Science in the Elementary School: Philippine Cultural Values and Attitudes

For many of Lhe diverse transitional societies of Southeast Asia, the harsh technological realities o( the twentieth century have necessitated the development of innovative educational strategies for accelerating social, economic and polilical growth. Caught now in a "revolution of rising expectation," many emerging nations have felt compelled to use Western educa­tional philosophies and methodologies as models in initiating major curriculum innovations. Such a new innm~..i tion has been the transplantalion of the Inquiry Approach to science teaching, a result of American educational theory. to the Philippine classroom.

Much o( the current literature in science educa­tion, particularly articles written by Dr. Luz Sanga­lang, Director of the National Science Development Board in the Philippines, has emphasized the need for the inquiry approach to science teaching in the Philippine classroom. In her many publications 1, Dr. Sangalang points out to Filipino teachers that with the accelerating growth of knowledge in science and technology, science can no longer be taught as a body of facts to be understood and remembered. She in­sists that it should be taught as a process of inquiry, stressing problem-solving and open-ended experi­ments directly related to the development o( creativity. She (unher emphasizes that a most important oul­come of science Leaching, the achievement of desira­ble scientific attitudes and values, has been gravely lacking in most Philippine science education.

Inquiry and Teaching

Paul Brandwein broadly defines inquiry as a "mix

Perla Tayko Caren Walsh

of human activity in search for meaning."2 Viewed in a dual context, F. James Rutherford, discusses in­quiry as "content" and "technique". Inquiry as the content of the scientiric enterprise, is a "pattern o( in­quiry characteristics of a given science, or of a given field within a science, and that such patterns form an integral part of what science is." As a technique it is a "strategy for bringing about learning from some particular science content." Relating one to the other, Rutherford considers both "content" and "inquiry" a "warp and woof of a single fabric which is after all the way science rea 11 y is." 3

Despite considerable effort by many competent educational leaders, it can be said with considerable certainty that most teachers in the Philippines today continue to practice rather archaic methods of teach­ing science. Evelina Otteza, a careful observer of the educational scene, has noted that the teacher usually lectures to a classroom of passively attentive, quiel students who religiously take down every word that is uttered. 4 Many incidents of pupils simply lislcning, copying and then reproducing what they have heard have been observed by one of the authors of the paper in Philippine classrooms. Dr. Pedro Orata, a distinguished Philippine science educalor has aptly summed up many of the present practices in the Phil­ippine science classroom by saying, "I believe that science courses for the most pan are taught by the lecture and blackboard method. Pupils learn a few isolated, ohen inconsequential facts about science, but they seldom learn to think ... ".5

Inquiry teaching involves teachers and children in

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the study of scicmific phenomena in much the same way ,ts scit·ntists 111\·ol\'l'd in research efforts. The major objecti\'e for inquiry waching is to help d1i ldren le.,rn the processes of science ,ts well a~ the content of science through ,1cth-el} worJ..ing with a wide range of objects and system,. media, materi,1ls, and pro· cedun:~. The impkmc111,ttion of inqui11 teaching poscc; many problems for most teachers. An at­mo,phere in which there is an ahund.111ce of free thought and action is <lifficult for them to pro\'idc. This would seem to be especially true in a society such ac; the one found in the Philippinci..

Philippine Cuhur,il \'.ilues and Attitudes

Philippine culture ic; a blending of elements derived ftom variow, culturJI traditiom of peoples from dif­fcn•nt pans of the \,oriel. Its heterogeneity may on casual ohst·r\'ation rc\'t'.11 marked traces of western in­fluence. A rnrcf11l study, howc\'cr, shows a pre­dominance of basic cultural clements which arc Ma­layan and non-western.

As a baya11ilu111 society, the Filipinos tend to "stress tradition, authority, the importance of group rather than individual, shame rather than guilt, and ac­ceptance of fate rather than the demand to remake 1he world. " 6 As a traditional society, the people arc more "conscious of the past" and of preserving convemions, and arc generally less recepti\'c to change and innova­tion. No\'el ideas arc often considered threats to the existing order of society.

Under an "authoritarian-family-centered orienta­tion" the Filipinos extol virtues of obedience, submis­siveness and loyalty. From the beginning the children arc taught and expected to show respect (galang) to authority with an uncritical and unquestioning at­ti tudc. Quiet submissi \'Cncss rather than aggressive behavior arc rewarded. Thus when gi\'cn a choice be­tween submission to authority and the defense of individual right.s, the Filipino child tends to prefer "authoritarian to libertarian norms. " 7

Conformity to cultural expectations is expected of a child in any society. To a Filipino child, in his "group­oriented society" the pressure of conformity is much more strongly fcl t in his need for social acceptance. This need for social acceptance relates to what Lynch, a noted sociologist, has identified as the "desire for smooth interpersonal relations or SIR" ancl other

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phmomena c;uch as shame (hi}a ) and !>clf-eMecm (,11nor prnpio).8 In an al\empt to maintain ,;elf-esteem one tric!> to ;n·oid or minimize shame. Thus the Fil­ipino concept of self is de\'cloped within the conte,-.:t of social acceptance and conformity. Under such orien ­tation. one\ behavior reflects a highl} "other-directed" pcrsonalit} \\'hich has as its principal norm the desire for 1;oc1al .1cceptancc rather than an "inncr•dircCLcd" pcrsonalit} which internalii.cs definite convictiom of right and \,·mng. and is not swaye<l by socia I pre'i,ures.9

One does not do things which would be threats to one's ego .md bring sham~ to himself and his family.

The Filipinos ha\·e a )so been obscn ed to have a fat,11 istic .,ttitu<le or outlook of the world, that is, the} tcn<l 10 accept events as the} l1Jppcn in the he· hd that c\'crything has been predetermined for them a'> the "line on their palms do tell their fare. " 10 The expressions balwla ,w (God will pro\'ide) and suwerte (luck) arc rdlc<.ti,·c of behavior which Bui.Hao de­scribes as "withdrawal from engagcmcm or crises or a shirking of persona Ii ty responsibility.•· 11

Inquiry and Culture

The inquiry approach 10 science teaching which em­phasizes indi\•idual initiati\'e, independent and di­\'ergcnt critical thinking, and thri\'es best in an open, permissi\'e and democratic classroom atmosphere, faces many conflicts when implementation attempts arc made in the Philippines and similar societies.

The cultural factors of traditionalism, authoritari­anism, fatalism, and social acceptance create an at· mosphcrcwhich stifles curiosity, initiative and inquiry. Traditional teachers arc often more concerned with preservation of convemions than with innovations that disturb the status quo. An authoritarian teacher is more often a pur\'eyor of information rather than a guide to students in search of knowledge. The fatalis­tic teacher tends 10 explain phenomena in terms of the whims and caprices of supernatural beings r.ither than as cause and effect relationships based on empirical e\'idencc. Group-oriented teachers with "other­directed" personalities tend to favor conformity over divergence in thinking and action. Such teachers £ind difficulty and are often indfcct.ive in implementing in­qui11· processes which require the ability to think and act independently, often contrary to social expecta· tions. In general, therefore, Filipino teachers, con-

fromcd with lhe implemerllalion of an inquiry ap­proach to science ll.'aching, find themselves in posi­tions of conflict with existing cuhural values. IL is the opinion of the authors, however, that this con­flict need not be ,tcc«:ptcd as any absolute deterrent regarding the implcrncntalion of inquiry Leaching in the Philippine~. ,\ number of approach«:s can be used to.tlleviate the situation.

Inquiq Teaching in the Philippines

The conscientious Filipino teacher who believes that the Inquiry Appro.ich to science teaching is the kind of t«:aching m·<.-<led to meet national goals is faced wilh a problem of comidcrable magnitude. In our opinion, the tt•,tdlcr must first become aware of the fact that there may be conflicts between the inquiry approach and traditional Filipino values and attitudes. The teacher mml then h«:gin to change his own values and anitudt.·s before ,II tempting to foster an inquiring attitude in children from home environment'\ which mitigate against thi~ approach.

It is aho necessary for the teacher to become imbued wiLh a "scientific viewpoint." This scientific viewpoint can then be shared with students. But care must be taken to a\'oid bringing the child into a direct confron­tation between .i "scientific" explanation for a partic­ular phenomenon and a "superstitious" expianation prm idcd by the culture. It has been suggested in a study done b} D.m and Pradhan 12 that science be taught as a "second cuhurc"-complementing that al­rc,1cly present rather than replacing it. Perhaps a simi­lar strategy for change may be usecl in the Philippines.

