Integration of Nursing Care as Education Approach in the Implementation of Flexible Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Elias C. Olapane*, Rosario Clarabel C. Contreras, Mary Jean F. Cataluña, Gabriel Delariarte, Engr. Magdalena Cataluña, Fritz Gerard C. Contreras

West Visayas State University Calinog Campus, Calinog, 5000 Iloilo City, Philippines

*Corresponding Author’s Email: elias.olapane@wvsu.edu.ph

ABSTRACT

Background: Flexible learning has become the most viable strategy to survive the education industry across the globe and at all levels since the pandemic. The abrupt shift of modality imposes various agendas, either beneficial to improve learning delivery or, to some extent, a disadvantage, especially among technologically challenged educators. Curative traits are attributed to meeting the education requirements and needs of learners while the pandemic disrupts its core implementation. Integration of nursing care as such involves various key stakeholders, understandably because of its newness in form. In developing countries, continuity of teaching and learning has been affected by the abrupt transition, which further at- risks higher academic institutions' ability to provide quality professional education. The study aimed to document pandemic-induced stories encountered by the stakeholders among higher institutions' implementation as cornerstones to developing a caring-inspired strategy to approach education. Methods: The narratives of stakeholders such as students, faculty, parents, and the school administration are extracted during their elemental months of learning design, innovation, and transition phases. Analyses using NVivo 12 Plus on the participant’s experiences and coping were transcribed, and themes were generated thereafter. Pseudonyms of the 28 participants assigned were obtained prior to researcher-assisted key informant interviews to ensure the ethicality of the qualitative research design. Results: Significant themes as expressions of a caring-inspired approach to flexible learning range from identifying challenges and changes to coping with the implementation of technology-modified learning modalities. In the context of learning material development, digital literacy, curriculum-related concerns, and breaches of academic veracity are themes that surfaced among all participants within the first three months of pandemic adjustments. Conclusion: The study recommends the inclusion of flexible learning as a strategy even in the post-pandemic era as input to strategic planning during management reviews and to sustain technological and educational evolution, ensuring a learning continuum amidst crises.

Keywords: Caring-Based Education; Challenges in Education; Flexible Learning; Pandemic-Induced Education

INTRODUCTION

Restructuring the educational landscape through nursing pedagogy and its delivery across the globe is considered one of the many effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Curative expressions to preserve higher education delivery are a manifestation of the unceasing search for care, which nursed educational avenues at the height of the pandemic. Academic institutions, especially the higher education communities, are called to innovate as the transition from conventional to flexible modalities ensures uninterrupted learning opportunities following restricted mobility and face-to-face delivery (Menon & Suresh, 2022). The situation has been supported by the ministry of education through capacitating higher education institutions (HEI) through the adaptation of appropriate technologies that are aligned to the needs of changing times amidst border restrictions following vaccination hesitancy (Acob et al., 2021). Educating the people on the importance of inoculation is believed to expedite the face-to-face class resumption. Utilization of technologies has become vital to obtaining inclusive and equitable education 4.0, according to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which further emphasizes the importance of life-long learning in the pandemic era (Menon & Suresh, 2022).

The call for nursing as expressions of unending care to education re-structuring brought multiple impressions of challenges and pressures to academic stakeholders. Varied views surfaced due to the existence of digitalization, economic disparity, lessened student-teacher interaction, and inadequate digital infrastructure, which demands emergent action to address the crisis (Menon & Suresh, 2022; Cheung & Wu, 2022; Stanworth, Yen, & Warden, 2022; Zafitsara & Velo, 2022).

Some academic institutions in developed countries have already promoted flexible learning (Webb, McQuaid, & Webster, 2021). In contrast, developing nations underutilized this setup, and the current pandemic was essentially their first experiment with flexible learning (Perera & Abeysekera, 2021). This unprecedented event among developing countries like the Philippines has fully embraced learning flexibility (CHED Memorandum Order 4 s. 2020). Flexible learning refers to multiple modalities that are utilized by HEIs to implement their strategies for delivering distance education. Such a strategy conforms to the guidelines set by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) on flexible learning in 2020, which expresses caring as an unending expression (Acob, 2018) across fields of education.

