PISA Flags Classroom Discipline as Area for Improvement in PH

The classroom disciplinary climate in Philippine schools remains an area requiring attention, with Filipino learners reporting disruptions due to noise, lack of attention, and difficulty working during Science lessons, according to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) presentation of the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. DepEd’s PISA 2025 presentation identified disciplinary climate as one of the areas that needs improvement, even as learners also reported strong levels of support from their teachers. This suggests that while learners generally report receiving support from their teachers, the broader classroom environment remains a challenge. Among Filipino learners surveyed, 79% said noise and disorder disrupted at least some Science lessons. Meanwhile, 75% reported that students do not listen to what the teacher says, while 65% said students cannot work well in at least some lessons. PISA’s disciplinary-climate measure looks at the extent to which disruptions in the classroom can interfere with students’ opportunities to learn. The OECD has previously described the measure as covering factors such as noise and disorder, students listening to teachers, and students’ ability to concentrate on academic tasks. In contrast to the challenges in classroom discipline, Filipino learners reported relatively strong levels of teacher support. According to the DepEd presentation, 86% of Filipino learners said teachers show interest in every student’s learning. Another 88% said teachers continue teaching until students understand, while 87% said teachers provide extra help when students need it. The Philippines posted its highest PISA scores since joining the assessment in 2018, with mean scores of 367 in Reading, 371 in Mathematics, and 373 in Science in 2025. Digital-device distraction was another issue highlighted in the PISA 2025 presentation. About 75% of Filipino learners said their peers were often distracted by digital devices during some Science classes. More than 80% of learners attended schools with policies governing digital-device use. The findings point to a challenge beyond simply improving test scores: the Philippines also needs to strengthen the classroom environment in which those learning gains are expected to happen. The strong teacher-support figures suggest that the issue is not simply about teacher engagement, but also about the broader conditions affecting classroom learning. Information Source: GMA News Philippines