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Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

K-12 Program Affects The Development of Academic Competencies Among Grade 12 Students
in Headwaters College LTA-Campus

A Research Paper Proposed by Senior High School Students of Headwaters College in The Strand
of Humanities and Social Sciences

Reserch Project Committee:


Amora III, Saturnino R.
Gajudo, Joanna Marie L.
Laudit, Maxine E.
Moldez, Irish Kate R.
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

Abstract

Title K-12 Program Affects The Development of


Academic Competencies Among Grade 12
Students in Headwaters College LTA-Campus
Researchers Amora III, Saturnino R.
Gajudo, Joanna Marie L.
Laudit, Maxine E.
Moldez, Irish Kate R.
Subject Research Project
Date Begin January 10,2020
Date Finished

Name of institution Headwaters College LTA Campus

Address Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol


Sapang Palay, City Of San Jose Del Monte,
Bulacan

This study assessed the effectively of the K to 12 program in molding the academic
competencies of the Filipino students. It gives us information on how K to 12 has a big impact in
having an advanced learning in taking a step in a higher education. Through this research
findings, this new education system is an advantage to the students who are undecided in
choosing their preferred careers.

This research found out that not all Grade 12 students from Senior High School in
Headwaters College LTA Campus are not continuing their education in college because some of
them will engage in entrepreneurial activities. Some are decided to develop their skills with
world-class competence through Technical Education and Skills Development Authority
(TESDA) that will provide them positive work values and make them well-equipped enough in
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

employability, and some would not engage in entrepreneurship neither in TESDA but will go for
employment.

The respondents of this study has proved that the K to12 curriculum aims to improve
their skills in Mathematics, Science, and Linguistics to further exhibit competence in their
academic performances. It also promises to offer high quality education through the different
tracks and strands. In each strand, it will give the students enough time to master a field and
enhance their skills in their respective industry.

Methodology utilized in the study included interviews with the Grade 12 students of
Headwaters College LTA Campus through the use of test questionnaires. The sources of other
information came from different articles and citations of different people.

The findings of the study figured out that the new education system provide students
instructional time for subject-related tasks, making them more prepared in every subject area. In
the old curriculum, high school students are not yet 18 years old. With the new curriculum,
senior high school students can specialize in a field that they are good at and interested in. As a
result, upon graduation they will have the specific job-related skills they need even without a
college degree. However, it is undeniable that there are problems arise as the program was
implemented, which include lack of budget, classrooms, school supplies, and teachers.

Introduction

It is no secret that a good education has the power to change a life. What is new is the
demand for that change. A need of change in the new education system in the Philippines was \
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
approved under the Department of Education (DepED) signed into the law Basic Education Act
of 2013 (Republic act 105333) or most commonly referred to K to 12 Program. This new
curriculum mandates that all pupils entering Grade 1 should have a compulsory undergone
kindergarten or pre-school, and the secondary level will add two or more years, that is the senior
high school.

The K to 12 program is believed to be the solution of the elongated dilemma of the


Philippines of the Philippine educational system because this prepares the students in their entry
to college and equips them with relevant and globally competitive skills which will faster
employability. It is well-known that education is the key to long term problems of the country. If
basic education will be fixed, it will build a truly strong society. (Aquino,2011)

Students of the new system will be equipped with the skills required to be ready for
entrepreneurship, middle-level skills development and higher education, through choosing from
the three tracks which are Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, and the Sports and Arts
that has different each track.

The goal of the new curriculum is to give Filipino students enough time to master skills
and concepts so that they are ready for tertiary education when the time comes. Kindergarten was
previously optional, and advocates of the k-12 programme ‘ provides for the use of the ‘Mother
tounge’ language as the medium of instruction for students in the basic and lower years to
facilitate and expedite learning.”

