Instructional Supervision and Technical Assistance of Master Teachers in the Division of Taguig City and Pateros

Abstract

The study is entitled “INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OF MASTER TEACHERS IN THE DIVISION OF TAGUIG CITY AND PATEROS” The study aimed to identify the level of instructional supervision of master teachers and the level of technical assistance they are providing to teachers 1-3. The study used the descriptive correlational research designs. The study was conducted in selected public elementary schools in the Division of Taguig City and Pateros during the school year 2021-2022. The result of the study revealed master teachers are “Excellent” with respect to pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, evaluation skills and mentoring skills but needs improvement in some aspect of technological skills. The Level of Performance of Master Teachers as revealed by their Individual Performance Commitment Review Form (IPCRF) is very satisfactory. Master teachers are “Excellent” in the level of assistance given to other teachers with respect to Coaching and Mentoring, Instructional Supervision and Evaluation, Content Knowledge and Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting. Master teachers serve as mentor and model. They provide support, resources and constructive criticism. They collaborate with teachers to provide inspiration, pass on passion and drive to improve. Teachers’ age, sex, position, number of years in the position and highest educational attainment do not affect the assessment of the respondents on the level of instructional leadership competencies of master teachers. The level of competencies of master teachers are not related to their Individual Performance Commitment Review Form (IPCRF) results with respect to Technological Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, Content Knowledge, Evaluation Skills and Mentoring Skills since it is not only the basis of their performance. Teachers’ age, sex, position, number of years in the position and highest educational attainment do not affect the level of technical assistance provided by the master teachers to teachers. Master Teachers’ Level of Instructional Leadership Competencies has no relationship with the level of technical assistance provided by them to teachers 1-3. Master teachers need to improve in giving pedagogical approaches and utilization of technology. On the other hand, master teachers practice regular coaching through formal observation and giving feedbacks. They offer assistance, mentor and coach through orientations, LAC and INSET sometimes individual conference.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

The effects of COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic on daily life are unmatched in contemporary times. The world saw inconceivable pace and scale of change during a few weeks in March, mirroring prior global events. Face-to-face contact disappeared, along with the majority of established practices and conventions. In this circumstance, Department of Education administrators had to manage significant changes inside their own department and across all missions while also reacting to unprecedented community needs. These drastic modifications in basic schooling started in early March.

With the development of COVID-19, DepEd stopped offering classroom instruction in person and quickly shifted to modular and online learning. Multiple decisions had to be taken, communicated, carried out, and managed over the period of a few months. The capacity to deal with these difficulties was significantly impacted by aspects of leadership decision-making and communication. In addition, it made leaders consider how crucial instructional leadership is to ensuring learning regardless of the circumstances.

According to Hansen and Làrudsóttir (2017), instructional leadership is a mechanism that supports instructors' teaching practices, professional growth, and resource management. Instructional leaders give teachers the support they need by coaching and mentoring them as they work to continuously improve their teaching methods. Teachers who receive coaching are more likely to put new abilities to practice, use them in the classroom, and raise instruction quality (Carraway & Young, 2018).

Strong basic education is the key to this State strategy, which is stated in the 1987 Philippine Constitution: "Establish, maintain and promote a comprehensive, adequate, and integrated system of education responsive to the requirements of the people, the country, and society-at-large." Therefore, teachers are crucial in ensuring that this policy is followed. The government recognized this and established mechanisms to "promote and improve the social and economic status of public-school teachers, their living and working conditions, their terms of employment and career prospects in order that they may compare favorably with existing opportunities in other walks of life, attract and retain more people in the teaching profession" (Magna Carta for Public School Teacher).

The creation of Master Teacher posts in the Philippines, initially at four levels and matching the pay grades of principals and assistant principals, is one of these techniques. With this, a two-track system of career advancement for teachers school management and classroom teachers was made available. As in most other nations, teachers' career paths, particularly those of excellent practitioners, lead to headship, which is accomplished by gradually lowering classroom duties so that they can assume management and leadership responsibilities (Bush, Glover, Yoon Mooi & Romero, 2018).

