ASSCAT Research and Development Journal Vol. 12 No.

2 (2016) 78-87

Evaluation of Teachers’ Competencies in Agriculturist Licensure

Examination (ALE) Review Classes and Students’ Academic
Performance: A Correlation Study
Shiela G. Reyes1 and Mark Vincent T. Cortez2
Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology
shing_jgr@yahoo.com1
cortezmarkvincent32@gmail.com2

Abstract

The present research study was designed to investigate the influence of teachers’
competencies in the review classes of Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE) towards
the academic performance of 124 enrolled students in Agusan del Sur State College of
Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT). The indicators under consideration for the
teachers’ competencies were attendance, promptness, preparation, the relevance of topics,
lecturer’s preparedness & competence, and audience participation. The study used the
correlational research design and a checklist on the evaluation of teachers’ competencies.
The result revealed an overall students’ evaluation on their teachers’ competencies in
handling review classes as very good. The students’ learning from ALE-review classes
acquired a detailed and functional knowledge through exposure to complex problems
without ready-made solutions, which resulted to their academic performance averagely as
satisfactory based on the ASSCAT grading system. Further, the study found out that the
teachers’ competencies and students’ academic performance have a direct highly
significant relationship. Thus, a recommendation in aiming to improve the students’
academic performance, the enhancement of teachers’ competencies should be taken into
consideration.

Keywords: teachers’ competencies, academic performance, correlational study, ALE,

Multiple Linear Regression, promptness, relevance of topics

1.0 Introduction

Teachers’ competencies need to be very high for meaningful teaching-learning to take

place. It reflects the quality and caliber of teachers of a country. Thus, it is defined into
different forms. Based on the model of Casey (1999), teachers’ competencies are composed
of the ability to collect, analyze, and organize information, communicate ideas and
information, plan and organize activities, work with others and in terms, use mathematical
ideas and technique to solve problems, and use technologies. However, according to
Korthagen (2004), it is classified into subject-oriented competency, methodological
competency, communicative/ reflective thinking competency, and organizational
competency. Teaching competencies are also defined as the level of integration of
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knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Stoof et al., 2000). It is integrated from the mental
capability, value systems, interpersonal skills, management ability, professional capability
and personal traits (Hong et al., 2008). Moreover, teachers’ competencies were included
in the provisions of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) with the purpose of
teacher education, institutions of training professional teachers and their entry
qualifications, the curriculum of Teachers’ colleges and professionalization of teachers.
Through teachers’ competencies, it enhances the teachers’ ability to create an environment
that is fair, understanding, and accepting of diverse students, ideas, experiences, and
backgrounds (Omotere, T., and Omotere, A., 2012). According to Macaulay (1986),
competencies must therefore relate to academic and professional preparation, professional
growth, classroom interaction and evaluation. Successively, effective learning in schools
would require effective teaching to accompany the efforts of the learners (Nbina, 2012).
Thus, the present study focused in determining the relationship between students’ academic
performance and teachers’ competencies in handling the Agriculturist Licensure
Examination (ALE) review classes, which includes (a) attendance, (b) promptness, (c)
preparation, (d) relevance of topics, (e) lecturer’s preparedness & competence, and (f)
audience participation.

Internal and external factors affect the student academic performance. This entire host of
reasons is at work when society refuses to take responsibility and when students themselves
act inappropriately or fail to meet a passing standard. In fact, there probably are as many
factors as there are struggling students. Even the school condition has a solid positive
association with students’ assessment of their overall school satisfaction, students’ self-
esteem, and academic performance. However, by grouping factors according to sources is
the simplest way to identify where specific performance factors come from and how they
intertwine with each other. One of which is the teacher-related factors. Teachers have been
observed to be the absolute most vital factor affecting the students’ academic performance
(Cochran-Smith, 2002; Kaplan & Owings, 2002; Lasley, et al., 2006). Teachers contribute
a significant portion in student performance and furthermore assume to be responsible for
poor student performance. From this study, the most important factor that may influence
students’ academic performance was considered – the teachers’ competencies.

A good academic performance can only be attained from a compelling method for learning.
However, effective learning in schools requires effective teaching to accompany the efforts
of the students. Thus, linking these two factors will close the current gap. Consequently,
this is to employ graduates of agriculture that could pass licensure exams and regulate the
same to protect the industry from malpractice in the care of crops, livestock’s and others
requiring the skills of an agriculture graduate including the conduct of agricultural
education. Hence, the study has been formulated to determine the significant relationship
between the students’ academic performance and the teachers’ competencies.

The study used a correlational research design to determine a significant relationship

between the teachers’ competencies and the students’ academic performance in
Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE) review classes. The study employed the

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pearson product-moment correlation to measure the strength of the linear relationship

between these two compared variables. In case the relationship between the variables is
not linear, then the correlation coefficient does not adequately represent the strength of the
relationship between the teachers’ competencies and the students’ academic performance
in Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE) review classes.

