INSTRUCTIONAL COMPETENCIES OF

TECHNOLOGY AND LIVELIHOOD EDUCATION

TEACHERS IN STA.CRUZ DISTRICT,
STA. CRUZ, ZAMBALES

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

2023
Volume: 11
Pages: 480-489
Document ID: 2023PEMJ979
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8196312
Manuscript Accepted: 2023-28-7
Psych Educ, 2023, 11: 480-489, Document ID:2023 PEMJ979, doi:10.5281/zenodo.8196312, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Instructional Competencies of Technology and Livelihood Education

Teachers in Sta.Cruz District, Sta. Cruz, Zambales
Rowena D. Mendez*
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.
Abstract
This action research aimed to determine the instructional competencies of Technology and
Livelihood Education (TLE) teachers in Sta. Cruz District and the significant relationships in the
level of instructional competencies of these teachers with their profile. The total population sampling
method was used to identify the forty-nine TLE teachers of Sta. Cruz District, Sta, Cruz, Zambales as
respondents of this study. The study utilized a descriptive survey method. The statistical tools used
were frequency and average count, weighted mean, and Chi-Square Test. The findings of the study
show that the level of competency of teachers in exploratory courses of Home Economics (HE) and
Agri-Fishery Arts (AFA) is "Intermediate." In contrast, exploratory courses in Industrial Arts (IA)
and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are "Basic" levels. In the specialization
courses of HE, AFA, and ICT, a "Basic" competency level was computed, while specialization
courses of IA obtained a “Developing” level of competency. There is no significant relationship
between the profile and instructional competencies in the four areas of TLE in exploratory and
specialization courses, except for the field of specialization, which has a significant relationship with
the level of competency of teachers in specialization courses of IA and ICT. These findings proved
that the field of specialization of teachers influences their level of competency in teaching TLE
specialization courses, specifically in the areas of IA and ICT. There is a need to enhance the
competencies of secondary TLE teachers in teaching specialization courses of IA and ICT.

Keywords: technology and livelihood education, instructional competencies, descriptive survey, Sta. Cruz District

Introduction allowing TLE teachers to pick from various options.

The availability of resources is the most significant
aspect to consider when selecting learning areas, with
Recent trends in education in the Philippines pose new teachers' skills and qualifications coming in second.
challenges in the academe to improve the literacy rate Because schools have varying resources and teachers
among Filipinos. In 2006, the Philippine EFA 2015 have varying skill levels, they offer a variety of
National Action Plan was drawn up with an identified learning opportunities, making it more challenging to
central goal: to provide basic competencies to all manage.In addition to that, many teachers teaching
Filipinos to achieve functional literacy for all. TLE subjects are non-TLE majors in Sta. Cruz
Consequently, various programs evolved as problems
District. In San Fernando High School alone, 83.33%
and issues related to these reforms arose in many
or 5 out of 6 teachers teaching TLE subjects from
learning areas, specifically Technology and Livelihood
Grade 7 to Grade 10 are non-TLE majors.
Education.
Teachers who are not TLE majors face a significant
In 2016, the whole cycle of the K to 12 curriculum was
challenge in figuring out how to help students reach
implemented. Home Economics, Information and
their full potential when they have to create various
Communication Technology, Agri-Fishery, and
lessons, execute different skills, and use various
Industrial Arts are the four components of Technology
equipment and facilities. While the new curriculum
and Livelihood Education (TLE). These categories are
still divided into several areas or mini-courses. focuses on educating and preparing students to be
Although numerous sectors continue to express competent with their set of abilities when they
reservations and opposition to the new curriculum's graduate, it is also necessary to examine the skills and
adoption, educators throughout the country are left behaviors of teachers. Teachers serve as role models
with little alternative but to do so successfully. TLE for kids; thus, they must conduct themselves
teachers should have a broad range of subject expertise professionally.In the present day, one of the main
to accomplish this effectively. concerns of parents, communities, and students is the
quality of education wherein a teacher is an essential
However, the situation is that the subject covers a wide determining factor in education. The instructional
range of topics. In Grades 7 and 8, the number of TLE competencies of teachers define the parameters of
areas to be taught should be four per grade level, teaching and learning. The attainment of the growth

