EFFECT OF TEACHING LOAD TO THE INSTRUCTOR’S WORK PERFORMANCE

A Thesis Proposal Submitted to the
Faculty of the School of Graduate Studies
CORE Gateway College
San Jose City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
Of Educ 204 Research Methodology
Major in Educational Management

ROWENA TOLENTINO
February 2006

EFFECT OF TEACHING LOAD TO THE INSTRUCTOR’S WORK PERFORMANCE

Chapter I

The Problem and its Background

In the country, colleges and universities have become the vital social force. They supply the countries work force. They always play major role in providing higher education to the youth. The teaching faculty is the very substance of a higher institution with the best instructor or professors. Compared with some foreign countries, in Ohio State University where students are educated in a research intensive environment and whose faculty is multi awarded in terms of research and studies; most of the countries colleges and universities rely teaching and learning in the four corners of the classroom as such would depend greatly to the efficiency and expertise of the teacher. (Http://oaa.osu.edu@www.google.com,[dwd.12-09-05]) The universities and colleges must then engage in missions that emphasizes on teaching, research and service. Through which various activities will depend on the individual faculty’s strength, interests and the mission of their respective colleges/universities. In terms of teaching performance, the philosophy is ”teaching is an on-going process”. No teacher is born excellent. Teaching is a process of development, something that all have to work at. Through experience coupled with self-reflection, typical teachers become better teachers. The training program is designed to enable teachers to take the necessary steps to become the best teacher they can be. (http://www.umass.edu/writprog/handbook) In their quest for these missions, the faculty is overloaded with teaching and administrative functions that most of them have limited time to conduct research though there are meager financial incentives in research related work. (Mantawil, 2005) Thus as result overloading of such activities if left unchecked will give rise to issues concerning appropriate incentives for overloads as what occurred in the overload-to-service-credit issue of Catanduanes State College. (Tabuzo, 2002) In a similar case, workload beyond reasonable demands where the workers are paralyzed by the rising cost of living and low salaries give the workers (a nurse) no other choice but to look for greener pasture and the institution instead of hiring more workers opted to increase the loads of each worker. (Romualdo, 2005) The decision to resort to overload of teaching loads is their response to incentives that overloads would give, more income. To obtain a substantial amount of compensation, a sufficient number of subjects taught have to be reached. As a consequence, considerable numbers of working hours and lesson preparations has occupied their entire working hours little time available for research and service. Consequently, teaching load is still very heavy at an average of twenty-four (24) hours per week which is the maximum requirement of the Bureau of Private Schools. And, no instructor can attain maximum efficiency, if he is overworked and consequently poor health. Enthusiasm and alertness are essential to good college teaching. College teaching demands regular health habits, a sound emotional tone and abundant energy. Instructors’ striving for work stability and better paychecks, the condition is persistent. Similar condition is seen in the CORE Gateway College; teaching loads seldom matters for the college instructors. They highly render the importance of teaching. Teaching is the sole highest activity in the college. Periodic evaluations measure the work performance of the instructors as the result was given the instructors adjusts. Basically, the energy input is commitment and the energy output is superior teaching. Low pay, heavy loads and overwork accompany their struggle. (CGC Instructor’s Records) The college instructors receive salaries that are paid per subject taught. 100% of them are teaching their majors and, secondly they teach general subjects with 40 and above students; not to mention the variance of their teaching load. They also have faculty responsibilities as well as teaching, research and extra-curricular activities, each demand great deal of time. There was no increase in hiring for three years. This study opt to prove whether there is significant effect of having substantial number of subjects taught and the instructor’s work performance in order to justify why should the college administration provide a responsive teaching workload policy that would stabilize the college work and support the instructors in their quest for professional improvement.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study deals with the work performance of instructors in the CORE Gateway College, Maharlika Highway, San Jose City during school year 2005 – 2006 in relation to their teaching loads, professional abilities and school factors.
Specifically, answers to the questions below are sought in this study. 1. How may the performance of the instructors in the CORE Gateway College be described? 2. What factor significantly affects the work performance of the instructors in the CORE Gateway College?

INSTRUCTOR FACTOR a. number of subject load b. time for preparation for every subject c. time to rest d. teaching strategies e. time for research, service and advising (professional growth) SCHOOL FACTOR a. policy on loading b. salary and benefits c. human resource development program d. policy on hiring and development 3. Is there any significant relationship between the number of subject load and work performance of instructors? Is there any significant difference between the work performance of instructors with overload of subject and under load of subjects?

HYPOTHESIS

No factor significantly affects the work performance of the instructors in the CORE Gateway College.
1. There is no significant relationship between the instructor’s factor and school factor in relation with the work performance of instructors in CORE Gateway.
2. There is no significant relationship between the number of subject load and work performance of instructors.
3. There is no significant difference between the work performance of instructors with overload of subject and under load of subjects.

IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is motivated in the hope that it would open doors for changes:

1. for the instructors, to realize that they are expected to provide superior teaching therefore must accommodate all sorts of opportunities for professional improvement.

2. for the institution, to construct a responsive teaching load policy and teacher improvement program that would give ample time for other activities and assignments of an instructor and for them to keep abreast of changes in their respective discipline

3. for the department chairs, whose in charge with the loading will provide the necessary professional plans for the faculty and equalize the work loads

4. for the future researches, to gain new and in depth knowledge about one factor that affects the work performance of college instructors.

Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

This part presented barrowed ideas and theories from authors and made use of them as basis for further analysis of the research findings revealed in this study.
Foreign Literature Number of Subject Load In the allotment of loads University of Vegas requires that the instructor be ensured of predictable number of office hours during the semester. That teaching, research, advising, resource procurement, creative/cultural exhibition and performance, professional development, professional service and instrument enhancement are seminal activity to the mission of the institution would serve as adequate justification of work load assignment. (Http://www.univ.edu, College of Sciences, WebPages of University of Vegas) WebPages Middlebury College stated that faculty usually arrange into departments, based on academic subject of field. They usually teach several different related courses in their field. (Http://www.middlebur.edu) Time for Preparation for every Subject Shertzer (1981) choice confronts all individual especially in a democratic society. The process of choosing leads to their personal development. She stressed the fact that more individual made their choice that make them capable of self-improvement and that they actively word toward attaining maximum fulfillment and satisfaction. Vroom (1964) stated that the teacher-training program begins as a person occupies the teacher's position, doing the things teachers do -setting goals and objectives, planning each class meeting, responding to and evaluating student writing - the issues surrounding the teaching of writing will emerge. In a dispute between faculty and the Wisconsin Indian Technical college affirmed that no more than three-five preparations shall be assigned to a teacher in any given semester, if exceeds constitutes paid overload. (http://chronicle.com/jobs/2003/11/2003111001c.htm) Teaching Strategies Cashin (1990) describes lecture as the most widely used instructional strategy in college classrooms. Although the usefulness of other teaching strategies is being widely examined, the lecture still remains an important way to communicate information. The advantages of the lecture approach are that it provides a way to communicate a large amount of information to many listeners maximizes instructor control and is non-threatening to students. The disadvantages are that lecturing minimizes feedback from students, assumes an unrealistic level of student understanding and comprehension, and often disengages students from the learning process causing information to be quickly forgotten. McClosky stressed the importance of teaching strategy is used to solve classroom problems or in improving instruction. Palardy stated that teaching strategies in the truest sense constitute all the teachers do in planning, implementing and evaluating instruction. Because of the personalized nature of teaching, there undoubtedly are as many specific as there are teachers. Obviously, all such strategies that can be identified and those prospective and practicing teachers should know. Fraenkel stated that teaching strategies represents combinations of certain specific procedures or operations (such as carefully developed questions sequences). Grouped and ordered in a definite sequence, that teachers can use in the classroom to implement both cognitive and affective objectives (e.g. conceptualizing, generalizing, valuing and exploring feelings). Whereas learning activities, represent things which student do or action in which they engage teaching strategies refer to operations a teacher performs in order to involve students in activities to help them learn the heart of any effective teaching strategy, however lies in the questions a teacher asks. Time for Research, Service and Advising (Professional Growth) Davis (1999) stated term assignment of faculty is to complete all of the readings in their academic and develop term projects.

Policy on Loading Washington State University made principles for faculty loads which department chairs and branch campus program coordinators in consultation with the individual faculty should determine to provide college guidelines to assist faculty and department chairs/branch campus program coordinators in determining teaching responsibilities and in establishing departmental policies on teaching loads. Teaching loads must take into account the teaching, research, and service roles which faculty are expected to fulfill. A teaching load that is too light creates inequities across faculty and departments. Teaching loads must be reasonable if faculty is to maintain high standards of teaching, research, and service, remain current in their field, and engage in the collegial interchanges across academic units that are vital to the growth of the college. Jenkins (2005) stated that full time faculty might accept teaching overload service provided these services will not interfere or conflict with their primary assignment. Overload is a condition in which the total time devoted by a faculty member teaching college courses scheduled for the assigned period exceeds full-time. The full-time faculty shall be given the first opportunity to teach as overload any class not yet assigned to a full time faculty member. Salary and Benefits Vroom (1964) found out that workers paid on an hourly basis perform at a higher level if they believe they are over compensated. The US Department of Labor (Http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos006) stated that earnings for college faculty vary according to rank and type of institution, geographical area and field in education and many faculty member have significant earning in addition to their base salary from consultations, research writing and other. Human Resource Development Program According to Vroom (1964), each semester, the Course Director will arrange a time to visit the class and will provide teachers with feedback about their teaching. Classroom observations are useful tools in the development as a teacher; which will enable the Course Director to get to know teaching - to see how teachers interact with their students. Observations not only provide the Course Director with valuable information to help mentor a teacher, but will also provide future letters of recommendations. As the teacher faces the choices, conflicts, and rewards, a reflection on the decisions and the outcomes of the choices is needed. These combinations of practice and reflection will not only assist the on-going growth as a teacher but will enable them to make conscious choices concerning the kind of teacher they strive to be. (http://www.umass.edu/writprog/handbook/hndbk) University of Massachusetts Vroom believes worker perform better if they believe the task requires abilities with they value or believe that they possess. Workers given feedback avert their performance or who are given opportunity to participate in making decisions which affect them perform at a higher level. Taylor (1978) suggests Four Basic Principles of Management Philosophy:
The development of a true science of management in order to determine the best method of doing each task; the scientific selection of the workers so that they would be most suited to the jobs assigned to them; the scientific education and development of the workers in order to make them efficient; and the intimate, friendly cooperation between management and labor essential for increasing productivity.

Max Weber, Theory on Bureaucratic Management states that all organizational activities should be rationalized to the point where standard operating procedures are developed to provide certainty and facilitate coordination.

Chapter 3

Research Methodology

Data Collection Techniques

The researcher will conduct the study through the aide of questionnaires to determine the factor/s that has significant relations with the work performance of college instructors. The researcher will also seek the assistance of the personnel officer and Department Heads for relevant secondary data such as the Performance Rating of College instructors, Policies on Loading and Policies on Hiring Instructors, Human Resource and Development Programs and Teachers Official Loads for School Year 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 including salary rates.

Content of the Instrument

The instrument will be divided into three (3) parts corresponding to the items in the Statement of the Problem (page 5): The first part the profile of the respondents. The second part embodied questions contains questions about the work performance of college instructors. The third part embodied questions pertaining to pertaining to instructor factors and school factors affecting the work performance.

Data Analysis

The data in problem statement number one, the researcher will use descriptive approach. The data in problem statement number two, the researcher will use correlation analysis. The data in problem statement number three, the researcher will use correlation analysis.