Leon Guinto Memorial College, Inc.

Senior High School Department

DIFFICULTIES PERCEIVED BY THE SELECTED JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS OF LEON GUINTO MEMORIAL COLLEGE TOWARDS

ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING

A Research Paper

Presented to the Faculty of Senior High School Department

General Academic Strand

Leon Guinto Memorial College

Atimonan, Quezon

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject Research Project

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Borbo, Ronnielyn B.

Belga, Marco

Bolaños, James Philip R.

Marquez, Galatea U.

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the government around the world has closed all

the educational institutions to control the spread of disease, which is creating a direct

impact on students, educators and institutions. The sudden shift from the physical

classroom to virtual space is creating a disruption among students.

E-Learning can cause social isolation. E-Learning requires strong self-

motivation and time management skills. Lack of communicational skill development

in online students. Cheating prevention during online assessments is complicated. You

may find that struggling students are often struggling because of circumstances outside

of their control. They may not have a quiet space to do school work. They may be

balancing work and childcare. They may lack reliable internet service or access to

technology.

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This problem may not be technical; but a problem that remains universal.  It

takes self-discipline to be attentive and focused in a regular classroom setting.  With

online class, it takes will power to stay awake and focused. Short attention span has

gone even shorter. Since everyone is working from the comfort of their homes, we

can’t help but give in to that comfort.  Somehow dozing off became easier and

multitasking more frequently. Due to the lack of interaction during online class, people

tend to get distracted easily on our smartphones, our pets and deliveries rather than the

ongoing class lessons.

Background of the study

The first thing to remember about distance learning via online classes is a

practical matter: The tool with which students study, read, write, watch educational

films, communicate with teachers, take tests, and submit school work is the same tool

with which students play video games, share photos, watch shows, check Instagram,

send text messages, order food, get directions, and tweet. Truth be told, our country is

internet-challenged country. A problem that had caused delays implementing remote

learning in general. 

As students in Leon Guinto Memorial College, Inc. students try their

best to make use of what they have at home and ensure they do not get left behind.

Although online learning may be the best option for now, everyone is adjusting and

coping with the problems that arise while attending online classes, especially during

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synchronous classes. Synchronous classes are classes conducted in real-time and

during this time, a lot of problems arise. Sadly, most of these problems are technical.

Thus, the researches want to know what are difficulties perceived by the senior high

school students of Leon Guinto Memorial College towards online distance learning.

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this research is to determine the difficulties perceived by the junior

high school students of Leon Guinto Memorial College Towards Online Distance

learning.

Explicitly, it aims to answer this subjective by answering the following specific

questions:

1. What is the Demographic Profile of the respondents in terms of

1.1 Age

1.2 Gender

1.3. Grade Level

2. What are the difficulties encountered by the JHS students of LGMC towards Online

Distance Learning?

2.1 Internal Difficulties

2.1.1 Interests,

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2.1.2 Time Management

2.1.3 Self-Esteem

2.1.4 Motivation

2.2 External Factors

2.2.1 Availability of Gadget

2.2.2 Technical Difficulties

2.2.3 Internet Connection

Significance of the study

The result of the study will make it more beneficial to the following:

Students - This study is beneficial for those students who are struggling in online

learning, also the students will gain more knowledge on how they should cope with

the difficulties in online distance learning.

Teachers – This study is also beneficial for our teacher’s because they also have the

biggest challenge in this type of new learning, this study will help them to inform and

guide their students, also teachers can help them to identify and assess their selves.

The study will help them to figure out their weaknesses in some areas in the field.

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School Administrators - This study will inform the school administrator’s

comprehension and to understand on how will they manage to help students to

accommodate and teach the subjects that needed to be guided by the teachers.

Parents - This study is beneficial because the parents will get educated about their

children’s finances, problems and internal difficulties of online distance learning.

Future Researchers - This study is beneficial because the future researchers can use

this study as a reference for their topic by browsing this studying the internet thus,

they can improve and develop the said topic.

Scope and Limitations

This research focuses on the difficulties and challenges of students on how

they would manage the distance online learning in this pandemic.

The researchers will use survey-questionnaires to generate data from the

respondents, the data collection is conveyed to (80) Junior High School students in

Leon Guinto Memorial College Inc., the school year 2020-2021.

Definition of terms

For the better understanding of the reader researcher operationally defined the

following:

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Online Distance Learning – Distance learning is an educational process where

students receive instruction through online classes, video recordings, video

conferencing, or any other audio/visual technology medium.

Difficulties – a thing that is hard to accomplish, deal with, or understand.

Junior High School Students – JHS comprises grades 7 to 10 (ages 12 to 16).

Students who complete elementary education at grade 6 automatically progress to JHS

– there are no separate entry requirements at both the junior and senior secondary

levels, although private schools may require passing of an entrance examination.

Internal Difficulties – It is the flaw, weakness, mistake, error, or deficit that needs to

be fixed. In other words, it shows what the character needs to learn.

