THE TEACHING PROFESSION

CHAPTER 6
TEACHERS COMPETENCE AND PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT

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 THE TEACHING PROFESSION

CHAPTER 6
TEACHERS COMPETENCE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the orientation the students must have:

1. Discuss the Competency Framework for Teachers in Southeast Asia and the Philippine
Professional Teachers Standards.
2. Explain the importance of Continuing Professional Development for professional
teachers.
3. Discuss the pertinent provision of the CPD act of 2018.
4. Demonstrate genuine desire for continuing Professional Development.

LESSON 2 - CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

 Explain why CPD is necessary for professional teachers.

 Discuss pertinent provisions of the CPD Act of 2016 and other related legal documents.
 Commit to continuing professional development.

ACTIVITY

Instruction: Explain the meaning of each of the following quotations in your own words.

1. “Growth is an evidence of life.”

2. “Man/woman is an “unfinished project”.
3. “No person has “arrived”.

ANALYSIS

How do these quotations relate to Continuing Professional Development?

ABSTRACTION
The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers includes personal growth and
professional development as the 7th domain with the enactment of RA 10912, the CPD Law of
2016, CPD for all the professions regulated by PRC is now mandatory. Mandating CPD is the only
way all professionals, including teachers, are made to go through CPD. CPD for professional
teachers is not an option. It is a necessity continuing professional development for professional
teachers sharpens the professional teachers’ competitive edge in a highly competitive global
world.

The Philosophical Basis of CPD

Growth is an evidence of life. This implies that anything that is alive grows, or anything
that grows is alive. So a teacher who is alive grows physically, psychologically, mentally, socially,
emotionally, spiritually. If he or she doesn’t grow, it means he or she is no longer alive.

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“Man or woman is an unfinished project.” For a professional teacher, he or she is always

in the process of becoming better and better as a person and as a professional teacher. No person,
no professional can claim he or she has already arrived at a state of perfection. Neither “Perfecta”
nor “Perfecto”, who is perfect by name is not perfect. This means that no professional has arrived
at the perfect state. This implies that every professional is expected to continue developing.

The Historical and Legal Bases of Continuing Professional Development in the Philippines
Even before the enactment of the CPD Act of 2016, CPD was already alluded in the 1987
Philippine Constitution. No less than the fundamental of the land, Section 5, paragraph 4 states:
“The state shall enhance the right of teachers to professional advancement.”

Other laws also cited continuing professional development as follow:

1. Batas Pambansa 232, the Education Act of 1982, Chapter 3. Duties and obligations. Section
16. (4) “States as one of teacher’s obligations to assume the responsibility to maintain and
sustain his professional growth and advancement…”

2. RA 9155, An Act Instituting a Framework of Governance for Basic Education, Establishing

Authority and Accountability, renaming the Department of Education, Culture and Sports
as the Department of Education, and for other purposes, was enacted on August 11, 2001.
In the enumeration of duties and functions of the secretary of in the enumeration of duties
and functions of the Secretary of Education, Section 7 A., to wit.

In addition to his or her powers under existing laws, the Secretary of Education shall have
authority, accountability and responsibility among other things, for… (6) Enhancing the
employment status, professional competence, welfare and working conditions of all personal of
the Department;…Section 7, E states, to wit, “…Consistent with national educational policies,
plans and standards, the school heads shall have authority, accountability and responsibility for…
encouraging staff development.”

3. RA 7836 the Teachers Professionalization Act also provided for mandatory continuing
professional education (CPE), now referred to us continuing professional development
(CPD), to wit:
To encourage continuing professional growth and development, and to provide additional
basis for Merit promotion in addition to their performance rating, teachers may take an oral and
written examination at least once in five years as basis for merit promotion. In taking this
examination, no fee shall be required (Sec. 19. Periodic Merit Examination of Teachers).

Unfortunately due to lack of funding the merit examination has not unfortunately, due to
lack of funding, the merit examination has not been implemented up to writing time.
Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, the Merit Examination has not been implemented
up to writing time.
The same RA 7836 states:

Unjustified or willful failure to attend seminars, workshops, conferences and the like or the
continuing education program prescribed by the Board and the Commission (Sec. 23, h. Revocation

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of the Certificate of Registration, Suspension from the Practice of the Teaching Profession and
Cancellation of Temporary or Special Permit).

4. The Board for Professional Teachers (BPT) also passed Resolution No. 435, s. 177 to adopt
the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph €,
Article 11 of RA 7836, otherwise known as the Philippine Teachers Professionalization
Act of 1994. This code of ethics states:

Every teacher shall participate in the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) program of
the Professional Regulation Commission, and shall pursue such other studies as will improve his
efficiency, enhance the prestige of his profession and strengthen his competence, virtues and
productivity in order to be nationally and internationally competitive. (Section 3, Article IV)

5. Executive Order # 266, Institutionalization of the Continuing Professional Education

(CPE) Programs of the Various Professional Regulatory Boards (PRBs) under the
supervision of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). This was signed and issued
by the Office of the President Fidel V. Ramos on July 25, 1995, to wit:

The completion by professional licenses of the Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

programs adopted by all Boards is hereby imposed as a mandatory requirement for the renewal of
professional licenses.

This Executive Order was premised on the following:

WHEREAS, the various professions play a crucial role in nation building;

WHEREAS, it is imperative to impose upon registered professionals the completion of the

continuing professional education CPE programs adopted by the concerned board as a prerequisite
for the renewal of their licenses;

WHEREAS, the professionals who undertake the CPE programs are enabled not only to
upgrade or improve their technical knowledge and skills, but also to keep them abreast with modern
trends and technology in their respective professions, thereby assuring the rendition of highly
qualitative professional services that will be globally competitive under the General Agreement on
Trade in Services (GATS), and the same time securing the safety and protection of the public;
WHEREAS, the confidence and patronage of the public in a professional depend upon his
competence in the quality of service rendered resulting from his acquisition of updated technical
knowledge and skill.

6. RA 10912 Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 - with the enactment of this
law, CPD for all the 43 professionals regulated by PRC, including the teaching profession,
has become mandatory.

The Salient Provisions of RA 10912 the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016
A lot of questions have been raised about RA 10912 otherwise known as the Continuing
Professional Development Act of 2016. Many teachers resist CPD. It is claimed to be extra
expense, extra effort and extra time when in fact it is every professional’s obligation. CPD is the
only way professionals can sharpen their competitive edge in an international world that has
become global village. The need for CPD is heightened by ASEAN integration and internalization

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which are now real. To be in a professional must meet international standards. The way to go is
CPD.
The purposes of CPD for professionals are stated in RA 10912, Article 1 Declaration of
Policy.
It is hereby declare the policy of the State to promote and upgrade the practice of professions
in the country. Towards this end, the State shall institute measures that will continuously improve
the competence of the professionals in accordance with the international standards of practice,
thereby, ensuring their contribution in uplifting the general welfare economic growth and
development of the nation.
The State policy on promoting and upgrading the practice of professions in the country
and the institution of measures to “continuously improve the competence of the professionals in
accordance with international standards” and gives Filipino professionals a competitive edge in
the ASEAN region and in the world.

Numbers of CPD Units Required

Article III, Section 10 of the same CPD act states: “The CPD is made as a mandatory
requirement in the renewal of the Professional Identification Card (PICs) of all registered and
licensed professionals. How many credit units are required for the renewal of PICs? For the
professional teachers groups based on professional regulatory board for Professional Teachers
Resolution No. 11, series of 2017, the following credit units are required:

PERIOD NO. OF CREDIT UNITS REQUIRED

December 2017 15 Credit Units
January – December 2018 30 Credit Units
January 2019 onwards 45 Credit Units

Ways by Which Professional Teachers Can Earn Credit Units

As shown in the figure below CPD credit units can be earned in four ways:

1. Professional track - this includes training provided by CPD providers accredited by PRC.
You can earn credit units as a participant to a training approved with the CPD council. You
earn more credits units if you serve as a resource speaker, trainer or demonstration
teacher. You also earn credit units as a panelist or reactor, facilitator or moderator. You
earn much more if you are assigned by the CPD Council to monitor the conduct of an
approved CPD program.
2. Academic track - This refers to the completion of a Master’s degree, completion of
candidacy to the doctorate program, completion of the doctorate program, completion of
a post-doctoral diploma and being a recipient of a professorial chair grant and/or
fellowship grant. Take note that ONLY COMPLETION of the master’s degree is given full
credit units of 45. Earning MA units is not given any credit unit but completion of
candidacy for the Doctorate Degree already entitles one to 45 credit units. The master’s
and doctorate degrees must have been around 5 years before renewal of professional
license.
3. Self-directed track - this includes trainings offered by non-accredited CPD providers. It
refers to “learning activities such as online training, local or international seminars or
non-degree courses, institution or company sponsored training programs and the like

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which did not undergo CPD accreditation but may be applied for and awarded CPD units
by the respective CPD councils.
4. Productive scholarship - this means that the professional teacher has developed
training or program module, curriculum guide or any other resource material. Or the
professional teacher has written article in a professional magazine or technical or
research paper and even better if the technical papers is published in a refereed/peer-
reviewed professional journal. Best if the professional teacher writes a book or a
monograph or comes up with an invention or creative work latter entitles him or her to
45 credit units.
Even professional and/or lifetime achievement awards from the division level to regional,
national and international level make the professional teacher earn credit units.

Joining Professional Learning Community or Communities of Practice

CPD is made possible on a live through professional learning communities (PLCs). These
PLCs are powerful collaborations in which teachers work together to analyze and improve their
classroom practice in a systematic process.
The Department of Education institutionalized the School Learning Action Cells (SLACs)
as a mechanism for CPD.
In interview with beginning teachers and administrators on some conditions that help
them improve their own practice, the answer boils down to this “working in school with an
integrated professional culture.”

Learning from the CPD practices of High Performing Countries

Let us learn from the CPD practices of high performing countries like Singapore and
Finland.

CPD in Singapore

Singapore is the first country in the world to adopt the PLC framework nationwide. It has
institutionalized PLC in its schools. Professional development is very much alive. In 2010 the
Ministry of Education mandated all schools to be a “learning organization”. This “learning
organization” concept of schools supports the building of a strong mentorship culture where a
collaborative and community-oriented form of professional development thrives. Every teacher
is entitled to 100 hours per year of optional training which everyone makes of. Schools are
encouraged to provide at least one hour of curricular time per week for teachers to actively
engage in school-based Professional Development (PD) initiatives. These PLCs are led by school
leaders who provide teachers with structures and resources to engage in a variety of inquiry-
based PD practices.

For PD Singapore has (1) Teacher-Research Network, (2) Lesson study and other forms
of “Learning Circles”.

In the Teacher-Researcher Networks, faculty researchers for NIE, senior specialists from
MOE, and teacher researcher including those with higher formal training in research (who are
called “research activists”) serve as mentors to teachers to conduct action research. The overall
goal of these learning communities is to provide teachers with resources to engage in action
research, which is usually a form of classroom-based investigation where teachers discuss and

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reflect upon pedagogical problems and find their own solutions to improve teaching and learning.
The teacher-researcher network follow these steps:
a. Identification and definition of a problem.
b. Planning for improvement.
c. Implementation of teaching/learning activities.
d. Observation of results (Data Collection)
e. Reflection on the outcomes.
At the completion of the research, participants write a group reflective journal to
summarize the procedures, findings, conclusions, and implications of the study. These action
research journals are shared with other groups of teachers interested in similar classroom
problems. Opportunity, like a forum, symposium and publications are given to teachers to share
their research findings.

Another effective strategy for PD in Singapore is the lesson study adapted from Japan. The
overall goal of lesson study is to foster collaborative inquiry and data driven pedagogical
reflection among teachers.

How is this done? This consists of four cyclical faces.

1. Study phase - Teachers analyze the curriculum to be taught and formulate long-term
teaching and learning goals.
2. Planning phase - Teacher select lessons for research predicts student thinking and
difficulties and plan the implementation of specific lessons for data collection
3. Analysis phase - Teachers observe and discuss the classroom evidence collected. (videos,
student written work)
4. Reflection phase - Teachers discuss student learning and identify new areas for further
inquiries.

Much of the professional development of Singaporean teachers occurs within school

settings through the Learning Circles or Learning Teams. With the widely-accepted concept of
“schools as learning organizations” and with teachers' welcoming attitude to PD, there are a
number of work embedded opportunities for PD. Topics for PD range from curriculum
innovation, student-centric teaching practices, new uses of ICT, collaborative lesson planning to
project based learning.

CPD in Finland

Teachers in Finland meet one afternoon each week. Jointly plan and develop curriculum. They are
encouraged to work together to share materials.

CPD in Japan

Lesson study approach to professional development.