Some educational institutions created a process that offers alternative promoted roles, frequently referred to as master teachers, in order to keep brilliant teachers in the classroom (Bush et.al., 2017). The Philippines also experience this. The "gold standard" in teaching is thought to be achieved by master teachers, who are assumed to have greater expertise than typical instructors in curriculum development, professional development, and mentoring (Moore, 2018). They are regarded as the "creme de la creme" among educators, and as such, their teaching methods will differ from those of regular, non-master teachers. (2017) Ibrahim, Aziz, and Nambiar

As instructional leaders, master teachers look for ways to support and encourage their colleagues as they fulfill their obligations to facilitate students' learning through coaching and mentoring. Archibong (2017). (2017). The idea of lifelong learning and the perception of the teaching profession as one that necessitates teachers' expert knowledge, specialized skills, and competencies, acquired and maintained through rigorous and continuing study, are to be observed. As a result, they should be equipped with the necessary competencies to be able to carry out all of their responsibilities.            

Master teachers see obstacles in the way of being successful instructional leaders, despite the fact that there is evidence that doing so in schools improves student progress. (Salo et al., 2018; Carraway & Young, 2018)

Taking all of this into account, the researcher developed a study that identifies the technical support provided by master instructors and their instructional leadership skills, particularly during this difficult period for the educational system. In his opinion, there is little literature on the evaluation of master teachers' competencies. The researcher was also interested in how these competencies affected the technical support they offered to teachers. This project would serve as a good starting point for developing an instructional enhancement program. The researcher was adamant that this study would serve as a catalyst for instructors to improve themselves with the support and guidance of the master teachers as well as to receive new knowledge and insights that they could use in their teaching and learning process.

In order to adapt to the changing nature of education both now and in the future, master teachers should make sure that their teams are concentrated on the innovation and instructional requirements. In addition to giving students the opportunity and space to process and learn more, they should support the development of new skills. Despite the inherent difficulties, becoming an educational leader is advantageous to student progress and a desirable pursuit for master teachers. On their path to becoming instructional leaders, master teachers must overcome the barrier of finding time in their already hectic schedules to meet with teachers on their teaching while staying up to date on best practices and new curriculum (McEwan, 2018).           Master teachers must make time in their busy schedules for instructional leadership exercises. The discomfort of discussing teaching with teachers is another barrier to good instructional leadership. According to Kaparou and Bush (2018) and Salo et al. (2018), instructional leadership relies on fostering an environment of transparency and trust for these uncomfortable dialogues to take place. Teacher autonomy is a touchy topic (Salo et al., 2017). Difficult conversations can be made easier by fostering a positive learning community among staff members and providing teachers with a safe space in which to take risks (duPlessis, 2018).             When instructional leaders lack the skills to assist instructors in enhancing their practices, this presents a challenge (Salo et al., 2017). Principals should attend professional development courses linked to enhancing teaching techniques, learning about the curriculum, and seeking out outstanding teachers from whom to learn in order to solve this obstacle by becoming learners alongside their team (McEwan, 2018).

A master teacher can therefore benefit from becoming a school leader because they are already familiar with the many responsibilities assigned to them. By advancing the field of education, aiding in the retention of new teachers, supporting struggling school districts, and raising student achievement, master teachers benefit their students, schools, and communities. When instruction is supervised, the goal of improving the teaching and learning for the learner is carried out.

According to Gabriel (2017), master teachers increase their staff members' knowledge of effective teaching techniques and student achievement while also making them feel supported. One of the duties assigned to instructional leaders to ensure quality results is this one. Additionally, mentoring and technical help must be intensified.

In light of all of this, the researcher has developed a study that identifies the instructional leadership skills and technical support provided by master teachers in order to develop a potential program for instructional enhancement that will benefit not only them but also the other teachers and the school as a whole.

To ensure the implementation of programs effectively and ultimately the accomplishment of greater or better learning outcomes, technical help is regarded important. Performance should be affected, but more importantly, so should the overall well-being of the workforce and the company as a whole.

