CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

In different parts of the world especially in ASEAN countries, young

children were learning languages at home that differ from the dominant language

used in their broader social world (UNESCO, 2014). However, by the time

children begin school, they have begun gaining confidence in their ability to

communicate meaningfully in their mother tongue. Children already have the

foundation of knowledge and experience in by interacting with their

corresponding community prior to their formal schooling. Malone (2016) believed

that language, knowledge and experience that children bring to school form an

important foundation for their learning in the classroom.

It has been a couple of years since the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual

Education (MTB-MLE) was implemented in the Philippines as part of the K to 12

Basic Education Program (DepEd Orders 16 and 31, series of 2012). It aims to

institutionalize the mother tongue language of the community as primary medium

of instruction for teaching and learning in kindergarten level up to Grade 3.

Educational policy makers believe that using the mother tongue language as

medium of instruction is necessary for the acquisition of basic literacy skills

(DepEd Order 74 s. 2009).

Mati, as one of the municipalities that adapted the implementation,

presented feedbacks about the new program. Teachers, as the major

stakeholder in this study, have shared their experiences about the new policy

that they have to accommodate.

Teachers have a vital role in the learning experiences of every child in the

classroom (Sert, 2016). Along with the shift in the educational curriculum and

policy, came the transition that the teachers have to undergo for them to be able

to be equipped to prepare their pupils for lifelong learning. One of the major

1
experiences of the teachers was their difficulty in accommodating the Cebuano

learning materials. The materials that were distributed in the province were in

Cebuano but Cebuano was not the mother tongue of the community. Materials

were important tools and facilities for the teacher. Therefore, this study aimed to

bring to the fore the experiences and challenges experienced by the teachers in

the process of adapting the MTB-MLE program.

This study is important for us as researchers since we are going to

become future teachers in the field of the Department of Education in Davao

Oriental. This research could be an eye-opener of the apparent realities in the

face of Philippine education especially in Mati City of Davao Oriental that was

currently ranked nearly at the bottom of the National Achievement Test (NAT).

This study could also help the local educational division in assessing the MTB-

MLE program in the province through the experiences of the teachers.

There have been a number of valuable studies in the Mother Tongue-

Based Multilingual Education globally. Much of these studies focus on the

assessment and its implications for educational policy (Malone, 2016). This study

was also related to the study of bilingual teachers in classroom practice (Nakano

et.al, 2013). Furthermore, this study do not intend to evaluate the policy but this

only desired to bring out experiences of teachers in the MTB-MLE program.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study unfolds the current challenges of the teachers that are affected by

the implementation of the MTB-MLE Program in Mati City, Davao Oriental

specifically in Don Enrique Lopez Elementary School.

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1.3 Objectives of the Study

In general, this research study aims to address the challenges that the

MTB-MLE teachers of Don Enrique Lopez Elementary School are facing.

This study aims to answer these following specific objectives:

 To determine the experiences and problems of the MTB-MLE

teachers teaching Grade 1 Mandaya students in Cebuano

instructional materials.

 To know how teachers cope up with the situations of the MTB-MLE.

1.4 Significance of the Study

This study is significant in the face of the transition of Philippine

education. Since it is the onset of the MTB-MLE in the Philippines, it is

important to note its development for the coming years starting from the

experiences of firsthand individuals that are involved such as the teachers

who are the focal point of this study.

This study seeks to extend its help to all the stakeholders of this

study namely the Department of Education, the community, the teachers,

the students, and the future researchers.

To the Department of Education, the study serves as a helpful

reference in the evaluation of the program. It hopes to contribute to the

continuing improvement of the MTB-MLE Program as part of the K-12

curriculum in the country.

To the community, this study could enable the community,

organizations or groups to produce learning materials in the identified local

language. This research works toward community engagement because it

does not only involve the constituents of educational institutions but also

the community that will serve as the primary source of information

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 especially in the materials development, beneficial in the improvement of

the program.

To the teachers, this study aims to be useful in administering the

class more efficiently by seeking out their own experiences to develop

their teaching competencies.

To the students, this study intends them to be more acquainted in

their lessons and to be more appreciative and participative in class

through the help of their teachers.

To the future researchers, this study could serve as a reference or

guide in their future studies. In addition to this, this paper will open new

possibilities for further research.

1.5 Scope and Limitations of the Study

This research will be conducted in Davao Oriental. Specifically, the

area that will be covered in this study is the City of Mati, Davao Oriental.

However, this study will not cover all the Mandaya speaking municipalities

in Davao Oriental. The Mandaya language varies from every areas of the

city. City of Mati specifically Don Enrique Lopez Elementary School, being

the focus of the Mandaya and Bisaya culture and language, is chosen.

The participants of this study will be the MTB-MLE Grade 1

teachers. All Grade 1 MTB-MLE teachers of Don Enrique Lopez

Elementary School will be invited for an interview. The participants are

expected to grant the invitation given to them for the interview.

4
1.6 Definition of Terms

The following terms were defined according to its purpose in the

study:

Voices - refer to the experiences of the MTB-MLE teachers

teaching Grade 1 Mandaya students in Don Enrique Lopez Elementary

School.

Mandaya - refers to the mother tongue language of the teachers,

students and the community in some municipalities of Davao Oriental. In

this study, it could also refer to the person may it be a student or a

teacher.

