JOSSEL MAE N. SABIDO - MaEd Student SONIA S.

CARBONELL- Professor

Educ 200 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study determines the level of awareness and engagement in Matatag

Curriculum of Grade 7 students in Fabrica National High School, San Vicente,

Camarines Norte. It aims to examine the factors that influence on how the

curriculum can be further refined to address specific needs of these Grade 7

students in the said geographic area. This study’s scope includes only the

students’ awareness of the curriculum objectives, content, and their role in the

learning process, as well as their behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement

with the Matatag Curriculum. Furthermore, the study will assess the challenges

encountered during the implementation of the Matatag Curriculum in relation to

the curriculum objectives, content, and role in the learning process.

This study’s delimitation focuses on specific geographic and educational

boundaries, concentrating solely on public secondary school, in Fabrica National

High School. This targeted approach enables a comprehensive examination in

order to identify and address the specific needs of the learners. However, this

focus limits the exploration to the teachers, admin, and other stakeholders who

could provide significant insights about Matatag Curriculum.

Significance of the Study

This study determines the level of awareness and engagement of Grade 7

students in

Fabrica National High School, San Vicente, Camarines Norte. The result of this

study

will be beneficial to the following:

Learners. The study’s findings can provide insights into how the Matatag

Curriculum can be refined to better address students' needs. Thus, this can lead

to more engaging, effective, and relevant learning experiences that enhances

student's motivation and academic performance. Furthermore, this can also be

support in understanding the specific challenges students' encounter to help

them in creating personalized approaches that cater diverse learning needs and

promote inclusivity among students.

Teachers. The findings of this study will enable teachers to gain a clear

understanding of how well the Matatag Curriculum is accepted by students, as

well as the challenges they may face during its implementation. Hence, teachers

will be able to adjust their teaching strategies and methods to better align with

students' needs. Moreover, this study could promote professional development

among teachers, encouraging them to seek training to effectively deliver the

curriculum and address specific challenges.

Parents. This study will allow parents to gain knowledge and

understanding of the Matatag Curriculum and its impact on their children's

learning. This will enable them to provide more support for the learning process,
increase the engagement of the learners at home, and provide additional

learning resources.

DepEd. The results will provide valuable information and feedback on the

effectiveness of the Matatag Curriculum at the Grade 7 level. The insights from

this study can contribute to the development of more effective interventions,

resources, or programs for teachers' continuous improvement, ensuring that

future changes remain responsive to the needs of students.

Researchers, themselves. The researchers will gain a better

understanding of the implementation of the Matatag Curriculum and its impact on

students' awareness and engagement.

Future Researchers. This study will provide a foundation for future

research on the awareness and acceptability of Grade 7 students under the

Matatag Curriculum.
 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter reviews relevant foreign and local literature and studies on

the learners’ awareness and engagement in the Matatag Curriculum, focusing on

exploring the insights and experiences of the learners as well as the challenges

they encountered under the curriculum reform. It also synthesizes key findings to

identify current trends and gaps, followed by the theoretical and conceptual

frameworks guiding the study. It also defines important terms to clarify and

ensure consistency throughout the study.

Related Literature

This section presents a comprehensive review of literature from foreign and local

sources that discusses learners’ awareness and engagement in the Matatag

Curriculum. By examining these works, this section aims to establish a

foundation for understanding how level of awareness and engagement of

learners influences the implementation of the Matatag Curriculum.

Foreign

To understand the essence of curriculum development, one must first

explore the Matatag Curriculum. Maguate (2024) defines the MATATAG

Curriculum as a comprehensive framework that fosters engagement, equips

students with essential skills for academic success, promotes linguistic diversity

and inclusivity, and embraces a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

In addition, Maguate also emphasizes the curriculum's alignment with principles

of social interaction, cultural diversity, and contextualized learning experiences

providing quality education for all Filipino learners, preparing them to navigate

the complexities of the 21st century and contribute positively to society.

