EMBRACING THE SPIRAL PROGRESSION APPROACH OF THE K-12 PROGRAM

IRENE I. GATDULA One feature of the K to 12 Program that proved to be a real challenge for many educators, especially the science and math teachers was the Spiral Progression Approach.

Simply put, the spiral progression approach means the basic principles are introduced in the first grade and are rediscovered in succeeding grades in more complex forms. With this approach, concepts are introduced at an early age and re-taught in succeeding years in an increasingly sophisticated fashion.

How is this done? The teacher starts with the most basic and simple concepts. These same concepts are developed from one grade level to the next, in increasing level of complexity and sophistication.

For the record, this is not an entirely new approach. Elementary teachers have been using this approach for ages, and learners and their parents are not even aware of it. Let me refresh your memory by asking this question: Did you know that you have been taught Botany, Zoology and Chemistry as early as the first grade or even preschool?

Back in your days as a grade one learner, you were taught about the main parts of a plant, or you were made to classify a plant, a tree or a vine from a set of pictures. That is Botany in action.

Or you might recall how you excitedly went to the board to connect the baby animal to its parent, or how you would group together the pets, the farm animals, and the wild animals, or that fun-filled activity when you tried to imitate how different animals walk or create the sounds they produce. Without you knowing it, that was actually your first taste of Zoology.

What about Chemistry in the early grades? Well I’m sure you had fun as you classified various objects whether they were solid, liquid or gas. Or that activity when you were made to taste various food items and told the class whether each was sweet, sour or bitter. Or even that one instance when you were asked to determine which of the two objects was heavier or which object had a smooth or a rough surface. Well that basic Chemistry concept was none other than matter, the states of matter and some of the properties of matter.

While this has been the practice in the elementary, it was an entirely different approach in the secondary level prior to the implementation of the K to 12 Program. Instead of the spiral progression approach, we had the disciplinal approach. This means that a specific discipline was taught in a particular year level only. That is why in Science, first year students studied Integrated Science, second year students had Biology, third year students concentrated on Chemistry and the fourth year students took Physics.

It did not come as a surprise that it was the Science teachers who were among those greatly affected by the implementation of the Spiral Progression Approach. For one, we were either Physical or Biological Sciences majors and for many years, we have acquired the mastery in teaching the subject where we have the specialization, both in terms of academic background and many years of continuous seminars, trainings and workshops.

While we were very supportive of the K to 12 Program we doubted our own levels of readiness. We had to face our fears because it meant like starting from scratch. Imagine, a Chemistry major who has been teaching Chemistry only for the past 24 years, must now teach Earth Science, Biology and Physics as well.

But being the good soldiers that we are, we accepted the order wholeheartedly and marched to the battle ground, armed with our sincerest to learn everything that needs to be learned so that we can give our students nothing but the best.

This meant attending all the required seminars and workshops so we can truly understand the new approach and fully grasp its advantages. Little by little, the doubts we once had turned into a newfound energy as we learned the many strategies we could employ inside our rooms. We began to appreciate the approach after each session. Ultimately, it is the learners who will benefit from the new approach. Take this as a concrete example: As early as Grade 7, students will learn concepts in earth science, biology, chemistry and physics. One need not wait to be in Grade 9 to learn Chemistry or reach Grade 10 to learn Physics, as it was in the previous set-up.

With the Spiral Progression Approach of the K to 12, teaching is now more integrative and multi-disciplinary. It enables students to connect disciplines and ensures vertical integration and seamless progression of competencies.

Initially, there were howls of protest to the new approach. But we teachers have been trained to welcome change as one important facet of our profession. There were even self-doubts in the beginning, but we opted to unlearn and relearn – and that decision spelled the big difference! — oOo— The author is Teacher III at Bro. Andrew Gonzalez Technical High School