Culture Based Education and Its Application to K+12 Curriculumby: Jeanelei L. Carolino

GDCE Level 1 2013

As the study of cultural education was introduced, I felt the challenges it brings. Not

because I am a teacher, but because I know deep in my heart that I am a Filipino. Thus, it

urges me to crave for my own cultural identity. For to me, it seems that I have lost it. Or if

not entirely lost it but it made me feel like a stranger to the place where I am born and raised.

It is through this NCCA program that my sense of being a Filipino was awaken, that made me

sense the need to dig deeper of my being, my being a Filipino.

It subsequently came to my mind to think of ways in order to help refurbish our very

own cultural identity. But, “What am I to do? Where will I start? How will I start? When will

I start?”, and several questions came rushing up as I ponder on. Those questions are

challenges that awaits an answer, as we know for a fact that it is indeed not that easy, and it

will never be easy. There’ll be too many things to do to be able to give a respond to the

questions raised by my thoughts. Hundreds of years ago our country has undergone several

times of being colonized, captives and slaves in our very own land by those Spaniards,

Americans, Japanese and even other countries who had made their way to influence every

Filipino whether they are aware or not. As personal experiences shows that fact is true.

Has our culture long been gone? Has it truly been forgotten by us Filipinos. A lot has

happened and countless things have come and pass by, nevertheless, I say that it has not gone

astray. I strongly believe that we are still practicing a few, very few which we hold on to.

However, it is very sad to say that sooner or later it will be vanished from our hearts and our

minds, making those heritages only a story that we once knew. I felt the pain in my heart

realizing that I am one of those who have almost lost it. An identity that is always mine, yet

someday will just be part of history written in books.

Let us not put into oblivion our cultural heritage, the heritage that will create in us the

beauty of being a Filipino. The heritage that helps us value who we truly are. Understanding

of its immense importance to our lives as Filipinos will empower us, gives us the confidence

of facing live wherever we go and whatever we do. The knowledge of our heritage and by

practicing it in our lives helps us to gain our strengths and know our weakness. Knowing our

strengths, we will be able to utilize it in a very valuable way, we will be able to establish a

firm identity and stand tall and be proud of who we are. In the other hand, knowing our

weakness will facilitate ways to strengthen it.

Our country the Philippines is in dire need to improve on the educational process,

because we need to cope up with the challenges that we will be facing and be able to compete

and stand out among others. With the previous curriculum that our educational system has

undergone, it seems to be enough for most of us, not only until the government realized that

although we Filipinos are competitive and skilled, yet other countries consider us inadequate

just because of having only 10 years of basic education. Just as what Fr. Joel E. Tabora, SJ

stated in one of his presentations “There is insufficient mastery of basic competencies

because of congested curriculum, where the 12 year curriculum is being delivered in 10

years. And that high school graduates are younger than 18 years old and lack basic

competencies and maturity, where they cannot legally enter into contracts and are not

emotionally mature for entrepreneurship or employment. Thus other countries view the 10

year education cycle as insufficient.” It actually is true. When our learners graduated high

school, they are still too young and too immature. Not even responsible enough to take care

of their own. They could not even land on a job when they cannot proceed with a college

education. It certainly shows the reality of the matter that there is a great and urgent need to

renew our way of educating our younger generation.

Here is a comparative example of a Science conceptual framework (Fr. Joel E.

