New teachers training strategy launched in Leyte

MANILA, Philippines - FUSE (Foundation for Upgrading the Standard of Education) conducted an intensive five-day training program in Palompon, Leyte for teachers in Physics, Chemistry, English, Mathematics and Elementary School Science in partnership with legislative and administration offices in Leyte.

Eleven teacher trainers from FUSE trained at least 42 teachers for each of the five subjects, with focus on subject matter content for 45 hours at the Palompon North Central School.

The focus on content is in line with FUSE’s new strategy in its teachers’ training program. While before FUSE concentrated on improving teachers’ competence through teaching methods and approaches, now it is focusing on enhancing and making up to date teachers’ knowledge of a given subject or syllabus.

The new strategy was prompted by the growth in knowledge and the change in certain material which teachers have to be aware of and competent about. Thus besides the methods and strategies that enhance student learning, FUSE is helping improve teaching by developing the content knowledge of teachers as both are essential.

“We want to balance the competence of the teacher, that the teacher must be good not only in how to teach a given subject but in what to teach, because if we do not ensure that the teacher is up to date in her knowledge of a given subject she might be teaching successfully and effectively knowledge that is already obsolete,” Rep. Salvador Escudero III, FUSE president, was quoted as saying to explain the new tack.

Funding for the teachers’ training in Palompon was provided by Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez of the 4th district of Leyte, Palompon Mayor Ramon Onate, Palompon Vice Mayor Ma. Jeorgina Arevalo, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Education, Leyte Division, and FUSE.

FUSE provided the instructional paraphernalia like CDs and print teaching support materials while the local government unit (LGU) provided the IT hardware equipment.

The joint program is designed to continue this month in preparation for the June 2011 opening of classes.

FUSE, which observed its 16th anniversary last December, has to date distributed 22,379 Fusion Journal (five volumes); 409,916 CONSTEL (Continuing Studies in Education via Television) VCDs; trained 14,761 teachers and 852 principals, and graduated 146 SEEP (Science and Engineering Education Project) scholars.