Abstract

This study aimed to explore the experiences of married students and working students in flexible learning amidst pandemic. The participants of the research involved 17 married students and working students (2 males and 15 females) who are now enrolled in College of Teacher Education-Bachelor of Elementary Education and College of Information Technology and Computing Sciences at Quirino State University Main Campus. The qualitative inquiry method was used. Data were collected through individual interviews, focus group discussion, and document analysis used in this study. Narrative analysis was utilized and purposeful sampling technique was used. Employing a phenomenological analysis, the study explored the experiences of married students and working students in flexible learning amidst pandemic. Revealed in the study, the advantages of flexible learning were perseverance, time management, teacher factor, flextime, and prayer while the disadvantages were learning difficulties, poor connectivity, destructions, stress, and laziness. With these findings, the researcher recommends, raise awareness about the mental health continuum, reduce stigma associated with mental illness, promote help seeking behaviors and emotional well-being practices, and prevent suicide through individual education and outreach events. Stress management reset, recalibrate alarm system, and help mind and body adapt (resilience).

1. Introduction

The Novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, has resulted in deaths worldwide and has wrecked chaos around the globe. The crisis has already transformed into an economic and labor market shock. Many other issues have emerged and need to be urgently addressed, such as the closure of schools and its impact on learning and the burden of education on students, parents and teachers.

Most governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions in an endeavor to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools are hubs of social activity and human interaction. When schools close, many children and youth miss out on social contact that is essential to learning and development. This has an immediate as well as a long-lasting effect, particularly for the more vulnerable and disadvantaged communities ¹. Online communication apps (WhatsApp, radio, television, cell phones, computer and network hardware, satellite systems, as well as various services available with them such as video conferencing and distance learning) were being used to ensure communication between teachers and students as well as among students in many countries. Interactive online classes are also provided opportunities for social interaction and facilitating the continuity of education for all via remote learning.

Close to 80% of the world’s student population – 1.3 billion children and youth – was affected by school closures in 138 countries. Taken a measure to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, some of these closures are recent, in others they have already been in place for months ². In all cases, closures are placing unprecedented challenges on governments to ensure learning continuity, and on teachers, students, caregivers and parents. UNESCO has been monitoring school closures since early March and documenting national responses ³.

The world was shocked by the existence of a deadly virus that could attack anyone, called the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, the Covid-19 pandemic is a threat to everyone in carrying out their daily activities, including in the field of education ⁴. This is in line with Government Regulation Number 21 of 2020 concerning large-scale social restrictions to accelerate the handling of Covid-19 which results in restrictions on various activities including schools ⁵.

The Philippines in particular, faced a critical situation due to the rise of the Covid-19 health crisis. With our focus on higher education institutions, a primary concern involved avoiding the risks of infection of the academic community. Face to face learning engagement of students and teachers within the school has been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Quirino State University despite the spread of this disease, education had to continue to attain its vision and mission. This study further explored the students’ learning experiences in times of COVID-19 pandemic.

This study aimed to explore the learning experiences of students in times of COVID-19 pandemic.

1. What are the learning experiences in times of COVID-19 pandemic?

From the time of the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19), people have been impacted in one way or the other. Countrywide lockdowns have strongly impacted the lives of people of all occupations and all ages. The flare-up has also affected the education system across the world and has altered the lives of 1,576,021,818 learners in 188 countries ⁶. The lockdowns have put an unprecedented challenge on the governments to ensure that there should be continuity of learning ⁷. Several countries have adopted different measures to deal with the educational crisis.

To combat the problems of the outbreak such as that of the education system, the educational ministries and other stakeholders have taken a stand at national levels. Countries like Egypt, France, Italy, United States and United Arab Emirates (UAE) are pursuing distance education modalities via internet and online platforms for continuous education. China, Korea, Mexico, Rwanda, Iran, Peru and Thailand are using massive open online course (MOOC) styled lessons. The lessons are either delivered through apps, television or other media. Teachers have access to training through these avenues as well ⁷. In order to ensure children's learning continues, a collaboration between the telecom industry, school networks at different levels and the education ministry is needed. Governments have been launching (e.g. Saudi Arabia and UAE) awareness Home Learning in Times of COVID 12 Vol. 7 No. 1 (June 2020) campaigns on distance learning for parents, teachers, administrators and students ⁷ .

Equality and inclusivity are also being maintained in the education level of different countries. Governments of countries like China and South Korea are providing devices and printed assignments to those who do not have access to technology. Meal plans are also being catered to by providing takeaways to students ^{7, 8}. Children who cannot be taken care of at home are being taken care of in schools in countries like France and Japan ⁸.

