The Research Program of the Philippine Science High School Juanita M. Cruz Philippine Science High, Diliman. Quezon City, Philippines The Philippine Science High School (PSHS) is a special science hieh school entrusted with selecting and preparing gifted ~ i l i & n ostudents to enter careers in the scie&&. he PSHS is an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the scientific arm of the government. As such, the school is funded by the national government. Admission of students is based on a selective screening procedure that consists of two national competitive examinations. The first examination is a scholastic ability test (SAT). and the second is a science and mathematics a ~ t i t u d e k s t (SMAT). Those who qualify for the first screening belong to the upper 20% of the graduating class in the elementary grades. The examineeswho helong to the upper 10% in the first screenine examination aualifv for the second screening. A total of 240 students with thLhighest scores in the various regions of the Philippines are invited as scholars. The four-year curriculum of the PSHS is a halanced curriculum with a total of 14units in the basic sciences (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), 1 unit in Research, 6 units in Mathematics, 1unit in Computer Science, 4 units in Social Science, 5 units in Communication Arts and Literature in English, 4 units in Communication Arts and Literature in Filinino. 2 units in Arts. 4 units in Phvsieal Education. ~ e a l t hMusic, , and citizen Army ~raining.In the first year; the students take up Introductory Physical Sciences, which deals with the fundamentals of the basic sciences, and Earth Sciences. From the second to the fourth year the sciences are taught as separate subjects. One of the nniaue features of the PSHS curriculum is the inclusion of ~ e s e i r c hIt. is offered to fourth-year students as a one-year course meeting three hours per week. The research program strives to develop analytical thinking and creativitv while providing the students with opportunity for practicd experience and-an awareness of thecontributions of scientific research to national goals and priorities. In Research the students studythe research process, types of variables and measurements, use of the lihrary as a research tool. research design. scientific writine. and statistics in the first'quarter. In statistics, the studentsbecome familiar with the applications of this tool in research, data collection and presentation, and parametric and nonparametric tests of significance. Potential research problems are also identified during this quarter. For the next 2% quarters the students in -erouus - of four or five (class of 30) conduct actual investigations on specific problems. In the last half-quarter the students write a scientific paper on the completed research, defend it orally in class, and prepare a poster paper for exhihition during the annual PSHS Science Fair. Some of these completed research projects are entered in national and international science fairs. A number have been recognized as outstanding in both categories.
948
Journal of Chemical Education
Ahout 95% of the research done by the students is in the fields of biology and chemistry. Commonly investigated areas include nonconventional sources of food, feed, and energy; agricultural chemicals like fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides; the recycling of agricultural wastes; control of environmental pollution; the production of materials with industrial notential like naner. soan. and mimeoeranhine oof ink; and t h i medicinal pot%iaiof pi&. The ah":d&ce hioloeicallv and chemicdv related nroiects can he traced to the Gch flbra and fauna if the ~hilippines.Biological and chemical ~roiectsare inex~ensivereauirine neither large research bhy&al facilities nor highly >omsex equipmeit. These t w e s of research proiects also address themselves to the probiems and needs of the country. In the implementation of the research program, one of the difficulties encountered by the students is the identification of a research project. To assist them, class discussions and library research are supplemented by a lecture mries on current trends in research that is given by invited speakers who are working in different scientific disciplines. This activity is done during the first 2-3 weeks in the first quarter. The students can also consult resource persons in nearby research centers. The final choice of a research problem is arrived at after several discussions between the teacher and the group concerned. Another difficultv met in the course is the Droblem of time constraints. The students are only allowed 2% quarters for actual experimentation, and in addition the students have other classes. This situation limits the denth of investieation of the research problem and also limits time that c"an be devoted to some lahoratory operations like extraction, digestion, or distillation. For such processes further attention is ~rovidedhv a lahoratorv technician once the students have prepared the setup during their research period. The students spend additional hours during their free time to complete the lahoratory work under minimal supervision. In terns of laboratow facilities the school has euui~ment for basic microbiologi&l and biochemical research. The school also has arrangements with nearby research agencies so that the equipment that is not present at PSHS can be made available to the interested students. The average annual cost per students is p400 ($20.00) for chemicals and other expendable supplies. The research program has been in operation since the start of the school in 1964. It used to be integrated with the basic sciences hut is now a separate suhiect. While the nrogram has not been evaluated formally, feedback from some colleee professors indicates that PSHS graduates demonstrat;? a-better grasp of scientific conce& and are better lahoratory workers than non-PSHS graduates. Furthermore, their high school training for independent work is evident in their college performance.
