STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING

STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING OF BSE-MATH OF PCCM

Abstract

The COVID-19 has resulted in schools shut across the country,

as a result, education has changed dramatically, with the notable rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is
carried out on digital platforms and remotely. Flexible learning is one of the educational approaches
and systems provided by DepEd and CHED with providing the learners with increased choice,
convenience, and personalization to suit their needs. We studied flexible learning based on students'
satisfaction with BSE-Math of the Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan. Response rates for
face-to-face classes were not applicable for the academic year 2020-2021. The survey questionnaire
was online, the average rate of the scores was reliably lower than face-to-face responses, and the
magnitude of this change was minimal (0.5 on a five-item Likert-like scale). Other topics were
addressed, such as the student's mode of communication, how much they use the internet, the factors
that influence their flexible learning satisfaction, and how long they struggle with flexible learning.
Keywords: Flexible learning, students’ satisfaction, online learning, digital platforms and remotely,
responses, rates, survey questionnaire

Introduction

What is Flexible Learning?

Flexible learning refers to the ability to customize the speed, position, and mode of learning. For
example, with speed, learners can take accelerated programs or participate in part-time education to
ensure that they have time to work side by side. In a range of settings, learning may occur in the
classroom, at home via the Internet, traveling, or as part of a work-study program.

“Flexible learning is a set of educational approaches and systems concerned with providing learners
with increased choice, convenience, and personalization to suit their needs. In particular, flexible
learning provides learners with choices about where, when, and how learning occurs, by using a range of
technologies to support the teaching and learning process” (Lee and McLoughlin, 2010).

References:
https://tophat.com/glossary/f/flexible-learning/
STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Teaching Philosophy
Deakin University, Australia (2009) study found the following:
Flexible learning is learner-centred, encouraging greater independence and autonomy on the part
of the learner. Its ethos is to enable and empower learners and give them greater control of their
learning and become more self-directed. It increases choices available to both learners and teachers
resulting in a ‘blurring of traditional internal/external boundaries’ (George & Luke, 1995). Conceptions of
flexibility also include flexibility of admissions and enrolment processes, flexibility in assessment and
assessment times. Introducing flexibility or increasing flexibility is not necessarily ‘good’ in itself. The key
issue is how it impacts on student learning and the quality of that learning experience. It is about
improving learning outcomes and maximising learner engagement using appropriate learning
approaches.

References:
Deakin University, Australia (2009). Introducing flexible learning. Consultado el 08 de. Mayo del 2013.
http://www.deakin.edu.au. Introducing flexible learning

The Nature of Flexible Learning

The notions of lifelong learning and the need for prioritizing the students is becoming more and more

central in Higher Education. The Australian Higher Education has been a pioneer in this area (Nagy &

McDonald, 2007), but gradually other countries wished to examine Flexible Learning, such as the 2008

HEFCE project that I was involved in. Flexible Learning is an evolving concept, and this is reflected in the

literature by the variety of terms used to describe it throughout the years. For example, the term

Flexible Learning (and approaches within it) has also been found in the literature as flexible delivery,

flexible teaching, distributed learning, open learning, networked learning, online learning and e-

learning. Those terms have been used to describe a wide range of educational methods, techniques,

approaches and strategies that seek to provide flexibility to both learners and teachers. In the figure
STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING

below I tried to demonstrate how all the different types of learning are blended and how they fall under

the umbrella of Flexible Learning.

Flexibility may be touted as a method for catering for students in a crowded higher-education

marketplace, distinguishing between students' demands and institutions’ supply initiatives is often

difficult. It is not clear whether students have fundamentally increased their demand for flexibility in

time, place and mode of study (Casey & Wilson 2005); but it simultaneously increases student diversity.

In reality, the interconnectedness of these issues can no longer be separated: "Strategically, operating

flexibly can be seen as both an offensive and defensive tactic" (KirkPatrick 2001, p.169).

The Relationship of Different Types of Teaching and Learning

From the learner’s perspective, with regard to the particular courses at the institution where the

research took place, flexibility was seen as a module-based scheme, focusing upon one module at a time

during the summer school of 2009, and experiencing a variety of teaching approaches. From the

academic’s perspective, flexibility was seen in terms of the ability to select such teaching methods,

techniques, resources and technologies that are in accordance with pedagogical aims and objectives of a

taught flexible course (Hallas, 2008). Universities have also seen these developments as a way of

expanding their student base, and of offering more economical subject teaching through technological

applications. As such, at the target institution, as mentioned in Chapter 1, the Flexible Learning courses

were available and offered to students between the years 2008 and 2012. Those courses were designed

in such a way that would offer the opportunity to both academics and students to practice both the

didactic and the flexible approaches. The curriculum on modules, exams and coursework was developed

in a way to explore Flexible Learning in comparison to the traditional didactic approach, to explore the

future of Higher Education, and to meet the institution’s future plans and requirements. Therefore, aim
STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING

of this thesis is to explore how Flexible Learning is affecting teaching and learning, and how it is

supported, determined and justified as a future need and requirement in Higher Education.

