Supporting Reforms and Developments in Teacher Education
for the Digital Economy
Soledad A. Ulep
University of the Philippines National Institutefor Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED)
Introduction:Reforms and developments in teacher education in the Philippines may be viewed inrelation to the country’s continuous pursuit of teacher quality. In 2017, theDepartment of Education – Teacher Education Council published the Philippine
Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) which was developed through theResearch Center for Teacher Quality. The Standards define teacher quality in thePhilippines. They “describe the expectations of teachers’ increasing levels ofknowledge, practice, and professional engagement.” In particular, they play animportant role in helping ensure that the K to 12 curriculum reform will achieve itsgoals. For the reforms and developments relative to the Standards to be effective,
support mechanisms should be in place.
This paper will discuss the support initiatives of UP NISMED in addressing specificdomains and strands in these domains of the Standards. These domains which arerelated to each other, are Content Knowledge and Pedagogy, Curriculum andPlanning, and Personal Growth and Professional Development. The kind of support
that UP NISMED extends through its various programs and projects address thesedomains and strands simultaneously.
Teacher professional development is a life-long learning process that spans acontinuum where teachers move from the level of being a beginning teacher, tobeing a proficient one, then to being a highly proficient one, and to being a
distinguished teacher. The qualities of teachers in these different career stages aregiven in the Appendix. This paper will focus on the support UP NISMED provides sothat teachers will demonstrate the characteristics of highly proficient professionals.
Different Domains in the PPST for which UP NISMED has Support Initiatives
for Teachers
Domain: Content Knowledge and Pedagogy (Source: PPST, 2017)“This domain recognizes the importance of teachers’ mastery of content knowledge
and its interconnectedness within and across curriculum areas, coupled with asound and critical understanding of the application of theories and principles ofteaching and learning. It encompasses teachers’ ability to apply developmentally
appropriate and meaningful pedagogy grounded on content knowledge and current
research. It takes into account teachers’ proficiency in Mother Tongue, Filipino, and1

English in the teaching and learning process, as well as needed skills in the use ofcommunication strategies, teaching strategies, and technologies to promote highquality learning outcomes. “Table 1: Domain - Content Knowledge and Pedagogy (Source: PPST, 2017)
Strands
Highly Proficient Teacher
Content knowledge and its application Model effective applications of content
within and across curriculum areas
knowledge within and across curriculum
teaching areas
Research-based knowledge andCollaborate with colleagues in the conduct
principles of teaching and learningand application of research to enrichknowledge of content and pedagogy
Positive use of ICT
Promote effective strategies in the positive
use of ICT to facilitate the teaching andlearning process
Strategies for promoting literacy and Evaluate with colleagues the effectivenessnumeracyof teaching strategies that promote learnerachievement in literacy and numeracy
Strategies for developing critical andDevelop and apply effective teachingcreative thinking, as well as otherstrategies to promote critical and creative
higher order thinking skills
thinking, as well as other higher order
thinking skills
Domain: Curriculum and Planning (Source: PPST, 2017)“This domain addresses teachers’ knowledge of and interaction with the national
and local curriculum requirements. It encompasses their ability to translate
curriculum content into learning activities that are relevant to learners and basedon the principles of effective teaching and learning. It expects teachers to apply theirprofessional knowledge to plan and design, individually, and in collaboration withcolleagues, well structured and sequenced lessons. These lesson sequences andassociated learning programs should be contextually relevant, responsive tolearners’ needs, and incorporate a range of teaching and learning resources. The
Domain expects teachers to communicate learning goals to support learnerparticipation, understanding, and achievement.”
Table 2: Domain – Curriculum and Planning (Source: PPST, 2017)
StrandHighly Proficient Teacher
Planning and management of teaching Develop and apply effective strategies inand learning process
the planning and management ofdevelopmentally sequenced teaching andlearning process to meet curriculum
requirements and varied teaching contexts
Learning outcomes aligned withModel to colleagues the setting oflearning competencies
achievable and challenging learning2outcomes that are aligned with learningcompetencies to cultivate a culture ofexcellence for all learners
Professional collaboration to enrich Review with colleagues, teacher andteaching practicelearner feedback to plan, facilitate, andenrich teaching practice
Teaching and learning resources
Advise and guide colleagues in the
including ICT
selection, organization, development, anduse of appropriate teaching and learning
resources, including ICT, to address
specific learning goals
Domain: Personal Growth and Professional Development (Source: PPST, 2017)“This domain focuses on teachers’ personal growth and professional development. It
accentuates teachers’ proper and high personal regard for the profession bymaintaining qualities that uphold the dignity of teaching such as caring attitude,respect, and dignity. It values personal and professional reflection and learning toimprove practice. It recognizes the importance of teachers’ assuming responsibility
for personal growth and professional development for lifelong learning.”
Table 3: Domain – Personal Growth and Development (Source: PPST, 2017)
StrandHighly Proficient Teacher
Philosophy of teaching
Manifest a learner-centered teaching
philosophy in various aspects of practiceand support colleagues in enhancing theirown learner-centered teaching philosophy
Professional links with colleagues
Contribute actively to professional
networks within and between schools toimprove knowledge and enhance practiceProfessional reflection and learning to Initiate professional reflections andimprove practicepromote learning opportunities withcolleagues to improve practice
Support Initiatives of UP NISMEDUP NISMED’s programs and projects that address the foregoing domains include theCollaborative Lesson Research and Development Program, Lesson Study in thePhilippines Website, Go Teacher Go! Radio Program, GeoGebra Institute ofMetroManila @UP NISMED Website, AgIMat Website, and the KaSaMa Teachers
Online Community.
Collaborative Lesson Research and Development (CLRD) ProgramThis program uses lesson study to promote teaching science through inquiry andteaching mathematics through problem solving. “Lesson study is a form of a long-3

