Internship. Khon Kaen University, Thailand, dispatched their students to a four month or a season- long involvement in hybrid rice breeding and seed production.
Major practice. A season-long involvement of students with specific study related to the normal operation of the hybrid rice breeding and seed production group.
Thesis. A season-long involvement of the student conducting applied or basic research related to hybrid rice breeding and seed production.
On the job training. A 30-working days given to students involving series of lectures and hands-on training on growth stages of rice.
Data Analysis
Data were collected and encoded in Microsoft Office Excel 2007© for statistical analysis. Each school was given a code for confidentiality. IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences© Statistics version 21 was used for correlation and descriptive analysis.
Descriptive statistical analysis, frequency, mean, and standard deviation, were employed to evaluate the different variables in the study. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to investigate the relationship among independent and dependent variables.
Results and Discussion
Students’ Methods of Field Engagement
Most of the students (83%) preferred hands-on activities over lectures. Meanwhile, majority of the students (70%) found it more relevant if they would engage in the entire farming operation process rather than handling one specific activity. This activity limited the students’ exposure because they only stayed for 30 working days.
a. Conduct of student programs
As part of their orientation, students were informed of the division’s breeding program in rice ecosystems including rainfed, upland, cool elevated, drought, saline, submergence, high temperature, and irrigated lowland for inbred and hybrid rice.
They were also toured around the facilities and experimental areas. Students were also briefed on the impact and importance of developing rice varieties of our country. The division head or senior breeder of the division usually led the orientation. Students were then introduced to the assigned researchers, and the interrelatedness of processes were explained. Series of lectures and actual application were provided, and students were encouraged to ask questions. After lectures, students were turned over to the hybrid rice breeding group for their specific studies.
b. Internships, major practice, thesis, and on the job training
The four Thai intern students from Khon Kaen University were immersed to the core activities of the hybrid breeding project such as nucleus seed multiplication, evaluation of paired crosses, breeder and foundation seed production, and flowering synchronization. The students were also taught on gathering and analyzing data. Progress of their studies were monitored regularly.
The topics of nine major practice students from CLSU were based on the routine activities of the breeders, specifically in producing F1 hybrid seed or the A x R seed production. This was done to engage them in actual field work in producing hybrid rice seeds. The students were required to be in the field with core workers from sowing until harvesting. They participated in activities conducted in critical stages of the crop during fertilizer application, primordial sampling, boot collection, gathering initial heading and flowering, leaf clipping, GA3 application, pollination, and data gathering. The written report was monitored monthly or whenever there are suggestions and clarifications.
Topics of CLSU thesis students were conceptualized by their school and PhilRice adviser through focused group discussion conducted before implementation. The nine students were required to visit their set-up at least three days every week from sowing to harvesting. The students were also taught how to gather data and interpret results.
The 18 OJT students from different universities participated in lecture and field work. However, they were not immersed in all stages of the rice crop as their training duration was only 30 working days.
OJT students were also given a special problem for them to appreciate research work, which results they presented before they culminate the training.
Based on the results, 83% of the students noted that the most relevant part of the training was their engagement in actual field operations. Jayson, a major practice student of CLSU said,
“The most relevant part of major practice is to be engaged in field activities and communicat- ing with other researchers and laborers about the techniques and strategies in hybrid seed pro- duction.”
Meanwhile, Sylvia of CLSU said,
“For me, hands-on was the most relevant part of the training. It tells me whether I can pursue research work or not.”
These statements showed that learning-by- doing approach is an effective tool for the students conducting studies at PBBD. These findings support Sides et al. (2017) who concluded that internships provide an opportunity to “learn the process of self- generating skill.”
All students agreed that internship, OJT, thesis, and major practice in PBBD were very helpful. Alpha of MinSCAT noted,
“Yes, OJT was helpful because it enhanced my understanding and capabilities that I could use in my work. It also equipped me with the crucial skills and knowledge. It also provided me the venue to learn from some of the best professionals in agriculture industry.”
Contribution of Students
on Hybrid Rice Breeding Program
According to PBBD’s study leaders who handled the students, division projects had benefitted from the study programs. As part of the team, students assisted the researchers in their day-to-day activities in field and laboratories, including slide preparations, pollen evaluations, pair crossing, rouging, leaf clipping, supplemental pollination, bagging of panicles, data gathering, and conducting post-harvest activities.
Thus, projects saved resources as they complemented the needed human resources during the peak of breeding work. As discussed by Divine et al.
(2006), employers benefit from internship because it provides them with risk-free-trial access to potential future employees, while schools strengthen their connections to the community. Students also helped in the promotion of the public hybrids and in adoption of the varieties in their schools and communities.
Tracer Method
Among the 40 students involved in the study coming from the four schools, 70% of them were females and 30% were males (Figure 1). This could state some gender imbalance for students taking up agriculture as dominantly female.
Figure 1. Gender of former students who attended the PBBD internships over the past year.
