DISSERTATION SEMINAR IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

(EDF 302)

Title: Improving Students Performance: The Learning Workshops,

Conditions, and Resources in Modular Distance Learning

Presented by:

LILY MAE B. MONTALBAN

Presented to:

CHONA QUEZON-SARMIENTO, PhD

Research Development and Evaluation Center
WMSU
 Improving Students Performance: The Learning Workshops, Conditions,
and Resources in Modular Distance Learning

Rationale of the Study

Modular learning is the most popular type of Distance Learning. In the

Philippines, this learning modality is currently used by all public schools

because according to a survey conducted by the Department of Education

(DepEd), learning through printed and digital modules emerged as the most

preferred distance learning method of parents with children who are enrolled

this academic year (Bernardo, J). This is also in consideration of the learners in

rural areas where internet is not accessible for online learning.

A definition of student performance levels is what makes a rubric more

than an assignment checklist.  By providing students with a range of levels of

response, you can help guide them away from common errors. Student

performance may be assessed along a variety of dimensions including

individual written work on papers and exams, and group activities such as

projects and presentations. As the modular distance learning implemented the

students’ performance were very poor and they are not performing it’s because

of some issues. The Department of Education should consider this problem,

reduce the activities, and take out the unnecessary topics so that mastery will

be attained as much as possible. As what some of the parents said, the lesser

the better. One of the concerns of the students is that they do not have enough

time to answer all the modules within a week. Therefore, if DepEd cannot
extend the duration of accomplishing the modules, they must lessen the

activities. We all know that mistakes cannot be avoided at times. Thus,

teachers should re-evaluate the modules, and they must make sure that all the

lessons or activities are appropriate to the needs of the learners. The parents,

as well as the students, are right; the instructions in every exercise must be

clear enough for the learners to understand. The topics must be simplified, and

teachers must give more examples. Moreover, all the printed pictures in the

modules should be clear. The cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines are still in

great number, so face to face learning is not yet possible. However, the

researchers think that Blended Learning is also possible for places that are not

infected by the virus. This can be applied to some schools located in rural

areas. Online Learning approach could be implemented in urban areas since

most of the learners have an internet connection. For the students who still

cannot access the internet, they will be given special consideration by home

visitation as an example. Aside from text and call, social media particularly on

messenger is one of the most used modes of communication between teachers,

parents, and students. Therefore, teachers are recommended to be active

online most of the time. They must be able to address the sentiments of some

parents and students, which is to be patient enough in attending to the needs

and to respond to the queries immediately with regards to learning. The

Department of Education and the government must collaborate together

towards the success of Philippine Educational System despite the COVID-19

pandemic. It is imperative that every school must be provided with support and
enough funds. The Department of Education should give autonomy and

freedom to teachers in every school to do their own modules. However, the

modules must be validated for the quality assurance and the progress will be

monitored

The teacher takes the responsibility of monitoring the progress of the

learners. The learners may ask assistance from the teacher via e-mail,

telephone, text message/instant messaging among others. Where possible, the

teacher shall do home visits to learners needing remediation or assistance

(Llego, n.d.). Printed Modules will be delivered to students, parents or

guardians by the teachers.

The workshop explicitly focuses on the context because the successful

implementation of generically described teaching methods in units of learning

heavily depends on the context

Learning Workshop is defined as assembled group of ten to twenty-five

persons who share a common interest or problem. They meet together to

improve their individual skill of a subject through intensive study, research,

practice and discussion.

Teaching is a continuum from conditioning to indoctrination and training

is also inclusive in it. The new innovations and practices of education are

introduced by organizing workshop in which persons are trained to use new

practices in their teaching learning process. The workshops are organized to develop
the psychomotor aspects of the learner regarding practices of new innovations in area of

education. Participants are expected   to do some practical work to produce instructional

teaching and testing material.

Since the Modular distance learning began a lot of problems and

challenges encountered along the way. It is being debated since the mode of

delivery is new to us we keep on looking the available strategies and resources

to address the students’ performance in modular distance learning. The seven

Fundamental Conditions of Learning are awareness, interest, motivation,

relevance, engagement, reinforcement and support.

Learning resources are any resource – including print and non-print

materials and online/open-access resources – which supports and enhances,

directly or indirectly, learning and teaching. Typically, the use of a learning

resource in the classroom is subject to a process of evaluation and approval at

the school, local or national level. Evaluation criteria may include relevance to

the curriculum and expectations for learning, social considerations, and age or

developmental appropriateness.

