Abstract
The purpose of this descriptive study was to find out the level of instructional utilization of learning tools and equipment or Science and Mathematics equipment (LTE-SME) and the academic performance of learners among secondary school teachers in one large rural-based district, Division of Negros Oriental during School Year 2025–2026. Data were collected from sixty teacher-respondents using a validated questionnaire with good inter-rater reliability ratings on teachers’ instructional practices in terms of three key result areas namely instrumentation, curriculum integration, and assessment of learning. Results indicated that teachers have a very high level of utilization of LTE-SME implying that they have excellent integration of instructional tools and equipment. Tests of significance showed that educational attainment, teaching years, and number trainings attended affected the respondents’ instructional practices on curriculum integration and assessment of learning on LTE-SME, with teachers who attended more trainings showing better instructional practices. Furthermore, non-significant difference was observed when the respondents grouped according to their area of specialization. Learners achieved a very satisfactory level of academic performance but revealed no significant relation between LTE-SME utilization and academic performance of learners.
Keywords: Academic performance, learning tools equipment (lte-sme), secondary school learners