MORE than half of students in the Philippines consider temporarily dropping out of school until the coronavirus pandemic ends mainly due to difficulties in technology access for remote learning, according to a survey by a private company.
The survey conducted by global software firm Desire 2 Learn (D2L) showed 51% of the respondents want to postpone their schooling until face-to-face classes are allowed again.
A total of 202 students, aged 16 to 23, from universities, vocational schools, and K-12 institutions in the Philippines participated in the survey.
The students’ main concerns with remote learning were: internet connectivity (78%), difficulty in focusing and lack of motivation to learn (66%), finding a quiet and comfortable place to study (58%), balancing learning with other responsibilities (47%), and issues with mental health and wellbeing (43%).
A total of 802 students from the Philippines, Australia, India, and Singapore were surveyed to find out the concerns and situations of students amid the sudden shift to remote learning prompted by the global pandemic.
Among the four countries, the Philippines showed the highest percentage of students who want to postpone their schooling, with only 33% in Australia, 47% in India, and 21% in Singapore.
With the results, D2L recommended that to improve remote learning, teachers must be trained on how to more effectively conduct online classes, including adjusting the delivery of lessons based on the medium, maximizing available digital tools, and determining appropriate student workload, among others. — Bianca Angelica D. Anago