Dr. Nona Marlene B. Ferido is presently the Deputy Director of the Assessment, Curriculum and Technology Research Centre, a partnership between the University of the Philippines and the University of Melbourne. Some of her involvements in the Centre are the following: research on the progress of students through the science curriculum with focus on chemistry (Grades 7-10), curriculum review of the Philippine K to12 curriculum, feasibility study on micro-certification for the alternative learning system (ALS) in the Philippines, development and conduct of the professional development (PD) program for science, mathematics and reading teachers on assessment and emerging literacies, and technical support in the review of the Department of Education’s reports on international large-scale assessments such as PISA 2018 and TIMSS 2019.
Dr. Ferido holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from U.P. Diliman and an M.S. Agricultural Chemistry degree from U.P. Los Baños. She completed her Ph.D Science Education (with specialization in Chemistry) from U.P. Diliman. Before her stint at the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED), she was a chemistry instructor at the Department of Chemistry, U.P. Los Baños and subsequently an assistant professor at the Institute of Chemistry, U.P. Diliman.
Dr. Ferido is a retired Science Education Specialist V and former Chair of the Chemistry Group of UP NISMED. She served as its Deputy Director for Research and Extension and subsequently as Deputy Director for Administration. She was a researcher, project leader, and coordinator in various science education projects of UP NISMED with UNESCO Bangkok, the Center for the Study of International Cooperation in Education (Japan), Canada-Pakistan Basic Education Project (CPBEP), Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
Dr Ferido has invaluably contributed to the advancement of chemistry education particularly in her (1) key role in the conceptualization and implementation of the K to 12 Science Curriculum of DepEd, specifically the chemistry (Matter) domain, including the STEM strand; (2) intensive research work on aligning teaching methods with the K to 12 science curriculum, (3) designing appropriate curriculum materials, which resulted in the production of teacher resource materials and sourcebooks for teacher trainers and teachers in high school chemistry, and (4) active involvement in training programs for science teachers at the national, regional, and division levels. She was among those who developed the teaching guides and learner materials in Grades 7 and 8 Science based on the K to 12 curriculum that emphasized the key features of inquiry and spiral progression as well as the development of students’ scientific attitudes and values and their understanding and application of scientific knowledge. She was a Project Writer and Trainer for CHED STEM Education Program (2016-2017) tasked to develop a STEM Teacher Training Design and Toolkit for faculty of higher education institutions teaching senior high school.
Dr. Ferido was the recipient of the 2014 UP Diliman Gawad Chancellor Award for Outstanding Research, Extension & Professional Staff and the 2013 Philippine Federation of Chemistry Societies Award for Chemistry Education.
Deputy Director, Assessment, Curriculum and Technology Research Centre
