Learner Development as Key Factor in Adherence to Philippine Catholic Schools Standards for Higher Education Institution

Abstract

The idea of being helped more in one’s faith life has attracted both learners and parents to Catholic learning institutions, whereby students able to realize to life the lessons learned, lived the Catholic identity and become agents of evangelization and missionary works. Furthermore, stakeholders bank on the Catholic identity of these educational institutions to bring about formation and transformation in the learners. For Philippine Catholic universities, the Philippine Catholic Schools Standards for Higher Education Institutions serve as the benchmark for unlocking the Catholic identity of the learning entity. In this study, we surveyed seven hundred twelve (712) undergraduate students, employing descriptive and advanced statistical analyses, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), a method used for exploratory analysis. Results revealed that learner development significantly influences the Catholic identity index of the institution. Specifically, students expressed a high perception of the university’s commitment to learner development standards, that is, curriculum, faculty, assessment, and linkages. This finding has implications for institutional strategies aiming to strengthen the Catholic identity of higher education institutions. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the role of learner development in shaping the Catholic identity of educational institutions.