THE Department of Education (DepEd) in Cebu Province started implementing the Integrated Curriculum (IC) approach on the third week of June 2019.

The IC approach, a holistic and gender-sensitive method of teaching, is piloted for Grade 6 students in nine central schools, nine big and nine small barangay schools and for Grade 10 students in nine coastal national high schools, nine big and nine small barangay schools, according to the DepEd Cebu Province Curriculum in-charge Dr. Lea Apao.

Apao said the reason the program is piloted for Grade 6 and Grade 10 students is for DepEd to address the least-learned skills as reflected in the National Achievement Test results administered to the students.

“Through this approach, we can fill in the gaps that our students have difficulty in learning,” she said.

Apao said they have already trained 48 teachers who will serve as lesson exemplar writers.

“In fact, they are very interested to start using it, so I am confident they can cope up with it,” said Apao.

She said they will first introduce the IC approach in public schools.

“Once it will be fully implemented in public schools, we will then capacitate the private schools in using the lesson exemplar,” she said.

Apao said there six master teachers assigned per pet subject area: three in elementary and three in secondary.

The lesson exemplar will focus on three integration approaches: multidisciplinary, in which the discussion will focus on a particular theme; interdisciplinary, in which skills that are taught are applicable in all subject areas so the learning process can be facilitated; and transdisciplinary, which is a project-based learning approach that requires students’ participation and exploration.

This approach will use the 5Es--Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate--as the instructional design, said Apao. (JJL)