TEACHERS TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THE MEMBERS OF THE ACADEME OF GOV. P. F. ESPIRITU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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Final Paper Presented to the
Open University System
Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Maragondon, Cavite
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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
In Organizational Development and Leadership Effectiveness
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Submitted by:
CATHERINE M. SALGADO
RENNALYN S. VELARDE
AVELINA D. PISCOSO
BERLITA B. TANAGON

Submitted to:
DR. APOLONIO A. DUQUE

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

There is a substantial literature on the relationship between teacher characteristics and student learning. Most prior research on this topic has focused on teachers’ educational background, years of teaching experience and salaries. The results of this work are mixed. While it is clear that certain teachers are more effective than others at increasing student performance, there is considerably less consensus on whether specific, observable teacher characteristics such as education or experience produce higher performance. While most research has focused on general skills, school districts and states often rely on in-service staff development as a way to improve student learning. This on-the-job training seeks to instruct teachers in content as well as pedagogy. Professional development is an extremely widespread practice in U.S. Public Schools. 72 percent of teachers report having engaged in training related to the subject area of their main teaching assignment during the previous 12 months (Parsad et al. 2000). A similar fraction reports having received training on how to implement new teaching methods. Despite the widespread nature of these activities, the intensity of training is typically fairly low, with more than half of the teachers engaging in eight hours or less of training in each of these areas per year. Unfortunately, most of the existing research on in-service training suffers from the fact that the training is endogenously determined by teachers and schools. Recent school reforms in Chicago, however, provide an excellent opportunity to evaluate the causal impact of teacher training on student performance. In 1996, the Chicago Public School system (CPS) placed 71 of its 489 elementary schools on academic probation. These probation schools received special funding for staff development as well as technical assistance and enhanced monitoring. Eligibility for probation was determined on the basis of standardized reading scores—schools in which fewer than 15 percent of students scored at or above national norms in reading were subject to probation; those with 15 percent or more of students at national norms were not subject to probation. The existence of strict cut offs created a highly non-linear relationship between a school’s reading achievement in 1996 and the likelihood that the school was on probation in subsequent years. We exploit this cut off to identify the impact of teacher training on student achievement. Note that this strategy does not identify the aggregate effect of the school probation policy since the accountability measures provided all low-achieving schools (both those who just missed and just made the cut off) an incentive to increase student performance—low-achieving schools that did not demonstrate improvement were subject to further sanctions. Rather, this strategy effectively identifies the impact of the resources provided to certain low-achieving schools under the probation policy. Because the technical assistance and monitoring resources provided to probation schools were quite small (see discussion below) and were designed primarily to enhance teacher classroom performance (and thus might be considered a component of teacher training), our discussion in this paper will focus on the impact of teacher training with the understanding that it includes the effect of all of the resources provided to schools under the probation policy. Utilizing exogenous variation in probation status caused by the cut off described above, we find that moderate increases in teacher training have no statistically or academically significant effect on either reading or math achievement. These results do not vary across race, gender, socio-economic background, or student ability and are robust to a number of alternative specifications. Our results suggest that modest investments in staff development may not be sufficient to increase the achievement of elementary school children in high poverty schools. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section Two reviews the literature on teacher training and provides background on the Chicago probation policy. Section Three describes our data and Section Four explains our empirical strategy. Section Five presents findings on the effectiveness of in-service training. Section Six explores the policy effects in more detail, examining the heterogeneity in effects across students and providing a series of robustness checks for our results. Section Seven discusses some of the implications of these findings and concludes.

Statement of the Problem This research study would like to find out the perceptions of the teachers of Gov.P.F.Espiritu Elementary School regarding to the training opportunities that they need which could be indispensable for the development of their pupils. Specifically, the study tried to find answers to the following research problems: 1. What is the profile of the teachers of Gov. P.F Espiritu Elementary School in terms of the following: 1. Age; 2. Gender; 3. Educational Attainment; and 4. Years of Teaching Experience 2. What are the training needs of teachers? 3. What are the assessments used to identify the trainings needs of teachers? 4.What is the degree of usefulness of the training to teachers? 5. What training method preferred by teachers?

