CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM

Introduction

Education could be a tool for bettering one's life. It is, without a doubt, the

foremost crucial tool for transforming one's life. A child's education begins

reception. it is a process that lasts a lifetime and culminates in death. Education

features a significant impact on the standard of an individual's life. Education

increases somebody's knowledge, skills, personality, and attitude. most

significantly, education has a sway on employment prospects.

The education system worldwide has been disrupted by the pandemic.

Educational institutions cope up with the damage dealt by the Covid-19 on the

education system. In the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state

of public health emergency on Monday, March 9, after health officials recorded

additional cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus, including the first case of local

transmission in the Philippines1. April 12, 2020 President of the Philippines

Rodrigo Roa Duterte, declared and placed the entire mainland of Luzon under

the Enhanced Community Quarantine. This is the way to control and stop the rise

of coronavirus cases and be able to handle the situation. To cope with these

problems, all places in the Philippines were placed into lockdown based on

COVID-19 protocols. Implementing ECQ/Stay at home, the government sought

to contain the rapidly spreading and preventing of the Covid-19 for the safety of
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everyone. Also the government ensured that they will provide and give cash

assistance and relief goods to give assurance for those who are worried about

how they live without working and getting support to survive everyday.

For continuous learning and at the same time not compromising the health

of the students, the Commission on Higher Education implemented a new

education system for the universities all around the country. By the start of a new

academic year 2020-2021. De Vera stated, "We are ready because our top

universities have been doing flexible learning even before COVID. The other

universities have shifted to flexible learning during the quarantine and are moving

ahead for the opening of classes2."

"Flexible learning" for higher education institutions involves a combination

of digital and non-digital technology, which according to CHED, doesn't

necessarily require being connected to the internet. CHED stated that the flexible

learning is composed of 3 modes. First, Online, a flexible learning mode that is

placed in the virtual classroom on different online platforms. Learning materials

are in the form of pdfs, videos, audios and other digital formats. Second, Offline,

a flexible learning that doesn’t require internet connection. Learning materials are

in the form of printed modules or in digital formats such as video and audio

stored in flash drives. Lastly, Blended, a type of learning that is a mix of both

online and offline learning. Students have been given a freedom on which

learning modes suit their learning capacity and situation.

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In the new learning system, educational institutions cannot easily adjust to

perform an efficient way on how professors should teach the students and how

students can learn. Knowing that not every student has the same struggles in this

situation. Flexible learning brings the students to be able to continue to study and

perform even at home. There are students that find it helpful or be able to cope

up with this system but not all students, because they don’t have enough

resources and they find flexible learning is not easy and having hard time to

learn. There are present problems that students may be experience in this

situation regarding to flexible learning.

Bicol University is one of the universities who did take early action

regarding the pandemic amidst the school year. The authorities of the school

made a new system for the new normal, which is flexible learning. The pandemic

brought agony to everyone, especially on the part of the students. Not all

students are privileged enough to afford the resources needed in the new

educational system. It brought a huge impact on the academic performance of

the students. Majority of the students are saying that the new learning system is

more about compliance over learning.

Bachelor of Science in Civil Technology has a different approach when it

comes to the learning of the students. Considering that, the course is designed
for practical lectures, which is more effective for the student than sitting and
listening only to the professors without having proper practice on the learnings. In
the article of Sumitra Pokhrel and Roshan Chhetri(2021) entitled “A Literature
Review on Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning” The
COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in
human history 3. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on education
systems round the world, affecting approximately 1.6 billion students in over 200
nations. quite 94 percent of the world's student population has been touched by
school, institution, and other learning facility closures. This has resulted in
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significant changes in every a part of our life. Distancing from society and limited
movement policing

Statement of the Problem

Generally, the study aims to determine the performance of flexible

learning by the students of BS Civil Technology of Bicol University. Specifically,

this study will seek to answer the following.

1. What is the profile of the students of BS Civil Technology of Bicol

University in terms of:

a. Gender,

b. type of learner based on the accessibility instructional material,

c. availability of gadgets?

2. What is the performance of the respondents:

a. before the flexible learning(pre-pandemic)

b. with the flexible learning(during pandemic)

3. What is the relationship between the profile and the performance of the

respondents through flexible learning.

4. What are the challenges encountered by the CT students by flexible

learning.

5. What are the intervention may be proposed to enhance the

performance of the Civil Technology students to cope with the challenges

of flexible learning?

Scope and Delimitation

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This study focuses on the determinabtion of the profile of the respondednts

determination of comparison of the performance of the students using the tradintional

mode of learning and the flexible learning, This study also focuses on determination on

relationship of the profile and the performance of respondents through flexible learning.

It also focuses on the challenges encountered by the CT students by flexible

learning. And lastly it focuses the intervention may be proposed to enhance the

performance of the Civil Technology students to cope with the challenges

of flexible learning.

This study is limited to the determination of the academic performance of

BS Civil Technology students of Bicol University through flexible learning. The

study will be just conducted within the Civil Technology department and only the

student of Civil Technology and shall no longer deal with aspects outside said

coverage.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this research study will contribute to society. This study

may be beneficial and useful to the following.

BSCT Students. This will help them to overcome the difficulties they experience

in this kind of new learning setup. It will also help them perform better in the

current learning setup they have.

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Students. Aside from the students of BSCT, students outside the scope of

BSCT, this will help them to give ideas on how they can cope up with their

difficulties in their situation and to improve their academic performances.

Parents. This study will help parents to ease their burden and worries knowing

their children can cope up with the difficulties experienced in flexible learning.

Community. By the help of this research, readers can share their knowledge

from this study with the ways of coping in the difficulties of flexible learning to

help the people especially those who are struggling students in the community.

BSCT Professors. This will help them to understand more the point of view of

the students under flexible learning. To come up with a new approach in teaching

the students.

Bicol University Administration. The possible solution formed by the

researchers can be used by the school to help the students especially the

struggling ones to create a healthier system for the students.

Future Researchers. This study can be utilized as a guide and as a related

literature for the same kind of study in the future researchers.

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Notes

1
Sofia Tomacruz, Duterte declares state of public health emergency amid
rise in coronavirus cases, Rappler, Philippines, 2020,
https://www.rappler.com/nation/duterte-declares-state-public-health-emergency-
rise-coronavirus-cases-march-2020 Accessed May 5, 2021
2
Bonz Magsambol, FAST FACTS: CHED's flexible learning, Rappler,
Philippines, 2020, https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/things-to-know-ched-
flexible-learning Accessed May 5, 2021
3
Sumitra Pokhret, Roshan Chhetri,A Literature Review on Impact of
COVID-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning, Sage
Publishing,https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2347631120983481?
fbclid=IwAR0Dpc4WEKJ4Fc9JTTcYDY6vQYQJN232SyIgX7ectITzxdlDi7UUveu
Olkk& Accessed September 17, 2021