External Difficulties – An external conflict is a problem, antagonism, or struggle that

takes place between a character and an outside force. In an external conflict, a

character may be struggling against another character, the natural world, or society.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the view of related literature and studies which aided the

researchers in conceptualizing the present study.

Foreign Literature

According to Jenneht Ann Oscena, (2021) The COVID-19 pandemic forced

teachers into drastic change in the Philippines educational system in order to adapt to

the new normal and social distancing guidelines of the WHO, health experts and the

government. Teachers are considered essential workers in the Philippines since,

despite the ongoing increase of COVID-19 cases in the country, they had to keep

going to the schools and the universities in order to prepare the modules that they

would need in order to transition fully from a 100% face-to-face classroom setup to

100% online classes.

According to Watts (2016). Asynchronous instruction means that teachers and

learners do not have synchronous sessions and that students have access to course

content through the Internet at any time they want or need. Communication among the

participants occurs mainly through email and online forums and is typically moderated

by the instructor.

This research study examines the attitudes of Pakistani higher education

students towards compulsory digital and distance learning university courses amid

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Coronavirus (COVID-19). Undergraduate and postgraduate were surveyed to find

their perspectives about online education in Pakistan. The findings of the study

highlighted that online learning cannot produce desired results in underdeveloped

countries like Pakistan, where a vast majority of students are unable to access the

internet due to technical as well as monetary issues. The lack of face-to-face

interaction with the instructor, response time and absence of traditional classro

om socialization were among some other issues highlighted by higher education

students. Adnan, Muhammad; Anwar, Kainat (2020).

The study revealed that majority of the students has heard of e-learning

platform. Challenges in the use of e-learning platform include irregular internet access,

lack of technical know-how and lack of feedback from peers and teachers. However,

there were significant relationship between students’ perceived ease of use and

perception towards e-learning platform and a significant relationship between

technology accessibility and computer ownership.

The educational system across the world has immensely been affected due to

outbreak of COVID-19; it forced the shutdown of educational institutions, which

adversely affected student fraternity across the globe. Due to its contagious nature,

COVID-19 demanded containment and enforced isolation that tremendously affected

personal interaction of teachers and students. In the absence of traditional classroom

teaching and one-to-one interaction, computer-based learning has emerged as closest

substitute for off-line teaching

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Local Literature

The second trend noted in the literature on how technology impacts teaching

practice is the shift from a teacher-focused knowledge transmission approach to a

learner-focused knowledge generation approach (Armellini & Jones, 2015; Swan,

2015).

According to Domingo, R. (2012). The Philippines has been cited as one of the

top 10 countries in the world in terms of high growth in “e-learning” revenues in the

next few years, according to a global report by US-based market research firm

Ambient Insight. Ambient Insight said in a statement that in Asia alone, the market for

learning and training programs supported by electronic technology is expected to

reach $11.5 billion by 2016, or more than twice the $5.2 billion in 2011. In the

Philippines, e-learning has been gaining ground in the education and agricultural

sectors, with a big push from government efforts. One group that has been actively

promoting and using e-learning is the Philippine e-Learning Society, or Pels, whose

members are mainly colleges and universities in both the public and private sectors.

Domingo, R. (2012).

According to Lonn, S. (2015). Retrieved from LMS technology not only allows

individuals to share materials, but also communicate with one another through a wide

variety of modalities. Communication, or interaction among students is a key element

of the learning process (Pall off & Pratt, 1999; 2014). Online interaction has been a

major focus of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) researchers.

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Foreign Studies

This study investigated the impact of an online learning community project on

university students’ motivation in learning Chinese as a foreign language. A newly

proposed second language (L2) motivation theory—the L2 motivational self-system

(Dörnyei, 2005, 2009)—guided this study.

The latest advances in Internet and multimedia have increased the popularity of

online learning environments. Although every new online learning environment (OLE)

claims to have introduced one or more novelties, not every OLE is successful in

creating a long and lasting impact in learners' knowledge. In this article, we have

analyzed the recent research literature relevant to online and e-learning as well as

computer based instruction with the purpose of identifying the desirable characteristics

of an ideal new generation OLE. Ultimately, this research aims to serve as a guideline

for the creators of the existing and novel OLE's for superior teaching and learning

experiences. Meylani (2015).

Examines the concept of the ideal online learning environment of the future

that would encourage learners' epistemological development. Suggests that advanced

epistemological development is a desirable outcome for online education, explores

current limitations of online learning environments in terms of epistemic development,

and describes merging technologies that can encourage epistemic development. Rose

M. Marra (2017)

Local Studies

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While the literature presents various advantages of using blended learning,

policymakers must identify the barriers and challenges faced by students that may

cripple their online learning experience. Understanding these barriers can help

academic institutions craft policies to advance and improve the students' online

learning experience. This study was conducted to determine the challenges of

computing students in one private University in the Philippines during the period

where the entire Luzon region was placed under the Enhanced Community Quarantine

(ECQ) as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey through MS Forms Pro

was performed to identify the experiences of students in online learning. The survey

ran from March 16 to March 18, 2020, which yielded a total of 300 responses.

