Edukasyon, Mas Mayad kun sa Bikol: Nature and Effect of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education
(MTB-MLE) on the Learning of Pupils at Casiguran Central School (Bicol Region, Philippines)
4th International Language and Education Conference
Bangkok, 6-8 November, 2013
DepED Order No. 74, s. 2009
An order “institutionalizing multilingual education”
in the Philippines
An order mandating pilot schools around the Philippines
to implement MTB-MLE
Pilot Schools:
Bicol Region
Sorsogon Province
1) Irosin Central School
2) Casiguran Central school
Casiguran Central School
(CCS)
Rural
Public
Primary
Bicol
Pilot School
Bisacol
Research Questions:
How is the MTB-MLE implemented at Casiguran Central School (Sorsogon)?
Do the pupils with previous instruction in MTB-MLE perform better in
their classes than the pupils with previous bilingual instruction?
Frameworks
Frameworks
Frameworks
Qualitative Research
Interviews
Class Observations
Triangulation
Respondents
Teachers/ Coordinators
(MTB-MLE)
Grade Two pupils Grade One pupils
Control Group
• 14 pupils with previous bilingual instructions
Treatment Group • 29 pupils with previous multilingual instructions
Grade Two - Banaba
Results
Nature of the MTB-MLE • Grade One Classes • Grade Two Classes
Effect of the MTB-MLE on the Learning of Pupils
• Pupils’ Performance • Teachers’ Evaluation
Nature: Grade One Classes
Nature: Grade One Classes
In the MTB-MLE curriculum, all subjects except English and Filipino were
taught in the mother tongue, in this case the Bikol language (or Bisacol).
This means that the subjects Mother Tongue, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao,
MAPEH, Math, and Araling Panlipunan are taught in the Bikol language.
However, Miss Guevarra (Grade One MTB-MLE Coordinator) stressed that
some words in some subjects, specifically Math, are still used because of
the difficulty and complication of its translation in the Bikol language.
Nature: Grade Two Classes
Nature: Grade Two Classes
The total minutes of learning load of Grade Two is 40 minutes more than
Grade One since Filipino and English subjects are allotted more time in
Grade Two class schedule (50 minutes for each subject) compared to Grade
One class schedule (30 minutes for each subject). This difference in time
allotment for English and Filipino shows the transition of language learning
from the pupils’ mother tongue to Filipino and English languages.
Instructional Materials for MTB-MLE
The program was difficult to fully implement because of the inadequacy of
instructional materials.
The Department of Education (DepED) should completely give books, guides,
and other learning materials ahead of time. Guides and the learner’s
material for First and Second quarter were given only last December 2012.
Learner’s materials for the Third and Fourth quarters are still coming.
Effect: Pupils’ Performance
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
Music Arts PE Health EP MT English Math Filipino AP
Mea
n G
rade
per
Sub
ject
Subjects
Treatment Group Control Group
Pupils’ First Grading Period Mean Grades per Subject
Effect: Pupils’ Performance
The difference in the performance of the groups was consistent in all
subjects of Grade Two – Banaba – with the Treatment Group’s
performance higher in all subjects than the performance of the Control
Group. Thus, the analysis through a numerical measurement of the
pupils’ grades is parallel to Miss Mañago’s account that pupils with
MTB-MLE in Grade One performed better in class than those pupils
without previous MTB-MLE.
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
MotherTongue
Filipino English
Treatment Group 78.5517241 81 78.3103448Control Group 76.3571429 78.5 76.1428571
Mea
n G
rade
per
Sub
ject
Effect: Pupils’ Performance Comparison of mean grades in areas with significant differences (First Grading)
During the First Grading Period of the school year, the Treatment Group performed better in the
Mother Tongue, English, and Filipino subjects as compared to the Control Group. This supports
three of the advantages of MTB-MLE enumerated by UNESCO (2005):
Learning in L1 does not hinder learning of L2 (Second Language);
Learning in L1 helps learning of L2; and
Strong L1 helps students perform better in L2 academic work.
Effect: Pupils’ Performance
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
Music Arts PE Health EP MT English Math Filipino AP
Mea
n G
rade
per
Sub
ject
Subjects
Treatment Group Control Group
Effect: Pupils’ Performance Pupils’ Second Grading Period Mean Grades per Subject
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
Music Arts Filipino English AralingPanlipunan
Treatment Group 79.9655172 79.3793103 81.5862069 79.6206897 80.3103448Control Group 78.2857143 77.5 79.9285714 77.1428571 78.2857143
Mea
n G
rade
per
Sub
ject
Comparison of mean grades in areas with significant differences (Second Grading)
Effect: Pupils’ Performance
The Treatment Group’s mean grades in Mother Tongue, Filipino, and English
during the First Grading Period were higher than the Control Group. During
the Second Grading, a parallel result was observed. The Treatment Group’s
mean grades in Music, Arts, Araling Panlipunan, English, and Filipino were
higher than the mean grades obtained by the Control Group in similar
subjects.
Effect: Pupils’ Performance
76
76.5
77
77.5
78
78.5
79
79.5
80
First Grading Second Grading
Mean
Grade
Treatment Group Control Group
Comparison of the Pupils’ General Mean Grades
Effect: Pupils’ Performance
Teachers’ Perspectives:
In which subjects do the children learn the concepts faster?
In which subjects do the children perform better?
In which subjects are the children more active and participative in the discussions and activities?
Conclusions MTB-MLE implementation at Casiguran Central School primarily focused on
the development of the pupils’ oral skills.
The nationwide implementation of the MTB-MLE was a bold but wise move by the DepEd and is ideal for the achievement of the MDGs and EFA, as the MTB-MLE produces better performances of the pupils.
Instructional materials were the main problems in the full implementation and success of the MTB-MLE.
Teachers find it difficult to stick to the DepED’s mandate because study and curriculum guides as well as textbooks are unavailable.