On one end, academic institutions are given the freedom to choose any applicable modalities as deemed feasible and ethical for the learners. This includes but is not limited to synchronous, blended, or a mix of both learning modalities (Magsambol, 2020; Antonio, 2022).

Being a premier tertiary education institution in the Western Visayas region, the concerned state university gradually transitioned to blended learning during the initial phases of its implementation, yet caring concerns related to execution and delivery have surfaced, challenging the current-established system of education intervention. Extreme and empirical evidence, such as connectivity issues, especially in rural communities, and technical problems in the concept delivery of both the teacher and the learning management system, demands careful review and necessitates education’s holistic makeover. Recalibration of the course content and structural changes became obvious changes in response to the pandemic; hence, decision-makers strategically included these vital matters during management and planning reviews.

A review of the literature finally revealed few studies documenting a multi-sectoral approach to the implementation of flexible learning in Asia and the Pacific regions (Essel et al., 2020; Menon & Suresh, 2022); hence, the study desires to explore and document stories of challenges and coping among stakeholders related to the academic-related preparation and implementation phases of flexible learning modality.

With all these encumbrances challenging the delivery of education and instruction in higher institutions during the course of the pandemic era, this investigation would attempt to document and utilize stories of challenges, opportunities, and stories among experienced institutions during the delivery of classes during the dark moments of COVID-19. Such experiences serve as a springboard for identifying attributes for the integration of a caring-based approach in higher education. Program development for the enhancement of education delivery post- pandemic and during disaster-afflicted circumstances is the core intention of the investigation.

METHODOLOGY

A total of twenty-eight participants representing sectors of administration, faculty, students, and parents’ sectors constituted the qualitative case study design as an approach to gaining rich insights on the challenges and coping stories during the implementation of flexible learning. Criteria utilized in the participant selection include those who directly applied online-synchronous instruction delivery prior to the data collection. Purposive and theoretical sampling were adapted since the aim demands consistency of thoughts and ideas related to the aim. The proposal obtained ethical approval from West Visayas State University, and data collection commenced. Prior to data collection, participants were oriented on the nature of the investigation, its purpose, and relevant output, which could directly or indirectly affect the educational landscape post-pandemic. Further, the rights to refuse and withdraw during or even during the course of data collection were favorably emphasized. Ethical considerations include the right to privacy, refusal, confidentiality, and anonymity, and the right to information was given the highest consideration. Guide and probing questions were posed on one end by experts, and modifications were incorporated based on the constructive comments. In-depth interviews through teleconferencing platforms were facilitated based on the established eligibility criteria of the participants; adherence to safety protocols during the pandemic was also observed.

The researchers utilized NVivo 12 Plus software to identify themes in the study (Olapane, 2021). Trustworthiness was ensured at every phase of data analysis through familiarization, reading the discrete data, and organizing the significant statements through code assignment into tabular forms. Pseudonyms were also adapted to decrease the chances of bias and ensure anonymity during the course of the study; hence, credibility and dependability concerns are sustained. Thematic analysis generated from the interview schedules, coding sheets, and tables of superordinate themes was used to draft a report at different stages of the analysis process.

Ethical Consideration

The research protocol was approved by the West Visayas State University-Unified Research Ethics Review Committee (WVSU-URERC) on 24th June 2021 with reference number WVSU.URERC-2021-PR_004.

RESULTS

Figure 1: Thematic Presentation of the Result Findings

The above figure depicts the flow of concepts generated by the participants, which were further classified into four major themes. Flexible learning provided avenues to better prepare the delivery and its mode of instruction, not only for material concepts but also for equipping human resources to effectuate learning in the new normal.

