© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
THE TEACHING GOALS AND CLASSROOM PRACTICES
OF HISTORY TEACHERS IN SELECTED PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS
IN A BATANGAS MUNICIPALITY: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS
by
Jayson Gulpan
Submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Degree of
Master of Arts in Education,
with Specialization in Development Education
School of Education and Human Development
University of Asia and the Pacific
2015
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
This study looked into the teaching goals and classroom practices of high school
History teachers in three selected private schools in a Batangas municipality. This study
sought to determine whether cultural literacy or memorization, historical understanding,
historical empathy, and civic efficacy are part of the teaching goals the teachers set for
themselves in designing and delivering their lessons. This study also aimed to analyze the
classroom practices of the teachers in teaching History. In-depth interviews with the high
school History teachers, analysis of daily-learning plans, classroom observations, and focus
group discussion with History professors from a university in Metro Manila were conducted.
Guided by these research methodologies, the study was able to determine that cultural
literacy or memorization still remains a valuable goal for the teachers. They have recognized
the important place of memorization in the teaching and learning of History. However, they
made it clear that History education should go beyond memorization of details; there ought
to be understanding and application. The findings also suggest that the teachers give
paramount attention to the development of civic efficacy among the students. In teaching
History, the teachers employ various classroom practices that are learner-centered and
technology-based.
JOG
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank God for giving me the physical, intellectual, and emotional stamina to
be able to carry out my study.
I would also like to thank my thesis adviser, Dr. Ernesto Grio, and my thesis instructor, Dr.
Celerino Tiongco, for guiding me throughout the entire thesis writing process.
I am also thankful to the other members of my panel for giving valuable insights on how I
can improve my study.
I am also grateful to my family and friends who supported me emotionally.
JOG
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Tables and Figures .................................................................................................. vi
List of Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... vii
Chapter I: INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………... 1
Context of the Study ………………………………………………………… 1
Research Problem …………………………………………………………… 6
Purposes of the Study ……………………………………………………….. 7
Research Questions …………………………………………………………. 8
Definitions of Terms ………………………………………………………... 9
Significance of the Study ............................................................................................ 10
Scope, Delimitations, and Limitations ..................................................................... 11
Linkages to Development Education ....................................................................... 12
Chapter II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE .............................................. 14
Teaching Goals of High School History Teachers ................................................. 14
Developing Cultural Literacy ..................................................................................... 14
Defining Cultural Literacy ................................................................................... 14
Critics on Hirsch’s Cultural Literacy ................................................................... 15
Rote Learning versus Meaningful Learning ...................................................... 17
Building Historical Understanding ............................................................................ 18
Nature of History ................................................................................................. 18
Different Historiographies .................................................................................. 19
Key Thinkers on History ..................................................................................... 20
Leopold Von Ranke ...................................................................................... 20
Fernand Braudel ............................................................................................. 21
Michel Foucault .............................................................................................. 22
Teodoro Agoncillo ......................................................................................... 23
Renato Constantino ....................................................................................... 24
Historical Understanding ............................................................................................ 25
Developing Historical Empathy ................................................................................ 27
Defining Historical Empathy .............................................................................. 27
Features of Historical Empathy .......................................................................... 28
Value of Historical Empathy .............................................................................. 30
Development of Historical Empathy in the Classroom ................................. 31
Fostering Social Understanding and Civic Efficacy ............................................... 36
Civic Efficacy, Civic Engagement, Civic Competencies ................................. 37
Indicators and Predictors of Civic Engagement .............................................. 39
Civic Competencies .............................................................................................. 40
Teaching of History for Citizenship or Civic Education ................................ 41
Classroom Practices of High School History Teachers ......................................... 43
Use of Documentary Films ................................................................................. 43
Use of Literature Circles ...................................................................................... 44
Use of Picture Books and Poems ....................................................................... 46
Employing Literacy Strategies ............................................................................. 46
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
Characteristics of Effective Teaching of History ................................................... 47
Summary ....................................................................................................................... 52
Chapter III: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY ..... 54
Conceptual Framework .......................................................................................
Teaching Goals .............................................................................................
Cultural Literacy as the Lowest Goal ........................................................
Ten Cs of Historical Understanding .........................................................
The Processes of Historical Empathy .......................................................
Indicators of Social Understanding and Civic Efficacy ..........................
Research Design and Methodology ...................................................................
Type of Study Done ...................................................................................
Research Setting, Sites, and Participants .................................................
Background of the School ..................................................................
Background of History Teachers ......................................................
Background of the History Professors/Experts .............................
Data-gathering Procedures and Instrumentation ..................................
Flow of the Data-gathering Process ........................................................
Limitations of the Study ............................................................................
Ethical Aspects of the Study .....................................................................
54
56
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56
57
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59
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60
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66
66
67
Chapter IV: PRESENTATION OF DATA ........................................................... 69
In-depth Interviews .............................................................................................. 70
Profile of the Interviewees ........................................................................... 70
Results of the Interview ................................................................................ 72
Views on Memorization ............................................................................ 72
Providing the Students with a Comprehensive View of History ........ 74
Learner-centered Instruction in Teaching History ................................ 77
The Use of Primary Source of Documents ............................................ 79
The Role of Questioning ........................................................................... 80
Development of Citizenship through Classroom Activities ................ 80
Focus Group Discussion ..................................................................................... 82
FGD Discussants ........................................................................................... 82
FGD Results ................................................................................................... 82
The Role of Memorization in the Teaching and Learning of History.. 83
Giving a Comprehensive View of History ............................................. 84
Learner-centered Approaches to Teach History ................................... 85
Importance of Primary Source Documents ........................................... 85
The Use of Reflective Questions ............................................................. 86
Focus on Leaders to a Better Appreciation of Citizenship .................. 87
Development of Citizenship through the Classroom Activities ......... 87
Document Analysis .............................................................................................. 89
Format of the Lesson Plans ...................................................................... 89
Instructional Objectives ............................................................................ 90
Instructional Activities ............................................................................... 98
Assessment .................................................................................................. 98
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
Classroom Observations ...................................................................................... 99
Results ........................................................................................................ 101
Chapter V: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS ......................................................... 103
Cultural Literacy as a Teaching Goal ............................................................... 103
Going Beyond Cultural Literacy ....................................................................... 105
Historical Empathy as a Complex Teaching Goal ......................................... 107
Citizenship Education ........................................................................................ 109
Classroom Practices of the Teachers ............................................................... 110
Recommendations .............................................................................................. 113
Chapter VI: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................... 116
Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 116
Recommendations and Implications for Practice and Policies .................... 117
High School History Teachers ................................................................... 117
Policy-makers ............................................................................................... 118
Future Research Directions ............................................................................... 119
References …............................................................................................................. 121
Appendixes
A Indicators for the Four Teaching Goals ..................................................... 129
B Interview Protocol .......................................................................................... 132
C Classroom Observation Protocol ................................................................. 133
D Document Analysis Guide ............................................................................ 137
E Letter Requesting for Face Validity of Instruments .................................. 139
F Letter Requesting for Research Access ........................................................ 140
G Interview Consent Form ............................................................................... 141
H Sample Lesson Plans ..................................................................................... 142
I FGD Transcriptions ........................................................................................ 143
J Interview Transcriptions ................................................................................. 154
K Classroom Observation Notes ..................................................................... 186
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES
Table
1
2
3
4
5
6
Page
The Ten Cs of Historical Understanding ……………………………………
Tabulation of Research Questions and Methods …………………………......
Teachers’ Profile …………………………………………………………….
Profile of FGD Discussants …………………………………………………
Summary of Interview and FGD Results …………………………………….
Categorization of Learning Outcomes ……………………………………….
Figure
1
2
3
4
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82
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92
Page
Processes that Facilitate the Development of Historical Empathy ……………
Indicators of Social Understanding and Civic Efficacy ……………………….
Conceptual Framework ……………………………………………………...
Sequence of Data-gathering and Analysis …………………………………….
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
58
59
55
68
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
CCMS
Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools
NAEP
National Assessment of Education Progress
NCSS
National Council for Social Studies
PCCED
Philippine Center for Civic Education and Democracy
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Context of the Study
History, as a subject, is starting to gain its rightful place in the school curriculum.
There is a growing sense of confidence in offering the subject because of the benefits of
learning the past. Educators, philosophers, and researchers have shared similar views on the
value of teaching and learning History. They have posited that learning History is essential in
preparing the students to become productive members of a larger society (Marcus &
Stoddard, 2009; Yilmaz, 2009a). Moreover, studying History is a vehicle for moral
development for it serves as a moral force and a “thesaurus of inspiring examples”
(Wineburg, 2001, p. 30). Studying History allows the students to gain valuable insights on
how people in the past handled moral dilemmas.
From another perspective, Lowenthal (2000) pointed out the intrinsic importance of
History: Man cannot entirely let go of the past because he is a historical creature whose
consciousness and memory are necessarily, though not absolutely, tied up with the past.
There exists an inseparable link between the present and the past: “rational present action
demands insight into other people’s past” (p. 73). Kitson, Husbands, and Stewards (2011)
also contended that the value of History education lies in the fact that it “provides a
collective memory, impacting on young people’s understandings of themselves and the
society into which they are growing” (p. 19). Studying History allows the students to acquire
knowledge necessary in understanding the world where they live which includes
understanding one’s identity, how individuals and groups differ, and how society is
organized.
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2
Despite the importance of History, many students still fail to genuinely appreciate
the subject. Many students regard History as a boring subject with lecture as the teacher’s
main teaching strategy (Sheets, 2010). Many students also lack interest and willingness to
complete tasks related to History or Social Studies (Wiersma, 2008). Some students view
Math, Reading, and Science as practical subjects but oftentimes do not see the applicability
of History (De Oliveira, 2008). These students tend to argue that there is no need for them
to learn History because they do not intend to become historians. Consequently, these views
on History make it difficult for Social Studies or History teachers to facilitate an interactive
discussion of the past.
In the Philippines, in particular, as revealed in the study of Zulueta (2010), students
recognize the importance of learning History. In fact, the findings of the study suggest that
students have favorable attitudes toward the subject. However, these attitudes do not make
them exert a great deal of effort in studying their lessons. Consequently their lack of effort
which may hinge on motivation affects their performance in school. Simply put, despite
knowing the benefits of studying History, students still lack perseverance in studying their
lessons. It was also found that some students study History only for the sake of securing a
good grade. These findings prove that many students still lack the genuine interest to study
History.
However, teachers themselves may have contributed to the reasons why students
view History as a boring and maybe even an unimportant subject. Specifically, the
unimaginative classroom practices of high school History teachers can be considered a
reason why students lack interest and motivation to study History. As emphasized by Kitson,
Husbands, and Steward (2011), “pupils enjoyment varied greatly between schools and there
was evidence that it is teachers and teaching style that have greatest impact on the attitudes
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
3
of pupils in History rather than the nature of the subject itself” (p. 39). High school History
teachers typically use lecture as their main pedagogical strategy which bore the students
(Wiersma, 2008). They bombard the students with historical dates and names without even
realizing that the students oftentimes do not make sense of this information.
Despite the fact that using lecture demotivates students, many History teachers are
still unwilling to change their method of instruction. They still prefer the traditional teacherdominated instruction where students, most of the time, are mere recipients of information
(Wiersma, 2008). As described by Wineburg (2009), in a typical History classroom, students
passively listen to the teacher, use textbook, and take tests. Students seldom take an active
role in their learning of History lessons.
Perhaps, teachers still use the traditional way of teaching History because they are
still under pressure to cover a lot of information given a limited period of time. To cover
breadth,1 lecturing seems to be the most practical and effective teaching method. In addition,
the teachers’ unwillingness to alter their pedagogy in teaching History might be due to the
fact that some of them are not familiar with alternative methods of teaching History. For
this reason, researchers seek to provide History teachers with new classroom practices that
they can employ in their classroom. Some promote the use of documentary films (Marcus &
Stoddard, 2009). Other authors have proposed the use of literacy strategies2 in teaching
Social Studies and History (Macphee &Whitecotton, 2011). Some also proposed the use of
authentic and primary sources and student-led discussions (Wiersma, 2008).
1
“The ‘survey approach’ to American history at the middle and high school level is intended to ensure a
degree of breadth that is appropriate to the needs of the nation’s high school graduates and has
traditionally been defined by the recall of a broad set of names, dates, places, and events, that is,
‘content’ or ‘information knowledge” (Wineburg, as cited in Pearcy & Duplass, 2010, p. 110).
2
Literacy strategies, in the context of History instruction, include big idea discourse, crafting subtext for
historical figures and creating and performing tableau (Macphee & Whitecotton, 2011).
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
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The classroom practices of teachers, which include methods of instruction, depend
on the teaching goals set by the teachers for themselves. These teaching goals should be
based on a clear conception of why History is taught. As Yilmaz (2009a) put it, “if the
teacher has not yet built a strong sense of why history is taught, he or she is unlikely to make
reasoned and informed decisions about planning, implementing and assessing history
curriculum and instruction” (p. 40). Hence, it is equally important to examine the teaching
goals and classroom practices of high school History teachers to see whether the classroom
practices lead to the achievement of the goals. Moreover, it is necessary to analyze through
the help of existing related literature whether there is a need to modify these teaching goals
and classroom practices considering the goals of teaching and learning history.
There are four possible goals of History education: (1) to develop cultural literacy, (2)
to build historical understanding, (3) to develop historical empathy, and (4) to foster social
understanding and social efficacy (Brooks, 2013; Ferretti, MacArthur, & Okolo, 2001;
Hirsch, 1987; Yilmaz, 2009). These goals are arranged from lower to higher order leaning
outcomes. Cultural literacy is therefore the most basic of all and social understanding and
civic efficacy is the highest learning outcome.
The term cultural literacy was popularized by Hirsch (1987), who described it as the
possession of basic information one needs to prosper in the modern world. This
information, however, should be viewed in a wider context, not simply as an acquaintance
with the arts. It includes almost everything that has to do with man and the way he lives his
life. Bennett (as cited in Nash, 1991) elaborated on the idea of Hirsch. He stated that being
culturally literate entails acquiring a body of knowledge that allows a person to make sense of
what he reads. In the context of the study of History, one is culturally literate when he can
recall people in the past and can describe their significant role in a particular historical event.
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
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Cultural literacy is concerned primarily not with the reasoning of the students but with the
acquisition of basic information although one could clearly see how the two are connected.
A person could do higher order thinking only when he has a good grasp of key facts and
figures.
Historical understanding refers to the “cognitive ability to process and make sense of
conveyed knowledge/information” (Dixit and Mohanty, 2009, p. 55). It is about making
sense of historical information which involves receiving, comprehending, and analyzing the
information. It involves several skills:
1. The ability to understand present events in the light of the past.
2. The ability to sift through the documentary record—newspaper accounts,
hearsay, partisan attacks, contemporary accounts—and construct from his
confused tangle a straightforward and probable account of what happened.
3. The ability to appreciate a historical narrative.
4. Reflective and discriminating replies to ‘thought questions’ on a given
historical situation.
5. The ability to answer factual questions about historical personalities and
events. (Wineburg, 2001, p. 55-56)
Historical empathy is a process which involves “student’s cognitive and affective
engagement with historical figures to better understand and contextualize their lived
experiences, decisions, or actions” (Endacott and Brooks, 2013, p. 41). It is pivotal to attain
a better understanding of History. According to Colby (2008), historical empathy allows the
students to “transcend the boundaries of presentism [3] by developing rich understandings of
3
According to Yilmaz (2007), presentism means understanding the past using contemporary ideas. It
happens when a person does not suspend his present world view in examining the past and
consequently fails to analyze the past in its own terms.
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
6
the past from multiple viewpoints, particularly those of the historical agents” (p. 62). The
development of historical empathy is also a good preparation for the students to become
effective members of society. Historical empathy necessarily involves the development of
the ability to take into account various perspectives that influence certain issues (Brooks,
2008).
The highest of the four goals is the fostering of social understanding and civic
efficacy. In his discussion of the goals of History instruction, Yilmaz, 2009a mentioned that
in understanding the goals of History education, it should be remembered that History is
part of Social Studies curriculum; hence, the goals of History education should be viewed
within the context of Social Studies education. As Yilmaz put it, Social Studies aims to
promote social understanding and civic efficacy. More specifically, the subject aims to help
students become responsible, critical, and active citizens who are capable of making
informed and reasoned judgment about local and global issues.
There is a rich literature discussing the teaching goals mentioned above. Various
authors have provided rich discussions on the features and principles of each goal. However,
there is a scant literature on the types of classroom practices that lead to the realization of
these goals. This study, therefore, sought to fill this gap in the literature by examining both
the teaching goals and classroom practices of History teachers. This study aimed to provide
a discussion on the nature of classroom activities that facilitate the development of the goals
of History education.
Research Problem
All teachers, regardless of what subjects they teach, are expected to equip the
students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for them to become effective
members of a complex and culturally diverse society. Social Studies and History teachers, in
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
7
particular, through the teaching of the past, are especially tasked to deepen the students’
understanding of the world. To do so, they have to implement various classroom activities
that lead to the attainment of such aim. However, it may happen that the classroom activities
adopted by the teachers are not in congruence with the teaching goals they have set for
themselves.
For instance, Hootstein (1994), in his study, aimed to know how the goals of United
States (or American) History instruction relate to the teachers’ use of motivational strategies.
In relation to this aim, he found out that there is little connection between the instructional
goals of the teachers and their motivational strategies. There is a possibility that the same
situation may be happening in teaching History in Philippine schools.
This study looked into the teaching goals and classroom practices of high school
History teachers in three selected private schools in one of the rural municipalities in
Batangas. This study also looked into how these goals and practices can be improved.
The study aimed to answer this main research problem: What are the teaching goals and
classroom practices of high school History teachers and how do “experts” and the existing literature view these
goals and practices?
Purposes of the Study
As a future educator, I am very much interested in the topic of this study because I
believe that History (learning the past) is an important subject. It provides good experiences
and opportunities for the students to understand the complexity of the lives of the people
who lived before them. The experience of the past, through discussion, source documents,
and simulation activities, can provide numerous opportunities for the students to acquire
certain skills, knowledge, and dispositions that are important in their quest to become good
citizens of a democracy. This insight is supported by Marcus and Stoddard (2009), who have
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
8
affirmed that one of the goals of History education is to prepare the students to become
active citizens of a democratic society.
In this light, this study looked into the teaching goals the teachers in three selected
private high schools set for themselves, including their reasons and justifications for these
goals. The study also looked into the classroom practices of these teachers and the reasons
for adopting such practices. Ultimately, the study aimed to provide recommendations on
how the teachers can improve their practices in relation to the teaching goals.
Marshall and Rossman (1999) enumerated and described four common purposes of
a study: exploratory, explanatory, descriptive, and emancipatory. This study, in particular, can
be identified as descriptive and explanatory. On one hand, as a descriptive study, this
research will describe the way high school History teachers teach History, including the
teaching goals and the classroom practices they adopt. This study also aimed to provide
suggestions as to how high school History teachers can improve the way they teach History
so they can be helped in achieving the goals of the subject. On the other hand, as an
explanatory study, this study examined the relationships between the teaching goals and
classroom practices of the teachers.
Research Questions
This study aimed to answer the following specific research questions:
1. What teaching goals do high school History teachers set for themselves in designing
and delivering their lessons? What are the reasons behind these goals?
2. What are the classroom practices of high school History teachers in teaching
History? Why do they adopt such practices?
3. What improvements can be made in the teaching goals and classroom practices of
these teachers?
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
9
Definition of Terms
This study used the following definitions of key terms:
1. History, in this study, refers to a subject which is part of the Social Studies
curriculum for junior high schools in the Philippines.
2. In this study, the term teaching goals refer to cultural literacy, historical
understanding, historical empathy, and social understanding and civic efficacy.
A. Cultural literacy refers to the ability to acquire and recall basic information
(e.g. names, dates, and concepts) (Hirsch, 1987) which facilitates higher order
thinking such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information.
B. Historical understanding refers to the ability to process and make sense
of historical information (Dixit and Mohanty, 2009).Wineburg (2001) has
enumerated various ways in which historical understanding might be
assessed: (1) the ability to answer basic questions (factual) about historical
actors and events; (2) the ability to appreciate narratives about the past; (3)
the ability to give an account of the past as a product of studying historical
records; (4) the ability to reflect about the past guided with “thought
questions”; and (5) the ability to utilize the past as a means to understand the
present.
C. Historical empathy refers to a process which involves “student’s cognitive
and affective engagement with historical figures to better understand and
contextualize their lived experiences, decisions, or actions” (Endacott&
Brooks, 2013, p. 41). In this study, historical empathy refers to the ability to
understand the past through a careful examination of the beliefs, values, and
perspectives upheld by the historical actors being studied.
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
10
D. Social understanding, in this study, refers to the ability of the students to
understand the complex and interdependent world and their roles to play as
part of that world (Yilmaz, 2009a).
E. Students who possess civic efficacy are responsible, critical, and active
citizens who can make informed and reasoned decisions not only about local
issues but global issues as well (Yilmaz, 2009a). In this study, civic efficacy
refers to the ability of the students to contribute to the betterment of the
community through civic engagement and civic competencies.
3. High school History teachers refer to the teachers who are currently teaching
and has previously taught Asian and World History in the three selected private
schools in a municipality in Batangas.
4. Teaching practices pertain to the methods of instructions the teacher employs to
effectively carry out the lessons (Zulueta, 2010). In this study, instead of teaching
practices, the term classroom practices will be used. It refers to the activities
the teachers implement to achieve the teaching goals.
Significance of the Study
This study is especially significant to (1) High school History teachers (2) High
school History students (3) policy-makers and (4) curricularists.
First, this study can provide high school History teachers with new insights on how
to teach History in such a way that students’ engagement and enthusiasm in studying
historical actors, events, and themes are sustained. They can design and implement lessons
which are rigorous and at the same time engaging. They can create opportunities that will
allow their students to actively participate in instructional activities as befitting a democratic
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11
classroom4 which is a part of citizenship education. The conclusions derived from this study
can expand the view of the teachers on what goals History education should strive for and
what practices are effective in realizing these goals.
Second, students can benefit from this study. This study aimed to enable the teachers
to review and reflect on strategies in teaching History other than lecture. I am hopeful that
the History teachers will be able to complement their use of the lecture method with learnercentered teaching strategies. This study explored the idea of helping the students learn
History in a more relevant way which means fulfilling their full capacity as learners. In
addition, the study aimed to make the students realize that learning History can be fun
besides being rigorous.
Educational or school-level policy-makers and curricularists particularly in private
co-educational high schools can also benefit from this study. The results of this study can be
of help for policy-makers such as principals and academic directors in crafting policies and
formulating programs related to the teaching of History in secondary schools. The
conclusions from this study can also be beneficial to curricularists like subject matter experts
in History, curriculum development officers, and department heads who may propose a high
school History curriculum incorporating relevant teaching goals and classroom practices
derived from this study.
Scope, Delimitations, and Limitations
This study looked into the teaching goals and classroom practices of high school
History teachers in three selected private high schools in a municipality in Batangas: School
P, School S, and School C. Specifically, the study focused on the five teachers of Asian
4
In the democratic classroom, educators are not dictators of knowledge. They create an effective
relationship between the students which is achieved by simulating a cooperative environment. Students
are expected to understand metacognitive processes (Ang, 2011).
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
12
History (Grade 7 and 8) and two teachers of World History (Grade 9) under the K-12
curriculum. The study analyzed the relationship between the teaching goals set by the
teachers and the classroom practices they adopt. Ultimately, the study aimed to know what
improvements can be made in these goals and classroom practices.
Given that the participants of the study are teachers from private, co-educational
(co-ed) schools, the result of the study may not be applicable to public schools and singlesex education schools. Specifically, the teaching goals and classroom practices of the
participants may not reflect the goals and practices of high school History teachers in singlesex education schools and public schools.
Another limitation of the study was the sample size of the respondents. Only seven
teachers participated in the study. Also, only one school allowed the researcher to conduct
classroom observations.
Linkages to Development Education
Development educators need to be responsive to the needs of the individuals they
ought to serve. Being “responsive” refers to the ability to transform developmental issues
into educational opportunities. In the classroom, in particular, there are certain issues which
if not addressed immediately can hamper the teaching-learning process. One of these issues
is the students’ lack of interest in studying history. As educational psychologists would like to
say, they simply are not internally motivated. They fail to realize the pivotal role of History in
their lives. Consequently, this failure makes them ambivalent in studying the past. This issue
needs to be given utmost attention, and it is a task of development educators to address this
problem.
The findings and conclusions of this study have the potential to address the issue
given that the study explored the possibility of uncovering new classroom practices in
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13
teaching history which can increase the students’ interest as well as motivation in studying
the past. The focus of the study is on the teaching goals and classroom practices of the
teacher who is the single most important factor outside of the student himself, who could
spell the difference between a dull classroom and a highly motivated classroom (Marzano, as
cited in Miller, 2003).
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
14
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This review draws on literature related to the teaching goals of History education,
various instructional methodologies of History teachers and recommended approach in
teaching History which can be a good basis on how current classroom practices in History
education can be analyzed. Each section corresponds to a specific research question to
highlight the important concepts to be dealt with in the study which consequently gives
context to the research problem.
Teaching Goals of High School History Teachers
This section describes four possible teaching goals of History education. These goals
are arranged from lower-order to higher-order learning outcomes.
Developing Cultural Literacy
Defining Cultural Literacy
Cultural literacy is a term popularized by E. D. Hirsch Jr., who argued that American
students should be given a broad body of general knowledge. This extensive body of
knowledge should include facts and traditions and encompass geography, history, literature,
politics, and democratic principles. Although this knowledge is broad in scope, the
information to be received by the students ought to include some specifics of culture. Hirsch
upheld the idea that national cultural information is crucial in promoting national pride as
well as preserving traditions. He argued that cultural literacy is indispensable for the
individuals to function effectively in modern society (Giddings, 1988). As he put it, “to be
culturally literate is to possess the basic information needed to thrive in the modern world”
(Hirsch, 1987, p. 4). In this statement, it is implied that cultural literacy is a matter of
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remembering details to be able to make sense of the facts an author mentions in historical
writing. For instance, someone who is not familiar with who Ulysses Grant and Robert Lee
were may find it difficult to understand a paragraph about the American Civil War (Nash,
1991). Adhering to this belief, Hirsch maintained that education, specifically early education,
should give emphasis on content. He thus offered in his book a massive collection of 5000
terms that he thought culturally literate individuals should recognize. These include dates,
historical persons, historical documents, figures of speech, and terms from science. All of
these, according to Hirsch fall under what he called “core knowledge,” which he described
as a “relatively limited body of information that can be listed and learned”
(Shamshayooadeh, 2011, p. 273). Learning these terms is indispensable for the students “to
share in the intellectual and economic rewards of a complex civilization” (Naqeeb, 2012, p.
42).
Furthermore, Hirsch argued that for a student to understand a given text with some
level of complexity, two types of knowledge should be present: substantive or content
knowledge and procedural knowledge. Procedural knowledge refers to the reading skills the
students bring in when reading a text. Substantive knowledge, on the other hand, refers to
the content-based schemata or background information that makes the reading process
easier (Shamshayooadeh, 2011).
Critics on Hirsch’s Cultural Literacy
The concept of cultural literacy became popular not simply because of the new ideas
associated with it but also because of the criticisms the term has received. Hirsch’s has linked
the possession of a discrete body of information with becoming educated and successful.
However, he gave emphasis on the idea that the information needed for cultural literacy
does not have to be deeply understood:
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The superficiality of the knowledge we need for reading and writing may be
unwelcome news to those who deplore superficial learning and praise critical
thinking over mere information. (Paul, 1989, p. 528)
Not only did Hirsch fail to recognize the need for critical thinking; he even affirmed that
those who are concerned with critical thinking are not concerned with cultural content, but
with abstract skills. He reiterated the idea that it is the quantity of cultural content that allows
the students to achieve success. He viewed the criticisms towards rote learning as a mistake:
Our current distaste for memorization is more pious than realistic. At an early age
when their memories are most retentive, children have an almost instinctive urge to
learn specific tribal traditions. At that age they seem to be fascinated by catalogues of
information and are eager to master the materials that authenticate their membership
in adult society. (Paul, 1989, p. 528)
Paul (1989) argued that Hirsch’s view is simplistic. For him, Hirsch’s views of
reading, culture, and education are less profound than they are in reality. Moreover, Hirsch
did not present a more refined analysis of the many concepts he associated with the term.
There were no careful distinctions of the terms. For instance, in his discussion of cultural
literacy, Hirsch used the terms information and knowledge synonymously. Information and
knowledge are two different things: information may not be always true; it may be biased,
incomplete, and misleading whereas knowledge entails solid epistemic underpinning.
Other terms that seem to surface in Hirsch’s discussion and justification of cultural
literacy were learning and memorization. According to Estes, Gutman, and Harrison (1988),
Hirsch has endorsed the idea that learning takes place when there is memorization. This is
may be true, but only partially because oftentimes learning occurs when a person understand
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the deeper meaning of ideas which implies the processing of acquired information, and thus
go beyond rote memorization.
Rote Learning versus Meaningful Learning
As described above, Hirsch advocated rote memorization. Rote memorization leads
to rote learning which happens when the person possesses the knowledge but find it difficult
to make use of this knowledge in new situations (Mayer, 2002). In other words, the person
cannot apply the acquired knowledge. The scenario below clearly describes what rote
learning is:
Becky reads the same chapter on electrical circuits. She reads carefully, making sure
she reads every word. She goes over the material, memorizing the key facts. When
she is asked to recall the material, she can remember almost all of the important
terms and facts in the lesson. Unlike Amy, she is able to list the major components in
an electrical circuit. However, when Becky is asked to use the information to solve
problems, she cannot. Like Amy, she cannot answer the essay question requiring her
to diagnose a problem in an electrical circuit. (Mayer, 2002, p. 227)
The opposite of rote learning is called meaningful learning. Meaningful learning
happens when the person can build strong concept maps and use them to solve problems
(Khan, Iqbal, & Hashmi, 2007). In meaningful learning, the students are engaged in building
knowledge and cognitive processes needed to apply previously acquired knowledge in new
situations. Furthermore, in meaningful learning, the students possess the knowledge and can
apply it to new situations (Mayer, 2002). Below is a scenario showing how meaningful
learning works:
Carla reads the same textbook chapter on electrical circuits. She reads carefully,
trying to make sense out of it. When asked to recall the material, she, like Midori, can
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remember almost all of the important terms and facts in the lesson. Furthermore,
when she is asked to use the information to solve problems, she generates many
possible solutions. (Mayer, 2002, p. 227)
In meaningful learning, learning is viewed as knowledge construction whereas in rote
learning, it is viewed as knowledge acquisition (Mayer, 2002).
Building Historical Understanding
The educational community has paid little attention to the study and development of
understanding in history. Researchers have paid substantial attention to the study of Science
and Mathematics (and even Reading) but less to the study of History (Seixas, 1996). The
National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) also documented students’ lack of
knowledge and understanding about social studies concepts and contents. This finding is
disturbing because History and Social Studies teachers are expected to guarantee that
students acquire the disciplinary knowledge and the habits of the mind they need to
participate in the affairs of society as informed citizens. Students ought to participate in
democratic decision making and be engaged in the various democratic processes (Ferretti,
MacArthur, & Okolo, 2001). These only show that there is a need to rekindle people’s
interest in the development of historical understanding. Hence, this section discusses how
historical understanding can be developed through effective teaching that really counts. This
section also includes a discussion on the nature of History and historical understanding.
Nature of History
History is the study of past events, actions, and society. It deals with facts and dates.
However, facts and dates are not the “be-all and end-all” of History. It is not even about
memorization of these facts and dates, although they have an important place in the study of
History. History is about understanding ideas, specifically the conflict of ideas and how these
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conflicts affect both the past and present society. It is about understanding how a piece of
information is relevant in relation to some theme of development (Seixas, 1996; Freeman,
2008).
Historians, in the context of historical inquiry, try to give a sound explanation of
historical events by seeking how these events originated and how they impact the world.
Some historians try to establish generalizations by understanding the behaviors of the people
in the past. The job of historians, therefore, includes imagining, describing, and analyzing the
past through a careful scrutiny of the actions and perspectives of the people. In line with this
is the idea that history is a study of various issues related to human life and society in the
past. This makes sense because History serves as storage of complex and rich problems
faced by various historical actors. History, indeed, is the study of the past. However, it is also
a study of the present. History as described by George Herbert Mead is an interpretation of
the present. The significance of studying historical events is always tied to their relationship
with the present society (Seixas, 1996). Historical events become relevant because of their
richness connection to other events and period of time (Dixit & Mohanty, 2009; Seixas,
1996; Wineburg, 2001). In other words, people must impose their meaning to historical
events thereby making history relevant to their lives.
Different Historiographies
Historiography refers to the study of the history and methodology of historical study.
It offers information about histories and historians and sheds light on the contributions of
various historians (Becker, 1938). Mohammed (2013) defined it as a discipline dealing with
the writing of History and the various techniques used for historical research and
documentation. Historiography, therefore, plays a key role in the study of History. It can
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provide Historians and even History teachers with insights on the different approaches and
methodologies of writing and understanding History.
Key Thinkers on History
Historians and historiographers hold different views with regard to the nature of
History. The differences can be attributed to the fact that these views focus only on a
particular aspect of History. Below are views and assumptions held by some of the key
thinkers on History.
Leopold Von Ranke (1795-1886)
Ranke can be regarded as the representative of the period which paved the way to
the study of modern History. He is known for encouraging historians to exert remarkable
efforts in organizing and critically examining evidence, especially from primary materials. He
is also known for introducing the idea of colorless or objective history. To be objective,
historians ought to look into the facts and avoid personal biases in their writings. These
views of Ranke have influenced other thinkers. However, Iggers, disagreeing with von
Ranke, argued that historians should go beyond offering factual representation of the past
devoid of personal biases. They must also seek and understand the prevailing ideologies that
may have influenced an individual or institution. In other words, historians must not only
look for particular but should also pay attention to the universal (Hughes-Warrington, 2000).
Von Ranke was chiefly a political historian and most of his works, if not all, depicted
politics as the major force shaping History and highlighted the deeds of the political leaders.
