MENTOR: MATRIX AND ENHANCEMENT TRAINING

ONWARDS RESEARCH IMPROVEMENT

Researcher:

JOVELL V. VIOLANTE

Lian National High School

Barangay Malaruhatan, Lian, Batangas
2023
 ABSTRACT

MENTOR: MATRIX AND ENHANCEMENT TRAINING ONWARDS

RESEARCH IMPROVEMENT
Jovell V. Violante
Lian Sub-Office: Lian National High School

This study aimed to assess the level of research knowledge of

teachers before and after the implementation of project
MENTOR: Matrix, ENhancement Training Onwards Research
improvement. This also deals with the issues and challenges as
well as barriers on the conduct of research. Mixed method
research design was utilized in this study employing survey and
interview as data gathering method. The participants of this
study were all teachers in the MAPEH department of Lian
National High School. The result reveals that in terms of
research knowledge, the teachers did not meet the expectations
before the implementation of MENTOR while they attained a
satisfactory level after. Significant difference between the scores
signified the effectiveness of the project. Time and knowledge
are the most common issues and challenges while the barriers
are divided into personal and professional aspects.

Keywords: MENTOR; research; knowledge; time; barriers

Acknowledgement

The researcher would like to extend her deepest gratitude to the following

individuals who have given great contribution in the completion of this study:

Mrs. Saniata G. Hernandez, Principal II of Lian National High School, for her

untiring support to the researcher in the pursuit of research;

MAPEH teachers of Lian National High School, for their participation that

contributed to the success of this study;

Family, friends and colleagues who extended their resources for the success

of this study; and

Almighty God, that provided the researcher wisdom to finish this study.

J.V.V
Context and Rationale

Research has been an integral aspect of educational institutions. Throughout

the years, schools have recognized the value of research in the improvement of

educational processes. This led schools to encourage the teachers to conduct

research in order to resolve problems on teaching and learning or adapt best

practices that will help the educational sector attain the goal of promoting quality

education. The implementation of research in education was coupled with several

personal and professional benefits.

In its implementation, however, several views of the teachers have been

evident. Some teachers argued that the conduct of research coincide with their

teaching duties. The heavy workload that they have does not give them ample

chance to engage on such endeavors. More so, most of the teachers have a

negative view of research as this is branded as a difficult and complex activity. The

main challenges teachers face in carrying out their research are inadequate training

and research seminars; heavy teaching load; lack of a clear role for teachers in

conducting research; and busy with personal life (Abelardo et al., 2019).

On a global scale, teachers cite lack of research time, lack of funding, too

many school responsibilities, tedious and rigorous proposal process, lack of

instructors to conduct research, and lack of knowledge in data analysis qualitative

and quantitative. are major barriers to research. Teachers' research activities are

also hindered by lack of knowledge on how to write a publishable paper, very large

class sizes, lack of access to research journals, lack of Internet in schools. or poor

and lack of support from management (Hussien et al., 2019).

 In Lian National High School, a small portion of the teachers conduct

research. As the years go by, the number of teachers participating on research

conferences decline. This posed an alarming issue on the part of the school. Since

the school have several priority improvement areas, it is deemed appropriate for the

teachers to study the situation through research in order to provide relevant and

accurate solutions which was tested for its effectiveness. In this way, the teachers

will be able to contribute to the development of learners, teachers, and the school in

general.

The researcher, being the research coordinator of this school aimed in

identifying the level of research knowledge of teachers as well as the issues and

challenges that affected the conduct of research. Moreover, the barriers met by the

teachers in the conduct of the research was dealt in this study. In the end, this study

proposed a project that will help the teachers conduct research successfully and to

hopefully instill a culture of research in the institution for the benefit of the school and

its stakeholders.

Innovation, Intervention, and Strategy

With the improvement in mind, the constant search of innovation, intervention,

and strategy. This study utilized the framework presented in Figure 1.

The project MENTOR (Matrix and ENhancement Training Onwards Research

improvement) revolved around five steps. The first step is the conduct of the pre-test.

The teachers accomplished the pre-test. This assessed their research knowledge.

After answering the test, the teachers were asked to attend a training regarding

research. As an output, the teachers crafted a matrix guide that will help them

accomplish the research at a specified time. After this, series of mentoring sessions
were conducted. Lastly, a post-test was given to determine whether the teachers

improved in terms of research.

Figure 1
Framework for MENTOR

This project was conceptualized because of the observed low number of

teachers who conduct research. The researcher thought of identifying the issues and

challenges in the conduct of research. The identified issues were time and lack of

knowledge. In response, the researcher crafted this project utilizing training and

matrix guide to help teachers.

Action Research Questions

This study aimed to propose a project which will help teachers to conduct

research.

Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions:

 1. What is the level of research knowledge of the teachers before the

implementation of MENTOR?

2. What is the level of research knowledge of the teachers after the

implementation of MENTOR?

3. Is there a significant difference on the level of research knowledge of the

teachers before and after the implementation of MENTOR?

4. What is the extent of the issues and challenges encountered in conducting

research?

5. What are the barriers that prevent the teachers in conducting research?

Action Research Methods

Participants and other Sources of Data and Information

The researcher used the mixed method research design. This research

design is the appropriate research design as it sought to determine the level of

knowledge of the teachers in research as well as the issues and challenges and

barriers in the conduct of research. This study utilized a survey questionnaire and

interview guide as instruments of this study. The survey questionnaire was used to

determine the level of knowledge and extent of issues and challenges in conducting

research. On the other hand, the interview guide was used to explore the barriers

faced by teachers that prevented them to conduct research.

The participants in this study were comprised of the teachers in the MAPEH

department. Consensus was applied as all the teachers in the department were

asked to participate in this study. A total of 9 teachers participated in this study.

Data Gathering Methods

The researcher wrote a letter to the school head in order to seek approval for

the conduct of the study. Upon approval, the researcher asked the consent of the

participants of the study. The participants of this study was asked to answer the pre-

assessment. The first part is composed of 12 questions regarding the basic

knowledge in research. The second part is composed of the issues and challenges

encountered by the teachers in conducting research which was composed of 5

items. An interview was also conducted focusing on the barriers met by the teachers

in conducting research.

The data was analyzed and interpreted to form conclusions. The transcript of

the interview was arranged into themes. In order to interpret the result, thematic-

deductive analysis was used. The names of the teachers were kept confidential.

Only the researcher was able to access the responses of the teachers. It was

deleted after analysis and interpretation of data.

The Likert scale presented below were used to score the responses.

Verbal Interpretation Range

Outstanding 90-100
Very Satisfactory 85-89
Satisfactory 80-84
Fairly Satisfactory 75-79
Did not meet expectations below 75

For the efficient treatment of the data that was gathered, the following

statistical tools were used.

Composite mean. This was used to identify the level of research knowledge

of teachers as well as the issues and challenges related to this matter.

t-test. This was used to determine the significant difference on the level of

research knowledge before and after the implementation of MENTOR.

Discussion of Results and Reflection

This section presents the findings of this study. The data gathered were

analyzed and interpreted.

1. Level of Research Knowledge Before the Implementation of MENTOR

The level of research knowledge of the teachers was assessed in this study.

Before the implementation of MENTOR, the teachers were given a test in order to

determine whether they possess the basic knowledge regarding research. Table 1

shows the result of the pre-assessment.

Table 1
Level of Research Knowledge Before Implementation
Participant Score
A 58
B 67
C 50
D 75
E 25
F 42
G 67
H 58
I 83
Grand Mean 58.33
Interpretation
Did not meet expectations
Did not meet expectations
Did not meet expectations
Fairly Satisfactory
Did not meet expectations
Did not meet expectations
Did not meet expectations
Did not meet expectations
Satisfactory
Did not meet expectations

Generally, during the pre-assessment, the teachers did not meet the

expectations intended for research knowledge. This means that the teachers have

insufficient understanding of the concept of research. This may be because of the

limited trainings conducted regarding research. More so, the teachers gained little

guidance and mentoring in the pursuit of research. In relation Tindowen et al. (2019)

found out that the teachers have low level of knowledge in terms of research.

2. of Research Knowledge After the Implementation of MENTOR

The researcher assessed the level of research knowledge of teacher after the

implementation of MENTOR. This was done after the conduct of the training,
mentoring sessions, and crafting and execution of matrix guide. Table 2 presents the

result of the post-assessment.

Table 2
Level of Research Knowledge After Implementation
Participant Score Interpretation
A 83 Satisfactory
B 83 Satisfactory
C 75 Fairly Satisfactory
D 75 Fairly Satisfactory
E 83 Satisfactory
F 67 Did not meet expectations
G 58 Did not meet expectations
H 92 Outstanding
I 100 Outstanding
Grand Mean 80 Satisfactory

Generally, the result reveals that after the implementation of MENTOR, the

teachers gained a satisfactory level of research knowledge. This means that the

training, mentoring sessions, and application of matrix guide helped the teachers to

better understand research. This may be due to the consistent revisiting of concepts

and guidance acquired from the mentor. In relation, van der Linden (2015)

mentioned that through intervention activities, teachers gained improvement on

research knowledge.

Significant Difference on the Level of Research Knowledge

To tell whether the MENTOR has been effective, the researcher determined

the significant difference of the result of the pre-test and post-test. The result was

shown in Table 3.
 Table 3
Difference on the level of Research Knowledge
Tabular value 2.31
Computed value 3.34
p-value 0.01
Decision Reject
Interpretation Significant

The p-value of 0.01 is greater than 0.05. Therefore, the null hypothesis is

rejected. There is a significant difference on the level of research knowledge of

teachers before and after the implementation of MENTOR. This means that the

utilization of training equipped with mentoring sessions and matrix guide enhanced

the knowledge of teachers in research. This may be because of the greater exposure

in research that the teachers learn better on the research concepts. Similarly,

Nurhasanah et al. (2020) mentioned that through the use of professional

development programs, the research knowledge of teachers improved.

