CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The teaching profession calls for continuing learning. It is through constant
purposeful studies that a teacher may update herself on the information that will help her
carry out her functions with zeal and dedication. The teacher must never be remiss of the
social duty of improving her teaching style, method and capability to satisfy the need of
providing her students with the best that she could. The acquisition of knowledge comes
as a result of ones empirical growth which includes advanced education, observation and
in-service training activities.
The professional preparation of a teacher does not get realized by simply
acquiring a four year

bachelors degree in education.

There is more to that, an

academic process requiring developmental approach that must be sustained. Challenges

to professional teachers are inevitable. There have been instances when teachers had to
give up in favor of another work. Yet, for those whose dedication to teaching is beyond
reproach, engaging on professional development activities had given them help in
responding positively to challenges.
Teachers are at the heart of the teaching- learning process. What the students
have learned is a reflection of what the teachers had taught. If students performed well in
a standardized test, praises and recognition are given to the teachers for a job well done.
Oppositely however, if students performed poorly, all accusing fingers are, just the same
pointed to the teachers.

The State is duty-bound to invest on the advance education of teachers because

human capital is one of the key ingredients for the success of educational institutions
(Donaldson, 2013). Providing sufficient funds for it could result in greater success of
schools. The people side of educational reform, which is the teachers academic growth,
should be given high priority. Teachers manifest the quality of education that students
receive. Because of the great role teachers play in attaining the educational goals of the
Philippines, Republic Act no. 4670, commonly known as the Magna Carta for Public
School Teachers, was enacted. This law aims to promote and improve the social and
economic status of public school teachers, their living and working conditions, their
terms of employment and career prospects. This act recognizes that advancement in
education depends to a great extent on the qualifications and ability of the teaching staff.
It also justifies that education is an essential factor for the economic growth of the nation
as a productive investment of vital importance.
Yet, there are some realities in the Philippine educational system that cannot be
denied. Statistics show that Philippine public school teachers are overworked based on a
high pupil- teacher ratio, teaching hours per day, and teaching hours per year. A United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) study proves that
in the year 2009, the Filipino teachers average instructional time in public institutions
was at 4.5 teaching hours per day. It is significantly longer compared to the neighboring
countries like Malaysia and Thailand which have 2.5 and 2.8 teaching hours per day
respectively. With longer working hours and larger class size, there would be less time,
energy and opportunity for professional development and instructional planning.

Moreover, teacher-pupil ratio of 1:34 is still quite big compared to other countries.
(Albert, 2013)
To alleviate the working conditions of teachers therefore, the Department of
Education crafted the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda that focuses on the Teacher
Education and Development Program (TEDP) and the National Competency-Based
Teachers Standards (NCBTS).

TEPD is the master plan for teacher education.

It

conceptualizes a teachers career path as a continuum that starts with the entry to a
teacher education program and concludes when he/she retires from the formal service.
Several agencies like the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Civil Service
Commission (CSC) and Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) work hand in hand in
guiding teachers in pursuing their career path. Each of the said agencies used the NCBTS
as guiding principle in designing its programs. NCBTS is an integrated theoretical
framework that defines the different dimensions of effective teaching. Its seven domains
are the social regard for learning, the learning environment, the diversity of learners,
curriculum, planning, assessing & reporting, community linkages and personal growth &
professional development. The pre-service teacher education curricula of TEIs, the
Licensure Examination for Teachers by the PRC, the hiring, promotion and supervision
of teachers by DepEd and the professional development programs or in-service training
offered by DepEd and other institutions should be designed based on these seven
domains. This is to ensure congruency of the programs offered by these agencies for the
attainment of the mission and vision of the Department of Education. (Training and
Development System Operations Manual, Vol 1, 2010)

Learning should be a sustained undertaking. In the TEPD, teacher education does

not stop in just having a bachelors degree or even passing the licensure exam. In-service
training opportunities and professional development programs are needed to continually
develop the teachers. Batas Pambansa no. 232 or the Education Act 1982 reiterates that it
is one of the obligations of teachers to assume the responsibility of maintaining and
sustaining their professional growth and advancement.
Teacher professional development means teachers learning, how they learn and
how they apply their knowledge in practice to support the learning of the pupils (Avalos,
2011). Blandford (2000) identified four major functions of professional development
within a school; it enhances individual performance, rectifies ineffective practice,
establishes the ground work for the implementation of policy and facilitates change.
Professional development of teachers is needed to meet the complex educational needs of
21st century learners. Teachers constantly need to upgrade their skills and develop new
teaching strategies. They need to learn and master the newest and best ways to teach
children in the fast-paced. (Coppola, Scricca & Connors, 2004)
The government aims to produce Filipino learners who are globally competitive.
However, the reality is that this could only happen if there are global Filipino teachers.
To ensure this, teachers should engage in professional development programs that would
help improve themselves. This study aims to investigate what collaborative efforts the
school administrators and teachers do to strengthen teachers effectiveness thus
improving the quality of instruction. It is important to identify the concrete actions and
programs spearheaded or coordinated by the administrators for teachers professional
development. More so, the initiatives of teachers for their development should also be

taken into account. Funding for professional development programs would also be taken
into consideration. This study is envisioned to give a comprehensive description of the
status of professional development among public school teachers.
Statement of the Problem
The researcher purported to answer the key problem: How do school
administrators and teachers work collaboratively for the latters professional
development?
Specifically, it sought answers to the following questions:
1. How do teachers and school administrators view professional development? What
are the priority areas on teachers professional development?
2. What programs on professional development were spearheaded by the principals,
district supervisor, division superintendent and DepEd regional directors for
teachers within the last two years?
3. How do the school administrators determine the teacher-grantees for professional
development opportunities?
4. What programs for professional development have been provided for the teachers
within the last two years? What difficulties did they encounter?
5. How do school principals allocate the staff development fund from the
government?
Thesis Statement
This study has been guided by the research statement: The School Administrators
are duty-bound to help the teachers on their professional growth and development.