Because of this, Ranke received criticisms from other thinkers. One of the vocal critics was
Karl Lamprecht who denounced a history which simply focuses on politics and great men.
Instead of political history, Lamprecht proposed the idea of collective history—a history
which draws on other disciplines such as social psychology, human geography, and others in
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understanding what happened in the past. This kind of history was later known as social
history. Lamprecht’s attempt to break the monopoly of political history in Germany failed.
However, in the United States and France, social history received more favorable responses.
In particular, in 1890s, Frederick Jackson Turner, an American historian, launched an attack
on traditional history which was similar to that of Lamprecht’s. He held that all that
constitutes man’s activity should be considered in the examination and study of History. He
reinforced this idea by saying that no department of social life can be fully understood in
isolation from others. In France, in the 1920s, there were also movements opposing the
dominance of political history and replace it with a wider and more human history or a
history which takes into account all human activities (Burke, 1992).
Fernand Braudel (1902-1985)
Braudel was a historian of early modern Europe. For Braudel, History is like fireflies
that illuminates the night: “History offers a gleam but no illumination; facts but no
illumination because historians tend to focus exclusively on events, individual actions and
short-term developments and assume that each can be perceived discretely” (HughesWarrington, 2000, p. 18). History is thus reduced to as history of political events. Objects,
events, and individual actions need to be understood within the context of the relationships
people construct between them (Hughes-Warrington, 2000).
Braudel was also known for introducing the three views of time (geographical time,
social time, and individual time) which is reflected in most of his writings. As regards
geographical time, Braudel looked into how the relationship of people to the physical
environment (geo-history) shapes History. Social time, on the other hand, is concerned with
the history of social structures and forces (e.g. economic systems, scientific and technological
developments, political institutions, conceptual changes). Lastly, with regard to individual
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time, Braudel was interested in how individual actions influence social structures and forces
(Hughes-Warrington, 2000).
Michel Foucault (1926-1984)
Foucault was born in Poitiers, France. His knowledge of philosophy and psychology
enabled him to hold a number of academic posts in Sweden. He is known for his
unwavering interest in the history of social features such as madness, gender, and sexuality.
Foucault upheld the idea that social features are cultural constructions worthy of historical
exploration given that they vary throughout time and space (Hughes-Warrington, 2000).
Foucault’s major works reflect his interest in the histories of madness and medicine.
His first major work, History of Madness in the Classical Age in 1961, was formed because he
realized the moral hypocrisy of the modern psychiatry. During the nineteenth-century, the
medical treatment of madness was regarded as liberation of the mad from ignorance and
brutality of the earlier period. Later on, madness was deemed as a condition that needs
medical treatment. Foucault, however, was not at all impressed with the introduction of this
new idea. For him, this scientific discovery aimed to cover up the questionable and unethical
treatments (e.g. systematic exclusion from society) of the mad. Another work was The Birth of
the Clinic in 1963. This work provided a critique of the modern clinical medicine. In this
work, unlike the History of Madness, the socio-ethical critique was not apparent. This may have
been due to the fact that in medicine, there is more substantial core of objective truth than in
psychiatry (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2003).
In relation to the work of historians, Foucault affirmed that they must abandon the
surface-level study to be able to conduct an analysis of a more fundamental structure of
thought. This historiographical view is evident in the archeological method Foucault
describes in his writings. This archeological method differs from traditional forms of History
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in two ways: (1) “it raises questions about our understanding of chronology” (2) “the
archaeological method makes it possible for historians to move beyond the idea that people
are rational and reflexive beings that have sovereignty over their lives” (Hughes-Warrington,
2000, p. 95).
Teodoro Agoncillo (1912-1985)
Agoncillo is one of the renowned Filipino historians. He was born in 1912 in
Batangas. He gained recognition not only for the poems and short stories he wrote in
Filipino but also because of the various history books he wrote in English (Totanes, 2010).
Agoncillo’s career as a historian started quite late. It was only in 1941 that he published a
historical work Ang Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas (History of the Philippines) with the help of
Gregorio Zaide (Ileto, 2011).
Another major work of Agoncillo was the book The Revolt of the Masses. This work
was an important work for it traced how the Katipunan started and became a strong antiSpanish group. The book specifically narrated the roles played by the members in the revolt
against the Spanish government in 1896-1897. The book’s approach was biographical; it
described the birth and growth of the Katipunan by narrating the life and career of Andres
Bonifacio. In the book, Agoncillo offered new evidences which corrected the errors
presented in some previous works (Zafra, 1956). Despite the fact that the book was a
turning point in the Philippine Historiography, its publication was surrounded with
controversies. The publication of the book took eight years because of the objections posed
by influential individuals. The former President Aguinaldo objected the publication of the
book. President Ramon Magsaysay, urged by the Catholic conservatives who believed that
the work was anti-Catholic and Marxist, also stopped the publication of the book. During
this time, the Catholic Church was battling against a proposed bill which aimed to promote
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nationalism. The bill suggested that uncensored editions of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo be read by the students. A modified version of the bill was signed and known to
be the Rizal Law. After the signing of this law, the printing of the Revolt was permitted and
the right to do so was confer to UP’s College of Liberal Arts (Totanes, 2010).
Renato Constantino (1919-1999).
Constantino was acknowledged as the foremost Filipino nationalist. He was born in
1919 and died in 1999 at the age of 80. Despite the fact that his parents belonged to the
middle class, the nationalism that developed in him was mass-based rather than elitist
(Gripaldo, 2013).
According to Constantino, Philippine history is a people’s history. He even defined
history as the struggle of the people for freedom and the higher realization of the human
person. He explicitly affirmed that Philippine history is a story of struggle which needs to be
assessed from a nationalist’s point of view. This is particularly important for the Filipinos to
acquire a clearer picture of the past. Moreover, examining the Philippine history from a
nationalist perspective is important to correct historical misconceptions brought about by
colonial historiography. One of the major works of Constantino is the book The Philippines:
A Past Revisited which elucidated the idea that history should go beyond the stories of heroes
and great men. It should include the stories of the masses as well as the social forces brought
about by collective lives and struggles. Furthermore, for Constantino, history is not a mere
presentation of a long and unbroken chain of events but also a discussion of the movements
of ideas over time and space. As regards the work of historians, he argued that they must be
able to weave series of events into a total view which consequently lead to a more sound
analysis of the past (Halili, 2004).
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Historical Understanding
In appreciating what historical understanding really is, it is imperative to differentiate
knowledge of History from understanding of History. Knowledge of History refers to the
reproduction of relevant information (e.g. dates, facts, ideas) from the memory, while
understanding of History refers to the processing and making sense of the reproduced
information. Historical understanding, therefore, is an ability to make sense of historical
information through the use of various cognitive skills. It involves receiving,
comprehending, analyzing, and applying the information (Dixit & Mohanty 2009).
According to Wineburg (2001), for some researchers, historical understanding can
mean anything from “memorizing a list of dates to mastering a set of logical relations, from
being able to recite an agreed upon story to contending with ill-defined problems resistant to
single interpretations” (p. 52).
Another way in which historical understanding can be analyzed is using the
framework of Freeman (2008). Freeman presented a powerful framework of historical
understanding referred to as “The Ten C’s of Historical Understanding”: conflict, context,
cause, characters, course, conclusion, consequences, comparison, comprehensiveness, and
coherence. Historical understanding involves knowing the conflicting forces which gave rise
to a significant event. The conflicting forces can take the form of contradictory ideas.
Developing historical understanding implies helping the students understand the political,
economic, military, cultural, social and intellectual forces that gave way to the rise of the
conflict. It also includes knowing how the conflict originated which means both proximate
or immediate and deeper causes should be identified. Not only does historical understanding
involve identifying the causes of the conflict; part of it also is knowing the main characters
who played a significant role in the rise of the conflict including the factors that affected
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how they acted. Characters do not necessarily refer to people. They can be organizations or
social institutions such as an army, a church, and even religious orders. Apart from the
characters, the sequence of events that a conflict followed which led to its final resolution
should also be given paramount consideration. There should also be a consideration of the
conclusion of the conflict at hand, including the special features of this conclusion that
explain the subsequent events and periods. One should also understand the result of the
conclusion of the conflict. The resolutions of the conflicts often affect society in major ways.
Historical understanding is not only concerned with the major event under investigation. It
also involves how the event under study can be compared with other major historical events
with similar but with different contexts. Historical understanding also addresses the factors
that played a pivotal role in the outcome of the events. Lastly, the presence of coherent
analysis is a big part of historical understanding.
Another way of analyzing historical understanding is to look into its key elements
which include (1) determining historical significance, (2) considering epistemology and
evaluating evidence, (3) assessing continuity and change, (4) judging progress and decline (5)
displaying empathy and moral judgment, and (6) assigning historical agency. With regard to
historical significance, any particular events in the past should be analyzed in relation to its
rich connection to the present. Considering epistemology and evaluating evidence, on the
other hand, is concerned with the cognitive task of separating warranted belief from
unwarranted ones. Understanding change is a central part of historical thinking. However,
the understanding of change heavily relies on the concept of continuity. For instance, if a
person describes the change in religion over time, he is dealing with a constant category.
Judging progress and decline, as the phrase implies, is concerned with organizing the past in
relation to the present in terms of progress and decline. It involves analyzing the extent to
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which a historical events or trends represent progress or decline. The fifth element—
displaying empathy and moral judgment—involves highlighting the roots of present-day
perspectives, practices, or circumstances. It also includes recognizing that people in the past
had different belief systems which influenced their interpretation of certain ideologies or
events. Lastly, historical agency implies that people in the past had to make choices and
made decisions which had corresponding consequences (Brooks, 2013; Seixas, 1993; Seixas,
1996; Seixas & Peck, 2004).
Developing Historical Empathy
Defining Historical Empathy
According to Yilmaz (2007), historical empathy is “the ability to see and judge the
past in its own terms by trying to understand the mentality, frames of reference, beliefs,
values, intentions, and actions of historical agents using a variety of historical evidence” (p.
331). Jensen (2008) borrowed his definition of historical empathy from Downey (1995): “the
ability to recognize how the past was different from the present, to distinguish between
multiple perspectives from the past, to explain the author’s perspective, and to defend it with
historical evidence” (p. 55).
Cunningham (2009) also defined and described the concept of historical empathy.
He affirmed that historical empathy involves entertaining the values and perspectives
espoused by the historical actors under study and taking an utmost consideration of the
circumstances they have faced.
One of the more recent and updated conceptualizations of the term is that of
Endacott and Brooks (2013). They contended that historical empathy is a process which
involves “student’s cognitive and affective engagement with historical figures to better
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understand and contextualize their lived experiences, decisions, or actions” (p. 41).
Furthermore, they described the three processes necessary to facilitate historical empathy.
The first one is called historical contextualization. Historical contextualization
involves appreciating and understanding the different forces that lead to a historical event.
These forces include social, political, and cultural norms that were predominant during the
period being studied. The second important process is perspective taking, described as
understanding the beliefs, attitudes, and values of the persons in the past to better
understand their actions as well as the decisions they made. The last process is called
affective connection. It involves a consideration of how the experiences of the people in the
past shaped their positions and attitudes towards a particular historical phenomenon. It also
includes making connection to one’s life experiences without disregarding the fact that the
past is different, though not absolutely, from the present.
Although each author phrased his definition in a manner distinct from those of other
authors, one can still see elements common among the various definitions. All the foregoing
definitions mention that historical empathy involves understanding the past through a
careful examination of the beliefs, values, and perspectives upheld by the historical actors
being studied. The first two definitions, in particular, both mention the use of evidence to
support one’s analysis of the historical events. In this regard, it can be said that one benefit
of developing historical empathy in students is that it allows them to have a more holistic
view of the past which can be acquired through the scrutiny of multiple sources.
Features of Historical Empathy
To fully understand historical empathy, it is a must to understand its salient features.
Foster (2001) identified six features of historical empathy which can lead to a better
understanding of the concept. First, historical empathy does not involve mere imagination,
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identification, and sympathy. Foster affirmed that historical empathy is not imagination
because equating historical empathy to mere imagination can lead to an erroneous
understanding of the past. Historical empathy should also not be considered as a process of
identifying with historical agents because no one has the ability to embrace completely the
“persona of another from different place and time” (p. 169). Thirdly, Foster asserted that
although sympathy is not prohibited in the study of the past, still emotional engagement
should result from a sound reasoning based on multiple evidence.
This feature of historical empathy seems to be debatable because for some authors
imagination and identification are necessary in the development of historical empathy. Both
imagination and identification can lead to an irresponsible view of history. As Cunningham
(2009) put it, “asking students to reason or imagine feelings promoted a sense of emotional
kinship with past figures, but often, especially when unattached to source interpretation,
ended up ignoring the historically conditioned nature of feelings” (p. 690, “italics in
original”). However, it cannot be denied that both acts can reinforce the aims of historical
empathy. To reconcile the conflicting views, the idea of guided imagination and
identification can be proposed. Imagination and identification should not be prohibited as
long as students are provided with various historical evidence.
The second feature is that historical empathy necessarily involves understanding the
actions of the people in the past. This feature implies that part of historical empathy is the
understanding that the present is different from the past, although there might be some
parallelisms. Thus, to understand the past, one must examine historical evidence and
understand the historical context of certain historical events.
The second feature is directly related to the third feature: “historical empathy
involves a thorough investigation of historical context” (p. 172). Investigation of historical
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context means taking into account the forces that lead to certain events. These forces
include the ideologies, philosophies, and norms dominant to the period. This feature
reminds us of the historical contextualization described by Endacott and Brooks (2013).
The fourth feature is that historical empathy is developed by analyzing multiple
evidence and perspectives. The fifth feature is that historical empathy requires the students
to reflect on and examine their own perspectives. Perspective taking is important in the
development of historical empathy. However, aside from welcoming the perspective of the
historical actors, students need to examine as well their own perspectives to identify biases
and assumptions that might influence the way they view the past and the way they interpret
information.
The sixth feature is that historical empathy demands that the students provide wellgrounded but tentative conclusions about the past. This feature implies that even though
students examine multiple historical evidence, it is still best to regard one’s conclusions
about the past as tentative. It makes sense because it can be the case that one’s conclusions
might change once new evidence are presented and once new perspectives are considered
(Foster, 2001).
Value of Historical Empathy
Historical empathy is pivotal to attain a better understanding of the past. According
to Colby (2008), historical empathy allows the students to “transcend the boundaries of
presentism by developing rich understandings of the past from multiple viewpoints,
particularly those of the historical agents” (p. 62). Historical empathy, however, goes beyond
helping the students acquire a better understanding of the past. According to Brooks (2008),
developing historical empathy is an effective means to prepare the students to become
effective members of a democratic society. In a democratic society, one respects the views
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and perspectives of others and tries to appreciate what influences such views and
perspectives. The ability to respect the views and perspectives of others is nurtured in the
development of historical empathy: students need to consider and understand the
perspectives of the historical actors being studied. The ability to understand the perspectives
of others is a precursor to a more effective and meaningful public communication or
participation in a civil dialogue in the public sphere which is a key element of a democracy.
Endacott and Brooks (2013) explicitly described that the development of historical
empathy is beneficial to the students. First, the development of historical empathy is a good
way to help the students understand how complex the world is, how difficult it is to make
decisions, and how idea is formed. The students are given the chance to consider the social,
political, economic, and cultural forces that affected the perspectives of the people in the
past. Another benefit of the exercises in historical empathy is that they can equip the
students with the skills to connect the present with the past. This ability is of great help to
the students given the fact that humans are historical being. They cannot let go of the past.
There is always a need for them to consider the past (Lowenthal, 2000). Lastly, historical
empathy is necessarily associated with ethical formation. In the development of historical
empathy, students are asked to form moral judgments about the various issues in the past.
These judgments can help them shape conclusions with regard to the issues present society
is facing.
Development of Historical Empathy in the Classroom
According to Yilmaz (2007), engaging the students in historical empathy is “both
demanding and challenging for the students even at the knowledge level, the lowest rank of
educational objectives” (p. 333). The challenge lies in the fact that students need not only to
know but to understand facts, concepts, themes, and interpretations to be able to empathize.
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Similarly, there are various requirements before the students can successfully develop
historical empathy. First, they must be given access to primary sources which they need to
critically analyze. The by-product of the analysis should be a sound historical conclusion.
Second, the students must possess both “imaginative speculation and methodical
investigation” (p. 333). This means that the students should be able to picture what the past
looks as a result of a scrutiny of available historical sources. Methodical investigation is
necessary because imagination alone can lead to an irresponsible view of history (Foster,
2001). Third, the students must consider the thoughts of the persons who lived in the past
through the process of contextualization. Contextualization, as defined by Reisman and
Wineburg (2008), refers to the “act of placing an event in its proper context—within the
web of personalities, circumstances, and occurrences that surrounds it” (p. 202). In this
regard, the students ought to take into account the political, cultural, and social forces that
shape a historical person’s thoughts. Fourth, students need to do perspective-taking, which
involves examining, appreciating, and understanding how people in the past view things and
make these perspectives understandable to the people in the present society. Fifth, the
students need to reconstruct through a thorough examination of evidence the values and
goals of historical actors under study. Lastly, the students must avoid presentism—
understanding the past using contemporary ideas. Students ought to suspend first their
present world view to be able to analyze the past in its own terms.
Not only did Yilmaz (2007) talk about what it takes to engage students in historical
empathy; he also enumerated practical suggestions for exercising empathy. To practice
historical empathy, the students ought to
1) project their own thoughts and feelings into a particular historical situation,
2) distinguish the historical period under study from their own,
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3) employ a variety of reference materials and contemporary sources related to
the topic they are studying,
4) present a particular person or situation in a way that extends beyond the
merely typical to encompass the unique circumstances of the case,
5) make use of the two-sided narrative to illustrate the role of inadequately
empathic relationship between the historical participants in giving rise to
misunderstanding, conflict, or tragedy. (p. 334)
Yilmaz also came up with a list of valuable classroom practices which he believed
can facilitate the development of historical empathy. He suggested that teachers

focus on a puzzling and paradoxical situation in the past while practicing
empathy exercises in order to initiate curiosity among students and to help
them distinguish the remote past period from the recent past,

provide students with some knowledge of historical context and
chronology before delving deeply into the selected topic of study,

introduce a wide range of primary and secondary sources to students,
depending on the cognitive and developmental levels of students,

encourage students to ask critical questions of sources to help avoid the
risk of taking any sources at face value,

scaffold and build up students' learning to help them develop dispositions
to ask more complex and thought-provoking questions,

urge students to ask questions of themselves when examining historical
documents,

encourage students to identify sources and give reasons why the sources
they selected are most useful in shedding light on past events,
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
help students be wary of the tentativeness of their final conclusions and
interpretations with which others might disagree, recognize that engaging
students in meaningful empathy inquiry takes substantial classroom time,
energy, effort, and resources,

and understand that the selection of proper materials, asking probing
questions, stimulating thoughtful investigation, leading the class
discussion, and maintaining the momentum of inquiry are central to the
successful implementation of historical empathy exercises in classrooms.
(pp. 334-335)
Endacott and Brooks (2013) also introduced an updated instructional model for the
promotion of historical empathy. The model consists of four phases. The first one is the
introductory phase designed to give the students an introduction of the historical events to
be studied or the historical figures whom they need to empathize with. It has been
established that engaging the students in historical empathy is not a trivial task for it is both
an intellectual and affective activity which clearly involves and recognizes importance of
cognition and emotion. Students, who need to explore the world of the people in the past by
examining their beliefs, attitudes, and goals which shaped their actions and decisions, ought
to be prepared. Part of that preparation is the teacher setting the scene or giving the students
the lens through which they will examine historical evidence about a person who may have
peculiar set of beliefs. Without the introductory phase, the students may fail to appreciate
the task of looking into a resource material that talks about a person who lived hundreds of
years ago. Some of the activities the teacher can do as part of the introductory phase include
asking the students to read a textbook or showing parts of a documentary to introduce a
historical time, situation, or event; showing primary sources such as statistics that can give
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the students an overview of the ideas that dominated a particular historical period; and using
a timeline showing the different events that lead to a major historical phenomenon.
The second phase is the investigatory phase in which the students explore primary
and secondary sources in depth to gain a better understanding of the historical context,
perspectives, and affective considerations. Some of the activities in this phase include giving
the students ample time to study primary sources and showing documentaries or feature
films. These activities according to research are effective to invite empathic responses from
the students However, since it may be difficult for the students to effectively examine all the
available resources, the teacher must therefore choose the best ones that can encourage
historical empathy. Furthermore, it is necessary that the teachers provide the students with
questions which can guide them in analyzing the given materials.
The third phase is the display phase. In this phase, the students demonstrate their
understanding of the themes or concepts discussed in class. In other words, students
“formally display the empathy they have been working at” (p. 52). This phase requires the
students to make their own arguments regarding a historical event which is based on the
effective synthesize of the knowledge of historical context they learned from the lesson.
Some of the activities in this phase include asking the students to write a third person essay
answering the questions that are deliberately designed to let the students pay attention to the
thought and feelings of the historical actors under investigation. First person writing
assignments have also gained popularity for this assessment tool “provide(s) an easy forum
in which students can express what they believe a historical figure would have thought and
felt about a situation” (p. 52). However, asking students to write a first-person essay has
been criticized by many for it may lead the students to just imagine how the historical actors
might have felt without a careful examination of the evidence (Endacott and Brooks, 2013)
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Other activities apart from writing assignments include role creating an exhibit and role
playing activities. Research also reveals the potential of debates to develop historical empathy
in the students. Jensen (2008) supported the idea that debates, particularly historical debates,
help students acquire the ability to examine issues from several perspectives. Similarly,
engaging the students in debates help the teachers detect where some of the
misunderstandings of the students lie. In this way, they can easily correct misconceptions by
re-teaching parts of the lessons which are seemingly unclear to the students. Although the
study of Jensen focused on fifth-graders, it can be said that the findings are applicable to
high school History students who are supposed to appreciate and understand more complex
ideas about the past.
The last phase is the reflection phase, which aims to invite students to make
connections between the past and the present while taking into account how the exercise has
changed their personal views. In this phase, students need guidance to be able to use their
understanding of the past to inform thoughts, emotions, and actions in the contemporary
period. Some of the activities in this phase include asking the students to find events in the
past that can help in solving issues in the present. Another is asking the students to form
opinions and moral judgments about certain issues in the past. This requires them to
consider the perspectives, feelings, actions, and circumstances they have examined.
Fostering Social Understanding and Civic Efficacy
In his discussion of the goals of History instruction, Yilmaz (2009a) mentioned that
to better understand the goals of History education, it should be remembered that History is
under the Social Studies curriculum. Therefore, the goals of History education should not be
viewed separately from those of the Social Studies. Rather, it should be viewed within the
context of Social Studies education. Social studies is defined as the study that integrates the
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social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence (National Council for Social
Studies, 1992).
Social Studies aims to promote social understanding and civic efficacy. More
specifically, the subject aims to help students become responsible, critical, and active citizens
who know how to make rational decisions about local and global issues. In relation to this,
the teachers need to develop historical thinking and the reasoning skills of the students.
These skills allow the students to detect biases and unwarranted claims. These also guarantee
that they are safe from exploitation and manipulation of certain interest groups. Another
skill that is necessary for the students to become responsible, critical, and active citizens is
the ability to examine information from different point of views (Yilmaz, 2009a).
Marcus and Stoddard (2009) have also affirmed that part of the goals of History
education is to prepare the students for a democratic life. This goal has three sub-goals:
promoting reasoned judgment, promoting an expanded view of humanity, and deliberating
over the common good. Promoting reasoned judgment involves requiring the students to
come up with sound conclusions with regard to the causes, consequences, and significance
of historical events. Promoting an expanded view of humanity, on the other hand, requires
the students to consider the concerns, beliefs and perspectives of the people who lived in the
past. Simply put, the students need to understand the way of thinking of the people under
investigation. Lastly, deliberating over the common good requires the students to discuss
and debate issues that give centrality to the idea of common good and the concept of justice.
Civic Efficacy, Civic Engagement, and Civic Competencies
Social studies education, in general, and History education, in particular, aims to
develop civic efficacy in the students. Civic efficacy is defined as the belief that a person can
contribute to the betterment of his community (Crocetti, Jahromi, & Meeus, 2012).
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However, making any difference to the community requires actions from the person. Also, it
is imperative that the actor possesses the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be able to act
effectively. This perhaps is a key reason why in the discussion of civic efficacy, the concepts
of civic engagement and civic competencies always surface.
Civic engagement has no single definition. It is a broad concept, making it difficult to
capture its meaning in a straightforward definition. Adler and Goggin (as cited in
Mohammadi, Norazizan, & Shahvandi, 2011) have defined civic engagement as a community
service, as a collective action, as a political involvement, and as a social change. These
authors have further elaborated on the concept saying that civic engagement is an activity
where the citizens come together to fulfill their roles. It is about active participation,
effective partnerships, and empowerment. It is also a process which motivates the people to
be involved in the various social, cultural, and political processes that directly and or
indirectly affect their lives. Furthermore, civic engagement entails people’s involvement in
the decision-making process, which is assumed to be an effective means to promote good
governance. It is believed that civic engagement enables people to work effectively towards
the achievement of shared objectives. Despite the lack of consensus on the definition of
civic engagement, the term is generally understood to “mean working for the betterment of
one’s community,” which involves individually and collectively addressing issues of public
concern (McIntosh, & Munoz, 2009, p. 4).
Undeniably, civic engagement is indeed pivotal in a democratic society. However,
not only does civic engagement preserve democracy; it is also important for the adolescents’
personal growth and identity formation. As noted by Flanagan and Levine (2010), civic
engagement is “a key part of the transition between adolescence and mature adulthood” (p.
160). It fulfills the adolescents’ desire to belong and it is an antecedent to the realization that
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life goes beyond the quest for personal gain. This lies in the collective nature of civic
engagement and the fact that civic activities are often associated with the desire for public
good. In this regard, young people need to be civically engaged which normally happens
when they are acquainted with the issues and know how to take action on them or when
there is the presence of pressures compelling them to participate in civic affairs.
Indicators and Predictors of Civic Engagement
In their discussion of civic engagement, McIntosh and Munoz (2009) used a
conceptual framework identifying the possible indicators of civic engagement. These
indicators include political engagement, civil activity, and problem-solving activity. As
regards political engagement, activities such as voting, campaigning, and contributing money
to political parties are highly emphasized. A measure of this indicator includes the intention
of the person to vote and to engage in political discussion. Civil activity, on the other hand,
refers to the engagement of the person in nonpolitical and civil institutions—e.g., religious
organizations, youth programs, and groups that are community-oriented. Measures of civil
activity include environmental conservation and community service. Problem solving activity
is also considered an indicator of civic engagement because civic engagement often
originates with a person wanting to solve problems either of his immediate community or a
more distant locality. He can opt to solve the problem individually or seek the help of other
people and organizations. A measure of problem-solving activity includes the person’s
willingness to contact officials about an issue of concern and personal efficacy. The first one
serves as an indication that the person possesses the initiative to solve a public problem.
Personal efficacy, on the other hand, captures the person’s belief that he has the ability to
change the status quo, whether socially or politically.
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Apart from the indicators and measures of civic engagement described above,
McIntosh and Munoz (2009) also shed light on some of the school-related factors that
predict civic engagement. In particular, they discussed how positive character, conflict
resolution skill, school discussion climate, and nonsport extracurricular activities predict civic
engagement. Character education is often associated with civic development among
adolescents. It fosters democratic values, prosocial behaviors, and citizenship. Conflict
resolution skill, on the other hand, is promoted in school to reduce violence and skirmishes
among students. The development of this skill, which is important in social development
and political engagement, is incorporated in the civics curricula. School discussion climate
refers to the extent to which students and teachers feel comfortable when it comes to
expressing opinions regarding social issues. Research reveals that the openness of the school
discussion climate often leads the students to becoming politically active in the future. Lastly,
nonsport curricular activities, as reported in several studies, are positively associated with the
multifaceted areas of youth development, including civic engagement. Participation in
activities such as student government, academic clubs, and performing arts group is believed
to increase the chance of student’s participation in election and other political activities.
Civic Competencies
A competence refers to a “complex combination of knowledge, skills, understanding,
values, attitudes and desire which lead to effective, embodied human action in the world, in a
particular domain” (Hoskins & Crick, 2008, p. 4). The success of a person, whether in
personal, civil, and political sphere, largely depends on the combination of these knowledge,
skills, and values. Civic competencies, therefore, also include civic knowledge, civic skills,
and civic dispositions.
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As defined by Komalasari (2009), civic competence is “knowledge, value and
attitude” (p. 263) which supports the students to be participative and responsible individuals
both in societal and national lives. Civic knowledge is a “substance material that should be
known by citizens” (p. 263). This includes the knowledge of their rights and obligations as
citizens as well as universal values inherent in a democratic community and ways to achieve
common development and to live peacefully in a global community. Civic knowledge also
includes political and civic ideas such as democracy and autocracy, cooperation and conflict,
equality and diversity, justice, rule of law, human rights, freedom, rights and responsibilities,
etc.
Civic skills refer to the skills that translate civic knowledge into actions. It is divided
into two sets of skills: intellectual and participation skills. Intellectual skills encompass the
ability to identify, assess, interpret, describe, analyze, and explain matters of public concern.
Participatory skills include the ability to adapt and cope in group settings and the ability to
effectively communicate arguments, perspectives and plans for civic change.
Lastly, civic dispositions include interpersonal and intrapersonal values, virtues, and
behaviors such as individual responsibility, respect and civil discourse, openness, recognition
of conflict, compassion among others (Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, n.d.;
Komalasari, 2009).
Teaching of History for Citizenship or Civic Education
The concepts of civic engagement and civic efficacy fall under a bigger concept
called civic education. Civic education includes the development of civic competencies
(Philippine Center for Civic Education and Democracy, n.d). As established, the teaching of
History has a great potential in educating the students to become good citizens. History
teachers, therefore, should always take into account this potential of History education
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(Project Citizens Philippines Teacher’s Guide, n.d). History curriculum provides a rich
opportunities for the students to (1) appreciate pluralism and diversity in a society, (2)
understand how values and human rights are formed, (3) be exposed with various social
perspectives both in the national and international levels, (4) discuss the evidence,
motivations, and opinions of people from different lenses (e.g. social, economic, and
political), and (5) be acquainted with the democratic processes within the society. In other
words, History and citizenship education are inevitably linked. The teaching of History can
illuminate various citizenship issues such as diversity of human experiences, conflict
resolution, and development of democracy (Brett, 2005). These prove that citizenship
education is a goal of History education.
Citizenship education is particularly relevant to the Philippines which is a democratic
nation having a decentralized, liberal, and constitutional government. To preserve the
democratic nature of the Philippine government, civic education, which aims at producing
the modern ‘polites’ or a true citizens of democracy, needs to be embedded in the school
curriculum (Project Citizens Philippines Teacher’s Guide, n.d).
In the Philippines, civic education is embedded in the Makabayan curriculum. The
term Makabayan is a Filipino counterpart of the words nationalistic and patriotic. It was
introduced in 2002 as part of the Revised Basic Education Curriculum. The people who
pushed the reform had high hopes for Makabayan in developing citizenship. They argued
that Makabayan is an avenue where students can acquire competencies essential to the
development of citizenship. These include interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, and
cultural understanding. Moreover, it was believed to facilitate the development of a healthy
persona and national identity. Overall, the Makabayan curriculum was envisioned to
contribute to the development of citizens who (1) knows the rich and complex history of the
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Philippines (2) respects the environment and human rights (3) possesses a global vision.
With regard the teaching of Makabayan, it was envisioned to be interactive, experiential, and
interdisciplinary (Baildon, Sim, & Paculdar, 2014).
Classroom Practices of High School History Teachers
This section describes and discusses some of the classroom practices high school
History teachers have adopted.
Use of Documentary Films
According to Marcus and Stoddard (2009), documentary films possess the potential
to contribute to the achievement of the goals of History education specifically the goal of
preparing the students to become active citizens of a democratic society. To become active
citizens in a democratic society, students should acquire three essential attributes: the ability
to make reasoned judgments, an expanded view of humanity, and the ability to adhere to the
idea of common good.
Documentary films have the potential to reinforce these attributes. The ability to
make reasoned judgment can be acquired when the students are given opportunities to
analyze pieces of evidences about what happened in the past. A documentary film is a piece
of evidence that can tell stories of the past. Documentary films offer unique ideas as well as
perspectives which often are not in textbooks and other sources. Not only do documentary
films promote reasoned judgment but it also expands one’s view of humanity. An expanded
view of humanity entails that a person has an in-depth understanding of the beliefs and
perspectives of the people in the past. Showing documentary films provides the students
with opportunities to understand how people in the past thought, behaved, or made
decisions. Documentary films are also a good way to expose the students to controversial
issues in the past—issues that revolve around the concept of common good and justice.
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Woelders (2012) has also recognized the benefits of using documentary films to
teach History. He posited that using documentary films gives the students “a break from
regular classroom routine, and thus in ways that do not differ from typical fact-finding
exercises that students do with their textbooks.” (p. 364). However, Woelders argued that
the use of films should not be limited to teaching the students historical facts. Films should
be used to conduct historical inquiry which happens when students analyze, interpret and
evaluate historical data. They should also be used to teach the students how historians,
filmmakers, producers and authors construct peoples’ understanding of the past. Woelders
also noted that using films within an inquiry approach allows the students to acquire and
develop the ability to apply historical knowledge in a more authentic way, evaluative and
analytical thinking, critical ability to interpret various kinds of media, and persuasive
communication skills.
D’sa (2005) also shared views on the use of films in social studies instruction.
According to her, one why docudramas or films should be used in teaching Social Studies or
History is that they “focus the visual and auditory senses” (p. 10). And since docudramas can
largely impact the senses of the students, the students, in turn, become more engaged which
is critical to guarantee that maximum learning takes place. Docudramas also serve as a
relevant historical narrative to the students providing them with a reconstruction of the past
showing how historical actors lived their lives.
Use of Literature Circles
Another interesting strategy in teaching Social Studies and History is the use of
literature circles. As described by McCall (2010), literature circles are small groups, studentled discussions where group members are expected to select a particular book or reading
material that covers the topics, issues or historical themes to be studied. Each member of the
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group has to participate in small group discussion and must contribute to it as well. After the
small group discussion, the group shares the results of the discussion with the entire class.
