This study was conducted during the school year 2020-2021 were the COVID-19 virus was present. The study was implemented to kindergarten pupils using the ECD toolkit. The researchers utilized the help of learning facilitators, guardians and more knowledgeable individual available at home. They are oriented by the researchers on how to assess and conduct the ECD toolkit.
After the school year there were significant increase on the 3 indicators namely Average Development with 32.7% of increased, Slight Advanced Development 1.48% increased and Highly Advanced Development with 0.44% increased, while on there were a decrease on Significant Delay in overall Development (12.22%) decreased and Slight Delay in overall Development with 22.4% decreased. Therefore, the ECD conducted of learning facilitators with the guidance of the kindergarten teachers were effective even in pandemic time.
It was recommended that, there were areas to determine the specific reasons of 287 pupils who were decided to withdraw on attending the learning modality implemented by their respected schools. Conduct another study on interventions/programs to encourage these 287 pupils to enroll this incoming school year 2021-2022. Sustain the best practices that helps the increase on the 3 indicators that get increase. Schools with best practices on the conduct of their chosen learning modality are encourage to share and empower the school with learners drop-out.
Abstract:
This study was conducted during the school year 2020-2021 were the COVID-19 virus was present. The study was implemented to kindergarten pupils using the ECD toolkit. The researchers utilized the help of learning facilitators, guardians and more knowledgeable individual available at home. They are oriented by the researchers on how to assess and conduct the ECD toolkit.
After the school year there were significant increase on the 3 indicators namely Average Development with 32.7% of increased, Slight Advanced Development 1.48% increased and Highly Advanced Development with 0.44% increased, while on there were a decrease on Significant Delay in overall Development (12.22%) decreased and Slight Delay in overall Development with 22.4% decreased. Therefore, the ECD conducted of learning facilitators with the guidance of the kindergarten teachers were effective even in pandemic time.
It was recommended that, there were areas to determine the specific reasons of 287 pupils who were decided to withdraw on attending the learning modality implemented by their respected schools. Conduct another study on interventions/programs to encourage these 287 pupils to enroll this incoming school year 2021-2022. Sustain the best practices that helps the increase on the 3 indicators that get increase. Schools with best practices on the conduct of their chosen learning modality are encourage to share and empower the school with learners drop-out.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The research humble dedicate this work to the entire kindergarten community specifically to the parents who served as learning facilitators during this pandemic, kindergarten teachers who worked hard to implemented the learning goals in the new normal.
The researchers would like also to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the top management of the division of Cavite Dr. Elpidia B. Bergado the Curriculum Implementation Division chief, the 2 equality competent Assistant School Division Schools Superintendents Dr. Randy A. Punzalan and Dr. Galileo L. Go and to the their Competent and supportive Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Rommel C. Bautista.
To the kindergarten pupils who serves as an inspiration of researchers to come up this humble work above all the almighty God who guided the researchers to finished the study.
I. Context and Rationale
Early Childhood Education (ECE) is one of the important factors to provide meaningful and learning opportunities to children aged 5-6 years. Department of Education (DepEd) implemented the new education system of the Philippines from Basic Education Curriculum (BEC) to Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum that mandates the department to implemented the K-12 curriculum. This curriculum includes the kindergarten stage and 12 years of education from grades 1-12 which was divided into 4 key stages the key stage 1 (K-grade 3), key stage 2 (grade 46), key stage 3 (grade 7-10) and key stage 4 (grade 11-12).
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 10157 otherwise known as “An act Institutionalizing the Kindergarten Education into the Basic Education System and Appropriating Funds” the Dep Ed issued an order the DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2012 “Policies and Guidelines on the Implementation of the Universal Kindergarten Education Program” it mandates its field offices the required aged limits of incoming kindergarten pupils in all public and private schools. This policy requires all 5-year-old child on or before the 31st of August every year must enroll top kindergarten as their pre requisite grade level before they can enroll to grade 1.
Recently the Dep Ed released an order the DM-CI-2020-00080 also known as “Reiterating the Age Qualification of Kindergarten Learners as Provided for In Dep Ed Order No. 20, S. 2018 And Guidelines On The Administration Of The Philippine Early Childhood Development (ECD) Assessment Checklist For School Year (SY) 2020-2021 In Light Of Covid-19 Pandemic. This department memorandum reiterated the “Age qualification for Kindergarten learners in both public and private schools should be five (5) years old by June 1 of every calendar year. However, the school may consider learners entering Kindergarten who will turn five (5) years old by the end of August on the condition that the Philippine Early Childhood Development (ECD) Checklist must be administered to the learner prior to the start of the opening of the school year, to ensure that the learner is capable of meeting the expectations of the grade level. Parents may provide documentation and/or certification of the learner's previous Early Childhood Education (ECE) experiences (i.e., preschool, day care, pre-Kindergarten) in addition to the results of the Philippine ECD Checklist”.
