JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research Volume 56 • March 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7719/jpair.v56i1.877

High School Aetas’ Course Experience:

Benchmark for Streamlining Curricular
Program Management
ARLAN V. PAYAD1
DepEd Pampanga, Pampanga, Philippines
1

ORCID NO.: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3711-1719

Corresponding author: [email protected]

Originality: 100% Grammarly: 100% Plagiarism: 0%

ABSTRACT

Article History: Many of the Aeta students in the province

are included in mainstream classrooms. As this
Received: 23 Aug 2023 causes the Indigenous some difficulty coping,
Revised: 26 Jan 2024 the study analyzed four high schools regarding
Accepted: 12 Feb 2024 the course experience of 162 of their Aeta
Published: 28 Mar 2024 students. The researcher used a survey that
he, through referenced studies, localized and
Keywords - indigenous, aetas, translated—”Survey on Aetas’ High School
high school, course experience, Course Experience.” The survey yielded the
survey, program management, most pronounced needs of Aetas—starting
policy development, lessons with Aetas’ prior knowledge, school-based
pampanga, philippines
Indigenous centers, indigenized learning content,
and more understandable media of instruction. The study used a quantitative
and descriptive design, using a questionnaire to quantify the Aetas’ assessment
of their high school experience with non-Indigenous classmates, teachers,
and administrators. The study’s resulting discussion and conclusion suggested
improvements through particularized versions of programs that could center on
Arlan V. Payad (2024). Open Access. ffiis article published by JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research
is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC
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commercial purposes. To view a copy of this license, visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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Inclusiveness Training for the teachers; school-based Indigenous Centers; the

inclusion of indigenous knowledge in lessons; implementation and consistent
management of school services and events that reflect inclusive on-campus
services; generation of livelihood programs and on-the-job trainings that are
mindful of the job-readiness of the Aetas; content training that is coupled with
motivational counseling; the integration of technology that democratizes the
access to information for all, with no exclusion against the non-mainstream.

INTRODUCTION

Schools as systems have evolved into multi-dimensional entities that are

porous enough to allow in influences from outside and the home front (Scott,
2003). Among the current global challenges prompting educational institutions
and governments to arrive at new management models, one of the most pressing
appears to be the issue of accessibility. People from different backgrounds,
orientations, and ethnicities should be able to provide quality education equally.
Discussions such as those in Usher and Cervenan (2005) clarify that without a
fair distribution of the opportunity to acquire education, the future of the youth
would be unclear, for access to education and training is the basis of the modern
information-driven market. As shown in Taylor (2005), to face the factors of
change, school administrations need to undergo educational management
changes to meet the challenges of maintaining their effectiveness.
Managing the learners’ experience of school and its services so that those
previously disadvantaged or put aside may enjoy the empowering benefits of
education has been one of the key aspirations of learning institutions around
the globe. Shoham and Perry (2009) expounded on the need for educational
institutions to adapt structurally and culturally to environmental changes, thus
becoming innovative. Innovations are, in turn, controlled by factors personnel
may or may not be in complete control of. Related to this, Scott (2003)
enumerated the factors that influence change in schools. These factors include
government funding, resource allocation transparency, stakeholders’ rights, and
the spread of communications and information technology.
In Australia, access to education for Aboriginal students is assured. However,
the students’ engagement and continuous participation in their programs still
have considerable room for development. The Australasian Survey of Student
Engagement (AUSSE) Research Briefing, produced by the Australian Council
for Educational Research in 2011, reported that Aboriginal Australian students’
attrition, retention, and completion percentages are matters for serious
management consideration. Furthermore, the same AUSSE research briefing

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cites various entities and researchers reporting on the areas for improvement
concerning the engagement of Aboriginal students: (a) the Department of
Education, Employment and Workplace Relations said that Indigenous
participants currently stand at less than one percent of all tertiary students; (b)
the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council (IHEAC) seconded this
and added that this ratio unfortunately was diminutive to the 2.5 percent of
Indigenous people in the broader population; (c) and IHEAC further claimed
that the attrition rate for freshman Aboriginal learners is approximately 35 to 39
percent. Finally, Radloff and Coates, in the research briefing cited, stated that
native Australian collegiate learners have an overall completion statistic that does
not reach 50 percent; this, according to Asmar et al. (2015) in the same research
briefing, contrasts with 72 percent among non-Aboriginal Australian students.
In the case of the Sonn et al. (2000) study, the institution catering to the
demands of the Aboriginal sector is the Center for Aboriginal Studies (CAS) or
Indigenous Center. The center’s primary function is to provide bridge courses
to students of native descent. The CAS’s role is of primary importance to the
concerned students as the place where Aboriginal identity is solidified, advice
and help are extended, and the gap between the university and the native groups
is bridged. Part of the salient points in the research conclusions mentioned
included what was established as necessary to support the vitality and uniqueness
of Aboriginal culture and its due recognition. Furthermore, the legitimate clamor
for scientific inquiry and social action that counteract misinformation and racial
bias is stressed. Sonn et al. (2000) give baseline data that point to the necessity
of a deeper understanding of the contextual factors that affect the partaking of
Aboriginal students in learning with the majority.
Australia and the United Kingdom are considered pioneers in student course
experience, with these two countries’ objectives centered on accountability in
educational practice and enhancement of educational training. This situation was
the background for Andrew’s study (2010). He delved into the contrast between
the universities of Nigeria and those of other countries regarding the quality
of course experience among tertiary students. In Nigeria, negligible attention is
paid to the students’ perspective and the focus is not on the learner’s evaluation
of their experience of course-related trainings and the conduciveness of the
academic community and its circumstances. The measure of excellence in the
programs of study in schools is through accreditation by the National University
Commission (NUC) through the criteria: 32 points for staffing, 23 points for
academic content, 25 points for physical facilities, 12 points for library, five
points for funding, and three points for employer’s rating.
Studies on the Indigenous that have thus far influenced the current

