CHAPTER I

The Problem and Its Setting

Introduction

The Philippines is the last country in Asia to have a 10-year basic education

curriculum and pre-university education1. Worldwide, the Philippines were joined by

Djibouti and Angola of Africa having the shortest pre-university education system with

other countries having 13 or 14-year cycles2.

The much needed over-haul of the Philippine educational policy was realized

under the term of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. The Republic Act 10533, also

known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act which was passed last May 2013 3 making

the pre-university and basic education from 10 to 13 years. The enhanced basic education

program encompasses at least one (1) year of kindergarten, six (6) years of elementary,

and six (6) years in secondary education; the secondary education has four (4) years of

junior high school and two (2) years of senior high school education 4. The Senior High

1
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) and Regional Center for Educational
Innovation and Training (INNOTECH). K to 12 Toolkit, Resource Guide for Teacher Educators, School
Administrators, and Teachers, 2012
2
Sarmiento, D and Orale, R., Senior High School Curriculum in the Philippines, USA, and Japan, Buenavista
National High School, San Jorge Samar Philippines, Journal of Academic Research, 2016
3
Senate of the Philippines. K to 12: The Key to Quality Education?, Policy Brief. Senate Economic Planning
Office, 2012 https://www.senate.gov.ph/publications/PB%2 02011-02%20%20K%20to%2012%20The
%20Key%20to%2 0Quality.pdf
4
Fioriello, P. Top K-12 Educational System in the World. K 12 Educational System.
School levels which offer a wide range of subjects from which students can choose a

program leading to college or university entrance or a career in business or industry5.

The goal of the K - 12 Basic Education Program is to create a functional basic

education system that will produce productive and responsible citizens equipped with

the essential competencies and skills for both life–long learning and employment. This

program will enhance the basic education system to full functionality to fulfill the basic

learning needs of students. This is in line with the agenda of the President Aquino of

having quality education as a long term solution to poverty.6

According to DepEd (Department of Education), K-12 Program has the following

features: (1) making curriculum will be relevant to the learners, or contextualization and

enhancement; (2) building proficiency through language, or mother tongue based

multilingual education; (3) integrated and seamless learning, or spiral progression; and

(4) gearing up for future, or senior high school7.

Another salient feature of the k to 12 curriculum is the utilization of mother

tongue as the language of instruction from kinder to Grade 3. According to Tan 8, MTB-

MLE is not a language strategy but a learner-centered approach, concentrating on the

roots of the learners as the foundation of knowledge.

5
www.deped.gov.ph
6
www.deped.gov.ph
7
“The K-12 Basic Education Program, 2015”. http://www.gov.ph/k-12/
8
Tan, L. Most Percived Problems on K – 12 Programs of Students in Sputhern Luzon Elementary School,
Tagkawayan, Quezon, 2011
 Another goal of the K12 curriculum to produce students who possess the

following qualities: 1. Critical/creative problem solver 2. Responsible Steward of Nature

3. Innovative or inventive thinker 4. Informed Decision Maker 5. Effective communicator

The implementation of k-12 curriculum in the Philippines is supported by the

1987 Philippine Constitution which stated that, “The State shall establish, maintain, and

support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of

the people and the society.9” Such mandate gives justice to the basic rights of every

Filipino child: the right to quality education and the right to a quality life.

The k to 12 curriculum prepare the child, both emotionally and psychologically in

facing the reality of the world outside. The innovation of the new curriculum is aptly

suited in the modern world where the skills and competencies are well-honed to adapt to

the demands of the modern workforce.

The K-12 Program provides sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills,

develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle level skills

development, employment, and entrepreneurship. From the point of view of the

government, K-12 is the appropriate response to address the century old problem in

education as well as being globally competitive10.