Significance of the Study The findings of the present study will be of significance to the following: Teachers. This study will help the teachers be aware of their training needs. This will help their pupils because the pupils are the main recipients of the teaching process that they undertake in school on a daily basis. The teachers’ training will also aid them in performing their work in school by providing quality education. Pupils. As the recipients of the teaching process, the pupils will definitely benefit from this study. This is because whatever improvements in the teaching process the teachers will have will ensure that quality education is given to the pupils. Parents. Since the parents are the teachers of the pupils at home and are the ones concerned about the education of their children, then they will also benefit from this study. This is because the cooperation of the parents is very crucial in the education of the pupils. School Administrators. The school administrators are the ones responsible for supervising the teachers and they are concerned about the development of the teachers. With the proposed Teacher Development Program, the administrators might be able to improved further the teachers under their supervision. Future Researchers. The findings of this present study can be used as references for topics similar to the topics tackled in this research.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter presents the related literature and studies that are relevant to the present study. These readings helped the researcher to have a better understanding of her study.
Local Literature

Despite the importance of teacher training in most school districts, there is surprisingly little evidence on the effect of teacher training on student achievement. Indeed, as Angrist and Lavy (2001) pointed out, there seems to have been more research on the impact of teacher training in developing countries than in developed countries. Early research on teacher training presents a rather pessimistic view of the effectiveness of staff development for increasing student performance. In a meta-analysis of 93 studies of the effect of teacher development on student performance, Kennedy (1998) reports that only 12 studies show positive effects of staff development. Consistent with this finding, Corcoran (1995) and Little (1993) claim that typically staff development is a low intensity affair that lacks continuity and accountability. There are some notable exceptions to these findings however. Bressoux (1996), using a quasi experimental research design, and Dildy (1982), examining the results of a randomized trial, find that teacher training increases student performance. Wiley and Yoon (1995) and Cohen and Hill (2000) are others who find teacher development programs to have at least small impacts on student performance. One recent paper that finds particularly strong effects of teacher training is Angrist and Lavy (2001). While this paper presents strong evidence regarding the potential effectiveness of teacher training programs, this analysis has several limitations. In addition to funding teacher training, the intervention consisted of several other components that might have increased student achievement, including the establishment of a learning center to assist failing students after school and a project to support immigrant students and their families. Perhaps more importantly, the schools were not randomly assigned to the treatment, forcing the authors to rely on matching and difference-in-difference strategies for the estimation. In the final section, wediscuss several reasons why our findings may differ from those described above.
Foreign Literature The CPS is the nation’s third-largest school district, serving over 430,000 largely low income students. In the late eighties, then Secretary of Education William Bennett described Chicago public schools as the worst in the nation. In 1996, the CPS introduced a highly publicized reform effort that emphasized holding students, teachers and administrators accountable for academic achievement. Under the Chicago policy, schools in which fewer than 15 percent of students met national norms on standardized reading exams were placed on academic probation. While several schools received waivers, 71 elementary schools serving over 45,000 students were placed on academic probation in the first year of the program. To improve student achievement in these schools, the CPS provided probation schools additional resources to buy staff development services from an external organization of their choice. In 1998-99, probation schools were working with 17 different external partners, including universities, non-profit organizations and independent consultants. During the first year a school was on probation, the
CPS paid 100 percent of the costs of the external partner (up to $90,000). In the second year, the reimbursement dropped to 50 percent. After two years, the Board paid one-third of the cost of external partners. In addition to these direct resources, the CPS provided probation schools with technical assistance and monitored the progress of the school. The Office of Accountability (OA) assigned each probation school a probation manager, generally a high-level school administrator with experience as a principal, whose job was to help school staff to develop and implement a school improvement plan. Elementary schools on probation were also assigned a business manager intern to manage the operational and financial aspects of the school, freeing the principal to address educational issues and to assist the external partners in staff development.

