Search Results (17)

Despite the growing acceptance of the varieties of English, standard language ideology continues to cause some to be valorized and denigrated. This paper examines the attitudes of Filipino-Americans within an inner-circle English variety zone towards Philippine English (PhE), focusing on its status, development, lexicon, intelligibility, and acceptability. The study surveyed 113 Filipino-American speakers of American English (AmE) who were familiar with Philippine culture and PhE. Studies show that some first-language English speakers exhibit negative attitudes towards new English varieties. Contrary to this trend, our findings reveal positive attitudes among AmE speakers towards PhE. However, although it is commonly understood, these positive attitudes do not guarantee the full acceptability of PhE. Notably, there is a growing trend towards the acceptability of PhE neologisms, especially in formal and scientific contexts, indicating a shift in previous perceptions. Additionally, the findings of the study highlight that word-formation processes significantly influence the acceptability of new terms across different speech domains, a novel finding that merits further investigation. Acceptability plays a vital role in the dissemination of local expressions and in shaping the status of a language variety. This research may contribute to understanding the evolving dynamics of the acceptability of PhE and its status in local and international contexts. The positive attitudes towards PhE among American English speakers indicate a shift in perceptions. Language teaching can build on this trend by fostering an environment where students are encouraged to appreciate and respect different English varieties. This can be achieved through exposure to diverse linguistic inputs and discussions on language attitudes. Full article

Teacher identity is a multidimensional construct that includes elements such as teachers’ perceptions of their responsibilities and the boundaries they place on those responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to examine how elements of teacher identity, specifically their perceived responsibilities and the boundaries they place on their responsibilities, are related to teacher well-being. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 teachers in the Philippines. Teachers were asked about their perceptions of their responsibilities, where they draw the boundaries on what they are responsible for, and their feelings of stress and burnout. A grounded theory approach was used to develop a coding scheme and code the interview transcripts. The results revealed that most of the teachers in the sample felt responsible for promoting both academic and social–moral development in their students but created boundaries that prevented them from prying into students’ personal lives and helped them maintain professional boundaries. Unlike many teachers in the U.S., few of the teachers in the Filipino sample expressed high levels of burnout or a desire to leave the profession. We argue that cultural differences in the way teachers define their roles and responsibilities may explain the differences in the burnout levels of teachers in the U.S. compared to those of teachers in the Philippines. Lessons learned from how teachers with low levels of burnout define their roles and responsibilities can be used to help teachers at risk of burning out reframe their role identities. Full article

Philippine English (PhE) is a dynamic variety of the English language influenced by local languages and cultures. Despite its widespread use, PhE acceptability studies have often focused on Metro Manila, neglecting regional variations. This study aims to explore the acceptability of PhE expressions or Filipinisms across different regions and communication domains among younger Filipinos, addressing the gap in regional representation in previous research. We gathered data employing the Philippine English Acceptability Questionnaire (PEAQ) involving 160 undergraduate students from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region. The questionnaire included 100 items from various etymological origins and asked respondents to rate their acceptability across formal and informal, written and spoken domains. Our findings indicate a high overall acceptability of PhE expressions across all regions, with the National Capital Region showing slightly lower acceptance rates. Certain expressions were preferred in specific domains, such as legal terms in formal contexts and everyday terms in informal settings. The study confirms the strong acceptance of PhE expressions among younger Filipinos, suggesting a move towards endonormative stabilization of PhE, challenging previous findings of limited acceptance and highlighting the influence of digital media on language use. In addition, our findings have implications for language planning and policy reforms, suggesting that PhE local expressions can be more prominently included in academic and professional settings. Despite limitations in sampling and geographic representation, this study significantly contributes to the understanding of PhE’s evolving status in the linguistic landscape of the Philippines. Full article

