Commission On Higher Education Research Articles

Exploring the Factors Influencing the Readiness of Faculty and Students on Online Teaching and Learning as an Alternative Delivery Mode for the New Normal

The Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) joins the Philippine government with all its actions by launching an initiative to take care of its students and employees, and the academic community amid the spread of the COVID-19 disease. This descriptive-correlational study investigated the factors influencing the readiness in online teaching and learning as an alternative delivery mode to continue the teaching-learning process, even the absence of face-to-face interactions between teachers and students. The content-validated and researchers-made online survey instrument, which reported an excellent reliability index of Cronbach α = 0.95, was administered via a google form. Responses from 348 faculty and 7,205 students at the university were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percent, mean, and standard deviation. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to determine the significant predictors of respondent readiness. The results revealed that respondent familiarity and capability, preparation, device and access connectivity, self-efficacy, and experience with technology significantly influence their readiness on the conduct of online teaching and learning modality. It is concluded that faculty and student readiness on online teaching and learning is determined by their competence, accessibility of ICT tool, preparedness, confidence in their ability to use technology, and exposure to e-learning materials. Hence, the university and in the broader scope, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), may conduct series of training for teachers as a capacity building to equip them with knowledge and competencies on the use of flexible or blended learning. Further, a university-wide learning system may be designed, adopted, and implemented in case the Enhanced Community Quarantine will not be lifted for a longer period.

THE STATUS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE E-LEARNING CLASSROOM IN SELECTED HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN REGION IV-A AMIDST THE COVID-19 CRISIS

Because of the COVID-19 crisis, Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) have resorted to online classes or E-Learning Classrooms to deliver the content of their curriculum in various platforms. This action research examines the status of the implementation of the E-Learning classroom in selected HEI’s in Region IV-A by conducting a qualitative approach using a survey questionnaire to a small group of professionals who have been teaching various courses in the tertiary level. This study utilized the descriptive method of research to bring out the current status of the implementation of the e-learning classroom in selected HEI’s. An online survey data were collected and analyzed using the descriptive and documentary analysis. Findings indicate that the respondents had good experiences in introducing the E-learning classroom as an immediate response to the country's enhanced quarantine situation. Although all the E-learning platforms used by the respondents are free of charge, still, students have encountered problems like lack of resources, difficulty of Wi-Fi connection, and lack of training among the students and faculty members. this study recommends professional development workshops for both faculty members and students and preparation of advanced lessons, slide presentations, and examinations per unit to cope with the prescribed number of hours set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). It is also expected that this action research would serve as a future guide for conducting an in-depth study using a structured interview to validate its findings.

CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES IN CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS LECTURE AND LABORATORY

As mandated by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), one of the core subjects being taken by the engineering students at tertiary level in any academic institutions, whether private or government is the Chemistry for Engineers which is offered as lecture and laboratory classes. This study primarily focused on the identification of the association between the academic performances of the engineering students in the subjects Chemistry for Engineers Lecture and the corresponding Chemistry for Engineers Laboratory. Five hundred eighty five (585) engineering students from the nine (9) different fields who enrolled the said subjects in the Academic Year 2019-2020, 1st semester served as respondents in the study, namely Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering. The overall grades were gathered and subjected to Spearman’s rho Correlation analysis aside from the analysis made under descriptive statistics. Results show that there is a significant but weak positive association in the academic performances of the students in the lecture and laboratory subjects. KEYWORDS: Chemistry for Engineers, Correlation, Laboratory class, Lecture class

Design and Validation of the College Readiness Test (CRT) for Filipino K to 12 Graduates

Designing and validating a college readiness test addresses the absence of standardized Philippine-based College Readiness Test (CRT) congruent with the College Readiness Standards (CRS) set by the Philippine Commission on Higher Education (CHED). It also resolves the varied and arbitrary indices used by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to measure the preparedness of K to 12 Filipino graduates to enter college. In this regard, this study establishes the validity and reliability of the CRT to measure the combination of knowledge, skills, and reflective thinking necessary for the K to 12 graduates to be admitted and to succeed without remediation in the General Education courses in HEIs. Using multi-stage sampling in a select province of the Philippines and with due consideration of the district, type of school, and academic tracks offered in senior high school, the study has generated that the 200-item CRT has desirable difficulty index (65.64), reasonably good discrimination index (0.22), and large functioning distractors (68.91% distractor efficiency). Notably, there is a significant positive relationship between discrimination and difficulty indices as well as the distractor efficiency and difficulty index of the CRT items. Also, the CRT is reliable as it possesses inter-item consistency (r=0.796). Thus, it is a valid and reliable instrument to measure the college readiness of Filipino K to 12 graduates with its features of being contextualized, gender-fair, and criterion-referenced.