Technical support is provided in accordance with the organization's vision and mission and is determined by its needs. The process of learning is one of cooperation and collaboration. Technical assistance refers to any type of expert assistance, direction, or support that "others" may need to do their duties more successfully. Technical assistance is provided to help with problem solving, performance improvement, obtaining results, and data collection to assist with policy formation (RO). The three most crucial methods of offering technical support are individual coaching, LAC sessions, and classroom monitoring. To fulfill the various requirements of their students, teachers are being enhanced and developed in those three areas where they are poor. The emphasis is more on how regular employees of a school may assist the staff in enhancing student performance and closing the achievement gap. The professional growth of teachers is significantly influenced by school administrators (Magcanas, 2019).

Maranan (2018) evaluated the implementation of Field Technical Assistance (FTA) in public elementary schools in the Division of Batangas. The Field Technical Assistance providers performed their job duties and obligations in a moderate manner. The Field Technical Assistance providers' level of proficiency was modest. The clients experienced moderate satisfaction level relative to the assistance provided by FTA providers. Hypothesis testing revealed that the assessments of the district supervisors differ when grouped according to length of service, educational attainment, and nature of trainings and seminars attended, however the sex had no effect on their assessments. The assessments of the school heads differ when grouped according to sex, length of service, educational attainment, and nature of trainings and seminars attended. Furthermore, the handbook of Technical Assistance Mechanism (2018) stressed that technical assistance is one of the main professional services offered by the Regional Office to the Schools Divisions and by the Division Office to the Schools, geared toward giving them support and guidance in identifying problems and finding the appropriate solutions for a more effective organization. The "Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001," also known as Republic Act No. 9155, decentralized educational governance, established "the school as the core of the formal education system," and centered school-based management on educational administration (SBM).

Sangalang (2018) also investigated the technical support and mentoring abilities of master teachers. The master teachers' overall mean score of 4.25 showed that their general skill level was "high," while their specific skill level was also "high" (4.20). On the other hand, the master teachers' degree of technical support for their mentees was high. The study found no connection between mentoring abilities and sex, civil status, age, duration of service, or number of years working as a master teacher. Additionally, there is no correlation between the technical assistance and any of the following variables: sex, civil status, age, number of years working as a master instructor, number of minutes of actual teaching load, and number of preparations.

Work overload and lack of time were the problems often encountered by the master teachers. A training plan and mentoring program for mentors were highly recommended to DepEd as a standard tool to all master teachers in mentoring. According to Bailon (2018), education is a light that leads man in the right direction to surge. That is why, as facilitators of instructional innovations, teachers play a vital role in the development of the learners. There is a significant difference on the problem-based teaching and project-based teaching across age of the teacher-respondent. There is no significant difference on the educational audio, educational video and PowerPoint presentation and inquiry-based teaching across age. There is no significant difference on instructional innovations across sex, position, civil status, years in service, educational attainment. There is however a significant relationship between the availability of instructional innovations and the frequency of utilization of the teachers. The level of competency on the use of instructional innovations and the frequency of utilization of the teachers are related.

In teachers with functional stability, complex situations arise in connection with the complication of pedagogical stereotypes. This requires the teacher to show professional initiative self-expression. Thus, innovation has come a long way since the advent of educational practice to improve quality by introducing innovations into it, targeting the existing education structure, and sometimes introducing elements of modification, refinement and improvement. Innovation is the practical use of technical, technological inventions and achievements. It means innovation in education as a pedagogical category. Innovation is often about introducing and applying new methods, techniques, tools, new concepts, new curricula, teaching methods, and more.

The innovative activity of the teacher is determined by this. In modern conditions, it is expedient to decide on an innovative approach to professional and pedagogical activity in teachers of educational institutions (Olimov, 2021).  

To address practice issues with the technical and adaptive alignment of teachers' education to the standards, standards-based reform's lofty ambitions call for both technical and adaptive leadership.

A set of conclusions and recommendations were made for educational leaders who were approaching the implementation of curriculum in both technical and adaptive approaches (Pak, 2020). Aziz (2017) also looked into the functions of master English language teachers in Malaysian secondary schools. The research found that these excellent teachers built their classroom pedagogy around their conceptions of how people learn. Therefore, despite the fact that the three master teachers are "experts," their best practices do not always manifest similarly.

