"Exploring Teachers'

Challenges in
Implementing the
DepEd's 'No Child Left
Behind' Policy:
Implications for Mass
Promotion of Learners"
 Introduction
The introduction of the K-12 program by the Department of
Education has brought about a substantial set of challenges
and transformations within the education system. These
changes encompass various aspects, including curriculum
adjustments and shifts in teaching methods. In recent years,
following the enactment of NCLB, a growing emphasis on
educational outcomes has become highly significant in the
field of education. This emphasis has driven states, school
districts, and educational institutions to place a greater
focus on teaching results (Yell et al., 2016).
However, the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic
have severely disrupted the education system in the
Philippines. To adapt to the circumstances, Philippine
education has introduced a combination of mixed and
modular teaching methods for over two years, resulting in a
significant shift in both student engagement and teaching
practices among educators. With the return to face-to-face
instruction, teachers are encountering difficulties in
effectively communicating with their students. One of the
most pressing issues currently faced by teachers is the
widespread struggle among students to comprehend written
materials.
Unfortunately, many students are unable to even read basic
phrases. Despite these challenges, the policy persists,
allowing students to progress to higher grade levels even
when they have difficulty grasping the subject matter. This
situation has raised questions regarding the extent of each
student's learning during the pandemic. Concerns about
students' academic performance remain a significant point of
accountability for teachers who are obligated to adhere to the
policy, even if the student's performance falls below
expectations. From a similar standpoint, De Dios (2015)
observed that advancing students who are academically
lagging behind leads to their progression to the next grade
without any form of responsibility or assessment.
A teacher's duties extend well beyond the mere
delivery of curriculum objectives to students. They
also have the responsibility to furnish students
with the necessary support to excel both socially
and academically, whether within or beyond the
classroom. To foster students into independent,
critical thinkers, educators must empower them
with the skills to critically examine their
surroundings.
Proficiency in discerning, analyzing, and appraising the
vast volume of information accessible in our rapidly
changing digital world demands that students are
adept in employing advanced cognitive abilities. On the
other side of this policy are struggling educators who
are just doing their job to make sure that every student
is equipped to be promoted to the next level but the
main issue is the accountability of knowledge was not
enough to be considered in the case of mass
promotions of learners to the next grade as
implemented by the "No Child Left Behind Policy".
Nonetheless, Knight (2014) personally
claimed that if students are promoted to the
next grade without mastering academic
standards, they might assume they'll receive
the same promotion the following year and
question the need to put in the effort.
Consequently, this can result in a decline in
students' academic performance.
These opposing views of different researchers
regarding the No Child Left Behind Policy urged the
researchers to undertake the investigation, as in the
previous studies their findings focus a lot on the
profound and direct effect of the policy towards the
students-based performance as they promote the next
level without consideration of the of quality education
acquired. In regards, to the side of the teachers as the
implementing actors of the policy, they are much
pressure to decide and promote learners that do not
deserve to be promoted.
This research aims to investigate the challenges faced
by teachers in the Philippines when implementing
the Department of Education's (DepEd) "No Child
Left Behind" policy, which emphasizes the mass
promotion of learners. The policy seeks to ensure
that students’ progress through the education
system, regardless of their academic performance.
However, this approach may pose several challenges
for educators. By understanding these challenges,
the research will contribute to improving the
implementation of the policy, ultimately enhancing
the quality of education in the Philippines.
 Objectives
This study sought to answer the following:
1. Identify the challenges do teachers face in the
implementation of the 'No Child Left Behind' policy?
2. Exploring how do these challenges impact their
instructional methods management?
Hypothesis
1. Teachers' years of teaching experience do
not significantly affect the challenges they
encounter in implementing the 'No Child Left
Behind' policy.
2. There is no significant difference in the
challenges faced by teachers in the
implementation of the 'No Child Left Behind'
policy across different grade levels.
 Significance of the Study
This study will determine the challenges and
experiences in the implementation of the "No
Child Left Behind" Policy by the Department of
Education and how these challenges impact their
instructional methods and classroom
management. The researchers have listed the
significance of the study.