Improving the performance of the student is the responsibility of all

parties involved in teaching and learning. This is consistent with today’s labor

forces that demand workers with academically excellent and high employability

skills. Different aspects of assessments being evaluated with various tools of

measurements will enable institutions to produce graduates that are

competent to meet expectation of work forces locally and internationally. Lowe

(2004) suggested 10 ways of improving student achievement and create

learners that include vision sharing among staffs and students, schools

should act as a transformation agent, the involvement of administrators and

teachers in data analysis, introducing students to their assessment data,

increase rigor in instruction and learning, teach students the level of rigor, set

up student expectation to achieve the objectives of the courses, teach student

how to learn and develop appetite for learning, encourage instructors as

learners environment and guide them to teach smarter but not harder by

incorporate research-based teaching and learning strategies. David et al. (2001)

believe that parents’ involvement in a child’s education and good instructor-

student relationship contribute positively towards the student’s academic

performance. Excellent time management with positive attitude towards

learning can enhance student performance. Harry (1999) in his article also

stated that the only factor that can create student achievement is a

knowledgeable, skillful teacher who possesses an excellence management

capability that fosters high academic engagement. This teacher able to use

positive reinforcement to motivate students to actively involved in the

classroom and thus create a cooperative environment. Students are taught to

be self-regulated learners who take the opportunity to challenge task, practice

learning, develop deep understanding of subject matters and exert full effort to

rise to academic success.

Statement of the Problem

1. What are the perceptions of students about the accessibility and availability

of learning support provided by the school in modular distance learning?

2. What are the experiences of teachers who have transitioned to a modular

distance learning in terms of:

a. Instruction

b. interventions

3. How does learning condition, workshop and resources contribute to the

performance of the students?

4. What are the support of administrator to teachers in modular distance

learning to improve the student’s performance in terms of:

a. Professional Growth

b. motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic)

c. Instructional materials

d. Physical facilities

Objectives
General Objective
The aim of this study is to improve students’ performance in modular

distance learning and determine the learning workshop, condition and

resources and how it affects the students’ performance in selected public

secondary schools.

Specific Objective

1. To determine the support mechanisms that provides an experience for

students performance to improve.

2. To compare the experience of teachers who have transitioned to a modular

distance learning in terms of:

(a) Instruction

(b) interventions

3. To identify how learning condition, workshop and resources contribute to

the performance of the students.

4. To determine the support of administrator to teachers in modular distance

learning to improve the student’s performance in terms of:

a. Professional Growth

b. motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic)

c. Instructional materials

d. Physical facilities

Significance of the Study

 This piece of study is expected to generate significance to the school

personnel in the Department of Education to plan out on how to improve

students’ performance in modular distance learning in all public secondary

school. The findings will help the administrators to identify the needed learner

support, the status of the students learning and the needed facility and

resources to address the needs of the students.

Scope and Delimitations

This study will focus on improving students’ performance in modular

distance learning in selected public secondary schools in the Department of

Education.
 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the available literature dealing with theories,

arguments, discussions and research studies on Improving Students

Performance: The Learning Workshops, Conditions, and Resources in Modular

Distance Learning . This will serve as the bases of the conceptual framework of

the study Improving Students Performance: The Learning Workshops,

Conditions, and Resources in Modular Distance Learning.

Conceptual Literature

One of the most important component in education is the students’

performance. It helps students realize its dreams and use its full potential to be

equipped with the necessary skills and be globally competitive.

Mashau et al. (2008) states that practices in overcoming difficulties in

learning and actions in institutions can help promote success in academics

and these can be referred as learner support services. These services includes,

mentoring, help learners in working with groups, as well as medical,

psychological, schemes in feeding, social work services and other similar

services. These services to support learners can help lessen the conditions of

learners due to parental and health conditions. All these things are connected
to the environment in which learners learn and may be grouped into three

kinds which are academic, emotional and social support.

According to Saunders (2014), “at-risk students who adopt a fixed

mindset may become trapped in a recursive pattern of low achievement, low

motivation, and low effort” (p. 4). The long-term impact of having a fixed

mindset can be damaging to future opportunities after high school. So, the real

question for teachers is, how do we develop gritty students who can approach

tasks with growth mindsets? What strategies can facilitate persistence,

resilience, increased academic achievement, and foster a sense of self-efficacy

that goes beyond the limits of conformity?

Garrison and Baynton (1987) explains that the learner support system

covers resources that the learners can use to carry out the different processes

in learning and the resources related to communication and mediation. It is a

scope that is not only focusing on one aspect to help learners but a variety of

ways in order to help address student’s needs.

Hodgson (1986, 56) believed that support system can contribute in

helping students gain confidence and become competent in learning. It’s also

one way to develop the social interactions among peers.

