CHALLENGES IN LEARNING PROFESSIONAL COURSES AMONG

CRIMINOLOGY STUDENTS IN ONLINE CLASSES

A Thesis

Presented to the Faculty of the

College of Criminology

University of Cebu-Banilad

Cebu City, Philippines

In partial fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the

Degree of Bachelor of Science in Criminology

By:

Johnavy Guisado

Sirc Ivan Abella

James Kingsley Mistula

Jojo Megio

John Phillip Jimenez

December 2021

1
 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
INTRODUCTION

Rationale

Globally, education of all levels was affected in various ways due to the
Covid-19 pandemic. Facilitators and institutions of learning had responded rapidly
to the forced and sudden changeover from face-to-face to e-learning (Carillio &
Flores, 2020). According to Salvaña (2020), Community lockdown was established
to refrain from the spreading of viruses and to minimize infections.
In the Philippines, about 28 million learners have been affected by the
institution's closure (UNESCO, 2020). It is started by the government to
implement safety protocols for the people's safety, and by that, the new style of
new normal instruction has been enforced. Department of Education (Dep-Ed)
implemented distance or blended learning wherein modalities of learning such as
Printed modules, Online, T.V., and Radio-based instructions have been being used
since August 24, 2020 (Malipot, 2020). The staff, teachers, and facilities are
already following the mode of new normal teaching. However, different risks were
posed, challenges, and problems to both students and teachers (H.E.I.s) (Bao,
2020). ‘'Digital natives'’ is what the present generation of learners have been
identified in reflection of their mastery evident ease and with digital technology.
However, on how prepared students are for a distance learning mode of instruction
are the questions that still remain (Adams, et al., 2018).
Cebu City is the second-largest metropolis outside Metro Manila (Macasero,
2020). The city has 89 private secondary schools 57 public secondary schools
(Dep-ed, 2020). One of the educational institutions in Cebu City that offers online
learning is the University of Cebu. DepEd-7 used the Distance modular learning
method of education for the students this school year due to Coronavirus Disease
2019, and the University of Cebu is offering all levels of education. This kind of
method requires the use of digital technology. Badly, when Cebu City shifted from
the online method of learning, this implementation is accompanied by numerous
challenges due to the limited access of gadgets, and the struggles for connectivity
of their internet access, the students are being frustrated on how they will be going
to make it.

2
 In addition, students also are having a hard time going outside especially
those students ranging from 21 years old and below as implemented by the
government that is needed to be followed. And with that, some students are under
pressure upon deciding whether they will continue and proceed with their studies
knowingly that they cannot go outside for other educational purposes especially for
the students who need to go outside for not having stable internet access. Another
challenge that arisen is the stress in which the students are facing when it comes to
technical skills especially to those students who are engaged for the first time that
on this matter need to be adopted. There have been cases of students who
committed suicide reported due to education-related problems, as stated by Briones
(2020), online learning is not the only consideration. This point of change entails
the essentiality to provide an evidence-based standpoint if it is working or it has
failed but, most importantly, to understand the processes, attributes, results, and the
application of online practices (Carrillo & Flores, 2020). With regards to the
information presented above, the researchers conducted a dry run survey to
measure the effects of virtual class on the selected third-year BSCRIM. students, if
it is declining or not. The question asked was "What are the challenges of online
classes on the students?". The responses were checked and revealed that the
problems brought them by the virtual classes stress, frustration, and pressure. The
details mentioned above prompted the researchers to seek whether the virtual class
has something to do with this decline.

Aside from the pessimistic results obtained in the survey, the researchers
choose the fourth-year Criminology students as their suitable respondents because
they are the first batch engaging in virtual classes after completing three years of
college in a traditional setting setup wherein classes are just normal and in face-to-
face interaction. They were chosen to see the comparison effects with the new
mode of learning from the traditional one.

These reasons prompted the researchers to conduct the study on the effects
of virtual classes on criminology students. The results will be the basis for a
proposed way of coping remedy.

3
Theoretical Background
The typology of challenges examined in this study is largely based on
Rasheed et al.’s (2020) review of students’ experience in an online learning
environment. These challenges are grouped into five general clusters, namely self-
regulation (SRC), technological literacy and competency (TLCC), student isolation
(SIC), technological sufficiency (TSC), and technological complexity (TCC)
challenges (Rasheed et al., 2020, p. 5). SRC refers to a set of behavior by which
students exercise control over their emotions, actions, and thoughts to achieve
learning objectives. TLCC relates to a set of challenges about students’ ability to
effectively use technology for learning purposes. SIC relates to the emotional
discomfort that students experience as a result of being lonely and secluded from
their peers. TSC refers to a set of challenges that students experience when
accessing available online technologies for learning. Finally, there is TCC which
involves challenges that students experience when exposed to complex and over-
sufficient technologies for online learning.

