ASSESSING THE LEARNING ACTION CELL LEADERSHIP, ORGANIZATION, AND

PARTICIPATION
Jerwin E. Cabanero
Loma de Gato Elementary School
Marilao, Bulacan
Introduction

The Department of Education fully supports the ongoing professional development of its

teaching staff, based on the principle of lifelong learning and the view of teaching as a profession

requiring teachers to possess expert knowledge and specialized skills, which must be acquired and

maintained through rigorous and continuous study.

Additionally, the DepEd recognizes that the quality of teaching has a significant impact on

the quality of learning. In this tribe, organizing professional learning communities will assist

teachers in constructing new knowledge about instruction and altering conventional ideas and

assumptions about education, community, teaching, and learning to meet the current requirements

of learners.

In the DepEd, a Learning Action Cell is a group of teachers who participate in collaborative

learning sessions supervised by the school head or a designated LAC Leader to address shared

difficulties in the school. LACs will develop into productive, loving, and safe school-based

communities of practice [1].

This paper attempted to assess the implementation of the learning action cell in three

critical aspects. These include leadership, organization, and participation. As approved by the

school head, a systematic survey has been integrated during the actual learning action cell session.

Methods

To assess the LAC leadership, organization, and participation, the investigator employed a

quantitative approach in gathering the data. Likewise, the investigator utilized a descriptive design
to describe the perceptions of the entire 76 teaching population of the critical domains of the

learning action cell. Specifically, the investigator used a questionnaire adapted from Annex 2 of

the DepEd order no. 35 series of 2016. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS.

Results

Table 1

LAC Leadership

Statements Mean Interpretation

1. Oversees the implementation of the LAC(s). 4.22 Very Satisfactory
2. Leads in developing a LAC Plan and integrates such into the Very Satisfactory
SIP or AIP. 3.97
3. Organizes LAC groupings at the beginning of each school Very Satisfactory
year and ensures that each LAC has an assigned facilitator,
preferably a Master Teacher or senior teacher, or senior faculty
member. 4.18
4. Mobilizes resources for the conduct of LACs. 4.14 Very Satisfactory
5. Provides feedback and submits LAC Progress Reports to Very Satisfactory
District and Schools Division Office. 4.11
6. Adapts and shares LAC best practices from other schools, Very Satisfactory
thereby developing a culture of collaboration and continuous
improvement. 4.25
7. Ensures monitoring of LAC sessions and related activities Very Satisfactory
and evaluating their impact on teacher professional
development, quality teaching, and pupil achievement. 4.26
8. Agrees with LAC Members on how to observe or monitor Very Satisfactory
application of learning. 4.09
9. Provides feedback to the teachers. 4.18 Very Satisfactory
10. Gathers evidence of implementation or application of Very Satisfactory
learning. 4.07
11. Meets with a facilitator to decide on the next LAC topic and Very Satisfactory
to prepare or plan for the next session. 4.18
12. Monitors the LAC implementation vis-à-vis the school Very Satisfactory
LAC plan. 4.13
Average 4.15 Very Satisfactory
Table 2

LAC Organization

Statements Mean Interpretation

1. Convenes the LAC team meetings. 4.25 Very Satisfactory
2. Provides technical assistance in developing the LAC, timetable 4.25 Very Satisfactory
of team meetings, and other activities.
3. Checks and monitors attendance of members and submission of 4.32 Very Satisfactory
materials and sees to it that team meetings start and end on time
and that agenda for the meeting are covered.
4. Encourages active engagement and participation of members. 4.33 Very Satisfactory
5. Serves as a resource person on specific topics. 4.25 Very Satisfactory
6. Assigns a documenter on a rotation basis. 4.24 Very Satisfactory
7. Invites external resource persons when necessary. 4.28 Very Satisfactory
8. Reports regularly to LAC leader on LAC progress. 4.26 Very Satisfactory
9. Prepares his/her session plan that identifies the topic, 4.28 Very Satisfactory
objectives, materials needed, and an outline of activities (at the
very least) and, where necessary, consults the LAC Leader and
members.
10. Ensures that the venue and equipment are available and 4.28 Very Satisfactory
prepares the necessary learning materials, such as reading
materials, videos, and presentations when needed.
11. Announces the LAC session, including topic, time, venue, and 4.28 Very Satisfactory
other matters that the group should know.
12. Runs and facilitates the session based on the plan and ensures 4.30 Very Satisfactory
that the agreed norms of behavior are observed and that the
session's objectives are achieved.
Average 4.27 Very Satisfactory
Table 3

LAC Participation

Statements Mean Interpretation

1. Attends LAC meetings regularly and participates actively in 4.33 Very Satisfactory
LAC sessions.
2. Serves as LAC facilitator or documenter, or resource person 4.13 Very Satisfactory
for specific topics when assigned such roles.
3. Develops plans to apply what has been learned and implement 4.13 Very Satisfactory
an agreed action plan in one’s classroom.
4. Monitors one’s progress concerning the LAC Plan. 4.12 Very Satisfactory
5. Prepares and submits documents or materials as needed and 4.29 Very Satisfactory
brings relevant materials.
6. Observes agreed norms of behavior. 4.34 Very Satisfactory
7. Captures evidence of implementation. 4.29 Very Satisfactory
8. Reflects on the implementation. 4.26 Very Satisfactory
9. Shares with colleagues in informal settings. 4.21 Very Satisfactory
10. Prepares to share in each LAC session. 4.22 Very Satisfactory
11. Allows LAC leaders to observe how the learning was 4.21 Very Satisfactory
applied.
12. Provides the LAC leader with evidence of application of 4.25 Very Satisfactory
learning.
Average 4.23 Very Satisfactory

Discussion

Under DepEd order 35 series of 2016, five key aspects play a significant role in

implementing the learning action cell. These include the leader, facilitator, member, documenter,

and resource person. Each has a unique individual role in processing collaborative learning or

problem solving within a shared domain of professional interest, self-directed learning, reflective

practice leading to action and self-evaluation, and collective competence.

Indicative statements used in leadership were derived from the term of reference of the

LAC leader. Statements under the organization are also derived from the LAC facilitator. At the

same time, statements under participation were extracted from LAC members' TOR.
 The three critical aspects of LAC implementation expose a very satisfactory interpretation.

Table 1 presents the LAC leadership. Results revealed that leadership indicates adapting and

sharing LAC best practices from other schools, thereby developing a culture of collaboration and

continuous improvement (4.25). Table 2 shows that in terms of organization, facilitators highly

practice checking and monitoring of attendance of members and submission of materials and see

to it that team meetings start and end on time and that agenda for the meeting is covered (4.32).

Table 3 reveals that teachers attend LAC meetings regularly and participate actively in LAC

sessions (4.33).

Reference

[1] Department of Education. (2016). The learning action cell (LAC) as a k to 12 basic education

program school-based continuing professional development strategy for the improvement of

teaching and learning. https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-

content/uploads/2016/06/DO_s2016_035.pdf#:~:text=In%20the%20DepEd%2C%20a%20Learni

ng%20Action%20Cell%20is,practice%20that%20are%20positive%2C%20caring%2C%20and%

20safe%20spaces.