Back to in-person classes in the Philippine basic education: threading the opportunities and limitations in the teaching of Physical Education

ABSTRACT

Two years after face-to-face classes were suspended in the Philippines due to the threat of COVID-19, the Department of Education is implementing the progressive expansion of limited in-person learning. More schools are expected to hold limited face-to-face classes as the government revises its School Safety Assessment Tool, which has streamlined the requirements for the conduct of in-person class sessions. With the push to get education back into schools, it is essential to look into the opportunities and limita-tions in teaching Physical Education. Using a qualitative descriptive phenomenological research design, 34 Physical Education Teach-ers teaching in the Philippine Basic Education took part in several in-depth interviews. During the triangulation of results, seven important themes on teachers' concerns came up Students are demotivated to go to face-to-face classes, students are misbehaving and doing inappropriate learning actions, classroom settings need to be modified to follow standard health protocols, teaching strate-gies and learning activities need to be retrofitted, teachers' and students' performances are affected by the protective gear they have to wear all the time, and there is a worry that COVID may surge again. Based on these results, the government should look into these factors because these will have a significant effect on the implementation of face-to-face classes in the Philippines. The results of this study were used to come up with valuable conclusions and suggestions.