CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

SCIENCE THROUGH LOCALLY- DEVELOPED SELF LEARNING

MODULES (LDSLMs)

Background of the Proposed Study

Health emergencies are global problems that affect lives, properties and even services

offered by different sectors of the society (Ecolin-Campanilla, 2016) that includes the education

sector. It is an international problem that teachers should be concerned about in the light of

finding solution to reduce the risk which may have an impact to learners’ academic achievement

and the normal operation of schools. In the Philippines, the global pandemic brought by COVID-

19 disease introduced risks to the delivery of educational services as the schools throughout the

country particularly the state funded ones are not ready to face the technological challenges in

the new normal. As a result, a sudden paradigm shift is necessary to sustain and direct

educational activities to the goals of education. In this new normal, the teaching paradigm in

most Department of Education (DepEd) schools shifted from the usual face-to-face approach to

the use of different learning modalities.

Like everything else in our society today, forms of education has changed to adapt with

the challenges brought about by a health emergency. This is the reason why educational

technology must be made flexible to meet the current needs and demands of students (Lebrun,

2001). This indicates that schools must consider all other factors that inhibit the delivery of

equitable education amidst health emergency. In relation to this, teachers must opt to use

educational technology such as appropriate teaching materials (Padmapriya, 2015) that can

facilitate in maximizing students’ achievement and adapt instructional method with the students’

knowledge and cognitive level (Guido, 2014).

To continue the delivery of educational services amidst pandemic, modular instruction is

believed to be the most efficient method that is accessible to all. Researchers believe that

modular instruction helps learners to develop their capacity to learn (Padmapriya, 2015;

Columbano 2019) because learners will be learning the module content at their own pace. This

claim is indeed applicable if the learners are matured enough to be responsible of their own

learning. However, the aspect of independent learning becomes an issue in the early stage in

school where most of the learners are not ready to learn on their own. The problem is

compounded by the reality that most of the freshmen learners find science concepts difficult to

learn. Since this is the first time that modular instruction is utilized by the learners, the effect of

this to their science learning remains theoretically unclear. Hence, the effect of the sudden

change of teaching paradigm to learners’ science learning becomes an area of concern among

science educators.

In the context of Zamboanga National High School West, many learners even in the more

advanced classes find science concepts difficult to understand. Teachers applied several

strategies and methods in teaching to effectively enhance learners’ science understanding and

learning. However, due to the current health emergency situation, schools adopted modular

learning as a strategy to teach science across grade levels. Considering the importance of science

education and the teaching and learning limitations of the present instructional paradigm, there is

a need to understand the different challenges and opportunities experienced by learners and

teachers who utilized modular instruction which will serve as basis for formulation of

intervention measures to eliminate factors which may affect teaching effectiveness and learners’

science performance. Hence, there is a need to undertake in study.

General Objective:

This proposed study aims to determine the challenges and opportunities in using the locally –

developed self-learning modules in science among science teachers and Grade learners in the STEM

program during the school year 2021-2022.

Proposed Methodology:

Specific problems Type of Data Data Analysis

Needed
1. What are challenges and opportunities of the Qualitative Data Content and Thematic
teachers in teaching science through the use of Analysis
LDSLMs?
2. What are the challenges and opportunities Qualitative Data Content and Thematic
experienced by the students in learning science Analysis
using the LDSLMs?
3. What is the impact of LDSLMs in science Qualitative Data Content and Thematic
to students’ learning? Analysis
3. How do the teachers and students address the Qualitative Data Content and Thematic
identified challenges in teaching and learning Analysis
science through the use of LDSLMs?

Study Significance:

The study’s findings will help to understand the challenges and opportunities experienced

by teachers and students using the locally –developed self-learning modules (LDSLM). Thus, the

study will be beneficial to the science teachers, school administrators and science supervisors as

this will help them to identify the pros and cons of using modular instruction in science and

further improve the content of the present LDSLM and its delivery to improve students’ science

learning.
Scope and Limitation:

The study will only focus on investigating the challenges and opportunities in using the

locally –developed self-learning modules in science among science teachers and Grade learners in the

STEM program during the school year 2021-2022. The study will include the Grade 7 STEM students

and teachers in the STEM implementing schools in Zamboanga City Division.

