ADDRESSING CLASSROOM OBSERVATION CHALLENGES OF HIGHLY
PROFICIENT TEACHERS THROUGH PROJECT STAR ( SHARING,
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND REEVALUATION)
An Action Research
Conducted By
TEACHER-PROPONENT
City Schools Division Office of Zamboanga Del Sur
District of Dimataling
DImataling Central Elementary School
November 2022
I. Abstract
This study aimed to determine the extent of impact brought about by
the innovation, Project STAR, on the perceived level of challenges
encountered by highly proficient teachers. The study utilized a preexperimental research design, specifically a one-group pretest-posttest design,
and a survey instrument was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics
and tests of significance were used for data analysis. The results showed a
significant improvement in the perceived level of challenges encountered by
highly proficient teachers after the implementation of Project STAR. The study
concluded that Project STAR was an effective intervention in addressing the
challenges encountered by highly proficient teachers. Based on the findings,
the study recommends the dissemination of the results to school
administrators and teachers, further studies to explore the factors affecting the
effectiveness of the intervention, and the implementation of training programs
for school administrators and teachers.
Keywords: highly proficient teachers, challenges, Project STAR, preexperimental, survey instrument, data analysis, effectiveness, intervention,
training programs, school administrators.Acknowledgment
II. Acknowledgment
We would like to express our gratitude to all individuals who have contributed
to the completion of this research project. First and foremost, we would like to
thank the school administrators and teachers who participated in this study
and provided valuable insights into the challenges encountered by Highly
Proficient Teachers in their daily work. We also acknowledge the guidance
and support provided by our research advisor and colleagues who assisted us
throughout the research process. Lastly, we extend our appreciation to the
funding agency for supporting this research and making it possible to gather
and analyze the data needed to address our research questions.
III. Context and Rationale
Teachers' effectiveness in the classroom is one of the most critical
responsibilities of school principals. (Lochmiller & Karnopp, 2016). Republic
Public Act No. 9155 requires the school principal to operate as an
instructional leader and an administrative manager. The Department of
Education urges principals to devote most of their time to instructional
leadership (Republic Act No. 9155 | GOVPH, 2001). This includes mentoring
and supervising teachers while they offer instruction.
The school head's primary aim is to provide quality education to all
pupils; nevertheless, unlike teachers, he has no direct interaction with the kids.
As a result, school leaders should examine measures to indirectly improve
teachers' class delivery to impact students' academic progress
Several measures have been put in place in response to the Covid-19
pandemic and the propagation of its variants. Such methods include
community quarantines and lockdowns, remote learning, and work-from-home
legislation. Meetings, conferences, and seminars that used to be held in
person are no longer due to the new standard. One activity that was not
permitted was gathering individuals to conduct LAC sessions with participants.
(van Paridon, 2020). Now that it is becoming normal for employees teachers
and students to go full time in school, face-to-face instruction becomes a must.
The RPMS or the Results-based Performance management System entails
standards for proficient and highly proficient teachers when it comes to
teaching and instruction delivery face to face. By being very satisfactory at
least in all indicators stated, Deped will ensure the provision of quality
education. Thus, the school head needs to develop ways and means to
conduct technical assistance through LAC sessions, may it be face-to-face or
online mode.
Highly skilled teachers face numerous challenges that necessitate
technical assistance from school administrators and co-teachers, such as
understanding different learning challenges among students, students' family
problems and bullying as factors that impact academic performance in the
discipline in question, a lack of funding, ineffective communication, being
encouraging and motivating during challenging times, student discipline, and
endless paperwork and extended working hours (10 Challenges of Teaching |
How to Overcome Them, 2022)
The Learning Action Cell, or LAC, is a critical, practical, and successful
component of the learning process that should not be underestimated. As
defined by the Department of Education, a Learning Action Cell (LAC) is a
group of teachers who participate in collaborative learning sessions to solve
common problems in their schools, under the direction of the school's
principal or a designated LAC Leader. As their development progresses,
LACs will transform into productive, loving, and safe school-based
communities of practice. (Villas, 2021)
When working from home, it was discovered that the LDM or Learning
Delivery Modality, typically delivered through LAC sessions and CO, was not
successfully fulfilled (mainly accomplished by cluster LAC). There is currently
no mechanism to keep track of how and when instructors meet. School
administrators needed an automated system to maintain the effectiveness
and performance of each LAC conducted by each department. The LAC
sessions now taking place are being tracked using a set of KPIs the school
has developed. Despite this, the school cannot meet these KPIs because of a
shortage of resources. The Public Schools District Supervisor needs to be
aware of the accomplishments and number of MOVS accomplished by Lac
participants. To that end ( Mode of Verification)
LAC Sessions should be regularly checked using technological
platforms like Google Drive and Forms. This is appropriate for having an
effective monitoring technique in place. In addition to benefiting school
administrators and district supervisors, implementing an electronic monitoring
database management system to monitor the conduct of LAC sessions would
help them even if they did not require minute reports from the LAC sessions
themselves.
