Significance of the Study

The data being gathered from this study will be advantageous to the
following:

Students. Through this study, the students, especially the Grade 7 to

Grade 10 students, can become better problem solvers and be able to
manage their emotions better. This will help them achieve better
grades, improve academic achievement, better relationships with peers
and family, and a healthier mental state.

Parents. Through this study, the parents would know more about their
children's struggles through the new learning education. This will help
the parents understand their children more mentally and encourage
them to have an overall positive development.

Teachers. Through the help of this research, teachers should be able to

offer students the opportunity to have a one-to-one conversation to
reconnect and discuss any concerns that might have arisen during the
new learning education and demonstrate understanding as well as
empathy.

School administrators. The results of this study could be used as

feedback for the school administrators to improve their learning
system.
Future Researchers. The outcome of the study is beneficial to the
future researchers. Through the results, they may identify whether the
students prefer face-to-face learning or online learning and identify the
challenges during the pandemic.

Statements of the Problem

The main purpose of this study is to identify the coping mechanism of

Junior Highschool students on the challenges and hardships they
encountered in the new normal education.

1. What are the challenges and hardships encountered by the students

in the new normal setup of education?

2. How do students cope with the challenges they encountered?

3. What programs may be institutionalized to address the challenges of

the new normal?
Delimitation of the study

This study focused only on the struggles encountered by the students

in the new normal set-up of education and the mechanisms they
employed in coping with these struggles. It was conducted at Mater
Carmeli School, Dingle during the school year 2023-2024. The
participants of this study were the five junior high school students of
Mater Carmeli School who were purposively chosen by the researchers
based on the following criteria: taking up modular distance
learning, between ages 11-16, learners with no household partners
in learning.

Since this study employed the descriptive qualitative research

design, the participants were subjected to in-depth interviews
regarding their struggles and their coping mechanisms in the
new normal set-up of education. During these interviews, the
researchers used an interview guide composed of 3 sets of questions
(exploratory questions, engaging questions, and exit questions) to get
information from the participants.