Modular Learning and Educational Inequality in Rural Philippine Secondary Education

Aldrin Boocan

doi:10.70376/jerp.v4i1.439

Authors

Aldrin Boocan Ifugao State University Potia Campus, Philippines https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4450-4158

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70376/jerp.v4i1.439

Keywords:

modular learning, educational inequality, rural Education, self-regulated learning, Philippines

Abstract

This study investigates modular learning, defined as self-paced, independent study using learning modules, as a dimension of educational inequality in rural Philippine secondary Education. It focuses on how students navigate learning amid limited instructional support, including direct guidance, feedback, and teaching interaction, as well as uneven access to resources. A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Data were collected through in-depth, face-to-face interviews with ten Grade 11 students at a geographically isolated public secondary school. Thematic analysis using QualCoder 3.8 identified patterns in learning strategies, instructional conditions, and affective responses. Students developed adaptive learning strategies, including repeated reading to reinforce understanding, incremental problem-solving by breaking complex problems into manageable steps, and selective help-seeking when necessary. These strategies partially compensated for reduced teacher mediation. Their effectiveness depended on instructional clarity, the availability and responsiveness of support, and students’ affective states. Autonomy served as a conditional resource, providing flexibility but also increasing cognitive and emotional demands. Academic performance resulted from the interaction among learning strategies, instructional conditions, and affective responses, leading to uneven outcomes within the same modular system. This study is limited by its small sample size, single rural context, and reliance on self-reported data. Future research should examine the proposed interactional framework across diverse settings and assess interventions that enhance instructional support in modular learning environments. This study reframes modular learning as an equity-related issue, challenging learning-style explanations and proposing an interactional framework. In this framework, learning outcomes result from the dynamic interplay among strategy, context, and affect. The study provides a context-sensitive perspective for designing more equitable and sustainable modular learning systems in rural settings.

References

Ahmed, Sirwan Khalid, Ribwar Arsalan Mohammed, Abdulqadir J. Nashwan, Radhwan Hussein Ibrahim, Araz Qadir Abdalla, Barzan Mohammed M. Ameen, and Renas Mohammed Khdhir. “Using Thematic Analysis in Qualitative Research.” Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health 6 (August 2025): 100198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.glmedi.2025.100198.

Barrera, Janet D., Sweety Rose R. Megallon, and Aiwedeh B. Patadlas. “Managing Modular Instruction and Students’ Learning Outcomes.” EduLine: Journal of Education and Learning Innovation 4, no. 1 (February 13, 2024): 110–21. https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.eduline1883.

Brailas, Alexios, Elena Tragou, and Konstantinos Papachristopoulos. “Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis and Coding with QualCoder.” American Journal of Qualitative Research 7, no. 3 (April 29, 2023): 19–31. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/13230.

Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. “Toward Good Practice in Thematic Analysis: Avoiding Common Problems and Be(Com)Ing a Knowing Researcher.” International Journal of Transgender Health 24, no. 1 (January 25, 2023): 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2022.2129597.

Dawadi, Saraswati, Fereshte Goshtasbpour, and Agnes Kukulska-Hulme. “Equitable Access to Higher Education Learning and Assessment: Perspectives from Low-Resource Contexts.” Journal of Interactive Media in Education 2024, no. 1 (February 15, 2024). https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.832.

Gunter, Ashley. “The Geography of Distance Education: Spatial Disparities, Accessibility, and Impact across Place.” South African Geographical Journal 107, no. 4 (October 2, 2025): 498–516. https://doi.org/10.1080/03736245.2025.2472653.

Hall, Steven, and Linda Liebenberg. “Qualitative Description as an Introductory Method to Qualitative Research for Master’s-Level Students and Research Trainees.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods 23 (January 25, 2024). https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241242264.

Hattie, John, and Timothy O’Leary. “Learning Styles, Preferences, or Strategies? An Explanation for the Resurgence of Styles Across Many Meta-Analyses.” Educational Psychology Review 37, no. 2 (June 1, 2025): 31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10002-w.

Hermosisima, Mary Chandra R., Froilan D. Mobo, and Anesito L. Cutillas. “Enhanced Learning Continuity Framework Using Online Teaching as Alternative Delivery Modality.” International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research 4, no. 5 (May 20, 2023): 1521–34. https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.04.05.14.

