Departmentalized Classroom Models: Its Relation to Teachers’ Behavior, Job Satisfaction and Teaching Effectiveness

This study investigated the extent of utilization of the departmentalized classroom model and its relationship to teachers’ behavior, job satisfaction, and teaching effectiveness in public elementary and junior high schools across five districts in Bohol, Philippines during the academic year 2023-2024. The departmentalized classroom model has gained increasing attention as an alternative approach to traditional self-contained classrooms in elementary and junior high school settings. The study employed a descriptive-correlational research design using a modified survey questionnaire administered to school heads and teachers implementing self-contained and departmentalized classroom models. The findings revealed that the departmentalized classroom model was highly utilized by both school heads and teachers in the participating schools. Significant positive associations were found between the extent of utilization of the departmentalized model and teachers' behavior, job satisfaction, and teaching effectiveness. Age and teaching experience were significantly associated with the utilization of the departmentalized classroom model. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were observed between teaching effectiveness and both teachers' behavior and job satisfaction. This study concludes that the model’s adoption is associated with teachers’ age and experience. Teachers demonstrate strong relational expertise, subject matter mastery, and desirable personality traits, contributing to their overall effectiveness. Moreover, the study also reveals a high level of job satisfaction among teachers, particularly in terms of workload, school environment, co-teacher relationships, and administration support. The level of utilization of the departmentalized classroom model is highly influenced by teachers’ behavior, job satisfaction, and teaching effectiveness. Thus, the departmentalized classroom ultimately benefiting student learning outcomes and the quality of education in the participating schools. It was recommended that there should be proposed enhance the effective implementation of the model, provide targeted support for teachers and school leaders, and create a positive school environment to ensure the successful adoption and sustainability of the departmentalized approach in the participating schools.