CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

As pandemic arises here in the Philippines many have changes and affected especially

the learning modalities of the students and it really affects students learning. Recently, Matthew

H. E. M. Browning et al. identified a range of psychological consequences of the COVID-19

pandemic on students’ psychosocial functioning. All students in the sample indicated that the

pandemic impacted them negatively, with 59% reporting a high level of psychological impact.

Other studies on the effects of the pandemic on student mental health also show greater stress,

anxiety, depression symptoms, concerns for own and one’s family’s health, reduced social

interactions, and increased concerns over academic achievements. Students try to cope with

stress, seek support from others, and prefer either negative or positive coping strategies.

To address the educational problem during the pandemic and learning continues, the

Department of Education (DepEd) has used distance learning modes, while also applying

blended learning programs. These include online classes, printouts, and lessons via TV and

social media platforms. Although many students and teachers prefer face-to-face classes, they

have to adapt to online education as alternative learning. Online classes will continue as

schools remain close. However, some of these new learning tools need internet access.

This pandemic affects students because some schools have partially or fully closed.

According to the article “Alternative Education: Online Learning Under the New Normal” the

UNESCO estimates that more than 100 million children will likely have poor reading

proficiency because they no longer go to school. For this reason, education should be prioritized

to prevent such effects of COVID-19 on learning quality. Many countries, the Philippines

included, have shifted from classrooms to online education through online learning platforms.

Even governments have promoted mobile learning as an efficient way through which students

continue learning. This push has allowed online learning platforms to flourish.

Several online education platforms offer free access to their services. For

instance, BYJU’S provides free live classes on its Think and Learn app. Thus, the number of its

new students has increased by 200%. Likewise, Tencent Education offers campus connectivity

and teaching. They also provide lesson on research and school management. They cater to

individuals and schools that cover K12, vocational colleges, and life-long education programs.
With the abovementioned shift, some students and even their parents wonder if online

education will still be adopted post-pandemic.

In the Philippines, the Department of Education (DepEd) has applied distance learning

modalities to ensure learning continuity, which involve technology and internet connection. This

way, students can continue their education in remote setups through online/offline platforms, TV

and radio, and printed modules. They can access these tools in various ways, such as blended

learning and home schooling. In blended learning, any of these modalities are combined to

maximize their benefits and achieve high-quality learning. In home schooling, students learn

with the aid of a caregiver as their teacher. Under the Commission on Higher Education

(CHED), many universities and colleges have also used flexible learning systems. In such

systems, remarkable changes in the learning environment during and after the pandemic are

considered. Students can choose from three flexible learning modes: 1) online, which uses

available online classrooms for instruction delivery; (2) offline, which involves printed modules or

digital media in storage devices; and (3) blended, which combines online and offline modes.

In the study conducted by Anna Babicka-Wirkus (2021) The results of their study

showed that during the stressful situation of the pandemic, which can cause feelings of

uncertainty and crisis, Polish students mainly chose such coping strategies as acceptance,

planning, and seeking emotional support. The current studies showed that students more often

use coping strategies which, according to Lazarus and Folkman’s theory are emotion-focused

(acceptance, seeking emotional support). On the other hand, planning is a problem-focused

coping strategy. These three main strategies seem constructive as they direct people towards a

future temporal perspective and might facilitate a reorganization of the values–goals–life plans

triad driving the dynamic character of the personality, especially in decisive periods of personal

crises. It is also related to reframing one’s own life situation. Substance use, denial, behavioral

disengagement, and religious coping were used the least frequently by Polish students to cope

with stress during the pandemic

In line to this new normal, distant learning is used to deliver lessons to primary,

secondary, tertiary learners in both public and private schools. As observed by the researchers

and experienced, today’s learning by students is difficult and it’s a big challenge to adapt in this

new learning alternative modalities. Hence, this study will be conducted to find the coping

mechanism of grade 12 students in the implementation of alternative learning modalities in RVM

Cotabato.
 Babicka-Wirkus A, Wirkus L, Stasiak K, Kozłowski P (2021) University students’

strategies of coping with stress during the coronavirus pandemic: Data from Poland. PLoS ONE

16(7): e0255041. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255041

Browning MHEM, Larson LR, Sharaievska I, Rigolon A, McAnirlin O, Mullenbach L, et al.

Psychological impacts from COVID-19 among university students: Risk factors across seven states in the

United States. PLOS ONE. 2021;16(1): e0245327.