To extend Rasheed et al. (2020) categories and to cover other potential challenges
during online classes, two more clusters were added, namely learning resource
challenges (LRC) and learning environment challenges (LEC) (Buehler, 2004;
Recker et al., 2004; Seplaki et al., 2014; Xue et al., 2020). LRC refers to a set of
challenges that students face relating to their use of library resources and
instructional materials, whereas LEC is a set of challenges that students experience
related to the condition of their learning space that shapes their learning
experiences, beliefs, and attitudes. Since learning environment at home and
learning resources available to students has been reported to significantly impact
the quality of learning and their achievement of learning outcomes (Drane et al.,
2020; Suryaman et al., 2020), the inclusion of LRC and LEC would allow us to
capture other important challenges that students experience during the pandemic,
particularly those from developing regions. This comprehensive list would provide
us a clearer and detailed picture of students’ experiences when engaged in online
learning in an emergency. Given the restrictions in mobility at macro and micro
levels during the pandemic, it is also expected that such conditions would

4
aggravate these challenges. Therefore, this paper intends to understand these
challenges from students’ perspectives since they are the ones that are ultimately
impacted when the issue is about the learning experience. We also seek to explore
areas that provide inconclusive findings, thereby setting the path for future
research.
These theories are related to our study which was performed to investigate
the challenges of online classes on student's achievements and to determine
student's opinions about virtual classes. This emphasizes the influence of virtual
classes on the students. We examine both mean effects and how online courses
change the distribution of student outcomes. While online course-taking is both
prevalent and growing, there remains relatively little evidence about how taking a
course online instead of in-person, affects student's success in college.

Related Studies:
Recently, there has been an explosion of studies relating to the new normal in
education. While many focused on national policies, professional development,
and curriculum, others zeroed in on the specific learning experience of students
during the pandemic. Among these are Copeland et al. (2021) and Fawaz et al.
(2021) who examined the impact of COVID-19 on college students’ mental health
and their coping mechanisms. Copeland et al. (2021) reported that the pandemic
adversely affected students’ behavioral and emotional functioning, particularly
attention and externalizing problems (i.e., mood and wellness behavior), which
were caused by isolation, economic/health effects, and uncertainties. In Fawaz et
al.’s (2021) study, students raised their concerns on learning and evaluation
methods, overwhelming task load, technical difficulties, and confinement. To cope
with these problems, students actively dealt with the situation by seeking help from
their teachers and relatives and engaging in recreational activities. These active-
oriented coping mechanisms of students were aligned with Carter et al.’s (2020),
who explored students’ self-regulation strategies.

In another study, Tang et al. (2020) examined the efficacy of different online
teaching modes among engineering students. Using a questionnaire, the results

5
revealed that students were dissatisfied with online learning in general, particularly
in the aspect of communication and question-and-answer modes. Nonetheless, the
combined model of online teaching with flipped classrooms improved students’
attention, academic performance, and course evaluation. A parallel study was
undertaken by Hew et al. (2020), who transformed conventional flipped
classrooms into fully online flipped classes through a cloud-based video
conferencing app. Their findings suggested that these two types of learning
environments were equally effective. They also offered ways on how to effectively
adopt videoconferencing-assisted online flipped classrooms. Unlike the two
studies, Suryaman et al. (2020) looked into how learning occurred at home during
the pandemic. Their findings showed that students faced many obstacles in a home
learning environment, such as lack of mastery of technology, high Internet cost,
and limited interaction/socialization between and among students. In a related
study, Kapasia et al. (2020) investigated how lockdown impacts students’ learning
performance. Their findings revealed that the lockdown made significant
disruptions in students’ learning experience. The students also reported some
challenges that they faced during their online classes. These include anxiety,
depression, poor Internet service, and unfavorable home learning environment,
which were aggravated when students are marginalized and from remote areas.
Contrary to Kapasia et al.’s (2020) findings, Gonzales et al. (2020) found that
confinement of students during the pandemic had significant positive effects on
their performance. They attributed these results to students’ continuous use of
learning strategies which, in turn, improved their learning efficiency.

Although there are few studies that report the online learning challenges that
higher education students experience during the pandemic, limited information is
available regarding the specific strategies that they use to overcome them. It is in
this context that the current study was undertaken. This mixed-methods study
investigates students’ online learning experience in higher education. Specifically,
the following research questions are addressed: (1) What is the extent of challenges
that students experience in an online learning environment? (2) How did the
COVID-19 pandemic impact the online learning challenges that students
experience? (3) What strategies did students use to overcome the challenges?

