Second-Chance Education Amidst Pandemic: Reflective Narratives of Alternative Learning System (ALS) Learners

This study aimed to provide an in-depth exploration of second-chance education during the pandemic, utilizing a qualitative phenomenological research design. Additionally, purposive sampling was used to select the participant in this study. Thus, the research involved 16 Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners, with 8 participants undergoing individual interviews (IDI) and another 8 participating in focused-group discussions (FGD). Three overarching themes—challenges, coping mechanisms, and insights—were formulated to comprehensively capture the experiences of ALS learners. In examining the challenges faced by ALS learners amid the pandemic, several emergent themes emerged, including the difficulties associated with completing modules, adapting to changes, coping with the absence of face-to-face classes, securing access to necessary gadgets, overcoming shyness, dealing with module retrieval, and addressing issues related to poor internet connection. Furthermore, the coping mechanisms employed by ALS learners during the pandemic yielded additional emergent themes. This included fostering confidence, maintaining resilience, cultivating a positive mindset, embracing faith, fostering independence, self-motivation, seeking assistance when needed, and drawing inspiration from family support. The final theme, reflecting on the experiences of ALS learners during the pandemic, revealed insightful emergent themes. These encompassed recognizing the essence of hope, understanding the advantages and disadvantages, discovering personal growth, achieving educational success, emphasizing persistence, acknowledging the significance of effort, recognizing the substantial impact of ALS, advocating for the program, and remaining vigilant in the face of challenges.