IJECE Published Articles

Abstract This study examined the extent of adherence to the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers among public elementary school teachers and school heads in a rural Philippine district, with the aim of determining overall adherence levels, identifying the most and least emphasized domains, and examining differences based on selected profile variables and respondent roles. A quantitative approach was adopted using a descriptive–comparative research design, and data were gathered through a validated PPST-based questionnaire aligned with the eight PPST domains. The respondents consisted of ten school heads and ninety-two teachers from the Anao-aon District, with total enumeration used for school heads and stratified sampling applied for teachers to ensure proportional representation. The results revealed that all PPST domains were rated as always practiced and highly implemented by both groups, with professional ethics and community engagement receiving the highest ratings, while inclusive education, curriculum development, and subject matter competence obtained comparatively lower, yet still high, ratings. Inferential analysis showed limited significant differences across profile variables, with sex and years of administrative experience influencing teaching methodologies and professional ethics among school heads, and age and highest educational attainment influencing technology integration, curriculum development, and assessment practices among teachers. No significant difference was found between the perceptions of teachers and school heads across all PPST domains, indicating strong alignment between instructional leadership and classroom practice. The study concludes that PPST implementation in the district is coherent and well institutionalized, and it recommends targeted professional development, differentiated training, mentoring, and encouragement of graduate studies to strengthen advanced pedagogical competencies and sustain high teaching standards in rural public schools.