Contrary to the old mechanism of delivery of teaching, institutions must invest in personnel growth as expressions of caring through faculty development programs, which not only enhance their cup of tea but also capacitate them to better their craft of professional delivery and confidence on the subject matter. Personnel readiness is crucial, and hence, education and knowledge transfer should also be ensured in terms of quality and content. Safeguarding the future of education depends greatly on the core formative years of student development, thereby demanding proficiency among the teaching workforces. Moreover, the content of learning guides and course packets must not only reflect the organization of one’s thought but also embody the alignment and continuity of concepts given that remote, self-directed learning happened during the pandemic era. Such disruption perplexed the education institutions yet taught the importance of being reliant and trusting among students as co-creators of education and not merely recipients of knowledge.

Opportunities emerged as new means to learn through enriching technical skills and the convenience felt during course delivery. At first, people are reluctant to adapt to the modality since delivery of instruction has been done conventionally since ancient times. Disruption in education has greatly changed the landscape and considerably led to its unacceptance. However, the pandemic brought about the total migration of that idea; institutions perceived this as an opportunity to invest in people and the workforce. Since pandemic education can only survive through full adaptation to technological advancements, both students and teachers improved their skills. The use of appropriate technology became the ultimate response to the call of global crises, and everyone began honing their skills and gradually acculturating themselves to the ever-changing demands of the times. At first, convenience was believed to be an advantage of synchronous online learning; however, it became a block for most people from accessing learning due to the digital infrastructure. Institutions must innovate and maximize the modest resources at hand. The government played a major role in the leap toward total migration. Development plans framed prior to the pandemic had totally shifted, priorities changed, plans evolved, and alternatives were discussed by all involved stakeholders— manifestations of one’s dynamism and non-constancy by character. Flexible learning further taught stakeholders to be more responsible for full education implementation. Lesser supervision means that students have to be more responsible with the learning needed to complete their educational formation amidst disruption. This further connotes individual accountability since educators only guide the learning process and facilitate access to "must- know" and "must-learn" concepts without degrading the quality and values of graduates.

Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges, which served as a springboard for coming up with initiatives. Experiences stirred human intellect to retort issues of equity. Resource appropriation is hardly met during the course of the pandemic, thereby allowing educators to display their innovation without depreciating the value of quality; equitable distribution of resources is hardly seen more than ever, especially in private education institutions. Notably, private HEIs are being supported by the national government through access to learning materials and the provision of training on digital environments so as to ensure parallel understanding during the initial period of program implementation. The digital divide became obvious, and the general public was never prepared for such a learning modality. Such division became obvious given the inappropriate resource distribution following the bureaucratic organizational structure of a given management—something unique and diverse, which further challenged the implementation. At one end, the stories identified challenges as major strains in modern learning. The sudden shift in the modality itself gave rise to digital- related issues, and equity and balance concerns further led to breaches of academic integrity. However, participants must be able to develop coping measures to survive their academic lives and engagements through continuous collaboration, thereby increasing their circle of association and network, resourcefulness through shared responsibility and collaboration, and empathy, especially towards learners.

DISCUSSION

Education was not spared in the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like other countries around the world, the Philippine educational landscape has shifted to flexible learning to ensure that education remains undisrupted. Being one of the state-owned universities in the country, it has implemented full remote learning during the academic year 2020-2021 and gradually shifted to flexible learning (remote and/or online learning) after a year. As this state university braces itself for the opening of the 1st semester of Academic Year 2021-2022, the following are the opportunities, challenges, and coping strategies employed by the administration, faculty, students, and parents.

1. Integration of flexibility as nursing-caring expressions of learning

   1. Organization of Learning Packs

      
      

      In the pandemic, the learning apps played a vital role in educating the learners, as there were no physical interactions between teachers and students. Restrictions on mobility became the flavor of the hour, an approach believed to be highly preventive in containing the spread of the virus.

