Shrieks of Parents on Modular Distance Learning Amidst the Pandemic:

Challenges, Opportunities, and Lesson Learned

A Thesis Proposal
Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School

In Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Education

Major in Early Childhood Education

(write the your names here , first name first)

2021
 CHAPTER 1

Introduction

The Covid19 pandemic had caused significant changes in all segments of

the population; it had become a menace to every human being because of the

virus's harmful effects on everyone who could contract it. It quickly spread and

became a global problem since its terrifying effects disabled practically

everyone's movement. People are terrified and tend to isolate themselves from

the rest of the world; children are no exception; they were isolated so that the

terrible virus could not infect them. As a result of this situation, schools from

kindergarten to tertiary levels have been closed. The fight between the epidemic

and education has become a problem that we must address and find solutions to.

Everyone believes that the virus will not go away, and that the only thing we can

do is live with it and do our best to be healthy despite the virus's threat, because

we can't hide forever and must continue to live, and one of the things that must

continue is education.

We are now grasping new ways to teach because we can no longer open

our schools to conduct face-to-face learning. We can't do it alone; we need the

presence of their parents to channel through learning. As a result of these new

modes of learning, new difficulties have arisen. We must remember that not all

parents are equipped with this knowledge, and some of them may be the reason

why learning does not occur because they do not grasp what is written on their
learning materials. The pandemic presented parents with significant challenges

in terms of how they would impart knowledge to their children in the absence of

their teachers; however, it also provided opportunities for parents to bond with

their children and find time to monitor their academic progress, and parents have

learned a great deal from this crisis. From being overly negative when teaching

children to becoming positive educators' partners in passing on knowledge.

We are in the midst of a tremendous educational crisis that may prove to be

one of the most significant challenges to global education in our lifetime.

Education has been disrupted as a result of this, but educators all around the

world have been seeking for and devising solutions to deal with the challenges.

During her statement at the virtual forum on September 30, Magdalena Brier,

Managing Director of ProFuturo, aimed to send a message of hope, stating that

“radically altering education around the world can seem like a hard undertaking,

but we believe it can be accomplished if we work together.” Distance Learning

Solutions were created in response to the shift in educational platforms. The

Learning Recovery Program through the Learning Continuity Plan was created to

aid kids in catching up on their academics despite the elimination of face-to-face

instruction, provided that we partner with their parents to make this type of

learning system successful. Parents has become a crucial link between children

and schools. In the ‘new normal, parents must have a larger part in their child's

learning and development than they did in the past. More so, because the

majority of education today takes place from home rather than on a school site,

and without the physical presence of teachers. But what about the effectiveness
of this collaboration? Since there are parents who require the supervision of the

teachers, they must also cope with the abrupt change in education, and they face

difficulties and obstacles because they were not trained to teach. Teachers all

over the world are coming up with new ideas that will eventually lead to parents

learning how to deal with this situation and eventually becoming a mediator

between the teacher and their children, allowing for diverse techniques to be

channeled through education. These simple actions have helped both sides in

collaborative teaching by transforming obstacles into new coping mechanisms.

Here in the Philippines, opening schools during the Covid-19 pandemic is

the biggest challenge that the Department of Education (DepEd) has faced so far

as countries across the world, like the Philippines, are struggling to continue

education amid the health crisis. Filipino learners choose modular learning based

on data gathered via DepEd’s National Learner Enrolment and Survey Forms

(LESFs), According to a DepEd survey, 71 percent of parents, or 8.8 million,

prefer modular learning for their children over other distance learning modes. The

department also said modules were the “backbone” of distance and blended

learning, as these would become the main instrument for instruction to be

supplemented by TV, radio, or video lessons. The modular learning modality

establishes Filipino learners to study in the comfort of their homes. In education,

Parents are allies of the teachers. They are ‘home facilitators’, the ‘tagapandaloy’

(channel), but they will not simplify the topic. The parents’ crucial role in modular

learning is to form a connection and guide the child. To facilitate the best

educational practice possible for learners is the common goal of both Parents
and Teachers. According to the Department of Education (DepEd), in Modular

Learning such as Module-ator, Bundy-clock, and as Home Innovator are the

various roles performed by parents and guardians. Parental involvement is one

of the factors of the academic triumph of the learners.

Since the reopening of classes under the "new normal" setup, the most

crucial phase of education amid the pandemic is ensuring its quality and that no

child is left behind. An official from the Department of Education-Davao Region

(DepEd-Davao) said that they had received various accounts and concerns from

parents, which the organization is trusting on as "home partners," on the modular

learning setup, saying they are still struggling to facilitate their children in their

daily classes and admitted that they are having a difficult time comprehending

the lessons of their learners since they did not finish off their studies. With this,

Teachers conduct orientation with the parents to facilitate distance learning and

for them to monitor the performance of their students. Also, the DepEd launched

the Learning Supports Aide (LSA) Program. The program will bridge parents to

individuals who can help them with their children’s lessons. LSAs will assist

teachers and parents in the delivery of basic education services in the distance

learning set-up. On the other hand, parents' involvement influences academic

work of the learners and can constantly monitor their performance to help them

improve in their studies and build confidence to do better.

