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

Abstract

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.