Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Stable internet access is critical to students' learning experiences during

online learning. Berge (2005) expressed concern about the digital-readiness divide

and how different countries' pedagogical approaches could influence students'

online learning experiences.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) reported nationwide school closures in 111 countries by July 2020,

affecting over 1.07 billion students, or roughly 61 percent of the global student

population. Traditional brick-and-mortar schools are being forced to convert to full-

time virtual schools to provide students with ongoing instruction (Van Lancker &

Parolin, 2020). As a result, students must adjust to the transition from face-to-face

to entirely remote online learning, where synchronous video conferencing, social

media, and asynchronous discussion forums serve as crucial venues for

knowledge building and peer collaboration.

Several significant concerns have arisen from emerging evidence on

students' online learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as

internet connection issues (Agung, 2020), IT equipment problems (Bczek, 2021),

and limited collaborative learning opportunities, and reduced learning motivation

(Niemi, 2020). Using online learning during a pandemic benefits the student as
1
they can learn from home instead of going to school, making the information easier

to absorb.

Furthermore, the lecturer and students agree on the time, resulting in an

effective teaching-learning process that respects social and physical boundaries.

If one of the online learning platforms or methods fails, the lecturer or teacher must

devise a backup plan. As a result, do not even assume that implementing online

learning may be difficult (Smart & Cappel, 2006).

Such information could assist instructional authorities and institutions in

clearer grasping learners' difficulties and, as a result, improving their online

learning experience. Furthermore, except for Yates et al. (2020) and Niemi and

Kousa's (2020) studies on senior high school students, many of these recent

studies have been limited to higher education.

The current research presents the results of a large-scale study that looked

into the learners' online learning experiences throughout online classes to fill these

gaps. The recommendations of this study offer policy recommendations to

educational institutions and authorities on how to deliver college online education.

Rationale

This qualitative study highlights the stories behind the Bachelor of Arts in

English Language Studies learners' experiences in learning English during online

2
classes, which is affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The researchers wanted to

conduct this study because alongside the experiences are the challenges and the

coping mechanism that students have a face.

Also, in General Santos City, most of the college institutions and schools

have shifted to online classes, which are teaching learners online through google

meet, zoom, and other educational platforms. There is no clear evidence and

testimonies which is the reason the researcher has conducted this study to know

their narratives about their experiences that either good or worse and also in what

ways schools can adapt to the new normal education.

Purpose of the Study

Our study aims to recount the experiences of learners in learning English

during online classes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the new

normal education. Alongside the experiences are the challenges they have

encountered and how they have come up with these challenges.

Our study may be a great help to institutions or college schools on how they

can adapt to the new normal education. Next, are the teachers struggling with how

they can still deliver a quality education even if it is an online class.

These parents are with the students who are staying at home and guiding

with their online class, and lastly, for the students to know how they can still

manage to learn with the challenges incorporated with the online class.
3
Research Questions

This study aimed to know the experiences and coping strategies of 3rd year

Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies (BAELS) learners in learning English

during online classes at Holy Trinity College of General Santos City. Specifically,

it sought answers to the following questions:

1. What are the experiences of the learners in learning English during online

classes?

2. What are the challenges that they encounter?

3. What are their coping strategies?

Theoretical Lens

This study is anchored on Online collaborative learning by Harasim (2012).

The constructive approaches to learning and the development of the Internet have

led to the development of a particular form of constructivist teaching, called

computer-mediated communication (CMC), initially, but which has developed into

what Harasim (2012) now calls online collaborative learning theory (OCL).

Harasim (2012) describes OCL as a theory that provides a model of learning

in which students are encouraged and supported to work together to create

knowledge: to invent, explore ways to innovate, and, by so doing, seek the

conceptual knowledge needed to solve problems rather than recite what they think

4
is the correct answer. While OCL theory encourages the learner to be active and

engaged, this is not considered sufficient for learning or knowledge construction.

In the OCL theory, the teacher plays a key role not as a fellow learner but as the

link to the knowledge community or state of the art in that discipline. Learning is

defined as conceptual change and is key to building knowledge. Learning activity

needs to be informed and guided by the norms of the discipline and a discourse

process that emphasizes conceptual learning and builds knowledge.”

This approach to the use of technology for teaching differs from the more

objectivist approaches found in computer-assisted learning, teaching machines,

and artificial intelligence applications to education, which primarily aim to use

computing to replace at least some of the traditionally done activities by human

teachers. With online collaborative learning, the aim is not to replace the teacher

but to use the technology primarily to increase and improve communication

between teacher and learners, with a particular approach to learning based on

knowledge construction assisted and developed through social discourse.

This social discourse, furthermore, is not random in OCL but managed in

such a way as to ‘scaffold’ learning by assisting with the construction of knowledge

in ways that are guided by the instructor, that reflect the norms or values of the

discipline, and that also respect or take into consideration the prior knowledge

within the discipline.

5
Significance of the Study

The findings and results of the study may benefit the following:

This may give 3rd year BAELS students an idea of what ways they can cope

with the challenges that they have experienced during their online class. This study

is to give them an awareness of what ways they can adjust to the new normal

education set up brought by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This may give the Private Schools an idea of what ways they can still adapt

to the new normal education and create an effective way in the future to still adopt

technological advancement that can lead to an online system of education. Private

schools right now can either adapt asynchronous or synchronous classes.

This may give the Teachers additional knowledge to what extent they can

still deliver quality education that is adaptive through time and also may make them

effective teachers to the learners. The teachers may also have their insights to

attain the needs of their learners during an online class.

This may give the Parents an idea of what ways they can guide their

children. This aspect can be moral, emotional, spiritual, or even financial brought

by the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The parents may also have their ways

to guide their children because it is an online class.

The findings of the study may help the Researchers give awareness to the

experiences of learners in learning English during an online class. The researchers

6
may have adequate knowledge of how online class affects the learners in the new

normal education.

The findings of this paper may serve as a reference for Future

Researchers and Other Studies in making a study related to this present study.

This study may be a source of information for future researchers. This study may

be soon a reference and may be a vital source of information.

Scope and Limitations

This qualitative research study focused on the experiences of learners in

learning English during online classes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that

brought the New Normal Education. Alongside the experiences are the challenges

that they have encountered and in what ways they have come up with these

challenges. We used a researcher-made interview guide to gather data for our

study. The research involved willing volunteers to participate in the study as

informants. We limit the study to five (5) informants who are identified as 3rd year

Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies (BAELS) enrolled at Holy Trinity

College of General Santos City in the school year 2021-2022.

As challenges arose amidst the pandemic, the researcher used video

meeting apps such as Google Meet and Zoom, and other video meeting apps

available to conduct the interviews. This is to ensure our safety in conducting the

interviews.

7
 Furthermore, we acknowledged the boundaries and limitations that we

cannot account for all the experiences of learners in learning English during online

classes at Holy Trinity College of General Santos City.

Organization of the Study

This study employed a phenomenological research approach. It includes

the analysis of the informants' responses on their experiences in learning English

during online class at Holy Trinity College in General Santos City and alongside

this are the challenges and how they cope with those challenges.

Chapter 1 discusses the background of the study, the Rationale, Purpose

of the Study, Research Question/s, Theoretical Lens, Significance of the Study,

and Scope and Limitations of the Study. This study intends to tell experiences of

learners in learning English during online classes affected by the Covid 19

pandemic that brought the New Normal Education.

