IJISRT24JUL1071
IJISRT24JUL1071
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Abstract:- Restoring the learning losses brought about (UNESCO, 2022). Following a variety of strategies, nations
by the sudden shifts in instruction vis-à-vis the COVID- streamlined the implementation of summer schools,
19 pandemic is one of the pressing issues facing remedial or accelerated education services, enrichment
education today. This phenomenological study aimed to programs and the like (Azevedo et al., 2020). For instance,
uncover the narratives of teachers in the implementation in Belgium and Tanzania, free summer schools were offered
of the National Learning Camp, one of the learning for all and were successful in providing remediation for
recovery programs established by the Department of vulnerable students (UNESCO, 2021). In India, studies
Education. Following purposive sampling, select revealed that learning loss was unevenly distributed in
secondary school teachers participated in in-depth society (Zhdanov, et al., 2022; Singh, 2022). With this, the
interviews. Following the rigors of thematic analysis, the Indian Education Ministry developed Teaching at the Right
results of the study revealed the following themes on the Level Program to assist foundational reading and arithmetic
challenges: lack of resources, lack of teachers’ skills quickly.
preparation, and lack of learners’ interest. These
contributed to the problems experienced by educators Learning camps in the form of remedial and
and learners in public schools. The participants likewise enhancement programs generally prioritize main disciplines
emphasized that the NLC was abruptly implemented. such as mathematics, reading, and science (Simonez, 2016).
However, to counter the challenges, the respondents This is what the Philippines had followed. One of the efforts
employed various coping strategies: collaboration, exerted by the Department of Education to counter the
conducting LAC sessions, and learners’ engagement. learning losses is through the implementation of the
Fostering an environment of teamwork and camaraderie National Learning Camp conducted month after the previous
has come across as important in the attempt to academic years. The National Learning Camp (NLC) is a
successfully implement the NLC. Meanwhile, the voluntary learning recovery program that aims to improve
research extracted educational management insights: learner outcomes and strengthen teacher competence
learner-centered program, opportunities for (DepEd, 2023). It is a strategic initiative supporting the
improvement, and stakeholders’ synergy. The study National Learning Recovery Program (NLRP), which aims
suggested a thorough program implementation review in to close learning gaps and assist K to 12 learners in all
different governance levels and advocated for future public elementary and secondary schools nationwide in
investigations focusing on alternative demographics and attaining learning standards. In the NLC, learners will be
settings. enrolled in one of three camps based on their specific needs:
Enhancement Camp, Consolidation Camp, or Intervention
Keywords:- Challenges, DepEd, Learning Recovery, Camp. The NLC places utmost importance on fostering
Management Insights, National Learning Camp, learner well-being and engagement, promoting inclusive
education, and cultivating a positive learning environment
I. INTRODUCTION where teachers excel and learners flourish. Further, it seeks
to complement learning efforts in the previous school year
Recovering the learning deficits caused by the abrupt and provides a firmer basis for further gains in the upcoming
changes in teaching and learning brought on by the COVID- school year.
19 pandemic may be the most urgent challenge in education
today. Learning losses are not limited to losing track of Compliant to this national directive, the Schools
academic knowledge; they can refer to reverting to basic Division of Davao City implemented the National Learning
skills that students would have picked up while in school Camp. As a rush program which had made rounds in the
(Singh, 2022). According to a report issued by UNICEF, the educational arena, teacher volunteers who are at the
World Bank, and the Global Education Evidence Advisory forefront of the five-week summer program have aired their
Panel (GEEAP), learning loss caused by the pandemic must sentiments not limited to teaching preparations and personal
be recovered as soon as possible to avoid long-term harm to concerns. The researcher urged to explore this because there
children's well-being and productivity (2022). With this, are little to no studies on learning camps that have been
education systems around the world take actions by building undertaken in the Philippines.
learning recovery efforts.
As the NLC is still a fresh concept, this study hoped to
A significant number of countries implemented become a benchmark for early implementers by collating the
national programs designed specifically to provide responses from teachers in its birthing pains. This would
additional support to students affected by the pandemic also counter check if the challenges experienced by teachers
in the Philippines and in the other countries who have than being solely imprinted on people, they were created via
implemented this program ahead shared the same way. The interactions with others as well as historical and cultural
insights from this investigation are essential in the traditions that function in their lives.
implementation of the next phase of the program come the
next school year. The study was conducted using a qualitative-inquiry-
based phenomenological research design using open-ended
This study aimed to investigate the lived experiences questions. This is a kind of investigation in which the
of Department of Education teachers in administering the researcher identified the essence of participants' descriptions
National Learning Camp in their stations. of a phenomenon (Moustakas, 1994). Phenomenological
approaches were particularly effective at bringing to the fore
Specifically, this Sought to Answer the Following individual experiences and perceptions from their own
Questions: points of view, and so challenging structural or normative
assumptions. Adding an interpretive component to
What were the experiences of DepEd teachers in phenomenological research allowed it to inform, support, or
implementing the National Learning Camp? question policy and action by allowing it to be utilized as the
What coping mechanisms were used by the teachers to foundation for practical theory (Lester, 1999). The study
counter the challenges in the implementation of the aimed to present the participants' real lives as a design that
National Learning Camp? captured the experiences of a select few addressing
What educational management insights can be drawn particular phenomena, ultimately revealing the participants'
from the findings of the study? personal relevance in relation to the experience.
requirements set forth by the authorizing authority are taken “Limited resources such as insufficient learning
into consideration and fulfilled after getting the approval materials, technology or classroom facility. These
letter. The interview sessions came next. To ensure some of limitations can impact our ability to effectively implement
the participants' confidentiality, the interviews took place in NLC and provide the necessary support to the students.”
a closed-off setting. With their permission, the interview (P3)
subjects had their voices captured on audio. Afterwards,
interviews were transcribed with the help of a note taker and “Insufficient funding can limit the availability of
recorder. Participants reviewed the written transcripts for resources, materials, and technology needed for the
accuracy, which enhanced the study's credibility. successful implementation of NLC. Without adequate
financial support, teachers may struggle to provide the
In the analysis phase of this research, Thematic necessary learning materials and tools to support the
Content Analysis was employed, the goal of thematic learning recovery efforts.” (P4)
analysis is to find themes and their patterns in the interview
data. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a psychological theory
that suggests human needs can be arranged in a hierarchical
A study's validity is important since it demonstrates order, with basic physiological needs at the bottom and
that the research methodology was widely applied and higher-level needs like self-actualization at the top. In the
accepted by the general public as well as by the relevant context of the DepEd’s national learning camp experiencing
academic, professional, and policy sectors (Nowell et al., a lack of resources, Maslow's theory can be applied to
2017). Establishing credibility is one way researchers can understand how shortage in resources might impact
persuade themselves and their readers that their study participants' ability to fulfill their needs and engage
findings are important. In order to further develop the idea effectively in the learning process. It is most likely that
of trustworthiness, Lincoln and Guba (1985) established the students will fail to achieve their highest learning potentials
four criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and due to the lack of resources.
confirmability.
Learners’ Lack of Interest.
Ethical considerations are particularly important in Another theme that emerged from the findings is the
qualitative research because of how in-depth it is. In order to lack of interest of students. The participants of the study
conduct this study in compliance with the ethical standards mentioned the following experiences:
for qualitative research, the researcher took all required
steps. The researcher ensured that the participants were fully “I feel happy and sad at the same time. Happy for
informed about the study and understood the topics that these students that I have helped during the NLC but sad
were explained to them. The researcher will also guarantee because only a small number of learners enrolled in the
that certain documents adhered to the standards set by the NLC.” (P3)
ethical committee of the graduate program at Rizal
Memorial Colleges. “Some of the students were present during the first
week but as the time goes by most of them tend to be
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION absent.” (P5)
This portion of the study shows the findings of the The Interest-Driven Learning Theory posits that
research questions. The teacher-participants presented their learners feel more engaged and motivated when they pursue
views and experiences on the implementation of the topics or activities that align with their personal interests.
