Empowering Learners: Teachers’ Management Education Strategies for Developing Literate, Numerate and Independent Science Learners

Abstract

This study determined the management education strategies utilized by science teachers and their relationship to the development of literate, numerate, and independent Science learners in the public elementary and junior high schools of San Jacinto District, Masbate, for School Year 2025-2026. A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was employed. Complete enumeration was used among 40 Science teachers, while 26 school heads and department heads served as secondary respondents for triangulation. Data were gathered using an expert-validated questionnaire and analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and Pearson product-moment correlation. Findings showed that teacher-rated management strategies were practiced at Sometimes to Often levels: mentoring and coaching (M = 3.38), collaborative lesson planning (M = 3.56), and use of learner performance data (M = 4.03). School head-rated peer observation and feedback (M = 3.87) and classroom management and instructional support (M = 3.98) were both rated Often. Learner development in scientific literacy (M = 3.48), numeracy (M = 3.40), and independence (M = 3.53) was Moderate, indicating that learners were functional but not yet highly proficient. Correlation analysis showed moderate positive relationships between teacher-rated strategies and learner development domains (r = 0.61 to 0.74), while school head-rated strategies produced low negative correlations (r = -0.18 to -0.25). The study concludes that learner empowerment in science is more strongly associated with teacher-led, collaborative, and data-informed practices than with compliance-oriented supervision. Project STRIDE is proposed to institutionalize structured mentoring, collaborative planning, science numeracy integration, reflective peer observation, and learner independence activities.