By: Samuel F Macagba

Research Coordinator for the XU Junior High School

Last April 28, 2022, day 4 of the XU University Research Week celebration, Dr. Jayson Parba, an alumnus of the Xavier University College of Education shared his talk “(En)Countering the Challenges of Research and Academic Publication: A Dialogue Among Teacher-Researchers”.   Dr Parba is currently based in the University of Hawaii, Manoa, Hawaii, as an instructor and coordinator of the Filipino Language and Culture Program Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures.

As a scholar and editor, he shared some of his actual experiences in the process of having his research works published. He explained that, “the review process is never easy” pointing out to the fact that publishing  is a grueling and a humbling experience. He expressed that more than the prestige, it is the potential of contributing a scholarly knowledge that pushes him to write quality papers in various journals. He shared tips on how to bridge the gap between research and practice. He also expressed insights on the current scenario in the educational system of the country that add to the difficulty of motivating teacher-researchers to publish (e.g. heavy teaching load, lack of funding and support for intellectual curiosity and creativity, among others). The discussion ended on a high note with the active participation from faculty members and students across different disciplines.