Project Science Teacher Academy for the Regions (STAR) is “an organized scheme of capacity-building efforts aimed at increasing instructional capacity and content knowledge of teachers with the end goal of enhancing the teaching and learning of science and mathematics”. Initiated by the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) in the Philippines, it consists of teacher-training programs nationwide that are designed to blend the latest pedagogical approaches and strategies with scientific and mathematical content.An evaluation study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of STAR trainings on the teaching practice of the participants. Specifically, it sought information on the following: (1) The perception of participants regarding the relevance and usefulness of STAR trainings to their teaching practice and other aspects of their work; (2) The extent of adoption of STAR trainingcontent and skills into their teaching practice; and (3)The quality of adoption of STAR trainingcontent and skills by selected teachingparticipants. To achieve the objectives of the study, four (4) phases of data gathering,and triangulation were employed in three (3) regions of the country to gatherappropriate data for analysis. The four phases are as follows: (1) Online Survey (2)Focus Group Discussion (FGD) (3) Classroom Observation (4) Students andImmediate Supervisor Interviews. The Project STAR trainings that were conductedfrom 2017 to 2019 indeed positively influenced the teaching practices of the teacherparticipants. The online survey, in concurrence with the virtual FGD, and studentsand immediate supervisors’ interviews revealed that STAR contributed to theimprovement of the teaching practices of the teachers as well as to their personal andprofessional development. Equally, students being the end-recipients of theseinitiative also manifested (a) increased collaboration and engagement among them,(b)skills development and improved performance (c) enjoyment in learning, and (d)free exchange of ideas. Indeed, students became more interested and felt connectedto the lessons especially on experiments or activities that are student-centered.

Authors: Cynthia T. Gayya, April D. Valdez, Love Joy M. Pascua, Monira B. Samaupan

Published in: London International Conference on Education (LICE-2023)

• Date of Conference: 13-15 November 2023
• DOI: 10.20533/LICE.2023.0031
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-66-2
• Conference Location: St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK