CHALLENGES OF HOME FACILITATORS IN MODULAR DISTANCE LEARNING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AT KABULUSAN E by bitchayda1

CHALLENGES OF HOME FACILITATORS IN MODULAR DISTANCE LEARNING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AT KABULUSAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: A BASIS FOR INTERVENTION PROGRAM Kristine G. Belando, Geneve B. Malimban, Elizabeth C. Mojica kristine.belando@deped.gov.ph

Kabulusan Elementary School District of Gen. E. Aguinaldo

ABSTRACT During the COVID -19 pandemic, schools around the world closed their doors to reduce the spread of the viral outbreak. Because of the physical closure, there was a rapid shift to remote learning, transferring more responsibility for learning to parents and guardians. The experiences of parents with their children during remote learning, as one of the most important stakeholders in the education process, should be studied in order to inform future policy decisions. Using an online survey, this study sought to investigate parents' experiences and struggles during school closure. Thematic coding was used to analyze parental responses to their greatest educational challenge during the COVID school closure. The findings show that parents supported the school closure policy and were generally pleased with the level of support provided by school districts, despite describing some areas of difficulty. Parents reported difficulty balancing responsibilities, learner motivation, accessibility, and learning outcomes. The study's findings have important implications and recommendations for educators and policymakers. This study examined the challenges faced by home facilitators in the Modular Distance Learning program at Kabulusan Elementary School. This study specifically addressed the following questions:1. What is the demographic profile of home facilitators? 2. What are the difficulties faced by home facilitators in Modular Distance Learning at Kabulusan Elementary School? 3.What interventions will be proposed based on the study's findings to assist home facilitators in providing quality education to the students of Kabulusan Elementary School? Keywords: Home Facilitators, Modular Distance Learning, Challenges, Balancing Responsibilities, Outliers

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is truly a blessing to have a study on the experiences and challenges of teachers and school administrators in a pandemic environment. This attempt aided us in resolving the issue. This study demonstrated that teachers are committed to be a part of solutionseeking endeavor. This attempt will not be possible or effective without the assistance of the following individuals: To our dear PSDS Anacleta B. Incognito, who helped us believed ourselves, who urged us to conduct research studies, a special thanks. To the teachers and school heads who quickly responded the online survey, many thanks for giving us a portion of your time. To GEA-CARE for their utmost encouragement and confidence in us researchers, which motivated us to pursue this research study. To my colleagues, Geneve B. Malimban and Elizabeth C. Mojica who offered their time, effort, and financial support. Without them, this study won’t be possible. Without ceasing to thank all of you. To Russel P. Bitchayda, despite his busy schedule he finds time to give us technical assistance. Without him, our research would not be possible. Above all, we thank our Almighty Father for providing us with the wisdom and strength to persevere.

INTRODUCTION The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the educational system and parents alike. Due to the unexpected closure of schools, students are missing social communication which is essential for better learning and grooming. This has become a tough routine for the parents/guardians or home facilitators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the vast majority of the world's enrolled students were subjected to temporary school closures in an attempt to encourage social distancing and thus slow the virus's spread (Viner et al., 2020). Nearly 200 countries have closed schools, with over 90 percent of these students, ranging from early childhood to higher education, experiencing some form of disruption in their education (UNESCO, 2020). Many countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan, and the United States, have temporarily closed their schools. School closures have had an unprecedented impact on students', families', and communities' daily lives. As they seek refuge in their homes, over half a billion children (Cohen & Kupferschmidt, 2020) have been forced to become virtual-school learners, while parents, siblings, and other family members have taken on new roles as learning facilitators, pseudoteachers, and coaches. Many teachers, families, and students were caught off guard by this abrupt shift, which brought to the surface some of the difficulties and issues associated with increased parental involvement while engaging and attempting to assist their children in various levels and types of learning. The crisis has brought many other issues that need to be urgently addressed, like the shutting down of schools and its effects on learning and the saddle of education on students, parents, and teachers. Almost all governments around the

world have momentarily closed educational institutions in an attempt to hold the stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools are place of social and human dealings. Many children and youth miss out on social contact that is vital to learning and growth (Union, 2020). Our country continues to confront different issues brought about by (COVID19) pandemic, the Department of Education (DepEd) is addressing the challenges in the basic education for the school year 2020-2021. Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) in accordance with DepEd Order No. 012, s. 2020, aims to guarantee the health, safety, and well-being of the learners, teachers, and personnel in the time of COVID-19 while finding ways for education to continue amidst the crisis. The BE-LCP has been designed with a legal scaffold responsive to the “new normal,” keeping in mind the constitutional order to maintain the right of all citizens to quality education at all times. The concern over basic education lies in the magnitude of moving and congregating learners, teachers, and education personnel nationwide amidst COVID-19 pandemic. The survey conducted by Department of Education for School Year (SY) 2019-2020 basic education has a total enrolment of 27, 770,263 learners from kindergarten to Grade 12. According to the results of an online survey conducted by DepEd to determine what its immediate stakeholders think about distance learning, 789,690 respondents (53 percent school personnel, 31 percent parents/guardians, and 16 percent learners) said they are open to having lessons and class activities either online or on

