The 21st Century Skills and Job Performance of Teachers

Abstract

The Philippines’ Department of Education through the implementation of the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) is pursuing a package of policy reforms to further improve education. One of its reforms is the K-12 Program which has opened the way to the mandated 21^st Century Skills. These include Learning and Innovation; Information, Media and Technology; and Life and Career Skills. One of its progress indicators is the use of the National Competency-Based Teacher Standards (NCBTS) for assessing teachers’ job performance through the self-assessment tool named as Teachers Strengths and Needs Assessment (TSNA). The study sought to identify the teachers’ skills and job performance; the relationship of teachers’ skills and job performance and the difference of both when teachers are grouped according to profile. It employed the descriptive-correlational research design with emphasis on survey method. The frequencies, percentages, means, Pearson r, Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were the statistical measures utilized. Results revealed that teachers are moderately competent in terms of the 21^st century skills. Teachers have assessed themselves as very satisfactory in terms of the NCBTS. There is also a significant relationship between teachers’ skills and job performance. Lastly, there is no significant difference on both when grouped according to profile.Therefore, the teachers’ skills complement the NCBTS. It can be a very good tool to assess job performance for they are all anchored in the road map of the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA). The DepEd, with its programs, projects and initiatives goes hand and hand with the NCBTS. It is recommended that DepEd should firmly implement the triangulation method of assessing job performance of teachers by means of intensive monitoring from the highest down to the lowest ranks other than just mere self-assessment.

Keywords: Teachers’ skills, Job performances, Assessment, 21^st century skills