According to Garisson (1989, 29) " to facilitate and guide the

transactions in education, support should focus not only in terms of human

resources but also non-human". This means that there are different variables

that should be put into consideration to help support the needs of the
students, and one of the major key to help students achieve their goals are the

teachers who should guide and give direction in any possible way.

Reyneke, Meyer & Nel (2010), said that support services focuses on

teachers to help meet the learners needs in academic are not only based on the

teaching strategies and pedagogies but to include the assessment, feedback,

curricular and integrating technology into teaching methodologies. However,

the reality of poverty has great effects in the success of learners, therefore the

essence of giving support to help ease the difficulties related to poor socio-

economic conditions of families and poor health should be given attention.

Wiseman (2012) states that one of the strongest predictor of success in

academics is poverty. Poor proper nutrition creates a great challenge to

education.

Crombie (2003) explains that learning support can create learning

environments conducive. It makes learner more focus on achieving higher

grades and receiving recognition. They become motivated when they can feel

that they are being cared by their teachers and their responses are being

respected by the educators. Respecting one another, an environment that sees

the importance of every student can help encourage and promotes participation

academically.

According to Tinto (2006-2007), although the actions of the school are

essential in helping the learners to become successful, the influence of family

cannot be disregarded. Knowing the context of one’s family can help

institutions organize a support programmes for learners from the different

walks of life situations and problems. Involvement of the parents and

partnership with community in the school can help create an atmosphere of

teaching and learning.

Gasiewski (2012) asserts that learner support has the capacity to

enhance the psychological traits of learners that is related to motivation in the

different learning areas. There is a huge connection between academic

achievement and motivation that is link with high achievement, mastery,

personal responsibility and understanding. Thus, it is important that learners

should be motivated through the help of earner support services.

Research Literature

The implementation of modular distance learning needs to

meet students' characteristics and / or individualities. In this study,

individualities refer to the sociodemographic, psychological characteristics and

life situation of each person. However, within the scope of this study, the

central focus of discussion and analysis will be only on

particularly learning styles. Many researchers have stated that one way

of improving retention, learning process and outcomes is by paying attention to

the student's needs. According to Ribeiro (1999, the analysis of

psychopedagogical assumptions finds its reason because the curriculum is

implemented to a group of students with certain characteristics and needs.

Studies made by Maarman (2019) shows that learners from poor

communities’ and disadvantaged areas, prioritized challenges related to

survival rather than academic success because they consider the importance of

finding ways in able to survive more essential to teaching and learning. Actions

designed at helping meet the basic needs of learners such as catering

nutritional health are considered an obligation of the school. They should act

on behalf of the state, most especially where parents cannot provide the needs

of the students to good nutrition.

Study findings on the educational innovations that shapes effective

practice in the classroom, found that teacher’s actions particularly in the

classroom are important institutional efforts for developing success of learners.

Teachers contributes a lot in the activities of the educational system by making

sure that quality learning are being delivered when students are supported to

be reflective and be engaged in the learning processes. Hence, teachers can

offer support by integrating support activities related to learning and so with

the resources in the daily routines in the classroom. Grosser and Pickens

(2007)

A study conducted by Venter (2003) on the role of culture and isolation

in Asia and Europe showed that majority of the students wants guidance in

academic, feedback and being directed that they were in the right track. This

support are seen important for every learner.

Meanwhile, Dzakiria (2005) conducted a study on the role of learner

support in distance learning at the University of Utara Malaysia, it showed that

the absence of face-to-face meetings between students and teachers resulted to

discouragements and hampered developments in learning.

 Moreover, Sharma (2002) study on student support operative in the

Directorate of Modular Distance Education of Maharshi Dayanand University

in Asia revealed that majority of the provided services for students focuses on

administrative support such as registration of students, giving of study

materials, academic support, creation of study centers, provision of facilities

and tutoring.

According to Godson (2007) on his study focusing on learner revealed

that students from remote areas experienced a feedback delay on their

assignments. Moreover, it showed that in developing and sustaining support

services that are effective, physical resources is truly a vital part in every

program which includes guidance and counseling for students.

Five conditions necessary for a system to move from supporting

low-quality to high-quality instruction:

1. A committed belief within the highest level of a system that all children

can learn

2. Clear and ambitious learning goals linked to instruction

3. Capacity around good instructional practice at every level of the system

4. Incentives, accountability, and knowledge management around change

5. Commitment on behalf of the educational system to make itself a

learning organization in which everyone—from the highest-level

administrators to students—is provided with opportunities for continuing

learning (Fullan, 2010)

w
Theoretical Framework

The delivery of an effective learning workshops, conditions and resources

is one of the most essential responsibilities of every institution and can

certainly have a huge impact on students to succeed or fail. (Paul and Brindley,

1996)

Gagne theory stipulates that there are several different types or levels of

learning. The significance of these classifications is that each different type

requires different types of instruction. Gagne identifies five major categories of

learning: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills

and attitudes. Different internal and external conditions are necessary for each

type of learning. For example, for cognitive strategies to be learned, there must

be a chance to practice developing new solutions to problems; to learn

attitudes, the learner must be exposed to a credible role model or persuasive

arguments.

