ATTRIBUTES OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL HEADS

ABSTRACT

Title: ATTRIBUTES OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL HEADS

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Major in Educational Management

Date: 2018

Institution: University of Caloocan City

Researcher: Kristofer E. Canillas, PHD 

 ___________________________________________________________________________

Abstract: Education in a country is said to be best described by its public schools. Much has been said about what the attributes of public school teachers should be, but unknown to many, there are actually ideals the Department of Education defined for school principals under Department Order No. 32 (2010), which are divided into seven (7) domains. The researcher employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods to capture the essence of the study.  

The interviews with the respondents yielded attributes that can be ascribed to a diplomatic public school head. Collated responses from the school heads and teachers surveyed yielded the following: a promoter of the emotional quotient (EQ), knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the education industry, updated with technology, focusing on teachers in order to address the needs of the students, team skills, and long-term planning while staying traditional.

 

KEYWORDS: public school, diplomatic, emotional quotient, long-term planning

 

THE FOURTH ESTATE IN THE 21st CENTURY: PHILIPPINE MEDIA AS CATALYSTS FOR RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC GOVERNANCE

ABSTRACT

Title: THE FOURTH ESTATE IN THE 21^st CENTURY: PHILIPPINE MEDIA AS CATALYSTS FOR RESPONSIBLE PUBLIC GOVERNANCE

Degree: Master in Public Administration

Date: 2018

Institution: University of Caloocan City

Researcher: Marianne R. Alivio, MPA

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Since Martial Law ended, Philippine media has been known as the freest in Asia, but this liberality demands that media practitioners have a high sense of responsibility, morality, and fairness at all times. However, the advancement of communications technologies which are hugely filter-free made being bearers and disseminators of information no longer exclusive to news journalists. This gave way to the rise of a new type of journalists as well as purveyors of fake news, which affect not just the public, but the propensity of the media and the government to appropriately deliver its intended services.

This descriptive study is therefore conducted to better understand how the Fourth Estate has changed in the 21st century and what its members should do to continue becoming catalysts for responsible public governance. Qualitative method is used in the gathering of data. And then, to aid in a more digestible presentation of the findings, quantitative method is used, employing the following statistical treatment: frequency, percentage, and weighted mean.

The best practices of the Fourth Estate in the 21^st century are identified as ensuring that details on news stories are on record; that reporters are adequately trained, do not forget the basic 5 Ws (who, what, when, where, why) and H (how), and that their reporting is people-centered; that producers are hands-on and meticulous with detail; that even those with highly technical responsibilities have a nose for news; and that people on the field and in the studios communicate at all times. This shows that, despite the Fourth Estate evolving, the tenets being observed by journalists, exemplified in the Journalist's Code of Ethics, remain the same in the 21st century.  Technology - its products and effects - are also seen to serve both as a challenge and as an opportunity for Philippine mass media. There is thus, a need for newsmen to fully embrace, understand and master the nooks and crannies of technology as well as the Journalist's Code of Ethics, which will help see them through unconventional competition and even the contradicting nature of media ownerships.

For media to continue being catalysts for responsible public governance in the 21st century, the researcher recommends the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and the amendment of the Consumer Act of the Philippines. This will inspire newsmen to continue and be stringent in instituting industry standards, while safeguarding their Constitutional right to freedom of the press.

FIRE SAFETY INSPECTION CAPABILITY OF MALABON CITY BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION: BASIS FOR ELECTRICAL WIRING SYSTEM INSPECTION PROGRAM

ABSTRACT

Title : FIRE SAFETY INSPECTION CAPABILITY OF MALABON CITY BUREAU OF FIRE PROTECTION: BASIS FOR ELECTRICAL WIRING SYSTEM INSPECTION PROGRAM

Researcher : Engr. IAN O. MANALO

Degree : Master of Public Administration (MPA)                       

