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A. Introduction

As a matter of practice, the curriculum in the Philippines is revised every ten years, but the rapid rate of change in education and the fast obsolescence of knowledge necessitate a continual revisiting and updating of the curriculum to make it responsive to emerging changes in the needs of the learner and the society. Thus, the refinement of the curriculum remains to be a work in progress.

Aside from the issue of relevance, the refinement of the secondary education curriculum was guided by the need, as articulated in the Education for All Plan 2015, to streamline its content in order to improve student mastery and contribute to the attainment of functional literacy. This became a primary consideration in the design of the curriculum and the formulation of standards and the essential understandings from which the content of the curriculum was derived.

Initial feedback from the teachers has been useful in further improving the design of the curriculum. What has evolved from the try-out is a core curriculum that builds on and retains the principles of the 2002 BEC (constructivism, integrative teaching) and integrates the richness of the special curricular programs (Arts, Sports, Engineering and Science Education Program, Journalism, Technical-Vocational Program, and Foreign Language). The latter shall be offered in schools as special interest areas which children can pursue among many other career options in livelihood education.

 

B. Legal Bases

The 2010 Secondary Education Curriculum is created in accordance with the following legal bases:

1.Batas Pambansa Bilang 232 (Education Act of 1982). This act provides for the establishment and maintenance of an integrated system of education.

“The educational system aim to provide for a broad general education that will assist each individuals in the peculiar ecology of his own society, to (a) attain his potentials as a human being; (b) enhance the range and quality of individual and group participation in the basic functions of society; and (c) acquire the essential educational foundation of his development into a productive and versatile citizen (Sec.4 Par. 1).”

2.The 1987 Constitution. It provides the basic state policies on education, both formal and non-formal.

“The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all (Article XIV, Section 1).”

“The State shall establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society (Article XIV, Section 2 (1)).”

“The State shall encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning systems, as well as self-learning, independent, and out-of-school study programs particularly those that respond to community needs (Article XIV, Section 2 (4)).

“The school shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development of the country, teach the rights and duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and promote vocational efficiency (Article XIV, Section 3 (2)).”

3.Republic Act Number 9155 (The Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001). It provides the general goal of basic education is to develop the Filipino learners by providing them basic competencies in literacy and numeracy, critical thinking and learning skills, and desirable values to become caring, self-reliant, productive, socially aware, patriotic and responsible citizens.

C. Curriculum Content

The 2010 Secondary Education Curriculum still patterned the content of the curriculum to the 2002 Restructured Basic Education Curriculum. It still includes the five major learning areas:

1.English

2.Filipino

3.Science

4.Mathematics

5.Makabayan

a.Araling Panlipunan

b.Technology and Livelihood Education

c.Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health

d.Edukasyon sa Pagpapahalaga

The Values Education (VE) is integrated throughout the different learning areas.

D. Mathematics Curriculum Framework

The goal of basic education is functional literacy for all. In line with this goal, the learner in Mathematics should demonstrate the following core competencies: problem solving, communicating mathematically, reasoning mathematically and making connections and representations.

The macro skills critical to these four competencies are computational skills and comprehension, application to real life, creative and critical thinking and visual imagery.

These competencies and skills are expected to be developed using approaches such as practical work/outdoor activities, mathematical investigations/games and puzzles, and the use of ICT and integration with other disciplines. Values inherent in Mathematics such as accuracy, patience, honesty, objectivity, creativity and hard work are developed integratively in the teaching-learning process. The theories underpinning these approaches are Experiential Learning of David Kolb, Constructivism and Cooperative Learning.

E. General Standards in Mathematics

Program Standard: The learner demonstrates understanding of key concepts and principles of mathematics as applied in problem solving, communicating, reasoning, making connections, representations, and decisions in real life.

First Year. The learner demonstrates understanding of key concepts and principles of number and number sense as applied to measuring, estimating, graphing, solving equations and inequalities,   communicating mathematically and solving problems in real life.

Second Year. The learner demonstrates understanding of key concepts and principles of number sense and patterns in solving equations,   generalizing relationships and solving problems in real life.