Chapter 2 includes a review of related literature, including the definition and

concept of learning English during online classes. Alongside this, are the

challenges and the mechanism they do to cope with the challenges of learning

English during an online class.

Chapter 3 discusses the research design, philosophical assumptions, role

of the researchers, locale of the study, informants of the study, selection process,

and data collection which provides detailed, clear, and understandable statements

8
describing the steps that we have taken in carrying out the study, data analysis,

trustworthiness, and ethical considerations.

Chapter 4 presents the data gathered through a series of interviews. This

includes the presentation of the data that includes the answers of the informants

based on the questions made.

Chapter 5 contains the insights, implications for the educational practice of

the work stories of the key informants, implications for future research,

recommendations, and concluding remarks.

9
 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE.

This chapter provides a review of several readings related to this study. The

literature and studies were carefully selected based on the relativity and reliability

of the information shown.

The Concept of Learning English during Online Class

Stable internet access is critical to students' learning experiences during

online learning. Berge (2005) expressed concern about the digital-readiness divide

and how different countries' pedagogical approaches could influence students'

online learning experiences. The availability and adoption of information

technologies and infrastructures in a country are digital readiness. Western

countries, such as America (3rd), scored significantly higher in digital readiness

than Asian countries such as China (54th; Cisco, 2019). Students from low-digital-

readiness countries may face additional technological challenges. Recent studies

conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic provide supporting evidence.

Another critical factor influencing college students' ability to adapt to online

learning is the availability of appropriate technological devices, particularly access

to a desktop or laptop computer (Barbour et al., 2018). Most students, however,

are unlikely to meet this requirement. Even in higher education, approximately 76

percent of students reported using incompatible devices for online learning, with
10
only 15 percent using laptops, and 85 percent using smartphones (Agung et al.,

2020). College students are very likely to be affected by this availability issue

because they rely on their parents to provide access to relevant learning devices.

Technical issues with technological devices may also impact students'

online learning experiences. According to Barbour & Reeves (2009), students must

have a high level of digital literacy to find and use relevant information and

communicate with others via technological devices. Students who lack this ability

may struggle with online learning.

While according to Bczek et al. (2021), approximately 54% of medical

students experienced technical problems with IT equipment, which was more

prevalent in students with lower years of tertiary education.

Similarly, Niemi and Kousa (2020) discovered that students in a Finnish

high school experienced an increase in technical problems during the examination

period, which required additional technical applications. These findings are

concerning because young children and adolescents in primary and lower

secondary school may be more vulnerable to these technical issues due to their

lack of experience with online learning technologies (Barbour & LaBonte, 2017).

As a result, it is critical to investigate the learning conditions and related

difficulties encountered by students in college education, as the extent of their

effects on them remains unknown.

11
Challenges Faced by Students in Learning English During Online Class

There are some benefits and drawbacks to online learning. The ability to

access online education globally and save time, money, and effort are benefits of

online learning. When students request that teachers record their classes, one

advantage of online learning is the ability to record the lectures. Teachers

thoroughly review and prepare for recording, which improves teaching strategies

and methods.

Writing, speaking, and reading challenges were encountered in English

language skills and other English courses. Phonetics and phonology are linguistic

challenges in which the teacher must teach phonemes, allophones, and

morphemes face to face, among other things. Not every student has consistent

internet access. Some students encountered network issues and a scarcity of high-

quality learning devices.

Nowadays, the barriers to online learning are lower because both learners

and teachers have had the excellent opportunity to know and interact with one

another. Mobile-based learning, computer-based learning, and web-based

learning are educational technology tools (Pellegrini, 2020).

According to Prensky (2001), today's learners are fundamentally different

from their predecessors because they are native speakers of the technological

language. Their interaction with the virtual and digital worlds is more extensive.

12
Today's learners' interactions with various types of technology for various

purposes enabled them to be active recipients of online learning (Vai, 2017).

Aside from the issues mentioned above, the amount of interaction and

collaborative learning opportunities available in online learning may also impact

students' experiences. The literature on online learning has long emphasized the

importance of effective interaction in student learning success. According to

Muirhead and Juwah (2004), interaction is communication between two people or

between subjects and objects. The literature recognizes three types of interactions

(Moore, 1989): student-content, (ii) student-student, and (iii) student-teacher. In

the well-known interaction equivalency theorem, Anderson (2003) asserts that

learning experiences will not deteriorate if only one of the three interactions is high

quality and the other two can be reduced or even eliminated.

Quality interaction can be achieved through two dimensions: I structure -

pedagogical means that guide student interaction with contents or other students;

and (ii) dialogue - communication between students and teachers and among

students. To scale online learning while limiting the growth of teaching costs, the

emphasis is typically on structure (i.e., pedagogy) that can promote effective

student-content and student-student interaction.

The role of technology and media is commonly acknowledged as a means

of amplifying the impact of pedagogy (Lou et al., 2006). Novel technological

innovations, such as learning analytic-based personalized feedback at scale

13
(Pardo et al., 2019), can also empower teachers to promote their interaction with

students.

Coping Strategies of Students During Online Class

Coping strategies are a person's cognitive and behavioral efforts to deal

with, mediate, tolerate, and minimize the challenges posed by stressful situations

and external sources. According to research, some coping strategies help reduce

stress and promote positive psychological behavior, while others exacerbate

stress and promote negative psychological behavior (Parker, 2020).

The effectiveness of any given coping strategy may also be affected by

other factors, such as the perceived controllability of the stressor, the availability

of adequate coping resources, the intensity of the stressor, and the nature of the

outcomes (Moskowitz, 2020).

Emotion-oriented coping, also known as seeking social support, entails

using coping strategies to control negative emotions associated with a perceived

stressful situation. They try to participate in activities that benefit them to lessen

stress. If an individual cannot find an emotion-oriented coping mechanism, they

may become preoccupied with negative emotions such as suppression and self-

blame (Endler, 2016). It entails maintaining hope, controlling one's emotions, and

expressing anger and frustration. If the situation cannot be changed, it may involve

emotional distance or seeking social support Skinner (2016).

14
 Activities and cognitive strategies used in a deliberate attempt to disengage

from stressful situations, such as wishful thinking, seeking distractions, and

substance use, are examples of avoidance-oriented coping (Endler, 2013). It

entails denying or downplaying the gravity of the situation and suppressing the

thoughts on how to get out of the situation. It is linked to the development of self-

protective thoughts.

A task-oriented coping strategy, also known as a problem-solving coping

strategy, entails gathering information about the stressful external situation and

other options for reducing stress associated with the event. It entails establishing

priorities and dealing with stressful situations directly. A problem-solving coping

strategy encourages adaptive behavior, boosts self-esteem, and reduces anxiety

and depression (Mc. Williams, 2013).

Individuals who are more confident in their ability to control the situation

may employ problem-solving strategies to alleviate the primary source of distress.

If an individual lacks control and confidence, they may use more emotion-oriented

and avoidance-oriented coping strategies.

Research Gap

Numerous studies include challenges and coping strategies for learning

English during an online class based on our readings. The education system has

15
faced an unprecedented health crisis (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic) that has

shaken its foundation. Thus, various governments across the globe have launched

a crisis response to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic on education.

