Title: Online, Offline Mix and Match: Challenges to Distance Learning in Primary

Education in the Philippines

Thesis Statement: Distance learning has emphasized and widened existing educational
disparities, resulting in varying academic efficacy outcomes for students. This learning modality
necessitates a number of factors, including adequate learning resources, appropriate online class
setup, family support and guidance, for it to be as effective as face-to-face classes. Thus, students
from low-income families and those with special needs may confront the most difficult
educational challenges.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the education system. This
called for a public-private partnership to address the educational disruptions. In effect, it has
forced the education sector to change the way it delivers education by enabling teachers to teach
remotely using modular and digital platforms. This was done to ensure that education would not
be hampered.

I. Despite widespread doubts that distance learning is ineffective, schools have made
education under the new normal possible.
a. Education and learning should continue amidst the pandemic.
i. The primary goal of emergency remote teaching is to provide instructional
support that is both reliable and simple to create in the time of the crisis.1
ii. There is no discernible difference between using textbooks and using
worksheets created by teachers in terms of effectiveness. Both are effective
and, as a result, can be used as modules in distance learning.2
iii. The students are learning not only specific lessons, but also values. They learn
time management because, even if they are at home, they must adhere to their

1
Hodges, C. B., Moore, S., Lockee, B. B., Trust, T., & Bond, M. A. (2020). The difference between
emergency remote teaching and online learning.
2
Cos, F. L., Duero, M. C., & Paguia, M. R. S. (2021). The Viability of Deped Textbooks as the Primary
Material for the Modular Distance Learning Modality of Carrascal National High School. Journal of
Innovations in Teaching and Learning, 1(2), 69-75.
 schedule in answering the LAS or learner's answer sheets based on their SLM
or self-learning modules.3
b. However, many Filipino teachers are not equipped to conduct distance learning.
i. Budgetary support for public school teachers to implement distance learning
effectively is insufficient.4
ii. According to a new study by the National Research Council of the
Philippines, internet connectivity and speed are still among the major
challenges faced by teachers in distance learning in the wake of the COVID-
19 crisis.5
iii. Teachers' geographic location, as well as their length of teaching experience
and specialization, were strongly related to their readiness for distance
learning education. Overall, the teaching community is mentally ready to
adapt to new and innovative ways of imparting knowledge, provided that their
institutions provide adequate support.6

II. Integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) is absolutely

imperative in distance learning.
a. ICTs have enormous potential in terms of meeting a variety of teaching and
learning functions.7

3
Anzaldo, G. D. (2021). Modular Distance Learning in the new normal education amidst Covid-
19. International Journal of Scientific Advances, 2(3), 233-266.
4
Robosa, J., Paras, N., Perante, L., Alvez, T., & Tus, J. (2021). The Experiences and Challenges Faced
of the Public School Teachers Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study in the
Philippines. International Journal Of Advance Research And Innovative Ideas In Education, 7(1), 10-6084.
5
Alea, L. A., Fabrea, M. F., Roldan, R. D. A., & Farooqi, A. Z. (2020). Teachers’ Covid-19 awareness,
distance learning education experiences and perceptions towards institutional readiness and
challenges. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(6), 127-144.

6
Ibid.

7
Aguti, J. N., & Fraser, W. J. (2006). Integration of information communication technologies (ICTs) in the
distance education bachelor of education programme, Makerere University, Uganda. Turkish Online
Journal of Distance Education, 7(3), 89-104.
 i. Students’ positive experiences with online learning included flexibility, cost-
effectiveness, electronic research availability, ease of connection to the
Internet, and a well-designed class interface.8
ii. Virtual conferences have several advantages, including saving resources and
time, learning in a new way, and providing a convenient learning experience.9
iii. Students who received 60% blended learning instruction performed better
academically than students who received 20% blended learning instruction.10
b. The shift to distance learning has created challenges for the poorest students.
i. New technologies have helped developing economies gain access to the global
market, but they have done little to help disadvantaged groups gain access to
educational opportunities.11
ii. Traditional technologies such as printed materials, radio, and television
remain more effective and accessible for rural and disadvantaged groups
where Information Technology (IT) infrastructure is limited.12

