Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION
Rationale of the Study

The advent of the 21st century brought in tremendous educational demands

bringing education as a global concern. Batomalaque (2012) pointed out trade

liberalization, the growing global market and international agreements such as the

Bologna and Washington Accords have kept countries focused on the comparability of

educational degrees. Filipino graduates need to develop a competitive advantage over

others in the ASEAN region and in the world. Unfortunately, the ten-year basic

education system handicaps overseas Filipino professionals competing in the world

market.

The K to 12 Basic Education Program is the flagship program of the Department

of Education in its desire to offer a curriculum which is attuned to the 21st century. This

is in pursuance of the reform thrusts of the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda, a

package of policy reforms that seeks to systematically improve critical regulatory,

institutional, structural, financial, cultural, physical and informational conditions affecting

basic education provision, access and delivery on the ground as cited by a journal

entitled the k-12 Basic Education Program (2012).

Technological, Vocational and Livelihood is one of the curricular offerings

students may choose upon when they enter senior high school. It is focused on skills

training which prepares students for livelihood and entrepreneurship upon graduation.

Graduates earn NCII from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority

after graduation which could serve as ticket as to the employment world both local and

overseas. Teachers handling this tract are required to be at least NCIII holders in order
to focus and prepare students for skills and competence that would make them pass

NCII assessment for their major they are undertaking.

Considering that the program is very new, challenges are expected to come

across from various aspects, ranging from quality instruction, sufficiency of facilities and

equipment, technical support and financial allocation as well. This study is conducted to

look into the quality of instruction, status of implementation and challenges faced

administrators, students and instructors during the implementation of the Technological

Vocational Tract at identified high schools of Barili district. It views at crafting

enhancement schemes to help schools have enhanced implementation of the k-12

competencies specified for TVL tract.

Theoretical Background of the Study

This study is based on the theory of constructivism by Jean Piaget. Skills training

is highly complex processes as you need the prior competencies be applied in acquiring

more advanced competencies thus applying prior knowledge to master the latter.

Piaget stressed on the relationship between experiences and ideas and learning.

Another flagship of the k-12 education program is the spiral curriculum in which each

subject offering is interrelated thus prior learned skills are interconnected and therefore

the simpler ones are requisite in mastering the more advanced competencies.

Technological, vocational and livelihood is a skill oriented tract offering of the k-12

education program. Thus a thorough foundation of the child in terms of the necessary

skills back in their lower grades would be of great impact on their achievement in the

senior high school program.

 Constructivism presents in an array of principles in learning such as: Create real-

world environments that employ the context in which learning is relevant; Focus on

realistic approaches to solving real-world problems; The instructor is a coach and

analyzer of the strategies used to solve these problems; Stress conceptual inter-

relatedness, providing multiple representations or perspectives on the content;

Instructional goals and objectives should be negotiated and not imposed; Evaluation

should serve as a self-analysis tool; Provide tools and environments that help learners

interpret the multiple perspectives of the world; Learning should be internally controlled

and mediated by the learner. Johansen (2012). All of which are characteristics of 21 st

century teaching which teach students lifelong skills teaching them how to learn.

Constructivism is a learner centered educational philosophy which focuses on

independence and experiential learning from which students learn complex

competencies through profound analysis and application of prior learned skills.

Constructivism encourages active participation of the students wherein their learning

takes place with teachers as just stewards of learning. Another principles postulated by

constructivism as cited by Ernest (2013) are sensitivity toward and attentiveness to the

learner's previous constructions; this is where prior knowledge comes in the

construction of new competencies, diagnostic teaching attempting to remedy learner

errors and misconceptions; attention to meta cognition and strategic self-regulation by

learners; independent learning is highly emphasize, guide students to assess whether

a certain conclusion or procedures they have are correct or faulty from where they

would find solutions and modifications, the use of multiple representations of

mathematical concepts; awareness of the importance of goals for the

 Constructivism in Learning by Jean Piaget

Contends on the association between learning and experiences.

