Instruction, research, extension and productivity — these are the functions of a higher education institution (HEI), according to Professor Philip Sarmiento, an education doctorate and full-time professor at Holy Angel University. He was invited as the guest speaker of a two-day webinar on research development organized by the Research and Development Unit (RDU) of Holy Cross College.
Professors and students from the different departments of the college attended the said online seminar, September 16-17. HCC President Atty. Dennis C. Pangan opened the webinar on the first day. He said, “Research is a very important component in every institution, whether it is in the academe or the private sector.” That is why, according to him, the administration is open and willing to support the research.
Atty. Pangan continued, “Let’s focus on research. Let’s do our best in finding the best solutions for our problems. Nasa research ‘yan Check on the facts. What is the issue and how can we meet the issue head-on.”
Like the school president, Dr. Sarmiento believes research is important for an HEI like Holy Cross College. According to him, in an HEI, “research is our business. It’s not just the business of the professor … the students but [also] the business of all stakeholders in the institution.”
According to Dr. Paolo Lumanlan, head of the RDU, the webinar’s goal is to help HCC stakeholders conduct and produce research studies. To do this, they must learn to write research proposals. A lecture on basic quantitative data analysis using statistical tools was also part of the two-day digital training.
Participants first learned about the basics of writing a research proposal, developing the introduction of the study and coming up with a creative research title.
On the second day, Dr. Sarmiento tackled research methodology, data analysis and research ethics.
Research as community service
Dr. Sarmiento also mentioned the biggest importance of research is its contribution to the community and how it seeks information to address a certain problem. To identify a problem that a research study can center on, one can “just look at the community,” the educator said. Dr. Sarmiento explained that as long as there are questions to be answered or clarified, there are problems that can be addressed through research.
Previously, Atty. Pangan mentioned research studies are useful for governance and policy making. For example, he said, the school conducted a study on the most effective method of TES refund distribution for college students, in a time when health and safety protocols are of the utmost importance. The result? The president said, there were no hiccups in the process, and the school received no complaints from student-beneficiaries or parents.
Now, the goal for HCC is to be the leading HEI in Central Luzon when it comes to research, Atty. Pangan stated.
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