The Learning Environment as a Predictor of Learner Safety and Engagement in DepEd Bohol Division Secondary Schools
Keywords:
learning environment, learner safety, learner engagement, school climate, DepEd Bohol, mixed methodsAbstract
This study assessed the quality levels of the learning environment, learner safety, and learner engagement in secondary schools of the Department of Education (DepEd) Bohol Division for school year 2023–2024, and examined whether the learning environment predicts learner safety and engagement. A mixed-methods design combined a researcher-made survey (Cronbach's α = .92) with a structured interview guide, both administered through Google Forms, to a purposive sample of one learner from grades 9–12 in the largest secondary school of each of the division's 58 districts (51 of 58 invited learners responded, an 87.9% response rate). Quantitative results showed high quality levels for the learning environment (composite mean = 2.61), learner safety (2.59), and learner engagement (2.49), all on a 3-point scale, with a grand mean of 2.56 (“High”). Pearson correlation analysis found a statistically significant moderate positive relationship between the learning environment and learner safety (r = .497, p < .001) and a statistically significant strong positive relationship between the learning environment and learner engagement (r = .650, p < .001), leading to rejection of both null hypotheses. Thematic analysis of interview responses identified three themes explaining how the learning environment supports learner safety and five themes explaining how it supports learner engagement. Findings affirm that a well-structured, supportive learning environment is significantly associated with both learner safety and engagement, and a proposed action program, Project ELESS (Enhancing Learner Engagement and Safety in Schools), is offered based on these findings.
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