Teacher’s Competence-Priority and Teaching Performance: Basis for Learning Development Plan

Teachers' effectiveness is measured by how consistently they exhibit skills-related actions and how they apply their diverse abilities to accomplish tasks and achieve high-quality performance. Therefore, it is necessary to measure and determine the teachers' professional needs and priorities in order to provide adequate and effective professional growth and development. This study examined the capability, priorities, and teaching performance of secondary school teachers in selected high schools in the second district of Eastern Samar as input for a professional development plan. The study involved 287 high school teachers during the school year 2023-2024. Respondents answered survey questionnaires that solicited their demographic profiles, including teaching position, total years in teaching, educational attainment, and area of specialization. The findings revealed that among the 287 respondents, most held the position of Teacher II, had 4 to 7 years of teaching experience, most had earned master’s units, and most specialized in TLE/TVL. The respondents demonstrated a moderate level of capability in terms of content knowledge and pedagogy (x̄=3.05), learning environment (x̄=3.20), curriculum, and planning (x̄=2.94), as well as community linkages and professional engagement (x̄= 3.22). Moreover, the 287 respondents indicated a high level of priority for development in content knowledge and pedagogy (x̄= 3.51), while a low level of priority for development was noted in learning environment (x̄=1.96), curriculum and planning (x̄=2.16), as well as community linkages and professional engagement (x̄= 1.89). Based on the results, a highly significant relationship was found between the respondents’ level of capability and their teaching performance (r= .439, p-value = .000). Furthermore, a highly significant relationship was also found between the respondents’ level of priority for development and their teaching performance (r= .373, p-value= .000). Among the respondents' profiles, teaching position (r= .206, p-value = .002), total years in teaching (r= .170, p-value = .040), and educational attainment (r= .185, p-value = 0.44) were found to be significantly related to teaching performance, while area of specialization showed no significant relationship. This study recommends that teachers aim to upgrade their teaching positions, either through promotion or reclassification, by fulfilling the basic requirements in accordance with DepEd policies and guidelines, as teaching position was found to be a significant contributing factor to teaching performance. Teachers should also strive to pursue higher education to update their professional skills and learn about contemporary trends in the educational system.