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Research Article

and development of the learners lies in the learning

process. Teachers' competency in teaching is a
significant factor in realizing this goal.
Methodology
This result suggests that in producing a highly skilled
workforce and globally competitive graduates,
teachers of Technology and Livelihood Education Type of Study
must also be equipped with practical and experiential
knowledge aided by the right and adequate tools, This research used a descriptive survey design
equipment, and machines for instructions in teaching incorporating both quantitative and qualitative
Technology and Livelihood Education. On this approaches. The term "descriptive research" refers to a
ground, the researcher conceptualized this study to type of research in a study aimed at accurately
find out the instructional competencies of secondary portraying the respondents. Descriptive research aims
TLE teachers of Sta. Cruz District, Sta. Cruz, to describe the people who participate in the study. As
Zambales. a result, this research is descriptive research for
attempting to survey multiple levels of the profile of
Research Questions the respondents, a survey, and a description of their
level of competence in different areas of technology
The main objective of this study is to determine the and Livelihood Education. A descriptive study is one
instructional competencies of Technology and in which information is collected without changing the
Livelihood Education teachers of Sta. Cruz District, environment (i.e., nothing is manipulated). Sometimes
Schools Division of Zambales for the School Year these are referred to as "correlational" or
2021 – 2022.Specifically, it sought answers to the "observational" studies. The Office of Human
following questions: Research Protections (OHRP) defines a descriptive
study as "Any study that is not truly experimental." A
1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of: descriptive study can provide information about a
1.1. Age; particular group's naturally occurring health status,
1.2. Gender; behavior, attitudes, or other characteristics in human
1.3. Civil Status; research. Descriptive studies are also conducted to
1.4. Educational Attainment; demonstrate associations or relationships between
1.5. Field of Specialization; things. Furthermore, the study employed quantitative
1.6. Teaching Position; as the leading method through close-ended questions.
1.7. Length of Service; The quantitative approach was emphasized because
1.8. In-service training attended; and investigating the relationship between the profiles of
1.9. National Certification? the respondents and their level of instructional
2. How is the level of instructional competencies of competencies could be better understood by collecting
teachers described as perceived by the teachers extensive quantitative data.
themselves in:
2.1. Home Economics (HE); Participants
2.2. Industrial Arts (IA);
2.3. Agri-Fishery Arts (AFA); and The respondents of this action research are all
2.4. Information and Communication Technology Secondary Technology and Livelihood Education
(ICT) component areas? Teachers of Sta. Cruz District, Sta. Cruz,
3. Are there significant relationships in the level of Zambales. Sta. Cruz District is composed of ten (10)
instructional competencies of TLE teachers when the public secondary schools. The researcher employed a
teachers are classified as to age, gender, civil status, total population sampling method to identify the 49
educational attainment, the field of specialization, teacher respondents in this study.The following table
teaching position, length of service, number of years summarizes the number of Secondary Technology and
teaching TLEIn-service training attended, and Livelihood Education Teachers in Sta. Cruz District.
National Certification?
4. What action plan may be proposed based on the
findings?

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Research Article

Table 1. The participants of the study, according to

their schools. data from the respondents. This is because it is
convenient to conduct surveys and acquire necessary
information from many study subjects within a short
period. Furthermore, it makes an economy of time and
expense possible and provides a high proportion of
usable responses (Best & Kahn, 2003).

The questionnaire was subdivided into two (2) parts:

Part I gathered data on the profile of the respondents,
which included the age, gender, civil status, highest
educational attainment, the field of specialization,
teaching position, length of service, in-service training
attended and national certification. Part II collected the
respondents' level of competence in the different areas
Data Collection of Technology and Livelihood education. The closed-
ended items were prepared by using Likert Scales. The
The following were the procedures undertaken in the value of the scales was between one and five.
collection of data. The researcher notified the Schools
Division Office of Zambales of the intent to conduct
the study and asked permission from the Schools Results and Discussion
Division Superintendent, Dr. Romeo M. Alip, CESO
V, thru Dr. Lani A. Miraflor, Public Schools District
Profile of the Respondents
Supervisor of Sta. Cruz to proceed with the study in
public secondary schools within the district. Second, a Table 2. Age of the respondents
letter to the School Principals was crafted aiming to
seek permission to float the questionnaires with the
approved consent of the Schools Division
Superintendent attached as their reference.