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understanding of the needs of these stakeholders in education are of a wide array

of research concerns. In the sense of basing the current course experience of Aetas
on what is culturally important and relevant to them, the following works have
all been supportive of this research’s theoretical framework: tracing the ancient
ways and means utilized in educating the youth of the tribes using historical
artifacts (Hsu et al., 2011); preservation and development of tribal languages
through language immersion programs in school settings and the effects of such
in academic performance (Harrison, 1998); differences between indigenous and
mainstream education as input to the design of a native studies program (Lambe,
2003).
Suha (2022) veered away from the perspective of the young Indigenous
student in that it investigated the stance of the teachers whose cultural competence
is assessed. The main findings revolved around the teacher’s ability to incorporate
cultural competence to engage the community, dispense responsibilities as the
teacher, and be knowledgeable regarding the indigenous culture.
Gaps are seen in most current research in Asia as there is a paucity of research
focusing mainly on the opinions of the very young Indigenous themselves
regarding their satisfaction with high school engagement as a whole and the
concrete ways this could be improved. Some evaluative studies concentrate on
specific learning contexts involving more mature students. Ismailov et al. (2021)
investigated how students in higher education improved their fluency and depth
of discourse in a multicultural learning situation when they were given more
opportunities to prepare to make themselves more familiar with their respective
cultures of origin.
From East Asia, the most recent studies depart from the perspective of the
high school Indigenous evaluating the totality of their educational engagement.
Liu et al. (2022) presented the viewpoint of healthcare providers’ inclusive
practice through awareness of the ward’s attitudinal and health situation. Lee
et al. (2020) dealt with the care and health practitioner relationship dynamic as
well. This study relates better to the case of Aetas in that the service providers
undergo cultural competence training. This need could be established to be
present for the service providers of Aetas.
Very recent Asia-centered papers like Kolagari et al. (2022) proved cultural
attitude was exhibited more prominently than cultural competence; Mobaraki-
Asl et al. (2019) presented benefits in applying the cultural competence survey
to even more professional situations where sensibilities in the culture of Iran
are called for to provide service more earnestly; and Mohsen and Sajad (2023)
argued that empathy was a prerequisite to cultural competence.
A gap is determined related to literature directly catering to the combination

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of concerns in this paper: the evaluation of Aetas regarding aspects of their high
school education such as instruction in general, materials used in teaching,
services rendered on campus, and the general relationship of the Aetas with the
school staff and their peers. Available data from the latest papers are more inclined
towards combining the variable of cultural competence with the concerns of
higher education and the personnel in the field, if not more common, the medical
field and the practitioners in it. Illustrative of this is the work of Oanh (2019),
who investigated the interplay between teaching multicultural awareness and
the promotion of listening competence to promote more proficient practice in
cross-cultural communication, and Yang and Gao (2020) that was in support of
reflecting cultural competence as a common core feature among tertiary subjects
across curricular programs instead of being a unique feature of limited offerings.
The gap in the research currently available centers on the need to evaluate
the potential lack of accommodation for Aboriginal Filipino students’ needs. It is
a matter of mapping Philippine educational management against those of more
developed countries that similarly have Indigenous stakeholders to care for.
The gap is also clearly established owing to the dearth of data pertinent to the
Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and its other versions in the country
and Southeast Asia. This further established the need for this research.
Studies covering different countries worldwide recognize that there are
education-related needs among the Indigenous that are not met when the voices of
the same non-mainstream students are not considered in managing teaching and
related services. As seen in White and Fogarty (2001), Lambe (2003), Toulouse
(2006), Metallic and Seiler (2009), and Hsu et al. (2011), Indigenous learners,
Aboriginal culture, and the place these take in the big picture of education are fast
claiming their share in the interests of researchers. These mentioned researches
described Indigenous learners as belonging to tribes or groups that colonizers
have not culturally changed. These mentioned scholarly works referred to
Aboriginal culture as a way of life kept distinct from the mainstream, modern
society by old folk beliefs and traditions. The mentioned researchers likewise
recommend these aspects of the Indigenous culture as important considerations
in the education of the Aborigines. In this study, the words Indigenous and
Aboriginal are capitalized. In research done in Australia, New Zealand, Canada,
and the United States, this is to define them with the same respect accorded
them—unique cultural groups often referred to as First Nations.
Developments that deal with change in school systems as a global phenomenon
highlight innovative perspectives that merit local application. In this context
and considering the effort by the Philippine government to harmonize with the
international educational community in inclusiveness with its K to 12 Program,

