RECRUITMENT VIEWPOINTS FOR HIRING TEACHERS IN BASIC EDUCATION
SCHOOLS
Maria Carmela T Mancao
Philippine Normal University, Manila
Abstract
This study looked into the factors that Philippine basic education schools utilize to hire teachers. Specifically, it sought to answer the following: 1) What are the factors currently considered by public and private basic education schools in hiring teachers? 2) How important are identified hiring factors in processing teacher applicants? And 3) What teacher-training institutions are preferred by public and private basic education schools in selecting newly-hired teachers? The study used descriptive survey research design. Respondents were asked to rate factors according to the extent of importance in deciding which applicant to hire: personal attributes educational background, professional attributes, and possible supporting papers. The instrument included an unobtrusive query for the respondent to name teacher training institutions they prefer teacher applicants to graduate from. Out of 327 randomly-selected public and private basic education schools spread in 17 cities in the National Capital Region, only 15% responded despite provisions to facilitate the return of said instrument. Results revealed that the top specific recruitment factors deemed extremely important in the hiring process of teacher applicants were: Health Condition, Certificate of Good Moral Character, Communication Skills, College Degree, Demonstration Teaching Performance, Interview Results, and NBI/Police Clearance. Preparing college graduates for successful employment commences once students begin freshman year. With a college degree and diploma, graduates should have polished indispensable communication skills, mature with confidence, and exude with ingenuity and potential. Academic scholarship, combined with a solid character formation and genuine love for teaching, secure a wining formula in job application.
Keywords: teacher education institution, hiring, preservice teachers
I. INTRODUCTION
What are the significant factors that a teacher applicant would be better off prepared to secure
his/her successful employment? A cursory glance at Philippine advertisements on job openings for teachers reveal varied information that seem to hold no common factors, except that the teacher applicant has an Education degree. One may not have teaching experience. Feedback from teacher applicants, however, discloses the actual significant factors utilized by schools to hiring process. These include, among others: passing the licensure exam for teachers, the interview and the demonstration teaching performance.
Confirming this feedback from teacher applicants, the Department of Education (DepEd), during the term of Secretary Butch Abad (2004-2005), tightened the policy on teacher hiring for public schools: