Project Title	Philippines National Research Centre for Teacher Quality
Project Team	John Pegg, Ken Vine, Greg McPhan, Joy Hardy and Rebecca Spence
Period	2012 – 2019
Funding Agency	DFAT/Australian Aid Program
Organisational Base	SiMERR National Centre in Co-operation with Philippines Normal University, Manila, Philippines Department of Education, and the Commission for Higher Education

Description

In 2012, The Philippine National Research Center for Teacher Quality (RCTQ) at the Philippine Normal University was established following a grant awarded to SiMERR by DFAT/Australian Aid Program. The centre undertakes national research projects in collaboration with the SiMERR National Research Centre.

RCTQ conducts high impact, applied research directed at teacher quality improvement in the Philippines. Its primary objective is to assist the Government of the Philippines in the implementation of the K to 12 Reform by providing nationally consistent policy advice focused on teacher quality. The research agenda of RCTQ focuses on three themes that cut across the career stages of teachers: pre-service, in service and teacher educator academic renewal.

The RCTQ-SiMERR team conducts applied research that investigates answers to key issues and challenges in the Philippines. This necessarily includes collaborative engagement with senior management of key Government Agencies particularly the Philippines Department of Education (DepED) and the Commission of Higher Education Directorate (CHED) to understand the implications of these issues, and jointly to craft solutions for addressing the challenges. RCTQ disseminates research findings to relevant audiences while promoting a culture of research in the profession.

Key Activities

Activity One: Teacher Development Needs Study

The Teacher Development Needs Study (TDNS) will assist the Philippines Department of Education to determine development programming for in-service teachers in terms of:

1. teaching competence/pedagogical knowledge and skills; and
2. subject content and pedagogical content knowledge.

During 2014, RCTQ and SiMERR staff made significant progress in the implementation of the study, including:

• the completion of Grades Six, Eight and Ten Curriculum Content Knowledge Papers in Mathematics, Science, English and Filipino;
• the assessment of 3889 teachers across 17 regions who undertook content knowledge tests and the shortened form of the TSNA;
• the coding of all test papers by PNU and RCTQ staff with data sent to SiMERR for Rausch analysis. Initial results produced for discussion at DepED and CHED program meetings; and
• the development of a Database containing TSNA data from 60,800 teachers and current data from the national testing and the PTDNS testing.

Activity Two: Developmental –National Competency Based Teacher Standards (D-NCBTS)

This activity seeks to enhance the current NCBTS to reflect the teacher quality requirements of the K to 12 Reform, with the production of a schema of internationally recognized teaching standards, for different stages in the teaching career. During 2013 and 2014, A draft set of enhanced standards was produced, and a clarification process was designed to assess

• how difficult teachers, across the four stages find each of the standards to achieve;
• whether the standards are important to teachers and at their appropriate level; and
• how the draft standards might be improved or modified.

Two survey instruments were developed, each containing 78 questions, representing a random sample of the D-NCBTS indicators. The survey was administered to 2242 teachers from Region 4a and Region 2.In 2015, the standards will be further validated through a series of surveys and focus group workshops, which will cover all 17 regions of the Philippines.

Activity Three: Pre-service Teacher Development Needs Study

In 2014 the Research Centre for Teacher Quality (RCTQ) undertook the Pre-Service Teacher Development Needs Study (PTDNS) with the graduating cohorts from 14 participating Teacher Education Institutions in ten different regions. The study provides evidence-based information on the relationships between the developmental needs of the pre-service teachers, and their content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, specifically in order to

• characterize pre-service teachers’ strengths and needs;
• identify their content knowledge in Mathematics, Science, English and Filipino;
• correlate the pre-service teacher variables with their LET performance in general education, professional education and specialization; and
• provide policy recommendations to TEIs and CHED regarding teacher education programs. Altogether 3991 pre-service teachers from 14 teacher-education institutions across the Philippines were tested, and the results have been presented.

Activity Four: Teacher Educator Development Needs Study

This activity will provide evidence-based information on the developmental needs of teacher educators concerning curriculum content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and teaching philosophies. In 2014, Consultative Workshops were conducted with 42 teacher educator participants to generate survey themes and indicators of teacher educators’ needs for professional development. This has resulted in the development of a 120-item survey instrument in both online and print form; and 31 Teacher Educator Institutions representing private and state run institutions to participate in the study.

For more details on these projects please follow the link to the RCTQ website.

Looking Forward

RCTQ and SiMERR staff are planning seven new projects over the period 2015 – 2019. These will extend the work completed in the first three years of the program.

1. Teacher Quality Study:

   To provide TA and conduct research in using the continuum of professional teacher standards, and teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge as basis of professional development programs for in-service teachers, and in evaluating, accrediting, and incentivizing teacher quality performance.

2. School Effectiveness Study:

   To conduct applied research that links students’ achievement and classroom teachers’ qualities and practices with school infrastructure and leadership and management practices as a basis for proposing effective teaching and leadership practices. This would deliver evidence-based, policy advice directed at improving student achievement in Mathematics, Science, English and Filipino.

3. Senior High School Readiness Study:

   To provide evidence-based advice in formulating policies in hiring and recruiting Senior High School (SHS) teachers and in planning professional development programs for potential SHS teachers.

4. Outcomes-based Pre-service Teacher Education Curriculum:

   To develop prototype course syllabi in the new, pre-service teachers curriculum in Mathematics, Science, English and Filipino and in professional education informed by the PTDNS, TDNS and D-NCBTS data.

5. Outcomes-based Program for Practicum Students:

   To link CHED with DepED in helping experienced in-service teachers support pre-service teachers to meet the standards to attain the first career stage of a teacher.

6. Review of the Accreditation of Programs and Institutions on Teacher Education based on Typology:

   To provide TA and conduct research in using the set of standards for professional teachers in accrediting institutions offering teacher education programs.

7. Outcomes-based Graduate Teacher Education Program:

   To provide TA and conduct research in developing a curriculum framework for graduate teacher education programs informed by the professional standards for teachers (Stage 2, 3 and 4).

Related documents

RCTQ website