Coping Mechanism in the New Normal: Experiences of Parents and Students in Tertiary Mathematics Education

Abstract

The pandemic disrupts the status quo. In an instant people from all walks of life are faced with novel situations that need to be tackled head-on. To investigate this disruption, research was conducted to determine how parents and students taking up tertiary mathematics education can cope with the new normal. Because the impact of online learning and work-from-home setup affected both the students and the parents, it is critical to understand how the family dealt with the situation of online learning work-from-home setup. As a result of the abrupt changes, parents and students had to adjust significantly; parents are now devoting their time to work and must provide support to their children during online learning. Parents must set aside time to supplement the school’s curriculum. One thousand six hundred sixty - seven students (1,667) who were taking Mathematics in the Modern World (GEMMW), a basic mathematics course for the first semester of the school year 2021 – 2022 of the University of Makati participated in the study. Their parents were also included in the mixed methods study wherein a four-part questionnaire was developed to collect data. The study used frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and standard deviation in interpreting the quantitative data collected while thematic analysis was used to present the qualitative responses. Findings revealed that some parents of students enrolled in the course became unemployed during the pandemic. However, these did not deter the parents and students from manifesting positive coping mechanisms. Despite the difficulties afforded by the new normal and setbacks in terms of support from concerned agencies, they demonstrated strong coping strategies and a positive outlook.