The implementationof K-12 curriculum in the country drew negative reactions from
various societal groups. Since 2011, critics have been very vocal on their primary concerns. The
insists the government isn’t yet ready for this new system and that this is more of additional
burden to students and their parents. Despite calls to suspend the program, the government
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
remained firm saying this new educational system offers opportunities for Filipino
students and the national economy. For it’s part, the Department of Education ( DepEd ) stresses
that the country is prepared for a big shift in education system. In fact, it has worked to fulfill the
gaps on

the number of classrooms, teachers, and textbooks. Also, it has finished the planning phases
alolng with stakeholders.

Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

In the field of education and to the entire nation, quality and excellence of
learning ids of utmost importance. It is a must that schools should produce quality graduates,
who will develop the social and economic components of nation building in order that the nation
can achieve full development and progress.

K to 12 program have been implemented by the Department of Education


throughout the whole country. When the school year began in 2012, incoming Filipino first grade

students will study through 12 years of basic education instead of 10 years ; first year high
school will undergo 6 years of studying instead of 4. The addition of 2 years is expected to raise
our students on equal with the other school systems in Asia and also globally. It is also supposed
to teach students vocational college bound subjects expected to help students attain intellectual
competencies, personal and civic responsibilities, and practical skills that will be useful in terms
of college readiness and employment demands. While the government assigns and changes the
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
curriculum for these two additional years, there are various effects beside this double edged
sword, may it be positive or negative. But how does it actually affect the universities and the
students at this moment and for the years come?

Education for children in the early years lays foundation for lifelong learning and for the
total development of a child. The early years of the human being , from 0 to 6 years, are the most
critical period when the brain grows to at least 60-70 percent of adult size. In kindergarten,
students learn alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors through games, songs, an

dances, in their Mother Tongue. Examples, activities, songs,poems, stories, and illustrations are
based on local culture, history, and reality. This makes the lessons relevant to the learners and
easy to understand.

Students are able to learn best through their first language, their Mother Tongue (MT).
Twelve (12) MT languages have been introduced for SY 2012-2013: Bahasa Sug, Bikol,
Cebuano, Chabacano, Hiligaynon, Iloko, Kapampangan, Maguindanaoan, Meranao,
Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray. Aside from The Mother Tongue, English And Filipino are
taught as subjects starting Grade 1, with a focus on oral fluency. From Grades 4 to 6, English and
Filipino are gradually introduced as languages of instruction in Junior High School (JHS) and
Senior High School (SHS). After Grade 1, every student can read in his or her Mother Tongue.
Learning Mother Tongue also serves as the foundation for students to learn English and Filipino
easily.

Subjects are taught from the simplest concepts to more complicated concepts through
grade levels in spiral progression. As early as elementary up to hig school, students gain
knowledge in areas such as Biology, Geometry, Earth Science, Chemistry and Algebra. This
ensures a mastery knowledge and skills after each level.
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
Given that 2 more years in high school are to be added in the year 2016, there will be no
incoming freshmen. And for 2017, there will be no freshmen and sophomore in colleges. There
will be less units to take as less subjects are to be taken up in college. This may pose for a change
in the curriculum for the college courses and differences may arise in the curriculum that may
affect those who are incoming freshmen and graduating students.

The implementation of the K-12 plan in the Philippine Basic Education Curriculum is
key to our nation’s development. Though the government faces many problems such as the lack
of classrooms and school materials, high-student ratio, low salary of teachers, and the problems
the government faces as they implement the new curriculum over the course of several years, it
is a necessary improvement since increasing the quality of our education is critical to the nation’s
success.

Statement of the Problem

The K to 12 program aims to provide quality education and mastery of skills for the
Filipino students, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the new curriculum may really establish,
maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the
need of the people and society. It may just be the aid for the economic growth of the country
but not in the education system of the Philippines. In addition, even though the implementation
of the K to 12 program is not in the country’s budget, the government still pursue implementing
it just to remain fit in the globalization along with the other countries.