MTB-MLE - or Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education refers

to the policy that states that the mother tongue of the community should

be used as a medium for instruction. In this study it is also used as a

category for teachers who are teaching in the Mother Tongue Based

Multilingual Education program, e.g MTB-MLE teachers.

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 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter provided fundamental theories and related literature on the

Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education program.

Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education

Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) is the use of

more than two languages for literacy and instruction. It starts from where the

learners are and from what they already know. This means learning to speak,

read, write and think in their first language or L1 (e.g Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano,

Waray etc.) and also teaching Mathematics, Science, Health and Social Studies

in the L1 (Nolasco, 2010). Clearly, language is the key to communication and

understanding in the classroom. This framework will pave the way for learners to

acquire skills upon L2 or L3 acquisition.

Mother tongue-based programs use the learner’s first language, known as

the L1, to teach beginning reading and writing skills along with academic content.

The second or foreign language, known as the L2, should be taught

systematically so that learners can gradually transfer skills from the familiar

language to the unfamiliar one. Bilingual models and practices vary as do their

results, but what they have in common is their use of the mother tongue at least

in the early years so that students can acquire and develop literacy skills in

addition to understanding and participating in the classroom (Benson, 2004).

Mother Tongue-Based Program in Developing Countries

Well-documented empirical studies of the Mother Tongue-Based

programs have been evident in developing countries since 1970 (Benson, 2004).

6
There have been major progresses since the mother tongue program was

applied. The benchmark studies includes: The indigenous children from the

Chiapas highlands of Mexico where the program helped the learners transfer

their literacy skills from the L1 to L2 and out-performed monolingual Spanish

speakers.

The Six-Year Yoruba Medium Primary Project (Akinnaso, 1993) plotted a

six-year primary education in the mother tongue. Results say that it is not only

viable but also gave better results than all-English schooling. Another angle that

they have worked is that teachers should specialize in L2 instruction for

efficiency; the Rivers Readers Project, also in Nigeria, showed how mother

tongue materials of reasonable quality could be developed even where resources

were scarce and even for previously undeveloped languages with small numbers

of speakers (Williamson, 1976). Communities themselves provided competent

native speakers and funds for language development, producing over forty

publications in fifteen languages; in the Philippines, a large- scale research on

Filipino-English bilingual was conducted, and findings showed that there has

been a positive relationship between the two languages (Gonzalez & Sibayan,

1988). The study also found out that is not only the bilingual education that

affects the performance of students but also other factors such as inadequate

teacher training (Dutcher, 1995).

MTB-MLE Program in the Philippines

On July 14, 2009, the Department of Education through Department Order

No. 74 changed its fundamental education policy from the old “bilingual” set-up

(of using two L2s) to an MTB- MLE one.  President Benigno C. Aquino has wisely

included the rationalization of the medium of instruction in his ten-point agenda

for education.  According to him, people should learn English to connect

ourselves to the world, Filipino to connect ourselves to our country and our

mother tongue to connect ourselves to our heritage (Nolasco, 2010).

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 At present, DepEd is implementing MTB-MLE in more than 100 pioneer

schools throughout the country. Mentors are being trained in L1 curriculum

development and instructional methods.  Teaching and reading materials are

now being made in the local languages.  By 2012, we expect to have enough

trained teachers and developed materials for MTBMLE to be mainstreamed at

Kindergarten and Grade 1 levels in every region.  In 2013, and every year

thereafter, a new grade level under the MTBMLE curriculum will be added until

the new program covers the entire elementary cycle (Nolasco, 2010).

MTB-MLE seeks to address the high functional illiteracy and low learning

outcomes of Filipinos where language plays a significant factor.  According to a

2003 functional literacy survey, 1 out of 3 Filipinos, between 10-64 years old,

could not understand what they were reading.  As one educator, Professor

Josefina Cortes, has observed, we have become “a nation of fifth graders.”

Teacher Education Curriculum for Quality Teachers in MTB-MLE

Quality education is predominantly dependent on the quality of its

teachers. Quality training must therefore be assured by teacher education

institutions and other training programs. However, most teacher education

programs and their curriculum were designed with mainstream, not ethnic

minority classrooms in mind (Karran & Moran, 2013) Teachers have a big role in

the student’s learning experience. They have a bigger impact on how students

acquire knowledge in and outside school. However, due to the prior curriculum,

teachers have been trained in the mainstream design of teaching.

Snoek et al. (2010) stated that the quality of teachers has a larger impact

on the learning of pupils than the quality of the curriculum, the teaching methods,

the school building or the role of the parents. In gearing towards quality

education, there is also an increasing need for a description of a quality teacher.

Karran and Moran (2013) stated that teacher candidates need to be able

to relate various learning theories to MTB-MLE and recognize how crucial the L1

8
is to pupil learning success. Teachers need to be familiar with studies and the

benefits that they could not only get but as well as children who are very much

adept with their mother tongue language. That knowledge will add to their

personal motivation and enthusiasm for the prospect of teaching in a MTB-MLE

program.