9
1987 costitution
10
Cabansag, M., “Impact Statements on the K-12 Science Program in the Enhanced Basic Education
Curriculum in Provincial Schools” in Researchers World: Journal of Arts, Science & Commerce, Vol.5, No.2 ,
2016
 Despite the years of implementation of k-12 curriculum, there are still issues

regarding the new curriculum which has yet to be addressed. These issues dragged down

the effectiveness of the k to 12 curriculum.

The researcher is an elementary teacher in Bacon west district. She has observed

that the implementation of k-12 curriculum has ups and down and there are some who do

not fully understand the concepts and principle of the new educational curriculum; while

others are still apprehensive in accepting the new curriculum.

Hence, with these foregoing issues, the researcher finds it timely and relevant to

conduct a study on the implementation of k-12 curriculum as basis for program

enhancement.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to find out the implementation of K to 12 curriculum in

elementary grade level for program enhancement.

Specifically, this sought answers to the following questions:

1. What is the status of implementation of k-12 in elementary level?

2. What is the significant impact of k-12 curriculum to the:

a. Parents

b. Teachers

c. Pupils
 d. School heads

3. What is the level of effectiveness of k-12 curriculum in terms of:

a. Content

b. Approaches

c. Learning outcomes

4. What are the problems encountered by teachers and school heads in the

implementation of k-12 curriculum?

5. What are the solutions offered to solve these problems?

6. What enhancement program may be proposed to improve the implementation of

k-12 curriculum in elementary level?

Assumption

Based from the foregoing problems, the researcher has the following assumptions:

1. The status of the implementation of k to 12 curriculum vary.

2. The k-12 curriculum has varied impacts among:

a. Pupils

b. Teachers

c. Parents

d. School heads

3. The k-12 curriculum has varied level of effectiveness in terms of:

a. Content
 b. Approaches

c. Learning outcomes

4. The solution encountered by teachers and school heads in the implementation of

k-12 vary.

5. The solutions offered by teachers and school heads are varied.

6. Enhancement program may be proposed to improve the implementation of k-12

program.

Scope and Delimitation

This paper aims to find out the implementation of k-12 curriculum as basis for

program enhancement. This looked into the status of k-12 curriculum implementation;

the impact of k-12 curriculum to the pupils, parents, teachers and school heads, the level

of effectiveness of k-12 curriculum in terms of curriculum content, teaching approaches

and learning outcomes. The problems encountered by the teachers and school heads as

well as the solutions offered are likewise looked into this paper.

The sample in this study is taken from public elementary schools in Bacon West

district, city of sorsogon. Other schools from outside the districts are not included in this

study. Similarly, secondary schools and private elementary schools within Bacon West

district is not within the scope of this paper.

Significance of the Study

This paper is deemed significance to the following:

Curriculum Planners. Through this study, the curriculum planners may include the

findings in this study as a basis for evaluating the curriculum content of the k to 12

curriculum for better adaptation of the learners and educators alike.

School Heads and Administrators. The school heads and administrators may use the

findings in this study to create an action plan to be implemented in their respective

schools for better implementation of the k to 12 curriculum.

Teachers. The outcome of this study may help the teachers explore avenues for better

implementation of k-12 program which meet the educational goals but easier for them.

Students. The findings in this study may be beneficial to the students as they are the

primary party affected by the change in the curriculum. The result of the implementation

may affect their future.

Parents and Community. being the partner in their children’s education, this study may

be beneficial to them as they could have a clear insight on the new curriculum and their

impacts to the students.

Future Researcher. Future researchers might use the findings in this study as reference

for the future research similar to the present.

Definition of Terms

For better understanding of this study, the following words are conceptually and

operationally defined according to their uses in this study.

k-12 curriculum. The new curriculum in the Philippines where the basic education is 13

years (1 year kinder, 6 years elementary, 4 years junior high school and 2 years senior

high school).

Curriculum content. The subjects, concepts and areas to be taught in the k-12

curriculum.

Teaching approaches. The way the teachers teach the subject.

Learning outcome. The end result of the learning process.