The survey questionnaires were administered to the

respondents through the Google form link. The
researcher also provided contact details to explain to
the respondents the nature of the study and to ask
further questions. The researcher adjusted the manner
of floating the questionnaires to the current situation of Table 2 presents the profile of Teacher-Respondents
the world with the COVID – 19 pandemic. The according to age and gender. Most of the respondents
researcher did not do personal visits to the respondents belong to the age bracket 31-40 (n=27), followed by
to adhere to the strict observation of all the necessary, 20 percent (n=10) from the 41-50 age bracket. The age
proper health protocols of the Inter-Agency Task bracket 21-30 (n=8) and 51-60 age bracket (n=3)
Force (IATF), Department of Health (DOH), Office of followed, respectively, and only one respondent falls
the president of the Philippines, and other authorized under the age bracket of 61-65. Thus, the overall
agencies. average mean of the group of respondents is 37.69
years old. This finding means that the respondents are
The required data were collected, organized, and not so young, and most are in their middle age.
tabulated to employ the appropriate statistical
treatment necessary to extract the results. As This finding is similar to the study of Elli & Ricafort
quantitative descriptive research, this attempted to turn (2020), wherein their findings reveal that the TLE
raw numbers into meaningful data, which became the teachers are primarily young and may have the
basis for either accepting or rejecting the formulated enthusiasm to teach the subject. These teachers may
hypotheses. also be better at computers and technology and more
eager to learn more about teaching.
Instruments
It also implies that the Department of Education needs
A closed-ended researcher-modified survey
questionnaire was employed to collect quantitative

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Research Article

to encourage more young Education students to choose

Technology and Livelihood education as their major Table 4 revealed that 86% (n=42) of the respondents
field of specialization for the reason that younger are married, and 14% (n=7) are single. Based on the
teachers are most often updated with technological unstructured interview, most single teacher-
innovations and are more energetic to meet the
respondents have plans to get married. This finding is
demands of the subject, which is skill-oriented.
similar to the Instructional Assessment of Technology
Table 3. Gender of the respondents
and Livelihood Education study by Retome et al.
(2012). It revealed that almost all of the teachers
t e a c h i n g T L E a re a l r e a d y m a r r i e d .

Table 5. Educational attainment of the respondents

As to gender, female respondents predominated this

area with n=34 or 69% compared to the number of
male respondents, which is only 14 or 29 percent of
the total percent of the teacher-respondents. One
respondent answered LGBT, which is 2% of the total The profile of the teacher-respondents according to the
respondents. General observation shows the highest educational degree attained is presented in
predominance of female Technology and Livelihood Table 5. As shown in the table, 63% (n=31) have units
Education teachers over male teachers. This result was in Master of Arts in Education; 27% (n=10) finished
obtained because Technology and Livelihood Bachelor of Secondary Education, and 10% (n=5)
Education was formerly a Home Economics subject. graduated with a degree of Master of Arts in
Home Economics is associated with activities in the Education.
home, where females usually take charge. Female
teachers are expected to take charge of household These findings show that most of the Technology and
work and care for their children. Livelihood Education teachers in Sta. Cruz District has
earned Master's Degree units. These teachers find time
This finding is also similar to Elli & Ricafort (2020)
and resources to upgrade themselves in the teaching
finding. They found out that most females
position. Based on informal interviews, the
considered TLE their major field of specialization
Technology and Livelihood Education teachers in Sta.
more than that male teachers. The gender imbalances
Cruz District, who earned units in the Master's Degree,
among TLE teachers may be attributed to gender
were encouraged by their school heads and fellow
stereotyping in which the teaching profession may be
generally perceived to be more appropriate for
teachers to undergo graduate studies.
females.
The 27% percent of the respondents need to pursue a
Table 4. Civil status of the respondents higher degree of education to upgrade their current
teaching position and salary. The study reveals that the
strength of efficiency of teaching performance was
evident among teachers who have earned their master's
or doctorate degrees. Such teachers' qualification
coupled with experience is positively related to student
development, as far as subject matters are concerned.

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Research Article

stress and pressure that go with the ranking procedure.

