Learner’s Characteristics: Gender, Strength,

Language, Experiences, Culture, Religion,

Socio-economic Status, Difficult Circumstances,
and Indigenous Peoples

Now, I think you are ready to observe how differences in gender, racial,
cultural, and religious backgrounds, including coming from indigenous groups
influence learner behavior, interaction and performance in school. You will also be
given an opportunity to analyze and reflect on practices that teachers use in
leveraging diversity in the classroom. Further, you will also observe how differences
in abilities affect interaction in school and learn about strategies that the teachers use
in addressing the learners’ needs towards effective teaching and learning.

At the end of this episode, you must be able describe the characteristics and
needs of the learners from different background; identify the needs of students with
different level of abilities in the classroom; choose the best practices used by teachers
in differentiated teaching in catering the different needs of diverse learners in a class;
demonstrate understanding and acceptance of learner’s diverse background.
 Read the following concepts and principles relevant for this learning episode.

I. Principles of Development
A. Development and learning proceed at varying rates from child to child,
as well as at uneven rates across different areas of the child’s
functioning (NYAEC, 2019).
B. Development and learning are maximized when learners are
challenged to achieve at a level just above their current level of
mastery, and when they have many opportunities to practice newly
acquired skills.
C. Differentiated instruction is a student-centered approach that aims to
match the learning content, activities and assessment to the different
characteristics, abilities, interests, and needs of learners.
II. The Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (PPST) Domain 3
enumerated the following factors that give emphasis about the diversity of
learners.
A. Differences in learners’ gender, needs, strengths, interests, and
experiences
B. Learners’ linguistic, cultural, socio-economic, and religious
backgrounds
C. Learners with disabilities, giftedness, and talents
D. Learners under challenging circumstances which include geographic
isolation, chronic illness, displacement due to armed conflict, urban
resettlement or disasters, child abuse, and child labor.

III. Focus on Indigenous People

To learn more about IPs, read the following:

 Republic Act 8371 –The Indigenous People’s Rights Act
 DepEd Order No 32, s 2015- Adopting the Indigenous People’s
Education (IPED) Curriculum Framework particularly the 5 Key
Elements of an Indigenous Peoples Education Curriculum. These
are the Curriculum Design, Competencies and Content; Teaching
Methodologies and Strategies; Learning Space and Environment;
Learning Resources; and Classroom Assessment.

Now, are you ready for your next observation activity? I bet you are, so let’s begin.
 Your Activity 3.1
Observing Differences among Learners’ gender, needs,
strengths, interests, and experiences; and differences
among learners’ linguistic, cultural, socio-economic,
religious backgrounds, and difficult circumstances

Resource Teacher: James H. Castillano Signature:

Subject Area: Physical Education Date: 10-14-2021

To realize your learning objectives, you need to work on these steps:

1. Observe a class in different parts of a school day (morning, afternoon)
2. Describe the characteristics of the learners in terms of age, gender, and
social and cultural diversity.
3. Describe their interactions that transpires within the classzoom or
classmeet.
4. Interview your Resource Teachers about the principles and practices that
they use in dealing with diversity in the classroom.
5. Analyze the impact of individual differences on learners’ interactions.

Read the Observation Guide below before you begin with your observation.
Then, write your observation report on the space provided.

AN OBSERVATION GUIDE FOR THE LEARNERS’ CHARACTERISTICS

1. Find out the number of

students. Gather data as to
their ages, gender, religious
and ethnic backgrounds.

2. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING 3. Interview

QUESTIONS THAT REFER TO the Learner
YOUR OBSERVATIONS ON and the
CLASS INTERACTIONS Resource
Teacher.
1. Present the data gathered through a graphical presentation.

45 Students

15.90%
21.80%
3.60%
10.40%
16.90%

19 years old 20 years old Total number of boys

Total number og girls Catholic Non-Catholic

2. While observing classes, note to answer the following questions:

2a. How much interaction is there in the classzoom or classmeet? Describe the
learners’ interactions with the teachers and with one another.

Students frequently interact with their teacher. They answer when the teacher asks
them a question. They share their thought and even give additional ideas to a certain
topic. They also participate while the teacher was having an activity. However, there
are still some students who are just listening and were not participating.

2b. Cite an instance where a learner interacts with another learner? How they
interact with each other?

It's when a student gave his idea then the other student give opinions to his
classmate's idea, share thoughts and collaborate ideas.

2c. Do the learners cooperate with or compete against each other? Why do you
say so?