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as discussed in Sarvi et al. (2015), the question of how the Indigenous student fits
into the picture inevitably emerges. This prompted the researcher to investigate
the research project.
The term “Indigenous” in this study is used interchangeably with
“Aborigine,” “Aboriginal,” “native,” and “ethnic.” Indigenous Filipinos are those
native inhabitants in the territory found by the Spanish conquistadors, separated
from the lowlanders, who were predominantly of Malayan stock and, to a degree,
mixed with Indonesian lineage. The Indigenous—either by choice or on account
of the isolation of their habitats—did not intermarry with most lowlanders
and did not imbibe the Westerners’ way of life. Indigenous individuals in the
Philippines number approximately 7.2 million, inhabiting areas in the three main
islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Constituting ten percent of the overall
population, certain groups among the Aborigines stay in forest ecosystems, while
others are situated in the plains and shores, as stated in Fiagoy (2000). In the
same research discussion, what was highlighted as being received by some of
the members of the Aboriginal groups is broadly described as adult education.
Indigenous individuals whose ages match those of mainstream students are
provided non-formal training instead of the usual school education.
A part of the stimulus for the quantitative study was The Story of the Filipino,
a documentary featuring the life of Judelyn Baluyot, a teacher who is an Aeta,
which stated that 56 Aetas graduated from college in the year 2010. This is, as
shown in the production, a considerable accomplishment given the difficulties
in studying experienced by Aetas, the most numerous Indigenous groups in the
Philippines. Judelyn Baluyot was, by all indications in the television feature, an
accomplished Aeta student who got the support she needed—other Aetas are
not likely to be in the same circumstances. This recalled for the researcher the
knowledge gap—the question of how to best manage the education of Aetas.
McHenry et al. (2013) report that the Aetas are consistently put at a
disadvantage because they are driven away from their traditional lives by
disasters, both natural and man-made. The same research acknowledged how
some governments in Asia have been averse to protecting the rights and privileges
supposedly accorded to Indigenous groups. The same paper further noted how
initiatives to help make the lives of Aetas better have been subjected to intentional
delays, such as the proposal to use genetic evidence to legitimize the status of the
the Aetas as Indigenous and worthy of a formal acknowledgment as owners of
their ancestral domain.
Ferrer (1999) emphasized that the Aetas were the original Filipinos who
moved from one area to another, living a semi-agricultural, semi-nomadic life.
Their way of life has never been significantly changed by the colonial influences

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the mainstream Filipinos embraced. Unfortunately, part of the resistance to

colonizers’ power is being left out of the innovations that advanced civilizations
afford controlled territories. Ferrer (1999) explained that the dole-out mentality
had dominated regarding assisting the Aetas. Little development is seen in their
economic life, which remains mainly as a subsistence economy. The researcher
added that the economic growth of the non-indigenous seems to counter that of
the Aetas, with mining being one good example, with the industry encroaching
upon the lands of the indigenous with careless damage. The Aetas’ subsistence
on little material resources is still reflected in more current discussions from the
community outreach sectors, such as those in the Opus Dei Newsletter.
According to Serrat (2020), the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2015
population count of the Aetas was 57,707, a very small sector living mostly near
Mount Pinatubo in Zambales Province compared to the Philippines’ population
of 100 million. The National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP) Region
III listed seven Indigenous Aeta groups in the region, namely Agta, Alta, Ayta
Ambala, Ayta Mag-antsi, Ayta Magbukun, Ayta Mag-indi, and Ayta Sambal.
The commission also acknowledged that the Aeta communities suffer from poor
development, inaccessibility, and conflicts. The NCIP has set as one of its strategic
directions its coordination with pertinent agencies to promote education for
the Aetas that is sensitive and responsive to indigenous culture. The agency has
reiterated that quality education should be inclusive for the Aetas and stop their
marginalization and disadvantage caused by conflicts of interest.
Reviewed research hinted upon possible merits in integrating the perspectives
of Aeta students on their experience of high school and their evaluation of
the competence of their schools in serving Aeta students. This motivated the
researcher to study these perspectives and venture into measuring concepts that
could prove beneficial based on precedent studies and identified needs of the
Indigenous. The results generated in the study were projected to have significant
implications on how the Aetas might be given high school training. Projected
benefits of the survey research include helping promote a quality educational
experience for the Aetas and spurring the development of education for the Aetas
such that their chance of success might be like that of Judelyn Baluyot, who has
chosen to be a professional teacher to her fellow Aetas.
A trend that this research project, in part, evolved from is the evaluation
done by learners regarding their own experiences using course experience
questionnaires. This practice has been a parcel of the review for quality among
learning institutions in the West, coupled with and at times separate from
accreditation efforts.
Andrew (2010) stressed that the outcomes of the accreditation processes do

