Published Articles

Adherence to the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers: Evidence from Public Elementary Schools in a Rural Philippine District

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.

Assessing Soft Skills Development among Business Students: Evidence from West Visayas State University

Abstract

This study assessed the level of soft skills development among business students of West Visayas State University, focusing on five key competencies: communication, problem-solving, leadership, decision-making, and creativity. Using a descriptive-correlational quantitative research design, data were collected from 163 third- and fourth-year students during the academic year 2024–2025 through a validated 30-item questionnaire. The study examined variations in soft skills when students were classified according to sex, year level, and course, and also explored the relationships among the identified competencies. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation were employed for data analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that students exhibited high proficiency across all five domains, with communication skills obtaining the highest mean score. No significant differences were found when grouped by sex, while differences emerged when classified by year level and course, favoring fourth-year students and those enrolled in Financial Management and Tourism Management programs. Correlation analysis indicated significant positive relationships among all skill dimensions, confirming that improvement in one competency reinforces others. The findings validate the applicability of Human Capital and Competency-Based theories in explaining soft skills development and highlight the importance of sustained curriculum enhancement to prepare graduates for leadership and professional adaptability in dynamic business environments. Keywords: Soft Skills, Communication, Problem-Solving, Leadership, Decision-Making, Creativity, Business Education, Employability