This response includes, but is not limited to, curriculum revisions, provision

for technological resources and infrastructure, shifts in the academic calendar, and

policies on instructional delivery and assessment. Inevitably, these developments

compelled educational institutions to migrate to fully online learning until face-to-

face instruction is allowed.

The current circumstance is unique as it could aggravate the challenges

experienced during online learning due to restrictions in movement and health

protocols. Teachers and students are forced to shift to online learning and need to

adapt to the new normal education setup (Gonzales et al., 2020; Kapasia et al.,

2020).

Definition of Terms

For a better understanding of the study, terms were conceptually and

operationally defined as follows:

Challenges. This refers to something that needs great mental or physical

effort to be done successfully and therefore tests a person's ability. This study

16
refers to the struggles 3rd year Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies

(BAELS) students face in learning English during an online class.

Coping Strategies. An adaptation to environmental stress based on

conscious or unconscious choice enhances control over behavior or gives

psychological comfort. This study refers to how students cope with the challenges

they experience during an online class.

English. The language of England is widely used in wide varieties

throughout the world. In this study, this refers to the subject taken by the 3rd year

Bachelor of Arts in English Language (BAELS) students.

Learning. It is the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience,

study, or being taught. This study refers to how 3rd year Bachelor of Arts in English

Language Studies (BAELS) students adapt to learning in the new normal

education.

Online Class. It is a course conducted over the Internet. This study refers

to the system of education brought to us by the COVID-19 pandemic.

17
 Chapter III
METHODOLOGY

The methodologies and processes employed in our study are described in

this chapter. With intent, the following are presented: research design,

philosophical assumptions, the role of the researcher, research participants,

research locale, selection process, data collection, analysis of data,

trustworthiness, and ethical considerations of our study.

Research Design

This study utilized a Phenomenological research approach that describes

the experiences in learning English of 3rd year Bachelor of Arts in English

Language Studies (BAELS) of Holy Trinity College in General Santos City.

According to Dumlao (2022), Phenomenological research is a qualitative research

approach that seeks to understand and describe the universal essence of a

phenomenon. The approach investigates the everyday experiences of human

beings while suspending the researchers’ preconceived assumptions about the

phenomenon. In other words, phenomenological research studies lived

experiences to gain deeper insights into how people understand those

experiences.

Researchers using phenomenological research design assume that people

use a universal structure or essence to make sense of their experiences. They

18
interpret the participants’ feelings, perceptions, and beliefs to clarify the

phenomenon's essence under investigation. Phenomenological research design

requires the researcher to bracket whatever a priori assumption they have about

the experience or phenomenon.

Researchers using phenomenological research design assume that people

use a universal structure or essence to make sense of their experiences. They

interpret the participants' feelings, perceptions, and beliefs to clarify the

phenomenon's essence under investigation. Phenomenological research design

requires the researcher to bracket whatever a priori assumption they have about

the experience or phenomenon.

Philosophical Assumptions

In our study, we used a phenomenological research approach that

describes the experiences in learning English of 3rd year Bachelor of Arts in

English Language Studies (BAELS) students of Holy Trinity College in General

Santos City. In the succeeding paragraphs, we discuss the different philosophical

assumptions considered in our study.

Epistemological Assumption is a way of understanding and explaining

how we know and what we know (Crotty, 2003). The researchers try to get as close

as possible to the participants being studied. As a result, subjective evidence is

compiled based on individual perspectives. This is how knowledge is gained:

through people's subjective experiences. It is then necessary to conduct studies in

19
the "field" where the participants live and work—these are critical contexts for

understanding what the participants are saying. The more time researchers spend

in the "field" or getting to know the participants, the more they "know what they

know" from firsthand information.

Ontological Assumption was defined by Moon and Blackman (2020) as

the study of being, which is concerned with what exists in the world about which

humans can acquire knowledge. Ontology helps researchers recognize how

certain they can be about the nature and existence of objects they are researching.

Our world is populated by people with various thoughts, interpretations, and

meanings.

As a result, we investigated our informants' individual experiences through

interviews and observations based on their responses. It had been difficult

because we needed to be more sensitive in our questioning to avoid using

offensive words that might elicit an emotional reaction from our informants. To gain

insight into the nature of their reality, we crafted themes using the words of our

informants and evidence from a variety of perspectives. We interpreted their

responses using their words.

Methodological Assumption highlights the researcher's assumptions

about the methods used during the qualitative investigation (Creswell, 2003).

Before generalization, we work with specific details, such as descriptions of the

study's context and reflections on the information gathered during our interview.

We used an inductive approach, and as a result, we were able to generate raw

20
textual data condensed into a brief, summary format, with clear links between

research objectives and summary findings derived from raw data.

Rhetorical Assumption is defined by Aristotle (1946, Book I.2) as the art

of persuasion. According to Cresswell (2013), no matter what type of research you

are doing, the overall rhetorical assumption in qualitative research is that you are

not "truth-seeking" or omniscient but instead reporting what reality is through the

eyes of your research participants. We used a personal voice, i.e., first personal

pronoun perspective, as our literary style in this study. It is essential in our research

because we report what we have seen and heard as objectively as possible. The

rhetorical style of our research is a more holistic view of the individual and a

thorough description in writing the result of our study.

Role of the Researchers

In the study, we act as a participant and observers. We act as the main

instruments in gathering data as we conduct the interviews with our informants and

analyze their answers to the questions during our interview.

Furthermore, as the main instruments in gathering data, we conduct the

interviews with our informants and analyze their answers to the questions during

the interview. As a student who is also experiencing challenges in an online class,

it may be great to know others' experiences with the study. During the data-

gathering stage, we informed the informants about the purpose of the study. We
21
also carefully explained what may happen during the interview and the questions

we asked them. After they read and filled out our consent letter, they were asked

to answer several guide questions individually.

As the interviewer, we guide them in answering the questions, clarifying

their statements, facilitating the interview online, and promoting a safe space to

make them feel more comfortable. We recorded the interviews as they narrated

their experiences and observed their manner of answering the questions.

Research Informants

The informants of our study consisted of five (5) 3rd BAELS students

enrolled in the school year 2021-2022 of the Holy Trinity College in General Santos

City. These students are open to their experiences and coping strategies in

learning English during online classes, this includes the challenges and their

coping mechanisms to deal with the challenges in learning English during the

COVID-19 pandemic.

Dworkin (2012) suggests that a sample size of five (5) to 50 participants is

sufficient to provide substantial, extensive data for the study. The informants were

coded as BAELS1, BAELS2, BAELS3, BAELS4, and BAELS5 as follows. BAELS

refers to Bachelor of Arts and English Language Studies.

22
Research Locale

The Holy Trinity College of General Santos City is a school in General

Santos City. It is a non-sectarian school duly registered with the Securities and

Exchange Commission, through its Davao City office. Holy Trinity College of

General Santos City was established by the Albano Family, as a Pre-school in

1984 and registered as a college in 1989.

Figure 3. Map of the Locale of the Study

23
Selection Process

Our study adopted the judgment sampling method to identify our informants.

