Comparative Analysis Of Students’ Perceptions In Modular Distance Learning Approach Versus Face-To-Face Learning Approach Of Mindanao State University


 
 
 
Teaching approach gives significant to the teaching-learning process for both teachers and students. Thus, the students’ learning depends on what the school’s application of most effective and attainable teaching approach especially in the time of covid-19 pandemic.  
With the implementation of the new normal education, the difficulties encountered among stakeholders because of an alternative learning delivery – modular distance learning being applied in order to facilitate and to continue to serve the good education in different schools in the country Philippines. With this, the study sought to determine the perceptions of the students in Mindanao State University –Sulu regarding their experiences during face-to-face learning approach and modular distance learning approach, to ascertain the factors that can affect face-to-face learning and modular learning as perceived by the students of Mindanao State University-Sulu. This also aimed to find out the significant difference of students’ perceptions in the two learning approach. 
This study utilized random sampling technique through launching a survey questionnaire in assessing the perceptions of the students in Mindanao State University –Sulu by at least ten percent of the total number of enrollees from the seven departments existing in the university campus academic year 2020-2021. 
The findings of this study revealed that students agreed that face-to-face learning approach gives significant and had much contribution to their learning while they have disagreed on modular distance learning approach. They also believed that there are factors can affect their learning either in face-to-face and during modular learning. There is a significant difference of students’ perceptions in face-to-face learning approach and modular distance learning approach that resulted to the rejection of the null hypothesis. 
This study recommended that principal/director should encourage and motivate the subordinates to achieve a certain task for the good of their school. He/she should conduct an orientation program to inform parents that they are partners of teachers in education in time of crisis. Principal/director should also be responsible for interacting with teachers, representative of other school, and other stakeholders to acquire the various materials and resources for the teachers and students. There should be a training/seminar programs for the benefits of his/her subordinates in achieving school’s goals. He/she should also give clear instructions to the teachers, parents that their primary role during Modular is to establish a connection and guide the students. Lastly, he/she should encourage teachers to adopt modular even during face-to-face classes. 
 
 
 


Teaching approach gives significant to the teaching-learning process for both teachers and students. Thus, the students' learning depends on what the school's application of most effective and attainable teaching approach especially in the time of covid-19 pandemic. With the implementation of the new normal education, the difficulties encountered among stakeholders because of an alternative learning delivery -modular distance learning being applied in order to facilitate and to continue to serve the good education in different schools in the country Philippines. With this, the study sought to determine the perceptions of the students in Mindanao State University -Sulu regarding their experiences during face-to-face learning approach and modular distance learning approach, to ascertain the factors that can affect face-to-face learning and modular learning as perceived by the students of Mindanao State University-Sulu. This also aimed to find out the significant difference of students' perceptions in the two learning approach. This study utilized random sampling technique through launching a survey questionnaire in assessing the perceptions of the students in Mindanao State University -Sulu by at least ten percent of the total number of enrollees from the seven departments existing in the university campus academic year 2020-2021. The findings of this study revealed that students agreed that face -toface learning approach gives significant and had much contribution to their learning while they have disagreed on modular distance learning approach. They also believed that there are factors can affect their learning either in face-to-face and during modular learning. There is a significant difference of students' perceptions in face -toface learning approach and modular distance learning approach that resulted to the rejection of the null hypothesis. This study recommended that principal/director should encourage and motivate the subordinates to achieve a certain task for the good of their school. He/she should conduct an orientation program to inform parents that they are partners of teachers in education in time of crisis. Principal/director should also be responsible for interacting with teachers, representative of other school, and other stakeholders to acquire the various materials and resources for the teachers and students. There should be a training/seminar programs for the benefits of his/her subordinates in achieving school's goals. He/she should also give clear instructions to the teachers, parents that their primary role during Modular is to establish a connection and guide the students. Lastly, he/she should encourage teachers to adopt modular even during face-to-face classes.

