Longitudinal Study of Learning Achievement of Students in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (LearnARMM)

In October 2012, the Australian government announced a six year aid program, Basic Education Assistance to Mindanao – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao program, or BEAM-ARMM, to support around 40,000 children gain access to a basic education. This program includes the implementation of the BRAC Alternative Delivery Model (ADM). The Australian Government funded a three year study, LearnARMM, undertaken by ACTRC which tracked and analysed the learning achievement of students in ADM schools in rural and remote areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The study commenced on 13 June 2013 and was completed in July 2016. The major objective of the study was to understand how learning achievement unfolded in very different contexts with the intention of informing curriculum design, classroom practices, assessment processes and teacher professional development at the national level and especially in ARMM.

The project team completed activities designed to identify how students under the ADM progress through the Philippines curriculum, and the extent to which this progression may be similar to their peers in the Department of Education (DepEd) ARMM schools. The short term goals of the study were to:

  • Develop a suite of assessment tools to assess students’ skills consistent with the objectives of the national curriculum, and which therefore have wider applicability beyond the needs of this project.
  • Assess students toward beginning of Grade 1, end of Grade 1 and end of Grade 2 in order to evaluate their learning in line with curriculum objectives.
  • Understand explanatory influences on student outcomes, both across and within the two teaching contexts.

Findings from the study were summarised in a Policy Forum Report published in 2016.

Project Team

The Project Teams worked closely with the BRAC Project Management Office located in Cotabato City, and with DepED ARMM.

Project Director, Esther Care, University of Melbourne

LearnARMM Research Officer, Melissa Digo, University of the Philippines

Development Team

Yayi Fua, University of the Philippines

Sabrina Par, University of the Philippines

Masa Pavlovic, University of Melbourne

Ma. Hazelle Preclaro, University of the Philippines

Pamela Razon, University of the Philippines

Maita Salvador, University of the Philippines

Alvin Vista

Analysis Team

Louie Cagasan, University of the Philippines

Thi Kim Cuc Nguyen, University of Melbourne

Masa Pavlovic, University of Melbourne

Alvin Vista

Fieldwork Team

Xerxes de Castro, University of the Philippines

Melissa Digo, University of the Philippines

Ma. Hazelle Preclaro, University of the Philippines

The Fieldwork Team worked with and includes contributors from universities in Mindanao and the DepEd ARMM.

Resources

Longitudinal Study of Learning Achievement of Students in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, ACTRC Research Forum, 18 July 2015

LearnARMM Policy Forum Report, 8 September 2016

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