Background of the Study

Educational reform is a continuous process. It includes thorough curriculum revisions,

instructional material adjustments, and instructional technique preparation to keep up with

changes throughout time. Therefore, despite the fact that our country is facing a pandemic, in

accordance with Republic Act 10533 s. 2013 or “No Child Left Behind,” the Department of

Education presented a variety of teaching modalities under the new normal to meet the needs of

students as well as their learning of 21st century skills towards globalization. In this regard, one

of the considerations that is expected to be implemented is the use of various teaching methods

such as distance learning, blended learning, online learning, and modular learning.

Due to the pandemic, educational system has been forced to have a transition from

traditional to blended learning following the halt of face-face interaction between the teachers

and students due to lockdown. This had fueled higher education's digital transition and tested its

ability to adapt quickly and effectively trough online learning as the most dominant learning

modality. Usher & Barak, 2020; Huang, (2019) states that “A learning environment that

leverages the Internet and other technical devices and resources for synchronous and

asynchronous instructional delivery and management of academic programs is referred to as

online learning.”  With this modality, researchers identified that the availability of internet

accessibility is one of the most significant problems in responding to the new normal education.

To support, a study conducted by Ahmed et.al (2017) emphasized the significance of improved

internet access for e-learning, particularly in rural locations.

With the continuous battle against the virus's violent spread, schools and other learning

spaces have been forced to transition to complete online learning making the impact of the

internet on student academic performance a major concern as learning success becomes is very
variable depending on how accessible the internet is. Academically, while students can

essentially study anything online, learning may be less than optimal, particularly in classes that

require face-to-face contact and direct interactions Franch, (2020). Further, Casillano (2019)

claimed that only a small percentage of students have internet access, making it difficult for them

to access the e-learning platform.

With specificity to the context and locale of the study, studies about the relationship of

writing strategies and writing anxiety levels are relatively scarce. Therefore, this research fills the

gap in previous studies because it will investigate the internet accessibility and academic

performance of Senior high School students of University of La Salette Incorporated High

School. It is also hoped that the findings of this study would shed light on internet accessibility

and academic performance to provide a reliable path towards a high quality of teaching amid the

learning challenges brought by the pandemic.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED613639.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8162157/