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Home⇛International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research⇛vol. 7 no. 2 (2026)

An Assessment of Teachers’ Competency and Students’ Preparedness in STEM Education: The Case of Ilocos Norte Public Secondary Schools

Glaiza Amor聽 O. Guillermo | Lilibeth G. Abrogena

Discipline: Teacher Training

 

Abstract:

This study examined the level of teacher competency and student preparedness in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathemat-ics (STEM) education in the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte. A de-scriptive research design was employed using total enumeration of all 99 STEM teachers handling Science, Mathematics, and Tech-nology-related subjects in the 32 public secondary schools offer-ing the STEM strand. Data collection was conducted during the first two months of the second semester of School Year 2025–2026, allowing assessment after the completion of first-semester requirements and alignment with recent 2025 educational litera-ture. Data were gathered through adapted survey instruments consisting of Teacher Competency Checklist and Student Prepar-edness Checklist, both utilizing a 4-point Likert scale. The instru-ments were teacher-rated; both teacher competency and student preparedness were assessed based on teachers’ perceptions. Quantitative data were analyzed using weighted mean and de-scriptive interpretation. Results showed that STEM teachers per-ceived themselves as very highly competent, with the highest rat-ings in the domains of classroom instruction and content and ped-agogy, and as highly competent in the domain of qualification and training. Students are highly prepared in STEM education, as per-ceived by teachers in terms of academic knowledge, laboratory and technological skills, as well as attitude and study habits. The findings of this study are consistent with inquiry-based and social constructivist theories emphasizing learner-centered instruction and collaborative problem solving. The very high teacher ratings in hands-on learning, open-ended inquiry, and differentiated classroom strategies reflect recommended pedagogical practices. Likewise, students’ high preparedness in study habits, persistence, and help seeking behavior supports literature showing that teacher competency influences students’ preparedness in STEM education.



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