6
THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

The main purpose of this study is to determine the effects of virtual classes on
all 4th year Criminology students of the University of Cebu-Banilad. The findings
of which will be used as the basis on what would be the remedy are proposing with
the students to cope with the situation.
Specifically, the study intended to answer the following questions:
1.) What is the profile of the respondents in terms of;
1.1 age;
1.2 gender;
2. What are the challenges of the respondents in during online classes?
3. Based on the findings, what remedial measures may be proposed?

Statement of the Null Hypothesis

The null hypothesis was tested at a 0.05 level of significance:

There is no significant relationship between the profile of the respondents
and the effects of the virtual class.

7
Significance of the Study

The outcome of the study will be beneficial to the following stakeholder:

The University of Cebu-Banilad. The institution will have stress-free students

through the actual coping remedies from the teacher.
Dean. The Dean will also be benefited from the study in having awareness with
regards to her/his student's hard times and struggles towards the new way of
teaching and learning method, in that way the Dean can understand and consider
the student's scuffle.
Teachers. This benefited the teachers to enhance their teaching strategy, especially
with the use of modern technology to improve online teaching. With the results of
this study, they will also gain and develop the teaching-learning and accessing the
strategies in enhancing skills and knowledge in coping stress in the online
platform.
Breed of Effective and Sanguineous Teachers (B.E.S.T.). The findings of this
study will benefit a specific group, and they may be able to gain a direct recipient
of the output of the study, which is the Criminology Fourth-year students in the
University of Cebu-Banilad Criminology department.
Students. They will benefit from the study for they will learn how to deal with the
coping mechanisms of online learning and provide them in handling the stressors
and other strategies to cope up.
The Researchers. The researchers of this study will also be benefited since it is a
valuable reference for the researchers who will plan to make a related study
precisely with the lived experiences of students who are engaging in virtual
classes. The researchers will also have awareness about the said problem and will
apply it on their own as a part of this new way of teaching and learning method.
Future Researchers. Future researchers will figure out critical areas in the online
education process that numerous researchers could not scrutinize.

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9
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design

This study utilized the descriptive – correlational design in determining the

virtual classes and their effects on the fourth-year Criminology students with the
use of the researcher's made questionnaire with regards to the impact of virtual
courses.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Respondent’s  Descriptive-  Proposed

Profile Correlation Coping

 Effects of Research Remedy

virtual classes Design

to the  Data

respondents Gathering

 Data

Processing

Research Environment

The study was conducted at the University of Cebu-Banilad, a private

institution along Governor Cuenco Avenue Banilad, Cebu City. It was founded in
1964 by Atty. Augusto W, Go. With over forty-four thousand (44,000) students in
four (4) campuses particularly the University of Cebu-Banilad. The campus opened
in 2001 with initial programs; in commerce, Law, Accountancy, Engineering,
Nursing, and Information Technology. The University of Cebu-Banilad has 10
academic units at the present providing undergraduate courses; Computer Studies,
Criminology, Teacher Education, Colleges of Business and Accountancy, Hotel

10
and Restaurant Management, Engineering, Medical Technology, Tourism,
Nursing, and the School of Midwifery. It has also a School of Law with a thesis
and a non-thesis Juris Doctor program. The study was conducted virtually, through
google forms and files, the Researcher-made questionnaire was distributed to the
respondents by the researchers in accordance with their time availability
Research Respondents
This study used a simple random sampling method in selecting the respondents.
The respondents of this study are the Fourth-year Criminology students of the
University of Cebu – Banilad. The Criminology department 4th year students have
a population of approximately 74 students. Out of the 74 students, 60 from the
Criminology 4th year levels will be the respondents

Research Instrument
The study utilized a researcher-made instrument as the main tool of data
collection. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. Part 1 is on the profile of the
respondents in terms of name, gender, age, and Year Level. Part 2 a researcher-
made is largely based on Rasheed et al.’s (2020) review of students’ experience in
an online learning environment. It is subdivided into four parts namely; learning
environment challenges, technological literacy and competency, teaching
challenges and challenges in learning professional courses. The said factors were
answered by checking one of the four choices in each item the respondents feel
more appropriate using the Likert scale. In each item, the respondents answered
agree, moderately agree, less agree, and disagree with a weighted mean of 4, 3, 2,
and 1 respectively.

Dry Run Procedure

Before the actual data gathering, a dry-run procedure will be conducted to
validate and guarantee the reliability of the survey questionnaire used in gathering
the data. The pilot testing will serve as a preliminary small-scale trial wherein the
researchers can test the procedures and approach in collecting information in
determining the virtual classes and their effects on the fourth-year Criminology
students. Upon the final checking of the content validator, the pilot testing will be
done wherein there will be a total of thirty (30) respondents of third-year

11
Criminology students, who will serve as the dry-run respondents of the study and
will not be included in the actual survey.