With all of the aforementioned studies, Laudea, Ralarb, and Arcenalc (2018) concluded that master teachers are independent learners who work to advance their own learning in order to provide students and their peers with effective learning. A master teacher's primary responsibility is to provide career teachers with professional development opportunities and high-quality instruction to their students. The master teacher's main responsibility is to observe classes and mentor teachers in adopting reflective practice to enhance instruction.

The master teacher's specific duties include curriculum development, professional assistance, and teacher training, as well as individual support and small group meetings or training sessions.

But in addition to making this claim, they added that the Schools Governance Operations Division (SGOD) of Human Resource Development (HRD), based on the results of the consolidated National Competency Based Teaching Standard (NCBTS)-Teachers Strength Needs Assessment (TSNA) results for three consecutive years starting SY: 2013-2014, SY: 2014-2015, and SY: 2015-2016, found that there is a need for the secondary master teachers in the Division of Biliran to acquire relevant The master instructors' stated training needs included methodology in teaching, skills in ICT-assisted education, and training design.These will further enhance their instructional competence and leadership capacity as master teachers who have different duties and functions given to them in their respective schools.

The present study is anchored from the TPACK framework. The TPACK framework was introduced by Koehler and Mishra in 2005, who originally used the term “technological pedagogical content knowledge,” or “TPCK.” The TPACK framework aims to integrate technology into the same framework as pedagogy and content.

This new way of thinking about the knowledge that teachers need for teaching called for the integration of content knowledge (the knowledge previously considered the primary knowledge for teachers) and pedagogical knowledge (the knowledge about teaching strategies) and the use of technology to go along with the modernized teaching- learning process and assess how it improves the technical assistance of master teachers.

The mentioned theories are relevant to the present study since the main concern of the researcher is to determine the instructional leadership competencies of master teachers in terms of technology, pedagogy, content knowledge, evaluation skills and mentoring skills; and their technical assistance to teachers in terms of technology, pedagogy and content knowledge. Thus, the domains of instructional leadership competencies and technical assistance of master teachers are aligned to the guiding principles for effective technical assistance and the theories mentioned above.

The most important ways that master teachers in providing technical assistance and instructional leadership are through classroom observation, learning action cell sessions, and individual coaching and mentoring. Those theories are essential to the present study because they provide information and principles that could be used by the researcher in gathering the necessary data and up-to-date information and resources that can provide intensive support and guidance to be more effective in the performance of their functions as a master teacher.

The researcher believes that if master teachers will support and assist the teachers in the instructional aspects effectively, they can totally help teachers in attaining their educative goals which is the quality of learning among pupils at school.

Based on the foregoing theoretical framework, the researcher comes up with the research paradigm that underscores the flow of this undertaking.

The study was guided by the conceptual model utilizing the IV-DV Output Model. The box from the left contains the profile of the respondents which are age, sex, position title, number of years in the position, ancillary, and highest educational attainment. The two boxes to the right include, the instructional leadership competencies of master teachers and the second indicates the level of technical assistance provided by the Master Teachers.

The arrow leads to the proposed program that offers possible solution to the identified problem.

The last figure illustrates the possible output of the study which is an instructional enhancement program.

The study aims to determine the level of the instructional leadership competencies and technical assistance of master teachers in selected public elementary schools in the Division of Taguig City and Pateros during the school year 2021 - 2022. Specifically, it sought to answer the following sub-problems: What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex. position title, number of years in the position and highest educational attainment? What is the level of instructional leadership competencies of master teachers in terms of technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, evaluation skills, mentoring skills? Is there a significant difference in the assessment of the respondents on the level of instructional leadership competencies of master teachers when their profile is taken as test factor? What is the level of performance of master teachers as revealed by their Individual Performance Commitment Review Form (IPCRF) result? Is there significant relationship between the level of competencies of master teachers with respect to the Individual Performance Commitment Review Form (IPCRF) results? Based on the results of the study, what enhancement program may be crafted?