School : University of Caloocan City

Year : March, 2018

Fire incidences have always been among the leading tragedies in the country. In 2017, 2,522 cases have been reported, in which almost half have been traced to electrical causes, such as faulty wiring, illegal connections, and unattended electrical appliances. To prevent these, Republic Act 9514, also known as the Fire Code of the Philippines (2008), mandated the conduct of fire safety inspections prior to granting building permits and other licenses by the local government or other government agencies. Inspection should accordingly be done at least once a year and every time the owner or operator of the establishment renews its business permit. Fire Safety Inspectors (FSI) of the Bureau of Fire Protection should be licensed civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, sanitary, or electronics and communications engineers, or graduates of other baccalaureate courses who have passed certain examinations, undergone specific trainings, and have had significant experience in the agency. But fires remain rampant, and the top reason remains to be electrical causes.

Therefore, this study looked into the possibility that something else is needed to beef up the forces of Fire Safety Inspectors (FSI) of the Bureau of Fire Protection, who are supposed to be the first in line to prevent fires from happening. The researcher focused on Malabon City BFP where he is based and where fires are almost always linked to electrical causes. Using evaluation and descriptive-normative survey methods of research, the researcher studied the feedback of 33 fire safety inspectors from the Malabon City Fire Station, Bayan Fire Substation, Hulong Duhat Fire Substation, and Panghulo Fire Substation. Frequency, percentage, and weighted mean are used as statistical tools and techniques to aid the researcher in analyzing the responses.

From the findings, the researcher found out that most of the fire safety inspectors of Malabon City Bureau of Fire Protection at present are not engineers. Among the 36% who are engineers, less than half are electrical engineers who actually have the knowledge in mitigating hazards that could be caused by electricals. There is also notably one fire safety inspector who has only served in the Bureau for a year, considerably less than the required three (3)- year tenure for FSIs as indicated in the Fire Code. Sans that, it can be observed that most have actually undergone more than the minimum required number or length of trainings for fire safety enforcers. Facilities of the Malabon BFP are satisfactory, but equipment and devices are only average. In terms of accomplishments, all especially seminars and workshops have been accomplished satisfactorily, but safety measures not so satisfactorily. When it comes to performances, with the highest being in recruitment and the least in hazardous operations. In the case of the Malabon BFP, ocular inspections are done usually every week. Documentary evaluations are usually done within one to two days. But it is observed that there are still those who needed a week, even a month or two months to conduct documentary evaluation. The mean scores show that FSIs of Malabon BFP have all been effective in these two aspects. Crowded residential areas are the main problem of fire safety inspectors in Malabon City especially in the implementation of electrical wiring system regulations in Malabon City. The problem is amplified even more if the residential area is an illegal settlement, where illegal connections often lurk. Improperly connected lines are also one of the commonly cited challenges in the implementation of electrical wiring system regulations in Malabon. Therefore, the proposed Electrical Wiring System Inspection Program should include the education of fire officers especially the safety inspectors, because as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. It should also include the hiring of more licensed electrical engineers, who will be tasked in all actions of the Bureau with regard to wiring systems. The program should also include a provision for citizen's education regarding fire prevention, causes, and things to do in case fires happen.

The researcher thus recommends that, given the fact that faulty electricals have always been the top cause of fires in the country for over a decade, it is high time that the Bureau of Fire Protection hire more people that really understand electricals, especially in the ranks of Fire Safety Inspectors. The people in these positions should be licensed electrical engineers. Trainings should also be revamped to focus more on electrical knowledge and understanding of what to do when emergencies related to electrical concerns arise. Fire safety inspections in residential areas should also be considered, in which barangays and homeowners associations can be consulted.  Barangays and homeowners associations should also play a more proactive role in preventing electrical fires in their localities, especially for those with crowded spots. It is also  suggested for the Department of Education to further professionalize firefighting and fire safety by coming up with course programs dedicated to it in the country's educational institution. An ideal course program that fits the immediate needs of the country in terms of fire safety is the Electrical Wiring System Inspection Program proposed by the researcher which can be incorporated as a major in electrical engineering courses. The program shall focus more on the intricacies of how fires can arise from electrical wirings and how to abate them, as well as in the development of appropriate wiring systems that does not only ensure efficient flow of electricity in establishments but will also save them from hazards as well.   

HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT DISPOSAL OF GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL IN CALOOCAN CITY

ABSTRACT

Title : HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT DISPOSAL OF 

        GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL IN CALOOCAN CITY

Researcher : TESSIEREE C. BISWAS

Degree : Master in Public Administration                        

School : University of Caloocan City

Year : March, 2018

Hazardous wastes make up only approximately 15 percent of hospital refuse, but the threat they pose to human health and the environment is serious because these are either infectious, toxic, radioactive, containing sharps, or a combination of all of these wastes. However, Caloocan City government hospitals are not fully equipped such kinds of health-care wastes. They typically outsource the disposal of hazardous refuse. But the segregation and collection of these dangerous wastes still lie in the hands of hospital personnel, which is crucial because, just like one North Caloocan public hospital, they are usually situated in a locality with residential areas surrounding.

This study therefore aims to assess the Hazardous Waste Management Disposal practices of government hospitals in Caloocan City. Initially, the researcher intended to study among the three existing public hospitals of Caloocan City: Caloocan City North Medical Center and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital from the North, and Caloocan City Medical Center (formerly President Diosdado Macapagal Medical Center) from the South. However, Caloocan City North Medical Center and Caloocan City Medical Center both declined as they were accordingly still in the process of formalizing their health-care waste management practices. The researcher also tried to inquire among private hospitals, but all declined accordingly due to the same issue. Only Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital responded positively to the request to conduct the study. Thus, the researcher has focused gathering in Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital, since all public hospitals in the country including those in Caloocan City are supposedly bound by the same protocols in segregation, collection, and disposal of hazardous wastes as per the guidelines instituted by the DOH. Evaluation and descriptive normative methods of research are used. The responses of 250 hospital personnel composed of administrators, doctors, nurses, housekeeping, and other staff who encounter hazardous wastes on a daily basis are sought, and their answers tabulated and interpreted using frequency, percentage, and weighted mean as statistical tools.

From the data gathered, it was found out that Caloocan City government hospitals have been satisfactorily able to manage their hazardous wastes, and the order of compliance is as follows: following the policies and guidelines of the Department of Health, implementation, mitigation of health risks, monitoring and evaluation, and ensuring that there are adequate resources. There is an apparent need to improve the quality of hazardous waste management in Caloocan City government hospitals, from practices employed within the hospital to the outsourced services, and information of persons at risk also needs to be intensified. The most common issues in hazardous waste management have something to do with lack of equipment and proper facilities, particularly proper storage, segregation, and waste management implementation. The role of the Healthcare Waste Management Committee in each Caloocan City government hospital is crucial in ensuring hazardous waste management practices are properly implemented, and there is a clamor to update equipment and facilities for hazardous waste management in Caloocan City government hospitals as well as to develop standards for hazardous waste management issues that are more relatable to the immediate community.

Thus, the researcher recommends to conduct intensified information campaigns about hazardous waste management for persons at risk, and to base these on the Department of Health policies and guidelines that have been proven to be easy-to-follow, well-researched, and continuously upgrading. It is also recommended to encourage the DOH, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) Division of the Department of Labor and Employment to team up in ensuring that hazardous waste management best practices are employed in all government hospitals including those in Caloocan City, and to tap the Caloocan City government for support in certain materials needed in hazardous waste management such as additional containers and informative educational materials. International groups/organizations  could also be sought for assistance in acquiring specialty equipment such as personal protective gear and innovative machines that can adapt to any type of medical waste. The researcher also calls on the DOH to form a mechanism or conduct further studies on how 4.to instill more accountability among the members of the Healthcare Waste Management Committee of each hospital. Healthcare Waste Management Committees are also encouraged to come up or conduct further studies for a model of hazardous waste management best practices that are tailor-made for Caloocan City government hospitals.

AUTHENTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR MASTERY IN MATHEMATICS GRADE IV

Title :                AUTHENTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR MASTERY IN

MATHEMATICS GRADE IV

Researcher :   BHEL H. BERMEO

Degree :           Master of Arts in Education                      

School :           University of Caloocan City

Year :               March, 2018

  

ABSTRACT

     Mathematics has the reputation of confusing, frightening, and frustrating learners of all ages. Probably among the most confused, frightened, and frustrated are Filipinos, because we always ranked very low in global Math ratings. The most dismal perhaps was in 2011 when, among eight Southeast Asian countries surveyed, the Philippines ranked second to the last in terms of competency in Math. The problem is it is impossible to get away with Math, because more than being academic, it is a necessary part of our everyday lives. Which is why it might work if teaching Mathematics would be based on Constructivism, which is basically learning by experience.

     This was the basis of the study on an authentic learning experience for mastery in Mathematics focusing on Grade 4 pupils. Two Grade 4 sections - specifically, two teachers, and 75 pupils all in all - in Bagumbong Elementary School - Annex, Caloocan were the subjects of the study. The researcher used evaluation and descriptive normative survey methods of research, and frequency, percentage, and weighted mean were employed as statistical tools.

      From the data gathered, the researcher finds out that Grade 4 pupils struggle the most in mastering computational skills, especially when the problem involves two or more digits, as well as in explaining the processes they did or need to do to solve these problems. Learning based on Simulation, Inquiry, Peers and Project are found to be practical authentic learning practices for Mathematics Grade 4. Pupils who underwent such instruction gradually improved in their overall standing from the first to the third grading period. The researcher thus recommends that teaching Mathematics Grade IV should focus on improving the computational skills of the students as well as their mastery of the processes of solving mathematical problems. But more studies should be conducted regarding how Mathematics performance of basic education students can improve drastically, or if there is really a probability of such, most especially for public school students. The Department of Education must also support and focus its attention in developing learning exemplars that will improve students’ performance in Mathematics without the need for them to go to training or review centers.

PLAY BASED TEACHING STRATEGY IN KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ATTITUDE (KSA) DEVELOPMENT OF KINDERGARTEN PUPILS

Title :                PLAY BASED TEACHING STRATEGY IN KNOWLEDGE, 
                         SKILLS, AND ATTITUDE (KSA) DEVELOPMENT OF 
                         KINDERGARTEN PUPILS

Researcher :   MARIA SALVACION TUNOG SECRETARIO

Degree :           Master of Arts in Teaching Early Grades                        

School :           University of Caloocan City

Year :               March, 2018

ABSTRACT

Play fills up a child's world, until they go to school. Teachers often try to catch their attention through the use of colorful and creative materials, yet pupils are still wont to prefer their toys over their books. If everything around the pupils is already suggestive of fun and play, then why not play in the classroom? This unconventional method of learning is actually already being practiced in many primary institutions around the world. But here in the Philippines, there is not much published studies about the effectiveness of play-based instruction on early learners.

This study, therefore, aims to develop a prototype play-based teaching strategy which will focus on the knowledge, skills, and attitude (KSA) development of kindergarten pupils. The respondents are 9 Kindergarten teachers, 1 master teacher, and 1 school head of Silanganan Elementary School in Caloocan City North. Evaluation, descriptive, and quasi-experiment methods of research are employed to explore its effects. The researcher then used t-Test and weighted mean to check whether KSA play-based teaching strategy really enhanced the overall development of kindergarten pupils.

