Social Structures in Learning Filipino Pedagogy of Preservice Teachers: An Innovative Strategies

This study aimed to determine the effect of social structures in teaching Filipino or “Panitikan” in preservice teachers at Northern Iloilo State University, Concepcion Campus, Iloilo, Philippines. This study was a pretest-posttest research design, a type of quasi-experiment using a 30 items test as an instrument.  But to make this research output novel, qualitative research was also utilized using interviews, focus group discussion, and journal writing. The respondents are Bachelor of Elementary Education enrolled in the academic year 2022-2023 at Northern Iloilo State University, Concepcion Campus, Iloilo, Philippines. For statistical analysis, also mean, standard deviation, and percentages were taken. For the qualitative research, the responses were coded, themed, and triangulated. The results of the group showed 38 students picked individual learning, 20 for dyads, and 5 for group learning composed of students per group. The pretest results were fair for the three selected social structures and after the intervention was introduced it increased to very good. The informants identified different advantages of the three social structures. There were many advantages of social structures, in individuals, freedom improved confidence, becoming motivated, and enhances performance; for dyad, no stress, adopt learning styles, and become socially and less competitive. And the groups had less anxiety, active collaboration, tackling complex problems, and improves confidence and critical thinking skills. The disadvantages of social structures were time-consuming, lack of belongingness, and no cooperation, and is exhausting for individuals. For dyads, spending a lot of money on many activities, being under pressure, being bored, having no leadership decisions, and always having misunderstandings. In groups, there are always arguments, uncomfortable, grades are biased, and no effectiveness. The responses exposed 33% of individuals, 91% of dyads, and 83% of groups, many of them wanted to use dyads compared to other identified social structures.