IAFOR Journal of Education: Studies in Education

Volume 8 – Issue 4 – 2020

Pedagogical Praxis: Muslim-Filipino Madrasah Teachers’ Conceptuality of
Instructional Process
Abdul Haiy A. Sali
Philippine Normal University
Manila, Philippines115

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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore and analyze the conceptuality of Muslim-Filipino
Madrasah teachers or the Asatidz on instructional processes anchored in their pedagogicalpraxis. This study employed a qualitative research design using a transcendental
phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews were initiated to understand the essence ofthe participants’ lived experiences. The author used purposive sampling with five research
participants who implement the Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education program in
selected schools in the Philippines. There were four major themes identified in the study:
pedagogical amalgamation of traditional and non-traditional teaching practices; collaborative
learning practices; effective classroom management; and reflective practice in teaching. The
results of the study provide a clear description of Madrasah teachers’ conceptualization of
instructional processes especially in teaching and learning. However, the study is limited to
five selected Asatidz. These results may be useful in guiding education stakeholders inevidence-based policymaking particularly, in the field of teacher development, which seeks tocreate comprehensive and well-thought pedagogical programs for the Asatidz. These programs
should better suit and complement Madrasah teachers’ pedagogical needs anchored to theirpedagogical praxis. The results provide baseline data for instructional and educational
enrichment among Filipino Madrasah teachers.
Keywords: ALIVE program, Filipino-Muslim, Madrasah education, Madrasah teacher,Philippines116

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Teacher’s pedagogical practice is one of the most important factors to consider in the teaching
and learning process. Teachers with a good grasp of instructional processes are able to improveand enrich educational experiences of their learners (Darling-Hammond, 2006). In this study,
instructional process refers to the interplay of the instructional model, strategies, methods,
techniques, and tactics as reflected in the pedagogical practices of the Madrasah teachers.
Praxis pedagogy provides the opportunities for educational issues to be shared and exploreddeeply (Arnold & Mundy, 2020) and through this approach teachers are able to reflect on thepractice of schools and the curriculum. In the Philippines, the Arabic Language and Islamic
Values Education (ALIVE) program of the Department of Education (DepEd) requires welltrained and competent Madrasah teachers or Asatidz to be the main implementers of the ALIVE
program (Sali & Marasigan, 2020).
The Asatidz are responsible for teaching an additional two subjects on top of the regular basic
education curriculum. However, most Asatidz implementing the ALIVE program are notregular teachers and are not necessarily graduates of a professional education course in higher
education. Conversely, the Asatidz are expected to be curriculum planners, designers,
implementers, and evaluators with awareness of pedagogical practices and content knowledge(Sali & Marasigan, 2020). In general, educators are products of completed educational
experiences who went through practical pedagogical training in their formative years. Theseexperiences helped shape pedagogical practices, especially their teaching styles andinstructional strategies. The purpose of this paper is to explore and analyze the conceptualityof Muslim-Filipino Madrasah teachers on instructional processes anchored in their pedagogicalpraxis. The concept of self-reflection among teachers provides realization in conceptualizing
effective pedagogical practices in teaching and learning.
Despite the extensive studies conducted on pedagogical practices of Madrasah teachers as
evident in the professional literature, there are few studies on Madrasah teachers’
conceptualization of instructional processes in the Philippines (Sali & Marasigan, 2020). The
results of this study will therefore benefit major educational stakeholders in understanding thepedagogical praxis underlying the various practices of Filipino-Muslim Madrasah teachers in
implementing the ALIVE program. This study provides evidence-based research that will
enrich the existing dearth of literature on pedagogical practices of Madrasah teachers in thePhilippines. In addition, Fang (1994) discussed the significance in understanding the “missing
paradigm” (p. 50) in line with teacher’s conceptualization that focuses on teacher’s perspective
in teaching and learning. Hence, this study sought to explore and analyze the conceptuality of
Asatidz’ instructional process in selected ALIVE schools in Metro Manila. More specifically,
it will answer the following question:
How do Filipino-Madrasah Teachers [Asatidz] conceptualize their pedagogicalpractices in the teaching and learning process?
Literature Review
According to Kemmis (2012), praxis is part of the self-formation of a person, as it gives
valuable benefit to one’s self at the same time that it purports good in the human community –“creating the good society by acting for the good of society” (p. 87). In the context of education,
Freire’s (1978) adoption of praxis as imperative to transforming the world as reflected inpedagogical practices became unprecedented (Mayo, 2016). In addition, the dialectical
relationship between consciousness and the world is inevitable in terms of understanding
various experiences, relationships, and complexities, including teachers’ conceptuality of117

