I have "hibernated" the past three years to complete my dissertation for my PhD in Anthropology and Sociology of Education at the UP College of Education. I would say that my dissertation journey is the most challenging and intense experience I have ever had as a graduate student and teacher. I often wished that I was younger and had more energy. Despite the pains and difficulties, I believe that it was worth it. It was heartwarming to go back to places in Benguet where I spent my first years of schooling and be reminded of the thrill of holding and reading storybooks for the first time.
It was a great privilege to meet the trailblazing and creative big book makers and teachers of Buguias. I genuinely hope that their examples will be multiplied in all villages. I would like to appreciate the following madams especially --Herminia Osting, Teresita Madinno, Nerissa Culas, Patricia Allatis, Mildred Julian, Pilita Sab-it, Rose Organo, Elizabeth Lawa, Margarette Palasi, Nila Marcelo, Ofelia Osting, Claire Balasin, Juliet Cario, Rosevelle Satur, and Fabielyn Baguista; Benguet CID Chief Dr. Rizalyn Guznian and SDS Dr. Carolyn Verano. Namwaw. Sinaay dissertation ko et para en dakayo.
As I end this journey, I honestly say that I could not have completed the course without the support given by my panel members, friends, and colleagues. I am genuinely grateful to my dissertation adviser, Dr. Eufracio Abaya, for his brilliance and unconditional commitment in guiding me closely until the end despite my many shortcomings. It was an honor to have Sir Fras and my former thesis adviser, Dr. Julian Abuso, as mentors in ethnographic research. I thank my critic-reader, Dr. Romylyn Metila, for her meticulousness and thoroughness in reviewing my manuscript and for sharing my passion for MTB-MLE. My heartfelt appreciation to the other members of my dissertation panel -- Dr. Clement Camposano, Dr. Virgilio Manzano, and Dr. Aleli Bawagan. Their critical insights informed by their scholarly endeavors have enriched my research practice.
Maraming salamat for the warm encouragements expressed by friends and colleagues. To my parents and family, agyamanak unay iti addu nga kararag ken dakkel nga ayatyo. Finally, unending praise and thanksgiving to our great God for sustaining me and making all things possible. May the stories and knowledge produced through this dissertation help accomplish His purposes for a happier, just, and more nurturing world.
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Title: Policy Enactment in MTB-MLE Big Book Making Among Teachers in Buguias, Benguet
This ethnographic research, informed by Anthropology and Sociology of Educational Policy, examines the policy enactment in the MTB-MLE big book making among teachers in Buguias, Benguet. Policy enactment is the complex way policies are perceived and interpreted alongside/against contextual factors by various actors.
The research setting is the school district of Buguias, Benguet, known to have produced more than 300 big book stories. Data collection and validation were undertaken from September 2018 to April 2020. The study utilized various data elicitation strategies of ethnography like participant observation, class observation, interviews, document, and artifact analysis.
The findings of the study reveal that the local policy actors translated the MTB-MLE policy into a localized book supply chain that generated the big books for the MTB-MLE program in Buguias. Secondly, the policy was enacted through contextualization practices that created stories about the place, cultural values, and environmental concerns. And thirdly, the policy was translated as a literacy instruction approach called ANIDUT. This approach utilizes a locally made Kankanaey primer, standardized and intellectualized academic register of the local language, a set of big books, and ways that made reading a positive experience.
Fulfilling the roles of policy actors were the teachers, school heads, supervisors, illustrators, digital printing shop operators, language experts, and the big book (as a non-human actor). Being policy entrepreneurs and enthusiasts, the teachers developed expertise as teacher-writers, teacher-ethnographers, and teacher as MTB-MLE literacy leaders. The big book makers were motivated in various ways -- to provide a child-friendly learning experience, fulfill the expectations of an MTB-MLE pilot school, become counted in a collective effort of big book making, and earn merits for career advancement. The agency of the big book as a policy actant became apparent as it heightened the visibility and symbolic value of the MTB-MLE policy. The MTB-MLE policy as an actant was found to be limited in its power.
The analysis of contextual factors uncovers the following enabling conditions: the spaces for creativity provided by the piloting stage; training and mentoring relationships; teacher incentives; technical resources; and the situatedness of the place. The disabling conditions include the stringent quality assurance processes, lack of funding support, limited authorship, adversarial relationships, normalization of impoverished (storybook-less) literacy instruction, and the economistic and hierarchical view of languages.
As a contribution to the discourse on Anthropology and Sociology of Educational Policy as well as the field of MTB-MLE, this study has attempted to demonstrate the importance of educational ethnography in grounding the complexities of policy enactments embodied in the making and use of the MTB-MLE big books in a given locale. Accordingly, the study has formulated a conceptual model for analyzing policy enactments of MTB-MLE big book making that may be conducted in other settings.
You can read the full text here.
In a symposium organized by S4SES, I discussed the chapter on the meanings and practices of contextualization of learning resources.
