LIVED EXPERIENCES OF STEM STUDENTS IN THE ONLINE CLASS

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the

Senior High School Department
University of Cebu – Main
Cebu City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Grade 11 Senior High School Students of
First Semester S.Y. 2020 – 2021
in Practical Research 1

Merl Jhun Catiquista

Al Genrey Tilacas
Aleka Leslie Larosa
Rowela Katelhyne Barredo
Maria Niña Lebosada
Earl Randen Debalocos
Mylene Cabajar
Angelica Mae Entela
Vince Brynell Baylon

11 STEM 5A

March 2021
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

As technological advancement arose, education adapted online classes and built

online learning platforms. Technology is changing every aspect in our lives, even the

way we learn. Online classes are rapidly growing in today’s society and more schools

are opting for it with each passing day. This has becoming more popular due to its

convenience for many and also for an easy operation. An online class is a digital mode

of education wherein the teachers and students interact using digital devices from the

convenience of their respective homes, and is supported by the internet within and

beyond school walls to provide them access to learning materials as well as process

connection among teachers and learners contains a wide range of programs. With online

learning, learners are working through their digital lessons and assessments. However,

despite its advantages, students who are not keen on learning things struggled with the

drawbacks of this learning platform.

This study must be conducted so that the researchers will know what is currently

happening to the students and the society in regards with their online classes especially

in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics strand. Conducting this

study only means getting to know more about the struggles and the experiences that the

students are facing right now. Honing their knowledge and practical experiences through

return demonstrations shall be incorporated when they fall under the STEM strand so

that students will be equipped with the skills they needed. With the online classes like

what the students are having today, it would only mean molding their knowledge on the
subject matter and left with no practical demonstration will be a huge disadvantage to

them.

According to Liu (2008), the major implications of distant learning impact the

complexity of areas, learning community, and learners’ differences as it pertains to the

interaction of students in distance education. It concluded that there are many

possibilities for us to continue researching about this in order to have an increased and

better understanding so that students can appreciate the importance and complexities

that distance education brings to them.

With the implementation of the online classes, the researchers should be able to

study about what do students feel with the new way of learning and how does it affect

them with their learning capabilities since they are not interacting with each other

physically. The current study addresses how the online classes affect the basic skills

that every senior high school student must have despite distant learning. The study

focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) students’ lived

experiences in the online class, the impact of the distant learning and in-depth

perspectives about how they felt this experience. Data were collected through

conducting interviews in an online learning platform which was designed to explore

students’ lived experiences and how those experiences influenced their STEM learning.

Using a phenomenological method, this study found out that the students’ lived

experiences in distant learning was intertwined with many factors. To foster an

interactive learning based on their experiences, all of the faculty, staff and administrators

in a distant learning program must need to collaborate with each other and must foresee

students learning outcomes.

 In conducting this study, the researchers believe that we will be able to come up

with a result on how the students emerged with this challenge and how they furnished

themselves with the skills that they will need as a life-long learner. This study must be

researched further for us to have a better knowledge about this topic and so that it will

not be left unknown.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This study is anchored by three different theories in connection with the lived

experiences of students in the online class namely, the Mobile Learning Theory, the

Coping Theory, and the Resilience Theory.

The researchers used the Mobile Learning Theory by Nabeel Ahmad and

Dominic Mentor. The Mobile Learning Theory is essential when thinking of the role of

mobility and communication in learning environments. (Sharples, Taylor, & Vavoula,

2005). In mobile learning, students learn across both space and time and move from

topic to topic. Like a blended environment, learners move in and out of engagement with

technology. A key point in mobile learning is that it is the learner that is mobile, not the

technology (Shuler, 2009). As these devices are used in an online learning set-up,

learning can be involved in everyday life activities. Ling (2004) stated that mobile

devices have social consequences, particularly in private settings. This theory is related

to our study because the use of mobile gadgets as a medium of learning is relevant in

the new normal set-up. This theory is an essential support in this study because it

presents the role of mobile gadgets in learning. It emphasizes that when a learner is in a

blended environment, learners move in and out of engagement with technology and that

the learner is mobile not the technology.

