Abstract
Education plays a crucial role in nurturing values that prepare learners to become active, responsible, and globally aware citizens. In the Philippines, the Department of Education emphasizes the integration of the four core Filipino values: Maka-Diyos (God-centeredness), Makatao (humaneness), Makabansa (nationalism), and Makakalikasan (environmental consciousness) as fundamental components of the K to 12 curriculum. This study investigates the extent to which the thirty-nine (39) Grade 4 Araling Panlipunan curriculum aligns with global education principles through the integration of these core values. Employing a descriptive quantitative design, the study used a self-developed, expert-validated questionnaire, which was tested for reliability. Thirty Grade 4 students from Cluster 1, City Schools Division of Dasmariñas, were selected through purposive sampling to ensure familiarity with the implementation of the curriculum. Data were gathered using a five-point Likert-scale instrument administered in a physical format to ensure accessibility and accuracy. Statistical analysis using one-sample t-tests revealed that the curriculum significantly promotes the values of Maka-Diyos and Makakalikasan. At the same time, the Makatao and Makabansa dimensions also demonstrated strong but slightly variable integration, particularly in activities involving marginalized groups and community-based projects. With p-values below 0.05 for most indicators, the findings confirm the curriculum's effective alignment with the four Filipino core values. Overall, the results indicate that Araling Panlipunan 4 meaningfully reflects both the principles of global education and the Philippine core values framework, fostering ethically responsible, nationally rooted, and environmentally conscious learners. However, minor gaps highlight the need for targeted curriculum enhancement, teacher capacity building, and contextualized learning resources to ensure more consistent and transformative implementation of values education.
