Teachers' Experiences in the Implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in Indigenous People Learner Dominated School in Southern Palawan, Philippines

Abstract

This study sought to examine the implementation of MTB-MLE in schools where the majority of the students are indigenous learners. It specifically aimed to describe the (1) teachers' experiences with MTB-MLE implementation and the (2) the teachers' concerns in implementation. Purposive sampling was used; 6 Primary Teachers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview technique. Results show that the teachers believe in the program's purpose of the program, but in practice, it has some issues that call for reflection among policymakers and program implementers. The teachers see MTB-MLE as something irrelevant because it is a duplication of the Filipino subject which is not the Mother Tongue of the learners in the first place. Another issue that was revealed is the implication of having a multilingual classroom. The diversity of the linguistic backgrounds of the learners poses a problem. Teacher says that they receive training on MTB-MLE, but such training has no practical relevance to their day-to-day instruction. The teachers also mention the dearth of teaching and learning materials. It could be safely said that the implementation of MTB-MLE failed to achieve its purpose, and it needs more re-thinking. The researchers believe in the goal of Deped in implementing the program but that more research is needed. Collaborating with teachers, anthropologists, linguists, and artists is necessary.