Chapter 3

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter, the responses that were collected and coded which provided by the

participants are presented through various themes that were formed.

The analysis of finding was constructed based on the responses gathered from twenty

(20) participants who were qualified based on the criteria set forth. All participants shared their

individual experiences on their on-the-job / industry immersion.

SOP 1. Students’ Perception towards the definition of OJT/ Work Immersions

The participants have positive responses when asked about how they perceived the

definition of OJT/ Work immersion as vital part of their curriculum. The following themes have

been formed based on the responses of the participants:

Immersion as a training ground / platform. Most of them view it as a training ground/

platform in which they could practice their skills and competencies. According to an article

posted in Valamis Website (2021), a practical method for learning new competences and skills

for a job in a real or nearly actual working setting is on-the-job training. In a real-world,

simulation, or instructional setting, it is frequently used to learn how to operate specific tools or

equipment.

“For me, it is a training where students can experience and learn

about the real situation of a certain work.” – P6

“OJT is a training where you can showcase your strengths in your

chosen specialization and this can improve your skills, talents,

 socialization, public speaking and a lot more during this period.”

– P13

Some of the participants also noted the importance of having on-the-job training because

they believe that it will prepare them to take the tasks on-site. As one of the participants noted:

“On the job training or OJT meant to introduce students to work settings

related to their field of study so they may learn about, be productive in,

and have respect for the workplace.” – P10

According to Nguyen (2018), students can gain knowledge by working on actual projects

in the partner companies throughout the on-the-job training. The project-based learning approach

guarantees that the selection of courses and lessons has a clear emphasis, maximizes the practical

benefits, provides students with marketable abilities, and links the information and ideas from

earlier semesters.

Immersion as a learning opportunity. Another theme that emerged based on the

analysis of findings is that participants view immersion as a learning opportunity. In order to

increase their employment prospects, students can gain industry-based competences through on-

the-job training, which simulates an actual workplace environment (Aid, 2018).

“Opportunity to learn and become familiar with our workplace

that we can utilize our knowledge and skill in the actual work

environment.” – P4

“It is a hands-on method of teaching the skills, knowledge, and

competencies needed for employee's normal job environment and

may occur as he or she performs their actual work.” – P11

 Further, it is also supported by Shoho et al. (2012) when they noted that a well-crafted

internship or immersion program broadens students' knowledge and abilities while assessing

their capacity to apply new knowledge in real-world situations as they deal with issues that have

real-world repercussions. When designed properly, the internship provides a reliable platform

from which emerging professionals can cross the rapid, erratic currents separating theoretical

knowledge from practical application.

Also, Murphy (2006) added that students in immersion or on-the-job trainings and

programs learn about the organizational culture and customs of the institutions where they are

situated by giving them full-time, substantial experiences.

Hence, to avoid jeopardizing students' anticipated experience and learning while working

in the field, immersion was nevertheless given importance by educational institutions despite the

present pandemic scenarios.

Immersion as a hands-on experience. The last theme that was formed is that students

perceived immersion as a hands-on experience. As emphasized by Bernardo, Landicho, and

Laguador (2014), students in immersion programs must exhibit certain abilities relating to their

area of concentration that are necessary for their future workplace. Additionally, it offers

concepts and a realistic portrayal of the business world, including workplace culture, employee

attitudes, and organizational values that new hires may need to adapt to.

The participants view the importance of immersion programs as platform where they

could acquire hands-on experience as manifested on the lifted citations:

 “It is a hands-on method of teaching the skills, knowledge, and

competencies needed for employee's normal job environment and

may occur as he or she performs their actual work.” – P13

“To experience the real work.” – P17

“The actual experience in our major-related field.” – P18

Based on the remarks of the participants, they are eager and really expecting to learn a lot

of practical things during their immersion program. As explained by Alipour (2019), the OJT

session aims to provide students with task-specific and workplace skills. OJT imparts knowledge

and abilities that are specifically pertinent to job demands. Methods used in OJT include

coaching, work rotation, and apprenticeship training. Thus, students will not only learn the

theoretical knowledge of their programs but through OJT and immersion programs, they could

be able to applied such learnings in their actual field of work.

