ADVERSITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES ENCOUNTERED BY THE PUBLIC SCHOOL

TEACHERS IN DAPA WEST DISTRICT, SIARGAO DIVISION IN THE IMPLEMENTION

OF THE BASIC EDUCATION-LEARNING CONTINUITY PLAN DURING PANDEMIC

A Basic Research Presented to

RESEACH AND DEVELOPMENT OF SDO SIARGAO

AISSA D. IJAPON

Proponent
 CHAPTER 1

Introduction

The pandemic caused by Coronavirus 2019 has brought significant and significant

changes to education systems around the world and to major education programs and has been

particularly affected by associated challenges. Due to the school’s closure, teaching placements

will have to move from face -to -face lessons to a fully virtual approach. We are in the midst of

the greatest challenge in our global education, a massive education crisis.

Its closure has affected more than 1.2 billion learners worldwide including more than 28

million learners in the Philippines (UNESCO, 2020). Responses such as community lockdown

and community quarantine in many countries have led students and teachers to study and work

home which has led to the delivery of online learning platforms (Crawford et al. , 2020).

However, the implementation of online learning implies various risks, problems and challenges

to both teachers and students, especially in higher education institutions (HEIs) (Bao, 2020) . In

response to these situations, education leaders decided to adopt the new normal in education.

The Department of Education (DepEd) will be the implementer of the Learning

Continuity Plan (LCP), which will go into effect School Year 2020-2021 and classes will open

August 24, 2020 instead of June 2020 (DepEd, 2020). The Commission on Higher Education,

has given HEI academic freedom and should implement the use of modular learning or Modular

Distance Learning while others have chosen to continue through Online Distance Learning and

other alternative modes of delivery in students (CHED, 2020). This is the new normal in

education and strengthening educational planning and health is a concern to provide quality,

inclusive and accessible education for every student. What we should be concerned about at this

stage and during the crisis that could have an immediate impact on students: (1) Loss of attention
to learning (2) Increased dropout rate (3) Students feeling the negative impact caused by the

pandemic

Learning Objectives

Main Objective: The researcher reached out to this phenomenological study to find out the

challenges faced by teachers in implementing BE-LCP in Dapa West District in Siargao Division

during the pandemic and aimed to address the following specific questions:

a. What are the adversities and opportunities faced by teachers in implementing BE-LCP during

the pandemic?

b. How do these challenges affect their teaching?

c. Does the new education system help to further raise the level of education in the field of

learning and teaching?

d. What are the possible solutions to meet these challenges?

Conceptual Framework

Successful, interesting and effective student learning depends on good teaching methods.

However, it is still up to the teacher to decide on the method he or she will use that he or she

knows will be appropriate to the learning outcomes he or she wants his or her students to

achieve, appropriate to the situation, appropriate to the student’s ability and also to the type of

subject matter and subject matter he teaches.

This research is based on the study developed by Donitsa-Schmidt and Ramot (2020)

which aims to demonstrate the challenges faced by teachers as well as the opportunity that may

be in response to teaching challenges during a pandemic. The study focused on the impact
brought about by COVID-19 which has a significant impact on the field of education. According

to (Weisblay) 2020, during the pandemic, successful, interesting and effective student learning

depends on good teaching methods. However, it is still up to the teacher to decide on the method

he or she will use that he or she knows will be appropriate to the learning outcomes he or she

wants his or her students to achieve, appropriate to the situation, appropriate to the student’s

ability and also to the type of subject. lessons and subjects he teaches. It shows the various

factors that affect teaching, especially in terms of technological knowledge transmission. But

despite these challenges, responses to these factors have also been shown to be considered as

opportunities for teachers to achieve despite the pandemic challenge.

The study outline found in table 1, it consists of three boxes. The first box contains the

participant’s profile by age, gender, marital status and number of years of service. The second

box contains the categories that will be used in identifying adversities and opportunities faced by

selected teachers in Dapa West District within the Siargao Division.