Assessment. This refers to the evaluation process and techniques of the teachers to assess

the knowledge and understanding of the learners.

 Chapter II

RELATED LITERATUREAND STUDIES

This chapter presents the review of literature and studies from foreign and local

sources which give substance to the present study. Also presented in this chapter are the

synthesis of the state of the art, gap bridged by this study, theoretical framework and

conceptual framework.

Related Foreign Literature

With the advent of globalization, almost all our cultural life as a nation is affected,

directly or indirectly. Globalization is the flow of technology, economy, knowledge,

people, values, and ideas across the borders. Globalization affects each country in a

different way, due to a nation’s individual history, traditions, culture, and priorities11.

According to Giddens12, the following are the positive aspects of globalization:

1. more foreign investments that will result to more employment opportunities for

the Filipino workers;

2. encourage competition among countries and multinational corporations to make

the prices of goods a little cheaper resulting to democratization of technology;

11
Tsuruta, Y. “The Globalisation, Regionalisation, and Internationalisation of Higher Education with
Special Reference to Japan: A Theoretical Consideration” in Education-Line. Available online also
at: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00003432.htm
12
Giddens, A. Runaway World: How Globalization is Reshaping Our Lives. New York: Routledge. 2011
 3. accelerates the speed and power of innovation in technology, especially in ICT

(Information and Communication Technology), transportation, production, etc.;

4. different countries around the world could work together to address common

world problems, like poverty, human and drug trafficking, and global warming;

and

5. people are exposed and have so many options to various music, food, clothing,

movies, among others.

However, there are negative impact of globalization that should be kept in mind13:

1. Globalization could transfer the production or manufacturing to developing

countries in order to spare the highly developed economies from

environmental destruction/damage;

2. the internet, the global media are so powerful in influencing and shaping the

lives of the people especially the young people;

the cited literatures implied how globalization plays a signigicant impact to the

lives of the people nowadays. The department of education implemented the k-12

curriculum to cushion the impacts of globalization to the Filipino children. DepEd has

already restructured the contents, duration, quality, and standards of educational offerings

in line with the broad frame of global educational systems.

13
Azad, J. . “Globalization and its Impact on Education: A Challenge and an Opportunity”, on February 8
2011
 On different vein, Dr. Claire Sinnema14 of the University of Auckland in New

Zealand she said, curriculum implementation does not occur in a bubble. Teaching and

learning at the classroom level is nested within, and influenced by, the school,

community and national educational context. The practices deemed important in the

curriculum can be either enabled or constrained by the conditions in place in each of

those contexts. Just as the curriculum seeks to prepare students for lives that are

profoundly different from the past, so too the curriculum requires a profound response.

Implementation that goes beyond substituting language and altering paperwork, to

profoundly changing and improving students’ experience of teaching and learning,

requires particular conditions.

The cited literature clarified that preparedness is an essential concept in

implementing any program otherwise it will reduce to failure. Similar with the present

study, preparedness or readiness to change what has been practice in the past must be

considered to let the K-12 program in progress.

In the paper Transitions To K-12 Education Systems: Experiences From Five

Case Countries15 the following aspects should be taken into consideration in

implementing the curriculum:

1. Clarify the core problem;

2. Restructuring is just one of a bundle of reforms;

14
Sinnema, C. www.slideshare.net
15
Sarvi, J. Munger, H. Transitions To K-12 Education Systems: Experiences From Five Case Countries, Asian
Development Bank, 2015
 3. Maintain focus on improving student competences;

4. Teachers are the engine that pulls K–12 reform along, slows it down, or

derails it;

5. Replace or supplement high-stakes examinations with low-stakes continuous

testing;

6. Design the curriculum and assessments around the difficulty of cognitive

tasks.

The cited literature implied that a thorough studies should be done before any

curriculum program should be implanted. It is not only because it is the common trend

but because it is the need of the people.