 The researchers used the Coping Theory by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) which

defined coping as constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage

specific external and internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the

resources of the person. Coping Theory is classified into two independent parameters

namely Focus-oriented theories and Approach-oriented Theories: the focus-oriented

state and trait theories of coping recognize a person’s internal resources and mental

capacities for evaluating how well he can adapt to a situation. On the other hand, the

approach-oriented micro and macro analytic coping theories revolve around how

concrete or abstract the coping mechanisms are (Carver, 1989). This theory is an

essential support to our study because it focuses on the coping mechanisms of a person

in a certain type of environment.

Resilience theory by Dr. Norman Garmezy is the frame of reference for

understanding how some individuals can recover in life after experiencing a

disadvantageous situation in a strength-focused approach. Academic resilience means

students achieving good educational outcomes despite adversity. For schools,

promoting it involves strategic planning and detailed practice involving the whole school

community to help vulnerable young people do better than their circumstances might

have predicted.

These kinds of individual resilience processes remain prominent in resilience

studies, but they have come under much criticism. Most recently this has taken the form

of a critique of resilience theory being in the service of a neoliberal agenda (Joseph,

2013), though this view in turn has its critics (Schmidt, 2015).

The key points of Resilience Theory argues that it’s not the nature of adversity

that is most important, but how we deal with it. When we face adversity, misfortune, or
frustration, resilience helps us bounce back. It helps us survive, recover, and even thrive

in the face and wake of misfortune –but that’s not all there is to it. This theory is an

essential support to our study because it highlights the ways of an individual in

recovering after experiencing disadvantageous situations.

Related Literature

Challenges Experienced in times of Pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has extremely affected the lives of

people around the world. Isolation, contact restrictions, quarantines and economic

shutdown caused a complete change to the psychosocial environment of affected

countries. With more than 10 million cases and half a million deaths worldwide as of

June 30, 2020 (Johns Hopkins University Corona Virus Resource Center, 2020), the

coronavirus disease has drastically impacted the whole world and remains a threat

against public health and safety.

One of the sectors that is greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is the

education sector. As of June 29, 2020, more than a billion students, or 61% of the global

student population, are affected by school closures (United Nations Educational,

Scientific, and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has

presented multiple challenges for teaching students with disabilities in an online

instructional environment. In addition, schools were forced to stop face-to-face

classroom sessions and are now slowly shifting to different modalities such as online

distance learning. Furthermore, according to Nicholls and Toquero (2020), in the

Philippines, the impact of these school closures is evident in both basic and higher

education institutions. School administrators, teachers, students, and other stakeholders

are challenged by the issues and concerns brought about by this transition such as lack
of equity is exhibited by the disproportionate access to technology and internet access

for students who live in rural areas or in low-income communities (Fishbane & Tomer,

2020). Riberio (2020) rightly noted that this digital transformation of instructional delivery

came with several logistical challenges and attitudinal modifications. Moreover,

according to Feldman (n.d) while addressing student assessment during this pandemic

on how districts can legislate unbiased and evenhanded grading policies based on these

recommendations; first, pandemic-related anxiety will have negative effects on students’

academic performance, second, academic performance of students might be affected by

racial, economic and resource differences, and third, the large part of instructors were

not effectively ready to deliver high quality instructions remotely.

According to Philip (2020) we’re also hearing first-hand how educational

disadvantage isn’t just about access to technology. Many families are struggling to

support home learning, whether because of the condition of their housing, their work or

caring responsibilities, or the struggle to put food on the table. Teachers have responded

compassionately, offering practical support where it’s needed most, and planning now

for how they will help students catch up when schools reopen.

