Teachers’ Pedagogical Competence, Instructional Practices, and Learners’ Engagement

This study explored the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical competence, instructional practices, and learners’ engagement in public elementary and secondary schools in the Schools Division of Antique during the school year 2025. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 365 teachers through a validated, researcher-developed questionnaire assessing pedagogical competence, instructional practices, and perceived learner engagement. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including mean, standard deviation, and Pearson product–moment correlation, were employed to analyze the data. Results revealed that teachers exhibited high pedagogical competence and frequently implemented effective instructional practices, such as learner-centered strategies, differentiated instruction, and formative assessment. Learners’ engagement was also rated high across behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions. Significant positive relationships were found between pedagogical competence and instructional practices, between instructional practices and learners’ engagement, and between pedagogical competence and learners’ engagement. These findings suggest that teachers with strong content knowledge, classroom management skills, and effective teaching strategies are more likely to foster active learner participation. The study concludes that enhancing teachers’ pedagogical competence and instructional practices contributes meaningfully to learner engagement. It is recommended that school administrators strengthen training programs, provide instructional supervision, and offer support mechanisms to further improve teaching quality and promote meaningful learner engagement.