This study investigates the level of preparedness for implementing blended learning in elementary and secondary schools in Cauayan, Negros Occidental during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key findings reveal that while teacher proficiency is deemed prepared, facilities and materials availability are uncertain, and community and parent readiness are low due to financial and connectivity issues. The study recommends funding for resources, community orientations for parents, and partnerships with internet service providers to enhance preparedness for blended learning.

1. LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
BLENDED LEARNING AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
BASIS FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING PROGRAM
Sunny B. Campillanos
Teacher III, Camalanda-an National High School
Division of Negros Occidental
BERF 2020
Teaching and Learning
Background and Rationale
The United Nations World Fit
for Children (2020) conceptualized
school readiness as a good start in
life, and a creation of a safe
environment that will allow the
learners to survive and for them to
become physically healthy, mentally
alert, emotionally secure and
socially competent. School readiness
is a description of learners moving
into and adjusting to new learning
environments, families learning to
work with educational sector and
schools making provisions to meet
the learners’ individual and societal
diversity.
Obviously the learners and
their families need to be considered
very important in the
conceptualization of school
readiness. According to UNICEF
(2020) in school readiness, the
school and the learners and their
families are interlinked, thus it is
relevant to determine the
preparedness of the school and the
learners and their families. Families
are central to education and are
widely agreed to provide major
inputs into a child’s learning, as
described by Bjorklund & Salvanes
(2011).
According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), COVID-19 is a
viral disease that continues to
emerge and represent a serious
issue to public health. The process
of addressing crises in the education
sector seems recurring. Countries
begin preparing a response in
anticipation of a known or unknown
crisis.
Amidst the crisis, schools are
implementing measures to minimize
the spread of COVID-19 that
includes, observing health protocol,
such as washing of hands and
using of alcohol, maintaining social
distancing, imposing school
closures, offering distance learning,
to cite a few. Likewise, with efforts to
prevent the spread of the COVID 19,
education is suddenly and rapidly
moving online and many countries
have turned to distance learning as
a means of mitigating for lost time in
school.
Taking into account the
unexpected grave threat of
Coronavirus or COVID-19
pandemic, the researcher, who
thinks of the necessity of school
readiness, is deeply concerned with
determining the level of
preparedness of the elementary and
secondary schools in Cauayan,

2. Negros Occidental. Output of this
study will serve as baseline in
crafting the Strategic Planning
Program for the opening of school
year 2021-2022.
Generally, this research study
aimed to determine the level of
preparedness of schools for the
implementation of the blended
learning in the midst COVID-19
pandemic. Specifically, it sought to
answer the following questions: (a)
what is the level of preparedness of
the school as perceived by the
school heads for the implementation
of the blended learning in the midst
of COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of
teachers’ proficiency, facilities for
blended learning, and availability of
learning materials? (b) what is the
level of preparedness of the
community, parents and the
learners as perceived by the school
heads in the implementation of the
blended learning in the midst of
COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of
access to online learning, and
responsibilities in the blended
learning? (c) what factors influence
the level of preparedness of the
school, the community, parents and
the learners as perceived by the
school heads for the implementation
of blended learning in the midst of
COVID-19 pandemic?
Research Findings
Research Methods. This study
made used of descriptive research
design. Respondents of the study
were the 45 elementary and
secondary school heads of the
Districts of Cauayan I and II of the
Division of Negros Occidental. Total
sampling procedure was employed.
The researcher-made instrument
underwent validity and reliability
testing. Ethical considerations were
properly observed.
Key Findings. In the conduct
of this research study on the
preparedness of elementary schools
for the implementation of blended
learning, the following research
findings were established. First, the
level of preparedness of elementary
schools in terms of teachers’
proficiency was described as
Prepared; while, facilities for
blended learning and availability of
learning materials were assessed as
Uncertain. Second, the community
and parents level of preparedness
for the implementation of blended
learning as perceived by the school
heads were described as
Unprepared; while, students’ level of
preparedness were assessed as
Uncertain. Lastly, it was found out
that internet connection ranked the
highest factor that affected the level
of preparedness among
stakeholders; followed by cable
connection, online distance
learning, interactive learning using
TV and radio, familiarity to
technology or the ICT literacy,
provision of gadgets and lastly,
preparation and distribution of
printed materials.
Conclusions and
Recommendations
First, the study concluded
that majority of the elementary
schools were uncertain or confused
whether they are prepared or not;
thus, the researcher recommended
that school heads must allocate
funds (e.g., MOOE) and resources in

3. realizing successful implementation
of blended learning.
Second, the study confirmed
that community and parents were
not well-oriented on the utilization
of blended learning due to financial
resources and connectivity problem
that led to contributed to this
unpreparedness. In like manner,
students were not well-versed on the
utilization of technology (e.g., laptop,
computer, tablet, etc.), using
Learning Management System (e.g.,
Google Classroom, Edmodo,
Schoology, Moodle, etc.) and also
incapability to procure equipment
for online learning. Thus, the
researcher recommended that
schools must provide orientation to
parents for them to be more
equipped and ready on the
implementation of blended learning.
Lastly, internet connection
was considered a major factor that
influenced the successful
implementation of blended learning.
Thus, the researcher recommended
that Local Government Units (LGUs)
must initiate a public-private
partnership with the internet service
providers in order to realize
successful implementation of online
learning.
Through it all, the researcher
recommended that in realizing
effective and efficient
implementation of blended learning,
it must be a shared role and
responsibility among school heads,
teachers, parents, students, and the
academic community as a whole.
References
Bjorklund, A. & Salvanes, K. (2011).
“Education and Family
Background: Mechanisms
and Policies”, in E
Hanushek, S Machin and L
Woessmann (Eds),
Handbook of the Economics
of Education, Vol. 3.
United Nations Children’s Fund
(2020). School Readiness: A
Conceptual Framework.
New York.