Significance of the Study

This study sought to provide help in the improvement of educational pursuits in
the Philippines by providing relevant information pertaining to how professional
development is given priority by the officials of the Department of Education.
The findings would be beneficial for the following groups of people:
School administrators. A clear view of the importance of teachers professional
development would encourage this group to enlist staff development as one of their top
priorities in managing their schools. In this study, it would give them an overview of the
different programs that are implemented in public schools for teachers professional
development. They could adopt such programs in responding to the needs of their
teachers. They can devise an annual plan for teachers continuing professional growth
taking into consideration the perceived barriers of its implementation.
Teachers. This study would help teachers understand the importance of engaging
in professional learning activities. It would motivate them to involve themselves in some
professional development programs such as attending to seminars, in-service trainings
and mentoring. They would be enlightened that their professional development should
not only be as initiated by school administrators but also as self-directed by teachers too.
They would be encouraged to conscientiously engage in developing their knowledge and
skills to improve the performance of the school.
Students. Students would benefit much from this study. They would learn best
by having teachers who continually develop themselves professionally. The quality of
teaching this group would receive would be of high standards.

In-service program developers. This research can be a basis or reference

material in developing and planning professional development activities. Matrix of the
trainings and seminars planned by this group may focus on the listed priority professional
needs of teachers.
Scope and Delimitations of the Study
This research focused on how school administrators and teachers worked
collaboratively for the professional development of public elementary school teachers in
Apalit District, Division of Pampanga in School Year 2013-2014 and S.Y. 2014-2015. Its
coverage was the randomly selected fifty (50) teachers of the district taking into
consideration their length of service with the public institution.

Researcher-made

questionnaire was used in determining their views, areas of needs and programs received
regarding continuing professional development. The researcher opted to interview each
one of them if answers in the questionnaire need clarification.
School heads of the fourteen schools of Apalit District were targeted as
informants in this study. However, only nine responded in this study. Researcher-made
questionnaire was given to gather the programs spearheaded and coordinated by them for
their teachers professional development. Most of the principal-respondents preferred an
interview to answering the questionnaire. The same questionnaire was used with few
modifications for the district supervisor. Moreover, interviews, observation, focused
group discussions and document analysis were the other methods to gather more
comprehensive information from the participants and in the research locale. Only three
out of nine principal-respondents willingly showed the necessary data for document

analysis. The researcher respected the decision of other respondents for whatever reasons
they had.
The researcher assumed that the participants answered the questionnaire and
interview guide questions in all honesty and to the best of their observation and opinions
on their views regarding the professional development programs of the district. Other
factors such as environmental, emotional and physical were assumed in their natural state
while the researcher gathers data from the participants.
Perspectives on Teaching and Professional Development
Related Theories
This study was guided by the following theories: grounded theory, cognitive
personality theory, Maslows theory of human motivation, cultural determinism, social
group theory and path-goal theory of leadership.
Grounded theory seeks to explain political or social phenomena must be grounded in
empirical observation, otherwise they become one simple inventions. This means that in
education, the best way to study the professional development concerns is by doing an
empirical observation where the teachers are actually located, the so called locale of the
study.
Cognitive personality theory of Kurt Lewin (1890 1947) is concerned with the
development of individual differences in the process of thinking as they affect the
perceptions, attitudes and behavior of individuals. Personality is centered on the persons
thinking processes. The popularity of the cognitive approach to personality has been on
the increase, and has led to a greater interest in the cognitive styles of individuals. It is

important to take into consideration the different cognitive styles of the teacherparticipants as they may affect teachers perceptions, attitudes and behavior towards
professional development.
Maslows theory of human motivation is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid
with the largest, most fundamental levels of needs at the bottom and the need for selfactualization at the top. The most fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid
contain what Maslow called "deficiency needs" or "d-needs": esteem, friendship and
love, security, and physical needs. If these "deficiency needs" are not met with the
exception of the most fundamental (physiological) need there may not be a physical
indication, but the individual will feel anxious and tense. Maslow's theory suggests that
the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual will strongly desire (or
focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs. This study attempts to look
into how professional development contributes to the esteem needs and selfactualization of teachers.
Cultural determinism by Franz Boas states that human behavior is primarily shaped
and controlled by cultural and social factors. Culture is regarded as supra- organic and to
be approached as an object of scientific study independent of the individuals who make
up the culture at any one time.

Cultural orientation of teachers may affect their

perspectives on professional development.

