Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Quality education has always been affiliated with a

successful future career. However, as much as facilities and

technology can help uplift the quality of education in any

institution, it is undeniable that teachers and quality teaching

are the most essential factors in the success of the teaching-

learning process. Undoubtedly, teachers are one of the most

important school-based resources in determining students’ future

academic success and lifetime outcome.

The practice of raising and producing distinguished and

highly competent teachers has always been the norm of Bohol

Wisdom School, College of Education since then. This prestige

continued to be known until the pandemic made quite a stir in all

educational systems, prompting the school to adopt the distance

learning approach, thus, adversely affecting quality education.

In fact, based on the observations from interviews and initial

demo-teaching sessions during the field study of student

teachers, the school administration found out that the last two

batches who graduated from distance learning are not as good in

teaching performance as the previous batches were.

 Given the fact that Bohol Wisdom School has been producing

teachers of high caliber, this includes products who are highly

prepared to teach in the actual teaching field. However, just as

student teachers’ teaching performance has been affected by

distance learning, their readiness to teach may have also been.

Thus, in the light of the above scenario, the researchers

find it indispensable to identify the demo-teaching performances

of the 4th year pre-service teachers and determine its

relationship to their readiness in teaching. Through this study,

the BWS College of Education department shall undertake teaching

improvement programs in accordance with the result of this study

and re-strengthen the quality education it offers.

Literature Background

Teachers are undoubtedly the main curriculum implementers,

and thus, teacher’s performance is highly crucial for school

effectiveness (Ozgenel & Ozkan, 2019). In fact, according to

Chetty et al. (2014) as cited by Burroughs et al. (2019)

students taught by highly effective teachers, as defined by the

student growth percentile (SGPs) and value-added measures (VAMs),

were more likely to attend college, earn more, live in higher-

income neighborhoods, save more money for retirement, and were

less likely to have children during their teenage years.

 On this note, it can be argued that pre-service teachers’

training is one of the most important aspects of every teacher’s

education curriculum as it prepares student-teachers to become

qualified teachers in the future (Ulla, 2016). As such, this

study is supported by theories that assert teachers’ cognitive

and pedagogical dominance over their students as well as their

perception of readiness in teaching which can be crucial factors

in the practice of their fields.

Evidently, the Theory of Performance of Teachers by Bacon

(2001) emphasizes the importance of teachers’ superiority, and

thus, their competence, as it states that the knowledge of a

teacher should be beyond that of the knowledge of a student to

make his/her activity effective, which is, by all chance, an

undebatable fact. In evidence, according to Walshaw (2012),

teachers with limited subject knowledge have been shown to focus

on a narrow conceptual field rather than on forging wider

connections between the facts, concepts, structures, and

practices of academic disciplines.

Knowledge is ever-evolving and so too must be the teachers.

The fact that a number more disciplines have been introduced in

the educational context as well as countless new information

disseminated, it would not take long until some knowledge held by

teachers be deemed obsolete. As such, in order to maintain

effective and quality teaching, teachers should always be a few

steps ahead of their students most especially in the pedagogical

and efficacy side.

In the same manner, the Self-Efficacy Theory of Bandura

(1994), stated that people with a high sense of self-efficacy

have a high sense of competence. In fact, according to Talsma,

Robertson, Thomas & Norris (2021), 2020 students believed that

COVID-19-related changes to their learning context would

negatively impact their capacity to perform academically.

Moreover, university students who have been studying during the

COVID-19 outbreak are potentially vulnerable to negative effects

on academic outcomes, such as grades, as well as on important

academic beliefs, such as self-efficacy (Talsma, et.al., 2021).

Studies have shown that teachers’ perception of preparedness

can affect their performance in teaching. In fact, considerable

research has shown that teachers with high levels of self-

efficacy experience higher levels of job satisfaction, lower

levels of job-related stress and face less difficulties in

dealing with students’ misbehaviors (Caprara et al., 2003).

Moreover, teachers’ self-efficacy has been largely associated

with teaching effectiveness, instructional practices, and

students’ academic achievement (Klassen et al., 2009; Klassen and

Tze, 2014).
 Unfortunately, much of the curriculum has been adapted to an

online format due to the pandemic, and the long-term consequence

of which is yet to be recognized (Kumar, Sarkar, Davis, Morphet,

Maloney, Ilic, & Palermo 2021). The only thing that is for

certain is that engaging with a curriculum that has been

transitioned from in person to online is likely to impact how

students learn and how they can contextualize that learning into

practice (Kumar, et.al 2021).

On the light of the above scenario, the Philippine

government has signed a law recognizing teachers’ crucial role in

nation building through its Republic Act 7836 or the Philippine

Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994, of which, section 2

states that:

(1)The State recognizes the vital role of teachers in

nation-building and development through a responsible and
literate citizenry. Towards this end, the State shall ensure
and promote quality education by proper supervision and
regulation of the licensure examination and
professionalization of the practice of the teaching
profession.

