Adapting in the New Normal: Experiences and Viewpoints of Private School Mathematics Teachers to Blended  Distance Learning Delivery

Adapting in the New Normal: Experiences and Viewpoints of Private School Mathematics Teachers to Blended  Distance Learning Delivery

Cleford Jay D. Bacan

Basic Education Department, Cor Jesu College, Inc., Philippines

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90400381

Received: 01 April 2025; Accepted: 11 April 2025; Published: 17 May 2025

ABSTRACT

The new normal brought different uncertainties and concerns to all the educators around the globe, which scale from instructional to teaching roles. In this phenomenological qualitative research, the scope is to focus on the education journey of private school Mathematics teachers utilizing the blended distance learning delivery and trying to gather their narrative adjusting to the new normal education. Thus, this has driven the researcher to explore their experiences and viewpoints. Using a purposive sampling procedure, the researcher selected ten private school Mathematics teachers subjected to a Key Informant Interview (KII) to gather data regarding their experiences and viewpoints. Results found that private school Mathematics teachers exhausted different means to offer the best possible learning experiences to the students despite the various circumstances that hindered them from performing their teaching role. Teachers also exude hope and positive outlooks on the new educational system to meet the demands of today’s reality.

Keywords: blended distance learning delivery, experiences, private school mathematics teacher, qualitative phenomenological, viewpoints

INTRODUCTION

COVID-19 pandemic has affected different sectors around the globe, causing various uncertainties in many lives. While countries are taking other measures to combat the said pandemic, education ministries and departments tried to redeem the system by looking for possible ways to make education, particularly learning to be possible during the pandemic. In context to the current situation, the United Nations (U.N.) reported that the pandemic had affected nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries on all continents. The said event has led to some school closures and changed the education set-up of 94% of the world’s student population, up to 99% in low and lower-middle-income countries (United Nations, 2020). These events more likely give a pose situation to many private institutions struggling to cope with these abrupt changes that contributed to school closure, faculty and staff resignation to retrenchment, and learners’ dropout that might have affected different life dimensions and experiences of different stakeholders, particularly teachers. According to Squire (2020), as of the early quarter of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the number of private schools closing amid financial pressure and dwindling enrolment. In the Philippines, there were already 748 private schools reported to suspend operations for School Year 2020-2021, wherein 47 of these are coming from the Davao region, which includes five schools in Davao del Sur, which affects approximately 3,233 teachers and 40,345 students (Magsambol, 2020a; Palo, 2021).

As the frontliners of education, teachers worldwide were challenged to look and adapt to the new teaching modalities. However, due to the sudden shift, teachers need to be flexible enough to handle these difficulties. First is teachers’ training and preparations. Teachers throughout the world need to conduct teacher training and preparation through webinars and online sessions just to be updated with the strategies to be done in both online and modular approaches. In sub-Saharan Africa, only 64% of primary and 50% of secondary teachers have received even minimum training, which often does not include necessary digital skills (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2020). Another is teachers adapting to Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT). With the current time where physical and traditional setups are not possible, education tries to utilize technological resources to deliver instruction. However, this requires teachers to delve into internet resources. Kraft and Simon (2020) mentioned that 9% of the teachers in a particular district in the United States felt uncomfortable utilizing technology, with an overall drop of 96% to 73% in teaching success rate. In a sense, these mean that teachers worldwide, including the Filipino teachers, would have to cope with changes brought not just by the pandemic but also by technology.

Bracing for the “new normal,” the Philippines continues to aid the current situation brought by the pandemic, and one of these is ensuring the country’s educational system. In 2020, the Philippine government directed that there would be no face-to-face learning until COVID-19 vaccines become available, and the pursuance of the Department of Education that education must continue even without face-to-face classes, the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) of D.O. 12, s. 2020 was conceptualized. The Learning Continuity Plan for School Year 2020-2021 is implemented to account for social distancing and impossible face-to-face interaction, an innovative means of teaching and learning in times of natural calamities and pandemics (Nuadu Education, 2020). For public schools, DepEd provided Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) and employed different modalities such as modular, radio-based, television-based instruction, blended, and online. However, for private schools, there is a need to comply with the department’s minimum requirements for many private schools within the country, as mentioned in D.O. 13, s. 2020, including their Learning Continuity Plan showing alternative delivery modes, will be assessed using the Readiness Assessment Checklist for Implementing Learning Delivery Modalities on distance learning, leaving schools to adjust and look for different approaches in delivering instructions. Many private schools’ administrators, coordinators, and teachers were tasked to improvise and create school-based learning modules following the K-12 Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC).

