The University of Northern Philippines (UNP) continues to strengthen its international linkages as two of its faculty members participated as visiting lecturers in seminars held in Indonesian universities on November 18-21, 2024.

Dr. Joey Nell T. Marzan, a faculty member from the College of Teacher Education (CTE), delivered a talk on “Fostering Teaching Competence for Sustainable Development among Pre-service Teachers through Microteaching Lesson Study” at the 7th Educational Sciences International Conference (ESIC) held at Mulawarman University in Samarinda City, Indonesia.

His presentation highlighted the potential of microteaching lesson study to enhance pre-service teachers’ pedagogical skills and knowledge of sustainable development.

By exploring strategies to integrate sustainability into teacher education programs, the conference aimed to equip future educators with the necessary tools to cultivate environmentally conscious and socially responsible citizens. Participants engaged in fruitful discussions on topics such as climate change education, green pedagogy, and indigenous knowledge systems.

Dr. Mark Angelo C. Reotutar, also a CTE faculty member, shared his expertise on “Innovative Pedagogies and Assessment Strategies for Mathematics Education: A Philippine Perspective” at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), City of Surakarta, Indonesia.

His talk, which was well-received by UMS faculty and students, explored innovative approaches to teaching and assessment of mathematics. Dr. Reotutar also represented UNP-CTE in the signing of an implementation agreement with UMS.

Dr. Reotutar highlighted that the integration of traditional Philippine games into mathematics instruction can enhance engagement and provide a culturally relevant context for learning mathematical concepts. He also presented innovative assessment tools to hone critical thinking and creative problem-solving.

Both faculty members’ participation in these international conferences proves UNP’s commitment to academic excellence and global collaboration as well as CTE’s increased global vision with the leadership of Dean Ma. Teresa Susan L. Manzano. 

CTE’s participation in the SEA Teacher program owes much to the support of the University administration headed by Dr. Erwin F. Cadorna and the International Affairs and External Linkages Office with Dr. Sally Jarin (director) and Dr. Edelyn Cadorna (assistant director) at the helm.

Article by Jamelle Realin.