Challenges Encountered in Virtual Learning by the BSED Science Majors at Bestlink College of the Philippines: Towards a Guide

Abstract

The education sector is highly affected by the current crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and this happening has a massive impact on the student population globally, making studying almost impossible. Still, the DepEd insisted that no student should be left behind. In line with this, the Philippines shifted to a new mode of distance learning, which can be synchronous or asynchronous. To keep up with the current situation, Bestlink College of the Philippines has developed two modalities, online learning and modular learning, to ensure the continuity of its students. Considering this scenario, the researchers conducted a study focusing on students' challenges in a new learning environment. Consequently, this study aimed to identify the challenges and provide possible solutions to mitigate the difficulties faced by the students.  

The researchers used a descriptive method design in this study. Fifty (50) students were chosen from the first to the fourth year of the Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Science at Bestlink College of the Philippines during the academic year 2021–2022 to respond to the survey questionnaire to determine the challenges they encountered during their virtual learning. A basic random sampling was used to select the respondents from the population.  

The findings revealed that respondents encountered weak signals in virtual learning, resulting in a slow internet connection with a weighted mean of 3.22 and a verbal interpretation of “Sometimes. “This was a frequent challenge experienced by the respondents regarding technological aspects. With a weighted mean of 3.58 and a verbal interpretation of “often” as an individual challenge for the respondents in the virtual class, the respondents gradually lost motivation, interest, and emotional stability. 

Moreover, in the domestic aspect, the respondents are uncomfortable and can’t focus in a virtual class due to the many household chores that hinder their learning. With a verbal interpretation of “all the time,” this resulted in a weighted mean of 3.32. In institutional aspects, the result revealed that the respondents frequently encounter bugs and errors in the Learning Management System of Bestlink College of the Philippines. It was based on the results of the survey. However, despite the changes in the learning setup and the challenges associated with virtual learning, most students got good grades during face-to-face classes, not far from their grades.  

The results demonstrate that teachers should be considerate of students who have slow internet connections; students should try to find ways to motivate themselves to continue studying; parents should distribute household chores evenly; institutions should have a planned schedule for shutting down and fixing courseware; and establish a question parking lot. In addition, all the parties affected by the new learning set-up, students, parents, teachers, and institutions, should support one another to lessen the difficulties and ensure that the student’s academic performance in virtual learning is maintained despite the pandemic crisis.