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instructional processes. The word praxis has been defined and interpreted in many ways inprofessional literature. However, in this study, praxis is employed as the synthesis of theories
exploring the conceptuality of instructional processes through the relevant reflections ofMadrasah teachers in the teaching and learning process, particularly “on their material
surroundings and reflect upon them with a view to transforming them” (Mayo, 2016, p. 2).
Furthermore, teachers are “acting within an educational paradigm formed and differentiated byknowledge and dispositions which give rise to different kinds of actions and ethics” (EdwardsGroves et al., 2018, p. 141).
Edwards-Groves et al. (2018) note that educators should be concerned with pedagogical praxis
in their contemporary times. In understanding the pedagogical praxis of teaching and learning,
it is imperative for educators to examine actual instructional practices (Darling-Hammond, etal., 2017; Memon, 2011; Sali & Marasigan, 2020; Sirotová, 2016;) as well as the interplay of
pedagogical theories (Edwards-Groves et al., 2018; Freire, 1987; Kemmis, 2012). In practice,teachers are guided by their choices, knowledge, and dispositions “acting within an educational
paradigm” (Edwards-Groves et al., 2018, p. 141). With regard to this, several researchers haveinvestigated the effects of teachers’ beliefs in teaching and learning. Nespor (1987) highlighted
that beliefs are entrenched in one’s personal history, and thus unlearning is arduous. Moreover,beliefs influence the teacher’s thinking in creating sound pedagogical choices and guides their
behavior in actual practice. Within this praxis, Edwards-Groves et al. (2018) discussed four
disposition-action couplings (adapted from Kemmis, 2012) of praxis-oriented educators.
Primarily, these dispositions “directs us to the interplay, reciprocity, and delineation” (p. 142)
between the following classes of actions: theoretical perspective; technical perspective;
practical perspective; and critical perspective.
According to Miranda and Damico (2013), the relationship between belief and behavior makes
the study of teacher beliefs consequently critical. In addition, Schachter (2017) conductedphenomenological research aimed at understanding early childhood teachers’ pedagogicalreasoning or beliefs in language and literacy instruction. Their findings suggested the need forteachers to better understand how to prioritize their knowledge for use in practice. Furthermore,
Chikasanda et al. (2012) conducted a qualitative analysis of the teachers’ journey through thephases of professional development. They argued that teacher’s conceptualization of learningin technology is still fragile at this point. Several researchers have also acknowledged theimportance of teacher beliefs in the realization of education reform (Darling-Hammond, 2000;
Fang, 1996; Miranda & Damico, 2013). Lastly, Fang (1994) discussed the significance ofunderstanding the “missing paradigm” (p. 50) in line with a teacher’s conceptualization that
focuses on the teacher’s perspective in teaching and learning. Overall, it thus appears thatpedagogical reasoning from various sources of knowledge is pivotal for teachers in making
choices about their actions and practices in teaching (Schachter, 2017).
On the Pedagogical Praxis of Madrasah Teachers
Van Sledright (2010) proposes that there are two important factors which unify the course ofteaching and learning. The first one is the teacher’s cognitive understanding or simply thecontent knowledge, and the other is the pedagogical knowledge or the art of presenting
information through pedagogical skills. Moreover, by uniting these two vital factors,
pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is initiated. In 1986, Shulman and a group of
researchers introduced the concept of PCK which focuses on the broader perspective to further
understand teaching and learning. According to Shulman (1987), PCK included an“understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues are organized, presented, andadapted to diverse interests and abilities of the learners and presented for instruction” (p.8).