Tabora, SJ):

OLD RSEC for Science Grades 7-10Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grades 11 and 12

Scientific Method Balance of nature Chemical Systems Newtonian Mechanics  

Sun-Moon-Earth System pushed down to Grade 6

Cell Composition of the Atom pushed down to Grade 8

Electromagnetism  

States of Matter Life Energy Elements in the Periodic Table

Electronics  

Nature of Force Structure and Life Functions of Organisms

Chemical bonds Wave motion  

Motion Genetics pushed up to Grade 9

Chemical Reactions Acoustics  

Transfer of Energy Evolution pushed up to Grade 9

Behavior of Gases Optics  

Changes on Earth Biodiversity Solutions Thermodynamics   Relationships between living and non-living things

  Colloids Nuclear Energy pushed down to Grade 9

 

K to 12 Curriculum for Science Grades 7-12Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grades 11 and 12

Scientific method Human system Genetics Fluiddynamics ST Subjects for Medical and Allied Profession

Humans as stewards of the earth

Reproduction Evolution Thermodynamics ST Subjects for Food Industries

Matter: measurement, classification, changes

Cell Chemical reactions Electrodynamics ST Subjects for Energy and Environment Related Industries

Motion Atoms - structure, functions, periodicity

Thermal behavior Waves: sounds and optics  

The Earth Chemical bonds Radioactivity   If 6 units for GE courses in Science:

Effects of soil related problems and how they are managed (lithosphere) added

Causes of motion and laws of conservation of mechanical energy and momentum

Effects of human activities to climate change added

SPECIALIZATION: biotechnology and bioethics added

1 ST Subject

  Effects of human activities to atmosphere added

  Genetics 1 Research

      Electrodynamics  

      Thermodynamics If 12 units for GE courses in Science:

        2 STS (Choice of 2)

        2 Research

Here is a rationale for The Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program:

International tests results like 2003 TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and

Science Study) rank the Philippines 34th out of 38 countries in HS II Math and 43rd out of 46

countries in HS II Science; for grade 4, the Philippines ranked 23rd out of 25 participating

countries in both Math and Science. i In 2008, even with only the science high schools

participating in the Advanced Mathematics category, the Philippines was ranked lowest

(Table 1) (DepEd Discussion Paper 05 October 2010).

High school graduates also do not possess the basic competencies or emotional

maturity essential for the world of work. About 70.9% of the unemployed are at least high

school graduates and 80% of the unemployed are 15-34 years old (Table 2). Further, most

graduates are too young to enter the labor force. This implies that those who do not pursue

higher education would be unproductive or be vulnerable to exploitative labor practices.

Those who may be interested to set up business cannot legally enter into contracts (DepEd

Discussion Paper 05 October 2010).

The short duration of the basic education program also puts the millions of overseas

Filipino workers (OFWs)1, especially the professionals, and those who intend to study abroad

at a disadvantage (Table 3). Our graduates are not automatically recognized as

professionals abroad. Filipinos face mutual recognition problem in other countries that

view the 10-year education program as insufficient. The Philippines is the only country in

Asia and among the three remaining countries in the world that has a 10-year basic education

program. 2 The Washington Accord ii prescribes 12-years basic education as an entry to

recognition of engineering professionals. The Bologna Accord iii requires 12 years of

education for university admission and practice of profession in European countries.

1 POEA estimates just over a million OFWs. However, there is also a large number of unregistered overseas workers. 2 From UNESCO’s 155 member countries, Djibouti and Angola are the other two countries that retain a 10-year pre-university education system.

Now learning from that fact awakens every Filipino whose minds are slumbering

from development. It’s time to transform ideas and accept the challenges that the K to 12

Curriculum brings. Each one has to realize that we need to do something to work things out

the way it should be. What needs to be done? Let us take a profound understanding of this

circumstance. According to Celia D. Nacpil, “Hand in hand with vigorous efforts to address

the input shortages, DepED intends to raise the quality of basic education through the

enhancement of the curriculum and the expansion of the basic education cycle.” There must

be something then that needs to be done. It is a task where only those in authority would

perform? No, it is not. Relatively every Filipino has to act on it, work things out for it, for the

reason that it does not benefit one person alone but every person, every Filipino is a part of

that struggle. This is consistent with Article XIV, Section 2(1) of the 1987 Philippine

Constitution which states that “The State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete,

adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society.”