National Learning Camp and how it affected both teachers When students have the opportunity to explore subjects they
and students. In connection with this, a thorough find interesting, they are more likely to be actively involved
investigation of the challenges, coping mechanisms, and in the learning process and retain information better. It is
insights which encompass the experiences were explored in most likely that the NLC is not interest-driven enough for
this section of the paper. The content analysis of the findings students to be enticed to enroll in the program.
is presented coupled with the discussions anchored on the
themes identified. Lack of Teachers’ Preparation.
The abrupt implementation of the National Learning
Experiences of teachers with National Learning Camp’s Camp paved the way for problems such as lack of teachers’
implementation preparation. Several respondents found difficulty in gauging
the lessons and creating lesson plans and activities to
Lack of Resources. implement during the course of the NLC. Below are the
The analysis of the themes showed that one of the responses, to wit:
major challenges experienced by teachers is the lack of
resources in implementing the National Learning Camp. “Number one factor that contributed to the difficulties
Below are the responses of the participants, to wit: in carrying out the NLC is the “Teacher Preparedness” in
which some teachers required additional training or support
to effectively handle diverse learning needs.” (P4)
“I had experience of carrying out the NLC because of “Implementing interactive and engaging teaching
the abrupt implementation without proper seminar- methods to maintain student interest and participation
workshop or training.” (P5) throughout the intensive sessions.” (P6)
Teachers’ lack of preparation and lack of interest in the This can be related to Self-Determination Theory or
implementation of the National Learning Camp may be SDT. SDT emphasizes the role of intrinsic motivation,
pointed out to the demands of the program vis-à-vis the autonomy, and competence in driving human behavior.
resources available. The Job Demands-Resources Model According to this theory, when students are given
suggests that job demands (such as time pressure and opportunities to pursue their interests autonomously and feel
workload) and job resources (such as support and autonomy) competent in their abilities to explore those interests, they
influence employees' well-being and performance. Teachers are more likely to be intrinsically motivated to learn and
in the national learning camp may face high job demands, engage in deeper levels of learning.
such as tight schedules and limited resources, which can
contribute to their lack of preparation. Conducting of LAC Sessions.
Another theme that emerged from the thematic analysis
Coping Mechanisms used to Counter Challenges in NLC was the need to incorporate the NLC implementation in the
Implementation Learning Action Cell Sessions of teachers. Here are the
answers of the respondents:
Collaboration.
Another theme that came into view is the need for “We have focus group discussion together with my co-
collaboration among teachers. The participants emphasized teachers and we share ideas on how to handle difficult
the importance of teamwork and cooperation in order to situations during the NLC implementation, especially if the
successfully implement the program. Below are the students have a consecutive absence in the subject.” (P2)
responses, to wit:
“When facing difficulties, teachers tend to do a close
“Collaboration and support were the coping door meeting to discuss the problem. Having LAC Sessions
mechanisms being used. As a teacher, collaboration with also helps in facing those difficult situations.” (P3)
colleagues to share ideas, resources, and strategies are
necessary. Collaborative planning, co-teaching and peer This could be related to Resilience-Based Learning
support can help alleviate the challenges and provide a Theory. This theory proposes that individuals can develop
sense of responsibility.” (P4) resilience skills through the process of facing and
overcoming difficult situations. By embracing challenges as
“Some teachers had suggestions as they encountered a opportunities for growth and learning, individuals can
lot of difficulties and problems and tried to collaborate with cultivate resilience, adaptability, and perseverance, leading
their colleagues to make those challenges easy to handle to enhanced personal development and success.
and foster teamwork.” (P6)
Educational Management Insights
This is aligned to the Collaborative Learning Theory.
This posits that engaging in collaborative activities and Learner-Centered Program.
interactions fosters deeper understanding, enhances critical The National Learning Camp (NLC) was viewed by
thinking skills, promotes social and emotional development, the teacher-implementers as a program embracing real
and prepares individuals for success in an interconnected learner-centered philosophy. Below are the significant
world. This provides opportunities for teachers to construct pronouncements of the respondents:
knowledge collectively through interaction, discussion, and
exchange of ideas. By engaging in collaborative problem- “The program can enhance the ability of the strugglers
solving activities, teachers can leverage diverse perspectives especially in mathematics.” (P2)
and expertise to deepen their understanding of complex
concepts and phenomena. “Teaching directs the learners to enhance skills in
achieving their desired profession.” (P4)
Engage Learners in Activities.