As noted by McCall, to make sure that each member participates, the teachers may
ask the students to accomplish various roles. These roles include connector, questioner,
passage master, vocabulary enricher, and illustrator. Students who are assigned the role of
connector must connect the reading with their own lives, the world and other reading
materials they have previously encountered. The questioner needs to come up with a list of
questions about the text to be used for class discussion. The passage master is expected to
locate interesting, important, and or puzzling passages in the chosen material. The
vocabulary enricher locates and identifies important or interesting and unfamiliar words that
group members need to understand. Lastly, the illustrator creates pictures or diagrams that
can aid members in remembering what the reading material is all about.
With regard to the advantages of literature circles, McCall (2010) pointed out that
literature circles can be used to bring out the perspectives of the students regarding the
historical issues under study. Literature circles also provide the students with opportunities
to evaluate various sources—whether they are credible or not. The students can weigh the
credibility of the historical sources at hand. Also, literature circles “encourage authentic,
student-led discussions and interactions rather than the prevalent teacher-centered, questionand-answer exchanges” (p. 264). Furthermore, in using literature circles, students take
ownership of their own learning. Literature circles is also integrative because the students are
expected not only to read books and other sources but also to communicate important ideas
about the historical theme under investigation they gained from reading the materials.
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Use of Picture Books and Poems
Picture books and historical poems can also be effective in securing a better
understanding of the past. Illustrations in text communicate meaning and help the students
share the mood of the text. Illustrations also convey meaning that is not explicit in the text.
In this sense, illustrations add another dimension in understanding the past. In addition,
picture books help visual learners who can better understand the topics through pictures and
diagrams (Villano, 2005).
Villano also mentioned the use of historical poem in her class. Although she did not
explicitly discuss the benefits of using historical poem, the way she described the response of
her students revealed that using historical poems has been an effective way of grabbing the
attention of the students and engaged them in discussing the topic. This may be due to the
fact that reading poems is a break from teacher-dominated lectures, where students merely
act as passive recipients of information. In reading poems, students tend to be more
engaged. They can show creativity in the way they read and interpret the message of the
poems.
Employing Literacy Strategies
Macphee and Whitecotton (2011) introduced various techniques in understanding
History. These techniques are literacy strategies tool. These include big idea discourse,
crafting subtext for historical figures, and creating and performing tableau. With regard to
big idea discourse, the teacher asks the students to form small groups and share their
understanding of the text. Each student has the chance to voice out his ideas to his peers.
Whole-class discussion follows afterwards where students and the teacher build on the
interesting ideas developed in small-group discussion. To deepen students’ understanding of
the big idea, the teacher asks and scaffolds questions.
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Engaging students in big idea discourse enables the students to construct a deeper
understanding of the content of the lesson. Moreover, the use of big idea discourse allows
the students to move beyond mere remembering of facts to engaging in the narrative of
History (Macphee & Whitecotton, 2011).
Another literacy strategy discussed by Macphee and Whitecotton (2011) is crafting
subtext for historical figure. Creating subtext for historical figure involves “giving voice to
character/historical figures in order to step out of one’s own world and into the world of
another” (p. 265). By taking the perspectives of the historical figures, the students learn to
empathize with the situations of the people in the past. Recognizing different perspectives
dramatically increase the students’ understanding of History.
The third strategy mentioned by Macphee and Whitecotton is creating and
performing tableaus. A tableau is a “dramatic expression in which students take on the
characteristics of humans and/or objects to create a still scene that conveys meaning using
their bodies and facial expressions” (p. 265). Creating and performing tableaus give the
students the opportunity to express their knowledge of a particular historical event in a sign
system other than language.
The subtext and tableau strategies, according to Macphee and Whitecotton, are
powerful strategies because they engage the students in “transmediation” which is the
“process of shifting knowledge from one sign system to another” (p. 266). This shift
deepens one’s understanding of the historical event.
Characteristics of Effective Teaching of History
Many Social Studies teachers have positive attitudes towards learner-centered
instruction—“defined as system of instruction based on a student's individual choices,
interests, needs, abilities, learning styles and educational goal” (Yilmaz, 2009b). They have
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recognized that this approach has the potential in making instruction engaging, enjoyable,
involving, challenging and relevant to the students. They have professed that students should
not be passive participants when it comes to studying History. In fact, they should learn
History using hands-on and minds-on approaches. These approaches allow the students to
“do History.” Learner-centered instruction helps the students realize the goals of social
studies education because it encourages the students to actively construct meaning and
understanding throughout the learning process (Yilmaz, 2008). Hence, students should not
be limited to answering questions found in textbooks and listening to teacher-dominated
discussions (Roberts, 2011; Yilmaz, 2008). Lecture and textbooks alone cannot develop the
ability of the students to think like historians which only happens when the teachers design
and implement activities that engage students in authentic tasks of the historian (Bain, 2000).
Learner-centered classrooms have general characteristics in common. Learnercentered classrooms have personalized and customized learning. Teachers hold high
expectations for the students and pay close attention to the knowledge, skills, and
experiences the students bring into the classroom. They provide the students with
meaningful learning experiences which take into account the uniqueness of the students.
Learner-centered classrooms foster social and emotional growth. The teachers provide the
students with a positive environment to facilitate not only intellectual growth but also social
and emotional development. Furthermore, in learner-centered classrooms, teachers act as
facilitators rather than transmitters of knowledge. The teachers’ give the students
responsibility for the learning process and encourage their participation. They help the
students develop metacognitive skills and learning strategies. Students take ownership of
their learning and are actively engaged. Lastly, learner-centered classrooms offer
collaborative and authentic learning experiences. Learner-centered teachers provide the
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students with authentic learning experiences that develop real-world skills such as
“communication, collaboration, critical-thinking, creative-thinking, problem-solving, and
decision-making” (An & Reigeluth, 2011, p. 55). Students are encouraged to collaborate with
others to solve problems and create new knowledge (An & Reigeluth, 2011).
Learner-centered instruction adheres to the principles of active learning. Active
learning as defined by Bonwell and Eison (as cited in Smart & Csapo, 2007) is “anything that
involves the students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing” (p. 452).
Some of the defining principles of active learning include the following:

Students are involved in more than listening

Instruction emphasizes the development of students’ skill more than just
transmitting information.

Students develop higher order thinking skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation).

Students are engaged in activities (e.g., reading, discussing, writing)

Students explore their own attitudes and values (Smart & Csapo, 2007, p.
452).
As described above, active learning involves the development of higher order
thinking skills. One of the ways by which teacher can help students develop higher-order
thinking is through questioning. Questions facilitate the intellectual process known as critical
thinking where students integrate the topic content, his experiences, and the experiences of
others to generate a harmonious idea. Critical thinking is the students’ journey through
various ideas, not the teachers’ (Christenburry & Kelly, 1983).
Questioning allow the students to find out what they think by hearing what they say.
In responding to questions, students discover their opinions and reactions regarding certain
issues or topics. Questioning also provide the students with an opportunity to explore topics
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and argue points of view. Students, through questioning, can defend a theory or belief that
they adhere to which requires them to engage in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of
information which consequently lead to them sharpening their thinking skills. In addition,
questioning allows the students to function as experts. Good questions let the students
probe and explore the topic which in turn guide the discussion. Furthermore, good
questions can serve an impetus for further exploration of topics. Lastly, questioning also
help the teachers determine the extent to which the students understand the lessons.
Through judicious questioning and careful attention to the answers of the students, the
teachers can determine whether the students have comprehended the lessons properly. This
is to say that through questioning, the teachers gain immediate information about student
comprehension and learning. Questioning, therefore, serves as an effective diagnostic tool
(Christenburry & Kelly, 1983).
Not only does learner-centered instruction adhere to the principles of active learning.
It also follows the principles of differentiated learning. Differentiated instruction is a
philosophy that follows the premise that students learn best when the teachers accommodate
their differences. Differentiated instruction entails the use of more effective practices that
acknowledge and respond to the needs of the learners. It sees learning as social and
collaborative where the teachers help the students become responsible for their own
learning. Furthermore, with differentiated instruction, each student is valued for his/her own
strengths while being offered with opportunities to demonstrate skills through the use of
variety of assessment techniques. It liberates the students from labels and offers with
individual opportunities to perform their best. The teachers, therefore, should move closer
to catering to the individual needs of the students (Subban, 2006).
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In today’s generation, one manifestation of learner-centered instruction is the
integration of technology in the classroom. Today’s students, known as digital natives grow
up with technology. They use computers, cell phones, and other digital media in their daily
lives. Hence, there has been an increase emphasis on the use of technology teaching the
students. Technology integration is viewed as the use of technology for educational purposes
(An & Reigeluth, 2011). Even earlier, the potential of technology in the education of the
students has already been recognized by experts. As pointed out by Kussmaul et al. (1996),
technology can help the students take active role in the learning process for it allows them to
use different instructional modes and methods. This is perhaps the reason why considerable
efforts have been made to humanize5 the use of technology in education (Murphy, 1986).
Many authors have professed the positive effects of technology on teaching and
learning: “technology allows faster, more efficient, effective and interactive classroom
experiences; online research tools and resources saved time and fasten the research process;
can increase opportunities for student-constructed learning; lessen lecture method with more
students centered classrooms; power point and projectors reduced the need of blackboard
and whiteboard in classrooms” (Jamil & Shah, 2011, p. 41). In particular, the use of
PowerPoint presentation can appeal to different learning styles because it allows the
incorporation of sophisticated visual and auditory media (Jones, 2003). It acts as supplement
to the regular oral lecture. It break downs lectures into layers, hence giving it a structure.
With the use of PowerPoints, note-taking for students become easier. Lastly, the use of
pictures and graphs keep the students attentive and make the class more interesting (Priya,
2012).
5
To humanize the use of technology in the classroom means enhancing the learning process and
reinforcing student-teacher relationship through the use of technology (Murphy, 1986).
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Many History teachers in several countries are not aware of the various teaching
strategies that are open, innovative, and student-centered. Most of them, if not all, merely
utilize the textbooks which oftentimes promote the misconception that historiography is a
“perfected and preconceived product, not an ongoing process of debate and disputation”
(Lowenthal, 2000, p. 258). To avoid this illusion, the teaching of History must go beyond
textbook. The teachers and the students should embrace films, televisions, newspapers,
museums, and archives (Lowenthal, 2000). Kitson and Husbands (2011) have also
discovered that the teaching strategies the students have identified as most enjoyable were
investigative work, group work, discussion, and debate. Other popular activities include role
play, drama, and presentations.
Summary
There are four possible goals of History education as identified in this chapter. These
are (1) cultural literacy (2) historical understanding (3) historical empathy and (4) social
understanding and civic efficacy. Of these goals, cultural literacy is the lowest learning
outcome because it deals with memorizing facts including important dates and names of
historical persons. This is not to say, however, that cultural literacy is not important. In fact,
to develop historical understanding, cultural literacy is important because the activation of
prior knowledge, which takes place when the students can recall important facts, is
important in building historical understanding. Historical understanding, however, goes
beyond the activation of prior knowledge. It necessarily involves making sense of the
knowledge presented. It includes an analysis of the different elements and forces that may
have shaped a particular historical phenomenon. The third goal is historical empathy which
is about examining the past in its own terms. It implies understanding the mentality, beliefs,
values, and actions of the people in the past. The highest learning outcome is fostering social
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understanding and civic efficacy. This is the highest goal because it deals with transforming
the students to become good citizens who are bearer of democratic principles.
To realize these goals, History teachers can employ various activities that are
innovative and engaging. These may include using documentary films, literature circles,
literacy strategies, debates, etc. For instance, using documentary films can reinforce, though
not all the times, the development of social understanding and civic efficacy. Documentary
films can offer the students with different perspectives which oftentimes are not presented
in textbooks. These perspectives can help in expanding the students’ view of humanity.
Documentary films also provide the students with the opportunities to understand the
actions and motivation of the people who lived in the past.
Not only do documentary films reinforce social understanding and civic efficacy but
they also have the potential to develop cultural literacy, historical understanding, and
historical empathy. Showing documentary films can help the students recall important facts
previously discussed in class. Recalling facts can make it easier for the students to make
meaning of the events presented in the films. Lastly, documentary films can give the students
a clearer picture of the past which in turn can make it easier for them to relate to the way
people in the past lived their lives.
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CHAPTER III
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the theoretical assumptions and concepts that were highlighted
in the study. This chapter also includes a discussion of the research design and methodology
used to gather the desired data.
Conceptual Framework
Many students, despite the fact that History as a subject has started to gain its
rightful place in the school curriculum, still fail to appreciate the subject. Many fall short in
recognizing the deeper meaning of studying the past as reflected in the unfavorable
behaviors they exhibit towards History and Social Studies- related tasks. They regard History
as an impractical subject which cannot help them in their future endeavors. Given these
views and attitudes, History teachers struggle in facilitating meaningful class discussions (De
Oliveira; 2008; Sheets, 2010; Wiersma, 2008). In the Philippines, Zulueta (2010) found out
that students have a clear understanding of the importance of studying History.
Unfortunately, their positive attitudes towards the subject do not make them exert the
corresponding efforts in studying their lessons—an indication that they still lack genuine
appreciation for the subject.
The nature of the subject can be a reason why many students dislike the subject. As
it is commonly known, History deals with names of historical persons, dates, and events.
However, it can be argued that teachers themselves are a key factor why students find it
difficult to genuinely appreciate the subject. “Pupils enjoyment varied greatly between
schools and there was evidence that it is teachers and teaching style that have greatest impact
on the attitudes of pupils in History rather than the nature of the subject itself” (Kitson,
Husband, & Steward, 2011, p. 39). The classroom practices of the teachers, therefore, play a
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pivotal role in helping the students comprehend the real value of History education.
However, it should be remembered that classroom practices largely depend on the goals of
the teachers. Hence, there is a need to understand the different goals of History education
which the teachers set for themselves and to analyze whether their classroom practices lead
to the realization of such goals. Teaching goals and classroom practices may not necessarily
be in congruence with each other as Hootstein (1994) has shown. He found out that there is
minimal connection between the instructional goals of (American) History teachers and their
motivational strategies. Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study.
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Teaching Goals
Through a thorough examination of various sources, both primary and secondary,
four possible goals of History education were identified: cultural literacy, historical
understanding, historical empathy, and social understanding and civic efficacy. These goals
are arranged from lower to higher learning outcomes to highlight that these goals are
interdependent and interrelated.
Cultural Litearcy as the Lowest Goal
Cultural literacy, the term introduced by E. D. Hirsch Jr., is considered in this study
as the lowest learning outcome because this goal is primarily concerned with remembering
and memorizing facts (e.g., names of persons, dates, events), which, according to Hirsch
(1987), is fundamental in the survival of the students in the modern world.
Activating background knowledge, which takes place when the students recall
information, is indispensable to the development of historical understanding—definedas the
ability to process and make sense of information by using various cognitive skills such
comprehending, interpreting, and analyzing (Dixit & Mohanty, 2009). Activating prior
knowledge can be of great help to the students to understand the historical themes under
investigation.
In this study, the framework proposed by Freeman (2008) known as the “Ten 10 Cs
of Historical Understanding” was adopted and used to determine whether the high school
History teachers who participated in the study aim to develop historical understanding in
their students.
Ten Cs of Historical Understanding
This framework proposed 10 orienting guidelines which when addressed effectively
can develop the students’ understanding of major historical concepts and themes. The 10 Cs
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are conflict, context, cause, character, course, conclusion, consequences, comparison,
comprehensiveness, and coherence. Table 1 below summarizes the meaning of each term.
Table 1. The 10 Cs of Historical Understanding
10 Cs
Description
Conflict
Understanding the conflicting forces that paved the way to a major
historical event
Context
Understanding the political, economic, social, and intellectual forces
that shape the conflict and thus a major event
Cause
Understanding the proximate and deeper causes of events
Characters
Understanding the factors that influenced the decisions and actions of
historical actors involved in the event
Course
Analysis of the sequence of events that a conflict followed towards its
resolution
Conclusion
Understanding how the conflict was resolved
Consequence
Understanding the impact of the resolution of the conflict to the people
and society involved
Comparison
Seeing the parallelisms between different historical events
Comprehensiveness Analyzing the various factors that shaped the outcome of the resolution
Coherence
Giving a coherent analysis of the events under investigation
Source: Freeman (2008)
The Processes of Historical Empathy
The third goal is historical empathy, defined as “student’s cognitive and affective
engagement with historical figures to better understand and contextualize their lived
experiences, decisions, or actions” (Endacott & Brooks, 2013, p. 41). It involves examining
the beliefs, values, and perspectives that are predominant in the period of history being
studied. In analyzing these beliefs, values, and perspectives, a reasonable amount of evidence
should be utilized (Endacott & Brooks, 2013; Jensen, 2008; Yilmaz, 2007). The principles
and features of historical empathy are encompassed by three processes described by
Endacott and Brooks (2013): (1) historical contextualization, (2) perspective taking, and (3)
affective connection (See Figure 2). These processes are believed to facilitate the
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development of historical empathy.
Perspective
taking
Affective connection
Historical
contextualization
Historical
empathy
Figure 2. Processes that facilitate the development of historical empathy (Endacott &
Brooks, 2013)
Indicators of Social Understanding and Civic Efficacy
The highest of the four goals is social understanding and civic efficacy. Social
understanding refers to the ability of the students to understand the complex and
interdependent world and their roles to play as part of that world (Yilmaz, 2009a) whereas
civic efficacy refers to the belief that a person can contribute for the betterment of his
community (Crocetti, Jahromi, & Meeus, 2012). Social understanding and civic efficacy
complement each other. Hence, in this study, they are taken together as one goal. To
determine whether the participants aim to develop social understanding and civic efficacy,
indicators of civic engagement and civic competencies were used. Indicators of civic
engagement include political engagement, civil activity, and problem-solving activity. Civic
competencies which include civic knowledge, civic skills, and civic dispositions were also
used as indicators (See Figure 3).
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59
CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT
CIVIC
COMPETENCIES
Political engagement
Civic knowledge
Civil activity
Civic skills
Problem solving activity
Civic dispositions
Figure 3. Indicators of Social Understanding and Civic Efficacy (Komalasari, 2009;
McIntosh & Munoz, 2009)
Research Design and Methodology
Type of Study Done
According to Kumar (2005), a research can be viewed from three different
perspectives: application, objectives, and mode of inquiry. With regard to application, a study
can be classified as either pure or applied. Pure research involves testing and developing
theories and hypotheses. These theories and hypothesis, however, do not necessarily have
practical application. Applied research, on the other hand, is conducted with the aim of
addressing specific issues which consequently lead to the formulation of policies and a better
understanding of the phenomenon. In this regard, this study can be considered applied
research because the instrumentation used aims to improve the current practices of high
school History teachers in relation to the achievement of the teaching goals of History
education.
The objective of a study, on the other hand, can either be descriptive, correlational,
explanatory, or exploratory (Kumar, 2005.). This particular study falls under the category of
descriptive and explanatory study. This study can be considered descriptive because it
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described the teaching goals of high school History teachers and the classroom practices
they implement to achieve these goals. It can also be considered explanatory because it
examined plausible relationship between the teaching goals and classroom practices of high
school History teachers.
Finally, the third and seemingly the most popular way of categorizing the type of
study is the mode of inquiry which is divided into categories: qualitative and quantitative.
This study is purely qualitative since it used only qualitative methods of data-gathering and
analysis.
Research Setting, Sites, and Participants
This study looked into the teaching goals and classroom practices of high school
History teachers in selected private high schools in a municipality in Batangas. I graduated
from one of these schools and as my way of giving back to the school, this study sought to
determine how the teachers, particularly the History teachers, can improve their teaching
practices. However, to make the study more relevant and meaningful, I decided to cover all
five private schools in the municipality. Unfortunately, only three schools including my alma
mater, gave me research access.
Background of the Schools
School P is a private nonsectarian school. It was founded in 1946 and was
recognized by the government in 1948. In the current school year, the school has a student
population of 657. It has 16 sections (four sections for each year level) and on the average
each section has 40 students. With regard to facilities, the school has a computer laboratory
spacious enough to accommodate a class of 40 students. The school uses Wi-Fi making it
easier for the teachers and the students to access the internet for research purposes. Also,
the school has a library which contains reference materials the students can use. In
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61
particular, the library contains history textbooks such as Kayamanan (Kasaysayan ng Daigdig)
Isang Sulyap sa Kasaysayan from Rex Publishing House.
School S, on the other hand, is a private Catholic school. It was founded in 1956.
Just like School P, School S also has 16 sections and on the average has 40 students in each
section. The school has a library and a computer laboratory the students can use to do
research. The teachers in this school, just like in School P, use LCD projectors, which make
it easier for them to discuss using PowerPoint Presentations.
Lastly, School C is a Christian school with a relatively small high school population
of 52 students. The students in this school seldom use textbooks because the school follows
the Christian Accelerated Education (CEA) program where the students are given
workbooks which contain all the lessons with the corresponding exercises.
All three schools follow the newly-implemented K-12 Curriculum of the
Department of Education (DepEd). School C though is a special case. The school follows
both the K-12 program and the CEA. The school follows a dual-system where the students
attend to lecture and individual work time. After the lectures, the students go to their
individual work space (each student has his own cubicle) and study the workbooks, the
content of which highlights Christian concepts and ideas. The school, however, modified the
workbooks to include the contents required by DepEd.
Background of the History Teachers
The participants of the study were teachers in the selected schools who are currently
teaching or have previously taught Asian and World History under the K-12 curriculum. In
the K-12 curriculum, the History subjects being taught in the junior high school are Asian
(Grades 7 and 8) and World (Grade 9) History.
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Seven teachers participated in the study. Among these teachers, two of them are
teaching World History, three are handling Asian History, and one has taught Asian History
in the previous year but is currently teaching Economics. Most of these teachers are not
History majors but were assigned to handle History classes. One teacher has degree in
secondary education major in English and minor in Filipino. Another teacher specializes in
Biological Science. There is also a teacher who has Technology and Livelihood Education as
her expertise. Another teacher has a degree in Philosophy. Lastly, there is a teacher who has
a degree in commerce but took education units with English as her field of expertise.
Background of the History Professors/Experts
The History experts are History professors from a university in Pasig City. Two of
them hold a doctorate in History and the other three professors hold a master’s degree in
Humanities with History as their field of specialization.
Data-Gathering Procedures and Instrumentation
I employed qualitative research methods and conducted field visits. I visited the
schools five times.
To answer the first and second research questions, I interviewed the teachers. An
interview guide or protocol6 was crafted consisting of questions that ask for the participants’
teaching goals and their practices when teaching History. Out of the seven teachers, I
conducted face-to-face interviews with the teachers from school P and school S wherein I
recorded our conversations. The longest interview was around 37 minutes and the shortest
was around 8 minutes. In school C, the admission officer who gave me research access
informed me that face-to-face interview was not possible given the hectic schedule of the
6
See appendix B for the interview protocol.
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63
teacher. Hence, she asked me to just leave the interview questionnaire. She forwarded the
questionnaire to the History teacher and consequently emailed me the teacher’s answers.
I also conducted classroom observations to determine the methods of instruction
and classroom activities the teachers use during History classes. However, they were
conducted in only one school because the other two schools declined my request permission
to observe classes. I observed three classes. One was a grade 8 class and the other two were
grade 9 classes. For the grade 9 classes, I observed the same teacher but in two different
sections. I observed her classes both in the first and last sections. All of the classes I
observed were in the afternoon. Prior to the classroom observation, a classroom observation
protocol7 was constructed.
I also conducted document analysis. I developed a document analysis guide8. In
developing the guide, I considered my research questions and the objectives of the study. I
crafted the guide in such a way that there were two sections corresponding to the two
important concepts my study highlights: teaching goals and classroom practices. The first
part of the guide aims to determine what teaching goals are entrenched in each of the lesson
by carefully examining and analyzing the content of the documents. The second part, on the
other hand, aims to determine what classroom practices (methods of instruction, classroom
activities) the teachers intend to use in delivering the lessons.
All pertinent documents such as lesson plans, unit guides, and unit plans reflect the
teachers’ goals and classroom practices selected for possible analysis. In this study, however,
only lessons plans were subjected to analysis. According to the teachers, the daily learning
plans are their interpretation of the standards indicated in the K-12 curriculum of DepEd
7
8
See Appendix C for the classroom observation guide.
See Appendix D for the document analysis guide.
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64
which are usually found in unit guides. Hence, I decided to analyze the daily learning plans
because what is written in the plan is a result of their own interpretation of the content and
performance standards indicated in the DepEd K-12 curriculum. Daily learning plans,
therefore, show how the teachers think and view History including the goals they set in
teaching History and what types of activities they implement to achieve these goals.
I examined 12 daily learning plans. Daily learning plans are lesson plans but not
detailed because the teachers are not required anymore to include specific details. A daily
learning plan includes the topic, the objectives of the lesson, and the classroom activities
without the description of the procedures and materials, and the assessment.
Lastly, to answer the third research question, aside from using insights from a review
of various literature regarding how to improve the teaching goals and classroom practices of
high school History teachers, a focus group discussion (FGD) with History experts was also
carried out. The result of the interviews, document analysis, and classroom observations
revealed that there are points the teachers need to consider to improve their teaching goals
and classroom practices. I consulted the literature and experts to further understand these
areas of improvements.
The FGD lasted for almost an hour. The experts answered questions related to the
various themes that have emerged during the interviews with the teachers.
Table 2 shows the matching of the research questions and research methods.
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Table 2. Matching of the Research Questions and Research Methods
Research
Questions
Research
Methods
Interviews with
teachers
Research Question1
Research Question2
What teaching goals do high school
What are the classroom practices
History teachers set for themselves in
of these teachers in teaching
designing and delivering their lessons?
History? Why do they adopt
What are the reasons behind these goals?
such practices?
Objective:
Know the teaching goals of the teachers
in teaching History as well as the
classroom practices they implement to
achieve the goals
Objective:
Understand how the teachers
design and deliver their lessons
Focus Group
Discussion among
university History
teachers
Document analysis of
lesson plans
Classroom
observations
Research Question3
What improvements, if any,
can be made in the teaching
goals and classroom practices
of these teachers?
Objective:
Identify what can be improved
with the current teaching goals
and classroom practices of the
teachers
Objective:
Know the specific learning outcomes
and curriculum standards the teachers
aim to achieve
Objective:
Determine how the teachers
intend to deliver their lessons
Objective:
Know what specific methods of
instruction the teachers use to
deliver their lessons
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66
Flow of the Data-Gathering Process
In order to answer the research questions, there were necessary steps that had to be
followed. These steps were categorized into three phases: deductive phase, implementation
phase, and inductive phase. In the deductive phase I conducted a review of related literature
to identify possible goals of History education including viable indicators for these goals.
The review was also intended to identify some of the classroom practices that facilitate the
achievement of the goals. After identifying the indicators for each goal, I developed research
instruments: an interview guide, a classroom observation protocol, and a document analysis
guide. A social psychologist from a university in Pasig and a social studies teacher from a
progressive school in Mandaluyong validated all of these instruments. After establishing the
face validity of the instruments, I moved on to the implementation phase. I conducted indepth interviews, focus group discussion, document analysis, and classroom observations.
After this, I analyzed the findings and moved on the last phase—inductive phase where I
generated conclusions and generalizations. In doing so, I had to go back to the deductive
phase. I had to relate my findings, conclusions, and recommendations with the related
literature.
Figure 4 shows the flow of the data-gathering process followed in the study.
Limitations of the Study
The study aimed to determine the teaching goals and classroom practices of high
school History teachers in a municipality in Batangas. These schools are private schools
which means that the findings of the study may not necessarily be applicable to public
schools.
Another limitation of the study was the sample size of the respondents. Only seven
teachers participated in the study. Also, only one school allowed for classroom observations.
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67
Ethical Aspects of the study
First of all, I secured research access from the school leaders (e.g. principals, school
directors)9. After this, I gave the participants informed consent form10describing both our
rights and the responsibilities in relation to the study. I also gave paramount consideration to
ethical concerns such as the confidentiality of information.
9
See Appendix F for the sample letter requesting for research access.
10
See Appendix G for the consent form.
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
Conducted review of related
literature
PHASE I:
DEDUCTIVE PHASE
68
Identified (1) teaching goals
and indicators (2) classroom
practices
Developed research
instruments
Conducted face validity
Conclusions and
Generalizations
PHASE II:
IMPLEMENTATION
PHASE
PHASE III:
INDUCTIVE PHASE
Conducted in-depth
interviews
Analyzed findings
Conducted Classroom
Observations
Conducted Document
Analysis
Figure 4. Sequence of data gathering and analysis
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Conducted FGD
69
CHAPTER IV
PRESENTATION OF DATA
This chapter presents the data collected from the three research sites using in-depth
interviews, focus group discussion, document analysis, and classroom observations. These
data aim to shed light on the teaching goals and classroom practices of high school History
teachers. In particular, these methodologies were conducted to determine whether the
teachers are developing cultural literacy, historical understanding, historical empathy, and
civic efficacy among the students in their teaching of History. Again, cultural literacy
involves the acquisition and retrieval of foundational knowledge—a process necessary
before a learner can effectively engage in higher order thinking (Hirsch, 1987). Historical
understanding, on the other hand, involves processing and making sense of facts, themes,
and patterns to understand the past which consequently leads to a better appreciation of the
present (Dixit & Mohanty, 2009; Wineburg, 2001). Historical empathy, as a teaching goal, is
higher than historical understanding for it involves more complex processes. It essentially
involves analyzing the different social, political, and cultural forces that may have shaped a
major historical phenomenon. Appreciation of these factors can lead to a better
understanding of key historical actors’ motivations, decisions, and actions (Endacott &
Brooks, 2013). Lastly, social understanding and civic efficacy demands the discernment of
the roles the students need to fulfill in the complex and interdependent world in which they
belong. This involves strengthening the students’ civic competencies and civic engagement
through active participation in promoting the common good (Yilmaz, 2009a).
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In-depth Interviews
Profile of the Interviewees
Seven teachers currently teaching Asian (Grade 7) and World History (Grade 8) in
three different schools in Rosario Batangas were interviewed. In school P, there were four
teachers who participated in the interviews: teachers O, A, S, and J. Teacher O holds a
degree in Secondary Education with History as her major. She has been teaching History for
almost seven years now. Teacher A holds a degree in Secondary Education major in English
minor in Filipino. Compared to teachers O and A, teachers S and J are relatively new in
teaching History; they have been teaching History for only two years. Teacher S holds a
degree in Secondary Education with Social Studies as her major. Teacher J, on the other
hand, has biological science as her expertise but was assigned to teach Asian History.
In school S, two teachers participated in the interviews. One of these was teacher E
who has been teaching Asian History for almost 10 years now. However, she is currently
assigned to teach Economics. She has a degree in Education having Technology and
Livelihood Education (TLE) as her subject of expertise. Teacher R, on the other hand, is
currently teaching Asian History but holds a degree in philosophy. He has seven years of
teaching tucked under his belt.
In school C, only one teacher participated in the study—Teacher R. She has a degree
in commerce and took secondary education units with English as her major. She has been
teaching History for almost 5 years now.
Table 3 shows the profile of each teacher.
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Table 3. Teachers’ Profile
Teacher
School
Teacher O
P
No. of Years
Teaching
7 years
Teacher A
P
10 years
Teacher S
P
2 years
Teacher J
P
2 years
Teacher E
S
10 years
Teacher R
S
7 years
Teacher R
C
5 years
Educational
Background
Secondary
Education
Major in History
Secondary
Education
major in English
minor in
Filipino
Secondary
Education
major in Social
Studies
Secondary
Education
major in
Biological
Science
Secondary
Education
major in
Technology and
Livelihood
Education
(TLE)
Bachelor’s
Degree in
Philosophy
Bachelor’s
Degree in
commerce;
Secondary
Education
major in English
Assigned
Subjects
World History
Asian History
Asian History
Asian History
Asian History,
Economics
Asian History
World History
As shown in the table, most of the teachers are not History majors but were assigned
to handle History classes. Such teaching load could have an impact in the way they teach
History. The teachers may not possess the content and practical knowledge needed to offer
the students with meaningful discussions of the past. There is then a need for the teachers to
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attend in-service trainings specific to addressing the needs of History teachers. In-service
trainings can equip them with relevant skills to effectively teach History. In the interviews,
however, there are no hints that the teachers attend such subject specific in-service trainings.
Results of the Interviews
In the interviews, seven major themes surfaced. This section discusses each of these
themes. This section contains specific statements (in italics) from the History teachers
written. After each direct quotation is the author-researcher’s English translation of the
statement.
A. Views on Memorization
History necessarily deals with facts. Consequently, the study of History is often
associated with memorization—the act of acquiring and retrieving information
(Freeman, 2008; Seixas, 1996). This link between memorization and the study of History
is also recognized by the teachers who participated in the study. They acknowledged the
value of memorization in History education. One teacher cited the importance of
memorization in relation to taking social studies tests:
“Hindi pa rin maiiwan yung memorization, kasi pag hindi sila nagmemorize, wala talaga silang
isasagot dun sa ibang parte ng test items na ibinibigay ng mga teachers….” (Teacher A,
January 30, 2015)
“Memorization cannot be avoided behind because if they [students] do not
memorize, they will not be able to answer some items in the tests the teachers give.”
From this statement, it can be inferred that a considerably big percentage of the test items
still require the ability of the students to recall certain facts.
Despite recognizing the importance of memorization, the interviewees were
perceptive enough to recognize that History is not merely about memorization. They even
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73
pointed out the danger when the students engage in the act of rote memorization which
inhibits the students to go beyond surface level learning. Hence, the teachers firmly believe
that History education should go beyond rote memorization of dates and names. It should
be about understanding, termed as comprehension by one of the interviewees, which means
analyzing pieces of information in order to give sound conclusions and generalizations. It
further implies the application of what the students have learned. Below were some of the
responses of the teachers that clearly indicate their adherence to the idea that memorization
is not the “be all and end all” of History education:
“Importante ang memorization pero dapat may comprehension” (Teacher O, January 9, 2015)
“Memorization is important, but there ought to be comprehension.”
