Action research is not only for elementary teachers. DepEd’s Research Management Guidelines (DO 16, s. 2017) define it as inquiry to improve practice “in any operating unit (i.e. school, classroom, office)”, and the Basic Education Research Fund (BERF) is open to regular teaching personnel at every level. The Action Research Toolkit’s own examples include a Grade 7 teacher studying algebra errors in assignment notebooks, a Grade 9 leadership training program, and a survey of Grade 11 students on their senior high school experience.
This post gives action research titles for junior high school (JHS) and senior high school (SHS) teachers, by learning area. As in our titles by subject for the elementary grades, each title is scored with the toolkit’s topic rubric and comes with a data hook from DepEd’s own data: how many learners move from Grade 6 to 7 and from Grade 10 to 11, how crowded high school classrooms are, how learners reach their schools, which strands they choose, and what equipment they have.
It is written for junior and senior high school teachers choosing a topic, and for school heads, department heads and master teachers guiding them.
Key points
- Secondary teachers do action research under the same rules: DO 16’s templates, the toolkit, BERF, and DepEd’s research ethics.
- About one learner in eight who enters Grade 7 is not in Grade 10 three years later. For the class that entered Grade 7 in SY 2022-23, Grade 10 in SY 2025-26 held 87.8 learners for every 100, from 73.8 in BARMM to 92.6 in Region VI.
- Junior high rooms are the most crowded: a median of 32.1 junior high learners per classroom against 24.9 in elementary, and 7.2% of schools with junior high run two or more junior high shifts.
- Getting to school is a research topic in itself: 999 public high schools (9.5%) can be reached by boat, and 767 by no four-wheel vehicle.
- Strand choices are shifting: girls rose from 46.3% to 54.4% of STEM learners from SY 2017-18 to SY 2025-26, while TVL fell from 45.6% to 39.3% female.
- One gap: no national secondary test scores are public. Learning topics need your school’s own assessment results; the national hooks below cover readiness, transitions and resources.
The secondary school in numbers
Transitions: who moves on
The ratios below divide a grade’s enrollment by the grade below it the year before, across all public and private schools. They mix promotion, repetition, dropout, transfers between public and private schools and migration, so they are not DepEd’s cohort survival rates; they show where learners appear to be lost. The Grade 6 to 7 and Grade 10 to 11 ratios are averages of the three latest transitions (into SY 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26), the same ratios as in our enrollment projection.
| Region | Grade 6 to 7 | Grade 7 (SY 2022-23) to Grade 10 (SY 2025-26) | Grade 10 to 11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARMM | 0.842 | 0.738 | 1.130 |
| Region IX | 0.956 | 0.818 | 0.976 |
| Region XII | 0.994 | 0.830 | 1.007 |
| CARAGA | 0.962 | 0.844 | 0.978 |
| Region X | 0.971 | 0.844 | 1.011 |
| Region VIII | 0.967 | 0.849 | 0.952 |
| Region XI | 0.984 | 0.859 | 1.024 |
| MIMAROPA | 0.959 | 0.862 | 0.956 |
| NIR | 0.979 | 0.863 | 0.974 |
| Region V | 0.971 | 0.872 | 0.969 |
| CAR | 0.980 | 0.880 | 1.012 |
| Region II | 0.976 | 0.883 | 0.983 |
| Region III | 0.978 | 0.892 | 1.005 |
| Region VII | 0.999 | 0.906 | 1.019 |
| Region I | 0.980 | 0.906 | 0.982 |
| NCR | 1.007 | 0.909 | 1.101 |
| Region IV-A | 0.991 | 0.914 | 0.971 |
| Region VI | 0.985 | 0.926 | 0.977 |
| Philippines | 0.977 | 0.878 | 1.003 |
Three cautions. Ratios above 1 mean that a grade gained learners: NCR’s Grade 11 probably draws learners from other regions, and the SY 2025-26 reclassification under the Strengthened Senior High School program raised Grade 11 counts in the latest file. Regions with low Grade 10 to 11 ratios, such as Region VIII (0.952), may be losing learners to senior high schools in other regions as well as to dropout. And in a single schools division the ratios move more: in the Schools Division of Samar, they are 0.929 (Grade 6 to 7), 0.813 (Grade 7 to 10) and 0.833 (Grade 10 to 11). Your school’s own records (SF1, SF4 and SF10) show what the ratios cannot: where each learner went.