Based on the findings, the most common play activities for kindergarten pupils can be categorized into three sets: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude.  For knowledge, the activities could be matching games, sorting objects based on size, color, and shape, assembling simple puzzles, matching upper and lower case letters, letter relays, stating which pictures or words are similar or different, memory games, letter and word hunt, count and match relay, complete and solving problems (addition and subtraction), completing patterns, and more or less games. In the Skills set, the activities were building blocks, play dough, letter design, counting steps, and draw objects using geometric forms. And finally, the Attitudes group consists of role play (comforting playmates in distress), waiting for his/her turn, and playing organized group games fairly. Pre-test scores of the pupils are reflective of delay in overall development. But after the post-test, scores of the pupils in gross motor, fine motor, self-help, receptive and expressive language, cognition and socio-emotional performance showed average overall development. Significant difference is also established between the scores. But the large size of the pupils and lack of space, insufficient teaching and learning materials, inability of pupils to fully grasp the intent of the activities, and insufficient facilities challenged the implementation of KSA play-based teaching for kindergarten pupils.

Given these findings, the researcher recommends the use of Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude or KSA as a strategy for play-based teaching in the kindergarten level. Further studies for a teaching strategy for the next level, possibly also play-based, that will boost post-test results to above-average level is also recommended. It would also be advantageous if implementation of KSA play-based teaching for kindergarten pupils is continued in Silanganan Elementary School, as well as in other public primary schools. The researcher also calls on the Department of Education to address the problems encountered during the pilot testing for KSA play-based teaching, since these are actually already common and long-standing problems in public schools. The researcher believes that the proposed teaching strategy will be able to further improve the test scores of the pupils if only the large class sizes are brought down to acceptable levels for beginner learners, if spaces are enough for both indoor and outdoor activities, and if provision of facilities and teaching and learning materials is well-supported.

KSA Innovative Learning Materials in Teaching Kindergarten Pupils in Silanganan Elementary School

Title :               KSA Innovative Learning Materials in Teaching Kindergarten
                         Pupils in Silanganan Elementary School

Researcher :   MICHELLE P. DIAMANTE

Degree :           Master of Arts in Teaching Early Grades                        

Adviser :          DR. DIZON

School :           University of Caloocan City

Year :               March, 2018

ABSTRACT

Philippine law expressly supports education for all regardless of status in life. This is why basic education is supposed to be free, but there are times when provisions for resources are just not enough. Teachers turn to the Internet and innovate, but the resulting materials are usually not apt for Filipino children. Thus, it is high time that innovative learning materials fit for Filipino learners especially those taking basic education be developed.

This study focused on the Development and Evaluation of Indigenous Learning Materials (ILM) in Teaching Kindergarten Pupils in  using evaluation, descriptive, and quasi-experimental methods of research. The respondents are 40 pupils underwent pre-test, instruction using the ILM, and post-test on their gross motor skills, fine motor skills, self help skills, receptive language skills, expressive language skills, cognition skills, and socio-emotional skills. After which, T-test and weighted mean are used to gauge if there is significant difference in the test scores.

From the findings, it was found out that cognition skills were the most enhanced using the ILM, followed by socio-emotional skills, receptive language skills, expressive language skills, self-help skills, and fine motor skills. Improvement in these areas are found to be significant, but gross motor skills only showed a little improvement. Also, based on the ECCD checklist, all the pupils registered overall development after the post-test, a far cry from the pre-test when the comment is to suggest delay in development. All in all, the ILM is proven to be highly effective in improving the learning skills of kindergarten pupils. But confusion on the part of both the teachers and the pupils, time constraint, support, and lack of materials challenged the researcher during the conduct of the study.

Based on the findings of the study, the researcher recommends further support of the implementation of the Innovative Learning Materials in schools for the development of cognition skills, socio-emotional skills, receptive language skills, expressive language skills, self help skills, and fine motor skills of kindergarten pupils. It is also recommended to devise another chapter in the ILM or a supplementary program to enhance the gross motor skills of kindergarten pupils, which is the only area found to have the least significant improvement in the conduct of the study. The researcher also encourages the school administrator and other stakeholders as well as the Department of Education to allocate funding for at least the circulation and training in the use and development of Innovative Learning Materials for kindergarten teachers who would like to get ideas on how to run their classes, and suggests further studies to enhance the developed ILM so it will be able to catapult the overall development of pupils beyond the average level, and on more ILMs for Filipino students from Filipino educators.