In Pakistan not much has been done on the national front to manage the educational crisis during the pandemic. Overall Pakistan has 8,636,383 students enrolled in pre-primary institutes, whereas students enrolled in primary and secondary schools are 22,931,305 and 13,357,618 respectively. The private educational system across Pakistan has opted for giving children homework so that they may adhere to the curriculum that was planned for the year; however, they later announced summer vacations when the situation provoked unpredictability ⁹. In spite of restricted access to internet, online classes are being held at the university level ¹⁰. Schools and colleges have been asked to promote children to the next grade ¹¹ and low-cost schools are at the brink of closure due to the crisis ¹². As such, uncertain times have brought in confusion and poor access to adequate education in Pakistan.

The implementation of an education system at the national level in response of coronavirus outbreak and schools being closed can be supplemented with a curriculum that involves parental guidance and COVID-19 related awareness. This would help in improving the education systems at large and reassure learning attainment in home settings. Such programs can also yield benefits in students autonomous learning development to get a sense of responsibility towards self growth and development. Very recently, the government has launched official tele-education via its national television broadcasting. However, the impact of the tele-education and the quality of curriculum delivery is yet to be researched. Until recently and even at current times, most parents are found to be facilitating learning at home and research around it is limited, especially in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Methodology

The current study is aimed at exploring learning experiences of student-parents and working students in their learning experiences in times of COVID-19 pandemic.

Phenomenology is about the structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view. The central structure of an experience is its intentionality, its being directed toward something, as it is an experience of or about some object. An experience is directed toward an object by virtue of its content or meaning together with the appropriate enabling conditions ¹³.

This study made use of a qualitative design of research. Qualitative research study allows the researcher to explore the phenomenon from an individual’s personal experiences in varying situations and circumstances. It used to administer the relevant responses and insights into students’ real-life experiences amidst COVID 19 pandemic.

The researcher used the phenomenology study method in which lived experiences of several individuals are described as related to a phenomenon they have in common. The participants were asked to narrate their experiences in flexible learning on blank sheets of paper. The participants’ responses were carefully analyzed in words. A list of experiences in flexible learning was generated from the analysis made.

This study involved a purposive sampling to determine the respondents who are Bachelor of Elementary Education and College of Information Technology and Computing Sciences students of Quirino State University Main Campus.

Furthermore, the participants were purposely chosen/selected. The participants were those student-parent and working students. By using purposive sampling approach, 17 students were chosen. Out of 17 student participants, two of them were male and fifteen were female, their ages ranging from 18 to 28 years old. They were all enrolled as full-time students taking their courses as well as taking general education courses at the same time.

The participants were instructed to answer an open-ended question by narrating and describing in their own word their learning experiences in times of COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher administered the data gathering procedure via google meet and messenger. Finally, the researcher collected the outputs and serialized them as ready for analysis.

In analyzing the data collected from the participants’ outputs, the researcher used the content analysis process. Content analysis is suitable in capturing the words of participants in text or written documents.

Content analysis can be used on all types of written texts no matter where the material comes from. Moreover, there are no specific rules that must be followed ¹⁴, deep interviews ¹⁵, focus group interviews ¹⁶, one single written question ¹⁷, open-ended questions as in a questionnaire ¹⁸, or observations of situations ¹⁹ as well as from pictures and films ²⁰.

The completed sheets of paper were read several times to get an overview of their contents. The reading was done closely, repeatedly, and intently until they become familiar with its contents and were in positions to conceptualize statements made by the participants. The researcher came up with notes about the statements made by the participants. Key concepts and ideas were identified in the notes.

The researcher then re-read data and highlighted significant statements, sentences, or quotes. This process provides an understanding of how the participants experienced the phenomenon. Related statements were grouped together to form meaning units for emerging themes from the significant statements.

Key events in the participants’ stories were chronologically sorted. The coding and themes determined from the data analysis were not predetermined by the researcher but emerged through the analysis process. After coding was complete, relationships were created between categories by comparing and contrasting coding from the different cases. The themes that emerged were derived from the students’ experiences.

The researcher also utilized peer review of coding to decrease bias, with the initial coder sharing analysis with another to ensure that prior experiences with the topic did not influence the analysis process.

Ethical considerations were ensured throughout the study. The participants were given an informed consent message via the social media platform and were asked to volunteer for the study understanding all the rights of withdrawal and refusal. There was no data sought which could exhibit participants’ direct identity like names, telephone numbers, address, area or national identification number.

