DISTANCE LEARNING MODALITIES: ITS

AVAILABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND

CHALLENGES IN NEW NORMAL

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

2023
Volume: 11
Pages: 587-595
Document ID: 2023PEMJ989
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8205887
Manuscript Accepted: 2023-30-7
Psych Educ, 2023, 11: 587-595, Document ID:2023 PEMJ989, doi:10.5281/zenodo.8205887, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Distance Learning Modalities: Its Availability, Accessibility, and

Challenges in New Normal
Cyril C. Deriada*, Romel T. Catanus, La Arnie O. Azucena, Jojie Ann C. Dalanon, Isabel S. Infante
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.
Abstract
This research aimed to determine Distance Learning Modalities: Their Availability, Accessibility, and
Challenges in the New Normal the 16 respondents were 10 grade 12 students from the different
learning modalities, 10 parents of the student respondents, and 6 teachers in the different grade levels
using purposive sampling. The study employed qualitative research methods using a self-made
questionnaire and was conducted at Bantayan National High School in the District of Kabankalan IV
of the Division of Kabankalan City for the school year 2020-2021. It was found that students, parents,
and teachers classify availability into three categories: the availability of technology, such as cell
phones, as the most common technology used for research, instruction, and communication; the
availability of places of learning, which are the school and home; and the availability of learning
resources, which include the self-learning module, vehicles for transportation, and human resources
as facilitators of learning. In terms of accessibility, it was determined in terms of location,
availability, and internet connectivity. The challenges encountered by students are as follows;
Difficulty in Understanding the Lessons, Internet Data and Connectivity Issues, External
Distractions, Time Constraints, Poor Academic Performance, and Communication Barriers.

Keywords: distance learning modalities, availability, accessibility, challenges

Introduction To encounter these challenges the researchers will

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over a
million confirmed cases and over hundreds of deaths
globally. It sparked fears of an impending economic
crisis and recession. This pandemic has had a great
impact that changing our lifestyles and even in the
different sectors of society (Nicola et. al., 2020).
Changes like social distancing and wearing facemasks
have become a new normal the different countries and
one of these is the Philippines.
One of the sectors that have been greatly affected by
this pandemic is the Philippine basic education system.
With this new normal, the Department of Education
(DepEd) has an alternative solution for the education
of the students which is distance learning (DO. no. 12,
s 2020). Woodcock (2020) describes distance learning
as any learning that happens without the students being
physically present in the lesson. In simple statements,
we will strengthen online learning platforms. Google,
TV broadcasts, guidelines, resources, video lectures,
and online channels were introduced. It would be quite
advantageous to many countries that have already
established the maximum use of technologies in their
educational system but in some countries such as the
Philippines which seems less equipped with the
demands of distance learning, this approach might be
challenging in terms of some factors: (1) Parents'
involvement in assisting child's schoolwork’s (2)
Availability of access to Distance Learning (3)
Teachers' Preparedness to Distance Learning.
assist how the students, parents, and teachers will
access distance learning specifically in the availability,
accessibility, and challenges they encounter in learning
modalities. The modality is chosen since they show the
highest response based on the Learner Enrolment and
Survey Form (LESF) and is suited or applicable to the
area of the school. This study also aims to give light on
education stakeholders on how students respond to the
alternatives given by the Department of Education
since this new normal education will surely test the
effectiveness, flexibility, and versatility of the
Philippine educational system. This study would help
the maximum implementation of distance learning for
the new adjustments in our education setting and will
be able to continue upholding the DepEd vision and
mission and bring a better tomorrow for the learners.
Research Questions
In this study, the researchers aim to find out and
determine the availability, accessibility, and challenges
of distance learning modalities in the new normal
education.Specifically, this action research will give
answers to the following questions:
1. What is the socio-demographic profile of grade 12
students in terms of (a) sex, and age (b) parents in
terms of sex, age, educational attainment, and
employment status, and (c) teachers in terms of age,
sex, length of service, subject taught?
2. What modalities do you choose in distance
learning? and why?

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Research Article
3. What is the availability of equipment and facilities
in distance learning modalities?
4. How accessible are distance learning modalities in
the locality?
5. What challenges may affect learning through
distance learning modalities?