Similar with the present study, this assess the implementation of k-12 curriculum

should that program could be made to improve the new curriculum.

Review of Related Local Literature

According to Mohammad,16 the short education program affects human

development of the Filipino children. A Filipino is legally a child before he or she turns

18 years old. Psychologists and educators say that children under 18 are generally not

emotionally prepared for entrepreneurship or employment or higher education

disciplines. Commonly, Grade six pupils graduate at the age ranging from 11-13 years

16
Mohammad, N., the perception of the parents and students on the implementation of k – 12 basic
education program in the Philippines, International Conference on Education (IECO) Proceeding, 2016
old, and fourth year high school students graduates at the range of 15-17 years old.

Therefore, these learners are still considered children and they are not capable to handle

serious situations like decision-making and work task. In the Philippines, there is a

harvesting practice which is called, “Hinog sa Bunga”, meaning a fruit which was taken

from the trunk of the tree17.

The cited literatures implied that ten-year education resulted in forced maturity

among the learners. By k to 12 curriculum, the learners are being readied at a steady pace.

So by the time they are into university or working in the industry, they are prepared and

mature enough to take on the responsibility of an adult learner or worker.

Similar with the present study, the k to 12 education prepares the learners to be an

asset in the work force or institution they wish to enter; this is aside from the

competencies and skills they are taught.

According to President Aquino, “By signing this bill into law, we are not just

adding two years of additional learning for our students; we are making certain that the

coming generations are empowered to strengthen the very fabric of our society, as well as

our economy”18.

However, k-12 is not the first educational reform in the Philippines. In fact, there

are several reforms through out the years but proven to be failure 19. According to Niceto

17
Mohammad, N., the perception of the parents and students on the implementation of k – 12 basic
education program in the Philippines, International Conference on Education (IECO) Proceeding, 2016
18
Burgonio, T., “K-to-12 Education Now a Law” in Philippine Daily Inquirer, on May 16 2013
19
Poblador. N., “On BESRA: A Voice Years Ago” on May 2. Available online at: http://www.
philippinesbasiceducation.us/2012/05/on-besravoice-years-ago.html#ixzz3bJft35NU
Poblador20, there are reasons why reform packages in the past that were implemented by

the Education Department failed: (1) Absence of a shared commitment to a common

goal; (2) Conflicting individual interests; (3) Perceptions of inequity in the sharing of

effort, costs, and benefits; (4) Exaggerated self-assessment of competence, or the lack of

it; and (5) Differences in status and authority, which hinder meaningful debates and the

free flow of information.

The cited literature implied how other educational reforms failed. The k-12

curriculum, use these failures to strengthen its implementation and meet its objectives and

goals.

There are some problems which the teacher faced implementation of K-12.21

Among of these are: 1.) lack of materials; 2.) lack of teacher’s training; and 3.) lack of

facilities. The TDC (Teachers’ Dignity Coalition) and Ating Guro Partylist gave a rating

of “B” to DepEd regarding its on-going implementation of K-12. The rating of “B” stands

for “beginning” with a numeric value of 74% or below. The main reason for such rating

of K-12 is “shortage in basic resources”, such as seats, classrooms, water and sanitation

facilities, and kindergarten facilities, according to Benjo Basas, the Chairman of TDC22.

In the same vein, ACT (Alliance of Concerned Teachers) have also urged the

national government to suspend the K-12, because of “lack of preparation, especially in

20
Poblador, N. “On BESRA: A Voice Years Ago” on May 2. Available online at: http://www. philippines
Poblador basiceducation.us/2012/05/on-besravoice-years-ago.html#ixzz3bJft35NU
21
“On BESRA: A Voice Years Ago” on May 2. Available online at: http://www.
philippinesbasiceducation.us/2012/05/on-besravoice-years-ago.html#ixzz3bJft35NU
22
“Teachers Urge Senate to Suspend K-12 Program – TDC” in Human Rights Online Philippines, on May 7,
2015. Available online also at: http://hronlineph.com/2015/05/07/statement-teachers-urge-senate-to-
suspend-k-12-programtdc/
terms of facilities, equipment, and the hiring, training and salaries of teachers”. The

government is not yet ready for the full implementation of the K-1223.

