficult because of lack of materials and infrastructure, but then those problems could be more easily
understood.

Although there are institutional curriculum guidelines, further monitoring and a clearer systematization
of what should be taught in the classroom are still needed. However, we do not agree with rigid
guidelines because as UNESCO(4) points out, curricula must be flexible and adaptable so that teachers
are empowered to offer interesting activities to students.

Teacher 3 agrees that there is not enough supervision in relation to PE teachers, and adds that teachers
end up teaching what they have higher affinity for. She also admits not teaching very much basketball
because she is not good at it; instead, she teaches volleyball, handball and soccer.

The idea that PE teachers must have full motor skills for teaching physical activities contents is
misguided thinking because there are several strategies that can be taught. It also contributes to a
practice of many teachers who are teaching lesson contents centered on their limitations and not on
students' needs and interests.

Penney, Brooker, Hay and Gillespie(27) consider that there is not an absolute definition of QPE, which
needs to be contextualized in social, cultural and institutional terms; they propose three inter-related
dimensions of QPE: curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. One issue that is treated across those
dimensions is, for example, the importance of having the students at the center.

This focus on the student, in our opinion, is of paramount importance in all subjects and diverse
realities. For example, Patton and Parker(28) affirm that success in professional development of PE
teachers is a process in which acquisition of knowledge is a starting point, then as teachers start viewing
themselves as learners, self-improvement and empowerment is a consequence, and in this process
there is a 'shift in teacher identity to focus on student learning, not themselves'(28).

For Teacher 6, there is no separation between PE and school context; PE problems are a variant of
education problems, and in that sense, what should improve is government investment, management
work, and teachers' commitment. The researchers agree with this teacher that PE problems do not
happen in a non-contextualized way, and therefore they cannot be treated as isolated from other issues.
A quality PE curriculum cannot be an island, it may be a reality in a quality education scenario, which
depends on public policies and joint effort of all stakeholders.

Undisciplined and violent students

Some teachers complained about violence and lack of discipline and collaboration of students. Teacher 5
commented that some students arrive late, some want to use mobile phones, others want to lie down,
and others cannot wait and try to kick the ball when it is still in the teacher's bag. These situations
disturb the classes and impair the development of significant lesson content in PE classes. This teacher
added that the lack of interest of students, family and school is upsetting to him.

Indiscipline is not unique to PE classes or to the studied institution, but it is a situation experienced in
many different disciplines and schools. According to Garcia(29), it has been a source of stress in
educational interpersonal relationships between the actors of the school community, and transcends
the behavioral issue, relating to the current historical context. It is expressed in different ways, is more
creative than in the past, and became for teachers a difficult matter of confronting and resolving. 'The
school indiscipline does not have a single cause, or even a main one. Disruptive events, even involving a
single person, usually come from a number of different causes, and very commonly reflects a complex
combination of causes'(29).

The author points ways to tackle this problem: 1) schools' investment in continuing education programs
for teachers; 2) creation of more opportunities for dialogue to improve the relationship with students;
3) sharing of discipline responsibility with the students so that they participate in the problem solution;
and 4) reinforcement of positive behavior.
From this explanation that undisciplined behaviors evolved and diversified on the basis of socio-cultural
changes, what was considered indiscipline in the past is no longer applicable. This process is natural,
ideas and behaviors change over time and the school cannot stagnate, it needs to keep up with changes
in society. Dialogue and co-participation of students are valuable in facing the problem of indiscipline. In
fact, all actors of the school community should be heard. Efficient management is one that values
diverse views, because everybody has a right to express opinions and participate, as well the duty to
collaborate.

As it occurs with indiscipline, lack of interest seems to be the result of a combination of extrinsic and
intrinsic factors. The first concerns, for example, actions and social relationships established by the
school and society, and the latter relates to inner motivations and personal desires. To minimize
indiscipline and lack of interest, the researchers recommend a path of more democratic coexistence,
which stimulates dialogue, participation, co-responsibility, creativity, critical thinking and being in tune
with current society context.

In this discussion about indiscipline and lack of interest, the issue of violence is also present. Teacher 6 is
upset by violence and lack of values; he notes that students 'naturalize violence' and not see themselves
as violent beings, whether verbal or physical violence.

Regarding this naturalization of violence, Silva(30) affirms that because people are immersed in a violent
society, many of the perpetrators feel no responsibility or guilt for their actions. The author blames the
capitalist society, because it overly values the materialistic side of life and power, not giving deserved
importance to human beings. Violence is everywhere, on the street, at home, at school, in the media,
and in the world. Although people believe that violence is far from them, it is present in various
environments in which they live and within them(30).

Different expressions of violence are present daily in schools: interference of violent external groups
such as, for example, drug dealers; school depredation that is a public property; fights between
students; disagreements between teachers and students; and domestic violence(31).The main type of
violence at school is domestic, consisting of the main concern in school meetings. It has several faces:
abandonment because of a guardian's absence; the lack of basic care; physical violence by adults;
psychological violence, expressed by threats and yelling; and sexual abuse infringed by the adult to the
child(30).

