Grappling with Issues of Learning Science from Everyday Experiences: An Illustrative Case Study

There are different perceptions among researchers with regard to the infusion of everyday experience in the teaching of science: 1) it hinders the learning of science concepts; or, 2) it increases the participation and motivation of students in science learning. This article attempts to contemplate those different perspectives of everyday knowledge in science classrooms by using everyday contexts to teach grade 3 science in Singapore. In this study, two groups of grade 3 students were presented with a scenario that required them to apply the concept of properties of materials to design a shoe. Subsequently, the transcripts of classroom discussions and interactions were analyzed using the framework of sociocultural learning and an interpretative analytic lens. Our analysis suggests that providing an authentic everyday context is insufficient to move young learners of science from their everyday knowledge to scientific knowledge. Further, group interactions among young learners of science to solve an everyday issue need to be scaffolded to ensure meaningful, focused, and sustained learning. Implications for research in science learning among younger students are discussed

“Wrestling with the Angels”: The Limits of Postcolonial Performativity

This paper examines the current state of postcolonialism in the Philippines, represented by the critical works of J. Neil C. Garcia. It argues that the present privileging of difference in the mode of postcolonial (hybrid) performativity, as Garcia theorizes the intersection of postcolonialism and queer theory, creates the urgency for a re-examination of its denigrated other, sameness. By first delineating the contours of Garcia’s framework, it explains how hybridity is an inadequate setting for the understanding of salient and necessary but under-elaborated elements of postcolonial thought, namely, voluntarism or intentionality and universalism, the very objects of Garcia’s critique. The paper demonstrates that recuperation of these categories enables a renewed appreciation of postcolonial ethics and politics

Levels of Oral Communication Skills and Speaking Anxiety of Educators in a Polytechnic College in the Philippines

Regardless of the profession, everyone should possess good communication skills in different contexts. Although scholars have contributed studies showing the communication anxieties and proficiencies of speakers to different languages, there are limited studies that deal with the educators’ context. To add contribution to this field, the researcher utilized a correlational research design to determine the relationship between the educators' oral communication skills and speaking anxiety. The study used the frameworks of Pontillas (2020) and McCroskey (1977). The researcher chose Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges as the locale of the study and utilized 25 teacher-participants from the different departments of the College. The participants underwent an impromptu speaking activity to determine their oral communication skills’ level. They filled out the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) test developed by McCroskey (1970) to assess their perceived speaking anxiety. The two variables' results were correlated using Pearson’s Moment of Correlation and found a significant correlation between the two variables. Environmental factors, personal experiences, and exposure were factors determined by the researcher affecting their speaking skills and anxiety. The researchers recommend that the institution should implement intervention programs for educators to improve their oral communication skills. Furthermore, Higher Education Institutions offering Education undergraduate programs should add additional communication courses to the curriculum

Dissonance in generative AI use among student writers: How should curriculum managers respond?

This qualitative study investigated the case of ChatGPT use by five students in an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) class comprised of 28 students in total. The results of the analysis revealed dissonance in the way the subjects of the study had intended to use ChatGPT in their written assessments and how they used it, six weeks into the writing program. The results of the study revealed that their intention to use ChatGPT may have been within the remit of fair use, but their written output as evaluated by an AI detection tool revealed that the students might have violated academic integrity. This study has clear implications for the role of educators to guide students on how to use AI in their written assessments in such a way that they uphold academic integrity. Educational institutions, therefore, should take a pedagogical stance on AI text generators, which means that proactive measures should be taken to embrace AI as an assistive tool for writing, but fair and guided use of the technology must be in place

Water

Meta-analysis can be a powerful tool for demonstrating the applicability of a concept beyond the context of individual clinical trials and observational studies, including exploration of effects across different subgroups. Meta-analysis avoids Simpson's paradox, in which a consistent effect in constituent trials is reversed when results are simply pooled. Meta-analysis in critical care medicine is made more complicated, however, by the heterogeneous nature of critically ill patients and the contexts within which they are treated. Failure to properly adjust for this heterogeneity risks missing important subgroup effects in, for example, the interaction of treatment with varying levels of baseline risk. When subgroups are defined by characteristics that vary within constituent trials (such as age) rather than features constant within each trial (such as drug dose), there is the additional risk of incorrect conclusions due to the ecological fallacy. The present review explains these problems and the strategies by which they are overcome

