EXPLORING THE PREMISE AND PROMISES OF LEARNING HUBS IN FAR-FLUNG

AREAS

A Master’s Thesis

Presented to the Faculty of the

School of Graduate Studies and Research

University of Nueva Caceres

City of Naga

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION

Major in EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

MARK KEVIN B. AGRAVANTE

ABEGAIL E. AGSANGRE

CRISSEL B. BELTRAN

JOYCE DS. SECULA

MAY 2023
CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 Pandemic diverted everyone's attention to public

health safety, however, this was just the beginning. The nation

was frightened about the situation and created an imaginary gap

among the population. Since the pandemic, nation leaders were

burdened with handling their nation's demands as community

lockdowns and curfews were being implemented around the world and

it was interrupting the economic and social movements

(Association of Southeast Asian Nations [ASEAN], 2020). From

smallest markets to biggest malls, beautiful beaches and resorts,

schools from primary to tertiary, and most of the public and

private establishments and transportation were forcibly closed.

Consequently, online platforms are coming to be a plausible

solution in conforming to public shortages in daily needs.

The Department of Education could not also avoid the

effect of this pandemonium. Undoubtedly, it did vast damage to

the Education sector. The DepEd aided the learners in learning at

home with the help of their parents through a distance learning

platform (Department of Education, 2020). In the school year

2020-2021, educators have been providing Self-learning Modules

(SLMs) to continue learning, with the assistance of varying

learning modalities such as printed modules, recorded online

videos, televised lessons, and online classes (Department of

Education, 2020). Distance Learning evaluates the learners'

ability to perceive the lessons using self-paced learning and

parents are also battling the situation, particularly

comprehending the lessons and guiding their children. The Covid-

19 pandemic unveils the weakness of mostly interconnected and

complicated networks (Walker et al. 2020).

It can be safely said that teaching plays an important

role in the educational process. It is a means of basic to

complex learning experience for students. Thus, a lack of

internet connectivity and digital learning materials nowadays is

somewhat the biggest challenge, especially for those students who

are struggling with their studies, since face-to-face classes are

hindered by the pandemic. Rose and Blomeyer (2007) pointed out

that accessibility in online learning is the main ingredient to

success. The upliftment of the educational system of the

Philippines always depends on the teachers as being a source of

all the knowledge. Yet, with the forbidding protocol teaching

face-to-face is limited. Indeed, a safe and conducive learning

environment with physical materials and gadgets can be beneficial

to parents, learners, and teachers. The three major reasons for

administering the study are 1. to examine the designs of an

existing learning hub and have a basis for creating a prototype

project, 2. to create a learning hub prototype that conforms to

the locale's needs, and 3. to discern the acceptability of the

community to the learning hub prototype.

BACKGROUND

The pandemic brought us enormous change especially in

education. The drawbacks of these traumatic experiences have a

great impact on the educational goals and realizing the vision of

quality education. The idea of the researchers in proposing a

learning hub in far-flung areas will be a big help in coping with

the learning gaps of every learner, especially for those who are

affected by this pandemic. Through the collaborative efforts of

the NGOs, the Angat Buhay Project of Leni Robredo, stakeholders,

the Mayor and SB members, and other agencies that are willing to

help in the realization of the learning hub. If possible, the

creation or adaptation of this project will have a huge effect

most especially on all the students in Siruma and other nearby

municipalities. It will be a bridge in coping with the new normal

setup in education wherein most of the learners are struggling in

studying their lessons. It will unfold the dream of every student

in realizing their full potential through this project.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

 The pandemic brought enormous changes in education. The

modality of learning has shifted from the traditional to a

technological era where some of the students cannot cope with the

new trend due to inadequate and lack of resources. Learners can

discover the highest attainment in learning when video lessons

are conducted (Scagnoli et al. 2017). As a result, far-flung

areas are often affected since a stable internet connection is

almost impossible in most areas. The time of technology anchored

in learning is inevitable, thus this study aims to provide an

improved learning hub prototype design for the community of

Siruma District. The study seeks to accomplish the following:

1. Conduct a systematic literature review of the design and

utilization of learning hubs,

2. Design a prototype of a learning hub based on the literature

review and the conduct of environmental scanning,

3. Conduct a cost-benefit of the designed prototype, and

4. Determine the stakeholder's acceptability and appreciation of

the designed prototype.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

 The study will focus on a standardized literature review

and the implementation process of the existing learning hubs.

Environmental scanning of existing learning hubs will also be

conducted to provide factual information on circumstances that

may affect the prototype project in the future. This will

precisely help to respond to any future problems in the project.

A version of a learning hub model will be designed. A cost-

benefit analysis of the designed model will also be conducted to

identify the cost, benefit, and time frame of the expected cost

and gain of the project. Cost and gain will be distinguished.

With the designed learning hub and cost-benefit analysis, the

researchers will determine the preference and acceptability of

the LGU of Siruma, NGOs, the Angat Buhay Project of Leni Robredo,

learners, and the Siruma Community.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK (MAAM ABBY)

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
 Figure 2 provides the conceptual paradigm of the study. The

conceptual paradigm of the present study was based on the

system’s approach which shows the interplay of the three

important elements: input, process and output.