Move Confirmation and Teaching Strategy Identification of English Student-Teachers’ Lesson Plans in the Philippines: A Rhetorical Framework for Novice Teachers

Lesson planning is one of the most important skills of a teacher in the Philippines. The Department of Education (DepEd) mandates that a teacher is not allowed to teach without a lesson plan. Hence, all the Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) ensure that every education student can produce well-planned lessons even before the Teaching Internship course. Despite its relevance, no one has attempted to investigate the lesson plan structure using move analysis. Moreover, a preliminary survey reveals that many of the English student-teachers find it difficult to produce lesson plans. Therefore, this study explored 22 Detailed Lesson Plans (DLPs) produced by English student-teacher graduates of a TEI through move confirmation and teaching strategy identification, which are based on the 5-part lesson plan structure prescribed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the student-teachers. The study is anchored on Swalesean genre analysis that combines rhetoric and linguistics to explain genre as grounded in shared communicative purposes and discoverable through text analysis. Based on the analysis, the five parts or moves were confirmed with their constituent teaching strategies and teaching strategy cycle identified. The findings may provide TEI teachers with insight into effective instructional strategies to help students acquire pragmatic knowledge of the rhetorical structure of lesson plans. A Lesson Plan Framework for English novice teachers is proposed as a guide to offer a frame for structuring their planning of the lessons and a pool of words that can help them in writing the lesson plans. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.18.12.10

Compensation and Social Support on Continuance Commitment of Working Students in Adventist University of the Philippines

Continuance commitment is essential in our world today because employees have the fear that a loss of their jobs will affect their income and their livelihood. This is not an exception for working students. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Philippines has recounted that eight of the students are working student. Work-study is also an accepted practice of the most Seventh-day Adventist universities. This study seeks to investigate the continuance commitment of the students as related to compensation and social support. This study is correlational research design. Out of the 450, working students in AUP 100 were randomly sampled to answer the self-constructed questionnaires. The study used Pearson correlation to analysis the relationship and T-Test and ANOVA to analyze the difference. This study revealed that there is a high positive significant relationship between compensation and continuance commitment and a moderate positive significant relationship between social support and continuance commitment. Also, there was no significant difference in continuance commitment based on sex, age, and the number of units of the working students. The working students stay on their job because of the high compensation they receive from AUP and the moderate social support they get from their families, friends, and relatives. Both male and female working students are committed to staying on their job. The number of units did not deter the working students from being a commitment to their jobs. The study has revealed that the continuance commitment of working students is based on compensation and social support. The research recommends that in order to get the commitment of working students, the wage payments to them must be high with moderate social support.

Open Access: DOAJ and Plan S, Digitization and Disruption

Open Access: DOAJ and Plan S, Digitization and Disruption

Moving Forward in STEM Education, Challenges and Innovations in Senior High School in the Philippines: The Case of Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College

This qualitative research focused on school experiences of 20 females and 14 males senior high school (SHS) students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College (NIPSC), the Philippines from Academic Year 2017-2018 and 2018-2019. This study aimed to identify both the positive and negative points on Senior High School (SHS)- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) track in terms of curriculum, instructional materials, laboratory equipment, faculty educational qualification, research output and courses to be taken in NIPSC of SHS-STEM students. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of the informants. Interview, focus group discussion, and observation were employed in the study. The students’ responses in the interview revealed teachers’ qualifications and their passion for enhancing SHS-STEM curriculum. Besides, the availability of facilities was a strong point of NIPSC as a model school in implementing STEM curriculum in the district. However, lack of time management for teachers to hold classes, limited science textbooks and classroom, and unavailability of the laboratory for hands-on activities need proper attention by concern authorities. Around 46% of SHS-STEM graduates take civil engineering at NIPSC because of the well-trained teachers, and the high rating in board examination. Also, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) allowed non-STEM to enroll in science-related courses, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) allowed them to apply for the scholarship program. However, the bridging program is a waste of time, effort, and money for both teachers and students. NIPSC as a model school in SHS-STEM track has to enhance facilities as well as the guidance office to correctly assist students in future endeavors and to take courses similar to their tracks and interests.