RESEARCH PROCEDURE
Data Gathering

The researchers will send a letter to the University of Cebu-Banilad

administrator and to the College of Criminology Dean asking permission to
conduct the study to BSCRIM 4th year students. Upon approval, the researchers
will send a private message to the respondents virtually and explained the
instruction in the questionnaire for them to eliminate confusion. The respondents
checked one of the choices in each item they feel most appropriate. The data
gathered were kept, and in the second semester S.Y. 2020-2021, the same process
was done.
For the age of the respondents, a list of names from the students who
participated in the study was sent to the research Adviser to obtain the final rates of
the respondents in education subjects. The data gathered were tabulated, analyzed,
and interpreted.

Statistical Treatment

The data gathered were objected for statistical treatment to facilitate

interpretation of the results using the following statistical tools:
1. The simple percentage is to be used for the computation of the profile of the
respondents.
2. The Weighted mean will be used to determine the effects of virtual classes
among the respondents.
3. The Chi-Square Test of independence is to be used to determine the
significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and the effects of
virtual classes among the respondents.

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Ethical Considerations

The researchers made sure that the informants are well informed of their
rights. Institutional review boards implement guidelines that developed three
ethical principles: respect for persons (their consent, their right to privacy, and
anonymity), beneficence (weighing the benefits of research versus the risks to
individuals), and justice (equity for participation in a study). By following the
guidelines, researchers guarantee that participants retain their autonomy and judge
themselves what risks are worth taking for research. (Howe & Dougherty, 1993).
The researcher constructed the informant consent for the first ethical
principle considering all elements that Creswell, Hanson, Clark Plano, & Morales
(2007) suggested. The support must emphasize the following (1) Title (2)
voluntary participation (3) right to withdraw (4) purpose (5) procedure (6) right to
ask questions obtain results (7) anonymity (8) no known risk (9) benefits (10)
signature of the key-informant (11) information about the investigator. (Refer to
Appendix A for the informed consent)
For the second principle, the researcher ensured that the data were reported
honestly, without changing or altering the finding to satisfy confident predictions
or interest groups. The researcher also made sure that there were no jargon words
and be understandable to those being studied. Showing respect to audiences who
read and use information from studies was also be considered.
Lastly, the researcher gave justice to the research by making it available to
the community of researchers and practitioners so the inquiry will be encouraged
and used. Educational researchers have an ethical mandate to produce high-quality
research and report their results that convey basic assumptions they are making.
This also means that research should not sit unpublished and that researchers
should openly share their findings (Brown & Hedges, 2019).

Trustworthiness of the Research

To establish transferability, credibility, conformability, and dependability of

the research, the researchers used triangulations. All members of the group were
given a task to gather the data from the respondents. To ensure the research
instrument's reliability, the research-designed survey questionnaire was examined

13
and tested by the group's statistician before administering it to the respondents. The
respondents were selected through stratified random sampling; wherein each year
level must be represented in the study to ensure that the findings are based on the
responses of the participants and not any person's motivations or any potential at
the researchers. The researchers also present the study to the group's adviser and
the group's statistician to examine the research process and the data analysis to
ensure that the findings are consistent and could be repeated.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For extreme understanding and clarity, the following terms are defined.
Action Plan
This refers to the program that will be implemented to ease the student's
encountered challenges and stress level during online classes.
Cope
This refers to how the students would overcome the numerous effects of online
classes.
Propose
This refers to the action plan that will be implemented to address the problem.
Virtual Classes
This refers to the new mode of learning in which the students are facing right now.
Remedial Measures
This refers to the things that must be done for the students to cope with the effects
of online classes fully.

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 CHAPTER 2

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the results, analyzes and interpretation of data relevant
to the respondent’s profile, perceived the challenges in learning professional
courses among Criminology students in online classes. The data presented in
tabular form with corresponding analysis and interpretation.
This chapter is divided into three parts the first part pertains to the profile of
the respondents. The second part perceived the challenges in learning professional
courses among Criminology students in online classes. The third displays the
significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their challenges
in learning professional courses among Criminology students in online classes

TABLE 1
PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS
n=60

Table 1.1 Age of the Respondents

Age Frequenc Percent
y
1 38 64.4
2 16 27.1
3 5 8.5
Total 60 100.0
Legend: 21-22 (1); 23-24 (2); 25 and above (3)

Table 1.1 presented the age of the respondents. Of the sixty (60) respondents,
thirty-eight (38) or 64.4% were between 21–22 years old. Sixteen (16) or 27.1%
were 23-24 years old. Five (5) or 8.5% were 25 years old above. Therefore, the
majority of the respondents were within the age of 21-22 years old.