Teachers – This study will provide the teachers with
vivid views of the different challenges encountered by
a few of them and develop new learning strategies to
address the different challenges.
School Heads/Administrators- This study will provide
essential information and knowledge that will assist
the administration in developing strategies and
guidelines to review the policy and implement other
ways for the promotion of learners to the next level.
Future Researcher- This study can serve as a valuable
resource for other researchers, offering guidance and
additional information to those who have an interest
in conducting similar research.
 Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study will focus on teachers’ challenges in the
implementation of the Department of Education's (DepEd)
'No Child Left Behind' policy in selected educational
institutions in the Philippines. The study will not extend its
scope beyond the boundaries of the Philippines. The
research will include teachers from various grade levels,
including elementary and high school, to capture a
comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by
teachers at different educational stages.
This study will not involve the collection of
quantitative data, such as standardized test
scores or statistical analysis of student
performance, but will focus exclusively on
qualitative data gathered through interviews
and surveys. Due to resource constraints and
time limitations, the study will focus on a select
number of educational institutions and teachers,
and therefore, the findings may not be fully
representative of all teachers in the Philippines.
 CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Mass Promotion
In the Philippines, DepEd Order No. 73, issued in 2012
and updated in 2014, outlines the criteria for
promotion and retention based on individual subjects
rather than overall grade levels. Consequently, this
approach has led to a lack of clarity for teachers in
determining the appropriate course of action. When
the conditions for retention become unfeasible or
impractical, teachers are justified in interpreting the
order as advocating for mass promotion.
The perspective on the implementation of the “No
Child Left Behind” policy in terms of school
accountability and teachers’ competency were
outstanding. The implementation level was very
satisfactory in terms of adequate/average yearly
progress, student academic performance,
teachers’ level of awareness, and workload under
this policy. It means that the teacher-participants
believed this program needed no improvement in
its implementation (Arante R.B & Magarin
M. ,2023).
According to San Jose A. E. (2022), the teachers
had positive and negative perceptions of the
policy; it aided low-performing and at-risk
students. However, the participants indicated
that students became dependent and lazy; also,
they mentioned that unprepared students
passed; hence, the program was unfair. The
school administration needs to look into the
teachers-implementers view on the NCLB for its
improvement.
Conceptual Framework
 Chapter 3
Methodology
Research Design
The researchers will employ a qualitative-phenomenology
approach where it focuses on in-depth understanding, context,
and the generation of rich, and descriptive data. Also, this
study will employ a mixed-methods research design,
combining surveys and in-depth interviews with teachers. This
research design will enable and explore the challenges in the
implementation of the “No Child Left Behind” Policy by the
Department of Education and how these challenges will impact
their instructional methods.
Locale
Sogod is a coastal municipality in the province of
Southern Leyte. The municipality has a land area of
192.70 square kilometers or 74.40 square miles
which constitutes 10.70% of Southern Leyte's total
area. Its population as determined by the 2020
Census was 47,552. The study will be conducted at
Sogod National High School and Sogod Central School
located at the center proper of the Municipality of
Sogod.
Respondents
The study adopted a random sampling where 50
teachers were selected randomly and are currently
teaching selected Public Elementary Schools and Public
high schools in the District of Southern Leyte. The 50
respondents will be divided into half, Elementary
Teachers and High School Teachers. For ethical
considerations and the protection of the school
assessed, the teachers' identities were withheld.
Instruments
This study will employ survey questionnaire and
in-depth interviews with teachers.
Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers will prepare a communication letter
to the head of the school requesting permission to
distribute survey questionnaires to the teachers
being the respondents of the study. The survey
questionnaires will be personally distributed by the
researchers to assure 100% retrieval. Ethical
considerations include obtaining informed consent
and ensuring participant confidentiality.
Statistical Analysis
A thematic analysis will be conducted, which will be
based on the narratives of the respondents. A thematic
approach is a method of data analysis that focuses on
identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns or themes
within a dataset. This approach is particularly useful for
uncovering recurring ideas, concepts, or topics within
qualitative data, such as interviews, focus groups,
textual documents, or observations. The recorded
information gathered from the focus groups was
transcribed and given to a data analyst for analysis.
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