Learning Skills, Academic Performance, And Teaching Competencies of Araling Panlipunan Teachers: Basis for a Proposed Intervention Scheme

This quantitative descriptive correlational study examined the learning skills and academic performance of Grade 7 students, as well as the teaching competencies and challenges faced by Araling Panlipunan educators at selected National High Schools within the Esperanza District. Data were gathered from 178 Grade 7 students and 10 teachers across Esperanza, Bunaguit, and Salug National High Schools. The findings indicate a positive correlation between students' learning skills and their academic achievement in Araling Panlipunan. Among the assessed social studies skills, Collaboration Skills received the highest mean score, whereas Geography/Map Skills received the lowest, signaling the need for targeted interventions. Furthermore, students' academic performance in Araling Panlipunan was deemed highly satisfactory. Teachers demonstrated strong professional competence in Classroom Management and Student Engagement; however, they scored lower in Design of Instruction and Assessment, indicating a requirement for improvement in these areas. The study also found no significant correlation between teaching competencies and the challenges teachers encountered in Araling Panlipunan. Among the categories of problems faced by teachers, student-related issues were most prevalent, followed by teacher-related and school-related challenges. The most common student-related issue identified was students' lack of comprehension. The predominant school-related problem was the conflict between extracurricular activities and class schedules. Regarding teacher-related challenges, the highest-rated concern was teachers' preoccupation with various functions and responsibilities. To address the identified issues, an intervention program titled INTERACT (Instructional, Time-Management, Reading, and Coordination Transformation Program) was proposed. This initiative aims to effectively address the multifaceted challenges highlighted in the study, particularly in enhancing students' learning competencies, teachers' professional capabilities, workload management, and school-wide coordination.