Values of Research to Man

Research is of great value to man. Through research, the quality of man’s life has improved from conventional to modern, hence, life becomes not only meaningful but enriching as well. Therefore, man must be a dreamer and ambitious, but he must be industrious, the values of research to man is as follows:

1. Research improves quality of life. Research has led man to search for ways to improve his life. It has led him to focus on proving processes and means, which he must love and find interesting.

For instance, let us focus on a study on “Research Achievements and Socioeconomic Status of Professors in State Universities and College (SUCs”. Research is the primary mission of professors in SUCs. If they perform many competitive researches they become research awardees. Hence, they are professors in deed. However, there are professors who do not conduct researches at all after completing the degree, thus, they have not performed their mission and are professors in name. These and dissertations are not considered as researches conducted by them because they are requirements for graduation.

In the foregoing study, if the findings show that the more research achievements of professors are, the higher are the socioeconomic status will be; and the least research achievements are, the lower the socioeconomic status will be; hence, research achievements have significant bearing with the socioeconomic  status individual. On the other hand, if the findings show that professors with more competitive research achievements are socially and economically in secured, this means research achievements of professors have no significant implication with socioeconomic status.

By and large, in the field of education, the more competitive research achievements of professors are, the higher their salary will be because they can get the highest academic rank as College/University Professor, whereas professors with least research achievements would find it difficult to obtain the highest academic rank.

Another example in which research has improved the quality of life where it does not need the acquisition of the highest educational degree is the case of an enterprise (SMEs). For instance, his enterprise is on the utilization and commercialization of fish bone meal as offal of boneless milkfish, goatfish tapa, tilapia fillets, canned sardines and canned tuna into value added products. These value added products from fish wastes are canned luncheon meat, canned spread, embotido, burger, fish balls, polvoron, sausage, meat loaf, and quekiam. These research products are much salable here and abroad and the research-oriented entrepreneur becomes socially and economically secured, thus, he improves his quality of life.

2. Research improves instruction. Research has no beginning and no end. It is a never-ending task. Educators, policy makers, and educational researchers continue to conduct research to improve instruction. Studies on the different methods, strategies, and approaches in teaching various subject areas, grade and year levels have been conducted to determine which method, strategy, or approach is best and most effective in teaching. Several innovations have been introduced to improve instruction. Conventional or traditional teaching is no longer practiced and only the modern ones are applied. A modern teacher is expected to possess the following qualities – Model, Obedient, Dedicated, Efficient, Research-oriented, Noble, Talented, Effective, Active, Creative, Honest, Economical, and Resourceful. These qualities can be shortened by the acronym MODERN TEACHER.

Through research, instruction has improved because the modern teacher introduces innovations and integrates the 3Rs (rational thinking, right conduct, and research) in all subject areas in his teaching.

3. Research improves student’s achievement. The students’ achievement could be improved if the Modern Teacher keeps himself updated on issues and trends about the modern methods and strategies in teaching by reading related researches or conducting his own research. By so doing, students; achievements in licensure board examination is high.

4. Research improves teacher’s competence. There’s a saying, “Many Are called but only a few are chosen as teachers because they are licensed as “professional teacher.” But not competent due to lack improvement in his teaching at all. He reports to classes for compliance, but his ten years of experience in teaching is equivalent to one year only, yet repeated for nine years.

On the other hand, a competent teacher is research-oriented teacher. He always conducts research to improve his competence and produce graduates who respond to the socioeconomic development of the country and can compete with other graduates of the world.

5. Research satisfies man’s needs. In the 19th century, the needs of man were not as fully satisfied as they are today. Man suffered from the conventional ways of living. For instance, there were no airplanes, no vehicle facilities, no electrification, no communication facilities, no kitchen facilities, no movie houses and many others. Due to the advancement in science and technology, man’s conventional ways have changed from traditional to modern ways. Airplanes and vehicles were invented to satisfy man’s needs to travel other places; electrification has been discovered to satisfy man’s needs  because almost all equipment, is run by electricity, like light, ventilation, air-conditioning equipment, computer, rice cooker, oven, television, escalator, elevator, karaoke, cassette, and many others. If man wants a heat mechanical device during winter, heater equipment is available. If one wants cool mechanical device during summer, air-conditioning equipment is available. If he wants to see and talk to his relatives and friends abroad, web camera is available. If he wants to know current happenings here and abroad, television is available. These modern facilities that the satisfy man’s needs are all products of research.

6. Research reduces the burden of work. Modern devices and equipment such as cellular phones, web cameras, computers, copier machines, fax machines, washing machines, cooking equipment, freezers, refrigerators, gas ranges and many others are some of the products of research that reduce man’s burden of work.

7. Research has deep-seated psychological aspects. Research stimulates and ennobles the human spirit. It challenges man to get rid of the danger of stagnation. It is an open door to a better tomorrow and it guides him in his efforts to obtain good results which contribute to his satisfaction and self-fulfillment.

8. Research improves the exportation of food products. Through research, the exportation of food products has improved. The Philippine products being exported are mangoes, banana, canned pineapples, canned crab meat, frozen yellow-fin tuna, frozen boneless milkfish, frozen headless shrimp and prawn, frozen tilapia fillet, frozen nemipterid fillet, frozen crevalle fillet, frozen whiting fillet, and many others.

Some of the international research agencies that help provide the support for research in the Philippines are IRRI (International Rice Research Institutes), JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency), IFS (International Foundation for Science), and ACIAR (Australian Center for International Agricultural Research).

With the continuing increase of population and because rice and fish remain the staple food for Filipinos, the Philippines must combine scientific programs of rice and fish production with a programs on responsible parenthood so that parents will only produce children whom they can afford to properly nourish and educate.

If more Filipinos become capable of conducting research in agriculture and aquaculture, the exportation of food products may be increased.

9. Research responds to the economic recovery and austerity measure of the country. The Philippines in the period of economic crises. Prices of commodities keep on increasing and peso devaluation continues. If all Filipinos are research-oriented, these problems may be solved. Priorities of researches to be funded by research agencies like the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Education (DepEd), and many others have return of investment (ROI) so that the research budget will not be exhausted. Experimental researches must be given priority when it comes to research grants. To train the researchers to conduct research with ROI, graduate school theses and dissertations must focus on researches with ROI and hold in abeyance on descriptive research since the Philippines is in the period of economic recovery and austerity measure.

Research outputs must also be converted into income generating projects to train students to earn while they learn. If all research with ROI is given priority by the government, research responds to the economic recovery and austerity measure of country.

10. Research trains graduates to become responsive to the economic development of the country and compete globally. Curricular offerings in the Philippines must focus on experimental research and entrepreneurships. Training and retraining of teachers in conducting experimental research with entrepreneurship of research outputs should be done so that they can deliver the goods and services to the students effectively, efficiently, and excellently.

There are four mandated functions of SUCs (State Universities and colleges) and private schools as well, namely: Instruction, research, Extension, and Production. Of the four functions, 100 percent of the instructors and professors perform Instruction, but Research is the weakest link among the four functions. This is due to lack of incentives given to researchers. Through constant training and retaining of faculty members in research with entrepreneurship on research output, they can deliver the goods and services to the students effectively, efficiently, and excellently, thus, graduates can compete globally and respond to the economic development of the country.

It has been observed that research-oriented countries are progressive and economically secured countries.