The Teaching Profession

Module 1

Teaching as a Profession; Historical Development of Teaching as a Profession in the Philippines,

Teaching as a Vocation and Mission

Overview
Teaching is said to be the noblest profession. Nobody can become a professional without
a Teacher. This module will give you the knowledge on how a teacher would be able to achieve
the title of being the noblest profession.

Learning Outcomes:
1. Explain the meaning of teaching as a profession
2. Trace the Historical development of teaching as a profession in the Philippines.

Learning Experiences and Self-Assessment activity (Activity)

I. A. Teaching as Profession: (Use separate sheet for your answer)
Read the following instances when the word “Professional” is used. Explain what
the word “Professional” means in each case.
1. One night, Cellphone were stolen right there from your home while you were asleep,
There was no indication of forced entry, so you claimed that the manner by which
your cellphone was stolen was highly professional
2. She is highly Professional in her ways. She deals with everyone including her
daughter – employee Professionally.
3. “How Unprofessional of her to act that way. Teacher pa man din”
4. Medical doctors, Lawyers, Education consultants are entitled to professional fees (PF)
for expert services rendered.
5. After his oath taking as a Professional teacher, he was congratulated and was told
“now you are truly a professional”

Self-Assessment Activity (Analysis)

What does the word Professional means in the instances given above?
Abstraction:
Teaching as Profession
 In the words “Professional Manner” “gawang professional” “Professional fee for
expert services rendered” the word “Professional” implies one who possesses skill and
competences expertise. “Highly professional” “Unprofessional…to act that way” imply a code of
ethics by which a professional person abide. In short, a professional is one who conforms to the
technical or ethnical standards of a profession. So wo elements of a Profession are competence
and a Code of Ethics.
The other elements of a profession are:
1. Initials Professional Education – Professional generally begin their professional lives
by completing a university program in their chosen fields – Teacher education,
Nursing, Engineering, Accounting. This means long and arduous year of preparation.
Take note this is just initials, which means only the beginning because a professional
is expected to learn endlessly.
2. Accreditation – University programs are approved by a regulatory body like the
commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines to ensure that graduates
from these recognized program start their professional lives with competence.
3. Licensing – Licensing is mandatory, not Voluntary and is administered by a
government authority. In the Philippines, this government authority is the
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)
4. Professional Development – This is ongoing Professional education that maintains or
improves professionals knowledge and skills after they begin professional practice. In
the Philippines this is Continuing Professional Development mandated by RA 10192,
otherwise known as the CPD Act of 2016
5. Professional Societies – Professional see themselves as part of a community of like-
minded individuals who put their professional standard above the individual self-
interest or their employer’s self-interest. Those professional societies put dedication
to the public interest and commitment to moral and ethnical Values. Professional
Societies define certification criteria, manage certification programs, establish
accreditation standard and define a code of ethics and disciplinary action for violation
of that code
6. Code of Ethics – Each profession has a code of ethics to ensure that its practitioners
behave responsibility. The code states wat professional should do. Professional can be
ejected from their professional societies or lose their licenses to practice for violating
the Code of Ethics.

The teaching profession is Government by the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers.
Violation of the Code of Ethics for Professional teachers is one of the grounds for the
revocation of the professional teachers certificates of Registration and suspension from
the practice of the teaching profession. (R.A 7836 Sec. 23)

Application: Apply what you learned:

 1. Why does a profession like teaching requires long years of initial professional
development after that long arduous initial professional education?
2. Here is a line from Bernard Shaw’s play: Man and Superman: “Those who can, do;
those who can’t, teach.”
3. By way of an acrostic, explain the elements of a profession.

p
R
O
F
E
S
S
I
O
N
P–
R–
O–
F–
E–
S–
S–
I–
O–
N–

Key Points:
Teaching is a Profession. It Requires;
 1. Long years of initial professional education
2. The attainment of a College/University degree recognized by a regulatory body, (CHED)
3. A Licensed examination called the Licensure Examination for Teacher (LET)
4. Continuing Professional Development
5. Adherence to the Code of Ethics for Professional Teacher

Assessment:
1. Based on the element of a Profession given in this lesson, can the taxi driver be
considered a professional?
A. No, because driving is not a College/University degree.
B. Yes, because there is such a term Professional Driver
C. It depends on the technical and ethnical competences of the taxi Driver.
2. Which are Elements of a profession like teaching?
I. Long Years of professional education
II. Passing the competency – based examination to obtain a diploma from TESDA
III. Continuing Professional Development
IV. Adherence to a Code of Ethics for the Professional group
A. I, II, and III
B. II, III, and IV
C. I, III, and IV
D. I,II, and IV
Self – Assessment Activity (Answer Key)
See Separate Sheet

Looking Ahead Is Professionalization synonymous to professionalism? When teaching was

professionalized with the passing of RA 7836, did this means all teachers automatically
demonstrated professionalism?

