Traditional ethnography has predominantly been associated with a qualitative methodological orientation. However, ethnographers are challenged to process and analyze cultural systems with voluminous data. This predicament catalyzed the need for an emerging methodology to assess learning and complex thinking in digital environments by using statistical tools to analyze qualitative data. Quantitative Ethnography (QE) blends qualitative and quantitative approaches and uses statistical tools in analyzing qualitative data. This study advanced Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA), a QE tool to analyze the online learning engagements of teachers and students. Observation of synchronous classes and asynchronous activities were carried out, utterances were coded, and network models of engagements were generated. The findings show that the ENA engagement models among teachers and students in synchronous and asynchronous sessions were significantly different, with the teachers giving more frequent and varied feedback during synchronous classes. Also, the structure of engagement differs according to the academic strands of the students. The network models of engagement in synchronous classes reveal the co-occurrence of students’ cognitive engagement and teachers’ feedback: connecting- corrective and informative content feedback, extending affective and informative content feedback while prompt-connecting and emancipating and simply-agreeing- affective and informative procedural feedback were found to be prevalent during asynchronous classes. Moreover, the multiple regression analysis and interview data show that self-regulated behavior among students, teacher’s presence, and parental involvement are significant predictors of cognitive engagement among students. This study illuminates the methodological advantages of ENA as an ethnographic tool that mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches in understanding cultural systems and processes in education.

Differential item functioning procedures, namely the Mantel-Haenszel (MH) and Item Response Theory (IRT) one-parameter logistic (1PL) model were investigated in the contexts of reading comprehension and math application among the Grade Six pupils in the six mixed-gender private schools and three all-girl schools run by religious congregation in Luzon and Visayas. MH and IRT-1PL are tests for critical evaluation of items; a means for determining the presence of DIF in the items. These two test DIF procedures having different assumptions were found both effective and sensitive in detecting DIF in the items. They were compared with regard to their effectiveness and sensitivity in detecting DIF in the test items to help test practitioners make informed decisions regarding the choice of DIF procedure, to continue improving the process of test evaluation, to ensure fair tests and assessments, and to review test development practices.
In DIF procedures in the study, grouping variables like gender and school type were deemed to influence the performance of pupils in reading comprehension and math application. These two tests both measured ability and required the pupil’s understanding of the passages and inferential skills in reading comprehension; and the application of concepts learned and analysis in math application.
IRT-1PL results showed large and consistent differences between the performance of the focal group and the reference group in reading comprehension and math application tests by gender and school-type compared to MH. (Focal group in gender-based DIF in reading comprehension comprised the boys, in math application — the girls; focal group in school type-based DIF in reading comprehension and in math application comprised the girls in mixed-gender schools) IRT-1PL detected more DIF items that were potentially biased against the focal group in all the analyses across comparison groups in the two tests. MH detected fewer DIF items in the two tests across comparison groups thus leaving the reading comprehension and math application tests with large number of “DIF-free” items.
The logical data analysis of the responses of pupils during the focus group discussion and interviews with the psychometricians, counselors, and teachers involved with the pupils provided an emerging picture of the causes of gender-based and school type-based DIF in the test items. Information provided from the focus group discussions and interviews lent support to the causes of DIF in the items and helped validate the interpretations derived from the DIF analyses. DIF in favor of each gender showed agreement with the sex-role stereotypes in the literature; DIF in favor of each school type conformed to the findings of earlier studies about differences in the experiences of the girls in the all-girl schools and their counterparts in the mixed-gender schools. Findings showed that the advantage of a particular group on the reading comprehension was Iimited to specific subskills, literal recognition and inferential comprehension, while in math application on complex problem solving involving the application of two or more steps in basic operation including computations of fractions and percentages. Conclusions and implications were drawn for uses of DIF procedures in the improvement of achievement tests that entail less burden to the examinees yet reliable measures of performance of specific skills; for the test specialists and curriculum developers to strive to come up with unbiased test items using the more acceptable, feasible, and appropriate DIF procedures in evaluating test items.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of Technology-aided Open Inquiry on critical and creative thinking skills of Grade 10 physics students. The study utilized a quasi-experimental two-group pretest-posttest design on two sections of Grade 10 physics students in an all-boys school in Quezon City. One section was exposed to technology-aided open inquiry (TAOI) approach while the other section was exposed to the conventional teaching approach (CTA). Both sections were taught by the teacher-researcher during the last term of academic year 2015-2016. The critical thinking skills of
the students were measured using the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Test (WGCTAT) while the creative thinking skills were measured by the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) Verbal Test A. The gathered data were analyzed using t-test for independent samples, t-test for paired samples, one-way ANCOVA, and linear regression. Based on the findings, it was concluded that: (1) Students exposed to technology-aided open inquiry do not have significantly higher mean posttest score in Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal test than those exposed to conventional teaching approach; (2) Students exposed to technology-aided open inquiry have significantly higher mean posttest score in Torrance Test of Creative Thinking than those exposed to conventional teaching approach; and (3) Critical thinking skills do not significantly positively predict creative thinking skills. It is recommended that teachers use the TAOI approach in teaching physics, that school heads provide teacher training and seminar-workshops and procure technology and equipment in support of the TAOI approach; and that future researchers examine the effects of TAOI on other variables like concept understanding, achievement in physics, and ICT skills.

This research focused on developing the Brain-Based Design Thinking Process (BDTP) and investigating its effects on students' innovative skills and academic grit in secondary level Biology. It also investigated whether academic grit is a positive predictor of innovative skills and vice versa.
A quasi-experimental study was conducted in a junior high school in Manila. The participants were 80 eighth graders enrolled during the SY 2020-2021. The pretest and posttest were the 15-item open-ended Innovative Skills Test (IST) and the 10-item Academic Grit Scale (AGS).
Moreover, there were three statistical treatments used: First, a two-tailed independent samples t-test for the pretest of IST and AGS of the two groups. Second, a one-tailed independent samples t-test for the posttest of IST and AGS. Lastly, a simple linear regression to find out if innovative skills positively predict academic grit and vice versa.
The findings revealed that students under BDTP have significantly better innovative skills and academic grit. The linear equation for the regression showed that academic grit could significantly and positively predict innovative skills and vice versa. Based on these results, the researcher concludes that BDTP can foster innovative skills and academic grit in students and therefore merits further study.

The change in teaching era has come to comprehend and adapt in the academic curriculum and instruction on technology integration and the concept of e-Learning was considered further attention. Recent research examined that obstacles hindering technology integration includes traditional teaching beliefs, approaches, and practices. Another reported impediment was a lack of teacher professional development such as experiences, skills, and technological mindset. The Leaming Management System (LMS) operates asynchronous and synchronous course delivery options aligned with principles of cffective multimedia learning. The study identified the influences of online education towards the behavior and skills on LMS usage, the selection of preferred LMS with standard features, and developed a decision framework instituting in a Filipino non-traditional school. The study used mixed method approach of explanatory design through survey questionnaire, interviews, and hands-on computer software application testing. Based on the findings, the study showed a positive attitude of the respondents about LMS usage.