Introduction
Education plays a big role in the lives of the people. It holds the important characteristics in shaping the future and it serves as a key for all Filipinos to become full-pledged, productive members of society. In the school, education is a learning process where the students can learn and acquire knowledge from their teachers and their fellow learners. According to Prof. H. Mahmud Yunus, education is a total effort that is deliberately chosen to influence and assist children with the aim of improving knowledge, physical and moral that can gradually deliver the child to the highest goal.
But because of today's crisis however, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought extraordinary challenges to the people around the world and has affected the educational sectors in different societies.
Every country is presently implementing plans and procedures on how to control the virus. In fact, in the Philippines educational context, to be able to sustain and provide quality education despite the lockdown and community quarantine, the new normal education has been taken into consideration in the planning and implementation of the so called "the new normal educational policy". The Department of Education (DepEd) provides Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) with the alternative learning delivery modalities to be offered for various types of learners across the Philippines.
The integration of SLMs with the alternative learning delivery modalities (modular, televisionbased, radio-based instruction, blended and online) is to ensure that all learners have access to quality basic education for SY 2020-2021 with face-to-face classes still prohibited due to the public health situation.
The SLMs and other alternative learning delivery modalities are in place to address, situations, and resources of each and every learner and will cover all the bases in ensuring that basic education will be accessible amid the present crisis posted by covid -19

Literature Review
Modules are increasingly being used in many countries as a way of organizing a language curriculum. As a consequence, many course books are now structured on the basis of "modules" rather than "units". The concept of "module" is strictly linked to the idea of a flexible language curriculum.  (Manlove and David, 1985). It is considering the individual differences among the learners which necessitate the planning for adoption of the most appropriate teaching techniques in order to help the individual grow and develop at her/his own pace (Kandarp Sejpal, 2013).
Distance education is an increasingly common educational alternative as well as a key contributor to the newly competitive landscape in higher education.
Once regarded as an experimental alternative outside the mainstream university education, distance education has attained new levels of legitimacy and expansion and has grown into a higher education industry of its own (Merisotis & Phipps, 1999).

Blended Learning
Blended learning systems combine face to face instruction with computer mediated instruction (Graham, 2005). Many researchers share the view that the most common reason for adopting blended learning is that it combines "the best of both worlds".
Beyond this general statement, Graham, Allen and Ure (2003) found that people chose blended learning for three reasons: (1) improved pedagogy, (2) increased access or flexibility, and (3)

Mode of Instruction
The curriculum team responsible for designing this module believes that learning is an individual process and that collaborative and cooperative learning environments are important means of constructing knowledge. It was decided that this module would use a blended learning approach. The normal mass lectures which use' direct instruction' were cancelled and the content of the lectures was made available in three modes of instruction. The module was conducted using an adopted textbook with a specially designed multimedia CD-ROM, faceto-face tutorials and online discussion.
Learning Preferences and styles Gardner (1995) suggested that, consequently, independent-learning students will find online learning more effective. In the previous studies and scholars in the field of education indicated that student-centered activities should be incorporated into modularized programs more to enable students to be the managers of their own learning (Adesope & Ahiakwo, 2016;Ali et al., 2010;Billing, 1996;Brown & Saunders, 1995;Cornford, 1997), and instructors' role in the modularized classroom should be that of facilitator and a guide. Describing the role of instructors in a modularized curriculum, Goldschmid and Goldschmid (1973) stated that he/she is a diagnostician, prescriber, motivator, and resource person. He/she is no more a disseminator of information.
Malik (2012) also contended that the teaching approach in modularized program should allow students to proceed at their own pace, give opportunity to choose their own learning style, and allow them to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Moreover, Manlove and David (1985) stressed that modularization should focus on independent learning which would help the individual student in developing many notable and self-reliant characters, and in much more modern ways, learners enjoy periods in which they pursue their interests and satisfy their curiosities. Moreover, as explained by Loughran and Berry (2005), such learning approach permits the student to work at their own pace (Kain, 2003;Nadeem, 2013 Goldschmid and Goldschmid (1973) have suggested.
They stressed that modular instruction requires instructors to check students' learning progress regularly with feedbacks. They have to provide the student with immediate and continuing feedback.

Rational and Purpose
The following are the objectives of the study.
1. To determine the perception of the students in modular distance learning approach.
2. To determine the perception of the students in face-to-face learning approach.

students' perception of Mindanao State
University -Sulu.
4. To find out the differences of students' perceptions in modular distance learning approach and face-to-face learning approach.

Research Questions
We all know that learning in the new normal is difficult to adjust and a challenge for teachers,

Respondents of the study
The respondents of this research were the students of Mindanao State University-Sulu of different Colleges. At least 10% of the total number of enrolees of each department was selected randomly regardless of their gender and their year level.