television or radio. This online survey also revealed that parents and guardians are the most open to this type of distance learning, with 59 percent saying they are (DepEd, 2020). While teachers and parents are open to adjusting to the new normal setup, their concerns are valid; however, parents need not worry because teachers will continue to facilitate students' learning. They will also help parents/guardians, home facilitators, and learners respond to and learn the Self Learning Materials and learning activity sheets. Therefore; 100% support and cooperation from parents, guardians, and home facilitators are expected in implementing Modular Distance Learning. This setup will show potential as this will still allow their children to continue to “LEARN” at the safe borders of their homes. (BENDIJO, 2020) According to Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio (San Antonio, 2020), the pandemic is the ideal time for parents to teach their children honesty when answering learning materials. However, this loomed as a big problem to students who do not have anyone to aid learning at home. (Magsambol, 2020) In Gen. E. Aguinaldo, Cavite, specifically at Kabulusan Elementary School, 172 parents were affected by the pandemic due to the abrupt transition from traditional setting to modular distance learning. It is in this context that parents/guardians and home facilitators play a vital role in the fruitful outcome of this endeavor. Their supervision and hold will motivate the kids to work hard and be motivated to study. The Covid-19 pandemic brought the school

personnel, parents, and stakeholders to work hand in hand with for the learners to attain the best quality education that they ought to have. The purpose of this research is to find out the challenges encountered by the home facilitators in the implementation of Modular Distance Learning in Kabulusan Elementary School. Furthermore, the purpose of this research is to determine the methods, interventions, or solutions for assisting home facilitators who are having difficulty with this new learning modality. This study can be used as a basis in developing intervention programs to better understand home facilitator’s readiness to teach and learn through distance learning approach; hence, preserving, and continuing education during the present or future pandemic as well as be prepared for any natural disasters. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE At the moment, the Philippines is still in the process of adapting to the new normal form of education, and the driving force for its victory is the continuous innovation of educators and the dynamic participation of other stakeholders. The Department of Education implemented Modular Distance Learning to ensure that education continues and that every school continues to achieve its mission and vision of providing quality education to every Filipino learner. Distance Learning is a mode of learning delivery in which communication takes place between a teacher and students who are geographically separated from one another during class. This means that the lesson will be delivered in a manner other than the traditional face-to-face format.

Parents would play an active role in the ideal envisioned distance learning approach. They will assist and guide their children through the modular lessons that will be sent to remote learning students. The Department of Education employs three types of learning modes: modular distance learning (MDL), online distance learning (ODL), and television/radio-based instruction. Quinones (Quinones, 2020) According to Bhamani et al, education and all stakeholders around the world have come together to support learning at home giving a wide range of free online avenues to support parents to facilitate home learning. Parents also adapted quickly to fill in the learning gaps that have emerged in their students’ learning in this challenging time. Different styles should be adopted to give vital learning skills to students at home. National information dashboard and educational technology may be used to maintain the students, parents, and schools updated. Wang, et. AL, 2020, said that when parents and children work together in accomplishing their learning activities, bonding between them increases. This will allow parents to become a source of comfort in minimizing the anxiety in their children. It is recommended that parents should be taught interventions on providing emotional support to children at this time of uncertainties Covid-19 pandemic brought huge problems to parents assisting their children during distance learning. Aside from their daily routine at home, they also performed the responsibility of helping the school in teaching students, (Abuhammad, S. 2020). Y. Dangle, et al (2020) claims that the main challenges in modular distance learning were a lack of school funding in the production and delivery of modules;

students' struggles with self-studying; and parents' inability to academically guide their child/children. Additionally, modular distance learning takes in consideration the learners in rural places where the net is not available for online learning. The responsibility of monitoring the expansion of the learners is given to teachers. The learners may communicate with their teachers thru text messaging or call, Facebook messengers and other communication channels available in the area. If possible, the teacher shall do home visitation to learners who needs remediation or assistance (Llego, n.d.). Local Government Officials, teachers, and parents can help in the distribution and retrieval of the printed modules. In education, parents work alongside teachers as partners. Parents play a very important role as home facilitators. Their main role in modular learning is to create a link and guide the child in this tough time. (Flip Science, 2020). According to the Department of Education (DepEd), parents and guardians perform various roles in Modular Learning such as Module-ator, Bundy-clock, and as Home Innovator. As a Module-actor, parents are the ones to submit and receive the Self- Learning Modules from schools or barangays. As a Bundy-clock, they are the one who must check their child's schedule or weekly home learning plan. Lastly, as Home Innovator, they must also provide their child with a productive learning atmosphere to help them focus more on Learning.

The benefits of using modules for instruction are the acquirement of enhanced selfstudy or learning skills among students, widen a sense of responsibility, and learner’s progress on their own. They are learning how to learn and growing in selfsufficiency (Nardo, M.T.B, 2017). Advantages of modular instruction include more choice and self-pacing for students; more diversity and flexibility for teachers and staff; and improved flexibility of instructional materials. The negative aspects consist of more self-control and selfmotivation required for learners, improved performance time and the absence of concrete rewards for educators and staff, and more administrative sources had to track learners and perform more than one module. Although Modular Distance Learning promises advantages in the learning process, our country is still adjusting from the traditional school setup that our students were used to. In this most challenging time, the role of teachers is to find ways to help our parents and home facilitators to deliver quality education to our students. In traditional school settings, parental involvement is an important factor in student achievement. Parental support has been shown to improve learner success in a virtual learning environment (Borup et al. 2014; Feng and Cavanaugh, 2011; Lee and Figueroa, 2012 Woofter, 2019; Makrooni, 2019). However, as their children participate in online education, parents must assume new and unfamiliar roles and responsibilities, as well as increasing instructional responsibility for their child's learning (Liu et al., 2010). As a result, parents frequently struggle to understand their role in their children's online learning (Boulton,2008; Murphy & RodriguezManzanares, 2009). Parents have mixed feelings about remote learning. Some parents are more invested in their child's academic performance, while others see it

