Completed Researches

• q-LEARN (School-Based Quality Learning Cells

Project q-Learn (School-Based Quality Learning Cells) addresses a critical concern of the Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP) in terms of enabling inputs towards developing more effective schools: adequate learning packages and other materials for the professional development of teachers, school managers and educational managers to enrich their competencies in managing the school system, from the management level to the classroom level. Project q-Learn is funded under the Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP) School Improvement and Innovation Facility (SIIF) National Window.

The Project aims to enhance the competencies of teachers and school administrators on the use of professional self-learnign packages designed to enable them to carry out school-based, self-propelled learning activities at their own pace and in their own styles. It is envisioned that these competencies shall consequently help improve student achievement in the different learning areas on the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC).

• Internet-enhanced COMPETE (Competency-Based Continuing Education Program for Teachers Utilizing Distance Education Technologies and Materials)

Under COMPETE 2, the existing COMPETE Learning System was converted into an Internet-based system. The modules, which form part of the learning system, were field-validated in selected universities in both urban and rural settings in the Philippines to test the applicability of the Internet features of the program. Validation sites were Philippine Normal University in Manila, Benguet State University in La Trinidad, Benguet, Bicol University in Legazpi City, Mariano Marcos State University in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, and University of Regina Carmeli in Malolos, Bulacan.

The revised Internet-based COMPETE materials were disseminated nationwide through two (2) fora organized at SEAMEO INNOTECH in 2004. Copies of the COMPETE materials were distributed, so that the participants can use and reproduce them as inputs for their local in-service teacher training programs, or, possibly, for the implementation of the COMPETE Learning System in their divisions.

The current 30 modules of Project COMPETE were deemed equivalent to 18 units of a master’s degree. To complete the required number of units for a master’s degree program, additional modules need to be developed. Thus, a workshop on competency framework was held in December 2004 to guide the development of additional modules. The workshop produced a Competency Chart covering nine (9) general areas of competency. Based on this, 20 additional modules for Project COMPETE will be developed.

• Materials Development Project in Support of the Curriculum for the Private Madaris and The Enriched Curriculum for Public Schools for Muslims

From November 16 to December 2, 2004, two workshops funded by The Asia Foundation were conducted at SEAMEO INNOTECH for the Materials Development Project in Support of the Curriculum for the Private Madaris and the Enriched Curriculum for Public Schools for Muslims. The first workshop was to fine-tune and finalize descriptions of subjects, scope and sequence of topics, learning competencies and fleshing out of generic, terminal competencies into more specific learning competencies. The second was to orient textbook writers and prepare a prototype chapter of the textbook, teachers’ guides, and students’ skill books. The results of the two workshops were the refined descriptions, objectives, DACUM charts, and textbook briefs for the five learning areas, namely: Islamic Values, Seerah and Hadith, Aqeedah and Fiqh, Qur’an, and Arabic language.

The workshops were attended by those who were involved in the Cotabato City Curriculum Review and Enrichment Workshop, Islamic scholars and experts from the academe, and other Muslim groups in Mindanao. The participants were divided into five groups, namely: Islamic Values group, Seerah and Hadith group, Aqeedah and Fiqh group, Qur’an group, and Arabic language group. Writers were assigned based on their geographical location for the textbook writing. The workshops culminated with the signing of the textbook writers and the plan to conduct the first review of outputs on January 9 – 13, 2005 in Cotabato City.

The First Review Workshop on the Textbooks, Workbooks, and Teachers’ Guide for Each of the Learning Areas in Each Grade Level pushed through as planned on January 10 to 14, 2005. It was conducted at The Japan-Philippines Literacy Resource Training Center Krislamville, Santos Street, Cotabato City.

Each of the writers presented their outputs while the others gave a critique of their work. During that workshop, new writers were identified for subjects which were still unassigned, and there was a plan to conduct the second review of the textbooks, workbooks, and teachers’ guides towards the last week of February 2005.

• Project ELSA (Education and Livelihood Skills Alliance) – IR4 (Reforming Educational Policy)

The Education and Employment Skills Alliance (ELSA) will create and expand community-based learning and employment activities for young Filipinos, ages 30 and under, living in the Philippines in the southern island of Mindanao, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

One of the components of ELSA is IR4 or the Reforming Educational Policy component. The objectives of the policy research are as follows:

• To look into existing as well as proposed educational policies in the formal education system, its implementing procedures and implications and how these can be further improved in the context of our Muslim brothers and sisters
• Look into policies of currently available alternative learning systems for non-formal education and how these can be further improved to address the needs of our Muslim brothers and sisters
• Recommend policy measures that are sound and politically acceptable as regards a system of certification or accreditation for the Madaris in Mindanao in the context of the overall Philippine education system
• Recommend policy measures for a transparent and accountable management and financial implementation procedures

As of this date, the review of existing educational policies and literature, documents and other secondary data has commenced. To augment the review of policies, focus group interviews of key informants also started. The Research Team focused more on what and how these policies have affected Muslim learners. The team is choosing also case study subjects to learn how they are affected by particular policies, such as the NFE Accreditation and Equivalency System.

