Learning Episode 3:

Focus on Gender, Needs,

FIELD STUDY 1 Strengths, Interests, Experiences,
Language, Race, Culture, Religion
and Socio-Economic Status
SPARK Your Interest
Episode 3 provides to observe how differences in gender, racial, cultural and
religious backgrounds, including coming from indigenous groups influence learner
behavior, interaction, and performance in school. One will also analyze and reflect on
practices that teachers use in leveraging diversity in the classroom. It also provides an
opportunity to observe how differences in abilities affect interaction in school and learn
about strategies that teachers use in addressing the learners’ needs towards effective
teaching and learning.

TARGET Your Intended Learning Outcome

At the end of the episode, I must be able to:
 Describe the characteristics and needs of learners from diverse backgrounds;
 Identify the needs of the students with different levels of abilities in the
classroom;
 Identify the best practices in differentiated teaching to suit the varying
learner needs in a diverse class (PPST 3.1.1); and
 Demonstrate openness, understanding and acceptance of the learners’
diverse needs and backgrounds.

REVISIT the Learning Essentials

Here are the principles and concepts relevant to this episode:
1. Principles of Development
a. Development of learning proceed at varying rates from child to child, as
well as at uneven rates across different areas of the child’s functioning
(NAEYC 2019)
b. Development and learning are maximized when learners are challenged to
achieve at a level just above their current level of mastery, and also when
they have many opportunities to practice newly acquired skills.
c. Differentiated instruction is a student-centered approach that aims to
match the learning content, activities and assessment to the different
characteristics, abilities, interests, and needs of the learners.

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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
 2. The PPST highlighted the following factors that bring about the diversity of the
learners:
a. Differences in learners’ gender, needs, strengths, interests, and experiences
b. Learners’ linguistic, cultural, socio-economic and religious backgrounds
c. Learners with disabilities, giftedness and talents
d. Learners under challenging circumstances which include geographic isolation,
chronic illness chronic illness, displacement due to armed conflict, urban
resettlement of disasters, child abuse, and child labor.

Effective teachers are knowledgeable about issues related to the factors mentioned
affect learners. The teachers develop in them sensitivity and empathy. They remember
that the learners respond and perform at different levels. The teacher assures the students
that their gender identity, culture and religion as respected, their strength are
recognized, and their needs will be met. These teachers declare to all that everyone has
the chance to learn and succeed. They create a learning community where everyone
can work together and contribute regardless of their abilities, capacities and circumstances.

Teachers who celebrate and leverage student diversity in the classroom:

 Use strategies to build a caring community in the classroom
 Model respect and acceptance of different cultures and religions
 Bring each of the students’ home culture and language into the shared
culture of the school
 Provide more opportunities for cooperation than competition

3. Focus on Indigenous Peoples

A young teacher’s approach to indigenous peoples starts with a keen awareness

of one’s own identity, including one’s beliefs and cultural practices. Through serious
reflection one may realize that the self is a product of all the influences of key people in
one’s life and the community, real and virtual. Similarly, learners from indigenous
groups carry with them their beliefs, views and cultural practices. One’s attitude needs
to be that of openness and respect. Come in not with the views that one’s own culture
is superior, we approach with the sincere willingness and deep interest to know and
understand the indigenous peoples’ culture. We aim to make the teaching-learning
facilitative rather than imposing.

a. From your professional education subjects/courses, most likely you have

discussed indigenous peoples in the Philippines. You learned that our country
has about 110 ethno-linguistic groups, majority of which is in Mindanao,
some in Northern Luzon and fewer in the Visayas. (UNDP Philippines, 2010).
They represent about 10-20% of our total population. There are two big
indigenous people’s groups which have several smaller ethnic groups within
them, the non-Muslim groups called the Lumads in Mindanao and the Igorot’s
in the Northern Luzon. Among others, we have the Badjao’s Ati and
Tumandok, Mangyans, and Aetas.

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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
b. Republic Act 8371 (1997), the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, recognizes and
protects the rights of indigenous cultural communities (ICC) and Indigenous peoples
(IP). In our country was admired by other nations for enacting this law. However, years
later, so much still has to be done to improve the lives of millions from indigenous
groups. (Reyes, Mina and Asis, 2017)

c. Guided by RA 8371, 2015 DepEd issued DO 32, s.2015, Adopting the Indigenous
Peoples Education (IPED) Curriculum Framework. Most useful for you as a future
teacher to remember are the 5 Key Elements of an Indigenous People’s Education
Curriculum (DO 32, s.2015 enclosure, pp. 15-18):

1. Curriculum Design, Competencies and Content. Interfacing the national

curriculum with Indigenous Knowledge systems (ILS) the design of a
culturally appropriate and responsive curriculum has the following features:
a. Anchors the learning context on the ancestral domain, the community’s
world view, and its indigenous cultural institutions.
b. Includes and respects the community’s expression of spirituality as part of
the curriculum context.
c. Affirms and strengthens indigenous peoples’ identity.
d. Revitalizes, regenerates, strengthens, and enriches IKSPs, ILS and
indigenous languages.
e. Emphasizes competencies that are related to support the development
and protection of the ancestral domain, the vitality of their culture, and
the advancement of indigenous people’s rights and welfare.
f. Supports the community’s efforts to discern new concepts that will
contribute to the community’s cultural integrity while enabling meaningful
relations with the broader society.

2. Teaching Methodologies and Strategies. A culturally appropriate and

responsive curriculum employs teaching methodologies and strategies that
strengthen, enrich, and compliment the community’s indigenous teaching
learning process.

3. Learning Space and Environment. A culturally appropriate and responsive

curriculum recognizes that the ancestral domain where IKSPs are
experienced, lived, and learned is the primary learning environment and
learning space of indigenous learners.

4. Learning Resources. Instructional materials, and other learning resources

shall be developed and utilize in line with the described curriculum content
and teaching-learning process.

5. Classroom Assessment. Assessment shall be done utilizing tools

appropriate to the standards, competencies, skills, and concepts being

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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
 covered. Their design and use shall address the needs and concerns of the
community and shall be developed with their participation.

OBSERVE, ANALYZE, REFLECT

Activity 3.1 Observing differences among learners’ gender, needs,
strengths, interests, and experiences; and differences among learners’
linguistic, cultural, socio-economic and religious backgrounds
Resource Teacher: Perning Llagas School: San Jose Elementary School

Year Level: Grade 3 Subject Area: ______ Date: September 29, 2021
The learner’s differences and the type of interaction they bring surely affect the
quality of teaching and learning. This activity is about observing and gathering data to
find out how student diversity affects learning.
To realize the Intended Learning Outcomes, work my way through these steps:

Step 1. Observe a class in different parts of the school day. (beginning of the day,
class time, recess, etc.)
Step 2. Describe the characteristics of the learners in terms of age, gender, and social,
and cultural diversity.
Step 3. Describe the interaction that transpires inside and outside the classroom.
Step 4. Interview your resource teacher about the principles and practices that she
uses in dealing with diversity in the classroom.
Step 5. Analyze the impact of individual differences on learners’ interactions.

The observation form is provided for me to document my observations.

OBSERVE

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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
 An Observation Guide for the Learners’ Characteristics

Read the following carefully before you begin to observe. Then write your observation
report on the space provided on the next page.

1. Find out the number of students. Gather data as to their ages, gender, racial groups,
religious and ethnic backgrounds.

During Class:

1. How much interaction is there in the classroom? Describe how the students interact
with one another and with the teacher. Are there groups that interact more with the
teacher than others.
2. Observe the learners seated at the back and the front part of the room. Do they
behave and interact differently?

3. Describe the relationship among the learners. Do the learners cooperate with
or compete against each other?

4. Who among the students participate actively? Who among them ask for most
help?

5. When a student is called and cannot answer the teacher’s question, do the
classmates try to help him? Or do they raise their hands, so that the teacher
will call them instead?

Outside the Class:

1. How do the students group themselves outside the class? Homogenously, by
age? By gender? By racial or ethnic group? By their interests? Or are the
students in mixed social groupings? If so, describe the groupings.

2. Notice students who are alone and those who are not interacting. Describe
their behavior.

Interview the teacher and ask about their experience about learners in
difficult circumstances. Request them to describe these circumstances and how it
has affected the learners. Ask about the strategies they use to help these learners
cope.
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 OBSERVATION REPORT