“Hindi pa rin maiiwan yung memorization, kasi pag hindi sila nagmemorize, wala talaga silang
isasagot dun sa ibang parte ng test items na ibinibigay ng mga teachers pero more on kailangan din
yung application dun sa natutunan talaga nila”(Teacher A, January 30, 2015)
“Memorization cannot be avoided because if they [students] do not memorize, they
will not be able to answer some items in the tests that the teachers give. However,
there is a need to give emphasis on the application of what they have learned.”
“Ako para sa akin ay, para siya ay nakakainspire, para maka-inspire. Unang una yun mga
heroic na tao, pwede natin silang iimitate. …yun yung goals of History education “Ahh, ganito
pala, hindi naman lahat ng magagaling na pinuno from the start sila ay magaling na.” (Teacher
R, January 30, 2015)
“For me, the goal of History education is to inspire.” We can imitate people in the
past who are known for their heroic deeds.” History also shows that known leaders
did not start as people who are good at everything.”
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“Eh syempre, bilang mga Pilipino, tayo dito, tayong una dapat makakaalam kung ano yung
kaganapang nagyayari sa atin. Kung hindi natin maituturo nang maayos sa ating mag-aaral,
mababale wala lang lahat ng mga effort o ginawa ng ating mga ninuno talaga.” (Teacher A,
January 30, 2015)
“Of course, as Filipinos, we should know what happened…. If we failed to teach
them to the students, the efforts of our ancestors will be put to waste.”
“Memorization is important but not in all times siguro. Imememorize mo ang let’s
say ang pagkakasunod sunod ng mga dinastiya and so what pagnamemorize mo? Maganda alam
mo yung mga dinastiya halimbawa sa China pero alam mo ba kung ano yung nangyari ano sa
bawat dinastiya so importante ang memorization pero dapat may comprehension ano.” (Teacher
O, January 9, 2015)
“Memorization is important but not all the time. So what if they can memorize the
chronological order of the different dynasties... It’s better if there is
comprehension....”
B. Providing the students with a comprehensive view of History
A well-thought-out lesson plan serves as an antecedent of successful teaching. The
teachers are expected to come up with a viable plan on how to effectively communicate the
content. In the interview, the teachers pointed out some considerations in planning the
lessons. One of these considerations is that the activities the teachers intend to use should be
aligned with the learning objectives:
“Yung objectives mo dapat iaalign sa mga activities.” (Teacher O, January 9, 2015)
“The objectives should be aligned with the activities.”
This principle reminds teachers that the activities should lead to the realization of the
learning outcomes. In relation to planning the activities, the teachers believe that there is a
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75
need to use “differentiated instruction,” which involves providing the students with different
activities to accommodate the students’ varying learning preferences. Inside the classroom,
students are very diverse; there are students who are into music, dance, visual arts and
others. And oftentimes, students are motivated to learn when they are given the choice to
make use of their interests. The implication is that the teachers anchor the activities on the
different interests of the students. This then calls for differentiating teaching. Below are the
responses which show the teachers’ adherence to the principles of Differentiated
Instruction:
“Dapat ay mag-aaddress ng individual differences yung plans mo.” (Teacher O, January 9,
2015)
“The plans should address the individual differences of the students.”
“…may news reporting, may papanoorin [silang] videos (hal. BBC and National Geographic
Documentaries), reaction to pelikula (hal. Apocalypto (2006), Gladiator (2000)).”(Teacher O,
January 9, 2015)
“There is news reporting… they watch videos (e.g., BBC and National Geographic
documentaries)… reaction to movies (e.g., Apocalypto (2006), Gladiator (2000)).”
“Oo [nagpapanood ng video], kung minsan eh di yung play, movie viewing, yung mga clips
lamang.” (Teacher A, January 30, 2015)
“Yes, I show them videos sometimes we watch plays and view movies but only some
clips.”
“May reporting tapos yun … group report.” (Teacher A, January 30, 2015)
“There is reporting … group report.”
“… more on audiovisual … meron akong mga movie clips.” (Teacher R, January 9, 2015)
“more on audiovisual, I also have movie clips.”
“ Oo hands-on activities, group works.” (Teacher R, January 9, 2015)
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“Yes hands-on activities, group works”
“Reporting, brainstorming, group activity” (Teacher S, January 9, 2015)
Apart from planning the activities, the teachers also mentioned that in discussing the
lessons, the students should be given a comprehensive view of History. Providing the
students with a comprehensive view of History entails that the teachers should go beyond
mere narration of what happened. They see to it that they discuss the relevance of the event
to the students. The focus on relevance accentuates the importance of the past and its
connection to the present. In this regard, a comprehensive view of History implies a higher
level of analysis of what happened. Here are some responses showing the teachers’ aim to
offer the students with a comprehensive view of History:
“Ah yung kung papaano nagsimula at yung effect niya sa tao.” (Teacher R, January 9, 215)
“How it started and its impact on the people.”
“Yung dahilan, kung bakit nangyari yun, at kung ano yung makukuha nilang aral tungkol dun.”
(Teacher S, January 9, 2015)
“Its causes, why it happened, and what lessons they can get from it.”
“Kung ano muna yung nangyari and then yunng aalamin yung san nangyari, then result.”
(Teacher A, January 30, 2015)
“First of all, knowing what the event was and then its results.”
“Parang inaano naming dun, ay di yung pangyayari mismo, pero syempre iaano mo rin kung sinong
mga involved. Pero talagangang icoconcentrate mo bakit nangyari yun, ano yung epekto nun ngayon
sa atin, pero syempre kauna-unahan bakit, bakit nangyari? Ano yung pinagmulan? Sino yun
gmga involve? Pero mga dates hindi masyado.”(Teacher E, January 30, 2015)
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“… of course the event itself, we also discuss who were involved. However we focus
on what happened, why it occurred, what was the cause and its ramifications to the
present…”
“Ahh ano kailangan mo yang ahh, parang ahh irelate na sa kasalukuyang nangyayari. Lagi yang
may tinatawag na ahh sa seminar namin sa K-12 nakalimutan ko na lamang yung term na kung
ang tinatalakay mo ay sinaunang panahon dapat humanap ka ng paraan para mairelate ito sa
kasalukuyan. Kung ang tinatalakay mo ay Greece halimbawa at Rome, hahanap ka… ng
katulad na maaari mong irelate sa Greece at sa Rome.” (Teacher O, January 9, 2015)
“You have to relate it to present events… If you are discussing Greece and Rome,
you have to find something … that you can relate to Greece and Rome.”
Most of the teachers, as clearly shown by the responses above, aim to provide the students
with a comprehensive view of History. However, one of the interviewees affirmed that most
of the time, she does not elaborate anymore because the book she is using does not further
expound on the topic:
“Wala nang masyado pang elaboration dun sa book. Hindi ko masyadong pinapalawak pa.”
(Teacher J, January 30, 2015)
“There is not much elaboration in the book. I do not expound [on the topic]
anymore.”
C. Learner-centered instruction in teaching History
In the recent years, there have been considerable efforts made to effectively incorporate
learner-centered principles in the teaching of History (Yilmaz, 2009b). Learner-centered
instruction recognizes that the students are the protagonist of their own learning. Teachers
having a learner-centered perspective have the students in mind while planning the lesson.
Another manifestation of teachers having a learner-centered perspective is that they do not
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dominate the teaching-learning process but act as facilitators of understanding. This learnercentered perspective was evident among the teachers:
“Activities that will address the individual differences of the students” (Teacher O,
January 9, 2015)
“I want my students to discover the topic themselves.” (Teacher O, January 9, 2015)
“We often use reporting and group discussion. It is more effective than just mere lecture
for they [students] can express their ideas freely.” (Teacher R, February 17, 2015)
Another important idea that surfaced in the interviews in relation to learner-centered
instruction is the use of hands-on approaches. Almost all teachers use hands-on approaches.
One of these is collaborative learning where the teachers ask the students to work with their
peers to accomplish an output such as group presentation, role play, and group research.
“Halimbawa ay dramatization, usually group, minsan inaadopt naming kung ano yung maganda na
nasa books tulad ng nga nung mga group discussion, debate.” (Teacher E, January 9, 2015)
“For example, dramatization, usually in group. We adopt relevant activities from the
book such as group discussion and debate.”
The teachers recognize the role of hands-on approaches in the teaching of History.
However, some deem the approaches to be effective only when used in the higher sections
(Sections A and B).11 When it comes to the lower sections, they tend to favor teachercentered and direct instruction:
“Sabi ko nga, siguro effective pagka ika’y nasa first section.”
“Pano’y sabi ko nga pag activity at ginawa mo nga sa lower section, parang uulitin mo rin
lamang.” (Teacher E, January 9, 2015)
In school P and school S, students are divided into four sections according to their grades. Students
who have high grades are in higher sections (sections A and B).
11
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“As I have said, it might be effective when you do it in the first section.”
“As I have said when you do the activity in the lower section, what will happen is
that you will just repeat [the lesson].”
Samantalang ito namang lower (section), basta makapasa okay na, hindi na sila nageexert ng
masyadong effort kaya kinakailangan iba yung approach mo sa higher section, iba yung approach
mo sa lower section.”(Teacher R, January 9, 2015)
“However, the students in the lower section are contented with passing the subject,
they do not exert efforts, that’s why the approach with them should be different.”
Furthermore, most of the teachers cited the implementation of the K-12 curriculum as
one of the reasons why they implement hands-on approaches. According to them, the K-12
curriculum requires the teachers to employ hands-on approaches. Only few teachers relate
the application of hands-on activities to the nature of History. This may be due to the fact
that many of these teachers are not History majors. They may not be familiar with the
pedagogy in teaching History.
D. The use of primary source documents
History is open for interpretation especially since it deals with a plethora of information.
This very nature of History corroborates the need to use multiple documents such as
primary source documents in analyzing certain historical events. However, in the interviews,
the use of primary source documents was not mentioned. Many teachers rely heavily on the
use of textbooks. Nonetheless, the teachers use other sources of information apart from
textbooks. These include videos and movie clips which they deem to be effective in
substantiating the students’ understanding of the lesson.
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E. The role of questioning
The interviewees were more than willing to share their ideas on how they implement
their lesson plans. They mentioned that to facilitate a deeper understanding of History, they
incorporate questioning as a major part of their teaching practices. In the interviews, it was
clear that the purpose of asking reflective questions is for the students to discern the
connections between the formal academic lessons and their lives. They claimed to ask the
students reflective questions:
“May mga questions na ibinibigay kung halimbawa noon ikaw ay ganito, paano ka, yung ginagawa
naming.” (Teacher E, January 9, 2015)
“There are questions that the students need to answer. For instance, what if you were…”
Laging mayrong question sa mga bata.” (Teacher R, January 9, 2015)
“There are always questions for the students.”
F. Development of citizenship through classroom activities
Citizenship education has been an advocacy of many in the past few years. The
advocates of citizenship education have been claiming that what the country needs in order
to prosper is to have citizens who understand well their duties and responsibilities
(Philippine Center for Civic Education and Democracy, n.d). Consequently, educational
institutions have been tasked to prepare and develop students as good citizens. The concept
of citizenship has been incorporated in various subjects especially in Social Studies. There
are topics devoted to understanding what authentic citizenship means. However, in the
interviews, an interesting idea emerged; it is not only the content (topic) that helps the
students realize how to be good citizens, the process, which refers to classroom activities
also come into play. This means that the students can acquire civic values such as respect,
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collaboration, and responsibility by actively engaging in the various classroom activities the
teacher implements.
With regard to the content of the topic, the teachers tend to focus on leaders to be able
to convey what it means to be a good citizen. They discuss the strengths and the weaknesses
of the leaders as well as their virtues and vices.
“Yan, sabi ko nga ay sa mga estudyante ay maging socially responsible, socially aware, so sa history
kapag ang topic ay ahh tungkol sa kabihasnan halimbawa Mesopotamia, India, China, ahh Greece, pa
gang topic ay World War I, II, so usually nakatuon yan ay sa leaders, sa mga leaders, sa mga tao. So
ito lagi ang sinassabi ko sa kanila, so sa paghihimay naming ng mga detalye, bakit bumagsak ang
kabihasnan, lumalabas dyan yung mga tao ang may problema, especially yung mga leaders, anong
kahinaan, anong kalakasan at ano yung dapat nilang ginawa, so sa puntong iyon ay ahh you have to
relate sa kasalukuyan so magrereact sila.” (Teacher O, January 9, 2015)
“I tell my students to be socially responsible and socially aware, so if the topic is about
ancient civilizations… usually the focus is on leaders…When we look into why
civilizations failed, one of the reasons that usually surface is the leaders…”
On the other hand, classroom activities specifically collaborative activities allow the students
to share their views to their peers and give them the opportunities to listen to the ideas of
others. Listening to the opinion of others requires respect and humility. The students must
be open to contradicting ideas and should be able to identify the points of divergence.
Moreover, the members of the group need to collaborate with each other in order to
produce a product which meets the standards set by the teachers.
“For example ay meron ngang group activity, makikita mo na mayroong pagkakaisa doon sa
grupo..yung pagbibigay ng opinion, hindi nagsasapawan… at yung nga yung kooperasyon…”(Teacher
A, January 30, 2015).
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“For example, when there is a group activity, you can see that there is unity in the
group…when they give opinions, they give each other a chance… and of course, there is
cooperation…”
Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
FGD Discussants
The focus group discussion was attended by members of the History Department
from a university in Metro Manila. All of them are currently teaching History subjects and
are knowledgeable in History education because of their academic background. Discussants
A and B hold a doctorate in History while Discussants C, D, and E hold a master’s degree in
Humanities with History as their field of expertise.
Table 4 shows the academic background of each discussant.
Table 4. Profile of FGD discussants
Discussants
Academic Background
A
Doctorate Degree in History
B
Doctorate Degree in Philosophy of History
C
Master’s Degree in Humanities
D
Master’s Degree in Humanities
E
Master’s Degree in Humanities
FGD Results
The FGD was intended to shed light on the emerging themes that surfaced in the
interviews with the high school history teachers. In line with this, the results of the FGD are
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organized according to each theme12. This section also contains specific statements from the
FGD discussants.
A. The role of memorization in the teaching and learning of History
The discussants were one in affirming the key role of memorization in the teaching
of History. They recognized that since History is heavy on facts, figures, and personalities,
the students need to memorize. Remembering these key facts, figures, and personalities
anchors the class discussion in its proper context, given that good class discussions demand
from the students a foundational knowledge of essential content such as the sequence of
events, major developments, and key contributions of historical actors. However, the
discussants affirmed that over emphasis on memorization ought to be avoided. Although
they supported the idea that memorization is important in the process of teaching and
learning History, they also recognized that History education is not solely about
memorization. Rather, memorization is a part of History education which is hoped to
facilitate a better understanding of the past. Below are responses from the discussants
showing the role of memorization in History education:
“I think History really requires memorization but the teacher is not clear about the
role of memorization in the wholeness of studying History. History is not mainly
about memorization, rather memorization is part of learning History. Memorization
is really part of studying History because in History we remember the things of the
past and you should be able to situate the events and developments in certain time
frame.” (Discussant E, March 2, 2015)
“… I explain to them at the beginning of class that History is like one big story and
in that story, you need the details, you need the color. For example, this person, this
12
See Appendix I for the transcript of the FGD.
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place is part of the bigger story so I tell them at the beginning why memorization is
an important part of the whole learning process” (Discussant D, March 2, 2015)
“For us to understand History, of course, we have to understand the basic first.”
(Discussant B, March 2, 2015)
B. Giving a comprehensive view of History
To be able to give the students a comprehensive view of History, the discussants
highlighted the need to identify themes that can unify various historical events.
“… meron kang [you have] unifying theme or factor that’s why the students can tie up
the whole story…” (Discussant D, March 2, 2015)
Identifying themes makes it easier for the teachers to figure out what need to be taught and
discussed. History is a mass of facts which makes it difficult to teach. However, if there is a
particular theme the teachers want their students to comprehend after the discussion, then it
becomes less difficult for them to identify what parts of the lessons to put emphasis on. An
example of a theme identified by one of the discussants is citizenship. Having citizenship as
a theme entails that the discussion of the past should lead the students to a better
understanding of what constitutes good citizenship. Another idea that surfaced in relation to
giving the students a comprehensive view of History is the re-examination of the school’s
mission and vision.
“Maybe the teachers should always go back to mission and vision of the school…”
(Discussant C, March 2, 2015)
The re-examination of mission and vision can help in identifying what themes are to be
emphasized in the study of the past. However, this can only be successful if the teachers and
their supervisors collaborate and understand the very nature of History.
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C. Learner-centered approaches to teach History
The discussants recognized that implementing learner-centered approaches demands
certain skills from the teachers. For one, the teachers must be able to identify what
knowledge and skills they want their students to acquire after engaging in such learnercentered activities. This gave the discussants another reason why identifying themes is very
pivotal in the study of History. The goals of the activities should be aligned with the
identified themes. In this way, the teachers can have a control of both the contents and
activities. An example of a student-centered approach is student-led discussions. This entails
asking the students to read and understand documents and relay their understanding to their
teacher and classmates. This can be challenging for the teachers because as pointed out by
one of the discussants, it might be the case that some students give answers coming from
directions that the teachers themselves do not understand. This reinforces the idea of
teacher training.
“So for the teacher, it will require training. It takes time to be able to perfect an
approach.” (Discussant D, March 2, 2015)
Teachers must be trained how to implement learner-centered approaches such as student-led
discussions. In relation to student-led discussions, the discussants have agreed that the
teachers must select relevant materials for the students to read.
D. Importance of primary source documents
According to the discussants, securing primary a copy of primary source documents is
not a trivial task.
“Ahh, it’s really hard because it’s hard to get documents. Even in college you want to
trim documents you can’t do that yourself and there are not so many sources
trimmed already.” (Discussant E, March 2, 2015)
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This is the reason why they were not surprised that high school History teachers do not ask
the students to examine primary documents. It was also pointed out that a level of maturity
is demanded from the students before the teachers can ask them to read and examine such
documents. However, it is not only the students who ought to prepare; the teachers as well
need to undergo a certain kind of training and preparation. Understanding primary source
documents requires certain skills which the teachers may not acquire on their own. Hence, it
was suggested that teachers must collaborate— i.e., make the preparation of primary
documents as a shared activity. In this way, it is guaranteed that before the teachers ask the
students to study the documents, they themselves understand them. Consequently, the
teachers can effectively process the content of the documents. Lastly, given the complexity
of securing and preparing primary source documents, the discussants proposed looking into
the possibility of college teachers preparing the documents for the high school teachers.
“If they insist on the primary documents… maybe the job of the college level people
is to prepare [them]. There has to be some form of collaboration.” (Discussant B,
March 2, 2015)
E. The use of reflective questions
In the discussion, one of the discussants clearly stated that the act of asking
questions help facilitate the discussion.
“I have a teacher who taught us based highly on memorization but she always put
the lessons in the forms of questions and answer. I love that class because the
method made it more interesting.” (Discussant A, March 2, 2015)
“… You facilitate the discussion by asking questions. You give questions, and then
you wait for the answers.” (Discussant C, March 2, 2015)
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The others did not elaborate on the importance of asking questions. However, it can
be said that they also recognized the important role of reflective questions in teaching
History. For one, one of the teachers advocated the use of a reward system for those
students who ask questions that enrich the discussion.
“… give credits to students who ask questions. If you don’t they won’t ask. Have a
system of rewarding people who ask questions.”(Discussant E, March 2, 2015)
Another discussant responded by describing how the students in her class compete in
formulating good questions.
The discussants seemed to have a better appreciation of questioning. Not only do
they ask questions but they give the students the opportunity to pose questions that can
facilitate the class discussion.
F. Focus on leaders to a better appreciation of citizenship
According to the discussants, focusing on historical actors specifically leaders can be
useful to help the students better appreciate what citizenship means. However, they discuss
the ideologies of the leaders and relate these ideologies to the development of major
historical events. The discussion of the leaders also leads to the discussion of human dignity.
Overall, the focus on the leaders allows the teachers to impart to the students the idea that
virtues are important.
“… When we discuss historical actors, the main goal is to show the virtues. Even the
not so good guys, our approach is [to discuss] what went wrong in their thinking,
perspective…” (Discussant C, March 2, 2015)
G. Development of civic virtues through the classroom activities
The discussants were one in affirming that civic virtues can be developed through
classroom activities particularly collaborative learning (group works). They pointed out that
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through collaborative learning, the students learn how to be responsible, respectful, and
cooperative to successfully produce a quality output. For instance, in the case of group
works, the group is expected to be responsible for the learning of others. The teachers have
to be creative in implementing classroom activities. One of the discussants identified the
element of competition to develop civic virtues especially in group works. When an element
of competition is present, the students are compelled to collaborate and help each other to
produce an output better than the other groups.
“I’m also heavy on group work, … with the element of capitalism, meaning
competition. So if you’re competing with each other, it requires group work. So if
your [the] output is pitiful, someone has to be blamed…It’s not the only method but
my objective is to make them give an individual contribution.” (Discussant B, March
2, 2015)
Group members have to listen to each other’s ideas to come up with a strategy on how to
approach the tasks given to them. However, it should be noted that competition is just one
approach which requires teacher interventions to become effective in developing civic
virtues.
Table 5 shows the summary of the interview and FGD results.
Table 5. Summary of Interview and FGD Results
Interviews
Role of Memorization
Comprehensive view of
History
Learner-centered
approaches
Focus Group Discussion
The teachers acknowledged Remembering key facts,
the role of memorization in figures, and personalities
the teaching of History.
anchors the class discussion
in its proper context.
It entails going beyond mere There ought to be a unifying
presentation of what
theme.
happened.
The teachers do not
The approaches should lead
dominate the teachingto realization of the
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Use of primary sources
Reflective Questions
Focus on leaders
Development of Civic
Virtues
learning process.
It was not mentioned.
Asking questions facilitate a
deeper understanding of
History.
The teachers tend to focus
on leaders to be able to
convey what it means to be a
good citizen.
Both the content (topic) and
the process, which refers to
classroom activities, help the
students realize how to be
good citizens.
identified themes.
It is difficult to secure a copy
of primary source
documents.
It demands maturity from
both the teachers and
students.
Asking reflecting questions
help facilitate class
discussion.
Focusing on historical actors
specifically leaders can be
useful to help the students
better appreciate what
citizenship means.
Civic virtues can be
developed through
classroom activities
particularly collaborative
learning (group works).
Document Analysis
The analysis of the lesson plans was intended to determine what goals of History
education the Social Studies teachers adopt and the kinds of classroom activities they
implement. It was assumed that the teaching goals and practices of the teachers are reflected
in their learning plans.
Twelve lesson plans of varying topics were subjected to document analysis. In doing
the analysis, the format of the lesson plans was examined and pertinent elements of the plans
were identified.
Format of the Lesson Plans
All the lesson plans13 that were examined contained the following parts: topic,
instructional objectives, engaging activities, assessment, and assignment. Reflective questions
13
See Appendix H for sample lesson plan.
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were also included in the plans. In some lesson plans, questions have a section on its own
but in other lesson plans, questioning was included as one of the engaging activities.
One notable characteristic of the examined learning plans was that they were not
detailed. For one, the allotted time for each engaging activity was not indicated. The
activities were not clearly described. For instance, most of the lesson plans simply indicated
group activities without describing the purpose of the group activities.
Instructional Objectives
The objectives which entail mere acquisition and retrieval of foundational concepts
and definitions are categorized under cultural literacy. On the other hand, objectives that
imply analysis and higher thinking fall under historical understanding. Objectives are
categorized under historical empathy when they demand affective connection from the
students, in other words when the students make connection between the past and their own
life experiences. Lastly, objectives under social understanding and civic efficacy imply the
development of civic virtues and values.
The goals are interdependent and interrelated. The students are assumed to achieve
the lower goals before they can engage in the realization of higher learning goals. Hence, in
the analysis of the learning plans, when an objective falls under a higher teaching goal, it is
presumed that the teacher also intends to cover the lower learning outcomes.
Table 6 shows the categorization of the lesson objectives under each teaching goal. It
is evident from the table that the teachers go beyond the goal of mere presentation of basic
information answering questions on what, when, and who. The phrase to analyze indicates
that the teachers aim to engage the students in the process of making sense of the historical
events through a detailed examination of the aspects of these historical events which include
the causes and consequences of these events.
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Not only did the lesson plans show the objectives set by the teachers in delivering
the lessons, but it also described some of their classroom practices. Some of these practices
include using visual and audio-visual presentations, asking the students to work in groups,
student-led discussions, and asking reflective questions. The teachers use a variety of
activities to teach the lessons. This can be an indication of the teachers’ attempt to maximize
student learning.
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Table 6. Categorization of Learning Outcomes
Cultural Literacy
Learning
Outcomes
Historical Understanding
Masusuri ang mga
kabihasnan sa daigdig.
Historical Empathy
Civic Efficacy
unang
To analyze the ancient
civilizations in the world.
Masusuri ang kabihasnang
Klasikal (Greece) sa Europa.
To analyze the classical
(Greece) civilization in
Europe.
Natutukoy ang sanhi at
kaganapan
ukol sa
Digmaang Persyano
Mabibigyan ng pagpapahalaga ang
kontribusyon ng kabihasyang Gresya sa
pag-unlad ng pandaigdigang kamalayan.
To give importance to the
contribution of Ancient Greece to
the
development
of
global
consciousness.
Mapupuri ang pagsusumikap ng mga
Griyego na ipaglaban ang kanilang
kalayaan sa mga dayuhang mananakop.
To praise the efforts of Greeks in
defending their freedom against
foreign aggressors.
To determine the
cause and events
related to the Persian
War.
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Maisalaysay ang mga
naging labanan sa pagitan
ng mga
Griyego at Persyano
To narrate the wars
between Greece and
Persia.
Nabibigyang-kahulugan
ang konsepto ng
kabihasnan at nailalahad
ang mga katangian nito.
Napaghahambing ang mga
sinaunang kabihasnan sa Asya
(Sumer, Indus, Tsina)
To define civilization
To compare and contrast
and list down its major the ancient civilizations in
characteristics.
Asia.
Naipaliliwanag ang bahaging
ginampanan ng sinaunang tao sa
paghubog at pag-unlad ng
pagkakakilanlang Asyano.
To explain the role of
ancient people in the
formation and development
of Asian identities.
Nasusuri ang impluwensiya ng
mga relihiyong Asyano sa
kalagayang panlipunan, sining,
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94
at kultura ng mga Asyano.
To analyze the influence of
Asian religion to social
conditions, the arts and
culture of the Asians.
Malalaman ang ibat-ibang
batayan sa paghubog ng
sinaunang kabihasnan.
To know the different
factors that served as
bases for the
development of
Ancient Civilizations.
Naiisa-isa ang
mahahalgang
terminolohiya patungkol
sa Aralin.
To enumerate the
important
terminologies related
to the lessons.
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Natatalakay ang mga
pangyayari sa Imperyong
Mughal.
To discuss the major
events under the
Mughal Empire.
Naiisat-isa ang mga taon
sa pagsakop ng mga
Muslim at Mughal sa
India.
To enumerate the
years of conquest of
India by the Muslims
and Mughal.
Naiisa-isa ang mga
ambag ng bawat pinuno
na nanguna sa Imperyo.
To
identify
the
contributions of the
leaders who led the
Mughal Empire.
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96
Natatalakay ang ibat-ibang isyu
sa loob at labas ng bansa.
To discuss the different local
and international issues.
Natatalakay at naiisa-isa
ang mahahalagang
pangyayari sa Dinastiyang
Yuan.
To discuss and
enumerate the
important events in
the Yuan Dynasty.
Natatalakay at naiisa-isa
ang mahalagang
pangyayari sa Ginintuang
panahon ng Imperyong
Mughal sa ilalim ni
Akbar.
To discuss and
enumerate the
important events in
the so called Golden
year of Mughal
Empire under the rule
of Akbar.
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Nakakapagpaliwanag kung mainam ba o
masama para sa demokrasya ang labis na
tunggalian sa politika.
To explain whether too much
conflicts in politics is good or bad for
democracy.
97
Nababakas ang
paglalakbay ng mga
Europeo sa Silangan.
Naipapaliwanag ang mga salik
na pumukaw sa mga Europeo
upang tumuklas ng mga lupain.
To trace back the
journey of Europeans
to the East.
To explain the factors that
motivated the Europeans to
discover new lands.
Nasusuri ang mga
pangyayaring nagbigay-daan sa
unang yugto ng imperyalismo sa
Asya.
To analyze the different
factors that paved the way
for Imperialism in Asia.
Nasusuri ang mga elementong
kabihasnang Minoan at Mycean.
To analyze the Minoan and
Mycean civilizations.
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98
Instructional Activities
The daily learning plans indicated the type of classroom activities the teachers
implement in their History classes. Lecture or direct instruction was not included. It was
assumed, however, that direct instruction happens before implementing other activities.
These activities include group activities and student-led discussions which are present in
most of the lesson plans. Five out of 12 lesson plans indicated the use of group work and
seven out of 12 indicated the use of student-led discussions. Individual activity was also
included although only three out of 12 lesson plans indicated individual activities.
Questioning was also emphasized in the lesson plans. Seven out of 12 lesson plans indicated
the use of questions.
Assessment
Apart from the instructional goals and activities, the lesson plans also included
assessment aimed to determine whether the goals of the lessons were met or not. A
common feature of the lesson plans are short tests, although they did not describe what type
of questions the students ought to answer. Another form of assessment described in the
lesson plans is asking the students to answer certain questions. This further reinforces the
important role of questioning in the teaching and learning of History. Below are some of
the questions included in the lesson plan:
“Paano mo maipapakita ang iyong pagpapahlaga sa mga kaalaman na nahubog ng mga sinaunang
kabihasnan?”
How are you going to show that you value the significant ideas developed by the
ancient civilizations?14
14
Author-researcher’s translation.
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99
“Ano ang pakinabang na natamasa ng sinaunang taosapagsasaka?”
What benefits/s did the people get from farming during ancient times?15
Classroom Observations
Classroom observations were conducted to validate the practices mentioned in the
interviews and indicated in the lesson plans. As mentioned, lesson planning plays a key role
in the teaching-learning process. It guarantees the successful implementation of the lessons.
However, there are times that the teachers need to veer away from their plans and
implement changes. This happens because the classroom is a dynamic environment and
teaching is a complex process. Many unexpected things can take place—the reason why
sometimes the teachers do not follow what was written in the lesson plans. Responding to
changes can be regarded as one of the teaching practices of the teachers. This can either be
in terms of changing the activities or modifying the emphasis of the lessons. Hence, it is
good to conduct classroom observations to determine whether the teachers are able to
follow what was written in their lesson plans or note down instances where they have to
make necessary adjustments.
Unfortunately, only one school (School P) allowed the researcher to conduct
classroom observations. I observed three classes: one was a grade 8 class and two were grade
9 classes. The classroom observations were scheduled by the History coordinator. The
classroom observations were not announced to the students.
I observed first the star section16 of the grade 8 classes. The class was a big one in
terms of student population with 40 students on the average. I was seated at the very back of
15
Author-researcher’s translation
There are four sections per year level. The students are divided according to grades. The first sections,
also known as the star sections, are composed of students who have the highest grades.
16
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100
the classroom and observed how the teacher started, discussed, and ended the lesson using a
classroom observation protocol which I crafted and validated by an expert17. The protocol
was composed of four parts. The first part was for pre-observation data (e.g., demographic,
lesson objectives). The second part was for the description of the instructional activities used
by the teachers to implement the lessons. The third part was for the description of how the
teachers ended the lessons. Lastly, the fourth part was for additional comments. The topic
discussed was the success and failure of Ancient Greece. Before the discussion, the teacher
(Teacher O) gave a quiz, the coverage of which was the previous lesson. After the quiz, she
started with the lesson. To introduce the lesson, she showed a map of ancient Greece and
asked the students to name the city-states they are already familiar with. She then described
the ancient city-states and introduced the idea that these city-states have been involved in
conflict leading to war. After this, she asked the students to create a matrix listing the
different wars in which the different city-states of Greece were involved. Due to the lack of
time, she was not able to discuss and process the activity. She asked the students to continue
to fill up the matrix at home. After the class, she asked me if I wanted to observe another
class (the last section) but with the same lesson. I agreed to it although originally my plan
was to observe one class only.
The class, on the average, was composed of 40 students. The classroom, however,
was a bit smaller compared to the previous classroom. I was also seated at the very back of
the classroom. The teacher implemented the same procedures. Just like in the previous class,
the teacher was not able to process and discuss the activity. Compared to the previous class,
the students in this class were noisier, the reason why the teacher got mad at them. As a
consequence, she asked them to keep standing for a period of 3 minutes.
17
See Appendix K for classroom observation notes.
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101
Comparing the two classes, it was evident that the students in the first section were
more engaged in the lesson. They were not hesitant in answering questions. Many of them
were raising their hands, a clear indication that they wanted to share their thoughts.
The next day, I observed a grade 7 class. I observed teacher J. Just like in the
previous day, I was seated at the very back of the classroom and used the classroom
observation guide.
In this class, the students were grouped prior to the classroom observation. Each
group was assigned to discuss a particular local or international issue. During the
observation, it was evident that some of the groups tried their best to be creative in
presenting the issue assigned to them. Some reported in the forms of role playing and news
reporting. However, some of the reporters simply read what they were reporting. After all
the reports, the teacher processed the lesson by discussing the relevance of the issues and
making an attempt to connect these to the lives of her students. The teacher also raised
questions about the issues. It was noticeable that the students were hesitant in answering
situational questions as opposed to questions that simply require the students to recall
information.
Results
The classroom observations corroborated some of the ideas that emerged from the
interviews and document analysis. For one, the idea that a big portion of class time is
allotted to learner-centered activities was reinforced. In the three classes, the students were
asked to do group presentations and individual activity which leads to the idea that the
teachers both recognize the importance of individual and collaborative activities in
maximizing student learning. The teachers only acted as facilitators who provided
opportunities for their students to learn the content themselves and let them construct new
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knowledge. Also, the participation of the students was highly encouraged. The teachers seem
to embody the idea that participation is one of the means to ensure student learning. The
encouragement of participation recognizes the idea that the students should take ownership
of their learning. This entails the active participation of the students in the teaching-learning
process. They ought to acquire new sets of knowledge, skills, and competencies through
their active engagement in the different class activities.