This study aimed to determine how K to 12 affect the development of Grade 12 students’
academic competencies in Headwaters College LTA-Campus. More specifically, it sought
answers to the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:


Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
1.1 age;

1.2 gender;
1.3 section; and
1.4 strand?
2. To what extent is the readiness of the Headwaters College LTA-Campus in the
implementation of K to 12 Program in terms of:
2.1 curriculum;
2.2 school plant and facilities; and
2.3 administration and management?
3. To what extent is the readiness of the teachers in Headwaters College LTA-Campus in
the implementation of K to 12 Program in terms of:
3.1 teaching competencies;
3.2 teaching strategies; and
3.3 instructional materials?
4. What are the advantages in the implementation of K to 12 Program, as assessed by the
respondents?
5. What are the problems encounter in the implementation of K to 12 Program, as assessed
by the respondents?

Significance of the Study

This study is deemed significant to the Department of Education, the schools,


administrators, teachers, students, along with the government and non-government organizations.

Department of Education.This study is a manifestation of the extent of implementation


of K to 12 in Headwaters College LTA-Campus where this study was conducted. This
information may be used as a feedback of the compliance of the school used in this study,
relative to such new curriculum.
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
School. The information they may get from this study may be used as reference on the
implementation of K to 12, along with the issues and concerns the school heads and the teachers
encountered on such implementation.

School Administrators. This study may also reflect the same issues and concens they
encounter along the implementation of K to 12 from which they may gather ideas on how to
synchronize the predicaments of the respondents and their position as the implementers of the
new program.

Students. Their predicaments may be revealed in this study so that concerned authorities
may become aware.

Teachers. This study teaches them to demonstrate innovativeness by seeking further


professional growth and development that would enhance to further extent their competencies
deemed essential in coping with the new trends in the educational setting.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this quantitative study is to understand the Grade 12 in


Headwaters College LTA-Campus perceptions about the K to 12 curriculum and how it affects
their academic performances and competencies. To test the capability of this new program in
training the Filipino students to be future laborers and professionals. To examine the students
experiences as they choose their own tracks and strands in lined in their preferred careers.

Chapter 2
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

In order to establish a comprehensive background for this study, a survey of related


literature and studies has been conducted and have drawn out some concepts, ideas and data

bases in formulating approaches, formats , instruments and necessary information in the conduct
of the study. This chapter presents a review and summary of literature and studies related to K to
12 Curriculum enhancement and development, along with conceptual framework, research
hypothesis and operational and conceptual definition of terms.