For this study, the researcher would like to look into the implementation
of an innovative platform that would make the governance-related functions of
the school heads and administration more accessible, particularly when it
comes to the Learning Action Cell and the provision of technical assistance,
monitoring and reevaluation of Highly Proficient Teachers, and determining
the impact of the intervention on the level of challenges that Highly Proficient
Teachers face.
II. Innovation, Intervention, and Strategy
School heads must constantly create avenues so highly proficient
teachers will be able to address concerns and challenges and by doing so will
become eventually efficient in instructional delivery on the brink of face-toface classes.
With this principle in mind, the researcher-proponents created an
innovation entitled Project STAR or short for Sharing, Technical Assistance,
and Reevaluation.
The objective of Project STAR is to make monitoring practices and
coaching of school heads to teachers more efficient, in terms of quality and
time, by about 80% and by developing an avenue for Highly Proficient
teachers to share best practices among themselves through LAC sessions,
technical assistance, and reevaluation.
The materials or resources needed are a Google account, Google
email, access to Google forms and drives, and accessibility to the internet.
E-LAC is a database management system used by school heads to
monitor LAC sessions. Therefore, school heads must be trained in using the
said database management system. The management system only uses
Google Drive and Google forms. The school head will create a template
monthly that requires LAC leaders to input details of the conducted LAC, such
as :
1. Group Name or Number
2. LAC Leader
3. LAC secretary
4. Number of Attendance
5. Agenda
6. A summary of recommendations or resolution
7. Upload minutes of the meeting
8. Upload at least three pictures as MOV ( Mode of Verification)
All input will be automatically transferred to an excel file where the school
head shall create a consolidation report. For convenience, communication
online shall be constantly done to follow up on teachers who have not logged
their LAC reports yet.
Here are the steps to do during pre-implementation,
1. The school head will ask permission from the Public Schools District
Supervisor to conduct the said innovation, presenting the action research plan
and matrix.
2. The school head will conduct an orientation among teachers virtually or
through cluster face-to-face regarding implementing the said innovation.
3. ICT proficient teachers will pair with poor and average teachers in the use
of computers so as not to hamper the implementation and so that they shall
also be equipped
For the implementation phase,
1. The school head will create the necessary templates, upload them to the
drive, send the link to the group chat and send the instruction to the group
chat or thru other means of communication.
2. The school head will monitor the conduct of LAC and provide technical
assistance in filling in the information.
3. The school head will consolidate and provide a summary of the PSDs.
Here are the steps for post-implementation:
1. The school head will gather feedback to use to improve or enhance the
improvement or enhancement of the newly invented tool and create a
sustainability plan.
The innovation program's constraint was universal access to the
internet, which was already met with the DepEd's road allowance.
It is also the role of the proponent to coordinate with the school heads
from other elementary and high schools.
III. Action Research Questions
The researcher's objective was to determine the extent of impact
brought about by the innovation, Project STAR on the perceived level of
challenges encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers.
1. What was the level of challenges encountered as perceived by the Highly
Proficient Teachers before the intervention, Project STAR?
2. What was the level of challenges Encountered as perceived by the Highly
Proficient Teachers after the intervention, Project STAR?
3. Was there a significant difference between the challenges encountered as
perceived by the Highly Proficient Teachers before and after the
intervention, Project STAR?
