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The Educational Policy Research and Development Office (EPRDO) is a specialized research unit in the University focused on policy research and studies on teacher education as mandated in Republic Act No. 9647 or the “Philippine Normal University Modernization Act of 2009.” It is established to provide research-based policy recommendations to policy makers. It also serves as a clearing house for all data relevant to teacher education in the Philippines and beyond.
EPRDO IN ACTION
EPRDO IN ACTION
Highlights of the most recent activities conducted by the unit.
𝐏𝐍𝐔 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚-𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤
𝐏𝐍𝐔 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚-𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤
The Philippine Normal University (PNU) reaffirmed its commitment to regional education research collaboration through its participation in the Sixth Southeast Asia-China Education Research Network (SEA-CERN) Meeting and the Inaugural Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Education Research Network (APERN) held from 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟗 𝐭𝐨 𝟑𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, in 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐠, 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐳𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚.
Representing PNU was 𝐃𝐫. 𝐇𝐞𝐢𝐝𝐢 𝐁. 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠, 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐃𝐎), joined education leaders and educational research experts from Southeast Asia and China discussing the theme "𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵." The meeting was held as one of the featured events of the 2026 China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW).
PNU has been an active member of the Southeast Asia-China Education Research Network since its establishment in 2014. The 2026 meeting marked the Network's first gathering after a six-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and formally relaunched SEA-CERN while inaugurating the Asia-Pacific Education Research Network to expand education research collaboration across the region.
During the meeting, Dr. Macahilig shared updates on the Philippine context, including initiatives in teacher education, educational research, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in education. She also contributed to discussions on regional priorities, the development of the 2026–2027 Biennial Work Plan of SEA-CERN, and the formulation of the Terms of Reference for the newly established Asia-Pacific Education Research Network.
PNU's participation strengthens the university's international partnerships and reinforces its role as the National Center for Teacher Education in advancing evidence-based educational research, policy development, and regional cooperation. The engagement also opens opportunities for future collaborative research, faculty exchanges, joint publications, and policy initiatives addressing emerging issues in artificial intelligence, education, and sustainable development.
Policy Brief Series Presents
Policy Brief Series Presents
From Cradle to Classroom: A Four-part Policy Brief Series on Strengthening Responsive Early Childhood Teacher Education in the Philippines
From Cradle to Classroom: A Four-part Policy Brief Series on Strengthening Responsive Early Childhood Teacher Education in the Philippines
This special edition of our Policy Brief Series presents a connected story that traces the ECCD teacher preparation ecosystem—from policy intent and institutional implementation to standards alignment and the systemic barriers that continue to shape pre-service teacher preparation.
Drawing from evidence, the series offers key insights into how policies are translated into practice and identifies opportunities to strengthen ECCD teacher education for the future.
The briefs are based on findings from our 2024-2025 research project, Enhancing Pre-service Teachers' Proficiency in Early Childhood Care and Development: A Policy-Driven Approach to Effective Program Development and Implementation.
📖 Read the full research report here: bit.ly/ECCDP1-FINAL-REPORT
Join us as we unpack the policies, practices, and challenges that influence the preparation of the next generation of ECCD educators.
TEC Unveils NTERA 2026–2030: A New Strategic Roadmap for Teacher Education Research
TEC Unveils NTERA 2026–2030: A New Strategic Roadmap for Teacher Education Research
The Teacher Education Council (TEC) has officially announced the release of its latest Discussion Paper, marking the institutionalization of the National Teacher Education Research Agenda (NTERA) 2026–2030. This landmark initiative, spearheaded by the Education Policy Research and Development Office (EPRDO), aims to provide a unified and strategic direction for teacher education research across the Philippines.
The release of NTERA signifies a shift toward a more "systemic approach," ensuring that research efforts from individual classroom studies to large-scale national initiatives are synchronized to improve the quality of Filipino educators.
The NTERA is not just a theoretical framework; it is a call to action for researchers, academic institutions, and policymakers. By institutionalizing this agenda, the TEC and EPRDO are providing a roadmap to ensure that research responds to the most pressing needs of the education sector over the next five years.
As stated in the official release:
"This systemic approach ensures that research responds to priority areas needed to enhance teacher quality across the professional continuum."
📖 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://tec.gov.ph/discussion-paper
📥 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲–𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟬 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:
PUBLISHED RESEARCH
PUBLISHED RESEARCH
Highlights the most recent published research.