Review of Related Literature

Foreign Literature
Tan (2015) in his writings, discussed and pointed out important details about k to 12 . He
enumerated the four phases of the K to 12 Program as follows: Phase I refers to Laying the
Foundations, the goal of which is to finally implement the universal kindergarten (offered since
on S.Y. 2011—2012), and the "development of the (entire) program"; Phase II is that of
Modeling and Migration aimed to promote the enactment of the basic education law, to finally
start of the phased implementation of the new curriculum for Grades 1 to 4 and 7 to 10, and for
the modeling of the senior high school; Phase III is Complete Migration, the goal of which is to
finally implement the Grades 11 and 12 or the senior high school, and to signal the end of
migration to the new educational system; and Phase IV is that of Completion of the Reform
aimed to complete the implementation of K to 12 education system. However, during the new
educational cycle, from 2016 to 2018, college enrollment could slow down because of the
entrance of the lower-year students to the new educational
Dinham and Scott (2016) caution against false dichotomies in education that can militate
against effective leadership decisions and that often reflect polarizing ideologies in education.
For the school leader, a sensitivity to the pressures that are or can be exerted by the policy
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
context and an awareness of the distortions that may be forced on the school’s program as a
result seem to be important imperatives in getting the balance right.
Drawing on a review of good practices in teacher professional learning, Webster-Wright
(2009) concluded that quality professional development must integrate theory with practice,
enabling teachers to make ongoing decisions about their classroom practice within the context of
deeply understood relevant theory. It therefore engages with teachers as thinking professionals,
as intellectual workers, rather than treating them as technicians who merely need to be taught
what to do and then subjected to compliance measures to ensure that they do it. In any final
analysis, true teacher professional learning is human, social and relational. Teachers, like
students, need time to learn and people from whom to learn. A wide range of possible strategies
provide options for learning. The challenge for school leaders is to bring these together in a
meaningful way. Fullan (2017) stressed that teachers of today and tomorrow need to do much
more learning on the job, or in parallel with it where they can constantly test out, refine, and get
feedback on the improvements they make. They need access to other colleagues in order to learn
from them.
In San Diego City Schools a professional development system is aligned with standards,
curricula, and implementation guidelines. It recognizes that effective professional development
must be focused on the schools themselves and based on daily classroom practice. It provides
training and support for instructional leaders, school principals, school-based peer coach/staff
developers and teachers. This training includes regular seminars, school visits by instructional
leaders, and cross-school visitations by principals to each other's schools. The schools believe
that effective professional development must be focused on the schools themselves and based in
daily classroom practice
A major theme in the constructivist theoretical framework of Bruner is that learning is an
active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past
knowledge. The learner selects and transforms information, constructs hypotheses, and makes
decisions, relying on a cognitive structure to do so. Cognitive structure provides meaning and
organization to experiences and allows the individual to "go beyond the information given".
As far as instruction is concerned, the instructor should try and encourage students to
discover principles by themselves. The instructor and student should engage in an active dialog
(i.e., Socratic learning). The task of the instructor is to translate information to be learned into a
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
format appropriate to the learner's current state of understanding. Curriculum should be
organized in a spiral manner so that the student continually builds upon what they have already
learned.
Bruner states that a theory of instruction should address four major aspects: (1)
predisposition towards learning, (2)the ways in which a body of knowledge can be structured so
that it can be most readily grasped by the learner, (3) the most effective sequences in which to
present material, and (4) the nature and pacing of rewards and punishments. Good methods for
structuring knowledge should result in simplifying, generating new propositions, and increasing
the manipulation of information.
According to Scandura’s (2015) Structural Learning Theory, what is learned are rules
which consist of a domain, range, and procedure. There may be alternative rule sets for any given
class of tasks. Problem solving may be facilitated when higher order rules are used, i.e., rules
that generate new rules. Higher order rules account for creative behavior (unanticipated
outcomes) as well as the ability to solve complex problems by making it possible to generate
(learn) new rules.
