Understanding the Senior High

School (SHS) Learner

Session Objectives
1. To identify the developmental changes in

adolescence
2. To understand how these changes

influence adolescent behavior

3. To understand the implications of these

changes in the teaching and learning

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Schools are built and teachers

are hired for one reason: to ensure
that students learn and achieve.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Understanding the Senior High Learner

Physical/
Sexual
Development

SocioEmotional
Development

Cognitive
Development

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Physical and Sexual Development

Biological Changes

Body image can be shaped by:

Increase in height

Emotions

Perceptions

Acquisition of muscle
mass

Physical
sensations

Experience

Mood

Cultural
messages

Distribution of body
fat
Development of secondary
sexual characteristics

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Societal
standards
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Cognitive Development

Advance Reasoning Skills

Abstract Thinking Skills
Meta-Cognitive Skills

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Adolescent Brain

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Synapse
The synapse is the gap
between neurons that
allows the transmission
of information to another
neuron.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Synaptic Pruning
Initially, the brain
produces many more
connections among
cells than it will use
Unnecessary synapses
continue to be
eliminated in
adolescence
Using the same path
makes it become wider
and deeper
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Myelination
Myelin increases the speed of
neural impulses and so improves
information transmission

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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What this means for the Adolescent Brain:

More Advanced Reasoning

Pruning and myelination of the

prefrontal cortex allows
cognitive advances such as
Planning
Weighing Risks and
Rewards
Regulating Emotions
Coordinating Thoughts and
Feelings
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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What this means for the Adolescent Brain:

More Risk Taking

A chemical substance in the brain

called dopamine is responsible
for the feeling of pleasure.
More dopamine activity in the
brains reward center in early
adolescence than at any other
time of life.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Socio-Emotional Development

SelfAwareness

Social
Awareness

SelfManagement

Peer
Relationships

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Filipino Boys Level of Importance of

Parents vs Friends Opinion

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Filipino Girls Level of Importance of

Parents vs Friends Opinion

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Conversations with Parents and Desire to

Know More

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Key Ideas About the Adolescent Stage

Adolescence is a time of opportunity, not turmoil
Normal, healthy development is uneven
Young people develop positive attributes through learning
and experience
Community has a role: putting adolescence in context
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Healthy Adolescent Development

Competence
Confidence

Caring

Character

Connection
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Identity

Developing an identity
is the core development
goal in adolescence.

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Filipino Adolescents and Education

Filipino adolescents believe
that education is valuable in
the abstract sense, but not
valuable in helping them to
reach their personal goals.
(Bernardo, 2003).

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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SHS EARLY REGISTRATION

RESULTS

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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SHS Early Registration Results: National Totals

Program Offerings
Academic

To Public SHS
Registrants

To Private SHS

Schools

473,325

Registrants Schools

Total Registrants

301,341

774,666

58.88%

STEM

67,448

869

98,788

895

166,236

12.64%

ABM

74,231

1,139

99,579

1,230

173,810

13.21%

HUMSS

67,741

1,083

40,486

803

108,227

8.23%

263,905

3,770

62,488

1,083

326,393

24.81%

399,152

4,250

132,011

1,154

531,163

40.37%

Arts and Design

2,997

97

3,063

85

6,060

0.46%

Sports

2,463

86

1,253

58

3,716

0.28%

1,315,605

100%

General Academic
TVL

TOTAL

877,937

437,668

66.7%

33.3%

Figures are based on first choice school and first choice program of registrants.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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SHS Programs Chosen by Public Gr. 10 Students

Program Offerings
Academic

To Public SHS
Registrants

To Private SHS

Schools

462,398

Total Registrants

Registrants Schools
163,134

625,532

55.56%

STEM

65,386

866

43,982

773

109,368

9.71%

ABM

72,585

1,138

62,392

1,052

134,977

11.99%

HUMSS

66,245

1,081

24,874

686

91,119

8.09%

258,182

3,763

31,886

885

290,068

25.76%

387,511

4,240

104,907

1,104

492,418

43.74%

Arts and Design

2,899

97

1,716

78

4,615

0.41%

Sports

2,402

86

925

57

3,327

0.30%

1,125,892

100%

General Academic
TVL

TOTAL

855,210

270,682

76%

24%

Figures are based on first choice school and first choice program of registrants from DepEdfinanced and managed public high schools.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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SHS Programs Chosen by Private/SUC Gr. 10 Students

Program Offerings
Academic

To Public SHS
Registrants

To Private SHS

Schools

6,469

Registrants

Total Registrants

Schools

136,085

142,554

82.62%

STEM

1,810

339

54,425

922

56,235

32.59%

ABM

1,066

285

36,022

1,176

37,088

21.49%

908

228

15,430

774

16,338

9.47%

2,685

564

30,208

1,034

32,893

19.06%

3,147

681

25,065

980

28,212

16.35%

Arts and Design

93

36

1,323

85

1,416

0.82%

Sports

48

19

318

50

366

0.21%

172,548

100%

HUMSS
General Academic
TVL

TOTAL

9,757

162,791

5.7%

94.3%

Figures are based on first choice school and first choice program of registrants from private high
schools and high schools of State Universities and Colleges (SUCs).
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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SHS Programs Chosen by Returning Learners

Program Offerings
Academic

Public SHS
Registrants

Private SHS

Schools

Registrants

4,458

Total Registrants

Schools

2,122

6,580 38.33%

STEM

252

64

381

54

ABM

580

141

1,165

73

HUMSS

588

125

182

36

3,038

485

394

58

3,432 19.99%

8,494

866

2,039

102

10,533 61.36%

24

29

0.17%

13

10

23

0.13%

17,165

100%

General Academic
TVL
Arts and Design
Sports
TOTAL

12,970

4,195

75.6%

24.4%

633

3.69%

1,745 10.17%
770

4.49%

Returning learners are individuals who have finished 4th year high school (or ALS) in 2015 or
earlier and have signified their interest to enter Grade 11 voluntarily in 2016.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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Teaching Adolescents
1. Develop strong relationships with students
2. Support social and emotional growth
3. Personalize and provide choice in curricular

tasks
4. Provide real-world learning
5. Provide appropriate challenge level for each
learner
6. Provide clear, timely assessment and support
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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My Think, Feel, and Do Profile

Make an illustration that looks like a picture of
a person.
Write on the HEAD teaching strategies you
think will work best with this group of learners
Write on the HEART the attitude/feeling that
you would manifest to them.
Write on the HANDS all the things that you
would do to show the assistance you would
extend to them.
Do the activity in 5 minutes
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

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