III. Parents’ involvement is critical in implementing various remote learning modalities.

i. The advantages of the parenting type of inclusion to students include greater
control, increased school participation, increased learning time, and a better
understanding of the importance of schooling later in life.13
ii. More learners are learning even in this type of academic setting, where they
learn at home with the guidance and supervision of their parents in their SLM
8
Yang, Y., & Cornelius, L. F. (2004). Students' perceptions towards the quality of online education: A
qualitative approach. Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
9
Boholano, H. B., Jamon, B. E. V., Jamon, M. G. C., & Boholano, G. S. (2021). The lived experiences of
basic education teachers during virtual conferences. Solid State Technology, 64(2), 2632-2644.
10
Hipol, A. I., Cabahug, R., & Bongon, R. (2020, February). Impact of blended learning instruction in
academic performance of grade 10 students in a selected private high school in San Juan City,
Philippines. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1470, No. 1, p. 012052). IOP Publishing.
11
Gulati, S. (2008). Technology-enhanced learning in developing nations: A review. The International
Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 9(1).
12
Ibid.

13
Tus, J. (2021). Amidst the Online Learning in the Philippines: The Parental Involvement and Its
Relationship to the Student's Academic Performance. International Engineering Journal for Research &
Development.
 or self-learning modules. These students are open-minded and adaptable to
changes in their environment.14

b. Due to limited teacher scaffolds, parents bear the brunt of distance learning.
i. During the acute phase of the COVID-19 crisis, half of the American parents
polled felt overwhelmed by the responsibilities of home schooling, resulting
in major depression and moderate to severe anxiety.15
ii. Chinese parents see and experience the implementation of online learning
during the COVID-19 crisis as difficult, particularly because some were
neither trained nor prepared to adopt online learning.16
iii. In terms of social presence, interaction, satisfaction, and overall quality, face-
to-face learning was perceived more positively than online learning. 17
iv. Feeling connected to a teacher can have a significant impact on academic
outcomes. The quality of teacher-student relationships influences student
engagement and, to a lesser extent, student achievement.18
v. The impact of teacher-student relationships was especially significant for
students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with learning
difficulties.19

14
Anzaldo, G. D. (2021). Modular Distance Learning in the new normal education amidst Covid-
19. International Journal of Scientific Advances, 2(3), 233-266.
15
Lee, S. J., Ward, K. P., & Chang, O. D. (2020). Research brief: Parents' perceptions of the shift to
home-based education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Parenting in
Context Research Lab. Retrieved from https://www. parentingincontext.
org/uploads/8/1/3/1/81318622/research_brief_parents’ _perceptions_of_the_shift_to_home-
based_education_during_the_covid-19_pandemic_final. pdf.
16
Dong, C., Cao, S., & Li, H. (2020). Young children’s online learning during COVID-19 pandemic:
Chinese parents’ beliefs and attitudes. Children and youth services review, 118, 105440.
17
Nambiar, D. (2020). The impact of online learning during COVID-19: students’ and teachers’
perspective. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 8(2), 783-793.
18
Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M., Spilt, J. L., & Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–
student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic
approach. Review of educational research, 81(4), 493-529.
19
Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M., Spilt, J. L., & Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective teacher–
student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic
approach. Review of educational research, 81(4), 493-529.
Conclusion: Distance learning is not a substitute for face-to-face learning. The most important
concerns in flexible learning are “comprehension of learning content, student engagement, and
internet connectivity,”20 all of which can have a significant impact on a student’s academic
performance. While parents must be actively involved in arranging their children's learning time
and space, they should also provide all necessary assistance so that students can eventually
survive this remote education in the midst of the crisis. These difficulties should be viewed as
inputs for the current educational system's further development. Distance learning's demands
only imply that it is more demanding than face-to-face classes, yet, they both have different
effects on a student's performance. This is due to the fact that many factors must be considered.
This is not to say that distance learning is not effective; it is, as long as all of these requirements
are met and provided. Thus, students from low-income families and those with special needs
suffers another layer of educational challenges in this type of setting.