Unlike information processing theories which often assume more complex control
mechanisms and production rules, structural learning theory postulates a single, goal-switching
control mechanism with minimal assumptions about the processor and allows more complex rule
structures. Structural learning theory also assumes that "working memory" holds both rules and
data (i.e., rules which do not act on other rules); the memory load associated with a task depends
upon the rule(s) used for the task at hand (Scandura, 2017)
Structural analysis is a methodology for identifying the rules to be learned for a given
topic or class of tasks and breaking them done into their atomic components. The major steps in
structural analysis are: selecting a representative sample of problems, identifying a solution rule
for each problem, converting each solution rule into a higher order problem whose solutions is
that rule, identifying a higher order solution rule for solving the new problems, eliminating
redundant solution rules from the rule set and noticing that steps 3 and 4 are essentially the same
as steps 1 and 2, and continue the process iteratively with each newly-identified set of solution
rules. The result of repeatedly identifying higher order rules, and eliminating redundant rules, is a
succession of rule sets, each consisting of rules which are simpler individually but collectively
more powerful than the ones before (Scandura, 2017).
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
Structural learning prescribes teaching the simplest solution path for a problem and then
teaching more complex paths until the entire rule has been mastered. The theory proposes that
we should teach as many higher-order rules as possible as replacements for lower order rules.
The theory also suggests a strategy for individualizing instruction by analyzing which rules a
student has/has not mastered and teaching only the rules, or portions thereof, that have not been
mastered (Scandura,2017)
The following are the principles underlying this theory: whenever possible, teach higher
order rules that can be used to derive lower order rules, teach the simplest solution path first and
then teach more complex paths or rule sets, rules must be composed of the minimum capabilities
possessed by the learners. The citation of Paré & Le Maistre (2018) relates with the functions
considered a part of everyday life. They averred that knowledge of basic skills may be
considered important for the successful transition of students into the workplace. Technical skills
may also be required for specific jobs, but there are some additional skills, often coined ‘soft
skills,’ that are necessary for bridging the gap between book knowledge and work application.
As Sullivan (2018) points out, more attention needs to be paid to developing students’
abilities to work adaptively – that is to be able to apply what they have previously learnt in
answering non-routine questions – and that this in turn has implications for the curriculum and
associated pedagogies. Meanwhile, supervision and utilization of
instructions provide access to worthwhile and challenging learning in a way which takes into
account the needs and aspirations of a wide range of students. While respecting the influence of
the individual teacher on student learning, the fundamental question identified in enabling
teacher learning is that of how leaders work with their staff (Victorian Curriculum and
Assessment Authority, 2017).
Consequently, Robinson and Timperley (2018) observed five key areas for leadership
roles. These include the following: providing educational direction/goal setting; ensuring
strategic alignment; creating a community for improved student success; engaging in productive
problem talk; and selecting and developing smart tools.
Harris (2018) averred that the school heads’ awareness of and sensitivity to the contexts
in which they employ their own value systems and authenticity as professional educators and
their approaches to supporting the professional development of staff, are unquestionably the
cornerstones of teacher professional learning in each school. Who coordinates and resources
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
whole-school professional development, and how, are insights into the culture of the school.
Collegial cultures opt for cooperative planning teams as a basis for distributed forms of
leadership. While decisions taken here result in a formal and resourced program of professional
development, the essence of true professional learning resides more in the interrelationships and
social networks that form among teachers within and beyond the school.
Sullivan (2016) framed a new theory of enhancing teaching through using research-
informed strategies. This theory asserts that the enhancement procedure starts from a review of
assessment results which include both the previous student learning outcomes and the test items
in which they excelled, fared moderately or failed. From a review of test results at different
levels (national down to school or even classroom level) is manifested the range of student
responses to different test items which will serve as basis for curriculum modifications. Sullivan
pointed out the need to develop students’ abilities to work adaptively – that is, enabling them to
apply previous learning to current and relevant situations.