There are certain competencies to be achieved for a teacher to be fully

equipped to teach in the program. Karran and Moran (2013) in their study stated

that the curriculum supplement for the MLE elective needs to additionally cover

the following topics specific to the needs of MTB-MLE programs: national

language policies, MTB-MLE research results and learning theories as rationale

behind MTB-MLE, using L1 reading and writing as a teaching tool, cultural

diversity and sensitivity to diversity issues, second language acquisition theory,

teaching L 1 and L2 as subjects versus their use as languages of instruction,

evaluating MTB-MLE pupils.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

(2005), in a report on teacher training and retention relates a common problem;

teacher educators have difficulty in giving their teaching a practical focus. This

results in teacher trainees that have difficulty in seeing how what they learn in

different subjects is linked to what they need to know in a practical, teaching

situation thus creating a gap between theory and practice in teacher education.

There has always been a battle between theory and practice.

Theory must not be given priority. Teacher education must be practical.

Hearing lectures in the L2 about how to teach in the L1 will not equip teachers to

do what they need to do. Theory needs to be taught, but its application must be

demonstrated for the teacher candidates in a practical way.

Karran and Moran (2013) believed that there should be a high percentage

of class time for teacher education must be spent in teacher candidate-centered

activities, not in teacher educator-centered activities. When skilled teacher

educators model active learning and teaching through group activities,

9
simulations, and practice teaching with feedback, teacher candidates will be

equipped for effective MTB-MLE

Chapter III

Methodology

This chapter will be discussing the Research Locale, Research Design,

Research Instrument, and Research Procedure.

Research Locale

The location of the research study will be conducted at Don Enrique Lopez

Elementary School of Mati City, Davao Oriental. It is located at the left side of the

road through Don Salvador. The school’s Principal I is MA. Eva D. Siblos. She

will be the one to give us the permission to help us conduct our research.

Through her permission, we will be able to conduct our interview to the teachers

under the scope of our research study.

The teachers in Grade 1 of Don Enrique Lopez Elementary school will be

the respondents and the main recipients that will complete this research study.

Basically, they will be answering some questions about the research that will be

the basis for the research study’s solution for the problems that will be cited.

Research Design

The researchers used the descriptive research with the interview guide

questionnaire as the principal instrument for data gathering. Questionnaire is a

10
set of predetermined questions for all respondents that serves as the primary

research instrument in survey.

According to Manuel and Medel (2009), descriptive research involves the

description, recording, analysis and interpretation of the present nature,

composition, or process of phenomena. The focus is on the prevailing conditions,

on how a person, group, or thing behaves or functions at the time of the study.

Sanchez (2009) cited the process of descriptive research as going

beyond mere gathering and tabulation of data. It involves the element of

interpretation with the meaning or significance of what is described. Thus,

description is often combined with comparison and contrast involving

measurement, classification, interpretation and evaluation.

Research Instrument

The researchers used the interview guide-questionnaire instrument to

achieve the main objective of the study. An interview guide questionnaire is a

mechanism to help the interviewer conduct an effective semi-structured

interview. It pertains lists of question, plus space for answers. A self-administered

questionnaire will be distributed to the teachers of Don Enrique Lopez

Elementary School. The questionnaire was structured in such a way that the

respondents will be able to answer it easily. A questionnaire is a set of questions

drawn up for answering by a number of people independently, usually to provide

statistical information. In other words, it is an inquiry using such questions.

Research Procedure/Data Analysis

The questionnaire was made by the researchers during their class time

through the help of their instructors. It was then revised and checked by their

11
instructors. After the immediate revisions, the researchers secured permission

from their instructor to administer the survey questionnaire. The researchers will

personally distribute the questionnaires to the respondents to ensure that all

instruction, terms and statement will be fully explained to them.

CHAPTER IV

Results and Discussion

In this chapter, the data results of the research study that was being

conducted will be presented. It was stated in Chapter III that the data are

gathered through conducting interview that was recorded. All four respondents

acknowledged our invitation. These four respondents were very useful as they

had provided us the necessary data that we needed for our research study.

These teachers were all coming from Don Enrique Lopez Elementary School.

Analysis

Question 1: What are the difficulties that you encountered when you are

teaching the MTB-MLE? How did you manage to cope up with the

situation?

Respondent 1:

“So sa lisod nako dihaa, kung ang bata dili pa ka “sounds”. Ka identify ug

sounds, kana lisod jud na siya ug tudlo sa mga bata. Uhmmm, kung while nag

tudlo ka ana sa bata nga dili pa ka identify ug mga sounds, so naa jud kay

buhaton ana nga mga way or paraan nga para kanang mga bataa na maka

basa.”

12
 “Maghatag ka og mga pareha anang mga letter A up to M ta magsugod

ron, unsay sound sa M hantod sa Z aw A up to Z, unsa nga mga sounds hantod

sa makuha na nila ang ilahang, ma identify na ang sounds, kung maka identify

na sila og sounds diha na nila mabasa ang word og butang nato ang syllable.

Respondent 2:

“Okay, first is there are difficulties in teaching MTB-MLE in K to three in

my class I’m handling grade 2, so sa grade two nako ang subjects na ang

medium of instruction lang is seven ka subjects the rest English ang six subjects

ang English lang og Filipino, Filipino of course tagalog then ang English is

English gyud ang medium of instruction the rest kay kuan na vernacular na so

mostly ang mga pupils are more kuan pa fluent pa sila sa English og Filipino

kaysa sa vernacular nato, so since nga ang medium of instruction nato sa K to

three is binisaya so ang medium of instruction karon ang transmission kay lisod

kay sige lang ka og kanang kuan sige lang ka og from bisaya to tagalog to

English, imo pa silang eh.. kuntahay no for example sa libro has, teacher what is

haas? Haas is bitin, bitin is snake kaila pa ang bata sa snake kaysa sa haas. So

ang teacher karon mag sige nalang og unsay tawag aning translate so naay gyuy

ang transmission murag kapila paka sigeg kuan sige paka og translate.”

