Creation of Research Council for Basic Education Institutions

Creation of Research Council for Basic Education Institutions in Cagayan de Oro City RReesseeaarrcchh A Aggeennddaa ffoorr D DEEM M 662211:: RReesseeaarrcchh aanndd EExxtteennssiioonn M Maannaaggeem meenntt

With technical expertise of

DR OLIVA P CANENCIA Director, Research and Development Division Mindanao University of Science and Technology

Submitted by

RAY BUTCH D MAHINAY PhD EPM Student, CPSEM Graduate School Mindanao University of Science and Technology SY 2011-2012

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Acknowledgment Deep thanks are due to Our Father above for the providence that He always bestow upon the researcher. It always sustains his strength to pursue for excellence.

To the researcher’s classmates in DEM 621

whom

he

find

delight

and

inspiration that amidst the challenges, the requirements seemed light and easy.

And of course to the researcher’s professor, Dr Oliva P Canencia, for the knowledge and expertise that she openly shares, it served like torch that lit the way to profound learning.

This research agenda is ambitious, but all achievements start from looking at ordinary things extraordinarily.

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List of Tables Table 1

DepEd Functions and the Offices-in-Charge

Table 2

DepEd Memoranda Related to their Research Activities

Table 3

Strategies and Deliverables per Agenda

List of Figures Figure 1

DepEd Organizational Chart

Figure 2

Population of Basic Education Teachers in the Philippines

Figure 3

Secondary Science Teachers’ in Cagayan de Oro City in terms of Educational Qualification

Figure 4

The Four Research Agenda towards the Formation and Operation of BERC

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Table of Contents Page Acknowledgment List of Tables List of Figures Rationale………………………………………………...... 5 The Issue…………………………………………………

6

The Department of Education Administrative Structure……………………………...

7

Basic Education System………………………………

10

Private Education System ……………………………. 10 Teacher Management ………………………………...

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Research Potential DepEd: Pool of Potential Researchers………………... 13 Prospective Funding Source………………………….. 15 The Project BERC Perspective…………………………...………..

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Legal Bases …………………………………………... 16 Vision ………………………………………………... 16 Mission……………………………………………….

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Research Agenda…………………………………………. 17 Strategies and Deliverables………………………………..

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Implications to Research and Extension Management……

19

Web References……………………………………….......

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About the Researcher ……………………………………. 21 Appendix Printed Copy of PowerPoint Report………………….

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Rationale

It has been well established already that in any organization, research activities can provide significant information tantamount to development and improvement. These information serve as bases for planning and strategizing research agenda to address existing problems or concerns, or simply to push new frontiers of knowledge.

From the Australian Research Community (2011), they elaborated that research can do a huge variety of tasks. It can (1) help in policy development; (2) find key target groups; (3) identify demand for community services and infrastructure; (4) identify key lines and messages to communicate; (5) identify what issues or services are important for people in their lives; (6) construct the best communication strategies; (7) show what important target groups think about the organization, product or service; (8) track community attitudes over time; and (9) measure the impact of a project or campaign. The provision of actionable strategic data and careful assessment of objectives are emphasized through research techniques and rigorous research methods. Simply, research informs action.

With all these insights, it can be ascertained that research is equitable to sound and reliable reasoning which is elemental to planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs, projects or agenda of an organization. No wonder that CHED is meticulous to research programs of higher education institutions (HEIs) and how their research dynamism is extended to the immediate community.

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The Issue

While the research culture in HEIs are very active and dynamic in terms of structure and function, the elementary and secondary schools in the Philippines are not so enthusiastic with research activities. It is not complex for basic education leaders and teachers to equate research to excellence, but research policies in DepEd are not as strict as the CHED’s.

In DepEd framework (see Figure 1, page 9), there is actually a research and statistics division. This unit primarily delivers the research function of DepEd. Its agenda may be focused on significant issues in the national basic education situation, but it is not visible and forceful as with other research units of the country.

First world countries have functional research groups in the basic education level. There are the American Institutes for Research-National High School Center (USA) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Research (Japan), to mention a few. This is something that DepEd must consider and benchmark to its own system.

For a start, basic education institutions can create a professional organization for elementary and high school researchers like in the HEIs (i.e. PAGE, PAIR, PHILARM).