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CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
This chapter discusses the implications of the data presented in the previous chapter.
The chapter is organized in the order of the three research questions.
This is the first research question: What teaching goals do high school History teachers set for
themselves in designing and delivering their lessons? What are the reasons behind these goals?
Cultural Literacy as a Teaching Goal
Cultural literacy, as operationalized in this study, is the ability to acquire and retrieve
basic information. It is regarded as the lowest among the goals of History education which
gives centrality to memorization of details. Despite being the lowest learning outcome,
cultural literacy remains a valuable goal for the teachers. They acknowledged the important
role of remembering definitions, themes, and patterns in the study of History. They even
regarded memorization—which involves the retrieval of details—as a basic part of teaching
History. The learning objectives of the teachers indicated in their daily learning plans
manifest that cultural literacy is one of their goals in teaching History.
Just like the teachers, the experts also acknowledged the importance of
memorization in History education. As they put it, foundational knowledge, which includes
key facts, figures, and concepts situates the class discussions in their proper contexts.
Furthermore, the very nature of History implies the need for memorization. In History
classes, the students are bombarded with massive amount of information. There is then a
need to commit those details to memory for the students to distinguish what pieces of
information are related to a particular historical phenomenon. Hirsch (1987) also recognized
the value of remembering details and content. When he advocated cultural literacy, he
offered a massive collection of terms that every individual should recognize. These terms
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include dates, historical persons, historical documents, figures of speech, and even terms
from science. According to him, these terms fall under “core knowledge” which ought to be
learned by the students for them to function effectively in the modern world (Giddings,
1988).
The concept of cultural literacy gained popularity because of the new ideas it offered.
However, it also received criticisms. In his discussion of the concept, Hirsch advocated the
idea that knowing a set of discrete body of information is linked to becoming educated and
successful even if this information is not deeply understood (Paul, 1989). He also endorsed
the idea that leaning takes place when the students memorize (Estes, Gutman, & Harrison,
1988). This learning, however, is rote learning (Paul, 1989), which happens when the
students possess relevant knowledge but are unable to use this knowledge in a new situation.
In rote learning, the students possess relevant information but have not understood it.
Hence, they cannot transfer the knowledge to a new situation (Mayer, 2002). With rote
learning, it might be difficult for the students to understand the deeper meaning of ideas.
Therefore, the students should go beyond rote memorization and be engaged in the process
called meaningful learning. Meaningful learning takes place when the students are engaged in
building the knowledge and cognitive process necessary for problem solving. In meaningful
learning, students possess relevant information and can use this information in new
situation. Unlike rote learning where learning is viewed as knowledge acquisition, meaningful
learning views learning as knowledge construction where students make sense of their
experiences (Mayer, 2002). Furthermore, meaningful learning allows the students to link
concepts with each other. As a result, students build strong concept maps which are needed
in problem solving and analyzing new situation (Khan, Iqbal, & Hashmi, 2007).
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Going Beyond Cultural Literacy
Despite the important role of rote memorization in the study of History, the teachers
made it clear that History education is not about mere presentation, acquisition and retrieval
of details. Thus, it should go beyond rote memorization as advocated by Hirsch (1987).They
believe that the study of History should facilitate the discernment of the relevance of the
past to the present. According to them, there ought to be comprehension and application
which takes place when the students engage in meaningful learning. These are reflected in
their lessons plans which are composed of lesson objectives that entail the students’
engagement with various cognitive processes such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of
information which is one of the defining features of historical understanding.
The idea of the teachers that the study of History is not all about mere acquisition
and recall of information is in congruence with the literature. In the literature, it is cited that
the History teachers are tasked to guarantee that students gain both the disciplinary
knowledge and the habits of the mind needed for them to become informed citizens who
actively participate in the affairs of society (Ferretti, MacArthur, & Okolo, 2001). The
teachers, therefore, aim to participate in the development of historical understanding.
Building historical understanding is a complex endeavor which requires an interplay
of cognitive skills (e.g. the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate) to make
sense of reproduced pieces of facts (Dixit & Mohanty 2009). The students are said to
successfully make sense of these facts when they are able to reveal the rich connection of the
events to the present. This presupposes that the students are given a rich discussion of the
events, which means taking into account key actors involved in the events, the dominant
ideologies that may have influenced the motivation of these actors, and more importantly
the social impact of the events both to the past and the present. A framework which can be
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used to guarantee the development of historical understanding is that of Freeman (2008)
known as the “Ten Cs of Historical Understanding.”In this framework, Freeman described
that historical understanding entails the knowledge of the conflict which gave rise to a
historical phenomenon. It also implies the understanding of the various forces (e.g. political,
economic, military, cultural, social, and intellectual) which influenced the development of
developed the conflict. The discussion and the analysis of historical actors’ decisions and
actions is also a major part of historical understanding. Another area that needs to be given
utmost attention is the sequence of events which led to the final resolution of the conflict.
Apart from this, the students should understand the impact of the conclusion of the conflict
both to the past and the present.
In the case of the teachers who participated in the study, they put emphasis on the
relevance of the events in the present and in the students. Some teachers, however, do not
elaborate on some parts of the lessons because oftentimes they simply rely on the textbooks,
making it difficult for them to provide the students with a comprehensive view of the past.
One possible reason why some of the teachers found it difficult to elaborate on some parts
of the lesson is the fact that they are not History majors but were assigned to teach History.
They may not possess the content knowledge needed to provide the students with a
comprehensive view of History, and thus a better picture of the past.
The experts themselves pointed out that offering a comprehensive view of History is
a challenge: there is a massive amount of information that need to be processed. To help the
teachers filter out ideas, the experts suggested the use of unifying themes. Unifying themes
are big ideas and enduring understanding that the students need to learn after discussing the
lessons. With the use of themes, it becomes easier for the teachers to determine what ideas
to give emphasis on.
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Historical Empathy as a Complex Teaching Goal
Just as historical understanding is a complex goal, the realization of historical
empathy is also difficult to achieve. One reason for this is the complexity of the processes
involve in the development of historical empathy. One of these processes is historical
contextualization which refers to the appreciation and understanding of the various forces
that have led to a major historical event. These forces may be political, social, and cultural.
The second process is known as perspective taking. As the name implies, it requires the
understanding of the beliefs, values and perspectives of historical actors which may have
influenced their decisions and actions. The third and the last process is affective connection.
It involves discerning how the social environment including their experiences shaped the
attitudes of historical actors towards certain ideologies and phenomenon. It also involves
relating the past to one’s life experiences with the idea in mind that the past is different from
the present, though not absolutely (Endacott & Brooks, 2013).
A key element in developing historical empathy is the students’ critical examination
of evidences including primary sources (Yilmaz, 2007). The students are also required to
examine various perspectives of historical actors and reflect on these perspectives. Also, the
students need to provide well-grounded but tentative conclusion after examining multiple
historical evidence (Cunningham, 2009). All of these entail that students should be given
opportunities to examine materials beyond their textbooks. The problem, however, is that
some teachers rely heavily on textbooks which make it difficult to engage the students in the
complex processes of historical empathy.
The teachers did not mention the use of primary source documents, which are
important pieces of historical evidence. This implies that analyzing primary source
documents is not part of their teaching practices. This is not surprising because, as pointed
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108
out by the History experts, it is difficult to secure copies of primary source documents. As a
solution to this dilemma, they even suggested that the higher educational institutions should
help high school History teachers in securing copies of relevant primary source documents.
Apart from the fact that it is difficult to secure copies of primary source documents,
the experts also highlighted the idea that a certain level of maturity is demanded from the
students to be able to effectively engage in the act of examining primary source documents.
This seems problematic given that some teachers do not see this maturity in majority of the
students especially those in the lower sections. Another lens in which the absence of the use
of primary source documents in the schools participated in the study can be understood is
the fact that most of the teachers are not History majors. They may not have the disciplinary
skills to use primary source documents in their classes.
As far as the interviews are concerned, it appears that the teachers possess
understanding of historical empathy. One of them affirmed that she likes teaching History
because she learns about places she has never been to. This implies that the teacher learns
about the History and culture of the places she discusses in class.
As pointed out in the previous chapter, the teachers put emphasis on the discussion
of leaders highlighting their strengths and weaknesses and how their decisions and action
affected other people or society, in general, during their era. In the model proposed by
Endacott and Brooks (2013), it is discussed that promoting historical empathy involves the
introduction of the historical figures whom the students need to empathize with. In other
words, the students need to understand people from the past including leaders. In this
regard, it can be said that to some extent, the teachers have an understanding of the basic
element needed in the promotion of historical empathy.
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However, based on the classroom observation notes, and as reflected in the daily
learning plans (see table 6), historical empathy did not surface as one of their teaching goals.
One of the possible reasons is that the teachers are not History majors. The fact that most of
them do not have History as their field of specialization corroborates the idea that they may
not be familiar with the more complex elements and processes of historical empathy. As
mentioned previously, the use of primary source documents is one of the requirements
before the students can engage in the complex process of historical empathy. In the model
of Endacott and Brooks (2013), the use of primary sources is highlighted. According to
them, primary sources are needed for the students to gain better understanding of historical
context and perspectives. Furthermore, examining primary sources is effective to invite
empathic responses from the students. Yilmaz (2007) also affirmed that teachers need to use
primary sources to facilitate the development of historical empathy. In the Philippines,
however, as pointed out by experts, access to primary source documents is extremely limited
and most of the materials are in foreign language (e.g. Spanish).
Citizenship Education
Another goal that is a priority to the teachers is fostering social understanding and
civic efficacy. The teachers aim to help students understand the roles they ought to fulfill to
contribute to the development of the country. In some of the lessons, they tend to focus on
the leaders—discussing their strengths and weaknesses and virtues and vices. Focusing on
the discussion of leaders, according to the experts, can facilitate the students’ realization of
what good leadership is all about. Focusing on the leaders is a good opportunity to discuss
and highlight certain civic competencies which are divided into three categories: civic
knowledge, civic skills, and civic dispositions. Civic knowledge refers to the knowledge that
should be embodied by citizens which includes knowledge of their rights and responsibilities
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as well universal values that operate within a democratic society. Moreover, civic knowledge
includes political and civic ideas (e.g. democracy, cooperation, equality, justice). Civic skills
refer to the skills that translate civic knowledge into actions. These include the ability to
identify and analyze social concerns. Another is the ability to communicate arguments and
insights (Komalasari, 2009).
The finding that the teachers aim to foster citizenship supports the literature.
According to Brett (2005), History has a great potential in educating students to become
good citizens. History curriculum provides the students with rich opportunities to
understand how pluralism and diversity operate in a society. It also helps them understand
how values and human rights are formed. Furthermore, it also exposes them to social
perspectives both at the national and international levels. Lastly, it makes them acquainted
with the different democratic processes that govern the society.
The finding is also a good news given that citizenship education is particularly
relevant to the Philippines. Philippines is a democratic nation having a decentralized, liberal,
and constitutional government. Civic education is a key element in preserving the democratic
nature of the Philippine government. It aims to instill in the students the value of citizenship
and democracy (Project Citizens Philippines Teacher’s Guide, n.d).
This is the second research question: What are the classroom practices of these teachers in teaching
History? Why do they adopt such practices?
Classroom Practices of the Teachers
Based on the interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis, it is clear
that the teachers are engaged in various classroom practices to carry out the lessons. One of
these practices is the use of visual and audio-visual presentations. In particular, the teachers
use movies as their teaching material. The teachers deem it effective to use movies.
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According to them, the use of movies helps the students better understand the lessons
because movies provide a visual presentation of what is written in the textbook, thus
making it easier for the students to imagine what really happened in the past. This idea is
supported by D’sa (2005), who affirmed that docudramas focus on the visual and auditory
senses making it easier to engage the students which serves as a precursor of maximum
learning. Docudramas may serve as a historical narrative which provides the students with a
reconstruction of the past. It shows how people in the past lived their lives.
Aside from ensuring engagement, movies or documentary films also reinforce the
goals of History education particularly the goal of preparing the students to become active
citizens. Active citizens possess three essential attributes: possess the ability to make
reasoned judgments, possess an expanded view of humanity, and possess the ability to
understand and adhere to common good. All of these attributes are reinforced by the use of
movies (Marcus & Stoddard, 2009).
In relation to the first attribute, movies or documentary films are pieces of evidence
that tell stories of the past. They provide the students with opportunities to analyze pieces of
evidences about the past which is needed in developing the students’ ability to make
reasoned judgment. An expanded view of humanity implies an understanding of the beliefs
and perspectives of the people in the past. Movies have the potential in helping the students
understand how people in the past behaved and made decisions. Lastly, movies can be good
avenues to expose students to controversial issues in the past that highlight the concept of
justice and common good (Marcus & Stoddard, 2009).
Showing movies in particular and using visual and audio-visual presentations in
general would have been difficult to do without the use of technology. As teachers described
it, technology has been a great help in teaching History. This illuminates the idea of
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technology to foster effective teaching of History or in another way of putting it,
technology-based History education. Technology, if utilized properly, can provide the
students with effective and interactive classroom experiences (Jamil & Shah, 2011).
Moreover, technology can provide the students with opportunity to be engaged in active
learning (Kussmaul et al. 1996). This is the reason why many authors have advocated the
use of technology inside the classroom. An example of this is the use of PowerPoint
presentation. PowerPoint presentation allows the incorporation of sophisticated visual and
auditory media which makes it appealing to different learning styles (Jones, 2003). It also
supports oral lecture for it breaks the delivery of content into layers giving it a structure.
Lastly, the use of pictures makes the class more interesting and sustains the attention of the
students (Priya, 2012).
As mentioned, some of the practices of the teachers are technology-based. But apart
from this, some of the practices could be classified as learner-centered. One of the
principles of learner-centered instruction is that the teachers do not dominate the teachinglearning process. Another is the use of hands-on activities. From the interviews, document
analysis, and classroom observation notes, it is evident that the teachers adhere to these
principles. They use activities that will let the students discover the enduring understanding
on their own through the guidance of the teachers who act as facilitators. These activities are
divided into two categories: individual and group.
The teachers recognized the value of learner-centered instruction just as what the
related literature affirms. Not only does learner-centered instruction make the study of the
past enjoyable, engaging, and challenging, but it also allows the students to “do History”
which involves careful examination and sound interpretation of the past. Learner-centered
instruction is indeed valuable. It provides the students with meaningful experiences which
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take into consideration their individual differences. It makes them responsible for their own
learning and encourages their active participation. It offers authentic learning experiences
and develops real world skills including critical thinking, problem-solving, and decisionmaking (An & Reigeluth, 2011).
Another notable classroom practice of the teachers is asking questions. The
interviews indicated that questions are utilized to help the students make connections
between the lessons and their lives. In other words, questioning not only facilitates class
discussions but more importantly facilitates higher learning. This finding is aligned with what
the research literature says. Good questions allow the students to engage in higher order
thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. In other words, good questions can
develop critical thinking among the students. They allow students to explore topics and
argue points of view which can lead to a further examination of the topics (Christenburry &
Kelly, 1983). Questions can challenge not only the ability of students to synthesize
information but also their moral standards especially when the topic deals with controversial
issues (e.g., wars, killings, racism, and discrimination).
This is the third research question: What improvements, if any, can be made in the teaching goals and
classroom practices of these teachers?
Recommendations
It has been established that the teachers recognize the role of memorization in the
study of History without viewing it as the ultimate goal of History education. However,
more than recognition, the teachers should relay this very essential idea to their students who
cannot seem to understand the need to recall dates, facts, and concepts. The students
themselves should be convinced that memorization is important to realize higher learning
outcomes. One way to do this is to allot a discussion on the very nature of History and
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discuss the idea that memorization has an important place in the study of History (Seixas,
1996).
As described in the previous sections, in teaching History, the teachers use
technology-based and learner-centered classroom practices which have their own merits.
However, despite the merits of these activities, the teachers should take into paramount
consideration certain things. For one, whether technology-based or learner-centered
instruction, the teachers should always consider the objectives of the lessons and carefully
choose what technology-based and learner-centered activities will lead to the realization of
the lesson objectives. The activities should respect the uniqueness of the students. The
activities should recognize the individual differences of the students. Not only should the
activities respect the students, but they should also respect the very nature of History.
History, as described in the literature, is about sound interpretation of the past (Seixas,
1996). Hence, the activities should be able to provide the students with opportunities to
interpret. This entails the use of multiple evidences including primary source documents.
However, securing copies of primary source documents is a difficult task. As an alternative,
they should seek the help of their colleagues, particularly their supervisors in securing and
understanding how to use the documents. The teachers also need to attend training on how
to effectively teach History especially if they are not History majors but were assigned to
teach History. Attending to this kind of training can improve their classroom practices for it
can give them new insights as to how to teach History including how to craft good questions
that can facilitate higher thinking among the students. Apart from gaining insights about
effective classroom practices, attending to teacher training can help them become aware of
the higher goals of History education such as historical empathy.
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Questioning is a key component of teaching and learning of History as indicated in
the lesson plans and as affirmed by the teachers in the interviews. Hence, considerable
efforts should be exhibited to improve one’s ability to ask questions. However, the History
experts made it explicit that in the teaching of History, the teachers should not only be the
ones who should ask questions. The students should also formulate questions. To encourage
the students to ask questions, the experts mentioned the use of a reward system. It may be in
the form of additional grade or any form of incentive.
With regard to historical understanding, the History experts have proposed the
identification of themes to help the teachers provide the students with a comprehensive view
of History. With the identified themes, it becomes easier for the teachers to determine what
parts of the lessons to give emphasis on. Furthermore, the themes can help the students
realize that History is not about studying isolated events. Identifying the themes is
challenging; hence, there is a need for the members of the high school History department
to collaborate. To facilitate the identification of themes, they can go back to the school’s
mission and vision statements. For instance, if the mission and vision statements highlight
the need to develop the students as good citizens, then the theme the teachers can adopt is
citizenship.
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CHAPTER VI
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMEDATIONS
Conclusions
This study sought to determine the teaching goals and classroom practices of high
school History teachers in three private high schools in Rosario, Batangas using various
methodologies which included in-depth interviews with the history teachers, focus group
discussion with History experts, analysis of lesson plans, and classroom observations.
Guided by the three research questions, the study was able to determine the
following:
1. High school History teachers have favorable attitudes towards memorization.
They have recognized the important place of memorization in the teaching and
learning of History.
2. The teachers, however, have affirmed that the teaching and learning of History
goes beyond mere acquisition and retrieval of basic information. It also involves
the process of meaning-making—making sense of the reproduced pieces of
information to understand the relevance of studying the past. This process also
enables the students to empathize with key historical actors. Empathizing with
key historical actors involves understanding their belief systems which may have
influenced their decisions and actions.
3. Citizenship is embedded in the teaching of History. The teachers give paramount
attention to the development of social understanding and civic efficacy among
the students. In doing so, they focus on the discussion of key historical actors
especially leaders to highlight certain civic virtues and social values, and thus
citizenship.
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117
4. In teaching History, the teachers employ a variety of classroom activities. These
activities follow the principles of learner-centered instruction and differentiated
instruction. The activities respect the individual differences of the students and
provide them with the opportunities to be active in constructing knowledge.
5. Technology-driven approaches are deemed effective in the teaching of History.
These approaches include visual and audio-visual presentations. The teachers use
PowerPoint presentation and video and movie clips.
6. Reflective questions play a pivotal role in the teaching and learning of History.
These questions demand from the students higher-order thinking which entails
the analysis and synthesis of all the relevant information discussed in class.
Recommendations and Implications for Practice and Policies
High school History teachers
The findings of the study can help History teachers particularly those in private high
schools. The study revealed classroom practices that are deemed effective in the teaching of
History. Among these practices is the use of learner-centered activities which not only
respect the diversity of the students inside the classroom but also recognize the ability of the
students to be engaged in the process of meaning-making through the help of the teachers.
Teachers, therefore, should not dominate the teaching-learning process but ought to act as
facilitators. Another practice that can help the teachers realize the goals of History education
is the use of technology-driven activities such as PowerPoint Presentation, audio-visual
presentation among others. The teachers should harness the potential of technology in
reinforcing the teaching of History. One of the technology-based practices of the teachers is
the use of films. They show movies (e.g., Gladiator [2000], Apocalypto [2006]) in class that
depict the past. However, some movies have violent themes. Hence, the teachers should be
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118
careful in choosing films. They must put into paramount consideration the ageappropriateness of the films.
Another practice which high school History teachers can implement is the
localization of the teaching of History. As revealed in the study, most of the teachers heavily
rely on textbooks which make it difficult for them to elaborate on some parts of the lessons,
and thus fail to provide the students with meaningful and rich class discussions. They do not
use primary sources which are needed to facilitate the development of historical empathy. As
an alternative, the teachers can utilize local resources and markers (e.g., cemetery, street
names, and museums) in teaching History.
The findings of the study suggest that the importance of memorization cannot be
undermined. Classroom teachers, therefore, must find a way to help the students internalize
what they have memorized.
Policy-makers
Not only can the teachers benefit from the findings of the study; curricularists and
policy-makers can also make use of the findings. They can use the findings as a starting point
in formulating policies and crafting programs related to the teaching of History in secondary
schools. For instance, they can craft policies highlighting the use of learner-centered and
technology-driven classroom activities to achieve the four goals of History education namely
cultural literacy, historical understanding, historical empathy, and civic efficacy.
In-service training for History teachers should also be conducted especially when the
teachers are not History majors but were assigned to teach History. The in-service training
sessions can help the teachers acquire and reflect on the content knowledge and disciplinary
skills needed to facilitate meaningful class discussions. Furthermore, the training should give
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119
due emphasis to, among other things, the idea of “historical empathy,” its role and
importance, and how teachers can facilitate its development among their students.
Future Research Directions
This study looked into the teaching goals and classroom practices of High school
History teachers in three private and co-educational schools. The findings, therefore, may
not necessarily be applicable to public and non-coeducational schools. Hence, future studies
can either focus on the differences between the teaching goals and classroom practices of
high school History teachers in public and private schools or co-educational and single-sex
schools.
The study revealed that the teachers who took part in the study use learner-centered
and technology-based approaches in teaching History. They have claimed that these types of
activities are effective in teaching and learning History. Future studies can look into the
extent to which learner-centered activities and technology-driven approaches help the
students realize the goals of History education.
This study discussed the classroom practices that lead to the realization of the
teaching goals. However, it did not tackle how these teaching goals and classroom practice
impact student achievement. Hence, future studies can look into the alignment of goals and
objectives with classroom practices including assessment and how this impact student
learning outcomes.
Asking reflective questions has surfaced to be one of the common practices of the
teachers. This entails that the act of questioning is an essential part of History education.
However, there is a scarce literature describing the relationship between questioning and the
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120
study of History. This then calls for future research to examine ways on how questioning can
be harnessed as a powerful tool in teaching History.
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121
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APPENDIX A. Indicators for the four teaching goals
Teaching Goals
Indicators (showing that the teacher aims to develop the goals)
Cultural Literacy
Emphasis on content
Requiring the students to memorize facts (dates, names of persons), concepts and themes.
Historical Understanding
The 10 C’s of HU
1. Conflict
Helping the students understand the conflicting forces that gave rise to a significant event in the
past.
2. Context
Helping the students understand the political, economic, social and intellectual forces that gave
way to the rise of a historical event.
3. Cause
Helping the students understand how the event originated (causes).
4. Characters
Helping the students understand the factors that influenced the decisions and actions of the
historical actors involved in the event.
5. Course
Helping the students analyze the sequence of events that a conflict followed which led to its
final resolution.
6. Conclusion
Helping the students understand how the conflict was resolved.
7. Consequence
Helping the students understand the impact of the resolution of the conflict to the people and
society involved.
8. Comparison
Helping the students see the similarities between different historical events.
9. Comprehensiveness
Helping the students analyze the various factors that influenced the outcome of the events.
10. Coherence
Helping the students come up with a coherent analysis of the events under investigation.
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Historical Empathy
Historical contextualization
Appreciating and understanding the social, political, and cultural norms that led to a
significant historical phenomenon.
Perspective taking
Understanding the beliefs, attitudes, and values of the persons in the past to better
understand their actions as well as the decisions they made
Social Understanding and Civic
Efficacy
Affective connection
Consideration of how the experiences of the people in the past shaped their positions and
attitudes towards a particular historical phenomenon.
Making connection to one’s life experiences without disregarding the fact that the past is
different, though not absolutely, from the present.
Civic engagement
Political engagement
1. Emphasis on the importance of the act of voting
2. Encouraging the students to participate in political discussion
3.
Civil activity
1. Community service
2. Encouraging the students to join nonpolitical and civil institutions such as religious
organizations, youth programs, and groups that are community-oriented
Problem solving activity
1. Encouraging the students to contact official when there are issues of public concern
2. Instilling the idea that each person has the ability to change the status quo whether
socially or politically.
Civic competencies
Civic knowledge
1. Helping the students understand their rights and obligations as citizens
2. Helping the students appreciate political and civic ideas (democracy, equality,
cooperation, justice, human rights, freedom)
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Civic Skills
1. Intellectual
Developing the students’ ability to identify, assess, interpret, describe, analyze, and
explain matters of public concern
2. Participation
Developing the students’ ability to adapt and cope in group settings and the ability to
effectively communicate arguments.
Civic disposition
Strengthening interpersonal and intrapersonal values, virtues, and behaviors such as individual
responsibility, respect and civil discourse, openness, recognition of conflict, compassion
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132
APPENDIX B. Interview Protocol
1. I’d like to know why you are teaching or have chosen to teach History. Can you please give
me a brief background?
2. How many years have you been teaching History? This particular subject? What has been
your experience thus far? What are some of the more important realizations or insights have
you gained about teaching History?
*How does your department view History as a subject?
*What goals of History education does your department adopt? What are the reasons for adopting such
goals?
3. Can you please tell me your views about memorization? How do you use it in class and for
what reason or purpose? How effective have you found it as a method?
4. Can you please tell me how you go about planning a lesson on a major historical event?
What things do you take into account?
5. What activities do you hold in class and for what objectives? How often do you make use of
each of these activities? What have you found effective? How would you compare their
relative effectiveness? How would you explain their relative effectiveness?
6. I’d like to know if you conduct discussions in class. How do you go about it?
7. What do you do in class to help students make connections between historical events and
their life experiences? How would you rate or describe the ability of the students to do so?
8. What do you do in class to help the students acquire the traits of a good citizen?
*Questions for department coordinators only
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133
APPENDIX C. Classroom Observation Protocol
I.
PRE-OBSERVATION DATA
A. Demographic
Name of School: ____________________________________________________________________________________
Name of Teacher: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Grade/Level: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Topic: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
B. Purpose (Objectives)/Intended Learning Outcomes
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
II.
Describe how the teacher introduced or started the lesson
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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134
A. Describe the different activities/tasks using the matrix below
Activities
Methods of
Role of Teacher
Instructions (lecture, (facilitator vs. source
cooperative learning,
of knowledge)
problem-based
learning, etc.)
st
1 Activity
Students’ behaviors
(engaged vs.
disengaged)
2nd Activity
3rd Activity
4th Activity
5th Activity
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Teaching Materials
Used
135
A. Describe the different activities/tasks using the matrix below
Activities
Methods of
Role of Teacher
Instructions (lecture, (facilitator vs. source
cooperative learning,
of knowledge)
problem-based
learning, etc.)
st
1 Activity
Students’ behaviors
(engaged vs.
disengaged)
2nd Activity
3rd Activity
4th Activity
5th Activity
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Teaching Materials
Used
136
III.
Describe how the teacher ended the lesson
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
IV.
Additional Comments (e.g. description of the classroom space, arrangement, and resources)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
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137
APPENDIX D. Document Analysis Guide
I.
The teaching goals and classroom practices of high school History teachers in Rosario, Batangas
Teaching Goals
Instructions: Determine what teaching goals are entrenched in each of the lesson by carefully examining and analyzing the
content of the corresponding lesson plan. Put a check () if the goal is present in the lesson plan. Also, make sure to cite words
or phrases that clearly indicate the presence of the goal/s.
Lesson
Plan
Lesson
Topic
Goals
Cultural
Literacy
Evidence
Historical
Understanding
Evidence
Historical
Empathy
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Evidence
Social
understanding
and civic
efficacy
Evidence
138
II.
Lesson
Plan
Classroom Practices
Instructions: Determine what classroom practices (methods of instruction, classroom activities) the teachers intend to use in
delivering the lessons.
Lesson
Classroom Practices
Topic
Lecture
Individual work/activity
Group work/collaborative
Student-led
Other activities
learning
discussions
(specify)
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139
Appendix E. Letter requesting for face validity of instruments
Good day!
I am Jayson Gulpan, currently taking Master of Arts in Education (major in Development
Education) at the University of Asia and the Pacific.
I am very much interested in looking into the teaching goals and classroom practices of high
school History teachers. Many students today view History as a boring subject, with lecture
as the instructor’s main teaching strategy. Also, many students view History (or Social
Studies) as an impractical subject. Consequently, these views make it difficult for History
teachers to facilitate interactive and engaging classes. However, in my view, unimaginative
teachers’ practices contribute to why students view History as a futile subject. Hence, it is
important to examine the teaching goals set by History teachers for themselves because
more often than not, classroom practices are based on such goals.
In order to understand the teaching goals and classroom practices of high school History
teachers, the study will make use of various research instruments specifically interview guide,
classroom observation protocol and document analysis guide. I have already crafted two
interview protocols (for teachers and department coordinators), a classroom observation
protocol and a document analysis guide. These instruments, however, need to undergo face
validity before they can be used for data-gathering. In this regard, I would like to ask for
your help to examine my instruments and provide suggestions on how the instruments can
be improved.
I hope you grant my request. Thank you very much.
Respectfully yours,
Jayson Gulpan
University of Asia and the Pacific
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140
APPENDIX F. Letter requesting for research access
Good day!
I am Jayson Gulpan, currently taking Master of Arts in Education (major in Development
Education) at the University of Asia and the Pacific.
I am very much interested in looking into the teaching goals and classroom practices of high
school History teachers. Many students today view History as a boring subject, with lecture
as the instructor’s main teaching strategy. Also, many students view History (or Social
Studies) as an impractical subject. Consequently, these views make it difficult for History
teachers to facilitate interactive and engaging classes. However, in my view, unimaginative
teachers’ practices contribute to why students view History as a futile subject. Hence, it is
important to examine the teaching goals set by History teachers for themselves because
more often than not, classroom practices are based on such goals.
With regard to the research setting, my thesis instructor suggested that I choose schools that
have something in common. Thus, I am considering__________. All three schools are
private schools in Rosario, Batangas and among the top choices of students when it comes
to secondary education. Aside from this, these schools are also known for academic
excellence.
In this regard, I would like to ask your office to allow me research access to high school
History teachers in___________. The findings of the study can have relevant implications
for the effective teaching of History. In particular, History teachers of __________can make
use of my research findings to make their classes more interactive, engaging, and meaningful.
I assure your office that the study is for academic purposes only and that I will treat
confidential information accordingly. I will conduct my research in your school subject to
the terms and conditions that your office may set in giving me research access.
I hope you will grant my request. Thank you very much.
Respectfully yours,
Jayson Gulpan
University of Asia and the Pacific
Endorsed by
Celerino C. Tiongco, Ed.D.
Dean School of Education and Human Development
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
141
APPENDIX G. Interview Consent Form
I volunteer to participate in the study of Jayson Gulpan from the University of Asia
and the Pacific. I understand that the study aims to determine the teaching goals and
classroom practices of high school History teachers.
I also understand and agree to the following conditions:
1. My participation in the interview is voluntary. The researcher, therefore, is not
obliged to pay me for the interview.
2. The interview will take place in __________, on __________.
3. I have the right to have a copy of the scope and coverage of the interview prior to
the scheduled date.
4. The interview will last 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. The researcher will audio tape the interview for documentation.
6. I have the right to refuse to answer questions I feel uncomfortable with.
7. I can withdraw my participation in the study, that is, asking the researcher not to use
anymore the information from the interview. However, I can only do this not later
than January 16, 2015.
8. I have the right to review the transcript of the interview.
Researcher’s Responsibilities
1. The researcher will give the interviewee the scope and coverage of the interview questions
prior to the scheduled date of the interview.
2. The researcher will protect the confidentiality of privileged information provided the
interviewee.
3. The researcher will give the interviewee upon request a copy of the transcript of the
interview.
4. The researcher will not reproduce the audio recording of the interview.
5. The researcher will use the information provided by the interviewee for academic
purposes only.
_______________________________
Interviewee's Name and Signature
Interviewer's Name and Signature
_____________________________
_____________________________
Date
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
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APPENDIX H. Sample Lesson Plans
Lesson Plan A.
Topic: Ang Unang Kabihasnan sa Asya
Learning Phase: Introduksyon, Interaksyon, Integrasyon
Unit Plan/SEC GUIDE: Ref. Book 108-111
Objectives:
1. Nabibigyang-kahulugan ang konsepto ng kabihasnan at nailalahad ang mga katangian
nito.
2. Napaghahambing ang mga sinaunang kabihasnan sa Asya (Sumer, Indus, Tsina)
Assessment:
1. Pagsusuri ng sitwasyon (pangkatang Gawain)
2. Pagbibigay ng 3 pagkakapareho at 3 pagkakaiba ng sibilisasyon ng Asya.
3. Ilarawan ang mga ito.
Engaging Activities:
1. Pagbabalik-aral
2. Malayang Talakayan
3. Pangkatang Gawain (pagsusuri)
Assignment:
Magsaliksik tungkol sa isa-isa sa mga unang sibilisasyon sa Asya. Pagkatapos gumawa
ng isang tulang magbibigay-larawan sa sibilisasyong ito.
Lesson Plan B.