It is defined as a type of purposive sampling in which units are chosen for inclusion

in a study based on the researcher's criteria (Frey, 2018). The study had a total of

five (5) informants. We utilized Google Meet and Zoom to conduct and record the

interviews. With this setup, the participants are not in danger, and there is no

intimidation or coercion.

Data Collection

We collected the needed data following Holy Trinity College of General

Santos City's guidelines and conforming to the moral standards during the conduct

of the study. With the help of HTC panelists, after getting the approval of our

proposed research, the initial step was to write a letter of permission to the Dean

of the College of Arts and Sciences for approval.

We emailed the informed consent request to the informants. We took both

verbal and written consent from each informant to ensure complete agreement.

The written permission form included a brief description of our study, its goal, the

online platform we used, and the interview duration. Furthermore, we stated that

all identities are be treated confidentially and that all inscriptions from all data used

in our study that contain identifiable information are deleted. Additionally, we used

data from individuals who voluntarily agreed to participate in our research.

24
 Moreover, we conducted key informant interviews (KII). According to Ibeh

(2018), key informant interviews, also known as in-depth interviews, are a research

method used to collect specific qualitative information from "informants" who can

provide insight into the nature of the problems and offer solutions. During the first

day of our data collection, we interviewed one informant in the morning and two

informants in the afternoon. During the second day, we interviewed one informant

in the morning and one in the afternoon. Everything discussed during the

interviews was recorded. The recorded conversation was extremely useful in

confirming the accuracy of the data collected.

Data Analysis

In this study, we utilized thematic analysis to analyze our informants'

narratives. According to Braun and Clarke (2013), thematic analysis is a versatile

data analysis technique qualitative researchers use to generate themes from

interview data. They also added that through its academic freedom, thematic

analysis enables a highly adaptable approach tailored to the specific requirements

of numerous studies, providing a rich and detailed yet complex account of data.

According to Nowell et al. (2017), this approach is adaptable as it is not tied to any

particular research design. Thematic analysis can be used for case studies,

phenomenology, generic qualitative, and narrative inquiry, to name a few. This

data analysis plan is ideal for beginner and expert qualitative researchers, as the
25
steps are straightforward but rigorous enough to yield meaningful findings from the

data (Moran, 2021).

Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness refers to the degree of confidence in data, interpretation,

and methods used to ensure the quality of a study (Pilot & Beck, 2014). We insured

and secured the trustworthiness of the qualitative data we collected by establishing

credibility, reliability, portability, and verifiability. We utilized techniques to gather

truthful information from the informants to ensure credibility. The consent letter we

sent to our informants highlights that their participation is voluntary, and they have

the right to withdraw anytime. Also, we recorded the entire data collection process

to provide concrete proof of how we sought our study and concluded.

Transferability refers to the degree to which the results of qualitative research can

be generalized or transferred to other contexts or settings (Trochim, 2021).

Further, transferability seeks to determine if the results relate to other

contexts and can be transferred to contexts (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Miles &

Huberman, 1994). We sufficiently collected detailed descriptions of data in context

and reported them sufficient and with precision to allow judgments about

transferability to be made by our reader. This study achieved dependability through

the documentation we made. The recorded audio of the interview is kept for the

26
data transcription to ensure the study's dependability. We are aware of the biases

that may affect the result.

Therefore, we ensured that the result of this study is not based on our

assumptions to establish confirmability.

Ethical Considerations

We ensured that all ethical considerations were adhered to as mandated by

the Holy Trinity College of General Santos City Ethical Review Board to avoid

engaging in practices that could be construed as implicit or explicit abuse or

exploitation of those with whom we sought to conduct research.

We briefed our informants before conducting our virtual interview, informing

them of the study's purpose and the critical nature of their responses. Then, we

informed them accurately of the study's procedures and obtained their consent to

serve as our informants and participate in the data collection process.

Lastly, we let them answer the questions in their comfortable and

comfortable place. Also, we collect data to obtain the required data for this

research.

27
 Chapter IV

PRESENTATION OF RESULTS

This chapter presents the results of the data gathered through a series of

in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed and interpreted. Using thematic

analysis, major themes and core ideas were identified.

The variations in the results are organized into three groups, each of which

addresses one of the three key themes of the research: learners' experiences,

challenges, and coping mechanisms. According to the informants' responses

supported by their raw and untampered statements, each of the three themes has

its respective core ideas. The stories of the experiences of the learners were

transcribed based on the interviews. Samples of learners' responses can be found

and inserted into every theme in the presentation of results.

The Informants

The informants are the five (5) 3rd BAELS students enrolled in the school

year 2021-2022 of the Holy Trinity College in General Santos City. The informants

were named BAELS1, BAELS2, BAELS3, BAELS4, and BAELS5 as follows.

BAELS 1, is a 21-year-old Bachelor of Arts in English Language student,

currently enrolled in the school year 2021-2022. He is residing in General Santos

City.

28
 BAELS 2, is a 23-year-old Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies

student, currently enrolled in the school year 2021-2022. He is residing in General

Santos City.

BAELS 3, is a 21-year-old Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies

student, currently enrolled in the school year 2021-2022. She is residing in General

Santos City.

BAELS 4, is a 21-year-old Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies

student, currently enrolled in the school year 2021-2022. He is residing in General

Santos City.

BAELS 5, is a 22-year-old Bachelor of Arts in English Language Studies

student, currently enrolled in the school year 2021-2022. She is residing in

Malapatan, Sarangani Province.

Experiences in Learning English During Online Class

Table 1 presents the one (1) major theme under the experiences in learning

English during online class at Holy Trinity College of General Santos City. This

theme is psychological disturbances. These themes supported the idea of

challenges and coping strategies that are incorporated with the experiences of

learning English during an online class.

Students across the globe transitioned from in-person classes to remote

learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This unprecedented change to

29
undergraduate education saw institutions adopting multiple online teaching

modalities and instructional platforms. To understand students’ experiences with

and perspectives on those methods of remote instruction to inform pedagogical

decisions during the current pandemic and in the future development of online

courses and virtual learning experiences.

Table 1
Experiences in Learning English during Class
Frequency of
Major Themes Core Ideas
Responses
Becomes unmotivated General

Psychological Feels Boredom General

Disturbances
Difficult Online Activities Typical

Lack of Communication Typical

Psychological Disturbances

One of the emerging experiences of every learner during online class is

psychological disturbances. These disturbances are incorporated with the

physical, emotional, mental, and psychological aspects. This means that in an

overall view the experiences are on the psychological aspects of the learners

during an online class.

Stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic not only affect individuals’

daily routines but also pose a significant negative impact on their mental and

30
physical health. The influence of such instances on the mental health of students

is understudied and very little is known about it in Pakistan. Therefore, it was found

obligatory to find out the socio-demographic predictors of psychological distress in

students and their level of satisfaction from the ongoing mode of blended learning

due to such stressful events.

Becomes unmotivated. The narratives of informants show how their

experiences can be either good or worse. Those experiences have led to making

them more motivated or unmotivated in another way. The learners have the worst

experiences in learning English during online classes especially when their

teachers scold them. They feel anxious about the humiliation that they experience

which makes them demotivated. Furthermore, despite the continued learning of

the new normal, learners still have difficulties communicating in the English

language. This experience is recounted by BAELS1 and stated that:

“Uhm Learning English in an online class is not necessarily the best but from what
I've experienced it is still highly informative depending on how complex the lessons
are and/or how the instructor delivers his/her texts properly. So I do not note any
particular experience but when my professor teaches in our major, her teaching
techniques allow us to have a deeper understanding of the topic while being
considerate towards his/her students such as us. Meanwhile, the one that was the
worst was this particular meeting where I got scolded by one professor, it was
humiliating and I felt anxious when I was going to attend his classes before [sic].