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not always pan out such that there is a heightening in the level of excellence
among the schools, effects of excellent assessment procedures, and highly
favorable ratings for course experience and educational environment. This was
seen in the Nigerian educational milieu, where criteria for accreditation other
than course experience were initially given a premium. In part, this study drew
from Andrew (2010) the idea of verifying the generalizability for the Philippine
context of findings from foreign studies that inquired about the course experience
of Indigenous students. Determining whether Andrew’s findings (2010) apply to
Indigenous Filipino participants, particularly the Aetas, would be worthwhile.
Generally, in the Philippines, local schools rely on accreditation proceedings
to judge the quality of course experience, normally with the actual evaluative
perspective of the students relegated to the back seat. To explore and have a
deep conversation about the possible weakness in the Philippines’ catering to the
educational demands of the Indigenous Filipino clientele, it would do Filipino
teacher-researchers well to evaluate the local cases alongside the scenarios in the
developed countries who are also caring for First Nation learners.
More advanced universities abroad have more profitably chosen as a measure
of educational excellence the student’s viewpoints and ratings for the quality of
the teaching-learning interaction and various aspects of the learning experience.
This is done using the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ), a survey
material designed from a paradigm maintaining that the way students tackle their
academic tasks is dependent on their previous exposures to teaching-learning
situations and that their perspective on the present learning situation is, in turn,
likely to influence learning results. A variation of the CEQ, which has similar
features but displays more clarity for appropriate use with undergraduates, is the
Students’ Course Experience Questionnaire (SCEQ).
Later studies concretized through quantitative questionnaire items the
aspects that constitute Aboriginal students’ satisfaction with the experience of
their participation in mainstream learning. Shah and Widin (2010) used the
“Indigenous Student Experience Survey” (ISES), a version of the CEQ that has
design elements that make it possible to gather not only quantitative but also
qualitative data. In the same research, the authors reported on the results of
a study undertaken by a large Australian University to determine aspects for
further development in the management of the course experience of Indigenous
students. The discussion emphasized how important it is that native students
evaluate their educational experience favorably. The satisfaction of the native
students ensures their achievement of academic goals and, eventually, their
employment goals. This redounds to the Indigenous individual’s self-sufficiency
and active partnership with other community-building sectors. On the other

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hand, from the school’s point of view, maintaining the number of Indigenous
students assures the school’s close relationship with Aborigine-centered agencies
that provide needed extraneous income for the school’s programs. The research’s
discussion underscores this mutually beneficial agenda of raising the quality of
training and experience of Aboriginal learner stakeholders through empirical
research endeavors.
FRAMEWORK
From the work of Hellsten (2011), this study gleaned the aspects that
serve as determinants of favorable course experience: (a) encouragement of the
Indigenous student’s personal identity that includes his/her Aboriginal culture;
(b) assistance regarding language needs; (c) merging of academic knowledge
with cultural knowledge in course content; (d) opportunity to challenge racism
and ethnocentrism (promoting the belief in equality, instead of certain races’
superiority); (e) cultural support networks; (f ) reinforcement of the process of
emotional healing; (g) help with time management; (h) institutionalizing support
through offices that conspicuously service unique needs of the Indigenous; (i)
rapport with the Indigenous family of the student that ascertains support for the
latter; (j) accessibility of resources; and (k) technology as a tool for academic and
social advancement, not an impediment due to meager training.
In double-checking the appropriateness of the questions in prompting the
Aetas to feel free to share their answers, the research saw appropriate insights as
well from Sashkin and Egermeier (1993), Ely (1999 a, b) and Sha and Widin
(2010). The mentioned works were in sync with this research in that they
focused on streamlining improvements in the training given to the Indigenous
informants. The researcher also found contributory the outlining of necessary
considerations on analysis as delineated and clarified in Abhojailan (2012). The
research also included in its paradigm insights on the same analytical typology
from the pertinent reflections in Braun and Clarke (2006).
In addition, this study was also enlightened by findings that have been
reported by other field professionals (or entities) such as Metallic and Seiler
(2009) on the use of Indigenous knowledge to inform subject area education and
the development of curricula and pedagogy; Toulouse (2006) on the connection
between aboriginal student success and self-esteem; the Review of Aboriginal
Education (2004) on policies and programs for Aboriginal students and the
resulting enhancement to the learners’ academic performance; and White and
Fogarty (2001) on the educational effects of values held by aboriginal students.
These works’ innovative insights provided the current research with points of
reference in gathering and analyzing local data.