Social group theory refers to a group that consist a number of individuals who define
themselves to be members of a group. They interact frequently, are defined as members
by people outside the group, and share certain behaviors of their fellow members which

10

they do not expect of non-members. This theory reiterates how the social circle of a
teacher may affect her preferences on professional development activities.
The path-goal theory of leadership teaches that the leader must motivate subordinates
by emphasizing the relationship between the subordinates own needs and the
organizational goals, and clarifying and facilitating the path subordinates must take to
fulfill their own needs as well as the organizational needs. This study determined how
the teachers were influenced and inspired by how their school principal practiced his/her
leadership role in helping them craft a plan for academic growth.
Contextual Realities on Teaching Profession in the Philippines
The 1987 Philippine Constitution states that The state shall ensure that
teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through
adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment (Article XIV,
Section 5 (5)). In 1991, however, the Congressional Commission to Review and Assess
Philippine Education (EDCOM) had found out that the quality of Philippine education is
deteriorating and that the teachers are at the heart of the problem.

It was further

accounted that teachers are poorly trained, there is low quality of students enrolled in
teacher training, and that teaching has been perceived as a poorly-esteemed profession.
These findings led to the enactment of Republic Act No. 7836 known as the Philippine
Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994. It recognizes the vital role of teachers in nation
building.

With its passage, teaching has become a profession at par with other

professions. It sets out the attributes of a professional teacher, such as, the licensure
examination, the oath taking for licensing, membership in professional associations and

11

inclusion in the roster of professionals at the Professional Regulation Commission. The

teacher is no longer a mere teacher but a professional teacher. (Bilbao et al., 2006)
Teaching is a profession that demands lifelong learning. Feseler and Cristensen
cited by Colinares (2010), enumerated the six stages of teachers professional career over
a twenty-year period. Arranged in chronological order, these are the pre-service stage,
induction stage, competency- building stage, growth and enthusiasm/ dissatisfaction
stage, career stability/ career- frustration stage and career wind-down/ bitter- exit stage.
These stages are quite similar with the career path that Filipino teachers take. A teacher
would enter in a teacher education institution to undergo pre-service training, take the
licensure examination, apply for a teaching position, attend the induction training, update
herself by having some in-service and professional development trainings and prepare
herself for retirement (Torno, n.d.).
A number of state universities/ colleges, local universities/ colleges and private
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offer teacher education for the pre-service training
of aspiring teachers. The Commission of Higher Education even recorded that in the
School Year 2010-2011, Education and Teacher-Training ranked 2 nd among the 5
disciplines with the highest enrolment. 13.65% or 400,912 students were enrolled in the
field of education in the said school year. Only 64.76% of the 1 st year baccalaureate
students were able to reach 4th year and 56.75% of them were able to graduate. This
shows that in every 100 enrollees of teacher education, only 56 of them would graduate
and earn a degree. Moreover, 22.30% of those who took the licensure examination
passed. Only 2 out 10 of those students who had their pre-service training in TEIs are

12

well-equipped to teach. These are alarming figures on the condition of teacher education
in the Philippines. (CHED, 2012)
Those who passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) can opt to apply
for Teacher I position in public schools. Yet, applying for a public post is not as easy as
one may think. There are lots of applicants but few vacant positions. DepEd order no.14
s. 2014 specified the hiring guidelines for Teacher 1 position. This order aims to enhance
the over-all quality of basic education in the country by hiring highly-competent teachers
and to uphold the mandate of the Department of Education (DepEd) under the Magna
Carta for Public School Teachers (R.A. 4670), which is to promote and improve public
school teachers employment and career opportunities as well as to attract more people
with proper qualification to the teaching profession. Education, teaching experience,
LET/PBET rating, experiential learning course, specialized training and skills, interview,
demonstrating teaching and communication skills are the areas that would be given points
for the evaluation of teacher applicants. Education and demonstration teaching are the
two areas with greatest number of points among the other criteria. This is to give high
value to the importance of the pre-service training of applicants and the application of it
through demonstration. To really ensure that teaching will retain its rightful share of the
best available talents, DepEd had given the cut-off score of 55 points. If an applicant
would not be able to reach this, he/she would not be included in the Registry of Qualified
Applicants (RQA).
While the application process, and consequent hiring for DepEd teaching position
demands quality, the in-service teaching experience demands resiliency and patience.
Induction seminars are given to neophyte teachers to prepare them with the realities of

13

the system in public schools. This is to ensure that new teachers are prepared to face the
demands of the public institution. Albert (2013) said that the one of these realities is that
the Philippine public school teachers are overworked. In School Year 2010-2011, DepEd
reported that the teacher-pupil ratio for elementary level is 1:34 and 1:35 for secondary
level. Moreover, in year 2009, UNESCO described that the teaching hours of primary
level in the Philippines ran approximately 4.5 hours per day. This has changed with the
implementation of K-12 curriculum last S.Y. 2012-2013.
Table 1
Time Allotment of Learning Areas in K-12 Curriculum
NOMENCLATURE/
LEARNING AREA
Mother Tongue
Filipino
English
Science
Mathematics
Araling Panlipunan
EPP/ TLE
MAPEH
EsP
Total

TIME ALLOTMENT (No. of Minutes Daily)