Table 6. Field of specialization of the respondents Many occupations and all professions offer their
recruits the opportunity of pursuing a career in the
sense that individuals can be promoted through a
delineated promotions hierarchy. This aspect of a
career is referred to as its vertical mobility dimension
(Ladinsky, 1963; Maclean, 1992). Promotion can
therefore be regarded as the passage to a higher rank.
Table 6 shows the profile of Technology and
In management, promotion is one of the reinforcers of
Livelihood Education according to the field of
the rewards system to help motivate employees. Other
specialization. Only 39% (n=19) are TLE majors and
rewards include pay, recognition, desirable work
most teachers teaching TLE are non-major, comprising
assignments, autonomy, and participation (Robbins &
61% (n=30) of the total number of secondary TLE
Coulter, 2002).
teachers in the district.
Table 8. Length of service of the respondents
These findings show that most of the teachers teaching
TLE in Sta. Cruz District does not have the necessary
expertise to teach TLE specialization courses.
However, regardless of specialization, most teachers
are teaching exploratory courses in TLE because the
instructional competencies in Technology and
Livelihood Education are also applied in other subject
areas. Nevertheless, to effectively teach the subject,
specifically the areas of specialization offered in Grade
9 and Grade 10 level, the teachers teaching Table 8 revealed the profile of the respondents
Technology and Livelihood Education must have units according to the number of years in teaching. As
and obtained special or short courses related to revealed in the table, 67% (n=33) of the respondents
Technology and Livelihood Education. This also have been teaching for 1-10 years, followed by 11-20
shows an evident shortage of Technology and years (n=10), then by 31-40 years (n=4). Only 4%
Livelihood Education teachers in Sta. Cruz District, (n=2) have been teaching the subject for 21-30 years.
Sta. Cruz, Zambales. According to the length of service, the mean year of
the respondents was 10.64 or 11 years.
Table 7. Teaching position of the respondents
This result implies that 67% of the teacher-respondents
are still new to the teaching profession. Most of them
are not Technology and Livelihood education majors,
but due to a shortage of teachers in this subject, they
were given Technology and Livelihood Education
teaching loads. Given the appropriate training and
motivation, these teachers will stay in the teaching
The profile of the respondents according to the profession longer and will enjoy teaching the subject
teaching position is revealed in Table 7. As shown in even if it is not their field of specialization.
the table, most of the respondents, with 51% percent
Many studies indicate that teacher experience
(n=25), are currently in Teacher I position. Twenty-
influences teacher effectiveness mainly in the first few
nine percent (n=14) hold a Teacher III position, 16%
years of a teacher's career (e.g., Clotfelter et al., 2007a,
(n=8) hold a Teacher II position, and only 4% (n=2)
2007b). Boyd et al. (2010) claim that improvement
hold a Master Teacher I position.
occurs over the first 4 or 5 years but point out that this
Based on unstructured interviews of the teacher- is average, and some less experienced teachers
respondents, most teachers belonging to 51% of the improve much more quickly than others. Many of the
respondents do not participate in the ranking for higher studies that found student achievement was influenced
positions conducted by the division office because of by teachers' years of experience identified these effects
the amount of paperwork involved coupled with the only in the first three years of a teacher's career: "The

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Research Article

average teacher is at his or her worst during the first reinforces this idea by stating that all three types of
year in the classroom, gets better in the second year, a knowledge, content knowledge, pedagogical content
little better in the third year, and then never gets any knowledge, and curricular knowledge, should be
better after that" (Jacob, 2012, p. 3). included in pre-service teacher training programs.

Long years of service indicate deep satisfaction for This finding suggests that special training and
teachers. They tend to take their occupation seriously seminars must be provided to all teachers to enhance
and remain in it steadily. Long years of service their knowledge of the content of the subject matters
indicate deep satisfaction for work because they have they are teaching. To improve his instructional
added knowledge and skills to become more efficient competencies and professional growth, a teacher has to
in performing the teaching career. keep on learning. No matter how superior a teacher's
education may have been, his preparation for teaching
Table 9. Training of the respondents is never complete". This preparation involves keeping
abreast with new educational innovations, changes,
and developments in his field, whether in theory or
practice, and other areas of knowledge relevant to
teaching. This endeavor can be achieved through in-
service training like attendance at seminar workshops,
conferences, faculty meetings, or taking up graduate
studies.

