CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted our economy in many unimaginable ways. It has wreaked havoc on many people’s lives, infecting an estimated 474 million people worldwide (World Health Organization, 2022). It continues to be a compelling problem in most parts of the world, destabilizing not only the economy but also education. In response to the drastically increasing COVID-19 cases in the early months of 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte announced to suspend classes at all levels on March 9, 2020 (Department of Education, 2020). Prolonged lockdowns were implemented to avoid insurgence in cases. This affected the nation as a whole, among which those who are drastically impacted by this are the education sector. After months of lockdown, certain schools created an alternative for the continuance of education despite the closure to respond to the needs of the learners. This led to the resort to online learning. The Philippine government has undertaken a crisis response to counteract the pandemic’s negative impact on schooling. Curriculum adjustments, provision of technology resources and infrastructure, changes to academic calendars, and rules for instructional delivery and assessment are all examples of this approach. These advancements push educational institutions to complete online learning until face-to-face teaching is allowed. Although online learning is essential for the academic development of students in the Philippines, the sudden shift challenges their adaptability to the new normal (Watts et al., 2020).
With time, students and teachers were able to adapt to the new normal. However, certain methods used in online learning are yet to be deemed effective. In the research from Carnegie Mellon University (2022), teachers discovered that group projects are more helpful and productive since they add more unpredictability to the classroom. This is due to the fact that different groups approach problems in unique ways, which can be refreshing for teachers. In addition, group projects lessen the number of final outputs that teachers must grade (Chiaro, 2020). Group works according to the perspectives of the teachers are generally beneficial, however, students’ perspectives on this are yet to be explored. In the research from the study by Ekblaw (2014) entitled Collaborative Learning: Group Work, many instructors appear to assume that implementing group projects and collaboration is challenging when participants are geographically dispersed and unable to meet face-to-face. (Whatley et al., 2001). Effective communication is a crucial aspect of project team success (Hoegl & Gemuenden, 2001), and many professors believe that communication is significantly more difficult when students cannot meet in person. In a face-to-face set up, group work is already proven to be problematic and challenging for students to collaborate in group activities. There have been several papers written about effective group collaboration, although most of them focus on face-to-face learning. The challenges of online group work are evident nowadays and are aggravating the situation further. Due to this fact, the researchers are trying to address these challenges and present strategies to the people affected through exploring the experiences of the students.
This research is being carried out to learn more about students’ experiences with group collaboration. This study is especially important for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students because the majority of the work in STEM is done in groups, and students’ perspectives of it differ. If the researchers are given the chance to conduct the research, they will be able to provide in-depth information on the matter. This study will also focus on Grade 11 STEM students at the University of San Carlos Talamban Campus (USC-TC). This can give unique insights exclusively to the students and teachers in that location. These unique insights can also provide specific recommendations that can be of benefit to the people in that community and beyond that as well. The findings of the study are significant for they will provide a different perspective on the usage of group works in online learning. With these different perspectives, students and teachers can use the findings to strategize on ways to mitigate possible issues or find ways to improve the teaching methods used to make learning online better and more effective.
Statement of the Problem
Drawn on the existing pandemic and shift to online learning, this phenomenological study aims to look into the experiences of students who participate in online group collaboration. Specifically, how group collaboration influenced the academic growth of chosen grade 11 STEM students at USC-TC. This is done in order to provide unique perspectives in determining the effectiveness of online group collaboration. It is also being conducted to address and acknowledge students’ concerns about the difficulties they face when working in groups online.
This study specially aims to:
Understand the students’ experiences with online collaboration for their academic tasks;
Explore communication experiences in online learning among students; and
Determine some challenges encountered when working in groups in online learning.
Significance of the Study
The researchers will present the study’s benefits to the various sectors listed in this section. This is to demonstrate the value of the research and to provide a view of the predicted effects or outcomes that the research would provide to the following beneficiaries:
Students
Students are the direct beneficiaries of this research’s output because their academic performance is the foundation of their academic achievements. They will be able to determine how the sudden shift has affected their studies and education using the information collected. They will be able to make better choices in the future and enhance their academic development as a result of this insight, considering the limitations they are experiencing at the moment. Since the future is uncertain, it is easier for them to be aware of this and plan accordingly so that they can make the most of what they have now while still delivering satisfactory results.