The study by Mese (2021) found that participants' extrinsic and intrinsic

motivation was lower in online education when compared to face-to-face education

31
and the researchers put forward lack of interaction with peers and teachers as the

reason why students are less motivated in online courses.

Feels Boredom. The experiences of the informants can be shown as

different compared to the traditional face-to-face classes. The students felt boring

because of the repetitive lessons that they have from elementary until college. As

stated by BAELS2:

“It was boring overall since I already knew most of the stuff they taught since
elementary [sic].
Students who have great experiences are more likely to reenroll in online

courses in the future, so an institution that seeks to increase online enrollment may

benefit from such information. Data about student experiences also can provide

information to help institutions and faculty design and deliver better courses, which

could help improve student learning in these courses. Such data also could help

institutions and faculty to determine what challenges students online face, which

could in turn improve persistence and retention in online courses. It is an important

avenue of inquiry (Blackmon, 2020).

Difficult online activities. Activities especially examinations and

recitations differ from the traditional face-to-face classes compared to the new

normal education. Some of the activities is cannot be reiterated properly because

the learners cannot sometimes access information from their teachers. Some of

the students hesitate and feel so anxious about their actions. Based on BAELS3,

she felt that:

32
 “Uhm for me online classes… It is hard. No good experiences at all. The worse
thing about learning English in an online class is the exam and the recitations
[sic].
While the WHO and worldwide health authorities are actively working on

containing the outbreak, such a period of health crisis has significant repercussions

on human health and welling, accompanied by psychological distress and related

symptoms such as stress, panic, and anxiety in general population. Moreover, the

psychological impact is considered to be more profound in comparison to the

severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003, due to the extensive

social media exposure and increased global connectivity (Sabbah, 2021).

SARS-related psychological problems have been reported to be prevalent

mainly among healthcare workers and SARS survivors. In 2012, the Middle East

respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first identified in Saudi Arabia.

The spread of MERS-CoV across the Middle East was linked to the transmission

of the pathogen from Dromedary camels to humans. The MERS-CoV outbreak

was associated with tremendous public anxiety in the affected countries, and it

resulted in thousands of mortality cases, fear, anxiety, and psychosocial stress

among the population, in addition to economic losses. Consequently, it is crucial

to understand the extent of the impact of such pandemics on mental health and

other aspects of life.

Lack of Communication. The isolation itself has given a serious case and

dramatic problems towards the learners nowadays, this serious must be reiterated

33
and must not be neglected because this isolation has brought a resort towards the

mental health aspects of the learners. Some of the learners’ problems are with

communication. As it was the basic foundation of how online classes were done.

BAELS3 stated that:

“Uhm… We can’t. We can't communicate well. As an English learner

communication is a Basic foundation [sic].
Being lonely has several adverse impacts on mental health. Reduced time

in bed spent asleep and increased wake time after sleep onset have been related

to loneliness (Cacioppo et al., 2017). Increased depressive symptomatology may

also be caused by loneliness, along with poor self-rated health, impaired functional

status, vision deficits, and a perceived negative change in the quality of one’s life

(Lee et al., 2019). A systematic review of suicide risk also found that loneliness is

associated with both suicide attempts and completed suicide among older adults.

Loneliness, along with depressive symptoms, are related to worsening cognition

over time. A systematic review concluded that loneliness and social isolation were

significantly associated with incident dementia (Kuiper et al., 2015).

Research reporting the impact of COVID-19 on student education and

welfare has observed that academic disruption can affect the university’s teaching

delivery and result in psychosocial consequences for its university community.

Students are often faced with increased anxiety during the pandemic, which may

lead to decreased motivation for studying and this can be correlated with increased

concerns about academic, social, and economic well-being. College students can

34
struggle with loneliness and isolation not only because of disconnections from

friends, but the abrupt disruption of the semester can cause cessation in their

research projects and internships, leading to uncertainty in graduation and job

market availability.

Challenges Encountered during Online Class

Table 2 presents the two (2) major themes under the challenges in learning

English during online classes at Holy Trinity College of General Santos City. These

themes are Results of the New Normal Education Technology and Connectivity

and Adjustments to the new normal education set-up. These are based on the

informants’ narratives that support how difficult the new normal education is.

The global decision to close the educational institutes was rational to keep

social distancing to stop its spread. Some countries switched to online learning

immediately because they were already prepared for online learning (Mahyoob,

2020). Alongside this is the shift to the new normal education, arising problems

were seen that mean a lot to the researcher of the study. The students also

reported some challenges that they faced during their online classes. These

include anxiety, depression, poor Internet service, and an unfavorable home

learning environment, which were aggravated when students are marginalized and

from remote areas (Gonzales, 2021).

35
 Table 2

Challenges in Learning English during Online Class

Frequency of
Major Themes Core Ideas
Responses
Challenges in
 Unstable internet
Technology in the General
connection
New Normal
 Connectivity Problems
Education
 Problems in English
Adjustments to the new General
Class
normal education set-up
 Lack of Interaction

Challenges in Technology in the new normal education

The challenges that were encountered during online class somehow

revolved around the distractions that they faced. Those distractions can be internal

or external distractions that made their online class worse at the same time. Some

of the challenges can be easier to cope with but most of the time challenges can

be a stressor for the learners.

COVID-19 has disrupted most of the industries in the world. Education is

the only industry that is completely transferred to online mode in most countries

around the world. Online learning was the best solution for continuing education

during the pandemic, especially in tertiary education (Mahyoob, 2021).

There are some advantages and disadvantages of online learning; the

accessibility of online education globally, saving time, money, and efforts are

advantages of online learning. In teaching, lecture recording is one advantage of

online learning when students ask teachers to record the classes. The teachers
36
are reviewing and preparing well for recording, which certainly improves. teaching

strategies and methods. Students can access the lectures anytime and can

understand better. Some difficulties were in English language skills and other

English courses, such as writing challenges, speaking challenges, and reading

challenges. For linguistics courses such as phonetics and phonology challenges

where the teacher needs to teach phonemes, allophones, morphemes, etc. face

to face. Not all learners have good internet connectivity. Some learners suffered

from network problems, and lack high-quality learning devices (Mahyoob, 2021).

Unstable internet connections. The narratives of the informants show that

the challenges that they have experienced are the natural distractions that they

have experienced. This includes loss of internet, lagging, and other technical

problems. When attending sessions some of the problems is disconnection (loss

of internet), which gave them an idea not to go back to the online class that they

have. It may lead them to misunderstand and not gain the knowledge they needed.