However, one of the participants noted that their immersion programs were purely online

as they find it very “boring” and “meaningless” as they remarked,

“Boring because it is not face to face OJT like the usual, because

we only had online seminar– P15

This explains why most of the students are anxious of their future careers because of the

trauma they experience being locked down and they were not allowed to go to school. This is

very evident in the study conducted by Cao et al (2020) when they stated that the pandemic's

ramifications and other potential occurrences in 2020 could have a significant impact on college

students' ability to make the transition to adulthood. The social distance regulations and concern

for contagion have interrupted or altered the typical youth-related experiences of going to school
in physical classrooms, socializing with friends, participating in fun social activities, and

preparing for future careers. The "new normal" typified by online courses and extracurricular

school activities, limited movement and socializing, disruptions of important social functions and

leisure events, and an ambiguous outlook on the future may have an impact on their psycho-

emotional development.

Indeed, P15 expressed concern about his potential job paths in the future.  Some people

believe that taking online courses is insufficient to develop their competence. They understand

how crucial practical learning experiences and instruction are if they are to acquire the skills and

knowledge required for their particular occupations.

Cleofas (2021) explained that some students express regret that the quarantine's

restrictions and the pandemic's impact on numerous businesses, including travel, sports, the arts,

and health care, have put a stop to their career aspirations. Students continue to worry about

catching COVID-19 and long for stronger COVID-19 mitigation measures in their own country

as they watch other countries reduce lockdown measures and resume normalcy.

This is seconded by Power et al (2020) when they explained that for some college

students, the transition from education to employment is a tricky one. Economic downturns and a

lack of social connections, both brought on by COVID-19, have been related to worse mental

health outcomes in young people and may have an impact on their adult coping mechanisms.

SOP 2. The Experiences of Students during their FSM Online Industry Immersion

The participants were also vocal about the experiences during their online industry

immersion. Consequently, their responses resulted to both positive and negative experiences

which are presented on the following themes emerged:

 Internet connection issues. The first theme that emerged relative to the challenges of

students is on the poor internet connection issues. According to Chilton & McCracken (2017),

the educational system has undergone a significant upheaval due to the quick development of

technology. Technology use, including the Internet, mobile devices, augmented reality, and

virtual reality, has influenced pedagogy and caused a paradigm change in education. Studies

have been done recently to find out how mobile learning, which uses mobile devices, improves

the learning experience for students. The implications for the adoption of online learning are

expanding as more mobile devices connect to the internet.

“The major problem I encountered are losing internet connection

and power interruption.” – P5

“Since it is an online class or online OJT, the internet connection

is the major problem for me. Sometimes you may experience when

you are in rush to do your works you may experience loss of

connection. And also during discussion there is a problem in

connection that may leads to class interruption and waste of

time.” – P9

Certainly, P5 and P9 expressed that internet connection plays a major role in their online

OJT knowing how signal receptions are very poor in some areas in the country.

Since most of the learning institutions are in online or hybrid mode of learning during the

pandemic, internet connectivity issues have become the challenge of many students. McPherson

& Bacow (2015) stated that numerous colleges offer online courses, however there are two

issues. First, very little is known about the benefits and effectiveness of online education from a
broad perspective. Second, the range of learning objectives that direct our instructional and

educational priorities is likely to mean that the ability to successfully teach digitally varies.

Online education can be effective in digitally evolved nations (Basilaia & Kvavadze,

2020), which is why it is ineffective in the Philippines.

Lack of proper equipment. Participants expressed that lack of proper equipment has

been one of their major challenges during their online immersion as manifested on the following

citations:

“The major problem that I observed was the lack of proper

equipment. In our case some students can't do their activities due

to the fact that they don't have a laptop and that caused stress to

some students who don't have one. The reason for this problem is

that the program expected that all students are capable and they

didn't provide alternative activities for those students who are not

capable of doing the activities.” – P2

Certainly, P2 noted that some of the students do not have their proper equipment thus

made them skip on to the next activity without having provided an alternative. Neo & Neo

(2009) claim that changes made to the educational system had an impact on every aspect of a

student's learning environment, including internship programs outside of the classroom and

theoretical classes taken inside. According to a recent study by the Center for Research on

College-Workforce Transitions (CCWT) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, only 22% of

college students participated in an internship, half of which were physical jobs, and quality

indicators for online internships were low (UW-Madison).