6. What possible recommendations shall be taken
based on the findings of the study?
Methodology
Participants
There were 16 participants in this study coming grade
12 students, parents, and teachers. There w10 students
taken from the three learning modalities, 10 parents of
the students’ respondents and 6 teachers identified
using purposive sampling. Purposive sampling, also
known as judgmental, selective, or subjective
sampling, is a form of non-probability sampling
(Baraceros, 2016) in which the researchers will rely on
their own judgment when choosing the participants to
participate in the study.
Instruments of the Study
The researchers used a self-made questionnaire and an
online interview in gathering the data. In case the
respondent is not available online a face-to-face
interview will be used to observe the health and safety
protocol set forth by the Inter-Agency Task Force
(IATF) or Department of Health (DOH). The
questionnaire was composed of two parts: part 1 the
Socio-demographic profile of the respondents and part
2 the question proper.
Procedure
The researcher obtained approval to perform the
research study from the School Div ision
Superintendent, through the Senior Education Program
Specialist of Planning and Research, and the School
Head. When the reproduction of the questionnaire is
completed, it will be given to the identified students,
teachers, and parents as the study's participants.The
numerous sets of questions on the questionnaire were
explained to the participants. While the respondent
completed the questionnaire, a follow-up interview
was conducted. After receiving all the copies of the
questionnaire, all the responses provided by the
participants were consolidated and analyzed to provide
Deriada et al.
relevant research findings.
Ethical Considerations
In conducting the research, the researcher will consider
the ethical standards set by the research ethics. The
participant will be informed about the purpose of the
research, it is voluntary and will not affect their lives
as students, parents, and teachers. All information that
will be collected will be kept safe and confidential in
accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.
Plan for Data Analysis
The data will be analyzed using the frequency for the
Socio-demographic Profile and the researchers will use
content analysis for the Interview questions.
Dudovskiy (2018) defines content analysis as a
process of categorizing verbal to classify, summarize
and tabulate the data.
In this analysis, the researcher will follow the
following procedures: (1) Develop and Apply Codes.
(2) Identify themes, patterns, and relationships. (3)
Summarize the data.
Results and Discussion
Findings/Discussions
The Respondents of the study were the students,
parents of grade 12 students, and teachers from
different grade levels who were purposely selected
based on the modalities that they have chosen. There
were 3 males and 7 females, and the range of age was
from 16 to 19. Parent respondents were 10 females,
ages 37 to 62, in terms of their educational attainment,
there were 4 elementary graduates, 3 high school
graduates, and 3 college graduates.
For teacher respondents, there were 3 males and 3
females. The subject taught here were 2 MAPEH, 2
Social Science, 1 English, and 1 Mathematics. There
were 4 teachers for the 3 to 4 years of teaching, 1 is 16
years, and 1 for 28 years of teaching.
The students and parents as respondents were
classified in terms of modalities, 1 to 5 have chosen
modular modalities and 6 to 10 have chosen Blended
modalities. Teachers 1, 2, and 5 chose modular
modalities, and teachers 3, 4, and 6 chose blended
modalities.
After analyzing the responses to the different research
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questions, the researcher comes up with the following
themes.
What modalities do you choose in distance learning?
and why?
Table 1. Themes for Research Question on Modalities
The table above shows the themes of each modality
the Modular Learning Modalities and Blended
Learning Modalities. In Modular Modalities, the
following themes are determined by the researcher on
why students choose this modality in distance learning.
Accessibility. Modular distance learning modality
gives easy access to the learner since it is provided at
school which the student or parents can access. One of
the respondents, an 18-year-old female student,
emphasized that “a module in distance learning is
better since we would just be able to get it at school
and return it every retrieval”.
Greater Flexibility. Modular distance learning allows
such students to study whenever it is convenient for
them, without disrupting their already hectic routine. It
is possible to study after work, late at night, or on
weekends. Respondent 3, an 18-year-old male student
said, “I choose modular so that I can answer it
anytime because sometimes I have work to do at home
it is hard if have online class” Respondent 4, a 16-
year-old female also said, “In modular modalities, I
can answer it anytime and anywhere and I can take
care of my siblings”. This shows that modular distance
learning gives opportunity to the student to have
greater flexibility where the student can answer the
module while working and it is possible to access
learning materials and teaching at any time.