In line with this, Kilag et al. (2024) support this claim that the MATATAG

Curriculum represents a significant reform effort in the Philippine education

system, aimed at addressing identified gaps in the K to 12 Program. They

highlight that the Matatag Curriculum sets a clear direction for enhancing the

quality and effectiveness of basic education, aligning with global trends and

standards.

However, with this curriculum reform challenges and implications are

associated with the implementation of the Matatag Curriculum. Kilag, Glenn, et

al. (2024) highlights the multifaceted nature of challenges, including teacher

readiness, support systems, inclusive education, and equity concerns. Thus, this

also emphasizes the need in investing in comprehensive teacher training,

enhancing support systems, and promoting inclusive practices to ensure the

success of the MATATAG Curriculum. Diquito (2024) further emphasizes that

there are four main reasons in particular why curriculum reform is needed in

basic education in the Philippines. Reasons include poor performance of learners

in national and international assessments, congested curriculum, insufficient time

to teach, and mismatch of prerequisite skills and knowledge assumed by the

learning competencies. Finally, Herrera, (2025) acknowledges that the

successful implementation of the MATATAG curriculum in the Philippines

depends on teachers' and school heads' experiences, effective training

programs, and ongoing professional development, emphasizing the need for

policy support and adaptive strategies to enhance resilience and sustain

curriculum reforms in a supportive educational environment.

Maamin et al. (2021) describes student engagement as a

multidimensional construct that predicts learning performance. Moreover,

Newmann (1993) and Maamin et al. (2021) define student engagement as “the

student’s psychological investment in and effort directed toward learning,

understanding, or mastering the knowledge, skills, or crafts that academic work is

intended to promote”. This definition highlights the importance of engagement in

understanding factors that contribute to students dropping out of school. In

addition, Fredricks et al. (2004) expanded on the concept of student engagement

by introducing three dimensions, namely cognitive engagement, behavioral

engagement and affective engagement, and defined engagement behavior as

doing work and obeying rules. Affective engagement involves students’ emotions

and cognitive engagement combines motivation and the use of strategies.

Therefore, student engagement is a multidimensional construct that plays a

crucial role in student success and retention.

Local

To further understand the Matatag Curriculum, it is necessary exploring in

the Philippine context. Guzman, et al. (n.d.) explains that quality education is

fundamental to a nation’s success, prompting governments to prioritize reforms

for enhanced educational systems. Guzman, et al. further emphasizes in the

recent educational reform in the Philippines – the K-10 Curriculum or MATATAG

Program initiated by the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2023 the

importance of stakeholder involvement in educational reforms, the research

investigates the perspectives of teachers, parents, and students, utilizing their

insights for future educational strategies. Consequently, it concluded to the

students expressed strong agreement with the curriculum; Teachers, too,

showed significant support, with a majority strongly agreeing; and Parents

demonstrated varied responses.

In constrast with this claim, Quebec et al. (2024) gathered teachers

experiencesand sentiments during the conduct of school-based training on the

implementation of the Matatag Curriculum of all 1st Grade Teachers in the

Division of Leyte – specifically in Tabango, Leyte-Leyte and Calubian

Municipalities. It was revealed that the experiences, challenges and sentiments

encountered of the 1st Grade teachers are the following: Uncomfortable Venue

and Disgruntled Foods; Readiness of the resources; time relevance and

Weekend conflicts. Therefore, it was concluded in the study that the selected 1st

Grade teachers of the division of Leyte, is highly recommended to observe time

management, seminar trainings, and sessions must be conducted during

weekdays to avoid personal intervention necessities. More so, it was confirmed

from Abaiz et al. (2025), While the MATATAG curriculum enhanced foundational

skills and mastery, teachers reported difficulties with time constraints, pacing,
and limited resources. Hence, additional support, training, and time were

necessary for successful implementation.

