PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY BS CRIMINOLOGY PARENTS ON

DISTANCE LEARNING IN TIMES OF COVID-19

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The educational system went into a sweeping change due to the emergence of the

COVID-19 pandemic. Because we were not used to it, distance learning has become a

specific challenge for families, not only to the students themselves. It brought a greater

share of responsibility to teachers and parents and inevitable adjustment schemes were

employed to make learners adjust to the new normal of the teaching and learning process.

Schmidt (2020) termed parents as the “first and most enduring educators” who

care for and educate young children at home and have had unprecedented opportunities to

exercise, even more than usual, the gift of nurture, and to reflect on their intuitive

emotional response to themselves and their children in this time of crisis.

Face-to-face, distance learning, blended learning and homeschooling became the

learning delivery modalities that schools can adopt depending on the local health

conditions, the availability of resources, and the particular context of the learners in the

school or locality. Whichever may be, the parents are in demand to be involved in the

holistic learning of their children. Hence, they should be equipped with necessary skills,

qualities and readiness to face the upgraded challenge in helping the teachers of their

children for the latter’s optimum development academically and socially.

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 Different studies have been conducted on the problems encountered by the

parents on home learning scheme in times of Covid-19 in the elementary, junior and

senior high school education but none to parents of college students. Hence, this study

seeks to determine the problems met by the parents of BS Criminology students of

Quirino State University, Diffun Campus for the School Year 2020-2021 in this time of

COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose of the Study

There is a large range of categories of the problems met by parents in the

facilitation of the distance learning of their children regardless of their age. This study is

engaged to determine the problems met by the parents of BS Criminology students of

Quirino State University, Diffun Campus for the School Year 2020-2021 in this time of

COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. age;

b. number of children; and

c. monthly income?

2. What are the parents’ observed impact of COVID on students’ learning in terms

of:

a. daily routine;

b. difficulty in shifting to the online mode of education; and

c. time management?
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 3. What are the strategies used by parents at home to support the students’ learning

in terms of:

a. sustaining a strict schedule;

b. engaging in creative activities; and

c. difficulties faced in keeping the students busy?

4. What are the supports provided by the school and the government in terms of:

a. minimizing financial burden;

b. helping student beneficiaries focus on their studies; and

c. improving the students’ academic performance?

Objectives of the Study

This study generally aims to determine the problems met by the parents of BS

Criminology students of Quirino State University, Diffun Campus for the School Year

2020-2021 in this time of COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, it was conducted to:

1. Describe the profile of the respondents in terms of sex, number of children

and monthly income.

2. Determine the parents’ observed impact of COVID on the students’ learning

in terms of daily routine, difficulty in shifting to the online mode of education

and time management.

3. Identify the strategies used by parents at home to support the students’

learning in terms of sustaining a strict schedule, engaging in creative activities

and difficulties faced in keeping the students busy?

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 4. Identify the supports provided by the government and the school in terms of

minimizing financial burden, helping student beneficiaries focus on their

studies and improving the students’ academic performance.

Significance of the Study

It is very significant to determine problems encountered by parents regarding the

distance learning scheme due to COVID-19 pandemic to different people.

This study would be beneficial to the following:

Parents. They are the primary subjects of this case study. The result of this research

would help them in addressing the problem identified as well as in finding solution to it.

Students.  They will be informed of their parents’ problems on distance learning and so

that they could adjust their attitude on home learning procedure.

Instructors/Professors. This will provide them with information on the problems of

parents for distance learning scheme due to COVID-19 pandemic. In this way, they will

be able to strategize on how to help the parents in the facilitation process.

The University. This study would benefit them in such a way that it will give them ideas

to craft strategies on how they will innovate helping the parents and students in the best

way in times of pandemic without compromising the quality of education.

Future Researchers. This paper will serve as a reference data for researchers who will

conduct similar or related study.

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Theoretical Framework

Humanistic theory will be applied to the research study since it caters the needs of

the individuals who may have become incapacitated due to the pandemic. During this

pandemic, there is an increase in the percentage of the individuals who belong to the

poverty threshold. Thus, this will conform to the readjustment of the programs to cater all

the beneficiaries.

The five core values of humanistic theory include the following: (1) human beings

supersede the sum of their parts; (2) human beings have their existence in a uniquely

human context, as well as in a cosmic ecology; (3) human beings are conscious – they are

aware and aware of being aware both of oneself and in the context of other people; (4)

human beings have some choice and, thus, responsibility; and (5) human beings are

intentional, aim at goals, are aware that they cause future events, and seek meaning,

value, and creativity.

