Using Radio to Deliver Instruction: UP NISMED’s Titser’s Iskul

on the Air Program

6 September 2006

Ester A. Bautista

Rationale• Radio can be used to deliver instruction; has a

versatile format and a wider reach • Education plays a crucial role to alleviate poverty;

enhances a person’s dignity, and maximizes human potentials to contribute to economic and social development of societies

• DepED’s thrust is to provide education for all—including the dropouts, nonliterate adults (ages 15 yrs. & above), minorities, etc.

Source: ILO, 2005

con’t: Rationale

• Low performance of our Grade 4 and First Year students in international studies

• Alarming exodus of RP’s best teachers• Increasing dropouts in the elementary and

secondary levels from SY 2001-2004

Sources: Martin, et.al., 2004; Mullis, et.al., 2004; Tabunda, 2005; DepEd, 2006

How it all started…

No. of Teachers vs No. of NISMED Staff

456 000 ~100

(SY 2002-03; public elem. & secondary)

Alternative mode vs NISMED-based and on-site training

Source: DepEd, 2006

con’t: How it started…

• In 2000, surveyed 293 NISMED trainees

• 94% (238): Interested to listen to radio programs on S&T

• Preferred DZMM radio station

• Looked for partners

The Wedding

DZMM DYAB-Cebu DZMM DYAB-Cebu DXAB-Davao DOST DepEDDXAB-Davao DOST DepED

UP NISMED

First Trimester

• Radyo Eskwela: (2001 Pilot Program) • Theme: Philippine Folk Science--Beliefs

and Practices• Objective: popularize science • 16 episodes of common beliefs and

practices with scientific bases• 15 min. segment of DZMM’s Bago ‘Yan

Ah!, Sunday program (DYAB & DXAB)

More Partners…

Foundation for the AdvancementFoundation for the Advancementof Science Education, Inc. of Science Education, Inc.

Foundation for Upgrading Science Foundation for Upgrading Science Education, Inc. (FUSE) Education, Inc. (FUSE)

Ateneo de Davao University-RSTCAteneo de Davao University-RSTC

UP NISMED DZMM DZMM DOST DepEDDOST DepED

More Partners…

Foundation for the AdvancementFoundation for the Advancementof Science Education, Inc. (PUNDASYON) of Science Education, Inc. (PUNDASYON)

Foundation for Upgrading Science Foundation for Upgrading Science Education, Inc. (FUSE) Education, Inc. (FUSE)

Ateneo de Davao University-RSTC Ateneo de Davao University-RSTC RSTCs in CLSU & WVSU RSTCs in CLSU & WVSU

Bureau of Broadcast ServicesBureau of Broadcast Services

DWNE DXOM-So. CotabatoDWNE DXOM-So. Cotabato

UP NISMED DZMM DZMM DOST DepEDDOST DepED

Second & Third Trimesters

• Titser’s Iskul on the Air: Second & Third Courses• Broadcast: 2003, 2005• Objectives: train teachers in science or

mathematics and promote science or mathematics interest and literacy among the people

• Components: radio and face-to-face training• Course Hours: 4 hrs. (radio) & 6 and 12 hrs.

(training), respectively

Features of the Third Course

• Theme: Rational Numbers & their application to daily life

• Lessons: Fractions, Decimals, Ratio and Proportion, Percent (Sixteen 15-min. lessons over the radio)

• Radio Component: 2-3 min. dramaDiscussion: 5-7 min.Question: one high-level per lessonRadio language: Taglish

con’t: Features-Third Course

• Training Component: two days (12 hrs.)Pre & PosttestReview of the aired lesson & discussionActivity or work sheets, game boardsMore extensive discussion of the conceptsReview of the questions aired over the radio & the

answersTeaching/learning materials usedProgram Evaluation

Trainer’s Manual

• Transcripts of the radio program; answers to the questions with the scoring guide

• Overview & Objectives• RBEC• Activities: objectives, instructional

procedures, and answers to the activities• Activity cards/sheets, game boards• Language: English

Sample Aired Question: Ratio

Nais ni Ana magtimpla ng isang basong juice. Nakita n’ya sa label ng juice concentrate ang instruction na “one part juice concentrate to three parts water.”

Tama ba si Ana kung ihahalo niya ang isang kutsarang juice concentrate sa tatlong tasang tubig?

Sample Answer:with Scoring Guide in the TM

Ang isinasaad sa instruction ay “sa bawa’t isang

bahagi ng juice concentrate ay tatlong bahagi ng

tubig” o “ang ratio ng dami ng juice concentrate

sa dami ng tubig ay 1:3.” Kung nais n’yang

magtimpla ng isang basong juice, i-estimate n’ya

ang na bahagi ng laman ng baso, ganito

karami ang juice concentrate. Ang natirang na

bahagi ay ang dami ng tubig.4

34

1

Sample Discussion over the Radio

Lesson 1

Fraction: The Whole and Its Parts

(after the presentation if time allows it)

Sample Trainer’s Manual& Teaching Materials

Four Printed TMs and

Teaching Materials

(after the presentation if time allows it)

Sample Pre & Posttest(Topic: Decimals)

Which would give an estimated sumclosest to 100?

