UNIVERSITY OF LUZON

GRADUATE STUDIES
Dagupan City

____________A____________

TERM PAPER
entitled as

TEACHING STRATEGIES NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject, Philippine Educational System, Problems & Issues (EDUC 419)

Presented to: Mr. Randy S. Occidental,

Instructor

RN, MAN

Presented by: Mr. Ray Michael V. Casupanan,

Graduate Student

RN

January 2012

Ray Michael Casupanan: Teaching Strategies Needs Improvement

ABSTRACT
This term paper covers most common teaching strategies that require revision and/or restructuring due to reports of inadequate and improper use of teaching methods primarily by students, principals or other supervisors that may include the superintendents, in schools with primary and secondary level of education. This document includes recommendations regarding on how to handle a class effectively with adaptation of teaching strategies without altering the structural components of the curriculum. It is true, nowadays, most Filipino children face dilemma on acquiring sufficient knowledge, practical skills, and decent attitudes because of the shortcomings of educators regardless of their years of experience. Some studies show that educators who have poor performances may have been based on motivational factors like salary, principal-teacher relationship, incentives, bonuses, and so on. However, on the other hand, some studies even show how educators mishandle strategies that could compromise the learning ability of students.

INTRODUCTION
Based on a report, most children who graduate from primary schools to secondary schools have poor performances on basic learning abilities: reading, speaking, writing, listening, and solving. For instance, a sixth grader student who graduated from elementary years still does not know how to read English textbooks effectively. The irony of having graduates who do not gain necessary lessons must be the cause of having dropouts in higher schools for not expecting the required level of learning acquisition. Hence, the investigation takes place in the area of learning-teaching process, which is considered the heart of education. If learning is deprived, teaching must be deprived also, or vice versa, because the two processes are normally inseparable in education. Since learning is dependent on teaching, the students may not be often

Ray Michael Casupanan: Teaching Strategies Needs Improvement

considered as accountable/responsible for learning alone; a teacher must have the grounds of accommodating and nurturing the students regardless of their level of readiness in learning; or, in other words, the teachers are held responsible most of the time, since students rely on their instructors as their main source of learning. Because not all students have similar IQ and EQ level, same point of views, or equal traits/behaviors, the educators must be flexible and must not use strategies constantly. Every student is distinct from every other student. Thereby, if the teachers follow the same strategy in teaching, some students may fail to adjust to the flow, or at worst, may ignore the learning process. In the event of having teaching crisis, the school

administrators must value the importance of improving the teaching strategies to be more flexible and acceptable to students.

CONTENT
In the Philippines, especially in public elementary schools, most instructors still follow the old context of teaching wherein, by tradition, they believe lectures are mainly done by instructors [themselves] and activities like seat-works, quizzes, examinations, and assignments are done by students. The traditional way of teaching could, however, be effective beforehand but not as effective as of today. The generation, nowadays, is very different from the previous generations; one good reason is that students today are more informative through new technologies primarily computers; hence, because of the emerging technologies, the students might not be easily convinced. Curiosity is always on the mindset of our generations today; their craving for new stuffs is inevitable. Therefore, new strategies must be developed by teachers in order to prevent the students to be set on a rut. Because students are easily tempted to technologies and technological activities like cellphones, iPods, notebooks (small laptops), online gaming, local area network (LAN) games, and others, education has become a little interest

Ray Michael Casupanan: Teaching Strategies Needs Improvement

for them, because of the aforementioned things are more satisfying than listening to traditional lectures in schools. In reality, more than 50% of students based on survey would want to stay at home more than to stay at school participating on curricular activities. In some cases, most students would prefer extracurricular activities like Sportsfest (Intramurals), National Week, and so on, than curricular activities that confine them in an area where normally students feel likely controlled. Thus, as said earlier, teachers must revolutionize their strategies in order to win the attention of students from entities that contribute little education for them. According to Woda (2006), [new] teaching strategies are algorithms that support navigation within a learning path, during knowledge acquisition process by a student. These algorithms are responsible for directing students on the suitable lessons variants in the nodes of the learning path. The common dilemma, nevertheless, in navigation process can be unsuitable for all students unless the teachers lower down the navigation into a more basic knowledge that everyone may understand. It is indeed a problem for teachers to use navigation in a meaningful manner, when faced with a numerous number of students [especially in public schools]. In a scenario, a mathematics teacher who has two (2) years in teaching service encounters five (5) high school students who have poor problem-solving ability, particularly, for example, balancing linear equations in algebra; instead of advancing the lesson the next hour regarding binomial and polynomial equations, the teacher makes an effort to provide clear examples for the students to understand such as illustrations (like visual aids) and simple stories, because the teacher knows that advancing the lesson may even worsen the learning capability of the five (5) students. This is why navigation or deviation of pathways of learning is important for slow learners, by allowing visual or auditory patterns or mnemonics easier for the students to remember and understand. It was found out, however, that this strategy is sometimes ignored because of the complaint of having insufficient time left for the

