Impact Assessment of Outreach Activities of the Graduate Studies Program of Tomas Claudio Colleges

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the impact assessment of the outreach activities of the Graduate Studies Program of Tomas Claudio Colleges during the School Year 2021–2022. Specifically, it examined the perceptions of key teachers and teachers from the Baras, Binangonan, and Pililla Sub-Offices regarding the extent of the program’s outreach initiatives in terms of goals and objectives, projects and activities, and monitoring and evaluation. The respondents consisted of 59 key teachers and 228 teachers who were selected using purposive sampling. Descriptive research design was employed, utilizing three sets of researcher-made questionnaire-checklists to gather the necessary data. The respondents were described according to age, sex, civil status, position title, educational attainment, length of service, and seminars and trainings attended.Findings revealed that most key teacher-respondents were aged 40–49 years old, female, married, holding Head Teacher positions, holders of MAT/MAED degrees, had 21–30 years of service, and had attended international-level seminars and trainings. In contrast, most teacher-respondents were aged 21–29 years old, female, married, holding Teacher III positions, MAT/MAED holders, had 11–20 years of service, and had attended regional-level seminars and trainings. Both groups generally perceived that the outreach activities of the Graduate Studies Program had an impact on goals and objectives, projects and activities, and monitoring and evaluation. However, results showed a significant difference between the perceptions of the two groups regarding the extent of impact assessment of these outreach activities.Moreover, most profile variables of both groups were not significantly related to their perceptions, except for some aspects such as educational attainment and seminars attended among key teachers, and age among teachers in relation to selected variables. The respondents also reported moderate challenges, including limited time to conduct research, lack of research guidance, and minimal sponsorship or partnerships for outreach initiatives. The study concludes that while outreach activities are recognized as impactful, differences in perceptions and existing challenges highlight the need for stronger collaboration, support mechanisms, and research-oriented engagement in outreach programs.