The cited literatures stated that there are several reasons why k-12 is not fully

accepted by the society. It is evident that the Philippines is not fully ready upon

implementation of the program; it is a leap of faith. However, the community, the

curriculum planners and the teaching staff work together to successfully implemented the

curriculum thru the years.

Review studies

The Perception Of The Parents And Students On The Implementation Of K – 12

Basic Education Program In The Philippines, the paper written by Mohammed24 rvealed

that The researcher has encountered varieties perceptions or understanding of the parents,

students and the community. Some of the informant has a positive and negative reaction

on the said program.

The cited study revealed that the people have shared view in the k-12 curriculum.

Some are in favor while others are not. The implementation of k-12 program met

challenges even before it starts. However, it is upon the teachers and administrators to

prove that the new curriculum is what the Filipino children need.
23
Mohammed N., the perception of the parents and students on the implementation of k – 12 basic
education program in the Philippines, International Conference on Education (IECO) Proceeding, 2016
24
N., the perception of the parents and students on the implementation of k – 12 basic education
program in the Philippines, International Conference on Education (IECO) Proceeding, 2016
 In the paper by Acar entitled The Implementation of the 11th Grade Senior High

School Program Academic Track in Science Technology Education Center (STEC): An

Action Plan25 The findings revealed the implementation of the SHS program in STEC

had mixed response ratings. Fair on the Infrastructure and Learning facilities; Very Good

on Instruction and Curriculum and Poor on Admission and Retention. The infrastructure

has certain positive degree of association with the academic performance. By

supplementing the lack of infrastructure, facility and learning environment, it would have

higher significant impact on the performance of the students. The Instruction has certain

positive degree of association with the academic performance. Good teaching is equal to

good learning. In spite of the lacking facilities and no admission and retention policy, the

teachers were able to provide a resourceful mechanism of delivering the lessons in a

meaningful way.

Orale26 conducted a study on Senior High School Curriculum in the Philippines,

USA, and Japan revealed that There is no definite track as this is left to individual state

and their school districts to decide. There are purely academic, tech-voc and other types

of schools. The majority of those who choose academic track are students who plans to

proceed to college. There is still a stigma in selecting tech-voc and other courses as this

are seen by many as the course for poor performing/problematic students. The enrolment

in tech-voc schools in the US is declining despite the surge of demand for skilled

25
Acar, B., The Implementation of the 11th Grade Senior High School Program Academic Track in Science
Technology Education Center (STEC): An Action Plan, International Journal of Innovation and Research in
Educational Sciences, 2016
26
Orale D. Senior High School Curriculum in the Philippines, USA, and Japan, Buenavista National High
School, San Jorge Samar Philippines, 2015
workers. In the three countries, the availability of qualified teachers is still an issue. This

situation is very real in the Philippines as it started the SHS program in June 2016. Other

problems include the need to construct a huge number of classrooms and facilities. All of

these are currently being addressed too by the government.

The cited study revealed there are problems which the implantation of k-12

curriculum face in both the Philippines and three other countries. This study likewise

concerns with the issues in k-12 curriculum. Although in the country like the Philippines

where education is the second best priority, problems in the implementation is surely to

arise.

Gap Bridged by the Study

Most of the cited studies concerns the impact of k-12 curriculum to the learners as

implemented in learning areas. None of the research discussed the implementation of k to

12 curriculum for the purpose of program enhancement. This is the bridge that this study

aims to bridge.

Conceptual Framework

Conceptual framework is shown in a paradigm in figure 3. It composed of input,

process, output and outcome. The inputs are the status of implementation of k-12

curriculum in elementary level; the significant impact of k-12 program to the: parents,

teachers, pupils and school heads; the level of effectiveness of k-12 curriculum in terms
of: a. content; b. process; c. learning outcome; problems encountered and the solutions

offered to solve these problems.