Ray Michael Casupanan: Teaching Strategies Needs Improvement

teaching process. On the contrary, navigation can only be done based on the performances of the students or as needed, thereby time is still managed. Another strategy that might be neglected is the reflective teaching. Reflective teaching stems from John Deweys concept of reflective inquiry (Dewey 1998). Dewey viewed the student as an inquirer and an active participant in learning. He assumed that the interaction of subject matter and method of inquiry could not be ignored in schooling. Following this line of thinking, the reflective teacher makes decisions based on problem-solving paradigm. Problems are not viewed as obstacles to overcome, but as opportunities to be met. Given as an example, a Filipino teacher handles thirty (30) students in his subject; he is mandated to teach the life of Jose Rizal as a part of the course/subject syllabus. In order to kill the boredom of students, the Filipino teacher gives the students a group activity, that is, making a role play. The teacher, now, divides the class into five (5) groups with different stories to portray like Childhood years of Rizal, Life at Ateneo, or whatsoever. Then, after every participation of a group, the teacher now feeds on the story [though not discussing any further] in order to lead the class what the story is all about. This type of strategy is called reflective or active participation; in which, the teacher allows the students to participate while learning from an exciting event. Some teachers do not use such strategy, because the risk of having exaggerated learning (regarded as false information) may be present from the part of the students [if had misinterpreted the details]. One of the usual yet effective strategies that may also be considered by teachers is supervision. Sullivan and Glanz (2005) view supervision as the center for improvement of instruction. Supervision is the process of engaging teachers in instructional dialogue for the purpose of improving teaching and increasing student achievement.

Ray Michael Casupanan: Teaching Strategies Needs Improvement

For instance, a Home Economics teacher decides to have cooking class. The teacher who assigns what entre to be made must supervise and direct the students who cook what procedures to be done. Verbal cues and observation are needed to let the students execute the proper procedure without messing around. Thereby, supervision is a teaching strategy effective for students who need assistance. Supervision may not require dictation most of the time, but it always requires suggestions that students should deliberate. In an attempt to reduce the tendency to stand out from others, educators working across of any class should emphasize humility and modesty in their approach, not in flabbergasted or conceited manner where teachers bound to be more-strict-than-sorry. Students should not be put in a situation where he or she might lose face, and should instead strive to resolve conflicts by compromise and negotiation, a more democratic environment for students. A teacher who is most likely strict can never let the students learn with passion or wholeheartedness; rather, they learn through imperative process that may disintegrate the relationship between the teacher and the students [which in effect, the teacher will be unapproachable and may be held responsible for the students who did not ask her for corrections]. Usually, teachers who are stressed-out do not perform enough lectures and discussions, which then diminish the level of acquisition of students. This, in a traditional way, to conserve more energy, most teachers become passive by allowing the students to report and to make documentaries or projects as a basis of completing the requirements for the school year [instead], although not completing the tasks the teachers must observe. The teachers must be as active as the students in the teaching-learning process; the students do their work, and so does the teacher. Therefore, planning and organization of teaching methods are required to provide a better pedagogy (methods of teaching) for teachers prior the demonstration. Stephen Fink (2011) states that identifying what pedagogies (methods) are used and how instruction reflects pedagogical

Ray Michael Casupanan: Teaching Strategies Needs Improvement

content knowledge as a part of making better teaching strategies. This is followed through changing the lesson plan of the teachers.

CONCLUSION

Teaching strategies are vital to let the students learn with ease and gratitude in their hearts. Strategies do not need to be constant; they only need to be changed at regular basis depending on situations. Therefore, teachers at primary and secondary level must be flexible and must indeed learn from mistakes and experiences, for every good teacher believes that he/she is a forever student.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
y TEXTBOOKS o Ballantine, Borthwick, & Packer, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, Volume 25, Issue 3, 221-236, Queensland: Routledge 2000 o Fink, et al, Leading for Instructional Improvement, 34, USA: Wiley Publications, 2011 o Klecka, Cari, Visions for Teacher Educators: Standard One Teaching, Chapter 4, 67-68, 2005 o Orlich, et al, Teaching Strategies: A Guide to Effective Instruction, page 2124, USA: Wadsworth, 2010 o Sullivan, Susan, and Glanz, Jeffrey, Supervision That Improves Teaching: Strategies and Techniques, 2nd Edition, 25-27, USA: Corwin Press, 2005 o Yeany R., and Padilla M., Journal of Research in Science Teaching: Utilizing Better Teaching Strategies, Volume 23, Issue 2, 85-95, USA: Wiley Publications, 2006 JOURNALS o Vitale, Anne, Faculty Development and Mentorship Using Selected Online Asynchronous Teaching Strategies, USA, Slack Journals, 2011 o Woda, Marek, Effective Knowledge Acquisition by Means of Teaching Strategies, Poland: Wroclaw, 99-101, 2006 WEBSITES o http://www2.tqsource.org/strategies/leadership/EnhancingTeacherLeadership .pdf o http://www.dtic.mil/cgibin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA507715&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf