PROFILES OF FILIPINO TEACHERS AND THEIR ONLINE TEACHING COMPETENCIES DURING THE PANDEMIC

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the transition to online teaching, revealing gaps in educators' essential online skills. In response to this global shift, Filipino educators encountered challenges adapting to the demands of online instruction. This study delves into the profiles of 259 teachers in the Philippines, spanning both basic and higher education, to assess their online teaching competencies during the pandemic. Specifically, this paper examines the respondent's internet usage, social media ownership, and social technographic profiles. Secondly, the paper assesses and measures teachers' competencies in online teaching. Lastly, the study explores significant relationships and differences between the profiles and the competencies. Results show that 47.49% of respondents reported moderate ease in internet connectivity. While all respondents had Facebook accounts, only 11.97% actively used Twitter. A significant portion, constituting 60% of teachers, identified as "social media joiners," indicating active engagement on various platforms. The study reveals a moderate level of proficiency in online teaching skills among surveyed teachers. The result reveals that teachers' sex, civil status, internet satisfaction, and the social technographic profile demonstrated a statistically significant relationship with their online teaching competencies. Sex, civil status, teaching category, and highest educational attainment displayed substantial differences in online teaching competencies. The presence or absence of Facebook (FB) and Twitter accounts, internet satisfaction, and social and technological engagement showed notable differences in online teaching competencies. In conclusion, this research provides insights into the current landscape of online teaching proficiency among Filipino educators, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. The novelty of this paper lies in its comprehensive analysis of the correlation between educators' demographic profiles, social-technologic ladder, and online teaching competencies in the Philippine context. The results underscore the significance of sustained efforts in professional development to augment teachers' abilities, ultimately enriching the online learning experience for students.