Effectiveness of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual (MTB-MLE) Special Program in Enhancing the Competence of Pre-service Teachers

Abstract

Mother Tongue–Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE), a feature of the K-12 Program in the Philippines requires the Teacher Training Institutions to provide adequate and relevant MTB-MLE pre-service training to teacher-students. This quasi-experimental study using a pre-test-post-test design conducted with two groups of fourth-year BEED students at Bicol University during the school year 2014-2015. The study investigated effectiveness of the Special MTB-MLE Program in upgrading the level of awareness of the Teacher Training Institutions on MTB-MLE policies and issues, literacy level, and pedagogical competence, and documented the good practice options for the mainstream of the Teacher Education Program. Data were obtained from (1) the pre-test and post-test results, (2) class observations of the pre-service teachers, (3) questionnaires, (4) student outputs such as lesson plans and sample translations into Bikol as the subjects’ mother tongue, and (5) focus group discussions and interviews with officials, faculty and students. The obtained findings show that the level of awareness on MTB-MLE policies and issues, literacy level, and pedagogical competence were significantly enhanced. The student–participants, experts/ practitioners and the teacher education faculty asserted that the training program and the materials used were highly relevant, useful and informative. Particularly, the student-participants were positive to the training program in substantially preparing them for pre-service teaching. Good practices along partnership with various stakeholders were characterized as collaborative and proactive; instructional strategies were interactive, involving the use of relevant technology-supported materials. In addition, assessment practices were reported as adequate, competency-aligned and combining both conventional and authentic assessment tools. The MTB-MLE Special Program was supported and recommended by the participating subjects as effective in preparing them for a career in education.