This ethnographic research, informed by Anthropology and Sociology of Educational Policy, examines the policy enactment in the MTB-MLE big book making among teachers in Buguias, Benguet. Policy enactment is the complex way policies are perceived and interpreted alongside/against contextual factors by various actors.
The research setting is the school district of Buguias, Benguet, known to have produced more than 300 big book stories. Data collection and validation were undertaken from September 2018 to April 2020. The study utilized various data elicitation strategies of ethnography like participant observation, class observation, interviews, document, and artifact analysis.
The findings of the study reveal that the local policy actors translated the MTB-MLE policy into a localized book supply chain that generated the big books for the MTB-MLE program in Buguias. Secondly, the policy was enacted through contextualization practices that created stories about the place, cultural values, and environmental concerns. And thirdly, the policy was translated as a literacy instruction approach called ANIDUT. This approach utilizes a locally made Kankanaey primer, standardized and intellectualized academic register of the local language, a set of big books, and ways that made reading a positive experience.
Fulfilling the roles of policy actors were the teachers, school heads, supervisors, illustrators, digital printing shop operators, language experts, and the big book (as a non-human actor). Being policy entrepreneurs and enthusiasts, the teachers developed expertise as teacher- writers, teacher-ethnographers, and teacher as MTB-MLE literacy leaders. The big book makers were motivated in various ways -- to provide a child-friendly learning experience, fulfill the expectations of an MTB-MLE pilot school, become counted in a collective effort of big book making, and earn merits for career advancement. The agency of the big book as a policy actant became apparent as it heightened the visibility and symbolic value of the MTB-MLE policy. The MTB-MLE policy as an actant was found to be limited in its power.
The analysis of contextual factors uncovers the following enabling conditions: the spaces for creativity provided by the piloting stage; training and mentoring relationships; teacher incentives; technical resources; and the situatedness of the place. The disabling conditions include the stringent quality assurance processes, lack of funding support, limited authorship, adversarial relationships, normalization of impoverished (storybook-less) literacy instruction, and the economistic and hierarchical view of languages.
As a contribution to the discourse on Anthropology and Sociology of Educational Policy as well as the field of MTB-MLE, this study has attempted to demonstrate the importance of educational ethnography in grounding the complexities of policy enactments embodied in the making and use of the MTB-MLE big books in a given locale. Accordingly, the study has formulated a conceptual model for analyzing policy enactments of MTB-MLE big book making that may be conducted in other settings.

This study examines the effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) as a counseling intervention to enhance the level of self-esteem, aspirations, and social comparison experiences of young adults engaged in social media. Employing a mixed- methods research design, the study utilizes both quantitative through a one-group pretest- posttest design, and qualitative methods with the use of counseling interviews and documentation of sessions. Six young adult participants (four females, two males) were involved in the study. Self-esteem levels were assessed using the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory-Adult Form, aspirations were measured using the Aspiration Index, and social comparison experiences were captured through a researcher-made questionnaire. REBT counseling techniques were applied during sessions with the participants. The findings reveal several key conclusions namely, social media platforms serve as fertile ground for social comparison, particularly impacting individuals with lower levels of self-esteem; individuals with higher self-esteem may be better equipped to manage the negative effects of social comparison on social media; young adults exhibit a preference for intrinsic goals over extrinsic one emphasizing personal growth and relatedness but also sees wealth as equally important to serve as tool to achieve the primary aspirations. Furthermore, the use of REBT proves effective in enhancing participants' self-esteem, aspirations, and social comparison experiences by facilitating awareness of irrational beliefs and promoting disputing of self-defeating thoughts.

Children from non-intact families experience negative effects caused by parental separation. Six children from non-intact families who were in Grades 4 to 6 were gathered. This multiphase mixed method study aimed to find out how the Cognitive Behavioral-based Group Psychoeducation Program would affect the participants’ wellness before and after the sessions and how the participants and their custodial parents perceive the program. In the pre-intervention phase, the participants answered the Five Factor Wellness Inventory - Elementary School Age Version (FFWEL-E) as pretest. The participants and their parents had intake interviews. In the intervention phase, the participants attended an online group psychoeducation program for 8 weeks. Different dimensions of wellness were strengthened through learning and practicing a specific Cognitive Behavioral Strategy (CBS) in each session. In the post-intervention phase, the participants were subjected again to the FFWEL-E as posttest. The participants and their custodial parents also had exit interviews. Four out of six participants had improved posttest scores, statistical treatment showed that there is no significant difference which is attributed to a small sample size. While this is the conclusion to the quantitative data generated in the research, an analysis of the qualitative data is made. Difficulties experienced by the participants before the start of the program were discussed. Awareness of the participants’ current state of mind and body was noted during the program. Improvements in problem-solving, health consciousness, social interactions, and social skills were noted after the program. While the program was beneficial, certain things could bring more improvement. Modifying the program length, focusing on specific dimensions, and having more parental involvement might bring more significant changes in future research participants.