BAELS1 confirmed that by saying:

“The challenges were mostly minor such as loss of internet, lagging, etc. But
most notable is when I attend sessions and the connection disrupts the class
resulting in me not understand much of the topic that has been presented earlier
[sic].
Moreover, some of the informants say that it is their hesitation to answer the

questions of the professors during discussions, because of their speaking skills,

Informants say that;

37
 “The challenges that I've encountered in learning English first are the grammar,
and second the better pronunciation[sic]
This is a national problem since the Philippines has slow Internet

connectivity (Chiu et al., 2017). According to Natividad (2021), and Salac and Kim

(2016), the Philippines has a slow Internet connection because of the outdated

Philippine law and red tape that hinders the quick installation of cell towers.

Perceived Internet speed is the subjective evaluation of the speed of the Internet

in supporting online learning sessions (Gledhill et al., 2017). Natividad (2021), and

Salac and Kim (2016) explained the slow Internet connection in the Philippines.

They agreed that Internet connection in the Philippines is slow due to limited

Internet infrastructure which is brought by outdated laws and heavy bureaucratic

processes for the development of Internet infrastructure.

Connectivity Problems. One of the major problems during online class for

students during online class is the connectivity using devices for online meets, and

also access to online platforms. The challenges in connectivity is a big issue, it

because tends to see the idea that online class is not a good platform to learn.

Think that connectivity is the best foundation that a learner must-have during an

online class. This made the BAELS4,

“In terms of connectivity, that is the main challenge that I've encountered so far.”
Recently, mobile devices are getting more and more popular when

compared to desktop computers. For instance, more than 90% of people in

38
developed countries now use a mobile device, while desktop PC usage is about

40% (Pew Research Center, 2017).

Adjustments to the New Normal Education Setup

Being adaptive to the new normal setup is difficult for everyone for us,

especially for the learners that are used to the traditional face-to-face classes. This

adaptation has made a severe cause of change to the routine of everyone.

The transition to higher education (HE) is often a complicated and difficult

time for students (Kember, 2001). Many new HE students have moved directly

from secondary education to HE and are not used to the typical HE environment.

This is characterized by less structured class time per week, less direct contact

with peers and teachers, and a greater expectation for independent learning. New

HE students need to adjust quickly to these different styles of teaching and

assessments while adapting to the demands of a self-directed and independent

approach to their academic work. Successfully adjusting to this increased level of

independence in the first year is important, as it has a strong influence on total

student effort and level of achievement, as well as increasing the likelihood of the

student completing the whole course (Krause, 2001, 2005). Ultimately, each

student can adjust and engage in the HE environment which becomes a strong

determinant of their level of engagement and achievement.

39
 Problems in English Class. One of the problems of the learners is how

they can adapt to the things that differ from online classes to traditional face-to-

face classes. This means that online class in terms of how learners learn is quite

different in that scenario. Studying English during online classes is difficult on the

part of the learners because of the idea that grammar and conviction are hard to

teach in the new normal education. It was confirmed by BAELS5,

“The challenges that I've encountered in learning English first are the grammar,
and second the better pronunciation [sic].
Adapting to higher levels of autonomy and successfully applying these

resource-management strategies are, however, no easy feat for many students. A

recent systematic review showed that students who choose to participate in online

(blended) education struggle to use these strategies adequately; they experience

self-regulation, motivational control, help-seeking, and their technological

competencies as the main challenges (Rasheed et al., 2020). During the COVID-

19 pandemic, students might experience similar but also additional challenges.

Other than regular online education, emergency remote learning during COVID-19

involves learning in sub-optimal spaces and isolation, putting a higher load on

learners’ resource management. Because of not having access to their regular

study environments such as the library or other university buildings, students might

have trouble finding a quiet study space, which potentially influences their attention

regulation (Dabbish et al., 2011).

40
 Lack of Interaction. This is one of the rising challenges during online

classes because learners tend to hesitate to ask a certain question because of the

fear of rejection and teachers can either use it as a way too embarrassed them.

The students tend to seem demotivated because students and teachers have

lesser interaction. BAELS5 stated that:

“We have a lack of interaction with Native Speaker [sic].

In addition, compared to regular online education, the change to emergency

remote learning during COVID-19 was not voluntary, which may have had a

negative influence on students’ study motivation (Hsu et al., 2019). Furthermore,

given the sudden shift to online education, students may not have had access to

all technical resources (e.g., stable internet connection) or support from teaching

staff and peers. Given the uniqueness of the situation, it is important to build an

understanding of whether and how students were able to adapt their resource-

management strategies when confronted with emergency remote learning.

Those distractions can be a reason for learners not to gain the knowledge

that they needed for them to have in their chosen profession. Despite these policy

drivers, however, many institutions are struggling to embed e-learning effectively,

and much remains to be learned about how technology can best be used to

enhance student learning (Winter, 2020).

Given the sudden shift to emergency remote education at the start of the

COVID-19 pandemic, combined with external stress factors, such as uncertainty

41
about the situation, distraction at home, and reduced social interaction (Son et al.,

2020), as well as higher levels of autonomy, resource-management strategies may

have played an important role in adapting successfully to emergency remote

education. Students probably already adopted effective cognitive and

metacognitive strategies because of their experience of independence during

higher education, but they had to quickly adapt these strategies to apply them in

the new situation (Wood et al., 2005).

Effective resource-management strategies have been shown to have a

positive link to cognitive, emotional, and motivational aspects of learning.

Concerning cognitive factors, resource-management strategies, specifically effort

regulation, time management, and attentional regulation (concentration and

dealing with distraction), were positively associated with academic performance in

both face-to-face (Richardson et al., 2012) and online learning environments

(Broadbent and Poon, 2015; Broadbent, 2017).

Concerning emotional factors, facets of resource-management strategies,

such as the organization of academic study time and motivation to invest effort in

studying, are negatively affected by negative emotions (Mega et al., 2014).

Furthermore, resource-management strategies, such as effort regulation and time

management as well as intrinsic motivation, are positively associated with

academic adjustment (van Rooij et al., 2018), which might be an indicator of their

importance in adapting to emergency remote learning.

42
Coping Strategies in Learning English during Online Class

Table 3 presents the two (2) major themes under the coping strategies in

learning English during online class at Holy Trinity College of General Santos City.

These themes are adjustment and organization of online tasks. These strategies

are the solutions to the challenges that learners experience during an online class.

Table 3
Coping Strategies in Learning English during Online Class
Frequency of
Major Themes Core Ideas
Responses
 Relying on oneself
Adjustment  Having a positive General
outlook on life
Organization of Online
 Strategizing Typical
Tasks

Adjustment

Adjusting to the new normal education is one of the ways to cope with the

challenges of learning English during online classes. Talking to people and sharing

feelings, keeping busy, praying, and remaining hopeful are some of the other

coping strategies shared by the respondents. In Kar’s and Sheroun’s (2021)

studies, they used different instruments with the same objective. Interestingly, their

studies had the same conclusion. As a result, the current investigation was carried

out to determine the results with diverse responder cultures.

43
 Relying on oneself. Informants reveal that new normal education and

traditional face-to-face classes differ and adjustments must do to deal with those

challenges incorporated with learning English during an online class. Losing a

track that a student must follow is the best way to cope with the challenges they

experienced, in that way they tend to read and study more and be cautious about

the lessons that was been discussed. It was proven by informant BAELS1,

“I adjust myself accordingly to these challenges, for example, if I were to lose track
of the topics/lessons that have been told earlier, I tend to read and study what were
those texts and ask someone/somebody, most likely my classmates regarding
what it was and what are the surrounding ideas behind the information presented
[sic].
To understand the skill of ‘learning to learn, learners must take ownership

of their learning. They need to make decisions about what they learn, how they

learn it, and where they learn. Teachers create the conditions for learners to take

ownership by providing the structure in the learning environment and clear models

to follow.

