Thirteen pre-service teachers from Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and ten inbound students from international partner institutions have successfully completed the month-long Pre-Service Student Teacher Exchange in Southeast Asia (SEA Teacher Project). The program, held from January 27 to February 27, 2025, provided valuable cross-cultural and professional development opportunities for all participants.
As part of the outbound exchange, CLSU sent thirteen students – the largest delegation to date – to five partner universities across Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan. Four students were deployed to Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia; three to Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) in Medan, Indonesia; two to Khon Kaen University (KKU) in Thailand; two to the University of Tsukuba (UT) in Japan; and two to Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) in Bandung, Indonesia.
Ms. Samuelle B. Bernabe, a Culture and Arts Education major assigned to UMSU, shared her experience: "The SEA-Teacher Project gave me a SEAgnificant adventure for a month by providing numerous teaching experiences that helped me grow professionally, hone my teaching skills, expand my network, and deepen my understanding of cultural diversity through the sites we visited, the languages we learned, and the practices we embraced."
Meanwhile, CLSU also welcomed ten inbound students – four from UAD, two from KKU, two from UT, and two from UPI – who conducted their teaching practicums at the CLSU Laboratory for Teaching and Learning – University Science High School (CLTL-USHS) and the DepEd-CLSU Elementary Laboratory School.
Ms. Pakkamon Rongchaiyaphum, an English Education major from KKU, expressed her gratitude for her time at CLSU: "All of my students in Grade 10 were highly participative and eager to engage in activities. My cooperating teacher was incredibly supportive, especially when teaching Mythology, a new topic for me. I was surprised that I didn’t feel overwhelmed at all, thanks to the warm support from everyone at USHS—students and teachers alike," she expressed.
The implementation of the SEA Teacher Project at the university for Pilot Batch 4 and Regular Batch 10 was made possible through the collaboration of the International Affairs Office and the College of Education.
The SEA Teacher Project provides invaluable opportunities for pre-service teachers to enhance their teaching skills, improve their English proficiency in a global context, broaden their cultural perspectives, and develop the adaptability necessary to succeed in diverse educational environments. This program continues to be a vital initiative in preparing future educators for the challenges and rewards of the 21st-century classroom.
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