Loneliness, the distressing experience of perceived deficits in one’s relationships, is an escalating public health concern. In 2023, Gallup ranked the Philippines as the second loneliest country globally and the loneliest in Southeast Asia. Using an explanatory sequential design, this study explored the effects of Iskonekted, a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-based group psychoeducational program on the loneliness and social connectedness of university students by examining changes in these constructs and gaining insights into participant experiences. Loneliness and social connectedness were measured using the de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised. Nine first-year students from a state university in Metro Manila with moderate to strong levels of loneliness participated in eight weekly sessions aimed at addressing maladaptive thinking and promoting adaptive social behaviors. Pre- and post- intervention assessments revealed reductions in emotional. social, and overall loneliness, along with increased social connectedness, with generally large effect sizes. Unhelpful thinking patterns among participants, such as jumping to conclusions, emotional reasoning, and labeling. were also reported. Participant reflections showed emerging comfort with vulnerability, deliberate use of cognitive reframing, improved emotional regulation, and a growing willingness to engage with others. The findings suggest Iskonekted's potential as a theory-informed and culturally relevant intervention with practical value for university mental health initiatives, while contributing to the limited literature on loneliness interventions within collectivist societies like the Philippines.

This study developed a teacher preparation framework based on empirical evidence of the effects of transdisciplinary biology instruction with Generative Al on pre-service teachers’ Technology, Learner, Pedagogy, Content, and Context Knowledge (TLPACK), digital citizenship, and cognitive offloading. It also looked into the moderating effect of GenAl literacy on Biology instruction with Generative Al integration, and the interactions among TLPACK, digital citizenship, and cognitive offloading of pre-service teachers.

A convergent parallel mixed methods research design was utilized, where the quantitative strand was a quasi-experiment involving a three-group repeated measures factorial configuration, while the qualitative strand was a multiple case study design. A total of 92 pre-service teachers (PSTs) from three comparable intact sections that were enrolled in a science education course in a state university were involved in the study. After random determination, one group was exposed to the intervention combining Universal Design for Learning, Generative Al, and Transdisciplinary Biology Instruction or UGTBI (n = 29). Another group was exposed to the intervention combining Generative Al and Transdisciplinary Biology Instruction or GTBI (n = 30), while the third group was considered as the comparison group (CBI, n = 33). Data on participants’ TLPACK, digital citizenship, and cognitive offloading were collected using researcher-developed instruments with
acceptable reliability.

Results of the one-way MANOVA, converging completely with the qualitative findings, showed that both UGTBI and GTBI were effective in improving pre-service teachers’ TLPACK and digital citizenship. On the other hand, results of the aligned rank transform (ART) ANOVA revealed increase in the participants’ cognitive offloading across seven learning cycles in favor of the intervention groups (UGTBI and GTBI). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed the following significant interactions among pre-service teachers’ outcomes in a biology class: (a) TLPACK directly influences digital citizenship; (b)
digital citizenship directly affects cognitive offloading; and (c) TLPACK does not directly influence cognitive offloading unless mediated by digital citizenship. Lastly, another set of SEM analyses established that Generative Al literacy does not moderate the effects of Transdisciplinary Biology Instruction on pre-service teachers’ TLPACK, digital citizenship,
and cognitive offloading.

Based on the results, a transdisciplinary STEM teacher preparation framework was conceptualized, which emphasized the progression of pre-service teachers from theoretical learning to in-service practice. The paradigm was grounded on the TLPACK framework, with specific focus on acquisition, application, and reflection, which are integrated into three progressive phases: pre-service didactics, pre-service practicum, and in-service training. The design ensures that pre-service teachers not only acquire requisite knowledge but also apply it effectively in various instructional contexts.

Moreover, the results of this study provide critical insights for the advancement of Biology Education, particularly on the aspects of strengthening transdisciplinarity, integrating generative Al, implementing Universal Design for Learning, and understanding the dynamics among TLPACK, digital citizenship, and cognitive offloading. These aim to enhance pre- service teachers’ capacity to design inclusive, ethical, and adaptive instruction, which is crucial not only for future-ready STEM education, but for elevating the overall quality, equity, and responsiveness of teaching in the 21st-century educational landscape. It is recommended that pre-service education programs implement a structured transdisciplinary teacher preparation framework that integrates use of Generative Al, TLPACK, digital citizenship, and cognitive offloading as part of a developmental continuum.