term teacher-led professional learning, developed in Japan, in which teacherssystematically and collaboratively conduct research on teaching and learning inclassrooms in order to enrich students’ learning experiences and improve their own
teaching” (Wang-Iverson and Yoshida, 2002). Teaching science through inquiry andteaching mathematics through problem solving are learner-centered teachingapproaches in that they provide plenty of opportunities for students to engage increative, critical, and other high level thinking as they learn the science and/ormathematics content.
In doing lesson study which is based on the theory of social constructivism, UP
NISMED specialists collaborate with school teachers to formulate their research
theme (or long-term goal) and yearly sub-goals (or lesson study goals) for the longterm development of their students through the improvement of their teaching.
Once the goals are set, they plan the unit of which the research lesson that will help
them achieve the goals, is a part. In developing the research lesson whose objectives
are aligned with the research theme and the lesson study goal, the lesson study
team critically examines the curriculum - its scope and sequence, the learningcompetencies and standards, textbooks, teacher’s guide, research studies on thetopic of the research lesson, students’ assessment results, and other relevantmaterials and ideas. They also discuss their own experiences in and learnings fromtheir previous teaching of the topic. They write the research lesson plan and thenone of the teachers in the team implements it in his/her own class. The rest of theteam members along with other invited observers such as teachers of the same
subject but in different grade levels gather data through observation when thelesson is implemented. These data serve as the basis of their discussion in the postlesson reflection and discussion (PRD) in relation to the research theme, lesson
study goal, and the objective of the lesson with focus on student learning andthinking. Then the research lesson is revised based on the results of the (PRD) and
implemented by another teacher in the team in his/her own class. This is followedby the PRD, after which the lesson study team writes their report. The diagram
below shows the lesson study process that is followed in the CLRD Program.
Lesson Study Process
Lesson study has a research theme or long-term goal.

LLO

A
B

PlanningO
Implementa on of the Research LessonCR
Post-lesson Reflec on and Discussion

NA
OI

T

Examples of accounts that show thatteachers’ knowledge of content wasdeepened and broadened and theirpedagogy gradually shifted to making
students more responsible for their ownlearning are documented in the two lesson
study books that UP NISMED published aswell as in its dedicated lesson study website.
These, and the Lesson Study Guidebook it
also published, support teachers as they
develop a mindset to collaborate with one
another so that they can grow professionallyand enrich the learning experiences of theirstudents. These resources are used byeducation graduate students as they
research on lesson study.
4

UP NISMED’s Lesson Study
Publica ons

UP NISMED also conducts professional development (PD) programs with twophases which are sponsored by various sectors. These PD programs often include
several schools in a district, city, or province. The first phase is a training program
which familiarizes the participants consisting of teachers, subject coordinators,principals, supervisors, and teacher educators, with teaching approaches that are
inquiry-based in science and problem solving-based in mathematics and with lesson
study as a teacher professional learning process. The second phase is a school-based
follow-through in which the UP NISMED specialists observe the teacher participants
as they implement research lessons in their own classes at school. They had
collaboratively developed the lessons based on their research theme and lesson
study goal. These PD programs provide opportunities for school teachers anduniversity teacher educators to collaborate. The latter serve as knowledgeable
others both in the planning and PRD stages of lesson study.
The Philippine Association of Lesson and Learning Studies (PALS) is an organization
initiated by UP NISMED which is aimed at promoting lesson study and creating anetwork of lesson study practitioners in the Philippines in order to improve thequality of education. So far, PALS had organized seminars and workshops on lesson
study and lesson study related topics in different schools in the country. These wereconducted by experts from Japan, UP NISMED specialists, and collaborating schoolteachers.
Go Teacher Go! Radio Program
Go Teacher Go! is a radio program produced by UP NISMED in cooperation withDZUP 1602, the official AM radio station of UP. The program provides useful
information for elementary and high school teachers on science and mathematics
and on strategies in teaching them. Episodes also address common students’
misconceptions, difficulties, and errors, as well as numeracy, and scientific literacy.
Besides UP NISMED specialists, invited resource persons include school teachers,university professors, and experts in different fields of science and mathematics. By
participating in the live streamimg of the program or listening to its podcasts,