as a burden (Selwyn et al., 2011). Sorensen’s (2012) study revealed the most difficult and beneficial parental aspects of online learning include keeping their children on track while completing their coursework and interacting with the child's online teachers. Furthermore, schools and teachers simply do not have enough guidance to improve parental engagement, especially when it comes to the effective use of technology (Goodall, 2016). The following are some of the issues that may have an impact on parental involvement in remote learning settings: a scarcity of financial resources (Hohlfeld et al., 2010); a scarcity of internet access (Hollingworth et al., 2011); a lack of technological interest (Beckman et al., 2019); and a lack of digital self-efficacy (Povey et al., 2016).According to pre-pandemic research on virtual school learning environments, parents serve as learning coaches for students who spend a significant amount of their time online. day in an online environment (Hasler Waters & Leong, 2014). When teachers were polled, they identified the following parental scaffolds as beneficial to the virtual learner: (a) organizing and managing students' schedules, (b) cultivating relationships and interactions, (c) observing and motivating student engagement, and (d) instructing students as needed (Borup, 2016). The current literature base and empirical research on parental involvement and problems in their children's learning experiences are primarily focused on the traditional school site-based setting, despite evidence that parental involvement in an online environment may differ significantly (Liu et al., 2010).Several calls for more research to better understand parental involvement in remote learning have been made (Black, 2009; Cavanaugh et al., 2009; Rice, 2009).Parents' skills, struggles, and needs in remote learning environments must be thoroughly investigated as clear stakeholders in their children's academic achievement. Because of the rapid global

shift to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, an examination of parents' experiences and needs in the remote learning environment is required. Aside from the pandemic, one of the fastest-growing educational trends in the last decade has been identified as online education (Watson et al., 2011). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that explicitly examines the effects of school closures on parents. A study of parents' experiences and challenges may produce useful data and identify trends that can be used to inform the development of programs and policies that address parental needs in this online learning environment. Given these documented needs, the goal of this study is to uncover self-identified issues and struggles that parent have encountered while participating in their children's remote learning during the COVID-19 school transitions from traditional classroom learning environments. Nonetheless, despite efforts to assist parents in this difficult task, struggles are unavoidable when parents educate their children at home (Garbe et al., 2020). For example, Lee et al. (2020) reported that during the acute phase of the COVID-19 crisis, half of the American parents polled felt overburdened by responsibilities to educate their child at home, resulting in major depression and moderate to severe anxiety. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The purpose of this study was to look into the difficulties faced by home facilitators in the Modular Distance Learning program at Kabulusan Elementary School. The following questions were specifically addressed in this study: 1.What is the demographic profile of home facilitators? 2. What are the difficulties faced by home facilitators in Modular Distance Learning at Kabulusan Elementary School?

3.What interventions will be proposed based on the study's findings to assist home facilitators in providing quality education to the students of Kabulusan Elementary School? SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS All home facilitators, parents, and guardians of students in grades one through six at Kabulusan Elementary School are included in this study. A survey questionnaire designed by the researchers was used in this study. Face-to-face interviews were also conducted with participants who followed the most basic health protocols. The sample for this study included 67 parents. In this sample, 60 people identified as mothers, while 7 identified as fathers. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The survey design was used in this study to determine the challenges on the home facilitators in Modular Distance Learning Modality (MDLM), and the descriptive design was used to identify the various solutions to these challenges. A survey was used to collect the opinions and recommendations of home facilitators, specifically questionnaires with open-ended questions. a. Sampling Data were gathered from a sample of parents who had at least one child who attended a traditional learning environment at a physical school prior to school closures due to the pandemic and transitions to remote learning formats. This study's sample consisted of 67 parents. In this sample, 60 people identified as mothers and 7 as fathers. Requested age and educational attainment were among the demographic information provided by respondents. 1 parent stated that he or she has a graduate degree (Master's or higher). 9 had a bachelor’s degree, 54 had completed high

school, and 3 had completed elementary school. The survey began on September 8, 2021 and concluded on November 17, 2021. Schools were physically closed after the open-ended survey questions were completed, and remote learning environments were established. b. Data collection This study used an online and select face to face survey with an open-ended questionnaire developed by the researchers, and all participants provided informed consent. The survey included some socio-demographic information as well as a variety of questions designed to elicit parental perspectives on difficulties encountered during school closures. During the COVID-19 school closures, one open-ended question asked parents about their greatest educational challenge while their children were being educated remotely. The data was manually thematized. c. Data analysis The researchers analyzed data in both quantitative and qualitative ways. The descriptive method of research was used by the researchers to answer the questions about the challenges of home facilitators in distance learning. Primary data were gathered in order to achieve the study's objectives. The researchers employed thematic coding, which entails identifying text passages that are linked by a common theme (Gibbs, 2007). This coding process allows for the categorization of codes, allowing for thematic analysis of ideas in the end. d. Ethical issues Throughout the research, ethical concerns were considered. Permission from the school principal and PSDS were secured. The participants were sent an informed consent message via social media and asked to volunteer for the study while understanding their right to withdraw and refuse. There was no data sought that could reveal participants' direct identities, such as names, phone numbers, addresses, areas, or national identification numbers. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATION

The descriptive questions are presented first, followed by a thematic analysis of parents' struggles under four themes in the following section. According to survey results, nearly 89.3 percent of parents either strongly agreed or agreed with the school closure policy at the time. Only 5% (4.9%) either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the decision to close schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Demographic Profile___________________________________________________ __Sex________________ Age___________ Educational Background_____ Male Female

10.4 % 89.6%

20-30 31-40 41-50 51-60

29.9% 38.8% 25.4% 6%

Elementary Secondary Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree

4.5% 80.6% 13.4% 1%

_Total_______100%_____________100%_________________________100%_________

The data shows that the respondents were dominated by women which comprises of 60 of the total population and 7 men. There 4 aged 51-40, 17 aged 41-50, 26 aged 31-40, and 20 aged 20-30. Majority of the respondents finished secondary school and there was a minimal count of respondents who finished elementary, bachelor and master’s degree. Table 1 Parent Struggle with Remote Learning________________ What is your biggest challenge? _______ _________ __ _ SA

Balancing parent employment demands, and learner needs Balancing multiple levels of learners in home

32.8

58.2

8.9

28.3

61.1

10.4

Personal balance

31.3

58.2

10.4

Parent feels overwhelmed

25.3

65.6

8.9

Parents are comfortable getting the supplies of their child/children need.

38.8

53.7

7.4

1.4

Balancing Responsibilities

___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ There were four themes emerged in the study such as: balancing responsibility, accessibility, educational resources, and outliers. These themes explained the challenges encountered by home facilitator in remote learning. Table 1 Balancing Responsibility The occurrence of school closure and remote schooling presented a struggle to balance responsibilities for many participant respondents. Respondents frequently

expressed concern about multiple responsibilities competing for limited time and energy resources. Researchers identified four distinct struggles: balancing parent employment demands, and learner needs, assisting multiple children in the home with learning, a lack of personal balance, and a parent who feels overwhelmed. Balancing parent employment demands, and learner needs The struggle to balance parent employment demands and learner needs was the single-most commonly reported struggle. 58.2 percent respondents noted difficulty with completing job-related tasks and supporting their child(ren) in completing schoolwork during the COVID school closures. One parent commented: “Ang aking asawa at ako ay parehong manggagawa at nagpupumilit na maibigay ang atensyon/interaksyon na kailangan ng aking mga anak kasama ng aming sariling gawain.” "My husband and I are both essential workers who struggle to provide for our families, and my children require attention and interaction on top of our own work." Balancing multiple levels of learning A second scenario that presented a challenge in terms of balancing responsibilities was assisting multiple children in the home with their learning. “Try to help two kids with different subjects at the same time," one respondent described the difficulty. Another respondent stated that her most difficult challenge was "three children at different skill levels with varying motivation and ability to focus on tasks at hand. “Meeting the needs of multiple children in the home was cited as a challenge by 89.4 percent of respondents. This included the challenge of meeting the needs of preschool-age children while also promoting schooling. Personal Balance Seven respondents reported a struggle to find personal balance. These respondents described having insufficient time to meet all their responsibilities, including supporting children’s schooling, while maintaining personal time for selfcare. One parent commented: “Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang aking uunahin minsan nakaklimutan ko nang maghilamos.”

"I don't know which one to prioritize and sometimes I forgot to wash my face " Parents feel overwhelmed The final category of comments under balancing responsibilities is "parent feels overwhelmed. “As adults, 89.2 percent of those polled reported feeling overwhelmed as a result of a factor or circumstance. One respondent described the number of resources available as overwhelming: "I'm feeling overwhelmed as a parent with the number of resources available." They aren't all expected, but it's difficult to sort through them all. "Trying to balance working, quality time with my kids, housework, getting my master's degree online, and maintaining my own mental health has been my biggest struggle." Parents are comfortable getting the supplies of their child/children need. Surprisingly, 92.5 percent of the respondents agreed that they have no problem encountered on getting the supplies needed for their children as regards to resources to continue home learning. Table 2 Accessibility________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ SA

59.7

44.7

10.4

I have enough knowledge of teaching the lesson.

14.9

65.6

19.4

I felt that communication between parents and teachers was good.

82.0

19.4

There is a lack of Technology Hardware or Internet Quality available in my student’s lesson.

59.7

40.2

Accessibility I meet the needs of my student with special needs.

___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Accessibility The accessibility theme was identified as the second identified theme. Many respondents described barriers that prevent students from fully engaging with remote learning opportunities. These concerns were grouped under the accessibility theme.

Learner special needs, lack of parent content knowledge or pedagogy, need for teacher communication, lack of access to technology hardware or internet quality, and lack of online resource organization were identified as five subthemes that impacted accessibility. Learner Special Needs The most frequently mentioned barrier by participants was learner special needs. During the COVID school closure, 55.1 percent of participants reported struggling to meet their children's disability-related or gifted and talented needs. One respondent mentioned her child's math special needs and described remote learning opportunities as providing less differentiated support than traditional school instruction: "The math activities sent home for my son's class are FAR too easy for him, and it's up to me to differentiate his instruction and find him more difficult concepts to learn, whereas if he were in school, that would be the responsibility of the teacher." Lack of Parent Content Knowledge or Pedagogy Nine participants identified a barrier as a lack of parent content knowledge or pedagogy. Respondents who identified content knowledge or pedagogy as their primary challenges discussed their lack of training to become educators. Three of the nine comments coded as lack of parent content knowledge or pedagogy from survey participants specifically noted the respondent's self-identification of a lack of capital to help students in the area of mathematics. "Mathematics is not mom's long [sic] suit," one respondent opined. Three comments alluded to a lack of training or pedagogical knowledge in meeting the needs of students identified as having special education needs. One respondent's feeling of a lack of pedagogical knowledge to assist a son in special education programming is exemplified by the following comment: "Our son is in special learning programs for a reason. We are not at ease because we are attempting to compensate for his learning abilities despite the fact that we are not teaching professionals. “One commenter expressed frustration with a

lack of comprehension of the reading curriculum. Two participants commented on a lack of general pedagogical knowledge or teacher training, while one simply stated, "My greatest struggle is that I am not an educator." Need for Teacher Communication For some, another barrier existed in the form of a need for teacher communication. One hundred percent of those who reported this need articulated a variety of underlying scenarios that prompted the need for communication. One respondent simply mentioned the difficulty of "unclear expectations," while another implied the need for teacher communication stemming from a desire for guidance on using online resources and clarification on procedures: ". . . determining what they are supposed to do, how to use the numerous websites, and how to submit to the teacher." Lack of Technology Hardware or Internet Quality 59.7 percent strongly agreed, and 40.2 percent agreed that a lack of technological hardware or internet quality created a learning barrier. This category includes issues such as a lack of devices, internet, and broadband, as well as other technological issues that impede remote learning. "The internet isn't the best, so it's hard for them to do assignments when it doesn't load, and they only have two devices, and only one works better than the other," one parent explained. We also don't have regular internet and rely on our phones' mobile hotspots to power our devices." Ten people expressed a specific need for online resource organization. These participants expressed difficulty accessing online resources due to a lack of resources or uncertainty about how to access the online resources. "All of the online resources are in different places, very spread out, and hard to keep track of having multiple platforms of receiving and doing schoolwork all on different sites," one response explained. Table 3 Educational Resources_______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________ Educational Resources

The module provides up -to -date and helpful information and guidance at the beginning of the lesson. The learning objectives and outcomes of the module are clear to me. The module is well organized.

83.5

16.4

59.7

13.4

14.9

11.9

59.7

13.4

14.9

11.9

I was provided with up -to -date and helpful information and guidance on assessment requirements and criteria. Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the module.

82.0

13.4

4.4

89.5

104

___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ According to the table, 83.5 percent of respondents agreed that the modules provided were up-to-date and useful information and guidance at the start of the lesson. The objectives and specific or anticipated outputs were well explained. However, in one case, 26.8 percent of respondents strongly disagreed that the modules were well organized. There were some misspellings and typos. Eighty-two percent agreed that they were given useful information and guidance on the assessments required to complete the task. Despite the minor issues encountered, 89.5 percent strongly agreed that they are satisfied with the module because teachers are very responsive to their questions. Table 4 Outliers____________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________

I am not experiencing any problem with the implemented modular distance learning.

7.4

4.5

88.0

I am experiencing emotional distress in this situation.

97.0

2.99

Outliers

___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Outliers

Outliers, the fourth and final theme, is defined as a response that is not captured by other themes but is significant enough to code. There is no struggle and a significant emotional toll. No Struggle There were 7 responses that strongly agreed and 3 responses that agreed that there were no struggles or difficulties as a home facilitator. No Struggle indicates that the respondent stated that they were not having any difficulties, or that the researcher inferred that the respondent was not having any difficulties. Out of the two no struggles identified, two respondents provided a simple, straightforward response: "I don't currently have any struggles in this area" and "NA." Also falling under the outliers theme is a response that does not clearly indicate whether the described situation is one that the respondent is experiencing or a hypothetical situation: “They try to recreate a school day, doing homework in each subject, as if the parent is taking the time to devote to that education." "And every child in a family adds to the amount of time required. So, even if each child could complete all of their work in two hours, if you have three children, that's six hours per day. If mom and dad are fortunate enough to have jobs, they are unable to give this time to their children while also working and having all of the quality time that we are supposed to have. Oh, and cook, clean, and keep supplies in stock without making too many trips to the store." Because the researchers were unsure whether this comment represented the survey participant's struggles or was meant to be representative of typical struggles during remote learning, they coded the comment as an outlier. However, the response emphasizes the difficulties that many families face, according to the data. In addition to their normal responsibilities of work and family, parents have now been

