Exploring pedagogical leadership opportunities for a hybrid classroom from the experiences and perspectives of selected college deans and administrators in Manila

Abstract

This study is an exploration of how the hybrid classroom model influenced teaching and learning in higher education institutions in Manila using the perspectives and experiences of Deans and Administrators who were selected via snowball sampling. Through phenomenography, a qualitative research approach that could represent variations of individuals’ experience of a common phenomenon while at the same time, capturing the essence of the need to improve or reform the response towards the phenomenon, opportunities for pedagogical leadership were undermined. Ambiguity in terms of the extent of student participation and engagement, disparity in online and on-site student test scores, weak self-directedness, and time management were identified to be learning gaps. On the other hand, the complexity of doing both online and on-site tasks, lack of digital training, alongside available technical support was culled to be teaching gaps. Outcome spaces drawn from these findings were: conceptual clarity, academic integrity, digital equity, and digital inclusion. From these aforesaid outcome spaces, the following pedagogical leadership opportunities are mapped: 1) the Creation of a standard hybrid syllabus template alongside policies concerning academic integrity, and 2) the Application of the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle as a baseline method for constantly identifying the weak digital skills of teachers and consequently, mapping retooling and upskilling activities for them, thereby promoting digital equity and inclusion.