Table 10. Competency assessment certificates of the

The level of in-service training attended by respondents
Technology and Livelihood Education teachers is
shown in table 9. Most of the respondents attended
division-level training, which comprises 31% (n=15),
followed by school-based training, which is 27%
(n=13), with district and national level training having
the same number of attendees, which is 10% (n=5) of
the total respondents. Two (2) respondents attended Table 10 shows that most of the total respondents are
regional-level training, and only one (1) respondent National Certificate (NC) II holders, which comprise
attended national-level training. 16% of the 59% of the total respondents, while 41% (n= 20) do
respondents (n=8) have no training. Most Technology not have National Qualification.
and Livelihood education teachers have undergone
training in the division, but only a few on the district This finding means that most TLE teachers may have
and national level. Some of these national training and been given the opportunity and have the resources to
seminars are on official time, and the teacher has to pursue and attend National Certification training and
shoulder his seminar fee and other expenses incurred assessments. In partnership with DepEd, the Technical
in the training/seminar. 27% of the respondents are Education and Skills Development Authority
newly-hired teachers and need to undergo related (TESDA) complied with the mandates of the K to 12
seminars and training. programs and Section 13.2 of the Implementing Rules
and Regulations (IRR) of the Enhanced Basic
According to Chapman and Mählck (1997), pre- Education Act 2013. The IRR specifically provided
service training is "the single most widely employed that teachers who teach specialized subjects in
strategy (by itself or with other strategies) to improve secondary education should possess the necessary
instructional quality. This finding comes as no certification issued by TESDA. Joint Circular No. 1,
surprise. One of the most widely held beliefs series of 2014, issued on September 9, 2014, provided
underlying both national and international educational that TESDA should closely coordinate with DepEd to
development activities are that the most direct and ensure that all TLE teachers handling Grade 9 classes
efficient way to improve instructional quality is to are appropriately certified. DepEd requires TLE
improve the content pedagogical expertise of teachers teachers to enroll in TESDA training programs. The
through increased levels of training." Shulman (1986) embedment of tech-voc courses in the K-12 should

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Research Article

Table 12. Level of instructional competencies of

teachers in Exploratory Courses of Agri-Fishery Arts
follow TESDA's training regulations (or TR)
standards. Conforming to TESDA standards will
ensure higher absorptive capacity for students since
these TRs were developed according to industry
requirements.

In this regard, every Technology and Livelihood

education teacher of Sta. Cruz District must upgrade
themselves and comply with the implementing rules
The level of instructional competency of Sta. Cruz
and regulations of Enhanced Basic Education Act of
District teachers in Exploratory Agri-Fishery Arts
2013 and obtain National Certification from The Courses are shown in Table 12. The TLE teachers
Technical Education and Skills Development obtained the highest mean rating of 3.47 or
Authority. “Intermediate” in the competency under Food
Processing (Fermentation/Pickling), while the lowest
Instructional Competencies of TLE Teachers competency level in that area is 3.31 but still
"Intermediate” level in Food Processing Course.
Exploratory Courses
In sum, teachers' level of instructional competency in
Exploratory Courses of Agri-Fishery Arts is in the
Table 11. Level of instructional competencies of intermediate level with an average mean of 3.37. This
teachers in Exploratory Courses of Home Economics result indicates that TLE teachers of Sta. Cruz District
can teach these mini-courses but still need to upgrade
and enhance their competencies along these courses to
ensure quality instruction of basic skills needed by the
learners.

Table 13. Level of instructional competencies of

teachers in Exploratory Courses of Industrial Arts

Table 11 presents the level of instructional

competency of Sta. Cruz District teachers in
Exploratory Home Economics Courses. The TLE
teachers obtained the highest mean rating of 3.74 or
"Intermediate" in the competency under Cookery
while 2.37 or "Basic" level in dressmaking.
The above table 13 presents the instructional
competencies of teachers in Industrial Arts
In general, teachers' level of instructional competency Exploratory Courses. The highest mean score falls
along Exploratory Courses of Home Economics is in under the Carpentry course with a mean score of 2.74,
the intermediate level with an average mean of 3.21. which is a "Basic" level of competency, followed by
This result indicates that TLE teachers of Sta. Cruz Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), then Masonry,
District is somewhat prepared to teach Home and then Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM)
Economics among 7th and 8th-grade levels since it is a with mean scores of 2.24, 2.13 and 2.12 respectively.
The lowest competency level of 1.98, a "Developing"
prerequisite for higher grades.
level, falls under the Plumbing course.

