Printed Modular Instruction in Oral Communication: English Teachers’ Voices

The Philippine basic education is adapting to the new normal due to the demands of the pandemic where adjustments are common. One of these is the shift of learning delivery modality from the traditional face-to-face classes into distance learning specifically the printed modular delivery modality. This study explored the teachers’ experiences in printed modular instruction to assess the students’ competencies. The Heideggerian interpretive phenomenological method in conducting research was used in the study. The interview was used as the data gathering instrument in the study. Using the Max Van Mannen’s method of data analysis, the result revealed that there have been struggles on the part of both the teachers and the students. The teachers could not give the lessons and the assistance that are due for the students as much as they would have wanted to. They could not have authentic assessments of the students’ development in oral communication. The students had difficulty in grasping the lessons of the subject because no one could guide them. The results provided answers to relevant academic concerns on the delivery of the lessons and assessment of competencies in oral communication course through printed modular approach. The gaps in teaching oral communication using the printed modules were determined. Suggestions were that printed modules should not be adopted as learning delivery modality for oral communication subject since the subject requires the students’ engagement in speaking activities which is not present in printed modular approach. The Department of Education, as well as the teachers must find alternatives other than just resorting to the use of printed modules alone in order to achieve quality education amidst challenging situations.