The UP Open University (UPOU) Open Talk Episode 18 featured a discussion on experiences and learnings of faculty members engaged in their doctoral research during the pandemic. The resource speakers who shared their journeys and challenges were Dr. Jonathan Cagas from the College of Human Kinetics, University of the Philippines Diliman, and Dr. Finaflor Taylan from the Faculty of Management Development Studies, UPOU. The episode was moderated by Dr. J. Aleta Villanueva of the UPOU Faculty of Education. The Open Talk Episode 18 was held on 16 December 2021.
In this time of the pandemic, many activities were disrupted, especially the education sector which is one of the most highly affected sectors in the country. While UPOU is not new in conducting online classes, the anxiety brought by the current health crisis was vastly recognized.
Dr. J. Aleta Villanueva (moderator) and Dr. Finaflor Taylan (resource speaker)
Dr. Taylan and Dr. Cagas, who both finished their doctoral degrees at the University of South Queensland in Australia, shared that the challenges in doctoral studies were apparent.
According to Dr. Taylan, as a remote learner, she faced difficulties such as internet connection issues and juggling her studies, family, and advocacies. Other disruptions include the change of research methodology that was brought also by unforeseen natural events such as the Taal Volcano eruption and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Cagas, on the other hand, shared how he had difficulty in focusing throughout the pandemic period. He also had self-doubt, but he regained his focus by practicing what he teaches – yoga. He also kept his attention on what he had on-hand, so he will not be disrupted by other challenges.
In terms of milestones, Dr. Taylan shared that some victories helped her overcome the challenges of remote learning—her motivations, technologies that helped her do remote learning, and social media that served as an outlet for her to share her sentiments. She was also thankful for the strong support system from family and friends in and out of the academe.
Mentorship meetings and the process of research were the highlights of Dr. Cagas’ journey. For him, these experiences made him happy in the last four years.
Dr. Jonathan Cagas
Open Talk 18 was a lively discussion among Dr. Taylan, Dr. Cagas and Dr. Villanueva. While the pandemic posed several challenges, they only made the victories sweeter, especially the victory of gaining a doctoral degree amidst the disruption.
Open Talk is a one-hour magazine program that targets the general public and aims to create clarifications on the featured topics, change the attitude of the target audience towards the topics, and inspire the audience to improve their practices towards or against the topics featured.
If you missed the Open Talk 18 discussions, you may watch the recorded live event on UPOU Networks – Multimedia Center Facebook Page.
Written by Alessa Shainne Hostalero
Edited by Joane V. Serrano and Anna Cañas-Llamas
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