Gagne suggests that learning tasks for intellectual skills can be

organized in a hierarchy according to complexity: stimulus recognition,

response generation, procedure following, use of terminology, discriminations,

concept formation, rule application, and problem solving. The primary

significance of the hierarchy is to identify prerequisites that should be

completed to facilitate learning at each level. Prerequisites are identified by

doing a task analysis of a learning/training task. Learning hierarchies provide

a basis for the sequencing of instruction.

This study will make use of cognitive learning theory looks at the way

people think. Mental processes are an important part in understanding how we

learn. The cognitive theory understands that learners can be influenced by

both internal and external elements

Cognitive Affective Systematic

Developing and Providing an Establishing
supporting learning environment which administrative
through mediation of supports students, processes and
the standard and enhances self-esteem information
uniform elements of and creates management systems
course materials and commitment. which are effective,
learning resources for transparent and overall
individual students. student-friendly.

These three are essential in every learner. It is interrelated and

interdependent.

Conceptual Framework
 PROCESS PRODUCT/
CONTEXT INPUTS
 Supply of OUTCOME
learning
materials
 Providing
 Modular library services  Quality of
 Financial
distance  Tutorials graduate’s
resources
learning as  produce
 Human Feeding
effective Programs  Good academic
resources
distance  achievement
 Material Providing
learning academic
resources
modalities. advice and
counseling
Services

Figure 2: Conceptual Framework of the Study

Source: Adopted from Stufflebeam's CIPP Model (2003)

 Definition of Terms

For a common frame of reference, clarity and better understanding, the

following terms are operationally defined.

Modular distance learning. A form of distance learning that uses self-

learning modules.

Student Performance. In this study, it refers to the support that the

learners receive as the requisite student services that is important to ensure a

successful learning experiences. (Wright, 1991)

Learning Resources. Are those devices and procedures that help to

make teaching and learning more interesting, more stimulating, more

reinforcing and more effective.

Learning Condition.  whole set of factors that influence learning.

Learning Workshop. is defined as assembled group of ten to twenty five

persons who share a common interest or problem. They meet together to

improve their individual skill of a subject through intensive study, research,

practice and discussion.

Student Involvement. In this study, it refers to the psychological and

amount of physical energy that students gives in the academic experience. For

the growth of students be possible, students should actively engage oneself in

their environment. (Astin, 1984)

 Academic Achievement. In this study, can be defined as the excellence

and Merit in the disciplines of academics, in the class and extracurricular

activities. It also includes excellence in communication skills, confidence,

sporting behavior, punctuality, arts, culture, assertiveness, and the like. (Tri-

County Technical College Student Support Services Brochure, 2005)

Student Perceptions. In this study, it refers to the participant’s beliefs

about the support services for students related to the effectiveness of the

programs, student’s motivations and mentoring. (Grantham, T., & Ford, D.,

2003)

Student Support Services. In this study, can be defined as the

academic program that supports and offers opportunities for academic

improvement, assist students and serves to motivate learners towards the

attainment of successful education. (Tri-County Technical College Student

Support Services Brochure, 2005)

Learner Support. In this study, it refers to the available support

provided for the learners that directly affects his/her developments and

success that is part of the teaching and learning process. (SAIDE, 2003)

CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
 This chapter presents the Research Methodology, which includes

specifically the Research Design, Research Locale, the Population and

Sampling Design, Research Instrument and Data Gathering Procedures.

This study will focus mainly on the students’ performance in modular

distance learning in Selected Public Secondary Schools. Qualitative research

design with the aid of interview guide questions for focus group discussion and

key informants interview will be used in this study.

Qualitative research is empirical research where data are not in the form

of numbers. (Punch, 1998:4)

Qualitative research is multimethod in focus, involving an interpretive,

naturalistic approach to its subject matter. This means that qualitative

researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of,

or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to them.

