Adapting to Change: The Evolution of Education in the Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Education is a way for the general populace to learn. Education can be thought of as the transmission of the qualities and gathered information to the general public. Children—whether conceived among New Guinea tribespeople, the Renaissance Florentines, or the middle classes of Manhattan—are born without culture. Education intends to guide them in learning a culture, forming their conduct in the methods of adulthood, and guide them toward their inevitable function in society. In the crudest communities, there is frequently minimal proper learning—little of what one would usually call school class and teachers or educators. As societies grow diverse, however, the quantity of knowledge to be passed on from one generation to the next becomes more than any one person can know, and, hence, there must evolve more selective and efficient means of cultural transmission. The outcome is formal education—the school and the specialist called the teacher.

We used to live in a world where students go to school, have class discussions in a room, and spend most of their weekdays on a campus. That is still the case for some in the Philippines. But we have adopted a new setting for learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Department of Education has implemented online sources of learning and has trained teachers in adopting this new mode of learning.

In these trying times, education is greatly affected by the spreading virus. And as the pandemic goes on, the government is doing its best to make education for millions of students accessible. A government sector asked the Department of Education (DepEd) to make education within reach and inclusive, whether online or offline intended for the students. Also, the government urges the Department of Education to use the available media, such as radio and television in order to facilitate distance learning and for students that are less fortunate to have the opportunity to learn. Upon the suggestion of government sectors regarding the education of students during the pandemic, the Department of Education stated that, even in times of crisis, learning must still go on. DepEd suggested that for every kid to have the opportunity to learn, face-to-face learning will shift to blended learning. It includes online learning, offline learning such as modular, and also learning through the available use of social media platforms. In the statement that DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones released, she added that no Filipino students should be left behind in education. Everything usually utilized in teaching and learning should be used for a student to continue his journey in learning. In the opening of classes, the Department of Education has provided Self-Learning Modules with the alternative learning delivery modalities to be offered for various types of learners across the Philippines.

Flexible learning is a collection of educational philosophies and structures that provide learners with increased choice, comfort, and personalization to accommodate the learner, according to Shurville et al. Flexible learning, in particular, offers learners options on where, when, and how learning happens. Flexible learning activities are built using a wide range of theories, philosophies, and methods of teaching and learning to provide students with opportunities to access knowledge and expertise, to contribute ideas and thoughts, and to interact with other students and mentors. Things like this can occur when using internet-based resources. Such as environments for online learning or management of learning systems, discussion boards, or chat rooms; and may be structured as a blended-approach, with electronically and remotely accessed content, as well as tutorials and lectures throughout the face-to-face classroom.

Teachers have received only minimal preparation for a blended school environment, partially due to limited understanding of the competencies needed, including those competencies which are most important to teachers’ success. This requirement led us to further inquiry about the necessary skills and competencies needs to teach effectively in such environments. While most traditional educator preparation programs have required coursework related to technology integration, they have required limited training related to online teaching and have supplied sparse data on preparation for blended teaching.

With that being said, the researchers aim to know the different procedures the faculty has gone through. Also, with everyone embracing the new normal, it is evident that everybody are having a debate as to how this should be done, and what should have been done to make this new mode of learning more effective. Hence, this study would be answering and discovering the queries and stand the faculty has about this academic year’s educational system.