Awareness of Jhs Teachers in the District of Los Banos on Culture-Based Education: A Basis of its Effective Implementation

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

With the promulgation of Republic Act 9155, also known as "An Act Instituting a Framework of Governance for Basic Education, Establishing Authority and Accountability, Renaming the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) as aDepartment of Education (Department of Education) and for other Purposes" on 11 August 2001, cultural education was effectively reaffirmed as an integral part of basic education but administrative supervision of cultural agencies formerly attached to DECS was transferred to the NCCA. There is a huge struggle in the culture/cultural education in the latest educational reform in the Philippines-the K-12 Curriculum. The paradox of globalization over localization and indigenization remains a struggle to many educators/teachers, especially in basic education. And so the concept of culture-based education has been the input of many cultural workers like the researcher himself.

METHODS

To measure the level of awareness in Culture-Based Education of the junior high school teachers of Los Banos District, the researchers formulated and disseminated survey questionnaires to the above-mentioned participants. The researchers also conducted a seminar on CBE. Pearson r instrument was used to see if there is a significant relationship among the independent variables, Content and Pedagogy, to the effective implementation of the CBE program.

RESULTS

Since the test of correlation reveals that among the independent variables, Content and Pedagogy has a significant relationship with the effective implementation of the CBE program. The level of awareness of the respondents does not significantly relate to the effectiveness of the implementation of the Culture-based Education is partially accepted.

DISCUSSIONS

Based from the results, the following are recommended: (1) Training, seminars and conferences, LAC sessions and the like may be periodically conducted among classroom teachers to strengthen the awareness of teachers on CBE with focus on Content and Pedagogy; (2) Modification of the Curriculum of the Higher Education Institute for Teacher Education may incorporate CBE; and (3)Granting teachers CBE linked scholarships like the Graduate Diploma for Cultural Education by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts is one of the best ways to promote CBE in the present education program. Hence, it is suggested that more scholarship grants may be given to teachers and that all regions may be equally represented.