Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology

Background: Multigrade classrooms often present a problematic situation in teaching performance, where teachers are expected to deliver instruction to students across different grade levels within a single period. Poor teaching performance in such settings can have significant consequences for student learning and equity. Aims: The aim of this study is to understand how integrated school English teachers shape the teaching experiences in a multigrade classroom. Methodology: A qualitative-phenomenological approach to investigate the experiences of integrated school English teachers in a multigrade classroom setting. The study purposively selected eight English teachers, aged 25-45 years old, from integrated schools, with at least one year of experience. Data were collected through two focus group discussions, each with four members, to create a comfortable environment for sharing. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. Results: Three domains were identified, including personal, behavioural, and environmental, each with themes explaining how English teachers navigate multigrade classrooms. In the personal domain, six themes emerged, highlighting how teachers’ inner dispositions and past experiences strongly shape their instructional practices. In the behavioural domain, five themes were identified, demonstrating how teachers’ daily actions, consistency, and emotional regulation directly influence student discipline, confidence, and engagement. In the environmental domain, five themes surfaced, emphasising how physical settings, resource scarcity, and social contexts continuously shape teaching strategies. Conclusion: The results reveal that English teaching in multigrade classrooms is shaped by a complex interplay of personal values, behavioural practices, and environmental conditions. Teachers’ personal struggles, resilience, and motivation drive their commitment to inclusive and learner-centred approaches. Their daily behaviours, modelling positivity, establishing routines, and adapting to challenges, directly influence student confidence, discipline, and engagement. Meanwhile, environmental realities such as resource scarcity, classroom conditions, and community expectations continuously demand flexibility and creativity. This study highlights that effective multigrade teaching is sustained by patience, adaptability, and collaboration, with teachers drawing strength from both personal experiences and professional growth to ensure meaningful learning for all students.

This study explores the integration of Technology-Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) strategies in enhancing Grade 8 students’ understanding of ecosystems. Recognizing the importance of interactive and engaging instructional methods in science education, the study implements a variety of TEAL tools, including multimedia simulations, collaborative group activities and real-time formative assessments to facilitate deeper learning. The research aims to assess whether these TEAL strategies can improve students’ conceptual understanding of ecosystems while increasing their level of engagement in the learning process. A total of 10 Grade 8 students from a local school participated in the study. Data were collected through pre and post-test assessments, a student engagement survey and observation of class participation. Statistical analysis, including descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analyses was used to evaluate changes in students’ conceptual understanding of ecosystems and their engagement levels. The results of the study revealed a significant improvement in students’ knowledge of ecosystems, particularly in their understanding of ecological interactions and energy flow. Additionally, the integration of TEAL strategies resulted in increased student engagement, both emotionally and cognitively, with students expressing higher enthusiasm and participation in lessons that utilized technology. The study concludes that TEAL strategies can be effective tools for enhancing both student learning outcomes and engagement in science education, specifically in the context of teaching complex environmental concepts.

This qualitative study examines how Special Needs Education (SNED) teachers perceive and support the academic growth of learners with disabilities, drawing on Mindset Theory. Specifically, it explores how SNED teachers' beliefs, motivations, attitudes, and behaviors influence their instructional practices and expectations for student development. Twelve licensed SNED teachers from public schools participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in the emergence of several key themes aligned with four core variables: belief in intelligence, motivation, attitude, and behavior. Findings reveal that SNED teachers demonstrate strong growth-oriented mindsets, recognizing that all students have the potential to improve given the right support and strategies. Their motivation is sustained by a deep sense of purpose in teaching and reinforced through professional growth opportunities. Teachers' attitudes, shaped by compassion and patience, foster environments where progress is valued over perfection, and growth is viewed as a shared responsibility. In terms of behavior, teachers exhibit resilience, adapt their instructional methods, and foster inclusive practices to support the diverse learning needs of their students. The results highlight the central role of teachers' beliefs in shaping effective, inclusive, and student-centered practices. This study emphasizes the importance of equipping educators with not only pedagogical skills but also a growth-oriented mindset that believes in the capacity of every learner to succeed.

Beach forests play a crucial role in coastal stability, protecting against erosion, storms, and surges. The study focuses on the beach forest community in the coastal areas of Malita, Davao Occidental, which has a relatively understudied ecosystem. The study’s objective was to describe the community structure of the beach forest qualitatively and quantitatively. The assessment involved using transects and quadrats to collect data on species composition, percent cover, stand basal area, importance value, diversity indices, and stems per hectare. The survey results revealed a total of 44 species belonging to 27 families. Cocos nucifera and Terminalia catappa were found in all sites, indicating their high occurrence. Stand basal area analysis showed that coconut trees had the highest basal area, suggesting their dominance. T. catappa and Melanolepis multiglandulosa also had significant values of importance, highlighting their ecological significance. The study found a positive correlation between tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH). Significant differences in DBH were observed among the recorded tree species in the barangays. The diversity indices and species evenness varied across barangays, although the values remained relatively low and exhibited minimal variation among the surveyed areas. The number of stems per hectare differed among the barangays, with Barangay Mana having the highest count. The findings emphasize the ecological importance of beach forest species, particularly coconut trees, T. catappa, and M. multiglandulosa. This information can be valuable for conservation and management efforts and future environmental projects in the region.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between study habits, attitude toward Mathematics, and parental involvement in students' Mathematics performance. It also sought to identify a path model that best predicts students' Mathematics performance. The research involved 224 Grade 8 students from secondary schools in Malungon 2 District, Division of Sarangani, selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using surveys and students’ second-quarter grades in Mathematics. The study utilized a questionnaire consisting of thirty statements, with responses ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Results indicated that students exhibited high levels of study habits, positive attitude toward Mathematics, and high levels of parental involvement. Their Mathematics performance was classified as Proficient. Correlation analysis revealed that, among the three variables, only parental involvement had a significant relationship with students’ academic performance in Mathematics. Furthermore, the path model showed that study habits, attitude toward Mathematics, and parental involvement each had a direct influence on students' academic performance. Based on these findings, it is recommended to continue using diverse teaching strategies and differentiated learning activities to further enhance students’ study habits and attitudes. School administrators are also encouraged to implement programs that strengthen parental involvement, such as parent-child tutorials at home, regular parent-teacher conferences, and active participation in school events like recognition days. Original Research Article