3. Issues and Challenges Encountered in the Conduct of Research

The researcher explored the issues and challenges relative to the conduct of

research as shown in Table 4. The teachers felt a great extent of issues and

challenges with a mean of 3.42. This means that the teachers have been affected by

the issues and challenges which is evident on their low knowledge in research. This

implies that the teachers have many things to overcome in order to conduct

research. This may be brought by the limited intervention given in order to support

the teachers in the conduct of research. In relation, problems arise during the

implementation of action research in the classroom such as problem identification,

proposed literature review, and data analysis (Wulandari et al., 2019).

 Table 4
Issues and Challenges
Issues and Mean Interpretation
Challenges
Time 3.67 Great Extent
Knowledge 3.56 Great Extent
Awareness on Benefits 3.33 Great Extent
Past Experiences 3.33 Great Extent
Administrative Support 3.22 Moderate Extent
Grand Mean 3.42 Great Extent

Among the items, time is the greatest issue or challenge which affected the

conduct of research. This means that the teachers have little to no time for research.

This may be brought by the heavy work load of teachers which was consumed in

teaching and non-teaching duties. In consonance, Tindowen et al. (2019) stated that

the teachers lack the necessary time to conduct research.

On the other hand, the administrative support was reported to be the issue or

challenge with a moderate extent. This means that administrators have not exerted

much issue or challenge in the conduct of research. This may be a manifestation of

the continuous guidance and encouragement of administrators to teachers in the

pursuit of research.

4. Barriers Encountered in the Conduct of Research

The researcher conducted an interview among the teachers regarding the

barriers encountered in the conduct of research. Two themes have been generated:

personal and professional barriers.

Personal. The teachers encountered some difficulties related to themselves.

They have some personal feelings regarding the conduct of research such as being

overly conscious. They felt afraid since the conduct of research is new to them. They
also lack of focus since there are many personal concerns that they also need to

consider. For instance,

“Im quite conscious because Im not used to make or conduct

research,this is my first time (P7)”.
“Lack of focus (P3)”

Professional. There are also professional concerns that the teachers

encountered which became a barrier on their conduct of research. The time that the

teachers exert at work does not give them the chance to conduct research. The

workload that they have prevented them from conducting research. This entails the

lack of proper time management of the teachers in order to include research as one

of their priority tasks. Some of the participants said,

“Time and workload (P8)”

“Time, lack of knowdlege and focus (P2)”
Similarly, on a global scale, teachers cite lack of research time, lack of

funding, too many school responsibilities, tedious and rigorous proposal process,

lack of instructors to conduct research, and lack of knowledge in data analysis

qualitative and quantitative. are major barriers to research. Teachers' research

activities are also hindered by lack of knowledge on how to write a publishable

paper, very large class sizes, lack of access to research journals, lack of Internet in

schools. or poor and lack of support from management (Hussien et al., 2019).

Action Plan

Activity Timeline Resources

Communicate with the school November 2023 Local Fund
heads of Lian District regarding
the crafted project
Seek the approval of the November 2023 Local Fund
dissemination of the project
 proposal
Distribute the project proposal November 2023 Local Fund
among teachers
Conduct a monitoring and November 2023 – Local Fund
evaluation on the impact of the December 2023
project
Analyze the data gathered from January 2024 Local Fund
the monitoring and evaluation
Make the necessary February 2024 Local Fund
adjustments and re-evaluate

References

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Challenges encountered by the national high school teachers in doing action

research. International Journal of English, Literature and Social Science

(IJELS), 4(4), 1046-1051.

Hussien, O. Q., Jerusalem, R. Y., & Langam Jr, H. L. (2019). Research barriers of

public school teachers of the division of Ilgan City. PUPIL: International

Journal of Teaching, Education and Learning, 3(1), 189-204.

Nurhasanah, F., Sukandi, U., Kuncoro, A. B., Rusilowati, A., Hastuti, W. S., &

Prabowo, A. (2020, August). Collaborative classroom action research for

mathematics and science teachers in Indonesia. In Journal of Physics:

Conference Series (Vol. 1613, No. 1, p. 012024). IOP Publishing.

Tindowen, D. J., Guzman, J., & Macanang, D. (2019). Teachers’ conception and

difficulties in doing action research. Universal Journal of Educational

Research, 7(8), 1787-1794.

van der Linden, W., Bakx, A., Ros, A., Beijaard, D., & van den Bergh, L. (2015). The

development of student teachers’ research knowledge, beliefs and attitude.

Journal of Education for Teaching, 41(1), 4-18.

Wulandari, D., Narmaditya, B. S., Utomo, S. H., & Prayi, P. H. (2019). Teachers’

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