Private school teachers needed to accept and adjust together with the increasing demand of their workloads in preparation. With all of the adjustments and changes in education, this phenomenological qualitative research would like to describe the teaching experiences of the teachers within the province of Davao del Sur, particularly Mathematics teachers teaching in a private institution adapting the blended distance delivery and seek their viewpoints and even best practices and strategies done in their respective schools.

Statement of the Problem

This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to describe the different teaching experiences of Mathematics teachers within the province of Davao del Sur during the new normal education.  Specifically, it aimed to answer the following questions:

1. What are the experiences of private school Mathematics teachers adapting to the blended distance learning delivery in the new normal?
2. What are the viewpoints of private school Mathematics teachers regarding implementing blended distance learning delivery adapted in teaching Mathematics?

Scope and Delimitation

This study confined itself to determining secondary mathematics teachers’ experiences and viewpoints in the new normal mode of learning. Moreover, this study was limited to the perspective of secondary Mathematics teachers in the private institutions within Davao del Sur for the School Year 2020-2021 who adapted blended distance learning delivery.

METHODS

The data of the study were obtained using the qualitative phenomenological research design. As Creswell (2007) pointed out, the main aim of phenomenology is to reduce individual experiences with a phenomenon to a description of the universal essence. The researcher entered into the teachers’ experiences and viewpoints to explain the phenomenon and shed light on their realities.

Informants of the Study

The informants of this study were the ten (10) teachers teaching Mathematics in private institutions utilizing and adapting to blended distance learning within the province of Davao del Sur. As shown in Table 1, the profile of the participating informants.

Table 1 Profile of the Research Informants, School Year 2020-2021

Sampling Procedure

In the selection of the informants of the study, the researcher employed a purposive sampling procedure. This sampling technique enables the researcher to select the informants who can purposely give information on understanding the research problem and the context of the study (Creswell, 2009).

Data Collection Procedure

This study used the study tool anchoring the phenomenological design, namely in-depth interviews, to gather information from the informants and get the appropriate information on their strategies, coping mechanisms, viewpoints in teaching the subject, adapting into blended distance learning delivery, and how they do it. Thus, the researcher went to different private secondary schools in the province, conducted interviews to gather in-depth information, and employed a thorough analysis. Also, with the observance of safety and health protocol due to the pandemic, the researcher secured all necessary measures, documents, and requirements prior to the conduct of the study.

Data Analysis

The study used a phenomenological qualitative research design, and all the information was gathered and analyzed using thematic analysis and a data model. Referring to thematic analysis, styled as a data analytic strategy, allowed the researcher to move the analysis from a broad reading of the data to discover patterns and develop themes. Furthermore, the researcher was interested in looking for broader patterns. More fine-grained analysis often used thematic analysis as a first step, then created a data model that showed essential patterns and information taken from the study.

RESULTS

After conducting the interviews, the data were gathered using thematic analysis, and the results were presented into two clusters based on the two research questions.  First was the experiences of private school Mathematics teachers in the blended distance delivery, which showed the instructional strategies and practices, challenges, and mathematics teachers’ attitudes. The second was on their viewpoints, which showed teachers’ teaching coping mindset, student participation, educational support, and instructional development.

Figure 1 Experiences of Private School Mathematics Teachers in the Blended Distance Delivery

Instructional Strategies and Practices. Informants of the study have mentioned different teaching strategies and practices they initiated in response to blended distance delivery, particularly utilizing online classes and interventions through different online platforms and self-made modules, which posed different situations for private school Mathematics teachers. This study’s instructional strategies and practices included online classes, modular learning, supplementary materials, and instructional intervention of private school Mathematics teachers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about schools closure worldwide. As an outcome, instruction has changed significantly, with the demand for online learning, whereby remote and digital platform teaching was considered (Lalani & Li, 2020). Some informants mentioned utilizing Messenger group chat, Messenger video chat, Facebook page, Google Meet, and YouTube as instructional media in delivering online classes and materials (KII 2, KII 5, KII 4, KII 6, and KII 9).