This study, conducted at Sustainable Agriculture and Fishery Enterprise (SAFE) in Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) Buhangin campus, Buhangin, Malita, Davao Occidental, explored the development and acceptability of a ready-to-drink (RTD) vegetable juice using varying combinations of carrot, chayote, and bottle gourd. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was utilized, with seven treatments replicated three times. Sensory attributes—appearance, odor, color, taste, and general acceptability—were evaluated by 30 randomly selected panelists composed of students, faculty, and staff of SPAMAST Buhangin Campus. Physico-chemical properties, including pH, titratable acidity (TTA), and total soluble solids (TSS), were also analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and the Least Significant Difference (LSD) test. Findings showed that Treatment 1 (100% carrot juice) consistently achieved the highest sensory ratings for appearance, color, taste, and overall acceptability, with statistically significant differences across treatments for these parameters (p < 0.05). Odor, however, showed no significant variation. Physicochemical analysis revealed that Treatment 1 had a relatively low pH (3.70), the highest TTA (0.570%), and the highest TSS (12), which contributed to its more favorable flavor profile. These findings indicate the potential for further product optimization and marketability, sparking optimism for the future of RTD vegetable juice.

Indigenous communities have a rich cultural heritage encompassing diverse ways of knowing, learning, and understanding the world around them. This mixed methods study utilized the explanatory sequential design to determine the level and relationship of the IP mathematics teachers' beliefs and teaching practices and gain a deeper insight into these beliefs and attitudes. There are 115 respondents for the quantitative phase, while 10 participants in the qualitative phase. Data were collected through survey and key informant interviews and were analyzed through mean, standard deviation, Pearson product moment correlation, and thematic analysis. Results showed that the IP mathematics teachers possess high levels for both beliefs and teaching practices, and a significant moderate positive relationship exists between the two variables. Qualitative data analysis revealed that teachers' beliefs include the ideal qualities of an effective mathematics teacher, respect for students' culture and background, and a constructivist approach to teaching. Teaching practices include discussing student performance and intervention during meetings, implementing culturally relevant approaches, technology, varied activities, and peer mentoring and coaching. Further, it is concluded that teachers’ belief, which influences teaching practices, is shaped by different environmental factors. It is recommended that IP mathematics teachers continue to participate in personal and professional development activities and strengthen collaboration and reflection.

'Resilience' refers to a person's capacity to handle difficulties, demands and pressure without experiencing negative effects. The concept of resilience draws from and reinforces a strengths perspective. The term refers to the belief that we have personal wisdom and capacity to persevere and grow from experience. Adopting a resilience mindset helps us to tap into these capacities and to flourish, even in the face of challenge. The pressures and demands of social work practice requires social workers to remain steadfast and strong despite all the personal and professional challenges. Since our country experiences many challenges like natural and manmade disaster and the COVID 19. There are evidence that social workers had experience mental and emotional fatigue. A study which aims to describe Resilient social work practice and actual experiences of Filipino Social Workers both personally and professionally amidst challenges and pandemic is needed to shed some light on how Filipino Social Workers deals with all these difficulties. Specifically, the study answers the following questions: 1. What is their perspective of resilient social work? 2.What are examples of resilience as practice by social workers on a personal and professional level? 3.How do social workers build resilience in professional practice? 4. In what ways (what aspect of their personal and professional level) did the participants practice Resiliency? Through online platform social workers in Davao Region from different social work settings participated in the study descriptive-qualitative research and concluded that social workers utilized various resiliency tools both personal and professional in their practice in dealing with clients in various organizations.

In this rapidly changing landscape of modern institutions, biometric technology has become a crucial part of strengthening security, enhancing productivity, and refining the overall campus experience. This study focuses on the implementation of a Campus Area Network (CAN) at the North Eastern Mindanao State University (NEMSU) - Tagbina Campus, with a specific emphasis on leveraging biometric technology for non-teaching and teaching personnel. By employing advanced methods such as fingerprint recognition and facial identification, institutions can ensure precise attendance records in real-time, replacing error-prone traditional methods. The proposed Campus Area Network (CAN) will serve as an integrated structure that establishes connectivity in both geographically separated Local Area Networks (LANs) and Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) facilitating efficient data transfer and communication among various campus facilities. The primary goal of this study is to not only streamline administrative operations but also to establish a safer and more accountable educational environment, which will benefit both professors and students in the long run