Financial Alternative. Since the module was
provided by the school, students and parents find
modular distance learning to be a financially
Deriada et al.
reasonable alternative. Respondent 2 an 18-year-old
female student answered, “I choose modular because
in distance learning this modality which our finance
can afford”.
Parents 1,3, and 4 agree that modular is not expensive:
Parents 1, a 36-year-old female, high school graduate
said, “that modular distance learning is not expensive,
and my child can stay at home”. Parent 3, a 43 -year-
old, high school graduate stated about modular
distance has no problem with the modalities and does
not require load for an internet connection to answer
the lesson, and respondent 4, a 42-year-old, female,
college graduate said that modular modality is a
modality student can avail to complete the
requirement, however, it is still needed an internet
connection for further research.
This implies that students and parents prefer this type
of modality due to their financial status and with this
modality also an opportunity to save money on their
studies in addition to the convenience of taking a
lesson from home.
Students Safety. Prioritizing the health and safety of
the children is one of the responsibilities of a parent.
According to Parent 2, she said that I choose modular
distance learning since I want the safety of my son
because of the Pandemic. It signifies education is
important to the parents of their children as they
observed the precaution and safety of their child.
Applicable Modality in the Locality. Teachers
believe that Modular distance is one of the most
applicable learning modalities in the locality. Teacher
1, a 44-year-old, female, teaching MAPEH for 16
years in the service said, “In distance learning, I
choose the printed modular, since for me this is the
most applicable modality in our school”. Teacher 2, a
28-year-old, female, teaching Araling Panlipunan (AP)
for 3 years in the service also stated that “as chosen by
the school, the distance learning that we choose is
modular distance learning”. It is the easiest and most
convenient distance learning applicable in our
locality. Teacher 5, a 29-year-old, female, teaching
Mathematics for 3 years in the service emphasizes
“Modular Learning since this is only applicable in
school area”.
This implies that the modular print is the only
applicable modality in school since this is the modality
that the school can cater to the needs of learning of the
students, and this is the most efficient since some of
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the students don’t have any means for their learning.
In Blended Modalities, the following themes are
determined by the researchers on why students choose
this modality in distance learning.
Teacher Support. One of the advantages of blended
learning is that it gives student support coming from
the teacher, especially in guiding their learning.
Students 6,7,8 and 9 agree that students need teacher
support in understanding the lesson. Student 6, an 18-
year-old female, said “blended Learning modalities
are good since there is assistance and a little
discussion from the teachers. In case of difficulties in
understanding, we can understand it clearly after the
online discussion”. Student 7, a 17 -year-old, male in
blended modalities can study in advance and can get
ideas from the teacher. Student 8, in Blended
modalities teacher can help in explaining the lecture.
Student 9, an 18-year -old, male said that in “Blended
learning modalities she can easily understand the
topics on the module which are not clear”. On the
parent’s side, Parent 8, a 53-year-old, female, believes
that in “module itself is difficult in terms of
understanding the lessons because some instruction is
not clear, and it needs guidance from the teacher.
This indicates that some students and parents prefer
blended learning since it combines several modalities
and allows them to directly address their concerns with
the teacher on particular subjects that are difficult to
answer.
Greater Opportunity. Blended learning gives
opportunities to students in terms of their location and
preferences. According to Parent 6, a 31-year-old,
female preferred blended Learning modalities since it
supports the students learning due to their location,
which is far away from the school and is not
accessible to them. Parent 7, a 62 -year-old, female
states that Blended modalities provide varied options
to students' learning and it is a great help to their
children to continue to learn and grow despite the
pandemic.
This implies that parents, as facilitators of learning at
home, choose blended learning because of their
location, and this also gives their students the choice of
having a teacher assist them through their learning.
F l e x i b l e A p p r o a c h to T e a c h i n g a nd
Learning. Blended modalities combine online and
modular modalities, allowing for a variety of ways to
Deriada et al.
teach and learn, particularly from the teacher's
perspective. Teacher 3 says “Blended learning
modality – it is the combination of modular and online
modality. In the online learning modality where
learning takes place between the teacher and the
learner using internet connectivity using their gadgets.
