LEARNING EPISODE 3

(Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests, Experiences Language, Race, Culture, Socio-economic,
Status, Difficult Circumstances and Indigenous People)

SPARK Your Interest

Episode 3 provides an opportunity to observe how differences in gender, racial, culture and religious
backgrounds, including coming from the indigenous groups influence learner behavior, interaction, and performance in
school. On will also analyze and reflect on the practices that teachers use in leveraging diversity in 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 Outcomes

At the end of this Episode, I must be able to:

 describe the characteristics and needs of learners from diverse backgrounds;
 identify 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 principles and concepts relevant to this episode:

1. Principles of Development
a.Development and learning proceed at varying rates from child to child, as well as at uneven
rate 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.

2. The PPST highlighted the following factors that brings about the diversity of learners:
a.Differences in learners’ gender, needs, strengths, interests, and experiences
b.Learners’ linguistic, cultural, socio-economic, and religious background
c. Learners with disabilities, giftedness, and talents
d.Learners under challenging circumstances which indulge geographic isolation, chronic
illness, displacement due to armed conflict, urban resettlement or disasters, child abuse,
and child labor.

Effective teachers are knowledgeable about how issues related to the factors mentioned affect learners. The
teacher’s development in them sensitivity and empathy. They remember that the learners respond and perform
at different levels. The teachers assure students that their gender identity, culture and religion are 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 culture and religious
 bring each of the student’s 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. Though 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 then their beliefs, views and cultural practices.
One’s attitude needs to be that openness and respect. Come is not with the view that one’s own culture
is superior, we approach with the sincere willingness and deep interests to know and understand the
indigenous people’s culture. We aim to make 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 ethano-
 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 group which have several smaller ethnic groups within
them, the non-muslim groups called the Lumads in Mindanao, and the Igorots in Northern
Luzon. Among others, we have Badjaos, Ati and Tumandok, Mangyans, and Aetas.
b. Republic Act 8371 (1997), the indigenous People’s Rights Act, recognizes and protects the
rights of indigenous cultural communities (ICC) and indigenous people (IP). 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 million people from indigenous groups. (Reyes, Mina and Asis,
2017)
c. Guided by RA 8371, in 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 Peoples Education Curriculum (DO
32, s.015 enclosure,pp. 15-18):

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

curriculum with Indigenous Knowledge systems and practices (IKSPs) and
Indigenous Learning system (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 word
view, and its indigenous cultural institutions.
b. Includes and respects the community’s expression of spiritually as part of the
curriculum context.
c. Affirms and strengthens indigenous cultural identity.
d. Revitalizes, regenerates, strengthens, and enriches IKSPs, ILS, and indigenous
languages.
e. Emphasizes competencies that are needed to support the development and
protection of the ancestral domain, the vitality of their culture, and the
advancement of indigenous peoples’ 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
boarder society.
2. Teaching Methodologies and Strategies. A culturally and responsive curriculum
employs teaching methodologies and strategies that strengthen, enrich, and complement 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 utilized in line with the described curriculum content and teaching-learning
processes.
5. Classroom Assessment. Assessment shall be done utilizing tools appropriate to the
standards, competencies, skills, and concepts being 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,
religious backgrounds, and difficult circumstances.

Resource Teacher: ________________________ Teacher’s Signature_________________

School: _____________________ Grade/Year Level: ______________________
Subject Area: _______________________ Date: ___________________

The learners’ 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 students diversity affects learning.

To realize the Intended Learning Outcomes, work your way through these steps:

Step 1. Observe a class in different parts of a school day. (beginning of the day, class time, recess, etc.)
Step 2. Describe the characteristics of learners in terms of age, gender, and social and cultural diversity
Step 3. Describe the interaction that transpire 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’ interaction.

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

OBSERVE

An Observation Guide for the Learners’ Characteristic

Read the following carefully before you begin to observe. Then write your observation report on the space provided.
1. Find out the numbers 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 class:
1. How do the students group themselves outside class? Homogeneously, by age? by gender? By racial or ethnic
groups? 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 teachers 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.

Ask the teachers about strategies they apply to address the needs of diverse students due to the following
factors.
 Gender, including LGBT
 Language and cultural differences
 Differences in religion
 Socio-economic status
 OBSERVATION REPORT

Name of the School Observed___________________________________________________

School Address_______________________________________________________________
Date of Visit______________________________________________________________________

ANALYZE

1. Identify the persons who play key roles in the relationships and interaction in the classrooms. What
roles do that play? Is there somebody who appears to be leader, a mascot/joker, an attention seeker,
a little teacher, a doubter/pessimist?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

What makes the learners assume these roles? What factors affect their behavior?
________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. Is there anyone you observed who appear left out? Are students who appear “different?” why do the
appear different? Are they accepted or rejected by the others? How is this shown?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

What does the teacher do to address issues like this?