Topic: Ang Sibilisasyon ng Gresya
Learning Phase: Introduksyon-Integrasyon
Objectives:
1. Masusuri ang kabihasnang klasikal (Greece) sa Europa
2. Mabibigyan ng pagpapahalaga ang kontribusyon ng kabihasnang Gresya sa pagunlad ng pandaigdigang kamalayan
3. Mapakikinig nang mabuti para malaman ang kahulugan, kabilang ang kaalaman,
kabutihan, saloobin, at emosyon
Assessment:
Opinyon, ideya at pananaw sa paksa, maikling pagsusulit
Engaging Activities:
1. Pagsusuri ng larawan, p. 85
2. Pangkatang Gawain/pag-uulat
3. Pagsasagawa ng “Thumbs Up”
4. Pagsagot sa Tiyakin, p. 89
Assignment:
Basahin at pag-aralan ang paksa tungkol sa lungsod estado ng Athens at Sparta, pp.
89-95
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
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APPENDIX I. FGD Transcription
FGD with History Experts
1.
2.
3.
4.
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8.
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12.
So, I’ll start already so we can finish early. So to give you a little background, this
is a research of Gulpz, taking MA development education. So he has conducted
research in 3 private schools in Batangas. It has something to do with the
quality of teaching history, Asian History and World History. So the FGD with
the History professors was suggested by the panel because the panel wants you
to comment on the emerging themes because so far he has
conducted classroom observation, interview with history teachers, analysis of the
lesson plans and in the process he has unearthed 7 themes, okay. So, just feel free
to talk about the themes, I will just phrase the themes into question. So the first
one is.. it has something about memorization, because apparently in the
observations, in the analysis of lesson plans, it seems that one of the dominant
goals of the teacher is memorization.
13.
14.
15.
16.
What are your views about memorization? What is the purpose of memorization
in teaching History? Especially in the lesson plan, memorization seems to be the
number one goal and take note of the fact that majority of the teachers are not
History majors.
17. Some of them are Major in..
18. Yeah, Biological Science.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Ohh sige ako na. I don’t ask to memorize much ehh I don’t want them to
memorize but comprehend and a lot of them based on their high school
experience memorization nga sila so mahina sila sa comprehension so that’s
explain why.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
Maybe, now that you talked to.. surveyed various schools now. I was wondering
if it is also the recommendations of DepEd and then siguro it might be lack of
the way they understand the subject. In History, memorization is also needed. So
I think History really requires memorization but the teacher is not clear about the
role of memorization in the wholeness of studying History. History is not mainly
memorization but rather memorization is part of learning History. So maybe
that’s not __ of the teacher and my comment is that memorization is really part
of studying History because in History we remember the things of the past and
you should be able to situate the events and developments in certain time frame.
So usually you memorize that. There are things that you
have to memorize especially divisions of time frames or being able to situate the
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
144
34. event like the Germanic invasion (*laugh) You really have to put the timeline
together. Okay, anyone else?
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
I teach here first years and when they come to class..it’s a History class so they’re
perception is “Naku! We’ll be memorizing here.” Kasi yun yung experience nila
in high school. Memorization of dates, places, names. So well, for me those
details are important but I explain to them in the beginning of class that History
is like one big story and in that story, you need the details, you need the color.
For example, this person, this place are part of the bigger story so I tell them at
the beginning why memorization is important part of the whole learning process
but I surprise them with dates, years kasi yun yung background nila in high
school. Im not after the years as long as you can.. yung timelines, yung sequence
of events, from Industrial to Imperialism. At least they don’t confuse those big
developments but sometimes there are also events wherein I ask persons because
for me it’s important also for why, for motive. So, at the beginning I already tell
them why is it important to..why memorization is also important.
48.
49.
50.
51.
It’s developmental because di ba history is a lot of information and the best way
to learn information is when you’re young. Seven (7) years old because actually it
should be an accumulation, I mean repetition over many years. It’s like learning
geography.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
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68.
69.
For us to understand history, of course, we have to understand the basic first. It’s
establishing the foundation but that should be done at a bigger age. So I’m trying
to look out at the new.. I don’t know if it is the one being followed kasi you’re
saying Grade 7 and Grade 8. Yung hinihingi ito for example mga dahilan, paraan,
koloniyalismo, imperyalismo. Hindi naman kailangang magmemorize diyan. You
just have to understand but this follows already a skill that you already have
familiarity, facts noh for you to be able to understand first what has happened
and more important what is the significance of this particular time period. For
example, however you can instruct what you said earlier but Mrs. Marco said
earlier na It has not happened to me but it can happen anytime that when you
discuss you’re Germanic invasion, it is definitely not the Nazi invasion. I would
not rule out memorization as a necessary skill except that high school teacher
should not overdo it okay? I think that’s one. There are key persons that need to
be discussed in History and hindi naman kailangan that you have to put all of
them together, to memorize all of that. That’s what I call overdoing it.
Particularly one person that defines this.. one or two persons __ their
contribution to that particular period para pagdating mo ng college which relies
heavily on analytical reasoning ahh hindi mababaliktad yung time period.
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
145
70. It is weird if they’re number one priority is memorization and when they reach
college parang wala silang maalala, short-term. That’s why memorization won’t
work if your goal is to help them understand what happened.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
The teacher should be able to understand the story first so it doesn’t…when she
conveys the lesson, it will not come out bunch of facts but rather story. I think
that’s what happens to us by the fact so when they come to us they already know
everything. Even if you __ you ask ___ who is the hero here and there.
Somehow they remember something, definitely it was something that they can
just take it up.
76. One issue that I took when I was in high school was the fact yes we were
77. overwhelmed with facts except some of the wrong (*laugh) So I took it upon
78. myself to take further study kaya ako nahilig sa History.
79. Reasons why, ahh.
80. That’s dangerous noh?
81. You need to check.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
Okay I think we can go to the second one. Based on the interview with the
History teachers, I think Gulpz was able to find out that the teachers aim to
provide the students with a comprehensive view of history. So they give equal
emphasis to all the lessons. So the question now is, in teaching History what
should be considered to give a comprehensive view of historical events.
87. Actually that’s also our concern with __ kasi it’s a Well, honestly, I’ve
88. been asking myself about this question na how do I give that comprehensive
89. understanding given the short time I want to discuss so many things.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
You have to figure out what you want to teach kasi you can’t teach them a
comprehensive view of history as the whole story of it. So you have to make a
___ kung chinecheck ba yung goal mo or kung gusto nilang maintindihan ang
meaning ng matinong tao, ibig sabihin ng accountability, responsibility, how to
understand oneself better.
95. I don’t think if that’s the statement, they all might teach a comprehensive view of
96. history as in world history, turuan nila yung estudyante from lesson 1 to lesson
97. 15. You have to pick.. planning stage palang yun. You have to pick which lessons
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
146
98. do you pay attention to, which events do you want to show, let’s say they want to
99. emphasize more, it needs more time in the classroom.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
I think what’s advantageous for __ kasi it’s a different approach to
history but I think what’s unique in __ is meron kang unifying
theme or factor that’s Christianity that’s why the students can tie up the
whole story kasi meron kang sinusundan na “Ohh at this point what’s
happening in the Church, at this point..” And I think because you have a
theme, you have one theme that unifies everythin, from there you can decide
“Is this event important in relation to this. This event is important so we
discuss this more pero medyo mas naging magulo yun __ kasi
secularism, modernism but still there’s a unifying theme.
109.
110.
111.
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113.
114.
115.
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133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
Oo, I agree pagfocus on civilization, it is possible to have a comprehensive
view because you have to put of course the Christian perspective. The
development of Christianity and ahm.. although it is very easy for __ to
discuss it even of course beginning the Christianity, development in early
Church etc. But the challenge is __ for example kasi you have a
presentation which is a Western history presentation but for us the challenge
is really to not forget that even the secular history of Europe and the western
world to some extent it includes some Asia din naman ahh we are still part of
it to follow the definition from the Church noh. We are still following the
thread and one way, method of going back to that comprehensive view is
looking at the moral and ethical developments that have been happening. For
example if you take a look at the holocaust of the time it would again be a
meeting point for development of Christianity din naman in terms of moral
perspective and the fact that when you literally talk about the contributions
during the time for the rescue of the Jews etc. The challenge really is for __
kasi anyway that’s not part.Never mind, never mind. Kasi for Philippine
History, I think we are doing in May is one way of.. this can also do for
World History not just Philippine History, taking a look at citizenship as an
approach towards a comprehensive view.. ang hirap naman nun. There are so
many very very complicated, very very kung saan saang napupuntang
developments in world history. How can you tie them up. One approach that
I see, the same way of approaching is of course looking at it at a citizenship
perspective, however, I have bad experience not personal bad experience but
the problem for example you have teachers who are not reaaly training
history. When I am taking graduate school for example nung time I have had
many classmates who are teaching Social Studies, Araling Panlipunan and it
seems to me yung kanilang comprehensive view of Philippine History ends
up becoming a class or a whole semester or school year political or social
commentary. (Ahhhh) Okay may discussion ng ganito kasi they tell us how
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
147
138.
139.
140.
141.
142.
143.
they do it in class, parang okay I don’t think that I agree with you na okay at
the time it’s going to be about Erap, Gloria and now you’re talking about
Magellan (Ahhhh mga ganun) Nagiging ganun political commentary.You find
it irrelevant compared to discussing more what’s happening now.Oo, they
truly to find what’s happening in the newspapers which I find medyo
questionable, sorry.
144.
145.
146.
147.
148.
Just recalling the background of the teachers noh, should we start with the
nature of history kasi he’s basing on a lot of facts. Will they be able to
identify what’s worth emphasizing, so think of choosing themes, identifying
themes, I don’t know if that’s even ahh diba they’re given a set of curriculum
if that’s even incorporated in.. or they have to do it on their own?
149.
On their own, on their own.
150.
151.
152.
153.
154.
155.
156.
157.
158.
159.
160.
161.
162.
So siguro the supervisor has to help out talaga in picking up the theme. Okay
that’s why when I was helping out nga with the __ I understand the
importance of emphasis on the if it is World History, development of
democracy and then we don’t____ Asia challenge. Asia was already put
_____And then it’s also a good __formation of cities, how did they do it
_________ because the truth is teaching Asia even in ___ it’s so
overwhelming because it’s one sem of Asia even Dr. ______ But of course
off the record, don’t quote her on that. She really said na perhaps you should
teach ___ in a month semester and for the students in high school
halimbawa 3rd or 4th year, they’re very facts based on book in Asia, in Tagalog
pa nga ehh Oh my God! It’s so impossible sorry I’m sure it’s so hard unless
the teacher is very good in simplifying the things because Asia is so
overwhelming even for grad school that’s why the idea of themes…
163.
164.
165.
166.
Maybe the teachers should always go back to mission and vision of the
school and with that they can… DepEd K12 is really very big, wants the
teachers to emphasize how changes happen(Ahh okay) in society.That’s
good! If that’s the way it’s crafted not bad (Oo) there’s.
167.
168.
169.
Pero nga naman if you don’t go back to number one which is the knowledge
component, mahihirapan talaga yung teachers for example how .. I agree
with you up until Grad School.
170.
It’s hard basta.
171.
172.
One of the things I really want to suggest is I don’t know if it’s applicable
now maybe the teachers can focus on one region of Asia nalang and focus
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148
173.
174.
175.
on the developments again that’s not really going to be fair, I don’t know I
am not so sure about that.
Sige sir yung sunod.
176.
177.
178.
179.
180.
And the third one is coming from the __ of the government… something to
do with the recommendation that the teachers should not be the center… so
meaning to say right now they’re trying to let teachers not to lecture so
they’re trying to hone the use of learning-centered teaching like cooperative
learning, collective discussion etc. etc.
181.
182.
183.
184.
If number 1 priority is memorization how will you go also to the studentscentered training hindi ko rin masyadong maintindihan yan (Oo nga). The
teacher must craft creative activities for memorization. Magbabasa nalang sila
(*laugh) or may be the students may be next ____.
185.
186.
187.
I’ve never experienced this in high school, recalling my experience, parang
may group work pero I never experienced a student-centered approach, it’s
always teacher lecturing and I respond to her questions that’s it.
188.
189.
190.
191.
192.
193.
194.
195.
196.
197.
198.
199.
200.
If it’s student-centered learning dapat madaming.. my impression of the high
school teachers is that some of them have training on classroom activities. So
because of their training they actually accomplish something like that. But
when it’s student learning history, when you’re the teacher and when you’re
in college sometimes you’re skeptical (*laugh), you want to control the time
and content so lahat nalang a little bit of control person like “I don’t want
them.. I want this content in, I don’t want that content in.” So, Im gonna be
the one to handle it so I’m really control freak. Let people decide and report
more. I really want to be in control of the subject and the only studentcentered activity is the project which is their own choice and I even made my
preferred choice but I recommend. That’s the only student-centered aside
from the..ahh the alternate student-centered is the museum visit but dictated
my questions also.
201.
202.
203.
204.
But you also have to consider that our goal is liberal education (yeah, yeah),
which means you give them material and you are going to train them of
critical thinking and if that’s the case that the student-centered part is that
they actually have to read and they have to actually recite (yeah, yeah).
205.
206.
207.
208.
That’s too much for high school (yeah), if for a teacher ha kasi if you’re
college teaching and then yung student-centered discussion. Sometimes there
are questions coming from you don’t understand (*everyone laughs) and
parang if you’re a teacher and you are caught there, you’re challenged to
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149
209.
210.
211.
“How do I put it in discussion, how do I correct that answer?” So for the
teacher. It will require really training. It takes time to be able to perfect an
approach.
212. And if you consider nga the high school, the teachers filling up a thick really
good if ever readings kahit secondary source ang hirap.
213.
I would use adjective “relevant” readings, materials.
214.
Depende rin sa gusto nilang theme na i-emphasize.
215. I agree with you that they should really go back to ano bat alaga yung
objective.
216.
217.
Kasi student-centered teaching ehh, there are times that they have to focus
on certain themes.
218. So that’s why if they have to really use memorization combined with
comprehensive, they have to really talk to the Department.
219.
220.
221.
Siguro they need training and everybody must able to have a grasp, unity as a
department na dapat ito yung goals natin, ito yung standards natin ganyan so
otherwise, I have abad feeling na baka maging playground nalang yang…
222.
223.
224.
When it comes to playground, a lot of Social Studies classrooms (*everyone
laughs) I’ve seen one time I saw a report parang yeah okay, it is well-repaired
but is that what they really want to reach.
225.
Are we unified? Do we have the similar approaches?
226.
At least we have unified emphasis noh? Kasi agreed naman tayo na..
227.
228.
229.
Okay the fourth one… I think in the interview conducted by
Gulpz, he noted that teachers no longer use primary source. So what are your
views regarding the use of primary source of high school teachers?
230.
231.
232.
233.
234.
235.
Ahh it’s really hard because it’s hard to get documents. Even in college you
want to trim documents you can’t do that yourself and there are not so many
sources trimmed already, the one of Dela Costa Philippine History and for
college we really have to make our own to simplify things. We can’t demand
the use of primary sources unless we are the ones who prepare the materials.
You can’t have the high school teachers prepared the materials.
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150
236.
The teachers themselves do not understand the relevance of it.
237.
Parang kailangan ng level of maturity.
238.
Unless you really have a good guide book.
239.
240.
241.
242.
243.
244.
If they insist on the primary documents…maybe the job of the college level
people is to prepare it. There has to be some form of collaboration. Kasi
kung mahirap talagang magbasa ng primary document, it can be shared with
a language teacher. It can be a part of collaborative learning. But the
materials, what materials do I choose. Kasi kung hindi, patay ka na, mag-papanic ka na.
245.
246.
247.
The next one is, well Gulpz noted the importance of questions inside the
classroom, the way teachers ask questions... What do you think is the
importance of the questioning process in the teaching-learning of History.
248.
249.
Based on experience ‘to. Imagine, I recall the things that I remember, I don’t
remember much of my childhood.
250.
In Philippine History, it started Grade V.
251.
252.
253.
254.
255.
I have a teacher who taught us based highly on memorization but she always
put the lessons in the forms of questions and answer… I love that class,
beacause the method made it more interesting. Pero syempre, everything is
fed to you also, both the question and the answer although at times we were
given the opportunity to give our own answer.
256.
257.
258.
259.
260.
261.
262.
263.
264.
265.
266.
267.
268.
One thing is, to me, first, when you give a material, give guide
questions…kung hindi, they’ll get lost. Like in __, two pages? *laughs*
I’m not joking! The other thing is, give credits to students who ask questions.
If you don’t they won’t ask. Have a system of rewarding people who ask
questions. I don’t know how. Or, at
least do it in the recitation, you talk about the _________ or ask a question,
it’s like a giveaway. I used to teach Literature…you facilitate the discussion
by asking questions. You give questions, and then you wait for answers. But
it really depends on the topic also.I came up with a system for asking
questions. Kasi, throughout the semester, I have short reports. Kunwari, we
talk about industrial revolutions. After each report, the class asks questions. I
call at least five people and they compete for the best question. The best
question gets a +1 for that day’s quiz or the upcoming quiz. The first ones
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269.
270.
271.
would ask, what, how… But they are really competitive so they’ll ask how,
why questions so you’ll see the reporters fidgeting, nervous but it helps them
to prepare better for the report.
272.
It gets rewarded talaga.
273.
274.
275.
The next one is, I think he noted, the teachers focus on historical actors in
teaching their history lessons. Does focusing on historical actors especially
heroes leads to a better appreciation of citizenship?
276.
It depends. History…
277.
278.
279.
Well, in general, stories for some have a certain appeal. If they get to know
more about the person, they remember the story and the historical context.
It’s helpful, it can create interest eh. It can be a starting point.
280.
281.
282.
When you pick historical events and you focus on historical actors, what is
the main mode in doing so? For example, you talk about World War II and
you use _________. What could be the main reason?
283.
284.
285.
286.
Kasi, we do it like… when it comes to ______ you get a wrong idea of
human dignity. So, it happens to us. For example, we talk about Mussolini,
Hitler, pero we don’t get deep into the discussions. We use them to talk
about their ideologies and go back to the wrong idea of human dignity.
287.
288.
For example, Constantine. It’s more of what they did and rather than the
personal story behind it.
289.
But Charlemagne, ‘yun may virtues ‘yun…
290.
291.
292.
I think when we discuss historical actors, I think the main goal is to show the
virtue. Even the not so good guys, our approach is, what went wrong in their
thinking…perspective…to discern __________.
293.
294.
295.
296.
297.
298.
299.
300.
So in martyrdom, Pax Romana, virtues and related pa rin sa Church and
citizenship. In my classes, I’m not so sure with the citizenship but the
importance of the actors as starters. For example, Constantine, discussing
personality-wise, it’s important to ask, “Would you agree with the traditional
narrative,” so more of the analysis… I agree, dun din papasok yung virtues.
Can you really call Constantine a Christian in the strictest sense? Say,
Napoleon. It’s more of how people had a certain consciousness that “Okay,
something is wrong, something is right.
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301.
302.
303.
The last one, on one ________, and the other thing is the classroom
activities. Is it possible to teach civic values in the History class? Like respect
and collaboration?
304.
305.
306.
The answer is yes. Say the very ______ of our report. Schedule ko yung
student, that means you’re responsible for the learning of the rest of the
class. Then pag group work, dapat _______ ka, kawawa naman sila.
307.
308.
309.
310.
It’s a chance to observe the students to see who are the active ones, the
laidback. So it’s good to go to each group to supervise. It’s also an
opportunity to animate the others, to make them animated. It’s more of the
teacher’s intervention.
311.
312.
313.
To be civic…the civic virtues are ________________. Sometimes, you don’t
do that naman. They don’t know how to do it in the house because their
parents don’t mind them naman.
314.
It’s a basic rule. Somebody is talking, you listen.
315.
And a lot of people will follow it.
316.
317.
318.
319.
320.
321.
322.
323.
324.
325.
326.
327.
328.
329.
330.
331.
332.
333.
334.
It starts in the classroom. At least in my classes, I’m also heavy on the group
work, discussion with the element of capitalism, meaning competition. So if
you’re competing with each other, it requires group work. So if your output if
pitiful, someone has to be blamed for this. If one or three members did
poorly in contributing to that particular activity, it would be just spoonfeeding of me to just…pagalitan ko lang sila. But more like, to make them
conscious that they have to be better than the other groups. Of course, it
really requires a lot of intervention from the teacher in a creative way,
especially for high school. This really reminds me
of the element of competition in improving themselves, which actually
should make them better persons starting from what I’ve learned from the
experience of Rizal back in his Ateneo days. They were divided in to two
camps, the _______ and the Roman. But I can’t do that in my classroom of
what? 35 divided by two? That’s too much. So, the element of competition
should be there because if they don’t do well, it reflects badly on them. So if
they get the lowest in a particular activity, there’s a lot of shaming among
themselves. In many ways, the teacher, example in high school, di mawawala
yung content, that’s what they’re dealing with. For example, a student-based
activity. The teacher’s role is to facilitate but the development of civic virtues
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
153
335.
336.
337.
338.
339.
340.
341.
342.
343.
344.
345.
346.
347.
348.
349.
350.
351.
352.
doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a step by step process. For me, one element
I’m playing with is competition. It’s not the only method but my objective is
to make them give an individual contribution. Hindi ka lang nandun while
the rest nagkwekwentuhan lang.You need a system. Even the teachers
sometimes lacks the conviction to push, sometimes she’s tired. She sees
pagod na siguro sila.I think it’s also the goal of our department to help
public-private school. It overstresses people. What? They start at 7:30 in the
morning and they end up at 6 or 7pm. How we should help them deal with
these matters? Without losing sight of the fact that civic virtues have to be
cultivated because at the end of the day, it’s really our country that will suffer.
In my class this semester, they are already older students, 3rd or 4th year,
they’ve been together for a long time. There’s another dimension of civic
education. They try to help. There’s one in my classroom with a learning
difficulty, he’s a patients and there are others with him. They don’t humiliate
him, or do anything that will put him on the spot. When it comes to group
work, he gives him a task that he can perform, something he can do. There’s
another one who has been absent for ______. *Everyone laughs, inaduble*
Nag-intercede talaga!
353.
354.
355.
In my class, I have four Korean students, eh ako mabilis mag-lecture,
nagmamadali sa oras covering all the lessons. I notice them, pag medyo
nahirapan yung isa, they try to explain. They really help each other.
356. Sometimes, consultation really helps, kahit group. It helps the students think,
357. “Oh, we really matter, which means we have to do more in her class. They
358. understand you’re doing your best so ____________________ sila. So it
359. develops a sense of responsibility. For one, they owe it to each other, and
360. they owe it to the teacher to be better versions of themselves. Especially if
the
361. teacher really ________ the consultation. I don’t care how much I know
362. until I know how much you care.
*End of the FG
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
154
APPENDIX J. Interview Transcriptions
Interview with Teacher O.
1. TO: World History and Economics
2. JG: And then degree po?
3. TO: BSA- Bachelor in secondary education Major in History and im now taking up
4. Masters of education with specialization on social science
5. JG: Okay, and then age po? Haha
6. TO: 31, Nasa kalendaryo pa naman
7. JG: Okay po. So itatanong ko na po tong questions.So MA’am Odessa, I’d like to
8. know po why you are teaching history or have chosen to teach history?
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
TO: Since elementary, my favorite subject actually is social studies, history, hekasi
sibika,so hindi ko alam kung bakit gustung gusto ko ang subject na yun maybe
because lagi akong curious kung bakit nangyari to, anong nangyari mga ganun and
siguro isa pang dahilan is yung teacher factor, yung mga teachers ko nung
elementary, high school up to college maano sila nakakamove sila that’s why
yung pagmamahal ko sa subject ay talagang matindi and at the same time ano
ang kuya siguro gawa nang habang lumalaki ako sya’y laging sumasali sa mga quiz
bee, national historical champion yan ehh. So bata palang ako,
elementary palang ako or sya’y mga grad e 6 ako’y mga grade 2 hanggang ako’y
nag high school , sya kasi’y laging sumasali, so parang naririnig ko yung mga
nirereview nya so that’s why naging interested ako sa subject kaya yung ang
minajor ko.
21. JG: Okay po. So how many years have you been teaching history
22. TO: 7 years,
23. JG: World history po in particular?
24. TO: Ahh, nagtagal ako sa Asian history, nagtagal ako sa Asian history at world
25. history pero ako’y three years palang sa economics
26. JG: And then how’s the experience naman po in teaching History?
27.
28.
29.
30.
TO: Okay naman, may mga araw na masaya, na napakafruitful ng discussion, meron
namang mga araw na syempre may mga challenges na hindi mo akalaing mahirap,
may mga araw na student factor din na kailangang iaddress so yun masaya naman
masaya
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155
31. JG: Since you’ve been teaching po for 7 years, what are some realizations have you
32. gained from teaching history?
33. TO: Teaching of.. realization..
34. JG: Or insights?
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
TO: Insights ano yung mga na.. siguro ayy ahh.. masarap na magturo na dapat
maging yung passion mo, yung eagerness mo na ituro nang maayos ang history kasi
parang ahh kinakailangan ng mga bata, kinakailangan ng mga bata ito na hindi dapat
basta basta kasi yung subject ay mahalaga especially para sa mga bata, dapat
maiprepare mo sila dun. Syempre ang history para din yan sa social
awareness na mahalaga sa kasalukuyang panahon so dapat talaga hindi mo basta
basta maituturo yung mga dates dpat talagang may malalim na pagtalakay sa subject
42. JG: Ahh kayo po ang department coordinator?
43. TO: Oo.
44. JG: Okay po. How does your department view history as a subject?
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
TO: As a subject, syempre dapat ay pagukulan ng panahon yung mga activities, dapat
ay laging kang may ibat’ ibang paraan. As a department dinidiscuss naming yun kung
ano ang mga iba’t ibang paraan para maituro nang ayos, tapos ay ahh katulad ng
pinagawa ko kanina dun sa batang tinawag ko dapat laging updated mga bulletin
boards sa department kasi yun para may makita ang mga bata, nung kapanahunan
nyo ata wala yata nun wala noh? Wala pang ano, ngayon iba. Kung bagay talaga dapat
bawat bahagi’y dapat may mga natutuklasan ang mga bata na yun ang ano sa aming
department
53. JG: Ahh, how about the goals of history education po? What goals of history
education does your department adopt?
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
TO: Ah what particular goal of education? Siguro yung ano kanina, yung maging
socially aware yung mga bata, hindi lang basta ituro mo yung mga dates, hindi lang
basta mamemorize ang mga date ng mga bata dapat ay malalim yung pagtalakay sa
bagay bagay kasi ay ngayon sa ating mundo ay socially responsible and aware ang
mga bata so kung anuman yungm ga tinatalkay sa history hindi lang basta bakit
bumagsak ang halimbawa’y bumagsak ang kabihasnan dahil sa ganito so mas
maganda yung bakit babumagsak yung kabihasnan at ano yung mga pagkukulang ng
mga tao na paano mo ito maiirelate sa ganyan sa kasalukuyan so dapat mas malalim
at para maging mulat yung mga tao yung mga bata para ano maging socially aware
sila na ah sa tunay na buhay pala yung ang aming ano maging socially aware through
the teaching of history
65. JG: And then you gave emphasis on the questions of ___ po?
66. TO: Oo kinakailangan kasi mga madali namang magets ano makuha ng mga bata
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
156
67. pero merong mga questions na kailangan mo talagang irevise kasi sabi sa teaching
68. profession “teach where the students are” so kinakailangan mo ring kapain iadapt
that’s why ano may mga ano ako na iba sa section a meron din namang iba sa
section b
69. JG: Tapos may variation kumbaga?
70. TO: Oo, para maakay sila kasi yung iba reading ready na to move forward yung iba
71. hindi pa so you need to adjust to help them.
72. JG: Since you were talking po about sa memorization, can you tell me po about your
73. views on memorization , is it an effective….
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
TO: Memorization is important but not in all times siguro. Imememorize mo ang
let’s say ang pagkakasunod sunod ng mga dinastiya and so what pagnamemorize mo?
Maganda alam mo yung mga dinastiya halimbawa sa China pero alam mo ba kung
ano yung nangyari ano sa bawat dinastiya so importante ang memorization pero
dapat may comprehension ano. Ang danger kasi sa memorization is they memorize
in route?sabi lang ng sabi pero without understanding , without comprehension. Sabi
ko nga mahalaga ang memorization ang mga bagay na dapat alam mo pero dapat
alam mo kung para saan ito ano.
82. JG: Ahh, how to make sense.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
TO: Oo, unawa mo yung sinasaulado mo ano baka yan ay husto ka memorization
hindi mo naman alam ang minemeorize mo and that is the danger usually in history
na kapag hindi mo.. basta pinamemorize nyo yan at hindi mo talaga inexplain after
siguro ilang araw pagpinakwento mo hindi na maikukwento kasi, route.. they
memorize by rote..hindi nila naiintindi kaya pagtinanong mo hindi, may puntong
mahalaga pero mas malalim yung pagmememorize.
89. JG: So what specifically po is the purpose of memorization in your class?
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
TO: For important purposes lamang halimbawa yung mga hakbang yung mga
pagkakasunod sunod ng mga pangyayari, mahalaga yun noh kasi pwede mong irelate
pa rin yan sa mga pang-araw-araw na pamumuhay na kailangan may hakbang ka na
ano, so dapat mamemorize mo yung mga hakbang na pwede mong iapply sa tunay na
buhay, na alam mo yung may mga pattern kang dapat sundin, so not ahh talagang
kailangan mong imemorize ang mga dates mga ganyan. Actually sa amin nung kami
ay college hindi naming masyadong minememorize yung specific dates, hindi kami
yung sa mga tao, pangyayari ano, piling pili yung mga dates na aming tinitingnan at
pinagtutuunan.
99. JG: Hmm. Okay po. So next question po, how do you plan your lessons let’s say on
100.
a major historical event let’s say world war 1 world war 2 .
101.
TO: How do I plan?
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157
102.
103.
JG: Oo, how do you plan po? What things do you consider or take into
account?
104. TO: Ahmm pagpipili.. hindi kung ano yung nakaano sa libro wala naman kaming
105. ano.. hindi kaming pwedeng pumili kung ano yun so dapat ay.. siguro ay syempre
106. yung objectives mo dapat iaalign sa yong mga activities and dapat ay mag
107. aaddress ng individual differences yung plans mo. May tinatawag nga kaming
108. ‘diffirentitated instruction’ na kapag ano, dapat alam mo kung paano ibabagay
109. noh yung mga.. so icoconsider mo yun sa.. hindi lang dapat sa ika’y makapili ng
110. topic so dapat alam mo yung.. kung paano icacarry out..
111. JG: Hmm. Ehh for example po diba kunyari world war ,1 it’s a big historical event
112. Paano nyo po inaano yun.. ano yung binibigyan nyo ng emphasis? Kunyari
113. yung mga tao ba, kung paano ba to nagsimula o yung effect ba nya or
114. consequences
115. TO: Ahh, lahat kung paano nagsimula, kung sinong mga taong involve, anong
116. mga bansa, paano nagtapos, anong epekto nito. So, pagbibigyan mo yan ng
117. pansin, since sabi mo nga broad yung topic, hindi mo yan pwedeng kuhanin ang
118. isang araw o dalawang araw. Actually, tumatalon pa yan ng tatlong araw ehh kasi
119. dito ang sabi nga ng aming principal hindi yan sa dami ng iyong maiituro kundi sa
120. kung gaano kalalimang iyong naituro, so kaya ditto sa academy, lagi ngang
121. pinagbibigyan ng pansin ng principal, wag mong pilitin matapos ang topic kung
122. hindi naman, baka naman hindi yan naintindihan, mabilis ka nga, tapos nga ang
123. iyong first grading pero hindi naman naintindihan ano, so dapat kung yan ay
124. WW1 na mahabang topic cho-chop chop mo yan kada araw at hindi mo
125. kinakailangang tapusin hanggang sa epekto agad dapat yan ay ano.. Alam mo as a
126. as the planner of the lesson alam mo kung kalian mo pupututlin. Kung ano sa
127. isang araw ang dapat na madiscuss, san ko puputulin, ano yung pagbibigyan ng
128. pansin, so dapat malinaw ang mga major points, pag ikaw yung nagpaplano, ano
129. yung mga major points para maliwanag sa mga bata.
130. JG: And during class discussion for example, ano po yung mga activities na
131. iniimplement nyo and ano po yung purpose?
132. TO: Ahh Sabi nga ay ahh “Activities that will address the individual differences
133. of the students and..” ahh sabi nga sa K12 dapat maaddress mo yun ano, hindi
134. dapat sa ma___ sa isang activity kasi sa isang klase iba ibang bata yan so dapat ay
135. iba iba, i-iidentify mo kung sino bang mga bata ang magaling ditong sumayaw,
136. magaling kumanta, magaling sumulat. That’s the differentiated instruction,
137. magiisip ka para iba iba na mag-eexcel ang mga bata na at the same time natututo
138. sila. So kaya sa mga activities usually, ano ba yung mga activities sa ano.. ah
139. napapakanta ko sila napaparap ko sila ano, napapaact, drawing, pagdadraw. Yung
140. husay nila sa technology naiapply nila sa isang araw yun. May grupo yan,
141. groupings na iba iba yung ginagawa na naipapakita nila kung ano yung meron
142. sila so walang naleleft behind kung ano yung kanilang ano.. ohh let’s say ganito
143. sa isang grupo, halimbawa’y role playing, so role playing. Sa isang grupo hahatiin
144. mo pa yun na sasabihin ko na yung iba na mahusay sa pagkanta ay gumawang
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
158
145. yell, yung ia naman kasali sa role playing, yung iba nasa props. Ganun.. so iba iba
146. pa rin. Dun sa isang grupo iba iba pa rin sa buong ano. Masaya na maayos.
147. JG: Ahh, ehh paano nyo po nasisiguradong , naiintindihan nila yung lesson nyo,
148. kasi minsan sobrang naooverwhelm sila about sa mga task. For example role
149. playing, may mga times ba na nawawala yung..
150. TO: Oo, oo, dahil nagkakahgulo sila. Nagkakagulo Ahhmm.. ako ba, usually
151. bago.. pagkatapos nung grupong yun, inaano ko ehh, sinasum up ko. Pero may
152. mga timesna minsan, may question and answer pagkatapos ng grupo and then ako
153. naman, titingnan ko kung talagang malinaw saka magpoproceed sa second group.
