These questions cover curriculum design, K-12 implementation, the spiral progression approach, and how teachers translate curriculum into lessons. Expect questions on curriculum models and DepEd policy.
Sample 1
During the Spanish period in the Philippines, what was the primary focus of education as mandated by the Spanish authorities?
- A Vocational skills
- B Scientific inquiry
- C Religious instruction✓
- D Democratic citizenship
Answer: C
Spanish colonial education in the Philippines (1565-1898) was overwhelmingly religious and run by the Catholic friar orders (Augustinians, Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits). Schools were attached to parish churches; the curriculum centered on Catholic doctrine, catechism, prayers, Spanish language for trusted students, and obedience to Spanish civil-religious authority. Secular subjects like science and modern philosophy were rarely emphasized. The system aimed to produce loyal Catholic subjects rather than independent thinkers.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. Vocational skills were taught secondarily and informally, not mandated as the primary focus.
- B. Scientific inquiry was not a priority during Spanish colonial education; rote learning and catechism dominated.
- D. Democratic citizenship was antithetical to Spanish colonial goals, which emphasized obedience and religious conformity.
Sample 2
According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which of the following is the primary goal of the state regarding education?
- A To provide free tertiary education for all citizens
- B To protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels✓
- C To ensure that all teachers are licensed by the PRC
- D To prioritize the teaching of English as the primary medium of instruction
Answer: B
Article XIV, Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates that the State shall protect and promote quality education for all citizens at all levels and make it accessible. This constitutional mandate places education as a fundamental right, not a privilege. Teachers work within this constitutional framework, and curriculum policy (K-12, MATATAG, MTB-MLE) derives from this mandate. Understanding this foundation helps teachers see themselves as agents of the constitutional commitment to equitable, quality learning.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. Free tertiary education is not the primary goal stated in the Constitution; only K-12 is mandated free.
- C. Ensuring teacher licensing supports quality but is not the primary state goal per the Constitution.
- D. English as the primary medium is not the state's primary education goal; MTB-MLE policy recognizes mother tongue as foundational.
Sample 3
To ensure that the instructional objectives, teaching-learning activities, and assessment tasks are all in sync, Teacher Ben uses a process where the assessment directly measures the objective taught. This is known as:
- A Curriculum Mapping
- B Constructive Alignment✓
- C Curriculum Implementation
- D Curriculum Enrichment
Answer: B
John Biggs (2003) coined Constructive Alignment to describe a curriculum design where the intended learning outcomes, teaching/learning activities, and assessment tasks are all deliberately aligned around the same goals. The 'constructive' part comes from constructivism: learners construct meaning through what they DO, so what they do has to match what we want them to learn AND how we'll measure it. Wiggins & McTighe's Backward Design is a closely-related but distinct idea — it focuses on the design WORKFLOW (start from desired outcomes, then assessment, then activities). Constructive Alignment is the principle of coherence; Backward Design is one process for achieving it.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. Curriculum Mapping is plotting standards and content across grades to prevent gaps and redundancy, not alignment of outcomes and activities.
- C. Curriculum Implementation is the process of enacting a written curriculum, not the principle of aligning objectives, activities, and assessment.
- D. Curriculum Enrichment adds supplementary content beyond the required curriculum, not an alignment principle.