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Also supportive of the framework of this research in positioning the point

of view of the Indigenous students in the rating, analysis, and improvement of
the academic training provided by institutions of learning were the principles
applied in the methodology used widely in mainstream student-centered
evaluative analysis which is the course experience survey questionnaire. One
instrument adjusted for the case of the Indigenous was the “Course Experience
Questionnaire” (CEQ), as used by Downie and Möller (2002). Ramsden
contrived the questionnaire in Downie and Möller (2002) to measure students’
satisfaction at the University of Sydney. This study shares the CEQ’s purpose: to
measure the quality of the experience among students within the stretch of their
course of study, as opposed to the limited scope of a specific subject or unit. It
was considered appropriate to quantify the disparities among various units of
an organization feasibly in terms of accommodating the needs of Indigenous
students.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study aimed to accomplish the following aims: (1) Adapt a survey
questionnaire that would appropriately provide data for the analysis needed in
the study; (2) gather data on the course experience of the Aetas in the study
who share their classroom and school resources with non-Indigenous learners
and school personnel; (3) and draw conclusions on the favorable aspects of the
Aetas’ course experience as well as areas for improvement.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design
The quantitative-descriptive survey research combined quantitative method
guidelines from Mertens (2014) and Creswell (2012). It utilized quantitative
research to describe the course experience of Aeta students, taking note of the
strengths and weaknesses of their high school education experience. As observed
in Teddlie and Tashakkori (2009), Creswell (2012), and Creswell (2007), the
statistical data analysis yielding percentages and averages from tallied responses
was followed by the interpretation of the results with appropriate theories as
guides.
The research approach involved first considering relevant discussions from
related literature and studies, after which the need for numeric evidence was
addressed through the phases of data collection tool design, data retrieval and
analysis, interpretation of quantitative results, and finally, the systemic discussion

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clarifying the answers to the research questions.

The research used the “Survey on Aetas’ High School Course Experience”
(SAHSCE) for the adopted CEQ. The Filipino translation was utilized in the
actual data gathering. The SAHSCE has its sections corresponding to eleven
themes namely: acceptance of Aeta identity; help with language-related needs;
starting lessons with Aetas’ prior knowledge; connecting lessons with Indigenous
beliefs; acceptance of all cultures; support from fellow Aetas; group Study with
fellow Aetas; promotion of emotional health; sufficiency of time for tasks;
schedule of tasks; office for the needs of Aetas; Aeta family-school relations;
books; facilities; and technology training.
Points in the SAHSCE that align with Sha and Widin’s (2010) conclusions
regarding Indigenous students’ experiences include the need for support from
peers who maintain communicative contact, the multifarious assistance given
by adequate support structures in schools, and the quality of teachers. The
descriptions related to the favorable course experience of Indigenous students
as clarified by Hellsten (2011), King et al. (2012), Diller and Moule (2005),
Robinson (2012), and the National Education Association (2008) guided the
current researcher’s preparation of the “Survey on Aetas’ High School Course
Experience” (SAHSCE) in English and “Sarvey ukol sa Karanasan ng mga Aeta
sa Mataas na Paaralan” (SKAMP) in Filipino. For the SAHSCE, the means
and descriptive equivalents were: 0 - 1.54 = very unfavorable; 1.55 – 2.54 =
unfavorable; 2.55 – 3.54 = moderately favorable; 3.55 – 4.54 = favorable; 4.55
– 5.00 = very favorable.

Research Site
The research site was District 2 of the Division of Pampanga of the
Department of Education, Philippines. Four high schools agreed to participate
in the study because they accommodated Aeta students who take classes with
mainstream learners. Anonymity of the schools was requested.

Participants
The participants were Aeta High School students. They came from four
high schools referred to in the study as schools A, B, C, and D. The number
of Aeta student participants for each school were: School A, 52; School B, 23;
School C, 66; and School D, 21. The Aboriginal students have the following
unique circumstances: (a) they are Aetas who have complied with elementary
education prerequisites, qualifying them for secondary education, not just
informal education for the Indigenous; (b) the curricular programs they are in
were designed for the academic engagement of mainstream—not Aboriginal—

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students; and (c) they experience education under non-ethnic teachers, staff,
and administrators who have not received training to handle Indigenous students
in particular. Aetas from School A were coded as SAPA, representing School
A Participant Aeta. Participants were also numbered; for example, School B
Participant Aeta Number 1 was coded as SBPA1, and the second student was
coded as SBPA2, and so on.