Coping with the challenges

According to Bozkurt & Sharma (2020) remote learning in this context should not

be compared to the traditional distance education practiced before the crisis but can be

best described as emergency remote education (ERE). It is still a branch of distance

education because of an unprecedent health emergency. Furthermore, set in a

developing country, tertiary institutions in the Philippines are observably unprepared for

the sudden migration of education in the middle of an ongoing crisis and the remote

learning systems seems chaotic. Looking at the statistics, it is reported that almost 3.5
million Filipino students enrolled in tertiary level institutions are roughly affected by the

pandemic (Joaquin, Biana & Dacela, 2020). Moreover, apart from the other challenges

that they need to overcome before the crisis on a face-to-face learning set-up, students

now even have to face difficulties associated with remote learning (Simbulan, 2020).

Consequently, students suffer from a lot of stress due to difficult situations such as

having many responsibilities not just in school but also in their respective homes.

Despite the overwhelming stress and difficulties, students still believe that every

cloud has a silver lining. They find hope in the challenges they face in practice of

distance learning. Locally, for instance, Custodio, a freshman Filipino student who only

relies on her tiny 5-inch screen cellphone to participate in their remote classes, copes

with the challenge by downloading the lesson plans on her phone and re-writing them on

a paper for easy reading (Santos, 2020). Filipino students used various combinations of

coping strategies during this pandemic. It includes connecting with friends and family to

relieve stress, talking and motivating oneself, and diverting attention to other things at

home and stay away from stress caused by COVID-19. After all the negativities and

challenges faced by students, they still find themselves surviving in a remote learning

set-up through coping mechanisms to manage stress.

Strategies during pandemic

There is an extensive literature linking the use of effective learning strategies with

academic achievement (Archer, 1998; Fuller, Chalmers, & Kirkpatrick, 1994; Hattie,

Biggs, & Purdie, 1996; Pintrich & Johnson, 1990; Tate & Entwistle, 1996; Thomas, 1988;

Zimmerman, 1998; Zimmerman, Greenberg, & Weinstein, 1994). Effective, self-

regulated learners know and use a wide repertoire of learning strategies and

metacognitive strategies to manage themselves and their learning tasks (Zimmerman,

1994). Learning strategies include cognitive strategies such as basic and complex

rehearsal, elaboration and organisation strategies (Weinstein, 1982) which are ordered

in increasing "depth" of processing (Radloff, 1997). Learning strategies also include

adaptive strategies such as time management and organising the learning environment,

cue seeking, help seeking, and volitional strategies such as persistence in the face of

obstacles to learning. Metacognitive strategies include planning, monitoring, adapting

and evaluating learning and learning outcomes. These strategies are important in

learning across all disciplines. According to my research the types of strategies during

this pandemic are Synchronous vs Asynchronous Distance Learning, Open Schedule

Online Courses, Hybrid Distance Learning, Computer Based Distance Learning, and

Fixed Time Online Courses. The purpose of the strategies during this pandemic is for us

to have a plans to face the situation and for the students to have a proper mindset during

distance learning. (North Eastern University 2020) Online learning provides students

with the time they need to actively reflect and organize their thoughts before answering a

question or making a comment. Having an open mind helps students interact with the

material and fosters a more engaged and open community. The importance of the

strategies during this pandemic is to help students begin to understand the process of

learning. Strategies help students to bypass their areas of weakness and to perform at

the level at which they are capable. Strategies promote flexible thinking and teach

students the importance of shifting their approaches to different tasks during pandemic.

(Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 2020) These models

support collaborative, interpersonal and communication skills, social learning skills, self

and group evaluation skills, reflection skills, and self-directed learning skills, all of which

are characteristics of the successful online learner. According to my research the effects

of the strategies to the students during pandemic is, many students increased stress and

anxiety. Alongside the lack of social interaction, online class structure can affect teens
and adolescents in a number of ways: They may feel heightened anxiety about keeping

up to date with their school work. Other teens may experience difficulty concentrating or

staying focused while at home. According to Stephen (2013), Although many people still

consider traditional universities as the best way to achieve knowledge and get a

diploma, online learning proves to be a great alternative. Students have the chance to

study in their own time and especially for free. It represents a great way to study many

fields and to boost the level of self-motivation. Online learning is so effective because

students can finish their homework quickly, and there is more time left for hobbies or for

finding a job. An access to all resources of a traditional course helps participants learn

wherever they are, leaving them the freedom to choose the time for study. With basically

an Internet connection, a person can attend different courses. Among the advantages of

online learning there are the responsibility and self-discipline of students. Only in a small

group a person can develop properly at school, students learn how to make friends, be

patient, get rid of disappointment, and especially to compete. Competition between

colleagues can be very stimulating and students will only benefit from it. Online learning

cannot offer human interaction. Another disadvantage refers to the fact that online

courses cannot cope with thousands of students that try to join discussions. Also, online

learning can be difficult, if it is meant for disciplines that involve practice.

In conclusion, online learning should be seen as a complement and extension of

classical forms of learning. Not even the best online course can fully replace the

personal contact with a teacher, or the human relationships that develop in a group. So,

traditional classes shouldn’t be replaced with online learning.

Related Studies
 Haney C., et al. in their 2017 study aimed to understand lived experiences of

students in a blended-learning neuroscience Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).

Furthermore, they discussed about the students’ perceptions of using the online and

offline components of the course through thematic analysis performed on the interviews

of students who received lab kits. Moreover, they also tried to understand the students’

lived experiences that may allow STEM MOOC educators to design online and offline

activities and materials that reflect the interactive nature of STEM topics.The research

design used in the study was Experimental Design. Haney C. et al. (2017) found that

there are two themes emerged as unique answers to how students perceive the course

within the topic of Utility of Engagement: Course Expectations and Resource Impact.

Course Expectations were the students' impressions of what makes a course "good".

These views are influenced by prior experience, culture, and learning preferences. 

Moreover, these views encompassed two main sub-themes: Students who liked the

course's interactive nature and found it engaging, as well as students who needed a

more conventional lecture-style course. Students who fell into the group who liked the

course's interactive nature were likely to also fall into the discovery theme of learning

behaviors. Students who fell into the group who wanted a more conventional course

often felt that the material other than strict lecture videos was not a good use of their

time and so were less likely to make use of these materials, including the discussion

forum and “field trip” videos. The second theme was Resource Impact. Since this course

offers no institutional credit, the functionality of the course was defined by each student

and related directly to each student’s life. Thus, students often found particular ways of

using the resources of the course to meet needs they were not originally designed to

meet. They found out that the students did this in two ways: by using this course as a

guide for how to teach neuroscience or by using it as a way to fill in missing details from
the current or previous education. Since this course was intended as an introduction to

neuroscience to students who were generally uninformed concerning the concepts

neuroscience, it was not designed to meet either of these two needs. Students who

looked to this as a guide to teach neuroscience were teachers who often used some of

the class resources in their own classes or used the examples presented in the class

lectures to better explain concepts of neuroscience to their own classes. Students who

seek to fill in missing details were taking the course as a review or as a way to gain

details necessary for research projects. The at-home lab kits produced an enriching

array of responses from those students that received and used them. Those that did

work with the lab kits and conducted experiments revealed their perceptions of the

usefulness of the lab-kit that emerged through the theme of Amplifying Behaviors, where

students used the lab kits in connection with others, demonstrating to the class they

taught or to their own children. Haney C., et al (2017) concluded in their study that the

behaviors of the students within the MOOC environment were influenced by the

perceptions they brought into and developed within the course. Although this research

team categorized themes into topics that were intended to separate them by behavior

and intention, it was discovered that each were highly intertwined. Furthermore,

according to them, the interviewees in one sentence would switch from perceptions to

intentions and back again. Their initial perceptions of the course were influenced of what

behaviors they engaged in. Students either embraced or limited their engagement in

various activities of the course. Students also took the resources provided by the course

and utilized them in new ways to better meet their needs, bringing these resources into

their class as teaching materials or using them as review materials for exams. Students

also took the lab-kit beyond its intended purposes by improvising to use it on other

animals or even humans and by amplifying its use through bringing it into classrooms
and collaborating with others. Students used self-motivation techniques of excitement

through new discovery to inspire learning behaviors necessary to completing the course.