While in modular distance learning where learning
takes place using modules or activity sheets for the
students or learners. Teacher 6, also believes that “In
Blended Learning modalities I can use both modular
and online modalities, I can follow up the work of my
student using online by giving Instruction and they
also have a guide using modules.
This implies that in their role as facilitators, teachers
can use a combination of both modalities to provide
follow-up to their students in their lessons on difficult-
to-understand topics utilizing some of the available
communication platforms.
Table 2. Themes for Research Question on Availability
Table 2 shows the themes for the question: what is the
availability of equipment and facilities in distance
learning modalities? In Distance Learning students,
parents and teachers classify the availability of
modalities into three, Availability of Technology used
for Learning, Availability of Place for Learning, and
Availability of Learning Resources.
Availability of Technology Use for Learning
In distance education, technology serves as a medium
for students to rely on their own learning. Cellphones,
often known as smartphones, are the most commonly
utilized gadgets by students in terms of technology,
particularly for research reasons. This was
emphasized by Students 3, 5, and 6. According to
Student 3, “I also use my cellphone for information or
instruction”. Student 5 said: I use a device or
cellphone for research and Student 6 said “I used a
cell phone and netbook, which can be used for
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encoding in a research report”. While students 1,2
and 10 used cell phones in answering the module.
Student 1 said, “I use my cellphone to answer the
module”. Student 2 “In terms of gadgets I use a mobile
phone and radio” and Student 10. “I use a cellphone
and laptop in answering my module since all of them
are in a file or soft copy format”. However, Student 7
emphasizes both “I use my cellphone for research and
to answer my module”. As a 21st learner, students
engaged themselves by using technology, especially
using cell phones for research and information. Other
technologies being mentioned by students for their
learning are radio, netbook, and laptop.
Technology plays an important role not only for
students but also for teachers. Teacher 5 states “I use
cell phones for Internet searching and to connect with
my students”. Teacher 6 also emphasizes “The
following materials that I use in Blended learning
Modalities: Printer for printing the module/LAS,
Laptop for editing or encoding the learning Activity
sheet, cellphone for connecting to the students using
the following platform: Messenger, email, chat, and
text. This shows that Availability of the Technology
such as Cell phones, netbooks or laptops, and printers
has a big part in the teaching and learning process,
especially for research or searching, instruction, and
communication in distance education.
Availability of Place for Learning
The school now serves as a medium of knowledge
where a self-learning module (SLM) was produced
and this was stressed by Teacher 6 “In terms of facility
my classroom and office are available for printing of
module” After the module was completed, it was
distributed to the parents on a schedule based on its
availability; according to Parent 1 “the Modality was
available at school in the given day of retrieval and
distribution”. Parent 3 also says “Learning modules
are just available whenever we need it at school” same
with Parent 4 says “Module is always available in
senior high school, and we don’t have a problem in
getting the module” and Parent 7 says that essential
equipment was available also learning module at
school that never been delayed by providing enough
time preparing for it”.
If knowledge came from a school in distance
education, learning takes place at home. Student 1 said
that “I use my cellphone to answer the module in our
house”. Student 2: I used to answer in my room as a
Deriada et al.
study area. Student 6 said “There is a study location
available, particularly in my room or anywhere else in
our house” and Parent 8 said “that modules, Internet,
and gadgets were available, and my son has a study
table in his room” and Parent 10 said “that equipment
available in distance learning are cell phone and
module, we also have tables in our house for
answering the modules''. But student 4 said, “Module
is available since it is done and printed at school,
however, I have no area in our house for answering
the module”.
This implies that in remote education, teachers and
parents must prioritize an available environment that is
suitable for studying and helps students to focus on
and absorb their lessons.
Availability of Learning Resources
Self-learning module is one of the main means for
students in distance learning. The Internet, on the other
hand, has an important tool for effective teaching and
learning. It acts as a general tool for students to find
needed information, while it also serves as a resource
or reference for teachers. Teacher 1 stated, “Learning
modules can easily be accessed using the internet and
it is easy if you are resourceful and committed to your
work”. Teacher 4 Teacher says “Self- learning module
could just download via DepEd accredited sites.