The society is us; it does not refer to only one, but us. Therefore let us all start taking our

responsibilities in our hands. And together we will make it a successful one.

I therefore relate this major transformation of the educational system to give emphasis

on the Cultural Heritage of the country as well as be able to recognize the Cultural Identity of

every Filipino, whatever language they speak, whatever color they have, and wherever they

are. What’s the relationship? What is the use of knowing who we are? Can’t we just focus on

our educational process which we are already familiar with? Just add two years more to the

existing 10 year curriculum, decongest the lessons so that learners would be taught slowly but

surely, thus improving on their learning. Nevertheless that is not all that it takes. According to

Secretary of Education Br. Armin A. Luistro, FSC “The central feature of the K to 12

Program is the upgrading of the basic education curriculum to ensure that learners acquire the

relevant knowledge and skills they will need to become productive members of society.” Yes

indeed, it is definitely true. But, there is more to acquiring skills that makes it ever effective.

There is more to learning how to dance, sing, and read to be productive members of our

country. The K to 12 Curriculum was establish because it aims to not just push every learner

to study the basic lessons, furthermore, every Filipino must remember that there is more to

learning skills that matters in the formation of the whole being. Knowing who the person is

brings about confidence so as to be able to deal with every situation he is into and wherever

he is.

Our President Benigno S. Aquino III stated, “Pertinacious to my promise of

improvement in our education: let us make it the central strategy in the investment intended

for our most important treasure: our very own Filipino Citizens. In the K to 12 Curriculum,

we believe that it will give us strength to develop – not only ones self and his family, but the

whole country as well.” So then, to every teacher in the Department of Education family must

do their very best to cope up with the challenges this new curriculum brings. Perform their

duties to the best of their abilities. And with their dedication to help one another to succeed

must utilize our cultural heritage into teaching the lessons content to every learner.

Let’s make the recognition or our cultural heritage an integral part of our teaching and

learning process. Why is there a need to integrate cultural heritage into our lessons? Why is it

important to every Filipino? Learning with the integration of cultural heritage is fundamental

to the identity of every learner and is an integral part of their being so as to be able to develop

oneself and be able to work things out accordingly. Wherever we teach, our lessons’ content,

it must be taught in a way that should work with local and Indigenous communities so as to

protect our cultural heritage. We do this because it is the right thing to do and because there is

a strong influence for doing so. We recognize that protecting our culture and heritage is

important to our communities and, therefore, it is important to us. This is why there is really a

need for us to engage so thoroughly with our communities to build strong relationships,

understand cultural heritage values and relate with the local and regional impacts in order to

develop our learners. There is a need to fully integrate this into our teaching across all

learning areas to achieve the best outcomes. Because there is a wide variety of cultural

heritage in which we can make use of. There are tangible, such as buildings, landscapes, and

artifacts; and intangible, such as language, music and customary practice. It is not just old

things, pretty things, or physical things but it often involves powerful human emotions. That

it is therefore why, by inculcating into the learners mind with the lessons we teach supplied

with the knowledge of the cultural heritage makes one Filipino empowered as a whole being.

Cultural heritage is about far more than ‘stones and bones’ from the past. It is all the

aspects of a community’s past and present that it considers valuable and desires to pass on to

future generations. Cultural heritage incorporates places, objects and practices of cultural

significance. It thus includes ‘tangible heritage’, such as buildings, industrial structures and

technology, landscapes and artifacts and non-visible cultural heritage features such as buried

archaeological sites, and ‘intangible heritage’, such as language, visual art, music,

performance, religion, beliefs and customary practices like hunting and gathering. Cultural

heritage is not just about old things. New or newly altered objects, places and practices are

just as much a part of cultural heritage where we hold cultural value for today’s generations.