In this time of pandemic, the Division of Cavite Province implemented the modular learning modality for all the kindergarten pupils. Kindergarten teachers launch several teaching interventions to uphold the learning outcome of every learning competency required for kindergarten pupils. One of the strategies developed by teachers and school administrators is to ask the help of parents and learning facilitators at home to help their child acquired the necessary competencies that they need specially that before the school year ends the child will undergo again an assessment to measure if their child is capable doing the tasks for the next grade level. Teach to Teach Home Learning Faci for teaching the young leaners was one the trainings provided to home facilitators to help their learners.
Early Childhood Development checklist is a tool that can measure the child's development to assess his or her readiness and shall be submitted to the grade one teachers as a reference for the readiness of the learners.
II. Innovation, Intervention, and Strategy
The parents or home learning facilitators of learners are the one who will administer the ECD checklist, they will be guided by their teachers on how to accomplished the form. After the results of the ECD assessment on the first quarter of the school year, the teacher will craft or design learning activities that can address on the needs of the child based on their ECD assessment of what are the domains to be enhanced throughout the period.
III. Action Research Questions
This study would like to answer the following questions:
1. What is the ECD assessment of kindergarten pupils before the start and end of school year on the following indicators:
a. Significantly Delay in Overall Development,
b. Slightly Delay in Overall Development,
c. Average Development,
d. Slightly Advanced Development, and
e. Highly Advanced Development
2. Is there a significant difference of the ECD assessment of kindergarten pupils before the start and end of school year?
3. What action plan may be proposed to developed the indicators that needs intervention?
IV. Methodology
a. Participants of the study
Participants of this study are all 31,585 kindergarten pupils in the division of Cavite Province. The ECD assessment of pupils was the primary source of data in this study. The ECD assessment form was accomplished by the parents with proper orientation of their teachers on how to accomplished the checklist form.
b. Data gathering Methods
The researchers asked permission from the office of the schools Division Superintendent to allow them to administer the study. When the permission is granted the researchers will conduct series of orientations to all kinder key administrators in every districts, kindergarten teachers and parents or learning facilitators of pupils on how to accomplished the forms of the study to assure the uniformity on the methods of administration of the assessment. After the conduct of the assessment to pupils the parents will send the assessment form of every pupil with care and confidentiality and anonymity of the data gathered by the researchers. Since all participants of this study are kindergarten pupils a waiver and permission of the parents or any legal guardian of the pupils will be asked to accomplish a form that they are voluntarily participating the study and at any time that they are not anymore interested to participate they are free to withdraw their participations.
The researchers utilized the standard assessment tool for Early Childhood Development from the central office of the Department of Education. The checklist is composed of questions on the following domains Socio-Emotional, Gross Motor, Fine motor, Self-help, Receptive language, expressive language and Cognitive domain and interpreted according to Significant Delay in Overall Development, Slightly Delay in Overall Development, Average Development, Slightly Advanced Development, and Highly Advance Development.
c. Data Analysis
This study employed descriptive analysis of data gathered to measure the performance of pupils before and after the conduct of ECCD assessment to kindergarten pupils.
V. Results and Discussion
1. What is the ECD assessment of kindergarten pupils before the start and end of school year on the following indicators:
a. Significantly Delay in Overall Development,
b. Slightly Delay in Overall Development,
c. Average Development,
d. Slightly Advanced Development, and
e. Highly Advanced Development
Table 1:
ECD Assessment of Kindergarten Pupils During the Start of The School Year
Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten
The table revealed that during the start of the school year last October 5, 2020, out of 31872 kindergarten learners there were 3909 (12.26%) Significant Delay in overall Development, 7872 (24.7%) Slight Delay in overall Development, 19734 (61.92%), Average Development, 350 (1.1%) Slight Advanced Development and 7 (1.02%) were Highly Advanced Development.
Table 2
ECD Assessment of Kindergarten Pupils at the end of School Year
The table showed that at the end of school year last July 9, 2021, out of 31,585 kindergarten learners there were 12 (0.04%) Significant Delay in overall Development, 726 (2.30%) Slight Delay in overall Development, 29,887(94.62%), Average Development, 814 (2.58%) Slight Advanced Development and 146 (0.46%) were Highly Advanced Development.
2. Is there a significant difference of the ECD assessment of kindergarten pupils before the start and end of school year?
