Abstract

Learners were caught unaided and unprepared at the onslaught of the pandemic in 2020 with the new modalities of teaching and learning. This continued during the SY 2020-2021 especially to those who were new in these modalities – the Senior High School students, termed as CoViD babies in their tertiary education, who were accustomed to the residential teaching with their teachers doing most of the discussions. The purpose of this study is to find out the students' educational experiences as they shifted to higher education and how they performed in the new normal in the advent of purely self-paced learning modules and flexible learning modality. Furthermore, the goal of this research is to find out how these learners were able to adapt to new learning modalities. The respondents' experiences and the factors affecting them were determined and evaluated through narrative analysis of the qualitative research design. Based on the findings, the ability of the CoViD babies to complete self-paced learning modules was threatened, they were adapting to the norms of their tertiary education, and they were not ready to go online. Generally, the CoViD babies were surviving, adjusting, and, at the very least, completing their tertiary education. Furthermore, seven of the 15 participants stated that they were passing in varied degrees. The compatibility of their line of studies with their strands in SHS, rush adjustment, internet connectivity, and interaction with their teachers were the identified factors that affect their tertiary education.

1. Introduction

The CoViD-19 pandemic which affected all aspects of human lives including the educative processes around the world provided avenues that challenged the status quo. In education, it challenged the traditional face-to-face modality towards the dramatic migration to flexible and online learning modalities. This migration challenged most of the capabilities and readiness among the delivering institutions, teachers, and students along their computer and internet infrastructures with the learners’ parents and relatives as tutors and teachers.

In the Philippines, particularly in the locale of this study, the modalities offered at the outbreak of the pandemic is mostly distance learning with plain self-paced learning modules. This modality escalates the issue on the physical presence of a teacher who teaches the topic at the realms of quality transfer of knowledge in a dialogic and procedural manner ¹. Furthermore, students who come from the Senior High School (SHS) regardless of their origin are accustomed to residential teaching with their teachers who physically teach the lesson in a daily basis. Indeed, the migration from residential to flexible and to fully online is a great challenge in the educational sector as this requires a Learning Management System (LMS) or a clear platform that can cater an online instructional delivery system ².

At the midst of this dramatic shift in modality during this pandemic are the learners who are seemingly left unprepared and unaided. The pivotal issues and concerns especially on the integration of creative innovation and skills for literacy, information, media, and technology across all educational environments and topographies are challenging the students in optimizing their potentials and development towards their studies ³.

Apparently, student-learners who are freshly honed from their secondary education are mostly adjusting in the new normal along their engagement, flexibility in learning, online learning experiences, and self-confidence ^{3, 4, 5, 6}. Students are mostly adjusting in terms of the modalities as their teachers were physically present who patiently taught them during their SHS days.

In the case of the current study, the first-year students who are serving as the informants of this study are the SHS students who were affected by the immediate closure of schools in February 2020, the outbreak of CoViD-19 pandemic. Apparently, their tertiary education for the School Year (SY) 2020-2021 requires an enormous adjustment due to the following reasons: (1) their SHS days are incomplete as schools particularly in the basic education resorted to immediate closure despite the fact that they are still at the middle of the school year with most of the competencies left undeveloped; (2) most of their engagements are face-to-face which were mostly teacher-led; (3) the modality of tertiary education (in the locale of the study) is plain modular teaching to flexible learning, a combination of modular and scheduled online session. It is in the foregoing claims that this study refers to these students as CoViD babies in their tertiary education.

Aptly, several studies claim that students in the midst of the pandemic were really left behind, with Mr. Google as their teacher (7,8,9]. Seemingly, these studies claim further that the learners feel that they do not have their teachers as their encounter is very limited, with at least one session every week, while most of them meet at least a session every month due to some reasons like students do not have gadgets, poor to no internet connectivity, mobility issues due to lockdown problems, among others ^{1, 2}. It is in these premises that this study is conducted.

The crux is: the experiences of these students as they migrate from the residential teaching to flexible learning with the self-paced and online learning modalities needs to be analyzed: their engagement in any modality of the flexible learning in this pandemic turns to be one of the major concerns of educationists and researchers. Their experiences are tantamount to a considerable concordance and comprehensible input towards policy formulations in the conduct of any modality of teaching specific in this pandemic education.

This research explores the experiences of SHS graduates dubbed as CoViD babies who are currently freshmen in their tertiary education during the SY 2020-2021.

