A Study of the Efficacy of Online Classes to STEM

Students of Golden Olympus Colleges

 Introduction
The idea of education has been around our world for quite some time and can even be

traced back to the ancient times. Teachers and students synthesize to form a transformative

system by which both shares a mutually beneficial relationship. Education, just like any other

things still take development by generation to generation due to the educators modifying the

system that give new approaches for education to fit the situation perfectly, enabling students to

maximize their potentials, increase their capabilities, imagination and etc. Different approaches

that has been made as our time progresses are face to face set-up, hybrid/blended learning and

fully online set-up. For every circumstance, there is a suitable way of learning as to what the

situation calls for.

One of the byproducts that the educators have fostered is the online classes. Online

classes is a setup of learning that makes the students to stay at the comfort of their home while

still continuing to study and learn new things. Especially at this time of a pandemic, education

was still required as why the online set-up was pushed to continue the learnings of the students.

Online classes is not actually new, based on the statistics done by Pew Research Center (2011) it

reveals back from the 2010-2011 academic year, 89 percent of four colleges and universities

offered courses taught fully online, or hybrid/blended learning or other forms of distance/non-

face-to-face learning (Parker, Lenhart, & Moore, 2011).

However, at this time of a pandemic, online classes is the only route that education has

offered; thus, students have no other choice but to either drop or go on with their studies. The

Covid-19 has made changes globally that resulted in shutting down schools across the world. As

a result, education has to be changed drastically for flexible learning, with the rise of e-learning,
whereby teaching is executed through digital platforms without the need of students to go in

school to take their respective classes.

This research seeks to identify whether the online classes is really effective or not for the

learning of the students through the STEM students of Golden Olympus Colleges. The

researchers wanted to know the efficacy of online classes.

Statement of the Problem

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of online classes to STEM students of

Golden Olympus Colleges?

2. How do STEM students cope with online classes?

2.1 Organized Study Plan

2.2 Watch Video Tutorials

3. What are the implications of the study towards the learning of students during online

classes?

Hypothesis

 Online learning is effective way of learning for STEM students.

Objectives of the Study

 1. To determine the advantages and disadvantages of online classes.

2. To determine on how STEM students cope with online classes.

3. To determine on how to maximize online classes as the new normal of learning.

Significance of the Study

This research seeks to determine the effectiveness of online learning through the STEM

students of Golden Olympus. The researchers presume that the study may be important for the

following:

 To The Community. This result of this study would be an eye-opener to the

community for a better environment.

 To The Students. This research will be able to give implications for a better learning

environment for students during online classes.

 To The Parents. This research will also be beneficial to the parents because the

result might help their children in the academic aspect.

 To The Faculty. This research would provide them specific knowledge with regards

to the efficacy of online learning.

 To The Future Researchers. This research may be a basis for new theories in

learning, it will serve as a reference for their future research connected to

effectiveness of online/remote learning

Scope and Delimitation

This study assesses the efficacy of online classes to Senior High School students of

Golden Olympus Colleges of the academic year 2020 - 2021. Specifically, it only focuses to
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students. The respondents are

randomly selected out of 155 of STEM students of Golden Olympus Colleges.

The researchers only want to determine the efficacy of online classes to the students. The

attainment of this study is dependent to the answers of the respondents.

 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter cited books and article, which are relevant to the present analysis. It is comprised

of related literature and studies, both local and foreign, which contains facts and information on

the research problem at hand. It also provides explanation and logical connections between

previous research and the present work.

Related Studies

Foreign Study

Learning has always been in the form of a four-cornered room where a teacher would

stand in front of the students and teach them the things that they have to know. However, as our

time progresses towards the high-tech future, different approaches have become prominent

taking an advantage to the tools and technology that the current time has. One of these

approaches is the remote learning or commonly known as online classes, where students study in

a virtual setting at the comfort of their home without the need to travel and go to school.

Especially at this time of a pandemic where education is still pushed through, the reason why

students have to take their online classes.

In a time like this, where students are taking their respective classes virtually, the

effectivity of online learning is questioned thus doubting the over-all essence of it. However,
according to Dr. Munazza Mahmood (2018) in the study he conducted, it states that students who

are taking online classes significantly increase their creativity consequently impacting their

academic lives positively in resultant to higher grades. Also, students who have online classes

learn to maximize the usage of PCs that are extremely useful especially in a modern time where

technological devices are in demand therefore preparing them to be competitive in an industrial

workplace. Additionally, in the study he conducted with 90 participants, it turns out that 71% of

the 90 students find online classes to be more helpful in their education and only 16% considers

that online education does not help to their study/education.