Tracer study of Bachelor of Science in Mathematics

This research aimed to determine the employability of its graduates as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (BSM) program of a Philippine Higher Educational Institution. Adapting the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Graduate Tracer Survey Questionnaire, the study provided data that were used as basis in the review and revision of the said program. Results of this research may be used to answer the needs of society by adjusting the curriculum to meet the needs of the 21<sup>st</sup> century learners, help prepare the students not only for the world of work and land relevant employment but also to innovate in the future. Results of the study were utilized to document the employment characteristics, transition to employment and the level of satisfaction of the fifty (50) BSM graduates in terms of the level of satisfaction of the school’s services, learning environment and facilities. The findings revealed that the graduates claimed their pre-service training under the BSM program helped them acquire 21<sup>st</sup> Century skills and competencies which were not only effective and adequate but also relevant in responding to the demands of their chosen occupations. Providing soft training on applied computer software, forming partnership with software developers, offering foreign language and major courses that merge machine learning and data science were some of the recommendations suggested by the graduates to further improve the BS Mathematics program.

Teachers’ Perception in Writing Action Research in a Public Elementary School in the Philippines

Action research plays an important role in education. It enables teachers to discover what went wrong and what could be done to address classroom problems and issues. Consequently, it has now become one of the major professional development concerns for public school teachers in the Philippines. Teachers are encouraged by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to conduct a school-based action research as part of their performance appraisal and evaluation. In addition, it helps the teachers to explore innovative teaching strategies that will suit the needs of the learners. Although, there are promising benefits brought by research, it still remains a challenge among educators due to tight teaching work loads and ancillary roles performed by teachers.
 To address this issue, the study aimed to assess the teachers’ perception in writing research based on their level of agreement. Its end goal is to help school administrators and education planners to develop capacity building that will help teachers to appreciate more the value of research. It utilized a quantitative-descriptive design. Fifteen (15) teachers were involved in the study that represented the 100% of the total population of the teaching force in the school. The main data-gathering instrument used was questionnaire. Computation of the weighted mean and ranking were employed in the statistical treatment of data. The results revealed that teachers strongly agreed on the basic principles of action research which signifies their knowledge and understanding of what research is all about. Continuous professional development is suggested to upgrade and strengthen teachers’ skills in writing educational research.

Outcomes – Based Science Instruction (OBSI) in Teacher Education Institutions

In the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) requires all higher education institutions to adopt the Outcomes-Based Education(OBE) through its CHED Memorandum 46, s. 2012. This is to cope with the qualifications and standards of 21st -century learners and to produce globally competitive professionals. The focus of this study was to assess the implementation of OutcomesBased Science Instruction (OBSI) for Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Science students of the Teacher Education Institutions(TEI) in Batangas province. It delved into OBSI implementation which refers to learning outcomes, authentic tasks, student-centered approach, and competencies and skills. The study also determined the extent to which OBSI develop students’ competencies relative to laboratory activities, portfolio, project making, research, and investigatory project. The problems encountered in the implementation of OBSI also identified. The descriptive method of research applied in the study with the questionnaire as the data gathering instrument. The OBSI in TEI was evident with refers to learning outcomes, authentic tasks, student-centered approach, and competencies and skills. It developed students' competencies in laboratory activities and investigatory project to a great extent. On the other hand, it developed students’ competencies in the portfolio, project making, and research to a moderate extent. There was a significant relationship between the implementation of OBSI and the development of students’ science competencies. Some problems encountered in OBSI were seldom met, primary of which is the unavailability and insufficiency of equipment, materials, and supplies needed in the laboratory. Proposed outcomes-based activities in science shall further enhance the quality of science instruction. It recommended that the OBSI in the TEI might be strengthened to maximize the students’ competencies and the development of an assessment tool to measure the development of students’ science competencies may be undertaken. Furthermore, future researchers may conduct studies that may be related to the current research in another research locale.

Predicting Employability Skills among Information Technology Graduates of Philippine State University in their On-the-Job Training using J48 Algorithm

Objectives: This study predicts the employability skills acquired by the BS Information Technology graduates of Leyte Normal University, Tacloban City. Work skills or employability skills were identified based on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order 53, series of 2006, which categorizes as personal, interpersonal, and technical understanding skills. Methods: Using data mining to predict employability skills of the graduates particularly on the J48 algorithm a C4.5 decision tree model. The 10-Folds Cross-validation and Receiving Operating Characteristics Curve (ROC) was deployed to create a model and test the result based on the attributes. The collected datasets of this study are from the graduates from S.Y. 2015-2016 to 2017-2018. There are 138 datasets with six variables (Systems Development, Research, Business Operations, Technical Support, Interpersonal Skills, and Remarks). Findings: Decision tree model and decision rule for classification were created. There were 85.50% correctly classified with an AUC weighted mean of 85.10%. Hence, classified students who possess Expert (82.8%), Advanced (95%), and Intermediate (57.10%) OJT performance. The model has high acceptability to predict that Business Operations is the most important attribute in the On-the-Job Training. Wherein, students are trained to be productive, responsible and cooperative and have the initiative to act. Application/Improvements: The result of this study can be a basis for policy measures for effective OJT program. Further, for more improvement of this paper and model, additional parameters should be considered to have more factors involved in predicting employability skills. Keywords: Decision Tree, Employability Skills, Machine Learning, On-the-Job Training, J48 Algorithm, BSIT, LNU

