ACTRC has trained a total of 45 Test Administrators (TA) who will visit schools within the Bangsamoro Administrative Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to collect data for the Baseline Study on Language Match and Teacher Assignment in BARMM. ACTRC has partnered with local organisations to assist in the recruitment of personnel and coordination of data gathering activities in the different School Division Offices within the region. These include the Nagdilaab Foundation, Inc. in Basilan, Mindanao State University (MSU) Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, MSU Maguindanao in Maguindanao, Sulu State College in Sulu, and MSU Tawi-tawi College of Technology and Oceanography in Tawi-tawi. Training events took place on January 21 in Maguindanao, January 22 in Tawi-tawi, January 24 in Sulu, January 27 in Basilan, and February 16 in Lanao del Sur.
The training sessions were conducted to prepare the selected TAs to administer a Semantic Fluency Test for Kindergarten to Grade 3 (K to 3) pupils and to complete survey questionnaires with school heads, Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) Coordinators, and K to 3 teachers. A Data Collection Manual and Test Administration Protocol were developed by the team to ensure a standard process of gathering data. TAs were also briefed on important topics including a background on MTB-MLE, the language mapping process, Child Protection Policy, and Security Protocols.
The training team consisted of faculty researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Education, Dr Romylyn A. Metila and Prof Nerissa O. Zara, and ACTRC Research Officers Xerxes M. de Castro and Karizza Bianca Loberiza.
