A critical analysis on

THE OUTCOME-BASED EDUCATION (OBE)

The outcome-based education is a model of education which focuses on the

students’ demonstration of knowledge rather than testing their knowledge. As much as

the OBE is concerned, it demands all teachers to design a lesson plan which

emphasizes the application process. More so, the OBE reforms suggest observable and

measurable outcomes. Activities like, role plays, experiments, simulations and projects

are encouraged in this model of education. It is a learner-centered model where

learners are given more opportunities to put all their knowledge into actions and apply it

where everyone can see it. In this mode of education, it is believed that knowledge

learning and applying knowledge are two different concepts. One is “knowing” the

concept while the other is “having the skill of a concept”.

The grading system of the OBE differs in a way from the traditional grading

system. In the traditional way, students in a class are compared to each other. Such

comparison encourages non-friendly environment for learners in grade levels. However,

in the OBE, students are graded based on their own progress. Through this,

discrimination and competition between learners in a classroom are lessened and

learning becomes more meaningful. What makes OBE as a remarkable model of

education is that learners are motivated to perform and participate in any tasks on their
own for it demands outputs to be measured. No output or performance means no grade

to record.

Scenarios like, the smart-ones does the entire smart task and the not so bright

one will just rely for him to finish it will be lessen. Since OBE primarily relies on a

learner’s product or demonstration, the teaching and learning process becomes more

likely felt by the learners. Some learners, especially in this 2st century, have short

attention span that a mere discussion where they have to listen for a while becomes

ineffective in learning. However, giving them task where they have to do something

while learning makes more effective and felt by the learners, which is also the approach

to OBE. The OBE approach can be considered as a “friend” to the theory of multiple

intelligences for both encourages teachers to plan varied activities that are observable

and measurable. Of course, most of the multiple intelligences are outcome-based

oriented skills.

In the Philippines, some of the higher education private schools have switched

and followed the outcome-based education in order to match the recently implemented

k-12 curriculum of the Philippines. The k-12 curriculum can be aligned with the outcome

based education for both of these educational models emphasized the importance of

skills development in the teaching and learning process. In the grading system imposed

in the k-12 curriculum, performance tasks were recommended to have the highest

percentage in grading a learner rather than their test performance. In the old curriculum,

the Basic Education Curriculum stressed the importance of examinations as an

assessment that should get the highest percentage among others. It is believed that a

learner’s test performance exhibits one’s ultimate knowledge and learning in school.
However, in the k-12 curriculum, test performance has lesser percentage than

performance task for it is believed that it does not measure the overall knowledge and

skills of a learner. Through this, it clearly described the similarities of the outcome-

based education and the k-12 curriculum. Both are student-centered and focused on the

learners’ development of using the knowledge.

However, one cannot claim that OBE and k-12 are the same. The k-12

curriculum, involves a spiral process of learning regardless of its similarities in the

approach of teaching and learning process. What makes OBE distinct from the k-12

curriculum is that it is only a method or approach in delivering a certain curriculum while

the k-12 curriculum has its own systematic process in the organization of contents in the

curriculum. The OBE is flexible for any prepared curriculum can be used. It does not

have a systematic process and standards in the contents of a curriculum; but, in the

delivery of curriculum, it is the OBE standard to emphasize the importance of planning

lessons that will demonstrate knowledge and application rather than planning a teacher-

centered and less interactive instruction. There should be more time for the application

of what was discussed.

Though the outcome-based education encourages observable learning of the

learners, there are still holes to this model which somehow makes other school hesitant

to adapt it. In the perspective of a teacher, the OBE can be a very time-consuming

method of delivering instruction and inappropriate to a certain academic institutions.

Considering the class size, learners’ cognitive ability and resources, OBE may be

ineffective. Performance and output based lessons are difficult to implement in a big

class size. In reality, especially in public schools, the class size is huge enough to be
able to manage activities that require movements or interactions. The time of checking

and critiquing outputs or performance could take time in a big class size. Also, learners’

cognitive ability can slow-down the pacing of instruction that could affect at a greater

cost of achieving all the competencies of a curriculum in an academic year. When a

class size is huge, resources may limit other learners’ participation which may direct

them to unnecessary activities in the classroom while others are doing their tasks.

Nonetheless, the outcome-based education is a model directed to develop the

learners’ skills rather than “knowing” the concepts. Outputs and performances are

considered as the highest form of assessment for it exhibit developments of the learners

as well as it test learners’ knowledge through application or demonstration. The

outcome-based education can be used in the k-12 curriculum, however, OBE and k-12

should not be confused with each other for they also have their own unique features.

Some of the private schools in the Philippines, especially in higher education have

already adopted OBE in their curriculum in order to match the k-12 curriculum.

Reference:

K12 Academics (2016). What is Outcome-Based Education. Retrieved from