Crowding, access, strands and equipment
| Topic | Data hook | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Crowded rooms | A median of 32.1 junior high learners per classroom against 24.9 in elementary; purely junior high schools are short 12.6 classrooms per 1,000 learners, the highest of any school type | Junior High School Classroom Shortage |
| Shifts | 7.2% of schools with junior high run two or more junior high shifts; 14.5% of stand-alone senior high schools run two or more SHS shifts | JHS and SHS classroom shortage |
| Senior high classrooms | 17,783 senior high classrooms short in 2023, at 4,910 of the 7,706 schools offering SHS | Senior High School Classroom Shortage |
| Access | 999 public high schools (9.5%) can be reached by boat, 767 (7.3%) by no four-wheel vehicle; Region VIII has the highest share not reached by a four-wheel vehicle (15.7%), and Samar the most such high schools of any province (42) | How Learners Reach Public High Schools |
| Strands | Girls are 54.4% of STEM learners and 39.3% of TVL learners in SY 2025-26; the Strengthened SHS pilot enrolled 268,830 learners, and its TechPro track was 38.4% female | Senior High Strands by Sex |
| Equipment | 81.3% of public schools with junior high report internet at that level, but 26.4% report no academic computer for junior high learners, and the median school has 5.2 per 100 junior high learners; for senior high, 80.0%, 26.1% and 12.6 per 100 | DepEd SY 2023-24 school data, computed for this post |
| Readiness for Grade 7 | In the schools DepEd assessed in the SY 2023-24 Grade 6 NAT (five regions), the means were Filipino 66.0, English 63.2, Araling Panlipunan 62.1, Mathematics 56.4 and Science 53.8, against a proficiency mark of 75 | NAT Grade 6 Results |
How the titles are scored
Each title is rated with the toolkit’s rubric for evaluating topics (section 2.2), from 5 (very high) to 1 (very low): strategic importance (other people or subject areas that benefit), urgency, magnitude (learners who benefit) and feasibility. The scores are ours, for a typical public high school class, one teacher or a small team, one quarter or term, and a small budget. Rescore every title for your own class, with your own data. Action Research Titles by Subject, With Data and Scores explains the rubric and how to write a title of at most 16 words.
Junior high school titles by learning area
The MATATAG curriculum (DO 010, s. 2024) has eight junior high learning areas: Filipino, English, Mathematics, Science, Araling Panlipunan, MAPEH, Values Education, and Technology and Livelihood Education.
Mathematics
Hook: learners enter Grade 7 from a Grade 6 NAT Mathematics mean of 56.4 in the assessed schools, and junior high rooms hold a median of 32 learners.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ten-Minute Fraction and Integer Review and the Quarterly Scores of Grade 7 Learners | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
| Worked Examples With Self-Explanation and the Word-Problem Solving of Grade 8 Learners | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| Error Analysis of Assignment Notebooks and Algebra Errors of Grade 7 Learners | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
Science
Hook: Science had the lowest Grade 6 NAT mean, 53.8, and only 10% of assessed schools reached a Science mean of 75; a quarter of public high schools report no academic computer for junior high learners.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Predict-Observe-Explain Demonstrations and the Misconceptions of Grade 7 Learners About Heat | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
| Low-Cost Kitchen Materials Experiments and the Science Process Skills of Grade 8 Learners | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
| Offline Simulations on One Classroom Computer and the Physics Scores of Grade 9 Learners | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
English
Hook: a Grade 6 NAT English mean of 63.2 in the assessed schools; many Grade 7 learners still read below their grade.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reciprocal Teaching and the Reading Comprehension of Grade 7 Learners in English | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17 |
| Sentence Frames and the Oral Responses of Grade 8 Learners in Class Discussions | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
Filipino
Hook: Filipino had the highest Grade 6 NAT mean, 66.0, but only 27% of assessed schools reached 75.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic Organizers and the Summarizing Skills of Grade 7 Learners in Filipino | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
| Peer Editing With a Checklist and the Paragraph Writing of Grade 9 Learners in Filipino | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
Araling Panlipunan
Hook: a Grade 6 NAT Araling Panlipunan mean of 62.1, with 29% of assessed schools at 75 or more.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local History Projects With Barangay Elders and the Historical Thinking of Grade 8 Learners | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| Map-Based Inquiry Tasks and the Geography Scores of Grade 7 Learners | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
Values Education
