BLENDED DISTANCE LEARNING AS TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH ON

THE NEW NORMAL: THE PARADIGM SHIFT

Jenny B. Balanguie
RATIONALE
2020 has been a catastrophic year in the world, perhaps, one of the most
unforgettable years in human history. It gave us a lot of unexpected tragedies especially
the arise of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) which was announced as a pandemic by
the World Health Organization (WHO). This phenomenon threatened the social life,
economy, and health of every human being in the world. However, we cannot deny the
fact that “education” is at stake due to the said pandemic. It has been a big issue whether
or not we should push through the school year 2020-2021.
Nevertheless, the Department of Education (Deped) Secretary Leonor Briones
firmly stated “Education must continue! In the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, our call
remains the same: Education must continue whether face-to-face or virtual, with or
without physically going to school.” Despite the call for an academic freeze, the
Department of education has been firm to its stand that education must continue.
Every Flipino’s health is at risk and so, it is also our major concern. Since social
gathering has been banned and social distancing is a must, face-to-face learning was not
allowed. This incident introduced to us the new normal life of education through the
implementation of Distance Learning which includes the following delivery modalities:
Modular Distance Learning, Online Distance Learning, TV/Radio-VBased Instruction,
and Blended distance learning.
Among the four modalities, the blended distance learning approach was the focus
of this study for it comprises the rest of the mentioned learning modalities. There are
different interpretations of blended learning. According to Smythe, Michael (2021),
Blended learning is a practical framework that can be used to encapsulate a range of
effective approaches to learning and teaching. It encourages the use of contemporary
technologies to enhance learning, and the development of flexible approaches to course
design to enhance student engagement.
The study of M.V. López-Pérez et al. / Computers & Education 56 (2011) shows
that the use of blended learning has a positive effect on reducing dropout rates and
improving exam marks. Moreover, the students’ perceptions of blended learning are
interrelated, with their final marks depending on the blended learning activities, and the
students’ age, background, and class attendance rate.
This school year has been a challenging year for all students and teachers who do
not see each other personally. The only way to learn is through printed modules, online
classes for those who have internet access, downloadable materials such as PowerPoint
presentations, word documents, pdf files, and videos, TV, and radio-based instruction.
The only way to reach out to learners is through chat, text, or call. The pandemic gave us
a new teaching and learning set-up. The usual face to face encounter is now an abnormal
scenario. The blended distance learning shifted the pedagogical paradigm in the country.
Hence, the study tries to figure out how blended distance learning can serve as a
transformative approach to the new normal.

OBJECTIVES
This study aims to identify the academic achievement of students on blended distance
learning as a transformative approach on the new normal.
Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the students in terms of:
Age:
Sex:
Parent’s Educational Attainment:
Availability of internet access at home:

2. What is the academic achievement of students on blended distance learning?

3. What are the challenges encountered by students in blended distance learning?

4. Is there a significant relationship in blended distance learning to students’

academic achievement when they are grouped according to their profile?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The result of the study will be beneficial to the following:

School administrators
The results of the study will provide information or background to the school
administrators on how blended learning affects the students’ academic achievement. This
will also serve as their guide in assisting teachers and learners along with the said
concern.
Teachers
Through the result of the study, teachers will know how the learners perceive
blended distance learning. They will also be aware of which approach needs more
improvement and be able to provide instructional materials applicable to every learner.
Students
Students will benefit from the result of the study for they will be informed on how
blended distance learning works in the present situation. They will also be motivated to
improve their academic performance through the help of different learning approaches
available for them.
Parents
Parents will be more informed on what blended distance learning is about and
they will better understand their role in this kind of learning situation. This will enlighten
them about the importance of guiding and supporting their children.
Other Researchers
The result of the study will serve as a reference to other researchers who wish to
conduct similar research in other locations.