ACADEMIC REVIEW FORMAT

1. Case/ Title of the Case

Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) in the Philippine Makabayan Learning Area: Problems and

prospects in articulating social studies as a discipline

2. Context Setting / Introduction – State a very clear thesis statement.

Education is a vehicle of development for social progress (Claudio-Rafael et al, 2018) thus,

continuously reforms in education system is very important. Though it is important, it is

undoubtedly one of the most complex and controversial subjects, because of the effects that it will

generate in the societies and in our country where it takes place.

In the year two thousand and two (2002), The national government through the effort of the

Department of Education, undertook a grand reform effort to change the curriculum which

primarily resulted to the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). This reform was to “…raise the quality

of Filipino graduates by empowering them to become lifelong learners, which can only be achieved

by being functionally literate” (Reyes, 2019). Through this Basic Education Curriculum, It created

five (5) learning areas which are: Filipino, English, Science, Mathematics, and Makabayan.

In this curriculum, Makabayan became one of the highlight in Basic education curriculum. This new

learning area is described in the “…BEC document as the ‘laboratory of life,’ which provides

learning experiences that are geared towards practical knowledge and life skills, particularly the

skills of empathy, vocational efficiency, and problem-solving in daily life”(Reyes, 2019) in addition,

Makabayan aims to help each Filipino student to develop a healthy personal and national identity

(Bernardo et al, 2016).

This paper describes the context and content of the Makabayan curriculum and the extent to which

it develops in learners a sense of citizenship, that is, a healthy personal and national self-concept.

3. Content– (Discuss the main ideas, opinions, concepts and evidence). Relate the ideas presented in
“How to Be a Good Teacher “ by Patrick Kim Cheng Low and Sik Liong Ang and our previous
discussions about the characteristics and nature of a good teacher.

“Teaching is one of the professions that can bring about something great if right ideas are

implemented in the classroom…” (Rivera, 2017). In many cases, the true purpose of teaching is not

actually to teach students how to memorize facts, but to lead students to understand and apply the

concepts being presented.

Teaching social studies is very important field in education. It enables our students to understand,

participate in, and make informed decisions about their culture and their society. It provides them

with skills for productive problem solving and decision making as well as for assessing issues and

making thoughtful value judgments.

Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) is basically defined as “the study of people in relation to each

other and to their world. It is an issue focused and inquiry-based interdisciplinary subject that

draws upon history, geography, ecology, economics, law, philosophy, political science and other

social science disciplines.”

In the Basic Education Curriculum 2002, Araling Panlipunan became one of the disciplines in

Makabayan learning area which aims “… to have learners who can demonstrate deeper

appreciation of Filipino culture and patriotism” (Reyes, 2019) by integrating the study of social

sciences and humanities drawing from various disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology,

economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and

sociology.
Araling Panlipunan as discipline in Makabayan is designed to develop the personal, social and work

special skills of learners especially their interpersonal skills, empathy with other cultures, vocational

efficiency, problem-solving, and decision-making in daily life, that is, to develop socio-cultural and

politico-economic literacy.

In the study presented by Nikolee Marie Rivera to the Institute of teaching and learning in the

Philippine Normal University, she argued about the weak conceptualization and articulation of

araling panlipunan in Ph education system. Which she said that the aim of araling panlipunan are

not fitted in the discipline in the Basic Education Program and the primarily reasons the lacks of

proper implementation guidelines and framework which resulted to the “…merely a convolution of

social science disciplines with no common thread. Thus, this weak conceptualization and

articulation of Social Studies stems from the fact that: (1) There is no proper framework for the

Makabayan learning area and Social Studies itself; and (2) Key reform theme of integration is

diluted…”(Rivera 2019).

Also, as Rivera cited, that the goal of Araling Panlipunan in Elementary which is “Nagpapakita ng

pagmamahal sa bayan at pagmamalaki sa mga pambansang pagkakakilanlan, at mga karapatan

at tungkuling dapat gampanan; may positibong saloobin at pagpapahalagang nakatutulong sa

pag-aangkop sa nagbabagong panahon; may kakayahan sa pangangasiwa sa kapaligiran,

kasanayan sa masusi at mapanuring pagiisip at may global na pananaw upang makaagapay sa

mga pagbabago sa daigdig” (Rivera,2019) and the goal of Araling Panlipunan in High School level

which is “Pagkatapos ng apat na taon, ang mag-aaral ay inaasahang may sapat na kaalaman,

kasanayan at pananagutan upang aktibong makalahok bilang isang mamamayan ng isang malaya,

maunlad at mapayapang bansa at daigdig” (Rivera, 2019) are contrast. Araling Panlipunan in

Elemenatry aims to crafting competencies in the intermediate level of elementary schooling. Which
 we can say that it actually focused on the content rather than the promise of BEC to have an

integrative approach of Makabayan in terms of its competencies while in the Secondary Level, it is

more about aiming knowledge, competency and active participation in order to become globally

competitive and locally active.

For this Reason, it is not easy, specially to the teachers of araling panlipunan in first year level to

realign the thoughts and the ideas of their student in order to achieve the goal of araling

panlipunan in Secondary Level. Thus, the said teachers need to make some adjustments as well as

new way, methods and approaches.

4. Conclusion – Discuss the main idea of the topic. Consider to include your main points.
To conclude this paper, having different goals and aims in elementary and secondary level in teaching

Araling Panlipunan needs more time for the teacher specially for the teacher of First year level in

Basic Education Curriculum, It needs more time for them to think about new effective approaches in

order for them to introduce the goals of araling panlipunan in Secondary level. Putting more time for

this transition period makes them having lacking of enough time in order for them to discuss the

complete topics that they need to discuss. In addition, Araling Panlipunan as part of Makabayan

subjects are not fitted with the other subject that they included in the said learning areas.

5. Citation – State your sources in APA style.

N. Rivera (2019) Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) in the Philippine Makabayan Learning Area:
Problems and prospects in articulating social studies as a discipline. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332730745_Araling_Panlipunan_Social_Studies_in_the_
Philippine_Makabayan_Learning_Area_Problems_and_prospects_in_articulating_social_studies_as_
a_discipline

Claudio-Rafael et al. (2018) Teaching Strategies in AP. Retrieved from:

https://www.slideshare.net/sirarnelPHhistory/teaching-strategies-in-ap-and-esp
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED567169.pdf
 Note:

 This academic review is for EED5 22 - Principles of Teaching 1 and ETP0 11 - The Teaching
Profession
 Do not write your name instead your student number.
 Must be typed in Calibri, doubled spaced, font size- 11
 Not more than 5 pages
 Must be in narrative form