AUTHORS: Marjezza V. Norberte, Jesmira G. Maun, Rea Nason, and Arvin E. Tipon
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9335-4881/www.jezza21@gmail.com,
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2098-2354/maunjesmira@gmail.com,
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3491-0569/nasonrearose@gmail.com, and https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0695-5507/ arvintipon29@gmail.com
Philippine Electronics and Communication Institute of Technology (PECIT)
College of Teacher Education
Co-Author: Josephine U. Acha,PhD
PECIT Director for Research & Extension
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2866-3725
josephineacha.ja@gmail.com
KEYWORDS: Education, Challenges, Computer Studies, Phenomenological Research Design, Philippines
ABSTRACT
The study aims to describe and explore the challenges encountered by students in learning computer subjects. The researchers believed that learning computer subjects is necessary for transforming society by exposing the learners to existing technologies and empowering them with capacities to be the drivers of innovations for prosperity and sustainable development. However, there are still major barriers to this learning. This qualitative research has 10 participants who were selected BTVTED-CHS second-year and third-year students at the Philippine Electronic and Communication Institute of Technology to avoid biases, the participants were five males and five females. The participants are answered through one-on-one interviews with open-ended questions, the researchers used the phenomenological research design. It is best served to understand and describe the narratives of the students’ experiences and feelings regarding this phenomenon. By focusing on the challenges they’ve encountered in computer studies toward discerning the issues and concerns the six themes are; the availability of tools, internet issues, gender issues, location, financial, and lack of skills. Finally, the study revealed that most of the participants have encountered a lot of general and personal challenges and there were seven (7) intervention programs presented; additional completely operational computer units, replacing and fixing the tools right away, renovating the computer laboratory with a bigger space and additional units, the school should provide to lend tools during a certain time, informing students on the first day of school regarding with the tools and equipment needed to equip them in saving money for the specific subjects, improving the school’s internet connection especially in the laboratory, and offering free materials for preliminary tasks. This paper is a step to discern the challenges that were encountered by the present students and possibly by the future BTVTED-CHS students of PECIT.