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Teachers are expected to create meaningful and relevant experiences in the classroom. As
instructional leaders, the teacher should exemplify pedagogical competence (Pekkarinen &Hirtso, 2017). In practice, teachers execute different methods and strategies anchored todifferent instructional models to perform efficient academic tasks (Trigwell & Prosser, 2004):
for instance, how to effectively and efficiently translate competencies embedded in the
curriculum during actual teaching, execute classroom management, and incorporate studentcentered approach to learning among others. In general, pedagogical practices of Madrasah
teachers can be best understood when based on the different factors that influence their overall
practices to include the following: self-efficacy (Abdullah, 2018; Alotaibi, 2014; Amri et al.,2017; Barni et al., 2019; Faizuddin, 2016; Hussin et al., 2014; Liu et al., 2018); educational
background including Islamic education (Halstead, 2004; Hasyim, 2016; Memon, 2011; Sabki& Hardaker, 2013; 2015; 2018; Tengku Kasim & Abdurajak, 2018); trainings and seminars
attended during their pre-service or in-service (Alwadai, 2014; Sali & Marasigan, 2020); andeven peer mentoring (Solaiman, 2017). Pedagogical praxis as a form of experience-based
professional learning allows the teacher to improve their professional as well as personal
competencies (Sirotová, 2016).
Through the interplay of different factors during their formative years, and the progress of their
PCK through time, an amalgam is created for the development of teaching styles and the ability
to discern one’s pedagogical choices. This praxis enables the check and balance of the
Madrasah teacher’s awareness of self-knowledge and self-evaluation in understanding
pedagogical practices in a deeper sense. In addition, teachers’ self-reflection of instructional
processes is vital to assess themselves: it articulates their own inquiry based on the real issues
from teaching and learning experiences (Arnold & Mundy, 2020). The different factors
mentioned influence the conceptualization of the Madrasah teacher’s pedagogical orientationand foundation in actual practice. This translation of the teacher’s knowledge into practice andself-preparedness is crucial to the outcomes of classroom teaching. According to Faizuddin(2016), Islamic teachers who showed creative instructional strategies during the teaching andlearning process enabled students to experience a wider variety of classroom activities. In thisrespect a teacher’s creativity appears to serve as a crucial factor in translating competencies
through instruction.
Furthermore, a study by Amri et al. (2017) showed how the educational background of Islamicteachers can also affect the learning interests of students. In their study, Islamic teachers who
possessed intercultural competence showed greater awareness of their students’ diverse needsin the classroom. Thus, Islamic teachers are able to use intercultural competence to enrich theclassroom interaction, activities, and management of the class. Tengku Kasim and Abdurajak(2018), also explored, in a qualitative research study, the pedagogical practices of novice
Islamic education teachers, where the results showed diversity on their teaching
methodologies. The Islamic teachers employed 21st century teaching methods as opposed tothe traditional method of purely lecture. However, in a qualitative study conducted by
Ishomuddin and Bin Mokhtar (2017) that studied the teaching methods of Islamic teachers who
graduated from Middle Eastern countries, the results showed that the traditional method ofteaching such as lectures is a way to provide more knowledge than using other teaching
methods.
Lastly, Hussin et al. (2014) have shown that diversification of pedagogical approaches
identifies three significant themes regarding the teaching practices of Islamic teachers: amaterial-resource centered theme; a teacher-centered theme; and a student-centered teaching
method of religious subject. Significantly, Islamic teachers’ well-organized pedagogical

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practices spell difference in guiding the students’ learning. As such, mastery of the subject andwell-initiated classroom activities and teaching methodologies are sought. Therefore,
Madrasah teachers who aim to maximize their pedagogical practices will prepare themselves
efficiently through enriched classroom interaction and over-all management of the class.
The ALIVE Program: Madrasah teachers’ Pedagogical Practices
The DepEd Order (DO) No. 41, series of 2017 or “Policy Guidelines on Madrasah Educationin the K to 12 Basic Education Program” provides the latest implementation guidelines. The
program gives appropriate and relevant educational opportunities to the Muslim learners in thePhilippines. The DepEd order mentioned is enacted across accredited public schools in the
country. It adds two subjects to the regular basic education curriculum: Arabic Language, andIslamic Values. Significantly, the Asatidz play an important role in the over-all success of the
program (Sali & Marasigan, 2020). However, most Asatidz or Madrasah teachers are notregular teachers and are not necessarily graduates of an education course in higher educationand some Asatidz didn’t have significant teaching experiences before applying to the program.
However, the DepEd offers several programs before Asatidz are deployed as part of its
professionalization measures. The aspiring Asatidz must pass the Qualifying Exam in Arabic
Language and Islamic Studies (QEALIS) and undergo Language Enhancement and Pedagogy(LEaP). It is a training prototype provided to build English proficiency and the beginning ofmastery of lesson planning, teaching, and assessment for Madrasah teachers. LEaP becomes
one of the major first-hand pedagogical trainings of the accepted Asatidz, learning fundamental
concepts in teaching pedagogy before actual deployment (Sali & Marasigan, 2020). Albeit,
results of some related studies to Asatidz’ pedagogical practices indicated recurring challenges:
existing structures and support systems for effective pedagogy; further relevant training onteaching strategies; and translation of competencies into actual practice and assessment (Final
Report of Muslim Education Initiatives, 2014; Marasigan, 2019a; Review Report on the Three
Years Implementation of ALIVE Program, 2018; ). Also, Solaiman (2017) in his descriptive
research on the implementation of ALIVE in Marawi City, showed infrequent monitoring of
the program including classroom observation of the Asatidz were also noted.
Conversely, in an exploratory study of Sali and Marasigan (2020), the seminars and enrichment
activities attended by the Asatidz in ALIVE selected schools in Quezon City, “showed diversity
on their teaching strategies and understanding of the concepts in pedagogy” (p. 209) as
observed in their actual classroom teaching. This study serves as a clear indication of theinterplay of pedagogical theories and actual practices among Madrasah teachers. The Asatidz
narrated the importance of the training in teaching and learning process, specifically how to
use strategies and methods of teaching, how to create lesson plans and correct objectives, andhow to fill out promotional reports and forms among others.
Remarkably, the pedagogical practices of the Asatidz in the Philippines are both influenced by
secular and non-secular orientations. As part of the professional development of the Asatidz,
the Madrasah teachers are regularly invited to join different seminars and trainings conductedby DepEd and their respective schools. These different pedagogical trainings are congruent toPhilippine secular education orientation – a mix of philosophical tenets from realism(essentialism), progressivism (pragmatism), existentialist humanism and social
reconstructionism (Muslim Education Initiatives Final Report, 2014).