Qualitative research involves the studied use and collection of variety of

empirical materials – case study, personal experience, introspective, life story,

interview observational, historical, interactional, and visual texts that describes

routine and problematic moments and meanings in individuals' lives. It deploys

a wide range of interconnected methods, hoping always to get a better fix on

the subject matter at hand. (Denzin and Lincoln, 1994:2)

This qualitative study will utilize the qualitative method involving actual

observation and visitations of the five (5) public secondary schools in Aurora

west and five (5) secondary schools in Aurora east district of Zamboanga del
Sur. Documentations, group and individual interviews of the participants and

key informants, such as teachers, students and principal will be utilize in this

study .Moreover, ethnography research method will be used to engage in this

study so as to give details and elucidate the experiences of the participants

(learners), and the key informants (teachers).

This study on Improving students’ performance in modular distance

learning in selected public secondary schools in one way or the other will be

apt on the characteristics of qualitative research study advanced by Cresswell

(2007) as:

1. Key philosophical assumption – Understanding how people make sense

of their words and the experience people have.

This study attempts to obtain the point of view of the participants

(learners, teachers, principals) on the student’s performance in schools.

2. Key concern – knowing and understanding from the participant’s

perspective.

Since an act will be explicitly grasp and comprehended in the field where

it works, the researcher will conduct individual interviews and focus group

discussion the 10 secondary schools in the west and east district of Aurora

Zamboanga del Sur.

3. Key Focus – understanding (rather than predicting or controlling) social

settings or phenomena.
 In this study, the researcher will use documentation (written and video

recording) for noting data and to propagate the result. Gathered data in the

manner of interview and field notes will not be condensed to numerical symbol.

Instead, data that will be collected will be cautiously analyzed to its very core in

which they will be recorded.

Research Locale

This study will be conducted in the ten (10) public secondary schools in

Zamboanga del Sur. Five (5) secondary schools from the Aurora east and five

(5) secondary schools in the Aurora west District of Zamboanga del Sur. The

study will focus on secondary students and teachers from Grade 7 to Senior

High School.

Respondents/Sampling Procedure

For the selection of the respondents, the researcher will choose the

Grade 7 to Senior High School students and teachers to be the respondents

because they are all part in the implementation of the Modular Distance

Learning in schools, at the same time, the principal will also be included as

head of the implementer who will spearhead its delivery in the school. The

researcher will choose 10 students who are enrolled for the school year 2020-

2021, five permanent teachers and five principals from the 10 schools.

Research Instrument
 The instruments that will be used in this study are very essential to be

able to unfold and acquire the genuine experiences of the respondents and get

the accurate students performance in Public Secondary Schools. Hence, these

instruments will help attained the very goal of this research study.

The researcher will consequently use of the following instruments.

1. Interview Guide

The research instruments that will be used in this study will the

Interview Guide Questions for Focus Group Discussion and Key Informants

Interview. This instrument is appropriate for the level of teachers, students and

principals. Rationally, the interview guide questions will not be too tough or too

easy for the level of the respondents.

2. Information Sheet

The information sheet is very important on the part of the researcher and

the respondents of the study. For the researcher, the information sheet will

give the idea as to who will participate in the Focus Group Discussion (FGD).

While on the part of the respondents, the information sheet serves as an option

of their willingness to participate on the focus group discussion or simply

decline. Along this line, the researcher will disperse information sheets for the

participants and key informants of the study.

Data Gathering Procedure

Preliminary Preparation Stage.

The researcher will personally secure a written permission from the

Department of Education - Division of Zamboanga del Sur. After the approval

of this letter, the researcher will then secure a letter of permission to the school

principal of the 10 secondary schools in the Aurora west and east of

Zamboanga del Sur in order for the study to be made possible. This written

permission will be very essential in the data gathering process. At the same

time, the said authorizations will be very necessary for the researcher in order

to have the accessibility in the 10 secondary schools.

Gathering Information Stage.

Prior to the conduct of the research study, the researcher will first

acquire the necessary information’s from the ten secondary schools to help the

researcher plan and get ready for the individual and group interviews, as well

as number of copies for interview guide question and information sheet to

prepare for the respondents and key informants.

Since the core intention of this qualitative research study is to improve

Students’ Performance in Modular Distance Learning in Selected Public

Secondary Schools, the needed data will only be acquiring through observation

and dealing with the respondents in their home environment. Hence, to have

affluent scheme of the respondent’s experiences, two methods will be used by

the researcher. These are the Focus Group Discussion and Key Informants

Interviews.
The FGD Participants

There will be ten focus group discussions. The selection of the

respondents will be in a form of random sampling method.

A total of ten (10) participants will be selected in the focus group

discussion from the ten secondary schools in the Aurora east and west of

Zamboanga del Sur.

The Key Informants

There will be 10 (10) respondents who will serve as key informants in

this study. Five (5) from the teachers and five (5) from the school principals.