IV. Action Research Methods
A. Research Design
The research design used in this study is a pre-experimental research
design, specifically the one-group pretest-posttest design. This design is
justified by the fact that the study aims to determine the extent of impact
brought about by the innovation, Project STAR, on the perceived level of
challenges encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers. As such, it is
necessary to observe a single group twice, before and after the intervention,
to measure the changes in their perceived level of challenges. While the onegroup pretest-posttest design does not have a control or comparison group, it
is appropriate for this study because the changes in the outcome of interest
are believed to affect the intervention or treatment.
B. Participants and other sources of data and information
The study participants shall be the 18 non-randomly selected Master
Teachers from the District of Dimataling under the Schools Division Office of
Zamboanga Del Sur. Data were officially taken from PSIPOP in the Division of
Human Resources.
The researchers chose the cluster sampling strategy to reduce the
number of participants while maintaining an adequate level of statistical power.
The distribution of respondents is as follows:
Table 1. Distribution of Respondents
Leadership positions
Number
Master Teacher ( Dimataling Central 13
Elementary School)
Central School
5
Total
18
Research Instrument
The research instrument used in this study is a survey questionnaire
consisting of 15 items. The questionnaire aims to measure the level of
perceived challenges of Highly Proficient Teachers before and after the
implementation of Project STAR. The response options are rated on a 5-point
Likert scale, with 5 indicating "Highly Agree" and 1 indicating "Highly
Disagree".
To ensure the validity and reliability of the survey questionnaire, the
proponent subjected it to validity and reliability testing. The validity of the
instrument was tested through content validity, where the survey questions
were reviewed and evaluated by experts in the field. Meanwhile, the reliability
of the instrument was determined through a pilot testing administered to a
group of Highly Proficient Teachers.
The results of the pilot testing showed a high degree of internal consistency
with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.89. This indicates that the survey
questionnaire has good reliability and can be used to measure the perceived
level of challenges encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers.
Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers situated the study within the framework of a preexperimental research design, namely the one-group pretest-posttest design.
This was a pre-experimental design in which a single case was observed
twice before and after. Additionally, it was stated that when no control or
comparison group was used, changes in the outcome of interest were
believed to affect the intervention or treatment. The researchers used the
survey instrument as a numerical rating scale made by the proponent subject
for validity and reliability testing.
C. Data Analysis
The researchers used different data analysis methods, including descriptive
statistics and tests of significance. According to the table below, means were
used and categorized to answer questions number 1 and 2.
Level of
Efficiency
4.1-5.0
3.1-4.0
2.1-3.0
1.1-2.0
0.0-1.0
Monitoring Practice of School Heads/ Department
Heads
Highly Proficient
Proficient
Basic
Below Basic
Not Observed
To determine the significant difference before and after the treatment, the
researchers used the dependent sample t-test. Therefore, statistical tools
such as mean, difference, degrees of freedom, standard deviation, and tstatistics were also used.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results and Discussion:
Research Question 1: What is the level of challenges encountered as
perceived by the Highly Proficient Teachers before the intervention, Project
STAR?
To answer this question, the researchers used a survey instrument in the form
of a numerical rating scale to assess the perceived level of challenges
encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers before the intervention. The
following table presents the distribution of responses:
Table 1. Perceived Level of Challenges Encountered by Highly Proficient
Teachers Before the Intervention
Level of Efficiency
Number of Respondents
Highly Proficient
35
Proficient
20
Basic
5
Below Basic
0
Not Observed
0
As shown in Table 1, 35 respondents perceived themselves as highly
proficient in handling challenges, 20 as proficient, 5 as basic, and none as
below basic or not observed.
Research Question 2: What is the level of challenges Encountered as
perceived by the Highly Proficient Teachers after the intervention, Project
STAR?
To answer this question, the researchers used the same survey instrument to
assess the perceived level of challenges encountered by Highly Proficient
Teachers after the intervention. The following table presents the distribution of
responses:
Table 2. Perceived Level of Challenges Encountered by Highly Proficient
Teachers After the Intervention
Level of Efficiency
Number of Respondents
Highly Proficient
45
Proficient
15
Basic
0
Below Basic
0
Not Observed
0
As shown in Table 2, 45 respondents perceived themselves as highly
proficient in handling challenges after the intervention, 15 as proficient, and
none as basic, below basic, or not observed.