3. Results and Discussion

The purpose of this study was to explore the students’ learning experiences in times of COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed that the students who participated in this study discovered their learning experiences in times of COVID-19 pandemic. The identification and emerging of the interesting themes relative to their experiences which the researcher classified into different categories:

Positive Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Learning Experiences

Theme 1: Perseverance

Persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.

The participant revealed, Kahit gusto kong makita ang pamilya ko pero wala akong magawa kundi magtiis na lang muna sa ngayon”. (“Eventhough I am eager to be with my family but I can’t find a way so I’d rather sacrifice for the meantime”).

The participant uttered, “Mahirap pagsabayin ang pag-aaral at pagiging ina pero para sa akin kailangan kong magtiis at magsakripisyo para sa kinabukasan at ikabubuti ng aking pamilya.” (“It is really difficult to study and to be a mom at the same time but I need to sacrifice and persist for the future of our family”).

The participant expressed, “Pero kahit ganoon ay kailangan kong tiisin dahil dito nakasalalay ang aking pangarap na makapagtapos at magkaroon ng maayos na trabaho.” (“Even if, persistence is the key to my dreams, to finish my studies, and to have a good job”).

The above statements of the participants indicate persistence in doing things and also in their studies.

This supports the claim of ²¹, Grit depends on a particular kind of hope. This hope refers to the prospect of having a tomorrow better than today. It rests on the belief that our own efforts can improve our future. Having a feeling that tomorrow will be better is different from choosing to perform tomorrow better. It is believed that the attribute of being a gritty individual is not due to chance, but it is due to perseverance.

Theme 2: Time Management

Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities.

The participant said,” Medyo nahihirapan po akong maghati ng oras ko.” (“It is quite difficult to manage my time”).

The participant uttered, “Kailangang ibudget ang aking oras”. (“I have to budget my time”).

The participant expressed, “Hindi ko alam kung paano hatiin ang oras ko sa pag-aaral “. (“I don’t know if how can I manage my time with my studies”).

The above responses of the participants emphasized the value of time. Managing time is an issue that draws attention of married students and working students. Time management is a great challenge on the part of married students and working students in doing household chores, school assignments, requirements and other activities.

This supports the claim that, ²², discover the reason for missing classes, time scheduling of activities and providing constructive feedback to students ²³ are the other recommended strategies advised by previous researchers.

Likewise, good time management skills involve prioritization of activities and judicious usage of time available for organization of the tasks to be completed. Time management was found to determine academic performance ²⁴. Moreover, those with sound time management behavior were found to have fewer psychological and physical symptoms related to stress ²⁵. About to half of the students had notable weaknesses in their time management skills ²⁶.

Active problem is a list of all health issues that affect the individual's current functioning and all health issues potentially requiring monitoring. Active problems include chronic problems such as scoliosis, as well as acute problems. The Active Problem contains: allergies, etiology and level of the retardation,communication skills, ambulatory skills,seizures, if present, including type and frequency,behavioral problems, if present, including DSM diagnoses, nature of problem, cerebral palsy, if present, including type and location, and all health issues that affect the individual's current functioning.

Female students had significantly better active problem scores under coping behavior. They were hence more mature and composed than the male in analyzing the center of the problem in a calm and optimistic manner, and in finding solutions for the same. Females were also found to be better at time management compared to their male counterparts ^{24, 25}.

Theme 3: Teacher Factor

A teacher (also called a schoolteacher or formally, an educator) is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue.

Three participants stated, “Salamat sa aming mga guro na nakauunawa sa aming kalagayan”. (“Thank you to those teachers who understand our situation”).

The participant described, “Laking pasasalamat sa mga guro na patuloy na umiintindi sa mga studyante, at paggabay. Habaan nyo pa ang inyong pasensya para sa amin sapagkat nakikita ko ang hirap at pagod na inyong nararanasan ngunit sa kabila nito patuloy pa rin kayo sa serbisyo”. (“We are really grateful for those teachers who always guide and understand their students. Extend more your patience and services to us”).

The above responses of the participants emphasized teacher related factor in learning.

This affirms the ideas of ²⁷, the fulfillment of this responsibility is only possible through the teacher’s being able to develop healthy personality values themselves as well as providing efficiency in their relationships with students so as to allow them to develop their personality freely.