Improving Age-Friendly Environment through Pragmatic Language

Declining vocabulary and poor comprehension of complex sentences are some depleting language skills faced by the elderly. As such, this study explored the cues that construct young people's understanding of effective communication within the older and young adult dyad. Qualitative data retrieved from open-ended questions were thematically analysed, and specific facets that contribute to understanding age-related differences were developed. The results catalysed the development of the Integrative Language-based Communication Diagram that could reduce the prevalence of communication breakdown. This environmental approach can also help elders adapt communication to be a necessary tool for living safely and independently

Constructivist Learning Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Investigating Students’ Perceptions of Biology Self-Learning Modules

Modes of teaching and learning have had to rapidly shift amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As an emergency response, students from Philippine public schools were provided learning modules based on a minimized list of essential learning competencies in Biology. Using a cross-sectional survey method, we investigated students’ perceptions of the Biology self-learning modules (BSLM) that were designed in print and digitized formats according to a constructivist learning approach. Senior high school STEM students from grades 11 (n = 117) and 12 (n = 104) participated in a survey using a 3-point Likert-scale questionnaire uploaded online through Google Forms. The survey results indicate that majority of the students perceived the modules positively, suggesting that aspects of the modules that were salient to students corresponded to essential elements of constructivist pedagogies. However, during interviews, students reported several difficulties in learning with BSLM as it was constrained by, to name a few, the use of unfamiliar words, lack of access to supporting resources, slow internet connection, and time constraints. To address these problems, teachers reported that they gave deadline extensions, complemented modules with other channels of support, and used online and offline platforms for reaching out to students to answer their queries and plan out their schedule for the week. The findings across the data sources point to the complex demands of emergency distance education that teachers, as curriculum designers and enactors, need to bear in mind in order to craft productive pedagogies, constructivist or otherwise, during this unprecedented time

Advancing Agricultural Forensics through Pedagogical Innovation: Development of a Training Module on Machine Learning-assisted Ubi “Kinampay” Geographic Origin Differentiation

The growing emphasis on food traceability and authenticity has heightened the demand for advanced analytical techniques capable of verifying both the geographic origin and varietal identity of premium crops. In the Philippine context, ubi ‘Kinampay’ (Dioscorea alata L.) is regarded as a culturally significant and economically valuable commodity, yet remains susceptible to misidentification and economically motivated fraud. Although methods such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and stable isotope analysis present viable solutions for forensic verification, their adoption is hindered by the scarcity of skilled practitioners and the absence of formalized training programs. This study responds to that need through the design and evaluation of a competency-based training module tailored for science professionals working in nuclear forensic applications related to agriculture. Drawing on the principles of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, the training integrates adult learning pedagogies with domain-specific content. A mixed-method developmental research design was employed, combining expert validation via Likert-scale assessment with qualitative insights obtained through thematic analysis of interviews. Results showed consistent strong agreement across key dimensions, including content coherence, instructional design, visual aids, and science identity reinforcement. Qualitative data further emphasized the module’s clarity, scientific accuracy, and relevance to professional practice, while also noting the need for refinements in cognitive load and interface usability. Overall, the module demonstrates both pedagogical soundness and technical validity, positioning it as a scalable solution for institutional capacity-building in agricultural traceability. Strategic recommendations focus on module enhancement and alignment with policy frameworks such as Geographical Indication (GI) protection

Technology-Supported Distance Learning for Basic Education in the Philippines

Distance learning (DL) is a teaching-learning modality in which teaching occurs at a different place from learning (Moore & Diehl, 2018). Technology-supported distance learning (TDL) is DL in which learning contents—whether documents, videos, or games—are disseminated via the Internet, broadcast signals, or storage devices like USB drives and can be accessed by a learner any time after they have been received. These three kinds of TDL are called online DL (ODL), DL via datacasting (DLD), and electronic DL (EDL), respectively. Reproduction of learning materials is much faster and cheaper using TDL than traditional, paper-based DL