Edukasyon, Mas Mayad kun sa Bikol: Nature and Effect of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education

(MTB-MLE) on the Learning of Pupils at Casiguran Central School (Bicol Region, Philippines)

4th International Language and Education Conference

Bangkok, 6-8 November, 2013

DepED Order No. 74, s. 2009

An order “institutionalizing multilingual education”

in the Philippines

An order mandating pilot schools around the Philippines

to implement MTB-MLE

Pilot Schools:

Bicol Region

Sorsogon Province

1) Irosin Central School

2) Casiguran Central school

Casiguran Central School

(CCS)

Rural

Public

Primary

Bicol

Pilot School

Bisacol

Research Questions:

How is the MTB-MLE implemented at Casiguran Central School (Sorsogon)?

Do the pupils with previous instruction in MTB-MLE perform better in

their classes than the pupils with previous bilingual instruction?

Frameworks

Frameworks

Frameworks

Qualitative Research

Interviews

Class Observations

Triangulation

Respondents

Teachers/ Coordinators

(MTB-MLE)

Grade Two pupils Grade One pupils

Control Group

• 14 pupils with previous bilingual instructions

Treatment Group • 29 pupils with previous multilingual instructions

Grade Two - Banaba

Results

Nature of the MTB-MLE • Grade One Classes • Grade Two Classes

Effect of the MTB-MLE on the Learning of Pupils

• Pupils’ Performance • Teachers’ Evaluation

Nature: Grade One Classes

Nature: Grade One Classes

In the MTB-MLE curriculum, all subjects except English and Filipino were

taught in the mother tongue, in this case the Bikol language (or Bisacol).

This means that the subjects Mother Tongue, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao,

MAPEH, Math, and Araling Panlipunan are taught in the Bikol language.

However, Miss Guevarra (Grade One MTB-MLE Coordinator) stressed that

some words in some subjects, specifically Math, are still used because of

the difficulty and complication of its translation in the Bikol language.

Nature: Grade Two Classes

Nature: Grade Two Classes

The total minutes of learning load of Grade Two is 40 minutes more than

Grade One since Filipino and English subjects are allotted more time in

Grade Two class schedule (50 minutes for each subject) compared to Grade

One class schedule (30 minutes for each subject). This difference in time

allotment for English and Filipino shows the transition of language learning

from the pupils’ mother tongue to Filipino and English languages.

Instructional Materials for MTB-MLE

The program was difficult to fully implement because of the inadequacy of

instructional materials.

The Department of Education (DepED) should completely give books, guides,

and other learning materials ahead of time. Guides and the learner’s

material for First and Second quarter were given only last December 2012.

Learner’s materials for the Third and Fourth quarters are still coming.

Effect: Pupils’ Performance

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

Music Arts PE Health EP MT English Math Filipino AP

Mea

n G

rade

per

Sub

ject

Subjects

Treatment Group Control Group

Pupils’ First Grading Period Mean Grades per Subject

Effect: Pupils’ Performance

The difference in the performance of the groups was consistent in all

subjects of Grade Two – Banaba – with the Treatment Group’s

performance higher in all subjects than the performance of the Control

Group. Thus, the analysis through a numerical measurement of the

pupils’ grades is parallel to Miss Mañago’s account that pupils with

MTB-MLE in Grade One performed better in class than those pupils

without previous MTB-MLE.

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

MotherTongue

Filipino English

Treatment Group 78.5517241 81 78.3103448Control Group 76.3571429 78.5 76.1428571

Mea

n G

rade

per

Sub

ject

Effect: Pupils’ Performance Comparison of mean grades in areas with significant differences (First Grading)

During the First Grading Period of the school year, the Treatment Group performed better in the

Mother Tongue, English, and Filipino subjects as compared to the Control Group. This supports

three of the advantages of MTB-MLE enumerated by UNESCO (2005):

Learning in L1 does not hinder learning of L2 (Second Language);

Learning in L1 helps learning of L2; and

Strong L1 helps students perform better in L2 academic work.

Effect: Pupils’ Performance

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

Music Arts PE Health EP MT English Math Filipino AP

Mea

n G

rade

per

Sub

ject

Subjects

Treatment Group Control Group

Effect: Pupils’ Performance Pupils’ Second Grading Period Mean Grades per Subject

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

Music Arts Filipino English AralingPanlipunan

Treatment Group 79.9655172 79.3793103 81.5862069 79.6206897 80.3103448Control Group 78.2857143 77.5 79.9285714 77.1428571 78.2857143

Mea

n G

rade

per

Sub

ject

Comparison of mean grades in areas with significant differences (Second Grading)

Effect: Pupils’ Performance

The Treatment Group’s mean grades in Mother Tongue, Filipino, and English

during the First Grading Period were higher than the Control Group. During

the Second Grading, a parallel result was observed. The Treatment Group’s

mean grades in Music, Arts, Araling Panlipunan, English, and Filipino were

higher than the mean grades obtained by the Control Group in similar

subjects.

Effect: Pupils’ Performance

76

76.5

77

77.5

78

78.5

79

79.5

80

First Grading Second Grading

Mean

Grade

Treatment Group Control Group

Comparison of the Pupils’ General Mean Grades

Effect: Pupils’ Performance

Teachers’ Perspectives:

In which subjects do the children learn the concepts faster?

In which subjects do the children perform better?

In which subjects are the children more active and participative in the discussions and activities?

Conclusions MTB-MLE implementation at Casiguran Central School primarily focused on

the development of the pupils’ oral skills.

The nationwide implementation of the MTB-MLE was a bold but wise move by the DepEd and is ideal for the achievement of the MDGs and EFA, as the MTB-MLE produces better performances of the pupils.

Instructional materials were the main problems in the full implementation and success of the MTB-MLE.

Teachers find it difficult to stick to the DepED’s mandate because study and curriculum guides as well as textbooks are unavailable.