Majority of the students came from CLSU (52%) which is about 20 km away from PhilRice; followed by NEUST (15%), DMMMSU (13%), and MinSCAT and KKU (10%) (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Student distribution among the four universities in the study.
Ninety percent of the students are already employed (Figure 3) with 75% of them joining the agriculture sector (Figure 4). They all agreed that conducting studies at PhilRice helped them gain employment and that the program was useful in their work. The students said that skills such as land preparation, DNA extraction, data analyses, post-harvest operation, and writing and communication skills, which they learned from the internship program, had helped them land a job in government and private companies. For the unemployed, 5% continued their academic studies, while the remaining 5% are still job searching (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Employment status of the former students involved in this study.
MALE FEMALE
CLSU MinSCAT KKU DMMSU NEUST
EMPLOYED UNEMPLOYED
Figure 4. Percentage of former students who landed jobs in agriculture and non-agriculture sector.
AGRICULTURE NON-AGRICULTURE UNEMPLOYED
Among the 90% employed, 55% of them are working in government institutions with mandate in agriculture, while 20% are connected to private agricultural companies (Figure 5). Based on the students’ program categories, high percentages of students who landed on agriculture-related jobs came from thesis and major practice students (89%).
Figure 5. Percentage of employed former students involved in the study.
Of the students who participated in the internship program at PBBD- Hybrid Rice Breeding group, 60%
responded to the online survey. More than half (60%) expressed their improvement on their skills in field operations. Thomas, a major practice student said:
“Involvement in actual activities from land preparation until postharvest made me realized that being agriculturist is fun. The activities also engaged me in gaining new knowledge and learning on proper management practices, which can help attain high yield.”
Other than enhanced technical skills, 41% of the students agreed that their motivation towards research were improved. According to them, they have learned to be independent, resourceful, and flexible. They learned to manage their time and think critically especially analyzing data. Meanwhile, some students (25%) improved their proficiency in the English language.
Learning from Linking with HEI Using Active Feedback Mechanism
At the culmination of their training, students submitted their outputs through narrative report, power point presentations, and manuscript. Reports were checked thoroughly by the assigned PhilRice advisers while study results were presented in an exit seminar. PhilRice researchers, school advisers, and student representatives attended the seminar, which also served as a venue to validate study results.
Researchers contributed to the discussion by clarifying some processes or adding information to the studies conducted. Part of their grade, which was submitted to their schools, came from selected researchers.
School advisers also gave their feedback about the program. Challenges, opportunities, and importance of collaborations were also tackled during the presentation. This feedback can be used to assess areas of strength and weakness; thus, influencing the school’s curriculum and/or preparation of students to improve workplace performance (Divine et al., 2006).
Most of the school representatives expressed their gratitude to PhilRice for their students’
accomplishment. They also said that the partnership should continue because students need the exposure to be competitive. Angie, DMMMSU OJT adviser said:
“Most of us here at school were amazed when the students presented their outputs. They are very confident in presenting their reports; indicating their training went well. Many of our incoming fourth year students already gave their intentions to be PhilRice OJTs, but we only have limited slots.”
According to a CLSU adviser, the collaboration facilitated students’ training with competent professionals. The adviser also said that students became more equipped and capable when they graduate, and are expected to be productive in their future work. This statement supports Gavigan (2010) and O’Neil (2010) concluding that students also gain professional knowledge about workplace behaviors and are better prepared for future work or graduate school. School advisers also noted during interviews that PhilRice has advanced facilities and that the place is very conducive for learning because staff are research-oriented and friendly.
Meanwhile, some of the challenges met by students included “too much academic load or number of units” during the conduct of the thesis and major practice. This constrained the students from attending some of the field work. Students also needed time to study more about their work as they have limited background on rice production and rice research.
According to one respondent, the curriculum must be upgraded to meet the current trends and issues in agriculture. Some students also needed time to adjust on using equipment and learning terminologies that are new to them. Some schools also noted that programs must be scheduled before harvesting season so the students can practice different cultural management at different growth stages. As the OJTs only had a maximum of 240 hours, they had very short period to learn the entire process of plant breeding, which left most of the crop management and hybrid rice breeding process unlearned. Meanwhile, Thai students met challenges on adjusting with the terminology used in plant breeding and Philippine rice production.
GOVERNMENT
PRIVATE AGRICULTURE COMPANIES PRIVATE NOT AGRICULTURE COMPANIES UNEMPLOYED
Opportunities also came out during the interview with the advisers. According to Joy, one of the CLSU thesis adviser said:
“Creating a strong research network that taps the young minds to come up with relevant and timely technologies can benefit the farmers and the nation. We need research institutions like PhilRice as a partner to fill the gaps that academe cannot provide to the students.”
As result of the training, two students presented their thesis results to the Crop Science Society of the Philippines (CSSP) scientific conference in Legazpi City, Albay in 2008. This is a good encouragement for students to continue conducting research not only in the local level but in international forum. These experiences also motivate students to pursue their career in agriculture.