2.0 Variables in the Study

Recent studies regarding students’ academic performance conducted by AL-Mutairi (2011)

and Kang’ahi, et al. (2012) indicate that there exist several factors that influence students’
academic performances, but converging on teachers’ competencies remains one of the
major determinants of students’ academic achievements. According to Adunola (2011) and
Ganyaupfu (2013), teaching is a collaborative process which encompasses interaction by
both students and the teacher. Following Akiri & Ugborugbo (2009), teachers’
competencies in teaching process is a multidimensional concept that measures numerous
interrelated aspects of sharing knowledge with learners which include (a) attendance; it is
the presence of the teacher in a day-to-day class, (b) promptness; it is a teacher’s
characteristic of doing class activities without delay, (c) preparation; it is a class activity of
a teacher in putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose, (d) relevance of
topics; it refers to students’ learning experiences that are either directly applicable to the
personal aspirations, interests, or cultural experiences that are connected in some way to
real-world issues, problems, and contexts, (e) lecturer’s preparedness & competence; it is
an educational form of communication skills able to flexibly respond students’ queries in
a classroom discussion on the spot, and (f) audience participation; it is the extent to which
students participate or involve themselves in a class. Moreover, consistent evaluation of
the aforementioned distinct factors of teachers’ competencies is imperative since it is
directly measured by students’ academic performance (Schacter & Thum, 2004;
Adediwura & Tayo, 2007; and Adu & Olatundun, 2007).

The independent variable (IV) considered in the study are the Teachers Competencies (X),
while the Students’ Academic Performance in ALE Review classes (Y) is the dependent
variable (DV). The teachers’ competencies were evaluated according to attendance,
promptness, preparation, the relevance of the topics, lecturer’s preparedness &
competence, and the audience participation. On the other hand, students’ academic
performance was measured through the final grade on their ALE Review classes. From this
framework, teachers’ competencies and the students’ academic performance were verified
for its significant correlation.

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Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Teachers Competencies (𝑿)

a. Attendance
b. Promptness Students’ Academic
c. Preparation Performance in Agriculturist
d. Relevance of the Topics Licensure Examination
e. Lecturer’s Preparedness (ALE) Review Classes (𝒀)
and Competence
f. Audience Participation

3.0 Research Design and Methods

Research Design

The study used the correlational research design. According to Hill (2000), correlational
research design represents a general approach to research that focuses on assessing the
covariation among naturally occurring variables. The goal of the correlational study is to
research also the implications for decision making, as reflected in the use of actuarial
predictions. In this study, correlational research design was used to determine if the
teachers’ competencies have significant relationship with the students’ academic
performance.

Data Gathering Procedure

The 124 respondents of this study were all the students enrolled in Agriculturist Licensure
Examination (ALE) review classes during the first semester of A.Y. 2016-2017 of Agusan
del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology. These were the students from degree
courses of BS in Horticulture, Animal Science and Agribusiness. A checklist on the
evaluation of teachers’ competencies was administered to the respondents. In this checklist,
it focused on the basic competencies of the teachers such as attendance, promptness,
preparation, the relevance of topics, lecturer’s preparedness & competence, and audience
participation.

After the collection of all questionnaires, the data were subjected for further interpretation
and analysis. In answering the level of students’ evaluation on teachers’ competencies in
handling ALE Review subject, weighted mean was used. The average grade of the students
in the said subject was obtained through arithmetic mean. Moreover, determining

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significant relationship between the teachers’ competencies and students’ academic

performance, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation was applied.

Further, the students’ evaluation of teachers’ competencies were interpreted using the
Likert Scale based on Rauner (2007) with little modification, which is shown below.

Likert Scale of Descriptive Rating and its corresponding Interpretation of the Teachers’
Competencies
Descriptive Rating
Rate Interval Interpretation of Techers’ Competence
of Competence
Expert. Experienced-based in-depth
knowledge in teaching ALE-review
classes acquired through the fulfillment
5 4.20 –5.00 Excellent
of tasks which require a high level of
work experience and the acquisition of
theoretical knowledge.
Skilled. Detailed and functional knowledge
in teaching ALE-review classes acquired
4 3.40 – 4.19 Very Good
through exposure to complex problems
without ready-made solutions.
Competent. Coherent and Context-specific
knowledge in teaching ALE-review
classes through work experience and the
3 2.60 – 3.39 Good
observation and consideration of many
facts and rules in the situated context of
the review subject.
Advanced. Reference knowledge in
teaching ALE-review classes acquired by
2 1.80 – 2.59 Fair work experience and the application of
complex rules in rather uncertain
situations.
Novice (Beginner). Inexperienced in the
field of teaching the Agriculturist
1 1.00 – 1.79 Poor
Licensure Examination (ALE) review
classes.