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

3. How does the teacher influence the class interaction considering the individual differences of the
students?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

4. What strategies does the teacher use to maximize the benefits of diversity in the classroom? How
does the teacher leverage diversity?
________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

REFLECT

1. How did you feel being in that classroom? Did you feel a sense of oneness or unity among the learners and
between the teacher and the learner?
 Activity 3.2 Observing the school experiences of learners who belong to indigenous groups.

Resource Teacher:____________________________ Teacher’s Signature_________________

School:_____________________ Grade/Year Level:_____________________
Subject Area:______________________________ Date:__________________

To realize the Intended Learning Outcomes, work your way through these steps.
1. Ensure that you have reviewed the no. 3 Focus on Indigenous Peoples in the Learning essentials Episode 3.
2. Observe in a school with a program for IP learners. Below are some suggested schools:
a. Ujah School of Living Traditions, Hungduan, Ifugao
b. Sentrong Paaralan ng mga Agta, General nakar, Quezon
c. Sitio Tarukan Primary School, Capas Tarlac
d. Mangyan Center for Leaving and Development, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro
e. Paaralang Mangyan na Angkop sa Kulturang Aalagaan (PAMANAKA), San Jose Occidental Mindoro
f. Tubuanan Ati Learning Center, Balabag, Boracay Island
g. Balay Turun-an Schools of Living Traditions, Brgy. Garangan and Brgy. Agcalaga, Calino, Iloilo
h. T’boli School of Living Traditions, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato
i. Daraghuyan-Bukidnon Tribal Community School, Dalwangan, Malaybalay, Bukidnon
j. Talaandig School of Living Traditions, Lantapan, Bukidnon
k. Bayanihan Elementary School, Marilog, Davao
l. Lumad Bakwit School, UP Diliman, Quezon City

Please note: Ensure proper coordination of your college/university to obtain permission from these schools
before you visit. If an actual visit is not feasible, consider a “virtual visit” through social media. And if still not
feasible consider a “virtual” field study through watching Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines videos. There are
several available at YouTube. You can start with this video by DepEd:

3. Write your observation report.

4. Analyze your observation data using the Indigenous Peoples Education Framework.
5. Reflect on your experience.

OBSERVE
Use the observation guide provided for you to document your observations.

An Observation Guide for Indigenous Peoples Education

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

If you are watching videos you searched, instead of actual visiting a school, have these question in mind as you
are watching videos. You can try to get in touch with the creator of the video and interview them two.

1. Before you observe, read about the specific IP group in the school you will visit. Know their norms and
customary greetings. This will help you blend in the school community and interact with respect.
2. Observe and note the different parts or areas of the school environment. How are learning spaces
arranged?
3. What activities do they do in these different areas of the school?
4. Who are the people who manage the school? Who are involved in teaching the learners?
5. Observe how teaching-learning process happen. Describe the learning activities they have and the
teaching strategies that the teacher uses.
6. Describe the interaction that is taking place between the teacher and learners, among the teachers, and
in the school in general.
7. What instructional materials and learning resources are they using?
8. Interview the teacher or principal about the curriculum. Find out the curriculum goals. You can use the
questions found on the Analysis part of this activity.
Write your observation report here.
OBSERVATION REPORT

(You may include photos here)

Name of the School Observed______________________________________________________________
School Address____________________________________________________________________________
Date of Visit_______________________________________________________________________________

OBSERVATION REPORT

ANALYZE

Curriculum Design, Competencies, and Content Answer each question based on your observation and
Interview data
1. Does the school foster a sense of belonging to
one’s ancestral domain, a deep understanding of
the community’s beliefs and practices. Cite
examples
2. Does the school show respect of the community’s
expression of spiritually? How?
3. Does the school foster in indigenous learners a
deep appreciation of their identity? How?
4. Does the curriculum teach skills and competencies
in the indigenous learners that will help them
develop and protect their ancestral domain and
culture?
5. Does the curriculum link new concepts and
competencies to the life experience of the
community?
6. Do teaching strategies help strengthen, enrich,
and complement the community’s indigenous
teaching-process?
7. Does the curriculum maximize the use of ancestral
domain and activities of the community as relevant
settings for learning in combination with
classroom-based sessions? Cite examples.
8. Is cultural sensitivity to uphold culture, beliefs and
practices, observed and applied in the
development and use of instructional materials
and learning resources? How? (For example,
Culture bearers of the Indigenous Peoples are
consulted.)
9. Do assessment practices consider community
values and culture? How?
10. Do assessment process include application of
higher order thinking skills?

What do you think can still be done to promote and uphold the indigenous peoples’ knowledge systems and
practices and rights in schools?
 __________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________

REFLECT

Reflect based on your actual visit or videos that you watched.

