Translanguaging has been documented in previous research as a pedagogical resource in language classrooms. However, the monolinguistic culture prevents the leveraging of this resource in language learning. In addition, despite the extensive research on translanguaging, its use as a pedagogical resource is limited, particularly in the Philippine context. This study explores teachers’ perspectives on translanguaging in Senior High School subjects where English is the medium of instruction. Findings from focus group discussions reveal that the participants leverage translanguaging as a resource to help students in knowledge construction, meaning-making, and problem-solving. This study concludes with implications for policymakers and language teachers who believe only English will help language learning.

Previous research on praising students to improve their motivation and their mindset had mixed results. This inconsistency was the impetus for this paper. The present study employed a mixed-method experimental design to examine the effects of effort praise on reading motivation and mindset of 60 Filipino seventh-grade students who were categorized as frustration-level readers. They studied English as a second language (ESL) where they were expected to comprehend various texts with appropriate reading styles based on the Grade 7 curriculum guide of the Department of Education in the Philippines. Using the Implicit Theory Scale (Dweck et al., 1995), the study found that effort praise led students in the positive rule group to endorse a growth mindset, while the students in the inverse rule group adopted a fixed mindset after receiving effort praise. Moreover, although it may increase reading motivation, the positive effect of effort praise on struggling ESL readers with fixed and growth mindsets may be short-term. This paper concludes with a schematic diagram to illustrate and explain how effort praise affects the mindset and the motivation of struggling ESL adolescents in reading. It also provides practical recommendations to improve reading teachers’ practice of giving positive feedback, specifically effort praise.

Teacher feedback is a critical component in L2 academic writing classes. Despite extensive research on how feedback affects students’ writing and confidence, influences on how students engage with teacher comments remain unclear. The present study addresses this gap by exploring the engagement strategies of L2 senior high school students and the reasons for their disengagement. The results of the semi-structured interviews uncovered strategies for cognitive, affective, and behavioral engagement. Analyzing disengagement through the lens of L2 writing self-efficacy, low linguistic confidence and weak self-regulation were identified as contributing factors. These results suggest the need to embed feedback engagement strategies in academic writing instruction and to provide targeted interventions to address the lack of linguistic confidence and self-regulation among students with low L2 writing self-efficacy.

The scant research on translanguaging in teaching and assessment in senior high school contexts in the Philippines prompted this research to explore the perception of teachers of classes where English is the required medium of instruction. The present study investigated the perspectives of 24 senior high school (SHS) English teachers in a focus group discussion from selected schools in Region VI-A, Philippines and 65 SHS teachers who completed a survey questionnaire adapted and modified from the studies of Nambisan (2014) and Turnbull (2018). Findings reveal that the participants leverage translanguaging as a resource to help students in knowledge construction, problem-solving, and meaning-making. In addition, the participants allow translanguaging in formative assessment but not in summative assessment tasks. This paper argues for the need to explore the role of translanguaging in teaching and assessment to ensure equity for all students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a massive toll on people’s mental health. The World Health Organization (2022b) called for transformative and collective action to deal with the threats of mental ill health. In this context, leadership is urgently needed in the workplace and schools that have been increasingly mandated to mitigate the impact of stigma, prevent the onset of mental health problems, and support those dealing with mental illness. Despite these, there is little research on leadership in policymaking for the well-being of university faculty members and staff. This paper attempts to fill this knowledge gap by uncovering mental health-oriented leadership practices in a private university in the Philippines through a case study. Research methods included interviews with university leaders and content analysis of relevant policies and supporting documents. Findings show some leadership practices to ensure mental health for all by putting it on the agenda, formulating a university mental health policy, creating a dedicated center for implementing procedures for the well-being of faculty members and staff, and creating a system of ongoing multi-sectoral consultations. The results also identified the pillars of a whole-university approach to mental health leadership through policymaking. This study expands the idea of leading for well-being in a whole-university approach for faculty members and staff who are frontliners in the battle for mental health for all.