That is why as teachers we should utilize cultural heritage in our lessons especially now with

the K to 12 curriculum. Because by teaching cultural heritage our learners will involve

actions to identify, assess, decide and enact decisions regarding life with the foundation of its

cultural identity. As such, teachers should teach lessons integrating cultural heritage by

engaging with relevant community materials and activities. This further means that in the

teaching and learning process we will be working with the community to identify, assess and

manage places, objects and practices of cultural significance.

It is undertaken not only to actively protect culturally significant places, objects and

practices in relation to the threats they face from a wide range of cultural or natural causes

but also because it gives our learners their own cultural identity. In which case our learner

could have a foundation of their own being that could help them stand proud and be effective

in whatever area the learners will indulge into in the future. When learners were taught with

good foundation not only about a certain topic in a specific subject, but inspired with the

significant cultural heritage, threats and opportunities in the diverse areas in which they are

exposed to, could be easily overcome. This is often a complex and very challenging

environment, somehow with the firsthand experience and stories which the learners has

undergone during their studies will back them up with the foundation of the related

capabilities and systems which cultural heritage has provided them, which is the common and

practical guide that they can depend on. We teachers should therefore be committed in

utilizing cultural heritage in class activities to contribute to broader development of the

learner.

A culture based education when applied to K to 12 curriculum would help every

learner to understand profoundly their sense of nationalism and consequently would enrich

their perceptive and in turn lead to more effective collaboration with others and particularly

would protect and perpetuate their cultural heritage. For we all know that culture is the basis

of all social identity and development, and cultural heritage is the endowment that each

generation receives and passes on. Learners would truly understand then that their cultural

heritage contributes to the quality of their relationships and helps them to be more effective in

the community engagement and enhances their legacy. Understanding the distinct cultural

heritage provides a foundation of confidence and trust, the foundation that enables them to

work in partnership with others. They will also learn to recognize the fundamental human

right that all places have to cultural life and heritage, and the ways in which these activities

could affect them. For the value of learning lessons with integration of cultural heritage holds

for every learner to demonstrate respect for a community’s values, help build sound

community relationships and achieve sustainable developments and benefit the community

economically and socially into the future.

In learning every lesson which is integrated with cultural heritage, a learner would

recognize that without appropriate knowledge of our cultural heritage, our presence and the

resulting economic and societal changes have the potential to devastate rich local cultures and

heritage, leading to escalating social stress and harm. That is the apparent reason why the

knowledge of cultural heritage contributes to economic development, social stability and

environmental protection. Furthermore, the effectiveness of learners’ broader understanding

would let them realize that they must not neglect their own community, realize the important

cultural heritage values, and furthermore, learners would be able to manage any potential

impacts. In addition to it, learners would improve on their decision making process. This will

help them progress towards a goal of making positive impact on the economic and social

development of every individual as well as the country as a whole.

Here is an approach which could be utilized in teaching learners with the aid of

cultural heritage which I was able to search that seems very appropriate in the K to 12

curriculum classroom setting: “The Classroom to Community and Back approach which

describes how educators can use the knowledge and culture students bring to school a

standards-based curriculum that supports student success. This approach is called as

culturally responsive, standards-base (CRSB) teaching. CRSB teaching draws on the

experiences, understanding, views, concepts and ways of knowing of the students sitting in

the classroom.”

“Culturally responsive, standards-based teaching is the integration of two important

aspects of education: culturally responsive teaching and standards-based teaching.

Culturally responsive teaching addresses the needs of students by improving motivation and

engagement (Ginsberg & Wlodkowski, 2000), and standards-based teaching provides all

students with the opportunity for rigorous, high-level learning. CRSB teaching means doing

both, together. CRSB teaching values students’ culture, draws on that culture as strength in

their education, and challenges them with rigorous, relevant curriculum. CRSB also

succeeds, in part, because it fosters deeper, stronger school-family-community partnerships,

which have been shown to improve academic achievement (Henderson & Mapp, 2002;

Boethel, 2003). CRSB teaching strategies foster such partnerships because they bring family

and community culture into the classroom and school in meaningful ways. When curriculum

content and methods incorporate local norms, behaviors, objects, and practices, students and

families feel there is a direct link between home life and school life. When teachers value and

use the strengths of local cultures, they send a positive message that can improve the

school’s relationships with family and community members.”