Research instruments
A Likert Scale survey questionnaire was used as a research instrument in the study. Likert Scale is a measure that asks individuals to check their level of agreement with various statements about an attitude or object. (eg. Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, And Strongly Disagree). The survey questionnaire was a closed ended question that consists of two (2) parts.
The first part composed of their name, age, gender, address, educational attainment and multiple different statements on the perceptions of the respondent in face-to-face learning approach versus modular distance learning approach. The second part was composed of factors that can affect the two learning approaches as perceived by the students of Mindanao State University -Sulu.

Sampling Procedure
The researcher of this study utilized random sampling technique. At least 10% of the total number of enrolees from each college of Mindanao State University-Sulu was selected randomly in identifying the perceptions of the respondents.

Data Gathering Procedure
There were several steps taken by the researcher in gathering all the data needed in this study. First was the presentation of the survey questionnaire to the research adviser for further comments and suggestions. Also, the questionnaire was validated by three (3) experts in research panelling. After validating, the questionnaire was reliably tested by four hundred fourteen (414) students as respondents which is equivalent to at least 10% of the total number officially enrolled in seven (7)

Discussion
This study is covered by the following objectives: 1) to determine the perceptions of the students in face-to-face learning approach and modular distance learning approach; 2) to ascertain the factors affecting face-to-face learning approach and modular distance learning approach as perceived by the students in Mindanao State University -Sulu, and 3) to find out the significant difference of students' perceptions in face-to-face learning approach and modular distance learning approach. In addition, it is believed that face-to-face learning approach gives significant to the learning of the students while modular distance learning, majority of the respondents disagreed on the said approach.
This study also stated that students agreed that there are factors can affect their learning during faceto-face learning and modular distance learning.
Moreover, the data indicates that there is significant difference of students' perceptions in faceto-face learning approach versus modular distance learning approach.

Recommendation
The findings and conclusion of the study forwarded the following recommendations: 1. The dean of each college should conduct an orientation program to inform parents that they are partners of teachers in education in time of crisis.
2. The deans should encourage and motivate the subordinates to achieve a certain task for the good of their school.
3. The deans should be responsible for interacting with teachers, representative of other school, and other stakeholders to acquire the various materials and resources for the teachers and students.
4. The deans should give clear instructions to the teachers, parents that their primary role during Modular is to establish a connection and guide the students.

Encourage teachers to adopt modular even
during Face-to-Face classes.
6. The director/principal should create a policy on how to make Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) to improve the teaching-learning process.
7. All teachers should adopt a policy on making self-learning modules for the betterment of their output.
8. All teachers should propose a resolution to organize a committee/organization to take responsibility on the instructional materials.
9. Teachers should make a policy to use uniform worksheets those who have the same subjects 10. Teachers should inform students to adopt the policies of the school being implemented.

Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, the data provided result to conclude that students agreed in face-to-face learning approach gives significant and have much contributed to their learning where they can feel motivated and comfortable to learn because they have experience the teaching-learning process collaboratively in which teachers and students are physically together in the four corners of the room.
On the other hand, majority of the students disagreed on the modular distance learning approach because they experienced of being left behind as they learned by themselves through self-learning modules (SLMS) such as commonly printed and audio materials with delayed feedbacks.
Also, the findings stated that the students felt and believed there were factors affected their learning in the two learning approaches -the face-to-face learning approach and modular distance learning approach. Based on the result, during face-to-face learning, there are respondents agreed that teaching styles are vital in the process of learning where teachers must use different methods to satisfy the interest of the students and the acquisition of knowledge becomes more effective. They also felt limited resources because of poor internet access, and they found it quiet expensive due to low economic income of parents especially many students from far-flung area where they always come to school late. However, there are also respondents disagreed on the factor that Face-to-Face is not conducive learning environment and the absence of electricity did not affect their learning.
In addition, majority of the respondents agreed that during modular distance learning approach was affected their learning by the mentioned factors.
Moreover, there is a significant difference of students' perceptions in modular distance learning approach and face-to-face learning approach. Hence, we cannot deny the fact that modular distance learning approach is just an alternative delivery as we are facing Covid-19. What matter most, we are grateful as students and teachers for we were able to fight for education whatever tomorrows may bring amidst the pandemic.