I’m making a video, and we have a page where they access Facebook all day. (KII 4)

Key informant 6 also said:

We used Google Meet for the students, but only a few entered, so we used Messenger Room and discussed our lesson through PowerPoint. (KII 6)

With these different instructional media, teachers conduct online classes and discuss a topic and the related activities in the module. Furthermore, an informant mentioned that synchronous learning became supplementary to mathematics learning (KII 5). Some informants even utilized online classes to monitor students’ performances and updates (KII 1, KII 2, KII 3, and KII 6).

What happened to me was that my online class was just a supplementary … for if you only let the students read, they would still not understand. (KII 5)

Key informant 1 also said:

Basically, this is not just an online class. It is actually monitoring and also intervention. (KII 3)

This new normal education opens to utilizing modular learning or Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) as an approach. All teacher informants mentioned that they utilized SLMs and provided them in a hardcopy distributed and retrieved every quarter.

We are developing our modules for our students, but then again, we tried to adapt to the situation. We just do not give them the modules because we believe that there must be the teacher’s presence, for if we just let the students read the modules, it might be too challenging to learn without the guidance of the teachers. (KII 8)

Experiencing the realities of today’s education, the informants tried to provide all possible means to deliver Mathematics learning, and one of these is providing supplementary material to students, particularly discussion and educational videos. Some of the informants find that utilizing the blended distance delivery, particularly the modular approach, would not be enough in learning Mathematics because of its lack of interaction with students and the teacher’s presence (KII 2, KII 4, KII 7, and KII 8).

Video for that Mathematics lesson so that they understand it even more, at least if it is not face-to-face, at least they can feel that there is still a teacher who guides them and teaches them from afar. (KII 2)

The teacher informants mentioned conducting home visitations and parents’ conferences to follow up, particularly those with academic deficiencies (KII 2, KII 8, and KIII 9).

We also conducted home visitations, especially to students who are a bit unresponsive, to have updates. (KII 10)

Instructional strategies and practices carried out by Mathematics teachers show the flexible assignment in teaching, especially ensuring the quality of education amid this pandemic. Having this new normal in education moves teachers to search for possible means in ensuring that students get familiar with any way possible, whether with online classes or a modular approach, or even both.

Challenges in the Blended Distance Delivery.  The challenges that teacher informants faced using the blended distance delivery pose concerns in online and modular learning, including technical barriers, communication, transfer of learning, and assessment.

Among barriers to online modality, the most frequent concern encountered by the teacher informants is the technical barrier, especially the difficulty in the availability of fast and reliable internet connection. This condition was explained by the informants below:

At a disadvantage, not all of the students have access to technology. There are others with internet limitations on the net capacity in the Philippines. Not everyone can attend. Because of this, some of the online students are slowly decreasing in numbers and transferring to modular. (KII 5)

Aside from the internet connection, the online modality also presented some concerns to the informants, particularly teaching mathematics and communicating with students. The informants also mentioned that it was challenging to conduct classes using the technology (KII 9). Key Informants 4, 5, and 10 talked about this condition:

I guess my struggle, for me, I am not a very digital native, which is why I am not good at the internet, even using MS Word and Excel, so that is why I search on the internet, and those are the things that I need to improve next year. (KII 10)

A piece of information was also shared by an informant having those difficulties in utilizing materials for instruction, particularly the use of Mathematical symbols and operations, and delivering those Mathematical concepts and terminologies in education.

The disadvantage is the delivery of Mathematics topics, especially if you have a more complex topic that uses symbols and operations, and what happens is that you need to review how to create them on the internet or in Word [MS]. (KII 10)

Key informant 4 also said:

There are tendencies to misunderstand and misconceptions of the topic in the online class, especially on complex topics. (KII 4)

For the modular modality barrier, the challenges determined by the teacher informants include student participation in learning and concerns about assessment. This barrier happened where students submit outputs in Mathematics with no answer (KII 2, KII 3, KII 8, and KII 9), no name (KII 6), or even submit it late (KII 1, KII 2, and KII 5). An informant also mentioned some teaching concerns in the modular modality, including the difficulty of checking and evaluating students’ learning. This condition is explained by the Key Informant 5 below:

In modular, it would take a long time to check the assessment, especially in Math, where you will always do it one by one. (KII 5)

In light of the current situation, the department formulates the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs) to enable the Department to focus instruction on the most essential and indispensable competencies that the students must acquire. However, private school Mathematics teachers have seen some concerns in the curriculum, considering their students’ performance. Teacher Informant 9 remarked on this.