Hook: about one learner in eight who enters Grade 7 is not in Grade 10 three years later; belonging and goals matter in those years.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goal-Setting Journals and the Attendance and Task Completion of Grade 8 Learners | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 17 |
| Structured Class Meetings and the Classroom Climate Ratings of Grade 7 Learners | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
Technology and Livelihood Education
Hook: boys moved into TVL and girls out of it over nine years; the median public school has 5.2 academic computers per 100 junior high learners.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peer Demonstrations and the Practical Skills Ratings of Grade 9 Learners in Cookery | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| Shared-Device Rotation Stations and the Computer Skills of Grade 8 Learners in ICT | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
MAPEH
Hook: crowded rooms and classroom shortages leave little space for physical activity.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small-Space Fitness Circuits and the Physical Fitness Test Results of Grade 8 Learners | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
| Peer Coaching in Rhythm Activities and the Music Performance of Grade 7 Learners | 3 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 13 |
Senior high school titles
Core and applied subjects
Hook: 17,783 senior high classrooms short, 14.5% of stand-alone senior high schools in shifts, and a median of 12.6 academic computers per 100 senior high learners.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real-Data Projects and the Statistics and Probability Scores of Grade 11 Learners | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
| Rehearsal With Peer Feedback and the Oral Communication Performance of Grade 11 Learners | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
| Structured Take-Home Tasks and the Achievement of Grade 11 Learners in a Shortened Shift | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
Work immersion
Hook: under DO 30, s. 2017, work immersion is a requirement for graduation, with a minimum of 80 hours and at most 40 hours a week and 8 hours a day; schools far from workplaces, such as the 767 high schools no four-wheel vehicle reaches, have fewer partners.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Immersion Workplace Simulations and the Work Readiness Ratings of Grade 12 TVL Learners | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
| Reflective Immersion Journals and the Employability Skills of Grade 12 Learners | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 15 |
Track and strand choice
Hook: Grade 10 to 11 ratios below 1 in many regions (0.952 in Region VIII); girls now the majority in STEM and a minority in TVL and TechPro.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career Talks With Alumni and the Strand Decisions of Grade 10 Learners | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 17 |
| Strand Exploration Days and the Career Decision Confidence of Grade 10 Girls and Boys | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 16 |
Across subjects: advisers, guidance and school heads
Attendance, transitions and dropout
Hook: the Grade 7 to 10 and Grade 10 to 11 ratios above; 999 public high schools reached by boat.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 to 7 Bridging Orientation and the First-Quarter Attendance of Incoming Grade 7 Learners | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 18 |
| Text-Message Follow-Ups and Home Visits and the Attendance of Chronically Absent Grade 8 Learners | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 17 |
| Modular Catch-Up Packets and the Retention of Learners Who Travel by Boat | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 14 |
Large classes and shifts
Hook: a median of 32.1 junior high learners per classroom, and 7.2% of schools with junior high in shifts.
| Title | S | U | M | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooperative Learning Roles and the On-Task Behavior of Grade 9 Learners in a Class of 50 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
| LAC Sessions on Large-Class Routines and the Classroom Practices of Junior High Teachers | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 18 |
Data you will need from your school
Because no national secondary test scores are public, learning topics depend on your own data:
- Achievement: your quarterly or term assessment results and their item analysis, and diagnostic tests at the start of the year.
- Attendance and movement: SF2 (daily attendance), SF4 (monthly movement, including dropouts), SF1 and SF10 for each learner’s history (document analysis).
- Strand choices and transitions: Grade 10 learners’ intended strands, and where your Grade 10 completers enrolled in Grade 11.
- Learners’ views: short surveys and interviews (surveys, interviews).
Senior high learners also do research of their own in the research subjects of senior high; that is student research for a course, separate from the teacher’s action research. Learners aged 18 and above can give their own consent to take part in a teacher’s study; younger learners need their parents’ consent and their own assent (ethics).
Common mistakes
- Borrowing elementary topics without adjusting them to adolescents, subject teachers and departmentalized schedules.
- Studying “factors affecting dropout” with no intervention; that is not action research.
