LIVED EXPERIENCES OF ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF IN-PERSON CLASSES

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic notably affected the educational system of the country through thcontinuous modifications and shift of instruction to remote learning instruction, and back again to full implementation of face-to-face learning in order to facilitate the continuity of learning. Thus, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of elementary teachers of Quimayong Elementary School during the full implementation of in-person classes, especially considering the shift of instruction from modular learning due to COVID-19 pandemic. Of a qualitative design, descriptive-phenomenological research method was used to discover the lived experiences of the 10 elementary teachers, who have experienced teaching distance teaching modality, specifically, modular instruction, and its transition to face-to-face teaching instruction. Following the thematic analysis, it found out that there were 23 emerging themes from four major questions of the study. Few of these were conducting face-to-face classes more advantageous, making interventions in students’ learning levels, difficulty in handling students’ attitudes, difference of students’ behaviors in modular and face-to-face instruction, and students’ difficulty in different learning competencies. From this, the researcher concluded that the challenges encountered by the teachers have affected their approach and techniques toward teaching, and students’ attitudes and level of learning due to the gap brought on by the pandemic. Significantly, teachers have accepted the inevitable reality brought by the circumstance and have strengthened their resolve and resiliency as mediums of imparting knowledge.