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MTB-MLE Policy in Philippine Education

This dissertation examines the implementation of mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) in the Philippines, the only Southeast Asian country with a national policy for such education. The study focuses on the perspectives of teachers and parents in a specific school district, revealing a mix of support for the policy and concerns about its long-term effects on language learning. Findings suggest that effective language policy implementation requires a collaborative approach that considers local contexts rather than a strictly top-down methodology.

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Ryzajane Daling
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22 views3 pages

MTB-MLE Policy in Philippine Education

This dissertation examines the implementation of mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) in the Philippines, the only Southeast Asian country with a national policy for such education. The study focuses on the perspectives of teachers and parents in a specific school district, revealing a mix of support for the policy and concerns about its long-term effects on language learning. Findings suggest that effective language policy implementation requires a collaborative approach that considers local contexts rather than a strictly top-down methodology.

Uploaded by

Ryzajane Daling
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

i

Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in the Philippines:


Studying Top-Down Policy Implementation from the Bottom Up

A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
BY

Lisa Ann Burton

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS


FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Dr. David W. Chapman, Adviser

May 2013

© Lisa Ann Burton 2013


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Abstract

There is a growing trend around the world to support mother tongue instruction in the

early years of a child‘s education. In Southeast Asia, this is apparent in a rising number of

educational programs that utilize this approach. However, the Philippines is the only country in

Southeast Asia to have instituted a national policy requiring mother tongue-based multilingual

education (MTB-MLE) in the primary school years. While studies have long supported the use

of mother tongue as the language of instruction, they have primarily been conducted in

community rather than national settings. As such, little is known about how a national policy

for MTB-MLE can be disseminated into contextualized local environments.

This study examined how teachers and parents in one school district in the Philippines

understand and enact MTB-MLE. Teachers’ and parents’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices

were studied to identify how national language policy is appropriated at the ground level. In

addition, the challenges to policy implementation were explored and analyzed. Utilizing a case

study methodology, this research included focus groups, surveys, classroom observations, and

individual interviews. Data were collected during a three week time period in June and July

2012, which was one month after the beginning of MTB-MLE implementation in the schools.

Results from this study indicated that teachers’ and parents’ views of MTB-MLE

focused on the short-term benefits of the policy and the long-term disadvantages. While both

groups were overwhelmingly satisfied with the increase in student understanding, they

expressed concern about the future implications for learning in Bikol rather than in English.

They overtly supported the policy in terms of complying with the requirements, yet covert

resistance was observed in their words and actions. The implications of these findings revolve

around the way in which language policy is managed. Rather than a top- down approach that

does not consider the local context, language policy must be implemented through interactions

between the top and the bottom.

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