Data Collection
The survey’s generated data made possible the necessary descriptive statistics.
The data from the survey constituted the quantitative information that could
point to necessary changes and improvements in the Indigenous inclusiveness of
the schools.
The researcher reviewed the concept of course experience from related
literature and studies. Following this, the researcher sought the target students’
participation as data sources. The administration of the questionnaires was a
uniform procedure for all the groups involved, with care taken not to obscure the
measurement of variables with extraneous influences.
After giving the necessary orientation and successfully securing the
participants’ consent, the researcher accomplished the second phase of the
research—quantitative collection and analysis.

Research Ethics Protocol

As for the permission to survey the Aeta students, the researcher secured
the appropriate approval from the pertinent Department of Education local
authorities, the survey participants, and their parents’ consent.
The researcher designed the SAHSCE for the research and subjected it to
validation. Content validation of the questionnaire was part of the procedures,
and the researcher carried these out through consultations with fourteen (14)
education experts, leaders from the administration and teaching departments of
reputable local schools, and representatives from the Department of Education,
Schools Division of Pampanga.
Cronbach’s alpha results for the survey were 0.821, pointing to good
internal validity. The items were proven consistent with the overall objective of
the questionnaire. This, coupled with the content validation by the education
experts, constituted the rigor that the research went through to ascertain validity
and reliability.

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Aspects Affecting Aetas’ High School Experience. Among the aspects

affecting Aetas’ high school experience surveyed, foremost among favorable ones
was the “Aeta Family-School Relations” aspect, with a mean of 4.54. This was
followed by two other means: 4.45 for “Promotion of Emotional Health” and
4.34 for “Acceptance of Aeta Identity.”
Table 1 shows that the aspect affecting Aeta’s course experience with the
lowest mean (3.52) was “Starting Lessons with Aetas’ Prior Knowledge.” The
second to the lowest mean of 3.65, interpreted as favorable, corresponded to
“Office for the Needs of Aetas.”
The third lowest among the means, 3.70, was interpreted as favorable and
corresponded to Books. Finally, the fourth mean of 3.77, also interpreted as
favorable, was “Help with Language-related Needs.”

Table 1
Means for Aspects of Aetas’ High School Course Experience (n=162)
Aspects Affecting Aetas’ High School Descriptive Equivalent
Experience Mean
Acceptance of Aeta Identity 4.34 Favorable
Help with Language-related Needs 3.77 Favorable
Starting Lessons with Aetas’ Prior Moderately Favorable
Knowledge 3.52
Connecting Lessons with Indigenous Favorable
Beliefs 3.99
Acceptance of all Cultures 4.15 Favorable
Support from Fellow Aetas 3.98 Favorable
Group Study with Fellow Aetas 4.04 Favorable
Promotion of Emotional Health 4.45 Favorable
Sufficiency of Time for Tasks 3.81 Favorable
Schedule of Tasks 3.92 Favorable
Office for the Needs of Aetas 3.65 Favorable
Aeta Family-School Relations 4.54 Favorable
Books 3.70 Favorable
Facilities 3.85 Favorable
Technology Training 3.96 Favorable

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In describing the aspects affecting Aetas’ high school course experience,

what appeared to have been most favorable to the informants stated, “The
school communicates with my family well, especially regarding the importance
of my engagement in school.” Two others followed this: “My abilities and self-
confidence are improved because of tasks I accomplish” and “I am encouraged to
be proud of myself as an Aeta with an important culture.”
The aspect affecting Aeta’s course experience with the lowest rating was the
descriptive statement—”At the beginning of each lesson, the discussion is started
with things the Aetas are familiar with.” Pointing to the merits of using the
aborigines’ perspectives in their education, Hsu (2011) favorably highlighted the
utilization of the traditional customs of tribes and realia with historical value. The
Aetas’ attention may be ascertained, and their lessons commenced better in class
if this same principle is applied. The Aetas’ schools can indeed do well to take after
institutions that truly show concern for respecting and preserving Indigenous
knowledge, as acknowledged in Lambe’s discussion (2003). The research stressed
that schools conscientious about using Indigenous knowledge and the unique
perspectives of aborigines, such as the Aetas, accumulate knowledge about the
perspectives of the Indigenous that through the same, they are even able to
eventually offer native studies programs based on the research.
To start the lesson using motivational elements derived from the prior
knowledge of the Aetas would call for the teacher’s competence in catering to
the culture of the Aetas. In agreement with the results of this research, Suha
(2022) underscored the necessity of having the teacher ready to engage with the
Indigenous learners in a manner that reveals his or her having been substantially
informed of the culture and traditions, as well as current situations of the native
students. This knowledge and competence pertinent to the culture of the students
translates to narrative hooks upon which motivating lesson introductions may
effectively be anchored.
The second to the lowest rating corresponded to the descriptive statement—
”At school, there is an office that is conspicuously located and may easily be
accessed for assistance regarding the needs of Aetas.” The schools studied in
the research would benefit from taking a cue from Sonn et al.’s (2000) study,
offering insights on having in the campus an office that looks after the needs
of the Indigenous members of the community. Bridge courses provided by the
Indigenous center would further the success of the Aetas and signify to them and
the rest of the school that the Aetas matter, especially regarding the difficulties
they face in their studies. The Indigenous center will also legitimize the research
agenda, which will center on the Aetas and their concern for wellbeing. This
could be handled through a center where they could receive advice and other