A. 97.6 + 7.4 C. 92.09 + 3.1

B. 98.09 + 1.29 D. 96.8 + 6.76

Answer: B

11.27

13.5213.17

10

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

13

13.5

14

Pretest Posttest 1 Posttest 2

Mea

n S

core

s

WVSU-RSTC Test Results

Source: WVSU-RSTC, 2006

Some Observations(NISMED-Based Training)

• Strategies to Motivate Learning

Simple activities & ordinary things to introduce a topic; can motivate learning and arouse pupils’ interests

e.g., “play” basketball using plastic balls & a tin can as goal (Percent)

colored beads and a string to teach repeating patterns (Ratio)

• Relationship of One Topic or Concept to Another

Decimals: Place Value is not limited to whole numbers; applies to decimals; separate units in the curriculum

Percent: Problems on percent can also be solved by using ratio and propor-

tion; separate units in the curriculum

con’t: Observations

con’t: Observations

Direct, Inverse, & Partitive Proportions: There are different situations for

which direct, inverse, & partitive proportions may be applied.

Explanation of why cross-multiplication works to find the value of the

unknown.

con’t: Observations

• Writing Basic Math Symbols Properly

Decimals: Writing zero (0) before the decimal point (.) to indicate there’s no

whole number

Fractions: Should be written with a horizontal bar and not with a slash symbol, e.g., and not 1/4

Putting the unit of measure in thefinal answer

4

1

Improper way of using the equal (=) sign to find the discounted price given the rate of discount

e.g., rate of discount: 30% regular price: P100.00

0.30 x 100 = 30 = 100 – 30 = 70

con’t: Observations

Proper way:

0.30 x 100 = 30

100 – 30 = 70

P70 = discounted price

con’t: Observations

Program Evaluation Highlights

• 94% will recommend the Course to other teachers

• Verbatim responses: radio lessons- learned by listening to the radio- malinaw at kayang abutin ng

tagapakinig (NISMED enrollees)

- can easily be understood because thelanguage is Filipino (NISMED

enrollees)

Setbacks

• Fast delivery of some aired discussions and questions

• Dialect not familiar to listeners in the regions• Poor radio signals in some areas• Schedule of airing• Closer coordination between the national & local

implementers in the choice of radio stations• Too many activities during the training sessions

Birth PainsFuture Plans: The Sad Whys

• 12 734 teachers emigrated to other countries either to teach or hold other jobs from 1988-2004

• 3 269 experienced principals and best teachers in science and math were hired to teach abroad from 1992-2004

Source: Tabunda, 2005

con’t: Sad Whys

Total: 3 269

Source: Tabunda, 2005

Number of Deployed Teachers(New Hires) 1992-2004

134241

390

624

463 517

0

200

400

600

800

'92-'99 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Years

Dep

loye

d T

each

ers

con’t: Sad Whys

Dropout Rates: Elementary Level

8.9

7.36.51

0

2

4

6

8

10

2001-02 2002-03 2003-04

School Years

Pe

rce

nt

Source: DepEd, 2006

con’t: Sad Whys

Dropout Rates: Secondary Level

14.313.03

8.53

0

24

68

10

1214

16

2001-02 2002-03 2003-04

School Years

Pe

rce

nt

Source: DepEd, 2006

Birth PainsFuture Plans: The Hows

• Continue to capitalize on the radio’s versatile format and wider reach

• Empower community leaders & radio program hosts

- Training & providing learning materials• Form new partners, sustain old ones• Translation of some learning materials into the

dialect of target learners• Systematic monitoring & feedback from listeners

Anticipating the Birth

• Next radio program/courseTheme: Science, mathematics, &

technology literacy• Planned topics

Healthy Living, Living Safely, Wise Entrepreneurship/Wise Consumerism, and Environmental Protection & Resource Conservation

Recommendations• Institutionalize the use of radio-based instruction

to be cost effective- Prerecorded or “canned” programs- Audio Format: cassettes or CDs; can be

replicated to suit broadcast facilities & conditions in the communities- Can be replayed for small or big groups of

learners at prearranged schedules- Can be used by nonreaders, poor readers,

readers who do not comprehend, & the visually- challenged

con’t: Recommendations

• Expand multisectoral linkages to actively reach all types of learners, e.g., LGUs, NGOs, Barangays, TEIs, gov’t radio stations, community radios, radio program hosts, community leaders

• Strengthen manpower needed: training and providing learning materials to key disseminators of learning

• Language of radio & learning materials: some aspects to be translated to the dialect of the target learners

• Pace in the delivery of instruction since learning will be audio-based

con’t: Recommendations

A Plea for a Safe BirthHope springs eternal…

Learning needs of all Filipinos will be addressed through education…

Truly concerned stakeholders in education to get their acts together.