Mastery of the pre requisite skills to achieve higher order competencies

Challenges on the Implementation of K-12 TVL Track

 Respondents’ Profiles
 Challenges in TVL Implementation
-Instruction
-facilities and equipment
-Technical Support
-Learner Diversity
-Financial allocations
 Students Competence
 Best Practices

Bartolome and Manuela Panares Memorial National High School

ENHANCEMENT SCHEME

Figure 1 Theoretical Framework of the Study

learner, and the dichotomy between learner and teacher goals; awareness of the

importance of social contexts, such as the difference between folk or street

mathematics and school mathematics (and an attempt to exploit the former for the

latter)

Learning theory of constructivism incorporates a learning process wherein the

student gains their own conclusions through the creative aid of the teacher as a

facilitator. The best way to plan teacher worksheets, lesson plans, and study skills for

the students, is to create a curriculum which allows each student to solve problems

while the teacher monitors and flexibly guides the students to the correct answer, while

encouraging critical thinking. Instead of having the students relying on someone else's

information and accepting it as truth, the students should be exposed to data, primary

sources, and the ability to interact with other students so that they can learn from the

incorporation of their experiences. The classroom experience should be an invitation for

a myriad of different backgrounds and the learning experience which allows the different

backgrounds to come together and observe and analyze information and ideas. Hands-

on activities are the best for the classroom applications of constructivism, critical

thinking and learning. Having observations take place with a daily journal helps the

students to better understand how their own experiences contribute to the formation of

their theories and observational notes, and then comparing them to another students'

reiterates that different backgrounds and cultures create different outlooks, while neither

is wrong, both should be respected.

 This study is trying to investigate on the obstacles that hinder absolute

implementation of the TVL track, it would extend as far as the learner readiness to

acquire the required skills in TVL vis-à-vis the basics they ought to learn in the prior

years. The constructivism contended that if the child has mastered the basics then it

would be easier for him to acquire the specified skills thus applying basic principles to

the more complex one, thus their mastery when they were still in lower grades would

matter. This mastery would also be affected by teacher readiness and teacher training

to implement the new education program, equipment and facilities, logistics, technical

`support and also financial allocations

As could be seen on the object above, interventions and enhancements on the

implementation should be based on the principles of constructivism. Respondents’

profiles, challenges in all aspects shall be assessed. From the results of the study

enhancement proposals shall be crafted which are anchored on constructivism in

learning which are cited above.

Related Literature and Studies

With a growing demand for an enhanced K-12 education for strengthening

students’ conceptual learning, interest, and career awareness in science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics, and in all curricular offerings around the world due to the

demand of a globally competitive education in this highly modernized world. In the

Philippines, one of the major thrusts of former President Benigno Aquino’s government

was the enhancement of the basic education program known as the Republic Act No.

10533 series 2012 which was signed into law on May 15, 2013. The law was enacted

and promulgated because the Philippines is the last country in Asia and one of only
three countries worldwide with a 10-year pre-university cycle. This recent educational

reform efforts instituted by the Philippine government intends to improve the quality of

the high school graduates. These new graduates are envisage to become more

competitive in the global business arena and to bring more success that would

contribute towards building the nation and be at par with the rest of the world. The

implementation of the universal kindergarten began in SY 2011-2012, followed by the

new curriculum for Grade 7 in SY 2012-2013. This was primarily aimed to strengthen

the Philippine basic education curriculum and increase the number of years of basic

education. The new program covers Kindergarten plus 12 years of basic education.

Under this program a student will be required to undergo kindergarten, six years of

elementary, four years of junior high school and two years of Senior High School The

additional two years in senior high school was targeted to prepare students for tertiary

education, middle level skills development, entrepreneurship, and global employment

(Acosta & Acosta 2016).

The new education program institutionalized kindergarten as integral part of the

curriculum. After a earning a kindergarten the learner may proceed to six years of

elementary and four years of junior high school. In the senior high school, students

could choose from three major curricular offerings which they would enroll for two (2)

years. JHS graduates or incoming Grade 11 students will study core compulsory

subjects and a required specialty. They can choose from the three main tracks such as

Academic, Technical–Vocational-Livelihood (TVL), and Sports and Arts. (K-12 DepEd

journal)
 To Acosta & Acosta (2016) after considering various proposals and studies, the

model that is currently being proposed by DepEd is the K-6-4-2 Model. This model

involves Kindergarten, six years of elementary education, four years of junior high

school (Grades 7 to 10) and two years of senior high school (Grades 11 to 12). The

additional two years of senior high school intend to provide time for students to

consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies and will equip learners with

skills that will better prepare them for the future, whether it be for employment,

entrepreneurship, skills development (further Tech-Voc training), and higher education

or college. The Senior High School Curriculum was developed in line with the

curriculum of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) to ensure that by the time

the students graduate from Senior High School, they will have the standard knowledge,

skills, and competencies needed to go to college SHS Students may pick a track based

on how he or she will want to proceed after high school graduation. However, students

first undergo assessments to determine their strengths and interests. These will include

an aptitude test, a career assessment exam, and an occupational interest inventory for

high schools. Career advocacy activities will also be conducted to help guide students in

choosing their specialization or track. Specializations or tracks to be offered will be

distributed according to the resources available in the area, the needs and interests of

most students, and the opportunities and demands of the community. Existing public

and private schools, including colleges, universities and technical institutions may offer

