Unveiling the art and crafts of raffia weaving: A cultural theory and instructional model development.

The article focuses on the art and craft of raffia weaving in Buenavista, Bohol, Philippines, examining its production processes, aesthetic designs, economic significance, and cultural implications. Using ethnographic and grounded theory qualitative methods, the study documents the detailed steps of extracting buri palm fibers, threading, and weaving, highlighting the weavers’ perseverance amid environmental and economic challenges. It introduces the Quadrant Theory of Cultural Dynamism (QTCD), which conceptualizes culture as evolving through beliefs, skills, interactions, and transitions, and the Contextualized Raffia Instructional Model (CRIM), a four-stage, dialectical teaching framework grounded in local culture to enhance 21st-century learning competencies and national identity. The study also addresses the socio-economic status of predominantly women weavers, noting their low income and educational limitations, and recommends measures for sustaining the raffia industry, including increased buri palm cultivation, curriculum integration, and further research on QTCD and CRIM.