Further, Turner (2017) cited the importance of strategic competence in guiding students
to effectively recognize, formulate and solve problems. This skill is characterized as selecting or
devising a plan or strategy to use mathematics to solve problems arising from a task or context,
as well as guiding its implementation.
In planning and programming, Hughes (2017) stressed that an effective learning
environment is one in which students and teachers interact in ways that allow students to have an
opportunity to maximize how much they learn. There are a variety of ways in which students and
teachers interact in a learning environment. Some interactions result in student learning;
however, others have very little effect on student learning. Classroom discussions, teacher and
student initiated questions, cooperative group work, peer tutoring and a host of other feedback
systems such as assignments, examinations and electronic response systems such as the personal
response system (PRS) and the personal data assistant (PDA) are instructional strategies that
provide a measure of two-way communication in which information about what is taught and
what is learned is exchanged between two people. On the other hand, there are instructional
strategies in which students sit passively in classrooms where there is one-way communication –
from teacher to students.
Mazur (2015) suggested that a modification of traditional lectures is one way to
incorporate active learning in the classroom. An example is that of allowing students to
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
consolidate their notes by pausing three times for two minutes each during a 60-minute lecture.
This technique aims to provide the students time to reflect on what they have written so that they
will learn much more information.
Moreover, Anthony and Walshaw (2017) argued it is critical that teachers use
‘worthwhile tasks’ which is interpreted to mean they are meaningful and relevant to the students.
Implementing this principle will present challenges for some teachers and these strategies can
effectively be the focus of teacher learning.
Hughes (2017) alleged, “that the use of interactive assessment strategies along with
interactive instructional strategies in order to enhance student learning makes good educational
sense”. In fact, the two are inextricably linked to one another. The definition formative
assessment, for example, contains many “actions” that students and teachers can take
independently and collaboratively during the instructional process. The actions of the students
and teachers produce feedback that is used to make adjustments either in teaching, in learning or
in both and thereby, create successful interactive learning environments.
Assessment interactions between students and teachers occur when teachers gather
information about student learning. Such information help students better understand concepts
and principles and apply knowledge, not just learn facts. This type of assessment interaction
referred to as formative assessment is defined as follows: Formative assessment is a process
used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing
teaching and learning to improve students’ achievement of intended instructional outcomes
(Council of Chief School State Officers, 2018). It is clear from this definition that formative
assessment is a process. It is a process that may employ tests or various other types of
assessments, but it may also employ interactive instructional strategies such as classroom
discussions, assignments, homework, quizzes, projects, investigations, electronic response
systems or oral questions to gauge and improve student learning.
Even when teachers employ interactive assessment strategies such as assignments or
examinations to determine what and how much students have learned, care must be taken so that
these strategies are effective in improving student learning. One reason that care must be taken is
because the feedback to students from teachers is often delayed – that is, the feedback to students
does not occur during the instruction. When students respond to questions on an assignment or
examination, they may not get feedback for several days or weeks. Thus, by the time they receive
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
feedback, they may have moved on to “learning” new content. If understanding of the new
content is dependent on understanding of the old content, and if there were misunderstandings of
the “old” content that were not addressed immediately when it was presented, then the
cumulative effect of misunderstandings coupled with no corrective feedback could put students
at risk of underperformance or even failure. A second reason is that students generally focus on
doing what is necessary to get the highest grade possible on an assignment. Strategies used by
students in this context may result in very little learning. Should either of the above scenarios
exist, the goal of improved student learning would be compromised (Hughes, 2015).
Callingham (2015) reiterated that assessment is regarded as more than the task or method
used to collect data about students. It includes the process of drawing inferences from the data
collected and acting on those judgments in effective ways.
Silver, et al. (2015) stressed that the making of a literate citizenry will not happen by chance or