“Mao na, naa nalang gyud kay ginabuhat nimo kay translation from

vernacular to Filipino to English kay there are pupils na dali sila makasabot sa

Filipino there are pupils nga makasabot pa sila kung itranslate nimo in English

kay ang medium of instruction ana especially in math is bisaya the books are

Cebuano laglom pagyud kaayo pati teacher dili gani kasabot.”

Respondents 3:

“Ang lisod lang gyud sa MTB kay kuan ang ge gamit nga textbook kay

laglom kaayo nga bisaya, so akong ge himo ge hubad nako sa dialect sa mga

13
bata nga mag binisaya kung unsa ilang nagamit nga word mao to akong ge

gamit para ang learning sa bata dali lang.”

Respondent 4:

“Kuan kanang pag ah kanang ma meet gani nimo nga nag lisod gyud

ang bata tungod sa di sila ka sabot lalom kaayo ang mga words kuan lalom

kaayo iyahang mga words, dili gyud masabtan sa mga bata pero kung ang kuan

lang unta ana ato diri lang unta to kay MTB mana Mother Tongue dapat diri lang

unsa nag dialect diri gyud unta to dapat ang gamiton, dili tong lain nga lugar kay

mao na nag lisod ang mga bata.”

“Gi kuan lang nako gi translate lang. oh translate lang.”

Interpretation for Question 1

Based from the answers of the respondents, there are really difficulties in

the MTB-MLE implementation. Respondent 1 stated that if the students did not

master the sound of the letters in Mother Tongue Based–Multi Lingual Education,

there is a high possibility that the students cannot read a word. So, she

suggested some ways on how to make the students read words from the Mother

Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education just like on focusing on the sound, so

that, the students can read a word.

On the other hand, Respondent 2 pointed out the transmission of the

medium of instruction is her difficulty in teaching Mother Tongue Based-Multi

Lingual Education because she said that in order for the students to catch what

she wants to convey, she needs to translate the word from Cebuano to English to

Tagalog just for the students to really understand the word.

Meanwhile, Respondent 3 was referring to the textbooks of Mother

Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education that was provided by the Department of

Education because she said that the words in the textbook is very deep that

14
leads to the students’ confusion. That is why, she has to translate the words just

like what the Respondent 2 did.

Lastly, Respondent 4 encountered the difficulty of not having a localized

system of Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education. She meant that it

should be localized to whatever the local dialect is. This should also be used in

the textbook.

Question 2: What are the observable inconsistencies of the MTB-MLE

based on your experience?

Respondent 1:

“Naa gyud koy na-obserbahan kay nganu kasagaran ang MTB no kung

mag MTB man gud ta kay naa man gyuy usahay didto kung mag base ta sa

atoang kuan sa unsay tawag ani? Guidelines lahi ra kaayo sa actual nga MTB.

Kay diri no, ang sa libro, bisaya ra kaayo what is taga cebu unya diri dili kaayo,

dili ka kasabot unsa maning mga laglum nga mga words as in laglum kaayo nga

mga kuan.”

Respondent 2:

“Siguro inconsistent sila mostly sa kuan lang sa kanang, dili man, regional

man gud ang atoang vernacular sigm, so there are bisaya sa cebu nga inato

pero sa atoa dri sa davao region dili inato but the books ang vernacular nga ge

gamit kay Cebuano unya lahi sa atoa so mao nang mahirapan gyud. Dapat the

books na MTB is regionalized but we’re using atoang libro is Cebuano, unya atoa

dabawenyo ang atoang mother tongue. Mao gyud na.”

Respondent 3:

15
 “Ang MTB okay man siya, kaya lang naa lang siyay mga words nga lisod

sa mga bata nga imong hubaron unya isa pa kung ako lay pabut’on mas gwapo

to kung idiritso nalang nato siya sa English nga mga words kay nganu master

naman niya ang bisaya gikan pa sa gamay pa siya adtos balay, mas maayo

manang idiritsog English pwede pud hubaron nimog binisaya kay para ang bata

maka learn siyag English kabalo pud siya “ah mao diay ni English ani nga word”

“ah mao diay ni bisaya” para advance na siya, kung sa akoa late man gud.”

Respondent 4:

“Ang disadvantage, una katong kuan katong, di masabtan sa bata ang

words nga murag ilonggo man to o ilokano to ultimo gani mi mga teacher mag

lisod gani mi di mi kasabot, so mao tong ako ang ma kuan anang oo.”

Interpretation for Question 2

Respondent 1 stated that based from her experience, the inconsistencies

that she have encountered when she taught the Mother Tongue Based-Multi

Lingual Education is that the words are very deep that even a teacher like her

has difficulty to understand.

Respondent 2 said that the Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education

system is not regionalized, where in the Philippines have regionalized dialects.

That is why, she made a comparison between Cebuano and Dabawenyo

dialects. The textbook used Cebuano language and they were native Dabawenyo

speakers which made it difficult for the pupils to understand.

