CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM

Introduction

In this competitive world, every parent wants that its child gets the best

education to have a better life in the future. Education is crucial for it has a huge

role to makes us develop our knowledge and learning capabilities. Discover new

things that can help lives or support to achieve everyone’s goals and dreams.

Education increases somebody's knowledge, skills, personality, and attitude,

most significantly, education has a way on employment prospects. Also it makes

students realize on what path should they pursue, what career they want to

achieve, and goals to attain in life.

The education system worldwide has been disrupted by the pandemic.

Educational institutions cope up with the damage dealt by the Covid-19 on the

education system. In the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state

of public health emergency on Monday, March 9, after health officials recorded

additional cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus, including the first case of local

transmission in the Philippines1. April 12, 2020, President of the Philippines

Rodrigo Roa Duterte, declared and placed the entire mainland of Luzon under

the Enhanced Community Quarantine. This is the way to control and stop the rise

of coronavirus cases and be able to handle the situation. To cope with these

problems, all places in the Philippines were placed into lockdown based on
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COVID-19 protocols. Implementing ECQ/Stay at home, the government sought

to contain the rapidly spreading and preventing of the Covid-19 for the safety of

everyone. Also, the government ensured that they will provide and give cash

assistance and relief goods to give assurance for those who are worried about

how they live without working and getting support to survive every day.

For continuous learning and at the same time not compromising the health

of the students, the Commission on Higher Education implemented a new

education system for the universities all around the country. By the start of the

new academic year 2020-2021. De Vera stated, "We are ready because our top

universities have been doing flexible learning even before COVID. The other

universities have shifted to flexible learning during the quarantine and are moving

ahead for the opening of classes2."

"Flexible learning" for higher education institutions involves a combination

of digital and non-digital technology, which according to CHED, doesn't

necessarily require being connected to the internet. CHED stated that flexible

learning is composed of 3 modes. First, Online, a flexible learning mode that is

placed in the virtual classroom on different online platforms. Learning materials

are in the form of pdfs, videos, audio, and other digital formats. Second, Offline,

flexible learning that doesn’t require an internet connection. Learning materials

are in the form of printed modules or digital formats such as video and audio

stored in flash drives. Lastly, Blended, a type of learning that is a mix of both
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online and offline learning. Students have been given the freedom on which

learning modes suit their learning capacity and situation.

In the new learning system, educational institutions cannot easily adjust to

perform an efficient way on how professors should teach the students and how

students can learn. Knowing that not every student has the same struggles in this

situation. Flexible learning brings the students to be able to continue to study and

perform even at home. Some students find it helpful or can cope up with this

system but not all students, because they don’t have enough resources and they

find flexible learning is not easy and having a hard time learning. There are

present problems that students may be experienced in this situation regarding

flexible learning.

Bicol University is one of the universities that did take early action

regarding the pandemic amidst the school year. The authorities of the school

made a new system for the new normal, which is flexible learning. The pandemic

brought agony to everyone, especially on the part of the students. Not all

students are privileged enough to afford the resources needed in the new

educational system. It brought a huge impact on the academic performance of

the students. The majority of the students are saying that the new learning

system is more about compliance over learning.

Bachelor of Science in Civil Technology has a different approach when it

comes to the learning of the students. Considering that, the course is designed

for practical lectures, which is more effective for the student than sitting and

listening only to the professors without having proper practice on the learnings. In

the article of Sumitra Pokhrel and Roshan Chhetri(2021) entitled “A Literature

Review on Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning” The

COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in

human history 3. The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on education

systems around the world, affecting approximately 1.6 billion students in over

200 nations. quite 94 percent of the world's student population has been touched

by school, institution, and other learning facility closures. This has resulted in

significant changes in every part of our life. Distancing from society and limited

movement policing.

Statement of the Problem

Generally, the study aims to determine the performance of flexible

learning by the students of BS Civil Technology of Bicol University. Specifically,

this study will seek to answer the following.

1. What is the profile of the students of BS Civil Technology of Bicol

University in terms of:

a. Gender,

b. type of learner based on the accessibility instructional material,

c. availability of gadgets?

2. What is the performance of the respondents:

a. before the flexible learning(pre-pandemic)

b. with the flexible learning(during pandemic)

3. What is the relationship between the profile and the performance of the

respondents through flexible learning.

4. What are the challenges encountered by the CT students by flexible

learning.

5. What are the intervention may be proposed to enhance the

performance of the Civil Technology students to cope with the challenges

of flexible learning?

Scope and Delimitation

This study focuses on the determinabtion of the profile of the respondednts

determination of comparison of the performance of the students using the tradintional

mode of learning and the flexible learning, This study also focuses on determination on

relationship of the profile and the performance of respondents through flexible learning.

It also focuses on the challenges encountered by the CT students by flexible

learning. And lastly it focuses the intervention may be proposed to enhance the

performance of the Civil Technology students to cope with the challenges

of flexible learning.

This study is limited to the determination of the academic performance of

BS Civil Technology students of Bicol University through flexible learning. The

study will be just conducted within the Civil Technology department and only the
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student of Civil Technology and shall no longer deal with aspects outside said

coverage.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this research study will contribute to society. This study

may be beneficial and useful to the following.

BSCT Students. This will help them to overcome the difficulties they experience

in this kind of new learning setup. It will also help them perform better in the

current learning setup they have.

Students. Aside from the students of BSCT, students outside the scope of

BSCT, this will help them to give ideas on how they can cope up with their

difficulties in their situation and to improve their academic performances.

Parents. This study will help parents to ease their burden and worries knowing

their children can cope up with the difficulties experienced in flexible learning.

Community. By the help of this research, readers can share their knowledge

from this study with the ways of coping in the difficulties of flexible learning to

help the people especially those who are struggling students in the community.

BSCT Professors. This will help them to understand more the point of view of

the students under flexible learning. To come up with a new approach in teaching

the students.
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Bicol University Administration. The possible solution formed by the

researchers can be used by the school to help the students especially the

struggling ones to create a healthier system for the students.

Future Researchers. This study can be utilized as a guide and as a related

literature for the same kind of study in the future researchers.

Notes

1
Sofia Tomacruz, Duterte declares state of public health emergency amid
rise in coronavirus cases, Rappler, Philippines, 2020,
https://www.rappler.com/nation/duterte-declares-state-public-health-emergency-
rise-coronavirus-cases-march-2020 Accessed May 5, 2021
2
Bonz Magsambol, FAST FACTS: CHED's flexible learning, Rappler,
Philippines, 2020, https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/things-to-know-ched-
flexible-learning Accessed May 5, 2021
3
Sumitra Pokhret, Roshan Chhetri,A Literature Review on Impact of
COVID-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning, Sage
Publishing,https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2347631120983481?
fbclid=IwAR0Dpc4WEKJ4Fc9JTTcYDY6vQYQJN232SyIgX7ectITzxdlDi7UUveu
Olkk& Accessed September 17, 2021