Overall, this shows that MOOCs create a highly adaptable environment that many

students use as a foundation on which to construct for their own unique purposes.

Haney C., et al (2017) stated that the study was limited in its ability to draw from each

strata, as students self-selected for the interview process. Despite encouragement by

the researchers, no students were able to be recruited from three stratas due to this self-

imposed exclusion. Some students also found it hard to give specifics due a two-year

gap between when they participated in the course and when they were interviewed.

Despite this, many students were able to give detailed responses to the interview

questions. According to them, the future research will focus on interviewing the control

group of the RCT in order to understand how their experiences compared to those of the

treatment group who received the lab kit. This research may reveal how the additional

activities, interactions, and amplifying behaviors from the lab kit influenced student

behavior and perception of the course. Additional recruitment from the missing treatment

group strata may also be done to provide a more complete view of student experiences

in the class. Given the importance of student intentions that they found in this study,

further research may also explore grouping students based on their motivations within

the course, such as those who gathered resources in order to teach their own classes

and those who focused on the discovery of new information about neuroscience.

Moreover, they said that as MOOCs continue to be used by a diverse and worldwide

group of students, it is important to create a more nuanced view of students’ lived

experiences in these environments to meet their needs. These experiences can inform

the developers of the MOOC, allowing them to create courses that better meet the
students’ needs and are more student-centered learning environments. This information

can then in turn be used to improve traditional learning environments

According to Simui F. (2018), this study focuses on lived experiences of Students

with visual impairments while pursuing their studies at Sim University in Zambia.

Anecdotal evidence from the university records indicated that a significantly low number

of approximately 0.001 percent of students with impairments in comparison to the

recommended 15 percent by the World Health Organization were present at Sim

University. Within the 0.001 percent, approximately 70 percent were classified as

students with Visual Impairments. The research objectives that guided this study were to

describe the lived experiences face at university, explore enablers that empower

students with visual impairments achieve academic success at university, explore

disablers faced by the visually impaired students at university and develop a framework

for interpreting lived experiences of the visually impaired students at the university. A

qualitative methodology driven by Hermeneutics Phenomenology research design was

applied. In addition, purposive sampling technique was used to enlist seven students

with visual impairment to participate in this study. Participants volunteered to tell their

lived experiences and clusters of themes emerged thereafter. Emergent from the lived

experiences of the visually impaired students was a host of enablers and disablers that

represent their felt worlds while at Sim University. The silent voices expressed their

perceived vulnerabilities and success, resilience and frustration, while pursuing their

studies in a favoring environment dominated by the sighted. Amidst the disabling

environment, five ingredients proved pivotal to the visually impaired students’ academic

success namely: positive attitude, family support, peer support, institutional support, and

beneficial partnerships. It is clear that the lived world of these visually impaired students

had more disabling than the enabling factors. With the exception of a positive attitude,
the other four enablers pointed to the ‘dependence syndrome’ on the sighted that

students with visual impairment were reduced to within an exclusive learning

environment. To this extent, positive attitude was picked out as the most important

enabler among others to the success of Students with visual impairment at Sim

University. The positive attitude showed itself in various ways such as determination,

resilience, innovation and self-motivation. Even where the support from the sighted was

not available, an absolute determination, combined with resilience and innovation in the

face of oppression was enough for the visually impaired students to progress through

the academic ladder. Emerging from the study are the ten recommendations three of

which are to develop and implement an inclusive policy to guide practice, to involve

visually impaired students in decision making process affecting their academic

progression, and improve on the accessibility to the learning environment and content. In

a nutshell, whereas resources are limited in universities similar to Sim University,

Students with visual impairments carry with them unexploited mental resources that

administrators, managers and teaching staff can tap into and devise innovative ways to

combat exclusion. If only these visually impaired students can be engaged and

consulted in decision-making process, institutions are bound to break-through to

multitude of challenges encountered when implementing inclusive education.

