Teachers' Awareness and Readiness in Implementing the DepEd Artificial Intelligence Guidelines in Basic Education

The increasing emphasis on learner-centered pedagogy in higher education necessitates instructional strategies that actively promote student engagement and higher-order thinking, particularly in humanities courses where reflective inquiry is essential. This study investigates the effectiveness of structured reflective questioning in The Life and Works of Rizal, a mandated general education course in the Philippines under Republic Act No. 1425. While the course plays a crucial role in cultivating historical consciousness, civic identity, and ethical reflection, classroom instruction has often remained lecture-driven, potentially constraining analytical engagement and deeper learning. Grounded in constructivist and reflective learning theories, the study examines how reflective questioning influences the cognitive, behavioral, and affective dimensions of student engagement, as well as the development of critical thinking skills. A descriptive quantitative research design was employed, involving 130 undergraduate students enrolled in the course. Data were collected through a validated 25-item survey instrument and analyzed using descriptive statistics across five domains: content comprehension, analytical reasoning, personal relevance, holistic learning experience, and instructional effectiveness. Findings reveal consistently high levels of student agreement, indicating that structured reflective questioning enhances conceptual understanding, facilitates critical analysis of Rizal’s texts and socio-political contexts, and strengthens students’ ability to connect historical themes to contemporary civic responsibility. Clarity of prompts, contextual relevance, and guided discussion were identified as key determinants of effectiveness. However, slightly lower ratings in emotional motivation and active participation suggest the need to integrate complementary dialogic and interactive strategies. Overall, the results support the integration of reflective questioning in humanities pedagogy to foster critical inquiry, meaningful engagement, and transformative learning outcomes.