Though, Teacher 6 experienced difficulties in terms of
the availability of the self-learning module he
mentioned that “Self-Learning Module is not
adequately available since I need to do research or
find a credible site so that I can download the
modalities”.
The availability of human resources, such as education
administrators and teachers who function as learning
facilitators, makes a substantial contribution to
distance learning according to Teacher 2 “The Central
Office, Regional Office, and Division Office provide
soft copy of readily available modules and LAS to be
printed whenever it”. Teacher 3 also says “Learning
modules are available when you need them since our
department was very industrious in providing the
Google drives for the teachers to print for the week
just to provide learning to the student”. and teacher 5
emphasizes “Self-Learning Module is adequately
available since the module is provided by the adviser”.
Other resources like motorcycles were also used for
transportation in receiving the self-learning module.
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Parent 1 said Every Monday I ride a motorcycle to get
the module. Parent 3 said, “To get the module at school
my motorcycle is also available to use”. Parent 6
There is a vehicle or tricycle accessible to transport
the printed module. Parent 9 said that “vehicle or
motorcycle is available in getting the printed module”.
Table 3. Themes for Research Question on
Accessibility
The table above shows the themes of the research
question How accessible are distance learning
modalities in the locality? Based on the responses the
accessibility of modalities was classified based on
location, availability, and Internet connectivity.
Accessibility: Location
Accessibility of Modalities was depending on the ease
of reaching the location or on the place of the school
with respect to the place of the student or parents.
Student 1 said, “Learning modalities are accessible
since it is easy for me to go to school.” Student 2
stated, "Learning Modalities are easily accessible
because I can go to school whenever I want, and it is
close to our house." Parent 10 said, “It is very
accessible considering that we are quite near the
school so I can get the module anytime”. Teacher 5
said that “Yes, the distance learning modalities are
very accessible since the school is within the locality”.
This implies that parents or students who are near
School locations can access the learning modules or
activities anytime they want.
Accessibility: Availability
Student 3 stated that it is accessible since the module is
already in the drop box or in the module section.
There are times I am unable to obtain new modules
due to the absence of a recent module. Student No. 5
“I can get the printed modules right away, or I can
access them at any time”. Parent 2 “The student can
respond to the learning modalities at any time”.
Parent 8. It is accessible to me, but not completely,
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because there are times when we lack the resources to
communicate. Parent 9. Not very accessible because
we sometimes lack the necessary resources,
particularly in terms of learning equipment.
Student 4 stated “It is very accessible because the
teacher is easy to reach and deal with”. Parents 1 and
3: “Learning module is easy to reach and easy to deal
with the teacher” Teacher 2. Teachers are the ones
printing the modules, so it makes the module very
much accessible when we need it.
This implies that in terms of the availability of the
modules or resources it is accessible to the parents,
students, and teachers anytime they want.
Accessible: Internet Connectivity
Using an internet connection students can access
different online or social media platforms in which
they can communicate with the teacher and can access
the modalities anytime. According to student No. 6,
“It can be accessed at any time if I have a connection
to the internet. The module is accessible at school
since I can access it whenever I want to go to school.
Student 7 “Modalities is accessible online through
messenger. Student 8 stated the module is simple to
get, and instructions are available in the messenger.
Student 9 If I have a load, "I can access the internet
and participate in online discussions on Google Meet
and YouTube. Student 10 “Yes, because my teacher
and a classmate used to chat and email to transmit the
files. A YouTube channel is also available.
Teacher 1 said Learning modules are self-contained
lessons that can be created. It is also accessible
through digital resources such as computers, mobile
phones, and tablets to learn and link through the
Internet. Teacher 3. The learning module can be
downloaded anytime if you have an internet
connection, it is also accessible even if I’m in school
or at home Teacher 4. It is very much in use especially
the modules since Bantayan is a place where the
signal is not that good. Although online class is just
another option if students find it difficult to
comprehend the modules of Teacher 6 it is accessible
through the internet or any credible internet site. You
just need to access and download it and in terms of
internet connection the connectivity is not slow or
strong it depends on the location in the locality.
This implies that distance learning is accessible to
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parents and as long as they have an internet
connection. Since teachers can give instruction or
supporting references to the different online platforms.
What challenges may affect learning through distance
learning modalities?
