Students’ Personal Stories: Modular Distance Learning First Experiences in the New Normal

The pandemic has altered the lives and activities of people all across the world in ways that no one could have predicted. The once-in-a-lifetime circumstance presented both problems and opportunities to all segments of the community and society. The key purpose of this descriptive qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the personal stories of students in the modular distance learning first experiences in SY 2020-2021. Insights, opinions, and ideas were sought from six (6) low performing students through Key Informant Interview. Considering the lockdown problems, data were gathered through phone calls, and video calls and were recorded, transcribed, coded analyzed, and categorized responses into themes. Five emergent themes were generated, are as follow: (1) Poor reading comprehension level (2) Lack alternative learning materials (3) No strict daily learning routine (4) No constant communication from parents and teachers for support (5) Unmotivated learning system at home. Findings revealed that the most difficult experiences met by students are the lack of comprehension and insufficient learning resources. With these findings, the school administrator and teachers should provide necessary learning strategies and alternative resources to increase learners’ performance.