Exploring the Role of the Kariton Klasrum Project as a Service-Learning Strategy in Values Formation

Submitted: September 24, 2025 | Published: December 31, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.63130/hijcre.v2i2.207

Authors

  • Mikko Niño Rufin De La Salle University – Dasmariñas image/svg+xml , Elizabeth Seton School - South, Philippines

Keywords:

Constructivism, Kariton Klasrum Project, Learner-Centered, Service-Learning, Values Formation

Abstract

As education moves towards further development, many meaningful ways to strengthen learners’ values formation have emerged. One of these is the service-learning method, known for having positive results in terms of character. Similarly, in the Philippine context, the Kariton Klasrum Project (KKP) serves as a service-learning strategy with a lot of potential in values education. However, despite utilizing KKP, no research has captured implementers’ perspectives, leaving no recorded evidence regarding the specific moral outcomes to them. KKP was originally introduced by the Dynamic Teen Company, and with their consent, was adapted and implemented starting in 2011 by Elizabeth Seton School-South, a private basic education institution in Imus, Cavite. The KKP engages the grade 10 learners in an outreach work with the children from Riverside, Imus, a community assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The engagement’s preparation spanned for five months and culminated in a one-day service-learning session that involved teaching the basics of reading and writing, feeding session, and providing medical assistance. In this study, the researcher explored the role of KKP as an initiative that supports values formation among executors. Using the Qualitative Descriptive Research method, the perceptions of 10 participants from grade 10 revealed that KKP contributed to their development of responsibility, compassion, motivation, collaboration, and reflection. The findings add to the limited body of literature on KKP as a service-learning strategy in the Philippine basic education and highlight an emerging strategy for nurturing compassionate, socially responsible learners prepared to make a difference.

References

[1] Abenir, M. A. (2023). Service-learning in the Philippines: Origins, growth, and development [PowerPoint slides]. Ateneo de Manila University. https://www.polyu.edu.hk/sllo/-/media/department/sllo/content/resources/iarslce/list-of-activities/24-feb-2023_pdf.pdf

[2] Alcala, A. C. (1999). Higher education in the Philippines: L’enseignement supérieur aux Philippines. Philippine Studies, 47(1), 114–128. https://doi.org/10.13185/2244-1638.4349 DOI: https://doi.org/10.13185/2244-1638.4349

[3] Alyami, A., Abdulwahed, A., Azhar, A., Binsaddik, A., & Bafaraj, S. (2021). Impact of time management on students’ academic performance: A cross-sectional study. Creative Education, 12, 471–485. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2021.123033 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2021.123033

[4] Baluga, L. R. (1987). The role of the Philippine education system in national development during and after the New Society 1972–1986 (Publication No. 3128) [Doctoral dissertation, Loyola University Chicago]. ECommons. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/3128

[5] Beckford, C. L., & Lekule, C. (2022). International community service-learning experiences in a Canadian teacher education program: Implications for praxis in pre-service teacher preparation. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 6(1), 126–140.

[6] Benedict XVI. (2009). Caritas in veritate: Encyclical letter on integral human development in charity and truth. Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

[7] Berges-Puyó, G. (2020). A value and character educational model: Repercussions for students, teachers, and families. Journal of Culture and Values in Education, 4(1), 100–115. https://doi.org/10.46303/jcve.2020.7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46303/jcve.2020.7

[8] Castro-Lopes, F., Santos-Pereira, C., Durão, N., & Fernandes, S. (2021). Students’ perceptions of the use of traditional methods and active learning strategies in the classroom: Findings from a case study. In International Symposium on Project Approaches in Engineering Education (Vol. 11, pp. 367–374).