 Adversities encountered by Participants in
Implementing the Basic Education- Learning
Continuity Plan during the Pandemic in terms
of:

 Delivery of MELCs
 Learning Delivery Modality
 Availability, Usability and Utilization
Profile of the of Learning Resources
Participants  Assessment of Learning Outcomes
• Age
• Gender
• Civil Status
• Number of years in Opportunities by Participants in Implementing
Service the Basic Education- Learning Continuity
Plan during the Pandemic in terms of:

 Delivery of MELCs
 Learning Delivery Modality
 Availability, Usability and Utilization
of Learning Resources
 Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram study entitled Challenges and Opportunities Faced by Secondary
Teachers in Dapa West District, Siargao Division in Implementing Basic Education- Learning
Continuity Plan during Pandemic
Participants' profile:

Age. is an important consideration in development. It is a way of looking at how social norms

and power structures impact on the lives and opportunities available to different groups of men

and women.

Gender it measures the aging population which are important because they shape our perception

of demo- graphic trends

Civil Status is important consideration since it might affect the worklife of the participants

Number of years in service is included to identify the increases of what they teach in a supportive

and collegial working environment, and when they accumulate experience in the same grade

level, subject, or district.

Adversities and opportunities encountered in the implementation of BE-LCP

Delivery of MELCs will be included to determine the learning delivery approaches which t are

suited to the local context and diversity of learners, while adapting to the challenges posed by

COVID-19

Learning Delivery Modality. The learning delivery modality use can increase the student’s

problems such as self-studying, poor internet connection, lack of sleep and time to answer all the

modules due to the great number of activities, distractions, and lack of focus.

Availability, Usability and Utilization. It will be included to determine the status of the learning

materials and resources used for different learning modality

Assessment of Learning Outcomes. This variable will be included in the study to minimize

academic dishonesty and to create learning opportunities where learners can progress at their

own pace and undertake consolidation activities where necessary.

 Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to determine the adversities and opportunities faced by the

teachers in Dapa West District, Siargao Division during the pandemic. This study also seeks to

answer the following specific questions:

1. What is the profile of the participants in terms of:

1.1 Age

1.2 Gender

1.3 Civil Status

1.4 Number of years in Service

2. What are the challenges faced in implementing BE-LCP in terms of:

2.1 Delivery of MELCs;

2.2 Learning Delivery Modality;

2.3 Availability, Usability and Utilization of Learning Resources;

2.3.1 Print; at

2.3.2 Non-Print

2.4 Assessment of Leaning Outcomes

3. What are the opportunities faced in the implementation of BE-LCP in terms of:

3.1 Delivery of MELCs;

3.2 Learning Delivery Modality;

3.3 Availability, Usability and Utilization of Learning Resources

3.3.1 Print; and

3.3.2 Non-Print

3.4 Assessment of Learning Outcomes

4. Is there a difference between the profile and:

 4.1 Opportunities faced in the implementation of the BE-LCP; and

4.2 Challenges faced in the implementation of BE-LCP

Hypothesis

At the significance level of 0.05, it is hypothesized that;

There is no significant correlation between demographic profile and the adversities and

opportunities faced by participants in implementing BE-LC

Importance of the Study

The researcher strongly believes that this study is important especially for the welfare and

well-being of teachers. This will serve as a step to find out the real situation, inferences and

opinions of teachers from the secondary school who teach the Filipino subject. It will also be one

of the guides for education managers and implementers to better plan and design the teaching

method systematically and properly especially during the pandemic and emerging changes in the

field of education.

School Administration. The new role of the 21st Century principal requires empowering

others and making many decisions wisely. As a result, school directors need to be prepared with

regard to introducing innovative strategies and support to ensure the success of their schools,

especially in terms of meeting the demands of parents and students.

Teacher. The study would helpful to improve and develop new strategies that

dwelt on creativity and imagination of the students amidst the pandemic. The teachers would

provide guidelines to manage the students and foster a pleasant environment for students to grow

holistically.
 Student. It is also important to know the challenges and opportunities faced by teachers in

due to the pandemic. Students can get information about the recent status in the field of

education It can boost the student’s creativity to modify and plan out innovative strategies for

sustainable learning engagement.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This research study will focus on the adversities and opportunities encountered by

the public school teachers in the implementation of Basic Education- Learning Continuity Plan.

The participants of this study will be the selected teachers of Dapa West District. This study will

utilize the quantitative research methods and researchers-made questionnaire. The result will be

true and limited only to the responses of the selected teachers. The study will be done this school

year 2020-2021 using Google forms as a means of platform in the collection of the data

information.

Definition of Terms

In order to make it easier and more complete for the readers to understand, the following

terminology should be defined based on how each responds to this seasonal paper. These terms

will help the reader to understand about it and expand their vocabulary even more. The words

come from dictionaries, the Internet, etc.

Adversities literally mean an invitation or a call to action. Challenges vary in scope and

complexity. When you ask students to complete academic assignments or tasks, you are

presenting them with classroom challenges, which can range from simple to complex.
 Opportunities aims to enable individuals to acquire knowledge and certain skills, and to

cultivate certain capacitie

Basic Education- Learning Continuity Plan is the Department of Education's major

response and commitment in protecting the health, safety, and well-being of learners, teachers,

and personnel

Most Essential Learning Competencies defined as what the students need, considered

indispensable, in the teaching-learning process to building skills to equip learners for subsequent

grade levels and subsequently, for lifelong learning

Availability the quality or state of being available.

Usability is the process of determining how easy something is to pick up, and use

Utilization the amount of an employee's available time that's used for productive, billable

work, expressed as a percentage

Learning Modalities-These individuals provide, receive, and store information.

Perception, memory, and sensation consist of the concept of modality.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes - These are techniques used to measure a learner's

abilities, skills, and / or fluency.

 CHAPTER 2
Background of the Study

We live in the midst of what is potentially one of the greatest threats to our lives in global

education, a massive education crisis. As of March 28, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has left

more than 1.6 billion children and youth out of school in 161 countries. This is close to 80% of

enrolled students worldwide. We have already experienced a global leaning crisis, as many

students are in school, but have not learned the basic skills necessary for life. The World Bank’s

“Poverty Study” indicator - the% of children unable to read and understand by age 10 - stood at

53% of children in low- and middle -income countries - before the outbreak began . This

pandemic has the potential to worsen the outcomes if we do not act quickly. (Saavedra, 2020)

Also, Covid-19 affected higher education institutions not only in Wuhan, China where

the virus originated but all other higher education institutions in 188 countries as of April 06,

2020. Counter-educational precautions were taken to continue educating students despite the

problems of COVID-19. Based on the author’s experiences, research, academic observation,

COVID-19 guidelines, and the need for alternative solutions, introduced by

This article affects how higher education is affected and how it may respond to future

challenges. This article recommends educational institutions to produce studies to disseminate

and document the impact of the pandemic on the education system. There is also a greater need

for educational institutions to strengthen curriculum skills and make it easier to respond to the

learning needs of students. (Toquero, 2020)

In addition, sensory COVID-19 has undoubtedly changed the way many of us approach

pedagogy. Online and mixed learning techniques have been adopted by many educational

institutions in developed countries. Availability of funding is a key factor in determining whether

new learning methods can be successfully implemented. A recent report (May 2020) published

by the International Association of Universities states that there is a lack of financial support

(government / ministry of education) for higher educational institutions. This is more prevalent

in developing countries that have seen a sharp drop in all campus activities. Other factors such as

lack of digital infrastructure also hinder the implementation of online learning and blended

learning approaches.