An exploration of students' lived experiences of using smartphones in diverse

learning contexts using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. This study aims to

describe the young people’s experiences in using smartphones and to know and

understand the meaning of their lived experiences of using these mobile devices, within

the context of formal and informal learning. This study conducted interviews and written

reflective exercises applying the principles of hermeneutic phenomenology.

 The findings of this study shows that there is a complex interplay of patterns of

use, motivation and influences. Four major themes emerged in this study which are

Differences, Value, Influences and Me, Myself, I. This study shows that these new

methods of learning may be different than the traditional classroom set-up but it is vital in

enabling learners to navigate the structure and meanings of the online world and

transposing such skills and knowledge into their real world. It also shows that students

value the benefits of smartphones but there are some participants possessed different

views regarding its significance. Learning with the use of smartphones was compared to

a double-edge sword, the wonders of the internet and technology may be manifold,

positive and harmful at the same time. The participants in this study did not totally trust

the information or the people they befriended in the internet. This study also shows that

smartphones have been a part of a person’s personal life. The extent of learning with

smartphones and its value is greatly influence by friends, family, teachers and the

community. Parents’ influence is limited because most of the elderly do not understand

the potential of smartphones in learning. However, familial influence is strong in terms of

specific uses.

To sum up, the quality of education has improved by online courses and even it

has become easy and accessible for students to refer the content as per their leisure. It

has allowed them to take up additional courses along with their studies at their

convenience. However, some limitations are faced in online learning like; technical

challenges, limited feedback from the online student which can be overcome by

upgrading the E-learning system and the online discussion forum, and new web-based

software. To conclude, the online manner of learning has both positive and negative

aspects on students. Although, it’s our responsibility to think about goals and needs

before indulging in them.

 THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the lived experiences

of STEM students at the Senior High School Department of University of Cebu Main

Campus.

The study aims to explore and identify the stem students' experiences in the online class

and seek answers to these specific questions:

1. What are the challenges experienced as a student in times of Pandemic?

2. How do you students cope with the challenges?

3. What are the strategies in being resilient during the Pandemic.

Significance of the Study

This study will describe the lived experiences of STEM students in University of

Cebu- Main Campus in the online class. It is important to learn the lived experiences of

students in the online class to enlighten misinformed citizens. This study will help

anyone of any age to understand the struggle and experience of students in the online

class. This study will benefit anyone may it be students, teachers, parents, future

students and future researchers.

Students. They will have more knowledge on how this pandemic affects their

mental health, emotional health and social health. This study helps them to engage with

other people and become socially inclined.

Teachers. They will develop a strong understanding of the students’ experiences

and will be able to help them do better in online classes.

Parents. They will gain a greater understanding of their children. Thus, parents

will be able to assist and support their children in their academic pursuits.
 Future Senior High School STEM Students. This study serves as a guide and

reference for the students undertaking similar studies. They will learn how to cheer up

their selves from sadness and loneliness amidst this pandemic.

Future Researchers. This study will serve as reference to future researchers

who will study the lived experiences of students in the online class.

THE SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study is focused on the lived experiences of STEM students in the online

class. The primary subjects of this study are consisting of both Grade 11 and 12

students from the University of Cebu-Main Campus enrolled in the school year 2020-

2021. The participants of this study are limited to 10 students which are purposely

selected equally from both Grade 11 and 12 STEM students. The results of this study

are attained through conducting interviews with the help of internet platforms. This study

is conducted during the second semester of the school year 2020-2021 at the University

of Cebu-Main Campus.