Grade 1
1st sem

50
30
50
40
40
30
240

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

50
50
50
50
40
40
30
310

50
50
50
50
50
40
40
30
360

50
50
50
50
40
50
40
30
360

Grade 5

Grade 6

50
50
50
50
40
50
40
30
360

50
50
50
50
40
50
40
30
360

2nd
sem

50
30
30
50
40
40
30
270

Table 1 shows the time allotment of learning areas in K-12 curriculum for
elementary level. The number of teaching hours of public elementary school teachers
increased. Most public schools have self-contained classrooms for primary grades. This
means that there is only one teacher in all subjects for grades 1 to 3. Table 1 shows the
time allotment of all learning areas of different grade levels in the K-12 curriculum. It
shows that a grade one teacher teaches 240 minutes per day in the first semester and 270
minutes or 4.5 hours per day in the second semester. Grade 2 and grade 3 public school

14

teachers teach 310 minutes or 5.17 hours per day and 360 minutes or 6 hours per day
respectively. With longer teaching hours, things are made more difficult for the teachers
by having several preparations or subjects for just one day. More or less, primary grade
teachers have eight preparations in a day. Add to this workload are the different other
assignments of teachers like subject area leadership. High teacher-pupil ratio, long
teaching hours and additional assignments are the facts that show how public school
teachers are indeed overworked.
The last phase of the professional life of a teacher is the retirement stage. Navarro
(2010), stated that if the teacher has been satisfied in his career, he could have a serene
disengagement from the profession.

Consequently, if he/she experienced career

frustrations, he/she would be having a bitter exit. UNESCO revealed that in the year
2009, 43.5% of the total population of public elementary teachers is in the age bracket of
50 and above. This shows that in the near future, there is significant number of retiring
teachers in the Philippines. This would have a great impact on the education system.
The contextual realities of teaching profession in the Philippines have significant
relevance to this study. The teachers professional life could be a contributing factor in
the engagement or disengagement of a teacher to his/her own professional growth.
Living Condition of Teachers in the Philippines
In 1967, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, also known as Republic
Act 4670, was enacted to promote and improve the social and economic status of public
school teachers, their living and working conditions, their terms of employment and
career prospects in order that they may compare favorably on opportunities for better

15

quality of life with those in other walks of life. This act ensures that the best available
talents would opt to stay in the public education system.
Several amendments on the salaries of public school teachers have since been
passed to adapt and meet with the needs of the time. The most recent of such increase of
salary was in the Fiscal Year 2012 in which a Teacher I position is given Php 18, 549 as
basic salary. The teachers salary increases automatically once in every 3 year period
from the date of appointment. Table 2 shows the salary step of public school teachers.
Table 2
Classroom Teachers Salary
Position
Teacher I
Teacher II
Teacher III
Master Teacher I
Master Teacher II
Master Teacher III
Master Teacher IV

Salary
Grade
11
12
13
18
19
20
21

Amount in Php
18, 549 (Step 1) to 19, 887 (Step 8)
19, 940 (Step 1) to 21,379 (Step 8)
21,436 (Step 1) to 22,982 (Step 8)
31,351 (Step 1) to 33,846 (Step 8)
33,859 (Step 1) to 36,554 (Step 8)
36,567 (Step 1) to 39, 378 (Step 8)
39,493 (Step 1) to 42,636 (Step 8)

There are other benefits that public school teachers enjoy. Aside from the monthly
basic salary, teachers receive Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA) amounting
to Php 2,000.00 monthly. They also receive Php 5,000.00 clothing allowance and Php
1,000.00 chalk allowance yearly. Public school teachers are also entitled to a mid-year
bonus, a year-end bonus and an across the board productivity enhancement incentive
(PEI). For those who have been in the service for 10 years, a Loyalty bonus of Php
5.000.00 and Php 2,500.00 in every 5 years after that were also given to them. Salary
increment is given in every three years. Some teachers receive hazard pay and multigrade allowance due to exigency of service. (Parco & Basilan, 2013)

16

Despite the raise in salary and other benefits though, some public school teachers
still feel that it is not enough to improve their living condition. Thus a number of them
would resort to application for loans to be able to meet their needs. Others have left the
country for better earning opportunities, with some even working as domestic
helpers. United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and
China are the top countries of destination of teachers deployed abroad. According to
Ordinario (2013), the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) data showed that
public school teachers in the United States earn 7 to 8 times more than teachers in the
Philippines. With this kind of offer, Filipino public school teachers are getting attracted
to seek greener pasture.
Albino (1998) conducted a study about the influence of economic status to the
professional growth of teachers in Northern Samar. The said study is the latest available
study in the Philippines regarding on the relationship of economic status and professional
development. It proved that the economic status of teachers is a determinant of their
professional growth and development.

Teachers who were in the higher level of

economic status are more motivated to pursue professional growth while those in the
lower class level tend to show contentment of having finished the college degree. It was
also found out that teacher-participants have to engage in other profit-generating
activities like farming, buying and selling, service jobs and fishing to be able to make
both ends meet.

However, while engaging in those activities, their concern for

professional growth was neglected. Out of the 145 participants, financial constraints
turned out to be one of the reasons for their inability to pursue professional growth and
development.