On the other hand, pandemics both increase risks and create new ones, but present new

opportunities for managing systematic challenges, and ways to return better. Globally, the

pandemic can serve as a catalyst for the development of strategic educational interdependencies

to achieve collective strength. Because the pandemic does not discriminate demographically or

geographically, it is important for institutions to focus on common shared goals. It is important

that contingencies are developed to comprehensively address these pressing issues, specifically

in those parts of the world where the internet problem is becoming problematic. In such

situations, face-to-face study is the only possible option. (Amin, 2020)

Basic Education- Learning Continuity Plan

Fortunately, as the country continues to face various issues caused by the coronavirus

2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) is addressing the challenges

in basic education for the coming year. 2020-2021 through the Basic Educational Continuity

Plan (BE-LCP) under DepEd Order No. 012, s. 2020. The BE-LCP is in line with the mandate of

Section 1, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution for the state to protect and promote the right of

all citizens to quality education

at all levels, and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. Under Section 6,

Chapter 1 of Republic Act No. 9155, or the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, DepEd

has the power, responsibility, and accountability to ensure access to, promote equality to, and

improve the quality of basic education.

Therefore, BE-LCP aims to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of students, faculty,

and staff during COVID-19, while seeking ways for education to continue in the midst of crisis.

In particular, the BE-LCP is designed with a legal framework that responds to the “new normal,”

taking into account the constitutional mandate to promote the right of all citizens to quality

education at all times.

Accordingly, the learning delivery modalities that schools may use may be one or a

combination of the following, depending on local health conditions, availability of resources, and

the particular context of those who school or locality learning: Face-to-face, Distance learning,

Blended Learning, Homeschooling. However, in application, BE-LCP faces various challenges.

The opening of the school does not mean traditional face-to-face classroom learning.

Physical opening depends on the risk and classification of a specific community in accordance

with guidelines from the Department of Health (DOH), the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for

the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Philippines and the Office of the

President (OP). (Llego, 2020)

Delivery of Most Essential Learning Competencies

The current global health crisis poses a profound impact on the basic education system as

approximately 87% of the worlds student population, or about 1.5 billion learners, have been

affected by school closures (UNESC), 2020). While interim distance and remote learning
programs are being put in place in many locations, the most marginalized, poverty stricken and

vulnerable children are expected to put at a disadvantage.

In the Philippines, ensuring the welfare of more than 27 million learners education alone

requires indomitable commitment amidst the risk of this crisis. However, as UNESCO reiterated

its stand: “Education cannot wait. If learning stops, we will lose human capital. ” Meeting the

needs of the most vulnerable populations in these times is essential to achieving SDG

(UNESCO, 2017)

The Department echoes UNESCO’s belief that educational quality, access and system

strengthening cannot be compromised in times of crisis (UNESCO, 2017) and that doing the

opposite will negatively affect human capital. Thus, the Department of Education affirms its

commitment to sustaining the delivery of quality, accessible,relevant and liberating Philippine

basic education services anchored on the Sulong Edukalidad framework. It will continue to strive

to produce holistic Filipino learners with 21st century skills. Consequently, the Bureau of

Curriculum Development ensures that learning standards are relevant and flexible to address the

complex, disruptive, volatile and ambiguous impact of COVID-19 in the Philippines particularly

in the basic education sector.

Releasing the MELCS does not diminish the standarsd set by the K to 12 curriculum

guides, these serve as one of the guides for teachers as they address the instructional needs of

learners while ensuring that curriculum standards are maintained and achieved.

Learning Modalities
 First, in implementing different learning delivery modalities, the challenge will be faced

by learners under any of the modes of distance learning or mixed learning who are not capable of

learning. independently, or who are not periodically supported by their parents or guardians.

Also critical for implementation is the mass production of the necessary learning materials by

teachers and learners, as well as the support of media institutions such as TV and radio stations.

Second, DepEd will need substantial and additional financial resources to meet the

objectives of the BE-LCP. Here the support of their respective local government units, civil

social organizations, and other stakeholders.

Third, the holistic development of students may be affected. With the BE-LCP, students

will have limited opportunities for interaction with their teachers and classmates. Thus, their

learning outcomes may be affected, and there may be negative effects on students who cannot

easily cope with change. Here support interventions are undertaken not only by DepEd but also

by the family involved to mitigate this impact.

