Experiences of Filipino Secondary Science Teachers in Assessing Students in Flexible Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the educational landscape in the Philippines as schools transitioned to flexible instruction delivery far from the default face-to-face platform. This calls for adjustment and recalibration in the instructional practices and, more importantly, in assessing the student’s learning outcomes. The current study is a qualitative inquiry exploring the experiences of Junior High School secondary science teachers in the execution of the four facets of assessment in the context of flexible instruction: their assessment obligations; expected outcomes in assessing science learners; obstacles hindering assessment practices; and opportunities brought by the new platform of assessing science learning. Findings from this study uncovered that continuity of teaching and learning during the health crisis brought new expectations from the teachers as assessors of learning while adhering to the essential core learning outcomes. At the same time, though direct and indirect challenges were perceived to complicate the assessment process, various opportunities emerged, highlighting new practices that can be applied in the context. The results offered implications for policy, research, and practice.