17

The living condition of public school teachers is related to this study. It can
support or hinder the opportunity of teachers in seeking for their professional growth and
development.
Universal Concepts on Professional Development
Professional development is the process of improving the competencies and work
performance of teachers through the provision of a wide range of opportunities for
personal and professional growth in knowledge, skills and attitude (Training and
Development System Operations Manual, Vol. 3, 2010). Blandford (2000), said that the
purpose of professional development can be summarized as the acquisition or extension
of the knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities that will enable individual teachers
and the schools-learning organizations in which they work to develop and adapt their
range of practice, reflect on their experience, research and practice in order to meet pupil
needs, contribute to the professional life of the school, keep in touch with the current
educational thinking in order to maintain and develop good practice, give critical
consideration to educational policy and widen the understanding of society. Speck &
Knipe (2005) said that educators in schools and districts that have a systematic approach
to continuous professional development provide a pathway for improving student
learning and achievement.
Designing an Individualized Professional Development Plan will help focus the
effort for professional growth. Assessing learning needs, determining the focus, creating
a plan, carrying out the plan, applying learning in the classroom, reflecting on application
and evaluating the learning are the seven steps on the cycle of the Individualized
Professional Development Plan.

The needs assessment process allows a teacher to

18

identify areas for growth, as related to classroom and student needs as well as overall
school goals. When teachers are empowered to assess their own learning needs, they take
ownership of the assessment and planning process.
Developing a clear focus of the professional development plan helps teachers stay
centered on their professional growth. Creating a plan serves as a road map which helps
teachers reach a destination and clarifies how to spend their professional development
time. How teachers schedule and carry out the professional development plan is essential
in the cycle. It defines the timeframe of the PD plan. The application of new learning and
insights in the classroom after a professional development seminar is critical yet
sometimes it is being neglected by teachers. Reflection on the new learning and its
application in the classroom allows teachers time to see what influence the professional
development had on them and their students.
Lastly, an evaluation on how a teacher has grown is an important part of
individualized professional development.

Too often, an educator experiences

professional growth activities but never has a follow-through or evaluates whether or not
the activities effective. (Speck & Knipe, 2005)
In determining areas of needs for professional development, areas vary from one
teacher to other depending to their individual needs.

The Association for Science

Education (ASE) drew up a framework for continuing professional development which

classifies seven areas for development. These areas form a professional development
matrix. Not only does this define what should be the focus of development of teachers
teaching career; it also recognizes the classroom itself as the site for learning and
colleagues as the key players in supporting professional growth. (Banks and Mayes 2001)

19

Table 3
Professional Development Matrix
Professional
Development Area

Description of Understanding to be Developed in Each

Area

1. Subject knowledge
and understanding

Having a sound knowledge of the subject area that the teacher have to
teach
development of understanding of recent advancements and changes in the
subject
security of subject knowledge in areas to be taught
2. Pedagogical content Translating ones own understanding of the subject into forms that will be
knowledge
understood by pupils of varying abilities and ages
examination of the teaching in particular parts of the curriculum including
translation of ones subject knowledge into suitable classroom activities
3.
Development
of development of teaching skills which are felt to be underdeveloped or
teaching and assessment
under-used
skills
4.
Understanding Being aware of the significance of the findings of recent years on the ways
teaching and learning
in which pupils learn best
reflection on the basis for the basis for the classroom practice for oneself
and of others
5. The wider curriculum Being able to place ones teaching in the context of national developments
and
other
changes development of knowledge relating your context to wider teaching issues
affecting teaching
6. Management skills: Being able to manage others effectively
managing people
development of any changing responsibilities
taking on a managing role
7. Management skills: Being able to manage oneself effectively
managing yourself and development of skills such as time management; stress management;
your
professional
course administration; resource management; team management
development

In determining areas of needs for professional development, areas vary from one
teacher to other depending to their individual needs.

The Association for Science

Education (ASE) drew up a framework for continuing professional development which

classifies seven areas for development. These areas form a professional development
matrix. Not only does this define what should be the focus of development of teachers
teaching career; it also recognizes the classroom itself as the site for learning and
colleagues as the key players in supporting professional growth. (Banks and Mayes 2001)
The use of a variety of professional development activities can help in the
attainment of the professional development areas. Coppola, Scricca & Connors (2003)

20

had enumerated the professional development (PD) activities that are suitable to
beginning teachers, experienced teachers and marginal teachers. They are as follow:
Workshops. Conducting before and after school workshops is an excellent way to
engage all staff members in productive staff development activities. It is cost-effective
and can be adapted to a variety of purposes and formats. The most successful workshops
are those that have broad appeal and application, but sharply targeted on a single focus
area or theme.
Group Planning. Providing time and space for a small number of teachers to
collaborate on group lesson planning and participate in grade-level meetings can be very
effective in promoting professional development. These activities work best for staff
members teaching the same course or grad-level teams teaching the same students.
Placing beginning teachers in the group is a good strategy, for they can gain much from
the expertise of their more experienced colleagues.
Observing. Observing master teachers, or perhaps teachers with a specific
strength, can do much to help teachers improve the quality of classroom instruction and
teaching skills.
Faculty presentation. A variety of formats can be used for faculty presentations.
A panel of experts, a powerpoint presentation, large and small group discussion, video
segments or demonstrations, a question and answer session or any combination of these
can all be used effectively. The presentations that work best are those that are engaging
and involve the participants in a variety of hands-on instructional activities.

21

Interdisciplinary projects. These can be effective PD tools as well. Curriculum

connections across disciplines and sharing of instructional approaches can be beneficial
and effect positive academic results.
Mentoring. Mentoring program develops and retains good teachers.

Well-

matched mentors, and providing opportunities for close collaboration on curriculum,

lesson planning, and peer observation are important elements in ensuring a successful
mentoring program.
Writing projects. Small teams of teachers are given the time and resources to
work together in committee to produce instructional documents that can be used by other
teachers. The curriculum writers themselves gain immeasurably in this collaborative
process by researching and sharing new ideas, adapting existing concepts and strategies
to new material and producing new instructional materials.
Leading groups. Encouraging teachers to lead a focus group discussion can
provide valuable professional development opportunities.

Teachers who take

responsibility for leading group discussions gain confidence and self-assurance in their
own efficacy as teaching professionals and in their ability to listen and respond to others
appropriately.
Reflective opportunities. A teaching journal and teaching portfolio can help
teachers to be thoughtful and reflective practitioners. All teachers should be encouraged
to reflect in writing on what they do.
Professional literature. Encouraging teachers to read professional literature is an
important element in creating a positive professional environment in school. One of the
responsibilities of a teacher is to keep current and know best practices in the field.

22

Varela (2012) said that even as there are professional development practices that
are offered, teachers often complain about professional development opportunities. It is
not uncommon for absenteeism to increase among teachers during in-service days. This
is due to the three major sins that in-service developers commit. The first sin is the onesize-fits all mentality of many in-service sessions which goes against the concept of
differentiated instructions. Teachers strive to individual instructions just as like students.
The second sin is that when professional development activities are not embedded in
daily classroom practices. Professional development then becomes solely a required part
of teachers contractual obligation. The last sin is that professional development is not
ongoing. There is lack of follow up on the development of teachers.
Detailing the universal concepts on professional development is significantly
related to this study. Knowing those concepts, it is easy for this study to use them in
gathering information from the participants on their professional development practices.
This gives the big picture of what professional development for teachers really is.
Government Programs for Professional Development
Human resource development being an integral part of the education system is
given due importance in the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001,which is also
known as Republic Act 9155. There are provisions that indicate the implementing rules
and regulations that are relevant to the Training and Development Plan for education
personnel. The DepEd national level is mandated to provide a national framework for the
continuous development of all education personnel and personnel competency and
qualification standards. The regional level is responsible in implementing programs for
the professional development of all regional personnel, and in implementing and

23

managing region-wide staff development programs pursuant to the national policies and
standards.

The division level is responsible in implementing programs for the

professional development of all division personnel, and in implementing and managing

division-wide staff development programs pursuant to the national policies and standards.
The school district is responsible for providing professional advice in building the
leadership capacity of school personnel.

The schools are mandated to provide

opportunities for broad-based capacity building for leadership to support School Based
Management (SBM). Moreover, they are urged to generate resources for the purpose of
upgrading teachers learning, facilitators competencies, improve and expand school
facilities and provide instructional materials and equipment. (Training and Development
System Operations Manual vol 1, 2010)
Following the provisions on human resource development in the Basic Education
Act of 2001, the Department of Education crafted the Basic Education Sector Reform
Agenda (BESRA). The BESRA spells out the present human resource development
demands. It indicates that all school heads must be trained, oriented and provided with
appropriate organizational support and authority to enhance their capability and
competencies to carry out their mandated roles and functions. Likewise, the National
Competency-Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS) shall be the basis of all efforts related to
teacher development while the National Competency-Based Standards for School Heads
(NCBS-SH) shall be the basis for the training and development for school heads.
The NCBTS is an integrated theoretical framework that defines the different
dimensions of effective teaching. Teachers can use the NCBTS to determine whether
their actions and strategies as teachers are effective in helping their students learn the

24

desired curriculum objectives.

It can also help teachers plan for their professional

development in the short-term and in the long term. Competencies in the NCBTS were
derived from educational theories and empirical research on characteristics of learning
environments and teaching practices and programs of schools, divisions, regions and
educational reforms projects in different parts of the country.

NCBTS has seven

domains. These are the social regard for learning, learning environment, diversity of
learners, curriculum, planning, assessing and reporting, community linkages and personal
growth and professional development.

The domain social regard for learning and

personal growth and professional development represent standards referring to The

Teacher as a Learner. (Training and Development System Operations Manual vol. 2,
2010).
The National Competency Based Teacher Standards Teachers Strengths and
Needs Assessments (NCBTS-TSNA) tool is anchored on the seven domains of the
NCBTS set by the Department of Education. Each domain has its corresponding strands
and each strand has performance indicators. In this tool, it actually determines the
differences between the actual situation (what is) and the desired condition (what should
be) in terms of teachers professional competencies. In the NCBTS-TSNA, the actual
situation is described by the current competencies as perceived by the teacher. It involves
three essential stages of strengths and need analysis. Phase I (Job Analysis for Effective
Performance) is actually done by analyzing nationally set teacher standards by
identifying effective teaching competencies. The DepEd Central Office and Regional
Offices are tasked to do this phase of TSNA process. Phase II (Individual Training Needs
Analysis) is the instrumentation to determine the current teacher competency levels in

