EXPLICATING THE NARRATIVES OF ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN HANDLING GRADE 2 STUDENTS WITHOUT PRIOR IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study employing the approach of narratology was to explore the narratives of elementary teachers in dealing with Grade 2 students without prior in-person instruction in the Division of Tagum City. Three elementary teachers were selected through purposive sampling, and they were interviewed to glean the narratives relevant to the research topic of the study. Their narratives were similar which showed the problems that emerged among the Grade 2 learners after the pandemic which include the learning gaps in literacy and numeracy, socio-emotional problems of the pupils, and lack of parental involvement during the pandemic. In response to these perceived challenges, the teachers focused first on the recovery of the expected foundational skills of the learners and exposed them to lots of interactions with their peers. Moreover, remediation as an intervention was made available for the learners to cope with their learning gaps in consonance with asking the learners’ parents for their collaboration and support. The elementary teachers realized that the curriculum should be adjusted to accommodate these learners who admittedly had learning loss during the pandemic. Support of teachers, educational leaders, parents, and stakeholders was perceived to be crucial to immediately address this serious problem in the society today.