It is in this contention that the researcher is motivated to pursue this research project: creation of research council for basic education institutions in Cagayan de Oro City.

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The Department of Education

Administrative Structure The Department of Education (DepED) is vested with authority, accountability and responsibility for ensuring access to, promoting equity in, and improving the quality of basic education in the Philippines. Specifically, DepED is accountable and responsible for: (a) formulating national educational policies; (b) formulating the national basic education plan; (c) promulgating national educational standards; (d) monitoring and assessing national learning outcomes; (e) undertaking national educational research and studies; (f) enhancing the employment status, professional competence, welfare and working conditions of all personnel of the department; and (g) enhancing the total development of learners through local and national programmes and/or projects.

Within the DepED, the Bureau of Secondary Education specifically oversees the management of general, as well as secondary-level technical and vocational programmes.

Parallel to the national level structure are the DepED regional offices. The DepED regional offices provide field leadership in monitoring, assessing and evaluating learning outcomes;

enforce

standards,

and;

provide

technical

support

to

schools

divisions/schools.

The final level of offices are the DepED Schools Division Offices. The Schools Division Offices perform: (1) instructional leadership and supervision; (2) administrative DEM 621: Research and Extension Management Mindanao University of Science and Technology

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and budgetary support to schools; (3) technical support services; and (4) extension/community services.

In accordance with the Higher Education Act of 1994, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), attached to the Office of the President, oversees the management of both public and private higher educational institutions, as well as degreegranting programmes in all tertiary institutions in the Philippines. This is independent and separate from the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS).

The following governmental offices/departments are responsible for different functions of secondary education management: Table 1. DepEd Functions and the Offices-in-Charge

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Figure 1. DepEd Organizational Chart

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Basic Education System The basic education in the Philippines consists of pre-primary education (one year), primary education (six years), and secondary education (four years). Although public pre-primary, primary, and secondary education are provided free, only primary education is stipulated as compulsory according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Preprimary education caters to children aged five. A child aged six may enter elementary schools with, or without pre-primary education. Following on from primary education is four-years of secondary education (high school education), which can theoretically be further divided into three years of lower secondary and one year of upper secondary education. Ideally, a child enters secondary education at the age of 12. After completing their secondary education, students may progress to a technical education and skills development (non-degree) to earn a certificate or a diploma within one to three years, depending on the skill. Students also have the option to enroll in higher education programmes to earn a baccalaureate degree (four years).

Private Education System Private educational institutions are established in accordance with the law and are subject to reasonable supervision and regulation by the government. The 1987 Philippine Constitution states: “The State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the educational system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of all educational institutions.” The state encourages private support to education through financial and other assistance measures. More specifically, in the 1992 Revised Manual of Regulations for Private Schools (8th Edition) it states: “It is the policy of the State that the national government shall contribute to the financial support of educational programmes pursuant to the goals of education as declared in the

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Constitution. Towards this end, the government shall: (1) adopt measures to broaden access to education through financial assistance and other forms of incentives to schools, teachers, pupils, and students; and (2) encourage and stimulate private support to education through, among others, fiscal and other assistance measures.�

Private education teachers are also required to meet the same qualifications as all public secondary school teachers. In terms of administrative operations, the mandatory implementation of the 2002 Basic Education Curriculum was expanded to the private schools (effective 2006/07 school year). As for the educational programme, private schools apply to the authority to conduct educational operations. The authority to conduct educational operations is granted by the Department of Education through recognition of the educational programme and operations of the school, whereas a public secondary school is established either through legislation, or through DepED authority.

However, accredited private schools are given the flexibility to enrich their programmes and implement their curriculum initiatives. The Department of Education encourages private schools the use of the mechanism of voluntary accreditation if they meet the standards of quality over and are above the minimum required for government recognition.

Teacher Management Teachers are recruited at the school level, which is considered the lowest administrative level of the DepED. All public schools are mandated to serve as authorized offices to receive applications for all available teaching positions in their school division. A school selection committee is created which is responsible for officially receiving and acknowledging applications, ascertaining the completeness of DEM 621: Research and Extension Management Mindanao University of Science and Technology

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documents submitted by applicants, informing applicants as to the proper disposition of their applications, and forwarding complete applications to the Schools Division Office Selection Committee for preliminary evaluation of applications. Deployment and management are also the responsibilities of schools division offices. For a teacher to be promoted, first the school head makes a recommendation to the Schools Division superintendent, who will evaluate and issue an appointment for the teacher to be attested by the Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission. Additional teaching positions are created by the national government and approved through legislation.