A relevant Religious Education needs to confront the life-threatening global issues humanity faces today. The present study investigates how Catholic Life Formation (CLF) through religious instruction may predict environmental attitudes among students in Cebu City, Philippines. This study analyzes how the following variables may influence Christian environmentalism: students’ reception of CLF inputs, Catholic Social Teachings (CST) perceptions, and students’ beliefs and environmental responses (STB) from a sample of 491 Grade 12 SH students of a private university in Cebu, Philippines. This descriptive quantitative survey used ordinal logistic regression to test our model. We adopted a two-step procedure to gather data: First, an open-ended interview was used to tease the themes and viewpoints of students. Second, incorporating the qualitative output from the interviews, a survey was conducted using a researcher-made self-report paired with the Christian Environmentalism Scale (CES) to describe student attitudes toward the environment. The findings are discussed with respect to Religious Education and CLF environmental advocacy. Full article

Online education allows learners to develop knowledge and skills flexibly and conveniently—an observation made among students whose characteristics involve student engagement, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. However, studies characterizing Filipino online learners seem to be lacking. This study aimed to characterize science education tertiary students in the Philippines concerning their online student engagement (OSE), self-regulated learning (SRL), and online learning self-efficacy (OLSE). The unprecedented events brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic also urged the implementation of online modalities, yet there is still no available information on students’ online learning profiles. Hence, we conducted survey research using an ex post facto approach to determine the effects of demographic profiles on OSE, SRL, and OLSE. The survey was completed by N = 373 respondents who answered the questionnaire, with informed consent administered via Google Forms. The results revealed that OSE indicators moderately characterized the students, while SRL and OLSE indicators accurately described them, as substantiated by the overall means of M = 3.85 (SD = 0.90), M = 3.86 (SD = 0.92), and M = 3.14 (SD = 0.73), respectively. Also, multivariate tests showed no significant effects among the independent groups (p > 0.05), except for a gender and OLSE interaction (p < 0.05), so only for OLSEE was a significant difference found in terms of gender. In conclusion, Filipino online learners have moderate characteristics across the aspects of student engagement, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. Full article

The pandemic has caused all of the programs that are offered in primary schools to be interrupted. Evaluating the student’s learning at this level is essential because education development throughout the epidemic is critical, as there was no other educational alternative available during the pandemic. This study examines the use of deep learning neural network (DLNN) to evaluate the parameters influencing primary school students’ online learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers considered this issue since primary students’ online learning experiences needed more attention. To carefully analyze the relationships between the parameters of primary students’ learning experience, an online questionnaire was utilized, subject to parents’ participation. A total of 385 Filipino elementary school students were selected and surveyed using a purposive sampling method. Participants in this research ranged in age from seven to thirteen and were supervised by their parents or legal guardians. The result of the study showed that open communication, social presence, design and organization, and facilitation had the most impact on predicting students’ experiences with online education, having a high accuracy from DLNN of 96.12%. This demonstrates the significance of open communication, draws attention to the importance of helping students feel welcomed and appreciated, and demonstrates the influence that instructors have on the overall positive learning experiences of their students. Finally, the findings of this study gave a strong framework and clear conclusions that both schools and the government’s education department could use to improve the way primary education is taught online across the country. Finally, the results and findings of this study could be applied and extended to other related education studies worldwide. Full article

Government is key to promoting physical activity at the population level through policy. The government was one of the physical activity indicators graded for the 2022 Philippine Physical Activity Report Card based on ten physical activity-related policies. This study aimed to evaluate the scope of the policies and to update these policies. Philippine government databases were searched for policies using physical activity-related key terms. Policies found were evaluated using the Wales Active Healthy Kids scoring rubric. The overall grade was converted to a letter grade based on the Global Matrix 4.0 grading system. The authors analyzed the policies’ scope and implications to practice and policy. Seven additional policies were found. Considering all 17 policies, the government indicator grade is now A- from the preliminary grade of B. The scope covers promoting physical activity mainly through sports participation and active transport among students, student-athletes, persons with disabilities, and the general population in school and community settings. The gap between government and overall physical activity (F) scores suggests the need for a comprehensive physical activity plan promoting various forms of physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior among all Filipino youth and across various settings. Crucial to achieving change is a well-coordinated, whole-of-systems approach to promoting active healthy lifestyles. Full article

