TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES USED IN IMPLEMENTING ARAL PROGRAM: AN INPUT FOR LOCALIZED POLICY DEVELOPMENT

The Philippine government thrives to provide relevant, inclusive and quality-based education for all Filipino
learners. In the resurfacing educational landscape, academic success becomes a major concern. As such, the
enactment of RA 12028 or otherwise known as “Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program
sees as an immediate response to the academic challenges experienced by learners. This study explored
teachers’ techniques and strategies in implementing ARAL program. It used a case study design which was
participated by 150 public elementary school teachers in the Philippines. The study also used random sampling
in selecting the participation of teachers. Thematic analysis was used through coding-decoding schemes. Results
of the study showed that teachers’ instructional strategies used involved guided reading through text selection
and small group reading analysis as significant teaching techniques in implementing ARAL program. On the
other hand, teachers employed online-based reading activities and gamified reading tasks as impactful teaching
techniques. The study further revealed that teachers were highly engaged in the development of creative and
innovative teaching techniques and strategies in implementing ARAL program. Hence, the study proposed an
input to localized policy development among schools to help teachers and school heads implement ARAL
program effectively and efficiently emphasizing relevant and creative instructional techniques and strategies.
Thus, the study recommended a deeper qualitative study on actual experiences of teachers handling learners
with diverse skills under ARAL program.