197,683

Elementary Secondary

410,386

Figure 2. Population of Basic Education Teachers in the Philippines (DepEd Fact Sheet, 2010)

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Research Potential

DepEd: Pool of Potential Researchers The research component is already embedded in the DepEd framework. As mentioned earlier, it is just not active and forceful. As an example, DepEd’s latest issuance of memoranda vis-à -vis research activities can be dated back on year 2010 and there is none for this year 2011.

Table 2. Latest DepEd Memoranda Related to Research Activities (DepEd Official Website, 2011) MEMO NUMBER

TITLE Training-Workshop On Classroom-Based Research In

No. 493 s.2010

Elementary Science And Development Of Assessment Tools To Measure Science Learning (Capability Building) Results Of The Preschool Research Entitled "The Various

No. 225 s.2010

Preschool Programs: An Assessment On Effectiveness" Continuing Research And Support Evaluations, And

No. 141 s.2010

Studies On Juvenile, Justice And Welfare Regional Training On Research Skills And Data Analysis

No. 121 s.2010

Using Statistical Tools For Regional And Division Planning Units Blended Learning Course For School Leaders And

No. 24 s.2010

Managers On Excellence In Developing And Managing Action Research For School Improvement

However, DepEd is a big entity with many sub-units whose manpower, although selectively, has high educational qualifications (i.e. MA/MS, PhD). The number of elementary and high school teachers in the Philippines is tremendously large and a big

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fraction of it carries graduate units or degree making them capable to conduct research.

It makes DepEd a pool of many potential researchers.

2% 23%

32%

BS Graduates MA/MS Students MA/MS Graduates PhD Students

43%

Figure 3. Secondary Science Teachers’ in Cagayan de Oro City in terms of Educational Qualification (Mahinay, 2009)

In Figure 3, it shows the educational qualification profile of science high school teachers in Cagayan de Oro City. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of them have MA/MS or PhD units.

It can be inferred that these teachers have the strength on the rudiments of research.

This is just a part and parcel of the bigger picture about the research potentiality of basic education teachers.

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Prospective Funding Source A good financial source will guarantee outputs of the organization’s research agenda.

DepEd operated collaborated projects over the past years with AusAID, World Bank, and JICA. This shows that as a unit, it can easily outsource financial schemes.

For research-related endeavors, the following can be good prospective funding institutions: Special Education Fund (SEF) By virtue of Republic Act No. 7160, popularly known as the Local Government Code of 1991 (LGC 91), its main duty is to allocate the Special Education Fund (SEF) to meet the supplementary needs of the local basic education system. The SEF is an additional 1% levy that is collected together with real property taxes paid to the local government.

UNESCO-Education Planning and Financing Portal The portal focuses on modern approaches to education policy analysis and planning, medium-term expenditure frameworks (MTEF) and the financing of education expenditure to achieve national and localized human resource development objectives.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) Economic and statistical research contributes to knowledge generation in ADB to strengthen its institutional priorities and country operations. By augmenting the stock of knowledge of developing member countries and the region and disseminating it, ADB's capability to provide informed policy advice and undertake capacity building is enhanced.

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The Project

Basic Education Research Council of Cagayan de Oro City (BERC-CdO)

Perspective The Basic Education Research Council of Cagayan de Oro City (BERC-CdO) is for elementary and secondary teachers coming from the public and private schools in Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis Oriental who seek professional involvement on research capability-building, dissemination and utilization.

Legal Bases The formation of BERC-CdO will be grounded on specific legalities concerning the right of teachers to organize as duly stipulated in RA 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers and the Education Act of 1992.

Vision A professional organization of highly-trained basic education researchers actively responding to the growing need for knowledge, skills, and innovations that effectively and efficiently contribute to the state of basic education of the country and to the improvement of the lives of the Filipino learners.