15
 Table 1.2 Gender of the Respondents
Gender Frequency Percent
Female 17 28.8
Male 42 71.2
Total 59 100.0

Table 1.2 showed the gender of the respondents. The table revealed that of the
sixty respondents, seventeen (17) or 28.8% were females and forty-two (42) or
71.2% were males. If implied that majority of the respondents were male.

TABLE 2
CHALLEGES IN LEARNING PROFESSIONAL COURSES AMONG
CRMININOLOGY STUDENTS IN ONLINE CLASSES
n=60

2.1 Learning Environment Challenges

STATEMENT Weighted INTERPRETATION
Mean
I am tempted to access my social media accounts during our 3.08 Moderately Agree
virtual classes.
I sleep during online classes because no one can see me. 2.35 Less Agree
I joined the virtual class for the sake of attendance. 2.40 Less Agree
I cannot focus during online classes due to a lot of noises in our 3.17 Moderately Agree
neighborhood. (ex. Loud music, animals, engine sounds and etc.)
I don’t listen to the discussion because I am doing house chores. 2.45 Less Agree
(ex. Cooking, washing, cleaning, taking care of my siblings and
etc.)
I joined virtual class but behind the camera I am playing 1.97 Less Agree
online/computer games.
I create fake internet connection issues as an alibi if I forgot to 1.95 Less Agree
join or joined late in our virtual class.
Workloads during online classes are way more overwhelming 2.67 Moderately Agree
than face-to-face classes.
My parents cannot provide budget for internet connection 2.73 Moderately Agree
because it is costly.
My home location doesn’t have a good signal coverage that’s 3.07 Moderately Agree
why I always get disconnected during online classes.
Grand Mean 2.58 Moderately Agree

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Legend: 3.26-4.00 or Strongly Agree; 2.51-3.25 or Moderately Agree; 1.76-2.50 or Less Agree; 1.00-1.75 or Disagree
Table 2.1 showed perceived challenges in learning professional courses among
Criminology students in online classes regarding Learning Environment. The
respondents indicated highest average of 3.08 to Statement 1 to 10 stated that “I
am tempted to access my social media accounts during our virtual classes.” This
signified that the respondents moderately agreed with the statement regarding their
environmental learning challenges in online classes.

On the other hand, the respondents affixed the lowest mean rating to Statement 7
which stated that “I create fake internet connection issues as an alibi if I forgot to
join or joined late in our virtual class.” This meant that the respondents agreed less
with the provision. In the overall, the rated 2.58 to the Learning Environment
Challenges. This meant that on the average, the respondents moderately agreed to
the statements indicated in this section. The findings signified that the respondents
perceived challenges that they experience related to the condition of their learning
space that shapes their learning experiences, beliefs, and attitudes. Since learning
environment at home and learning resources available to students has been
reported to significantly impact the quality of learning and their achievement of
learning outcomes.

Table 2.2 Technological Literacy and Competency

STATEMENT Weighted INTERPRETATION
Mean
I lack knowledge and training in the use of technology. 2.62 Moderately Agree
I cannot afford high end gadgets that’s why my device cannot 3.12 Moderately Agree
support other applications needed in online classes. (ex. Video
Editors <app>, low RAM and ROM <device>)
I experience technical difficulties in completing my quizzes, 3.08 Moderately Agree
assignments, exams, projects, etc.
The visuals during online classes are pixelated or blurred out due 2.95 Moderately Agree
to old software device and poor connection.
I am having troubles doing Word Documents, PowerPoint and 2.83 Moderately Agree
other applications in submitting activities.
I cannot participate during virtual discussion because my device 2.78 Moderately Agree
malfunctions. (ex. Microphone not working, screen freezes)
I have to find an aloft location for my device to catch good signal 3.07 Moderately Agree
and it is uncomfortable for learning set-up.
Unscheduled power outage or internet interruption during major 3.13 Moderately Agree
exams or synchronous classes happen.

17
The application provided by the University is slow. 2.87 Moderately Agree
Other applications used during virtual classes are hard to 3.03 Moderately Agree
navigate.
Grand Mean 2.95 Moderately Agree
Legend: 3.26-4.00 or Strongly Agree; 2.51-3.25 or Moderately Agree; 1.76-2.50 or Less Agree; 1.00-1.75 or Disagree

Table 2.2 showed the challenges in learning professional courses among

Criminology students in online classes regarding Technological Literacy and
Competency. The respondents indicated the highest average of 3.12 to the
statement” I cannot afford high end gadgets that’s why my device cannot support
other applications needed in online classes. (ex. Video Editors <app>, low RAM
and ROM <device>)” This signified that the respondents Moderately Agreed with
the statement in Technological Literacy and Competency.

