Adapting in Various Ways: DepEd Teachers’ Exposure in Teaching Learners using Approaches

Blended learning is an instructional approach that blends online and in-person learning activitiesin a planned, pedagogically beneficial fashion, with some in-person time being replaced by online activities. This phenomenological study set out to look into the blended learning narratives of Department of Education teachers. Ten teachers participated in a detailed interview to provide insights on the challenges they faced in the new normal environment of teaching. The findings revealed themes on challenges such as lack of parental support, lack of learners’ participation, and lack of access to technology. To address these challenges, the study identified coping mechanisms such as communication with parents and stakeholders with two subthemes – home visitation and coordination with the barangay were generated. Lastly, for the educational management insights, the themes extracted were judicious selection of competencies, teacher empowerment, and educational leaders support were noted as themes. This paper offers directions to policymakers on how to assist teachers in implementing assessments, empower teachers within the educational system, enhance digital literacy, promote parent-teacher collaboration, and establish effective avenues of communication. Future researchers will have opportunities to go deeper into the other aspects of blended learning and provide a more comprehensive knowledge of how it could influence teaching and learning from all angles and dimensions.