The Future of Yogad: An Appreciative Inquiry on Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Classroom Practices in the Philippines

This study centers on the present practices found across several top-performing public schools listed under the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) program in the Philippines, more than five years after its implementation. Explored through the narratives of Ilokano and Ibanag educators in Isabela, this inquiry examined their teaching approaches, classroom strategies, and instructional materials, among others. Using a two-level inductive analysis method, themes related to indigenous ways of teaching and learning were determined, in order to create a potential model for other heritage languages in the area, such as Yogad. Cooperative learning, stakeholder partnerships, as well as contextualized and localized materials dominated the discussion. Implications and recommendations were made, to promote the continued success of the nation's ongoing educational mandate. Keywords: mother tongue education, multilingualism, indigenous education, appreciative inquiry