Problem and its Background Essay

Enhancing the quality of basic education in the Philippines is urgent and critical. Because of that, one of the discussions of DepEd is to enhance the basic education program in the country in a manner that is least disruptive to the current curriculum most affordable for government and families, and aligned with international practice through the K-12 policy. The poor quality of basic training is reflected in lower achievement scores of Filipino students. Many students who complete basic education do not possess sufficient control of basic competencies. One reason is that students do not get enough instructional time or time on task. This quality of education is reflected in the inadequate preparation of high school graduates for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education. High school graduates also do not have the basic competencies or emotional maturity essential for the world of work. Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the initial roll out of the k+12 basic education program with the implementation of universal primary of pre-school education for five-year-olds in the Philippines were a defining moment for the administration of President Aquino, as it seeks to implement reforms with deep impact on the welfare of Filipino children and the youth ( Malipot 2011 ) Phil. Star, Jan. 7, 2013 . Regional Director Susana Teresa B. Estigoy from the Department of Education wants all the stakeholders to know what enhance k+12 basic education program is all about and how it can benefit the students, the parents the community, (Sun Star in Davao on Thursday, March 10,2011). 1. Background of the Study Start school year 2012- 2013, the education system of the Philippines is enhanced from the 10- years of basic education in 12- years through the program called the K-12 Education Plan of the Department of Education. The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship. The implementation of the K- 12 education plan in the Philippine Basic Education Curriculum is said to be the key to the nation’s development. Though the government will face many problems in the long run of the implementation of the program, there really is a need to implement it because the enhancement of the quality of the education is very urgent and critical. If K- 12 will be implemented, students will be able to get sufficient instructional time to do subject- related tasks which make them more prepared and well- trained in that subject area. On the other hand, if the old system is remained, Filipino students would continually get low achievement scores. For instance, international test results revealed that we often come at the tail end in the exams compared to other countries. Another good reason why we should support K- 12 is that the graduates of this program will be more prepared to enter the labor force. As we all noticed, high school graduates of the current curriculum are not yet employable for the reason that they are not yet competent and well – equipped with the skills needed in the workplaces. In addition, most high school graduates are not yet reaching the legal age of 18. With the new curriculum, senior high school students can choose a field that they are good at and that they are interested in. As a result, they will be equipped with the skills needed for a specific job even without a college degree. At the age of 18, the age when they graduate from high school, they will be employable and competitive already. Thus, adding up to the nation’s manpower. Finally, with K- 12, Filipino graduates will be automatically recognized as  professionals abroad because we are following the international education standard as practiced by all nations. There will be no need to study again and spend more money in order to qualify for their standards. With this, Filipino professionals who aspire to work abroad will not find a hard time in getting jobs in line with their chosen field and will be able to help their families more in the Philippines as well as the country’s economy with their remittances, property buying, and creation of businesses. Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community. While this may be true, our current education system hinders us in becoming more competitive among other countries. The K- 12 education plan offers a great solution to that problem. However, it is undeniable that there seem to be problems arising as we implement the program such as lack of government budget, classrooms and school supplies as well as the teachers. But, if we focus on the long- term effect of K- 12, we can conclude that it is very beneficial to us Filipinos. Therefore, we must have the strong will in supporting K- 12 Educational Plan for the betterment of our education system and economy. Remember, if we want change in our society, we must start it with our education system. The researchers choose this topic â€Å"Awareness and Enthusiasm to the K 12 Curriculum† Every Filipino child now has access to early childhood education through Universal Kindergarten. At 5 years old, children start schooling and are given the means to slowly adjust to formal education. As a future educator, BSED students as the respondents should be aware and should enthusiastic in this program, because it will help them a lot for a better understanding in the field of teaching soon. As all know K 12 curriculum is the trend now a day’s that the teachers undergo seminar for the said implementation of the program. To assess student reasoning requires more focus and attention as teachers on two inter-related dimensions of reasoning. The first dimension consists of the elements of reasoning; the second dimension consists of the universal intellectual standards by which the teachers measure student ability to use, in a skillful way. General objective This study is conducted to determine the awareness of the K-12 program and enthusiasm of the best students from first year to 3rd year level in the NCST school year 2013-2014. Specifically the study conducted for the following subproblem. 1. To know the degree of awareness and enthusiasm about the K-12 curriculum of the BSED 1st year to 3rd year students in NCST. 2. To determine the degree of awareness and enthusiasm on the K-12 curriculum of the students when grouped according to your level. 3. To identify the correlation of the awareness and enthusiasm on K-12 of the BSED students in NCST. Statement of the Problem This study sought to ascertain the correlation of the awareness and enthusiasm in the K to 12 curriculum of the BSED 1st – 3rd year students in NCST. Specifically, the study seeks to answer the following research question: 1. What is the profile of 1st to 3rd year students in terms of: 1.1 age 1.2 gender 1.3 year level 2. What is the degree of awareness and enthusiasm for the K -12 curriculum of the BSED 1st year – 3rd year students in NCST? 3. What is the degree of awareness and enthusiasm in the K to 12 curriculum of the BSED students when grouped according to your level. 4. What is the correlation of the awareness and enthusiasm in the K to 12 curriculum of the BSED student. Significance of the Study The K-12 curriculum is newly implemented in the Philippine education system in the nation. The researcher is interested to find out the extent of the awareness of the future teacher who can be part of the K-12 curriculum in their teaching career and how it will affect their interest and enthusiasm on K-12 implementation. This study will benefit different sectors in the school and serve as an eye opener in developing plans and strategies for the  nationwide awareness of K-12 curriculum and their objectives for the betterment of education issues in the future. Through this, a clear and straightforward vision of all that is involved will be given emphasis and doubt from every concern Filipino citizen to the enhancement of education through K-12 curriculum implementation will not be vague. Teachers can help diffuse the information of the K-12 program to their immediate locality to strenghten additional factual information about K-12 curriculum to the people who are still in stage of adopting the system. For the students, this study will help them at ease with the new system, enjoy it and accept it since it will uplift their achievements and prepare them for future job that within their capability and skills. This study also will be of great significance to create wider awareness, to provide information useful in conducting related studies. Scope and Limitation This study is delimited in determining the degree of awareness in the K-12 curriculum and what is the correlation to enthusiasm regarding to the degree of consciousness to the K-12 of the NCST BSED-English students from first year to 3rd year level school year 2013-2014. This study did not include their personal perception about the program. This study allowed time to gather the data and information needed to make the research work reliable. This study is conducted from June 2013 up until March 2014. Hypotheses The hypotheses tested in this study are; 1. The enthusiasm of the students towards K-12 curriculum is significantly affected by the degree of awareness in the K-12 curriculum. 2. The relationships between awareness in K-12 curriculum and enthusiasm towards it is significantly affected when the students are grouped according to their year level.