• Project National Databases for Effective School Analysis in Asia

The Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Social Sectors Division (RSAN) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) education committee and network commissioned SEAMEO INNOTECH to investigate the distribution of effective schools across Asian region and see whether public and private, large and small, rural and urban, coed and single gender schools are servicing their communities efficiently. Using the International Association for Education Achievement (IEA) public release data banks of school achievement among 13 year-olds in Asia as bases for the study, the Center shall prepare database files for analysis and presentation of findings in 12 country reports. The countries are the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Australia, Turkey, and New Zealand.

The team has already finished preparing the country report of the Philippines. It is now starting to work on the country profile of Malaysia.

• Project WITTY (Who Are TeachIng our Teachers TodaY and Tomorrow?)

Project WITTY is a survey research with an overall goal of determining the status of pre-service education that our teachers of today and the future receive prior to their classroom experience. The Project, funded by the 12th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines through the Office of the Honorable Senator Teresa Aquino-Oreta, was commissioned to SEAMEO INNOTECH, in collaboration with the Philippine Association for Teacher Education (PAFTE). The survey was undertaken by PAFTE from July 15, 2003 to August 15, 2003. Results were collated, analyzed and the final report was completed on July 15, 2004.

The results of the survey produced a profile of teacher educators and teacher education institutions in the country in book form. The book includes the status of employment of teacher educators, their conditions of work at school, the welfare and benefits they receive, and the ICT-preparedness of the schools they work in.

• Evaluation of the First Phase of Project TAO Kiddie PaMaNa

Project TAO Kiddie PAMANA was a joint endeavor of the Office of Senator Teresa Aquino Oreta and the families of Malabon and Navotas. It was conducted in cooperation with the local government or community leadership, government agencies (DepEd, DSWD, DOH, DILG), children-centered organizations, and the business-industry sectors.

Project TAO Kiddie PAMANA aimed to contribute to the readiness of young children in the Malabon and Navotas area for formal education. The project intended to do so by providing learning opportunities, testing the delivery of nutritional and health services, and conducting advocacy and promotions on nutrition and health education to mothers.

The Research and Evaluation Program team of SEAMEO INNOTECH conducted an evaluation of the first phase of the Project, which involved implementation in the Malabon area. The evaluation aimed to provide critical information and inputs that enabled the project management team to strengthen or improve the implementation of the Project's various components. The results helped in addressing weaknesses of the Project and identified areas for improvement in preparation for the second phase, which targeted the Navotas area.

• Research Studies on Equivalency Programs for the Promotion of Lifelong Learning

SEAMEO INNOTECH conducted a small-scale research study on the implementation of the Philippine Nonformal Education Accreditation and Equivalency System (NFE A&E) project. A number of service providers, nominated by the Department of Education, Bureau of Nonformal Education, were evaluated based on the following indicators:

• Project implementation
• Project administration
• Highlights or accomplishments
• Problems and resolution to problems

The study, funded by the UNESCO Bangkok, aimed to share the Philippine experience with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and, also, to draw lessons from the experience of other countries in adopting alternative learning systems like NFE A&E.

• COMPETE (Competency-based Continuing Education Program for Teachers Utilizing Distance Education Technologies and Materials)

This program aimed to develop and pilot test a competency-based continuing education program for teachers utilizing distance learning as a mode of delivery. To date, 30 learning modules have been developed. These modules target the development of teachers and administrators on different levels; as a person, as a professional, as a worker and as a member of the global village. Eight of the modules were accompanied by video supplements to help learners better understand the concepts taught. The program was funded by CIDA under the SEAMEO-Canada Program of Cooperation.

• CODETEL (Courseware Development for Technology Supported Distributed Learning)

The project designed, developed and managed learning modules that were delivered through a combination of old and new media. The courses were tried out for their cost effectiveness, responsiveness to training needs, user friendliness, learning impact and contribution to the solution of problems associated to access and equity. The project also explored the effectiveness of online learning via CD-ROM, intranets and the Internet, and of integrating delivery modes like print, audio and video with network learning environments. With courses delivered online, INNOTECH should be able to provide training courses to individuals who cannot be physically present at the INNOTECH site and those who cannot afford the costs of residential courses at the Center.

• Project TAO CARES (Computer-Assisted Reforms for Schools)

As part of the project, a nationwide survey was conducted to provide data on school profiles, teacher and head teacher profiles and profiles of the information and communication technology capability of all elementary and secondary schools in the country. The survey results are now being used as the basis for policy formulations and budgetary allocations intended to modernize Philippine basic education.