assigned the role of primary teacher, which has created additional difficulties for most parents. Significant Emotional Toll The significant emotional toll that parents reported as a result of their children's remote support was coded into a subtheme within the Outliers theme. This subtheme was defined by researchers as a strong emotional response implying the emotional hardships parents face during school closures. Here's an example of a response that captures the essence of the theme: "My son behaves differently at school than at home (at school he is easygoing and cooperative but vice versa and inflexible at home)." Finally, I can't stand being with my kids all day, every day. “ The four data-driven themes paint a picture of stressors and parents' concerns for themselves and their children. CONCLUSION This study sought to investigate parents' experiences and challenges with remote learning during school closures due to COVID-19. States have imposed school closures until further notice in order to 'flatten the curve.' Parents were first asked about their experiences in order to learn more about them as to how they felt about the school closure, and then what their main challenges were while assisting their children with schoolwork at home. It is worth noting that this was one of the first studies to look into the immediate impact of the pandemic on education. The survey was distributed.to parents while remote learning was taking place during the school year. As a result of this research, significant preliminary findings on the impact of the pandemic on one of education's stakeholders, parents. Almost all of the parents polled in the study agreed with the school closure policy. Parents appeared to have a proclivity to "survive and then thrive" (Clark et al., 2020). Individuals' most basic needs must be met in order to achieve higher level needs, according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Steere, 1988). In the hierarchy, safety and health are basic

needs (Maslow, 1943). As a result, parents may have prioritized their children's safety and health. The pandemic was still spreading quickly at the time of this study. Parents' feelings about the school's closure. Parental responsibilities increase as a result of school closures. The majority of the parents in the study stated that they believed they had adequate resources. Furthermore, the vast majority of parents polled were pleased with the level of support provided by their child's school during the COVID-19 closure. In line with this finding, a recent Pew Research Center (2020) survey found that 83 percent of parents were somewhat satisfied with how their children's school handled instruction during the closures. One plausible explanation for this result is that parents are not prepared to process and utilize those resources and believe they should be reliant on what school districts provide them. The outcome may also indicate that schools were able to assist parents with resources for remote learning at home. Researchers classified difficulties based on responses from parents about their difficulties. With regard to balancing responsibilities, accessibility, and learning resources, as well as outliers. Responsibilities must be balanced. These concerns are understandably related to the parents' level of preparedness. Because the pandemic was unexpected and unexpected, parents were caught off guard. That is why they would struggle to balance their work, home, and teaching responsibilities. Their workplaces were not as well prepared. Parents were attempting to work remotely or were unable to work while caring for children and assisting them with their education, with no idea how long the closure would last. Accessibility The learner's special needs were the most prevalent issue affecting accessibility. Prior to COVID school closures, extended school closures were uncommon and only occurred in rare cases due to natural disasters (Wong, et. al, 2014). Many students' special learning needs were unmet by teachers due to a lack

of school capacity, internet access, and diverse students' special needs, and they were also unmet by parents due to a lack of time, content knowledge or pedagogy, communication, and/or resources. Teachers are masters of content, pedagogy, and communication in the traditional school setting. Learning resources One of the major issues that arose during the implementation of Modular Distance Learning was the large number of activities in each module. The Department of Education should consider this issue, reduce activities, and eliminate unnecessary topics so that mastery is attained to the greatest extent possible. According to some of the parents, the less there is, the better. One of the students' concerns is that they will not have enough time to complete all of the modules in a week. As a result, if DepEd is unable to extend the time required to complete the modules, the activities must be reduced. We are all aware that mistakes cannot always be avoided. As a result, teachers should re-evaluate the modules and ensure that all lessons or activities are appropriate to the needs of the students. Both the parents and the students are correct; the instructions in each exercise must be clear enough for the students to understand. Topics should be simplified, and more examples should be provided by teachers. Outliers Outliers was created as a final theme to categorize several responses that did not naturally fit into other themes and had only a few responses. It is worth noting that a few respondents stated that they did not encounter any difficulties with remote learning. Reasons for no struggle, as identified in the current study and others, can include having older children who can self-manage (motivation, academic learning, and technology accessibility), as well as the parent's ability to balance household and professional responsibilities. This could also be due to flexible work situations and significant others working from home and/or with flexible work situations. It is

unusual for parents to have no difficulties with remote learning. A discussion of the data obtained from the survey asking parents what their biggest educational struggle is while their children are home during the COVID-19 school closure would be incomplete unless the emotional toll remote learning (and other factors, most likely) has taken on them is brought to light. Increased time with family members is a byproduct of remote learning when combined with stay-at-home orders, which has the potential to be stressful. Last but not least, I can't stand being around my kids all day every day." Wearing the many hats of teacher, parent, chef, employee, and so on is difficult on any given day; doing so for two children with special needs is questionably even more difficult. RECOMMENDATION Based on our data analysis and interpretation, we have made the following recommendations to school districts, teachers, and policymakers. Moving forward with remote learning will require districts and teachers to understand the continuum of home lives and concerns (or lack thereof) that parents have, as well as work to meet the needs of each family. While this is not an easy task, it is comparable to the best practice of establishing relationships with each student. The researchers reached the following conclusion: Online learning environments that are interactive, flexible, and supportive have the potential to combat social isolation and increase social presence, teachers, on the other hand, required ongoing assistance in learning how to to accomplish this while maintaining the practice (Linton, 2016). Building relationships with students, as well as relationships with parents, must continue in order to understand their current difficulties. . Similarly, educators should continue to differentiate their practices for families, some of which report significant difficulties while others report no difficulties. This is similar to differentiating instruction for students, which has been shown to improve