Meanwhile, the respondents attached the lowest mean rating to statement 1 which
stated that “I lack knowledge and training in the use of technology.” This meant
that the respondents still Moderately agreed with the statement.

In the overall, the statements under Technological Literacy and Competency yield
and overall grand mean of 2.95 which signified that the respondents Moderately
agreed with the statements. This connoted that they are facing challenges about
their ability to effectively use technology for learning purposes.

Table 2.3 Teaching Challenges

STATEMENT Weighted INTERPRETATION
Mean
Instructor is always absent. 2.38 Less Agree
Instructor leaves workloads without discussing the contents. 2.67 Moderately Agree
Instructor is choppy during online classes. 2.82 Moderately Agree
Instructor’s voice makes me feel sleepy. 2.55 Moderately Agree
Instructor doesn’t give another chance to submit activities or 2.48 Less Agree
take the exams.
Instructor doesn’t listen to my explanation as to why I cannot join 2.43 Less Agree
virtual classes, why I was not able to submit activities, and to why
I was not able to take the quizzes or major exams.
Instructor is hard to reach out, they do not reply when messaged. 2.62 Moderately Agree
Instructor is old and navigates very slow on online tools during 2.40 Less Agree
virtual classes.
Instructor gives exams and quizzes without discussing the 2.50 Moderately Agree

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lessons.
Instructor gets disconnected during online classes. 2.77 Moderately Agree
Grand Mean 2.56 Moderately Agree
Legend: 3.26-4.00 or Strongly Agree; 2.51-3.25 or Moderately Agree; 1.76-2.50 or Less Agree; 1.00-1.75 or Disagree

Table 2.3 showed the challenges in learning professional courses among

Criminology students in online classes regarding Teaching Challenges. The
respondents indicated the highest average of 2.77 to the statement” Instructor gets
disconnected during online classes.” This signified that the respondents
Moderately Agreed with the statement in Teaching Challenges.

Meanwhile, the respondents attached the lowest mean rating to statement 1 which
stated that “Instructor is always absent.” This meant that the respondents agreed
less to the statement.

In the overall, the statements under Teaching Challenges yield an overall grand
mean of 2.56 which signified that the respondents Moderately agreed with the
statements.

Table 2.4 Challenges in Learning Professional Courses

STATEMENT Weighted INTERPRETATION
Mean
Learning resources for law courses provided are hyperlinks and 2.82 Moderately Agree
contents are hard to understand.
Learning resources for laboratory process are pictures and 2.98 Moderately Agree
YouTube links and I cannot understand without being actually
performed.
Topics like marksmanship, fingerprints, ballistics, etc. are difficult 3.13 Moderately Agree
to understand during virtual discussion.
I cannot visualize the materials and how it is done during virtual 3.08 Moderately Agree
classes. (ex. Assembling and Disassembling of guns)
Topics like fingerprints, lie detection reading, identifying forged 3.05 Moderately Agree
documents that are discussed virtually are confusing.
I am a visual learner and during virtual discussion I did not learn 2.78 Moderately Agree
anything.
I have inadequate laboratory materials at home. 3.13 Moderately Agree
We only watched YouTube tutorials on how to do proper CPR and 3.15 Moderately Agree
first aids for emergencies.
Our driving lessons and swimming lessons were done virtually 3.08 Moderately Agree
disregarding hands-on lessons.
I cannot follow discussion about policing, police theories, 3.00 Moderately Agree

19
historical information and other topics that are crucial in Board
Examination.
Grand Mean 3.02 Moderately Agree
Legend: 3.26-4.00 or Strongly Agree; 2.51-3.25 or Moderately Agree; 1.76-2.50 or Less Agree; 1.00-1.75 or Disagree

Table 2.4 showed the challenges in learning professional courses among

Criminology students in online classes. The respondents indicated the highest
average of 3.15 to the statement “We only watched YouTube tutorials on how to do
proper CPR and first aids for emergencies.” This signified that the respondents
Moderately Agreed with the statement in Teaching Challenges.

Meanwhile, the respondents attached the lowest mean rating to statement 6 which
stated that “I am a visual learner and during virtual discussion I did not learn
anything.” This meant that the respondents still Moderately agreed to the
statement.

In the overall, the statements under Teaching Challenges yield an overall grand
mean of 3.02 which signified that the respondents Moderately agreed with the
statements. Therefore, these would provide us a clearer and detailed picture of
students’ experiences when engaged in online learning in an emergency. Given the
restrictions in mobility at macro and micro levels during the pandemic, it is also
expected that such conditions would aggravate these challenges. We understood
these challenges from students’ perspectives since they are the ones that are
ultimately impacted when the issue is about the learning experience. We also seek
to explore areas that provide inconclusive findings, thereby setting the path for
future research.