Some concepts are complicated to explain to the students, especially what I think is very broad for them, and if it is just easy, it is okay with them. Especially nowadays, the competency in Mathematics is higher than before, like the Grade 10 theorem, which was not discussed with us when we got into the Fourth year. (KIII 9)

Currently, schools are occupied with the adaptation of the new modalities in the new normal. Consequently, the cheating problem has significantly spiked during the pandemic through Google searching, texting friends, or sharing screenshots of tests (Asimov, 2020).

Mostly, not all students are very studious. They just rely on copying. (KII 9)

KII 7 also narrated that:

I do not know if the students answered their modules, for mostly what I observed has different penmanship. I needed to add some notes, “Please let the student write it,” so we do not even know if the student is the one answering, because there are others who have their tutors, and I do not know. (KII 7)

The challenges that private school Mathematics teachers confronted have affected their teaching delivery and students’ learning process. All technical barriers and online teaching experience contrarily affected the accomplishment of instructional targets and the quality of learning. This simply means that private school Mathematics teachers should really look for adaptive responses to challenges and direct them into opportunities, teaching in this new normal system.

Mathematics Teachers’ Attitude in the New Normal Education. In this study, Mathematics teachers’ attitudes in the new normal education include comparing the instructional system, teachers’ adaptability, and teachers’ enthusiasm. This condition was explained by the teachers below:

With their commitment to the teaching profession, private school Mathematics teachers have adjusted to the demands brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they still hold sentiments on the unplanned changes from traditional face-to-face instruction to distance learning. Key informants 2, 6, and 7 even shared that they have difficulty simply because it is not face-to-face. This also resulted in the comparison of the education process that was already not possible.

Because also with feedback like in the face-to-face, we can see those students having some difficulty and those who are good at Mathematics. (KII 8)

Key informant 9 also said:

If it is not in this new normal, it is already an advantage, then we can share our knowledge and the students may enjoy it simultaneously, where they are more participative in the face-to-face. (KII 9)

Even an informant suggested having skeletal face-to-face instruction, particularly in Mathematics.

For me, if it is allowable to have a scheduled routine for every school to allow students to go to school face-to-face for the guidance of the students, especially in Mathematics. (KII 8)

In these trying times, the teachers are also called to be adaptive based on the course of the situation. Referring to adaptability, teachers were constantly expected to suit the given teaching opportunities and navigate the demands of their work (Collie et al., 2018). Key informants 2 also remarked on this.

We already have the idea that it is going to be difficult for them, so we need ways in your modules to have those shortcuts, they will get better with that in the module (KII 2)

With the sudden change of teaching workload, some informants even shared:

Even now, we are like a call center, and I called those parents and said, “Ma’am, did you pass it already?” (KII 6)

Key informant 3 also said:

The advantages during this time are that less work since all you have to do is prepare the modules, retrieve them, check them, monitor them from time to time, and that’s it. You don’t have to roam around on the campus anymore, which is very tiring, and as a teacher, I can rest. (KII 3)

COVID-19 has generally changed how we live, work, and learn. It influences every part of our day-to-day lives, and this new normal seemed to have changed almost overnight. Particularly at the end of the students, where everything shifted the reality of learning, and with this, teacher informants felt the weight of responsibility of encouraging students to perform at their optimum, even with these changes. Informant 6 stated:

Our Top 1 before in junior high school has lost interest already and has more time on Wattpad reading than answering the module. They have time for TikTok but have no time to answer the modules, and seem to focus on or have other priorities instead of answering the modules. (KII 6)

With concern on the flow of communication between teachers and students, an informant mentioned:

Other students are terrified to contact us. No matter how good we look, they are still afraid to ask. (KII 4)

Key informants 6 remarked on their current disposition:

Even if your score is not that good, as long as you make an effort, that is still understandable to us. (KII 6)

The implementation of Blended Distance Delivery has encountered high points and low points among private

school mathematics teachers, particularly teachers’ enthusiasm with current conditions that changed during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Changes in the pandemic with an increment in the number of individuals affected by the COVID-19 infection have modified teachers’ lives and the enthusiasm to do teaching-related exercises.

