Development and Evaluation of Localized Digital Learning Modules for Indigenous Peoples' Health Education in the Philippines

Abstract

The fusion of indigenization and technology-integration in the teaching-learning process in the Philippines is both a trend and a challenge especially to indigenous peoples' education (IPEd). Hence, this study was sought to develop digital modules (DMs) in select topics in health education with an emphasis on hygiene among indigenous pupils in the Division of Mabalacat City, Pampanga, Philippines. Anchored on a descriptive action research paradigm, utilizing research and development design, IPEd teachers and culture bearers were purposely identified to aid in the development and validation phase. Moreover, the DMs were evaluated by pedagogy experts, basic education teachers in health education, and educational technology experts in terms of three factors such as content, instructional, and technical quality. Mean scores revealed that the DMs were found to be "very satisfactory". This indicated that the developed and evaluated materials were perceived to be acceptable for mainstream use given that the content and the elements were crafted out of localized concepts and placed together in a digital platform. This study was the initial phase of a mobile integrated learning system project to promote community engagement through science and technology (CEST) in the Philippines. It is recommended that the DMs be engineered in a mobile integrated system hardware to be extended as a learning material for the indigenous pupils.