Table 4. Themes for Research Question on Challenges
This table represents the themes of the challenges
encountered by the student, Parents, and teacher under
Modular Modality and Blended Modality.
Modular Modality
Difficulty Understanding the Lessons. In Modular
modality, the majority of the respondents have trouble
understanding the lesson. Student 1 says “There is
something or lesson that I couldn’t understand well,
and I need some guidance from a teacher”. Student 2
also says “The challenge I’ve encountered in distance
learning is learning independently. Sometimes, I can’t
understand a certain lesson because I don’t have
someone or further explanation, so I guess I can’t
acquire the learning I was supposed to have”. Student
3 articulated that “It's hard for me to study, you're the
only one or independently study the lessons that can't
be taught differently if the teacher explains something
to show. Student 4 I can’t learn deeply by reading and
answering modules. I still need teachers to teach me
and guide me in every lesson. Student 5 has it hard
understanding the lesson, hard to manage time, and do
a lot of activities. The parents also observe that Parent
1 “My child cannot really gain knowledge from it and I
am not always there to guide her in her module,
especially the topics that are not familiar to me”.
Also, with Parent 3 says that “There’s something in the
lessons that my child can’t understand deeply”.
Deriada et al.
This means that parents noticed some of their
children's difficulty in answering the modules. Some
parents are also uncertain about how they will assist
their children with topics with which they are
unfamiliar.
Poor Academic Performance. One of the
disadvantages of independent study is that it might
lead to a student's poor academic achievement,
especially if they are not academically competent in
their study. Teacher 1 mentioned as a teacher, one
challenge I’ve encountered was I have students who
are poor in reading and comprehension, so the result
of the test was a very low score.
This implies that teachers have seen that certain
students are having trou ble learnin g and
comprehending the lesson, particularly students who
are not academically inclined at this time when they
will be studying independently.
Communication Barriers. Communication between
parents, students, and teachers is one of the
requirements of distance learning which is caused by
different factors. Teacher 2 expresses the challenges in
distance learning. It is difficult to communicate with
the parent or guardian of the student. Understanding
and comprehension of students in instruction in
modules/LAS.
Blended Modality
Teacher Delayed, and Unclear Instructions. Student
10 “Delayed of responses of teacher” and Parent 10
Blurred modules especially that aren’t printed or
captured through a cellphone and sent by the teacher
to group chat and inconsiderate or very strict
teacher”.
Common Themes
External Distraction. External Distraction can affect
the focus and concentration of the student in distance
learning. Student 1 says “Noise as a distraction in
answering the module'' same with student 2 says that
“In our home, it’s so noisy and there are a lot of
things to do, I am also distracted by using my
cellphone” and Student 6 emphasize “there are
several distractions, especially when my attention span
is limited.”.
Time constraints due to Work and Household
Chores. Housework is one that would hinder students
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from answering the module, which may limit their
time to focus on their studies. Student 5 says “Because
there are so many activities, it's difficult to keep track
of time”. Student 7 responded, “Short of time, because
I have work to do in our home, I can’t focus on
answering it”.
Parents also indicated that they are unable to assist
their children with their studies owing to a lack of
time. Parent 2 said that “The challenge that I have
encountered is time in helping my child in answering
some of the lessons” and Parent 9 said, “One of the
difficulties I've encountered with blended learning
modalities is that it takes time for us as parents”.
This implies the students are having difficulty
completing their modules, some of which need them to
perform household chores. Parents are also unable to
support their children since they are preoccupied with
their own work.
Internet Data and Connectivity Issue. Students use
the internet as a primary source of information to aid
them in their studies, particularly for research
purposes. However, this was one of the issues they ran
across, especially the internet data and connectivity.
Student 1 stated that “I have no load for research”.
Student 2 said “The lesson needs to be searched on the
internet, however, there’s no load or data. Student 6
said “In online modalities, some parts of our house
don’t have a strong internet connection, so I need to
find some spot wherein the signal is strong enough to
access any sites. Student 8 said, “I don’t have enough
money for my research purposes”. Student 10.
“Challenges, no data for research.”
Parents 7 mentions “This shift of learning from face-
to-face to distance learning has brought some
challenges such as limited time, limited resources, and
connectivity. Parent 8 said that “Challenges I
encountered are struggle bought if no load” and
Parent 9 said “We lack internet services and sometimes
the internet is so expensive that we can’t afford it”.