Teachers
Teachers will benefit from this analysis as well, as they will be able to make informed decisions based on the findings and their own experiences in online classes. In times like these, where contact is minimal, they will be able to assess the efficacy of their lectures and projects to the learners and use the data as a reference in delivering a better experience for both them and the students. They will be able to contribute to the effectiveness of online learning on students’ academic success as a result of this.
Scope and Limitations of the Study
This research will focus on finding out the difficulties that students encounter when participating in group activities during online learning such as communication, lack of coordination, personal efficacy, lack of collaboration, personal working environment, etc. The data collection will be done on the selected grade 11 STEM students of the University of San Carlos during the School Year 2021-2022. Recent studies and research will be used as references in determining what influences student performance in collaborative learning. This study will not cover factors (e.g clothing, weather, food, family) that are not regarded to be obstacles of collaborative group work. Furthermore, respondents who are not grade 11 STEM students are not included in the scope of this study.
Definition of Terms
For purpose of clarification, the important terms used in this study have been defined.
The following terms are:
Academic task – refers to the task given by the teachers to be completed by the students.
Communication experiences – refer to the experiences of students on how they communicate with each other virtually in group collaboration in online learning.
Group collaboration – refers to the students working between 3 – 10 members on an academic task to complete the required output of a specific subject.
Online learning – refers to classes being held virtually as a response to the pandemic situation wherein classes are held through video conferencing and other learning platforms.
Perspectives – refers to the students’ insights and experiences about group collaboration in online learning.
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
In this section, the researchers will present existing studies related to online learning, with a special focus on the senior high school students’ perspectives on group projects in online learning. Both foreign and local studies have a direct bearing on the foundation of the study. The review revealed 3 themes: (1) group work advantages and benefits; (2) group work disadvantages and challenges; and (3) suggested methods for enhancing effective group work. The literature as it relates to these themes is summarized in this review.
Group Work Advantages and Benefits
The benefits and advantages of group learning can be justified by a number of existing studies. Collaborative learning facilitates the active exchange of ideas within groups, increases motivation among participants, promotes critical thinking, fosters socialization, improves attitudes towards learning, and develops a better understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds (Hassenian, 2006). The findings of this study show that students can derive a wide range of benefits from their group work experience. These range from behavioral skills to the development of intellectual and personal abilities. It’s become evident that the complete range of benefits of group work is extremely diverse. This means that group work is an extremely beneficial experience for students’ learning and achievement. Along the same line, in the research conducted by Goold et al. (2008), the opportunity to collaborate in diverse teams was also appreciated by the students. They agreed that in such group work, their opinions were valid, valued, and respected. Moreover, the findings of the study also show that one of the key advantages of well-designed teamwork has been stated to be the ability to facilitate learning and improve student understanding of unit-related knowledge. They also believe that achieving greater levels of comprehension requires collaboration among students. Correspondingly, in the research conducted by So and Brush (2006), they investigated the connections between students’ reported levels of collaborative learning, social presence, and overall satisfaction. They discovered that the views of overall class interaction and student satisfaction appear to be positively affected by small group interaction; they intertwine, thus for a student to be satisfied with group work and interaction, small positive interactions are required. In relation to the research conducted by So and Brush (2006), the research conducted by Driver (2001) also looked at student relationships in online collaborative learning, but this time they looked at whether different interactions among students in small groups could be substituted for one-on-one interactions between the instructor and the students in online collaborative learning. They discovered the same outcomes as So and Brush’s study. According to them, overall interaction dynamics may have a greater impact on learner satisfaction (Fulford & Zhang, 2009). Due to the above-mentioned benefits and advantages, the researchers have found out that collaborative group work in online learning has occupied and continues to occupy a higher and more essential position than other forms of student learning structure. These existing studies are relevant to the researchers’ study as it provides a foundation of knowledge and serves as a guide to discovering more about how beneficial collaborative group work in online learning is.