Thus, in accordance to this, section 5(I) states that the

state shall:

(5)Look into the conditions affecting the practice of the

teaching profession and whenever necessary, adopt such
 measures as may be deemed proper for the enhancement and
maintenance of high professional and ethical standards of
the profession;

Furthermore, Republic Act 11713, An act further

strengthening teacher education in the Philippines by enhancing

the teacher education council, establishing a scholarship program

for students in the teacher education program, institutionalizing

the national educators’ academy of the Philippines, and

appropriating funds therefor, amending for the purpose republic

act NO. 7784, entitled “An act to strengthen teacher education in

the Philippines by establishing centers of excellence, creating a

teacher education council for the purpose, appropriating funds

therefor, and for other purposes, stated in its Declaration of

Policy that:

(2)It is likewise universally recognized that the teacher is

the key to the effectiveness of the teaching-learning
process by drawing out and nurturing the best in the learner
as a human being and a worthy member of society.

Thus, in accordance to section 6, the objectives and

functions of a Teacher Education-COE shall be to:

Conduct innovative and relevant pre-service and in-service

teacher education and training programs, including
alternative delivery programs, to ensure access to
education, continuity of learning, and resilience of the
education system that shall develop and produce teachers who
shall provide quality education to learners.
 However, despite the efforts of the government to enhance

and foster quality education through the said Republic Acts,

there will always be instances like the COVID-19 pandemic that

are beyond its capacity to provide immediate solutions, thus,

causing undesirable effects in the long run. Clinically, COVID-19

or the Coronavirus disease is an infectious disease caused by the

SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus can spread from an indicated person’s

mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze,

speak, sing, or breathe, and can spread more easily indoors and

in crowded settings.

By the time the Covid-19 pandemic has caused the closure of

educational institutions thereby putting a halt to the customary

educational system, the educational phase has shifted from the

traditional face-to-face classes to the distance learning

approach as a way to bridge the chasm brought about by the

aforementioned outbreak. After all, there is no other best

alternative to the traditional learning approach than distance

learning or online learning during the pandemic. In fact, Dhawan

(2020) stated that online learning is the panacea during the time

of the COVID-19 crisis, and even provided opportunities to

improve educational content and professional development for

teachers, and promoted individualized learning for students (Byun

& Slavin, 2020 ).

 Unfortunately, this unprecedented scenario has instantly

been deemed as a major downside in the unending pursuit of

quality education. In fact, the adoption of distance learning has

potentially downgraded the overall educational quality (Byun &

Slavin, 2020) realizing that distance learning has its

shortcomings like lesser student-teacher interaction and limited

chances to perform teacher-related practices for pre-service

teachers. Indeed, while teachers have often had years of

experience both in the classroom and through their own education,

pre-service teachers during the times of pandemic not only had to

adjust to an online environment as students, but also had to

learn how to be a teacher in this new environment as well

(Ralston & Blakely, 2021).

Looking into the side of this research’s locale, which is

Bohol Wisdom School, the effect of the distance learning has been

made clear when the school administration found out that the

distance learning products were not as competent as their pre-

pandemic counterparts based on their observations from interviews

and initial demo-teaching sessions during the student teachers’

field study. It is mostly because pre-service teachers did not

have the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of specific teacher

performance expectations within the distance learning format

(Hill, 2021). Furthermore, several distractions at homes can also

be one of the factors that affects quality education in a

distance or online setting.

Indeed, in-person observations and opportunities to practice

classroom instruction contribute to teacher readiness, of which,

and the likes of program learning outcomes and critical

assignments that allow candidates to demonstrate content

knowledge and instructional delivery are being compromised (Hill,

2021) due to the distance learning approach.

According to Lew & Nelson (2016) as cited by Ooyik, Lerner,

& Pitts (2021), Teacher Education Programs(TEPs) struggle to

connect theory and practice, thus, leaving beginning teachers

less effective than more experienced ones (Clotfelter et al.,

2010; Hanushek, 2004 as cited by Ooyik, et.al., 2021). This only

means that Programs that focus on the “practices of teaching” are

associated with an increase in student achievement outcomes

equivalent to the effect of a year of experience in teaching

(Boyd et al., 2009 as cited by Ooyik, et.al., 2021).

The distance learning implemented in response to the

pandemic has been deemed as the determining factor to adversely

affect the pre-service teachers’ performance of Bohol Wisdom

School, but it can be potentially averted by administering a

rigorous approach to teaching through the constant immersion of

pre-service teachers into a replica of the teaching environment

if not the real environment in general.

The Problem

Statement of the Problem

The main thrust of the study is to determine the significant

relationship between the performance and perception of teaching
readiness among the fourth year pre-service teachers of Bohol
Wisdom College of Education for the second semester, Academic
Year 2022-2023 and to formulate a proposed action plan based on
the findings of the study.

Specifically, the study will seek to answer the following

questions:

1. What is the respondents’ demographic profile in terms of:

1.1 age

1.2 gender; and

1.3 majors

2. What is the pre-service teachers’ performance?

3. What is the respondent’s perception of readiness in teaching?

4. Is there a significant relationship between the respondent’s

performance and their perception of readiness in teaching?

5. What action plan could be proposed based on the findings of

the study?