Descriptive statistics revealed that the top three barriers and challenges encountered by

students were 1. the difficulty of clarifying topics or discussions with the professors,

2.the lack of study or working area for doing online activities, and 3. the lack of a

good Internet connection for participating in online activities. It can be concluded that

both students and faculty members were not fully prepared to undergo full online

learning. 

While the literature presents various advantages of using blended learning,

policymakers must identify the barriers and challenges faced by students that may

cripple their online learning experience. Understanding these barriers can help

academic institutions craft policies to advance and improve the students' online

learning experience. This study was conducted to determine the challenges of

computing students in one private University in the Philippines during the period

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where the entire Luzon region was placed under the Enhanced Community Quarantine

(ECQ) as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fabito, B. S., Trillanes, A. O., &

Sarmiento, J. R. (2021).

Recently, the education system has faced an unprecedented health crisis that has

shaken up its foundation. Given today’s uncertainties, it is vital to gain a nuanced

understanding of students’ online learning experience in times of the COVID-19

pandemic. Although many studies have investigated this area, limited information is

available regarding the challenges and the specific strategies that students employ to

overcome them. Barrot, J.S., Llenares, I.I. & del Rosario, L.S. (2021)

SYNTHESIS OF THE REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The study revealed that majority of the students has heard of e-learning platform.

Challenges in the use of e-learning platform include irregular internet access, lack of

technical know-how and lack of feedback from peers and teachers.

RESEARCH PARADIGM

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Demographic Difficulties
profile consists Perceived by the
Conducting a
of the Junior High
survey in the
respondents’ School Students
form of
gender, grade in Leon Guinto
questionnaire to
Memorial College
P a glevel,
e | 13family students of
monthly Inc. Towards
LGMC.
Online Distance
 Leon Guinto Memorial College, Inc.
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Figure 1. An input process output on Difficulties Perceived by the Junior High

School Students in Leon Guinto Memorial College Inc. Towards Online Distance

Learning

Interpretation of the Paradigm

Figure 1. This Research Paradigm defines input, process and output of this study. The

researchers will estimate the demographic profile of the respondents according to their

gender, grade level, and family monthly income. Then the researchers will be

determining the amount of students who are struggling the difficulties in online

distance learning.

For the researchers to gather information, the process will include survey

questionnaire for the respondents.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the research design of the study which also includes the

population size, the respondents of the study, the instrument used, the data gathering

procedure and the statistical treatment used in order to fulfill the requisite of the study.

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Research Locale

The study will be conducted at Leon Guinto Memorial College Inc. This place

will be selected in determining the numbers of Senior High School students who

experiencing Difficulties towards Online Distance Learning.

Research Design

Descriptive research design is used in the study in order to gather the needed

information with regards to the difficulties perceived by the junior high school

students in Leon Guinto Memorial College Inc. towards online distance learning.

Respondents

The target population consists of (80) students in Leon Guinto Memorial

College Inc. in Junior High School Department, they are chosen for a reason that they

are the ones experiencing the Difficulties towards online distance learning.

Data Gathering and Procedure

The pandemic has been very difficult for us, so to make it accessible the

researchers will make a google form that contains their questions and deploy it to their

target respondents through messenger. The data that the researchers need are from a

total of 80 Senior High school students in Leon Guinto Memorial College Inc. The

survey-questionnaire will be collected afterwards. After the collection of data, analysis

of the responses will be done in order to process the information obtain from the

students.

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Statistical Treatment Data

After the researchers gathered the data, the data were tailed, tabulated and

analyzed. To interpret the data effectively, the researchers will employ the following

statistical treatment; the percentage and the weighted mean.

1. Percentage

A Percentage describes how many parts there are out of one hundred parts of a

particular thing. This will be used in the profile of students to determine their

difficulties perceived by the senior high school students towards online distance

learning.

f
P= X 100
N

Where:

P = percentage

f = frequency

N = total number of respondents

2. Weighted Mean

Mean will be used to analyze and interpret the general data.

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4 f +3 f +2 f +1 f
WM=
N

Where:

WM = Weighted Mean

f = frequency

N = total number of respondents

Instrumentation

The researcher will use a questionnaire checklist as an instrument to gather the

needed data in study in which this questionnaire for analyzing the difficulties

perceived by the senior high school students towards online distance learning. The

instrument will aim to gather information about the respondents in terms of their,

gender, grade level, and family monthly income. The research questionnaire will be

self-made by the researcher wherein the respondents will put a check on the column of

their choice, after gathering necessary data the result will be tabulated using weighted

mean and percentage.

The following Likert scale will be utilized to interpret and analyze the computed

data.

Likert Scale

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Assumes that the strength/intensity of an attitude is linear, which is on a

continuum from strongly agree to strongly disagree, and makes the assumption that

attitude can be measured.

The following scale distribution was considered:

Table 1

LIKERT SCALE

Point Scale Range Interval Description Description

Analysis

4 3.26-4.00 Strongly Agree SA

3 2.51-3.25 Agree A

2 1.76-2.50 Disagree D

1 1.00-1.75 Strongly Disagree SD

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