Name of the School Observed: San Jose Elementary School

School Address: San Jose, Libon, Albay
Date of Visit: September 29, 2021
There are 26 students in the classroom. As I observe them, they feel
comfortable to interact to those students/classmates who are in their age and
gender. They have individual differences and you can see that there is really
diversity in the classroom. They grouped commonly according to their gender. Boys
grouped themselves and girls grouped themselves. As I observed the classroom, I
can say that the interaction is quite good because there is learning and rapport
established in the room. The students more interact to each other when they are
grouped. The interaction of the students to the teacher is by participating in
classroom activities and talking to their teacher during free time. The students at the
back are commonly boys. They sometimes don’t listen to their teacher and they are
the noisemakers in the class. On the other side, the students seated at the front are
focused on listening to the discussions of the teachers. There are interactions among
the learners if they are grouped by their teacher. The relationship among learners is
good because I can see the students are united and they are cooperating with each
other. Sometimes, they compete because I know it’s for the sake of their grades but
most of the time they are really helping each other especially when they find the
questions/problems so hard. The students who participate actively in the class are
those students who are seated in the front. They are more focused and attentive in
listening to their teacher so they get higher scores when they have quiz. The
students seated at the back need helps because they don’t understand the lesson
always. When a student cannot answer the teacher’s question, sometimes his/her
other classmates will help him/her by telling him/her the answer but most of his/her
classmates are competitive and raises their hands so that the teacher will call them
instead. The cooperation/unity and competition of the students in the room is
balanced.
After the class the students will separate and go to their groups. Most of them
are by age and genders but some of them are in mixed social groupings from other
section mingles with the other sections. They are enjoying their groups.

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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
ANALYZE

1. Identify the persons who play key roles in the relationships and interaction in the
classroom. What roles do they play? Is there somebody who appears to be the
leader, a mascot/joker, am attention seeker, a little teacher, a doubter/pessimist?
In terms of relationships and interactions in the classroom, I can see that all is
having a good relationship and interaction with each other. They talk to each other,
laugh, play, study, etc. If there is no teacher involved in the interaction, there are
students who appear to be the entertainer of the class. He jokes and makes the class
laugh, then after that, they will tease and talk to each other and I can see that they’re
having fun. If everything goes wrong of course there is a little teacher who will manage
the class and ensures that interaction must be good and favorable.

2. What makes the learners assume these roles? What factors affect their behaviors?
Well, the fact s that, pupils assume these roles because it helps them to practice
being good leader. And the factors on how to manage their member in a good way.

3. Is there anyone you observed who appear left out? Are students who appear
“different?” why do they appear different? Are they accepted or rejected by the
others? How is this shown?
There is no one who appeared being left out, the school promotes a child-
friendly environment regardless of the diversity, where in the pupils cooperating and
collaborating among each other.

4. What does the teacher do to address issues like this?

The teacher is taking time to listen to what pupils say, teachers impart to pupils
a sense of ownership each other.

5. How does the teacher influence the class interaction considering the individual
differences of the students?
The teacher showed right attitude to his/her class by respecting rights of others
and teacher treated them equally but the teacher adjusted more, the teacher tried to
make more adjustments more so that it will not be affect to the individual differences of
the students by teaching them equally by showing professionalism to them.
6. What strategies does the teacher use to maximize the benefits of diversity in the
classroom? How does the teacher leverage the diversity?
Providing differentiated learning instructional materials can help learners to
determine the appropriate learning activities that suit them.

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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
REFLECT

1. How did you feel being inside that classroom? Did you feel a sense of oneness or
unity among the learners and between the teacher and the learner?

Every time I’m in the classroom, I feel happy because I remembered and
flashback all the memories when I’m also in that grade. I could feel that the teacher is
well respected by his pupils because they listen attentively and participate during
discussions. In that way, I can sense the oneness among the students and the teacher.

LINK Theory of Practice

Directions: Read the items given below and encircle the correct answer.

1. Which statement on student diversity is CORRECT?

A. The teacher must do his/her best to reduce student diversity in class.
B. The less the diversity of the student in class, the better for the teacher and
students
C.
C. The teacher should accept and value diversity
D. Student diversity is purely due to students’ varied cultures.

2. Which student thinking/behavior indicates that he/she values diversity?

A. He/She regards his culture as superior to other’s cultures.
B. He/She regards his culture as inferior to other’s cultures.
C.
C He/She accepts the fact that all people are unique in their own way
D. He/She emphasizes the differences among the people and disregards their
commonalities.

3. What is the teaching-learning implication of student diversity?

A. Compare students
B. Make use of a variety of teaching and assessment methods and activities.
B.

C. Do homogenous grouping for activities.

D. Develop different standards for different student groups

4. All are features of the Indigenous Peoples Education Curriculum,

EXCEPT___________.

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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
 A. Affirms and strengthen indigenous cultural identity
B. Makes education exclusive to the indigenous culture
C.
C. Revitalizes, regenerates and enriches IKSPS and indigenous languages

D. Anchors the learning context on the ancestral domain, the community’s world
view, and its indigenous cultural institutions

5. All are best practices in using learning resources for indigenous learners, EXCEPT
__________
A. Culturally generated learning resources only include indigenous group’s
artifacts, stories, dances, songs, and musical instruments.
B. The language used in instructional materials, especially in primary years,
which highlight mother tongue, is consulted with the indigenous community.
C. Cultural sensitivity and protocols are observed in development and use of
instructional materials
D.
D. The indigenous community’s property rights are upheld in publishing learning
resources.

