Voices from the Field: Filipino Physical Education Teachers’ Experiences with Hybrid-Flexible Instruction
Keywords:
Hybrid flexible (HyFlex); Philippines; phenomenological approach; physical educationAbstract
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of hybrid flexible (HyFlex) learning models in education, providing students with flexible learning options. While research highlights benefit for students, understanding teachers’ experiences is essential for successful implementation, particularly in physical education, a subject traditionally taught in-person. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 33 Filipino physical education teachers implementing HyFlex across 15 schools in Cebu, Philippines. The objective was to examine their experiences navigating HyFlex in physical education classrooms. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method. The findings revealed HyFlex’s potential to enhance accessibility and inclusivity, promote active learning and student agency, improve teacher-student interaction, and increase flexibility and efficiency. Teachers reported improved access for students with health or geographical constraints, increased student motivation through choice, and enhanced communication via online tools. HyFlex also facilitated seamless transitions during disruptions and optimized resource use. However, challenges included increased teacher workload, unequal access to technology, difficulties maintaining online student engagement, assessment complexities, and impacts on physical education’s social dynamics. Pedagogical considerations emphasize engaging students in both in-person and online environments, fostering flexibility and student choice, building community, providing effective feedback, and ensuring inclusivity. The study offers implications for professional development, addressing equity, fostering community, and ongoing evaluation. It contributes to the limited research on HyFlex in physical education, particularly in the Philippine context, and underscores the need for further exploration of its long-term effects and optimization strategies.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.10.26
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