154. Kailangan mong ifollow up kung ano yung kanilang ginawa para naman sabi nga
155. aware ako dyan na pagrole playing masasaya ang mga bata pero hindi parang
156. hindi naabsorb that’s why the role of the teacher ay after that ay ifollow up mo
157. kung ano ba yung binigyan nila ng pansin, kung tungkol saan ba.
158. JG: Pero ahhmm, since history nga po is heavy on dates pa, naglelecture din po
159. kayo?
160. TO: Oo, naglelecture. Ahh, di after ng kada grupo, may short.. parang short
161. ahhmm.. hindi naman short discussion, ah yung sinasabi kong follow up. After
162. halimbawa ng five groups, meron pa uli akong lecturer na kumbaga’y lalahatin ko
163. na.. lalahatin at ako’y dun pa magbibigay ng iba pang detalye na hindi nabanggit
164. dun sa report.
165. JG: So after usually po nung group activities, how about prior po dun sa ano let’s
166. say sa start ng class lecture?
167. TO: Ahh.. ano lang yun sa start ng class ay ahh syempre nandun yung ahh
168. motivation, introduction of your topic. Yung may lecture man akong ibigay ay
169. parang kaunti lang then ahh sa huli pagnaano na lahat.. yun discussion.
170. JG: Since namention nyo po na konti lang yung lecture, ano po yung gusto nyo
171. kung bakit miniminimize nyo po yung lecture?
172. TO: I want my students to discover themselves, ahh yung topic, yung topic
173. themselves. Discover the topic themselves okay.. kasi ahh kung hindi.. sabi nga
174. ay ahh.. yung Chinese saying si I remember.. yung mga ganun na pa gang mga
175. bata’y hindi mo ininvolve sa learning process, ang pagkakaretatin sa kanila ay
176. hindi ganun kasi ang importante ang mga bata ang nageexplore ano? Hindi yung
177. ikaw ng ikaw ang magbibigay. Iba kasi nung kapanahunan nyo ano? More on
178. lecture tayo na tayo tayo lang ganun. Ngayon hindi, let the students participate, let
179. the students get to involve in the activity para sila na mismo ang makadiscover
180. kung anomg meron dun sa topic na yun. Kasi kung iyung lagi nang ahh ikaw ang
181. magbibigay ng facts, ikaw ng ikaw, hindi ka nman nakakasigurado na syempre
182. kung talagang nakatingin nga sayo yung bata hindi kanakakasigurado kung
183. talagang naintindihan ito ano? So mas maganda yung involvement ng bata na let
184. them discover, let them explore, yung involvement dapat andun at mas matindi
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
159
185. yung pagkaretain kung ang bata’y mismong nainvolve sa learning process. That’s
186. why kung magbigay man ako ng lecture sa unahan ay kokonti at hinahayaan kong
187. sila makadiscover ng lahat saka namin paguusapan sa hulihan, kaya dun sa
188. hulihan ang malayang talakayan, ang malayang talakayan na sinasabi ko.
189. JG: Since you mentioned po a while ago na the goal that you particularly adapt is
190. to promote social awareness and then yung parang method nyo po is more on..
191. what’s this.. collaborative. So do you think it’s.. collaborative learning can
192. promote, is a good method to promote social awareness?
193. TO: Ehh pagsinabing collaborative learning.. ano ba yan?
194. JG: Yung groups..
195. TO: Groups nohh, groups? Oo naman, kasi pagcollaborative they get the chance
196. to share, share their experiences, share sa groupwork, share sa klase, then ano
197. yung realization nyo sa buhay na pwedeng mong.. nung katabi mo, ohh nang
198. bansa para maging maayos yung sistema ano.. maganda.
199. JG: Hmm.. okay. Since nga yun po parang some of the students, they view
200. history as impractical na subject na parang it has nothing to do with them? So
201. pano nyo po namamaintain na they see the connections of ahh.. For example po,
202. particular lesson na it’s something related to them.
203. TO: Ahh siguro ay ahh ano, tgey view history as nakakaantok.
204. JG: Ahh.
205. TO: Tama? Ikaw nung estudyante ka?
206. JG: Ahh ehh pero favorites ko pa kasi yun.
207. TO: Ahh, favorite mo pero yung iba ay hindi ano.. hindi. Ahh paano makikita
208. nila na mahalaga.
209. JG: For example yung world war 1, anong relevance nun sakin parang ganun?
210. TO: Siguro ano, catch ko muna.. kinacatch ko muna yung attention ng mga bata.
211. Usually, nung panahon nyo kasi walang mga powerpoint. Although may
212. projectors ang school hindi nakakagamit. Ngayon, marami dito, so icatch muna
213. yung attention mo usually may mga powerpoint ako, may mga movies talagang
214. pinapanood kaya ako’y umalis ehh nagano pa ko ng mga projector so hindi lang
215. ahh basta manonood, mas malalim na talakayan pra malaman nila na mahlaga
216. pala ang history. So usually after noon, yung valuing na tinatawag na dapat ano
217. yung values na natutunan mo so pa gang natarget mo eh yung values marerealize
218. nila na aba mahalaga pala yung kasaysayan sa buhay ng tao kasi may mga
219. natututunan tayo. Kaya nga ang sabi ko’y ang pagtuturo ng history ay hindi basta
220. basta dapat malalim para marealize ng tao na mahalaga ang history at mahalaga
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160
221. ang history sa buhay ng tao.
222. JG: Hmm.. pero paano nyo po namamake sure na yung connection nila is parang
223. valid kasi di ba baka since mahirap na makita yung connection, pano nyo po na
224. sila naguguide na in a way maging okay yung connection nila kasi minsan dun po
225. sa event na yun ng World War I tapos sila, paano nyo po namamake sure na ahh
226. medyo okay yung pagkakaconnect mo?
227. TO: Ahh ano kailangan mo yang ahh, parang ahh irelate nsa kasalukuyang
228. nangyayari. Lagi yang may tinatawag na ahh sa seminar namin sa K-12
229. nakalimutan ko na lamang yung term na kung ang tinatalakay mo ay sinaunang
230. panahon dapat humanap ka ng paraan para mairelate ito sa kasalukuyan. Kung
231. ang tinatalakay mo ay Greece halimbawa at Rome, hahanap ka sa Batangtas ng
232. katulad na maaari mong irelate sa Greece at sa Rome. Parang laging may ano yan,
233. may local connection dapat para malaman nila na ehh so what , pano kung
234. malaman namin yung about Greece, about Rome, ohh ano namang connection
235. nito sa amin. So you have to relate, yun localization, kailangang iano mo yan sa
236. local para makarelate ang mga bata yun ang seminar naming sa K-12, kailangan
237. mong irelate sa mga.. sa inyo, sa community mo, kung ano yung tinatalakay mo
238. sa Greece o sa Rome o sa China.
239. JG: Hmm..Oo, so since yung teaching of history po it’s not just for the students to
240. be able to know the dates, the facts but also to make them a good citizen so I think
241. it’s the highest goal of history education. So how do you insure po that your
242. practices as a teacher of history indeed guarantee that they become good citizens
243. after they graduate?
244. TO: Yan, sabi ko nga ay sa mga estudyante ay maging socially responsible,
245. socially aware, so sa history kapag ang topic ay ahh tungkol sa kabihasnan
246. halimbawa Mesopotamia, India, China, ahh Greece, pa gang topic ay World War
247. I, II, so usually nakatuon yan ay sa leaders, sa mga leaders, sa mga tao. So ito lagi
248. ang sinassabi ko sa kanila, so sa paghihimay naming ng mga detalye, bakit
249. bumagsak ang kabihasnan, lumalabas dyan yung mga tao ang may problema,
250. especially yung mga leaders, anong kahinaan, anong kalakasan at ano yung dapat
251. nilang ginawa, so sa puntong iyon ay ahh you have to relate sa kasalukuyan so
252. magrereact sila “Ay, ma’am may ganyan ngayon sa Pilipinas, ganyan.. dahil ang
253. ating mga leaders ay ganyan.” Now, usually di ang daming magsasalita na
254. “Ganyan, ma’am oo nga ehh, ang Pilipinas nama’y laging ano, ang mga pinuno
255. nati’y ganyan, ehh bakit ga naman na kung baga’y ah ang Pilipinas ay
256. nagpapaghuli, ang mga pinuno’y mga corrupt, mga ganyan.. so since nakikita nila
257. ang mga nangyayari sa Pilipinas so sinasabi ko sa kanila na darating ang panahon
258. na sa inyo na sa klaseng ito, may maaaring maging presidente, may maaring
259. maging senador, okay at ahh magiging ahh.. magkakaroon kayo ng pamilya, so
260. nakikita nyo na halimbawa yung mga mali na nagawa sa nakaraan, mga kahinaan
261. at kalakasan, so alam nyo na kung ano ang nararapat so dapat lagi kayong may
262. pakialam sa nganyayari sa kapaligiran, para kayo’y maging mabuting
263. mamamayan ng Pilipinas. Lagi yung paulit-ulit kong sinasabi na halimbawa,
264. mga pinuno na napalagay sa pwesto. So darating ang panahon na kayo’y boboto,
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
161
265. maging matalino sa pagboto. Darating ang panahon na halimabawa, kayo ay
266. magbubuwis na rin, maging tapat kayo so I’m preparing them sa katotohanan na
267. sila;y mga..sila’y magiging ahh.. mas involve sa society na sa pagdating ng mga
268. panahong yun ay ahh sila ay maayos na alam nila through the teaching of history
269. na nakita nila yung mga mali ng nakaraan. So iaano mo yun sa isip nila na ay
270. dapat ehh ganito pala ano, na dapat ehh maging socially aware, socially
271. responsible para maging maayos ang bansa. Lagi ko ring sinasabi na walang
272. magmamalasakit sa Pilipinas kundi ang mga Pilipino kaya kung kayo’y magiging
273. iresponsableng mamamayang Pilipino walang mangyayari sa ating bansa. Matind
274. yung doktrina ko talaga sa mga kabataan ngayon. Iba.. iba talaga yung batch nyo
275. ano? Ehh ngayon yung mga bata ngayon ay ahh sabihin na natin ahh walang
276. pakialam.. nawawalan ng pakialam sa mga issues panglipunan kasi nasa
277. computer shops ano. Ahh, ang alam nilang tsismis ay tsismis ng mga artista ano?
278. (Artista sa showbiz *laugh) Pero yung mga politics na kinakailangan bilang
279. mamamayang Pilipino, hindi ka nakikialam, so matindi yung aking pagdodoktrina
280. na aba ay dapat naman ay kayo ay maging responsable kasi nga walang
281. magmamalasakit sa PIlipinas, sino bang nakatira? Mga Pilipino kaya yung
282. discussion ay mas matindi ngayon talaga. Hindi ko naman sinasabi na nagkulang
283. ako sa inyo ano, kasi iba yung panahon ninyo ehh. Hindi pa nun yung Facebook
284. ano? Hindi pa yung Twitter? I have nothing against Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
285. pero kahit mga bata..batang bata nakaharap lang sa computer, pagtinanong mo
286. halimbawa, pagnagdidiscuss ako sa student time na yung mga balita ngayon hindi
287. nila alam, kaya inaano ko na dapat kayo’y may pakialam kayo’y nasa Pilipinas
288. kaya dapat kayong maging good citizens of our country, na kailangan nyong
289. maging makabuluhang bahagi ng society at sabi ko nga’y huwag na huwag
290. kayong makaklimot sa nakaraan.
291. JG: So what.. pero what types of activities po yung iniimplement nyo para
292. mamake sure na socially responsible sila or socially aware?
293. TO: Ahh… ditto ay ahh, kami’y ay ahh naganti-drug abuse campaign kami.
294. Nagpaano yung SC, para alam naman nila dapat ay miyembro ka ng society dapat
295. maging maayos ka naman. Ahh ano pa? Parang ano ehh, more activities ng
296. Student Council na involve yung lahat, let’s say eto pa, yung ahh.. yung sa
297. Christmas nagdadala ng mga dati’y mga noodles, ngayon ay binago naming, ahh
298. spaghetti, pasta.. sosyalera?
299. JG: Wow, sosyal! (*laugh)
300. TO: Ayun may pasta, kape. Dati noodles lang saka bigas so inano naming..
301. bilang bahagi kayo ng komunidad kinakailangan nyong tumulong na mas
302. mapapaganda pa so that is one ano? Na mas improve ngayon and at the same time
303. tinuruan naming silang magtipid ehh. Ganito, di PhP25 kada araw kada bata yung
304. kailangan ibigay para sa gift giving para makabili so ang bigat ng twenty-five so
305. sabi nga naming ay para matuto naman silang magtipid kada araw ng dalawang
306. piso hanggang sa makatwenty-five so nakatulong nang bata, natuto pang magtipid
307. sa halip na kung ano ano lang ang bibilhin, ibabayad sa computer ano so
308. nakatulong ka na, responsible ka na, magiging responsible ka na, nakatipid ka pa,
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
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309. natuto ka pang magtipid so yung buong academy, yung buong students yun
310. naturuan ng pagtitipid, nakatulong pa ano and ano pa ba? Yun, feeding program
311. may feeding program ang school para aware ang mga bata na maswerte sila na
312. sila’y nakakakain ng ayos.
313. JG: Pero about po sa classroom naman, ano po yung mga activities, may news
314. reporting po ba?
315. TO: Oo, may news reporting, may tricks, may tricks na.. marami ngayong
316. activities.. may tricks, pagdadrawing, may papanoorin kayong video, reaction to
317. pelikula, yung pagpapa.. ang reporting ngayon Jayson, minsan ano powerpoint.
318. Although, hindi poa naman kami naaalis dun sa manila paper pero madalang. Dati
319. kayo manila paper pero ngayon hindi.. nabobore agad ang mga bata so mas
320. magaling pa nga silang gumawa ng powerpoint sakin. Para ano para interested
321. ang klase.
322. JG: Wow?!
323. TO: Oo nga, hindi ka pa pala nakapagobserve dito ng klase, ganun ang.. ahh
324. paghalimbawa nagtanong sila automatic may connection sa internet, sige anong
325. tanong nyo, tingnan natin kung anoo. “Ma’am anong itsura nun? Anong hitsura
326. ng ganyan? Tingnan natin.” Kasi wifi ang campus kaya meron kang access
327. automatic sa puntong yun pag may tanong, minsan ano “Anong itsura kaya ng
328. ganun? Ng place na yun”
329. JG: Ahh..
330. TO: Automatic nakakaconnect kami, naviview nila, “Meron pa bang ganyan sa
331. kasaluykuyan? Nasaan na ma’am ang hanging garden sa Babylon? Nasan na po
332. kaya yun? Tingnan natin kung ano yung mga natira. Ano yung mga natira sa mga
333. kabihasnang ganyan Mesopotamia, tingnan natin” So madali, madaliu ang
334. pagtuturo ngayon. Ehh ako’y dati sa inyo ay ano, gagawan ng mga pagsusulat,
335. ngayo’y hindi. Talagang madali, madali talaga na mas interested.
336. JG: So yun, tapos na yung mga questions.
337. TO: Nasagot ko ba talaga?
338. JG: Yes.
Interview with Teacher A
1. JG: Good morning po.
2. TA: Good morning.
3. JG: Before po yung actual interview questions, ilang taon nap o kayong nagtuturo?
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
163
4. TA: Ahh, nineteen (19) years na.
5. JG: So specifically po yung Asian History, ngayon lang po kayo nagturo, so it’s your
6. first year po of teaching Asian History for grade 7 po.
7. TA: For grade 7 students.
8. JG: Okay, then ma’am social major po talaga, ano po yung..?
9. TA: English and minor ko ang Filipino.
10. JG: Ohh okay, so yun po first question po natin ma’am why did you choose to teach
history po?
11.
12.
13.
14.
TA:..because it was given to me by ____ (*laugh) Yes, because during the time wala
namang ano may major ng history kaya yun so for how many years.. 10 years I am
teaching history. Iba iba ang kasi ang load na binibigay kaya minsan yun minsan
napapalitan.
15. JG: But, yung particular subject na tinuturo nyo yung first year mo po.. Asian
16. History?
17. TA: Oo, Asian History.
18. JG: So, how’s the experience of teaching Asian History?
19. TA: Experience nung pagtuturo ng Asian History?
20. JG: Yes po.
21.
22.
23.
24.
TA: So far, okay naman kasi I learn more about Asian countries and during that time
tayo’y nagfofocus lang sa Philippine History and then ano lang parang comparison
lang kung anong nangyayari ano sa kabuuan ng Asya, sa buong Pilipinas at sa ibang
mga bansa.
25. JG: So, so far po what are some of the important realizations you have gained in
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
164
26. teaching History.
27.
28.
29.
30.
TA: Syempre mas naiimpart ko yung mga pangyayari na meron sa ating bansa sa
ating mga bata, sa ating mga mag-aaral na dapat alam nila talaga kung ano yung
nangyari sa ating bansa. Hindi yun maiwan kahit na ngayon Asian History na rin an
gating pinag-aaaralan.
31. JG: So, ma’am since history is heavy on content po, some students po find it boring
32. especially po when the teachers ask the students to memorize date. So ma’am, what’s
33. your view po about memorization?
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
TA: It’s okay pa rin na kailangang magmemorize especially dun sa mga facts na dapat
talaga nilang malaman kasi pag hindi sila nagmemorize so hindi nila inintindi yun
talagang parang wala na as in kumbaga ehh pakinig lang nila o ano pero wala as in
hindi nila alam kung ano talaga yung ibig sabihin o ano ba yung kaganapan sa for
example petsang iyon.. na like for example sa atin sa Pilipinas na yung Araw ng
Kalayaan, hindi nila alam kung kalian yung date, kung kalian ito nangyari. Basta ohh
Araw ng Kalayaan, oh kailan? Parang hindi pa rin nila alam kaya kailangan parang
memorize pa rin nila kung ano yun. At least kung dumating yung time na actual na
sinicelebrate natin. ahh yun pala yun, eto pala yung nangyari noon.
43. JG: Sa tingin nyo po effective yung memorization po? Parang let’s say matutunan po
44. ng mga students yung tinuturo?
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
TA: So kung hindi kasi parang magmememorize, para kasing pagdating sa mga tests
natin lalo ngayon na may knowledge part, process part hindi pa rin maiiwan yung
memorization kasi pag hindi sila nagmemorize, wala talaga silang isasagot dun sa
ibang parte ng test items na ibinibigay ng mga teachers pero more on kailangan din
yung application dun sa natutunan talaga nila. May understanding sila sa kung ano
ang itinuro. Application in real life situation natin sa kasalukuyan pero
pagmememorize para naming hindi pwedeng maalis agad agad yun.
52.
53.
54.
55.
JG: Mmm. Okay po. Next question po. Since history po is about teaching the
students major historical events, for example, WW1, WW2, so how to do you go
about planning a lesson po? Let’s say on a major historical event, ano po yung mga
kinoconsider nyo like for this day, focus lang ako let’s say sa mga actors involve or..
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
TA: Ahh parang example, isyu. Sa isyu natin sa ano.. So, inaalam ko muna sa kanila
ano ba yung alam na nila sa isyu na yan. Then, kung minsan hihingin mo yung
kanilng point of view kung bakit yun ang kanilang nasabi o ano naging pananaw sa
bagay na yun. So pag na ano na nila.. napagtimbang timbang na, so ano ba dapat
yung dapat nating gawin at hindi sa mga isyu na yan na naririnig.
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
165
61.
62.
63.
64.
JG: Pero, about po ano let’s say yung as in major historical event po t alaga, ano po
yung ahh.. meron po ba kayong sequence ng pagtuturo? Let’s say for this day, yung
ituturo nyo po is about parang why? Why did it happen or the next day, yun namang
result or ..
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
TA: Ohh yun, meron ganun. Kung ano muna yung nangyari ngayon and then yun
nga aalamin yung san nangyari. Then, yun result nga, and then, kung may possible
na pwedeng sagot dun sa pangyayaring iyon, hindi mo na yun pwedeng ___.
Hihingin mo na yung opinion nila bat yun naganap o bat to nangyari o ikaw na or for
example ikaw na yung nasa kalagayan ng taong iyon kung ano man ayy di makukuha
mo yung point of view ng bata.
71. JG: Mmm.. okay. So ma’am ano po yung mga activities na ginagawa nyo po sa class
72. kapag nagtuturo po kayo ng history? Nagpapanood po ba kayo ngvideo?
73. TA: Oo, kung minsan ehh di yung play, yan an gaming movie viewing, yung mga
74. clips lamang.
75. JG: Inside the classroom po yun?
76. TA: Ohh yes pero hindi ganun kalimit.
77. JG: So for example po yung movie, yung viewing, what’s the purpose po?
78.
79.
80.
81.
TA: Ahh halimbawa saa movie viewing, ayy di makikita nila yung mga kaganapan ng
pangyayari. Ahh makita nila na ano ba ng magiging epekto nito sa kanilang buhay
kung sakali na sila ang tauhan sa pinanood nilang pelikula, kung sila ang bida ohh
ano..
82. JG: Ehh, how about po yung role playing, what’s the purpose of..
83. TA: Ahh yung sa role playing? Pagka nagrorole play? Mm. ganun din. Yung values na
84. maaaring makuha nila doon sa play na kanilang ipeperform maisabuhay nila yun.
85. Kung maganda ba o hindi.
86. JG: How about po ang class discussion? How do you go about class discussion?
87. TA: Ohh yun. Kung alam mo naman sa history, kng minsa’y may reporting tapos yun
88. nakadepende nga sa three-panel discussion depende kung ano yung papatakan and
89. then, group report.
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166
90. JG: So, what’s the purpose po asking the students to have group reports? Ano pong
91. reason?
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
TA: Pagka ganung may group report. Yun isa doon, matuto silang humarap sa kapwa
nila estudyante. Mawala yung hiya sa kanila. Yung maano yung kanilang pagsasalita.
Hindi lamang yung kanilang pagsasalita syempre yung matuto silang aralin talaga at
alamin kung ano ang kanilang mga inirereport na yun. Hindi lang yung basta kung
minsan pupunta sa unahan na babasahin rin lang naman. And then, makabuo sila ng
mga questions na nakabase dun sa kanilag report.
98. JG: And, isa din po ahh I think why the students find history boring is that they can’t
99. see the relevance of history. So paano nyo po napapakita na, in fact relevant yung
100.
history sa inyo as students and as Filipino.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
TA: Eh syempre, bilang mga Pilipino, tayo dito, tayong una dapat
makakaalam kung ano yung kaganapang nagyayari sa atin. Kung hindi natin
maituturo nang maayos sa ating mag-aaral, mababale wala lang lahat ng mga
effort o ginawa ng ating mga ninuno talaga. Hindi na natin maipapakita sa
mga bat sa kasalukuyan na yun parang wala lang and then madededma yung
mga pangyayaring pinagbibigyang pagpapahalaga natin. Katulad nga for
example, an gating pag-awit ng ating pambansang awit. Kung minsan hindi
pa rin yan alam ng bata.
109.
110.
JG: Pero pano nyo po nasisigurado na nakikita po nila yung connection?
Let’s say this particular lesson po and then, yung sa experience po nila.
111.
TA: Connection na ano?
112.
113.
JG: Yung parang, meron silang makuha dito na pwede nilang gamitin sa
kanilang sarili.
114.
115.
116.
117.
TA: Ahh sa kanilang sarili. Ehh di yun na nga kailangan nilang lagi at the end
ay mayroong values formation ka sa kanila na ano ba yung napulot nila na
maaari nga nilang madala sa buhay nila kung wala na sila sa loob ng
classroom.
118.
119.
120.
121.
JG: Mmm. Okay po. And I think isa po sa mga reason po kung bakit tinuturo
yung history po is for the students to become good citizens po. So, in your
classroom, pano nyo po namamake sure na nadedevelop nila yung mga traits
and characteristics of a good citizen sa pagtuturo nyo po ng history?
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
167
122.
TA: Pano nakikita sa kanila ang actual na nakikita sa kanila..
123.
124.
JG: Pano nyo po tinuturo sa kanila ang pagiging mabuting citizen through
nyung sa history po?
125.
126.
127.
128.
129.
130.
131.
TA: Syempre yung pagkakaroon nila ng malasakit din sa kanilang sa kapwa.
For example ay meron ngang group activity, makikita mo na mayroong ahh
pagkakaisa doon sa grupo, nskikits yung pagsusunuran. For example, yung
pagbibigay ng kanilang mga opinion, hindi nagsasapawan, yun ang…
pinakikinggan yung opinion ng iba. At yun na nga yung mga kooperasyon ng
bawat miyembro dun sa grupo kung merong.. may group activity. Malasakit
nila sa isa’t isa.
132.
133.
JG: How about po yung let’s say ahh.. and then, paano nyo po kinokonek
kunyari yung mga lesson sa leaders, paano nyo po kinokonek sa kanila..
134.
135.
136.
137.
138.
139.
140.
141.
TA: Ehh syempre ehh yun ngang sasabihin mo yung lahat ng mga positibo
din, o kung meron mang negatibo yung ano.. iinterpret mo pa rin sa kanya na
meron siyang gawa na ahh maganda. Hindi mo sasangayunan na ahh ganyan
pala yan. Kumbaga ay papaaano mo pa rin na merong kabutihan sa kanya
kung sino man yung leader na yun. Kung may nakikitang..”Ma’am iyan
naman po ay ganito” So, idedefend mo pa rin at the end, meron pa rin siyang
magandang nagawa at hindi sumalin sa isip niya na ahmm.. maaaring mali ang
sinasabi ng iba compare sa taong iyon.
142.
JG: Mmm. Yun lang naman po yung mga tanong.
Interview with Teacher S
1. JG: Before po ng questions, tatanong ko lang po kung ano po ang subjects
2. ninyong handle?
3. TS: Ang handle ko pa ay MAPEH 7, lahat po yun tapos ay ahh Araling
4. Panlipunan A.
5. JG: Hmm.. so World.. ahh Asian History po yun?
6. TS: Oo.
7. JG: And then, yung degree niyo po? Ano po yung..
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
168
8. TS: Ako po ay Bachelor in Secondary Education Major in Social Economics.
9. JG: And then, age po?
10. MJ: Twenty-three (23) po.
11. JG: So, proceed na po tayo with the questions. I’d like to know po why are you
12. teaching history or why did you choose to teach history po?
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
TS: Actually po, yung sa totoong buhay, ano yang ahh. kumbaga’y parang no
choice kasi branch lang ng BSP sa San Juan. Ay no choice po kailangan kung ano
yung majority yun ang major ganun. Maliit lang po yung school na yun. Yun
nahati ang klase so parang nagkaroon ng MAPEH, nagkaroon ng Social. Pero
nung huli Social lahat ehh di yun napa-Social ako ehh di sige.
18. JG: Hmmm..
19. TS :Ay yun, pagtagal-tagal ehh okay din pala.
20. JG: Hmm, okay so how many years na po have you been teaching History?
21. TS: Ahh, last year bale padalawang (2) taon.
22. JG: Ahh dalawang (2) taon, Asian History po yun?
23. TS: Oo.
24. JG: How was the experience po so far of teaching History?
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
TS: Parang interesting. sa akin interesting yung pagtuturo ng social kasi. Syempre
nadadaanan mo yung history ng mga ibang lugar. Hindi lang yung history pati
yung cultures nila. Pero yung experience naman pag sa classroom, ibibigay mo
muna sa bata.. ituturo mo muna sa bata para .. Minsan kasi halimbawa pagkaano
lalo na’t yung oras ng pagtuturo mo ala una (1:00PM), alas dos (2:00PM) ayun
mahirap ibigay sa bata yung impormasyon na talagang kumbaga’y gusto mong
ibigay sa kanila. Parang minsan mamaya ang boring nung bata, antukin ganun. So
yun, parang…meron namang sa Section A, gusto nila, willing talaga silang
matuto ng mga history ng ganyan. Kaso dun sa lower year lang talaga kailangan
pa ng konting ahh pagtitiyaga.
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169
35. JG: So, what are some of the important realizations po, insights ninyo so far?
36.
37.
38.
39.
TS: Mahalaga kasi ang history. Kailangan kasi ng mga batang matutunan ang
history para syempre yung ahh malaman nila kung ano ba talaga ang gusto nating
iparating sa kanila kung bakit nila tinuturo yun, kung ano talaga yung importance
sa pag-aaral ng history.
40. JG: Pero, is it challenging po to teach history?
41. TS: Sobra, sobrang challenging kasi yun nga parang.. kasi ngayon lalo na ngayon
42. napakamodern na parang ayaw na nilang pag-aralan ang nakaraan.
43. JG: Ahh, parang what’s the point of studying history?
44. TS: Tapos pagkanaka-encounter silang ibang salita diba andami-daming salitang
45. hindi familiar sa kanila. Yun dun sila nakucurious sa bagong words.
46. JG: Okay, ahhm yun po. Can you please tell me your views on memorization po
47. since history is heavy on facts, dates, so how about on memorization what’s your
48. view?
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
TS: Sa akin, mahalaga kasi ang memorization kasi sabi nga natin halos lahat ay
facts yung binibigay natin parang subo lang sa bata. Mahalaga yun kasi sabi nga
ng sabi nila Ma’am sa taas kasi lagi nilang nakukuwento si Sir Guire, kasi si Sir
Guire ay social teacher din. Talagang kailangan talaga yung eksaktong
information na ibibigay mo sa bata. Kapag magtuturo ka alam mo talaga yung
information kahit ultimong pageg bata a-encourage na magmemorize.
55. JG: Pero what’s the purpose po of memorization especially sa class niyo?
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
TS: Kasi ang purpose sa akin ng memorization para syempre history ang ating
tinuturo kailangan ng kumbaga ay kasi more on facts tayo ehh kalangan ng kasi
once na halimbawa yung date nagkamali. Kailangan mo talaga yung exact pero
syempre alam mo rin yung ano nun yung kumbaga’y yung pangyayaring yun.
Pero hindi naman kailangan memorize na memorize yung kailangan natin pero
mahalaga talaga ang memorization.
62. JG: Okay po. How about planning a lesson po? Let’s say on a on a major
63. historical event? Let’s say WW1 for example? How do you go abot planning a
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
170
64. lesson? What things do you consider po? Parang what focus?
65.
66.
67.
68.
TS: Focus, ahh ano kung ano yung dahilan ng kanilang ahh, kung bakit nangyari
yun, kung ano yung, kung bakit nagmula yun at kung papaano nila malalaman,
kung ano yung naging lesson dun sa pagkakaroon ng WW1. Parang ano yung
makukuha nilang aral tungkol dun.
69. JG: o hindi lang basta ano..
70. TS: Hindi lang basta facts yung syempre kinakailangan mo yung values side.
71. JG: So dinidiscuss niyo rin po yung parang what’s the effect of this particular
72. event?
73. TS: Kailangan alam muna nila yung naging kumbaga’y kung bakit nagkaroon
74. ng ganun.
75. JG: Ahhh, okay. And then yung mga actors, parang what’s the role of each.
76. TS: Yeah, saka papasok yun.
77. JG: Ahh sige po. with regard pos a mga classroom activities, anu-ano po yung
78. mga claroom activities na iniimplement niyo po?
79. TS: Sa classroom?
80. JG: Opo…to be able to discuss.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
TS: Ang una ko syempre memorization tayo so kasi kapag ako nagtuturo sa
kanila bago magsimula ang klase, balitaan muna lagi so kapag may balita sila
dinidiscuss naming konti lang naman pero yung pagdating sa balitaan,
tinatanggap ko ang kanilang mga opinyon kapag halimbawa nagkaroon ng mga
kagaya ngayon yung issue ngayon na issue ng pagsusuot ng diaper. Di ba may
prusisyon ng Black Nazarene, yung kumbaga’y kumukuha ako ng opinion sa
kanila sa ganoong paraan nakukuha ko yung atensyon nila parang motivation na
rin. Kung minsan gumagamit ako ng mga games lalo na ngayon K-12, group
activities yun.
90. JG: Collaborative learning. How about lecture?
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
171
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
TS: Ang lectures po kasi minsan ay kalimitan sila ay kumbaga ay parang sa
kanila, kumbagay gusto ko sa kanila sila yung tutuklas kasi K-12 tayo ngayon
para more on students style. Syempre group discussion, minsan ay gagawa sila..
magogroup discussion tatlo sila tapos ay iikot yung information within three
groups. Sila mismo yung magbibigay ng impormasyon sa kada group. And then,
saka po sila magshashare sa unahan lahat ng information na gusto nila, yung
nalaman nila. Then, saka namin lilinawin.
98. JG: Hmm, so more on hands-on activities talaga yung..
99. TS: Oo, saka yung students.
100. JG: Student level? Hmm… okay. Pero, well aside from parang fun siya
101. ano po yung other reasons for implementing those activities?
102. TS: Sa akin po ay, para sila ay hindi mabore. Kasi talaga po ang iniisp nila
103. ang social studies ay boring.
104. JG: Actually parang impractical nga for some. What’s the use of studying
105. history?
106. TS: Parang nakakalungkot kasi yung iba paborito nilang subject. Nako!
107. Pagdating sa Social Studies talagang ganun yung iba. Nakaganun ba kaya
108. minsan talagang kalangan alive ang pagtuturo.
109. JG: Pero may particular goal po ba yun aside from yun nga para hindi sila
110. mabore yung hands-on activities?
111. TS: Ahh, ano po yung.. parang.. kasi yung mg activities pong yun ay
112.
113.
114.
115.
116.
kinukuha ko dun sa guide na book. So yun ay nakadepende rin dun sa
aming guide. So, dahil ang dami kong activities, pumipili nalang ako kung
ano yung applicable sa bata. Iba-iabng approach po talaga lalo na kapag..
kasi ang hawak ko po star section at saka yung second to the last ay
magkaibang approach po yung ginagawa ko.
117. JG: Ahh, okay. Pwede ba with lecture kasi parang madami kang
118. macocover unlike kunyari paghands- on activites sobrang matatake.. I
119. mean macoconsume niya yung time mo. ano yung ..
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
172
120.
121.
122.
123.
124.
125.
TS: Bale po yung aking ginagawa continuation lang ng halimbawa kasi
ang schedule po namin ay Monday. Sa lower section Monday to
Wednesday kapag continuation lang, kapag hindi natackle sa Monday po
motivation, half ng lecture then the other day saka pa yung continuation
ng discussion. Tapos the next day yun po yung assessment para po
talagang alam nung bata. Hindi minamadali.
