Teacher education students’ assessment of modular distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This research investigated the teacher education students’ assessment of modular distance learning (MDL) during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic using a descriptive comparative research design. There were 295 respondents who are taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics in a state university. The respondents were identified using stratified random sampling. They answered a four-part survey questionnaire that assessed their profile, perception, benefits and challenges they encountered while learning through MDL. The results showed that they have a positive perception of MDL. At the same time, they found this modality to be beneficial. However, they often encountered the challenges that MDL brings. Moreover, there is a significant difference in the students’ perception, benefits and challenges that MDL brings when grouped according to their year level. Thus, it is recommended that school administrators and teachers consider students’ diversity relative to their needs and provide other instructional support while students are engaging in MDL.   Keywords: Benefits, challenges, modular distance learning, perception, teacher education students