 Additionally, another participant has pointed-out specific equipment specifically laptop

which became a mandatory gadget in this era of online learning, as manifested on his statement:

“Para sa akin the major problem that I've encounter is lack of device

like laptop. Dahil mostly na pinapagawa sa amin sa ojt is sa laptop

ginagawa kaya nag struggle ako sa part na iyon. One phone lang din

gamit ko and hindi rin kalakihan ang storage space kaya nahihirapan

ako gumawa ng project.” – P7

Indeed, P7 has pointed out that students who have no gadgets such as laptops really feel

the struggle of missing out some of the activities during their online immersion. Huffman (2019)

explained that improved immersion or OJT efficacy is required in many specializations due to

the increased demands current technology places on maintenance staff as well as the increased

variety of equipment and job stations. Effective OJT is crucial to mission support. The structure

of the workplace and the incentives that encourage only flimsy adherence to the OJT services

policies are deficiencies in the present OJT programs. The ideal approaches to OJT are detailed,

together with their content, resources, and management. It is recommended in particular that OJT

be institutionalized and conducted by distinct units within operating commands. Successful OJT

programs that have adopted this strategy are cited as proof of its applicability and practicability.

This means that students' lack of equipment could significantly impact how they are

intended to learn in their immersion programs.

Mismatched skills and competencies. Students in online immersion or OJT programs

believe they gain mismatched or inadequate workplace skills due to the online format.
 “It’s a challenge for me to make my students learn a particular

competency specially skills when you don't demonstrate it in an

actual set up” – P13

Undoubtedly, P2 mentioned about the difficulty of online teaching internship using

online platforms to make students learn a particular competency because of limited

demonstration and actual exercises.

In contrary, OJT offers significantly faster training through practical work-based learning

opportunities. Neo and Neo (2009) claim that traditional training is time-consuming and might

lead to learners forgetting what they have learned. This suggests that future learners might need

to be rectified or retrained. Learners might forget what they learned during their OJT, thus

academic instruction needs to be repeated.

“In the online immersion it is difficult to work out your skill and

develop it. Because in the skilled courses you need the face to face

training to learn and understand more about your field

specialization and career in future.” – P11

“…problem is that we only do it in a virtual set up and most of us

are adjusting.” – P16

Both P11 and P16 have agreed that physical interactions are very important during OJt

because there are certain skills that should be developed. As mentioned by Martin et al (2022),

some universities organized an internship program that was carried out using a "Online

Platform," particularly Google Classroom, Zoom, and Google Meet. Education has been
continued flexibly through modules and the internet as a result of the global pandemic known as

Covid-19 and the Philippine government's orders for health restrictions and lockdowns.

Minimal expenses incurred. The following themes are viewed as more beneficial

aspects of the online immersion and OJT programs for students, in contrast to the issues outlined

above. Some of the participants stated that online education is advantageous for them because

their seeming daily expenses are drastically reduced because they complete their OJT online.

“The most positive experience that I had during our online

immersion was I got a scholarship and I didn't pay a single cent for

our virtual training.” – P3

“Less expensive.” – P15

Indeed, P3 and P15 reported that their online OJT and immersion programs cost them

very little because they are remaining at home. Armstrong-Mensah et al (2020) reported that

many students found the move to distant education abrupt and unsettling, yet they reported

excellent outcomes. More than a third of students reported not having to commute to school and,

consequently, saving money.

Some research indicated that students were remained motivated to learn and finish their

evaluations and assignments on time, despite the unprecedented circumstances that led to the

necessity for some students during online learning approaches.

Further, one of the participants cited that online OJT is also advantageous on the part of

those working students who really need to provide for themselves or other personal and family

needs, as he mentioned:
 “If you are working student you can take the work immersion while

you are in work.” – P18

In fact, P18 considered those on the students who only wanted to finish their studies

while working to earn money. Due to the current global economic crisis, there is a high demand

for part-time work. And now we are in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, which has had a

significant influence on the livelihood of a great number of individuals. Not all families have

sufficient income to send and support their children in school. As a result, some students must

become working students to support themselves. Some may use employment to explore career

choices, acquire work-based learning experiences, and earn additional or spending money.