      
      

      I saw to it that my lessons would be arranged in an engaging and meaningful sequence. These lessons were delivered through online platforms such as Facebook group chats and email. (Karah, 38, teacher-participant)

      
      

      Since my teaching loads were new, I had to do a lot of reading for topics to be included in the course, prepare a course outline, modules, a variety of learning activities, and resources, and ensure that the topics were clear, concise, and comprehensive. (Ryan, 50, administration participant)

      
      

      The result of this study is confirmed by the work of Gurajena, Mbunge, & Fashoto (2021), which attributes the conduct of flexible learning to UNESCO’s (2003) position that learning happens at both individual and social levels. The experience of revisiting the material to filter ideas from nice-to-know to need-to-know concepts becomes a challenge. With the conventional mechanism, teachers are given the opportunity to discuss and exhaustively elaborate on the concepts, given that learners are physically present in a school setting. Knowledge transfer is believed to be easier when students are in a common learning environment; that factor is completely absent during the COVID-19 period. Advanced countries with Western and European higher education institutions are less likely to encounter the problem since online delivery has been long established and embedded in their systems. This finding also supported the perspective expressed by Acob (2019), that education delivery is not only the sole responsibility of education institutions but a shared responsibility by all concerned stakeholders.

      
      

   2. Personal Preparation

      
      

      Like teachers, almost all students and parents were caught off guard and propelled to enormously prepare for the implementation of flexible learning amidst the unprecedented health crisis.

      
      

      I tried to balance my studies with household chores at home. I also planned to create, discover, and improve myself through advanced reading. (Student C, 20, information technology)

      
      

      I provided my daughter with a good educational set-up at home, such as room for privacy during class hours and load support. (Parent 6, 60, housewife)

      
      

      These results affirm the study of Talosa, Javier, & Dirain (2021); Olapane (2019), pointed out that time management could be customarily and emphatically associated with scholarly achievement and that, alternately, poor timing leads to failure and a decreased achievement

      level. The concept of individuality affirms that no matter how higher institutions prepare the learning environment to be conducive to all involved, individual preparation affects the overall performance of education delivery. These conform to the individual ambidexterity theory, which posits that the tendency of teachers and students to explore and exploit heavily depends on their capabilities and capacity. During this period of abrupt transition, students and concerned stakeholders alike have encountered problems. The economic conditions are affected, so much so that the parents' capacity to provide modest living conditions for the family is affected. In turn, the need to subscribe to stable connectivity, a non-negotiable requirement to continue learning, is at stake. Some students and teachers can multitask, but others can only do so much due to their varying degrees of tasks and motivations. Multitasking becomes the news of the hour, yet retention of learning and deeper analysis of complex skills are often questioned. Multiple intelligences had surfaced, considering that learners possess extreme variations to adapt and absorb the concepts in a given situation.

      
      

      As her parent, I will motivate her to participate in any of her tasks and avoid giving her pressure. (Parent 5, 59, housewife)

      
      

      These conform to the study of Ahmad (2020), which found that cellular phones facilitate students’ ability to communicate, interact, engage in discussions, store and record materials for later use, and promote higher-order thinking and computational skills. Technological presence as an indicator of industry 4.0 not only demands the use of computers but also their ethical utilization to advance knowledge and literacy among the population. This further emphasized education transformation (Acob, 2019) through innovative approaches and strategies to survive education deficits during the pandemic.

      
      

2. Integration of Opportunities as nursing-caring expressions of learning

   
   

   1. Enhance Technical Skills

      
      

      This COVID-19 pandemic has created a vast space for technology as a medium for communication and learning. As the state university gradually shifted to flexible learning, it provided avenues for teachers and students to improve their technical skills in using online platforms as media of instruction.

      
      

      This pandemic has paved the way for the emergence of other teaching and learning strategies. We could attend free seminars and training to upgrade ourselves with the latest trends and improve our IT skills along with the students. (Francine, 50, administration participant)

      
      

      These revelations were inspired by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) models, which hypothesize that this increases the tendency of both faculty and students to adopt technology, which heavily depends on social, psychological, and behavioral factors.

      
      

   2. Convenience of Flexible Learning

      The implementation of flexible learning has sparked a number of reactions and realizations from stakeholders, particularly students and parents.