While, Respondent 3 entailed that the Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual

Education is a great adjustment. However, the problem according to her is that

there are words that are hard to understand. So, she suggested that it is better to

16
use English directly rather than Bisaya alone or translate English to Bisaya to

learn both languages at the same time and that will make the pupils to be

advanced.

Respondent 4 said that one time, she encountered a word from the

textbook wherein she is not sure whether it is an Ilonggo or Ilokano word that

gave her difficulty. She even added that even teachers like them had a difficulty

to understand some words.

Question 3: Do you think that the MTB-MLE is effective in your school?

Discuss your answer briefly.

Respondent 2:

“For me no, not effective kay sa thirty pupils nako, easier pa sila maka

comprehend pa sila og Filipino, if mag ano kami, kanang amoang pagsasalita

mas okay pa sa Filipino and most of kanang mga pupils nako na matatalino kay

mag English pa, siguro kay sailaha pong balay kay professionals pud ilahang

mga parents, siguro depende kay, mostly akoang mga bata kay average man

gud.”

Respondent 4:

“Kuan man kay mura ra man na siyag medium of instruction nato murag

naa naman gyud na di naman gyud nato na ma kuan, mu go nalang, mangita

nalang ug paagi kung unsaon.”

Interpretation for Question 3

17
 Respondent 1 refused to answer the third question because she believed

that it is confidential as it talked about the school. The same with Respondent 3,

she declined to answer the third question.

Respondent 2 negated the question as she explained that in her thirty

pupils, she observed that they are more comfortable to answer in English rather

than the Cebuano dialect. She added that maybe because of the fact that some

of her pupils have professional parents and most of them are in average living

status.

Respondent 4 just accepted the Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual

Education because according to her it is already there, so, she has nothing to do

but accept it and will just find a way on how to deliver the instruction very well.

Question 4: What are your strategies upon teaching the MTB-MLE? Can

you cite some of your strategies in teaching the lessons of MTB-MLE?

Respondent 1:

“So akong buhaton ana basahon nako halimbawa naay basahon, so

akong itranslate pagyud sa way namo nga sinultian nga taga diha ragyud.”

Respondent 3:

“Ahm nag gamit ko og mga visual aids og sa mga pictures nga ang bata

makuha nimo iyang attention and at the same time kung naay mga words didto

nga mga lisod “Hubaron” para dali lang siya pagtudlo sa mga bata since bisaya

man gud siya unya mao poy ginagamit nga dialect sa mga bata.”

Respondent 4:

“I-translate, oo I-translate, mao pud ang number one gyud, oo para ma

kuan ang ilahang oo.”

Interpretation for Question 4

18
 The strategy that Respondent 1 used is that she reads it first, and after,

that she translates it to the way how they used to talk which is in Dabawenyo

bisaya.

Respondent 2 already cited strategies not specifically to this question but

to other questions. The strategy she was implying was translation in which she

entailed that it is a fundamental way of simplifying the difficult words that are

given to the students.

Furthermore, Respondent 3 used visual aids and pictures so that she

could get the attention of the pupils and at the same time she translates some of

the difficult words so that the teaching will be smooth. In addition, she said that

since it is already in bisaya and the pupils used bisaya dialect as well, it would be

easier for them to understand. Respondent 4 simply explained that she just used

translation so that they can understand well if the words are translated.

Question 5: Do you have any suggestion on how to enhance the MTB-MLE?

If none then explain your answer. If none, then explain your answer.

Respondent 1:

“Unta, unta pero dili man gyud na makaya, pero sa akoa no kung pwede

parehas sa atoa dri sa Mindanao no? sa Mindanao, puros bisaya or kaning ingon

nila nga nitibo, mao man gyud nay Dabaw, dinibaw, unya dinabaw man gyud

dapat masabtan naman gyud nila kay og Cebuano taga cebu, gamiton sa

dinabaw, mao nang kasagaran dili gyud masabtan sa mga bata. Unta to kung dri

sa atoa sa region eleven, ang taga region eleven ang mo buhat og libro.”

Respondent 2:

“Ilocalize ang books.”

19
 “Kay ang vernacular sa books na ilahang ge pang distribute dili, mostly

ang mga words lalom kaayo nga dili gyud sila makasabot so siguro localized

gihapon ang mga MTB nga books.”

Respondent 3:

“So akoang suggestion dapat ang mga bata naa silay sariling workbook

ba or, activity sheet ba ron nga answeran sa mga bata na ila pong bisaya na

gigamit han’ay ba nga nahaom pod sa mga, sa learnings sa mga bata nga

masabtan dayun nila og dali ang lesson.”

Respondent 4:

“Dapat gyud unta ang akong suggestion kung unsa ang ma fit diria sa ato

for example diri sa Region XI man ta then lahi-lahi man tag dialect so dapat ato

ang ilahang gamiton pud nga dialect and words nga gamiton nga fit gyud sa

atong kuan sa atong dialect.”

Interpretation for Question 5

Respondent 1, Respondent 2 and Respondent 4 suggested almost

thought which is to localize Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education. It

would be easier for the students and the teacher if they will just use their local

dialect as medium of instruction according to them. They added that if that would

happen, it would be better if the Region XI will be the one to make their book.

While Respondent 3 suggested more on requesting the Department of

Education to provide workbooks and activity sheets for the students. She added

that through this, the students will gain more learnings.

Question 6: What are the possible scenarios when you are teaching the

MTB-MLE to Grade-1 students? Cite some of the downsides of the MTB-

MLE with regards to your students’ performance.