Table 3
ECD Assessment of Kindergarten Pupils Before the Start and End of School Year
Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten
The results also indicates that there was a decrease of survival rate of pupils at the start of school year there were 31,872 and it went down to 31,585 at the end of the school year. According to reports of teachers across the division of Cavite parents of these 287 pupils decided to withdraw because of various reasons.
VI. Conclusions
The study was also proved that with all the efforts, sacrifices and collaborative initiatives of all individuals who contributed to the learning outcome of kindergarten pupils. Table 3 revealed that there an increase on the 3 indicators namely Average Development with 32.7% of increased, Slight Advanced Development 1.48% increased and Highly Advanced Development with 0.44% increased, while on there were a decrease on Significant Delay in overall Development (12.22%) decreased and Slight Delay in overall Development with 22.4% decreased.
With this results the ECD implemented and conducted by the parents with the help of learning facilitators is effective despite of the pandemic of COVID 19.
VII. Recommendations
After the conduct of this study and results was drawn:
- There were areas to determine the specific reasons of 287 pupils who were decided to withdraw on attending the learning modality implemented by their respected schools.
- Conduct another study on interventions/programs to encourage these 287 pupils to enroll this incoming school year 2021-2022.
- Sustain the best practices that helps the increase on the 3 indicators that get increase.
- Schools with best practices on the conduct of their chosen learning modality are encourage to share and empower the school with learners drop-out.
3. References
Republic Act No. 10533 Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013
Republic Act No. 10157 otherwise known as “An act Institutionalizing the Kindergarten Education into the Basic Education System and Appropriating Funds
DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2012 “Policies and Guidelines on the Implementation of the Universal Kindergarten Education Program”
DM-CI-2020-00080 also known as Reiterating the Age Qualification of Kindergarten Learners
DepEd Order No. 20, S. 2018 And Guidelines on The Administration of The Philippine Early Childhood Development (ECD) Assessment Checklist For School Year (SY) 2020-2021 In Light Of Covid-19 Pandemic.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main focus of this study?
This study focuses on assessing the impact of the Early Childhood Development (ECD) toolkit on kindergarten pupils during the 2020-2021 school year, a period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who were the participants in this study?
The participants were 31,585 kindergarten pupils in the Division of Cavite Province. Data was collected using the ECD assessment forms completed by parents and learning facilitators, who were guided by kindergarten teachers.
What were the key findings of the study?
The study found a significant increase in the percentage of pupils demonstrating Average Development, Slightly Advanced Development, and Highly Advanced Development. Conversely, there was a decrease in the percentage of pupils showing Significant Delay and Slight Delay in overall development.
What contributed to the success of the ECD implementation?
The collaborative efforts of parents, learning facilitators, and kindergarten teachers, even during the pandemic, played a vital role in the positive outcomes of the ECD implementation.
What recommendations were made based on the study's findings?
The recommendations include investigating the reasons for pupil withdrawal, conducting further studies on interventions to encourage enrollment, sustaining best practices, and encouraging schools with successful learning modalities to share their strategies.
How was data collected for this study?
Data was collected through the ECD assessment forms administered by parents/learning facilitators under the guidance of teachers. These forms assess various developmental domains.
What is the purpose of the ECD checklist?
The ECD checklist is a tool used to measure a child's development, assess their readiness for grade one, and identify areas where support is needed. It assesses domains such as Socio-Emotional, Gross Motor, Fine motor, Self-help, Receptive language, expressive language, and Cognitive development.
What learning modality was implemented during the pandemic?
The Division of Cavite Province implemented the modular learning modality for all kindergarten pupils during the pandemic.
What laws and DepEd orders are referenced in the study?
The study references Republic Act No. 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013), Republic Act No. 10157 (Kindergarten Education Act), DepEd Order No. 21, s. 2012 (Policies and Guidelines on the Implementation of the Universal Kindergarten Education Program), DM-CI-2020-00080 (Reiterating the Age Qualification of Kindergarten Learners), and DepEd Order No. 20, S. 2018 (Guidelines on The Administration of The Philippine Early Childhood Development (ECD) Assessment Checklist).
What were the specific percentage changes observed in each developmental indicator?
The study showed an increase of 32.7% in Average Development, 1.48% in Slight Advanced Development, and 0.44% in Highly Advanced Development. There was also a decrease of 12.22% in Significant Delay and 22.4% in Slight Delay.
- Quote paper
- Doctor of Educational Management Joefel Horca (Author), 2022, Early Childhood Development (ECD) Assessment: Its Effectiveness, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1306432