student achievement (Rasmitadila, 2020; Tomlinson, 2000).Teachers strive to differentiate instruction on a daily basis, frequently incorporating specific supports into the classroom and lesson plans. Attention must be paid to a wide range of family situations at the district level. Families who are struggling to survive. Throughout the day, they require different types of supports and resources than thriving families and report no struggles. Prior to COVID school closures, many districts worked to implement a guaranteed and viable curriculum in order to reduce the risk of students failing to learn. Districts will need to review the defined guaranteed and viable curriculum and develop a plan to implement a guaranteed and viable curriculum through alternative modes as they transition to remote, online, and blended learning. A dependable and viable curriculum strikes at the heart of accessibility. It is recommended that districts consider ways to mitigate known accessibility issues, such as special learner needs, a lack of technology access, assistance with learning tasks and resource navigation, and the presence of a learning coach. A guaranteed and viable curriculum, in particular, should address the need for a learning coach, a person present in the remote learning location—family member or otherwise—or a school district employee who can support the learning process throughout the school day. One approach to increasing accessibility is to increase parent pedagogical and content knowledge. The provision of district-assigned learning coaches to assist students in their learning and completion of assigned tasks has the potential to alleviate this accessibility issue. There is also a need to address the lack of supports for students with special learning needs.

Additionally, when considering how to plan remote

learning in the future, schools may need to account for students' interpretation of remote learning and pass/fail grading systems. Learning outcomes based on

socialization, interpersonal relationships, and interpersonal problem-solving must be given special consideration. Young learners, in particular, engage in play-based learning, where they learn skills like turn-taking, group work, and developing positive relationships with peers. These types of interactions and learning activities are unique to the lower grades and necessitate interaction with classmates. Teachers and schools must provide the appropriate level of assistance to parents. They require teachers and schools who recognize that they are barely surviving each day and are doing everything they can to support students. They will not be able to maintain a healthy mental and emotional state or support their children if they do not receive support and even acknowledgement of their feelings. The findings of this study suggest that some parent training programs should be developed in the future. Given the difficulties identified in this study, educators and policymakers should organize some training programs on effective remote learning at home for parents. Many school districts required teachers and other school personnel to contact families in order to determine what supports each family required. In conclusion, even though parents supported the school closure policy, school closures caused some issues with remote learning at home. This preliminary study highlighted the importance of investigating parents' concerns about remote learning. We must arm parents with effective strategies for caring for and protecting the world's future. Research and discussions that consider the perspectives of parents on the impact of a pandemic would aid educators and policymakers in future academic planning. This also provided a simple intervention plan in order to uplift and enhance the knowledge of the facilitator on how to handle different situations while facilitating remote learning to students and also help our home facilitator to keep sound emotional and mental well-being.

Proposed Intervention Plan/Program To home facilitators with internet access, a scheduled or continuous information dissemination and training on the use of online platforms in relation to gathering or finding reliable sources of information about the subjects is provided. Kumustahan ng mga Tagapangalaga ng Kaalaman where The main goal will be to provide constant upliftment of the spirits of the home facilitators in order to maintain their sound mental well-being A symposium on mental health and balancing responsibilities at home in the midst of a pandemic. Home visits to identified parents or learners who are underperforming in the completion of activities. DISSEMINATION AND ADVOCACY PLANS This research is intended to be disseminated in the district, division, regional and even national conferences and published in publications and websites.

Activities

Gathering of Data Discussion, interpretation, and data analysis Finalization of Research Paper Information Dissemination

July 2021

AugustSeptember 2021

October-1st week of November

2nd week of November -December 2021

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Hollingworth, S., Mansaray, A., Allen, K., & Rose, A. (2011). Parents’ perspectives on technology and children’s learning in the home: Social class and the role of the habitus. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27, 347–360. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00431.x Kato, K. (2018). Cultural understandings of mental health: The role of language and ethnic identity. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 5(1), 58-73. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/102 Lee, M., & Figueroa, R. (2012). Internal and external indicators of virtual learning success a guide to success in k-12 virtual learning. Distance Learning, 9(1), 21-28. Linton, J. (2016). Electronic learning communities as a support for building relationships withstudents in a statewide virtual high school. Journal of Online Learning Research, 2(4), 419-445. Liu, F., Black, E., Algina, J., Cavanaugh, C., & Dawson, K. (2010). The validation of one parental involvement measurement in virtual schooling. Journal of Interactive Online Learning, 9(2), 105–132. Makrooni, G. (2019). Being a First-Generation Migrant Family Student in Finland: Perceptions and experiences of the Educational Journey to Higher Education. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 6(3), 157-170. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/293 Rachmadtullah, R., Aliyyah, R. R., Samsudin, A., Syaodih, E., Nurtanto, M., & Tambunan, A. R. S. (2020). The Perceptions of Primary School Teachers of Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: A Case Study in Indonesia. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 7(2), 90-109. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/388 Rashid, H., Ridda, I., King, C., Begun, M., Tekin, H., Wood, J. G., & Booy, R. (2015). Evidence compendium and advice on social distancing and other related measures for response to an influenza pandemic. Paediatric Respiratory Reviews, 16(2), 119-126.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prrv.2014.01.003 Saldaña, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Sage. Selwyn, N., Banaji, S., Hadjithoma‐Garstka, C., & Clark, W. (2011). Providing a platform for parents? Exploring the nature of parental engagement with school learning platforms. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27(4), 314-323. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.13652729.2011.00428.x Sorensen, C. (2012). Learning online at the K-12 level: A parent/guardian perspective. International Journal of Instructional Media, 39(4), 297-307.