Figure 2 Viewpoints of Private School Mathematics Teachers in the Blended Distance Delivery

Teaching Coping Mindset. With the challenges encountered, the informants shared their enthusiasm and dedication to their profession by looking at the other side of their current situation and utilizing it as an opportunity to be flexible and adaptive, and the need to develop that mindset. In context, the informants mentioned their different mindsets of coping with changes:

We have to be hands-on with our children, regardless of the number, we are teachers, and we need to take the challenge for that. (KII 8)

Addressing the need for technology literacy among private school Mathematics teachers coping with the situation, an informant even shared that:

Also, you need to upgrade yourself. For me, at least, I would not be outsmarted by the kids, so you need to learn more about using the internet. (KII 10)

Alongside, teacher informants also developed a mindset of understanding of the educational process, particularly the situation of the students, and stated:

Give the students a lot of consideration. You just have to be open to those reasons why they are late with their performances and modules, and you have to be open to interventions. (KII 2)

Key informant 3 also said:

Be patient with the students, it is difficult for them, just like face-to-face. (KII 3)

Developing that broader perspective on the teaching situation, teacher informants see the importance of having an utmost sound mindset during the new normal education. Technical literacy supports the idea of globalization in education, considering the emergence of different educational platforms. As mentioned by the informants, the teacher’s understanding of the current shift in education revolves around understanding the student and the subject.

Student’s Role in the New Normal Education. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a lot of challenges to teachers and students in the teaching and learning process. Having students on track in learning Mathematics is always considered a challenge by teachers. On the part of the informants, they mentioned students’ vital role, particularly their interaction with the teacher and the subject.

Maybe with our modular students to at least have that cooperation because there are students you cannot contact or just seener with your chats. (KII 6)

Key informant 4 also said:

Probably, the student should know that they should not be terrified to approach their teachers. (KII 4)

The informants viewed the importance of cooperation and even communication to understand this Mathematics in new normal better. This encourages the idea of a good relationship between teachers and students in achieving common goals in education, which is necessary for knowing the realities presented by this new education system.

Educational Support. In order to meet the needs of the educators in today’s education, the call for strong partnership and connectivity of the direct pillars of education, namely school administrators, teachers, parents, and students were mentioned by the informants to have that collaborative approach in making this new normal education using blended distance learning effective. An informant shared viewpoints on the education support coming from school administrators:

I think the school should find a way because it is better if many students join the online class more than the modular class. The school should find ways to fix and provide a connection to those who do not have a connection that might be just a bit hard, but in demand because it might make things easier for students and the teacher. (KII 1)

The key informants clearly pointed out the importance of home-school partnership, particularly parental support:

For the current system, the teachers, students, and parents must connect because they should be more potent at this very time or otherwise. (KII 4)

Key informant also opened up:

As of this time, maybe parents should guide their students; however, parents have a lower educational level. (KII 9)

Educational support involves those stakeholders who have something to do with students’ self-learning, especially during these trying times. In these trying times, education stakeholders must engage with the evolving mathematics education environment and community by innovating and reimagining their possible support for the sector (Khirwadkar et al., 2020). Consequently, this study shows and focuses on the viewed necessary actions that should be taken mainly by administrators and parents for the welfare and academic performance of the students in Mathematics learning.

Instructional Development in Teaching Mathematics. The instructional development in teaching Mathematics found in this study included online and modular development, educational resources and equipment, home visitation and feedbacking, and preparations and training.