overnight. Without an instructional focus on teaching for understanding, students are at risk of

viewing lessons as a collection of rules and procedures to be memorized, regurgitated and

eventually forgotten. Teaching for understanding, on the other hand, engages students more fully

in the learning process by making use of interactive assessment and teaching strategies.

Local Literature

The Philippine Online Chronicles (2016) cited in one of its articles that K to 12 has been
met with criticism from youth and student groups, teachers, parents and the academic
community. The DepEd, for its part, appears determined to enact the program with its proposed
budget catering mostly to preparing the grounds for its eventual implementation. The article also
stressed that it is arguably one of the most drastic and controversial programs of the Aquino
administration.
In the same article, the DepEd argues that the K-12 program will be the solution to yearly
basic education woes and the deteriorating quality of education. Critics, however, counteract that
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
the education crisis needs to be addressed more fundamentally and adding more school years
would only exacerbate the situation. Further, the following counter-arguments were
presented in the same article: First, K to 12 will solve the annual growing number of out-of-
school youth. Students and parents, however complain that it would be an added burden to poor
families. While public education is free, a political youth group estimates that a student would
still need an average of P20,000 per school year to cover transportation, food, school supplies
and other schooling expenses. Also, based on the latest Family Income and Expenditure Survey,
families prioritize spending for food and other basic needs over their children’s school needs.
Two more years for basic education would inevitably translate to higher dropout rate.
Second, the K-12 will address low achievement scores and poor academic
performance of elementary and high school students. DepEd says that the poor quality of basic
education is reflected in the low achievement scores of students. Results of the TIMSS (Trends
in International Mathematics and Science Study), however, negate the connection of the number
of years to the performance of students. According to results of the TIMSS, the length of
schooling does not necessarily mean better scores. In fact, some countries with the same or
shorter school cycle garnered the highest scores while those implementing the K-12 model or
more years of schooling got lower scores.
Third, the DepEd has enough resources to implement the K-12. Interestingly,
countries whose students got high scores in the TIMSS were the ones whose governments
allotted high public spending for education. Despite nominal increases in the total education
budget, the government has been spending less per capita on education. The real spending per
capita per day dropped to P6.85 in 2009. From 2001 to 2009, education’s portion in the national
budget has steadily decreased. This pales in comparison to neighboring countries – Malaysia, 7.4
percent and Thailand, 4 percent. It is also lower than the four percent average for all countries
that were included in the World Education Indicators in 2006. The country is also lagging behind
its Asian counterparts in public expenditure on education as a percentage of total public
spending. According to Anakbayan spokesperson Charisse Banez, “Even if you combine the
DepEd and SUCs (state college and universities) budgets, it will only equal to three percent of
the GDP, a far cry from the six percent GDFP-amount advocated by the United Nations.” Former
Education secretary Mona Valisno stated in a separated study that DepEd needs at least P100
billion to fully address the shortage of 93,599 classrooms and 134,400 seats and P63 million for
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
textbooks and scholarships. Proponents of the program allude to the experience of St. Mary’s
Sagada – a school implementing K-12 that has been topping the National Achievement Test in
Mountain Province. However, aside from the K-12, the school also has a 1:20 teacher to student
ratio and is not suffering any sort of shortage in faculty or facilities.
Fourth, the K-12 will open doors for more jobs for the youth, even without a college
diploma. DepEd says that a K-12 program will improve the chances for youth employment as it
is aimed to improve technical-vocational skills through focusing on arts, aquaculture and
agriculture, among others. The K-12, it further states, will ensure that students graduating at the
age of 18 will have jobs, thus making them “employable” even without a college degree.
However, critics are quick to note that the Philippines, that has a predominantly young
population, also has the highest overall unemployment rate in East Asia and the Pacific Region.
According to World Bank study, the country also has the highest youth unemployment rate.
Young Filipino workers are twice as likely to be unemployed than those in older age groups as
they figure in the annual average of at least 300,000 new graduates that add up to the labor force.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported in 2008 that 50 percent of the
unemployed 2.7 million nationwide were aged 15 to 24. Of these, 461,000 or 35 percent had
college degrees while about 700,000 unemployed youth either finished high school or at least
reached undergraduate levels. Therefore, the persistent high unemployment rates, may not be
necessarily linked with the present 10-year cycle but instead with the country’s existing
economic system and the government’s job generation policies.
Fifth, Filipino graduates will be automatically recognized as “professionals” abroad.
In the present 10-year cycle, the DepEd argues, the quality of education is reflected in the
“inadequate preparation of high school graduates for the world of work or entrepreneurship or
higher education.” What the K-12 program aims to achieve, therefore, is to reinforce cheap semi-
skilled labor for the global market. With young workers, mostly semi-skilled and unskilled
workers now making up an estimated 10.7 percent of the total Filipino labor migrant population,
it comes as no surprise then that the government is now programming its youth to servicing
needs of the global market.
Labor migration, however, has resulted in the brain drain of Filipino skilled workers and
professionals. Ironically, while the DepEd and the government mouths a so-called
“professionalization” of the young labor force in foreign markets, their significance to domestic
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
development and nation-building is sadly being undervalued at the expense of providing cheap
labor under the guise of providing employment. While proponents and
advocates hail the K-12 model as the “saving grace” of youth unemployment, critics argue that it
will only aggravate the country’s dependence on labor export and the inflow of remittances that
do not necessarily contribute to substantive and sustainable nation-building. Lastly, the DepEd
justifies the K-12 model by saying that the present short basic education program affects
the human development of Filipino students. Ultimately, regardless of whichever “model”,
what the youth and country direly needs is for the development and establishment of an
education system that caters to the needs of the Filipino youth and the society in general. The
article concluded that the crisis of the Philippine education system, in all levels, is stemmed not
on the superficial, in this case the number of schooling years, but rather on the conditions and
foundation on which it subsists. Unless the government addresses in earnest poor public
spending, high costs of schooling, the predominance of a colonial curriculum, lack of
transparency and accountability amid widespread corruption within the sector and the
development of the country’s science and technology for domestic development, all efforts will
remain on the surface.