1. What new things did you learn about indigenous peoples?

___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

2. What did you appreciate most from your experience in visiting the school with indigenous learners? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

3. For indigenous learners, as a future teacher, I promise these three things:

3.1 Be open and respect indigenous peoples by __________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3.2 Uphold and celebrate their culture, beliefs and practices by ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

3.3 Advocate foe indigenous people education by ___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

SHOW Your Learning Artifacts

With the principle of individual differences in mind, what methods and strategies will you remember in the future
to ensure that you will be able to meet the needs of both the high and low achievers in your class? Make a collection
of strategies on how to address the students’ different ability levels.

LINK Theory to Practice

Directions: Read the item 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 diversity of students in class, the better for the teacher and students.
C. The teacher should accept and value diversity.
D. Students 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. He/She accepts the fact that all people are unique in their own way.
D. He/She emphasizes the differences among people and disregards their commonalities.

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

A. Compare students.
B. Make use of variety of teaching and assessment methods and activities.
C. Do homogeneous grouping for group activities.
D. Develop different standards for different student groups.

4. All are features of the Indigenous Peoples Education Curriculum, EXCEPT ____________.
A. Affirms and strengthen indigenous cultural identity
 B. Makes education exclusive to the indigenous culture
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 institution

5. All are best practices in using 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. 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 integrative understanding across subject areas
C. Using international context in the assessment standards and content faithfully without modification
D. Including community-generated assessment process 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 dito sa test, ha?
B. Hindi ka talaga magaling dito sa paksang ito, ‘no?
C. Nakikita ko na kailangan mong maglaan ng mas mahabang panahon sa paksang iyo para lubos mong
maunawaan ito.
D. Nahihirapan ka sa paksang ito. Maari kitang tulungan.

8. Which of the following demonstrate 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
B. The teacher divides the class into three heterogeneous groups and assigns the same activity for each
group to work on.
C. The teacher groups the learners by their ability level and assigns different content topics for the groups
to work on
D. The teacher groups the learners by ability levels and assigns each group a different task on the same
topic, and then requests three different teachers, each to assess on 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 at 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 expect 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.

EVALUATE Performance Task

Evaluate Your Work Field Study 1, Episode 3 Focus on Gender, Needs, Strengths, Interests, Experiences
Language, Race, Culture, Religion, Socio-economic Status, Difficult Circumstances and Indigenous Peoples
Learning Outcomes: describe the characteristic and needs of learners from diverse backgrounds · identify the needs
of students with different levels of abilities in the classroom · identify best practices in differentiated teaching to suit the
varying learner needs in a diverse class (PPST 3.1.1) · demonstrate openness, understanding, and acceptance of the
learners’ diverse needs and backgrounds.

Name of FS Student _____________________________________Date Submitted:__________________

Year & Section:________________________________________Course:________________________
COMMENT/S Rating: (Based on
Learning Episode Excellent Over-all Score
Very Satisfactory transmutation)
Satisfactory Needs
4 3 2 Improvement
TRANSMUTATION OF SCORE TO GRADE/RATING 1
Accomplished
Score 20 All
1-18 observation
17 16 One (1)
15 to two (2)
14 Three
13-12 (3) observation
11 10 Four
9-8 (4) or more
7-below
Observation Sheet question/tasks/ observation questions/tasks not observation
Grade 1.0 1.25 1.5 1.75 2.00 2.25 2.50 2.75 3.00 3.5 5.00
Completely questions/ tasks not answered / questions/tasks/
99 96 93 90 87 84 81 78 75 72 71-below
answered/ answered / accomplished. not answered /
accomplished accomplished. accomplished
Analysis All question were All questions were Questions were not Four (4) or more
answered answered answered observation
completely; answer completely; answers completely; answers questions were
with depth and are are clearly connected are not clearly not answered;
thoroughly grounded to theories; grammar connected to answers not
on theories; grammar and spelling are free theories; one (1) to connected to
and spelling are free from errors. three (3) grammatical theories; more
from error. / spelling errors. than four (4)
grammatical/
spelling errors.
Reflection Profound and clear; Clear but lacks Not so clear and Unclear and
supported by what depth; supported by shallow; somewhat Shallow; rarely
were observed and what were observed supported by what supported by what
analyzed and analyzed were observed and were observed
analyzed and analyzed
Learning Artifacts Portfolio is reflected Portfolio is reflected Portfolio is not Portfolio is not
on in the context of on in context of the reflected on in the reflected on in
the learning learning outcomes. context of the context of the
outcomes; Complete, Complete; well learning outcomes. learning
well-organized, organized, very Complete; not outcomes; not
highly relevant to the relevant the learning organized relevant to complete; not
learning outcome outcome the learning outcome organized, not
relevant
Submission Submitted before the Submitted on the Submitted a day after Submitted two (2)
deadline deadline the deadline days or more after
the deadline

Signature of FS Teacher above Printed Name Date