This finding must be because males mostly dominate

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Research Article

courses under Industrial Arts, but only a few male Table 15 reveals the level of competency of teachers in
graduates of industrial arts courses enter the teaching specialization courses in Home Economics. It can be
profession seen from the table that teachers got a weighted mean
of 3.41 or “Intermediate” in Cookery, while a
Table 14. Level of instructional competencies of weighted mean of 2.20 or ”Basic” was obtained in
teachers in Exploratory Courses of Information and Hairdressing. Overall, the teachers’ Home Economics
Communication Technology specialization courses weighted average rating is 2.66
or "Basic ."This finding implies that teachers may lack
relevant training in these mini-courses, and there is a
need to hire more teachers who possess the necessary
qualifications to deliver quality instructions to learners
of Home Economics specialization courses.

Table 16. Level of instructional competencies of

teachers in specialization Courses of Agri-Fishery
Table 14 shows teachers' level of instructional Arts
competency in exploratory courses in Information and
Communication Technology. Computer Systems
Servicing garnered the highest weighted mean of 3.11,
which is an "Intermediate" competency level, followed
by Technical Drafting with a mean of 2.21, which falls
under the "Basic" level of competency. The lowest
weighted mean is 2.07, also a “Basic” competency
level.

In general, the level of competency of teachers in ICT Table 16 presents a rating of 2.67 or “Basic” in
is only "Basic". This finding only implies that ICT Horticulture. It can also be seen that a "Basic" level of
teachers of Sta. Cruz District needs to be capacitated in competency was obtained by teachers of Aquaculture.
Technical Drafting and Illustration courses to become An overall average of 2.48, also a "Basic"
more competent in teaching. competency, was revealed. This result shows that
Agri-Fishery Arts specialization teachers, likewise
Specialization Courses presented in their profile, have relevant training and
seminars in Agri-fishery arts and its mini-courses.
Table 15. Level of instructional competencies of Hence, there is an urgent need for the Agri-Fishery
teachers in Specialization Courses of Home Arts specialization teachers of Sta. Cruz
Economics
District to undergo relevant training to enhance their
skills and competencies to ensure quality instruction in
the district.

Table 17. Level of instructional competencies of

teachers in Specialization Courses of Industrial Arts

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females, and most are above 30 years old and married.

Table 17 shows teachers' level of instructional In terms of years in service, most teachers are at career
competency in specialization courses in Industrial stages 1 and 2, with a mean length in service of 10.64.
Arts. Electrical Installation and Maintenance (EIM) While more than half of the teachers in Sta. Cruz
garnered the highest weighted mean of 1.91, a District already has units for master's degrees, but only
"Developing" competency level. At the same time, the a few have finished their doctorate. Aside from that,
Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) course got the only a few attended regional, national, and
lowest rating with a mean of 1.81, which also falls international training. However, more than half have
under the "Developing” level of competency. An already obtained a National Certificate. Another
average of 1.81 was obtained. important finding that needs immediate attention is
that more than half of TLE teachers are non-TLE
Table 18. Level of instructional competencies of majors, which means a shortage of TLE major teachers
teachers in Specialization Courses of Information and in the district.
Communication Technology (ICT)
Furthermore, the level of competency of teachers in
exploratory courses of Home Economics and Agri-
Fishery Arts is “Intermediate," while exploratory
courses of Industrial Arts and Information and
Communication Technology fall under the "Basic"
level. On the other hand, in the specialization courses
of Home Economics, Agri-Fishery Arts, and
Information and Communication Technology, a "
Basic " competency level was computed. In contrast,
Table 18 shows the level of competency of teachers in specialization courses in Industrial Arts obtained a
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) "Developing" level of competency.
Specialization Courses. Computer Systems Servicing
garnered the highest rating of 2.73, described as The study also reveals no significant relationship
"Basic," while the Illustration course got a 2.07 rating, between the profile and instructional competencies in
also a "Basic" competency level. the four areas of TLE in exploratory and specialization
courses, except for the field of specialization, which
The teachers obtained an average rating of 2.36 or a has a significant relationship with the level of
"Basic" level. This suggests that the teachers may have competency of teachers in specialization courses of
insufficient knowledge and skills in the different Industrial Arts and ICT. This finding proves that the
competencies of specialization courses in Industrial field of specialization of teachers influences their level
Arts. Thus, relevant training and seminars must be of competency in teaching TLE specialization courses,
provided to bridge the gap in delivering quality specifically in the areas of Industrial Arts and
instruction among the learners of Sta. Cruz District. Information and Communication Technology. There is
a need to enhance the competencies of secondary TLE
teachers in teaching specialization courses in Industrial
Conclusion Arts and Information and Communication
Technology.Although the findings may be valuable
This action research aimed to determine the level of inputs to improve the instructional competency level
instructional competencies of teachers in TLE as of teachers, future researchers may further improve the
perceived by the teachers themselves and the study by considering other factors affecting TLE
significant relationships in the level of instructional teachers' instructional competence, not only in Sta.
competencies of these teachers when they are Cruz District but also in other schools in the Schools
classified as to age, gender, civil status, educational Division of Zambales.
attainment, the field of specialization, teaching
The teaching of TLE requires developed competencies
position, length of service, number of years teaching
among teachers to deliver quality instruction
technology and livelihood EducationIn-service training
effectively. To address the gaps in the level of
attended, and National Certification. The study
instructional competencies in the different component
yielded noteworthy results.
areas of TLE, teachers must be encouraged to enroll in
Majority of TLE teachers in Sta. Cruz District are short courses offered by TESDA and undergo
assessment and evaluation to qualify for National