As learning can be a two-way process, you learn by listening or you learn

by yourself. In both on-site and online higher education environments, university

students already have a considerable amount of autonomy. They need to plan,

monitor, and control their learning process during self-study and thus engage in

self-regulated learning (Nelson and Narrens, 1990; Zimmerman, 2002). Three

main categories of learning strategies can be differentiated in self-regulated

learning: cognitive, metacognitive, and resource-management strategies (Duncan

and McKeachie, 2005; Panadero, 2017).

44
 Cognitive and metacognitive strategies are used to process information and

monitor and control one’s understanding, whereas resource-management

strategies are used to create optimal learning conditions. Resource-management

strategies refer to managing external resources, as in seeking help or organizing

one’s workplace, as well as to managing and regulating internal resources, such

as effort regulation, time management, attentional regulation, and motivation

(Dresel et al., 2015).

Schools adapt all the time and have continued to do so throughout the

pandemic. Teachers who are used to standing in front of a group of 25 to 30

learners to deliver a class in secondary school tend to have agility and resilience

covered. You have to be in that mindset to be an effective teacher and engage

with your class.

Having a positive outlook in life. If you want to cope with the 'New Normal'

education, you must first set your vision. You must decide what you want to happen

or if you need to achieve something. If we are going to cope with this situation, we

must acknowledge our strengths and our weaknesses. Studying more is one of the

outlets that a learner must do to deal with the challenges they have experienced.

Keeping this action makes a difference in the ways how they can develop to

maintain a positive outlook in life. BAELS 5, added that:

“I will face all these challenges, by studying more English and all my mistakes I will
study better for the next time my knowledge of English will be good [sic].

45
 It is useful to assess how people are responding to problems they are

experiencing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and which problems they

consider most important. Graduate students may find it more difficult to cope with

existing problems in the context of new restrictions, or the pandemic may have

introduced entirely new problems into their lives.

In our view, understanding how individuals are responding to problems in

their lives could be important for several reasons. First, individuals who are seeking

advice (e.g., about how to navigate stressors relating to the pandemic) may be

interested in learning about the coping strategies that others have found most

effective (i.e., those that people have perceived as most helpful in coping with

stress). Students are opting to look at the positive side of online learning and adapt

to the new normal education.

Organization of Online Tasks

Coping strategies are ways to counter the said challenges during an online

class. These strategies delimit other effects of the worse experiences during an

online class. One of the highlighted core ideas is an adjustment. Creating learner

independence involves gradually progressing along a continuum. At one end of

the continuum, the learner relies heavily on a teacher; at the other end, the learner

is capable of the following instruction without constant supervision. Moving across

this continuum takes time and is accomplished in small steps. According to Glaxton

46
(2002), even learners as young as six can start moving along this continuum. It is

all about teaching the skill of “learning to learn” and creating the right conditions.

Strategizing. Doing a task and being organized is half of what a learner

does to make survival in this pandemic. Most especially that having a way to

counterattack the challenges during online class is a big deal for every learner.

Minimizing distractions is one of the effective ways, especially in those Social

Media distractions, having a timeline of activities and also having yourself

responsible for the task that they do, taking notes and asking always a question,

and lastly being organized at all times. BAELS 5 gives a certain way of how she

coped with these challenges.

“To cope I minimized using social media, practice time management, take notes
always and ask a question, and be organized [sic].
During the COVID-19 pandemic, students might experience similar but also

additional challenges. Other than regular online education, emergency remote

learning during COVID-19 involves learning in suboptimal spaces and isolation,

putting a higher load on learners’ resource management. Because of not having

access to their regular study environments such as the library or other university

buildings, students might have trouble finding a quiet study space, which

potentially influences their attentional regulation (Dabbish et al., 2011).

In addition, compared to regular online education, the change to emergency

remote learning during COVID-19 was not voluntary, which may have negatively

influenced students’ study motivation (Hsu et al., 2019). Furthermore, given the

47
sudden shift to online education, students may not have had access to all technical

resources (e.g., stable internet connection) or support from teaching staff and

peers. Given the uniqueness of the situation, it is vital to build an understanding of

whether and how students were able to adapt their resource-management

strategies when confronted with emergency remote learning.

Integrating collaborative activities in an online course leads to positive

student performance outcomes. Collaborative group interactions facilitate active

learning and sharing of knowledge and promote social interaction and a supportive

eLearning community.

48
 Chapter V

DISCUSSION

Our research presented the experiences of learners in learning English

during online classes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that brought the New

Normal Education. Alongside the experiences are the challenges that they have

encountered and in what ways they have come up with these challenges.

From their accounts, we discuss in this section our insights and the

implications of the results for educational practice and future research. We also

include our recommendations and concluding remarks.

Insights

As the study progressed, the experiences of the five key informants were

revealed and taken into account. We delved deeper into their stories and

recognized that each detail reflects a more profound meaning of how they

overcame every insurmountable barrier they encountered for self-improvement

and professional growth. It is never a mistake that their dedication, perseverance,

and desire to prove their existence can positively contribute to society, particularly

in the Holy Trinity College of General Santos City.

We frequently receive admiration given by the students and teachers for

choosing this kind of study. It knows that we are experiencing a shift in the

49
education system and new normal education differs from the traditional face-to-

face classes.

By conducting this study, we may shed light on the experiences of learning

English during the online class of learners at Holy Trinity College of General

Santos City. Those experiences are either worse or wrong. Some of the challenges

are highlighted, but typically, distractions are the most frequent challenge they

have experienced. In the coping strategies, adjustment is the best way to deal with

the challenges.

Furthermore, in this study, knowing the learners' experiences in an online

class may give knowledge to the institution, specifically Holy Trinity College of

General Santos, to what extent they can do to modify their system to make it more

adaptable to the new normal education. Next is for the teachers and professors

who serve as primary sources of knowledge during these pandemic days, making

them more competent to deliver quality education to the students. Moreover, the

parents are the one who is with their children at these trying time, making them

more engaged in guiding their children. These concerns must be addressed

immediately and may not be taken for granted, as we do not know when there may

be a transition in the education system, changing through times. Utmost, this may

be a lesson for every Institution in the Philippines.

50
 We hope that through this, the education system in the Philippines may be

more adaptive through times and make sure that quality education may be served

to the learners who deserved learning that may be competitive globally.

Implications for Educational Practice

Our study presents the one (1) major theme under the experiences in

learning English during online class at Holy Trinity College of General Santos City.

This theme is psychological disturbances. These themes supported the idea of

challenges and coping strategies that are incorporated with the experiences of

learning English during an online class.

Furthermore, two (2) major themes under the challenges in learning English

during online classes at Holy Trinity College of General Santos City. These themes

are Results of the New Normal Education Technology and Connectivity and

Adjustments to the new normal education set-up. These are based on the

informants’ narratives that support how difficult the new normal education is.

