Background

The pandemic and the subsequent adoption of home learning in lieu of face-to-face classes have drastically changed how children learn in many Philippine schools. Most communities were also unprepared for such a big and sudden shift. Like many schools nationwide, the Villa Aurora Elementary School (VAES) in Capalonga, Camarines Norte was faced with many challenges as they shifted to home learning when classes opened in October 2020. One major concern was how parents and guardians (or home learning partners) would be able to teach the lessons effectively to their children without the necessary teaching skills, experience, and/or the needed technology and tools.

Villa Aurora ES was chosen as one of four schools in Region V to pilot USAID's learning continuity support package through the ABC+: Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines project. USAID's interventions focus on early grade learners, supporting K-3 teachers, students, and parents to improve their distance learning experience. Through these interventions and the innovations and successful collaboration among teachers, parents, and guardians, it became easier for effective learning to happen at home. Any school can adapt VAES’ strategies to improve home learning.

Challenges

Ninety-two percent (92%) of the children in VAES have no gadget or laptop to use at home, so the school implemented the modular type of learning (use of self-learning modules (SLMs) in print format) for its students. Parents and guardians had to go to the school regularly at a set time to get the SLMs for their children and return them when completed. This had to be done despite the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, their lack of resources, and busy home schedules. However, what caused them more worry was their lack of capacity to teach to support their children’s learning at home.

“We consider PGT Co-Lab a good practice because it covers more than one area, namely, learners’ assessment, teacher instructional and engagement practices through home partners, avenue for provision of materials and use by learners, and home partner engagement.”
- Juliet O. De la Cruz, School Principal of Villa Aurora ES

Solutions

To address these challenges, the school created the“Parents, Guardians, Teachers Collaboration thru Co-Operative Learning Laboratory” or the PGT Co-Lab. The weekly Co-Lab meetings enabled not only the distribution and retrieval of SLMs but also allowed teachers to give parents new lesson orientations and walkthroughs using audio and video materials. With the help of the teachers, the parents are able to learn the meaning of difficult concepts, the process of delivering the lessons, and the proper way to motivate and encourage their children. As parents receive reminders about COVID-19 safety protocols during these meetings, they also give feedback to teachers about their children’s learning progress at home.

Parents who attended these sessions revealed that they felt more confident in teaching their children. Indeed, these “Weekly Kumustahan” or co-lab sessions not only enabled constant communication between teachers and parents but also helped increase the capacity of parents to teach.

“Through this intervention, the teachers and parents helped each other in continuing the education of their children amid the pandemic.”
- Juliet O. De la Cruz, School Principal of Villa Aurora ES

Results

The benefits gained from this intervention were far greater than what the school expected, notwithstanding that some parents found it difficult to carry through due to their busy schedules, and that some parents were reportedly completing the SLMs themselves.

These benefits are observed among children whose parents were able to follow the strategies taught during the weekly sessions, as the former tended to understand the lessons more easily and to enjoy learning at home more. The co-lab has also fostered collaboration and a strong partnership between teachers and parents. With the sharing of teaching strategies, and the constant guidance and monitoring they are getting, the home learning partners gained a higher level of confidence and a more positive mindset about their duty as “first teachers” to their children.

These positive results were revealed during the School’s Learning Continuity Plan Check-in and have guided teachers in making suitable adjustments based on the learners’ and their home partners’ situation.

Any school can also adapt this strategy. Here are some recommendations for schools that would like to set up their co-lab:

• Before starting this intervention, provide psychological support to home learning partners who have worries and doubts about home learning. Use inspirational videos and stories with relatable situations that will inspire and motivate them.
• To ensure continued communication with the home learning partners, opt to send letters in advance if sending messages to them through a mobile phone is not possible.
• Encourage teachers to be flexible in meeting with home learning partners as the latter may have many life commitments that can make scheduling a challenge.
• Provide psychological support to encourage honesty and ensure the reliability of the children’s schoolwork at home.
• Properly schedule the co-lab for each grade level in order to accommodate home learning partners who have more than one child learner.

“Through this intervention, the teachers and parents helped each other in continuing the education of their children amid the pandemic. The school was also able to empower, energize and equip the parents and guardians in delivering basic education services during this new normal. Plus, the parents got to bond more with their children,” dela Cruz said.