Needs assessment of teachers’ knowledge bases, pedagogical approaches and self-efficacy in implementing the K to 12 science and mathematics curriculum

2019 IJRSE – Volume 8 Issue 2

Author/s:

Reston, Enriqueta D.
Science and Mathematics Education Department, University of San Carlos,
Cebu City, Philippines (edreston@usc.edu.ph)

Cañizares, Monell John F.*
Science and Mathematics Education Department, University of San Carlos,
Cebu City, Philippines (mjfcanizares@usc.edu.ph; monelljohnz@gmail.com)

Abstract:

This study aimed to assess the professional development needs of in-service science and mathematics teachers in order to provide baseline data for planning a continuing in-service professional development program to address teachers’ needs in line with the implementation of the K to 12 science and mathematics curriculum. Teachers’ professional development needs were assessed along with their teaching self-efficacy beliefs. The results showed that the teaching of Statistics, and Probability and Physics were the learning areas identified by majority of the math teachers (66.3%) and science teachers (57.7%), respectively, as the  greatest area of need in terms of their pedagogical content knowledge for teaching. Teaching using the spiral progression approach, constructivist pedagogical approaches and assessment schemes were also the identified areas of development needs. The second phase consisted of workshop-based needs assessment among the teacher-respondents as a way of validating the identified areas of needs. While short-term workshops were the most preferred mode of professional development by both groups of teachers, they were divided almost evenly between choosing a long-term Master’s degree and an intermediary Certificate Program for teaching in their field. Implications and recommendations for future directions in both curriculum and teachers’ professional development are discussed.

Keywords: needs assessment; professional development; K to 12 science and mathematics curriculum; knowledge bases; self-efficacy belief

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrse.2018.3016

*Corresponding Author