Perspectives on outcome-based education among faculty members teaching business courses at a Philippine university

Abstract

The implementation of outcome-based education (OBE) is often controversial especially among faculty members who are tasked with implementing the requisite changes that come with the new system. The study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives of faculty members teaching undergraduate Accountancy, Office Administration, and Business Administration courses at a state university in the Philippines regarding OBE. A descriptive qualitative study design was used. A focus group discussion was conducted with all faculty members with at least one-year experience teaching undergraduate accountancy- or management-related courses at a state university in the Philippines. From the FGD, an anonymized transcript was generated, which was analyzed thematically. Most faculty members satisfactorily defined what OBE is. However, when asked what their role is in an OBE learning environment, they were not able to provide conclusive answers. They think that OBE is a necessary upgrade to the traditional system, and is needed to keep education competitive in the face of ASEAN integration. Most participants claimed that they are ready to embrace OBE, but a few expressed reservations towards it. Furthermore, they suggested various improvements for the faculty, the learning infrastructure, and ways to ensure that OBE is implemented well. These findings underscore the need for trainings and dissemination of best practices for OBE implementation, as well as systemic changes in the college to which the faculty members belong to ensure optimal implementation of OBE.