ELEMENTARY GRADE LEARNERS LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, TEACHERS’

CHALLENGES, AND ADMINISTRATORS’ RESPONSE ACTION

 CHAPTER 1

PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Background of the Study

Difficulties are frequently an inevitable but crucial component of the learning

process. For learning complicated conceptual information, this seems to be especially

true. However, difficulties in the learning process are more difficult to identify and

address in settings where teachers are unable to give students the nuanced and

individualized feedback and support they need to overcome their challenges due to

growing class sizes and greater use of digital technologies. The complexity of addressing

student issues and misunderstandings is heightened by personal variations, the nature of

the learning activity, and the challenges of providing individualized feedback in big

courses and online settings (Lodge, Kennedy, Lockyer, Arguel, and Pachman (2018)).

Learning difficulties may prevent pupils from achieving their full potential. It is a

psychological condition that affects the ability to think, talk, read, write, spell, or conduct

mathematical computations (Cortiella & Horowitz, 2014). According to reports, learning

disabilities are the primary cause of the low accomplishment of pupils in Indonesia.

Indonesia placed last out of 65 participating nations in PISA 2012, which evaluated

students' knowledge in mathematics, reading, and science at the age of 15. Indonesia was

put in the 61st spot for reading (score: 396), the 64th spot for science (score: 375), and

the 64th spot for mathematics (score: 382).

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 60

percent of kids in the eighth grade and 69 percent of fourth-graders in the United States,

respectively, struggle with reading. Mathematics learning challenges affect 4th graders at
a 45 percent rate and 8th graders at a 65 percent rate. These statistics imply that learning

difficulties are present in relatively significant proportions among children in grades 4

through 8. (Cortiella & Horowitz, 2014). The learning process is impacted by students'

learning challenges (Cavendish, 2013). Success at this level of learning, particularly for

primary school pupils, will determine success in the following level (high school).

Sungkhasettee et al. (2011) asked participants to study lists of words either

upright or inverted. When learning the inverted words, participants demonstrated superior

recall in conditions where the words were upright. Studies of desirable difficulties

typically consider how aspects of the learning process can encumber learners, and how

this process (or "difficulty") can lead to enhanced learning compared to learners not

exposed to the difficulty. Adams et al. (2013) claim that the introduction of wrong

examples enables students to absorb the learning information in a new way, which results

in greater retention and transfer of their understanding, to explain the mechanism by

which obstacles increase learning. They contend that students process information more

thoroughly by considering and participating in different problem-solving strategies,

which is considered to be the cause of the improved learning seen (see also McDaniel and

Butler, 2011).

What defines a desirable difficulty in the learning process has come under

scrutiny in light of the expanding amount of research on desirable problems (Yue et al.,

2013). For instance, Diemand-Yauman et al. (2011) used simple and difficult-to-read

typefaces to communicate content to participants and students in a highly recognized

research (study 1). When participants and students were later tested on the topic, they

discovered that those who studied the information in difficult-to-read typefaces did better.
According to the authors' theory, reading the disfluent typeface was challenging because

it took longer to learn, which resulted in deeper encoding and the desired challenge. It is

now even less clear what exactly qualifies as a desired challenge because subsequent

attempts to duplicate this disfluency-based desirable difficulty have failed (see, for

example, Rummer et al., 2016).

The determination of difficulties will be based on DepEd Order No. 29, s. 2018 or

the Policy on the Implementation of the Multi-Factored Assessment Tool. This tool is a

classroom activity-based assessment covering the five domains of learning: (a) Cognitive,

(b) Communication, (c) Socio-Emotional, (d) Psycho-Motor, and (e) Daily Living Skills.

Thus, help teachers in planning and designing instructional plans appropriate for the

learners.

Moreover, this study is beneficial for it will help the teachers screen their learners

for intended tools. It also helps teachers to gather information on learners’ strengths,

needs, learning styles, and other educational concerns. It aims to assist teachers with

instructional planning and the educational placement of learners. Hence, it is on this

premise that the researcher wanted to study the0 difficulties faced by elementary learners,

challenges faced by teachers, and how administrators develop their response actions to

address the prevalent issues presented.

Theoretical Framework

This study will be anchored on the following theories: (1) Learner-Centered

Approach by Robinson (2010); (2) Constructivism Theory by Olorode and Jimoh (2016);

and (3) Dunn High Level of Wellness Theory (Goss, 2011).

Learner-Centered Approach
 A learning environment that speaks to the core of learning is produced through a

learner-centered approach. It invites students to interact with the content in-depth, has a

conversation, and evaluate their development. The emphasis is placed on the students'

learning, signaling a change from the "sage on the stage" approach. As students have

more access to information, it is the responsibility of the educator to help pupils apply

and integrate that knowledge into real-world issues. Constructivist learning theory serves

as the cornerstone of learner-centered instruction. Humans are perceivers and interpreters

who create meaning from both new and previous experiences, according to constructivist

theory. Therefore, instructional design should put a strong emphasis on offering resources

and settings that will enable students to understand many points of view and create their

worlds (Robinson, 2010).