Synthesis of the Reviewed Literature and Studies

As a whole , the foregoing literature and studies were supportive of the variables used in
this study, which include the following readiness: the readiness of the schools in the
implementation of K to 12 Curriculum Program in terms of curriculum adjustment, school plant
and facilities, instructional materials and adminitrations and management |: readiness of the
teachers in terms of teaching competencies, application of teaching strategies, utilization of
instructional materials and adjustments procedures: and the effects of these issues and concerns
in the implementation of K to 12 Program: and the effects of these issues and concerns. More of
the realated studies were not directly focused on K to 12, but they reflected the other variables
within the study.
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter contains the research designs and methodology used in the conduct of this study. It
incorporated the sampling technique, sources of data, the research subjects, population of the study, the
instrument utilized to gather data, as well as the statistical tools employed in processing the data.

Research Design

The study was conducted in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. This study utilized the
experimental approach in order to achieve its purpose on how K to 12 program affects the
academic competencies of the Grade 12 students from Headwaters College LTA-Campus. The
used approach requires two groups which is experimental and control group.

The study also aims to find out the extent of schools and teachers’ readiness, along with
the problems encountered in the implementation of K to 12. By utilizing it, the research will be
presenting systematically, functionally, accurately and objectively situation, problem or
phenomena that will answer the study.

Population and Sample of the Study

The whole subject of this research is called Population. The subject are the Grade 12
students in Headwaters College LTA-Campus in the academic year of 2019-2020. The target
number of the students needed in the study is 100, in accordance to the approach used, the
respondents will be divided into two groups which is experimental group and a control one.

Table 1. Distribution of Sample according to groups


Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
Distribution of sample according to groups

Experimental Control Total

50 50 100

Locale of the study

This research took place at Headwaters College LTA-Campus located at #2535 Matiaga St. Brgy.
Bagong Buhay II, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. It was conducted in the academic year:

2019-2020 in the fourth grading of the second semester. The school has its facilities such as
rooms, benches and canteen for the researchers in conducting the study.

Research Instrument

The researcher’s made questionnaire was designed personally by the researcher. It was
used as the primary data gathering instrument with focus on school readiness in terms of
curriculum adjustment, school plant and facilities and administration and management: teacher’s
readiness in terms of teaching competencies, teaching strategies and instructional materials:
along with the problems encountered in the implementation of K to 12.

The instrument underwent content validation by three experts in the field of thesis
writing. Then, a trial run of the instrument was conducted to teachers of a school not covered
by the study. They were not concluded as actual respondents but were used only for validation
purposes to determine whether the contents of the questionnaire are comprehensible and reliable.

The result of trial survey was analyzed and interpreted through the use of Split – Half M
ethod in association with Pearson Product Movement and Correlation and Spearman Brown
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
Formula. Revisions were noted to improve the phrasing of the questionnaire items before the
instrument was finally administered to the actual respondents of the study.

Data Gathering Procedure

All data pertinent to the topics of this study were gathered personally by the researcher.
Secondary data were gathered from news, items, books, and from the internet. While the

primary data were gathered from the filled –up questionnaire administered to the respondents of
the schools in the covered in this study.

Statistical Treatment of Data

For a clearer interpretation of the data gathered from the survey qquestionnaire, the
researcher used the following statistical procedures:

1. Simple Percentage. This statistics was used in describing the demographic profile of
the respondents in terms of age, gender ,educational attainment and length of
service.
The formula for computing this statistics is as follows:
P=F/N(100)

Where: P =computed percent


F= Frequency for each class or category
N= Total number of respondents
100= Constant multiplier to change the decimal into percentage value
Headwaters College LTA Campus

Matiaga St. Brgy. Bagong Buhay II, Sampol Sapang Palay, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
2. Weighted Mean. This procedure was used to measure the extent by which the
respondents assessed the given research variables, which include schools’ and
teachers’ readiness and problems encountered in the Implementation of K to 12.

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