“Culturally responsive teaching infuses family customs—as well as community

culture and expectations—throughout the teaching and learning environment. By providing

instruction in a context meaningful to students and in a way that values their culture,

knowledge, and experiences, culturally responsive teaching fosters student motivation and

engagement. In certain project: students study statistics and probability, but instead of using

generic charts and graphs, students create timelines and graphs with data they collect from

their family members. This is an example of standards-based mathematics that is hands-on,

includes the students and their families, and connects them to meaningful learning.”

“Culturally responsive teaching is built on a foundation of knowledge and

understanding of your own and your students’ family and community culture, which is

critical to the process of teaching and learning. Learning about all the cultures represented

in the classroom can seem like a daunting challenge, but the success of many teachers shows

that it is worth the effort. Becoming culturally responsive is an ongoing process that evolves

as we learn more about ourselves, our world, and other cultures. To become culturally

responsive, first look at your own culture—especially if it is part of our country’s dominant

culture—from the worldview of others; have an open mind to what you don’t understand;

and be ready to learn new ways of looking at and doing things.”

“CRSB teaching promotes six essential elements that are embedded into and woven

throughout the teaching.

• It is always student centered

• It has the power to transform

• It is connected and integrated

• It fosters critical thinking

• It incorporates assessment and reflection

• It builds relationships and community

These elements are basically good teaching practices that can be used by all

teachers.”

“CRSB curriculum draws on theories about curriculum that emphasize

responsiveness to particular people, in a particular place, at a particular time (Jones &

Nimmo, 1994). Teachers are encouraged to be careful observers of students’ interests and to

develop concrete learning experiences based on them. Teachers should continually revise

their curriculum in response to what is actually happening in the daily life of the student in

the program.

These theories emphasize that teacher-child relationships and dialogue should be

focused on the work or learning that is occurring (rather than routines, rules, conduct, and

performance). Teachers recognize that individuals create or construct their own new

understandings through the interaction of their prior knowledge (which is culturally based)

and the new ideas they come into contact with (Brooks & Brooks, 1993). Thus, the teacher’s

role is to translate information into a format appropriate for the individual learner and her

state of understanding, encouraging students to direct their own explorations.”

I have taken much from the aforementioned topic which is written in Italics, because I

find it remarkable and a good approach which we could make use of in teaching our lessons

content while utilizing and valuing our cultural heritage. I highly recommend this guide for

teachers, although this is not based on Philippine setting, yet I sure find it very interesting and

useful.

With the Education Vision “Every graduate of the Enhanced K+12 Basic Education

Program is an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on

sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning

throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in

fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous

critical thinking, and the capacity to transform others and one’s self.” Surely, every Filipino

will be successful in whatever field they would indulge themselves into that would benefit

not only oneself but all.

Sources:

- http://www.gov.ph/k-12/- http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/163611/the-k-to-12-curriculum-our-first-step-to-recovery- Classroom To Community And Back : Using Culturally Responsive,

Standards-Based Teaching To Strengthen Family and Community Partnerships and Increase Student Achievement By: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratoryhttp://oregonpirc.org/webfm_send/19

- Discussion Paper On The Enhanced K+12 Basic Education Program DepEd Discussion Paper 05 October 2010

- i National center for Education Statistics. Highlights from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2003.December 2004

- ii International Engineering Alliance. The Washington Accord. http://www.washingtonaccord.org/Washington-Accord/FAQ.cfm (Accessed 11 September 2010)

- iii Seamo-Innotech. Additional Years in Philippine Basic Education: Rationale and Legal Bases. Presentation to the Department of Education on 25 August 2010.