Information and Communication Technology Readiness of Teachers in Cebu, Philippines

The readiness of teachers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is essential not only in teaching and learning practice but also in professional growth and development. The study determined the Information and Communication Technology Readiness of Teachers in Cebu, a basis to propose an ICT development plan for teachers of the different private and public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The output of this study is a guide for both teachers and administrators on how to improve the ICT skills of teachers through the proposed plan that would help them develop their knowledge and expertise. The descriptive method was utilized, and a two-part survey-questionnaire from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) – Philippine Higher Education Research Network (PHERNet) was used in gathering data from 182 teachers of 40 HEIs in the province of Cebu, which was analyzed and interpreted. Frequency, simple percentage, weighted mean, and Chi-square were used in the treatment of data. Results showed that majority of the respondents own mobile and personal desktop computers. The ICT readiness of Cebu teachers is at moderate level. Gender and Civil Status are significantly related to their ICT readiness. The researchers developed an ICT plan to equip teachers with sufficient knowledge and skills for global education. It is recommended that the aforementioned plan be used in the different HEIs in Cebu City.

Assessment of research faculty development program efficacy in writing research proposals

The dearth in research in Philippine higher education institutions (HEIs) had driven the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to provide policies and mandates that are largely geared towards the improvement of research productivity. Saint Mary’s University responded through Faculty Research Development Program, a scheme borne of the plans of the University Research Center (IDP Year 2013-2014) that aims to strengthen and enhance the research skills of faculty members. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the research faculty development program workshop in writing full-blown research proposals. It involved the quantitative type of research using the posttest-only control group experimental design since the subjects were evaluated after the intervention. Evaluative in nature, it was conducted at Saint Mary’s University, located at Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya in Cagayan Valley. There were 25 subjects of the study who were all participants in the seminar-workshop. Researcher-made questionnaires and evaluated research proposals were the primary sources of the data in the study. Findings revealed that the research faculty development program workshop on writing research proposals was efficient. Hence, faculty members are highly recommended to continue participating in research capability training to become part of the tri-fold function of the university - the instruction, community extension, and research.

Outcome–Based Program Quality Assurance Accreditation Survey Instrument: Its Development and Validation

In the Philippines, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has recognized the need to realign the academic program offerings of 112 state colleges and universities thereby raising the standards of quality assurance. The Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP), aimed to develop a new outcomes-based quality assurance (OBQA) instrument using both quantitative and qualitative approaches of a multi-method design. There are three phases of this study: 1) consideration of benchmark data; 2) development and validation of instrument; and 3) pilot testing. The first phase generated ten areas of the instrument with 700 Likert-type benchmark statements. The second phase led to the trimming of the item pool to 672. The last phase revealed that all 672 item pool identified benchmark indicators passed both the content validationas well as reliability test. It is recommended that the instrument be used and revalidated for further improvement.

Elevating the research and publication culture of the University of the Immaculate Conception Graduate School: A practical action research

Aim: In this action research, a plan is developed in answer to the need to maximize the involvement of University of the Immaculate Conception Graduate School (UIC) Graduate School (GS) faculty and students in the intensification of the research and publication culture of UIC to parallel the international level of recognition in the field.Methodology: By qualitative descriptive research design specifically Practical Action Research (PAR) approach, we purposively selected 30 participants who represent the different stakeholders of the UIC GS for brainstorming and exploratory sessions designed to answer our research objectives including a) maximization of the research productivity of the graduate school faculty and students; b) establishment of the mentor-mentee publication authorship; c) integration of new research pedagogy approaches into the graduate qualitative and quantitative research process; and d) establishment of an independent journal in preparation for Commission on Higher Education (CHED) journal incentive program recognition.Findings: Our findings revealed recurring issues affecting all levels and which can overlap in terms of effect and solution. Notable recurring issues include lack of well-articulated policies, research experts, research class directions, as well as membersâA Z confidence. Implications/Novelty: We formulated several recommendations as the outset for the development of a strategic plan with the main goal of elevating the UIC GS research and publication culture.