TABLE 3
Significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their
challenges in Learning Professional Courses in Online Classes

Table 3.1 Age and Challenges

Paired Computed Chi- df Cramer's V P-Values Decision on Interpretation
Variables square Ho
Age and 8.795 6 0.273 0.185 Accept Ho No Significant
Learning Relationship
Environmen

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 t
Age and 6.102 6 0.227 0.412 Accept Ho No Significant
Technology Relationship
Challenges
Age and 5.998 6 0.225 0.423 Accept Ho No Significant
Teaching Relationship
Challenges
Age and Prof 3.575 6 0.174 0.734 Accept Ho No Significant
Ed Relationship
Challenges
Age and 5.765 6 0.221 0.45 Accept Ho No Significant
overall Relationship

*P is significant a≤0.05
Based on the computed chi-square value of 8.795, a value higher than the p-
value 0.185, interpreted as no significant relationship between age of the
respondents. This data showed that there was no significant relationship between
the age of the respondents and their challenges in learning professional courses in
online classes regarding Learning Environment Challenges.
The computed chi-square value of 6.102, a value higher than the p-value
0.412. This data showed that there was no significant relationship between the age
of the respondents and their challenges in learning professional courses in online
classes regarding Technological Literacy and Competency.
The computed chi-square value of 5.998, a value higher than the p-value
0.423. This data showed that there was no significant relationship between the age
of the respondents and their challenges in learning professional courses in online
classes regarding Teaching Challenges.
The value of 3.575 of the computed chi-square, a value higher than the p-
value 0.734, showed no significant relationship between the respondents and their
challenges in learning professional courses in online classes regarding Learning
Environment Challenges.
The final results of the calculated chi-square of 5.765, a value higher than
the p-value of 0.45, revealed that the profile of the respondents as to age and
Challenges had no significant relationship with their perception on the challenges
with encounter in learning professional courses in online classes.

Table 3.2 Gender and Challenges

Paired Computed Chi- df Cramer's P-Values Decision Interpretation

21
Variables square V on Ho
Gender and 0.96 3 0.128 0.811 Accept Ho No Significant Relationship
Learning
Environment
Gender and 0.994 3 0.13 0.803 Accept Ho No Significant Relationship
Technology
Challenges
Gender and 3.82 3 0.254 0.282 Accept Ho No Significant Relationship
Teaching
Challenges
Gender and 9.344 3 0.398 0.025 Accept Ho No Significant Relationship
Prof Ed
Challenges
Gender and 8.264 3 0.374 0.041 Accept Ho No Significant Relationship
Over-ALL
*P is significant a≤0.05
Based on the computed chi-square value of 0.96, a value higher than the p-
value 0.811, interpreted as no significant relationship between gender of the
respondents. This data showed that there was no significant relationship between
the age of the respondents and their challenges in learning professional courses in
online classes regarding Learning Environment Challenges.
The computed chi-square value of 0.994, a value higher than the p-value
0.803. This data showed that there was no significant relationship between the
gender of the respondents and their challenges in learning professional courses in
online classes regarding Technological Literacy and Competency.
The computed chi-square value of 3.82, a value higher than the p-value
0.282. This data showed that there was no significant relationship between the
gender of the respondents and their challenges in learning professional courses in
online classes regarding Teaching Challenges.
The value of 9.344 of the computed chi-square, a value higher than the p-
value 0.025, showed no significant relationship between the respondents and their
challenges in learning professional courses in online classes regarding Learning
Environment Challenges.
The overall results of computed chi-square of 8.264, a value higher than p-
value of 0.041, revealed that the profile of the respondents as to gender and
Challenges had no significant relationship with their perception on the challenges
with encounter in learning professional courses in online classes.

22
 CHAPTER 3

SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS and RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary of the study, the conclusion drawn based
on the findings and propose recommendation for improving the operation.