Maximized use of technology. Another theme that emerged is the maximized use of

technology. In response to the oncoming spread of COVID-19, colleges around the world

quickly moved from face-to-face to technology-mediated instruction. Consequently, the use of

technology in the learning processes of students from many disciplines became indispensable

and the only means of teaching, communicating, and collaborating for several months.

Participants are vocal on their experiences about how they managed to learn how to use

technology in the workplace because of their restricted set up, as cited:

“For me, learning the advance technology is one of the positive

experience that I have encountered because we really need to

adopt the new normal and also, learn more about advance

technologies that are really helpful for us in the near future.” – P6

“Positive experience sa Online OJT namin is na experience namin

yung paggawa ng sarili naming Orderlina, Ehopper and na

 experience yung pag navigate ng POS. Para sa akin advantage na

yun sa amin and ma-aapply namin ito kung gagawa kami ng sarili

naming business in the future. Katulad ko meron kaming sariling

business and nagbabalak na palakihin pa ito, yung natutunan ko

nung OJT namin maaapply kopa sya in the near future. And kahit

na online lang ang aming OJT meron akong natutunan sa tulong

ng aming mga trainor sa WIP. Naniniwala talaga ako na mapa

online or face to face class if gusto mong matuto, matututo ka

walang excuse sa taong desisdidong makinig at matuto sa buhay.”

– P7

“The positive experience during online immersion is to understand

the different learning in my future career and give you a different

knowledge even though you are in online immersion.” – P15

Based on the responses of P6, P7, and P15, some of them open up about how they

adapted to limited resources to learn how to use technology in the job.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, digital technology assisted in different policy,

commercial, and societal application areas, including pandemic management, corporate

communications, research data analysis, and education. In the spring of 2020, COVID-19

emerged as a global infectious disease, but the essential steps to manage the virus went beyond

therapy and were also aimed at preventing its spread. Consequently, all interpersonal ties were

marked by social distance for several months, and the pandemic raised not only medical but also

social, economic, and technological challenges, among others. Higher education was one sector

that the pandemic profoundly affected. During the global lockdown, colleges and universities
were forced to instantly shift their operations from the classroom and campus to a virtual

environment, which was the only option to a total inability to function (Crawford et al., 2020;

Kamarianos et al., 2020; Karalis and Raikou, 2020; Owusu-Fordjour et al., 2020; Shah et al.,

2020).

University students constitute a generation of digital natives for whom this seamless

transition between the real and virtual worlds should offer no operational difficulties. However,

research indicates that students exhibit disciplinary variations, such as subject matter or aspects

of digital literacy and competency, that should be considered when designing digital learning

environments and approaches (Nelson et al., 2011).

Flexible and manageable time. Another theme that emerged is the experience of

students having flexible and manageable time during their online immersion or OJT. Flexibility

enables students to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and tailor their schedules

accordingly. This means that students will begin learning when their concentration is strong and

their ability to recall knowledge is strong. Thus, this idea allows students to concentrate on

learning while they are safe at home.

This scenario is clearly obvious among themselves based on the following citations:

“I think I learn how to manage my time more, mas lalo ko

natutunan kung paano imanage yung time ko.” – P2

“I became flexible and became creative in a way that I research

about the e-learning websites that I can use in my final

demonstration. Not just on the e-learning websites but also on how

 to make a creative, informative, organized and catchy

presentation.” – P9

With such statements from P2 and P9, it could be asserted that the flexibility of online

education is frequently the most alluring aspect, leading many students to choose this path over a

more traditional one. In addition to the ease and freedom it provides, flexibility has a positive

effect on the student's overall learning.

Flexible learning gives students complete control and responsibility over their education.

Instead of being required to attend class, individuals are permitted to pick and allot time for their

education. This control not only permits them to schedule their education around their

obligations, but also guarantees that they are learning at the optimal moment. For instance, some

students may be more productive in the evening, but traditional education may prevent them

from taking lessons then. Flexible learning enables the student to determine when and how they

will learn by adapting the curriculum to their individual strengths. This ultimately results in their

retention of information and improved performance (Online Business School Website).