Sharf (2012) as cited by Teater, (2015), explained that humanistic theory can be

found to underpin aspects of developmental theories, such as Maslow's hierarchy of

needs, where an individual aims to achieve self-actualization, and Erikson's later stage of

old age, ego integrity versus despair, as well as many therapeutic approaches that aim to

explore and respect the experiences of individuals as humans and the meanings they

attribute to such phenomena. Humanistic theory underpins Rogers' person-centered

approach, which highlights the importance of empathy, unconditional positive regard,

and genuineness in developing a therapeutic relationship that will lead to personality and

behavioral change within the client.

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Conceptual Framework

Profile of the Determining Crafting and

Respondents the problems implementation
encountered by of interventions
the addressing the
respondents problems

Evaluation and Recommendation

Figure no.1

Figure 1. shows the different steps in addressing the different problems

encountered by the respondents. In the first step, there is the assessment of respondents.

Compared to most of the face to face learning environments, distance learning requires

students to be more focused, better time management and work independently. Thus,

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making most of the students as well as parents find it difficult to cope up with the new

learning modality.

After assessing the performance of the respondents, the result will serve as the

basis in determining the problems that they are facing in the distance learning modality.

The next step will be the identification of the possible interventions. Knowing the

challenges of distance learning before you begin can help create a positive learning

environment for the students and set them up for success. Lastly, the measurement as to

how effective the different interventions made for the respondents. The result of the

evaluation will be served as the basis in the radiation process in which the problems that

are less address by the interventions will be catered.

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 Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

UNESCO (2020) presented that from the time of the outbreak of the coronavirus

disease 2019 (COVID 19), people have been impacted in one way or the other.

Countrywide lockdowns have strongly impacted the lives of people of all occupations

and all ages. The flare-up has also affected the education system across the world and has

altered the lives of 1,576,021,818 learners in 188 countries. Several countries have

adopted different measures to deal with the educational crisis.

Section 1, Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution mandates the state to protect and

promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and to take appropriate

steps to make such education accessible to all.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) issued CMO No. 4 Series of 2020

in accordance with the pertinent provisions os RA No. 7722, otherwise known as the

“Higher Education Act of 1994”, RA No. 11469 otherwise known as the “Bayanihan to

Heal as One” Act to adopt and promulgate the guidelines on Flexible Learning to be

implemented by public and private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It contains the

general guidelines on the implementation of flexible learning and teaching options,

approaches, strategies, systems, pedagogies and modalities in the higher education

programs, both for undergraduate and graduate programs.

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 Schmidt (2020) termed parents as the “first and most enduring educators” as the

main protagonists in distance learning environments. They are the ones who care for and

educate young children at home and have had unprecedented opportunities to exercise,

even more than usual, the gift of nurture, and to reflect on their intuitive emotional

response to themselves and their children in this time of crisis.

Wang, Zhang, Zhao, Zhang, & Jiang (2020) actualized that when parents and

children collaborate in learning activities, bonding between parents and children

increases as they are able to spend much more time together. Such instances allow

parents to become a source of comfort in easing pain and worry and engage in

conversations with their children to help them in alleviating their anxiety. It has been

recommended that parents should be taught interventions on how to provide emotional

support to children at times of uncertainty. Online schooling system with parental support

guidelines could help in improving the bond between children and their parents.

Dangle and Sumaoang (2020) shared that according to the Department of

Education (DepEd), parents and guardians' perform the various roles in Modular

Learning such as Module-ator, Bundy-clock, and as Home Innovator. As a Module-ator,

they are the ones to get and submit the printed Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) from and

to schools or barangay halls at the beginning and end of the week, depending on the

agreement between the parents and the school. As a Bundy-clock, they must check their

child's schedule or workweek plan. Because of the number of subjects or activities to be

done, they must see that it is being followed accordingly to avoid cramming or delays in

submission, which may affect the child's performance. Lastly, as a Home Innovator, they
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must provide their child with a productive learning environment to help them focus more

on Learning. It must be a well-lighted and well-ventilated space in the house, with little

or no distraction.

Kaiser (2003) found out in his study that teaching parents new skills to support

the development of their children with developmental disabilities has been controversial

in the field of early intervention even though there is considerable empirical evidence

supporting this approach. We propose that teaching parents to implement family-centered

interventions can be highly effective by: (a) allowing parents to choose when to learn

new skills; (b) teaching parents strategies that are empirically based, well-matched to

their child’s developmental needs, and intended to be implemented in naturally occurring

interactions between parents and children; and (c) teaching parents in a skillful and

individualized manner.

The main problem faced by the distance universities in all over the world relates

to the maintenance of standards. In the absence of formal teaching and education

sessions, close and regular interaction of teacher and learner and at the spot guidance and

counseling of the learner by the tutor, it is assumed that the input of quality education

lack there in non-formal education through distance approach.