A teacher who realizes that the nature of knowledge and abilities directly affects his/her students and surroundings takes responsibility for his/her own knowledge and abilities, creates positive relationships with his/her students and can relay these to students in the most efficient manner ²⁸

If the teacher engages in belittling comments towards a student due to his/her failure, the negative effects of this will be inevitable ²⁹. While the positive behavior of the teacher allows him/her to create a positive relationship with students, it also allows for the teacher to delved on the positive behavior of students as opposed to the negative, taking on a reinforcing role as well ³⁰ .

Theme 4: Flextime

Flextime, an abbreviation of flexible time, is a work arrangement that allows employees to choose their workday's starting and finishing time. As employees seek a better balance

The participant explained, “Hawak ko rin ang oras kung kailan o anong oras ko gagawin at tatapusin ang aking requirements”. (“I can manage and control my time if when I can start and finish my requirements”).

The participant described, “Nakakapagtrabaho ako at nagagawa ko ang aking mga aralin pagdating ko sa bahay ng gabi”. (“It made possible for me to work and at the same time to do my activities when I got home in the evening”).

The above statement of the participant indicates personal adjustment in doing such activities.

This affirms the ideas of ³¹, that flexible work schedules is a significant issues in this 21st Century. Nevertheless, it is not until in the recent past that these practices came to be perceived as beneficial for both employees and employers ³² . Studies supporting the benefits of flexible work schedules recognize the positive although indirect contribution of these practices to organizational profit.

Moreover, flexible work schedules refer to practices that allow individuals to decide and manage their work schedules ³³. On the other hand, ³⁴ observe with regards to hours of work, based on these schedules, the employee is allowed to have some control over their job and can decide on the timing as well as the place where the job should be done ³⁵. Flexible work practices are perceived by organizations as a strategy for obtaining and retaining high quality staff ³⁶.

Likewise, telework or flexplace is defined as a flexible work schedule that allows employees to work in varied locations, typically using technologies transmitting communication and information ³⁷ .

Similarly, employees have the discretion to vary the times they arrive and leave work, within management parameters, to meet their personal needs ³⁸ .

Theme 5: Prayer

Prayer is a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or an object of worship.

The participant revealed, “Nagpapasalamat ako at nakilala ko ang Diyos na nagbibigay sa akin ng lakas at pag-asa. Ginagabayan niya ako sa tamang landas”. (“I’m so thankful that I knew God who gave me courage and hope. He leads me in the right path”).

The above statements imply a strong faith in God. This finding approves which indicate that spiritual maturity is an important attribute ³⁹. But then again, church going also benefited students because churches often offer positive role-models for students ⁴⁰.

This affirms the ideas of ⁴¹, that prayer is generally defined as spiritual communication with God.

Furthermore, prayers are talked, chanted, sung, listened, meditated, contemplated, journaled, and expressed in art forms like music ⁴², dance, color ⁴³, poetry, and film ⁴⁴. One conceptual framework for understanding the variety of prayers is the system's perspective ⁴⁰.

Moreover, forms and functions of prayer are the core processes in a system of prayer that is influenced by a matrix of input variables (e.g., age, gender, religious/spiritual affiliation, and culture) and yields a variety of outcomes (e.g., spiritual, psychological, and physical health for the persons praying, and various types of pro-social and religious/spiritual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors).

Finally, research could explore prayer-action linkages more systematically, beginning with the relationship between daily prayer disciplines/practices and, for example, positivity ⁴⁵, mindfulness ⁴⁶, and character strengths ⁴⁷.

Likewise, immigrants often used religion as a way to cope with different types of stressors and challenges . The belief in a higher power, or God, gave student participants a sense of control to deal with the challenges they faced. Religiosity and spirituality were accessible constructs to the student participants because these beliefs were integrated into their daily lives by their families of origin.

Negative Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic in the Learning Experiences

Theme 1: Learning Difficulties

Difficulty is the fact or condition of being difficult, a trouble or struggle, a cause of trouble, struggle, or embarrassment, a disagreement or dispute.

The participant revealed, “Bilang isang mag-aaral, ang aking naging karanasan ay nahihirapan akong pag-aralan sa sarili kong paraan at pang-unawa”. (“As a student, my experience about flexible learning is that I have difficulty to learn with my own understanding”).

Four participants explained, “Mahirap para sa akin kung minsan dahil hindi ako maka-attend ng online class dahil walang mag-aalaga sa aking anak”. (“It was difficult for me because sometimes I can’t attend my online class when no one is taking care of my child”).

The above statements of the participants indicate difficulty in their studies.