The process involves data gathering procedures, consolidation of data and

distribution of research instrument tools.

The output is a proposed enhancement program to improve the implementation of

k-12 curriculum, while the expected outcome is the enhanced implementation of k-12

curriculum.
 Figure 2. Theoretical Paradigm

Self-Determination Theory B.F. Skinner’s Positive

Reinforcement Theory
students’ motivation will be
maximized within social Positive reinforcement
contexts that provide them helps the students gain
with the opportunity to confidence while
satisfy their basic needs for negative reinforcement
competence, autonomy and impede success
relatedness

Researcher’s Theory

Announcement of
test result as feedback
serves as a motivation for
the students to pursue
higher learning.

Bragert-Drowns’ Controlling Personal Investment Theory

for pre-search availability
providing feedback in the form
of answers to review questions
was effective only when
students could not look ahead
to the answers before they had
attempted the questions
themselves
they proposed a hierarchical,
multidimensional model of
motivational goals designed to
reflect a wider range of goals
relevant for both Western and
non-Western students.
 Figure 3. CONCEPTUAL PARADIGM

Input Process Output Outcome

-the status -data

of gathering
implementa Proposed Improved
procedures
tion enhanceme implement
-interview nt program ation of k
-impact of
implementa for the to 12
-distribution
tion to implementa program
of
teachers, tion of k to
questionnaire
parents an 12 program
school -
heads consolidation
-the level of of data
effectivenes
s

-problems
encountered

feedback
 Chapter III

METHODS AND PROCEDURE

Presented in this chapter are the research method used, the research instrument,

other sources of data, respondents of the study and the statistical treatment of data.

Research Methods Used

This study employed the descriptive method of research. Descriptive method is

used because it provides the accurate portrayal of the characteristics of a situation or

group. It is a type of research that deals with everything that can be counted and studied

which has impact to the lives of the people it deals with.

Hence, it is the ideal type of research to be used in finding out the implementation

of k-12 curriculum in Juban District, Sorsogon.

Research Instrument Used

The major tool employed by the researcher in this study is the questionnaire-

checklist. It was the primary tool employed to come up with the perceptions of the

respondents regarding the subject.

The questionnaire prepared by the researcher for the teacher-respondents contains

the following:
 I- The status of implementation of k-12 curriculum

II- The impacts of k-12 curriculum to the parents, school heads and pupils

III- The level of effectiveness in terms of content, pedagogy/approaches and

learning outcome

IV- Problems encountered in k-12 implementation and the solution offered to

solve these problems

Data Gathering Procedure

Other than the questionnaire checklist, document analysis was thoroughly done.

The researcher used report compilation, books, pamphlets, newspaper articles, published

and unpublished studies as well as websites for references.

The Respondents of the Study

The respondents in this study are the teachers in Mario G. Guarina Elementary

School, Juban District, Sorsogon the respondents are enumerated in table A.

TABLE A. THE RESPONDENTS

Name of School No. of teachers

Mario G. Guarina Elementary School 9
 Total 9

Statistical Treatment of Data

The statistical technique and processes that the researcher employed to come up

with the answers to the formulated questions are the following:

1. Frequency count. This is used to find out the number of respondents who

answered on a question.

The formula used in finding the frequency is:

+X

ΣN

Where:

X= no. of respondents

ΣN= total respondents

2. Percentage. It is used to show the equivalent of frequency in percentage. The

highest percentage shows the highest number of frequency and the lowest

percentage shows the lowest in frequency.

The formula used in finding the percentage is:

%= Y (100)

Where:
 %= percentage

Y= no. of Scores

N= no. of respondents

3. Mean is used using the following formula:

x
X=
n

Where:

X= mean of sample

x= value of variable

n= number of respondents