Project Sober (Strengthening Our Basic Education Research): Research Capacity Building for Public School Teachers in the Department of Education- Division of Occidental Mindoro

Abstract

The role of teachers in public schools has changed from teaching to administrative and research functions. In the Department of Education, Master Teachers as well as Teachers I-III are now required to conduct at least one action or basic research based on the Basic Education Research Agenda.  This paper highlights the importance of the Project SOBER in promoting research culture in the different public schools in the Division of Occidental Mindoro. This program is a collaborative undertaking of the Occidental Mindoro State College and the Department of Education-Occidental Mindoro Division for five years. Division trainings, seminar-workshops, roll-outs, colloquiums and research presentations were conducted from January 18, 2018-January 18, 2023. The topics discussed were research management, financial management for funded proposal, research conceptualization, research implementation, manuscript write up, and effective poster and oral presentation. The participants rated the extension as “very highly effective” in terms of content and management of the program. To date, the teachers in the Division of Occidental Mindoro had been presenting research papers in the regional/national fora, receiving awards and publishing their outputs in refereed journals.