Abstract:
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered people’s lives all over the world. To adapt to the
changing times, different sectors, including the education sector shifted to new learning
modalities to compensate for the need to provide education to the learners. The study aims to
answer, “How COVID-19 exacerbates the limited capabilities of public school teachers and
their deteriorating workspace conditions” using Amartya Sen’s “Human Capabilities
Approach” as a framework. The framework lies in the assumption that the capacity of an
individual to execute duties depends on the level of its freedom. Such a level of freedom is then
measured by one’s relative environment. A qualitative research design is utilized and employed
a semi-structured interview to gain in-depth information from the participants. Two respondents
from each grade level were interviewed, as the level of attention provided differs when catering
to different grade levels, to observe how these factors contribute to their lived experience. The
research confirmed (1) the existing conditions of the education system which include the
discussion on workload, personnel and equipment, pedagogy, and intersectionality of education
and relevant institutions. The research found out the (2) character of the “shift” amidst
COVID-19 to a new mode of learning and how it affects the teachers. And the research
integrated (3) the existing and shifting circumstances involving the teachers, learners, and
stakeholders.