126. JG: Hmm, okay. Ahh how do you ano po class discussions. Ano po yung
127. application? question and answer or…?
128. TS: Opo, nagbebrain storming po kami tapos ay ahh yun nga kagaya
129. kanina group discussion. Minsan ako ang mag-aano sa unahan.
130. Nagpepresent din ako ng mga video clips, yung evolution ..human
131. evolution then mga pictures.
132.
133.
134.
135.
136.
137.
JG: Ahh next po, Since history nga po katulad ng sinabi niyo kanina some
students don’t see the relevance of studying history and I think one of the
reasons po hindi nila Makita yung connections so parang nangyari na in
the past so what’s the relevance of that particular event to the present. So,
paano niyo po namamake sure na ay kita nila yung connections so parang
it’s something relevant po?
138.
139.
140.
141.
TS: Ganito po ang ginagawa ko sa kanila, once na halimbawa nagkaroon
kami ng isang topic, kinoconnect ko siya dito sa modern time para makita
nila yung kasi dati parang ano ehh ibang iba talaga so kinoconnect kop o
yung specific topic namin sa ngayon.
142. JG: Hmm.. for example po kunyari?
143.
144.
145.
146.
147.
148.
149.
TS: Halimabawa kagaya po nung pinagpapalagay ko.. kung sila yung nasa
katayuan na dati, ah before dun sa topic naming. Halimbawa, kung kayo
ang nasa katayuan.. tapos sinasabi nila ibang-iba na daw po talaga yung
kahalagahan. Parang nakikita nila yung parang kahalagahan ng
pamumuhay dati sa ngayon. Yung parang naiisip nila na ahh ano sila yang
kumbaga’y sila’y parang pinagpala? Hindi naman sa pinagpala yung
parang ano yung parang..
150. JG: Parang mas advanced sila in a way than before?
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
173
151. TS: Oo.
152. JG: Pero ano po, aside from sa tao po di ba? yung lugar po inaano niyo
153. ba? Parang may ganitong lugar sa present na pwede siyang i-compare to
154. that particular place in the past?
155.
156.
157.
158.
159.
160.
TS: Opo, kagaya po nung halimbawa yung di ba po parang sa ating
history ay parang ahh natatackle diyan yung bible. Yun, parang dun ko
narerelate ahh kailangan nilang malaman kasi nadoon sa bible yung mga
tao na tinatalakay namin para in connection..parang nagkakaroon ng
connection dun sa mga taong nabuhay dati, namuno dati ay natatalakay
naming.
161.
162.
163.
164.
165.
JG: Hmm..ahh how about po since Social Studies or teaching of history,
it’s also ahmm to promote social responsibility for the students to become
good citizens of the future so paano niyo po naiincorporate yung.. tuturuan
niyo sila maging socially responsible and good citizen in the teaching of
history po?
166.
167.
168.
169.
170.
171.
172.
TS: Ayy dun po napasok sa akin yun sa assessment kapag tapos na
namin ang topic kung ano yung lesson na nakuha nila. Halimbawa yung
pangangalaga sa kapaligiran. Minsa kasi ehh ginagamit namin yung values
education namin kasi pagkakatapos ng aming isang topic tinatanong ko
sila kung ano yung mga aral na natutunan nila yung aside from the facts
at saka yung mga information na nalaman nila yung aral talaga sa sarili
nila yung values.
173. JG: Pero, how about activities po, what are some of the activities you
174. implement in the classroom to help them become socially responsible and
175. good citizens?
176.
177.
178.
179.
180.
TS: Nung one time po, last first grading, ako yung nagpagawa sa kanila
ng.. kasi po ang aming topic noon ay environment, ecosystem ay ano
nagpagawa ako ng tawag dun yung parang di naman tarpaulin parang
halimbawa yung para sa kalinisan ng school. Halimbawa “Don’t step on
the grass”
181. JG: Parang signage?
182. TS: Oo, signage. Ay di yun pina.. nilagyan ko sila ng mga assignment
183. kung saan sila dapat maglagay, sa canteen so yun in that way po siguro
184. nabigyan ko sila or naituro ko sa kanila yung pagiging isang good citizen.
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
174
185. JG: Pero, what particular topic po yun related? Ecosystem po kami dun ay
186. ahh yun pangangalaga sa kapaligiran.
187. TS: Part pa rin po ito ng ecosystem?
188. JG: Oo, ecosystem.
189.
190.
191.
192.
193.
194.
TS: Kasi po dito sa K-12 halos sa Grade 9 at Grade 8, tinatalakay talaga
yung.. uumpisahan sa una saka pa talaga yung topic parang kalagitnaan pa
lang nagsisimula kaya minsan nagkakasabay ang Grade 8 at Grade 9 sa
topic. Pero once natapos na yung una halimbawa yung part 1 parang
introduction yung topic ng pang-Grade 8 yun ang tatalakayin sa Grade 9
din ganun.
195. JG: Pero ano po yung reactions ng mga students dun for the particular
196. activity.
197. TS: Ano po yang sila ay parang naging aware kumbaga’y naging parang
198. natatandaan nila sabi ay “Eto yun, eto yun!” tapos ay parang nakakatuwa
199. naman at alam nila. Ehh pagkatapos po ehh di yun ang topic na susunod
200. ehh di iba na para sa particular grade na.
201. JG: So basically po yung class niyo focused on hands-on activities rather
202. than mga mere lecture?
203. TS: Opo kasi po K-12.
204. JG: Hmm.. pero personally po yung view nyo? Ano ang mas prefer niyo?
205. Without the K-12?
206.
207.
208.
209.
210.
211.
TS: Sa akin po kasi ang.. kung ako ang tatanungin mas gusto kong ako
yung magbibigay sa mga bata ano yung information kasi sila minsan kung
kapag talagang pinabayaan mo lalo na kapag sa lower section, hindi nila
masyadong pinaprioritize ang paghands-on halimbawa sila ang bibigyan
mo ng.. sa lower section ito. Pero kapag sa star section, okay po yung
hands-on, sila talaga ay pursigido talaga sila sa paggawa.
212. JG: So may factor yung mga sections?
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
175
213. TS: Opo kasi iba’t iba po ang mga bata. Iba’t iba yung kaya nila.
214. JG: Pero do you believe na dapat hands-on talaga kasi daw it’s the best
215. way for the students to learn history?
216.
217.
218.
219.
TS: Opo naman kasi po sabi nga natin we learn from experience. Mas
maganda po nag a bata ang makatuklas ng mga bagay bagay. And then,
kaya po tayo nandito ehh saka po natin itatama yung mga bagay na hindi
nila masyadong alam.
220. JG: For you po, what’s the parang goal of history education.
221.
222.
223.
224.
225.
226.
TS: Para sa akin ang pinaka goal po ng history education yung hindi lang
natin malaman kung bakit tayo nandito, kung ano yung pinagmula natin,
yung kahalagahan po ng buhay ngayon at noon. Yung parang napaka..
yung parang tayo ay ano pa rin kumbaga’y mapalad pa rin tayo dahil tayo
ay nakapamuhay ng ganito di gaya ng dati na puro war..parang ganun saka
para marealize din yung mga cultures ng ibang.. sinaunang panahon..
227. JG: Pero naniniwala po ba kayo na yung goal na yun maachieve lang
228. through hands-on activities o kailangan mix talaga siya?
229. TS: Paraa sa akin mixed method kasi hindi naman natin pababayaan ang
230. mga bata na sila lang. Kailangan din nila yung guide natin, yung
231. pagtatama natin.
232. JG: Hmm. so I think nacover naman lahat so yun ayun po tapos na yung
233. interview.
Interview with Teacher E
1. JG: So Ma’am before po nito, ilang years na kayong nagtuturo ng history po?
2.
3.
4.
5.
TE: Ahmm.. hindi ko na maano, pero siguro mga ten (10) years na kasi actually ang
talagang major ko ay TLE kaya lang nung mawala na yung mga history teachers ay
siguro nakita nila na meron akong kapasidad na maituro yung history so kaya kinuha
nila ako pero actually TLE ang major ko
6. JG: So ano po yung degree nyo talaga?
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
176
7. TE: Ehh di ang akin ano ay BSIE, Industrial Education Major in TLE. Ehh actually
8. sa BSU naman ang minor mo Math pero actually my favorite subject when I was in
9. high school ay Araling Panlipunan.
10. JG: So ano po yung experience nyo ng pagtuturo ng history po?
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
TE: Syempre nung una at ako’y bago pa nga I have to study diba? Mag-aaral,
magbabasa at kapag yung sa bata talaga wala talaga silang alam. Talaga nung una,
tanungin mo, medyo yung iba siguro yung mga nasa first section okay lang pero
pagdating mo dun sa mga pababa na mahihirapan ka nang kumuha ng ideya sa kanila.
May pailan-ilan pero hindi naman lahat, yun lang talagang parang bago sila ika nga.
16. JG: Pero ngayon po, ang handle nyong subject is Asian History?
17. TE: Hindi. Economics ngayon kahit last year nag-Asian History ako kaya lang dingin
18. umalis yung aming Economics teacher ako yung dinala dahil nakapagturo naman na
19. ako ng Economics, nag-Asian History tapos nag-Economics ulit.
20. JG: Ahh, okay sige po. So ano naman po yung.. what are some of the important
21. realizations po about teaching history so far?
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
TE: Masarap, very interesting ang pagtuturo ;lalo na Asian History. Parang ramdam
ko sa sarili ko hindi man ako makarating sa iabng lugar, naeexplore ko . Yun bang
napupuntahan ko yung mga lugar through readings, through studying na gusto ko
kung tutuusin. Axtually, mas gusto kong ituro ang Asian History kesa Economics.
Mas interesting ang Asian History, marami ehh, madami kasi.
27. JG: Ahh, saEcon medyo may Math part din po?
28.
29.
30.
31.
TE: Oo at saka isa pa ang mga bata kita mo na mas interesado sila kapg mga ganun
history pero kapag ang pag-uusapan mo ehh yung mga Economics, ay kapera kung
bibigyan mo yan ng maraming mga panoorin yan pero kung through lectures,
discussion at saka yung through experience nila yun saka pa.
32. JG: Ma’am, ehh pero may mga coordinator po ba kayo sa History Department or
wala?
33. TE: Wala. Last year bawat subject meron kaya lang ngayon isa nalang. Isa nalang
34. talaga yung buong coordinator namin. Isa sa high school, isa sa elementary.
35. JG: Ah so lahat na po ng subjects yun?
36. ME: Oo pero yung coordinator namin last year, AE Major talaga,
37. JG: Ahh, nandito pa rin po sya o wala na?
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
177
38. TE: Wala na lumipat na sa public. Alam mo naman ngayon..
39. JG: Mmm, okay po. So, ano po yung views nyo on memorization since History po is
40. heavy on facts, dates so ano po yung views nyo about memorization.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
TE: May naitutulong din naman actually ang memorization, kasi nga narerecall nila
diba? Kung ano yung mga pinagaralan. Kaya lang ang mga bata ngayon ehh parang
pag di saulo, ehh di wala na. Yun ang kanlang kwan.. mahina kaisi talaga ang memory
ng bata. Pero memorization ay siguro..mga facts yan. Pero parang hindi na rin
maganda ngayon. Mas maganda kung ano ba talaga yung eoekto, yung mga ganyan.
46. JG: Pero sa class nyo po in particular, ano po yung purpose ng memorization?
47. TE: Masaulo nila, ehh di para maano nga nila tawag dun makabisado nila at hindi
48. talaga nila makakalimutan anuman yung mga ideas through memorization. At least
49. dala nila diba? Dala nila yun.
50. JG: Oo.
51. TE: Kasi diba ang tradisyunal natin eh parang ganyan, memorization. Sabi ko nga
52. parang ay palibhasa ako’y bagong teacher, twenty-eight (28) years na ko in teaching.
53. Dala ko yung tradisyunal tapos aadapt mo yung bagong an ehh di pinaghahalo ko
sila.
54. JG: Mmmmm..
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
TE: Ehh kas ang tingin ko yung bagong sistema, halimbawa groupings , yan.. may
mga nakalagay dyan yung mga activities diba? So yung reporting, group discussion
tapos yung tawag doon.. yung sharing of experiences, alam mo madaling gawin yung
kapag ka 1st section diba? Ehh kasi ang amin ang first section namin ay yung may
cream, sama sama yung magagaling, and then yung from second to the last hetero na.
Sama sama na kaya kita mo yun bang malaking gap ng first section doon. Sa kanila,
sa first section, bigay mo lang kung ano ang gagawin, ginagawa nila, okay simula na
sila maski pabayaan mo sila ang mag-aano pero pagdating dito sa susunod na hindi
pupuwedeng hindi ka.. ikaw pa rin. Kailangan mo talagang idiscuss at ipaliwanag sa
kanila. Pag sila ang pababayaan mo, babasahin lang nila sa book. Wala, hanggang dun
lang sila..wala ng…hindi na sila mag-explore kung ano lang yung naroon sa libro.
Samantalang kung ika’y nasa first section, magreresearch, magbabasa.
67. JG: So, mas okay po sa kanila yung mga hands on?
68. TE: Oo, oo.
69. JG: Mmmm…
70. TE: Pero ako naman, pagdating sa ibang section, parang ako na ehh..ako na. Ako na
ang
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
178
71. magsusupply sa inyo. Ako nalang, sige ako nalang ang iimik, ako nalang ang
72. magdidiscuss, parang ganun. Pero pag sila’y inantay mo, wala. Parang uulitin mo din
73. lamang at uulitin..
74.
75.
76.
77.
JG: Mmm.. Pero paano po kayo nagpaplan, kunyari po lesson na major historical
event? For example po WWI, ano po yung mga kinoconsider nyo? Ano po kunyari,
ngayong araw na to ano yung focus nyo, yung mga actors ba, yung impact nya ba or
nacocover nyo po lahat?
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
TE: Parang ang inaano namin dun, ay di yung pangyayari mismo, pero syempre iaano
mo rin kung sinong major ano doon, kung sinong mga involve. Pero talaga ang
parang ang icoconcentrate mo bakit nangyari yun, ano yung epekto noon ngayon sa
atin, pero syempre kauna-unahan bakit? Bakit nangyari? Ano yung pinagmulan? Sino
yung mga involve? Pero yung mga dates hindi masyado. Oo, sinasabi pero hindi na
para paka..
84. JG: Kailangan?
85. TE: Oo, pahapyaw nalang. Kung dati pinapasaulo ang date na nagyari, kalian
86. namatay si ano si ganun. Pero naman minsa’y ang book, magkakaiba na rin ngayon.
87. typographical error.
88. JG: Ayy, oo.
89. ME: Andami, napapansin ko yun ehh.
90. JG: Mga mali maling info?
91. TE: Oo.
92. JG: Kailangan din talaga ng teacher na magcocorrect ng mga ano.. How about mga
93. activities po sa class? So yung hands on activities po usually for section nyo lang po
ba?
94. TE: Ginagawa rin sa iba, kaya lang, hindi ganun kakumplikado na katulad ng mga
95. first section.
96. JG: Ano po ang mga halimbawa ng mga activities ninyo?
97. TE: Halimbawa ay dramatization. Usually group ehh, minsan inaadapt namin kung
98. ano yung maganda na nasa books tulad nga nung mga group discussion, debate.
99. JG: Hmm.. Oo, debate.
100.
101.
TE: Yan, yung mga ganyan. May gumagawa ng tula, yung mga pinapagawa na
sabayan pagbigkas, yung mga ganyan na activities.
102. JG: Ano po kaya yung mga advantages ng mga ganung tyoes of activities? Mga
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
179
103. groupwork, debate?
104. TE: Pagka debate, para bagang sila’y mas, mas naano sila, parang nahihikayat na yun
105. bang alamin nila. Kasi pagka halimbawa, may mapapansin ka. Kapag magdidiscuss
106. ka, ehh di aasa nalang sa iyo. Samantalang kung may mga activities, magpipilit na
107. magpipilit na syempre magbasa, magresearch, alamin nila.
108. JG: Pero sa tingin nyo po effective yung nanung mga activities po para maintindihan
109. nila yung lesson?
110. TE: Sabi ko nga, siguro effective, pagka ika’y nasa first section. Pero kung sa akin sa
111. totoo lang, talagang sa experience ng bata, mas gusto ko yung tradisyunal. Yung
112. bigay ka ng assignment, eexplore nila yung assignment and then discussion, palitan
113. kayo ng talakayan, malayang talakayan. Pano’y sabi ko nga pagactivity at ginawa mo
114. nga sa lower section, parang uulitin mo rin lamang kasi ang danger mo dun ng
115. activity, may gumagawa at may hindi although sila’y tinitingnan mo. Ehh meron
116. talagang kunyari lang ay..
117. JG: Mga free loader po yun iba ano?
118. TE: Akala mo’y.. pero mamaya ehh wala din naman.
119. JG: Kasi minsan po yung leader naman po yung gumagawa.
120. TE: Oo, at minsan ang sasabihin nung leader, “Oh, ako na nga lang po ang gumawa.
121. Hindi naman po nagreact. Nahihirapan naman po ako ehh di ako nalang po.” Kaya
122. sabi ko nga kapag may group activity, maski pa yan ay group kailangan bawat isa ay
123. may contribution. Yung meron din silang sinusulat na yun ang pagsasama-samahin
124. nila.
125. JG: Ahh..para at least each member contributes to the group.
126. TE: Oo, isusulat kung kaninong gawa ito, kanya..kanya.. Kaya lang minsan madaya
127. din (*laugh).
128. JG: Minsan hindi rin naman talaga. Haha
129. TE: Sasabihin kanya lalo na’t mabait ang leader, tutulungan na din. Yun nga lang ang
130. advantage ng ganyan nahihila.
131. JG: Tapos po, since yun nga po history, maraming facts, nangyari na sya before, so
132.
may mga students na hindi nila Makita yung relevance, yung importance
133.
nung topic for them. So, ano po yung ginagawa nyo para makita po nila yung
134.
connections or relevance nung topic?
135. TE: Sa akin, minsan through my experience o tapos o kaya’y mayroong mga tao na
136. nakakapagkwento sa akin, kinukwento ko kaya syempre hindi natin____ kaya ayun
137. through experiences at saka nagtatanong tanong ako. Para makita at saka may mga
© Jayson o. Gulpan 2015. All rights reserved.
180
138. questions na ibinibigay kung halimbawa noon ikaw ay ganito, paano ka, halimbawa
139. kung ikaw ngayon… yun ang ginagawa naming. At saka magbigay ng mga samples,
140. mga figures, mga tao.
141. JG: Sino yung parang same characteristics nila today? Ano naman pong reactions ng
142. mga students kapag nagbibigay kayo ng mga ganung examples?
143. TE: Kita mo naming interesado tapos nagtatanong sila. Kaya makikita mo mamaya
144. nagsheshare na sila, sharing sila ganun. Maririnig mo naman sila at alam mo naman
145. kung sila’y nagdadaldalan lang sa sarili nila o kung ang pinag-uusapan ay yung topic.
146. Kaya lang ang mahirap sa totoo ay yung dami ng estudyante.
147. JG: Ahh..ilang sections po ba?
148. TE: Kami’y four (4) sections. Lahat ng year four (4) sections tapos ay fortyhan (4)
149. bawat…
150. JG: So average na size forty (40) per class?
151. TE: Oo, mabigat din yun. Tapos ilang..gano po katagal yung allotted time for..
152. JG: One (1) hour. Per section one (1) hour. Ang ano ata ngayon, ang AP ng K-12
153.
ehh three (3) hours lang a week. Pero ung dati sa Dep four (4), five (5).
154.
Ngayon ti-three hours na ehh.
155. TE: Sa class nyo po, nagpapanood din po kayo ng mga videos?
156. JG: Yes, yes. Nagdadownload ako ng mga videos.
157. TE: Ano naman po ang reaction ng mga students pagmanonood?
158. JG: Ehh syempre, magtataka lalo na pagpinanood mo yung..ano yung pinanood ko?
159. Yung kina Ghandi, yung WWII tapos makikita nila black and white. Makikita nila,
160. magrereact “Ma’am, talaga po bang ganyan noon?” OO, magaling nga kako nakita pa
161. ninyo yan, ehh black and white yan. So, basta yung mga interesting… mga
162. Hiroshima, Nagasaki bombing, pinaaano ko sa kanila yun..Kita mo naman na
163. talagang sila’y ano hindi makapaniwala. Hindi naman kasi nila ano yun ehh, siguro
164. talaga nga naman palang nangyari iyon kung hindi mo papakitaan ng ganun. Sa kanila
165. pagpinakinggan napakasimple, pagnakita nila at napanood nila talaga nga pa lang…
166. TE: Mmm..okay.
167. JG: Parang mas effective nga yun ehh yung pinapakita.
168. TE: Pinapakita?
169. JG: Oo.
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170. TE: Kasi before po, wala pa namang mga ganyang ano. Parang teacher lang talaga
171.
yung.. tapos medyo malabo sa kanila kasi hindi naman nila nakikita.
172. JG: Oo, kaya maganda yung technology natin, yung internet.
173. TE: Okay po, yun pong.. since history po parang hindi lang naman po sya about
174. dates, about names of persons. Ang sabi po nila, ang history daw po..it’s also to
175. promote..ayyy to helps students to become socially responsible po, so naniniwala po
176. kayo dun na isa po yan sa mga goal ng history education, pero pano nyo po sya
177. dinedevelop sa classroom nyo po kapag nagtuturo po kayo ng history?
178. JG: Medyo mahirap din yun ano? Kasi parang valuing nay un diba? (Short pause) Eh
179. ang mangyayari magbibigay kami ng mga case, may mga cases na ibibigay ka and then
180. dun mo na yun palalaguin, iinvolve mo sila. Paano kung halimbawa ikaw ay.. Kasi
181. diyan pagkahistory, more on katulad nung pagdating sa pananakop, labanan, yung
182. mga leaders, may toka ako pagnaging leader ka, gagayahin mo ba siya bilang isang
183. leader? Tapos, iaano natin sa present situation.
184. TE: Mmm. So how about election po, parang binibigyan nyo na rin po ba sya ng
185. emphasis during class discussion? Parang may lesson na related kasi ying pagiging
186. involve po sa election, parang isa rin po yun sa mga characteristics ng isang good
citizen.
187. JG: Ahh, oo. Katulad ng pagiging matapat, di ba yan? At saka pagnapag-usapan ang
188. gobyerno. Ehh sino bang.. nagtatanong samin ehh sino bang pumili sa mga yan?Sino
189. bang bumoto? Dun na papasok yun. So ikaw dadating ang araw na magiging botante
190. ka din ohh di ba? Sasabihin pillin kung sino yung mga bagong leader. Ohh, ehh bakit
191. ba nagkakaganyan an gating mga leader? Ganun, parang iddiscuss mo muna sa kanila
192. and then ibabalik mo uli sa kanila.
193. TE: Mmm. So nagdidiscuss din po kayo ng mga current issues po? Let’s say about sa
194. government?
195. JG: Oo.
196. TE: Mmm. May mga news reporting din?
197. JG: Oo, pero medyo madalang. Sa Economics yan, pagka yung sa Asia.. ewan ko..
noon
198. ako pero yung ngayon palibhasa nag-Economics ako kailangang tu___ sa bago ehh.
199. Ngayon si Sir Ryan, actually ang kanya ay parang ngayon lang uli siya nag ano..
Pilipinas
200. ang kanya ehh, yung history of the Philippines ang kanya.
201. TE : Ahh, Philippine History kasi nga po nagdedeclare na.
202. JG: Oo, nagdedeclare.
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203. TE: May 7 and 8 parehas na siyang Asian History.
204. JG: Pero ako’y ano,gusto ko ng Asian History.
205. TE: Sa mga Chinese..
206. JG: Oo, sa mga sinaunang kabihasnan..
207. TE: Oo, sa mga dinastiya.
208. JG: Yes, yan dynasties. Gustong gusto kong ituro yan. Talagang nagaano ako diyan
209. powerpoint, video.
210. TE: Mmm. So meron na rin pong ano powerpoint presentation?
211. JG: Oo, powerpoint.Minsan titingin ako.. diba madami naman na ngayong
212. nadadownload, ako na ang gumagawa. Inaano ko lang mga pictures, pero may
213. powerpoint na.
214. TE: Ano naman pong reaksyon ng mga bata pagnagpapowerpoint?
215. JG: Di naman po.. nag-eenjoy naman po sila?
216. TE: Oo, nageenjoy kaya lang pag may powerpoint presentation talagang bumibilis
ang
217. discussion. Mas mabilis ang discussion ehh pagpowerpoint presentation kasi nadiyan
na,
218. kita na nila.
219. JG: Mmm.. kumbaga ano kita na nila. Mmm...Miss ito pong private school, Catholic
po
220. noh?
221. TE: Oo, kaya mahirap pag nasa topic na relihiyon.
222. JG: Oo nga po.
223. TE: Oo, sa relihiyon pero very interesting dahil kasi ang focus nila bilang Katoliko
lang.
224. JG: Ahh.. oo nga.
225. TE: Tanong sila ng tanong kaya maingat ang pagsagot (*laugh).
226. JG: Oo nga po kasi..
227. TE: Baka may mgakamali (*laugh)
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228. JG: Pagreligion na po ang topic mahirap na.
229. TE: Oo at saka yung ebolusyon, magkataliwas ang ano ng religion tsaka Muslim.
230. JG: Oo nga.
231. TE: Meron diyang pilosopo, Diyos ko! (*laugh) Mahirap din.
232. JG: Pero hindi naman po sila yung kinicriticize nila yung ibang..
233. TE: Hindi naman kasi sa una palang, imumulat mo na maski ano pa yang relihiyon,
234. may kanya-kanya tayong paniniwala at tanggapin nila. Kung ano man ang paniniwala
235. nila, tanggapin nila. Sabi ko nga religious tolerance.Kanya kanya kaya nga sinabing
236. relihiyon eh, sistema ng paniniwala, iaano agad sa kanila na ganu pero may babanat
237. diyan na“Bakit po yung mga ano yung iba kung matuligsa po tayo?” ganyan..
238. JG: Ahh, oo.
239. TE: Sasabihinko huwag ninyo na silang intindihin, yun ang kanilang paniniwala. Ehh
240. wag mo nalang pagayahin. Ganun nalang ang sinasabi ko.
241. JG: Kelan po pala inaano tong school na to, kelan siya natayo or natatag?
242. TE: Nineteen fifty-six (1956), sixtieth (60th) na namin next year.
243. JG: Oww, wow!
244. TE: Twenty fifteen (2015), sixtieth (60th) na.
245. JG: Nineteen (19)?
246. TE: Fifty six.
247. JG: Wowww.
248. TE: Kaya next year sixtieth (60th) na. Pero yung kami ay under ng oblates. Ang
249. oblates one hundred (100) years naman next year. May katagang oblatos.
250. JG: Mmm.. wow.
251. JG: Mmm.. mabalik po tayo dun sa history noh? Ano po.. makikita nyo naman po na
252. nageenjoy ang mga bata kapag history oh kasi yung mga iabng students parang for
253. them history is boring.
254. TE: Ahh, oo.
255. TE: Ganun.. parang what’s the point of studying history ehh wala namang..
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256. TE: Oo, may mga batang ganun. Hindi maiiwasan, ehh kailangan gagalingan ng
teacher.
257. TE: Para maano din sila, maencourage na..
258. TE: Mag-iisip ng activity na tatama, na yung alam mong makukuha mo talaga ang
259. atensyon ng bata kasi naexperience ko na yun bang may mga topic talaga na sa atin
260. ay boring lalo na pagnakita ng bata’y tayo’y ano.. di lalo na silang nabobo.
261. TE: Saka depende rin yun sa mga babae, sa mga lalaki. Syempre pagworld war,
262.
syempre mga lalaki pero syempre sa mga babae ahh patayan ganun haha
263.
syempre..
264. TE: Pag naman, very interesting ang topic, nako hindika naman matatapos ganun.
265. Share naman sila ng share. Pag hindi interesting tingnan mo naman puro lang
266. naka ganun pero masarap ituro. Kasi di ba TLE ako, nung mahawak nga ako
267. ng Asian History parang nung nakailangan taon ako ng pagtuturo sabi ko ayaw ko na
268. ng TLE, maghihistory nalang ako. Ayaw naman pumayag silang bitawhan ko ang
269. TLE... full time (*laugh).Kaya nga syempre on my part nahihirapan talaga ako ung
270. una, biro mo yung babasahin mo, kakabisahin mo mga tao, lugar. Mamaya’t
271. magtanong ang bata, hindi mo alam hindi mo masagot.
272. JG: Kasi content yun ng history.
273. TE: Oo, hindi naman iisang lugar lang.
274. TE: Oo, tapos minsan yung nakita mo ngang information, mamaya may
275. contradictingsa iba.
276. TE: Oo, totoo yun. Kailangan magaling magpa.. (*laugh) pero enjoy naman.
277. TE: Ahh, ilan taon na po pala kayo ma’am?
278. TE: Saan sa teaching o ako?
279. JG: Kayo po.
280. TE: Forty eight (48), magfoforty nine (49) na.
281. JG: Tapos twenty eight years na kayo?
282. TE: Oo.
283. JG: Wow, antagal na noh?
284. TE: Ang hindi ko lang naiturong subject ay Science.
285. JG: Ahh, so nakapag..
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286. TE: Nakapag-MAPEH na ko, nakapag-Math na.
287. JG: Woww.
288. TE: Nakapag-English na (*laugh).
289. JG: Wow.
290. TE: Lahat ay naituro na pero mahirap din pagmag-aaral ka.
291. TE: Pag iba ng subject, parang panibagong aral naman.
292. TE: Pero nito naman nafocus na ko sa __ at TLE lang. Yung dalawang subject lang.
293. JG: Natapos naman po natin yung mga questions.
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APPENDIX K.Classroom Observation Notes
I.
Pre-Observational Data
A. Demographic
Name of School: School P
Name of Teacher: Teacher O
Subject: Araling Panlipunan 9
Grade/level: 9, 1st section
Topic: Mga tagumpay at kabiguan sa kabihasnang Gresya
B. Purpose (objectives)/Intended Learning Outcomes
1. Matutukoy ang sanhi at kaganapan ukol sa Digmaang Pesyano
2. Maisalaysay ang mga naging labanan sa pagitan ng mga Griyego at Persyano
3. Mapupuri ang pagsusumikap ng mga Griyego na ipaglaban ang kanilang kalayaan sa mga dayuhang mananakop.
II.
Described how the teacher introduced or started the lesson
Before introducing the lesson, the teacher gave a short quiz about Islamic State (IS). After the quiz, Teacher O showed through
a PowerPoint presentation a map of the ancient Greece. She asked the students to name some of the city-states and described
them based on previous discussions. The students identified Athens and described it as a city-state having a stong sense of
democracy. The students also identified Sparta describing it as a militaristic city-state. Teacher O then higlighted the idea that
each city state was engaged in war with the other city-states. Teacher then asked the students to fill in a matrix: the students
were tasked to identify some of the wars that took place in Ancient Greece and to list down the actors involved in these wars.
III.
Describe how the teacher ended the lesson
Teacher O was not able to discuss and process the activity because it was time already for the next class. Teacher O instructed
the students to continue with the matrix at home and that they will discuss it the next day.
IV.
Additional Comments
1. The room is spacious enough for 40 students.
2. The students were active in answering the questions of Teacher O. They were also engaged in the activity.
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I.
Pre-Observational Data
C. Demographic
Name of School: School P
Name of Teacher: Teacher O
Subject: Araling Panlipunan 9
Grade/level: 9, Last section
Topic: Mga tagumpay at kabiguan sa kabihasnang Gresya
D. Purpose (objectives)/Intended Learning Outcomes
4. Matutukoy ang sanhi at kaganapan ukol sa Digmaang Pesyano
5. Maisalaysay ang mga naging labanan sa pagitan ng mga Griyego at Persyano
6. Mapupuri ang pagsusumikap ng mga Griyego na ipaglaban ang kanilang kalayaan sa mga dayuhang mananakop.
II.
Described how the teacher introduced or started the lesson
Before introducing the lesson, the teacher gave a short quiz about Islamic State (IS). After the quiz, Teacher O showed through
a PowerPoint presentation a map of the ancient Greece. She asked the students to name some of the city-states and described
them based on previous discussions. Teacher O then higlighted the idea that each city state was engaged in war with the other
city-states. Teacher then asked the students to fill in a matrix: the students were tasked to identify some of the wars that took
place in Ancient Greece and to list down the actors involved in these wars. Some students were not listening. Some were very
noisy which annoyed Teacher O. Teacher O got mad and asked the students to keep standing for about 3 minutes.
III.
Describe how the teacher ended the lesson
Teacher O was not able to discuss and process the activity because it was time already for the next class. Teacher O instructed
the students to continue with the matrix at home and that they will discuss it the next day.
IV.
Additional Comments
1. The room is not that spacious.
2. Some of the students were hesitant in answering the questions of Teacher O. Some were disengaged in the activity.
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I.
Pre-observation Data
A. Demographic
Name of School: School P
Name of Teacher: Teacher J
Subject: Araling Panlipunan 8
Grade/level: 8, Second section
Topic: Mga isyu sa loob at labas ng bansa (Ref. Student Time)
B. Purpose (objectives)/Intended Learning Outcomes
Natatalakay ang iba’t ibang isyu sa loob at labas ng bansa.
Nakakapagpaliwanag kung mainam ba o masama para sa demokrasya ang labis na tunggalian sa politika.
II.
Describe how the teacher introduced or started the lesson
Teacher J started the lesson with a review of yesterday’s session. After that Teacher J asked the students to continue with the
group reporting. Three groups reported. All the groups did role playing/news reporting. However, they were simply reading
from the magazine (student time).
III.
Describe how the teacher ended the lesson
Teacher J ended the lesson with an integration. She highlighted the idea that the students should be aware of these issues
because these issues can affect the Philippines. She asked questions about the economy of the Philippines. However, the
students’ answers were not aligned with the questions. Some of them mentioned the Mamasapano incident and did not answer
the questions about the Philippine’s economy.
IV.
Additional Comments
1. Some of the students were not listening and some were sleeping.
2. Most of the students were hesitant in answering the questions of Teacher J.
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