The study is limited to the experiences in relation to the utilization of modular instruction

among Grade 7 STEM students and teachers and the study will not include STEM students and

teacher outside Zamboanga City Division.

Conceptual Framework:

Based on the research questions that guided this study and the review of related

literatures and studies, the conceptual paradigm was formulated as shown in Figure 2.

Utilization of Locally-
Developed Self-Learning
Modules in Science

Students’ Science Learning

Challenges met by Students Opportunities met by

and Teacher on the use of Students and Teacher on the
LDSLM use of LDSLM
 Figure 1. The Conceptual Paradigm of the Study

As shown in Figure 2, there are three variables that this study would like to investigate

that include teachers’ the impact of LDSLM on students’ science learning, challenges met by the

students and teachers on the use of LDSLM and the opportunities encountered by the teachers

and students on the use of LDSLM. The variables will be explored in the study based on the

lived experiences of both the students and teachers in the light of finding answers to the specific

questions that guided the study.

Proposed Methodology:

Research Design

This study will utilize qualitative research design where interview will be used and

processed to shed light to the identified themes. Specifically, this study utilized case study

approach to investigate the challenges and opportunities of STEM students and teachers in

Zamboanga City on the use of locally-developed Self-Learning Modules in science. Further, the

study involves gathering of firsthand information from the experiences of the participants in

relation to the impact of modular instruction to science learning. This study also involves

utilization of thematic analysis to answer different frameworks, questions and objectives relevant

to the direct experience of the learners.

Population and Sampling Design

The participants of the study will be composed of Grade 7 students and Science teachers

of STEM program in the Division of Zamboanga City. The study will employ convenient

sampling technique in the selection of participants based on their voluntary participation in the

study.
Ethics Requirement

The student respondents/participants will be asked to sign an informed assent for to

confirm their voluntary participation in the study. The schools and the students who will

participate in the study will remain anonymous through the use of codes.

Instrument

The researcher will develop an interview guide which will be used as instrument to gather

qualitative data. The interview guide will be validated by experts and this will be pilot-tested to

ensure its usability and appropriateness to use in the present study.

Data Gathering Plan:

To successfully carry out the study, the researcher will follow standard research

protocols. First, a permission to conduct the study was sent to the schools division

superintendent. Upon receipt of the letter of approval to conduct the study, the researcher will

conduct a pilot-test of the instrument that will be used in the study. A letter of invitation with

attached Informed Assent Form (IAF) will be sent to the parents of the learners to confirm their

participation in the study. Upon receipt of the confirmation to participate in the study, the

researcher proceeds to the next stage of data gathering.

Considering the threat of Covid-19, this study will adapt efficient strategies to collect qualitative

data without compromising everyone's health and safety. In relation to this, the researcher will conduct

the virtual interview through phone and online platforms specifically zoom in collecting qualitative data.

The researcher will contact each potential participant to determine their availability and voluntary

participation as an interviewee. The virtual interview will be conducted based on the schedule agreed by
the participants and the researcher. Before the interview's conduct, the researcher will explain to the

participants the purpose of the interview and the rules to observe to organize the flow of the interview

process.

References:

Columbano, M. (2019). Development and Validation of Modules in Basic Mathematics to

Enhance Students' Mathematics Performance. Retrieved August 5, 2021, from
https://www.ijitee.org/wp-content/uploads/papers/v8i12/L26841081219.pdf

Ecolin-Campanilla, M. (2016). Disaster Risk Reduction Management of School Managers.

Retrieved August 5, 2021, from
https://apiar.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/9_APCAR_July_BRR7125_EDU-207-
217.pdf

Guido, R. M. (2014). Evaluation of Modular Teaching Approach in Material Science and

Engineering. Retrieved August 5, 2021, from
http://article.scieducationalresearch.com/pdf/education-2-11-20.pdf

Lebrun, D. (2001). A study of modularized instruction and its role in the technology education
curriculum at Southern Door schools. Retrieved August 5, 2021, from
http://www2.uwstout.edu/content/lib/thesis/2001/2001lebrund.pdf

Padmapriya, P. (2015). Effectiveness of Learning Modules on Achievement in Biology among

Secondary School Students . Retrieved August 5, 2021, from
http://ijepr.org/panels/admin/papers/179ij12.pdf