Specifically, this research aims to describe the experiences of SHS graduates dubbed as CoViD babies and to capture the factors affecting their academic experiences in their first year in college.

Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) provides a holistic model of the learning process and a multilinear model of adult development, both of which are consistent with what we know about how people learn, grow, and develop. The theory is called “Experiential Learning” to emphasize the central role that experience plays in the learning process, an emphasis that distinguishes ELT from other learning theories. The term “experiential” is used therefore to differentiate ELT both from cognitive learning theories, which tend to emphasize cognition over affect, and behavioral learning theories that deny any role for subjective experience in the learning process. Experiential learning theory defines learning as "the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combination of grasping and transforming experience" ¹⁰.

The ELT model portrays two dialectically related modes of grasping experience -- Concrete Experience (CE) and Abstract Conceptualization (AC) and two dialectically related modes of transforming experience – Reflective Observation (RO) and Active Experimentation (AE).

In the case of the current study, the students merely lack the necessary experiences to amplify their learning due to the prohibitions of the pandemic – the CoViD-19 pandemic. Moreover, the informants also lack the interaction and social connection (relatedness) in teaching and learning which is necessary in the development of the behavioral requirement of learning.

2. Methodology

This study employed the Qualitative Research Design using Narratology as strategy for inquiry. The informants of this study, where the qualitative data came from, were 15 Freshmen College students dubbed as CoViD babies. They came from different schools and they are full-time college students. All of them had voluntarily joined the interview. This is the main qualification for them to become key informants of this study. The informants explained their experiences including a configural mode of understanding and principles – the meanings of their stories and experiences as part of an identity development ¹¹. They eloquently narrated their experiences in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD).

Three of the proponents personally interviewed the informants to gather the needed data in the study. Before the interview was conducted, the interviewers oriented the informants that their participation in the interview is voluntary and they can terminate it anytime. A consent form was signed by the informants. Transcripts of the interview were carefully transcribed and coded which were validated by a researcher whose credibility is beyond compare.

Audit trail was employed in routing the transcripts of the interview to the informants in ascertaining the veracity of the claims. Audit trail is an in-depth approach to illustrating that the transcripts are based on the participants’ narratives. It also involved a description on how the data were gathered and analyzed ^{12, 13}. The transcribed data were routed back among the informants after the transcription process to ascertain the veracity of their claims during the interview and FGD sessions – 100% of the transcripts were documented and processed via audit trail. Moreover, the informants agreed on the transcriptions and vouched for the veracity of the content presented therein to be analogous to what they intend to express. Henceforth, the data are considered verified and valid.

Moreover, the gathered data were analyzed using Thematic Analysis approach in qualitative data analysis that is systematically and rigorously synthesizing unequivocal qualitative data into curated and connected findings in a thematic framework of analysis and presentation ¹⁴. Aptly, the analysis done in the research includes familiarization and organization, coding and recoding, and summarizing and interpreting ¹⁵.

3. Results and Discussion

Based on the narratives of the informants, the experiences of the CoViD babies in their tertiary education centered on their ability on doing self-paced learning modules, adopting to tertiary education, and their readiness to online learning.

Ability on doing self-paced learning modules. The completion of self-paced learning modules is stressing a self-explanatory learning process. Furthermore, while students can easily choose a convenient and accessible online course or degree program, they may encounter major hurdles in establishing a new set of abilities for this sort of instruction ^{9, 16}.

The capacity of the learners to complete self-paced learning modules appears to be less and idle, as the manner of learning is no longer the same as it was previously. Students lack the necessary background knowledge to comprehend the entire module with no teacher or knowledgeable other ¹⁷. It was claimed that modules are mostly difficult to follow and understand, and complicated especially in Mathematics and Laboratory classes.

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the CoViD babies are threatened with their ability in doing self-paced learning modules:

“…It is difficult; learning the modules by myself…” S1

“…Working with modules is very hard. I am not used to having modules. I still prefer the face-to-face…” S2

“…It is hard for me to work on the modules now unlike when we were in SHS. This is different from our SHS life. In SHS, our teachers discuss often; now, it is seldom…” S3

“…I have hardships in working with my modules. Face-to-face is better…” S6

“…I am learning to be independent. I have difficulties in doing my modules…” S7

“…It is hard for me; I am not able in doing modular…” S8

The admissions of the informants reveal further that doing the modules by themselves is already an ordeal. Informant 3 even claimed that this is far different from their usual SHS experiences with their teachers discussing the topics often.