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Conceptual Framework
Primarily, the framework for the current investigation is anchored to Freire’s (1978) adoptionof praxis as reflected in the Asatidz’ conceptuality of instructional process being manifested intheir pedagogical practices, as seen in the teaching and learning process. This social lenspurports that self-reflection towards pedagogical practices is imperative to the teacher’s
understanding towards transformational education. This allows teachers to grasp theory into
practice in developing teaching styles that brings change in the school environment to include
learner’s relevant experiences in the educative process.
In this study, the conceptual flow as represented in Figure 1 will be analyzed to examine theimportant relationships among the different factors that affect and influence the conceptualityof a Madrasah teacher’s instructional process anchored to their pedagogical praxis. This isintended to identify a pedagogical praxis designed to create space for verifying the theoreticalknowledge, methods, and procedures in real conditions of an educational process (Sirotová,
2016). The three-way interaction that occurs in this space is viewed as influencing the practicesof the Asatidz that will be explored through their relevant pedagogical reflections, and will be
used to identify the relevant “essence” of the phenomenon.

Figure 1: The Conceptual Framework
Methodology
A qualitative transcendental phenomenological approach (Moustakas, 1994, as adapted fromHusserl, 1931), was employed in this study. The qualitative design gathered an in-depth
understanding of the participants’ description of their lived experiences to generate an“essence” (Merriam, 2009). In this study, the essence of the Asatidz’ conceptuality of
instructional processes, as manifested in their pedagogical practices during teaching andlearning, was explored based on their reflections. The study described the commonalities ofthe participants’ experience and explored relevant themes. In the Philippines, the study of the
Madrasah Education Program, especially in the implementation of the ALIVE program in
public schools, is unprecedented, thus highlighting the ability of this research to address arelevant gap in our understanding of teaching praxis. From this perspective Sali and Marasigan(2020) point out the current dearth of research outputs in the professional literature, especiallyon describing the lived experiences and understanding the nature of reality and knowledge ofthe grassroots implementers.
Therefore, a qualitative research design allowed the researcher to understand the meaning of acertain phenomenon of the participant’s perspective or emic (Merriam, 2009) in a naturalistic

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setting without any manipulation in the environment. This description suits the researcher’s
intention as it sought to explore and analyze the conceptuality of instructional process of the
Asatidz anchored in their pedagogical praxis. The participants were five Madrasah teachers or
Asatidz from selected ALIVE public schools in Metro Manila in National Capital Region. A
minimum size for phenomenological study is 5 to 25 individuals, as suggested by Creswell(1998).
The participants must have at least five years or beyond in service and teaching experience
who had attended various professional development of DepEd for at least three years. The
validated semi-structured interview method was employed and the interview questions had
undergone a pilot study for appropriateness prior to the actual data gathering. The participants’consent was secured and the participants were not coerced to participate in the study. The study
employed non-probability purposive sampling (Creswell, 1998), through a qualitative methodof analysis. The generalizability of these findings to the population is thus limited, because thesample size may not be the representative of the Asatidz in the entire Metro Manila orelsewhere. The sample is described more fully on Table 1.
Table 1: Basic Profile of the Sample
Characteristics
GenderAge