Senior High School. There may also be stand-alone Senior High Schools established by

DepEd or private organizations. According to law, beginning SY 2016-2017, it is

mandatory that students must go through Grades 11 and 12 to graduate from High

School. The target of DepEd is to put in place the necessary infrastructure and other

necessary arrangements needed to provide Senior High School (SHS) education by SY

2016-2017 when the first batch of senior high schools will start. The nationwide roll out

of senior high school impacts those who are working in the higher education sector

since students go through two more years of high school instead of going straight to

college, resulting in low enrollment in colleges and universities nationwide. This makes

the private higher education sector especially vulnerable to loss of revenue, since they

depend almost entirely on tuition for salary of their personnel and operating expenses of

the schools. Low enrollment means low teaching loads, and low salaries for faculty,

resulting in a diminished income, or loss of jobs. CHED has conducted studies that

project the anticipated job losses during the transition period, and has partnered with

DepEd and DOLE to put programs in place to ensure that personnel in the higher

education sector are not only taken care of during the transition, but that this challenge

is transformed into an opportunity to upgrade higher education in the country. The

Senior High School (SHS) covers eight (8) learning areas as part of its core curriculum,

and adds specific tracks (similar to college courses) based on four (4) disciplines: (1)

Academic (which includes Business, Science & Engineering, Humanities & Social

Science, and a General Academic strand) (2) Technical Vocational Livelihood (with

highly specialized subjects with TESDA qualifications) (3) Sports (4) Arts & Design. The

development of tracks based on different competencies and/or student interest is an

integral component of the program. These tracks-based competencies are developed to

meet the country’s varied human capital requirements, and to prepare students for

productive endeavor.

Technological, Vocational and Livelihood Education may be defined as the

aspects of an educational system that involve the study of technological and other

related science as well as the acquisition of practical skills, attitude understanding and

knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of economic and special lives of

individuals (UNESCO, 2003). In agreement, Gordon, Parks and Castro (2012) concur

by broadening the definition, they look at Tech/Voc Education as that which leads

learners to the acquisition of knowledge, skills and technical know how necessary for

employment in a particular trade, occupation or group of occupations.

Holmes and Hannah (2005) present the aim of Tech/Voc Education as mainly to

prepare learners for entry into the field of work either through employment or self-help

projects. They further outline the objectives as: to meet manpower needs of a country or

society; to enable learners to select careers wisely; and for poverty alleviation, thus

addressing the first MDG.

Kigombe (2012) justifies the need for Tech/Voc Education by outlining its

historical background, what is important to this study is the fact that most education

came about through participation and preparation for work and adult life, thus, through

interaction of knowledge and skills acquired with available technology.

With the demand for a globally competitive education along with the desire of

vast majority to seek employment abroad which is based on skills, one of the major

track offerings of the k-12 education program is the Technological Vocational and

livelihood education (TVL). If the student picks the TVL track as specialty in senior high
school or SHS, he/she will continue the TLE course he/she studied in 9th and 10th

grades. This will allow him/her to earn NC II that he/she can use as credentials in

applying for a job if he/she wants to work after SHS graduation. Yet if the student will

study further, he/she can pursue the TVL track and earn a bachelor’s degree in a

related field. (K-12 DepEd journal).

Due to evident limitations of the TVL track in the Philippines, only a little

percentage of the JHS graduates pursue the above mentioned track. Data shows that

the Philippines, more students would prefer going into the academic track than any

other track. In a study conducted, about half chooses academic tracks while tech-voc

courses are selected only by about 3% of their prospective students (Lagajino et.al,

2015). Based on enrollment data from DepEd, 60.6% of Philippine senior high school

enrolees went to academic track while around 39% went to the tech-voc track. In Japan,

about 73% choose academic track compared to 24% going to tech-voc. track.

The technical-vocational track is more define in the Philippines and Japan K-12

curricula. There are about seven identified strands with industry and fishery courses

being the most preferred fields Sarmineto & Orale (2016). The student needs to earn 30

credit points in the specialization, and the remaining 50 credit points come from the

general education subjects. Courses in the Philippine model are divided into four

strands where the student can choose from. The said programs, however, may not

necessarily be available in the municipality or barangay (village) they are in and

therefore needs to take it in other towns or village. The absence of the much needed

tech-voc facilities and availability of qualified teachers limit the accessibility of these
programs to many. The number of those choosing the academic track may also be

attributed to the limited offering in the senior high schools throughout the country.

