Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Feb 24;31(2):615-626.
doi: 10.1007/s40670-021-01231-z. eCollection 2021 Apr.

Barriers to Online Learning in the Time of COVID-19: A National Survey of Medical Students in the Philippines

Ronnie E Baticulon  1   2 , Jinno Jenkin Sy  3 , Nicole Rose I Alberto  3 , Maria Beatriz C Baron  3 , Robert Earl C Mabulay  3 , Lloyd Gabriel T Rizada  3 , Christl Jan S Tiu  3 , Charlie A Clarion  4 , John Carlo B Reyes  5
Affiliations

Barriers to Online Learning in the Time of COVID-19: A National Survey of Medical Students in the Philippines

Ronnie E Baticulon et al. Med Sci Educ. .

Abstract

Introduction: In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced medical schools in the Philippines to stop face-to-face learning activities and abruptly shift to an online curriculum. This study aimed to identify barriers to online learning from the perspective of medical students in a developing country.

Methods: The authors sent out an electronic survey to medical students in the Philippines from 11 to 24 May 2020. Using a combination of multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions, the following data were obtained: demographics, medical school information, access to technological resources, study habits, living conditions, self-assessment of capacity for and perceived barriers to online learning, and proposed interventions. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Responses were compared between student subgroups using nonparametric tests.

Results: Among 3670 medical students, 93% owned a smartphone and 83% had a laptop or desktop computer. To access online resources, 79% had a postpaid internet subscription while 19% used prepaid mobile data. Under prevailing conditions, only 1505 students (41%) considered themselves physically and mentally capable of engaging in online learning. Barriers were classified under five categories: technological, individual, domestic, institutional, and community barriers.

Discussion: Medical students in the Philippines confronted several interrelated barriers as they tried to adapt to online learning. Most frequently encountered were difficulty adjusting learning styles, having to perform responsibilities at home, and poor communication between educators and learners. By implementing student-centered interventions, medical schools and educators play a significant role in addressing these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-021-01231-z.

Keywords: COVID-19; Online learning; Philippines; Undergraduate medical education.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Summary of responses to Likert scale questions
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Frequency of occurrence of selected barriers to online learning among medical students in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ahmed H, Allaf M, Elghazaly H. COVID-19 and medical education. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020;20(7):777–778. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30226-7. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Muller D, Parkas V, Amiel J, Anand S, Cassese T, Cunningham T, et al. Guiding principles for undergraduate medical education in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Med Teach. 2020 Nov 3;1–5. - PubMed
    1. Wang S, Dai M. Status and situation of postgraduate medical students in China under the influence of COVID-19. Postgrad Med J. 2020;:postgradmedj–2020–137763. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gallagher TH, Schleyer AM. “We signed up for this!” - student and trainee responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(25):e96. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp2005234. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tolsgaard MG, Cleland J, Wilkinson T, Ellaway RH. How we make choices and sacrifices in medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Med Teach. 2020;42(7):741–743. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2020.1767769. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources