By Herman M. Lagon

Working on my dissertation, I came upon a study that fundamentally supported my viewpoint on instruction — especially in mathematics. Under the authorship of Dr. Matthew Lasap, my dean at ISUFST’s College of Education and a former colleague from my Ateneo de Iloilo days, the study offered a relatively novel perspective on how we might more involve students in learning. By pushing beyond simply solving problems to promote critical and creative thinking, Dr. Lasap’s study on “Design and Technology — Performance Task-Based Instruction (DT-PT BI) Towards the Development of Cognitive Skills for Understanding in Mathematics” questioned established approaches of teaching math.

Math has been taught for far too long as a set of steps: memorize, repeat and solve. Although this might help students pass tests, it does not foster the more advanced cognitive abilities required today. The study by Dr. Lasap alters that by including practical activities requiring not only technical ability but also creativity and problem-solving. This change fits the principles of holistic education, in which the objective goes beyond mere instruction to include intellectual, social and ethical development of the entire person.

Starting with an exhaustive assessment of performance tasks utilized in math classes, the study employed a mixed-methods approach. Teachers who participated in the study gave comments pointing up what worked and what needed work. After that, this information was applied to create a fresh project more closely related to the community — such as planning mangrove preservation. Students were assigned projects with practical uses instead of abstract challenges, so making math more interesting and relevant.

Students who worked with DT-PT BI showed clearly better cognitive flexibility and problem-solving in the second phase of the study. They were using math ideas in original, meaningful ways, not merely memorizing formulas. Essential was this change from procedural learning to problem-solving. Many students struggle with what the researcher refers to as “procedural thinking,” a rigid, step-by-step approach that stunts originality and critical thinking. The study supports a shift in instruction toward teaching students to investigate several answers, so encouraging deeper thought and creativity.

A key component of the DT-PT BI approach is the “working atmosphere” — a classroom where students work together, exchange ideas and tackle issues from several angles. For Filipino students, who are used to working in groups, whether in their communities or in the classroom, this is especially relevant. Deeply ingrained in our society is the idea of bayanihan or communal unity. Dr. Lasap’s work honors this cultural strength by supporting group problem-solving. It’s about cooperating to solve practical problems, not only about using arithmetic abilities.

This research also emphasizes the function of the teacher as a facilitator rather than only a knowledge distributor. Professional learning communities (PLCs), in which teachers work together to enhance their methods, are underlined by Dr. Lasap as very important. Encouragement of honest communication and shared learning might be a revolution in a nation where teachers sometimes operate in solitude. Teachers can establish a more dynamic and encouraging classroom by means of resource sharing, ideas and strategies.

The research also emphasizes the value of experience learning. Through tackling practical issues like mangrove preservation, students not only pick up arithmetic but also grow in social consciousness and community service. This reflects our value of “kapwa,” which stresses group responsibility and interdependence. Students learn how to apply their knowledge for the good, not only how to solve problems.

Said otherwise, the study presents certain difficulties. The disparity in resources between public and private schools is one of main restrictions. Although the model can be modified, the activities developed in the study were meant for a well-resourced private school; hence, even if the model can be used in other institutions with less resources, it may call for major changes in those ones. Still, this relatively novel approach provides insightful analysis for teachers in any environment that motivates them to consider creatively how to make math education more relevant and interesting.

The study also revealed another important result: Students’ capacity to participate in problem-solving suffers from fear of failing. Many students give up on challenging tasks too fast, depending more on others than on tenacity. A barrier to cognitive development, this fear of failure is particularly pertinent in a society where academic success is highly prized. According to the study, teachers should encourage a growth mindset whereby effort and endurance come first over instantaneous success. Students can learn more resilient thinking by turning the emphasis from the result to the process.

The results of the research also demand more general changes in education. Policymakers should give assessment techniques promoting critical thinking and creativity top priority. Changing teaching strategies is only one aspect of the change from procedural learning to problem-solving; another is overhauling the whole curriculum. Math education should be in line with the expectations of the 21st century, when creativity and practical application are absolutely vital, according to curricular designers. Administrators also have to make investments in professional development to provide teachers the tools they need to carry out these improvements.

The research by Dr. Lasap provides a vital first step toward reconsidering our country’s instruction in mathematics. It inspires us to go from rote memorization toward problem-solving, combining imagination and critical thinking. The study reminds us that education should equip students to think critically and address the difficult problems of the real world, so transcending mere tests.

Finally, if education embraced a more comprehensive, community-driven approach, Dr. Lasap’s work offers a hopeful picture of what it might look like. It forces us to consider not only our methods but also the reasons behind our instruction and our goals for what education can accomplish. Encouragement of creativity, critical thinking and social responsibility will equip a generation of students ready for life itself as well as for tests. By doing this, we might just begin one issue at a time to help to change the world.

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with./WDJ