ASSESSING THE COMPETENCE LEVEL OF SOCIAL STUDIES
PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS
Authors:
Prof. Joselito C. Gutierrez, MAEd and Hazel Jean P. Angwani, Team Leader
School of Teacher Education, Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines
jo_guro_ako@yahoo.com and joselitogutierrez80@gmail.com
This study focused on assessing the competence level of social studies pre-service
teachers in the School of Teacher Education, Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines.
Determining the competencies of social studies pre-service teachers will help the Teacher
Education Institutions train their would-be teachers. The competencies used were categorized
into four, namely: content, pedagogy, diversity, and professionalism based on Parker’s
Competencies of Social Studies Teachers and that of the National Competency Based Teachers
Standards given by the Department of Education. Questionnaire was administered to the students
majoring in Social Studies. In the four categories that were mentioned, it was found out that
students are very highly competent in diversity and highly competent in the areas content,
pedagogy, and professionalism. The result of the study clearly shows that social studies preservice teachers need support in order for them to clearly manifest the competencies they have
along the four areas. In order to do so, the researchers recommended that they should be given
more activities and trainings in acquiring different knowledge and skills pertaining to Social
Studies. Social Studies major subjects should also cater in the mastery of content and provide
more hands-on activities that would help widen their knowledge. It is recommended that Teacher
Educational Institutions should be upgraded with learning facilities that will challenge the skills
and knowledge of social studies pre-service teachers. The result of this study is very helpful in
monitoring and assessing the competencies of social studies pre-service teachers before their
deployment in the actual field of teaching.
Keywords: competence, competencies, Social Studies, Pre-service teachers, teaching,