Only 10 students are selected purposely from the Senior High School STEM

students of the University of Cebu-Main Campus. The researchers picked five students

from Grade 11 and five students from Grade 12 who are taking online classes. The

method used in this study is the qualitative research approach following a descriptive

design since the researchers are only focusing on describing the lived experiences of

STEM students participating in the online class.

 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study employed a phenomenological design which seeks to discover the

participants’ world by gaining insights, thoughts, and opinions about a phenomenon. The

researcher tries to investigate an individual’s thoughts and perceptions and find a

common ground to every experience (Avilla, 2016). This study aims to describe and

understand the lived experiences of Senior High School STEM students in the online

class. Through the use of a phenomenological design, this study will discover the

challenges faced by students in the online class and their strategies in coping with these

challenges.

Research Environment

This study was conducted in the University of Cebu - Senior High School

Department located at J. Alcantara St., Cebu City. University of Cebu - Senior High

School Department was establish in 2013 during the implementation of K-12. The
University of Cebu still offers affordable and quality education to STEM students who

have enrolled in this school year.

Research Participants

The participants of this study will be Senior High School STEM students enrolled

at the University of Cebu-Main Campus. The researchers will pick 10 participants among

the students in the Senior High School Department; five (5) from grade 11 students and

five (5) from grade 12 students. In order to be eligible in selection, he or she must be a

Senior High School student at the University of Cebu- Main Campus and must be

enrolled in the STEM strand. The researchers will use a homogeneous type of purposive

sampling approach in this study because it will only be used if there is a common ground

between the participants’ traits or experiences. In this study, the participants have that

common ground which is being enrolled in the STEM strand participating in the online

class.

Research Instrument

The instrument used in this study was a virtual interview. The researchers made

an interview guide containing three questions based on the themes presented namely;

the challenges faced in this pandemic specifically in the online class, the ways they cope

up with these challenges and the strategies used in solving encountered challenges

during the pandemic.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers submitted a transmittal letter to ask permission from the Senior

High School Department to conduct interviews among selected students from the

department. After the approval from the department, the researchers sent informed
consent forms to the selected students and set the schedule for the interviews and the

researchers made sure that the interviews conducted would not interfere any of the

participants’ classes.

The research instrument was used to gather the profile of the participants, and

their lived experiences in the online class. The virtual interview was made possible

through a cloud-based communication app that allows the user to set-up virtual video

and audio conferencing, webinars, live chats, screen sharing, screen recording and

other collaborative capabilities that made a strong connection between the researchers

and the participants. The virtual interview was screen recorded as well as recorded

externally using other gadgets such as smartphones.

Data Analysis

The researchers analyzed the data gathered form the interviews conducted

following Colaizzi’s thematic analysis. Colaizzi’s (1987) method of data analysis is

accurate and robust, therefore a qualitative method that ensures the accuracy and

credibility of its results. This method allows researchers to describe and understand the

lived experiences of Senior High School STEM students in University of Cebu-Main

Campus in the online class, it also reveals important concepts and their interwoven

relationships. The researchers followed the steps in Colaizzi’s method in analyzing the

data gathered. Colaizzi’s (1987) method includes seven steps. First, the researchers

reviewed the recorded interviews, read and re-read all the transcribed contents of the

interviews; second, the researchers extract essential statements that are relevant to the

study; third, the researchers give meaning to the statements, during the process of

giving meanings, relevant quotes are categorized and themes are generated based on
multiple statements that have similar meaning; fourth, the researchers repeat steps one,

two and three for each interview then create themes based on the meanings extracted;

fifth, the researchers compiled an exhaustive description of all the content generated

from the first four steps; sixth, the researchers summarized the exhaustive description in

order to identify the fundamental structure of the study; lastly, the researchers ensured

the credibility of the data analyzed.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are conceptually and operationally defined for the better

understanding of the study:

Cloud-based communication app – is a platform that allows users to

communicate through the use of internet, it allows users to use programs and

information that are stored in the internet rather than on your own computer.