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

This study seeks to investigate the challenges met by teachers, administrators

and students alike along the implementation of the k-12 basic education program.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions

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

1.1. Teachers:

1.1.1. Age & gender;

1.1.2. Highest educational qualification;

1.1.3. Relevant trainings attended; and

1.1.4. TESDA level of accreditation?

1.2. Students:

1.2.1. Age & gender;

1.2.2. Combined family income; and

1.2.3. Previous grades general average in TLE?

2. What is the extent of the challenges in the TVL implementation in :

2.1. Instruction;

2.2. Facilities and equipment;

2.3. Technical support;

2.4. Learner Diversity; and

 2.5. Financial allocations?

3. What is the level of students competence in the TVL track in:

4. What are the best practices in TVL instruction?

5. What enhancement scheme could be proposed based on the findings of the

study?

Significance of the Study

DepED Cebu Province Division. Since the k-12 education program is newly

implemented in the country to cope up with the demands of global education arena. It is

highly expected that problems and gaps in knowledge will arise during the course of its

implementation. The senior high school TVL track is a major highlight of the program as

graduates from this track directly go into the world of employment or entrepreneurship.

It is necessary that proper and efficient implementation should be imposed thus the

findings of this study will shed light to the DepEd division office on the current status of

its implementation as well as foregoing challenges, it also delves and shed information

on the degree and level of impact of these challenges in the actual teaching field. The

result of this study will serve as the division’s basis for budget allocations and

preparations; it could also serve as basis for policy adjustments, further trainings and

capability buildings.

Administrators. Though teachers handling senior high school program have

undergone comprehensive selection process and rigorous training before going into the

classroom, it is expected that short comings will arise along the way. The result of the

study could serve as basis for assessment of the teachers weaknesses, thus they could

implement efficient technical assistance to teachers handling TVL. Capability building

could also be a potential means to enhance teachers’ competence in teaching. In-

service trainings and LAC sessions could also be based upon the results of this study.

On the area of fiscal administration, administrators could adjust their Annual

Procurement Plan (APP) and School Operating Budget (SOB) anchored on addressing

the problems highlighted on the result of this study.

Teachers. Whatever difficulty the teachers found along the implementation will be

addressed. Technical assistance and skills enhancement trainings and workshops could

be implemented to teachers. The insufficiency of facilities and equipment which is a

great barrier of learning could gradually be addressed. Instruction would be easier

relieving teachers from burden of scampering innovative means of instruction just to

facilitate learning.

Students. Learning would be more fun and interactive as a result of enhanced

instruction and improved equipment and facilities. They will tend to achieve more which

would result in better performance and scholastic records which they could brag to

employees the moment they apply for a job. The enhanced competence makes them

more confident and would enhance their opportunities to get hired upon graduation. It

will give them an elevated opportunity of social mobility and career progression when

they finished the track.

 METHODOLOGY

Respondents of the Study

A total of forty seven (47) shall be the respondents of the study. It is composed of

eight (8) teachers handling TVL and 39 senior high school students at Giloctog National

High School.

Table 1

Respondents of the Study

Respondents Frequency Percentage

Teachers 8 17%
Students 39 83%
Total 47 100

Research Instrument

The research instrument that will be used in this study is a researcher made

survey questionnaire to gather the profiles of the respondents. An adapted modified

questionnaire from Chikoore and Museva (2014) shall be used to determine the level

and impact of the obstacles in implementing K-12 education program TVL track. The

current average for major subjects shall be used to determine their level of competence.

Data Gathering Procedures

 Before administering the instruments to the target participants, permission shall

be secured from the office of the school principal shall be sought through a letter

(Appendix A)..

The standard administering procedure shall be followed. Participants shall be

oriented on the nature and purpose of the research. It will be emphasized that there is

no external funding involved in the study, that it is purely academic and could be a

potential help to the school in totality.

The actual inventory of the obstacles for implementation of k-12 TVL track in the

senior high school program shall be administered thereafter. Data gathered shall remain

confidential, survey questionnaires shall be burned once tallied and interpreted.

Statistical Treatment

The respondent’s responses will be organized presented and interpreted using

frequencies and percentage. For statistical description of the data on the responses of

the stake holders, the researcher will tally the result under each indicator.

Based on the respondents’ responses, the simple percentage formula is used to

gather and interpret the respondents’ profiles, while the weighted mean formula will be

used to interpret the degree of the obstacles in K-12 education program TVL track

where:

%= ____________

Where: % = Percentage
 f = Frequency

N = Number of cases

T-test will be employed to determine the significant difference between pupils

responses.