Moreover, this is the crucial function they currently play in the new

educational normal. It could take the shape of school-related discussions,

homework assistance, or the submission of learning assignments completed by

pupils to the school. The researcher's present school has implemented two

distant learning delivery modes, modular distance learning (MDL) and online

distance learning (ODL), to which parents must adjust. This is why, in the midst

of the pandemic, the researcher wanted to see if there was a link between parent

involvement in teaching modalities and student learning. The study's goal is to

find out what parental involvement in education and its relationship in the

learning modes amid the pandemic. Moreover, the study aimed to raise

awareness among all parents in the school, particularly among kindergarten

students. The goal of the study was to see how parents participate in their

children's education.

Despite the fact that COVID instances have increased in our city, the

Department of Education has encouraged teachers to prepare for the New

Normal Classroom year 2. The current study provided a fresh perspective by

linking prior studies to assess the efficacy of whole-school planning and parental

involvement in the face of the epidemic.

Purpose of the Study

In response to the challenges of parents on modular distance learning

amidst pandemic, the purpose of the qualitative phenomenology was to explore

and understand the shrieks of parents on modular distance learning amidst the

pandemic, their challenges, opportunities, and lesson learned. At this stage in the
research, the challenges, to discover the coping mechanism on how parents

overcome the challenging situations in teaching their children and the

opportunities and lessons learned of parents on modular distance learning

amidst the pandemic.

The researchers hope that this study will be beneficial to the Department

of Education, School Heads, Teachers, Parents, and Learners.

Department of Education. The department may use the result of this study

in developing programs and agenda that will encourage parents to become better

facilitators and “home partners” in the education of the learners. They may also

endow the parents by organizing orientations to enhance the knowledge and

abilities of the parents in this shift of roles.

School Heads. The school heads may also find this study beneficial

because it will show them the challenges and experiences of parents in modular

distance learning. Realizing this, they would be able to provide enhancements

program as to the support they could give towards the school stakeholders.

Teachers. The teachers may also find this study relevant by conceding the

struggles, coping mechanisms and perceptions of the parents in modular

distance learning. This may lead to provide better relationship, interventions, and

assistance to parents in ensuring quality education to learners.

Parents. The parents will also aid from this study because this will be an

outlet in which their thoughts can be heard. As well as an avenue to ponder how

well and effective they are as a facilitator and “home partners” in education.
 Learners. Lastly, the learners will also benefit from this study because the

teachers and parents will understand the overall status of their modular distance

learning experience. Along with this, learners will be aware of the efforts exerted

by teachers, parents and other stakeholders and will help hand and hand to

achieve the success of this modality.

Research Objectives

This study explores the challenges of parents on modular distance

learning amidst pandemic.

There are three primary research objectives in this study;

1. To know the challenges faced by the parents on modular distance learning

amidst the pandemic.

2. To discover the coping mechanism on how parents overcome the

challenging situations in teaching their children amidst the pandemic.

3. To explore the opportunities and lessons learned of parents on modular

distance learning amidst the pandemic.

Literature Review

This part of the study presents the background of the research

investigation which derived from different resources such as books, other

published materials, thesis, and the internet. It focuses on the challenges of

parents on modular distance learning amidst the pandemic. The aim includes,

among other things, to explore the opportunities and lessons learned of parents
on modular distance learning amidst the pandemic. This provides a clear

understanding and reliable source of information for the reader.

Theoritical Lens

This study was anchored to the Dynamic System Theory. The theory was

propounded in 1912 by Henri Poincaré and adapted by Advances in Child

Development and Behavior (2019). The dynamic system theory conceptualize

development as change within a complex system that involves interactions of

multiple factors at different levels and on different timescales (Smith & Thelen,

2003).

was seen as a series of interrelated and interdependent parts in such how

that the interaction of any part of the system affects the entire system. One

aspect of the system must interact and depend upon the opposite parts around it

to function effectively. The system theory is relevant to the education system

because the interaction and interdependence of elements with the education

system, like all other social systems, have identical properties with the other

system.

and Parental Support Theory

originated in mathematics and physics

Dynamic System Theory

Dynamic systems theories conceptualize development as change within a
complex system that involves interactions of multiple factors at different levels
and on different timescales (Smith & Thelen, 2003)

From: Advances in Child Development and Behavior, 2019

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/dynamic-system-theory