Bibliography

Alea, L. A., Fabrea, M. F., Roldan, R. D. A., & Farooqi, A. Z. (2020). Teachers’ Covid-19
awareness, distance learning education experiences and perceptions towards institutional
readiness and challenges. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational
Research, 19(6), 127-144.

20
Tarrayo, V. N., Paz, R. M. O., & Gepila Jr, E. C. (2021). The shift to flexible learning amidst the
pandemic: the case of English language teachers in a Philippine state university. Innovation in Language
Learning and Teaching, 1-14.
Aguti, J. N., & Fraser, W. J. (2006). Integration of information communication technologies
(ICTs) in the distance education bachelor of education programme, Makerere University,
Uganda. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 7(3), 89-104.

Anzaldo, G. D. (2021). Modular Distance Learning in the new normal education amidst Covid-
19. International Journal of Scientific Advances, 2(3), 233-266.

Boholano, H. B., Jamon, B. E. V., Jamon, M. G. C., & Boholano, G. S. (2021). The lived
experiences of basic education teachers during virtual conferences. Solid State
Technology, 64(2), 2632-2644.

Cos, F. L., Duero, M. C., & Paguia, M. R. S. (2021). The Viability of Deped Textbooks as the
Primary Material for the Modular Distance Learning Modality of Carrascal National High
School. Journal of Innovations in Teaching and Learning, 1(2), 69-75.

Dong, C., Cao, S., & Li, H. (2020). Young children’s online learning during COVID-19
pandemic: Chinese parents’ beliefs and attitudes. Children and youth services review, 118,
105440.

Gulati, S. (2008). Technology-enhanced learning in developing nations: A review. The

International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 9(1).

Hipol, A. I., Cabahug, R., & Bongon, R. (2020, February). Impact of blended learning
instruction in academic performance of grade 10 students in a selected private high school in San
Juan City, Philippines. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1470, No. 1, p. 012052).
IOP Publishing.

Hodges, C. B., Moore, S., Lockee, B. B., Trust, T., & Bond, M. A. (2020). The difference
between emergency remote teaching and online learning.

Lee, S. J., Ward, K. P., & Chang, O. D. (2020). Research brief: Parents' perceptions of the shift
to home-based education during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan
Parenting in Context Research Lab. Retrieved from https://www. parentingincontext.
org/uploads/8/1/3/1/81318622/research_brief_parents’ _perceptions_of_the_shift_to_home-
based_education_during_the_covid-19_pandemic_final. pdf.
Nambiar, D. (2020). The impact of online learning during COVID-19: students’ and teachers’
perspective. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 8(2), 783-793.

Robosa, J., Paras, N., Perante, L., Alvez, T., & Tus, J. (2021). The Experiences and Challenges
Faced of the Public School Teachers Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological
Study in the Philippines. International Journal Of Advance Research And Innovative Ideas In
Education, 7(1), 10-6084.

Roorda, D. L., Koomen, H. M., Spilt, J. L., & Oort, F. J. (2011). The influence of affective
teacher–student relationships on students’ school engagement and achievement: A meta-analytic
approach. Review of educational research, 81(4), 493-529.

Tarrayo, V. N., Paz, R. M. O., & Gepila Jr, E. C. (2021). The shift to flexible learning amidst the
pandemic: the case of English language teachers in a Philippine state university. Innovation in
Language Learning and Teaching, 1-14.

Tus, J. (2021). Amidst the Online Learning in the Philippines: The Parental Involvement and Its
Relationship to the Student's Academic Performance. International Engineering Journal for
Research & Development.

Yang, Y., & Cornelius, L. F. (2004). Students' perceptions towards the quality of online
education: A qualitative approach. Association for Educational Communications and
Technology.