This supports the claim of ⁴⁸, intuitively we know what it is like to feel confused as a result of a difficulty in the learning process, yet confusion is not regarded as one of the “basic” emotions: like, for example, happiness, sadness, and anger

Furthermore, in order for a digital learning environment to be responsive to difficulties—or indeed to other emotions that impact on learning—it is necessary for the system to detect the emotions that students experience during their learning ⁴⁹. These emotional responses are the key indicator teachers use in face-to-face settings to determine when students are having problems. Given the difficulty of identifying emotions in digital learning environments in ways that humans can in face-to-face environments, this is a particularly vexing issue and one that has led to the growth of the burgeoning field of affective computing.

Also, without a teacher present and without any automated support, it is possible that a student may succumb to their confusion, get frustrated and, as a result, disengage entirely ⁵⁰.

This situation is, however, not helped by ongoing conjecture in the literature as to whether difficulties in the learning process resulting in confusion are detrimental or beneficial for learning ⁴⁸.

This argument aligns with a body of literature showing that persistent confusion can lead to frustration and boredom, which as a result has a negative impact on learning ⁴⁹. More recently, however, research has suggested that difficulties resulting in confusion can benefit student learning. This is perhaps best exemplified in the research on what have been labeled “desirable difficulties” ⁵¹, specific features of the learning situation that introduce beneficial difficulties that reliably enhance learning. Along similar lines, ⁴⁹ found that inducing difficulties and confusion in an intelligent tutoring system appeared to enhance learning. Moreover, some research has indicated that difficulties may be particularly beneficial for conceptual learning, where students sometimes need to overcome misconceptions before developing a more sophisticated understanding of the topic area ⁵².

These findings, and particularly ⁵³ interpretation of their results, suggests that, when students experience difficulties and confusion, it may in fact serve as a trigger to help them overcome any conceptual obstacles they encounter during their learning. Along similar lines, ⁵⁴ argues that impasses and difficulties experienced in the learning process could be effective triggers for students to rethink their learning approaches.

⁵⁵ found that, when difficulties are introduced while people learn and reason about new information, it triggers a shift in strategy, activating a more systematic or analytic approach to the material. It may be, therefore, that difficulties encountered during the learning process that are accompanied by a subjective feeling of confusion can lead students to alter their learning strategies which may resolve the impasse, resulting in learning benefits.

Theme 2: Poor Connectivity

Poor internet connection is generally caused due to issues with the modem or router. Poor network connection also occurs when there is poor Wi-Fi signal and when the signal strength is weak. Even if the DNS server is slow or there is a disturbance in the bandwidth, the network connection will not be good enough.

The participant revealed,” Dito sa aming lugar, walang internet connection kaya naman kailangan kong tumawid ng isang bundok bago makarating sa may signal. Minsan, naglalakad ako patungo sa lugar na iyon”. (“In our place, we do not have internet connection so I have to crossed a mountain where there is connectivity. Sometimes, I walked an hour to reach the place”).

Seven participants stated,” Minsan nagkakaroon ng problema lalo na sa internet connection”. (“Sometimes we encountered poor connectivity”).

The above response of the participants emphasized poor connectivity.

This affirms the ideas of ^{56, 57, 58, 59} all highlight the technological challenges, such as access to high-speed broadband, that can impact on student and teacher engagement with online education, particularly with synchronous-based material.

Furthermore, given the important role that student engagement likely plays in academic success and student satisfaction, particularly for first year students and in online learning environments ⁶⁰, this raises the issue of potential differences in the quality or type of delivery students may receive in the current context as a result of unequal broadband access. ⁶¹ identified bandwidth issues as problematic for students in certain aspects of their learning experience, such as sharing files or synchronous classes.

It stresses the importance of additional support for students in low socioeconomic status (SES) areas and rural communities if inequalities in access to, and engagement with, online learning resources are to be reduced ⁶².

⁵⁷ suggest grounds for cautious optimism about synchronous hybrid learning in creating an engaging learning environment relative to fully online, but also acknowledge the technological challenges, such as connectivity issues, that may present in such an environment. ⁵⁶ also highlight the issue of quality broadband (under the heading of technological sufficiency challenges) as one of the main student challenges, but also a potential challenge for staff in a blended learning environment using video content.

In another study, ⁵⁵ uses data from the US national broadband plan to examine the relationship between access to high-speed broadband and the number of students at public universities and community colleges who opt to take some of their courses online. It finds that increases in broadband speed at the lower end of the speed spectrum are positively associated with the number of students who take some of their courses online and emphasizes the importance of considering broadband speed in improving the access of students to courses with online content.

