Teachers’ Preparedness, Experiences and Challenges on the Implementation of Catch-Up Fridays as Basis for Improvement

In the aftermath of the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic, which caused considerable disruptions in educational settings, the necessity of such programs has become more apparent than it was before. As a result of the pandemic, pre-existing educational disparities have been brought to light and worsened, making the processes of recovery and catch-up all the more important (UNESCO, 2020). 'Catch-Up Fridays' appear as a feasible technique to offset learning losses and give targeted help to students who have fallen behind in their coursework when seen in this perspective. The study sought to determine the teachers’ preparedness and experiences in the implementation of Catch-up Fridays. Additionally, this study assessed the challenges and successes of the implementation of the said program. The study utilized the descriptive-quantitative and correlational method. All one hundred (100) teacher participants of School A which falls under district one (1) under Quadrant 1.1 were the respondents of the study. Data gathering was accomplished by administering a survey questionnaire. Findings reveal that the overall preparedness of respondents for the implementation of Catch-Up Fridays leans towards being positive. It reveals that majority of the teachers encountered moderate challenges and experienced moderate to high success with Catch-Up Fridays. The Pearson correlation results reveal a very strong and statistically significant relationship between the level of teachers' preparedness and the nature of their experiences, including the challenges they face in implementing Catch-Up Fridays. Findings suggest that the teachers must have first-hand experience in utilizing and implementing Catch-Up Fridays. Also, the teachers must be consistent in using various teaching techniques that would help students' greater comprehension, hence enhancing above average academic performance and being able to achieve excellent academic performance. Teachers should be supported through in-service trainings, in-school briefings, and professional development programs. Moreover, a seminars and trainings should be provided for teachers to be updated on new trends of the assessment and teaching strategies in the teaching of junior high school.