Length of Service

Professional Development

Indicators
Female
Male
21-30
31-40
41-50
>51
5 years
6-10 years
11-15 years
Attended DepEd
in-service teacher
workshops andseminars

No. of Participants
4
1
1
0
1
3
2
0
3
5

Furthermore, qualitative data gathered from the participants was initiated through their longinterviews ranged from one to two hours until data saturation (Creswell, 1998) were recorded
and were transcribed in verbatim. Horizontalization was then instigated to give equalconsideration to each statement of the participants, especially concerning how they experienced
the phenomenon. Thematic analysis was also conducted, employing interpretative
phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the data, to search for common themes of the interview
responses.
The transcriptions, after being coded, were run through Nvivo 12, considering the rich data
generated from the interviews. The most frequent words were considered in initial coding. A
validity assumption was made that each participant provided truthful answers to the questions
presented. To verify the accuracy of the participant’s responses, respondent validation was
made. The researcher’s role in the study was the observer.

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The Asatidz’ average years of service in the implementation of ALIVE program are ten years.
The participants underwent professional development including the DepEd pre-service and inservice workshop and training on pedagogy enrichment before and during deployment toschools as soon as they were employed. Furthermore, four out of five had attended formal
schooling for an education course and graduated with a degree and the remaining participant
didn’t. Also, all of the participants are proficient in Arabic language.
Results and Discussion
The findings of this study were used to explore and analyze the conceptuality of instructional
process of the Asatidz, as anchored in teachers’ pedagogical praxis. The study was limited,with five ALIVE schools and the sample size of five participants during the course of the study.
The study was conducted in three school divisions in major cities in the National Capital
Region. Thematic analysis was initiated employing interpretative phenomenological analysis(IPA) of the data. During the data analysis, four major themes emerged: pedagogicalamalgamation of traditional and non-traditional teaching practices; collaborative learning
practices; effective classroom management; and reflective practice in teaching. Each of thethemes is discussed below.
Pedagogical Amalgamation of Traditional and Non-Traditional Practices
Most of the participants understood the concept of teaching as a two-way process between
learners and a teacher in an actual classroom instruction. Remarkably, some Asatidz reflectedon the differences of the instruction employed by their former Islamic teachers or mentors
which were traditionalist in orientation as opposed to the current teaching strategies performed
in a contemporary classroom. The experiences based on their exposure to traditional teaching
methodologies such as rote learning and direct instruction support the study of Sabki andHardaker (2003) that a teacher’s pedagogical strategy “facilitates the interplay between orality,
memorisation and the sacred text in spiritually forming the human person” (p.77) with respect
to Islamic pedagogy. The conceptualization of the traditional teaching methodologies andpractices of their previous teachers provided them with clear distinctions between traditionaland contemporary pedagogical approaches. The findings suggested interplay in pedagogicaltheories and actual instructional practice which guides the Asatidz to choose what pedagogicalpractices to employ and how to better execute these practices in the classroom. In relation to
praxis-oriented educators as discussed in the four disposition-action couplings of EdwardsGroves et al. (2018, as adapted from Kemmis, 2012), these dispositions were evident in
Asatidz’ pedagogical amalgamation which directs them “to the interplay, reciprocity, anddelineation” (p. 142) of their pedagogical practices.
The participants adapt contemporary teaching as part of their pedagogical practices in enriching
relevant learning experiences in the classroom (Amri et al., 2017; Faizuddin, 2016; Tengku
Kasim & Abdurajak, 2018) with respect to the findings of Ishomuddin and Bin Mokhtar (2017),
demonstrating that the traditional method of teaching can provide more knowledge than using
other teaching methods. In the case of the selected Filipino-Muslim Madrasah teachers, theirconceptuality concerning instructional process indicated similar results with the 2014 Muslim
Education Initiatives Final Report. Most of the Asatidz’ pedagogical practices reflecteddifferent philosophical tenets anchored from realism, progressivism, existentialist humanismand social reconstructionism.
In contemporary education, a more socio-constructivist thinking anchored to differentiatedpractices are being employed in the classroom, and the traditional methodologies in teaching123