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Mission Commitment to promote and support basic and problem-oriented basic education researches, to identify and provide solutions to national elementary and high school education issues and problems, and to generate new knowledge in preparation for the future demands of quality and relevant basic education.

Research Agenda

The creation of BERC-CdO will have a long-term fourfold agenda which starts from the formalization of the organization then to its operational activities on holding research fora, publication of research journal and improving research capability. Figure 3 illustrates the research agenda as contributory factors to the formation and operation of BERC-CdO:

Formalization of the Organization

Improving Research Capability

BASIC EDUCATION RESEARCH COUNCIL

Holding of Research Fora

Publication of Research Journal

Figure 4. The Fourfold Research Agenda towards the Formation and Operation of BERC

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Strategies and Deliverables

Table 3. Strategies and Deliverables per Research Agenda AGENDA

Formalization of the organization (RA 4670, Art 6, Sec 27)

Holding of research fora

Improving research capability

Publication of research journal

STRATEGIES

DELIVERABLES

-Making of constitution and by-laws -Recruit council members -Election of key persons to man the research council -Source out funds -Conduct research presentation/review series -Invite public and private ES and HS teachers to present research results -Make contest strategies for best paper -Identify research agenda for the council -Conduct research trainingworkshop series -Invite key personalities to share research experience and/or outputs -Linking to other research agencies, local and international

-Constitution and By-laws in Print -Number of members -Set of officers

-Encourage submission of researches -Apply blind review system for refereeing -Apply for ISSN

-Certification of published work to hand to researchers -Number of quality research entries for the journal -Number of patented journals

-Operational funds -Number of held gatherings -Certificates to hand upon paper presentation -Awards to give to winners -Set of council’s research agenda -Number of held trainingworkshop -Awards to give to invited personalities -Number of linkages or collaboration works with other agencies

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Implications to Research and Extension Management

The project and research agenda presented herein are the essence of instituting a research and development unit (RDU). To start an RDU, or a research council for this case, is not easy. It considers the mechanism of organizing and planning a functional research unit in its entirety: (1) manpower; (2) expertise; (3) structure; and (4) budget.

If this research council for basic education institutions will realize, the research and extension management movement in the Philippines will become more lively and serviceable to the academe and the community. More collaborative efforts will happen and more research actions will bound. Indeed, the research ventures of basic education institutions will push new frontiers of knowledge and initiatives which is only the HEIs field of interest.

If research makes a university, an institution of labeled excellence, then the basic education institutions who set off research movement will strive to excel. So in consequence, the state of basic education in our country will be uplifted to a good scale. This is one angle on why research is important.

The Philippines’ development agenda will not stop to the HEIs only in terms of cascading, but it will go further to the basic education level. Hence, participation and contribution to national advancement is more realistic.

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Web References

1. http://acr-research.com.au/NewFiles/4page%20indesi.pdf 2. http://aseannhriforum.org/attachments/029_HUMAN%20RIGHTS%20EDU CATION%20IN%20PHILIPPINE%20SCHOOLS.pdf 3. http://chanrobles.com/bataspambansabilang232.htm 4. http://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra1966/ra_4670_1966.html 5. http://adb.org/economics/ 6. http://unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/planning-and-managingeducation/policy-and-planning/financing/ 7. http://betterhighschools.org/docs/NHSC_TransitionsReport.pdf 8. http://nrcp.dost.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13 &Itemid=54

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About the Researcher Ray Butch D. Mahinay is a physics and integrated science teacher at the Department of Education-Cagayan de Oro City Division for seven years already. He took his teacher education studies major in General Science at Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan as a Valedictorian-CHED Center of Excellence academic scholar. He is a DepEd Graduate Fellow at Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City where he finished his M.A. in Science Education. He is about to finish his academic requirements for Ph.D. in Educational Planning and Management at Mindanao University of Science and Technology. He is an active researcher that he won Best Research Presentation-Diamond Award (first place equivalent) on the 2nd Asian Conference for Academic Journals and Higher Education Research by the International Association of Multi-Disciplinary Research Institutions (IAMURE) for his study on science beliefs and practices of science teachers in DepEd. He serves as part-time course lecturer at the School of Education, Xavier University and on-call LET-Natural Sciences lecturer in a Central Mindanao University-based review center.

DEM 621: Research and Extension Management Mindanao University of Science and Technology