Local Study

In a study conducted by Marikey M. Conde (2015), she observed the relevance of a

student’s demographic profile and the effect of the e-learning teaching method. She divided her

respondents into groups, some who will be taught using e-learning and those who will be taught

using the conventional method. According to her, the students who are taught using e-learning

and the conventional method have the "same level of intelligence". She also stated that the

demographic profile of a student does not have any relation to the student's achievements or

grades in school. Lastly, the students who were taught using the e-learning method showed that

the method is effective and could boost the student's achievements.

Online learning is slowly gaining its own popularity as a new learning method especially

in higher education due to its flexible nature, accessibility and effectivity in other courses.

Related Literature

Foreign Literature
 The idea for online classes is still widely debatable and statements of people are dived on

whether it is truly effective or impractical. Furthermore, according to Berger et al (2019), in the

study they conducted, most of the students who are taking online classes are in favor for it.

Although online classes is effective for them, it is still notably not satisfactory for students who

do not have any access to technology and students with poorer prior performance. Base from

their study, online classes is beneficial for students who are living too far from the institution

they are enrolled in thus making education accessible in any given time.

Local Literature

According to Chua et al (2020), the decision of the massive action of E-learning

classroom was almost all decided by the Higher Education Institution (HEI) in the Philippines

during this pandemic. The Commission on Higher Education declared to all HEIs to show

leniency to the students so that they could cope up with their requirements that is set by their

teachers. To find out the status of the implementation of the E-learning Classroom during amidst

this crisis, the researchers have an online survey. 93.33% had a positive experience in the e-

learning classroom, while 6.66% had a negative experience from the 15 professionals who are all

from Cavite, Philippines in Region IV-A, who responded to the survey.

There are a lot of reasons for e-learning classroom to be applicable in courses just like in

English (grammar and literature) wherein the materials are accessible, assessment can be easily

conduct, activities can be easily done through online because there are links that are available. In

social studies, both modern and traditional approaches are important in this field. In business,

which is the best alternative mode of learning in this time. Computer science wherein it is easy to

communicate with the students and the lessons can be transferred to them through e-learning

platforms. Power education courses, in which interaction are similar to face-to-face classroom,
because the students can be seen and speak naturally by using different e-learning platforms and

having a power point can also be done Chua et al (2020).

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research methodology which includes the research design used

in conducting the research. This also contains the respondents of the study, sampling technique,

research instruments, data gathering procedure and the results and the implication of the study

which can show the process that the researcher needs to undertake to answers the questions

raised in this study.

Research Design

In this study, researchers used Descriptive Research Design, it is a scientific research

design that describes event, phenomena or fact while systematically dealing with certain area or

population to get deep data and information about the object by giving detail data and

information, techniques based on particular criteria” (Ary, 2010:421). The aim of the Research is

to accurately and systematically describe a population, situation or phenomenon of the efficacy

of online classes to STEM students of Golden Olympus Colleges. This methodology focuses

more on the “what” than the “why” of the research subject. It is focused and detailed, in which

propositions and questions about a phenomenon are carefully scrutinized and articulated at the

outset.

Respondents of the Study

 The research will use forty (40) respondents that are all studying in Golden Olympus

Colleges and are part of the strand Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The researchers divided the population (strata) of the STEM strand by the sections under STEM

that will act as the whole population. The respondents were randomly selected per section in

order to avoid biasness in the collection of data.

Sampling Technique

This study will employ a stratified random sampling technique for selecting the

participants. This technique was employed to ensure a fairly equal representation of the variables

and data from the strand Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in Golden

Olympus Colleges Inc., for the study of the researchers.

Based on the article of “How Stratified Random Sampling Works” by Steven Nickolas

(2020), stratified random sampling is a method wherein it involves of dividing a population into

a sub-group called strata, then randomly selects the final respondents proportionally from the

different sub-group. For this study, the researchers used the sections of the Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics namely as: Alexander, Socrates, Apollo and Zeus as their strata

that will divide the respondents, ten (10) respondents from each strata will be chosen randomly

in order to provide unbiased and objective results.

Research Instruments

The researchers used a survey in google form for them to have an efficient way of

conducting their study. The researchers produced eight (8) semi-structured questions related to

the efficacy of online classes of the STEM students. They also considered adding Personal Data

Sheet having the Name of the respondents to be answered optionally. The survey questionnaire
underwent a series of validation from the research adviser and it ought to describe efficacy of

online classes to the STEM students.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers made the survey questionnaires and was then checked by their research

adviser for approval to release. The researchers would be distributing questionnaires for their

respondents to answer, particularly in Stem Students of Golden Olympus Colleges. Survey was

the main tool used to gathered data. Respondents will be given eight (8) items and answerable by

selecting option. The survey is given through online interaction to them, and the respondents will

answer in Google Form. After getting all the answer from the respondents, the researchers will

tally the result and use the data for their research.