They also have the benefit of learning at their own pace, which can significantly reduce

stress levels. Students are frequently expected to perform a job after a rapid review of principles

by their instructors. This might put individuals under pressure to complete the assignment

quickly, while preventing pupils from asking questions. If a student does not comprehend a

concept or idea that has been explained by the teacher, they will not be able to finish the

assignment to the best of their ability, hence hurting their own learning. The adaptability of
online education permits students to understand things at their own pace and ensure full

knowledge before proceeding. Again, this results in improved academic performance.

SOP 3. Students’ Strategies and Coping Mechanism

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, governments around the world have suspended all

educational institutions in an effort to restrict the disease's spread, which has a direct impact on

students, educators, and educational institutions. The abrupt transition from physical to virtual

classrooms is causing confusion among students.

In an effort to manage everything remotely at home, the participants identified some of

their strategies and coping mechanism as elaborated on the following themes emerged:

Stay focus and concentrated. The first theme that was identified is to stay focus and

concentrated. Since students are responsible for interacting with the course rather than just

showing up to class on a scheduled day and time, online courses help students learn better time

management skills. As a result, students improve their time management abilities in addition to

learning new information from their education.

Participants mentioned that they need to stay focus and concentrated based on the

following statements:

“One of the challenges for me is to get bored easily and my

strategy to fight it … because if I don't do it I get bored quickly and

I lose my focus. I always want to pay attention to every detail of

 our lessons because I know that I can use that and I will gain

knowledge in the field I want to enter.” – P4

“Kailangan maging focus sa mga tinatake na lesson to past the test

and get a Certificate.” – P15

Studying under a global crisis, such as the one people are currently facing, necessitates

adaptability, as do other difficult conditions. It is crucial to remember, however, that while it

may be painful to adjust to new circumstances and that those conditions may not be perfect or

favorable to your preferred learning method, it is precisely this type of adaptation that eventually

catalyzes students' growth and development (Rodriguez, 2021).

Online learning has been an option in the modern world for years, although it is not

always held in the same regard as classroom study. Moreover, during such periods of

unpredictability and volatility, focus may feel like a drained resource. That is the main reason

why some learners find it really difficult to stay focus and concentrated while attending online

courses.

Invest on gadgets. All educational institutions were shut down to foster the need for

social distance, hence exacerbating the educational impact. Even after the unlock phases, schools

and educational institutions remained closed to guarantee the safety of students, staff, and their

families.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) issued

many recommendations in response to the school closures. It called for the adoption of distance-

learning programs, open educational tools and platforms that schools and teachers can utilize to

reach students remotely and reduce disruptions in education.

 “Since my problem is the internet connection, I always have a Plan

B wherein I’m not just relying on the wifi (internet Connection) but

I also load my sim so that if the connection lost I can use my data

so that there is no waste of time while waiting for the internet. And

also I make sure that my Co-Students teacher have a Copy of my

powerpoint so that they can also share their screen when I

experience a problem.” – P10

“The strategies that I've use is to be able to know on how to use

different kinds of gadgets during the teaching internship. I also

manage to maximize the discussion and to make the discussion

more interesting to maintain the attention and participation of

each students.” – P18

“I only have my phone most of the time so I tend to keep it

charged. I go to internet cafes when I have money from my part

time jobs, but only if I can have spare.” – P20

Indeed, students really find the importance of using various technological gadgets while

having their online immersion or OJT programs. Teachers encounter challenges in adjusting to

digital instruction, as the concept is novel to them and requires greater commitment and

vigilance.

Students between the ages of four and twelve rarely own or know how to use mobile

phones. Teachers communicate with students via their parents' cell phones, occupying their time.
The majority of parents who work from home struggle to balance their career and their children's

schooling.

According to an internal study conducted by the University of Hyderabad, 2,500 students

reported concerns with online instruction. Despite the fact that 90% of respondents owned a

mobile phone, 63% could only access online classes occasionally or not at all.

Intriguingly, among the concerns voiced concerning online training, 40% highlighted

inconsistent connectivity as a key obstacle, while 30% cited the cost of data as a big disincentive.

Significantly, 10% cited uncertain electricity supply as a source of concern.

On the other hand, while mobile phones are almost universally available, laptops and

desktop computers are extremely uncommon.