INPUT. It includes the conduct a systematic literature of the

design and utilization of learning hubs, designing a prototype of

a learning hub based on the literature review and the conducted

environmental scanning, conducting a cost benefit of the designed

prototype model of cost benefit analysis and determining the

stakeholders’ acceptability and appreciation of the designed

prototype.

PROCESS. It consists the interpretation and analysis of the data

about the analysis and interpretation of the results conducted

through systematic review of the designs and utilization of the

learning hubs, conduct environmental scanning of the existing

learning hubs in designing a propose prototype learning hub,

analyze and interpret the cost benefit of a design prototype. The

researchers will be distributing a validated survey

questionnaires to determine the acceptability and appreciation of

the designed prototype. Gathering of all the data that will be

used in the study.

OUTPUT. Based on the findings of the study, it can be

significant for the following reasons:

1. The study will be valuable to the respondents of the study

especially to those who will be the beneficiary of the learning

hub.

2. The study can be a shed light to the stakeholders and to their

children in coping with the new normal education.

3. The study will highlight important areas of future research,

professional development, and investors in the proposed learning

hub to cater the needs of the students etc.

FEEDBACK. It provides mechanism for the continuing development

of the study to further use to achieve the goals.

 INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT
1. Conduct a 1. Analysis and Particularly, the
systematic interpretation of the study can be
literature of the results conducted significant for the
design and following reasons:
through systematic
utilization of 1. The study will
review of the designs
be valuable to the
learning hubs. and utilization of respondents of the
the learning hubs, study especially to
2. Design a
prototype of a those who will be
2. Conduct
learning hub based the beneficiary of
environmental
on the literature the learning hub.
scanning of the
2. The study can be
review and the existing learning a shed light to the
conducted hubs in designing a stakeholders and to
environmental propose prototype their children in
scanning. learning hub. coping with the new
normal education.
3. Conduct a cost 3. Analyze and 3. The study will
benefit of the interpret the cost highlight important
designed prototype benefit of a design areas of future
model of cost prototype. research,
benefit analysis. professional
4. The researchers development, and
4. Determine the will be distributing investors in the
stakeholders’ a validated survey proposed learning
acceptability and questionnaires to hub to cater the
appreciation of the needs of the
determine the students etc.
designed prototype. acceptability and
appreciation of the
designed prototype.

Gathering of all the

data that will be
used in the study.

FEEDBACK
.
 FIGURE 2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
ASSUMPTIONS (MAAM ABBY)

1. Existing Designs of Learning Hubs may have competent and

unfitting characteristics that will be improved through this

study.

2. The learning Hubs will be a big help especially in the far

flung areas.

3. The conduct of cost-benefit of the Learning hubs affects the

acceptability and appreciation of the stakeholders.

4. The proposed learning Hubs will be accepted by the community.

HYPOTHESIS

The stakeholders have a high acceptability and appreciation

of the proposed learning hub prototype.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following were defined conceptually and operationally

according to their usage in this study. It helped the readers

understand the manuscript easily.

Learning Hub. This word refers to the area that promotes any kind

of learning. It also offers a variety of learning materials that

aids meaningful learning experience.

Prototype Learning Hub. This refers to the concept, model or

process suggested by the researchers in the creation of learning

hubs to far flung areas.

Far Flung Areas. This word refers to the remote area that has

disadvantages in terms of educational trends and technological

aspects of delivering education to learners.

Learning Modality. This word refers to the ways in which

individuals give, receive and store information.

Pandemic. This word refers to a disease outbreak that hinders the

traditional ways of learning and affects most lives of

educational advocates.

Mode of Learning. This word refers to guidelines that are being

followed by education leaders to foster learning in any

situation.
CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The chapter presents the related literature and

studies. It also presents the state-of-the-art gap bridge in the

study.

RELATED LITERATURE

RELATED STUDIES

STATE-OF-THE-ART
CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN (MAAM JOYCE AND MAAM ABBY)

RESEARCH LOCALE (SIR KEVS)

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
REFERENCES:

Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2020). The economic

impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on ASEAN. ASEAN Policy Brief,

April 2020. https://asean.org/?static_post=asean-policy-brief

Department of Education (2020). Learning while staying at

home: Teachers and parents support the DepEd distance learning

platform. DepEd. https://www.deped.gov.ph/2020/03/21/learning-

while-staying-at-home-teachers-parents-support-deped-distance-

learning-platform

Department of Education. (2020, December 23). DepEd teaches

integrates technical assistance in improving the delivery of

basic education services.

https://www.deped.gov.ph/2020/12/23/deped-teaches-integrates-

technical-assistance-in-improving-delivery-of-basic-education-

services/

Rose, R. M., & Blomeyer, R. L. (2007). Research committee

issues brief: Access and equity in online classes and virtual

schools. North American Council for Online Learning.

http://www.inacol.org
 Scagnoli, N. I., Choo, J., & Tian, J. (2017). Students'

insights on the use of video lectures in online classes. British

Journal of Educational Technology, 50(1), 399-414.

https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12572

Walker, B., S. Carpenter, C. Folke, L. Gunderson, G.

Peterson, M. Scheffer, M. Schoon, and F. Westley. 2020.

Navigating the chaos of an unfolding global cycle. Ecology and

Society 25(04):23. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12072-250423