Lastly, two (2) major themes under the coping strategies in learning English during

online class at Holy Trinity College of General Santos City. These themes are

adjustment and organization of online tasks. These strategies are the solutions to

the challenges that learners experience during an online class.

As we pondered over the untold work stories of the key informants, it came

to our mind that the findings of our study may be a helpful source of information

51
for education in general. The experiences of learners can be seen also in the broad

scenario in the real world. This implies that every one of us may be adaptive at all

times, at all costs. This study may give additional knowledge to everyone that

preparing for a plan is better when we face a tragedy, likewise a pandemic.

Further, stories of experiences in learning English can be a vital tool to know

if learners gained a quality education during the new normal education. Traditional

brick-and-mortar schools are forced to transform into full-time virtual schools to

provide students with ongoing education (Van Lancker & Parolin, 2020).

Consequently, students may adapt to the transition from face-to-face learning to

fully remote online learning, where synchronous video conferences, social media,

and asynchronous discussion forums become their primary venues for knowledge

construction and peer communication.

Additionally, this study may have touched on the mental aspects of learners

during an online class. Mental health is a big issue nowadays and the isolation

made by the pandemic made it trigger. The study reported by Aristovnik et al.

(2021) concluded that online learning students were more likely to interrupt their

studies and felt more socially isolated, compared with students receiving traditional

education. Social isolation and loneliness increased the risk of depression and

anxiety.

Challenges in learning English experienced by the students during online

learning must be taken up seriously by the school and their teachers, they may not
52
be vocal on their issues, however, these students need reinforcement and

consideration. This study may benefit the school to further deliver education to its

learners amidst the pandemic and its challenges.

Implications for Future Researchers

The findings of this study may provide direction for future research on the

extent of experiences in learning English during an online class. This study gives

an overview of the challenges and the coping strategies of the learners. This could

also entail the effects of the online class on the mental aspects of learners.

Moreover, an exploration of the effectiveness of parental guidance and motivation

may be a good tool to help learners feel optimistic in this pandemic.

Recommendations

This study recounted the narratives of five (5) 3rd BAELS learners on their

experiences of learning English during an online class. Based on the narratives of

our informants, the following recommendations are given.

From experience, it was recommended that learners must know how to

properly deal with the changes brought by the new normal education and the setup

they need to do. To make sure that still cope with the changing environment. As

well as the challenges, the learners may know how to limit those distractions that

they have experienced and to make sure they can assess the way they need to
53
cope the most. On the other side, they need to make sure they keep firm on the

coping strategies that they needed to.

We recommend that institutions or college schools may, as much as

possible, may list the possible ways on how students may be more engaged with

the new normal education. They may use interviews and survey through google

forms that may answer on what ways they can improve the online class. The

teachers may make the online class more engaging and make sure that every

student has an access to the activities given by giving updates. The parents may

know also the status of their children, and the parents and teachers may also have

direct communication with each other.

Furthermore, the Institution may use a modality that everyone can choose

with. This includes modules and other platforms. The platforms may be accessible

at all times, system generated, and also may adapt to the changing times of

technology.

Moreover, researchers are encouraged to investigate the learners’ mental

health aspects as they experience isolation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This means that checking learners' mental may be a big deal to the people who

surround the learners like their peers and family. Furthermore, lastly, we

recommend to future researchers to make a related study out of this but concerns

the mental aspect of the learners.

54
Concluding Remarks

Through this study, we were given a chance to listen to the narratives of the

five (5) 3rd year BAELS learners. Knowing their experiences in learning English is

a great time for us because experiences differ for every person, this means that

you can gather many answers, sometimes it is short and sometimes answers are

long. We are happy that informants are easy to deal with and also, and they have

answered the questions to the utmost of their capabilities.

Asking and gathering the informants is a hard time for us, some of the 3 rd

year BAELS learners hesitated to answer because of their hectic schedules, we

almost give up because of getting only 3 out of the enrolled 3 rd students. But God

is good, at least we gather enough informants for this study.

In conducting our study, we highly appreciate those who recommend

someone to be our key informant and cheer us when we feel that we may never

complete our desired number of informants in a short period. We conquered our

fear to approach someone above our level as they are now working in a high

position in a company.

In this research, our social skills are tested during our interview as we

should build a rapport with our informants and make them feel safer and more

comfortable sharing their work stories. Additionally, we were allowed to hear their

stories. We also learned the value of listening to someone's story and empathizing

with their experiences, enabling them to share their untold stories without
55
hesitation. We also learned to suspend our judgment and carefully choose our

words and actions to avoid offending them or appearing to be insulting, judging, or

discriminating against them.

Finally, we hope that this humble research has motivated the reader to

understand the narratives of experiences in learning English during online classes.

56
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 Appendix A
Consent Letter

61
 Appendix B
Permission Letter

62
 Appendix C
Letters to the Validators

63
64
65
 Appendix D
Validation Sheet

66
67
68
 Appendix E
Interview Guide

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70
 CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name : Dominic A. Sarmiento

Home Address : Labangal, General Santos City
Date of Birth : March 14, 1999
Place of Birth : Labangal, General Santos City
Civil Status : Single
Religion : Roman Catholic
Father’s Name : Dominggo M. Sarmiento
Mother’s Name : Melissa A. Sarmiento

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Tertiary : Holy Trinity College General Santos City

Fiscal Daproza Avenue General Santos City
Bachelor of Arts Major in English

Secondary : Labangal, General Santos City

General Santos City

Elementary : Saavedra Saway Central Elementary School

Labangal, General Santos City

71
 CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name : Jeneva B. Homecillo

Home Address : Maasim Sarangani Province
Date of Birth : December 07, 1998
Place of Birth : Maasim Sarangani Province
Civil Status : Single
Religion : Roman Catholic
Father’s Name : Jerry M. Homecillo
Mother’s Name : Herminia B. Homecillo

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Tertiary : Holy Trinity College General Santos City

Fiscal Daproza Avenue General Santos City
Bachelor of Arts Major in English

Secondary : Notre Dame of Maasim Inc.

Maasim Sarangani Province

Elementary : Maasim Central Elementary School

Maasim Sarangani Province

72
 CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name : Jane B. Rojas

Home Address : Brgy. Tinagacan, General
Santos City
Date of Birth : November 11, 1998
Place of Birth : Tinagacan, General Santos City
Civil Status : Single
Religion : Roman Catholic
Father’s Name : Jesus P. Rojas
Mother’s Name : Nilda B. Rojas

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Tertiary : Holy Trinity College General Santos City

Fiscal Daproza Avenue General Santos City
Bachelor of Arts Major in English

Secondary : Tinagacan National High school

Tinagacan, General Santos City

Elementary : O.T Santos Elementary School

Purok. 06 Lower Labay General Santos City

73
 CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name : Noria Mae S. Suib

Home Address : Poblacion, Malapatan Sarangani
Province
Date of Birth : August 11, 1998
Place of Birth : Malapatan Sarangani Province
Civil Status : Single
Religion : Islam
Father’s Name : Tahir S. Suib
Mother’s Name : Mercy S. Suib

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Tertiary : Holy Trinity College General Santos City

Fiscal Daproza Avenue General Santos City
Bachelor of Arts Major in English
Secondary : Malapatan National High school

Malapatan Sarangani Province

Elementary : Malapatan Central Elementary School

Malapatan Sarangani Province

74