Transitioning to full face to face classes: Academic challenges and hygiene motivational factors among maritime instructors in one maritime higher education institution in Batangas province

Abstract

The shift from face-to-face learning to online learning was so challenging that it required careful preparation, just as it does now as the situation returns to a face-to-face set up. This study describes respondent's profile (sex, age, teaching experience, department, officer ranks), identified academic challenges (instruction, learning environment, academic requirements), determined hygiene motivational factors (salary, working conditions, interpersonal relations), tested the differences in responses by profile, assess the significant relationship between academic challenges and hygiene factors, and proposed an action plan based on the results. 83 maritime instructors were studied, they taught face to face at a private maritime higher education institution in the academic year 2022-2023. Adapted questionnaires on a 4-point Likert scale were used. Data were collected through total population sampling. Descriptive and correlation analyses were done using SPSS. The findings of this study showed that most of the respondents were male, aged 40-49 years old, with 1-3 years of teaching experience from the BS Marine Transportation department and with a rank of operational level.Additionally, maritime instructors rarely faced academic challenges such as delivery of instruction, learning environment, and academic requirements. They were always motivated by hygiene factors such as salary, working conditions, and interpersonal relations. When grouped according to profile variables, in terms of academic challenges, years of teaching experience got the highest assessment with a lead in academic requirements and delivery of instruction. On the other hand, in terms of hygiene motivational factors, teaching experience also received the highest mark while age came next with high assessment on salary and working conditions. Additionally, the data showed that officers with operational level rank had higher assessment of salary and interpersonal relations. There was a high significant relationship, statistically, between academic challenges and hygiene motivational factors. In the end, an action plan was proposed based on the results of the study.