In reality, the learning environment amid the COVID-19 pandemic was diverse.

However, DepEd is hopeful that despite the different socio-economic situations of families that

affect the provision of home schooling support, and the unique needs of different learning, BE-

LCP can be key to providing quality basic education that is accessible and responsive to the new

normal. (Tibon, 2020)

Because, assessment is inseparable from teaching and learning and, in fact, a measure of

both (Darling-Hammond 2016), many educators are also required to have appropriate assessment

methods associated with the way they teaching. Those who usually choose paper and pencil tests,

are required to look for alternative methods of assessment because campus evaluation was not
advised by colleges and was also resisted by students. In addition to traditional homecoming and

final paper exams, the assessment includes creating podcasts, writing blogs, making interactive

digital posters, compiling portfolios, developing maps of mind and preparation of presentations.

If there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that teachers are working harder than ever.

One of the main barriers faced by teacher education colleges in the lockdown of COVID-

19 is the practical experience in educational institutions, or lack thereof. At that point, teacher

education is fundamentally different from the rest of the higher education system. It is widely

accepted that the key component of initial teacher education programs is practical experience in

educational institutions (Allen and Wright 2020) and concerns have been reiterated about the

risks of preparing teachers to know about theory and little about practice (Levine 2020).

Moreover, practical experience is seen as part that forms the professional identity of early service

teachers in their future world of work (Caires, Almeida, and Vieira 2020). These assumptions

question the ability of teacher education programs to properly train and qualify teachers at this

time.

It is reasonably said that providers of teacher education programs never imagined how

this uncertain scenario, a period of precarious school closures caused by a global pandemic,

would shed light on challenges. of adapting teacher placement programs from a front -Leading

model of teaching to a distance teaching practice. It is of paramount importance to distinguish

between e-learning and distance learning caused by a health emergency (Hodges et al. 2020). In

the former, there tended to be broad, anticipated careful planning, long-term investment

strategies and evidence-based approaches to establish the desired type of learning environment.

While ultimately, ongoing planning and design of online courses, on-the-spot adaptations to
face-to-face courses and familiarity with new technologies for teaching and learning seem to be

top factors.

Availability, Usability and Utilization

The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can be useful in

classrooms as a source of new teaching materials. It also allows teachers to connect with other

colleagues and create working networks with other schools (Silva, Usart, and Lázaro-Cantabrana

2019). New digital technologies used in education are fueling the need to seek out new ones

teaching strategies and strategies in response to changes in student learning methods (Compton

2020). Therefore, the integration of ICT use into the teaching program has become a key pillar in

the preparation of prospective teachers (Bahcivan et al. 2019). There is an emerging group of

literature researching the implications of online teacher education as a new mode of delivery,

considering how the education of prospective online teachers offers the possibility to develop,

strengthen and complement other facade preparation skills.

Brown (2020) examined these two modes of delivery and found that student teachers in

an online course used more consistent high-level thinking when sharing their discussion posts on

online, despite their equally overall course achievement. Online teacher education also allows

student teachers to actively engage in finding new tools for learning and teaching that can

contribute to their teaching careers. Forbes and Khoo (2020) extend this point by arguing that it

is paramount for ITE to provide technical support to enhance the digital literacy of student

teachers to integrate ICTs into their learning. teachers and their future teaching skills.
 Gillies (2020) examined student teachers ’perceptions of the use of videoconferencing

while enrolled in an online teacher education program, in which teachers noted the many benefits

of distance education, such as minimal disruption to their family life, the supported small online

discussion groups and the possibility of conducting school placements in a familiar environment.

In this way, evidence seems to have shown that it is possible to create an online teacher

education program that meets the expected needs of schools, faculty and student teachers

(Weschke, Barclay & Vandersall, 2020). However, online and blended courses can also present

some challenges for student teachers who often feel isolated facing lower self-confidence and

more pressure to increase their learning. self -employment and independent workload (Dyment

and Downing 2018). In fact, the online environment may signal to learners who are not included

in their study group (Delahunty 2020).