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provides support for the foundational concepts needed to understand complex concepts.
Significantly, the combination of these two practices is being implemented by the Asatidz.
Based on their reflections, the pedagogical practices they generally used are mostly a
combination of traditional and contemporary approaches to teaching and learning. With thesequalities and practices, an understanding of the essential interplay of these two pedagogicalapproaches (traditional and contemporary teaching strategies) is combined to suggest apedagogical amalgamation. This interplay shows distinction as shared pedagogic qualities andpractices of the Asatidz in the Philippines as part of the diverse sites of Islamic education
around the world (Alkouatli, 2018).
According to the participants, these pedagogical practices and employing various instructional
methods anchored to contemporary teaching (e.g. games, role playing, demonstration, using
technological devices for learning, and cooperative learning groups) are essential; especiallyon the actual implementation of learning competencies embedded in the Refined Elementary
Madrasah Curriculum (REMC). In addition, according to the participants, these different
practices are very much highlighted in the classroom, as evident in the following statements:“I usually group [for collaborative activity] my pupils. Grouping the pupils is very
important so that they can learn from each other. Also, they can mentor one
another” – P1.
“I employ visual aids [during classroom instruction]. I also let my pupils performdemonstration by group. For example, how to perform prayer…” – P2.
“There were times I used my laptop. Unfortunately, we don’t have projector. I
show some pictures and videos. […] I usually play videos from YouTube such as
the story of the Prophets” – P3.
“For example you also use show cards! Especially when you utilize laptop it will
be very effective for them [learners]” – P4.
“The learners should develop 21st century [skills]. They [learners] love games,group competition [as part of the pedagogical practices], and [movement] using
their psychomotor skills” – P5.
Collaborative Learning Practices
The Asatidz, agreed about the importance of collaborative learning practices being initiatedduring classroom instruction. There are two main reasons why interaction between learners
and teacher is imperative for the over-all learning of the pupils as explained by some of theparticipants: (development of learners’ social skills, and emotional support for shy learners
during classroom interaction. In support, according to Akdeniz (2016), interactive instruction
relies heavily on discussion and sharing among participants. This will develop social skills andabilities, to organize thoughts, and to develop rational arguments (p. 70). The Asatidz knewthat learners must be exposed to a variety of classroom interventions and opportunities to learn
from each other. Among the instructional methods the Asatidz mentioned that they used forlearners to interact during class discussion were small group conversation, and learner pairs.
Some of the Asatidz shared why they incorporate different collaborative activities in theirclassroom instruction:124

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“I always practice doing group activity. There are some learners who are too shy[to interact]. During the activity, they will join especially when there is a leader
assigned” – P5.
“By doing the group activity, the learners are encouraged to develop their [social]skills” – P3.
“The learners have different ideas. They may have better ideas to share. That iswhat grouping all about. Aside from that they have to perform [such as role play]in the class” – P1.
According to Hussin et al. (2014), there were three significant themes identified on teachingpractices of Islamic teachers: material-resource centered; teacher-centered; and studentcentered teaching method of religious subject. Similar to the results of Hussin et al. (2014), theAsatidz understood the importance of well-organized pedagogical practices in guiding thestudents to learn. Most of these participants preferred well-initiated collaborative classroom
activities and teaching methodologies. The selected Filipino-Muslim Madrasah teachers
anchored their teaching practices on a student-centered approach to enrich classroom
interaction and relevant experiences. The Asatidz’ pedagogical reasoning is guided with theirunderstanding on the importance of seeking various sources of knowledge in making choices
about their actions and practices in teaching.
In relation to Schachter’s (2017) findings, the knowledge that teachers hold about children’s
learning is imperative to teacher practices. Consistent with the findings of this study, Asatidz’
pedagogical practices are influenced by their pedagogical praxis in making sure the learners
are able to maximize relevant classroom experiences through collaborative learning practices.
In addition, according to Sirotová (2016), “the acquirement of professional competencies
begins during the pre-gradual preparation and they are further developed in a real educational
praxis” (p. 530). In the case of the participants, the influence of their formative years in teaching
and learning especially the involvements of their previous mentors was evident.
The participants shared that choosing instructional methods and materials suited for thelearners is a demanding task, yet an essential one nonetheless. Most of the Asatidz were awareof the concept of different learning styles, and some of them ascribed to do more interactive
and collaborative activities rather than to be complaisant in following traditional teachingpractices in their instruction. The Asatidz shared their beliefs in creating a conducive
environment for their learners by focusing on student-oriented practices such as establishing
instructional tactics in the classroom. Instructional tactic refers to a way on how to enhancelearning which has a narrower scope than instructional strategies (Akdeniz, 2016). Most of theparticipants were aware of their learners’ own learning styles and strategies to cope withdifferent subjects in the ALIVE program implementation. According to Bishop and Berryman(2009), “relationships and interactions between teachers and students in the classroom are keys
to effective teaching of students” (p. 27).
Effective Classroom Management
Most of the participants discussed the importance of establishing classroom management
especially with diverse learners enrolled in the ALIVE program. According to Akdeniz (2016),“effective teaching and learning cannot take place if classroom management is not applied
sufficiently” (p. 249). The classroom management according to the Asatidz helps provide
structure in order to create a non-threatening and a democratic learning environment where

