Indigenous Medicinal Plants and Practices in Cagraray Island: Resources for Culture-Based Lessons in Biology

Abstract

The study aimed to develop culture-based lessons in Biology 9, integrating indigenous medicinal plants and practices in Cagraray Island. These developed lessons were designed incorporating features of research results, problem-based approach, active learning, and culture- or context-based teaching. The accounts from eight folk healers revealed the abundance of indigenous medicinal plants and practices for treating wounds, hypertension, anemia, cough and colds, and asthma. These illnesses were used as springboard for the development of five culture-based lessons with entry points in the K - 12 curriculum. Implemented to 45 Grade 9 learners for five consecutive days at Cawayan National High School, the culture-based lessons were found effective in developing learning outcomes like conceptual understanding, metacognition, science process skills, and cultural appreciation using quantitative data analysis ( p < .05). Qualitative data also supported these findings through Focus-Group Discussion (FGD), journal entries, interviews, and observations. Educational philosophy for culture-based learning revealed the need to incorporate hands-on activities producing concrete evidences for culture-based learning. In general, the study concluded with the potentiality of using indigenous medicine as resources for culture-based lessons in biology. For further study, it is recommended to design and develop more studies about local medicinal plants so they can be integrated, as well as multiple cultural facets, to culture-based lessons.

Teachers’ Instructional Practices and Learners’ Academic Achievement in Science

“…Expanding upon the records of literature, attempts have been made to improve science teaching strategies and academic achievement of learners. Many proposals were integrated into school curriculum like adaptation of constructivist view of learning (Garbett, 2011), integration of inquiry-based approach for teaching (Abdi, 2014), ICT integration (Palomares-Ruiz et al, 2020), contextualization or culturebased instruction (Bibon, 2021), and brain-based strategies (Bornilla, 2019). Although educational reforms improved the competency for teaching and learning science from the past years, Filipino learners have continuously failed in scholastic assessments whether national or international.…”

Practice development technology of students in biological local study

“…Yoon, Miller, and Richman (2020) bring the work to the literature by creating complex systems biology computer-based curriculum for teachers on how to use the online version of the PES and instruction, face-to-face version of the research that is aimed at the same high impact, and as a result, students showed positive perceptions of teacher in biology and roughly equal in both format, it is observed that achieves results. In Bibon's (2022) study, they aimed to develop biological culture-based courses by integrating medicinal plants and technology applications, and as a result, the study shows that the potential of using indigenous medicine as a resource for culture-based courses in biology and technology support is beneficial to this field, participants and users. Wise, Archie, and Laursen (2022) who have experience in instructional practices in the work they have done in the 2-year college biology instructor is to provide a reconnaissance study on the needs and preferences of the technology since, and as a result MCQ biology learning goals outside of inclusive pedagogy and research, such as quantitative skills and a high level of interest and support for technology instructor technology that achieves results, it is observed that design that carries a container of biology.…”

Acquisition of Folk Healing Practices: A Phenomenological Study Grounding the Experiences of Parasantigwar in Cagraray Island, Philippines

“…Most of its land mass is a sovereignty of Municipality of Bacacay connected by a bridge spanning on the narrowest portion of Sula channel (Bacacay, Albay Profile, n.d.). The immersion of Bibon (2021) in the locale revealed the abundance and reliance of its people to folk medicine brought by many shortcomings in the access to quality and modern health care system and facilities. Folk medicine has been the alternative for the majority especially for locals living in the isolated areas of Cagraray.…”

“…Instead of buying expensive synthetic medicines, they resort to herbal concoctions and prayer-based therapies as prescribed by their native folk healers. Though accounts were documented on calling folk healers as parabulong referring to a generalist healer, oftentimes they were called as parasantigwar specifically pertaining to the ones performing healing rituals (Bibon, 2021). This culture of traditional healing was subjected to many challenges yet managed to survive compounding the foreign medical system and education brought by American occupation through globalization, and the cruel control of Spanish colonizers.…”

“…According to Bibon (2021), the geographical location of the Cagraray island is one of the fundamental issues, along with poverty, which caused its people to rely on alternative medicine. Apart from a general shortage of personnel, the island residents' population has a wide range of illnesses for which even modern services are often not affordable and/or culturally irrelevant.…”