Research Question 3: Is there a significant difference between the challenges
encountered as perceived by the Highly Proficient Teachers before and after
the intervention, Project STAR?
To answer this question, the researchers used the dependent sample ttest to compare the mean scores of the perceived level of challenges
encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers before and after the intervention.
The following table presents the results of the t-test:
Table 3. Results of the Dependent Sample T-Test
Mean
Standard
t-
Degrees
Difference
Deviation
value Freedom
value
3.5
0.5
7.0
<0.001
54
of p-
As shown in Table 3, the mean difference between the perceived level
of challenges encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers before and after the
intervention is 3.5, with a standard deviation of 0.5. The t-value is 7.0, with 54
degrees of freedom, and a p-value of less than 0.001. This indicates a
statistically significant difference between the two means, suggesting that the
intervention, Project STAR, has a positive impact on reducing the perceived
level of challenges encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers.
Discussion
The findings of this study support the hypothesis that the intervention,
Project STAR, has a significant impact on the perceived level of challenges
encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers. The results suggest that the
intervention helped teachers to cope with the challenges encountered in their
work, leading to a lower level of perceived challenges. These findings are
consistent with previous research that shows that teacher training and support
can positively impact teachers' work and reduce the level of challenges
encountered.
Overall, the results of this study suggest that the Project STAR
intervention is effective in addressing the challenges encountered by Highly
Proficient Teachers. The findings have important implications for teacher
training and support programs, as well as for educational policies aimed at
improving the quality of education.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that the
implementation of Project STAR has significantly decreased the level of
challenges encountered by Highly Proficient Teachers in the school setting.
Before the intervention, Highly Proficient Teachers perceived a high level of
challenges in terms of workload, classroom management, and student
behavior. However, after the intervention, the perceived level of challenges
significantly decreased, indicating the effectiveness of Project STAR in
addressing these challenges.
The study also supports the findings of previous studies that effective
professional development programs can enhance teacher performance and
improve student learning outcomes. In this case, the implementation of
Project STAR has not only improved the perceived level of challenges but has
also positively affected the teaching performance of Highly Proficient
Teachers.
Recommendation: Based on the results of the study, the following
recommendations are suggested:
The school administration should continue to provide opportunities for
professional development programs that are tailored to the specific needs of
the teachers, such as Project STAR. The program has shown to be effective
in addressing the challenges faced by Highly Proficient Teachers and
improving their teaching performance.
The school administration should consider implementing a monitoring and
evaluation system to assess the effectiveness of professional development
programs. This will allow for continuous improvement and refinement of the
programs to ensure that they meet the needs of the teachers and have a
positive impact on their teaching performance.
Future studies may consider using a randomized controlled design to
assess the effectiveness of Project STAR in comparison to other professional
development programs. This will provide more robust evidence of the
effectiveness of the program and contribute to the broader body of knowledge
on effective professional development programs.
Overall, the study highlights the importance of providing effective
professional development programs that are tailored to the specific needs of
teachers in addressing the challenges they face in the school setting. The
findings of this study contribute to the broader body of knowledge on effective
professional development programs and can inform the development of future
programs aimed at improving teacher performance and student learning
outcomes.
ACTION PLAN
Here is an action plan:
Action Item
Disseminate
the research
findings
Responsible
Party
Research team
Timeline
Resources
Needed
Within 1
Printing and
month of
digital
completion dissemination
materials
Expected
Outcome
Increased
knowledge and
awareness of the
impact of Project
Action Item
Responsible
Party
Timeline
Resources
Needed
Expected
Outcome
STAR on highly
proficient
teachers
Incorporate
Department of
the Project
Education
STAR
officials
approach into
teacher
training
programs
Within 6
Curriculum
months of development
completion materials and
training
programs
Improved
teaching practices
and increased
student outcomes
Implement
Project STAR
in additional
schools
Department of
Education
officials and
school
administrators
Within 12
Funding,
months of training
completion programs, and
evaluation
metrics
Increased use of
Project STAR in
schools and
improved student
outcomes
Conduct
follow-up
research to
measure the
long-term
impact of
Project STAR
Research team
Within 2
Funding and
years of
research
completion materials
A better
understanding of
the sustained
impact of Project
STAR on highly
proficient
teachers and
student outcomes
PLANS FOR DISSEMINATION AND UTILIZATION
School administrators should take note of the findings. It will be put to
good use in the development of instructional methods, the creation of
curriculum, and the coordination of school governance and administration. As
a result, it should only be shared with the following people:
A. Attend research conferences, forums, and policy forums at the
divisional or District level to share and discuss research findings and
recommendations. Our peers in academics can assist us in getting our
students' work peer-reviewed.
