Challenges of Social Studies Teachers in the Implementation of the Matatag Curriculum: A Case Study from Northern Philippines

Education plays a vital role in the development of well-informed and critical citizens, which enables them to keep pace in the ever-changing and evolving world. With this, the Department of Education implemented the Matatag Curriculum, also known as the “Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa”. This curriculum was formulated as a response to the loopholes of the K to 12 Curriculum. However, like other curriculum reforms, it also posed challenges to teachers as the primary implementer. This study explores the challenges in the implementation of the Matatag Curriculum, contextualized to the teaching of Araling Panlipunan 7. This study utilized qualitive research design specifically case study following thematic approach to data analysis. Gathered data are treated with the use of the 6-phase coding framework from Braun and Clarke (2013). The participants of this research are composed of five Junior High School Social Studies Teachers who are teaching Araling Panlipunan 7, in the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte. Participants were selected with the use of convenience sampling method, which allows the researcher to easily communicate and do follow up questions with the participants. Through a series of interviews, the study was able to generate responses from the Social Studies 7 teachers specifically in terms of the challenges they face in the implementation of the Matatag curriculum as well as their initiatives to somewhat address said challenges. Key findings of the study include; inadequacy of professional trainings and seminars, lack of available aligned resource materials such as textbooks, inaccessibility of online resources due to poor internet connection in schools, poor stakeholder engagement as a result of limited knowledge about the Matatag Curriculum, and teachers are not fully ready as a result of lack of resources and trainings. These challenges hinder the effective delivery of instruction; however, it also revealed that teachers employ mitigating practices such as the use of textbooks and educational resources, whose content are similar to the Matatag Curriculum, and an exploration of related books and articles to gain additional understanding about the curriculum. Findings of the study reveal that these challenges are no ordinary to the challenges encountered from previous curriculum reforms. The study contributes to the growing discourse on the continuous refinement of the curriculum and underscores the need for a collective effort of all stakeholders for its successful implementation.