- Too many sections at once. One or two sections in one quarter are easier to do well.
- No data on the starting point. Without a pretest or baseline records, a change cannot be measured.
- Ignoring the transition. Many secondary problems start in Grade 7 or at the Grade 10 to 11 move.
Practice: how the NASH may test this
Question 1
Indicator 1.4.2, Research and innovation. Career Stage 2, Situational, Moderate.
A school head of a junior and senior high school in Region VIII learns from division data that Grade 11 enrollment is about 15% lower than the previous year’s Grade 10 enrollment. The senior high teachers want to do action research on it. What should the school head do first?
- A. Assign the teachers to design a career guidance program, since the gap shows that learners lack career information.
- B. Ask the teachers to trace the school’s own Grade 10 completers through its records and follow-up calls, to find out how many enrolled in Grade 11 elsewhere, how many did not enroll, and why, before choosing an intervention.
- C. Report the gap to the division as a dropout problem and request additional teachers for senior high.
- D. Conduct a survey of Grade 11 learners on why they chose the school.
Answer and explanation
Best answer: B. Points: A = 2, B = 3, C = 0, D = 1.
- A (2 points, Multistructural). Career guidance may help, but choosing it before knowing why learners are missing risks solving the wrong problem.
- B (3 points, Relational). It treats the ratio as a signal, not a finding: some learners move to senior high schools elsewhere, and only the school’s records and follow-up show who left school and why. That is the toolkit’s first stage, assessing the situation.
- C (0 points, Prestructural). It labels the gap as dropout without evidence and asks for resources unrelated to the cause.
- D (1 point, Unistructural). It surveys the learners who stayed, not the ones the school is trying to understand.
Why. This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 1.4.2 asks the school head to use relevant findings from reliable sources for evidence-based innovations. Enrollment ratios mix dropout, transfers and migration, and the Action Research Toolkit begins with assessing the situation before choosing an intervention.
Indicator 1.4.2: Utilize relevant research findings from reliable sources in facilitating data-driven and evidence-based innovations to improve school performance.
Sources: DepEd Order No. 16, s. 2017; DepEd Action Research Toolkit (2019); DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020.
Frequently asked questions
Can junior and senior high school teachers do action research?
Yes. DO 16, s. 2017 covers action research in any school, classroom or office, and junior and senior high school teachers use the same templates, the same Action Research Toolkit, and the same BERF grants as elementary teachers.
What are good action research topics for senior high school teachers?
Topics where a teacher can try an intervention and measure the change within a term: oral communication or statistics performance, work immersion readiness, strand and career decisions in Grade 10, attendance, and learning in shortened shifts. Score each with the toolkit’s rubric.
Is senior high students’ research the same as teacher action research?
No. Senior high students do research in their research subjects as part of the curriculum. A teacher’s action research tests an intervention to improve the teacher’s own practice, under DepEd’s research guidelines.
Where can I find data for a secondary school action research?
In your school’s records (assessment results, SF1, SF2, SF4 and SF10) and in DepEd’s public school data on enrollment, classrooms, equipment and access, which NASH Reviewer has cleaned and summarized in the posts linked above.
More on DepEd research
- Start here: DepEd Action Research Guide: From Topic to Report
- Action Research Titles by Subject, With Data and Scores
- Action Research Questions and Hypotheses, With Examples
- Survey Research With Google Forms for Action Research
- Document Analysis in Action Research Using DepEd Records
- Related: Junior High School Classroom Shortage, Senior High School Classroom Shortage, How Learners Reach Public High Schools, Senior High Strands by Sex
Sources
- DepEd Order No. 16, s. 2017, Research Management Guidelines
- DepEd Order No. 010, s. 2024, Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum
- DepEd Order No. 30, s. 2017, Guidelines for Work Immersion
- Department of Education and the Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) Program. (2019). Action Research Toolkit: Teacher’s Guide, sections 2.2, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.4, with support from the Australian Government.
- Data: DepEd’s enrollment files SY 2017-18 to SY 2025-26 and SY 2023-24 school data, cleaned by NASH Reviewer; the EDCOM II classroom data; and the SY 2023-24 NAT Grade 6 file. The regional transition ratios and equipment figures were computed in Python for this post.
- DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads
Analysis by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. The titles and scores are ours. NASH Reviewer is not affiliated with DepEd.