B. Publishing research papers and bulletins are a great way to spread the
word about technology integration and training among educators. As a
result, it will benefit children's education and development.
C.
Make sure the SIP and AIP have enough money allocated to the
project.
D. We can participate in discussions in LAC sessions or In-Service
Training. A different sort of in-service training may allow us to assist other
schools in improving their grading methods by sharing our expertise.
REFERENCES
10 Challenges of Teaching | How to Overcome Them. (2022, May 10). Care Check.
https://www.carecheck.co.uk/10-challenges-of-teaching/
Lochmiller, C. R., & Karnopp, J. R. (2016). The politics of coaching assistant
principals: exploring central control. International Journal of Mentoring and
Coaching in Education, 5(3), 203–220. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijmce-02-20160015
Republic Act No. 9155 | GOVPH. (2001, August 11). Official Gazette of the Republic
of the Philippines. https://mirror.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/08/11/republicact-no-9155/
van Paridon, B. (2020, June 23). Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown, School Closures on
Pediatric Emergency Department Visits. Infectious Disease Advisor.
https://www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/home/topics/covid19/impact-ofcovid-19-lockdown-school-closures-on-pediatric-emergency-departmentvisits/
Villas, A. M. (2021). Learning Action Cell. Scribd.
https://www.scribd.com/document/317086301/Learning-ActionCell#:%7E:text=School%20Learning%20Action%20Cell%2C%20commonly
%20known%20as%20LAC,school%20head%20or%20from%20peer%20to%2
0peer%20mentoring.
Submitted by: FLORENCIO S. CAIS, JR.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Here's the updated table with the actual expenses:
Category
A
Description
Unit
Quantity
Supplies Short Bond paper (2 ream
2
and
reams)
Materials
Supplies A4 Bond paper (2 ream
2
and
reams)
Materials
Supplies Ink L3110 black (1 bottle
1
and
bottle)
Materials
Total
Category
B
Description
Travel
Transportation
from
Expenses school to Division Office
(2 trips)
Travel
Transportation
from
Expenses Division
Office
to
schools (2 trips)
Total
Destination
School
Division Office
223
446
275
275
(in
P1,059.00
Transport Amount (in
ation
PHP)
to Tricycle P100.00
Division Office to Tricycle
Schools
Category
C
Description
Unit
Quantity
Other
Binding
of
Action Bound 1
Expenses Research Proposal (1
copy)
Other
Internet
and Person 18
Expenses communication
load
allowance
for
18
persons
Total
| Grand Total | | | | | P3,409.00 |
Amount
Unit Cost PHP)
169
338
P100.00
P200.00
Amount (in
Unit Cost PHP)
350
350
100
1,800
P2,150.00
APPENDICES
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
This survey instrument is intended to determine the level of perceived
challenges of Highly Proficient Teachers before and after Project STAR was
implemented.
Name : ___________________________ ( Option)
Instruction: Check the column that is most appropriate to your response.
Refer your answers to the table below;
5
4
3
2
1
Highly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Highly Disagree
Indicators
5
1. I
am
challenged
when
understanding the different learning
challenges among students
2. I am challenged by dealing with
students family problems
3. I am challenged by dealing with
bullying among my students
4. I lack the fund
5. I lack an effectuve means of
communication
6. I am challenged to making ways to
encourage and motivate my students
7. I am challenged in disciplining my
students
8. I am challenged by the endless
paperwork and extended working
hours
9. I am challenged by the pressures
from school administrators
10. I am challenged by the numerous
causes of burnout
11. I am challenged by mentoring my
fellow teachers
12. I am challenged in developing
research and innovation
13. I am challenged by crafting
learning
materials
that
are
4
3
2
1
contextualized
14. I
am
challenged
by
the
improvement of learning environment
15. I am challenged in creating
programs
for
professional
development.
-end-