The learners did not compete with each other but rather cooperate with each
other. They always help their classmate missed to answer the question correctly and
they do not underrate the wrong answer but rather help them in a friendly manner.
2d. Who among the students participate actively? Who did not?

Based on my observation, males do often participate in the class than

females. None of them asked for help since all of them who were called by the
teacher and those who voluntarily raised their hands were able to answer correctly
the questions from their teacher.

2e. When the teacher asked the question---How did they react or respond? Is there
a method where they can be recognized by the teacher?

Since the class was conducted online using google meet, the students easily
press that raised hand icon for them to be recognized by their teacher.

3. After answering the five questions, it is your turn to interview the teachers
about their experiences about learners in difficult circumstances. Request
them to describe these circumstances and these affected the learners. Ask also
on the strategies they use to help these learners cope. Ask them further on the
strategies they apply when addressing the needs of diverse learners due to
the following factors:

✓ Gender including LGBTQ

Language and Cultural Differences
Differences in Religion
✓ Socio-Economic Status
Write your narrative report below.

According to my resource teacher, as students moved from traditional to

remote learning, learners experienced stress and depression. These are because
of too much activities to be done especially from those working students. These
unresolved problems can affect memory and concentration of the students,
putting them at risk for lowered levels of academic performance. To help these
learners cope with these difficulties, he always encouraged his students to share
about themselves and use empowering language. In that way, he was able to
understand their situation and he also motivated them. Furthermore, in order to
address the needs of diversed learners due to gender including LGBTQ, language
and cultural differences, differences in religion and socio-economic status, he
always consider such strategies as knowing his students about their personal
things, acknowledging and respecting his students, practicing cultural sensitivity,
incorporating diversity in the lesson plan and by giving students freedom and
flexibility.
 Based on the observations, reflect to answer the following questions.
Add more spaces when needed.

1. Identify the persons who play key roles in the relationships and
interactions in the classrooms. What roles do they play? Is there somebody
who appears to be the leader, a mascot, an attention seeker, a little teacher,
a doubter, or a pessimist?

A class is composed of diveresed students; their differences on how they

interact with each other enables me to identify their roles. In fact, there are
students appear to be the leader and is also the little teacher; the one who guides
her classmates and was like the right hand of the teacher. There's also a mascot
and he was the one who always gives jokes and is the source of happiness in
the class. Of course there's an attention seeker and his the one who always
shows unnecessary movement and facial expressions in front of the camera to
get everyone's attention. Iwas also able to identify those pessimistic students
and they are those students who always thinks positive no matter how difficult
the given activity is. However, I wasn't able to identify students who are
doubter.

2. Are the students in class well-engaged? Why or why not? What does the
teacher do to address low engagement among learners?

Yes. In fact, the teacher doesn't need to point out a student first to respond
to his question. The students were eager to participate in the class and the
teacher also has made a lot of ways, activities that kept them engaged.

3. How does the teacher influence interactions considering the differences of

the students? In virtual class ? In face to face class?

Since the class was conducted online, he always gives consideration to all
his students who has poor internet connection. However, there was still an
interaction since the teacher created a way to communicate with his students
that is convenient for them such as facebook and messenger.
4. What strategies does the teacher use to maximize the benefits of diversity inside the
classroom? How does the teacher leverage diversity?

The teacher ensures that cultural awareness is promoted in the classroom by understanding
each individual student. He takes time to learn about each student’s cultural background,
hobbies, learning styles, and what makes them unique. Also, he did not not applied an
authoritative approach when it comes to managing their classroom because he considered
to give freedom and flexibility to his student considering that some students have
problems on internet.
 i y l i i l ss l ss ? i y ls s
ss iy l s l ?

Since it was my first time to attend a class as an observer, I am

undeniably a little bit conscious and nervous at the same time. Im fact, I made
myself ready for student's criticism and expectations. Also, I was very amazed
on how the class was done amidst the limitations since it was done virtually.
I was glad that the learners interact the way they interact in face to face
classes. I am also surprised on how the teacher managed the class and come
up with that productive class interaction.

Furthermore, I've felt the sense of oneness among the learners and
between the teacher and the learner. The support of both parties has made
them unite.

All in all, I've enjoyed the moment while I was observing the class.
 Your Activity 3.2
Observing Differences among Learners with Disabilities,
Giftedness and Talents

To realize your learning objectives, work your way through these steps:

1. Watch demonstration teaching videos on youtube with any of the following:

 SPED Class with learners with physical disabilities
 SPED Class with learners with intellectual
disabilities  SPED class for the gifted and talented
 Regular class with inclusion of learners with disabilities
2. While watching, note on the needs of the learners that the teacher should
address.
3. Virtually interview the SPED teachers to find out more about the learners.
4. Analyze your observation data.
5. Reflect on your experience.