[9] Cinco, M. (2017, March 19). CNN Hero’s ‘Kariton Klasrum’ expands, pays it forward. Business Inquirer. https://business.inquirer.net/226407/cnn-heros-kariton-klasrum-expands-pays-forward

[10] Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

[11] Digor, V. P., Dariagan, G. P., Empaynado, K. B. T., Baldonado, J. L., Nervar, J. N., Eraga, I. P., & Tenerife, J. T. (2025). The role of process observation analysis in understanding group dynamics: Input to effective participation, communication, and interaction. In J. A. Gordon (Ed.), The Asian Conference on Education 2024: Official conference proceedings (pp. 1873–1890). IAFOR. https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2025.157 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2186-5892.2025.157

[12] Elmhurst University. (2019, November 25). What is service learning? And how do students benefit from it? Elmhurst University. https://www.elmhurst.edu/blog/what-is-service-learning/

[13] Felder, R., & Brent, R. (2016). Teaching and learning STEM: A practical guide. John Wiley & Sons. https://engr.ncsu.edu/stem-resources/legacy-site/learner-centered/

[14] Harrison, T., Morris, I., & Ryan, J. (2016). Teaching character in the primary classroom. Sage. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529714654

[15] Hébert, A., & Hauf, P. (2015). Student learning through service learning: Effects on academic development, civic responsibility, interpersonal skills, and practical skills. Active Learning in Higher Education, 16(1), 37–49. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787415573357 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787415573357

[16] Hennink, M., & Kaiser, B. N. (2022). Sample sizes for saturation in qualitative research: A systematic review of empirical tests. Social Science & Medicine, 292, 114523. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114523

[17] Heuer, S., Douglas, N., Burney, T., & Willer, R. (2020). Service learning with older adults in care communities: Measures of attitude shifts in undergraduate students. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 41(2), 186-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2019.1585733 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2019.1596087

[18] Hyun, J., Ediger, R., & Lee, D. (2017). Students' Satisfaction on Their Learning Process in Active Learning and Traditional Classrooms. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 29(1), 108-118.

[19] Liu, M. (2022). The Relationship between Students' Study Time and Academic Performance and Its Practical Significance. BCP Education & Psychology. 7. 412-415. 10.54691/bcpep.v7i.2696. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpep.v7i.2696

[20] Lok, N. S., & Aquino, L. (2010). Revisiting Filipinization. The GUIDON. https://theguidon.com/1112/main/2010/07/revisiting-filipinization/

[21] Lough, B. J., & Toms, C. (2018). Global service-learning in institutions of higher education: Concerns from a community of practice. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 16(1), 66–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2017.1356705 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2017.1356705

[22] Melegrito, M.L., & Mendoza, D. (2016). Zeal for Action. Community Engagement, Solidarity, and Citizenship. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.

[23] Orshanskyi, L., Krasnopolskiy, V., Fednova, I., Vysochan, L., Novalska, T., & Ivantsiv, O. (2020). Interactive teaching methods as a change in the purpose of modern education. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11(10), 549–555. https://doi.org/10.31838/srp.2020.10.82

[24] Paul, A., Abdullah, H., & Ong Hai Liaw, J. (2022). Graduate preparedness for the workplace: Students’ service-learning experience and perception. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i12/15759 DOI: https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i12/15759

[25] Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860

[26] Saldaña, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

[27] Sandelowski, M. (2000). Whatever happened to qualitative description? Research in Nursing & Health, 23(4), 334–340. https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-240X(200008)23:4<334::AID-NUR9>3.0.CO;2-G

[28] Tee, P. L. K., & Kalidas, C. S. (2016). Positive impacts of service learning on students’ personal outcome and social outcome. In S. F. Tang & L. Logonnathan (Eds.), Assessment for learning within and beyond the classroom (pp. 211–223). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0908-2_19 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0908-2_19

[29] Toomey, R. (2023). Values-Based Education for a Better World. In: Lovat, T., Toomey, R., Clement, N., Dally, K. (eds) Second International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing (pp. 21–38). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24420-9_2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24420-9_2

[30] University of Texas at Austin. (2025). Values. Ethics Unwrapped. https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/values

Downloads

PlumX Metrics

PlumX Metrics

Citations

Cited by: —
View on Crossref

Published

12/31/2025

How to Cite

Exploring the Role of the Kariton Klasrum Project as a Service-Learning Strategy in Values Formation. (2025). Hitik: International Journal of Catechists and Religious Educators, 2(2), 108-123. https://doi.org/10.63130/hijcre.v2i2.207