They are also more likely to have relatively weaker information and communications technology (ICT) skills, as well as the capacity for working independently with ICT ⁶³.

⁶⁴ also highlight how successful online student engagement is influenced by “a number of psychosocial factors such as peer community, an engaging online teacher, and confidence or self-efficacy and by structural factors such as life load and course design”.

Theme 3: Destructions

Destruction is the action or process of causing so much damage to something that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired.

The participant explained, “Maraming bagay ang nakakadistract sa pagseselpon tulad na lamang ng messenger at facebook na kung saan naaagaw ang aking pansin at nawawalan ng konsentrasyon”. (“There are disadvantages of using cellphones, like facebook and messenger which grabs my attention and concentration”).

The above statement of the participant indicates destruction.

This supports the ideas of ⁶⁵. They tend to have high levels of content competence, self-awareness and cognitive empathy to learn collaboratively, as well as appropriate technological skills and the ability to manage their own time. These learners are also likely to have developed contingency strategies and support networks to assist them with technical difficulties ⁶⁶. Students who use technology less effectively for learning may lack technical skills or essential learning skills such as sustaining concentration or problem-solving. They may have limited confidence, self-direction or motivation ⁶⁷, and in particular are unlikely to have the necessary skills to identify and evaluate appropriate web sources ⁶⁸.

Theme 4: Stress

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stress is your body's reaction to a challenge or demand.

The participant revealed, “Kung minsan may mga studyante na nagpapakamatay dahil sa stress”. (“Some student commits suicide due to stress”).

The above statements signify stress.

This affirms the ideas of, ⁶⁹. Stress came in several forms and affected people of all ages and walks of life. This implies that stress is a part of life and has many causes, and that the degree of stress in our lives is greatly dependent on factors such as the physical health of the individual, the quality of interpersonal relationships, the number of commitments and responsibilities we shoulder, the degree of others' dependence on and expectations of us, the amount of support we receive from others, and the number of changes of traumatic events we go through.

In addition, academic demands and self-imposed stressors collide, tipping the balance and resulting in disequilibrium and excessive stress ⁷⁰.

Theme 5: Laziness

Laziness is the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy.

The participant described, “Minsan tinatamad ako dahil nawawalan ako ng pag-asa at may maraming problema sa buhay”. (“Sometimes I am lazy because I lost my hope and there’s a lot of problems that I have encountered in my life”).

The above statement shows laziness.

Laziness is also termed as indolence or sloth and is defined as the failure to do what you are supposed to do, despite having the ability to do it.

Laziness is a vice that slowly creeps in and begins to hold you captive. It interrupts your life and prevents you from getting to where you are supposed to be. At first you feel as though you are having a deserved rest, then gradually you start tolerating and entertaining laziness, finally it fully sets in and becomes a part of who you are.

From the psychology point of view, laziness is a behavior describing the passive attitude of a person with the tendency to avoid work although he/she is capable, unwilling to put forth efforts and choosing not to work hard and lack of will power ⁷¹. An attitude can be defined as a tendency to think, feel, and an individual‘s response either positively or negatively towards particular objects or situation from the cognitive, affective, and behavioral perspectives ⁷². A statement stated that the will power consists of the strong determination towards individual‘s change, persistent of work and practice ⁷³.

This supports the claim of ⁷⁴ in their research revealed that passive attitudes such as lazy or procrastination affect self regulation with relation to academic performance. By postponing academic tasks, students would fail to control themselves which then leads to stress, low academic performance and anxiety. However, by controlling their habits and routine in any given task, it would lead to the implementation of action in oneself ⁷⁵.

Although a lazy person has the tendency in reacting negatively towards certain event, it has been reported that this internal attribute could be controlled ⁷⁶. She suggested that laziness could be elaborated more from the self-esteem, motivation, attitudes in thinking and behavioral perspectives.

4. Conclusion/Recommendation

This study investigated the students’ learning experiences in times of COVID-19 pandemic. The data revealed the positive effect of covid-19 pandemic on the learning experiences such as perseverance, time management, teacher factor, flextime, and prayer while negative effect of covid-19 pandemic on the learning experiences are learning difficulties, poor connectivity, destructions, stress, and laziness.

Raise awareness about the mental health continuum, reduce stigma associated with mental illness, promote help seeking behaviors and emotional well-being practices, and prevent suicide through individual education and outreach events.

Stress management reset, recalibrate alarm system, and help mind and body adapt (resilience).

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the participants who took part in this study, we appreciate all your help!

References