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related services.
The third lowest rating was with the descriptive statement—”Books are
new, sufficient in number, and featuring information accurately related to
the way of life and situation of the Indigenous.” As noted in Lambe (2003),
the Indigenization of learning materials, which is the process of highlighting
information pertinent to the way of life of the Aborigines to ascertain the
achievement of learning objectives, is also a prerequisite to the Indigenization
of the curriculum. Also, White and Fogarty (2001) mentioned Indigenization
of learning content and the curriculum not only satisfies the need for skills
pertinent specifically in the case of Aetas, but it also considers the Indigenous
values and the educational implications these values hold. This non-reflection of
the culture and social situation of the Aetas in the content of their lessons echoes
the observations featured in White and Fogarty (2001), Lambe (2003), Toulouse
(2006), Metallic and Seiler (2009), and Hsu et al. (2011) where there certainly
are indications of the lack of acknowledgment and even less tangible appreciation
for the Indigenous perspective in books and other learning materials. The same
discussions, however, point to the recently starting interest in non-discrimination
in education as a whole, which the studied schools of the Aetas would do well to
keep in mind as a guiding principle in preparing learning references.
Finally, the fourth descriptive statement with the lowest rating was—
”Sufficient help is extended to me when I experience difficulty with the language
used for the study. Studies like Harrison (1998) may lend important insights to
teachers when dealing with concerns related to using a more comprehensible
medium of instruction and providing assistance when learners have language
difficulties. Teachers may go even further and use elements from the Indigenous
language. Harrison (1998) put substantial emphasis on support for maintaining
the utilization of tribal languages through their active promotion to help with
performance in school.
None of the course experience aspects registered a mean value corresponding
to “very favorable.” Furthermore, the apparent complexity of the mix of
needed improvements and the variety of sectors associated with the possible
implementation of the suggestions could confirm the need for an Indigenous
center described as an expediting office for the various needs of Aboriginal students
(Sonn et al., 2000). This center, coordinating with the other stakeholders in the
curricular training of the Aetas, could help investigate addressing areas for further
development, such as appealing to the student’s prior knowledge through content
that is richer in information related to Indigenous culture. The schools studied,
therefore, would benefit from insights such as those in Yang and Gao (2020)
that advocated the wide promotion of competence in accommodating the multi-

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faceted learning needs of the indigenous in all programs of the school, not only
in selected subjects.
Considering that this study yielded results where none of the indicators were
very satisfactory for the Aetas, the schools researched may be considered similar
to cases in Sarvi et al. (2015), where adjustment to K-12 may be made even more
effective if the concerns of the Indigenous were to be more efficiently addressed.
Now that the principles espoused by the K to 12 curricula are more established
locally, the psychological opportunity is appropriate for the promotion of the
academic interests of the Aetas. Sarvi et al. also suggested that the K to 12
curriculum presents a fitting philosophical framework to meet the idiosyncratic
needs of the Aetas. Implementing a curriculum structured deeply in innovation
and openness to appropriately new philosophies presents a momentum where
curricular innovations for the Aetas could be hinged upon to ensure their upscale
accommodation.
Discussions such as those in Downie and Möller (2002), Andrew (2010),
and Shah and Widin (2010) reflect the results on the situation of the Aetas in
that measurement of their satisfaction with their engagement in the academic
institution resulted in an assessment that is less than what is hoped for. The papers
also agreed on the need to put a premium on the viewpoint of the Indigenous in
efforts to improve the quality of instruction and school management in general.
The evidence from the study’s results points to the need to work towards a
higher degree of satisfaction among Aeta students. Sources of important insights
on ensuring teaching professionals exhibit the cultural sensibilities needed in this
respect may not be limited to studies directly related to teaching and the Western
standards in education. Works from Asia like Lee et al. (2020), Kolagari et al.
(2022), Morabaki-Asl et al. (2019), and Mohsen and Sajad (2023) all indicate
that professionals may contribute to the satisfaction of their clientele when
the culture of their wards is respected. The same practitioners of their field are
sensitized to the culture-related needs of the individuals and groups they provide
services to.
According to the Aetas’ survey, the following could be judged as the second
and third, respectively, among the favorable aspects of course experience:
Promotion of Emotional Health with the descriptive statement—My abilities
and self-confidence are improved because of tasks I accomplish, and Acceptance
of Aeta Identity with the descriptive statement—I am encouraged to be proud of
myself as an Aeta who has an important culture.
To capitalize on what is seen as favorable by the Aetas and to take them
even further, schools with Aeta learners can modify their existing models in
serving the Aetas. One way is to adapt current training to reflect the principles