Use the observation guide below to document your observations. Read the
guide very carefully before you begin. Then write an observation report on the space
provided.

AN OBSERVATION GUIDE FOR THE LEARNERS’ CHARACTERISTICS

1. Observe the class to see the differences in abilities of the learners. Try to identify
those who seem to be performing well and those that seem to be behind.

2. Observe the behavior of the learners in the class. Note their dispositions, pace in
accomplishing the tasks, interaction with teacher and interaction with classmates.

3. Observe the teacher’s method in addressing the individual learning needs of the
students in the class.

4. Virtually interview a SPED Teacher , if possible, to find more about the learners and
to confirm your observation.
 Observation Report

Link of the Watched Video https://youtu.be/eX5WWv91Se0

As what I've seen in the video, there's a lot of different spectrums in a class.
Students have different learning and emotional disabilities. There are students
with behavior disorders, students with special needs, students which are low in
reading comprehension and students who are exceptionally high in reading
comprehension. Based on the video, students who have skills in writing and
acting are seemed to be advance and are performing well while those students
that has no idea on what they are capable of doing are struggling and are behind.

The learners show that they need guidance from their teacher. Even if they
were given a chance to choose an activity they're capable of doing, they still ask
for help. However, the teacher gives her best to facilitate her students. She was
patiently helping her students specially those students who has no idea on what
they want to make. Also, she motivates her students, acknowledge and
appreciate their outputs/performances. The students at the same time are being
collaborative with their classmates since they were doing the activity by pair.

The teacher tried to understand what individual learners need to learn most
effectively. She provided learning options that are a good fit to individual
learner. She used differentiated instruction based on student's need to learn or
how they will learn it by allowing students to select different learning activities
or culminating projects to demonstrate or apply what they have learned. She
differentiated instructions to accomodate various learning styles and
preferences so struggling, advance and in between students learn and succeed.
 Based on the observations, answer the following questions. Add more
spaces when needed.

1. Did your observation match the information given by the teacher you
interviewed?

Yes

2. Describe the differences in ability levels of the students in the class. What
practices or strategies are done or should be done to differentiate instruction
to meet the needs of the learners?

Students may vary from their intellectual, physical and emotional capacities.
Others may be good in reading but some might not; Others may be good in writing
and some might not; Others may be good in arts but some might not; and others
might be a fast learner but some are not. It is important for a teacher to determine
the capabilities of the students and to which part theyre not capable of doing. Whith
that, the teacher can manifest a differentiated instruction based on individual
learner's needs.
3. Describe the methods used by the teacher in handling the student’s
differences in abilities. How did the students respond to the teacher? Did the
teacher use differentiated instruction? If yes, describe how it was done.

Before having an activity, the teacher made a choice board where students
can freely wether theyre going to write a poem, create a comic strip, perform
charades or create a graphic organizer in order for the teacher to give equal
opportunity for all students to learn.
 ll i y i l y i s l ll i
i s l i s i l ss i y l i
i s? s s ss l i li i i?

When I was in high school, I can still remember that my teacher made an
effective way on how to deal with the high and low achievers in a class. In her
class, she gave a task to all the students who are high achievers in which they
are going to help those students who are struggling. Also, she allotted her
vacant time for those students who are having difficulties in her subject to have
a makeup class.

is si i s is y i s ill y
s l s?

As a future teacher, I want to give an equal opportunity for different types

of students. In order to achieve that, I must possess commitment and I must be
initiative enough. Commitment towards my goal which is to help my students
regardless of their difference, learning styles and learning capability to learn. On
the other hand, I must be initiative enough in order to come up with the best
instructional that could best suit for their needs.
 YOUR LEARNING PROOFS

With the principle of individual differences in mind, what methods and strategies
will you remember in the future to ensure that you will be able to meet the needs of both
the high and low achievers in class. Make a collection of strategies on how to address the
students’ different ability levels. Be creative in the presentation of your learning proofs.

Differentiate
instruction
Consider
outside Capitalize
placement on learning
options styles

Group Incorporate
students multiple
STRATEGIE
effectively S intelligence
s into
curriculum

Use Capitalize
computeri on student
zed Involve interests
instruction students
in
education
al

Wow! Congratulations. You are done with the observation activity for
Learning Episode 3. To successfully end your Learning Episode 3, go to your LMS
and answer the Learning Episode 3 Quiz.