UP NISMED and DOST-SEI Conduct Phase 2 of Project HOTS

A teacher spins an animal wheel as the pupils watch
during the implementation of a research lesson on animal
body parts used to adapt to water habitats.

UP NISMED, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), conducted a seminar-workshop on Hands-On Teaching and Learning of Science Through Inquiry (Project HOTS) for Grade 4 Science teachers of the Division of Taguig – Pateros. Project HOTS consisted of two phases. Phase 1 ran in four batches: Batch 1: 12-14 April 2016; Batch 2: 26-28 April 2016; Batch 3: 4-6 May 2016; and Batch 4: 24-26 May 2016. It was a three-day seminar-workshop on developing inquiry-based lessons and assessment for a science lesson. There were 113 Grade 4 science teachers from 28 schools who participated in Phase 1.

Phase 2, the lesson study component which is a school-based professional development program, followed the seminar-workshops. The Science activities developed in Phase 1 were subsequently incorporated in lessons and implemented twice by different teachers of the team in each school. Implementations of lessons were observed and post-lesson reflection and discussions were conducted to further improve the lessons based on pupils’ feedback and suggestions made by members of the team, as well as by academic supervisors, DOST-SEI, and UP NISMED staff.

The initial ten schools that participated in Phase 2 were chosen based on the following criteria:
1) The schools sent at least two teachers to the seminar-workshop (Phase 1).
2) The schools did not implement lesson study in 2015.

However, there were three schools that requested not to implement lesson study for the following reasons: a) there were no classrooms large enough to accommodate all of the observers, b) ongoing classroom construction, and c) fear that the teachers who participated in Phase 1 will not be able to deliver the required outputs in Phase 2. The DepEd Supervisor then chose replacement schools based on the capability of the teachers. From these ten schools, DOST-SEI will choose two schools as the “Most Promising Implementers” based on a set of criteria. Phase 2 will end in November 2016.