Implementation of Outcomes—Based Education in the Graduate School Level at St. Paul University Philippines

Emolyn M Iringan,Inicia C Bansig

doi:10.22158/wjer.v6n2p188

Abstract

<em>The study assessed the implementation of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in the Graduate School level at St. Paul University Philippines for the past four years. The study employed the mixed approach, covered faculty and students as its participants, and utilized a validated survey tool for data gathering. Quantitative data were analyzed using mean, frequency and percentage count, rank, standard deviation, and independent t-test while the qualitative responses were analyzed through thematic analysis. Results show that students, both for master and doctoral programs, consistently rated the implementation of the OBE approach along instructional design, learning activities, and assessment strategies as “very high”. Administrative support, teachers’ commitment and students’ acceptance of the OBE approach are the top three key factors that facilitated OBE implementation. The administrators’ periodic feed-backing mechanism and close monitoring scheme from the top level to the program level as well as the teachers’ adequate knowledge and commitment to OBE hastened the implementation of the approach. Students considered the instructional activities as very relevant and meaningful as these provided learning contexts where their specific skills and competencies are concretized. Students’ heavy workload in their work stations and their limited exposure to various technologies are some of the barriers to the implementation of OBE. </em>

Highlights

Future workforce resources need to be equipped with the desired skills to help them succeed in the 21st—century workplace and to remain competitive in a fast-changing job market in the years ahead
The study aimed to: 1) Determine the extent of implementation of the outcomes-based approach as reflected in the following instructional elements: instructional design, learning activities experienced by students, and learning and assessment strategies utilized in instruction; 2) Test whether a significant variation exists on the extent of implementation of the outcomes-based approach in the master and doctoral programs concerning the aforementioned instructional elements; 3) Determine the factors and approaches that facilitated the implementation of the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE), and 4) Determine the emerging issues and concerns in the implementation of the OBE approach
3.1 Extent of Implementation of the Outcomes-Based Approach Students’ assessment on the OBE implementation concerning the defined elements, namely, instructional design, learning activities experienced by students, learning and assessment strategies utilized in instruction are summarized in Tables 1, 2 and 3, respectively

Summary

Introduction

Future workforce resources need to be equipped with the desired skills to help them succeed in the 21st—century workplace and to remain competitive in a fast-changing job market in the years ahead. Life skills involve skills such as flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, and social skills More of these skills are listed in the 21st Century Framework of Wagner (2011), NCREL and Metiri Group (2000), Iowa Department of Education (2010) and The Partnership for 21st Century Learning (2009). For the past few years, the Philippine government has been implementing educational reforms to ensure that instruction in schools promotes the acquisition of 21st—century skills. OBE is driven by assessments that focus on clear learning outcomes and not other factors such as what is taught and the duration taken by the student to achieve the outcomes (Willis & Kissane, 1995) This recent trend in higher education requires an increased emphasis on teaching and learning, recognition of the scholarship of teaching; and shift of focus from teaching to learning (Biggs & Tang, 2007). Schools should prepare students for the acquisition of professional knowledge but must make them perform hands-on activities that allow knowledge application to practical work scenarios

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion