Presentation Information
[1L06]Empowering Changemakers in Higher Education:A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of the KAPWA Faculty Training for Community Engagement in the Philippines
*Mark Anthony D. Abenir1, Merian P. Catajay-Mani, Eddie G. Fetalvero, Gregorio A. Florendo, Jr., Jansen Faie R. Magada (1. Ateneo de Manila University - Department of Development Studies)
Keywords:
Community Engagement,Faculty Capacity Building,Extension Services,Sustainable Development,KAPWA Training Program
Background and Research Question: Higher Education Institutions are expected to act as change agents through extension services and community engagement that advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet quantitative evidence on whether structured capacity building improves faculty competencies remains scarce. Romblon State University developed KAPWA, a four-day, seven-module seminar-workshops rooted in the Filipino value of shared identity, to strengthen faculty capabilities for planning, implementing, and evaluating Extension Service and Community Engagement (ESCE) projects. This study asked four questions about the program: satisfaction with design and delivery, gains in knowledge, gains in skills for sustainable development initiatives, and shifts in attitudes toward integrating community engagement in academic practice.
Information, Data, and Analytical Methods: Participants were 62 RSU faculty from several campuses. A Training Needs Assessment informed the curriculum. Each module used pretests and posttests that combined multiple-choice quizzes and 6-point Likert self-ratings of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Reaction data captured satisfaction with training components. Internal consistency was examined through Cronbach's alpha, which ranged from 0.634 to 0.980. Given non-normal distributions, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests compared pre-test and post-test scores with effect sizes r. Qualitative comments further enriched the interpretation.
Major Findings: Reaction scores averaged 4.95 on a five-point scale, and all components were rated Excellent. Across all seven modules, quiz scores and self-ratings improved significantly at p < .001 with large effect sizes from 0.53 to 0.86. Later modules on stakeholder alignment, project planning, implementation, sustainability action planning, and impact evaluation produced the largest effects, indicating cumulative learning and the value of applied exercises. While matched samples per module decreased from 50 to 37, results remained robust. The study concludes that culturally grounded, competency-based, multi-module training can quickly enhance faculty readiness for ESCE. Institutions should adopt similar programs and pair them with mentoring and incentives. Future work should track behavioral change and long-term outcomes.
Information, Data, and Analytical Methods: Participants were 62 RSU faculty from several campuses. A Training Needs Assessment informed the curriculum. Each module used pretests and posttests that combined multiple-choice quizzes and 6-point Likert self-ratings of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Reaction data captured satisfaction with training components. Internal consistency was examined through Cronbach's alpha, which ranged from 0.634 to 0.980. Given non-normal distributions, Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests compared pre-test and post-test scores with effect sizes r. Qualitative comments further enriched the interpretation.
Major Findings: Reaction scores averaged 4.95 on a five-point scale, and all components were rated Excellent. Across all seven modules, quiz scores and self-ratings improved significantly at p < .001 with large effect sizes from 0.53 to 0.86. Later modules on stakeholder alignment, project planning, implementation, sustainability action planning, and impact evaluation produced the largest effects, indicating cumulative learning and the value of applied exercises. While matched samples per module decreased from 50 to 37, results remained robust. The study concludes that culturally grounded, competency-based, multi-module training can quickly enhance faculty readiness for ESCE. Institutions should adopt similar programs and pair them with mentoring and incentives. Future work should track behavioral change and long-term outcomes.
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