PERSPECTIVES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION

OF THE K TO 12 PROGRAM IN THE

PHILIPPINES: A RESEARCH REVIEW
 PERSPECTIVES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE K TO 12
PROGRAM IN THE PHILIPPINES: A RESEARCH REVIEW
Afalla, Rosemarie Ann, Macalalad, Ma. Clariza & Tumbaga, Mayett (May 12, 2023)

Abstract:

The report, “Perspectives on the Implementation of the K to 12 Program in the

Philippines: A Research Review”, was written by Dizon et al. (2019). This article has
viewed the perspectives of the teachers, parents, as well as the students in the added
two years of education in the Philippines. The K to 12 program was implemented by
the government. It is implemented to enhance the educational system that we have here
in the Philippines. To recognize every Filipino graduate and professionals wherever across
the world. The learners that are part of the K to 12 program can totally meet the needs
of the global market by having the mastery of skills and develop the core competencies.
This used the systematic approach and review design in analyzing personal views to
answer the proposed questions of the research. It also states the problems encountered
during the implementation and the action taken to it. Lastly, the making of
recommendations that arise in the study.
Introduction:

Success is the greatest achievement that every individual can achieve. One
essential tool for every learner to say that they are successful in life is by attaining
education. Attaining education can bring recognition and achievement. Education helps in
honing critical thinking skills that can be used in solving challenges in life. It is spread
throughout the world. As what stated in the study as cited by Yap, (2011), Philippines is
the last country in Asia that has 10 years of education and to align to the global needs
there's a need to adapt a 12 year program. In implementing the K to 12 program there
are aims or goals that are considered. It is creating more skilled learners having basic
skills for lifelong learning and to be used for employment purposes. Promoting a mutual
recognition of every Filipino learners and professionals in other countries, since they
have already master the skills and have learn the core competencies in meeting the
global needs. As a product of this program they all graduated at legal age. The learners
will be prepared for their future jobs, entrepreneurship and middle-level skills. When they
enter tertiary education they are still considered as young adults. They have their own
will to choose what path they will take. According to Abueva, (2019), the K to 12
program is a key for the vast growth of the country. Even though there are numerous
challenges faced in the implementation of the program, hence, it increases the quality of
education here in the Philippines. As cited by Cruz, (2010), there are a lot of reasons
why to support the said program. It provides sufficient training to the learners, learners
are made qualifiable to enter the workforce and acceptable to the international countries.
Looking at the positive view of the program, it offers solutions to the country's problems.
In terms of problems in employment, there's a chance to work abroad. Teachers need to
undergo training and to cater to the utilization of delivery instruction and lack of
resources. With all the challenges of the program there's always a view that the
long-term effects of it will be beneficial to all.
Body:

The article “Perspectives on the Implementation of the K to 12 Program in the

Philippines: A Research Review” by Dizon, et al. (2019) aims to present the various
perceptions of the individuals in the implementation of K-12 Curriculum in our country. The
authors define the importance of education in our country thus education is perceived as a path of
success not only for individuals but also for the entire country. The implementation of K-12
Curriculum in the Philippines fuels since among the countries around the world, the Philippines
was the last country in Asia and one of the only three countries in the world with a 10-year
pre-university program (Yap, R, 2011). Almost all of the countries worldwide implement the
curriculum and the Philippines aims to keep up especially on the quality of education, advanced
literacy of the Filipinos and the individuals to be globally competent. As K-12 Curriculum is
implemented it brings various commotions and arises different perspectives towards the new
curriculum.

The K-12 Curriculum aims to bring out the best phase of the individuals. As K-12
Curriculum is the basic education wherein it begins Kindergarten until Grade 12 which added
another two (2) years of learning, the senior high school. Senior High School is the additional
two (2) years in the basic education wherein the minor subjects in tertiary level or college is
brought down to Senior High School for the students to be prepared on college premises. The
additional two years embodies various tracks that students can choose of based on their personal
preferences, there are two tracks in Senior High School which is the Academic Track that
includes Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMMS), Accountancy and Business Management
(ABM), and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) the second track is
TVL or the Technology and Livelihood Education. These tracks and strands are a stepping stone
for the students to be prepared for college level and desired profession since every strand tackles
different subject courses that will be beneficial and a fresh start for the learners.

