Gender and Development Awareness Towards Gender-sensitive Pedagogical Practices of Pre-service Teachers: Basis for a University GAD Program

This Article describes the level of GAD Awareness and Gender-sensitive Pedagogical Practices of Pre-service Teachers at the University of Mindanao. Through Convenience Sampling, 234 Pre-service Teachers were selected to answer the survey questionnaire. The data were interpreted using Mean, Standard Deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r). The Results showed that the overall mean of Gender and Development Awareness was M= 4.25, SD= .44, and the overall mean of Gender-sensitive Pedagogical Practices was M= 4.42, SD= .45. This implies that Gender and Development Awareness and Gender-Sensitive Pedagogical Practices are Highly Manifested among the University of Mindanao's Pre-Service Teachers. There was a significant relationship between Gender and Development Awareness and Gender-sensitive Pedagogical Practices (p= 0.000). There was a moderately positive correlation between Gender and Development Awareness and Gender-Sensitive Pedagogical Practices (r= .557). Therefore, there is a direct relationship between GAD Awareness and Gender-sensitive Pedagogical Practices. It exemplifies that when Pre-service Teachers exercise high awareness of Gender and Development, it affects their integration of Gender-sensitive Pedagogical Practices. Gender and Development, defined within Republic Act 9710 or Magna Carta Act of 2009, emphasizes that it is "a strategy for development that is participative, empowering, equitable, sustainable, devoid of violence, supportive of self-determination, and promotes the achievement of human potential." With that, the researchers proposed a Pedagogy Program for the GAD awareness and Gender-sensitive Pedagogical Strategies of Pre-service Teachers at the University of Mindanao. Continuous gender-sensitive teaching training, workshops, and awareness-raising GAD-related programs for Pre-service Teachers may help strengthen and maintain this high level of GAD Awareness and integrate Gender-sensitive Pedagogical Practices.