SUMMARY
The purpose of this research was to study the Challenges in Learning
Professional Courses Among Criminology Students in Online Classes of
University of Cebu-Banilad Campus. The findings would serve as basis for
designing proposal of to enhance the on-going program specifically. The research
aimed to answer the following questions: What is the profile of the respondents
regarding age and gender? What are the challenges they faced in learning
professional courses during online classes? Is there a significant relationship
between the profile of the respondents and their perception in on the Challenges in
Learning Professional Courses Among Criminology Students in Online Classes?
What proposal can be derived to elaborate the impact either positive and negative
news?
This study employed descriptive – correlational design determining
Challenges in Learning Professional Courses Among Criminology Students in
Online Classes. The researcher utilized a researcher-made instrument to extract the
needed information from the respondents such as their profile regarding age,
gender and their challenges in learning professional courses in online classes. This
study was conducted at University of Cebu-Banilad Campus with the help of 4 th
year students. The questionnaire was made to venture the respondent’s perception
of the program regarding Online Classes.
The dry run was conducted at University of Cebu-Banilad Campus
surveying 3rd year students to determine the reliability of the researcher-made
questionnaire among thirty (30) respondents. In gathering the data of this study, the
researchers followed steps in achieving desired results. After the transmittal letters
were approved, the researchers distributed questionnaires to the students. After the

23
retrieval of the tool, the results were tallied, analyzed and interpreted. The
accomplished questionnaires were then collected, and answers were tallied. The
data then were subjected to statistical treatment.

FINDINGS
Of the total number of respondents, thirty-eight (38) or 64.4 were between
21-22 years old males.
The perceived Challenges in Learning Professional Courses Among
Criminology Students in Online Classes regarding Learning Environment
Challenges showed an overall grand mean of 2.58 corresponding to a verbal
description of “moderately agree”. The outcomes of the respondents’ perception on
the Challenges in Learning Professional Courses Among Criminology Students in
Online Classes regarding their technological literacy and competency indicated an
overall grand mean of 2.95 interpreted as moderately agree. The respondent’s
perception on the Challenges in Learning Professional Courses Among
Criminology Students in Online Classes regarding on Teaching Challenges
captured a grand mean of 2.56 interpreted as moderately agree. The respondent’s
perception on the Challenges in Learning Professional Courses Among
Criminology Students in Online Classes captured a grand mean of 3.02 interpreted
as moderately agree. The Challenges in Learning Professional Courses Among
Criminology Students in Online Classes obtained an overall grand mean of 2.78
communicated as moderately agree.

CONCLUSION
Of the sixty (60) respondents, thirty-eight (38) or 64.4% were between 21–
22 years old. Sixteen (16) or 27.1% were 23-24 years old. Five (5) or 8.5% were
25 years old above. Therefore, the majority of the respondents were within the age
of 21-22 years old. The results also revealed that of the sixty respondents,
seventeen (17) or 28.8% were females and forty-two (42) or 71.2% were males. If
implied that majority of the respondents were male.
Challenges in Learning Professional Courses Among Criminology Students
in Online Classes regarding Learning Environment Challenges shows an overall
grand mean of 2.58 indicated moderately agree. Challenges in Learning
Professional Courses Among Criminology Students in Online Classes regarding

24
Technological Literacy and Competency yield an overall grand mean of 2.95,
indicated as moderately agree. The respondent’s perception on the Challenges in
Learning Professional Courses Among Criminology Students in Online Classes
regarding on Teaching Challenges captured a grand mean of 2.56 interpreted as
moderately agree. The respondent’s perception on the Challenges in Learning
Professional Courses Among Criminology Students in Online Classes captured a
grand mean of 3.02 interpreted as moderately agree.

RECOMMENDATION
Results reveal positive feedback from the respondents of this study. Thus,
the researcher recommends the following:
1. The operation should implement their latest plan as soon as possible in an
outmost legal manner.
2. Schools shall take proactive actions concerning negative issues about the
program.
3. The Government to resume normal face-to-face classes following safety health
protocols amidst of the ongoing pandemic.
4. Department of Heath shall ensure safe learning spaces for students during this
pandemic.

PROPOSED ACTION PLAN

The current study explores the challenges that students experienced in an
online learning environment and how the pandemic impacted their online learning
experience. The findings revealed that the online learning challenges of students
varied in terms of type and extent. Their greatest challenge was linked to their
learning environment at home, while their least challenge was technological
literacy and competency. Based on the students’ responses, their challenges were
also found to be aggravated by the pandemic, especially in terms of quality of
learning experience, mental health, finances, interaction, and mobility.
Overall findings indicate that the extent of challenges and strategies varied
from one student to another. Hence, they should be viewed as a consequence of
interaction several many factors. Students’ responses suggest that their online

25
learning challenges and strategies were mediated by the resources available to
them, their interaction with their teachers and peers, and the school’s existing
policies and guidelines for online learning. In the context of the pandemic, the
imposed lockdowns and students’ socioeconomic condition aggravated the
challenges that students experience.

Objective
This proposed action plan is designed to help the government, and schools to
provide and effective mode of learning to all students.

Area of Concern Specific Strategies Person Involved

Objectives
A. Remove the Due to the Government and Government,
Program positive Schools outmost Schools,
perception of the support Department of
students, the Health
conduct of the
operation is in
success

26
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Location Map

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CURRICULUM VITAE

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