Teachers coming out of the online mode of delivery has also become the focus of a

flourishing area of research. Teachers in the Downing and Dyment (2018) study reported a lack

of confidence and competence regarding the necessary technological skills to teach online at the

beginning of the transition to online teaching. They also argued about this appropriate mode of

delivery to prepare future teachers, similar to the skepticism of school administrators about this

new format for teacher preparation (Faulk 2020). Other studies (e.g. Paulus et al. 2020), have

also shown that teachers are concerned about the extent to which learners acquire the necessary

online learning skills. Further, in online or blended courses, teachers feel that there is not much

connection with learners (Downing and Dyment 2018), filled with the use of technology and

uncertain about reaching the goals of their lessons (Dyment and Downing 2018). Although

technology is considered an important tool for education, it is argued that it cannot replace the

human connection provided by the teaching front.

 On the other hand, the sudden urgency in the transition of modular instruction since the

COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted teacher-student relationships making it difficult to assess

how students are performing, according to survey findings by elementary and secondary

teachers. As part of a larger study, Associate Professor Sarah Barrett, of York University’s

Faculty of Education, conducted a research. The survey provides a snapshot of teachers

’familiarity with online teaching before the pandemic and their occurrence, professional

development and concern over time. The survey found that Forty percent of respondents reported

having care responsibilities that “significantly affect” their ability to teach online. This was the

strongest theme in the anecdotal responses, Eighty-two percent of respondents said they were

worried they would “fall into the cracks” in the new format. There are a variety of factors

indicated in the anecdotal responses, including lack of equipment, special needs, and language

difficulties, Weak students are made more vulnerable to the situation and often fail students.

teachers trying to make sure all student needs are met.

Assessment of Learning

Challenges for teachers. New protocols for distance learning, online or otherwise, require

teachers to rapidly change their practices, including daily tasks, responsibilities and

accountabilities. Teachers may be asked to develop new alternative and varied approaches to

monitor children's learning (from assessing to remediating learning losses) during the COVID

crisis, including both formative and summative methods. Different methods may be required per

grade and subject area for both individual and collective feedback and support. Teachers may

lack relevant resources at home, training and experience, particularly on digital learning

platforms. Some programs may largely reduce the amount of time allocated to teacher-directed

learning processes by focusing on children’s self-learning. Upon return to school, teachers may
also struggle to assess students ’learning levels to identify whether students are on track, and any

learning gaps or losses resulting from the school closure and for remedial actions. Such

assessments may be critical in informing learning process and/or students self-learning.

Upon return to school, teachers may also struggle to assess students ’learning levels to

identify whether students are on track, and any learning gaps or losses resulting from the school

closure and for remedial actions. Such assessments may be critical in informing learning process

and/or students ’promotion, certification and access to higher levels of education.

https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/learning_assessments_during_covid-

19_final.pdf

The level of academic performance of students is likely to decrease for classes held for

both end of examination and internal examination due to reduced contact time for learners and

absence of consultants. to teachers when faced with learning / understanding difficulties

(Sintema, 2020).

Besides, putting in place monitoring mechanisms in the midst of a crisis is difficult. It is

particularly challenging to measure changes in learning outcomes given that no baseline data

may be available. In an initial period, countries may consider developing procedures to measure

proxies for the quality of the programs, such as accessibility, alignment of distance learning to

the curriculum and teacher/student engagement. Education officials must put in place monitoring

mechanisms to monitor two key issues. Collecting information on these questions is critical for

improving the quality of distance learning programs, responding to students ’needs and large

losses in learning achievement upon the return to school. If technology is functional, SMS-or

telephone-based surveys are a good option to measure the perception of actors (parents, teachers)
and estimate the reach, access and use of the distance learning materials. This will allow

refinement of programmes, better communications and better engagement, interest and

motivation among those delivering the programme. However, perceptions of effectiveness may

not replace measuring actual effectiveness in the medium to longer term.

https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/learning_assessments_during_covid-

19_final.pdf