5teachers can acquire a better understanding of content and pedagogy andappreciation of its applications in their teaching practices.
GeoGebra Institute of Metro Manila @ UP NISMED
GeoGebra is a free downloadable dynamic mathematics software. UP NISMED
developed mathematical tasks such as applets in Geogebra which can be used forproblem solving or mathematical investigations. These resources which are found in
the website https://geogebra.nismed.upd.edu.ph emphasize understanding ofconcepts and mathematical thinking. Below is an example of an app using GeoGebra.

AgIMat Website
In AgIMat, Ag stands for Agham (Filipino word for science), I stands forImpormasyon (stands for information), and Mat (stands for mathematics). The
website contains tried out teaching and learning resources which include among
others, lesson plans, activity sheets, and tasks for mathematical investigations. It
provides teachers examples of the positive use of ICT and ICT-mediated teaching
and learning resources for enhancing their own and their students’ learning.
KaSaMaTeachers’ Online CommunityTeachers
from different schools, educators fromdifferentteacher education institutions, and UPNISMED
specialists who are members of the KaSaMa
Teachers
Online Community share teaching andlearning
resources, interact with one anotherregardingtheir practices, challenges, and solutions, andcollaborate
on common professional development
activities.
Webinars are also conducted mostly by UP
NISMED specialists to share critical information, materials, and updates to support
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teachers for example, in implementing the new science curriculum or in adapting
lesson study in their school.
Concluding Remarks
The support initiatives of UP NISMED concerning reforms and developments inteacher education involve the enhancement of teachers’ competence in teaching bystrengthening their content, pedagogical content knowledge, resesarch skills, andprofessional development in collaboration with other colleagues. These areaccomplished through face-to-face undertakings such as in training venues and/orin schools. They are achieved as well through the use of technology which isprevalent in a digital economy. With technology, constraints related to time, space,distance, and finances, among others, which often hinder the effectiveness ofreforms and developments are addressed. Taken together, the support initiatives of
UP NISMED help teachers meet the standards set forth in the PPST.
References:
Research Center for Teacher Quality (2017). Philippine Professional Standards forTeachers. Department of Education-Teacher Education Council: Pasig City.
Wang-Iverson, P. and Yoshida, M. (Eds.) Building our Understanding of Lesson Study
APPENDIXCareer Stages of Teachers (Source: PPST 2017)
The following are descriptions of the “elements of high-quality teaching for the 21stcentury” in the different stages of a teacher’s career.
Career Stage 1 or
Beginning
Teachers
They have gained
the qualifications
recognized fromentry into theteachingprofession.
They have a strong
understanding of
the subjects/areasin which they areCareer Stages
Career Stage 2Career Stage 3 orProficient
Highly Proficient
Teachers
Teachers
They are
They consistently
professionallydisplay a high level
independent in the of performance inapplication of skills their teachingvital to thepractice.
teaching andlearning process.
They provide
They manifest anfocused teaching
in-depth andprograms thatsophisticatedmeet curriculum
understanding ofCareer Stage 4
Distinguished
Teachers
They embody thehighest standard
for teaching
grounded in global
best practices.
They exhibit
exceptional
capacity toimprove their own

7trained in terms ofcontent knowledge
and pedagogy.
They possess therequisiteknowledge, skills,
and values that
support theteaching andlearning process.

and assessment
requirements.

the teaching andlearning process.

teaching practiceand that of others.

They display skills
in planning,implementing, andmanaging learningprograms.

They manage
learning programs
and have strategies
that promotelearning based on
the learning needsof their students.

They activelyengage incollaborative
learning with theprofessional
community andother stakeholders
for mutual growthand advancement.

They arerecognized asleaders ineducation,contributors to theprofession, andinitiators ofcollaborations andpartnerships.
They create
lifelong impact in
the lives ofcolleagues,students, andothers.

They seek advice
from experienced
colleagues toconsolidate theirteaching practice.

They are reflective
practitioners whocontinuallyconsolidate theknowledge, skills,
and practices ofCareer Stage 1teachers.

They have higheducation focusedsituation cognition,
are more adept inproblem solving
and optimize
opportunities
gained fromexperience.
They provide
support andmentoring tocolleagues in theirprofessional
development, as
well as work
collaboratively
with them toenhance thelearning andpractice potentialof their colleagues.
They continuallyseek to develop
their professional
knowledge andpractice byreflecting on theirown needs, andthose of theircolleagues andstudents.

They consistently
seek professional
advancement andrelevance inpursuit of teachingquality andexcellence.

They exhibit
commitment toinspire theeducation
community andstakeholders forthe improvementof education
provision in thePhilippines.

8