Financing of distance education is a problem of great significance especially in

developing countries. The cost of distance education programs vary enormously from one

program to another. However, there are many cost-savings possibilities in comparison to

those of formal education and that there is a virtue not in low cost per set, but only when

low cost is as low as possible while keeping program effectiveness high. The main issues

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concerning resources are how to get more of them from formal and unconventional

sources and how best to deploy whatever resources are available to distance education as

a whole.

Another study by Harner et al.(2000) was done on a distance education

accounting course at the University of Connecticut. They found that 57.5% would take

another such course. Two other findings were generally favorable and included

comments on how the course could be improved. The first suggested the tutors needed to

be comfortable with the medium, and that the students needed to have more guidance on

how to fully take advantage of the presentation. The second showed that students were

highly satisfied with the tutors and the course, but that direct interaction with the tutors

played no role in the students’ satisfaction.

Rubenson (2011) showed in fact that according to Latvian Education Law,

distance learning is defined as one of the forms of part-time learning (Education Law,

1998). These forms indeed have much in common, and first of all, a high proportion of

self-activity of the student during the learning process. In both part-time and distance

education the lecturer or tutor is not the only source of knowledge. Instead, he acts as a

mediator in the process of supporting the student education. In its turn, both part-time and

distance education students are actively involved in the learning process, determining the

way of acquiring the certain type of knowledge.

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 Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study is a qualitative research that utilized a case study method through

interview. Qualitative research is a type of social science research that involves collecting

and analyzing non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts,

opinions, or experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or

generate new ideas for research. In relation to that, this is engaged to determine the

problems met by the parents of BS Criminology students of Quirino State University,

Diffun Campus for the School Year 2020-2021 in this time of COVID-19 pandemic.

Hence, the term case study referred to both a method of analysis and a specific research

design for examining a problem, both of which are used in most circumstances to

generalize across populations. In addition to that, interview is a research approach where

subjective opinions are collected from a sample of subjects and analyzed for some

aspects of the study population that they represent. Employing interview as a research

approach ensues understanding of respondents’ behavior to get solutions to queries or

problems. It also presents a medium for discussion and brings about strategy for never-

ending improvements.

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Sample and Sampling Procedure

This study was conducted among the parents of BS Criminology students enrolled

in the school year 2020-2021 using the distance learning modality.

Purposive non-probability sampling was used in determining the participants.

Purposive non-probability sampling is a non-probability sampling that is based from

selected characteristics of a population and the objective of the study. It is also known as

judgmental, selective or subjective sampling which is ideal in the present COVID19

situation for the safety of both researchers and participants.

Scope and Limitations

the focus of the study are the parents of BS Criminology students enrolled in the

school year 2020-2021 using the distance learning modality. Face-to-face interview will

be made as much as possible following the required health and safety protocol. Purposive

non-probability sampling is used in the selection of respondents.

Research Instrument

This study will use an interview guide derived from the study of Bhamani et.al.

(2020). It will be modified because the study was intended to the parents of secondary

students. The questionnaire will be composed of two parts: the first part is the

demographic profile which includes name, age, monthly income and parental status of

respondents and the second part was about the problems met by the parents in the

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distance learning scheme implemented to their children. The details about the interview

will be shared with the respondents. The completion of the interview will be taken as a

form of consent to participate.

Data Gathering Procedure

A consent form will be administered before the conduct the interview to seek

permission from the participants. A letter clarifying the research study they will be

participating with is attached. The interview will be done face-to-face as much as

possible but to those parents who are interested but is distant or have quarantine

restrictions, phone or video interview through messenger will be done.

Treatment of Data

Thematic analysis is suitable for this study. It is a method of analyzing qualitative

data wherein the researcher closely examines the data to identify common themes-topics,

ideas and patterns of meaning that come up repeatedly. Moreover, it is theoretically

flexible and can be used within different frameworks to answer quite different types of

research questions. Furthermore, it suits questions related to the people’s views and

perception.

In addition, the participants’ responses will be grouped and organized by theme.

The purpose of this analysis is to identify patterns of meaning of data set, thus addressing

the research questions. This research will also make use of descriptive and narrative

analysis to discuss the resulting data from the responses.

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Ethical Considerations

The researchers guaranteed accountability and responsibility of the following

ethical considerations to the research participants: informed consent, voluntary

participation, to do no harm, confidentiality, anonymity and to only assess relevant

components.

The respondents were not forced to participate in this study. To ensure

confidentiality, the background and profiles of the participants will not be exposed and

will be treated with utmost confidentiality. They will be given a consent form as proof

that the participants agreed to participate.

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