In context of students learning ang engagement, Saro et al. (2024)

suggest that participants believed the MATATAG Curriculum could improve

students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills through real-world problem-

solving and interactive learning. However, they emphasize that successful

implementation requires alignment between technology integration, competency-

based education, and student-centered teaching methodologies. Consistent with

previous assertions, they also highlight the need for professional development

and adequate resources to ensure the curriculum's effectiveness.

The MATATAG curriculum has been carefully designed by aligning with

the Department of Education’s (DepEd) commitment to student-centric

education. As a result, it is expected to have several positive impacts on Filipino

students. These include fostering an active interest in the learning process and

increased engagement in classroom activities. Students will get the opportunity

to apply their knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes in a real-world context.

Moreover, they will undergo holistic development through various pedagogical

strategies such as experiential learning, problem-based learning, contextual

learning, differentiated instruction, explicit teaching, etc. Furthermore, they will

learn good manners, right conduct, and values education. (A Comprehensive

Guide to the MATATAG Curriculum, n.d.)

 Notes

A comprehensive guide to the MATATAG curriculum. (n.d.).

[Link]
[Link]#:~:text=Students%20will%20take%20an
%20active,Conclusion

Abaiz, M. C., Baluro, J. R., Dolotallas, D. M., Gimeno, L. M., Pomasin, M. J., &
Cabanilla, A. (2025). Teachers’ Perspectives on Matatag Curriculum in the
Philippines. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and
Growth Evaluation, Volume: 06(Issue: 01), 369–374.

Diquito, T. J. (2024). Basic Education Curriculum under the Newly Implemented

K to 10 (MATATAG) Curriculum in the Philippines: The Case of Science
Education. American Journal of Education and Technology, 3(3), 123–
132. [Link]

Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement:

potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational
Research, 74(1), 59–109. [Link]

Guzman, M. J., Paraton, D. D., Portilla, J., Ronquillo, S., Santos, L. S., &
Vallespin, M. R. (n.d.). Accessing Filipino Perceptions of the Revised K to
10: Curriculum: A Comparative Study Between Teachers, Parents, and
Students. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and
Publications (IJMRAP).

Kilag, O. K., Glenn, Andrin, Abellanosa, C., Villaver, Jr, M., Uy, F., & Sasan, J. M.
(2024). MATATAG Curriculum Rollout: Understanding Challenges for
Effective Implementation. INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH FOR INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND
EXCELLENCE (IMJRISE), Volume 1(Issue no. 5).
Kilag, O. K., Sasan, J. M., Maguate, G., Odango, PhD, J., Dela Cruz, PhD, J. N.,
& Fulgencio, R. (2024). Curriculum Innovation in Philippine Education:
The MATATAG Curriculum. INTERNATIONAL MULTIDISCIPLINARY
JOURNAL OF RESEARCH FOR INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND
EXCELLENCE (IMJRISE), Volume 1(Issue no. 6).
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Maamin, M., Maat, S. M., & Iksan, Z. H. (2021). The Influence of Student
Engagement on Mathematical Achievement among Secondary School
Students. Mathematics, 10(1), 41. [Link]

Maguate, G. (2024). Cultural Responsiveness and Educational Equity: Exploring

the MATATAG curriculum in the light of Sociocultural Theory. SSRN
Electronic Journal. [Link]

Newmann, F. M. (1993). Student engagement and achievement in American

secondary schools. Choice Reviews Online, 30(07), 30–3945.
[Link]

Quebec, S. C., Capin, C. D., Batar, A. M. F. M. M., Tampus, G. I. B., & Siat, G.
O. (2024). EXPERIENCES AND SENTIMENTS OF THE 1st GRADE
TEACHERS ON THE CONDUCT OF SCHOOL-BASED TRAINING ON
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MATATAG CURRICULUM.
Cognizance Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 4(11), 320–328.
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Saro, J. M., Montejo, C. B., Sucong, J. A., Bustamante, M. F. O., & Perez, J. B.
(2024). A qualitative exploration on the perceived impact of the MATATAG
curriculum on basic education teaching in the school year 2024-2025.
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