Several strategies may be used to implement student-centered learning, including

group projects, unconventional writing assignments, role plays, and service learning

assignments, to mention a few. When making the switch to learner-centered teaching,

Weimer (2002) lists five domains to take into account. The function of a teacher is to

support learning and encourage collaborative decision-making about learning with pupils.

A suitable learning environment must be created, and faculty members must be aware of

knowledge-building processes and apply them as appropriate for the course and

curriculum. Self- and peer-evaluation procedures should be employed in assessment

processes to encourage learning. The characteristics of learner-centered education can

help students remember information and build skills for lifetime learning when they are

well-balanced.
 This theory relates to the study through the variable relating difficulties of the

learners. A learning environment that speaks to the core of learning is produced through a

learner-centered approach. It invites learners to interact with the content in-depth, have a

conversation, and evaluate their development. The emphasis is placed on the learners'

learning, signaling a change from the "sage on the stage" approach. Several strategies

may be used to implement learner-centered learning, including group projects, role plays,

and service-learning assignments.

Constructivism Theory

While the instructor teaches the students how to learn, constructivism is a method

of instruction that lets the students design their own learning experiences. Discover how

constructivism differs from traditional classroom learning by exploring its five guiding

principles. Constructivism, which first came into being in the 1970s and 1980s, promoted

the concept that students actively create their knowledge via interactions with their

surroundings and the rearrangement of their mental structures rather than being passive

consumers of information. As a result, learners are seen as sense-makers who interpret

the information they are given rather than just recording it. As a result of this conception

of learning, the metaphor of "knowledge building" has replaced that of "knowledge

acquisition” as cited by Olorode and Jimoh (2016).

Jerome Bruner first proposed the constructivism hypothesis in 1966 as cited

by Olorode and Jimoh, (2016). According to the thesis, people build their knowledge and

understanding of the universe via personal experience and reflection. Because it is built

on cognitive theory's tenets, this philosophy is also referred to as cognitive

constructivism. According to Wnet (2004), when we learn anything new, we must make
it fit with our preexisting beliefs and knowledge. This may entail altering our beliefs or

disregarding the new information as unimportant. In any event, we actively create the

knowledge that we have. To achieve this, we must investigate, evaluate our current

knowledge, and raise new ones.

This clarifies that learning is a process that requires engagement and is predicated

on the idea that knowledge is created by learners as they work to make sense of their

experiences. According to this perspective, individuals actively create new knowledge

when they engage with their surroundings (Adesanya, 2009). The constructivist approach

to learning may be utilized in the classroom to motivate students to use hands-on methods

to add to their knowledge, think about, and discuss what they are doing. The notion

discourages students from remembering other people's concepts and definitions in favor

of having them develop their definitions, meanings, and understandings via exploration.

For instance, after analyzing the placement of a word in a sentence, students can create

their basic description of the term rather than being asked to memorize the lengthy

meaning. When they collaborate with their coworkers, they can sometimes succeed in

doing this. This brings up constructivism's social component.

This theory relates to the study through its variable about the difficulties of

learners. This will help teachers how they will address difficulties using the prior

knowledge of the learners. Using a new teaching method called constructivism, learners

may create their learning opportunities. Instead of being passive consumers of

information, learners build their knowledge via interactions with their environment and

the restructuring of their mental structures. The constructivist learning philosophy may be
applied in the classroom to encourage students to add to their knowledge via hands-on

activities and to reflect on and talk about what they are doing.

Grounded Theory

Many research investigations use the well-known approach of grounded theory. In

grounded theory research, both qualitative and quantitative data generating methods

might be employed. The grounded theory aims to find or build a theory using evidence

that has been methodically collected and examined via comparative analysis. Although

the grounded theory is naturally adaptable, it is a challenging technique as cited by Chun

Tie, Birks, & Francis (2019). The framework demonstrates the interaction between the

key grounded theory procedures and the iterative and comparative activities needed since

the grounded theory is not a linear process. This article defines each of the fundamental

techniques and procedures that support the grounded theory.

This article demonstrates how a framework for a research study design may be

utilized to assist and enlighten the novice nurse researcher performing a study using

grounded theory, as opposed to engaging in philosophical discussion or debating the

many genres that can be employed in grounded theory. The results of the research can be

used to generate knowledge or policies, provide services, or modify people's perspectives

to bring about change in the subject of the study.

