Science Education Institute (SEI) honored Bacong National High School of Salug, Zamboanga del Norte and Looc National High School of Calamba City, Laguna in the “Search for Innovative Practices in Managing Large Classes.”
Using creative strategies such as“sizing interventions” and “flock management” the two schools bested four other finalists from Metro Manila to earn the distinction of having the best and most inventive teaching strategies in their large science and mathematics classes.
The two schools received P100, 000 and a plaque of recognition for their winning entries in the awarding ceremonies held at the Hyat Hotel and Casino, Manila, besting Andres Bonifacio Integrated School, Las Pinas East National High School, Navotas National High School and San Isidro National High School.
Launched early in 2011, the search aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning science and mathematics in public and private high schools with class sizes of more than 50 students by inspiring schools to apply innovative teaching mechanisms. The project defines large classes as having 51 to 70 students, while extra large class as having 71 and above.
Bacong National High School was awarded for their project entitled Bacong Developmental Instruction which employs various teaching-learning activities using sizing interventions designed to test the effectiveness of the facilitative mode of teaching in a large class size.
The practice allows the students to discover, and later on, master the high school Mathematics II concepts and hence improve student-performance in achievement tests.
Likewise, Looc National High School boasted its strategy entitled Flock Program in Managing Large Class Size in Mathematics III which is based on the concept that the structure, management and monitoring of a class could be done by group or flock.
The program consists of three innovative practices namely 1) Flock Seating Arrangement, 2) Flock Activities and Facilitation, and 3) Flock Monitoring. The combined effects of the practices make the management of large classes easier and more effective in improving achievement in high school Mathematics III.
DOST-SEI Director Dr. Filma G. Brawner congratulated the winners and the finalists for presenting innovative teaching strategies “that are worth noticing and adopting” by many schools given the noticeable sizing in terms of classroom population.
She said that this promotion of innovative strategies in teaching large classes is in a way introducing an alternative solution to the current problem.
Meanwhile, DOST Undersecretary Fortunato T. De la Peña lauded the schools’ innovativeness and said he is optimistic that the entries will be adopted by schools needing them.
“While we believe that adopting innovative teaching strategies adds only a part of the solution in achieving the goal of improving science education, this project achieves, in a way, the purpose of instilling innovative thinking among our educators,” said de la Peña. “We hope that through this project, innovative thinking will be in our back packs from now on.”
“I hope that through honoring the fruits of our educators’ inventive minds, we have inspired others to keep on creating ways towards an effective and high-quality education system,” de la Peña added. (Estrella Z. Gallardo, PSciJourn MegaManila)
