From leadership research to district action: Integrating Sama Dilaut culture: a case study for inclusion in the Philippine school improvement plan

AI-assisted editorial implementation guide. Proposed district actions are separate from the original authors’ findings and recommendations. Independent peer review of this guide is not asserted.

Read source Search paper agent CC BY 4.0

Evidence and transfer

Education-related source: verify which participants, institutions and outcomes were actually studied before district adoption. Source publication type: research-article. License and identity checks do not establish study quality or causality.

Original authors’ abstract, reproduced under the source license:

Abstract This qualitative case study examined the integration of Sama Dilaut (Badjao) culture into the School Improvement Plan (SIP) to foster inclusive education in the Philippines. Framed by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and the Department of Education’s Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) framework, this study explored how cultural integration creates equitable learning environments for Indigenous learners. A qualitative case study design was employed. Data were collected through key informant interviews with eight educators from public schools in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, who implemented culturally responsive SIP initiatives. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Thematic analysis identified five core strategies: (1) inclusive leadership practices, (2) cultural programming in schools, (3) cultural awareness and appreciation, (4) curriculum integration of Indigenous content, and (5) community and stakeholder partnerships. These strategies fostered a culturally grounded pedagogy, learner confidence, participation, and identity affirmation. However, persistent challenges, including poverty, early marriage, and language barriers, continue to hinder educational continuity. The findings suggest that embedding Badjao culture within SIP transforms schools into culturally meaningful environments that empower learners and strengthen community ties. The study recommends institutionalizing Indigenous pedagogy training, enhancing school-community collaboration, and developing policy frameworks to sustain cultural inclusivity. Ultimately, the research affirms that education becomes most transformative when aligned with learners’ cultural lifeworlds, promoting identity, equity, and social cohesion. Keywords: cultural integration, inclusive education, Indigenous learners, Sama Dilaut (Badjao) culture, school improvement plan

Study methods

A review of the related literature revealed several gaps in existing studies on Indigenous education and cultural inclusion in the Philippines’ educational system. While previous research has highlighted global models for integrating Indigenous knowledge into school curricula, such as in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, few studies have examined how these approaches are localized within the Philippine educational framework, particularly through the School Improvement Plan (SIP). Moreover, although the Department of Education’s Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) framework advocates for culturally responsive and community-based learning, there is insufficient empirical evidence on its actual implementation in marginalized Indigenous communities, such as the Sama Dilaut (Badjao). Prior studies have also underscored the role of leadership, community partnerships, and culturally responsive pedagogy in promoting inclusion; however, few have explored how these elements interact in real-world school contexts. These gaps highlight the need for context-specific research that captures the lived experiences and practices of schools serving Indigenous learners.

Limitations

While this study provides valuable insights into the integration of Sama Dilaut (Badjao) culture into the School Improvement Plan (SIP), certain limitations must be acknowledged to contextualize its findings and to guide future research. First, the study’s scope and sample size were limited to selected schools in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, which may not fully represent the diverse experiences of Sama Dilaut (Badjao) communities across different regions of the Philippines. Educational practices and cultural dynamics can vary depending on local governance, resource availability, and community engagement, suggesting that future studies should expand their geographical coverage to include a broader range of contexts. Second, the study used a qualitative case study design based primarily on interviews. While this approach enabled an in-depth understanding of participants’ lived experiences, it may also have been influenced by subjectivity, both from the participants’ interpretations and the researcher’s analytical perspective. To strengthen the validity and generalizability of future findings, researchers can adopt mixed-method approaches that combine qualitative insights with quantitative data on learner performance, attendance, and participation. Third, this study focused primarily on the perspectives of school leaders and teachers, which may inadvertently reflect institutional rather than community-centered views of inclusion—a significant limitation given the historical marginalization of the Badjao.

A 90-day district inquiry

Days 1–15 · Appraise. Read the source methods, recruitment, comparator, outcomes and limitations. Record how the study setting differs from your district and which claim the design can support.
Days 16–30 · Design. Choose one school improvement question with teachers. Protect a short shared planning cycle, agree an instructional change and use a common rubric for examining student work. Agree participation, privacy protections, baseline and stopping rules before starting.
Days 31–60 · Observe. Collect the pre-agreed measures, keep a log of implementation changes and invite confidential voluntary feedback. Preserve existing support for staff and learners.
Days 61–90 · Decide. Review implementation fidelity, teacher time and independently scored student work against a recorded baseline. Examine access differences and competing explanations before attributing changes to leadership. Make a dated decision to stop, revise or extend the inquiry.

Board decision brief

Present the local problem, source setting, evidence limits, intervention, responsible owner, total cost, measured changes and uncertainty. Separate staff perceptions, implementation measures and student learning outcomes.

Attribution and reuse

Pattra Sakib Ugis; Nilo Jayoma Castulo; Zeda Sulanting-Sangkula; Kharsum H Mohammad; Nadzmin Jalani Dugasan; Darwisa Sali-Ondo; Radzmal Soriano Abbani; Ajilma Majid Tambihasan; Alsadjaik Ytang Sabdul; Radzmalyn Abdurahman Akmad; Russel Bradecina Reyes; Solita Utoh-Asim Jemsy; Almira Amilbangsa-Hadji; Al-Sabrie Yusop Sahijuan; Shernaiza A Hajad. Integrating Sama Dilaut culture: a case study for inclusion in the Philippine school improvement plan. Frontiers in Psychology (2026-08-05). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1785303

Prepared 2026-11-07. Source authorship and DOI are preserved. The abstract and source passages are attributed extracts; this editorial guide is offered under the same CC BY 4.0 license.