      
      

      My learnings in this pandemic made me more prepared because I could assess myself by answering my module during the time that I actually and comfortably set (usually from exactly 11 p.m. onwards). Moreover, I put less pressure on myself, and I can get enough sleep. (Student G, 20, education)

      
      

      For me, flexible learning is okay because we have fewer expenses—just cellular load for a week. (Parent 1, 52, housewife with sari-sari store)

      
      

      The implementation of flexible learning corroborates the claims of Lim & Wang (2017); Wei Bao (2020); Daniel (2020); Tarrayo, Paz, & Gepila (2023), that Flexible Learning (FL) in higher education is equivalent to introducing technological innovations and that online education can be more successful if adequate support is provided by the teachers to their students. Central to the implementation during the pandemic was the support given to both students and teachers, like the conveniences of working or studying from home without worrying about one’s health, the opportunity to work at one’s own pace, and more time with one’s family. Online learning will be more sustainable, while instructional activities will become more hybrid, provided the problems experienced during this pandemic are well studied and converted into opportunities (Adedoyin & Soykan, 2023).

      
      

3. Utilization of Challenges and Coping as nursing-caring expressions of learning

All participants do not have experience with flexible learning. Hence, the shift to this modality is a huge challenge for stakeholders. On one side, the teachers had to remain resilient and proactive to better perform their duties and responsibilities, especially in the most challenging times. Most of the teachers, if not all, have devised strategies to cope with this unprecedented situation by maintaining constant communication with their peers and students, establishing routines, and enkindling passion and dedication in their profession.

A. Administration

Challenge A.1: Sudden Shift to Flexible Learning

Shifting to flexible learning has posed tremendous challenges primarily for teachers, ranging from the making of instructional materials (IMs) to printing and distributing them by either scheduled face-to-face or online modality.

The pandemic also poses great challenges for the faculty in preparing learning materials, checking students’ outputs, and submitting students’ final grades. Due to so many schedules for virtual meetings and instruction-related concerns, faculty members with designations are likewise facing tremendous and challenging tasks. (Alex, 40, administration participant)

This finding is concurrent with the claim of Sievertsen & Burgess (2020) that home schooling and online teaching can be alternatives to continuing education during the pandemic but have long-term implications, especially if the affected cohorts do not study seriously.

Coping A.1

I have to maintain personal connections, establish new routines, reimagine timelines, and provide additional support to vulnerable students. (Ryan, 50, administration participant)

Assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning process. However, it becomes more arduous to implement and evaluate because some students do not take their studies seriously because they are economically disadvantaged, late in submitting outputs, have poor attendance in online classes, and have part- or full-time jobs.

Challenge A.2: Breach of Academic Veracity

It is difficult to evaluate the students’ academic performance because of honesty issues. Considering the limited resources of students at home, the desired outcome is oftentimes hard to achieve. (Francine, 50, administration participant)

These findings support the idea of Pawilen (2021) that students and teachers have limited understanding of the scope and practices of flexible learning, which are commonly associated with online and virtual learning; thus, these individuals seem to be unaware of various modalities for flexible learning. According to Laguador (2021), if this modality continues to exist, the quality of knowledge and skill acquisition may be compromised, which is detrimental to the development of students’ full potential, which they can use for future jobs.

Coping A.2

It is difficult to evaluate the students’ academic performance because of honesty issues. Due to the limited resources of students at home, the desired outcome is oftentimes hard to achieve. (Francine, 50, administration participant)

1. Teachers

Challenge B.1: Curriculum-Related Problems

Apart from the lecture courses, the laboratory courses were much more deeply compromised due to tight restrictions on experiential learning such as on-the-job training (OJT) and skills development. Due to this, the delivery was either suspended and/or translated into modules.

