Effectiveness of Catch-Up Fridays in Public Elementary Schools: Basis for A Capacity-Building Program for Teachers and School Heads

This study examined the effectiveness of the Department of Education’s initiative, “Catch-Up Fridays,” in public elementary schools in Bani, Pangasinan as perceived by teachers and school heads. It evaluated the program’s effectiveness in terms of student engagement, teacher motivation, professional development, and support and resources; the problems encountered during implementation; and the relationship and difference between respondents’ profile variables and perceptions of the program’s effectiveness. It also aimed to design a capacity-building program based on the findings. With descriptive-correlational research design and purposive sampling, the study involved 156 teachers and 14 school heads. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire and analyzed through frequency counts, percentages, weighted means, and correlation and difference tests. The results revealed that both teachers and school heads perceived the program as highly effective. It was found out that it enhances student engagement, boost teacher motivation, promote professional development, and improve access to support and instructional resources. Further, several issues were identified, including time and scheduling constraints, inadequate instructional materials, insufficient teacher training, and limited student participation. The increasing workload and lack of clear implementation guidelines hindered its delivery.  Correlation analysis showed significant relationships between program effectiveness and teachers’ educational attainment, years in service, trainings attended, and family income. The number of trainings attended had the strongest positive correlation. For school heads, only trainings attended was significantly related to their perceptions. Moreover, no significant difference was found between the perceptions of teachers and school heads. A capacity-building program on remedial instruction was proposed to address the identified gaps. Overall, “Catch-Up Fridays” effectively strengthens instructional quality, supports teacher growth, and bridges post-pandemic learning gaps.