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learners can freely share their ideas, beliefs, and opinions which are validated with respect(Marasigan, 2019b). The Asatidz shared their different classroom management in order tofacilitate meaningful learning. For the participants, gaining the attention of the learners throughclassroom management is crucial to the teaching and learning process. These pedagogicalreflections of the Asatidz emphasized the significance of pedagogical competence (Pekkarinen& Hirtso, 2017) in performing efficient academic tasks (Trigwell & Prosser, 2004). In thesefindings, the Asatidz create a space for verifying the theoretical knowledge, methods, andprocedures in real conditions of an educational process (Sirotová, 2016) based on theirconception that relevant learning with the learners emanates in a well-established classroom.
Some of the Asatidz established rules in the classroom by performing the following
instructional tactics: use of meta-cards to answer questions; assigning a student leader during
collaborative learning activities; teacher cues such as prayers, greetings and songs before
formally starting the class; positive reinforcement; raising of hands; and class segregation ofmale and female learners. Interestingly, for higher levels, Asatidz follows sex-based
segregation for male and female learners. This practice is mostly attributed to the religious
belief that males and females should maintain distance from members of the opposite sex who
are not immediate family members. According to the participants, these different classroom
management tactics are essential during the teaching and learning process, as evident in thefollowing statements:“First, we have to attend training and seminar on pedagogy […] especially on the
different [teaching] strategies and techniques and how to implement classroom
management.” – P1.
“In my part, my [teaching] style first the classroom management. If you don’t haveclassroom management inside your classroom you will not be able to concentrate[during classroom teaching]” – P4.
Most of the Asatidz teachers also discussed the particular importance of classroom management
in relation to diverse learners enrolled in the ALIVE program. According to Akdeniz (2016),“effective teaching and learning cannot take place if classroom management is not applied
sufficiently” (p. 249). The classroom management of the Asatidz helps provide structure to theclass in order to create a non-threatening democratic learning environment where learners canfeel that their ideas, beliefs, and opinions are validated with respect to each other.
Reflective Practice in Teaching
Motivation acts as a reflection of teachers’ condition and level for growth and improvement.
Most of the participants practice self-evaluation, especially on self-development in improving
their pedagogical practices in general. The Asatidz awareness for growth and development interms of enriching pedagogical practices is unprecedented. All of the participants agreed thattraining and development during their formative years and in-service seminars conducted by
DepEd and their respective schools helped them to improve their over-all performance as a
Madrasah teacher. These results confirmed the study conducted by Sali and Marasigan (2020)
on selected Asatidz in Quezon City where diversity on their teaching strategies and general
grasp of pedagogical concepts were evident. According to Liu et al. (2018), teachers’
motivation for self-development plays an important role in the formation process of theirprofessional autonomy.