One of the themes that came about in the study was the “Teaching strengthens the weak points and enhances
need to come up with learning activities that will spark the learner's ability to think, read and write.” (P5)
students’ interests. This could involve hands-on activities
that will inspire students to be more participative during the Opportunities for Improvement.
NLC sessions. Below are the responses, to wit: In its maiden launch in the Philippine basic education
schools, the program recorded multiple points of
“Exploring innovative teaching techniques, utilizing opportunities for improvement from the respondents.
technology and designing engaging activities to enhance
learning and participation.” (P4) “The NLC Program must be more interactive and
manipulative.” (P1)
“The learners must be grouped in accordance with In addition, teachers emphasized that they needed more
Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences.” (P2) time to plan their lessons and that they were unable to
provide the necessary resources. The abrupt implementation
“Provide sufficient resources for the students to of the NLC subjected teachers to much pressure and stress.
address the learning gaps being experienced in the As a result, some participants felt like they had negative
teaching-learning process.” (P5) experiences with the implementation of the NLC.
This could be attuned to the theory of Progressivism by Additionally, enrollment was low and attendance rates
John Dewey. This learning theory is anchored on the idea were dropping during the camp, indicating a worrying lack
that education should be rooted in the experiences of the of student interest. Teachers were also ill-prepared to deal
learner. He argued that students learn best when they with a variety of learning requirements in the absence of
actively participate in hands-on activities and engage in real- adequate training or support, which was a result of the
world experiences. Moreover, as P2 suggested, the NLC NLC's sudden adoption. Further, enhanced teacher training,
should take into account the importance of taking into adequate resources, and methods to improve student
consideration the Multiple Intelligences of students as participation might be necessary to tackle these issues.
suggested by Howard Gardner.
Meanwhile, the results of the research revealed that
Stakeholders’ Synergy. learning camp teachers employed the following coping
As one of DepEd’s flagship programs to recover the strategies to address issues with the implementation of NLC:
learning losses, the investigation revealed the role of collaboration, conducting LAC sessions, learners’
synergy through total stakeholders’ partnership in the engagement.
different phases of program implementation.
Participants emphasize the value of cooperation and
“The implementation of a program depends on how teamwork among colleagues, and collaboration emerges as
cooperative the administration, teachers, students and an important strategy. Peer assistance, joint instruction, and
stakeholders are to realize the effectiveness and the success collaborative planning are emphasized as successful
of the program.” (P9) strategies to ease difficulties and develop a sense of
accountability among the core implementers. It was found
“I learned that NLC needs community engagement or that it is essential to involve students in activities, with a
community involvement for it is the backbone/supporter of focus on creating interactive and practical learning
the camp’s objectives.” (P6) opportunities to pique their interest and encourage
involvement.
This could be related to the Collaborative Learning
Theory where collaboration among group members is It was also revealed that the incorporation of Learning
encouraged. This way, participants can foster critical Action Cell (LAC) meetings was advantageous to program
thinking skills, creativity, and problem solving together. delivery. The cell gives teachers a forum to exchange ideas,
Additionally, the Community of Practice Theory may talk about difficulties, and come up with ways to improve
likewise be used as an anchor as it indicates that in order to the implementation of NLC. Teachers overcome challenges
achieve highest learning potential, various professionals and and guarantee the success of the camp for the benefit of
stakeholders should work together in delivering a child’s students by working together and utilizing creative teaching
education. methods.
IV. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Moreover, strategies to keep learners engaged are also
among of the coping mechanisms. The results showed that
Based on the results of the thematic analysis, the when learners are engaged, they are more likely to pay
following themes were discovered. attention, process information deeply, and actively
participate in learning activities. This leads to better
The challenges experienced by teachers with the retention of knowledge and a deeper understanding of
National Learning Camp were summarized into: lack of concepts.
resources, lack of teachers’ preparation, and lack of learners’
interest. Further, the educational management insights drawn
from the study were: learner-centered program,
The first major issue impeding the successful adoption opportunities for improvement, and stakeholders’ synergy.