Local Studies In response to the increasing numbers of requests by parents and teachers for an educational approach that draws out the full human being and nurtures deep purpose and creative social engagement, GCI launched its Steiner Education Initiative in 2005, which includes an intensive Part-time Teacher Training Program. It is currently the only live-in Steiner Education Teacher Training program in the Philippines. The growing number of schools adopting the Steiner approach is resulting in a shortage of trained teachers. The GCI Teacher Training Program addresses this need. The Training Course for Steiner early childhood and grade school teaching is an 8-week intensive part-time seminar consisting of three live-in blocks which prepares teachers to begin working with Steiner educational approaches in kindergarten and grade school. The course design intrinsically calls for assignments and self-study between blocks when participants can also already begin applying what they have learned. Trainees for early childhood education and grade school teaching will initially have similar introductory and foundational courses. In the third block, the group will split up into the two tracks with specialized content attuned to the differing skills required for early childhood and grade school teaching. All participants must be prepared to undergo an intensive self-transformation process that is a fundamental and unique aspect of Steiner Education. Because ultimately, it is the quality of the teacher’s inner life and behavior that educates the child. “It is often not what you teach, but who you are as a human being, that educates the child.” The training course cannot cover what is normally taken up in a one or two year full-time course in teacher training institutes in other countries. Rather, it is a preparation that allows participants to move rapidly into the classroom environment where real learning begins and starts them on the path of self-development that characterizes being a Steiner educator. Graduates will have opportunities for continuing education through mentoring and in-service trainings with a flexible curriculum adjusted to student needs.
Foreign Studies In Japan, the lowering of the age of compulsory English instruction has been a major change and a huge concern. The overall findings of existing studies indicate that adequate and appropriate teacher training is key to any success in language education.
Responding to the recent drastic change in English education at the elementary school level in Japan, the homeroom teachers’ needs should therefore be investigated. The purpose of this study was to conduct a needs analysis for Japanese elementary school homeroom teachers aimed at developing a teacher training program. A questionnaire survey was adopted as the method of the needs analysis, and prior to collecting data, the literature was reviewed. In total, 256 homeroom teachers from 31 public elementary schools in Miyazaki participated in this study. The findings of this study provided valuable implications for curriculum developers and teachers in developing teacher training programs in Japan.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Based on a great number of studies on how children learn, educators came to define teaching as an aggregate of organized strategies and methodologies to produce learning outcome. It consists of well-planned tasks which connect all of teacher’s acts to learning. Learning is a definitive goal. Teaching then is a professional venture. (Salandanan, 2005) Teaching is a dynamic activity which needs a careful analysis of how the learning variables interrelate with one another. The conclusions arrive at in one situation could not be expected to be the same in another, even if the same factor exists. Teaching is a time-honored career, aimed at awakening and nurturing the children’s spirit of inquiry, at the same time their learning abilities and how they interact with their aspirations. To many, it is a lifetime mission, characterized by a culture of commitment to serve children, adults and the community. Hence, teachers are labeled nation builders.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Based on a great number of studies on how children learn, educators came to define teaching as an aggregate of organized strategies and methodologies to produce a learning outcome. It consists of well-planned tasks which connect all of teacher’s acts to learning. Learning is a definitive goal. Teaching is a dynamic activity which needs a careful analysis of how the learning variables interrelate with one another. The conclusions arrive at in one situation could not be expected to be the same in another, even if the same factor exists. Teaching is a time- honoured career, aimed at awakening and nurturing the children’s spirit of inquiry, at the same time their learning abilities and how they interact with their aspirations. To many, it is a lifetime mission, characterized by a culture of commitment to serve children, adults and the community. Hence, teachers are labelled nation builders.

Research Paradigm
Input Process Output

Paradigm of the Study Figure 1 presents the Research Paradigm. The IPO (Input-Process-Output) model was used to show the variables studied by the present study. The input of the study consisted of the following variables: profile of the teachers as described by age, gender, educational attainment and years of teaching experience; responsibilities of the teachers towards their pupils, towards the parents of their pupils, towards their profession, towards their administrators and towards their community; and the important teaching traits. The Process consisted of finding the significant differences in the perceptions of the teachers regarding performance of their responsibilities; importance of teaching traits; and demonstration of teaching traits when grouped according to their demographic profile. The Output of the study is the Teacher Development Program.

