School Learning Action Cell Practices in Focus: An Empirical Assessment of Teacher Support and Instructional Enhancement

Abstract

This study examined the extent of implementation of School Learning Action Cell (SLAC) practices in indigenous schools, focusing on five key dimensions: assessing teachers’ needs, providing coaching and mentoring, supporting the teaching and learning process, facilitating evaluation and feedback, and availability of resources. Utilizing a quantitative descriptive design, data were gathered from teachers and teacher-in-charge respondents to determine the level of SLAC implementation as a school-based professional learning mechanism. Findings revealed that SLAC practices were generally often implemented, with an overall mean of 3.76, indicating that SLAC functions as an active platform for collaborative professional development and instructional improvement. Among the dimensions, assessing teachers’ needs and supporting the teaching and learning process emerged as the most strongly implemented practices, suggesting that SLAC sessions effectively address classroom challenges and promote context-responsive pedagogy, particularly in culturally diverse and indigenous learning environments. However, relatively lower ratings were observed in coaching and mentoring, as well as resource availability, indicating gaps in structured professional support and access to instructional materials. These limitations may hinder the full realization of SLAC as a transformative professional learning community. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening mentoring systems, enhancing resource provision, and reinforcing leadership support to maximize the impact of SLAC. Overall, the study underscores the role of SLAC as a sustainable and context-sensitive strategy for fostering teacher collaboration, reflective practice, and continuous instructional improvement in resource-constrained educational settings.