In the online modality, informants showed their desire to conduct online classes by looking at their possible benefits and advantages. For example, key informant 6 elaborated that:

If it could be possible, all of the students should go online so that if they have any concerns or are confused, they can ask questions. Because with the modular, you would just PM them and not follow them compared to those online, because they can track the topic, as you discuss things. Even more, as an advantage that they have better grades online compared to the modular. (KII 6)

About the modular modality, most teacher informants mentioned improving and revising their modules and stated that:

In doing modules, it is better to provide a step-by-step process content on the modules and then, if possible, less activity, and more exercises. (KII 3)

Key informant 10 also said:

I found out that most of or some of the students are not reading the modules, they are not fans of reading, so my adjustments are at least I put in some minimal words, more on practice, more on exercises, and more on doing. (KII 10)

With the sudden shift in education, private school Mathematics teachers were trying to look for possible ways to develop an ideal instructional situation where Mathematics learning could be possible, and tried to view having the essential educational equipment and resources in teaching Mathematics.

When I have my online class, I have a virtual whiteboard, and I have my Wacom or digital pen, where when I discuss, for example, x² – 4, I can write freely via Wacom, and the student can also see what I mean. So what if you don’t have a Wacom? How do you even present it with a mouse? Possible, but it might be difficult. (KII 5)

An informant also mentioned the need for equipment, particularly for students, to conduct follow-up and online classes.

Also, if only students could have gadgets, if they could only have them, it would be beneficial. The teachers will also try their best, even though we are not that good at gadgets, but I can ask for assistance from my colleague. (KII 9)

Other informants also explained the need for educational applications as a trend in this digital age and the additional support of educational video or recorded video in the self-learning process.

We are planning an application to be used for similar activities for our students because they are good with their cellular phones why not adapt an application like an educational application that is easy, and the students might enjoy it. (KII 8)

As a way of intervention and development, some informants conducted home visitation and feedbacking in this trying time of the pandemic. This action resulted from challenges in communication and connection from the teacher informants to the students and the parents. An informant said:

Some were home visited with what is needed by DepEd, and what are the things needed to be done to improve teaching mathematics. (KII 4)

Key informant 5 also said:

Other informants asserted the issue of feedbacking and the need for feedbacking on students’ performance. Then the students should at least get instant feedbacking. (KII 5)

As a form of professional development and teaching proficiency among private school mathematics teachers,

the informants needed enough preparation to implement the new normal education standards.

Then give the teacher enough time to prepare for the supplemental for the subject so that it would not be difficult for the teacher’s part. (KII 5)

Another informant also emphasized the importance of time management among teachers and said:

Good time management, you make sure to have concrete time management for classes. As a teacher now in our situation, teachers were making and recording the modules, and time is our enemy for teachers. (KII 10)

In terms of training, most of the informants mentioned the need for Mathematics teaching updating, that even one informant shared:

I really need some workshops, webinars because it’s beneficial for us Math teachers to give us additional knowledge, information for this new normal education, especially in Mathematics subjects. (KII 5)

This opportunity is a good chance to utilize our inconvenience into a new paradigm as teachers gear up with the “new normal” set-up in this COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this is currently the ideal opportunity for schools to look for possible improvements and solutions to develop instructions, mainly teaching mathematics. According to the National Research Council (2001), to ensure teaching proficiency in Mathematics, teachers must consistently help students and work effectively with a wide variety of students and across various mathematical content. This means that all necessary instructional development must first seek the students’ welfare as the primary recipient of the instructional process.

DISCUSSION

During the COVID-19 pandemic, education has essentially affected around the globe. A couple of months after the COVID-19 pandemic started, practically all nations implemented distance learning systems, both online and modular. In the Philippines, changes in the educational system because of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted teachers, students, and parents (Schleicher, 2020). These comprised impacts for instructional procedures and methods. For a portion of private school Mathematics teachers, these included Mathematics instructional strategies, technology literacy among teachers and students in implementing online classes, monitoring, and teachers’, parents’, and school administrators’ roles. Thus, the new normal educational system utilizing blended distance learning must be well established and revisited to achieve optimum Mathematics learning opportunities (Pacheco, 2020).

The changes in the teaching and learning process brought about by the new normal education have affected Mathematics teachers’ performance and the quality of education, especially in private school institutions. In this current study, the private school Mathematics teacher informants believed that the educational procedure required some rough deliberation. All stakeholders must sit together to determine and formulate blended distance learning goals aligned with a national curriculum. Concerning instructional strategies, they stressed that instructional development, including blended distance intervention, educational equipment and resources, home visitations and feedbacking, and preparation and training were necessary to support the new way of learning success.

