IMPACT STATEMENTS ON THE K-12 SCIENCE PROGRAM IN THE ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN PROVINCIAL SCHOOLS

ABSTRACTThe study described the knowledge, observations, benefits, expectations or potentials and sources of misinterpretations on the K-12 science program on its first implementation in selected provincial high schools in the Philippines. The impact statements of teachers, students and parent-respondents were analyzed using thematic content coding technique. Coding frames were constructed by adopting both "a priori" and "in-vivo" codes. The results showed the respondents viewed the K-12 science program as a means of preparing students toward better employment opportunities in the country or abroad. It also reports the program is viewed for holistic development of the 21st century learners equipped with necessary life skills who can contribute for economic and social development of the family and community. The impact statements suggest the need for close monitoring of the program implementation and provision of continuous professional trainings for teachers to clear areas of misinterpretations. Misconceptions on the nature of additional years of study further suggest the provision and wide dissemination of policy standards on employment and education opportunities in the ASEAN Economic Community integration.Keywords: Impact statement, K-12 curriculum, basic education, science program.INTRODUCTION:The implementation of the K-12 curriculum in the Philippines started in 2012 beginning with grade 1 and grade 7 learners and the succeeding levels were introduced as these students get promoted to the next grade levels in the ensuing school year. Prior to this, the Kindergarten Education Act was implemented in school year 2011-2012 by virtue of Republic Act 10157; the law institutionalized the inclusion of kindergarten education into the basic education system of the Philippines (PhilStar.com.,2012). Subsequently, Republic Act 10533 also known as the "Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013" enabled the implementation of the K-12 in the country (The Official Gazette,2013). The Philippine K-12 curricular program provides at least one year of Kindergarten education and a total of twelve years of basic education similar with most of the countries in the world. The addition of two years on the former ten-year basic education program was envisioned for mastery of learning making learners better prepared for the world of work besides the conventional belief of just preparing them for collegiate education. (K-12 Basic Education Program, The Official Gazette, 2012; K-12 Primer ? K-12 Update Teachers' Lounge, 2013). The features of the K-12 Enhanced Basic Education Program include the strengthened Science and Math education which follows a spiral progression. The use of spiral progression avoids disjunctions between stages of schooling and allows learners to learn topics and skills appropriate to their developmental and/or cognitive stages. The spiral progression is also believed to strengthen retention and mastery of topics and skills as they are revisited and consolidated with increasing depth and complexity of learning in the succeeding grade levels (Quijano and Technical Working Group on Curriculum, 2012). In the articles "Additional Years in Philippine Basic Education" by the SEAMEO-INNOTECH (2010) and the K-12 Primer? K-12 Update in Teachers' Lounge of Rex publishing (2013), the comparative data on the length of basic and pre-university education in Asia was explained and showed the Philippine education system provides only ten (10) years for the basic education cycle and as the preparatory education for the collegiate level while most of the countries around the globe have either 11 or 12 years of basic education cycle. The ten-year Philippine basic education system became a disadvantage for Filipino workers abroad and for those who intend to study outside the Philippines. Many Filipino professionals desire working abroad for greener pastures but they tend to land a job apart from the diploma they pursued in the Philippine higher education institutions. …