Hosseini, Nina, Monique Leijgraaf, Lisa Gaikhorst, and Monique Volman. “Practices of Social Justice-Oriented Teacher Education: A Review of the Literature.” Frontiers in Education 9 (October 17, 2024). https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1432617.

Junnier, Frances. “Action and Understanding in the Semi-Structured Research Interview: Using CA to Analyse European Research Scientists’ Attitudes to Linguistic (Dis)Advantage.” Journal of English for Academic Purposes 68 (March 2024): 101355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2024.101355.

Kersna, Liina, Kristjan-Julius Laak, Liina Lepp, and Margus Pedaste. “Supporting Self-Regulated Learning in Primary Education: Using Written Learning Guides in the Lessons.” Education Sciences 15, no. 1 (January 9, 2025): 60. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010060.

Li, Yongzhan. “The Mechanism of Self-Regulated Learning among Rural Primary Middle School Students: Academic Delay of Gratification and Resilience.” Learning and Motivation 87 (August 2024): 102013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2024.102013.

Mustafa, Faisal, Hoa Thi Mai Nguyen, and Xuesong (Andy) Gao. “The Challenges and Solutions of Technology Integration in Rural Schools: A Systematic Literature Review.” International Journal of Educational Research 126 (2024): 102380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102380.

Nakata, Yoshiyuki, W.L. Quint Oga-Baldwin, and Atsuko Tsuda. “Student Perceptions of Feedback and Self-Regulated Language Learning: A Mixed-Methods Investigation.” System 131 (July 2025): 103654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2025.103654.

Öztürk, Mücahit, Erkan Yüce, and Pınar Mıhcı Türker. “Online Peer Feedback Versus Online Teacher Feedback? Effect of Online Feedback on Students’ Self-Regulated Learning.” Technology, Knowledge and Learning 30, no. 2 (June 10, 2025): 769–87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-024-09812-8.

Pe Dangle, Ysthr Rave. “The Implementation of Modular Distance Learning in the Philippine Secondary Public Schools.” In Proceedings of ‏The 3rd International Conference on Advanced Research in Teaching and Education. GLOBALKS, 2020. https://doi.org/10.33422/3rd.icate.2020.11.132.

Rapal, Renelyn, and Lutchie Ducot. “Effectiveness of the Implementation of Modular Distance Learning and Learners Achievement in Araling Panlipunan.” Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal 34, no. 10 (April 8, 2025): 1183–93. https://doi.org/10.70838/pemj.341002.

Riady, Yasir, Melisa Arisanty, Eko Kuswanti, Sri Sukatmi, Muhammad Firman Karim, and Muhammad Ajmal. “The Implementation of Open and Distance Education to Advance Educational Access in Remote Areas.” FINGER : Jurnal Ilmiah Teknologi Pendidikan 4, no. 2 (June 26, 2025): 141–49. https://doi.org/10.58723/finger.v4i2.387.

Squire, Claudia M, Kristen C Giombi, Douglas J Rupert, Jacqueline Amoozegar, and Peyton Williams. “Determining an Appropriate Sample Size for Qualitative Interviews to Achieve True and Near Code Saturation: Secondary Analysis of Data.” Journal of Medical Internet Research 26 (July 9, 2024): e52998. https://doi.org/10.2196/52998.

Stephenson, Helen, Michael J. Lawson, Lan-Anh Nguyen-Khoa, Sean H. K. Kang, Stella Vosniadou, Carolyn Murdoch, Lorraine Graham, and Emily White. “Helping Teacher Education Students’ Understanding of Self-Regulated Learning and How to Promote Self-Regulated Learning in the Classroom.” Frontiers in Education 9 (October 1, 2024). https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1451314.

Villamin, Princess, Violeta Lopez, Deependra Kaji Thapa, and Michelle Cleary. “A Worked Example of Qualitative Descriptive Design: A Step‐by‐Step Guide for Novice and Early Career Researchers.” Journal of Advanced Nursing 81, no. 8 (August 9, 2025): 5181–95. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16481.

Zheng, Chunping, Jyh-Chong Liang, Ching Sing Chai, Xu Chen, and Hanyong Liu. “Comparing High School Students’ Online Self-Regulation and Engagement in English Language Learning.” System 115 (July 2023): 103037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2023.103037.