Effectiveness of Differentiated Instruction in Teaching Araling Panlipunan in Public Elementary Schools in Division of Batangas City: Basis for Developing Guidelines

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Araling Panlipunan (AP) is one of the major subjects under the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum which started implementation in school year 2012-2013. K to 12 BEC is expected to contribute to the economic and social progress of our country by making the graduates of the new curriculum employable as the holistically -develop 21st century skills. The pupils under the said curriculum are expected to master the learning competencies expressed in content and performance standards through the spiral progression approach. It is also expected that our Filipino professionals will gain international recognition in various fields.

METHODS

The focus of the study was the extent of use and perceived effectiveness of differentiated instruction on the pupils' development of cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills. Since the extent and effectiveness of the said strategy were correlated with pupils' academic performance, it was appropriate to use a combination of the descriptive and correlation methods of research. It does not answer questions about how/when/why the characteristics occurred. Rather it addresses the "what" question (what are the characteristics of the population or situation being studied). A correlational study determines whether or not two variables are correlated.

RESULTS

The teachers regularly utilized differentiated instruction in the teaching of AP with much focus on content, process, product and learning environment. There is a strong association between the extent of utilization of differentiated instruction in the teaching of AP and its effects on the development of pupils' skills and competencies in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. The findings of the study imply that a continuous and consistent utilization of differentiated instruction in the teaching of AP will certainly be of great value and can contribute to the pupils' development of varied skills and competencies.

DISCUSSIONS

Improvement of the learning environment may be pursued by the teachers through setting a positive and warm classroom climate. The classroom can also be made as a prototype community to engage the pupils in varied activities that require the application of a constructivist approach in teaching and learning, especially those of problem solving and cognitive apprenticeship.