This pandemic has totally affected the university since face-to-face mode makes it easy for us to teach, explain, and discuss our topics, but now it is the other way around. We have to put into writing our discussions, explanations, etc. in the form of modules. (Karen, 42, teacher- participant)

The conduct of OJT, skills development, and other laboratory courses became very challenging in this new normal. (Mike, 38, teacher-participant)

This finding supports the claim of Pawilen (2021) that laboratory courses, as directed by CHED (2020), were redesigned to explore online simulations where practicum and immersions were shifted to online alternatives and online learning portfolios. Bdair (2021) contended that online learning was inappropriate to teach practical competencies and hands-on skills. Hands-on work enables the students to master the required skills in addition to their theoretical knowledge.

Coping B.1

I’ve sent a screenshot of those who submitted and those who haven’t submitted the activity or activities they personally missed, and I've sent a message to the students. (Sheryl, 39, teacher- participant)

Dayagbil et al. (2021) acknowledged the need to conduct off-classroom assessment, including the bulk of submissions; thus, careful design and planning are important factors to consider not only in the assessment but also in giving grades.

Further, the findings support the idea of Pawilen (2021) that students and teachers have limited understanding of the scope and practices of flexible learning, which are commonly associated with online and virtual learning; thus, these individuals seem to be unaware of various modalities for flexible learning. Bdair (2021) argued that these problems can be addressed by employing the following strategies: assigning grades for simple questions during the class to ensure attendance, attention, and active participation; controlling the examination by setting limited time for a variety of questions and implementing different forms of examination to prevent students from accessing course content during evaluation; and measuring the intended learning outcomes and detecting cheating and plagiarism by appropriate software.

Challenge B.2: The Digital Divide

Weak internet connectivity is among the problems faced by teachers and students in the delivery of lessons during this time of the pandemic. This situation has compelled the administration of the university to implement modular learning during the first academic year of 2020 and later gradually shift to flexible learning a year later up to the present.

For me, intermittent Wi-Fi connectivity and energy blackouts are hard to solve and have become a great challenge while holding online classes. (Sheryl, 39, teacher-participant)

My students who reside in remote areas experience more challenges because of poor signal and internet connectivity. But it’s depressing every time I hold online classes because only a few attends. (Jessica, 40, teacher-participant)

Coping B.2

Since the internet is a big challenge in flexible learning, teachers must find alternatives to get better internet connectivity and, at the same time, enhance their IT skills to use the online platforms efficiently and effectively in teaching.

My first strategy was to print the modules in advance. Secondly, I force myself to learn how to use the technology in instruction. Lastly, I must be familiar with the technicalities in terms of computer commands to retrieve outputs on the internet. (Alex, 40, administration participant)

These findings substantiates the study of Zhang, Zhou, and Xia (2020) and Koob et al., 2021) that resilience can enhance students’ learning management skills and be able to deal with adversity, thus improving their competence during the COVID-19 pandemic. This, however, affected the mental health and wellbeing of both teachers and students (Nugroho, Acob, & Martiningsih, 2021), since education in synchronous mode requires a stable psyche. The familiarity of the set-up and the nitty-gritty of education delivery are quite demanding, which further leads to episodes of stress, anxiety, and even depression.

1. Students

Challenge C.1: The Digital Divide

It was difficult for me since I had no stable internet connectivity to find relevant references for my study. Some of my problems were poor internet connectivity, financial inadequacy, power shutdowns, etc. (Student G, 20, education)

I had no stable internet connection, and I had no phone, so I could not get updates at school easily. (Student E, 19, education)

This finding is like that in the study of Selvaras (2019) in Sri Lanka, that a phone is important to keep students aware and updated in blended learning.

Further, the findings adhere to those in the study of Dayagbil et al. (2021), which found that the home environment is not conducive to learning due to many disruptions, including internet connectivity. Rana (2021) contended that home environments are usually hindered by the following factors: weak situations, external distractions, homely comfort, rifts in the family, involvement of students in household tasks, and interference of family and friends, all of which led to insufficient knowledge grasp among students.