The term flexible teaching has often been used, especially in Australia, as a generic term, which includes

all aspects of flexibility in education. Research so far has emphasized the use and delivery of packaged

learning resources that tend not to consider the educational process, but mostly seeing education as a

product (Callender, Wilkinson, Makinon, 2006).

Some academics have been conscious about the agenda of Flexible Learning (Fazackerley, Callender,

Chant, Wilkinson, 2009) feeling that it is only an ambition to increase student numbers within an

institution. However, such negative opinions could be the result of negative experiences with open and

distance education. Others feel that flexibility in learning is a positive way forward, and an opportunity

to engage and be creative with new forms of teaching that provide greater equality and inclusion for

students (Hallas, 2008). The successful implementation of a Flexible Learning module or degree is also

seen as a strong dependent on the relationship between the teacher and the students. Therefore,

Flexible Learning can demonstrate a positive impact on the educational.

Purpose of the Study

This research study intended to serve as a guide for school academics interested in a pedagogical
approach to flexible learning. It aims to provide a clearer understanding of what flexible learning
means, describe the benefits, and discuss the consequences of adopting flexible learning approaches.
The research study would also address the following: Mode of communication do the students
use to access flexible learning; The length of use of internet rather than books of the students; Factors
that affect the satisfaction of the learners to flexible learning; Hindrances to achieve the learning goals
of the instructors in flexible learning course; and lastly, the length of students to cope, especially in
remote areas, with flexible learning.
This research study was beneficial to the learners nowadays. The analysis can determine what
are likely more satisfied in learning mode, either online or the usage of printed learning materials. This
study will serve as a guide for the instructor on how they will going to modify their pedagogical
STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING

approach to accommodate the needs of learners to deal with flexible learning. And lastly, the findings
of the study will be the avenue of the school administration to develop a curriculum that can cope with
today's situation wherein online learning is a method of teaching.

Method

Sample

The target population for this study was the students of Bachelor of Secondary Education
major in Mathematics of the Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan. But because of the
current situation wherein there is a pandemic, it is not possible to study an entire population. But
since the population is known, a smaller sample is taken using a random sampling technique.
Slovin’s formula allows a researcher to sample the population with the desired degree of
accuracy (Stephanie, 2013).

Slovin’s formula was used to calculate the sample size. Concerning the level of accuracy, a
confidence level of 95% as suggested by Kothari (2005), this means that there are 95 chances in
100 (or .95 in 1) that the sample results represent the true condition of the population within a
specified precision range against 5 chances in 100 (or .05 in 1) that it does not. The sample size
is equal to the total population divided to the sum of one and the product of the total population
to the error tolerance of your population.

The total enrollees this academic year 2020-2021 first semester of BSE-Math is 128
students. This included the following section: Math 1A, 19 students (15%), Math 1B, 18
students (14%), Math 2A, 22 students (17%), Math 2B, 20 students (16%), Math 3A, 23 students
(18%), and Math 3B, 26 students (20%). Using slovin’s formula the sample size is equal to 128
divided to the sum of 1 and the product of 128 and 0.5 (estimated error), and the answer will be
97. Therefore, the sample size from the population of the study is 97 students, which will be
selected randomly to be the respondents of the research study.

Research Instruments

The researchers conducted a survey questionnaire online and distributed it via mail and
group chats as one of the data collection instrument for this study. The data collected by the
researchers will be presented in a graphic presentation to assess the level of satisfaction of our
STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING

respondents in the flexible learning mode. And the factors that affect the students' level of
satisfaction in flexible learning.

The survey research instrument was a set of 13 questions. The first question was about
the mode of learning do the BSE-Math students preferred. The second up to eleventh
questions were a five Likert scale wherein the choices range from very dissatisfied to very
satisfied to get a holistic view of students' opinions with flexible learning. Question number
twelve was about the factors that affect the learning satisfaction of the students. The last item
is for the remote areas or those who experience floods, the length of their coping capacity in
flexible learning.

Research Design

The research study is quantitative research investigating flexible learning phenomena that
include the following topics such as, the mode of communication of students to access flexible
learning, the factors that influence the students’ satisfaction, the hindrances with online learning,
and the length of the students cope with flexible learning, mainly in remote areas. The
researchers chose the descriptive survey research design to investigate the satisfaction of BSE-
Math students of Polytechnic College of the City of Meycauayan with flexible learning. The
frequency table will be used to analyze of the data for item number 1, 12, and 13. However, The
rating scale will be interpreted using weighted means and standard deviation.
STUDENTS’ SATISFACTION ON FLEXIBLE LEARNING