According to UNESCO, half of all students, or 826 million, did not have access to a

home computer, and 43% (706 million) did not have access to the internet at home.

Students that have access to network resources and attended all of their online classes

were given "virtual education." The majority of school and university students enrolled in online

programs are primarily engaged in lecture-based learning.

In addition, this practice of incorporating electronic devices into the classroom has

expanded student's screen time to the point that learning has become secondary. Social isolation

and virtual classes isolated children and adolescents from their social connections and the

outdoors.
 Manage time wisely. Time management is a skill that every student can and should

acquire; it is not reserved for those with a natural aptitude for planning and organization. Hence,

another theme that emerged from the responses of the participants is to manage their time wisely.

“I really have to manage my time wisely otherwise I will not be able to

finish the tasks given to us.” – P1

“Time is very important because we stay at home and there are a lot of

things that could distract you from attending to online sessions and

webinars.” – P7

Definitely, P1 and P7 mentioned that they really need to manage their time wisely in

order to accomplish their jobs at home. According to a study conducted by Adnan and Anwar

(2020), motivation for online learning is one of the less-discussed aspects of distance education.

Due of their face-to-face interaction with the instructor and their classmates, students in

conventional classes typically participate actively in academic activities. 71.4 percent of students

indicated that traditional classroom learning was more engaging than distance learning.

According to the majority of students, they can properly manage their study time online and

complete projects on time, but they cannot complete entire courses online.

For an online program to be efficient and productive, students must not only be able to

keep up with the fast-paced online classes, but also possess strong computer and technology

abilities to learn from online lectures. As indicated by 42.9% of respondents, it is possible for

these students to effectively manage their study time, and they do not experience any difficulty in

doing so. However, when it comes to completing group assignments without face-to-face

discussion with their group members, they encounter many difficulties.

 Be optimistic. Lastly, being optimistic and focusing on the more positive side of the

situation has emerged as one of the themes indicating that students are aware of their situation

during a global health crisis. Several studies have found out that students are said to have had a

higher percentage of anxiety and despair while taking an online course. Additionally, it was

noted that students' lack of knowledge and crisis management skills resulted in serious social

dysfunction and a decline in their confidence.

Being the such conditions, the following statements were lifted based on their responses:

“My strategy is simple. I treat challenges and bad experiences as a

learning experience. I guess the quote "experience is the best teacher" is

true, no matter that kind of experience we go through, we'll really learn

from it.” – P3

“First, I just always calm myself because if I became affected on what

happens maybe the results worsen. Then, after I calm myself I think of a

good solution or plan and it always have a plan A and plan B so that if the

plan A fails, I still have my plan B.” – P14

“To become positive. Kase pag positive lagi ang mind mo magagawa mo

ang mga bagay na alam mong di mo kaya.” – P16

True enough, students are experiencing anxiety because of their isolation imposed by the

public lockdown and restrictions. Based on the responses of P3, P14, and P16, they all need to

understand their situation to be able to cope form the traumatic experience they could get while

getting a lack of environmental exposure while learning.

 This is seconded by Wider et al (2022) when they found out that in the university setting,

students are urged to take part in the events put on by clubs and organizations in order to assist

them decrease stress and develop a feeling of spirit. It is said that taking part in a range of

university activities will support students in their pursuit of a happy well-being. In order to

provide students with the opportunity to achieve psychological well-being, institutions should

encourage them to participate in on-campus activities.

However, since the pandemic, people are considerably more conscious of how important

environmental quality is to overall well-being. The government has enacted a number of

obligatory isolation measures in response to COVID-19, which has endangered residents'

physical and mental health. 

The impact of hope and optimism on college students' academic achievement and

subjective well-being was studied by Rand et al. in 2020. The study's findings show that hopeful

college students do better in terms of subjective well-being. It is hypothesized that although

strong optimism will lead to a reduction in negative consequences, high hope will lead to an

increase in positive effects and life satisfaction. Additionally, a person's level of life satisfaction

increases in direct proportion to how optimistic they are. Additionally, the same results were

discovered for hope, with researchers discovering that it was positively associated to life

satisfaction and adversely related to depression.

SOP 4. Proposed Framework