Third Year. The learner demonstrates understanding of key concepts and principles of number sense, shapes and sizes and their applications to solving real life problems involving geometric relationships.

Fourth Year. The learner demonstrates understanding of key concepts and principles of number sense, patterns and functions, data analysis and uses them in solving problems in real life.

F. Competencies in Math

The following are the topics to be covered for Mathematics under this curriculum:

First Year:

 

• Real Number System
• Measurements
• Scientific Notation
• Algebraic Expressions
• First Degree Equations and Inequalities in One Variable
• Rational Algebraic Expressions
• Linear Equations and Inequalities in Two Variables
• Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities in Two Variables

 

Second Year:

 

• Special Products and Factors
• Quadratic Equations
• Equations Involving Rational Expressions
• Expressions With Rational Exponents
• Radical Expressions and Equations
• Variations
• Sequences and Series

 

Third Year:

 

• Geometry of Shape and Size
• Geometric Relations
• Writing Proofs
• Perpendicular Lines and Parallel Lines
• Triangle Congruence
• Inequalities in a Triangle
• Quadrilaterals
• Similarity
• Circles
• Plane Coordinate Geometry

 

Fourth Year:

 

• Relations and Functions
• Linear Functions
• Quadratic Functions
• Polynomial Functions
• Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
• Circular Functions
• Trigonometric Identities and Equations
• Counting Techniques and Probability
• Measures of Central Tendency and Variability

 

G. Strategies and Techniques

The refinement of the curriculum followed the Understanding by Design (UbD) model developed by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins.

The Secondary Education Curriculum is composed of three stages:

Stage 1: Results/Desired Outcomes, which define what students should be able to know and do at the end of the program, course, or unit of study; generally expressed in terms of overall goals, and specifically defined in terms of content and performance standards.

 

• Content standards, which specify the essential knowledge (includes the most important and enduring ideas, issues, principles and concepts from the disciplines), skills and habits of mind that should be taught and learned. They answer the question, “What should students know and be able to do?”
• Performance standards, which express the degree or quality of proficiency that students are expected to demonstrate in relation to the content standards. They answer the question, “How well must students do their work?” or “At what level of performance would the student be appropriately qualified or certified?”
• Essential Understandings, which are the big and enduring ideas at the heart of the discipline and which we want the children to remember even long after they leave school.
• Essential Questions, which are open-ended, provocative questions that spark thinking and further inquiry into the essential meanings and understandings.
• Curriculum Objectives, which are expressed in terms of knowledge and skills that teachers can use as guide in formulating their own classroom objectives.

 

Stage 2: Assessment, which defines acceptable evidence of student’s attainment of desired results; determines authentic performance tasks that the student is expected to do to demonstrate the desired understandings; and defines the criteria against which the student’s performances or products shall be judged.

 

• Products and Performances, which are the evidence of students’ learning and a demonstration of their conceptual understanding, and content and skill acquisition.

 

Stage 3: Learning Plan, which details the instructional activities that students will go through to attain the standards.

 

• Instructional Activities, which are aligned with the standards and are   designed to promote attainment of desired results.

 

H. The Features of 2010 Secondary Education Curriculum

The 2010 Secondary Education Curriculum has the following strengths/ advantages:

 

1. It focuses on essential understandings.
2. It sets high expectations (standards-based) expressed in terms of what students should know and the quality of the skills that they are expected to demonstrate as evidence of learning.
3. It is rich and challenging as it provides a personalized approach to developing the students’ multiple intelligences.
4. It develops readiness and passion for work and lifelong learning

 

What is being envisaged is that the core curriculum shall be implemented with special curricular programs: special program in the arts (SPA), special program in sports (SPS), special program in journalism (SPJ), special program in foreign language, special science/math (S&T), technical-vocational program (tech-voc) being offered on the side, to develop the students’ multiple intelligences.

I. Conclusion

“Nothing is constant except CHANGE.” As long as we continue to live, we must be able to adapt and respond to the ever dynamic changes in this world. Our education system, as one of the integral part of our survival, is never exempted. Educators and curriculum developers must always consider newest trends and news, and always put into primary consideration the ever increasing needs and demands of the students.