To quantify the results of the responses of the different dimensions and determine the level of

school practices that comply with the requirements the following indicators are adapted.

Range Category Description

4.20-5.00 Very high intensity The item assessed is so

severe with a quantifiable

score of 81-100
3.40-4.19 High intensity The item assessed shows

high degree of concern with

a quantifiable degree of 61-

80
2.60-3.39 Average intensity The problem assessed

impacts moderately with a

quantifiable degree of 41-

60
1.80-2.59 Low intensity Item assessed has a low

intensity with a quantifiable

degree of 21-40
1.00-1.79 Very low intensity Item assessed almost can

not affect instruction with a

quantifiable degree of 1-20

Definition of Terms
 To facilitate better grasp and understanding on terms technically used in the

study, the following terms are operationally defined:

Overcoming Obstacles. It refers to crafting interventions to enhance

implementation of TVL. These interventions will be directed at addressing identified

problems or obstacles in various aspects.

Instruction. It refers to the problem related to teaching TVL such as teachers

mastery of the subject matter, approaches in teaching and teaching methods employed.

It would also refer to logistics such as books and study materials.

Equipment. TVL is a course offering that is manipulation oriented. Theory alone

wouldn’t be enough to learn and master competencies. They need to apply learned

principles and theory in actual life and equipment. It would refer to the ratio of

machineries for actual skill practices as to the students.

Facilities. As specified in the modified guidelines for a shop, the ratio is 15

students is to one shop. Facilities would refer to the availability of shop which conforms

to national standards. ICT equipment that could aid in studying, availability of school

buildings and the entire school plant would refer as facilities in this study.

Assessment Methods. With DepEd order no. 8 series 2016 as reference, there

are various assessment of learners for K-12 students. Shop instructors should be well

acquainted of the various assessment methods to rate students performance accurate

despite diversity.

Technological/Vocational and Livelihood education. It refers to a track

offering of the K-12 education program that focuses on providing vocational training to

students. Graduates from this track are NCII certificate holders ready for the world of
work, entrepreneurship or pursuing baccalaureate degrees related to their field of

specialization.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Acosta & Acosta (2016) Teachers' Perceptions on Senior High School Readiness of
Higher Education Institutions in the Philippines, Universal Journal of Educational
Research 4(10): 2435-2450, 2016

Azubuike, O. C. (2011). Influential Factors Affecting the Attitudes of Students Towards

Tech/voc Education in Secondary Schools in South Eastern Nigeria. Journal of
Educational and Social Research Vol. 1, NO. 2 pp 49 – 56. Available at
www.mcse.org/images/stories/JESR-Speical- Issues/JERS (accessed 17 February
2012).

Batomalaque, Antonio(2012) Basic Science Development Program of the Philippines

for International Cooperation. University of San Carlos.; Marinas, Bella and Ditapat,
Maria. Philippines: Curriculum and Development. UNESCO International Bureau of
Education

Lagajino EL, Ibanez M., Guirguiz JM., Tuting A. & Balila, J. Students’ Career Choices: A
guide for Senior High School Preparation. AUP Research Studies Presented at the 3rd
International Scholars Conference. http://www.aup.edu.ph/alumni/wp-
content/uploads/Vol-19-No-1-Research-Journal-Jan-2016-1.pdf#page=106 (Accessed
June 19, 2016)

Holmes, K. and Hannah, J. (2005) International Education Policy. International Institute

for Educational Planning, Newsletter, vol. XXI No. 3, pp. 3. Available at:
www.iiep.unesco.org/... Newsletter/pdf/eng/2005/apre05.pdf (accessed on 13January
2012)

Kingombe, C. (2012). Lessons for Developing Countries from Experience with Technical
and Vocational Educational and Training. London: Overseas Development Institute.

Sarmineto & Orale (2016) Senior High School Curriculum in the Philippines, USA, and
Japan
APPENDICES

APPENDICES
 Appendix A

The Principal
Department of Education
Bartolome & Manuela Panares Memorial National High School National High School

Sir:

I am conducting a research entitled Overcoming the Obstacles of the K-12

education Program TVL Track as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
Master of Arts in Vocational Education. This study aims to find out the foregoing
obstacles of the implementation of the K-12 TVL track in senior high school as basis for
enhancement Scheme which could potentially help our school.
In view thereof, May I request permission to conduct the study and administer the
questionnaires to the different schools during their free periods.
I am looking forward to your favorable consideration on this request so that this
research study will be realized.
Thank you so much and more fruitful years.
Very Truly Yours,

LEA A. BAYUTAS
Researcher
Approved:
ELIZABETH Q. ARMAMENTO ,Ed. D
Public Schools District Supervisor