20
Respondent 1:

“Ang na-obserbahan nako sa mga istudyante karon dili sila gusto nga mag

sigeg lingkod lang. kinahanglan nga naa gyud kay buhaton nga, ang mga bata

man gud karon kanang maglakaw-lakaw gani so naa kay buhaton sa mga bata

nga bisan maglakaw-lakaw sila naa silay buhaton nga activity nga related sa

ilahang topic.

Respondent 2:

“Naa gyud silay difficulties of kuan na, sa mother tongue, ang meaning sa

mga words no kay mga kuan man kaayo, ang teacher ana ang magsige lang og

translate ang mahitabo and most of the teachers gyud pag math na English mag

nalang gyud. Ang akoang instruction isa nalang gyud ako, kay klung magbisaya

ko ha, kuan, pati ang mga bata kung magkuan ka kung ge unsa niya pag arrive

ana nga answer, mag English nalang gyud siya kaysa binisaya mas comportable

pa ang bata.”

Respondent 3:

“Wala may mahitabo so far, ang kuan lang ana ang mga bata dali raman

gud siya makasabot labi nag story, makasabot sila kay bisaya man pero atoa

nalang iunlock ang difficult na words nga laglom sa bisaya imo siyang ihubad, ge

hubad lang nako nga masabtan nila ang sinultian. Since Cebuano man gud ilang

MTB nga textbook ang ginagamit so laglom kaayo ilang bisaya”

Respondent 4:

“Dili maminaw ang mga bata. Dili maminaw kay kuan naman lalom dili

naman sila makasabot then mag tanga oo then mag dula nalang sila murag dili

ma focus ilahang pag paminaw sa kuan sa unsay tawag ani sa teacher.”

“Ma less gyud, ma less gyud kay di man jud sila makasabot.”

21
Interpretation for Question 6

Respondent 1 observed that the students nowadays do not like to just sit

there, but they are more likely active when there is an activity. While Respondent

2 explained that it is better to use English as medium of instruction especially in

Math subject because the tendency is that the pupils might arrived in wrong

answer. Therefore, she rather use English because the pupils are more

comfortable in that language. Moreover, Respondent 3 said that the teaching in

Mother Tongue Based- Multi Lingual Education runs smooth as the pupils can

easily understand especially stories, but she then made sure that she translated

some difficult words so that the students can understand well. Lastly,

Respondent 4 stressed out that because of the difficulty of the Cebuano dialect,

the pupils did not want to listen and they tend to play rather than listening to their

teacher. She then added that it will decrease the learning of the students

because of they cannot understand the words.

Question 7: Are you fully supported by the DepEd since the first day of the

implementation of the MTB-MLE? What particular supports did the DepEd

gave to you?

Respondent 1:

“Wala man, naghatag raman sila katong libro. Ako as a teacher sa Grade

1 ako nay mangita og pamaagi kung unsaon ang mga bata makasabot.”

Respondent 2:

“In fairness naa man gyud sila pud, sa grade two niabot gyud ang mga books

tapos naa poy katong K to twelve na seminar mao man gyud to ang focus. In

fairness, naa gyud sila poy mga ano, ge implement gyud pod nila ang K to twelve

pero didto nagyud mag tigi sa medium of instructions.”

Respondent 3:

22
 :oh ge supportaan me since ning undergo me og training within one week

na siya nga seminar, ge tagaan me og mga textbook mga learning materials pero

kulang kaayo unya mas maayo gyud to siya kung daghan, kung tanan bata

ginatagaan para mo facilitate lang ang teacher dili na more ang work sa teacher.”

Respondent 4:

“Naa, naa, libro naay books mga unsay ngalan ani references sa teacher.

Libre, oo.”

Interpretation for Question 7

Respondent 1 agreed that their school is supported by the DepEd. She

said that there were books given to them. However, these books are difficult to

comprehend due to the deep vernacular words used in every books. In this case,

she sought some ways to solve the problems.

Respondent 2 stated that there were books given to them and also the

seminars for them to be guided. However, she then said that there is still problem

with regards to the medium of instruction used in every books.

Respondent 3 agreed that the support of the DepEd was present.

Futhermore, she then stated some of the disadvantages about the said support.

An example of which are the lack of learning materials that are to be used for the

pupils. Respondent 4 said that the support is present. The evidence of this said

support are the books that were utilized to their school.

23
Question 8: How did you manage to adjust from the implementation of the

MTB-MLE?

Respondent 1:

“Pangitaan gyud lalo na ang mga bata nga dili kabasa, pangitaan gyud na

sila nga makasulat pareha anang atong gebuhat karon, sauna sa pagtudlo nako,

naa may mga bata nga dali ra kasabot og naa poy bata nga dili dayun kasabot,

so akong buhaton ani sa akoang topic sa akong objective, katong maka sabot

na lahi ni nga activity katong dili pa kaayo kasabot nga maglisod pa lahi napud

ang iyahang activity. Pero kanang akoang mga bata karon makabasa nagyud na.

mao na kay mao mana akong buhaton, dili gyud nakio igeneral nga kung unsay

topic nako karon, unsay dapat buhaton isa ka activity dili gyud tanan, so dapat

ilain lain ang activity para masabtan gyud nila ang akoang objective.”