Adapting to tertiary education. Students at the onslaught of the pandemic are challenged to adopt the new norms of their educational procedure and modalities. Some researchers claimed that they should be driven by the need to grow and gain fulfillment in what they do so they would succeed and enjoy the new normal of education ^{2, 18}. In this particular situation, students need to face the new normal of the teaching and learning for them to adopt and adapt mechanisms (autonomy) in responding to various activities that require social connections (relatedness) of the current learning situation. It must be noted that these tasks need to foster self-efficacy (competence) ^{2, 9, 17, 18}.

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the CoViD babies are adapting to the norms of their tertiary education:

“…It is overwhelming, everything is new. I need to adapt…” S9

“…I am trying to adapt with my course. It is difficult…” S14

“…I am trying to learn things, SHS is different. I need to be serious…” S15

Informants are mostly overwhelmed with the desire to adopt and adapt new norms. Informant 15 realized that SHS is different from a tertiary education which further needs a degree of seriousness for them to be in the new norm.

Readiness to online learning. The state of online learning is said to be imperil at the onset of the pandemic, with the state of being untrained and unprepared students coupled with their incapability in terms of gadgets and internet infrastructure.

References ^{2, 3, 4, 5}, and ⁹ claimed that learners are mostly challenged to online learning as many of them are adjusting and finding much difficulty in doing online class. Moreover, it was claimed that the students are reluctant to explore online learning tools which add to their predicament of being unprepared ^{19, 20}.

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the CoViD babies are not ready to go online:

“…I am not prepared for online learning; I am not used to it…” S4

“…Online learning is difficult. It is far different from SHS. I want to personally and physically interact with my professors, classmates. Learning is better in that way…” S5

“…I am not familiar with the online platforms…” S8

“…going online is always a burden for me…” S9

“…I am losing some online discussions. This is my problem…” S11

“…it is really difficult. We do online course and I (we) am not ready for this…” S15

I am surviving, I am adapting, I am passing. Based on the narratives of the informants, the CoViD babies are surviving, adapting, and at least passing in their tertiary education. Out of the 15 informants of the study, seven claimed that they are passing in varying degrees.

Students around the world like in the case of the current study are adamant in pursuing their education despite the new normal which calls for their indulgence to adopt and adapt mechanisms (autonomy) in responding to various activities that require social connections (relatedness) of the current learning situation. It must be noted that these tasks need to foster self-efficacy (competence) ^{2, 9, 17, 18}.

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the CoViD babies are surviving, adapting, and passing:

“… I am surviving (at least) …” S3

“…I am managing well (I believe). I am doing good…” S5

“… I am passing, I am adapting anyway…” S9

“…I am passing, I am doing it great…” S11

“…I am passing although I have difficult times in my studies…” S1

“…I am doing my best. I am doing well (at least) …” S6

“…I had an average performance; my grades are high…” S8

The claims of the respondents as shown in the foregoing transcripts reveal that they are doing their best to adopt and adapt with the new normal in a varying manner.

Based on the narratives of the informants, the factors affecting their tertiary education include the alignment of their program of studies with their strands in SHS, rush adjustment, internet connectivity, and interaction with their professors.

My SHS strand is helping me. In relation to their prior Senior High School courses, students choose their course based on their interest for their future profession as well as future financial and employment issues. They learned a lot that they may apply to themselves in order to better grasp their field of specialization. Their strands equipped them with at least a basic understanding of the various topics covered in their course ^{9, 21, 22}.

Aptly, the claims of the informants add to the concept indicating that different combinations of these SHS strands are related to different measures of academic adjustment and performance. Ultimately, there is a moderating effect of SHS strand on the relationship between academic adjustment and performance ²².

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the SHS Strand of the CoViD babies helps them to do better in their tertiary education.

“… I think my SHS strand is much helping me in my studies…” S2

“…MY SHS strand is similar to what I am studying now. I think it is helpful to me now in doing my studies…” S11

“…My SHS strand helps me to do my works now. It is helpful as I got similar strand (in college) …” S10

“…my strand is helpful but I guess, it is not that much…” S1

SHS strand mismatch. The Department of Education through its Kto12 program created strands that prepare students to their prospective vocations. As such, students in the SHS are made to choose a strand that suits best their potentials and abilities, and talents and skills. Apparently, these strands are not necessary for enrolment for as long as they can qualify for the course despite its misalignment. Furthermore, it was claimed that alignment is present in the majority of the SHS strand and college course of the informants; however, misalignment was also present ^{9, 21, 22}.

