Reconfiguring Crisis Management Skills of Teachers in the New Normal

Ten years have passed since the implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) in the Philippines, in line with the K to 12 Curriculum. It was expected to be implemented in all public schools, particularly for students from Kindergarten to Grade 3. This program has been a significant change in the education system and in the study of the Filipino language in the country. It is a response to strengthening regional languages and addressing the decline of certain existing languages in the country. However, over time, the implementation of MTB-MLE remains a challenge for schools. The unforeseen crisis that has reshaped the world has also become an obstacle. In this context, the aim of this study is to identify and analyze the various issues and concerns of parents and teachers in teaching Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education during the pandemic in the town of Talugtug. Using Husserlian Descriptive Phenomenology as the research design, focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to gather data, and Colaizzi’s seven steps of data analysis were employed for data analysis. The study revealed that there are issues, concerns, and challenges experienced by teachers and parents in teaching and implementing MTB-MLE. The identified issues, concerns, and challenges include the lack of instructional materials, transliteration, vocabulary, inadequate teacher training, and a shortage of guidebooks. It was also discovered that MTB-MLE significantly contributes to the academic development of students and is crucial because students better understand the lessons being taught. However, parents were not adequately prepared to teach these lessons. Based on the study’s data, an action plan was developed as a guide to provide solutions to the issues and concerns of teachers and parents in teaching MTB-MLE. Keywords: issues, concerns, teacher, parent, Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education