Respondent 3:

“Ah dili man kaayo ang adjustment since bisaya mani siya no, so dali ra

kaayo ang learnings sa bata wala kaayo ni siyay masyadong adjustment mas

dali lang hinoon ang lesson sa mga bata pagpasabot since bisaya man siya.”

Respondent 4:

“Kuan nalang, oo pinakalit,oo kung while nag implement naka ana take

pictures nalang para maka sabot sila then ikuan kanang i-translate nato then

sabayan nalang maghatag ug example para makuha gyud sa mga bata.”

Interpretation for Question 8

Respondent 1 cited some of the ways that helped her adjust to the abrupt

changes of the curriculum. She said that in order for her to implement the topic

well, she needed to separate some activities by sorting out the high performing

pupils and the low performing pupils. Respondent 2 already cited some of the

24
ways on how she managed to adjust from the implementation of the K to twelve

from the other questions given. She incorporated her answer to the question 4.

Respondent 3 had no problem adjusting to the newly implemented

curriculum due to the fact that the learning materials given were written in a

vernacular manner. Respondent 4 claimed that it was an abrupt change to the

curriculum but she cannot do anything but to implement it since it is already

implemented. She said that she needed to translate the deep vernacular words

with supporting examples to make the lesson easier.

Question 9: With regards to the students’ examination test papers, do you

think that it will help them to be a better learner in contrast to the traditional

curriculum that does not follow the MTB-MLE?

Respondent 1:

“So ang ge buhat nako ingon ani, magpa exam gani ko pabasahon gyud

nako tanan sa question para masabtan, og dili sila kasabot akoang hubaron nga

mas lesser nga makasabot.”

Respondent 2:

“Sa fourteen years nako effective patong dati, para sa akoa effective pod

gyud, kay mag, didto naman gud ta diretso mag focus sa og sa reading sa

Filipino og English kanang murag maglisod nahinoon og attack ambot lang, para

sa akoa sigm.”

Respondent 3:

“Not totally na ang words lisod kanang naa lay mga sometimes na bisaya

kaayo parehas anang word na “KA-KA” so sa atoa damang mana, sa binisaya

nga Cebuano spider mao na siya ang spider sa ilaha sa atoa gagamba sa

25
tagalog gagamba so imo siyang hubaron aron ang kanang “KA-KA” class mao na

siya ang binisaya sa Cebuano nga ge gamit, sa atoa damang na siya oh ana na

siya, gina hubad na pero totally totally okay siya kay bisaya man.”

Respondent 4:

“Makakuha pud sila kay dili man pud ka mu adto sa lain nga lesson kung

di gyud pud to nimo sila maka sabot dapat i-focus gyud nimo para maka-sabot

sila pasabton gyud nato para maka-sabot sila.”

Interpretation for Question 9

Respondent 1 entailed that in order for the test questionnaires to be easily

understood, she will have to let her pupils read the questions and then

accommodate the questions raised by the students. She will translate the words

that seem to be difficult to her pupils to be more understandable.

Respondent 2 appreciate the traditional curriculum in contrast to the new.

She explained that it was more appropriate to follow the traditional curriculum

because it directly focuses on Filipino and English as the medium of instruction.

Respondent 3 focused more on the translation of the difficult words. She thinks

that it would be much easier to translate it for them to learn effectively.

Respondent 4 entailed that there must be a focus on how to make the pupils

understand first before engaging them to another lesson.

Question 10: Have you ever experienced some difficulties in delivering the

lessons to your students? As a teacher, how do you make the lesson

easier for the students to understand?

Respondent 1:

26
 “Ay maglisod gyud ko atong, mangutana pako sa kauban nako kung unsa

gani bisaya ani, unsay bout pasabot ani nga mga laglom nga ultimo akong

maestra wala naman ko kasabot ani.”

Respondent 2:

“Siguro sa math lang, because of, like sa books na kuan, actually ge

follow nalang nako akoang personal kuan nalang gyud, akoang personal

strategy.”

“Ang gina follow lang nako no ang subject matter pero ang medium of

instruction nako kay Filipino nagyud og English kay the more nga mag kun’ot og

gamitan og binisaya murag mas lami pa ang delivery nimo sa instruction para sa

akoa sa math ko ha focus ko sa math. Kay sa okay lang man sa makabayan

magbinisaya ka okay lang pud sa ESP, MAPEH og walay problema, sa math

lang gyud ko maglisod og attack magbinisaya.”

Respondent 3:

“ Ang medyo nag kulang lang at okay is ang mga learning materials

medyo kulang gyud siya sa mga bata no dapat isa-isa lang gyud dapat siguro

para lang sa akoa, para dali lang ang lesson nato na mahatag nato sa mga bata,

mafacilitate nato sa mga bata.”

Respondent 4:

“Dili, kay wala man pud ko nag lisod kay naa may mga references nga

pwede nato, maka refer man ta, naay books so makuha gyud gihapon pero mas

maayo man gyud tong ang hangyo lang gyud pud unta nako nga dapat kung

unsa tong dialect mao gyud unta tong gamiton.”

Interpretation for Question 10

27
 Respondent 1 claimed that there were difficulties she encountered and

she needed to ask her co-teacher for some of the meanings of the words she did

not understand. Respondent 2 had difficulties when it comes to the medium of

instruction of her Math subject. Her Math subject is using vernacular as a

medium of instruction which is very difficult to comprehend. Respondent 3

entailed that the only difficulty she experienced was the lack of materials like

books and textbooks. Respondent 4 claimed that she did not experience any

difficulties because there were books and references that serve as her guide to

implement well the lessons.

In general, the teachers of Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education

in Don Enrique Lopez Elementary School have the same problems when they

are teaching the Mother Tongue. They are all having problems with the textbooks

that were provided to them by the Department of Education and they are all

concerned about the Cebuano Bisaya as a medium of instruction used in Region

XI because most of the words are very unfamiliar and are difficult to understand

that even the teachers like them are having difficulties.

They are also suggesting that the Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual

Education system must be localized because it will be easier for the teachers’

part especially when they are teaching using the medium of instruction where

they are familiar off which is the Dabawenyo Bisaya. And also, the students’

learning would not be compromised as they can easily understand the topic

because the medium of instruction used is familiar to them.

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 CHAPTER V

A. Summary

This qualitative research aimed to address the challenges that the Mother

Tongue Based- Multi Lingual Education teachers in Don Enrique Lopez

Elementary School are facing. The researchers provided objectives where in,

they served as the researchers’ target, so that, this research study becomes

successful.

There were data gathering happened while conducting this research

study. The researchers made sure that they have identified the essential

respondents for this research. Rest assured that the respondent’s identity was

remained confidential. The researchers provided an Interview Guide Questions to

the respondents which is needed in collecting the data needed for the research

study.

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 Each question was presented according to the respondents’ answers.

After which, an interpretation was done every after each question. Then after, the

respondents’ answers were generalized to determine the totality of their thought.

B. Findings

The following findings are based from the answers given by the

respondents from the Mother Tongue Based-Multi Lingual Education teachers in

Don Enrique Lopez Elementary School.

1. The determined experiences and problems of the MTB-MLE teachers

teaching Grade 1 Mandaya students in Cebuano instructional materials

are the following:

Experiences and Problems

There were a lot of observable inconsistencies that occurred during

the implementation of the Mother Tongue Based Multi-lingual

Education. As what the teachers of Don Enrique Lopez Elementary

School had experienced, they were able to cite these inconsistencies.

The majority of teachers complained about the medium of

instruction that is used in the learning materials of both teachers and

students. This medium is Cebuano and it is somehow unfamiliar to the

language used in the area of Davao Oriental. The Cebuano language

pertains much deeper terms and meanings in contrast to the language

used in the said area. The majority of teachers in Don Enrique Lopez

Elementary School claims that the medium of instruction used in the

Mother Tongue Based Multi-lingual Education is not effective when it

comes to the implementation of the lesson because it distorts simple

terms and meanings. Another is that the teachers put on too much

effort translating the context of the books that has been utilized in their

school. Because of these problems, the students of Don Enrique

30
 Lopez Elementary School tends to play rather than to participate and

listen.

With regards to the subjects that are aligned with the Mother

Tongue Based Multi-lingual Education, it increases the difficulty of

comprehension towards the students. The examples of these subjects

mentioned by one of the respondents is the Math subject. This Math

subject’s medium of instruction is altered to the Cebuano dialect which

made it more difficult for the teachers to translate and for the students

to comprehend.

This only means that the Mother Tonguie Based Multi-lingual

Education needs to be localized for the benefit of both teachers and

students.

2. The strategies of the teachers in coping up with the situations of the

MTB-MLE are the following:

The main strategy that the respondents have done during their

experiences in teaching the Mother Tongue Based Multi-lingiual

Education is translation. Where in every situation, they translate those

unfamiliar words that they encounter before and during their

discussion. Translation for them is very important however, there are

still some words that they could not directly translate and sometimes

understand due to the unfamiliarity of the words.

The respondents also cited that using pictures and visual aids help

them hook the attention of their pupils. Since the teacher have gained

the attention of their pupils, they can easily inject the intended

information.

Activities are also part of the strategies that help the teacher utilize

and implement their discussion. According to the respondents,

students now a days do not settle in just sitting in their chairs but

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 rather, they seek for fun and enjoyable activities. That is why they

integrate activities in their lesson.

C. Conclusion

Based on the research data collected by the researchers and from

the results that were analyzed, the researchers have the following

conclusions:

The Mother Tongue Based Multi-lingual Education teachers of Don

Enrique Lopez Elementary School were having difficulties in transmitting

the ideas using the Cebuano dialect to their pupils.

Limited learning materials were provided by the Department of

Education (DepED) to the Mother Tongue Based Multi-lingual Education

teachers.

The Cebuano dialect is inappropriate in the locality of Don Enrique

Lopez Elementary School which is located at City of Mati, Davao Oriental.

Translation is the one of the best solution that the respondents

have used while teaching their lesson using the Mother Tongue medium of

instruction.

D. Recommendation

From the results that we have gathered and the conclusions that

were made, the researchers would like to recommend to the Department

of Education the localization of the medium of instruction used in the

Mother Tongue Based Multi-Lingual Education. We would also like

recommend the addition of more learning materials for the teachers and

the students.

Seminars and other important programs about the Mother Tongue

Based Multi-lingual Education are highly recommended as well for it will

32
help the teachers have the knowledge to adjust to every situations that

have been encountered and have not.

This research is really aiming for a change to the educational

system most especially to the Mother Tongue Based Multi-Lingual

Education for it serves as the foundation of language learning.

33