Learning Spaces, Others and Self: The “I—Learning” Experience of Philosophy Students in Achieving Learning Competencies in a Pandemic

Abstract

Academic programs set learning competencies as essential standards to ensure that students acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and values. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) prescribed the competencies for the AB Philosophy Program through CMO No. 26 s. 2017, which includes the ability to demonstrate critical and logical thinking, construct cogent arguments, engage analytically and interpretively with philosophical texts, develop research and academic writing skills, apply philosophical theories to concrete situations, and critically evaluate the essence of philosophical learning in relation to the True, the Good, and the Just. However, the teaching-learning process was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, raising concerns on students’ capacity to achieve the program mandated learning competencies. Given the limited research, there is a need to understand how philosophy students achieve learning competencies during the pandemic. This study used a phenomenological lens to characterize the lived experiences of Bicol University philosophy students (n=13), aged 21-23, on distance learning during the pandemic. Based on their narratives, this study characterized the “I—Learning” experience, which is composed of a triadic theme: a) I—Learning Spaces, b) I—Thou Learning, and c) I—I (self) Learning. This characterization highlights\ the interdependent and relational act of meaning-making of the “I” (philosophy student) to their learning spaces, others (educators, family, peers), and the “self” that explains how they confront their lived realities to thrive during the pandemic. The findings of this study also provide practical insights for developing a learning system that is both responsive and adaptive during periods of disruption, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.