CHALLENGES OF GRADE ONE TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING PUPIL’S COMPETENCE AND SOCIAL SKILLS IN SELECTED SCHOOLS IN CALOOCAN NORTH DISTRICT IV

Title :                 CHALLENGES OF GRADE ONE TEACHERS IN

DEVELOPING PUPIL’S COMPETENCE AND SOCIAL

SKILLS IN SELECTED SCHOOLS IN CALOOCAN NORTH

DISTRICT IV

Researcher :     RACHEL ANN A. GOMEZ  

Degree :            Master of Arts in Teaching Early Grades                        

Adviser :            ROSARIO C. DE OCERA, Ed.D

School :             University of Caloocan City

Year :                 March, 2018

ABSTRACT

"Education for All" (EFA) encapsulates the vision, mission, and goals of the Department of Education, which basically means catering to all students fairly, whatever their status in life is and whatever difficulties and challenges they may pose to teachers may be. But EFA, in itself, is not an assurance that one hundred percent of children who went to school will actually finish armed with quality education. Not even the new curriculum, otherwise known as the K+12 curriculum, could assure that the students would really be knowledgeable, since it is really just implemented so that the country's education system will be at par with that of other countries. The issue is with the educators themselves lacking in the foundation, discipline, and training needed to really encourage children to learn, a problem prevalent among teachers teaching Grade One pupils in Caloocan North District IV.

To assess the challenges encountered by Grade One teachers in developing their pupils' competence and social skills, the researcher employed the evaluation and descriptive-normative survey methods of research in seeking the responses of 65 teachers teaching Grade One pupils in selected schools in Caloocan North District IV, namely Bagumbong Elementary School, Bagbaguin Elementary School, Caybiga Elementary School, Llano Elementary School, Deparo Elementary School, and Sampaguita Elementary School. Afterwards, the researcher measured and gauged the gathered data using the following statistical tools: frequency, percentage, and weighted mean.

Based on the data generated by the surveys and interviews of the respondents, the researcher found out that majority of teachers teaching Grade One pupils in Caloocan North District IV are in the middle ages, but are new in the service. Notably, however, there is a small number that are almost retirable already. Most Grade One teachers are married. While all are College Graduates and some even progressed to having Masters’ Degrees, only a few actually specialize in Early Childhood education. Generally, developing the learning competencies of Grade One pupils in Caloocan North District IV sometimes pose challenges to teachers, commonly in the areas of listening, speaking, reading, and social skills. Writing is usually seldom a problem area, although there are some who say it always challenges them. There are also some teachers who say reading, listening, and social skills of Grade One pupils are hard to develop, but it is also worthy of note that there are a small number who said that developing the writing and reading competencies of the pupils has never been a problem to them. Grade One teachers adequately employ measures to improve, but more knowledge and skills advancement is needed to be able to really master the needed "work-arounds" in every situation.

From the results of the study, the researcher thus recommends the hiring of more teachers who have a background in Early Childhood Development to teach Grade  One pupils in North Caloocan District IV.  For those who are already in the roster of Grade One teachers but do not have Early Childhood specializations yet, it is recommended that the authorities come up with seminars and trainings for them so they will better understand what the pupils need and come up with better measures to enhance their learning. Continual training, studies, and evaluations of teachers teaching Grade One pupils in Caloocan North District IV is recommended to minimize the occurrences of all the challenges they encounter in developing the learning competencies of their pupils, since it is always best that they address all of the problems. These are the bases of the matrix of the training program the researcher has developed for teachers teaching Grade One pupils in Caloocan North District IV

