Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

09 Jul 2026

The levels of radioactive gas in three well-known caves in Bohol are higher than international safety standards

Caves are popular tourist spots in the Philippines, especially in places like Bohol Island. But while they attract visitors with...

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08 Jul 2026

Using eucalyptus oil to modify a renewable carbon paste electrode creates an effective tool for detecting toxic lead ions

Heavy metals are one of the most serious environmental pollutants and contaminants due to their toxicity. They are nonbiodegradable and...

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07 Jul 2026

To afford medicine, families in a low-income municipality often turn to alternative or cheaper treatments, borrow money, or use their savings

The World Health Organization identifies non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—also referred to as chronic diseases—as the leading cause of global mortality, accounting...

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06 Jul 2026

Pigmented rice holds strong potential to improve the technological, nutritional, and sensory properties of bakery products and snacks

Rice is a vital global crop, supplying 60–70% of the daily caloric intake for more than two billion people across...

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03 Jul 2026

At the turn of the twenty-first century, labor history declined as the indigenization movement, specifically Pantayong Pananaw, shifted academic focus to Philippine language and culture

Between 1959 and 1985, only seven studies on the Philippine labor movement were made due to security risks under the...

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02 Jul 2026

Researchers have discovered four new fault zones beneath the sea west of Luzon, branching out from the main Philippine Fault Zone

The Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ) is a major fault system linked to earthquakes and crustal movement across the Philippines. Understanding...

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01 Jul 2026

Believing others expect perfection increases Filipino students’ vulnerability to poor well-being and unhealthy coping

Perfectionism is an important characteristic among university students, given its associations with their well-being and coping. One approach to studying...

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30 Jun 2026

Resident dropouts and fellow resignations are often driven by mental health issues, unmet expectations, specialty changes, and illness

Attrition in the medical training programs not only affects the specialty but also the hospital, the trainee’s career path, and...

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26 Jun 2026

A new “virtual forest” simulation models how changing forest management impacts ecosystems, economies, and communities

The Philippines has lost much of its natural forest due to decades of logging and land conversion, creating a shortage...

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25 Jun 2026

Measuring the Goos-Hänchen shift distinguishes silicon from gallium arsenide

An immediate analogy for our study can be found in a familiar sight: a straw in a glass of water...

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24 Jun 2026

Using higher-resolution sea surface temperature data enhances typhoon rainfall simulations

The most extreme rainfall that we experience in the Philippines are that from tropical cyclones. The more intense a tropical...

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23 Jun 2026

Study examines barriers to identifying human remains in the Philippines and explores forensic odontology as a solution

An effective strategy for human remains identification with a high success rate and low cost is vital for low to...

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Research

Despite the international initiatives on integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in educational curricula, there is limited research that looks into how awareness and knowledge on these SDGs are imparted to younger learners. Our study aimed to assess how well senior high school students in the Philippine Science High School System understand and connect with a set of global goals designed to address challenges like poverty, inequality, education, and climate change. Using a survey, we asked students about where they learned about the SDGs, how well they understood them, how these goals are included in their subjects, and how the SDGs influence their daily lives and career plans.

Results showed that most students first learn about the SDGs in school. However, many have only a limited knowledge of how these goals apply over time and in different places around the world. Subjects like Science, Social Science, and STEM Research often include SDG-related content, but others, like Math, tend to leave it out. The study also found that what students know about the SDGs and where they get that information affects how much they care about sustainability and how it influences their future plans.

Based on these findings, the researchers proposed a new education model to help schools do a better job of teaching sustainability in a way that cuts across all subjects. The goal is to help students not only understand global challenges but also prepare them to solve these problems in their future careers.

We deliver the first empirical baseline of how Philippine senior high school students in a science-focused setting grasp and act on the SDGs. Using survey and path-analysis modeling, the study pinpoints the specific curricular channels (STEM Research, Social Science, and Science electives) through which SDG competencies take root and shows how self-reported knowledge and information sources cascade into learning outcomes, personal engagement, and career intent.

The resulting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework provides schools with a data-driven template to embed sustainability thinking across all subjects, including traditionally hard-to-reach areas such as Mathematics. In generating locally validated metrics and an actionable systems model, the work fills a critical gap in global ESD research, offers the DOST and DepEd a concrete tool for tracking SDG integration in basic education, and supports national targets under Ambisyon Natin 2040 and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. The paper therefore advances both educational science and technology policy by guiding the formation of a sustainability-ready STEM workforce.

Authors: Jericho Padilla (Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Science High School – Ilocos Region Campus | College of Education, University of the Philippines Diliman), Jerile Mae Casimiro (Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Science High School – Ilocos Region Campus | Graduate School, Mariano Marcos State University), and Carlo Amigable (College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila)

Read the full paper: https://www.icaseonline.net/journal/index.php/sei/article/view/1147