INTRODUCTION

In late December 2019 a new (novel) coronavirus was identified in China causing severe
respiratory disease including pneumonia. It was originally named Novel Coronavirus and The
World Health Organization (WHO) advised the following language associated with the virus.
The virus causing the infection has been named - severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The disease caused as a result of infection is named - coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
COVID-19 has been categorised as an airborne High Consequence Infections Disease.
(Wikepedia 2021, United Nations, access 14 April 2021)
The outbreak of the coronavirus COVID-19 affected life around the world. The COVID-
19 pandemic influenced education in several aspects, as in any other field. Government efforts
have promoted a shared aim of reducing the spread of coronavirus through the implementation of
social interaction restriction measures. Many countries have suspended face-to-face instruction
and student-related tests.
Where possible, traditional classes are being replaced with books and materials taken
from school. Various e-learning platforms enable interaction between teachers and students, and,
in some cases, national television shows or social media platforms are being used for education.
Some education systems announced exceptional holidays to better prepare for this distance-
learning scenario. (David J. Cennimo, Medscape, 19 April 2021)
Fortunately, several new resources are available to face the distance learning obstacle
imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Using these methods, it is easily conceivable to change
material that was previously taught face-to-face. There are however other important tasks in the
learning process, such as assessment or autonomous learning, that can still be challenging
without the direct supervision of teachers. (Greta Anderson, Inside Higher Ed, 23 April 2021)
Learning during a pandemic is a unique experience to say the least. Though each school
policies vary, many students agree that pandemic learning comes with numerous challenges,
which can be especially hard for first-year students starting off their college experience with
COVID-19 restrictions in place.
With students unable to socialize and make connections as easily as they could prior to
the pandemic, many are experiencing increased feelings of isolation and depression. While it's
true that online courses can give students more free time, some are using this time to focus on
things that distract them from their learning. The pandemic has also created a need for internet
access that not all students have readily available.
All these ended in a common topic: how prepared do the incoming college students of
Benigno S. Aquino National High School to face this type of learning modalities? The pandemic
made the task of choosing a college more difficult as a nationwide shut-down of campuses in
March eliminated the opportunity for some rising college freshmen to visit campuses or attend
admitted-student events.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19#:~:text=Severe%20acute%20respiratory
%20syndrome%20coronavirus,related%20coronaviruses%20in%20nature.
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2500114-overview#:~:text=Coronavirus
%20disease%202019%20(COVID%2D19)%20is%20defined%20as%20illness,City
%2C%20Hubei%20Province%2C%20China.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/10/15/students-continue-be-
stressed-about-college-their-futures
DATA GATHERING
The researchers allotted vigorous time, effort and cooperation in developing
their questionnaire so as to serve its intended repondents. The survey was created
using suitable questions related to the research and some questions formed by the
researchers. In the questionnaire, likert scale was used to determined if the
respondent agreed or disagreed in the statement. After the Teacher reviewed the
questionnaire, copies where distributed to the respondents via messenger and
gmail through google form. Participants were given time to respond.
The data gathered from this research instrument were tallied and computed
for interpretation according to the frequency of items checked by the participants.
Along with the primary data, the researchers also made use of secondary resources
in the form of published articles and literatures to support the survey results.