Vol. 18, No. 2
Collaboration and Teamwork
One would think that in this 21st Century, there would not be much to write about on this topic of collaboration and teamwork in the world since the concepts have been around for such a long time. From a close look, however, it becomes evident that issues pertaining to collaboration and teamwork may never be exhausted as long as human beings live or work together. They depend on each other for their success and survival.
The current issue of the journal is focused on different topics that have connection to collaboration and teamwork. This issue is made of seven important articles that discuss different facets of collaboration and teamwork. Some articles do so explicitly while others do it implicitly. Some articles use some unfamiliar research methods while others tackle less-addressed issues. Together, these articles make an important intellectual package for better understanding of today’s world.
Rosario, Aguillon, and Lucion begin the discussion of collaboration by presenting an important study that used photovoice to describe the lived experiences of survivors of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines. In this qualitative study, voices from the survivors are heard about their experiences, how they survived, how they coped, and the new meaning of life that the typhoon gave to them. The study highlights the importance of collaboration and teamwork in both survival and coping mechanisms of the youth that survived the typhoon.
From another but similar setting in the Philippines, Tejero presents another study of survivors of another typhoon. Using a phenomenological design, she captures viscerally the experiences of survivors of the typhoon. She focuses on how she brought them together to make sense of their lived experiences and how they wish to be better prepared for potential typhoons in the future. Bringing the survivors together for them to decide on their future collectively strengthens the concept of cooperation. The spirit of teamwork is also highly encouraged in the recommendations made by the research participants. United, they think they would build a stronger and more beautiful Iligan City.
Hunt shares two articles: one is research-based and the other is theoretical. In his study on diet and academic performance, Hunt uniquely presents a balanced picture in his literature on vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets. His study, unsurprisingly, confirms earlier research findings that proper diet, preferably with proper vegetarianism, leads to healthier living that promotes better brain performance needed for academic success.
In his theoretical paper, Hunt discusses the issue of suicide as related to education in South Korea. In this review paper, he draws data from several sources that make an important call for action for the South Korean system of education. He recommends changes in both the practices and most importantly in the beliefs systems.
In their study of the theoretical contribution of theses and dissertations of an international higher education institution in the Philippines, Kachchhap and Mishika first define the role that these culminating projects play in higher education. They go on to classify studies conducted by master’s and doctoral students at the selected institution into those that do and the ones that do not significantly contribute theoretically to the knowledge base. The study reveals that there is limited theoretical contribution from these studies.
Appiah and Wa-Mbalekas’s paper synthesizes the important literature on the philosophy of Adventist education and integration of faith and learning. They then propose practical guidelines to apply to the African context of education, using Ghana as an illustration.
The last article discusses the importance of journal publication in higher education institutions. This study discusses seven major factors preventing higher education faculty from publishing in the Philippines. The paper ends with some recommendations to deal with these issues.