Another concern is developing teaching material adjusted to the conditions and needs of students. Developing these materials requires time, effort, and focus from a Mathematics teacher because teaching the subject matter radically differs. A teacher must be able to revisit practices and strategies suited to this new system. In addition, parents must have a better understanding of their crucial role in this distance learning. The circumstance turns out to be significantly difficult if parents or accompanying adults also do not understand the subject matter. Mathematics teachers can modify instruction using a pedagogical approach that suits students’ interests and abilities (Guo & Li, 2020). The emphasis of instruction should be on how well students understand a lesson without being burdened by the new curriculum.

Student involvement and participation in blended distance delivery must be boosted because they seem to have lost interest over time. In addition, the use of varied instructional methods and interventions will encourage more enthusiastic participation, including supplementary videos, feedbacking, and home visitations. In this respect, the government and those concerned private institutions should develop online educational resources and applications that might help private school Mathematics teachers and students in the process (Vlachopoulos, 2020).

Parents, teachers, and other stakeholders are urgently needed in this new normal education. This support has several elements. One is the constant help for Mathematics teachers’ training in utilizing innovation and planning, and observing blended distance learning (Coman et al., 2020). A second necessary source of support is parents, teachers, and the school’s involvement, which can be attained by developing a community of knowledge to understand the blended distance learning practices. Third, constant communication and interaction between stakeholders are also essential to successful distance learning. Such cooperation between Mathematics teachers will help find solutions to adjusting the subject matter to help teachers. Teachers can share ways to motivate students and overcome student boredom during Mathematics instruction by sharing new learning experiences.

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings, it can be seen and concluded that the informants’ experiences adapting to the new normal include their adjustment to different instructional strategies and practices, the challenges they faced, and their attitudes toward teaching Mathematics in a private institution in the new normal education. These experiences show that private school mathematics teachers exhausted different means to offer the best possible learning experiences to the students despite the various circumstances that hinder them in performing their teaching role. Therefore, it must be taken into consideration in looking for different interventions and support for these teachers to keep up with the changes brought by the current difficulties, either coming from their respective schools or other concerned stakeholders and organizations. Finally, describing the informants’ viewpoints regarding the implementation of blended distance learning delivery adapted in teaching Mathematics, data showed informants’ coping mindset, the importance of students’ role in the new normal education, and addressing different instructional development in teaching mathematics. These can be concluded that the private school mathematics teachers have the willingness and enthusiasm in their profession even at these trying times and these might be utilized to enhance the current educational system from the adjustment period into an opportunity to look for a viable and resourceful response to fight back the downfall brought by this pandemic to the educational system.

RECOMMENDATIONS

This particular study used a qualitative phenomenological research design encompassing interviews and observations to explore the narratives of the experiences and viewpoints of private school Mathematics teachers on blended distance delivery in the school year 2020-2021. Furthermore, the researcher, based on the gathered data, would like to recommend the following individuals and sectors. First, the government, with the Department of Education, must take a look at any possible interventions and funds to be provided for today’s education. Not only for the public schools but also for the private institutions that are coping with the dwindling concerns of survivability. This might follow the initiatives of providing enough assistance for the private school Mathematics teachers, such as training and seminars in the blended distance delivery, and even providing necessary equipment and educational tools, such as a digital pen, which are needed to ensure quality education in teaching Mathematics. Second, with private school heads and principals, they might be able to accommodate the different needs and concerns of private school teachers, particularly Mathematics teachers, from their teaching workloads, welfare, and development. Third, for parents and students who are seen as the very important assets of today’s education by the informants is recommended to build a good rapport with the school authorities and be able to collaborate and communicate with Mathematics teachers to ensure a good response and feedbacking. And lastly, as does all research, this study has its limitations. This research was only a small representation of private school Mathematics teachers who are teaching using the blended distance delivery in the Philippines. For this reason, future researchers should be more comprehensive by expanding the study’s scope and exploring quantitative or mixed-methods-related data, such as examining the development of blended distance learning curriculum in teaching Mathematics.

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