Page 49 - ATENEO SERVED 2020 E-BOOK_Neat

Ateneo Science Educators and Researchers in Virtual
Engagement (SERVE) 2020 Ateneo de Manila University
School of Science and Engineering
MS Science Education Program of Biology Department

The Development of Culture-Based Biology Activity for Grade 8 Students

a*
b
Erica Mae D. Reyes and Catherine Genevieve B. Lagunzad, PhD

a
Department of Biology, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University
b
Department of Biology, School of Science and Engineering, Ateneo de Manila University
* Corresponding Author: erica.reyes@obf.ateneo.edu

ABSTRACT

One key feature of the K to 12 Basic Education Program is contextualization. Contextualization refers to the
process of matching the subject content and the instructional strategies to the experiences that are familiar
and meaningful to the students. In accordance to this, teacher’s guides and learner’s materials with
contextualized lessons and activities were developed by the Department of Education (DepEd). However,
due to the diverse cultures and resources of the different localities in the country, the prepared teaching
and learning materials, specifically in Biology, may be irrelevant to the students at times which may pose a
challenge to their learning. Given this fact and as indicated in DepEd Order No. 35, s. 2016, modification of
the designed activities and experiments by the DepEd can be done to align scientific contents with the
specific contexts of a particular locality. In this study, a laboratory activity was modified through the
integration of a traditional practice called pagbuburo in the preparation of the specimen to be observed. The
worksheet was also improved by providing a brief history of pagbuburo and its procedure. The yogurt to be
used for the bacterial microscopy was changed to binurong mangga (fermented mangoes), an appetizer
common to Batangueño households. A class of Grade 8 students from a private school in Batangas prepared
their own binuro with the aid of a demonstration from a more knowledgeable other in the community. The
extract of the binuro, after a week of fermentation, was used to observe the bacteria present in it. The
mounted specimen from the binuro had the same bacterium observed on a prepared slide of diluted yogurt.
In addition, the students showed positive feedbacks toward the enhanced activity. It is recommended that
specific contextualization of activities and experiments be done in the teaching of Biology.

Keywords: Contextualization, Culture-Based Activity, Bacteria, Microscopy, Pagbuburo

49