Considering this context, the author notes that for many teachers the act of teaching children and
adolescents to live with sexual, cultural, religious, racial and economic diversity 'is a Herculean task, is
martyrdom'(30). Santini and Neto(24) also address the issue of violence and the influence upon PE
teachers and consider it a significant factor that increases their stress and emotional exhaustion.

So, what should be done? Give up the profession? But other professions will probably also be
surrounded by violence. Silva(30) suggests a solution: invest in the role of the school as a promoter of
good relationships, peace and friendship and emphasize that education should be closer to the reality of
children's life, promoting citizenship education.

The reality of a violent life should not only be embraced by teachers and schools, but worked out with
sensibility and intelligence, so that the school becomes a transformation and hope laboratory. For
Freire(32), an essential part of human nature needed to knowledge production is hope, which enriches
interactions between teachers and students in the joyful educative activity. In other words, more than
ever teachers should develop affectionate and educative relationships with students and focus learning
on the interests, singularities and well-being of children and youngsters.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering that research is an ongoing process, this research cycle served to deepen some issues. The
first refers to the type of research chosen, quantitative and qualitative and characterized as action
research: at times research, but at other times performing actions is important because it connects the
academic environment of the university to school daily reality. The school, which serves more to
practice, needs more applied research, and therefore action research seems to be an appropriate
choice.

The second issue relates to material difficulties, precarious working conditions, lack of equipment, low
wages and insufficient professional continuing education. These are consequences of government
political measures, which is something that students, teachers and families must unite against and
question, demanding change.

The third issue refers to old problems that are repeated in Brazilian PE that has to do with its value as a
subject in the school context. PE teachers still feel threatened, devalued, and to surpass this they need
not only assert for better working conditions but also revise their teaching practice supported by school
management.

The recreational PE teacher, who 'rolls the ball' and does not educate, is a regrettable reality that has
not yet been overcome in the schools studied; it is clearly an unsustainable situation that must change.
The researchers agree with this view, but it is also necessary to consider the situation of stress and
burnout experienced by teachers, which is a result of lack of support from the school and the
government. Therefore, greater involvement of teachers in school decision-making and community
participation must be encouraged, which are essential aspects to improve school participatory
management.

The fourth issue, students' indiscipline, is complex; however, this problem should not be the main focus
of change as it can be minimized by improving schools' infrastructure, schools' management, and
teachers' training. The relationships built inside schools need to be nourished with meaningful dialogue
inspired by Freire's ideas of hope and joy of the educational experience.

QPE advocated internationally by UNESCO(4) is, in the researchers' opinion, interdependent on quality
education as a whole, so future efforts in Brazil should consider a systems view. It is important to
understand that PE exists in relation to other subjects, school management and government
investment. A synergy of efforts must be experimented in these interconnected aspects of educational
context.

As UNESCO emphasizes, PE in schools is, for the majority of people, the most important beginning to
acquire a healthy active lifestyle for life. Therefore, the QPE goal is dependent of an ongoing collective
work for education. Continuing education for all the professionals involved in the school, collaborative
work, interdisciplinary efforts and applied researches are recommended to foster a positive learning
environment and concrete changes in daily school routine.

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Received: April 20, 2016; Accepted: July 19, 2016

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-65742016000400310
Competency of MAPEH teachers

Teacher I Luis Escutin National High School Duyoc, Dao, Capiz

Panay News10 Mar 2017By Rose Ann Etajan Espino,

THIS article speaks on behalf of all MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health) teachers
construed as not mentally and only socially inclined. This article speaks about how competent and at par
MAPEH teachers are with the rest of the subject teachers. And this article speaks about how MAPEH is
not only a bonus or recess subject.

To be competent is simple. It means to possess the necessary ability, knowledge or skill in doing
something successfully. In the first place, MAPEH teachers will not be hired without license. Teachers
will not be assigned to MAPEH if they are not generally competent, although in some cases there are
those who are favored.

A competent MAPEH teacher has the corresponding ability, knowledge and skill in teaching the subject,
in making sure that the students can learn, will learn and has learned about the subject. How would
parents know that students learn from a MAPEH teacher or that their kids are learning MAPEH? In the
Philippines, it would not be that hard to know. Students have innate abilities even before entering
school. How these abilities are exposed and enhanced will determine the kind of MAPEH teachers they
have or highly depend on how competent their MAPEH teachers are. Again, MAPEH teachers are already
classified competent.

School programs and activities that are literary and sports-related highly involve MAPEH teachers. The
more the programs of this kind happens all throughout the school year, the more challenging and, at the
same time, fulfilling for MAPEH teachers, who would help prepare the program and the students
prepare their pieces and how to deliver them. MAPEH teachers would coach them on the particular
sport they are into. MAPEH teachers are a dynamic group, too. They set the pace and provide balance to
school life, from kindergarten to college.

Many students look forward to studying MAPEH classes because not many of them feel like studying at
all. For students, they are just learning — with so much fun and rigor. Ninety percent of students are
more energetic when doing projects in MAPEH than in other subjects. It is thus important that MAPEH
teachers be innovative and technologically advanced to drive students back to school./

https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/panay-news/20170310/281951722616115