Apart from this, Project TAO CARES was also meant to address the lack of operations support tools for principals and teachers. The data gathered from the survey were used in building an information database. This information database contained data necessary for administering schools and for supervising students. Based on this, a software was developed, which provides recording, reporting, management and decision support on all manners of information regarding the schools. For teachers, the software provides support for handling and managing student information, including grading, attendance, health and nutrition, and others. For school heads, the software provides support for managing information that includes those related to enrollment, furniture, facilities and equipment, instructional materials, among others.

The Project also provided the necessary hardware platform needed, such as computers and their peripherals. A communication and networking component was also included to enable exchange of data at different levels of organization.

• Project TAO I

TAO stands for "Teachers' Advancement for Optimum Well-Being". The project was spearheaded by the Philippine Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture then chaired by Senator Teresa Aquino-Oreta. It aims to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the country's educational system. Under this project, a nationwide survey was conducted to provide authentic and reliable data on teachers' personal profiles, family backgrounds, educational and academic profiles, employment status, welfare benefits and working conditions. Project TAO I targeted a total of 437,453 public elementary and secondary teachers all over the country. This survey produced a computerized baseline data on public school teachers' status, welfare and working conditions broken down according to regions and school divisions.

• Project TAO II

This is a continuation of the first phase of the Project TAO. Under Part 2 of the program, data generated from the nationwide survey were extracted and concerted to a format suitable for making a regularly updatable MIS operational. The updating is being done by a network of trained DECS division office, which was given a computer, printer, modem, computer table and the DECS Personnel MIS software. Several teams were deployed to different regions nationwide to conduct training on the operation of the software.

This national database management system is now helping rationalize budgetary allocation for the educational system and is aiding legislators and policy makers in directly addressing issues and concerns affecting teachers' employment status, welfare benefits and working conditions.

• Project NFE A&E MIS

This stands for "Non-formal Education, Management Information System". This project intends to build the capacity of the NFE's management and supervisory staff at the various hierarchical levels of DECS (central, regional and division).

Through the NFE MIS, an organized information system was put in place to address the information requirements of all users at all levels of the DECS-BNFE. NFE MIS aims to develop the capability of the staff concerned in planning, designing and developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating, and sustaining MIS as a decision support system.

The project involves consultations to find out relevant information needed for the MIS as well as training and try-outs to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the system. The ultimate goal of the project is to install and institutionalize MIS at all levels of DECS-BNFE.

• Project NFE A&E Part I

The Bureau of Nonformal Education (BNFE) of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) commissioned SEAMEO INNOTECH to undertake this Project. The Nonformal Education, Accreditation and Equivalency program aimed to develop and produce prototype self-instructional learning materials, teacher's guides and other instructional materials on several learning strands which include communication skills, problem solving and critical thinking, sustainable use of resources and productivity, development of self and a sense of community, and expanding one's world vision for elementary and secondary levels. A total of 152 modules were produced under this project. Audio supplements were included in 14 of these modules. The modules are used by adult learners and out-of-school youths. The A&E Program provides certification for skills and knowledge acquired after passing the NFE A&E Test. The certificates can then be used for reentry into the formal school system or for employment. For its efforts to improve education in the Philippines, this project received the UNESCO International NOMA Literacy Prize.

• Project NFE A&E Part II

This project is a continuation of the first NFE A&E project. Under this, new and additional learning modules were developed. Modules meant for higher elementary levels and high schools were designed to be self-instructional while those for lower elementary levels were designed to be facilitator-mediated. A total of 165 modules were produced. About half of these (84) were developed to prepare nonformal education learners for college. Moreover, except for the modules on English, all modules that were produced for NFE A&E parts 1 and 2 now have a Filipino and English version to enable learners to choose the language that best suits them. Ten of the audio supplements for NFE Part 1 were also translated in English. In addition, 32 of the modules were supplemented with audio while 6 were supplemented with video. The A&E Program is geared toward helping learner-participants to develop marketable skills and eventually increase their income. It also aims to assist them in availing job opportunities.

• IMPACT (Instructional Management by Parents, Community and Teachers)

IMPACT is an effective and economical alternative delivery system for mass primary education funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada. The project was conducted in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia and implemented and/or adopted in a number of countries in Asia, the Caribbean Islands and Africa.

• RIT (Reduced Instructional Time)

RIT is an alternative approach to an effective and efficient mass primary education. Its thesis is that both the time required for student learning and the time that teachers must spend in support of learning can be reduced through the design and scheduling of learning. RIT is also an attempt to increase learning efficiency through the use of well-prepared learning materials. Such learning is controlled in most situations by instructions provided in the learning materials themselves. In situations where such forms of control are not very effective, teachers are employed to facilitate learning. Through better learning strategies and appropriate designs of the instructional programs, the time spent on learning is reduced by increasing the learning speed of the student, and by decreasing the amount of time that teachers need to spend with their students.