Filipino students performed poorly in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) mathematics assessment, with more than 50% obtaining scores below the lowest proficiency level. Students from public schools also performed worse compared to their private school counterparts. We used machine learning approaches, specifically binary classification methods, to model the variables that best identified the poor performing students (below Level 1) vs. better performing students (Levels 1 to 6) using the PISA data from a nationally representative sample of 15-year-old Filipino students. We analyzed data from students in private and public schools separately. Several binary classification methods were applied, and the best classification model for both private and public school groups was the Random Forest classifier. The ten variables with the highest impact on the model were identified for the private and public school groups. Five variables were similarly important in the private and public school models. However, there were other distinct variables that relate to students’ motivations, family and school experiences that were important in identifying the poor performing students in each school type. The results are discussed in relation to the social and social cognitive experiences of students that relate to socioeconomic contexts that differ between public and private schools. Full article

While the Philippines is still building its global citizenship curriculum, there are global citizenship competencies already articulated in existing curriculum guides. Using data from a nationally representative sample of Grade 5 students in the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) assessment, we explored Filipino learners’ current global competencies. We used machine learning approaches to determine the best models to predict the six SEA-PLM global competency indices; models generated by Multilayer Perceptrons performed better than other techniques. Shapley Additive Explanations approach was applied to identify variables that had the most impact on the model of each global competency index. Some variables were important predictors across the indices: concern about pollution, feeling connected to people from other countries, beliefs about the importance of learning about other countries, how countries relate to each other, and how natural disasters in other countries affect the Philippines are variables that were associated with global competency indices. Willingness to participate in classroom debates also positively predicted the indices but willingness to participate in classroom elections negatively predicted indices related to knowledge and behavior intention indices. We discuss how patterns in Filipino students’ emerging global competencies can guide curriculum development. Full article

Filipino students ranked last in reading proficiency among all countries/territories in the PISA 2018, with only 19% meeting the minimum (Level 2) standard. It is imperative to understand the range of factors that contribute to low reading proficiency, specifically variables that can be the target of interventions to help students with poor reading proficiency. We used machine learning approaches, specifically binary classification methods, to identify the variables that best predict low (Level 1b and lower) vs. higher (Level 1a or better) reading proficiency using the Philippine PISA data from a nationally representative sample of 15-year-old students. Several binary classification methods were applied, and the best classification model was derived using support vector machines (SVM), with 81.2% average test accuracy. The 20 variables with the highest impact in the model were identified and interpreted using a socioecological perspective of development and learning. These variables included students’ home-related resources and socioeconomic constraints, learning motivation and mindsets, classroom reading experiences with teachers, reading self-beliefs, attitudes, and experiences, and social experiences in the school environment. The results were discussed with reference to the need for a systems perspective to addresses poor proficiency, requiring interconnected interventions that go beyond students’ classroom reading. Full article

Engaging in critical dialogues in language classrooms that draw on critical pedagogical perspectives can be challenging for learners because of gaps in communicative resources in their L1 and L2. Since critically oriented classrooms involve discussing social issues, students are expected to deploy “literate talk” to engage in critiquing society and a wide range of texts. Although recent studies have explored teachers’ and students’ engagement with critical materials and critical dialogues, research that explores language development in critical language teaching remains a concern for language teachers. In this paper, I share my experience of fostering language development, specifically the overt teaching of critical vocabulary to students of (Tagalog-based) Filipino language at a university in Hawai’i. Through a discussion of racist stereotypes targeting Filipinos and the impacts of these discourses on students’ lived experiences, the notion of “critical vocabulary” emerges as an important tool for students to articulate the presence of and to dismantle oppressive structures of power, including everyday discourses supporting the status quo. This paper defines critical vocabulary and advances its theoretical and practical contribution to critical language teaching. It also includes students’ perspectives of their language development and ends with pedagogical implications for heritage/world language teachers around the world. Full article