Structured Shipboard Training Program and Performance of Maritime Cadets

This study utilized the descriptive survey method of research which tried to assess the shipboard training profile and performance of maritime cadets of Palompon Institute of Technology, Palompon, Leyte as inputs to improve the maritime education program of the Institute. The subjects were the deck and engine cadets who completed their 3-year curricular academic requirements who were qualified to take their 1-year shipboard apprenticeship on board Dutch ships from 2014-2015. The main instrument used in this study was the standardized survey questionnaire taken from the International Shipping Federation (ISF) logbook contained in the Quality Management System Manual of PIT College of Maritime Education (COMEd) which was approved and accepted by the Det Norske Veritas (DNV), an International consulting firm and Commission on Higher Education ( CHED). Findings showed that the cadets were above average when it came to their personal qualities and their professional knowledge and skills. Most of them were assigned in a general cargo including Ro-ro (roll on- roll off) and big lift. Moreover, both deck and engine cadets were only average when it came to their task performance at the operational level. When each of the profile indicators of the cadets was related to their task performance, only the personal qualities and professional knowledge and skills revealed a significant relationship to their task performance. Likewise, the safety of onboard practices of the engine cadets in terms of marine engineering and controlling the operation of the ship and care for persons on board was significantly related to the profile in terms of personal qualities and professional knowledge and skills so as their task performance. Thus, it is recommended that the apprenticeship program should be treated seriously and with sincerity, since this is the only form of a training program that the school can offer that will help them enhance their knowledge and skills thereby making them more effective and productive seafarers. It is also recommended to adopt the training model and identify its loopholes to pave the way for further improvements.

A Benchmark on the Alternative Education System for Engineering Courses

Offered by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) under the Republic of the Philippines, the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation (ETEEAP) is an alternative method of earning a college degree. There are 96 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) that offer ETEEAP in the country, 21 of which offer engineering programs. The study aimed to obtain the best practices being implemented by deputized HEIs offering college degree programs under ETEEAP, particularly, in the field of engineering and check its correlation to the number of graduates. Visitations, observations, and interviews were performed in two selected universities. Information about the enrolled and graduated students were collected. Data gathered were analyzed and tabulated. As an analysis, the policies of the two universities are in accordance of the CHED and, therefore, are similar. A significant increase in the number of engineering graduates under ETEEAP has been recorded. However, some students were not able to finish a program on time. The results of the study can be used as a guiding tool for schools aiming to offer ETEEAP or a reference for continuous improvement of the ETEEAP programs in sustaining the educational needs of the student-clienteles.

I Am Where I Think I Will Work: Higher Education and Labor Migration Regime in the Philippines

The Philippine government has received praises from international organizations for its exemplary management of labor migration. The country has one of the most sophisticated institutionalized mechanisms for out-migration of workers, and it serves as a model of government-led labor migration management. It is, therefore, no surprise that research on labor migration policy of the Philippine government is plentiful. However, there is paucity of research on the role of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippine's labor migration industry. In this article, I examine the role of CHED and the Technical Panels (TPs) in the production of the globally competitive Filipina/o worker. For this article, I draw on relevant literature on the topic and take nurse education, which is rooted in the colonial system established during the US-American occupation, as an example of how CHED and the TPs could be more linked to labor migration. By using the colonial difference as a space that offers critical insights and interpretation, this article illustrates how coloniality remains hidden under the cloak of modernity, particularly in the Philippine higher education system.

Competencies Learned and Relevance of the Business Administration Curriculum to the Graduates’ Job

The necessity for higher education is considered as an essential vehicle to alleviate a person’s productivity and employability. Many graduates find difficulty looking for suitable jobs nowadays. Any job opportunity even if not in line with the educational training is grabbed. This study gathered inputs on the competencies that the graduates of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration learned and the relevance of the program to their job. Furthermore, the result of the study aimed to improve the school’s quality education through the formulation of an intervention scheme that primarily focused on the transformation of the course syllabi to outcomes-based system. The study made use of descriptive-survey research design, adopting the standardized tool Graduate Tracer Study by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). Utilizing purposive sampling, 52 graduates served as respondents. Findings showed that graduates were employable across various lines of businesses. The skills and competencies learned in college were relevant in their current jobs. However, relevant skills and competencies like communication skill and practical knowledge need to be enhanced so that future graduates of this program will have a competitive advantage in the labor market both locally and internationally. This issue can be addressed by improving the curriculum and the teaching-learning activities in the classroom that must be reflected in the course syllabi.