6. All are best practices for assessment in the Indigenous Peoples Education
Framework, EXCEPT,
A. Including the practice of competencies in actual community and family
situations
B. Applying higher-order thinking skills and interactive understanding across
subject areas
CC. Using international context in the assessment standards and content faithfully
without modification
D. Including community-generated assessment processes that are part of
indigenous learning system.

7. Read the following comments by the teacher. Which of these comments will most
likely make a child try harder, rather than give up?

A. Sinuswerte ka ngayon ditto sa test, ha?

B. Hindi, ka talaga magaling sa paksang ito, ‘no?
C. Nakikita ko na kailangan mong maglaan ng mas mahabang panahon sa
paksang ito para lubos mong maunawaan ito.
DD. Nahihirapan ka sa paksang ito. Maari kitang tulungan.

8. Which of the following demonstrates differentiated instruction?

A. The teacher groups the learners by their ability level and makes the groups
work with the same topic but assigns a different task appropriate for each
group to accomplish
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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
 B. The teacher divides the class into three heterogeneous groups and assigns
the same activity for each group to work on.
CC. The teacher groups the learners by their ability level and assigns different
content topics to work on
D. The teacher groups the learners by ability levels and assigns each group
different tasks on the same topic, and then requests three different teachers,
each to assess one of the groups.

9. Which teaching practice gives primary consideration to individual differences?

A. Allowing children to show that they learned the stages of mitosis in a way
A
where they feel most comfortable.
B. Allowing children to show that they learned the stages of mitosis in a way
where they feel most comfortable except by lecturing
C. Preparing two different sets of examination, one for the fast learners and
another for the slow learners
D. Applying two sets of different standards

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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status
EVALUATE Performance Task

Evaluate your work TASK Field Study 1, Episode 3 – Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths,
Interests, Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-economic Status
Learning Outcome: Describe the characteristics and needs of learners from diverse backgrounds;
Identify the needs of the students with different levels of abilities in the classroom; Identify the best
practices in differentiated teaching to suit the varying learner needs in a diverse class (PPST 3.1.1); and
Demonstrate openness, understanding and acceptance of the learners’ diverse needs and backgrounds.

Name of FS Student: Lea R. Robrigado Date Submitted: October 2, 2021

Year & Section: lV- A Course: BEED

Learning Excellent Very Satisfactory Satisfactory Needs Improvement

Episode 4 3 2 1

Accomplished All observation One (1) to two (2) Three (3) observation Four (4) observation
Observation questions/tasks observation questions/tasks not questions/tasks not
Sheet completely questions/tasks not answered/accomplished. answered/accomplished.
answered/accomplished. answered/accomplished.
Analysis All questions were All questions were Questions were not Four or more
answered completely; answered completely; answered completely; observations were not
answers are with depth answers are clearly answers are not clearly answered; answers not
and are thoroughly connected to theories; connected to the connected to theories;
grounded on theories; grammar and spelling are theories; one (1) to three more than (4)
grammar and spelling free from errors. (3) grammatical/ spelling grammatical /spelling
are free from errors. errors. errors
Reflection
Profound and clear; Clear but lacks depth; Not so clear and shallow; Unclear and shallow;
supported by what were supported by what were somewhat supported by rarely supported by what
observed and analyzed. observed what were observed and were observed and
analyzed analyzed

Learning Portfolio is reflected on Portfolio is reflected on in Portfolio is not reflected Portfolio is not reflected
Artifacts in the text of the the text of the learning on in the text of the on in the context of the
learning outcomes; outcomes; Complete, learning outcomes; learning outcomes; not
Complete, well well organized, highly Complete, well complete; not organized,
organized, highly relevant to the learning organized, highly not relevant
relevant to the learning outcome relevant to the learning
outcome outcome
Submission Submitted before the Submitted on the Submitted after the Submitted two (2) days
deadline deadline deadline or more after the
deadline
COMMENT/S Overall Score Rating:
(Based
Transmutation)

Transmutation of Score to Grade/Rating

Score 20 19-18 17 16 15 14 13-12 11 10 9-8 7-below
Grade 1.0 1.25 1.5 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3.00 3.5 5.00
99 96 93 90 87 84 81 78 75 72 71-below

BERNARD S. PANTONILLA, Ph.D. _________________

Signature of FS Teacher above Printed Name Date
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Learning Episode 3: Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests,
Experiences, Language, Race, Culture, Religion and Socio-Economic Status