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followed in Abejuela (2005). In this pioneering research mentioned, Adult

Education for Indigenous Peoples (AEIP) is described as a comprehensive set
of learning processes that combine knowledge of the Aborigines and other
systems of knowledge. This type of education considers the people’s cultures and
experiences as its foundation. It simultaneously teaches them to critically analyze
and examine their unique circumstances to empower them to make informed
choices and courses of action. Adult education--which to an extent can be like
that needed by the high school Aetas--should be more than learning how to read
and write and participating in livelihood workshops. It must ensure that peoples
of ethnic origin are invested with the capacity to play an active role in the upkeep
or building of a just and democratic society in which their cultural integrity and
their search for self-determination are ascertained and duly acknowledged.
Cases of AEIP that can serve as inspiration in concretizing the suggestions
of this research of the high school Aetas can include the Schools for Indigenous
Knowledge and Traditions (SIKAT) set up in a few locations in the country. As
discussed by Abejuela (2005), typical of these is the Sagu-Ilaw (SIKAT) of the
Bukidnon Tribe in Northern Mindanao, which was founded as a type of tertiary
teacher-training center wherein its students provide instruction to the children
of the tribe in their home villages. The students in the school who are training
to be para-teachers go to class only once a week–only on Fridays. For the rest of
the week, they serve as kindergarten teachers in their respective villages of origin.
Much more proximate to education that accommodates the needs of
Indigenous clientele is the instance of Pamulaan Center for Indigenous Peoples’
(IP) Education. As seen on the center’s website, the center is an educational
institution catering to the needs of indigenous peoples, and it is pioneering in its
design. Its primary objective is to ensure that its pathways and formation for the
IPs meet the demands of the society of Aborigines in their current milieu and are
apt to cherished Indigenous norms.
Learning arrangements like those in the SIKAT schools and the Pamulaan
Center presented ideas and practices that could serve as reference points in
looking into what could work for the case of high school Aetas in Pampanga,
the chosen locale of this study. Nevertheless, a significant difference between the
current study and the cases of the SIKAT schools and the Pamulaan Center is
that the current research turns its attention to teaching-learning set-ups where the
Indigenous students must contend with programs, environments, and personnel
in high school arrangements that have not been intended to specifically serve the
needs of the Aboriginal learners.

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CONCLUSIONS

The course experience of Aetas in the study is generally described as favorable

through the research’s quantitative analysis. The database analysis also suggested
possible areas for further improvement in the Aetas’ engagement in high school.
What could be considered as opportunities for further development were:
indigenized learning content, with lessons starting with the stimulation of the
Aetas’ prior knowledge; school-based Indigenous centers that include among
their services culture-sensitive counseling for Aeta students and their families;
and the establishment of social entrepreneurship linkage that provides the Aetas
both livelihood and hands-on learning; resources for effective learner-centered,
technology-enhanced teaching and learning situations; more comprehensible
media of instruction; and an Indigenous-inclusive environment where the
personnel are well trained in cultural competence, and where the Indigenous
way of life is highlighted in on-campus cultural activities. The schools could
work on these aspects of change since there is still room for growth to reach the
point where the Aetas view the school even more favorably. Since none of the
aspects investigated were excellent, the conclusion supports Shoham and Perry’s
(2009) and Taylor’s (2005) exposition on the need for the schools to modify
their services so these could go beyond just being favorable. Furthermore, the
research concludes that schools would do better in the areas investigated if greater
attention is paid to these management elements, particularly resource allocation,
as stated in Scott (2003).

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

This research may guide schools with Aetas of similar circumstances in using
the suggested improvements that could be derived from the conclusions of the
study. Schools with Aeta students, with their unique circumstances, would do
well to determine the details of possible innovations that could be particularized
to suit the local needs. This can be done in part by using the study in print and
digital form in the context of the institutions’ seminar trainings, school-based
research congresses, and practical research class sessions—all for the aim of putting
the voices of the Indigenous in the front line along with other stakeholders.
The study may be localized, adapted, or presented as a reference in
conferences. It could be deemed helpful as part of the rationale for spearheading
innovations in the administrative, instructional, and research agenda centered on
indigenization of lessons with content commencing with the unlocking of the

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Aetas’ experiences; prioritization of the needs of the Indigenous through a center

in the school that subsumes research and psychology-informed counseling;
fortification of the economic independence of the Aeta communities; ensuring
relevant on-the-job training; long-term mobilization of sponsored or school-
generated resources that promote learner-centeredness; technology integration;
greater familiarization with the languages used for teaching; maintenance of the
school; making sure school workers have knowledge and skills in adapting service
to the Indigenous; and providing school events and festivities that reflect on the
Aeta way of life and values.

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