Improving Teachers’ Knowledge and Awareness on Gender-Responsive Teaching Through a School Learning Action Cell (SLAC) Session
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62208/jelr.3.2.p.47-55Abstract
This study investigated the effectiveness of a School Learning Action Cell (SLAC) session in enhancing the knowledge and awareness of secondary teachers regarding gender-responsive teaching. Employing a quantitative one-group pretest–posttest design, thirty teachers participated in a SLAC session focused on integrating gender principles into instructional content, teaching strategies, and classroom management. A researcher-made questionnaire composed of Likert-scale items and situational questions was administered before and after the intervention. Descriptive results revealed a generally positive baseline understanding (M = 3.99, SD = 0.68), while posttest scores showed a significant increase in teachers’ knowledge and awareness (Pretest M = 8.90, SD = 2.50; Posttest M = 9.77, SD = 1.72). The paired-sample t-test indicated a statistically significant improvement, t(29) = –3.21, p = .003, with decreased score variability suggesting more consistent competence among participants. Findings confirm that a well-designed SLAC session can effectively strengthen teachers’ gender-responsive knowledge within a short timeframe. However, results also highlight lingering gaps in teachers’ confidence when handling complex gender-related scenarios, underscoring the need for follow-up, scenario-based capacity-building activities. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence that school-based, collaborative professional development can meaningfully support DepEd’s GAD agenda and contribute to more inclusive, equitable classroom practices.
Downloads
References
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall.
Bhandari, P. (2023). Quantitative research design: Methods & examples. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/quantitative-research/
Bissessar, C. (2021). Social learning, collaborative professional learning, professional learning communities and communities of practice: Implications for praxis. Teacher Learning and Professional Development, 6(1), 1–20.
BERA. (2018). Ethical guidelines for educational research (4th ed.). https://www.bera.ac.uk/researchers-resources/publications/ethical-guidelines-for-educational-research-2018
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Culajara, C. J. (2023). Improving teachers’ professional development through School Learning
Action Cell (SLAC). Journal of Research, Policy & Practice of Teachers and Teacher Education, 13(1), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.37134/jrpptte.vol13.1.6.2023
Deala, M. S., & Lopez, E. A. (2024). School Learning Action Cell (SLAC) implementation and its impact on the personal and professional development among elementary teachers. Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 21(3), 253–265.
Department of Education. (2017). DepEd Order No. 16, s. 2017: Research management guidelines. https://www.deped.gov.ph/2017/03/20/do-16-s-2017-research-management-guidelines/
Department of Education. (2017). DepEd Order No. 32, s. 2017: Gender-Responsive Basic Education Policy. https://www.teacherph.com/gender-responsive-policy/
Donath, J. L., Lüke, T., Graf, E., Tran, U. S., & Götz, T. (2023). Does professional development effectively support the implementation of inclusive education? Educational Psychology Review, 35(30). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09752-2
Hogan, J. A., Montalbano, C., Coviello, J. (2025). Developing inclusive educators: Analyzing the effectiveness of a short-term technical assistance model for best practices. Education Sciences, 15(5), 578. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15050578
Jimenez, R. D. (2025). Gender mainstreaming in Department of Education (DepEd) Central
Luzon: Towards a proposed GAD agenda. International Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Studies, 12(4), 176–186.
Laerd Statistics. (2015). Paired-samples t-test using SPSS Statistics. https://statistics.laerd.com/spss-tutorials/paired-samples-t-test-using-spss-statistics.php
McLeod, S. (2019). Likert scale definition, examples, and analysis. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/likert-scale.html
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey-Bass.
Mulay, I. K. (2025). Professional advancement through School Learning Action Cell (SLAC): Insights of secondary school teachers. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 10(5), 4114–4117. https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25may1935
Sicuan, S. R. (2024). Exploring the role of Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines (HGDG) in promoting gender sensitivity in classroom practices among educators. Journal of Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 2(10), 144–161.
Tagaza, R., & Manalansan, D. (2025). Teaching gender and culture: A historical and pedagogical inquiry into gender and development in Philippine education. International Journal on Culture, History, and Religion, 7(SI2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.63931/ijchr.v7iSI2.221
Taherdoost, H. (2016). Sampling methods in research methodology: How to choose a sampling technique for research. International Journal of Academic Research in Management, 5(2), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205035
Talib-Bauda, N. B., Shaik, A. S., & Mohamad, H. A. (2025). The integration of gender and development principles in gender-responsive basic education, Philippines. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 10(7), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25jul1946
The Jamovi Project (2025). Jamovi. (Version 2.7) [Computer Software]. Retrieved from https://www.jamovi.org.
UNESCO. (2021). Gender-responsive pedagogy: A toolkit for teachers and schools. UNICEF ESARO.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (2021). Gender equality: A global priority for UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/gender-equality
University of Minnesota. (2021). Research designs and methods: Pre-experimental designs. https://open.lib.umn.edu/researchmethods/chapter/7-1-pre-experimental-designs/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Asia-Phil T. Binongo (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