25

terms of Knowledge, Skill and Attitude (KSA) which is done by the individual teacher at
the school level. Phase III (Strength Need Analysis) is the analysis of the discrepancies
between the standards set and the current teachers data on their competencies. Minimal
discrepancies indicate strengths while big discrepancies indicate learning needs. The
consolidation of results is carried out at the school, district, division and regional level for
their respective purposes related to identifying teacher training and development needs.
Figure 1 shows the diagram of the NCBTS-TSNA system. (Training and Development
System Operations Manual vol. 2, 2010)
Figure 1: NCBTS-TSNA System
With the results of NCBTS-TSNA of individual teachers, teachers are asked to
device their own Individual Plan for Professional Development (IPPD). This tool serves
as a guide for the professionals continuous learning and development. It is accomplished
by teachers to enable them to chart their goals and plan learning activities that will

enhance their competencies as teachers. With IPPD on hand, the school can set out the
schools professional development goal and identifies a series of objectives and activities

26

to support the achievement of the goal through the School Plan for Professional
Development (SPPD). SPPD specifies the summary of IPPD, number of teachers who are
competent in a specific domain and the indicative priority areas or the number of teachers
with high and low scores in a specific domain or strand. (Training and Development
System Operations Manual vol. 3, 2010)
This literature is related to this study since it details how the government devices
a plan for the professional growth of teachers. It started from an enactment of certain
provisions on the constitution up to the concretization of the plan through BESRA,
NCBTS, NCBTS-TSNA and IPPD. It gives a detailed overview of how the government
identifies and responds to teacher training and development needs.
Related Studies on Professional Development
The education reform agenda focuses on the importance of the people behind
every learners success or failure. These are the teachers. Schools become investors on
people. There are several professional development programs and activities that would
enhance the competency of teachers. Studies related to it are conducted to improve
current teacher professional development practices.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2009)
surveyed lower secondary teachers of 23 countries worldwide. Almost 89% of the
teacher-participants were engaging in some professional development activities.
Teachers enumerated the different types of professional development activities they were
involved to. 93 % of those teachers were into informal dialogue to improve teaching, 81
% participated into courses and workshops and 78% read professional literature. The
least common types of professional development were qualification programmes and

27

observation to visit other schools in which 25 % and 28% of the participants were
involved into it respectively.

Qualification programme is earning graduate school

degrees which demands more time allotment. Few were reported to be engaging on it
since the survey has found that teachers participated in professional development for just
under one day per month on the average. Moreover, teaching learning needs of students,
ICT teaching skills and student discipline and behavior were the three aspects specified
by teachers in which they need more professional development activities.
A local study conducted by Padilla (2012) supported the data gathered by the
Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) conducted by OECD in 2009. In it
was also reported that seminar -workshop was the type of professional activity that is
most widely participated into, while teachers were least involved in writing on
professional publications.

There had been a significant relationship between the

professional development activities in which teachers were involved and their

performance in school. As teachers attend more seminars or workshops, they perform
better in school. This statement is supported by the study of Garet, et al., (2001) which
found out that professional development activities have significant positive effects on
teachers self-reported increased in knowledge and skills and changes in classroom
activities that result in the improvement of their performance inside the classroom.
Nevertheless, positive responses of teachers to the professional development
activities greatly depend on the amount of their involvement. Smith and Rowley (2005)
conducted a study about the function of teacher professional development in the era of
accountability. It was determined that teachers perceptions of their level of influence
over school policy has significant relationship with the level of their participation in

28

professional development activities.

This shows that a teacher is more likely to

participate into PD activities if he has relative influence on the school policy. The
application of the learning in professional development activities is a motivating factor to
teachers to engage more on PD programs.
Consequently, there are some teachers who are not inclined into attending
professional development activities (Desimone, Smith & Ueno ,2006). It was discovered
that Mathematics teachers who manifested weak content knowledge on that subject are
less likely to take sustained content-focused professional development than teachers with
strong content knowledge in mathematics. Ironically, those who really need professional
development are not getting it. The solution to this dilemma lies in the hands of the
school administrators. The administrators should encourage teachers into taking the
challenge of professional development by scaffolding and matching activities to teachers
level of expertise, build links between the activities and the schools vision and require
teachers to take high-quality professional development. Kennedy (2010) said that the
principals decisions regarding how to structure professional development program may
have implications on teacher effectiveness. Sarreal (2011) determined the bases for
professional development program of teachers which are the teaching-learning process,
career attitude and work performance. With these bases, administrators can craft a wellsuited professional development program for their teachers.
The above mentioned researches support this study by providing a vast
knowledge about the different professional development practices of other nations. What
the teacher needs and what the teacher gets regarding professional development were
presented. It enumerated some barriers teachers encounter in the course of engaging into

29

professional development activities and the role of the school administrators in getting rid
of those barriers.
Conceptual Framework
Professional
Teachers Views

Development

Professional

and Priority Areas

Programs

Development

on Professional

Participated In by

Programs

Development

Teachers in the

Spearheaded by the

last 2 years

Administrators

Effects on the Quality of Teaching

Problems Encountered by
Teachers and
Administrators

Staff Development Fund

Allocation

Figure 2: Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework of the Study

This study focused on the professional development programs participated in by
teachers for the last two school years. It gave emphasis on the contributing factors such
as the teachers view and priority areas on professional development and programs
spearheaded by the administrators. The staff development fund allocation by the school
administrators was likewise studied to determine how the MOOE fund, complemented by
the income from the school canteen were expended for staff development. Problems or
difficulties encountered in engaging into professional development were also taken into
account.