Rowena D. Mendez 488/489

Psych Educ, 2023, 11: 480-489, Document ID:2023 PEMJ979, doi:10.5281/zenodo.8196312, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Certification. Conduct in-service training in making Boyd., D., Lankford, H., Loeb, S., & Wyckoff, J. (2010). Teacher
layoffs: An empirical illustration of seniority versus measures of
video lessons, making instructional materials using
effectiveness. Education Finance and Policy, 6(3), 439-454.
MS PowerPoint, employing suitable teaching doi:10.1162/EDFP_a_00041
strategies, facilitating competency-based education,
and developing digital learning strategies can also Clotfelter, C., Ladd, H., & Vigdor, J. (2007b). Teacher credentials
and student achievement in high school: A cross-subject analysis
enhance teachers' instructional competencies. In with student fixed effects (NBER Working Paper No. 13617).
addition, intensive supervision of Technology and Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w13617.pdf
Livelihood Education classes should be undertaken by
Elli, M. C. A., & Ricafort, J. D. (2020). Competencies of Grade VI
school administrators and Technology and Livelihood
Teachers in Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE).
Education Program Supervisors to guide these teachers International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, 10(4),
and thereby help them enhance their teaching, 25425–25434. http://ijesc.org/
guidance, management, and evaluation skills.
Jacob, A. (2012). Examining the relationship between student
achievement and observable teacher characteristics: Implications for
Moreover, the Department of Education should school leaders. International Journal of Educational Leadership
allocate funds to purchase appropriate instructional Practices, 7(3), 1-13.
materials, tools, and equipment and build functional
Ladinsky, J. (1963). Careers of lawyers, law practice, and legal
laboratory classrooms for the different specializations institutions. American Sociological Review 28, 47–54.
in technology and Livelihood education subjects.
Aside from those, teachers should have a continuous Maclean, R. D. I., & Lonergan, M. (1984). Teacher mobility study.
education evaluation or analysis of their performance Hobart: Tasmanian Teachers Federation.

in teaching Technology and Livelihood Education to Retome, V. G., Estrella, N. C., Sarvida, A., Yaoyao, I., Garcia, G.
improve their weak points and enhance their strong C., & Granada, D. (2012). Instructional Assessment of Technology
points. Linkages and community involvement should and Livelihood Education (TLE) Program. JPAIR Multidisciplinary
Research, 9(1), 83–92. https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v9i1.14
be encouraged to promote more advanced training
skills for teachers—also, the conduct of survey of Robbins, S., & Coulter, M. (2002). Management (7th ed.).
constraints encountered by TLE teachers of Sta. Cruz Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
District must also be accomplished. Lastly, it is
Scales, Peter C.; McEwin, C. Kenneth. (n.d.). Growing Pains: The
necessary to conduct a Needs Assessment of Making of America's Middle School Teachers, [Unpublished
Technology and Livelihood Education Teachers to doctoral dissertation].
implement K to 12 Curriculum. The researcher wishes Affiliations and Corresponding Information
further studies about teachers' competence in teaching
the specialization courses in Technology and Rowena D. Mendez
Livelihood Education. Guisguis National High School
Department of Education - Philippines

References

Bancual, R. (2019). Laboratory practices of Junior High School

Science Teachers. Sorsogon State College, Sorsogon.

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