Science Teachers' Competency through the Lens of Southeast Asian Standards

The competence of teachers plays a significant role in determining the quality of education. The SEAMEO INNOTECH Regional Education Program (SIREP) sets the teaching competence standards in Southeast Asia. Likewise, in the Philippines, the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) are commonly used throughout the country to evaluate the competency levels of teachers. In this context, this study examined the performance of science teachers concerning these two sets of standards. The Descriptive Research Design was employed. The researcher utilized total enumeration as a sampling method, which comprised 30 junior high school science teachers for the academic year 2022-2023. The research instruments used were adopted from the SIREP standards and a survey questionnaire. Findings revealed that the respondents demonstrated outstanding performance in the PPST-RPMS and were rated "very much competent" in the SIREP standards. However, statistical analysis revealed no significant relationship between the Key Result Areas (KRAs) of the RPMS and the SIREP standards. These two sets of standards operate independently, and improvements in one may not necessarily lead to improvements in the other. The researcher proposed a program that will sustain the competence levels of science teachers. This program aims to address both sets of standards individually, promote continuous learning, and ensure that the teachers will continue to meet the benchmark set for education.