Organization

Bukidnon State University

Best Practice Focus Area/s

Leadership, Human Resource

Year Implemented

2012

This is a GBPR finalist entry

Summary

In its pursuit of organizational growth and teacher development, Bukidnon State University forged partnerships with Teacher Education Institutions in the country through the National Network of Normal Schools (3NS). The partnership continuously endeavors to champion teacher development based on international standards. This partnership has sprouted several projects in research, teacher training, curriculum development, and student exchange program. Among which is the Curriculum Quality Audit for Pre-Service Teacher Education Curriculum, the 3NS Normalite Program, the PNU-DOST-3NS Teacher Training for DOST Scholars, Bicol University as Environmental Education Learning Resource Center of the 3NS, Development of PPST-Based Prototype Syllabi in Priority Areas in Teacher Education, Development of DepED-CHED Joint Policy on Pre-Service Teachers’ Field Study and Student Internship Experiences. Aside from networking with the 3NS, the College of Education is also linked with the Teacher Education Council, State Universities and Colleges Teacher Educators Association, the Department of Education, and schools in Thailand.

Background and Problem

Optimizing Networks for Teacher Education Development seeks to adequately prepare Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers for the 21st-century learning environments by providing a well-crafted curriculum, teacher training, professional linkages, research engagement, and varied clinical experiences for student interns.

The K to 12 reform has resulted in higher education institutions. The Pre-Service Teacher Education curriculum has to transition to the new curriculum Quality Assurance requirements compelled the college to embark on this partnership. Various challenges and needs were addressed through the 3NS led by PNU and the RCTQ. One challenging aspect to address is conformity to professional standards and industry requirements. Teacher Education graduates must manifest the Beginning Teacher Indicators of the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST), which is expected by public and private schools where they are employed.

Solution and Impact

Optimizing Network for Teacher Education Development (ONETED) is a name coined after the practice and approach of the College of Education, establishing linkages and making the best out of opportunities offered or called upon by other academic agencies or organizations. The practice starts with looking at the mandates, quality assurance requirements, and program outcomes. In so doing, the college identified the needs and determined the quality objectives.

On the institutional or micro level, these linkages have created divergent pathways for the continual improvement of the College of Education, benefiting the pre-service and in-service teachers. This linkage has spread internationally through the Summer Thai Teacher Training Program. However, on the macro level, this convergence has contributed much to human resource development through various capability-building initiatives and the crafting of syllabi aligned with the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers now utilized by various TEIs. With ONeTED, the College of Education was able to gain achievements in the following areas:

  1. Compendium of PPST-Based Prototype Syllabi – The compendium resulted from developing PPST-based Prototype Syllabi for Priority Areas in Teacher Education. Teachers for the College of Arts and Sciences teaching the specialization courses served as reviewers of the curriculum materials in Social Studies, English, Filipino, Math, and Science. Meanwhile, teachers of the Professional Studies reviewed curriculum materials for Physical Education, Early Childhood Education, Professional Education, and Elementary Education.
  2. Audited Pre-Service Teacher Education Curriculum – There was a series of training for lead curriculum specialists given by the RCTQ. All the COE faculty and the teachers handling education subjects from the College of Arts and Sciences participated in the training on basic and differentiated audit and other auditing tools. Moreover, two CQA workshops were held in 2017.
  3. Approved PPST-aligned Outcomes-based Syllabi in the College of Education’s Professional Education courses.
  4. The 3NS Normalite Program
  5. Completed Research with the Bicol University as Environmental Learning Resource Center of the National Network of Normal Schools
  6. Training of Newly Hired Teachers of the Department of Education under R. A. 10162 – Held on 23-26 Apri 2019, Bukidnon State University through the 3NS partnered with Western Mindanao State University to train Science and Mathematics teachers on Instructional Planning, 21st-century Teaching, 21st Century Assessment, among others.
  7. Development of a Joint Policy on Pre-Service Teachers’ Field Study and Teaching Internship Experience – BukSU sent faculty to craft the PSTePT Framework together with faculty from other teacher education institutions.
  8. Research on the implementation of Curriculum Quality Audit – A research titled “Exploring the Implementation of Curriculum Quality Audit in a Philippine State University” was conducted to investigate the implementation of CQA and was presented during the 19th Southeast Asian Association for Institutional Research (SEAAIR) Annual Conference at National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan.
  9. COE faculty trained Thai teachers from Anuban Chonburi School in English, Science, and Math during 2014-2017.

Milestones/Next Steps

The hallmark of a university is research. University professors are obliged to conduct research in order to improve people’s lives and society. With the partnership with Bicol University, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the 3NS, COE faculty could research the mainstreaming of environmental education in the Teacher Education Curriculum.

  1. The 3NS, of which Bukidnon State University is a member, is an innovation among normal schools in the country. This network started in 2012 during the administration of Dr. Victor M. Barroso, University President, and Dr. Oscar B. Cabańelez, Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  2. Australia Awards Fellowship – In 2018, Dr. Oscar B. Cabańelez and other presidents of the 3NS were recipients of the Australia Awards Fellowship at the University of New England, New South Wales, Australia.
  3. Recognition of Curriculum Specialists and CQA Partners – Held in May 2018 at Tryp Hotel, Manila, the event recognized schools involved in the CQA process.
  4. As a Center of Development in Teacher Education, the College of Education received a P1.2 million grant for Continuing Professional Education on the New Teacher Education Curriculum in October 2018.
  5. The partnership with 3NS has resulted in more projects for teacher development, such as the Training of Newly-Hired Teachers under RA 10162 in April 2019. BukSU collaborated with WMSU in this endeavor. BukSU was actively involved in the basic education reform, serving as a service provider for the 2013 to 12 training. Teachers from Anuban Chonburi, Thailand, came to BukSU during the summers of 2014-2017 to be trained in English, Science, and Math.