Back to in-person classes in the Philippine basic education: threading the opportunities and limitations in the teaching of Physical Education

Abstract

Two years after face-to-face classes were suspended in the Philippines due to the threat of COVID-19, the Department of Education is implementing the progressive expansion of limited in-person learning. More schools are expected to hold limited face-to-face classes as the government revises its School Safety Assessment Tool, which has streamlined the requirements for the conduct of in-person class sessions. With the push to get education back into schools, it is essential to look into the opportunities and limitations in teaching Physical Education. Using a qualitative descriptive phenomenological research design, 34 Physical Education Teachers teaching in the Philippine Basic Education took part in several in-depth interviews. During the triangulation of results, seven important themes on teachers’ concerns came up: Students are demotivated to go to face-to-face classes, students are misbehaving and doing inappropriate learning actions, classroom settings need to be modified to follow standard health protocols, teaching strategies and learning activities need to be retrofitted, teachers' and students' performances are affected by the protective gear they have to wear all the time, and there is a worry that COVID may surge again. Based on these results, the government should look into these factors because these will have a significant effect on the implementation of face-to-face classes in the Philippines. The results of this study were used to come up with valuable conclusions and suggestions. Keywords: teaching-learning process; face-to-face classes; physical education; problems in physical education; post-COVID-19 pandemic; didactic adaptation