This theory is related to the study for it will help in determining the challenges

faced by teachers by maximizing their potential as they learn to function in an ever-

changing environment. The goal of the grounded theory is to develop a theory utilizing

data that has been deliberately gathered and assessed through comparative analysis. Both
qualitative and quantitative data generating techniques may be used in grounded theory

research. Each essential method and practice that underpins grounded theory is defined in

this article. The research's findings can be applied to create new knowledge or policies,

offer services, or alter people's perceptions.

Conceptual Framework

The central inquiry of this study is about the difficulties faced by elementary

learners, teachers’ challenges, and administrators' response actions. The independent

variable of the study consists of the elementary grade learners’ difficulties depending on

the result of the MFAT performed by the teachers to identify learners having difficulties

in learning. of RHU nurses in the promotion of and implementation of EBF in their area

of assignment.

Moreover, the independent variables will have to be correlated with the dependent

variables. As such, it aims at finding a significant relationship between the elementary

learners' difficulties and the challenges encountered by the teachers. Then also, to find a

significant relationship between the challenges encountered by teachers and the cause of

actions by the school administrators.

In general, the findings of the study as elicited in the figure serves as a basis for

the development and implementation of response actions developed by school

administrators. Figure 1 below shows the schematic diagram showing the interplay of

variables under study.

 Learning difficulties
of Elementary Grade
Learners

School
Administrators'
Response Action

Challenges
Encountered by
Teachers

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the Study

Statement of the Problem

This study will determine the learning difficulties of elementary grade learners,

challenges by teachers, and the school administrators' response to actions. Specifically,

this study will answer the following questions:

1. What is a tool used to identify the difficulties of learning among elementary grade

learners?

2. What are the learning difficulties of elementary grade learners?

3. What are the challenges encountered by teachers in addressing the learning

difficulties of the learners?

4. What is the cause of the actions of the school administrators based on the findings of

the study?

5. Is there a significant relationship between the learning difficulties of the learners and

the challenges encountered by the teachers?

6. Is there a significant relationship between the challenges encountered by the teachers

and the school administrators' response actions?

Null Hypotheses

To draw inferences from the study, the following hypotheses will be tested at a 0a

.05 level of significance.

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between the learning difficulties of the

learners and the challenges encountered by the teachers.

 Ho2: There is no significant relationship between the challenges encountered by

the teachers and the school administrators' response actions.

Significance of the Study

This study will be conducted on the learning difficulties of elementary graders,

challenges by teachers, and the school administrators' response to actions.

Learners. The study will be beneficial to the learners for it will provide the

proper placement and appropriate learning needs.

Teachers. This study will be helpful to teachers for it will give them the accurate

needs of the learners. They will be of equal importance for teachers and will determine

the proper placement and learning needs of the learners.

School Administrators. This will be of equal importance for school

administrators will be able to design, develop, or craft a response action plan to properly

address learning difficulties.

Curriculum Designer. This study will be beneficial for curriculum designers for

they will be able to design training that is needed by teachers in handling students with

learning difficulties.

Future researchers. The findings of this study will help the forthcoming

researchers who may wish to use this study as a reference to conduct the same study and

additional investigation. Moreover, this will also provide a primary source for

opportunities in making possible recommendations.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

 The focus of the study will be on identifying the learning obstacles faced by

students in elementary education, the difficulties faced by teachers, and the action taken

by school administrators in response. In this study, there will be two respondents. The

first will be students will take an evaluation to determine their learning challenges. The

challenges encountered by the teachers will also be highlighted since the school

administrators will use this data to choose how to respond to the students' educational

needs.

Definition of terms

To understand explicitly this work with a relative case, and to avoid

misconceptions and confusion, the following terms as alphabetically arranged will be

conceptually and operationally defined.

Leaners. It refers to a person who is finding out about a subject or how to do

something. It is operationally defined as the respondents or participants of the study

Learning Difficulties. It refers to a Learning Difficulty that is a type of Special

Education Needs, which affects areas of learning, such as reading, writing, spelling,

mathematics, etc. In this study, it is operationally defined as the factors that hinder

learners to learn easily.

Response Action. Generic term for actions taken in response to actual or

potential health-threatening environmental events such as spills, sudden releases, and

asbestos abatement/management problems. It is operationally taken as the result of action

after the finding of the study.

 School Administrators. It refers to the person designated by the governing body

of a school as ultimately responsible for the ordinary operations of a school. In this study,

it is operationally defined as the head of the school who is responsible for designing an

action plan to address the learning difficulties of the learners based on the

recommendation of the teachers.

Teachers. It refers to someone whose job is to teach in a school. It is

operationally defined as the teacher assigned to teach learners having learning

difficulties.

Teacher Challenges. It refers to the barriers and hardships teachers face in

successfully teaching students in their classrooms. It is operationally defined as the

difficulties encountered by teachers in teaching learners with learning difficulties.