COTABATO CITY, Jan. 22 (PNA) — In its efforts to improve the performance of high school students in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the Department of Education (DepEd-ARMM) will expand the implementation of an innovative teaching method.
The Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) is a cost effective teaching method where 70 percent of class time is utilized for student-driven activities and 30 percent on reinforcement lecture.
It was developed by spouses Dr. Christopher Bernido and Dr. Maria Victoria Carpio-Bernido, 2010 Ramon Magsaysay awardees and renowned physicists, respectively.
Lawyer Jamar Kulayan, DepEd-ARMM regional secretary, said the program uses a “parallel class scheme” in which two simultaneous classes are handled by one expert teacher with the help of facilitators.
“We have piloted DLP in the province of Basilan, and based on assessment, the results are encouraging,” Kulayan said in a statement released by ARMM Bureau of Public Information.
“We are formulating plans to expand the program in the other provinces by next school year,” he said.
A three-day training on DLP will be conducted in Basilan starting today until January 24 to expand the concept not only in Physics but also in Science, English and Filipino subjects as well.
Kulayan said DLP was instrumental in the 14 percent increase in the 2014 average result of the National Achievement Test (NAT) of secondary students in Basilan, which was twice the 7 percent target for the year.
He said the students displayed more creativity, improved handwriting and critical thinking skills, and were more motivated to learn.
“There was less absenteeism,” he said.
He said it also helped them address shortage in textbooks since students made use of activity sheets instead of textbooks.
The expansion of DLP in ARMM is geared towards the region’s thrust of producing multi-literate learners through quality education.
ARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. (PNA)