READING RECOVERY PROGRAM AND ITS EFFECTS AMONG SELECTED GRADE 3 PUPILS

Title :              READING RECOVERY PROGRAM AND ITS EFFECTS AMONG 
                       SELECTED GRADE 3 PUPILS 

Researcher :  WILMA V. CAPILI

Degree :         Master of Arts in Teaching Early Grades                        

Adviser :        DR. JOSEFINA DELA CRUZ

School :         University of Caloocan City

Year :             March, 2018

ABSTRACT

During the learning process in primary schools, teachers will find that some of their pupils are fast-learners, average-learners, and most importantly, slow-learners who are the subject of intervention and remedial classes in every school and sometimes even have a hard time being promoted to the next grade level. It was observed that the niche and basis of these learning developments is oftentimes in a student's skill level in reading comprehension. That is why reading intervention programs are a trend in every district and school these days. These programs are what this study, READING RECOVERY PROGRAM AND ITS EFFECTS AMONG SELECTED GRADE 3 PUPILS intends to be and to replicate.

Using evaluation and descriptive methods of research, the researcher tapped as respondents 16 Grade 3 teachers and 133 Grade 3 pupils from Santo Nino Elementary School in Caloocan North II District. The pupils were made to take the pre-test, where 71 were identified as frustrated readers based on the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory or Phil-IRI assessment tool. These pupils were made to undergo the Reading Recovery program for (GAANO KATAGAL?). After the program, they took a post-test to check if there will be a significant difference from the scores prior to implementation of the program.

Based on the mean scores, it was found out that the pupils' reading proficiency not only increased, but actually leapt to almost 100%. Significant difference is therefore established, invalidating the null hypothesis.

However, the researcher encountered difficulties largely stemming from disinterest and lack of cooperation from both the pupils, the teachers, and the school itself, which should supposedly help in the provision of materials for the program. But findings so far show that the current instruction used by the teachers in implementing the Reading Recovery program to their pupils seem to be legitimately effective so far in vastly improving their pupils’ reading prowess. This could be incorporated in reading materials for the implementation of the program to Grade 3 pupils, with the addition of a mechanism that shall allow teachers to tailor-fit instruction to their pupils, in order to address the problems encountered during the conduct of the study.

The researcher therefore recommends encouraging public elementary schools to periodically rate their pupils' reading proficiencies to put a plug to potential learning problems in the future, and to institute the Reading Recovery Program as a requirement for all Grade 3 pupils who will be identified as frustrated readers. The Department of Education should also be tapped to implement a more proactive Reading Recovery Program in all early grade levels, and to really invest in Reading Recovery materials that shall be available for all, especially public school teachers. It is also advisable to come up with a mechanism to make Reading Recovery more appealing to the pupils. One way is to allow for the teacher to tailor-fit instruction to the personality and lifestyle of the pupil.

PILSOW Strategy in Teaching Kindergarten Pupils

ABSTRACT

Title :              PILSOW Strategy in Teaching Kindergarten Pupils

Researcher : Herson B. Bello

Degree :        Master of Arts in Teaching Early Grades                        

School :        University of Caloocan City

Year :             March, 2017

The study focuses on introducing the Picture, Learning, Sounds, and Writing or PILSOW teaching strategy to develop the reading and writing skills of kindergarten pupils in public schools, specifically in Camarin Elementary School, Camarin D Elementary school, and Caloocan North Elementary School in Caloocan City. PILSOW is devised by the researcher in his own classroom in November, where pupils were having difficulty recognizing letters and numbers through their sounds. After just a month of making use of pictures, innovative learning materials, sounds, and writing, class participation soared and the pupils were able to ace through their lessons with little to no distraction or aggression.

This aims to be beneficial to kindergarten pupils and teachers who are the main subjects. School administrators and the Department of Education could also get from here a learning innovation that they could possibly implement on a wider scale. Parents of kindergarten pupils could also benefit from this study as they will get to know better how basic learning works. This study will also be advantageous to future related research work on pre-school / kindergarten education.

The study is delimited to 37 kindergarten teachers and 185 kindergarten pupils, selected at random, from Camarin Elementary School, Camarin D Elementary school, and Caloocan North Elementary School in Caloocan City.

