In a teacher’s everyday experience in the academic setting, he/she is confronted with everyday problems, thoughts and ideas on certain issues and enormous amount of data to deal with. One way to find out root causes and possible solutions of some problems is through the conduct of research.
The conduct of research allows teachers to have an objective evaluation of some learning conditions and issues. With first-hand experience and information, the teacher knows the problems and craft solutions to existing conditions. As a teacher in the tertiary level and as part of the quadric-fold program of the university where I am employed which are instruction, research, extension and production, I have conducted correlation and descriptive studies. However, in terms of quantity I still lack the numbers and publications in refereed journals. My interest now lies on experimental research and on the topics such as comparison of the effectiveness of the Worktext/Module I am currently developing and the conventional approach of providing instruction. I intend to determine its effectiveness using a control and experimental group and then compare their mean gain scores if there is indeed a significant difference in the performance of the experimental and control group.
In my own experience, one difficulty that teachers are encountering in the field of research is the time constraint. With teaching load of 21 units or more, teachers have difficulty squeezing in more time for this endeavor not to mention quasi-assignments and other functions. One possible solution is an additional load is credited if a teacher conducts research, however in practice the total workload (teaching, quasi-assignment, research, etc.) even exceeds what is allowed due to the lack of teachers to handle the courses. Another is budgetary requirement, where there is meager financial support for faculty researches especially if the institution does not have linkages however one may seek support from the Commission on Higher Education, DOST or other government agencies.
The conduct of research is self-fulfilling and is beneficial both on the part of the teacher and to the learners. Fresh ideas and concepts are generated which might help in the solutions of problems in the classroom setting and in learning in general. Hence, teachers must be encouraged to conduct researches within their scope of work.
My e-Journal in Theories of Learning 
Hello. Thank you for your great post. I totally agree that teachers must be encouraged to conduct research as it gives us ideas of what is working and what’s not in our lesson or classroom. Thanks, again. Good luck on your research.
Reblogged this on Maria Lita Cruz Sudo Theories of Learning.
yes, there might be obstacles on our path in the conduct of research but as resourceful and problem-solvers, teachers can overcome these for the improvement of the learning environment and professional development.