Japan is well known for lesson study. How does Japan do lesson study as a strategy for
professional development? Below is a detailed description of how Japan implements a lesson
study.
Every teacher periodically prepares a best possible lesson that demonstrates strategies to
achieve a specific goal in collaboration with other colleagues. A group of teachers observe while the
lesson is taught and usually record the lesson in a number of ways, including videotapes, audiotapes

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and narrative. And/or checklist observations that focus on areas of interest to instructing teacher.
Afterwards, the group of teachers and sometimes outside educators discuss the lessons, strengths
and weaknesses, ask questions and make suggestions to improve the lesson. In some cases, the
revised lesson is given by another teacher only a few days later, and observed and discussed again.
Teachers themselves decide the theme and frequency of research lessons. Large study groups
often break up into sub groups of four to six teachers. The subgroups plan their own lessons but work
toward the same goal, and teachers from all subgroups share and comment on lessons and try to
attend the lesson and follow-up discussion. For a typical lesson study, the 10 to 15 hours of group
meetings are spread over three to four weeks.
While schools let out between 2:40 and 3:45 PM, teachers’ work days don’t end until 5:00
PM, which provides additional time for collegial work and planning. Most lesson study meetings
occurred during the arts after school lets out. The research lessons allow teachers to refine individual
lessons, consult with other teachers and get colleagues observations about their classroom practice,
reflect on their own practice, learn new content and approaches, and build a culture that emphasizes
continuous improvement and collaboration.

Some teachers also give public research lessons, which expedites the spread of best practices
across schools, allows principals, district personnel and policymakers to see how teachers are
grappling with new subject matter and goals, and gives recognition to excellent teachers.

CPD in New Zealand

In New Zealand, the Ministry Education gives funds for 20% release time for new teachers
and 10% release time for second-year teachers Ministry of Education to observe other teachers,
attend professional development activities, courses and work on curriculum. Mentor teachers
deliberately spend time to observe and confer with beginning teachers.

Characteristics of effective CPD

Based on the professional development practices and experiences of high performing

countries, we can say that a CPD that works is: 1. Continuous, 2. Collaborative, 3. Focused on a
specific teacher need, 4. Job-embedded, 5. Given enough time and 6. Funded. The one-shot
workshops that teachers bemoan don’t work.

CPD must be continuous, thus the word Continuing Professional Development. A

professional does not stop developing or else he or she ruts. Stagnant water becomes putrid.
CPD must also be collaborative. Thus, the need to be part of a PLC, a professional learning
community. It was Helen Keller who said “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
CPD must be focused on a specific teacher need. It responds to a need and so is highly
relevant to the teacher. A CPD that is prescribed by higher officials does not necessarily respond
to teachers’ need.
If CPD is job embedded, it becomes even more relevant. The teacher has not to be removed
from the workplace for CPD, so there is no work disruption. But the teacher is trained on is exactly
what he or she does.

Quality CPD demands adequate time. What is 10 to 20 hours removed from contact time
with learners’ quality time spent for CPD ultimately redounds to improve teaching for the benefit
of learners.

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CPD with support funds is definitely better than one without.

APPLICATION
Instruction: Explain the following.

1. How does this proverb relate to CPD?

“A much-used plow shines; stagnant waters stink.”

2. How different is the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in the Philippines from
the other foreign countries given above?

3. Why do you think CPD is important for the professionals? Elaborate your answer.

4. How would you commit to Continuing Professional Development once you become
licensed professionals?

5. Discuss the R.A. 7836 briefly. How’s this law relates to Continuing Professional
Development (CPD)?

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

Instruction: Choose only the letter of the correct answer.

1. Why is CPD necessary for professional teachers?
I. To continuously improve their professional and personal competence.
II. To be par with other professional.
III. To abide by the CPD Act of 2016

a. I, II and III c. I and III

b. II and III d. III

2. Which statement/s on CPD is/are CORRECT?

I. A professional teacher may earn CPD units through self-directed learning.
II. One mode of CPD is through productive scholarship.
III. All credit units earned by a professional shall be accumulated and transferred in
accordance with the pathways of equivalences of the PQF.

a. I and II c. I, II and III

b. I and III d. II and III

3. Which is a proof that a professional teacher demonstrates a genuine desire for CPD?
a. Goes through CPD even if it is not required by law.
b. Do CPD for promotion
c. Go for CPD as mandated
d. Do CPD because everybody does it

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