Lived Experience – refers to the representation of the experiences and choices

of a given person, and the knowledge they gain form these experiences and choices.

Online Class – is a form of learning conducted partly or wholly over the internet.

Pandemic – is a disease outbreak that spreads through countries and

continents.

Senior High School STEM Students – is a classifications and initiatives

pertaining to not only learning and working in science and technology related disciplines

but to a nation’s social contract productivity.

 UNIVERSITY OF CEBU
Senior High School
J. Alcantara St., Cebu City

March 24, 2021

DR. ABELARDO T. TEJO JR.

Senior High School Principal
University of Cebu - Main Campus
J. Alcantara St., Cebu City

Dear Dr. Tejo:

Good day!

The undersigned, whose study entitled “Lived Experiences of STEM Students in the
Online Class”, would like to ask for your approval to conduct our study at University of
Cebu-Main Campus.

This study aims to explore and identify the STEM students’ experiences in the online
class. Rest assured that any information obtained from the informants will be highly kept
confidential and will be used for research-related purposes only.

Hoping for your favorable response. Thank you and God bless.

Sincerely yours,
MERL JHUN C. CATIQUISTA
Researcher

Noted:

Diogelina B. Masong, LPT

Research Adviser

DR. ABELARDO T. TEJO, JR.

SHS Principal, UC - Main

INFORMED CONSENT

Title of the Study: Lived Experiences of STEM students in the Online Class

Purpose of the Research

This study aims to describe and understand the STEM students’ experiences in
the online class.

Risks and Discomforts

There are no kind of risk but a bit of discomfort because of the questions that
must be answered in private and honestly to obtain information.

Benefits of the Research and Benefits to You

The present study will contribute us a pure understanding and to describe the
STEM students’ experiences, capture the challenges of it, and to describe the
circumstances of the STEM students’ lived experiences during online class.

Voluntary Participation
In this current investigation, your cooperation and association in this exploration
is absolutely deliberate and you have an opportunity to quit taking an interest at
any time. Your decision not to volunteer won't impact the idea of your relationship
to the researcher and the University.

Withdrawal from the Study

You have an opportunity to choose when you will quit participating at any time,
under any circumstance, If you decide to quit participating, it won't influence your
relationship with the researcher, University of Cebu, or different gatherings
related with this undertaking. If you pull out from the investigation, all related
information gathered will be promptly obliterated at whatever point possible.

Confidentiality

Sound recorder and cameras will be utilized to guarantee exactness and

loyalty of the reactions given. Any data got from you will remain profoundly
private and will be utilized for research related-purposes as it were.

Contact Information

Researcher: Diogelina B. Masong

Email: diogelinamasong@gmail.com
Contact Number: 09991234567

Signature

By signing below, you are giving your willful consent to take part in the above-
depicted exploration study.

Kindly know that marking this consent structure isn't sufficient to participate in
this research study. You should also have a parent/guardian sign the parental
assent structure and get back to the researcher.

Full Name: ___________________________

e-Signature: _________________________
Date: __________________________________
 Interview Guide

Title of the Study: Lived Experiences of STEM Students in the Online Class

Name of Participant: ___________________________________________________

Gender: _____________ Age: _____ Contact Info.: ____________________
Lived Experiences in the Online class:

I. Challenges experienced in times of pandemic

a) As a student, what are the challenges that you have experienced in times of
Pandemic?
( Sa pagka usa ka estudyante, unsa man ang mga pagsuway na imo nasinati sa
panahon sa pandemya?)

II. Coping with challenges

a) How do you cope up with these challenges?

( Giunsa man nimo pagsagubang ang mga pagsuway? )

III. Strategies during pandemic

a) What are your strategies in being resilient during the pandemic?

( Unsa man ang imong mga pamaagi sa pagpabiling malig on sa panahon sa
pandemya? )