In the implementation of the K-12 Curriculum in our country there are certain things
that don't go as expected and lead to the challenges that the curriculum is facing. There are
various challenges that are presented in the article as in the findings of Ednave, R., et. al., (2018)
stated that the implementation of the K to 12 programs presented the following challenges: a)
lack of preparation and professional development; b) excessive academic burden on students;
and c) integration of lessons in the real-life context. In this findings of the challenges it shows
that the K-12 Curriculum does not only challenge the students but the teachers as well. First, lack
of preparation and professional development, since the implementation of K-12 Curriculum may
not be sudden but it need more time for the teachers since they’ve lacked on preparation in the
reason of the highschool teachers may be familiar with the course subjects on college level but
those subjects are not their specialized, high school teachers tend to teach subjects like English,
Math, Science and other subjects that we usually encounter way back before but since the minor
subjects is brought down to Senior High School the teachers will encounter difficulties to cope
up on that and it lessens their preparation since they are not trained for a long time. Next,
excessive academic burden on students. We are aware that students at the current time are much
more sensitive and they easily get stressed over things. Since the course subjects in college are
far different from the subjects in high school even if it is a minor subject, not all of the students
can acquire those knowledge at the time. Students feel the burden as their workloads are
simultaneously adding and it seems to be one of the challenges of K-12 Curriculum, the students
are the key participants in this curriculum therefore, students' standing is essential. Then, the
integration of lessons in the real-life context, this is another factor that is seen to be a challenge
on the implementation of the curriculum in our country. As mentioned in the study of Cocal, C.
and Marcellano, G., (2017), the financial resource was a major problem for the schools with
regard to the implementation of the K-12 program. Since this program added two (2) additional
years on the education of the students, finances are also seen as one of the challenges. Adding 2
years of education means that parents need to work more hard to comply with the needs of their
children, in that case the financial budget of the family needs to be divided as well. In addition,
schools and institutions also have a hard time complying with the needed materials and such that
is essential to the learning of the students. These challenges become an obstacle to the
implementation of the K-12 program in our country.

As education is seen as the path of success for everyone it is essential to teach the
students in a way that they find the subject itself interesting since the additional two years is
more difficult than on their past subjects. To achieve that aim teachers must propose and
implement the lessons with the usage of various teaching strategies. The teachers must be more
creative and innovative in teaching their lessons to the students because in that case the students
will be more interested in studying. In the traditional classroom teachers usually use pen and
paper in terms of assessment but now the teacher can use google forms, quizlet and other
websites that are more modernized. In terms of recalling the past lesson through recitation it is
better to do this in means of gamification. In this case the students will be more interesting and
they can participate actively in the class. It is essential to have clear, new and interesting teaching
strategies in K-12 programs because students' attention nowadays is easily diverted from other
things when they think that a certain thing is boring. A better teaching strategy will result in the
better understanding of the students and their attention will be more focused on studying.

In the implementation of K-12 Curriculum there are various views and perspectives
that need to be addressed. There are negative views in the implementation of curriculum such as
various requirements to be a teacher on Senior High, the qualifications, requirements,
streamlining courses and such. Another is that Vizconde, C. (2015) stressed the emerging issues
of the K to 12 systems in its study: 1) the displacement of teachers at tertiary level; 2) the lack of
information on the guidelines for implementation; 3) the lack of university students for two
years; and 4) the lack of resources for implementation. Parents viewed the curriculum as another
burden on the students since another two years is added and also their financial status is also
concerned. In this view it shows that there are negative impacts on teachers and the institutions
as well in the implementation of K-12 programs. On the other hand, there are positive views on
the implementation of the curriculum. students become more ready at the college level especially
on the making of thesis, paperworks, and activities that are aligned on their preferred
professions. The government gives more opportunity in terms of jobs abroad since individuals
who finished the K-12 Curriculum can find jobs abroad. Some parents viewed the K-12
Curriculum as a stepping stone of their children to college and a room wherein they can hone
their skills and abilities that they can use in their desired professions. Every individual viewed
the curriculum differently and it altered everyone’s views just by hearing those.

The article “Perspectives on the Implementation of the K to 12 Program in

the Philippines: A Research Review”that was written by Dizon et al. (2019) shows the
various views, challenges, and teaching strategies that almost all of us need to know and be
aware of. Through the article we reviewed it seems that it does not just present the
implementation but also includes both sides of views which is excellent to avoid bias. This
article showered the readers a lot of information that we must know about the implementation of
the K-12 program. The author that writes the article presents the data and statement clearly and
organized. In that matter it makes for the reader easier to read and understand the thought and
views of the research. As the article is presented in an orderly way it has a lot of strengths that
need to be pointed out and one of those is the data are presented in an organized way and the
authors elaborated the data that is included in the article.
Conclusion:

In conclusion, this article provides an overview of the implementation of the k to 12

program in the Philippines. The program aims to improve the quality of basic education in the
Philippines by providing students with a more holistic and practical education that prepares them
for the global workforce. The K to 12 program adds two years of senior high school (SHS) to the
previous 10-year basic education cycle of six years in elementary school and four years in junior
high school. The SHS program consists of two years of specialized upper secondary education
that offers academic, technical-vocational-livelihood, and sports and arts tracks. The academic
track comprises four strands: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM);
accountancy, business, and management (ABM); humanities and social sciences (HUMSS); and
general academic strand (GAS).
The implementation of the K to 12 program in the Philippines was a challenging task that
required significant resources and effort from the government, educators, and stakeholders. The
DepEd rolled out various initiatives to ensure the successful implementation of the program,
including the training and hiring of additional teachers, the provision of additional classrooms
and equipment, and the development of new instructional materials and curricula.
The program has enabled students to acquire a more relevant and practical education that
prepares them for employment or further studies. It has also provided opportunities for students
to develop their skills and talents through the SHS tracks, which can lead to better career
prospects and higher earnings.
Literature Cited:

Dizon et al. (2019).

Yap, (2011).
Abueva, (2019)
Cruz, (2010)
Dizon, et al. (2019)
(Yap, R, 2011)
Ednave, R., et. al., (2018)
Cocal, C. and Marcellano, G., (2017)
Vizconde, C. (2015)