Gingoog City Colleges, Inc.

Macopa St., Paz Village, Brgy. 24-A, Gingoog City

(088) 861 1432 Ext 7385

Correlation between Internet Connectivity

and Students’ Online Learning in
Barangay Sibantang in the
School year 2021-2022.

Submitted by:
Marla S. Rafisura
Cherly Tessa M. Lungay
Alghem F. Almonte
Leesha D. Aligsao
Joyce A. Cayetuna
Apple Jean Salalima
Annie Rose G. Edquila

BSED English II

Submitted to:

REVEN B. VILLARTA
College Instructor
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Macopa St., Paz Village, Brgy. 24-A, Gingoog City
(088) 861 1432 Ext 7385

I. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many higher education institutions (HEIs)

across the world to cancel face-to-face teaching, close campus facilities, and displace

staff and students to work and learn from home. Given the persistent nature of the

pandemic, many HEIs have continued to deliver courses online and/or use a blended

learning approach. However, there are concerns around differences in student access

to digital learning resources while at home, including high quality broadband

connectivity. This is important, since variation in connectivity may impact the type of

online/blended model that faculty can deliver or constrain student engagement with

online content.

The internet is a technology that has become an enormous part of people’s

daily lives. Over the last decades, internet connectivity has improved tremendously

and is available everywhere such as homes, offices, travels and schools. Today,

empirical studies report that access to information can influence the academic

performance of students. However, studies on internet use among Students are limited

in Barangay Sibantang of Talisayan making it uncertain whether Students in this

barangay use internet and the impact it makes in their academic performance.

Today, empirical studies (e.g Adedotun, 2015; Akende & Bamise, 2017)

report that access to information can influence the academic performance of students.

The use of credible internet resources is of greater importance for academic study,

especially in high class courses which require an academic review of literature (Sahin

et al., 2010). Internet use for educational purpose is found by Kim (2011) to be the

heart of adolescent academic achievement. The availability of internet is almost

everywhere; most students have had access to internet on their cellphones (Ellore et
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(088) 861 1432 Ext 7385

al. 2014). This helps students to broaden their academic knowledge, research and

assignments by accessing information worldwide and also enhances easy

communication to the academic community (Siraj, et al., 2015).

Barangay Sibantang is a remote barangay located at the municipality of

Talisayan, Misamis Oriental. It is 5 kilometers from the national high way. Due to its

location, people experience having slow internet connection. As this pandemic

continues to affect almost all aspect of human lives including education, students in

this barangay face challenges and struggles while coping to the new mode of learning

which is online or blended learning. In response to this concern, the barangay officials

initiated some actions to address the said problem like installing Wi-Fi connections to

accommodate students’ learning.

Hence, the researchers aim to investigates the impact of slow internet

connectivity on students’ learning in Barangay Sibantang in the school year 2021-

2022. The researchers identified this problem as a sociological and psychological

problem since it is one of the concerns that entire community faces and it affects that

mental health of the students. Through this paper, the researchers seek to contribute in

solving the problem.

II. OBJECTIVE

The general objective of this study is to determine the Correlation between

internet connectivity and Students’ online learning in Barangay Sibantang in the

School year 2021-2022. Specifically, it aims to:

1. Evaluate the factors that affect internet connectivity.

2. Identify the possible solutions to the problem.

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III. INTERVENTION

There are many ways that a lack of internet access can affect a student’s academic

performance. Students without internet can’t connect with teachers or classmates, do

independent research, or get online homework help. For families, not having internet

access can mean missing out on information or losing out on a direct line of

communication with schools and teachers. One of the biggest problems faced by

students without internet access at home is their inability to complete homework and

enter virtual classes (Matthew Lynch, 217).

The Internet, as a learning tool, has based in three theories: constructivism,

conversation and situated knowledge : (i) Theory of conversation: Internet adheres to

the Vygotskian notion of interaction among people who bring different levels of

experience to a technological culture; Internet is an environment that requires a

specific social nature and a process whereby learning creates a virtual area, the zone

of proximal development (ZPD) that also is considerate in the computer-assisted

instruction (CAI). (ii) Theory of the situated knowledge: The Internet environment

responds to the premises of the situated knowledge in two of its characteristics:

Realism and complexity. The Internet facilitates authentic interchanges among users

who belong to different cultural contexts, but with similar interests, and the unstable

nature of the Internet becomes a stumbling block for the non-initiated, who,

nonetheless, and due to their peripheral participation, are rewarded with a gradual

cultural insertion Finally, (iii) Constructivism: in education there are debates

associated with behaviorism and constructivism, which is reflected in the universities

at the time of design and implementing a virtual classroom. Before this controversy it

is recommended to use a mix strategy to implement in the virtual classrooms where

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the advantages of both perspectives are used. In fact, behaviorism, cognitivist, and

constructivism are the three broad learning theories most often used in order to design

instructional environments. We must understand that these theories were developed in

a time when learning was not impacted through technology (Ingrid del Valle García

Carreño, 2014).

In order to meet the researcher objectives, the researcher did the following:

First, the researchers conducted survey observations in identifying those students who

are doing virtual class. Next, the researchers approach the barangay officials to ask for

approval about conducting a survey and interview of the students who are learning

through online, as well as to the students’ parents or guardians. Afterwards, the

researchers did an interview and survey with those students who were affected by the

problem, asking for approval were also implemented before conducting the survey

and interview. The researcher also seeks for help and information for the parents so

that they will be able to correlate every factor.

The researchers adhere to conquer their intervention using the theory of

conversation, theory of the situated knowledge and constructivism where in it

involves the students’ interaction and the barangay officials’ participation.

IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Before the implementation of the intervention, the researcher found out that there

are 20 students who are struggling with their online class in their place at Brgy.

Sibantang, Talisayan, Misamis Oriental.

In the span of their First Semester, one out of 20 respondents drop out of school

because of hard time complying with all of the giving activities. 

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The researcher conducted interviews among students and the barangay councils in

Brgy. Sibantang. Most of the students stated that they are just complying for

compliance only because they can't access virtual classes due to the slow internet

connectivity. The respondents stated that their mental health is being affected due to

severe stress they encountered while having their virtual class and during submission of

activities. Thus, the respondents are having time to travel just to make sure they can

have a stable internet connection to address the new normal mode of learning. The

barangay officials address the concerns of their barangay, through installing Wi-Fi

connectivity in the short period of time. Due to the fact that they observed struggles and

difficulties of the students’ online learning.

Based on the above findings, the researchers recommended that: 

1. Barangay Officials in Sibantang should use their power in a way to ask for help

from the higher power to address this problem, in order for the students to be

attentive and attend their virtual class, and to answer the module as well.

2. As for the SK Officials they must develop programs such as installing free WiFi,

printing services, and available computers and laptops for the students, so that

they don't miss to attend their online class, and to pass promptly their academic

tasks.

3. Barangay Officials in Sibantang should also continuously and strictly implement

that the Wi-Fi is intended only for the students, specifically to those students who

don't have loads or data to be used for the online class. 

4. The Barangay Officials in Sibantang should enhance the implementation to adapt

actions for the students’ needs, specifically to accommodate proper usage of Wi-

Fi or any accessible gadgets that can be used for their online class. So that the
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students themselves are safe, not going anywhere or purposely going down in the

city to find a signal. Lastly, students will be safe, and at the same time save from

violating the curfew hours.

V. CONCLUSION AND REFLECTION

Based on the data gathered by the researchers, the majority of the tertiary students in

Barangay Sibantang, Talisayan, Misamis Oriental experienced slow to no internet

connectivity in their online learning. Many students found a need to descend from the

place to look for a better and stable connection. This problem had long been a concern of

the barangay, but it became a bigger issue when online learning was implemented. To

address this concern, the local officials decided to install Wi-Fi connection in the

designated areas in Barangay Sibantang. After the barangay officials took action

regarding this concern, there was a little improvement in the internet connectivity. Even

though this improvement was not significantly high, it was still a big help for all the

students in Barangay Sibantang to cope up with today’s online mode of learning.  The

researchers are hoping that this improvement in internet connectivity would continue in

Barangay Sibantang and would help students to keep up with other learners in virtual

class. As long as the barangay officials are taking some actions to solve the problem

regarding internet connectivity and cooperate with the students, it is doable for this

problem to be addressed and reinforce students’ learning despite this online mode of

learning. This paper sought to help the local officials realize the important role they play

in implementing education during this time of pandemic. Also, it aimed to help students

regard education with high value despite challenging internet connection. Lastly, the

researchers realized that the initiative of the barangay officials in addressing the problem

and the positive response of the students made the aim of this study successful.
 Gingoog City Colleges, Inc.
Macopa St., Paz Village, Brgy. 24-A, Gingoog City
(088) 861 1432 Ext 7385

VI. REFERENCES

Akande, S. O. and Bamise, O. F. (2017). The Role of School Library in Academic Motivation

of Secondary School Students in Osun State, Nigeria. International Journal of Library

Science. Scientific & Academic Publishing. Vol. 6(1): pp. 18-27.DOI:

10.5923/j.library.20170601.03. http://journal.sapub.org/library.

Cullinan, J., Flannery, D., Harold, J. et al. The disconnected: COVID-19 and disparities in

access to quality broadband for higher education students. Int J Educ Technol High

Educ 18, 26 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00262-1.

Ellore, S. B., Niranjan, S. and Brown, U. J. (2014). The Influence of Internet Usage on

Academic Performance and Face-to-Face Communication. Journal of Psychology and

Behavioral Science. Vol. 2(2), pp. 163-186, ISSN: 2374-2380 (Print) 2374-2399

(Online). American Research Institute for Policy Development.

Ingrid del Valle García Carreño, “Theory of Connectivity as an Emergent Solution to

Innovative Learning Strategies.” American Journal of Educational Research, vol. 2,

no. 2 (2014): 107-116. doi: 10.12691/education-2-2-7.

Lynch, M. (2014). THE ABSENCE OF INTERNET AT HOME IS A PROBLEM FOR SOME

STUDENTS.

Sahin, Y. G., Balta, S. and Ercan, T. (2010). The Use of Internet Resources by University
 Gingoog City Colleges, Inc.
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Students during Their Course Projects Elicitation: A Case Study. TOJET: The Turkish

Online Journal of Educational Technology. Vol. 9(2), pp: 234-244.

Siraj, H. H., Salam, A., Hasan, N. A., Jin, T. H., Roslan, R. B. and Othman, M. N. B. (2015).

Internet Usage and Academic Performance: A Study in a Malaysian Public

University. Japan Health Sciences University & Japan International Cultural

Exchange Foundation. 30 International Medical Journal. Vol. 22(2), pp. 83 – 86.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275833912.

Yebowaah, Franklina Adjoa MS, "Internet Use and its Effect on Senior High School Students

in Wa Municipality of Ghana" (2018). Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal).

1817.
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PHOTO DOCUMENTATIONS

Note: Some of the students and barangay

officials did not give us the approval to