(1) Background: Problematic smartphone use in adolescents has become a major concern among parents and educators. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with, and the predictors of, low, average, and high perceived academic performance (PAP). (2) Methods: Descriptive and comparative analyses were employed in this cross-sectional study among 3374 Filipino high school students through an online Google forms survey. (3) Results: We found that age, grade level, father’s education, time spent daily on weekends, frequency of use on weekdays, purpose of use, nomophobia (NMP), and smartphone addiction (SA) were significantly associated with low PAP, while frequency of use on weekends and type of internet access had a significant association with high PAP. Gender was a significant predictor of low, average, and high PAP. Father’s education and SA were also significant predictors for both low and average PAP. (4) Conclusions: This study shows the significant association between personal profiles, family environment, patterns of smartphone use, NMP, and SA contributing to a significant impact on Filipino high school students’ PAP. This suggests that proper guidelines for smartphone use should be provided at home and in school settings to raise awareness of the adverse effects of SA on students’ academic performance. Full article

The Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS) is an instrument that measures the centrality, importance, or salience of religious meanings in personality. Addressing the dearth of research on the salience of religion among Filipino Christian youths, the researchers explore in this paper the degree of religiosity of selected university students and the relevance of religious beliefs in their daily life by validating the Abrahamic forms of the Centrality of Religiosity Scale (CRS-5, CRS-10, and CRS-15). This paper specifically answers the following questions: (1) What CRS version is valid for Filipino Christian youths? (2) What is the position of the religious construct-system among selected Filipino Christian university students? and (3) How does the centrality of religiosity influences the selected Filipino Christian university students’ subjective experience and behavior? Means and standard deviations were calculated for the five subscales of the centrality of religiosity for CRS-5, CRS-10, and CRS-15. The distribution of the subscale scores was also computed using measures of skewness and kurtosis. Cronbach’s α values are provided for each of the subscales to establish internal consistency. Descriptive statistics were also computed with the use of the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 20. Bivariate correlations are reported for all CRS-15 items. This paper established that in a predominantly Christian country such as the Philippines, the CRS-15 is suitable in measuring the centrality of religiosity among Filipino Christian youths. Full article

This study determined the reliability and validity of the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE) outside the Western Christian context. After construct and measurement equivalence, the Brief RCOPE was used to ascertain and illuminate the religious coping of selected Catholic youth in the Philippines. A group of students studying in Catholic universities (n = 335) completed the research measures. The findings of this study showed that the Brief RCOPE has good internal consistency and construct validity. However, the scale has two orthogonal factors. The results indicated that many Filipino Catholic youth used positive religious coping methods more frequently than negative strategies. In addition, the results suggest that Brief RCOPE may be useful to researchers interested in the religious coping of youth. Full article

Attending college is meaningful for many young adults. This period is marked by physical, emotional, and psychological changes that can have both positive and negative effects on college students. The last two decades have seen an alarming increase in the number of college students who suffer from mental health conditions, such as depression, suicide, anxiety, and alcohol abuse. It is recommended that actions to support the students’ wellbeing must be creative and evidence-based. Research suggests that a mindfulness-based intervention may be an effective strategy to address mental health conditions among college students. This study was done to examine the efficacy of an adapted mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) program that was implemented in a classroom setting in the Philippines and to explore how mindfulness practice can affect empathy and self-compassion on senior Filipino college students aged 19–22 years old. Two classes were used to compare the effects of mindfulness intervention. One class underwent the adapted MBCT program while the other class underwent the same kind of class without mindfulness interventions. Self-report measures of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Perspective Taking subscale and Empathic Concern subscale of Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and Self-compassion scale—short form were administered before undergoing the adapted MBCT and after the program. After going through the adapted MBCT, college students’ mindfulness significantly improved. Empathy and self-compassion also significantly improved after undergoing the program. This corroborates previous studies done on mindfulness and its efficacy with adolescents and suggests how practicing mindfulness can improve empathy and self-compassion with Filipino college students. It provides a promising groundwork for the emerging interest and research in Asia, particularly in the Philippines, on how the practice of mindfulness can help with the mental health of college students. Full article