Developmental Program for the Behavioral and Skills Competencies of Teachers

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The roles of teachers and schools are changing, and so are expectations about them: teachers are asked to teach in increasingly multicultural classrooms, integrate students with special needs, use ICT for teaching effectively, engage in evaluation and accountability processes, and involve parents in schools (OECD, 2009). So, teaching personnel nowadays also need the competencies to constantly innovate and adapt; this includes having critical, evidence-based attitudes, enabling them to respond to students' outcomes, new evidence from inside and outside the classroom, and professional dialogue, in order to adapt their own practices. This study was conducted to develop a developmental program for teachers based on the low level of practice in both behavioral and skills competencies.

METHODS

This study utilized the research and development method. It developed a Professional Development Plan for Teachers. The respondents of the study were the four (4) permanent Teachers of Lamlangil Elementary School, Tamban, Malungon, Sarangani Province. The research instrument used is a questionnaire about the level of core behavioral and skills competencies of teachers. The items included on the questionnaire were raised using a five-point scale. This study used the purposive sampling and the statistical treatment used was through getting the mean score of each competency. Data collected were organized for analysis and finally developed the Professional Development Plan for Teachers of Lamlangil Elementary School.

RESULTS

The results of the study show that there were numbers of teachers who were in the low level of behavioral practice. Among the skills competencies, there are numbers which are considered as low level of practice. Teachers should be able to develop these skills for them to become fully-skilled and be ready in the different challenges in providing quality education to learners. And, among the low level of practices in both behavioral and skills competencies, different activities must be conducted through a professional development plan for teachers as part of providing technical or supervisory assistance by school head to them.

DISCUSSIONS

This implies that to develop behavioral competencies among teachers, they should be monitored and be given supervision with the different demands of the Department of Education. Their professionalism, ethics, outputs, self-management, and innovations should be given attention. SLAC Sessions and other daily activities in the school should involve the development of such competencies. To uplift the level of practice in their skills competencies, school head must provide capacity building through training or workshops. And, the Professional Development Plan for Teachers in which was based from the low level of practice in both behavioral and skills competencies should be used by the school head as a guide in developing his/her teachers to become fully equipped professionally.