ABSTRACT
The Department of Education has adopted modular distance learning as a type of learning delivery modality that is conceptualized and classified under the distance learning approach. Modular distance learning is a learning modality where students can use self-learning modules. The phenomenological study explored the pedagogical experiences of public senior high school teachers in Nasugbu Districts in modular distance learning as a basis for enhanced instructions. Lived experience is defined as knowledge about the world gained through direct, first-hand involvement in everyday events and the experiences of people on whom a social issue or combination of issues has had a direct impact. In this study, the researcher used a descriptive phenomenological method to explore lived experiences of them. The term phenomenology aligns with a qualitative research method. Purposive sampling was the sampling technique for this qualitative, phenomenological exploration which involved sampling of participants who meet the predefined criterion of importance. The participants were nine teachers from three public senior high schools in Nasugbu East and West Districts: Nasugbu East Senior High School, Pantalan Senior High School, and Tala Senior High School. The findings of the study revealed that participants describe their lived experiences with regard to pedagogical experiences of public senior high school teachers in modular distance learning. Using qualitative data analysis, description of the participants on their lived experiences produced varied themes such as challenges on modality and modules. The themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the transcripts of the interview. As a result, the researcher suggested the proposed enhanced instructional plan could be adopted and implemented in other divisions, district, or school. Future researchers may also undertake a similar study focusing on the effects of the rationalization program in a wider population.
Keywords: modular distance learning, lived experience, phenomenology, qualitative data analysis, themes, thematic analysis
Introduction
Over 1 billion pupils are at risk of falling behind because of the closure of schools to block the spread of COVID-19. To keep children in school worldwide, nations have devised remote education initiatives. Many children worldwide, especially those from lower-income families, lack access to the Internet, personal computers, televisions, or even radios at home, exacerbating already-existing learning gaps. If students cannot access the resources required for at-home learning, their options are limited. Because of this, a great deal of people all around the world run the risk of never returning to school and losing years of academic development. In light of the 188 countries that have closed their schools, people are searching for innovative ways to continue their education through media like the Internet, television, and radio. Limited access to these technologies exists in many low- and middle-income nations, particularly for impoverished households. Although more than 90% of the nations had already done so, just 60% had passed legislation governing digital and broadcast remote learning for pre-primary education.
Government programs that guarantee to learn continuity through broadcast or digital media can help 69% of children enrolled in pre-primary through secondary school globally. 31% of children, or 463 million children globally, cannot be reached by broadcast- and Internet-based remote learning policies because their homes lack the necessary technological means or because they were not selected as targets by the chosen policies. Most governments, 83% of nations, used internet channels to deliver education when schools were closed. However, only 25% of pupils worldwide could be reached. Television offers the best opportunity, with a 62% possibility of reaching every student. Radio-based education may be beneficial to only 16% of students worldwide. In remote learning programs worldwide, three out of every four students are either from rural areas or are the children of the poorest families. These results show that many remote learning channels are required for governments to reach all children. To further reduce learning hazards, it would be a long-term objective to increase access to the Internet and other digital tools Additionally, the data shows that Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Panama were among the nations that closed their schools the longest. A total of 131 million students across 11 nations are projected to have missed more than 75 percent of their in-person education. Schools are closed entirely or partially in about 27% of the world's nations (UNICEF, 2021).
The quality of a student's education greatly impacts their life. Teachers are one of the most important resources for delivering high-quality education. Hence, they are key to this process. The introduction of COVID-19 resulted in significant changes to the educational environment in the Philippines. One of them incorporates a cutting-edge teaching strategy and is from the Department of Education (DepEd). Most educational systems have been pressured to create alternatives to face-to-face instruction due to the current COVID-19 crisis. Many educational systems have moved online operations to continue learning even when classrooms are closed (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [OECD], 2020). After shifting from traditional classroom instruction to modular remote learning, it became more difficult for school staff to provide a fundamentally sound education. DepEd officials are constantly looking for ways to improve the resources available to teachers and school administrators so they can work more productively in the field of modular remote learning.
While this is happening, the fact that small and medium schools' PMDL quality is significantly lower than that of their big and mega school counterparts emphasizes the need for instructional oversight to maintain high quality and address present issues. However, the teachers assert that the department successfully standardizes the quality and execution of PMDL in their local contexts, such as school category and location, as well as their demographics, such as maximum educational attainment. Similarly, instructors' difficulties with the quality and execution of PMDL show that they require assistance in this area. The greatest way to deal with this is through instructional supervision. They can also obtain appropriate expert assistance to address issues and maintain standardized quality and PMDL implementation (Talimodao & Madrigal, 2021).
The researcher decided to conduct a study on the pedagogical experiences of public senior high school teachers in Nasugbu District to look into the realities and propose a suggested activity that can be developed to address the issues in the teaching and learning process. She also considered the teachers' current standing and circumstances regarding modular distance learning and the current challenges and situations in the study's location.
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