Learners from

Indigenous Groups
Indigenous People

A collective term used to refer to Filipinos

who have been differentiated from the rest
of Philippine society based on the persistence
until today of their cultural communities and
their cultural practices. Today, they are the
descendants of cultural communities who, in
the previous centuries and decades, fought
off-or evaded the incursions of colonization
and other non-indigenous influences. Other
terms used in the past were "native/netibo."
More culturally-sensitive local terms used
recently are "katutubo" and "lumad."
Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC)

A collective term used for the various čultural

communities in the Philippines who ascribe
themselves and/or are identified as
Indigenous Peoples (IPs). Other terms used in
the past for theše groups were: "cultural
minorities," "tribal communities," and "tribal
Filipinos" The term "Indigenous Cultural
Community" and "Indigenous Peoples" are
considered to be more culturally- sensitive.
Examples of ICCs would be: Kalinga, Agta,
Ibaloi, Ati, Subanen, Mandaya, Hanunuo,
Batak, T'boli
With regard to education, the IP are among those with the
lowest literacy rates. It is a challenge to serve their needs in
remote areas, and standard education programs fail to take
into account their cultures, languages, and current realities.
The following types of instructional strategies can be
especially effective for Aboriginal students:
• graphic organizers
• cooperative learning
• independent study
In an attempt to respond to these challenges, the
Department of Education in the Philippines has
recently adopted the Indigenous Peoples
Curriculum Education Framework (DepEd Order
No. 32, s. 2015) as a guide for IP educators in
developing “culturally appropriate and
responsive” curricula, lesson plans, instructional
materials, and teaching methods.
 EFFECTIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES

• Don't expect them to underperform

• High expectations = high outcomes
• Relate examples to their environment and community
• Allow students to achieve success in private not in front of
large groups
• Avoid problem-solving and inquiry-based learning
• Allow students to complete tasks in small groups
• Cover the context before focusing on the detail
• Acknowledge the student
Biermann (as cited in Warren, Thomas and deVries, 2011)
suggests “there are three key dimensions that underpin
Indigenous pedagogies,

1. pro­mote experiential learning (‘hands on’ experi­ences with

reflective discussions),
2. engage in communal practices (listening to one another in
a respectful way), and
3. instigate a student-centred approach (an emphasis on
participation and indi­vidual and group solutions)”
Teachers need to be aware of cultural relevance and take
measures to ensure what they are teaching can be related
to by the students. They will engage with the lesson if
they think it applies to them and enhance their learning
experience by adjusting knowledge on what they know to
create new meaning.(Sarra,2011)
Indigenous students are kinaesthetic type learners,
which is defined as having an ability for physical activity
(McInerney & McInerney) where they learn best by
doing, touching and experiencing things.
Indigenous students are kinaesthetic type learners, which
is defined as having an ability for physical activity
(McInerney & McInerney) where they learn best by doing,
touching and experiencing things.

They also like to work in groups where they can help and
learn from each other. Sitting in a classroom where they
are learning via verbal instruction won’t work.