Learning Amidst Pandemic: Modular Distance Learning Modality and Academic Performance of Junior High School Students

This study aimed to determine the challenges and academic performance of the junior high school from Datu Tanggor Memorial National High School, S.Y. 2022-2023 in regards to the implementation of the MDL modality. The implementation of the MDL modality was based on the idea of segmenting the curriculum into manageable, discrete, independent, non-sequential, and often brief parts. The study employed a mixed method design where both quantitative and qualitative were applied in which a survey questionnaire was sent to the 100 respondents from Datu Tanggor Memorial National High School to gather data. Prior to its implementation, it underwent a series of validation and revision for further improvement. Results showed that the respondents’ demographic profiles were not significantly associated with their perceived self-learning modules, perceptions, and academic performance since the observed p-values exceeded 0.05 level of significance. These results implied that the respondents' self-learning modules, perceptions, and academic performance on MDL were unaffected by their demographic profiles. Additionally, the ANOVA for regression was not significant, indicating that the regression model had no discernible effect on how the respondents assessed their own learning. The challenges encountered, contributions of MDL, and suggestions of the respondents were thematically categorized. The overall result of the answers from the respondents revealed the undesirable effect based on their experiences with MDL, on the other hand, the contributions of MDL revealed the satisfaction of the respondents with MDL modalities.