30

Research Methodology
This study made use of the qualitative research method particularly descriptive
research design to have a comprehensive description of the status of professional
development among public school teachers. It is designed in such manner as to provide a
clear picture of how teachers professional development was given priority by the school
heads and the Department of Education. It made use of ethnographic research since the
researcher did some field works e.g. observation, interviews and focused group
discussions.
Research Tools and Techniques
Several research instruments and techniques were used in this study in gathering data
about the status of the professional development of teachers in public schools of Apalit
District.

Researcher-made questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focused group

discussion, observation and document analysis were the tools that were used.
2 Sets of researcher- made questionnaire. This study used two research madequestionnaires to gather data about the current professional development status of the
public school teachers. One was for the teachers and the other was for the school heads
and administrators.
Teachers professional development questionnaire.

This

questionnaire

was

divided into four parts. The first part was for the profile of the participants which it asked
the participants age, gender, years of teaching in public, type of school (central or noncentral), leadership, position, teaching assignment, and other assignments. The second
part was the participants view on professional development. It detailed the participants

31

knowledge on professional development and their priority areas of development. The

third part was the enumeration of the programs on professional development initiated by
the school, district or division office that were acquired by the participants for the last 2
years. Hindrances that teachers encountered as they attended on PD programs were also
elaborated in this third part. The last part of the questionnaire was about the initiative of
the participants for their own professional growth. In this part, the participants were
encouraged to cite instances to strengthen their answers.

This part also included

problems encountered by the teachers pertaining to PD. The researcher interviewed some
teachers to clarify some vague answers. The questionnaire was validated by experts in the
field of education. (Appendix A)
School administrators view on teachers professional development questionnaire.
This questionnaire was divided into three parts.

The first part was about the

administrators profile which it asked the age, gender, school assignment, years of being
assigned in the present school, position, type of school (central/ non-central) and other
assignments. The second part detailed their view on the importance of professional
development among their teachers.

It also enumerated the programs the school

administrators spearheaded and coordinated for teachers professional growth and how
they select teacher-grantees for certain professional development programs. The last part
of the questionnaire was the annual plan of the administrators for staff development and
how it was accomplished at the end of the school year.

A copy of the school

implementation plan and accomplishment report was asked. Also in this last part, MOOE
allocation and school canteen income allocation for staff development were also studied.

32

This questionnaire was used by the district supervisor with few modifications. (Appendix
B)
Semi-structured interview. This instrument was used in gathering the views of
public elementary school administrators on professional development of teachers. The
interview was focused on the allocation of staff development from MOOE fund and
Canteen fund. Supporting documents were asked from the interviewees. This tool was
also used to clarify some vague answers of the administrators on the given questionnaire.
Moreover participants can opt to answer at the language of their own choice if they want
to emphasize a particular point. (Appendix D)
Document analysis. A copy of the annual implementation plan and
accomplishment report for School Year 2013-2014 and School Year 2014-2015 were
asked in every school.

Documents regarding the allocation of MOOE and School

Canteen fund for Staff Development were gathered. Gathered documents were analyzed
and interpreted.

Duration of the Study

This study was conducted on the second semester of S.Y. 2014 2015. In
January 2015, questionnaires were distributed to the 50 selected public school elementary
teachers. Interviews were and arranged with the school heads and district supervisor on
months of February to April 2015. At the end of April 2015, as the school calendar ends,
a copy of the allocation of staff development from the MOOE fund of all school
participants were gathered.
The Research Locale

33

This study was conducted in the Educational District of Apalit, which is one of
the seven districts in the south sector of the Schools Division of Pampanga. There are 15
public elementary schools in the said district.
Informants in the Study
There are, approximately, 300 public elementary school teachers in Apalit
District, Division of Pampanga. This study employed the use of purposive sampling
technique in selecting the informants. Sixty teachers were identified to provide the
necessary information. The selection was based on their years of service in public
bracketed as; 0-5 years, 6- 10 years, 11- 15 years and 16-20 years, 21-25 years and more
than 25 years. However, only 50 out of 60 teachers granted interviews.
There are fifteen schools in Apalit but there are only 14 School Heads since one
of them is managing two schools, namely Sampaloc Elementary School and Alauli
Elementary School. School heads and the District Supervisor of Apalit District were
among the principal informants in this study. They were given questionnaires to fill out
regarding the professional development activities of their teachers. Moreover, interviews
were conducted to gather more comprehensive information.
This research focused on how school administrators and teachers worked
collaboratively for the professional development of public elementary school teachers of
Apalit District, Division of Pampanga of S.Y.2014-2015. It was limited on its coverage
of the randomly selected 50 teachers taking into consideration their lengths of service in
the public institution and 14 school heads. Researcher-made questionnaire that was
expert-validated were used in determining their views, areas of needs and programs
received regarding continuing professional development.