Thriving Against the Odds? Rethinking Research Excellence and Knowledge Production in Contexts of Scarcity
Thriving Against the Odds? Rethinking Research Excellence and Knowledge Production in Contexts of Scarcity
Can researchers truly "thrive" in systems built on inequality? Or are we simply learning how to survive within them?
This newest publication explores this question by rethinking research excellence in contexts where scarcity, unequal access to resources, and global academic hierarchies continue to shape knowledge production.
The paper invites readers to move beyond traditional metrics of success and consider a more inclusive understanding of excellence—one grounded in epistemic justice, collaboration, and the transformation of the systems that shape research itself.
Because excellence should not only be measured by what we produce but also by the conditions under which knowledge is created.
Authored by Allen A. Espinosa, Ma. Arsenia C. Gomez, & Heidi B. Macahilig
Access the Full Article for Free Here:
Climate Change Education in the Home–School–Community Nexus: Intergenerational Learning, Youth Agency, and Action Competence in Philippine Basic Education
Climate Change Education in the Home–School–Community Nexus: Intergenerational Learning, Youth Agency, and Action Competence in Philippine Basic Education
This study examines how climate change education (CCE) initiatives in Philippine basic education shape learners’ climate-related knowledge, awareness, behaviours, and perceptions of environmental well-being through the interconnected influences of families, schools, and communities. While many CCE initiatives focus on school-based knowledge and awareness, less attention has been given to how environmental practices are sustained across everyday socioecological contexts. Guided by action competence, intergenerational learning, and socioecological perspectives, the study integrates a systematic review of 109 Department of Education (DepEd) and government issuances with key informant interviews involving teachers and school-level programme implementers. Findings show that DepEd initiatives – such as YES-O, WASH programmes, and school-based greening activities – serve as critical entry points for environmental engagement but do not consistently lead to sustained behavioural change. The continuity of environmental practices depends on the degree of alignment across school, home, and community systems. Inconsistent family routines, limited local government unit (LGU) support, infrastructural constraints, and programme discontinuities weaken learners’ capacity to internalise environmental practices. Conversely, experiential learning, family modelling, lived experiences of climate risks, and active community participation strengthen children’s action competence and resilience. The study advances a socioecological alignment framework that conceptualises CCE as a relational and multi-level process shaped by structural, cultural, and institutional conditions. It argues that strengthening intergenerational learning, community engagement, and governance continuity is essential for cultivating sustained climate action. These insights offer implications for rethinking climate education in the Philippines and other climate-vulnerable and resource-constrained contexts.
Authored by Espinosa, A. A., Gomez, M. A. C., Miranda, P. A., Serafico-Reyes, N. M. A., Faylona, M. G. P. G., David, A. P., Cortez, L. A. S., Lansangan, R. V., Cadiz, A. P., Chan, J. R., & Borja, J. M. A. de.
Access the Full Article for Free Here:
Coaching Strategies and Holistic Approaches for the Volleyball Student-athletes in a Philippine State Universities: Inputs for an Innovative Training Plan
Coaching Strategies and Holistic Approaches for the Volleyball Student-athletes in a Philippine State Universities: Inputs for an Innovative Training Plan
This study examined the coaching strategies and holistic approaches employed by volleyball coaches to enhance both the athletic performance and personal development of student-athletes, guided by goal-setting theory. A descriptive qualitative research design was utilized, involving semi-structured interviews with 13 participants (10 head coaches and 3 assistant coaches) from selected State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in Luzon, Philippines. Interviews were conducted face-to-face and online, lasting between 45 and 60 minutes, and generated rich narrative data on coaching practices and institutional conditions. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with Atlas.ti version 25, following an inductive coding process. The findings revealed that coaches employ diverse strategies, including holistic athlete development, physical conditioning, resourcefulness in training, balancing of academic and athletic commitments, cultural sensitivity, environmental adaptation, and team communication. Holistic coaching practices emphasized character development, life skills acquisition, academic prioritization, mental resilience, and team cohesion. However, coaches reported significant institutional gaps, such as inadequate facilities, limited equipment, financial constraints, a lack of year-round training programs, and insufficient holistic support systems. This study proposes an innovative volleyball coaching training plan grounded in holistic development and goal-setting principles to support student-athletes in resource-constrained environments.
Authored by Aquino, J. M. D., Castulo, N. J., Santiago, A., Jolo, M. U., Marasigan, A. C., & Primeiro, U.
Access the Full Article for Free Here:
RESEARCH DIRECTORY
RESEARCH DIRECTORY
Directory of researches and commentaries authored by the unit and its faculty researchers.
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