The Production of a Science Educational Television Program The Case of Sineskwela

Abstract

The study sought to describe the process of producing a local science educational television (ETV) program to supplement science learning at the basic education level. It is focused on the case of the Sine’skwela, being the first science-based television program authorized by the Department of Education (DepEd) for mandatory viewing by students in all public elementary schools in the country. A descriptive research was conducted to determine the various steps involved in the production of Sine’skwela. The study is limited to obtainable data and observations. The researcher gathered official documents relevant to the program’s development and interviewed key production personnel. With the researchers as the Science Consultant of the program, her own observation of the process, since the time that the program was conceived up to the present, were also integrated.

The documentation study revealed some aspects of the production process which the producer of the program needs to study. These include the problem of ensuring appeal, comprehension and overall learning achievement of the primary target audience through continuing formative and summative research. The quality of science content treatment was also discussed. One of the problems identified is the lack of special equipment to show details of processes and structures of organisms and objects discussed in the episodes. Immediately required are flex and time lapse cameras, microscope and other laboratory facilities. It is also imperative that accuracy of content be assured from pre-production to post-production stage by hiring more science researchers who will see through the quality of science content from the start to the end of production. The recommendations did not include proposed solutions to some problems which the researcher finds as resting on management prerogative, e.g., budget allocation.

The output of the study is useful for improving the quality of the program to better achieve its set objectives and for planning new programs of similar nature in the future. Likewise, the resulting document will be useful to other broadcast stations, producers, educators and government agencies planning to produce ETV.