There may be considerable conflict in the mind of the teacher as the equalitarian relationship between stu· dent ancl teacher characteristic of the inquiry approach is implcment<.'Cl and problems and questions are co­operatively an.ilyzcd. These clemocralic procedures are in opposition to the non-democratic decision-making orientation practiced in most homes. In addition, there would be problems as children try to use a critical, questioning attitude in science class when they are often discouraged from thinking for themselves at home. Flexibility, however, may permit the develop­ment of a spirit of inquiry in children when it is valued and practiced in the classroom by the teacher.

Children must be objective as they report observa-

tions. They must feel free to hypothesize, draw infer­ences, and offer interpretations and conclusions. Where there is a high level of group dependency, the need for social acceptance can imp<.-<lc free ancl frank reporting ancl discussion. A child, whose results in an experiment were cliffercnt from his classmates, may hesitate re­porting such a discrepancy. There may be difficulty eliciting differelll points of view in a class discus!iion. Perhaps in ancmpts to conscne "smooth interpersonal relations," an interchange of conflicting icleas and dis­cussion of different points of ,·icw may be inhibilecl in the classroom. A child may be inclined to remain silent rather than exposing himself by ,enturing a guess, for fear of being wrong and shamed in front of his peers ancl an authority figure. Perhaps too, in such an "un­individuatcd" society, one cloes not like to be a "show­off" and therefore the tendency is for a chilcl lo remain silent. The dynamics of "social acceptance," an identi­fied Filipino val uc, may be a clcterrcm factor in the im­plementation of the inquiry approach. The authors be­lieve, however, it can be hancllcd delicately, sensitively, ancl effectively by lt."'.ichers who arc not only intcrestccl in teaching science as inquiry, but are willing to prac­tice what they prmch.

This willingness to practice what one preaches may indt>cd be a decisive factor in the resolution of im­plementation problems rcg.1rding inquiry teaching. In this regard, .iwarem:!is is a prelude 10 resolution. Con­sciom efforts must be made to help teachers become aware of existing conflicts concerning the implcmen­t,llion of inquiry in a traditional and authoritarian socict}. This can be clone through the curricular of­ferings in teacher training schools and in-service train­ing programs where provisions must be made to not only promote understanding of these conflicts, but to offer ways for resoh ing them. Toward this end both prc-ancl in-service teachers shoulcl be pro\'idcd with direct ancl practical training experiences in methodol­ogy and comcm courses where they arc actively in­volved in the process of inquiry. These experiences should center on in\'Cstigative, experimcmal ancl dis­co\'ery activities which arc process-oriented. In this way teachers can be he I peel 10 f rec themselves from cleep-rootcd traclitional, anti-inquiry values and be­ha\'ioral modes developed through years of experience. As this is accomplished, movement toward a con­siderable expansion of inquiry teaching in the Phil­ippines shoulcl take place.

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IUIILIOGRAl'H\' AND FOO fNOTl'.S

I. Sang.ilang, Lul H. "Designing a Gr.1dua1e Seminar in Eh:mu1-lal) ~Liuuc rc,1d1ing," Thr l'f11l1/J/J111r Jmm,al of Ec/11cat1<m , \'ol. XL\'11, No. 7 (J,111u,11y, 1%9), 157-·159.

---, "l'rq>;1ra1ion l'rogrJms for Sc icrKe Tl~1d1N\, .. Thr />111hf,Jmui Joumal of l:.dttrnlum, \'ul. XLIV, No. fi (Dec cm her, 1965), ·12fi-·1:,7.

---, " Lysiphohi;1-The Fmr of Lm\ mg Lome Fml~ 111

Science Tea< h ing," Tlw l'hrl1J1Jml<' Jour1111/ of f-'/1u11/w11 , Vol. XLIV, No. JO (April, l9fifi), 71fi-791.

---, " S<:iemc Edu1~11io11 in the Philippines," Sur11rr lltti• /rim of the Sumf'r Forwclatro11 of ,1,,. l'/11/1J1J1mt.~. \'ol. XI, No. 2 (Dt~.emhcr, (!)fifi), 13-18.

---, " Nccck~I: A Rc-oricn1.uion of Values in <;, it1icc Tl',1< h · ing," Th r. l'/11/1/'I"''" Jmm111/ of Ec/11rnlum, Vol. XLI\' , No. 7, (j,111\lilT)' , 19fifi), 5(0 ,llld 550.

---• " Planning a Workshop in Elementary Snmcc?" The l'/11/1f1Jm1r. Joumal of l:.c/11rn/w11, \'ol. XLV, No. H (Fclm1ary, I 9671, 5Hfi,5H7.

---• " Let's Talk Common Sense Aho111 St:il·me Teadung," Snt'11a Un11rw of the Nntumal s,;,.,,,.. /)n ie/c1Jm1r11t Bm1rcJ, Vol. 3, No. fi (June, 1962). lli-18.

---, "An llh1\lratiun of rc.1d1ing S1ic1Ke for Crcall\11}', " Thrl'J11/1f1Jm1r.Jrmr,111I of l:.c/11rntim1, \'ol. XI_\' , No. 2 (August, 196/i), 107-108.

~- Bramh,cin, Paul F. Su/J.1/1111cr, !>lrrtc/urr. , 11ml St)'fr 111 tlir­Te11d1111 g of Snc11rr, N. Y., Harcourt , Brace and World, Int. 196·1, p . 29.

!I Ru1hnford, 1:. Jame\. "The Role or lnquil) in Sciu1cc T t."!uh• ing," joumal of /lr.w·nrclt 111 Suencr- Tr.11d rit1g , Vol. 2, (19frll, (80·8 ·1) p . H3.

·L Ortcza, Ewlin.1 i\l. "Ohscn,11ions on Pallcrns or Cultural Con· tinuuy and Schooling m 1hc Philippine'.\," Tlie Eclucalw,i Quar­/erl>•, Vol. XIII, No. 2 and 3 (October, l!Jfi5- January, l96li), 16,·I I.

~. Omia, l't'tlro T. Tr-11cl1111g Scmrcr- As A 11'11y of L1/r For /Je//er J.,11111g, Manila, Philippine Normal College Press, 1963, p 2.

6. Hunt, Chcs1cr L. cl. al . Socw/c,g )' in tl1r- />/11/1/1f1111e Seltmg, Quezon Cuy, l'hocmx, 1963, Rev. l'd ., p . 58.

7. Stoodley, Bartlett . "Nonnati,·c Auitudrs of Filipino Youth Compart'tl with Gnman and Amt•rican You1h." Amrr1ca11 Soll · ologu:al llnm·u•, \'ol. 22, IOcwhcr, 1957>, 551-55·1.

8. L)nlh, Fr.mk. "Philippine Value II ; Social Ancptancc II" in Soctal Formd11t101ts of Comm1m1/y Dn1t'lopmr.11t: Rt'acimgs ()II /lie l'l11/1p/m1es, ed. hy Espiritu and I lunl, Manila, R . l\l. Garcia, ( n .d .), p 32-1.

9. Hunt, op. cit., p. fi3•6·1.

10. Pal. Ag-Jton. "TI1e People's Conn-ption or the World," in Soc,al Fmmcla/10,u of Comm1m1t y Dn1e/opme11/: Rr-aclurgs o,i lite 1'111/1ppmes, Manila, R. l\l . Garcia, (n .d .l, p. 392 .

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11. llulat;io, Jaime, ::..J,l,t-L n•rl l hris/1111111 )•, :\l:mib, Ail'nlo de ;\Janila Uni\"crsil), 19fifi, p . 'JO .

12. 0;1n. 1-"ran< is and Pr:1dh:111, 1'.11111.1 Lal. " Cros~-Cuhural Tl'aching or Scit'm·e, " 'iru11cr-, Vol. 15:i, No 37fi:I, (Fehru• ary IO, l 967), pp. li·19-fi)6 .

Tlus article 1s a synthesis of separate Master's papers done /Jy tl1e aulhor.f 11s gradua/t' s/11 -de11/s al lht! U,inrersily of /111wa11, College of Ed11catw11. Each .1tudy fornsed on sm11/ar /1rol! · /ems co11urn111g Ort! crnss-rulturnl /ell(/1111 g of Sc,e,ice III the 1'111/1f,p111r..s. Mrs Taylw (t"/1 pholo) 1.1 prese,11/y a Teacher Ecl11calor 11/ S1/11 mau Umuerslly, D11m11gueu City, 1'/11/1pp111e.s. Mrs. ll'a/sl, (bollom p/10/0) Jra.s worlced w1//, /ht' Peace Corps Sc1e11ce Educalw11 l'rogrnm 11,icl 1s prese,11ly a,i Edutatwr1al A.uoc111/e w1ll1 till' FAST Pro1ect, U111ver.uty L11/Jor11/ory Sclw"I, Urrwers1ly of Hawa11.