School Learning Action Cell (SLAC) Sessions and Teachers’

Professional Development in Buhaynasapa National High School

Authors:
JHIMSON V. CABRAL, MAED
MARIZ R. MILLANDO, MAED
Buhaynasapa National High School
San Juan West District, San Juan, Batangas
Adviser:
ANDREA H. MALAPITAN, MAED

INTRODUCTION
As stated in DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2016, Learning Action Cell (LAC) is a session
conducted by group of teachers who engage in collaborative learning sessions to solve shared
challenges encountered in school. Such challenges may include learner diversity and student
inclusion, content and pedagogy, assessment and reporting, and 21st century skills and ICT
integration. DepEd envisions that these LAC Sessions will serve as a school-based continuing
professional development strategy for the improvement of teaching and learning. As such, this
study aimed to assess the impact of conducting LAC sessions on teachers’ professional
development in Buhaynasapa National High School (BNHS). It focused on determining the
profile of the teachers, their perceptions about the conduct of LAC sessions, its effects on their
professional development, and the problems encountered in participating to it.

METHODOLOGY
The study used descriptive method with validated questionnaire as research instrument.
The respondents were the 67 teachers of BNHS, School Year 2018-2019, obtained through
purposive sampling. The researchers sought the approval of the authorities before personally
administering the research instrument used.

RESULTS
As revealed in the study, 56.7% of the teachers’ population are in age ranging from 22 to
34, 79.1% are female, and 53.7% are married. In addition, 47.8% are Teacher I, 49.3% are in
the service for not more than 5 years, and 43.3% are with units leading to a Master’s Degree.
On the other hand, the respondents strongly agreed that LAC sessions in BNHS helped them in
modifying and enhancing their teaching practices as evident on the obtained weighted mean of
3.64. However, they disagreed that these sessions were able to provide a clear statement on
the positive impact to student learning with the generated mean of 1.26.
As shown in Table 1, LAC sessions contribute much in developing ethics and
professionalism among teachers as indicated on the composite mean of 3.62. However,
research and innovation is the weakest area with 1.98 composite mean. In addition, the
respondents strongly agreed that they always encounter problems in identifying the relevance of
LAC sessions to their teaching profession as reflected on the weighted mean of 3.89.
 Using paired sample t-Test, this study revealed that there are significant differences on
the effects of LAC sessions to teachers’ professional development when group according their
profile. It is evident on the obtained p-values lower than 0.05 level of significance.

DISCUSSIONS
The findings clearly indicate that the conducted LAC sessions contribute much to
teachers’ professional development. However, there is a need to provide clearer objectives
about its intent and significance to teaching and learning. Sessions about research and
innovation must also be strengthened. The diverse profile attribute of teachers must also be
considered in designing sessions for professional development.

Keywords: LAC, learning action cell, teachers, professional development