Results and Implication

 Figure 1.

Interpretation

In this figure, it shows that majority of the students have sufficient equipment that are in

93.2%, while the others who are in 7.7% do not have much equipment compared to the majority.

Figure 2.

Interpretation

Figure 2 reveals that almost of the respondents (92.3%) consider traditional/live lectures

more effective compared to online classes.

 Figure 3.

Interpretation

Figure 3 illustrates that most of the respondents at 57.7% have no issue regarding their

communication and contact to their lecturers. While 42.3% answered yes as they probably have

inconsistent contact and a problem in communication with their teachers.

 Figure 4.

Interpretation

Figure 4 demonstrates that only 30.8% sees online learning as advantageous and majority

at 62.9% as the contrary.

 Figure 5.

Interpretation

In this figure, it indicates that a high percentage of students (80.8%) consider online

classes as a disadvantageous method of learning and only a small person (19.2%) thinks the

otherwise.
 Figure 6.

Interpretation

Figure 6 presents that a great percent of students (61.5%) organize their study plans,

while the other 38.5% do not.

 Figure 7.

Interpretation

Figure 7 displays that 43.3% of the respondents use educational apps for their education

and 57.7% do not use any apps.

 Conclusion

After completing the study regarding the Efficacy of Online Classes to STEM Students of

Golden Olympus Colleges, the researchers have observed that almost of the STEM students have

sufficient equipment to support their online education. Additionally, majority of the respondents

do not have any issue in communication between their teachers; thereby, students-teachers

relationship is not affected that much if being compared to physical classes.

Furthermore, majority of the STEM students consider online learning as disadvantageous

and only a small percent regarded online classes as advantageous. In addition, almost all of the

STEM students answered that traditional learning is more effective than online classes.

Moreover, despite online learning being a disadvantageous way of education, there are

ways that a student can do to cope with online classes. One is to organize study plan to have a

successful time management that will help a student have a more me-time while also effectively

dealing with his/her studies simultaneously. Last is to use educational apps that can help them

review their notes or understand a topic that is vaguely discussed by their teachers.

In essence, online classes is concluded to be an ineffective method of learning for the

preponderance number of STEM students. However, online classes may be ineffective; but there

are ways to maximize a student’s education in a time like this through taking an advantage to the

technology offered of our era.

Recommendations
 This part consists of the recommendations of the researchers to further improve the

education of STEM students in their online classes. Each recommendation is based on the result

gathered thoroughly from the respondents that are critically analyzed by the researchers.

1. Students should use educational apps such as; google, youtube, brainly, merriam

webster, photomath, chegg, scribd, and pocket physics base from the other STEM students to

maximize their education during online classes. Also, students must learn to organize their study

plan as this will give them an advantage especially in a remote learning environment. Organizing

a study plan would enable student to manage their time wisely, ensuring leisure time for their

other concerns knowing that they still have enough time to finish their requirements.

Furthermore, creating a study plan means having an efficient time management. According to the

study conducted by Adams (2019) regarding the effectiveness of time management to

engineering students. It was stated there that being able to manage one’s time is associated to

having a better academic performance in resultant to lower anxiety level to students.

2. Parents should give their children frequent breaks and help them on creating their

study plan. According to the College of Education of St. Petersburg (2020), parents who are

allowing their children to have frequent breaks between classes have been observed to be more

relaxed. Additionally, parents must assist their children to organize their study plan especially in

an online learning environment to eliminate unnecessary waste of time.

3. Teachers should acknowledge their students whenever they know that they are

having a hard time. Teachers must also be considerate to their students; do not give them too

much projects knowing that they also have other teachers. Lastly, lecturers should exhibit a more

positive attitude to their students as this will affect a one’s personality development, therefore

resulting to a high-performance attitude. According to the study conducted by Ulug (2011), the
attitude of the teachers towards their students transcends the boundaries of their education lives;

thereby, their overall prospect in life as teachers are the second-highest determining factor in the

development of an individual.

4. The Institution should also know what is the best not only for students but for the

teachers also. According to the Guidance Note on Education Systems’ Response to COVID19 on

March 15 2020, schools should assess the capabilities of students and teachers to better come up

with a better alternative for online classes if their competencies could not adopt to the demanding

nature of online education.

5. For Future Researchers who would be planning to make a similar study to this

should take in mind to monitor the number of respondents and close it as soon as it is completed.