The study will be tested the following null hypotheses that There is no significant difference in the assessment of the respondents on the level of instructional leadership competencies of master teachers when their profile is taken as test factor. 2) There is no significant relationship between the level of competencies of master teachers with respect to the Individual Performance Commitment Review Form (IPCRF) results;3) There is no significant difference between the level of Technical Assistance provided by Master Teachers to Teachers 1-3 and their profile; 4) There is no significant relationship between  the level of instructional leadership competencies and the level of Technical Assistance provided by Master Teachers to Teachers 1-3.

II. METHODOLOGY

Since the study evaluated the link between the amount of instructional leadership competences of master teachers and the level of technical help provided by the master teachers to teachers 1-3, it used the descriptive correlational research designs. A descriptive correlational study, according to Katzukov (2020), describes the correlations between variables without attempting to establish a causal relationship. Additionally, correlational research facilitates comparisons between two or more things or variables.

The study was conducted in selected public elementary schools that are highly recognized by the Division of Taguig City and Pateros in different pedagogical categories, both in academic and extra-curricular activities.

The respondents of the study were the master teachers and teachers from selected public elementary schools in the Division of Taguig City and Pateros. In selecting the teacher respondents, stratified random sampling technique was used. Stratified random sampling is a method of sampling that involves the division of a population into smaller groups known as strata. In stratified purposive sampling, or stratification, the strata are formed based on members' shared attributes or characteristics. To select the master teacher respondents the researcher used proportional sampling. Proportional sampling is a sampling strategy used when the population is composed of several subgroups that are vastly different in number.

The researcher modified instruments from other studies and a Deped recognized instrument for evaluation to acquire the necessary data. The researcher modified two items from two distinct studies to determine the level of instructional competences of master teachers in terms of technology, pedagogy, topic knowledge, evaluation skills, and mentoring skills. The researcher modified the Locsin (2019) instrument, which examined the level of TPACK (Technical, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge) framework of teachers in the Division of Taguig City and Paterso, for the level of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge of the master teachers.

The researcher modified an instrument from Laude, Ralar, and Arcenal's (2018) work, which focuses on the study about master teachers as Instructional leaders in the Division of Biliran, to determine the evaluation and management skills of master teachers. The researcher adopted and modified the Philippine Professional Standards for Instructors (PPST) survey as the principal instrument in gathering the necessary data for the amount of technical help provided by master teachers. This questionnaire was distributed by the researcher using a google form.

The following statistical tools for the interpretation of results according to sub-problems will be used.

1. Percentage. This was used as descriptive statistics that describe a part of a whole.     
2. Weighted Mean. This was used to get the average frequency of the responses in each weighted item.
3. Analysis of Variance (F-Test). It was used for unpaired small samples to reject or accept the hypothesis and to present significant differences on the responses of the respondents. (Garcia, 2004)
4. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (or Pearson correlation coefficient, for short). is a measure of the strength of a linear association between two variables and is denoted by r.

III. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Profile of teachers in terms of Age, Sex, Position Title, Number of years in the position and Highest Educational Attainment.

Table 1

Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents’ Profile

The findings suggested that instructors with less than five years of experience in Teacher 1 positions who are female, between the ages of 31 and 40, and who have earned MAEd or MAT units are more likely to receive technical support from a master who can attest to and evaluate their competencies. This may also suggest that the master teachers' role is to help individuals who are new to the service and in lesser positions.

A. Level of Instructional Leadership Competencies of Master Teachers

Table 2

Respondents’ Assessment on the Level of Instructional Leadership Competencies of Master Teachers

Legend:  3.51-4.00 Very Highly Competent; 2.51-3.50 Very Competent; 1.51-2.50 Competent; 1.00-1.50 Less Competent

It can be noticed that master teachers are rated “Very Highly Competent” in pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, evaluation skills and mentoring skills with weighted mean of 3.61, 3.63,3.62 and 3.55 respectively. Technological knowledge is only rated “Very Satisfactory” with a weighted mean of 3.50.

Inferring from their responses, it appears that respondents thought master teachers were competent in terms of pedagogical knowledge, subject knowledge, evaluation abilities, and mentoring skills, but not as well as they were in terms of technology expertise. Since instructors appeared to believe that master teachers do not address the demands of the teachers and learners when it comes to utilizing ICT, technological concerns may also be resolved in the classroom. The use of ICT by master teachers needs to be improved. 