Coping C.1

I have a smartphone, which is very beneficial to me. We live on a hillside, so getting an internet signal is very hard. But still, I’m thankful that somehow my phone can help me do research and download clips that I need for my modular class. (Student B, 20, education)

I usually take a short break and do my usual chores (eating and watching dramas with my little niece) to dispel my stress and anxiety and keep moving forward for the rest of the day. (Student G, 20, education)

Challenge C.2: Issues of Equity

Learning at home becomes more challenging for students who both work and study. These students must juggle their time to cope with the lessons and meet deadlines.

I feel like I’m always running out of time, aside from the household chores that await me and the topics that I need to understand and catch up on, although I have plenty of time. (Student C, 20, information technology)

This finding affirms the study of Capinding (2021), which found that students worked harder in their studies during the pandemic. They spend more time and effort studying the materials given by their respective teachers. It further confirms the study of Waghid, Meda, & Chiroma (2021) in South Africa, which underscores the vital role of teachers’ presence in guiding students in establishing appropriate cognitive and social presence in an online community in the midst of the pandemic.

In Indonesia, the study of Rasmitadila et al. (2020) found that the barriers to online learning were divided into two categories: internal and external factors. Internal factors were difficulties arising from the student's home environment, such as interference from family members (younger and older siblings, a less conducive home learning environment, etc.). External factors included disturbances from other students when implementing learning using an online application in a virtual classroom.

Coping C.2

This pandemic has created vast networks and opportunities for people to stay connected and reconnect with the Almighty, teachers, and peers for personal and academic pursuits. Both teachers and students have drawn strength from one another to succeed in these challenging times. Some of their strategies were praying, taking short breaks, staying connected with significant others, and having sound time management.

Be patient. Don’t expect that everything will work the first time. You can realize that these things take time for one to learn and do well. Be willing to try something and get better results, because if you do it several times, you always get better. (Student A, 22, education)

This study is consistent with that of Talosa, Javier, & Dirain (2021), who found that when students know that the teacher is technologically skilled in a variety of online tools, they are more eager to learn since most of the participants belong to Gen Z, from which much of the information is taken and delivered through social media.

1. Parents

Challenge D.1: Breach of Academic Veracity

Based on my observation, students have lost interest in studying, especially if they are already fond of doing something else. Some work for money. Some do household chores. Continuous

implementation of modular learning makes students unable to pass and comply with the requirements. (Parent 5, 59, housewife)

This finding contradicts the claims of Fernandez, Ramesh, & Manivannan (2022); Cardullo et al. (2021) that offline or remote learning makes students procrastinate due to a lack of supervision and low motivation towards learning.

Coping D.1

Many parents believe that prudence and empathy are two of the many virtues that students need to succeed in their academic courses during the pandemic.

I should be more understanding and supportive of my child so that both of us can do better this academic year together. (Parent 3, 59, construction worker)

This finding contradicts the claim of Fernandez, Ramesh, & Manivannan (2022) that offline or remote learning makes students procrastinate due to a lack of supervision. However, the most essential concerns include understanding of learning content, student engagement, and internet connectivity, which were similarly asserted by the participants as disadvantages of flexible learning.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study are further expected to improve people’s understanding, integrate the identified nursing care attributes into the educational strategy of flexible learning as a new panacea during the COVID-19 pandemic, and advance the tenets of education through technological advancements. Faculty members and students are moderately ready for flexible learning. But due to the digital drawbacks and network cut-offs in suburban areas in the study locale, huge emphases necessitate the realization of such a major transformation. Digital infrastructure, faculty development, and modern technology-based nursing education strategies are key factors in the post-pandemic situation. Work deliverables for teachers, such as, but not limited to, work-from-home, are a welcome development to strengthen the conveyance of education with nursing concepts that enhance the transactions and performances of all stakeholders. The development of a distance education scheme is also encouraged so that the academic institution is future-ready and efficient amidst social divergence.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors convey their sincere appreciation to those who participated in the data gathering for this research, the research evaluators and peer reviewers who provided useful comments and suggestions for the improvement of the completed research, and the editor for his critical comments.

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