METHODOLOGY
Research Design The researcher used the descriptive research methodology because the study focused on the gathering of data that essentially describe accurately and objectively the way things are. According to Zulueta and Costales (2003), this method involves the collection of data in order to answer questions concerning the current status of the subjects of the study or to test a hypothesis. It has no control over what is and it can only measure what already exists. Since the present study would like to determine the status of the teachers’ training opportunities and their teaching traits, this research design best fits the study.

Respondents of the Study The respondents of this study were the sixty nine (69) teachers of Gov.P.F.Espiritu Elementary School in Bacoor, Cavite for school year 2012-2013.
Instrumentation
1. Questionnaire A researcher-made questionnaire is used in gathering data for the study.
2. Informal Interviews This is to gather more information from the teacher -respondents and to validate the answers given in the questionnaire.

Data Analysis The following will be utilized in the treatment of data: 1. Frequency - It is the actual response to a specific item/ question in the questionnaire where the respondent picks his choice. 2. Weighted Mean - This was used to measure the respondent’s assessment. 3. Ranking – This was used to reinforce the percentage and present its proportional importance to a particular item being considered.

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA Problem 1. What is the profile of the teachers of Gov. P.F Espiritu Elementary School in terms of the following: 1. Age
|Age |Frequency |Percentage |
|21-25 |4 |.06% |
|26-30 |10 |.14% |
|31-35 |20 |.29% |
|36-40 |15 |.22% |
|41-45 |13 |.19% |
|46-50 |4 |.06% |
|51-60 |3 |.04% |

The table shows the profile of teachers according to age. Teachers on ages 31-35 have the most number in Gov. P.F. Elem. School. Teachers on ages 51-60 are the least.

1.2 Gender of Gov. P.F. Elem School Teachers
|Gender |Frequency |Percentage |
|Male |3 |.04% |
|Female |66 |96% |

The table shows that most of the teachers in Gov. P.F. Espiritu Elem. School are female with a percentage of 96%.

1.3 Educational Attainment of Gov. P.F. Elem School Teachers
|Educational Attainment |Frequency |Percentage |
|Bachelors Degree |66 |96% |
|Masters Degree |3 |.04% |

The table shows that only 3 out of 69 teachers attained Masters Degree in Education. 96% of teachers attained Bachelors Degree.

1.4 Years of Teaching Experience of Gov. P.F. Elem. School Teachers
|No. of Years in Teaching |Frequency |Percentage |
|1-3 |4 |.06% |
|4-8 |10 |.14% |
|9-12 |20 |.29% |
|13-16 |15 |.22% |
|17-21 |13 |.19% |
|22-26 |4 |.06% |
|27-31 |3 |.04% |

The table shows 9-12 years have the highest percentage of number of years in teaching while those serving for 27-31 years have the least number and percentage.

Problem 2. What are the training needs of teachers?
| Training Needs |Frequency |Percentage |
|1.ICT update |19 |28% |
|2.Strategies |16 |23% |
|3.Techniques |10 |14% |
|4.Classroom Management |9 |13% |
|5.Motivation |8 |12% |
|6.Lesson Planning |7 |10% |

The table shows that teachers of Gov. P.F. Elem. School teachers needs to have training on ICT with a percentage of 28%, 19 teachers chose update on new technology. It is followed with strategies,16 teachers want to be trained on this topic. Ten teachers with 14% preferred that they need training in terms of techniques on teaching; 9 teachers,13% likes classroom management training, 8 teachers with 12% motivation skills and knowledge they wanted to be trained. Only 7 teachers, a 10% of the population wanted training on lesson planning.

Problem 3. What are the assessments used to identify the trainings needs of teachers?
|Assessment Used |Frequency |Percentage |
|NCBT-TSNA |42 |61% |
|CB-PAST |20 |29% |
|Observation |7 |10% |

The table shows that the assessment used to identify the training needs of teachers is through NCBT-TSNA with 61%. CB PAST with 29% and Observation with 10%.

Problem 4. What is the degree of usefulness of the training to teachers?
|Degree of Usefulness |Frequency |Percentage |
|Highly Useful |46 |67% |
|Useful |12 |17% |
|Quite Useful |8 |12% |
|Not Useful |3 |.04% |

The table shows that 67% of teachers in Gov. PF Elem School teachers believed that training is highly useful for them. 17% of teachers thought it is useful. 12% consider the training as quite useful and only 4% viewed training as not useful for them.