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According to Kemmis (2012), praxis is part of self-formation of a person as it gives valuable
benefit to one’s self at the same time good in human community. The reflective practices of
the Asatidz as mirrored through their pedagogical practices Edwards-Groves et al., 2018 ;(Freire, 1978; Mayo, 2016) were bulwark in their pursuit for self-development to provide
relevant experiences to their learners, particularly “on their material surroundings and reflect
upon them with a view to transforming them” (Mayo, 2016, p. 2). However, self-development
is more than the result of teaching as what teachers are expected to perform.
The teacher’s conscientiousness and reflective practices allow the Asatidz to be aware of theirroles and obligations as expected of them being part of the school community and to theirlearners. As evident in these findings, pedagogical praxis enables Asatidz to constantly practiceself-evaluation for self-development particularly in the enrichment of their pedagogicalpractices. Thereby, reflective practice in teaching enables the Asatidz to develop and implement
new concepts relevant to teaching and learning. As supported by Kemmis (2012), educators
are guided by their praxis anchored to different dispositions to include theoretical, technical,
practical, and critical perspectives which were evident in this study.
More than the expectation, the participants explained the essence of understanding oneself tobe effective and efficient in teaching and learning process. Also, the reflective practice allows
teachers to understand the interplay of “what” (theories learned) and “how” (practice applied)in the teaching and learning process. Barni et al. (2019) argued that values under certain
motivational conditions are “precious resources to improve the quality of teaching experience
for teachers and indirectly for their students” (p. 5). Therefore, motivated teachers seem tomake teaching more meaningful, which can facilitate and create meaningful andtransformational educational experiences for their learners. The Asatidz explained theirreflective practices on self-development:“At first, I find it hard to teach. I thought to myself, this is how teaching work?
However, when I joined the in-service training, especially when we had attended the
LEaP training for 23 days [learned how to improve pedagogical practices]” – P4.
“The most important thing in teaching is sincerity. That should also be part of ourcommitment as a teacher. If you do things [self-improvement] seriously, thelearners will feel it [commitment to teaching]” – P1.
Limitations of the Study
This study was limited to five ALIVE schools and the sample size of five participants during
the course of the study conducted in three school divisions, including the cities of Manila,
Quezon, and Pasay in the National Capital Region. Other limitations are enumerated in the
succeeding discussion. First, the emergent themes may be applied only to selected ALIVE
schools in Metro Manila and not to any private or traditional madaris since the respondent
schools were all accredited as DepEd-affiliated schools. Second, ALIVE schools in the country
may have different program implementation and practices depending on the region, province,and district. In addition, Asatidz from different places in the country may have different
educational backgrounds, self-efficacy, professional development, and mentoring that affecttheir pedagogical practices compared to the selected participants. Third, the researcher usedpurely qualitative design and methods in data collection through in-depth interviews because
he believed that these methods are the best way to explore and analyze the conceptuality of
instructional process anchored in the participants’ pedagogical praxis.

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Conclusion, Implications, and Further Research
The results of the study identified salient themes of the Asatidz’ conceptuality of instructional
process as anchored to their pedagogical praxis. The generalizability of these findings to the
population was limited because the sample size is unlikely to be representative of the Asatidz
in the entire Metro Manila. Thematic analysis was initiated employing interpretative
phenomenological analysis (IPA) of the data. There were four major themes identified in the
study: pedagogical amalgamation of traditional and non-traditional teaching practices;collaborative learning practices; effective classroom management; and reflective practice inteaching. The pedagogical reflections of selected Madrasah teachers implementing the ALIVE
program in the Philippines are multifaceted and dynamic. The awareness of the participants on
the different aspects of instructional process including instructional models, methods,
strategies, techniques, and tactics are unprecedented. Therefore, it is imperative for teachers to
identify the interplay of theories and practice in their teaching and learning. As evident in the
results of the study, pedagogical praxis enables Asatidz to constantly practice self-evaluation
for self-development, particularly in the enrichment of their pedagogical practices. This, inturn, creates a space for verifying the theoretical knowledge, methods, and procedures within
the real conditions of a particular educational process (Sirotová, 2016).
Further studies are encouraged in exploring actual practices of the Asatidz in the classroom, in
relation to their pedagogical praxis and identify essential factors that influence their teaching
performance. However, the results of the current study are useful in guiding education
stakeholders in relation to evidence-based policymaking, to further improve theimplementation of the ALIVE program, particularly in terms of teacher development for
Madrasah teachers seeking to create comprehensive and well-thought pedagogical programs
that better suit and complement their pedagogical praxis – as a baseline for further instructionaland educational enrichment. In addition, the results could help ALIVE schools to provide moreenhancement programs toward quality education through teacher development, to ensure thecontinuity and relevance of Madrasah Education Program implementation. As mentioned, it isimperative to consider the significance of Asatidz as the prime implementers of Madrasah
education in ALIVE schools within their respective communities. Lastly, this study provides
additional knowledge and its enrichment to the existing literature on pedagogical practices, aswell as a general conceptualization of the instructional processes of selected Madrasah teachers
as grassroots implementers of the ALIVE program in the Philippines.

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Corresponding author: Abdul Haiy A. Sali
Email: abdulhaiysali@gmail.com

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