Tomlinson, C. A. (2000). Differentiation of instruction in the elementary grades (ED443572). ERIC Document Reproduction Service. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020, July 8). Employment characteristics of families: Summary. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/famee.nr0.htm UNESCO. (2020, May 13) Reopening schools: When where and how? https://en.unesco.org/news/reopening-schools-when-where-and-how Viner, R. M., Russell, S. J., Croker, H., Packer, J., Ward, J., Stansfield, C., Mytton, O., Bonell, C. & Booy, R. (2020). School closure and management practices during Coronavirus outbreaks including COVID-19: A rapid systematic review. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 4(3), 397-404. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(20)30095-X Watson, J., Murin, A., Vashaw, L., Gemin, B., & Rapp, C. (2011). Keeping pace with k12 online learning: An annual review of policy and practice, 2011. Evergreen Education Group. Wheeler Report. (2020, July 8). Education and COVID-19 – Part II – Technology – The Wheeler Report. http://www.thewheelerreport.com/blog/2020/06/17/education-and-covid-19partii-technology. Wong, K. K., Shi, J., Gao, H., Zheteyeva, Y. A., Lane, K., Copeland, D. Hendricks, J., McMurray, L., Sliger, K., Rainey, J. J., & Uzicani, A. (2014). Why is school closed today? Unplanned K-12 school closures in the United States, 2011– 2013. PLoS ONE 9(12), e113755. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113755 Woofter, S. (2019). Book Review: Building Equity: Policies and Practices to Empower All Learners. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 3(1), 136-139. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/5815 Wang, G., Zhang, Y., Zhao, J., Zhang, J., & Jiang, F. (2020). Mitigate the effects of home confinement on children during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet, 395(10228), 945-947. FINANCIAL REPORT Item/s

Amount Per Activity

Quantity

Amount

Materials (ink, bond paper, envelops, folders)

3,500.00

Information Dissemination

5,000.00

Total

8,500.00

ANNEXES a. Declaration of Originality b. Instrument DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY, ANTI-PLAGIARISM, AND ABSENCE OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST We, KRISTINE G. BELANO, GENEVE B. MALIMBAN and ELIZABETH C. MOJICA, understand that plagiarism is an act of taking and using another's ideas and works and passing them off as one's own. This includes explicitly copying the whole work of another person or using some parts of their work without proper acknowledgment and referencing. We hereby attest to the originality of this research proposal and have cited properly all the references used. I further commit that all deliverables and the final research study emanating from this proposal shall be of original content. I shall use appropriate citations in referencing other works from various sources. We understand that a violation from this declaration and commitment shall be subject to consequences and shall be dealt with accordingly by the Department of Education. Proponent: Signature: Date:

KRISTINE G. BELANDO

Proponent: Signature: Date:

GENEVE B. MALIMBAN

November 19, 2021

Proponent: ELIZABETH C. MOJICA Signature: Date: November 19, 2021

INSTRUMENT (Home Facilitator Respondents)

General Directions: Please answer the questionnaire with utmost honesty. Rest assured that answers, data, and other information are confidential.

PART I – PROFILE OF THE HOME FACILATATOR Name:_________________________________________________ (optional)

Sex: __________________ Male:_________ Female: __________

Age:_____________

Educational Attainment: _____________________ Secondary (High School) _____________________ Elementary _____________________ Bachelor’s Degree _____________________ Master’s Degree _____________________ Others

Part II. CHALLENGES OF HOME FACILITATORS IN MODULAR DISTANCE LEARNING DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC AT KABULUSAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: A BASIS FOR INTERVENTION PROGRAM

Directions: Please rate the following questions/statements by checking the appropriate box. Give assessment on the challenges of home facilitators as the learners’ facilitator in the new normal education. Use the scale below: SCALE 4 – Strongly Agree 3 – Agree 2 – Disagree 1 – Strongly Disagree

Theme A. Balancing Responsibilities 1. Balancing parent employment demands, and learner needs 2. Balancing multiple levels of learners in home 3. Personal balance 4. Parents feel overwhelmed 5. Parents are comfortable getting the supplies of their child/children need. B. Accessibility 1. I meet the needs of my student with special needs. 2. I have enough knowledge of teaching the lesson 3. I felt that communication between parents and teachers was good. 4. There is a lack of Technology Hardware or Internet

Strongly Agree (4)

Disagree (3)

Disagree (2)

Strongly Disagree (1)

Quality available in my student’s lesson. C. Educational Resources 1. The module provides up -to -date and helpful information and guidance at the beginning of the lesson. 2. The learning objectives and outcomes of the module are clear to me. 3. The module is well organized. 4. I was provided with up -to -date and helpful information and guidance on assessment requirements and criteria. 5. Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the module. D. Outliers 1. I am not experiencing any problem with the implemented modular distance learning. 2. I am experiencing emotional distress in this situation. Questions 1. What was the most difficult thing you experienced while serving as a facilitator at home? ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 2. What is the best experience you have had as a home study facilitator? ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ 1. What suggestions or recommendations would you like to share to improve your child's performance?

Validated by:

MARY ANN B. GATPANDAN

Master Teacher I Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________