The project was conducted in Thailand, with funding support from the Government of the United States.

• CB-BLP (Community-based Basic Learning Package)

The main thrust of CB-BLP is to provide out-of-school youths and adults in community, relevant basic learning in a period shorter than what is needed in primary education. The project incorporated the use of program teachers, individualized instruction and group learning with the aid of learning packages.

The learning packages produced were meant to answer the need for knowledge in communication skills in dealing with quantitative data, positive attitude towards self-improvement, etc. For each participating country, two project sites were selected; one that is typically urban and another, typically rural. This program has been implemented in nonformal education programs in the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

• NTR (Non-Traditional Roles of Teachers)

NTR is a research and development study which intends to help improve teachers' education in the SEAMEO Region. Specifically, it aims to develop a variety of Teacher Preparation Packages (TPPs) to train or retrain personnel for the major types of nontraditional educational programs that are being used or are likely to be used in the Region.

• DELSILIFE (Development of an Effective Learning System for the Improvement of Life)

DELSILIFE is an educational intervention system for empowering the rural poor to improve their quality of life through self-reliance. The project was funded by the Royal Government of The Netherlands and the participating countries. The DELSILIFE approach has been implemented in nonformal education programs in the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.

• NODROPS LS-EFA (A Learning System for Education for All)

NODROPS LS-EFA is a learning system that is integrated, flexible and responsive to the needs of children of school-going age because it provides them access to quality basic education regardless of their socio-economic circumstances. Through NODROPS LS-EFA, every child that enrolls in the elementary education stays with the education system until he becomes functionally literate and develops his thinking skills and ability to learn how to learn.

With NODROPS LS-EFA, the internal efficiency of primary (elementary) education is improved as it utilizes a multi-pronged and holistic approach to the problem of educational wastage stemming primarily from the dropout problem.

SEAMEO INNOTECH with funding support from the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Canada, UNESCO, and SEAMEO INNOTECH's Endowment Fund developed NODROPS LS-EFA. The learning system went through the process of research and development within a four-year project period. It has been tried-out and main-field tested in six pilot schools.

• LEAD (Learning for Effective Administrator Development)

LEAD is a distance education in-service training for school heads developed by SEAMEO INNOTECH in cooperation with the Pangasinan State University and DECS-Region I.

LEAD was undertaken in the Philippines with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The project developed a learning package consisting of video and printed modules for upgrading the management and leadership skills of school head, particularly in the rural areas. Through the distance learning delivery mode, the LEAD packages have been integrated in the graduate program of the Pangasinan State University in the Philippines and is in the process of being adopted by two other universities for their distance learning program.

• EASE (Effective and Affordable Secondary Education)

EASE is an alternative learning system for students who want to finish high school, but cannot attend classes regularly, or do not learn optimally in the formal school. It was developed by SEAMEO INNOTECH in cooperation with the Department of Education, Culture and Sports - Educational Development Project Implementing Task Force (DECS-EDPITAF), Philippines.

EASE is a school-based system that primarily makes use of distance and self-learning modes in the delivery of first year secondary education. Its main learning materials are the standard high school textbooks, supplemented by Student Guides (SGs).

• SEAMEO CIDA Integrated Community-Based Human Resource Development

The project was in response to the rising poverty, particularly in the rural areas of Southeast Asia. It aimed to mobilize SEAMEO alumni and government extension workers as members of a Development Service Team (DST). The team would act as catalyst by providing expertise and services to community-oriented projects.

The project was funded by the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). It was piloted from January 1985 to December 1989 in rural villages of four countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

• GRASP (Generalizing and Reinforcing the Ability to Solve Problems)

GRASP developed a series of learning units integrating problem-solving situations relevant to Work/Life Education. Funding for the project was provided by the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (AIDAB).

• VIDEOTECH

VIDEOTECH developed a video based interactive instructional package for teacher education on "The Art of Questioning" and "Reacting Techniques". The project was undertaken in the Philippines in partnership with LearnTech and the Educational Development Center (EDC) Inc., USA and funded by USAID through the International Institute for Research (IIR). A Thai version of the package on "The Art of Questioning" was also produced and tried out in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

• CASES (Case Studies of Administrators of Education in Southeast Asia)

Project CASES aimed to conduct a cross-cultural research of successful educational administrators through case studies involved the following SEAMEO member countries: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

• SBE (School-Based Education)

The project aims to equip participants of a distance education course with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in planning and implementing school-based evaluation and to utilize results in planning school improvement programs. Thirty (30) self-learning modules and six (6) instructional video tapes were prepared. The project is now being pilot tested in Pangasinan State University, Lingayen, Pangasinan. Participants in the program are eligible for accreditation of 18 units leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Education, major in Educational Evaluation.