To be able to better understand and gauge whether PILSOW will really work in public school classroom settings or not, the researcher used experimentation, evaluation research, and descriptive research. The researcher asked the sample kindergarten teachers to implement the PILSOW instruction in their classrooms for at least a whole grading period or about two months. After implementation, the teachers are interviewed regarding their evaluation of PILSOW and their descriptive analysis on its use for kindergarten pupils.

Based on the data gathered after experimenting with PILSOW in other actual classroom settings, it was found out that all of the pupil-respondents were able to read and write after PILSOW instruction. There were just a few who needed a little more help in rhymes and identifying final sounds. The foremost problems encountered are some teachers' regional accent and the intellectual quotient (IQ) of the pupils. Some teachers noted the labor intensive materials, but quipped that these are manageable.

Therefore, the study recommends the continuous use of PILSOW as a mode of instruction for kindergarten pupils and introduce it to schools that have not used this strategy yet. Further evaluation and research is also recommended to improve the module for PILSOW that will hopefully result in enhanced test scores. Kindergarten teachers are also encouraged to undergo more trainings in oral discourse, and schools are encouraged to help them by allotting resources for PILSOW instruction. Although unified instructional materials are a practical move, the researcher highly recommends that the instruction be more attuned to what the children who are actually enrolled really need and want to learn. Thus, the need to develop a skills assessment system prior to instruction.

Readiness in the Implementation of Inclusive Education for Pupils with Special Needs in Selected Elementary Schools in Caloocan North II

ABSTRACT

Title : Readiness in the Implementation of  Inclusive Education for Pupils with Special Needs in Selected Elementary Schools in Caloocan North II.

Researcher : Mary Jane D. Almonicido

Degree :  Master of Arts in the Teaching of Early Grades

School :   University of Caloocan City

Year :        March 24, 2017

This study focuses on the readiness of selected elementary schools in Caloocan North II, particularly Sto. Niño Elementary School, Bagong Silang Elementary School, Silanganan Elementary School and Gabriela Silang Elementary School, in the implementation of the Inclusive Education program, which is currently on its pilot academic year. Inclusive education is founded on the principle that irregular or special needs children should not be excluded from regular children so as to give all of them the notion that, sans the tangible differences, they could all adopt the same learning abilities. However, the major concern is how the implementers of Inclusive Education, mainly the teachers, would carry out the job, especially since not all of them had Special Education (SPED) training.

  The study was delimited to fifty (50) teachers handling classes with both regular and irregular elementary school children in Sto. Niño Elementary School, Bagong Silang Elementary School, Silanganan Elementary School and Gabriela Silang Elementary School. To gauge their readiness in the implementation of inclusive education, the researcher used evaluation research and the descriptive-normative survey method of research.

This study is aimed to be beneficial first and foremost to the pupils who are currently or are soon going to be recipients of the inclusive education program of the government, as well as the teachers and school administrators who are implementing inclusive education in their institution. It also aims to benefit parents of special needs children as well as future related research works on the topic of children with special needs.

During the course of the study, it was found out that most of the implementers of inclusive education focus more on the affirmative extent of implementing the program, characterized by applause and reward, rather than the punitive side of implementation. There was also more focus on the socio-emotional skills of the pupils. Thus, it can be read that at this point, implementers are being cautious in dealing with their mixed students. However, sans the differences, it is also found out that pupils with special needs can actually do good in school, with everybody displaying progress from first to third grading. But active participation of their parents is lacking, as well as resources, training, and most especially assessment tools for the pupils with special needs being made to mingle with regular pupils.

Given the findings and conclusions, it was recommended thus to provide further encouragement to the pupils to excel in class, because they can, by sending them to join more classroom and school activities. Teachers also need to understand better what kind of children they are dealing with, that is why there is a dire need for more training and solid guidelines on how to implement inclusive education. The guidelines also need to include pointers on how to get parents of irregular children participate more activity in the school affairs.