B. Master Teachers’ Level of Performance Based on the IPCRF Results

Table 3

Master Teachers’ Level of Performance Based on the IPCRF Results

According to their performance report, master teachers are performing and should be regarded as assets of their particular institutions, it was mentioned. The IPCRF's Key Results Area (KRA) for master instructors, which measures their performance in terms of technological, pedagogical, and content expertise, shows that they are doing so. Since each KRA demonstrated that they had accomplished their objective, the IPCRF demonstrated that master teachers had commendable performance.  The evaluation showed that the master teachers can apply their content knowledge to different curriculum teaching areas, use a variety of teaching techniques to improve students' literacy and numeracy skills, and apply a variety of teaching techniques to foster critical and creative thinking as well as other higher order thinking abilities and subject mastery. They can also choose, create, arrange, and apply the right teaching and learning resources, including ICT, to address learning objectives.

C. Relationship Between the Master Teachers’ Level of Competencies and their Performance Based on the IPCRF Results

Table 4

Relationship Between the Master Teachers’ Level of Competencies and their Performance Based on the IPCRF Results

The table shows that, with probability values of 0.62, 0.93, 0.99, 0.92, and 0.96, respectively, master teachers' level of competencies are Not Significantly related to their Individual Performance Commitment Review Form (IPCRF) results with respect to technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, evaluation skills, and mentoring skills

It follows that the level of competencies of master teachers is not solely dependent on their IPCRF scores; rather, what matters most is their actual performance, their obvious leadership, and the direct feedback they receive from other teachers that directly benefits the school, the other teachers, and the students.

D. Respondents’ Assessment on the Level of Technical Assistance Provided by the Master Teachers to Other Teachers

Table 5

Respondents’ Assessment on the Level of Technical Assistance Provided by the Master Teachers to Other Teachers

Legend:  3.51-4.00 Very Highly Assisted; 2.51-3.50 Very Assisted; 1.51-2.50 Assisted; 1.00-1.50 Less Assisted

It showed that master teachers are rated “Very Highly Assisted” in aspects such as, Coaching and Mentoring, Instructional Supervision and Evaluation, Content Knowledge and Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting with weighted mean of 3.61, 3.58, 3.61 and 3.62 respectively.

It can be deduced from the result that master teachers were excellent and “Mastered” their instructional competence. They showed expertise in subject matter skills, classroom management skills, evaluation skills, teaching strategy skills and mentoring skills which is very helpful and advantageous on the part of the school.

Table 6

Relationship Between the Master Teachers’ Level of Instructional Leadership Competencies and the Level of Technical Assistance Provided by them to Other Teachers

With regard to technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, evaluation skills, and mentoring skills, it was statistically determined that there is a significant relationship between the Master Teachers' Level of Instructional Leadership Competencies and the Level of Technical Assistance Provided by Them to Other Teachers, as Shown in the Table. The findings suggest that the Master Teachers' level of instructional leadership skills are crucial for providing other teachers with technical support. There are positive strong relationship (high degree of relationship) between master teachers’ level of instructional leadership competencies in terms of technological knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, evaluation skills, and mentoring skills, and the level of technical assistance provided to other teachers in terms of coaching and mentoring, instructional supervision, content knowledge and pedagogy, and assessment and reporting.

IV. DISCUSSION

Following are the summary of findings obtained through the conduct of this study including the conclusions and recommendations formulated by the research.