Furthermore, it was claimed that the SHS strand moderates the relationship between academic adjustment and performance and this could substantially extend other theories that may be conceptualized in future studies pertaining the performances of students ²².

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the SHS strand mismatch among the CoViD Babies affect their tertiary education.

“…MY SHS strand is not related to my course. It is difficult for me…” S12

“…This course is not my choice and is far different from my SHS strand…” S14

Rush adjustment. School closures owing to the COVID-19 pandemic impacted a large number of students at its peak. Many educational systems responded by quickly establishing remote learning systems to ensure learning continuity; nonetheless, they faced numerous problems. However, issues concerning student safety and privacy online due to lack of access to the internet or specific devices had started to emerge. Teachers who are unfamiliar with remote-learning solutions may find it challenging to adapt subjects or learning activities to these formats. Solutions are unequally distributed by age, subject, and/or language, and that have significant long-term costs, even if they are originally offered for free. Decision-making in education systems is inconsistent across administrative levels, and systems face budget, digital maturity, and operational capacity constraints. Given the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic's growth, systems are now faced with the task of continuously upgrading their remote-learning capacities for the coming academic year. Even in systems that have mostly returned to in-person or hybrid learning, a section of the population will still require a remote approach, and every system must be prepared to revert to a remote model in the event of a resurgence ²⁴.

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the CoViD babies are in rush adjustment for their tertiary education.

“…I am not prepared to rush things…” S13

“…I am stressed. I had a lot of adjustment. SHS is far beyond from a college education…” S13

“…I am not prepared for online learning; I am not used to it…” S4

“…it is really difficult. We do online course and I (we) am not ready for this…” S15

“…I am not totally ready. This course is not my choice and is far different from my SHS strand…” S14

“…working a college education now is difficult – modules, online class. This is difficult and new to me from SHS. It is a rush adjustment…” S7

Internet Difficulty. Philippines is known to have poor to very poor internet connection: the locale of this study is not an excuse of this. While they wanted to join the online classes and do advanced studies by searching the net through google or any other means, students tend to be non-compliant because internet has not reached their locality, if not, internet is intermittent. Moreover, they cannot go to places where internet is available because of the lockdowns implemented during the onslaught of CoViD.

Apparently, students are left unaided with their lessons. In fact, students consider the internet as their source particularly google. Based on the results of some of the studies, students consider Mr. Google and the internet as their teacher as they can consult it anytime and anywhere ^{1, 2, 3, 17}.

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the CoViD babies are burdened with their internet difficulty.

“…I have difficulties in terms of my internet connectivity…” S10

“…I am burdened with my internet as I need to go online most of the times…” S6

Interaction with professors. To reap the full benefits of online learning, a concerted effort must be made by the professors to provide this structure, which must go beyond simply reproducing a physical class or lecture through video capabilities, instead of employing a variety of collaboration tools and engagement methods that promote inclusion, personalization, and intelligence for the students ²⁵.

The following transcripts along the narrations of the informants qualify the claim of this study that the CoViD babies need to interact with their professors and classmates to learn the competencies expected of them in college. This is necessary as they are in the transition period from SHS to College.

“…I need to interact with my professors, classmates. I need this to learn…” S5

“…some professors are not meeting us regularly; so, it is difficult to do the modules…” S12

4. Conclusion

Based on the foregoing results, the following are concluded: (1) the informants are threatened with the competencies and their ability in undergoing the self-paced learning modules are challenged; (2) the informants are adapting to the norms of the new normal in college education; and (3) the informants are not ready to go online. Thus, the CoViD babies are living, adjusting, and at the very least, passing their tertiary education.

The factors affecting the informants’ experiences include the compatibility of their program of study with their strands in SHS, rush adjustment, internet connectivity, and engagement with their teachers are among the aspects affecting their post-secondary education.

5. Implications to Theory and Practice

The state of being unprepared to the new modalities brought by the pandemic, misalignment between the informants’ SHS strand and academic program in their tertiary education, limited online meetings, among other factors, indicate that education in the new normal is threatened in terms of its quality. Henceforth, academic planners, administrators, faculty members, and stakeholders should look into bettering the newly found elements of teaching and learning including the provisions of ICT infrastructures especially in the remote areas. Leaners in these areas should be helped and assisted so they may continue learning despite their proximal distance from their delivering institutions. Services and other reliefs may also be made equitable to all.

References