The Teaching Profession: Course Notes & Legal Foundations

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering educational concepts, teaching principles, four pillars of education, philosophies, and Philippine education laws.

Professional Teacher

A duly licensed professional who has undergone prolonged training and formal qualifications, possessing dignity, reputation, high moral values, and technical and professional competence as defined by the Code of Ethics.

Professional Image

The image that a teacher projects based upon appearance and reputation, including dress, speech, demeanor, mastery of the subject matter, and the use of diverse teaching methods.

Learning and Innovation Skills

The 21st-century skill cluster known as the culmination of the 4Cs (critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration) that prepares learners for complex environments.

Global Teacher

An educator who meets 21st-century competencies, understands critical world issues and cultural backgrounds, manifests intercultural sensitivity, and effectively manages multicultural classrooms.

Multicultural Classroom

A classroom environment in which teachers and students from diverse backgrounds (family, socio-economic status, sex, religion, race) are equally valued, accepted, and respected.

Principle of Context

The instructional principle stating that learning is effective when it takes place through situations and circumstances that provide setting materials and meaningful background for the learning process.

Principle of Focus

The instructional principle requiring that classroom teaching center on a definite area of concentration, specific objective, or single topic at a time to ensure comprehension.

Principle of Sequence

The instructional principle that organizes learning tasks in an orderly progression, transitioning from meaningless to meaningful, immediate to remote, concrete to symbolic, and simple to complex.

Principle of Socialization

The instructional principle viewing the classroom as a setting where rule-bound social interaction occurs, characterized by submission, contribution, and cooperation.

Principle of Individualization

The instructional principle that tailors teaching to each learner's unique purposes, mental abilities, readiness, physical traits, and interests to promote independent learning.

Principle of Evaluation

The instructional principle that determines whether learning objectives have been met through diagnostic, formative, and summative appraisal.

Learning to Know

The pillar of education that implies learning how to learn by developing concentration, memory skills, and thinking abilities to understand a body of knowledge.

Concentration

Giving one's own attention or thought to a single object or activity.

Memory

The mental process of recalling what has been learned and retained from one's past activities or experiences.

Thinking

The action of using one's mind to produce thoughts, decisions, memories, and judgments.

Learning to Do

The pillar of education focusing on putting knowledge into practice through certified technical-vocational skills, personal competence, initiative, and the willingness to take risks.

Learning to Live Together

The pillar of education that develops an appreciation of interdependence, self-awareness, empathy, and social skills to resolve conflicts and exist harmoniously in a diverse world.

Learning to Be

The pillar of education emphasizing the all-around development of the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—to fulfill one's highest potential and act independently with social commitment.

Idealism

A major educational philosophy espoused by Plato and George Berkeley asserting that reality exists in the mind and spiritual essence, utilizing the Socratic method of questioning.

Realism

A major educational philosophy championed by Aristotle and John Locke asserting that objects exist independently of the mind, with knowledge derived through sensory experience and scientific methods.

Pragmatism / Experimentalism

An educational philosophy formulated by Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey stating that education is an experimental process centered on 'learning by doing' and solving real-world problems.

Perennialism

A conservative educational philosophy advocated by Robert Hutchins and Mortimer Adler emphasizing everlasting ideas, universal truths, and reading the Great Books.

Essentialism

A traditional, back-to-basics educational philosophy popularized by William C. Bagley focused on instilling academic knowledge through the 3Rs, core subjects, and strict character discipline.

Progressivism

A reform-oriented educational philosophy led by John Dewey, Rousseau, and Vygotsky that emphasizes learner-centered curricula, hands-on experiential activities, and democratic social living.

Social Reconstructionism

An educational philosophy founded by Theodore Brameld, George Counts, and Paulo Freire that uses education to confront societal crises, resist oppression, and reconstruct the social order.

Existentialism

An educational philosophy associated with Jean-Paul Sartre and Soren Kierkegaard holding that existence precedes essence, emphasizing personal subjectivity, self-paced learning, and freedom of choice.

Presidential Decree No. 1006

A 1977 decree by Ferdinand Marcos that professionalized teaching in the Philippines, created the National Board for Teachers under the Civil Service Commission, and instituted the PBET.

Republic Act No. 7836

The Philippine Teachers Professionalization Act of 1994, which placed the regulation of the teaching profession under the PRC and established the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

Republic Act No. 9293

An amendment to RA 7836 that mandates 18 professional education units for secondary teachers, allows two-year renewable permits for para-teachers, and requires 12 refresher units after five years of non-practice.

Republic Act No. 10912

The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Act of 2016, which mandates the accumulation of CPD credit units as a requirement for the renewal of professional identification cards.

Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST)

A set of national teacher standards adopted under DepEd Order No. 42, s. 2017 comprising seven domains of practice used to guide teacher development, selection, and promotion.

Republic Act No. 4670

The Magna Carta for Public School Teachers enacted in 1966 to improve teachers' social and economic status, granting academic freedom, study leave, and a six-hour daily teaching limit.

Special Hardship Allowance

A financial compensation under RA 4670 equivalent to at least 25% of a teacher's monthly salary for serving in areas exposed to hazards or commuting difficulties.

Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers

The set of moral and ethical obligations adopted under PRC Board Resolution No. 435, s. 1997 that governs the conduct of all public and private school teachers in the Philippines.

Batas Pambansa Blg. 232

The Education Act of 1982, which provides for the establishment and maintenance of an integrated system of education while defining the rights and duties of parents, students, and educators.

Special Parental Authority

The legal authority and responsibility granted by Article 218 of the Family Code to schools, administrators, and teachers over minor students during authorized school activities.

Republic Act No. 10157

The Kindergarten Education Act, which institutionalized mandatory, compulsory kindergarten as an integral prerequisite for Grade 1 using the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) approach.

Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE)

A formal or non-formal educational approach where the learner's native home language is used as the primary medium of instruction in kindergarten and early elementary schooling.

Republic Act No. 10533

The Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, which expanded basic education to twelve years plus universal kindergarten, introducing senior high school tracks and the spiral progression approach.

Spiral Progression Approach

A curriculum principle mandated under RA 10533 where concepts are introduced at basic levels and revisited with increasing complexity and depth across subsequent grade levels.

Republic Act No. 10627

The Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, requiring all public and private elementary and secondary schools in the Philippines to adopt policies addressing bullying and retaliation.

Bullying

Any severe or repeated written, verbal, electronic, or physical act directed by one or more students at another that causes fear of harm, property damage, or a hostile school environment.

Republic Act No. 7610

The Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act of 1992, providing legal protections and penalties against violence, maltreatment, and neglect of minors.

Child Abuse

The maltreatment, whether habitual or not, of a child, encompassing physical, psychological, emotional, or sexual injury, neglect, unreasonable deprivation of basic needs, or acts debasing intrinsic human dignity.