Problem 5. What training method preferred by teachers?
|Training Method |Frequency |Percentage |
|Laboratory Training |12 |17% |
|Behavior Modelling |8 |12% |
|Role Playing |10 |14% |
|Problem Solving |39 |57% |

The table shows that problem solving method on training has greatest percentage with 57% which means teachers rely on training in solving situational problems. 17% chose laboratory trainingTraining-provides situation in which the trainees themselves experience through their own interactions some of the conditions they are talking about. 14% of teachers wanted role playing method and 12% preferred behavior modeling

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Summary of Findings The data were analyzed and the following findings were formulated in accordance with the specific questions given under the statement of the problem. 1. Teachers on ages 31-35 have the most number in Gov. P.F. Elem. School. Teachers on ages 51-60 are the least. Most of the teachers are female with a percentage of 96%. Only 3 out of 69 teachers attained Masters Degree in Education. 9-12 years have the highest percentage of number of years in teaching while those serving for 27-31 years have the least number and percentage. 2. School teachers need to have training on ICT with a percentage of 28%, 19 teachers chose update on new technology application. It is followed with strategies, 16 teachers want to be trained on this topic. Ten teachers with 14% preferred that they need training in terms of techniques on teaching;13% likes classroom management training, 12% wanted motivation on pupils training. Only 10% of the population wanted training on lesson planning. 3. Training of teachers is highly useful for them. Their training needs should be accompanied with their NCBTS-TSNA. This gives the administrators to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Based from the findings, Most of GPFEES need ICT update. It should be given priority so the teachers will be equipped with enough knowledge and skills. 4. Sixty seven percent of teachers believed that training is highly useful for them. 17% thought it is useful. 12% consider the training as quite useful and only 4% viewed training as not useful for them. 5. 57% of teachers rely on training in solving situational problems. 17% chose laboratory training. The training-provides situation in which the trainees themselves experience through their own interactions some of the conditions they are talking about.

Conclusions Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions were arrived at: 1. An intervention strategy should be used in group processes to focus on the whole culture of an organization of GPFEES teachers in order to bring about planned change. 2. It requires teachers to be extremely flexible in order to survive and to prosper with or without training given in the school or division. 3. There should be assessment on the training needs of teachers before the implementation of training per se.

RECOMMENDATIONS In the light of the conclusions made in this study, the researchers recommend the following: 1. The school administrators and supervisors should further enhance the knowledge and skills of their teachers by giving more relevant training. In this manner, teachers will be adequate enough to deliver quality education. 2. It is also recommended to the school principal to designate the teachers to their specialization. It will be easy to identify their training needs and become an effective teacher. 3. There should be an assessment on the training given to the teachers to distinguish the underlying conditions that needs to develop in terms of strategy, technique, planning and motivation.

Questionnaire Used
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References
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Unpublished manuscript. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin

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1. Profile of the Teachers
1.1 Age
1.2 Gender
1.3 Educational Attainment
1.4 Years of Teaching Experience
2. Teachers Training
3. Assessment Used
4. Usefulness of the Training
5. Training Method

Administration of questionnaire

Statistical Treatment of Data

Frequency and Percentage

Teachers
Feedback
on Training

FEEDBACK

Name: _________ (optional ) Gender: _____ Age: ________________ Educational Attainment: _____ Years in Teaching: ______

Direction: To fill-out this survey, read each of the following statements as indicated, put a check mark on your choice based from the statement.
At the end of this survey, space is provided for you to make written comments about your training.

My Training Needs ____Classroom Management ____Teaching Strategies ____Teaching Techniques ____Motivation on Pupils ____Lesson Planning ____ICT update

Identifying My Training Needs ____Observation ____NCBTS-TSNA ____CB-PAST

Preferred Training Method ____Role Playing ____Behavior Modelling ____Problem Solving ____Laboratory Training

Usefulness of the Training ____Highly Useful ____Useful ____Quite Useful ____Not Useful

My Comments:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________