Indigenous Cultural Pedagogic Innovations: Experiences of Centers of Excellence in Teacher Education

The study probes into the indigenous cultural pedagogic innovations of professors in the Region 7/Central Visayas’ Centers of Excellence (COE) in Teacher Education and their impact on their students’ level of cultural awareness and sense of national identity. Conducted during school year 2017-2018, in Cebu City, Philippines, it utilized the mixed quantitative – qualitative research approaches. The researchers conducted focus group discussions with 30 professors and students from COE: Cebu Normal University, University of San Carlos and University of San Jose Recollectos. They also administered a questionnaire to 203 senior high school and college students. The study concludes that some pedagogic innovations used by professors in Centers of Excellence in Region 7- Central Visayas are (1) contextualization of the topic in local setting (2) exposure of students to indigenous culture through film-showing or field trips to museums; (3) Bayanihan spirit in group activities (4) authentic assessments; (5) Dove-tailing with co-curricular activities like, Sinulog Festival, Gabii sa Kabilin; (6) Encouraging advocacies like patronizing local products or preservation of cultural heritage. These innovations have “High Impact” on the students. However, there are threats coming from (a) some media outfits that fuelled cultural colonialism and bad representation of national political landscape (b) graft and corruption of some public officials. The study has contributed knowledge of evidence-based innovative pedagogic strategies worth trying out in the present curriculum of Teacher Education to help increase the students’ appreciation of their indigenous Filipino culture and sense of national identity.

Keywords – indigenous cultural pedagogic innovations, cultural awareness, sense of national identity, patriotism, mixed method