On the basis of the summary of findings, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Most of the teachers who evaluated the master teachers are 32-40 years old. Most of the evaluator are female who are Teacher I who serve below 5 years. Most of the teachers are already  with MAEd/MAT units. 2. The respondents rated master teachers as “Excellent” with respect to pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, evaluation skills and mentoring skills but needs improvement in some aspect of technological skills which is part of the needs for improvement as revealed in the interview conducted 3. The Level of Performance of Master Teachers as revealed by their Individual Performance Commitment Review Form (IPCRF) is very satisfactory. 4. Master teachers are rated “Excellent” in the level of assistance given to other teachers with respect to Coaching and Mentoring, Instructional Supervision and Evaluation, Content Knowledge and Pedagogy, Assessment and Reporting which is also considered as the best practices of master teachers as revealed in the interview. 5. Master teachers serve as mentor and model. They religiously evaluate teachers to provide support, resources and constructive criticism. They collaborate with teachers to provide inspiration, pass on passion and drive to improve. 6. Teachers’ age, sex, position, number of years in the position and highest educational attainment do not affect the assessment of the respondents on the level of instructional leadership competencies of master teachers.7. The level of competencies of master teachers are not related to their Individual Performance Commitment Review Form (IPCRF) results with respect to Technological Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, Content Knowledge, Evaluation Skills and Mentoring Skills since it is not only the basis of their performance and other aspects are not measured. 8. Teachers’ age, sex, position, number of years in the position and highest educational attainment do not affect the level of technical assistance provided by the master teachers to teachers. 9. Master Teachers’ Level of Instructional Leadership Competencies has no relationship with the level of technical assistance provided by them to teachers 1-3. 10. Master teachers serve as mentor and model. They evaluate teachers to provide support, resources and constructive criticism. Moreover, master teachers collaborate with teachers to provide inspiration, pass on passion and drive to improve. Master teachers practice holistic and set criteria to guide teachers to give feedbacks, comments and suggestions to address their needs. In addition, master teachers need to improve in giving pedagogical approaches and utilization of technology.

On the other hand, master teachers practice regular coaching through formal observation and giving feedbacks. They offer assistance, mentor and coach through orientations, LAC and INSET sometimes individual conference. The result revealed higher outcomes since it was found out that master teachers are able to attend various seminars which were echoed to the teachers.

In line with the conclusions, the following are recommended: 1. The DepEd Division Office should initiate series of trainings for master teachers that will be focused on tasked based approach that will lead to the enhancement of instructional leadership competencies and technical assistance of master teachers; 2. The DepEd Division Office should provide feedback mechanism that will evaluate the performance of master teachers.;3. Additional guidelines through a DepEd Order may be issued by DepEd for additional training for teachers that focus on instructional leadership competencies and technical assistance of master teachers;4 The Department of Education may provide training plan and mentoring program/manual in order for the master teachers to have a tool/guide in mentoring; and 5. For the future researchers, further study is recommended, considering larger setting and additional variables.

A. Enhancement Program of Master Teachers

The program presented below is personally designed by the researcher to address the identified problems in the instructional leadership competencies of master teachers and the technical assistance provided by them to teachers 1-3. The Program includes the project description, background or situation analysis, project objectives and project timeline/Action Plan.

This program will offer project plan that includes activities that will identify teachers’ issues, concerns and problems. Furthermore, this will offer solutions through seminar, workshops, trainings and remediation to address the identified problems. In addition, since the study has a good result, this will also a big help to other school that has poor performance. It can be shared as best practices and be offer for benchmarking to other schools or other divisions.

This program is named as Project UP which aim to help the master teachers and teachers in the Division of Taguig City and Pateros.

V. PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR ENHANCEMENT TRAINING OF MASTER TEACHERS

A. Project Description

1. Project Title: Project UP
2. Type of Project: Training and Development   Workshop, Write shop
3. Project Proponent/s: GENALYN GESTUPA
4. Number of Beneficiaries: Depending on number of Master  teachers in the Division of Taguig City Pateros
5. Project Beneficiaries: Division of Taguig City and Pateros
6. Location of Beneficiaries: Division of Taguig City and Pateros
7. Date of Implementation/Duration: School Year 2022-2023
8. Area of Project Implementation: Division of Taguig City and Pateros
9. Budget: As the need arises 

B. Background/Situation Analysis

In view hereof, the proponent has designed a training program for master teachers to further improve the level of competencies in instructional supervision of master teachers and the technical assistance provided by them to teachers 1-3.

In addition, since the study has revealed a good performance of master teachers, this may offer help to other schools/division  which have poor performance. It can be shared as best practices and be offer for benchmarking to other schools.

C. Project Objectives

D. Project Timeline/ Action Plan

References

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Copyright © 2023 Dr. Genalyn M. Gestupa. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.