Learners’ Essential Skills and Schools’ Readiness towards Limited Face-to-face Classes

Abstract

This research assessed the learners’ essential skills and the schools’ readiness towards limited face-to-face classes at Naga Central Elementary School and Greenhills Elementary School in Cebu for the school year 2021-2022. It used a descriptive quantitative design and a universal sampling technique to select the respondents. An adapted questionnaire was administered to kindergarten parents and teachers. Data were gathered using frequency count, percentage, weighted mean, and T-test independent samples. The findings revealed that most parents were between the ages of 21 and 26, the majority were females, attained high school diplomas, had three to four primary school-aged children, and had a combined monthly income of Php 10,000 or less. Moreover, most of the teacher respondents were aged 29-34. Half had a bachelor's degree and had a length of service of less than 10 years. The results further indicate high confidence among parents and teachers regarding school readiness, with parents rating readiness as "very high" and teachers as "high." However, differences in perceptions led to rejecting the null hypothesis. Kindergarten learners' readiness was assessed based on essential skills in literacy, mathematics, and motor skills, with parents rating all skills as "very proficient" and teachers as "proficient." A significant difference was found in literacy skills, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis, while mathematical and motor skills did not show significant differences. Overall, positive feedback suggests satisfactory readiness levels, with suggestions for improvement, including using interactive digital learning materials and worksheets to enhance the learning experience.