Competencies and Professional Development Needs of Philippine Alternative Learning System (ALS) Teachers: Strategies, Challenges, and Learning Facilitation Insights

The Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Philippines is essential for the provision of educational opportunities to adults and adolescents who are not enrolled in school. This study assessed ALS teachers' competencies and professional development needs in Makati City's Schools Division Office, examining their teaching strategies, challenges, and engagement methods. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study surveyed 53 ALS teachers through Google Forms to gather data on self-perceived competencies and professional development needs. Results revealed that while teachers rated their competencies as satisfactory to substantial, significant variations existed across instructional areas. Differentiated instruction emerged as the most substantial competency (4.1/5.0), while assessment and evaluation techniques needed the most improvement (3.6/5.0). Teachers reported using diverse engagement strategies, with collaborative learning (28%) and multimedia resources (26%) being the most effective. Key challenges included learner engagement, managing diverse backgrounds, and resource constraints. The study found that self-perceived competencies increased with teaching experience, highlighting the need for experience-based professional development. Based on these findings, recommendations include implementing tiered professional development systems, enhancing technology integration, developing learner diversity and engagement strategies, creating ALS-specific resources, fostering collaborative learning environments, and revising policies to better support ALS teachers. Future studies should explore learner perspectives and conduct comparative analyses across regions to identify best practices.