of the NLC was a conspicuous lack of resources, including
inadequate technology, learning materials, and teaching Teacher-implementers view the National Learning
implements. The teacher participants mentioned that the lack Camp (NLC) as a learner-centered program that embodies a
of learning materials and absence of technology in their philosophy that focuses on the actual needs and skills of
NLC classrooms made it harder to deliver the lessons students. Respondents mentioned its value in fostering skills
effectively. Because of this, students could not maximize necessary for desired careers, its ability to improve the
their learning experience and teachers found difficulty mathematics skills of challenging students, and its efficacy
delivering the lessons. for motivated learners. On the other hand, during its initial
implementation in Philippine basic education institutions, The study also revealed areas for development and
areas for improvement were noted. highlights the learner-centered approach of the NLC in
educational management. Although the program is praised
Accordingly, the program should be made more for emphasizing the development of pertinent skills and
interactive and manipulative as a way to foster more meeting students' actual needs, there are still areas that could
opportunities for improvement. This could be done by be improved, including increasing the program's
grouping the learners based on Howard Gardner's Multiple interactivity, classifying students according to multiple
Intelligences, topic time allotments should be changed. intelligences, and providing enough funding to close
Moreover, there should be enough resources available to learning gaps. Additionally, the success of the program is
solve learning gaps. considered contingent upon the synergy of stakeholders,
with a focus on collaboration between administrators,
Furthermore, respondents stressed the significance of teachers, learners, and community stakeholders. Suggested
collaboration between administrators, teachers, students, and techniques to support program objectives and improve
community stakeholders, emphasizing the relevance of students' educational experiences include increasing
stakeholders' synergy for the program's success. Including community involvement and bringing in specialists from a
professionals from a variety of fields to enhance students' variety of industries. These suggestions are eyed by the
educational experiences and encouraging community teachers to improve outcomes of the program.
involvement to support the program's goals were two
suggestions. With the help of all relevant partners, the NLC The following future directions were surmised based
is anticipated to better meet students' educational on the findings of the study:
requirements through cooperation and focused
enhancements. The Department of Education may consider proposing
additional directives aimed at supporting the NLC program.
The results of the analysis revealed the following This could involve prioritizing the provision of adequate
significant findings: resources, including technology and learning materials, to
better support both teachers and learners participating in the
The challenges faced by the teachers reveals important program. Ensuring sufficient resources will enable educators
areas that need to be addressed for the program to be to deliver quality instruction and create enriching learning
implemented successfully. The biggest obstacle is a lack of experiences for students.
resources, which includes insufficient instructional tools,
learning materials, and technology. Teachers' lack of time At the legislative level, lawmakers may review policies
for lesson preparation exacerbates this shortfall, which related to learning recovery programs, including the NLC.
hinders effective teaching and learning experiences. Considering the success and potential impact of the NLC,
Furthermore, a conspicuous lack of student involvement is policymakers may contemplate institutionalizing the camp
highlighted by low enrollment and declining attendance through national-level policies. Institutionalization would
rates, which presents a substantial obstacle to reaching help maximize participation and ensure the sustainability of
targeted learning outcomes. To tackle these issues, better the program over the long term, thereby benefiting a larger
teacher preparation programs, sufficient budget allocation, number of students across the country.
and strategies to boost student engagement are required.
Educational leaders and teachers can explore
Teachers have used a variety of coping mechanisms to innovations to enhance the delivery of the NLC program.
address issues at hand, such as teamwork, facilitating This could involve continuous capacity building for teachers
Learning Action Cell (LAC) meetings, and involving to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to
students. Collaboration becomes apparent as a crucial effectively implement the program. Additionally,
technique, encouraging colleague teamwork and offering a incentivizing teachers who volunteer to participate in the
forum for idea and support sharing. In order to pique NLC program can help motivate teachers and recognize
students' attention and promote active involvement, it is also their efforts in supporting student learning and development.
an imperative to involve them in interactive and practical
learning activities. The conduct of LAC sessions must be Researchers in the future may work on the same study
sustained as it deemed to be contributory to the success of with a different group of subjects and demographics. For
the teachers in light of delivering the lessons by solving improved results, additional methods that have not been
problems and sharing ideas more easily, which enhances employed in this study could also be investigated or
program implementation in the long run. implemented.
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