I – B Historical Development of Teaching as a Profession in the Philippines

Activity:
Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it is wrong.
_____1. As early as the Spanish period, Teaching was considered a Profession
_____2. It was the American who elevated teaching in the Philippines as a Profession.
_____3. Teaching was elevated to a profession only in 1994 with the passage of RA 7836
_____4. There is no other document that professionalized teaching other than the Teacher’s
Professionalization Act of 1994

Analysis:
Discuss briefly your answer on a separate sheet.

Abstraction:
All the true-false items above are false. The first legal document that professionalized
teaching was Presidential Decree 1006 issued by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It was
only in 1976 with PD 1006 known as the Decree Professionalizing Teaching that teachers in the
Philippines became Professional. The need to professionalize the teaching was felt “to insure that
in the immediacy and urgency of teacher recruitment, qualitative requirements are not
overlooked…..”and “Although teaching require a number of years of collegiate study, it is the
only course that is not yet considered a profession” (PD 1006). Further more….” In recognition
of the vital role of teachers in nation building and as incentive to raise the moral of the teachers,
It is imperative that they be considered as professionals and teaching be recognized as a
profession.” (PD 1006)
In 1994, R.A 7836, otherwise known as the Philippines Teachers Professionalization
Act of 1994 was passed to… “Promote quality education by proper supervision and Regulation
of the Licensure Examination and Professionalization of the practice of the teaching profession.
During the pre-Hispanic period, there was no established formal schooling in the
country.so there was no formal preparation for teacher, too. The mother and Father and tribal
leaders served as teacher at home and in the community.
During the Spanish period, and by virtue of Educational Decree of 1863 free Public
School system was established. One school for boys and one for girls in every municipality.
Spanish missionaries served as Teachers. The same decree provided for normal school run by
Jesuits to educate male teacher in Manila, Normal schools for women were not established until
1875, So it was the Spaniards who started Training Teachers in normal schools.
During American regime, American soldier served as the first teacher. In 1901, the
Philippine Commission enacted into Law Act 74 which created the Department of Public
instruction, laid in the foundation of public school system and offer free primary education for
Filipinos.
There was a shortage of teachers. The Philippine Commission authorized the secretary of
Public Instruction to bring to the Philippines 600 teachers from USA. They were the Thomasites.
Due to urgent need for teachers, the Americans gave bright young Filipinos student opportunity
to take up higher education in American College and Universities financed by Phil. Government.
They were the Pensionados
Act 74 of 1901 also provided for the establishment of Philippine Normal School (PNS) in
Manila. The Philippine Normal School formally opened in September 1901, as an Institution for
the training of teachers. For more than two decades, PNS offered a two-year general secondary
education program. In 1928, it became a junior college offering a two-year program to graduates
in secondary schools. In 1949 the Philippine Normal School renamed Philippine Normal
College, offered the four-year Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Other four-year
teacher education course followed after. This means that present four-year preparation for the
professional teacher began as a two-year program only. Teacher became four-years only in 1949.

Application:
Present the Historical development of teacher preparation and Professionalization in the
Philippines From Pre-Hispanic Philippines to 1996 by way of graphic organizer

Key Points:
Teaching became a profession in 1976 with PD 1006. The requirements of a Licensure
Examination for tecahers that puts teaching at par with the other profession wa enacted only in
1994 with the passing of RA 7836, Othewise known as the Teacher’s Professionalization Act.
There was no formed preparation for teachers during the Pre-Hispanic times. The Formal
training of teacher began during the Spanish period when men were trained as maestras by the
Jesuits. A years later maestras were also trained. In 1901, a two- year preparation for tecahers
was given by Philippines Normal School. Then the two years became four years Philippine
Normal School. Then the two years became four years since the two -year academic preparation
was seen inadequate. To ensure quality teachers and to make teaching at Par with other course,
passing a Licensure Examination was made Mandatory by R.A 7836

Assessment:
Use separate sheet for your answer) Write the letter of your chosen answer.
 1. In the Philippine there was no teacher preparation since Spanish regime. Is the Statement
Correct?
A. No
B. Yes
C. There was but informal
D. There was and for men only
2. Which is the First legal document that professionalized teaching in the Philippines?
A. R.A 7836
B. PD 1006
C. R.A 9192
D. R.A 8981
3. Did teacher preparation in the Philippines begin with 4 years?
A. Yes
B. Yes, 4 years but informal
C. No,
D. No, It began with 1 year

Looking ahead:
Read R.A 9293, An Act amending Certain Section of R.A 7836 and answer this question.
What Provision in R.A 9293 contribute to ensure that teachers field are quality teacher? Discuss.