Lastly, Parent 10 “Unstable internet connection and
failed to connect to the online instruction”.
Teacher 3 also mentioned, “In the learning modalities,
the challenges that I have encountered were as
follows: Network connectivity, there are times that the
net is not available due to the weather condition that
interrupted”. The same with Teacher 6 said that “The
challenge I have encountered in distance Learning
Deriada et al.
modalities is Internet connectivity”.
This implies that students, parents, and teachers had
encountered difficulty in distance learning the internet
connectivity, in which there is unstable internet
connection in their area, there is an interruption due to
the weather conditions.
Conclusion
Based on the result of the study it was found that the
availability of modality it classifies into, the
availability of technology such as cellphones as the
most common technology used for research,
instruction, and communication, Availability of Place
of Learning which are the School and House, and
Availability of Learning Resources which include the
self-learning module, vehicle for transportation and
human resources as a facilitator of learning. In terms
of accessibility, it was determined in terms of
Location, availability, and internet connectivity. The
following challenges encountered in distance learning
are as follows; Difficulty in Understanding the
Lessons, Internet Data and Connectivity Issues,
External Distractions, Time Constraints, Poor
academic performance, and Communication
Barriers.Parents considered modular modality as a
financial alternative however students still used
devices such as cellphones for research, instruction,
and communication, but it has no internet data,
resulting in communication barriers between students
and teachers. Parents were likewise concerned about
their children's safety and the accessibility of the
module was determined based on the student's location
from the school and the availability of a vehicle for
transportation. There's an available place for learning
but were prone to external distractions such as noise,
online /mobile games, and household chores that serve
as time constraints in answering and submitting the
module.The teacher identified blended modality as the
flexible approach to Teaching and Learning however
giving instructions was one of the challenges
encountered by the student in the distance learning
modality. There’s an available Learning resources
(self-learning modules) and teachers identify this as an
applicable modality in the locality; however, students
have difficulty understanding the lesson and this led to
student poor academic performance.Accessibility of
Learning resources, instruction, and communication
was done through the Internet however issues in
connectivity have been encountered and serve as
factors that hinder the interaction and responses of
teachers to students.
594/595
Psych Educ, 2023, 11: 587-595, Document ID:2023 PEMJ989, doi:10.5281/zenodo.8205887, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

The following are the recommendations formulated by and Evaluate Research in education. McGraw-Hill Education: 2
Penn Plaza, NY 10121. pp 426.
the researchers based on the finding of the study.
Quinones, M. (2020). DepEd clarifies blended, distance learning
The DepEd may allocate an internet allowance for modalities for SY 2020-2021.
those students who have difficulty understanding the h t tp s :/ /p i a. go v. ph /n e ws /a rt i cle s / 10 466 19
lesson.Teachers may develop strategic instructional Nicola, M. et. al (2020). The socio-economic implications of the
approaches by tapping the LGU to the student who is coronavirus pandemic ( C O V I D - 1 9 ): A r e v i e w.
in a far-flung area that will help and encourage https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7162753/pdf/main.
students in answering the modules and increase the pdf
level of students’ performance. The teacher may adopt Nicola, M., et.al. (2020). The socio-economic implications of the
the two-way approach and design or modify an activity coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. International Journal
that is suitable to the capacity of the learner. The of Surgery, 78, 185–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2020.04.018
student will not only learn independently since there is ViewSonic, 2020. What is Distance Learning? ViewSonic
support from the teacher by using different online C o r p o r a t i o n .
platforms. The teacher may prioritize the https://www.viewsonic.com/library/education/what-is-distance-learn
“kamustahan” during the retrieval, especially in giving ing-and-why-is-it-soimportant/
feedback on the performance of the student.Parents Woodcock, J. (2020, August 24). Defining Distance Learning -
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lesson. The parent may allocate a convenient place for
the student to focus on answering the module that is
less distracting. The parent may give ample time to Affiliations and Corresponding Information
monitor the answer of the student. The student may Cyril C. Deriada
give constant communication regarding their concern Bantayan National High School
to the subject teacher. Department of Education - Philippines
Romel T. Catanus
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