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4.0 Results and Discussion

Students’ Evaluation on Teachers’ Competencies in handling Agriculturist Licensure

Examination (ALE) Review Subject

Table 1 presents the students’ evaluation on teachers’ competencies in handling

Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE) review classes. It shows that among the
teacher’s competencies evaluated by the students, the attendance and audience
participation obtained the lowest average rating of 3.36 and 3.38, respectively. It indicates
that among the identified teachers’ competencies, both of these abilities should be given
more direct attention by the teachers to improve the quality of education. As an overall,
students evaluated their teachers in handling review classes as very good based on their
teaching competencies. The result implies that teachers in ALE-review classes imparted a
detailed and functional knowledge through exposure to several complex problems.

Table 1. Students Evaluation on Teachers Competencies in Handling Agriculturist

Licensure Examination (ALE) Review Classes
Weighted
Students’ Evaluation on Teachers Competencies Descriptive Rating
Mean
a. Attendance 3.36 Good
b. Promptness 3.82 Very Good
c. Preparation 3.71 Very Good
d. Relevance of Topics 3.99 Very Good
e. Lecturer’s Preparedness and Competence 3.68 Very Good
f. Audience Participation 3.38 Good
Overall Weighted Mean 3.66 Very Good

Students’ Academic Performance in Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE)

The students’ academic performance in Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE) review

classes is presented in Table 2. The academic performance among the students who took
the review classes in Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE) obtained an average
grade of 2.32, which is rated as satisfactory based on the ASSCAT grading system. The
result indicates that the students’ academic performance has a vast opportunity for
enhancement, which can lead to intensifying the ALE review classes included in the
curriculum.

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Table 2. Students’ Academic Performance in Agriculturist Licensure Examination (ALE)

Review Classes
Subject Average Grade Description
Agriculturist Licensure Examination
2.32 Satisfactory
(ALE) Review Classes

Significant Relationship between the Teachers Competencies and Students Academic

Performance Using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation

The significant relationship between the teachers’ competencies and students’ academic
performance is presented in Table 3. The table shows a Pearson correlation coefficient of
0.82 that indicates a strong positive correlation between the compared variables with a sig.
value that is less than 0.01 level of significance. Thus, the teachers’ competencies and
students’ academic performance have a highly significant relationship. This implies that as
teachers’ competencies improve, as well as the students’ academic performance or vice
versa. The result is in consonance from the Chemistry subject of the study conducted by
Ugbe, et al. (2009), which found out that there is a significant relationship between
teachers’ competence and students’ academic performance.

Table 3. Significant Relationship between the Teachers Competencies and Students

Academic Performance Using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation
Students’
Teachers
Correlations Academic
Competencies
Performance
Pearson Correlation 1 0.82
Teachers
Sig. (2-tailed) - 0.000**
Competencies
N 124 124
Students’ Pearson Correlation 0.82 1
Academic Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000** -
Performance N 124 124
Level of Significance α = 0.01

As observed in Model, the estimated coefficients are 0.739 for constant, 0.045 for the
teacher’s competence regarding attendance, 0.132 for promptness, 0.084 for preparation,
0.133 for discussing relevant topics, 0.098 for the lecturer’s preparedness and competence,
and 0.020 for audience participation. The t-test was utilized in testing the significance of
the six indicators of teachers’ competence. From Table 5, the six indicators obtained p-
values less than 0.05 level of significance. Thus, it indicates that these indicators yielded a
significant result. Moreover, from the six competencies of the teachers, the promptness and
relevance of the topics were considered as the best predictors since it obtained the highest
estimated coefficients. The result indicates that academic performance of the students was

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greatly affected by the teachers’ competencies regarding of promptness and relevance of

the topics.

Table 4. Identification of Best Predictor for Academic Performance

Model β Coefficients Std. Error t-statistic p-value

(Constant) 0.739 0.068 10.847** 0.000

a. Attendance 0.045 0.041 1.105ns 0.271
b. Promptness 0.132 0.016 8.307** 0.000
c. Preparation 0.084 0.041 2.061* 0.041
d. Relevance of Topics 0.133 0.023 5.854** 0.000
e. Lecturer’s Preparedness and
0.098 0.039 2.503* 0.014
Competence
f. Audience Participation 0.020 0.049 0.399ns 0.690
** - Highly significant; * - Significant; and ns – Not significant

5.0 Conclusions and Recommendation

The overall teachers’ competencies were evaluated by the students as to skillful. This
indicates that detailed and functional knowledge in teaching ALE-review classes were
acquired through exposure to complex problems without ready-made solutions. However,
the attendance and audience participation had the lowest evaluation rating among the
competencies, which need to be considered in improving the quality of teaching the ALE-
review classes. Meanwhile, students’ academic performance averagely obtained a
satisfactory grade that also indicates an opportunity for enhancement based on the study.
Furthermore, among the identified competencies of the teachers, the promptness and
relevance of the discussed topics were found to be the best predictors of academic
performance. Therefore, in aiming to improve the students’ academic performance, the
enhancement of teachers’ competencies should also take into consideration. Further, it is
recommended that evaluation of teachers’ competencies will be regularly monitored and
enhanced to ensure quality education for the students taking up ALE-review classes.

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