💻 computer science

Barriers and Enablers of Online Instruction in Hospitality Education in the Philippines: An Exploratory Study

This exploratory study of Philippine hospitality educators identifies pedagogical challenges, technological barriers, and institutional support as key factors influencing online instruction, while highlighting the need for enhanced training and responsible AI integration to improve educational outcomes.

Original authors: Maria Anna D. Cruz, Jeaneth D. Serna, Lloyd D. Feliciano, Mike Haizon M. David, Ma. Ferna Bel L. Punsalan, Glen Brian L. Lacsa, Michelle C. Castro, John Paul P. Miranda

Published 2026-04-29

📖 4 min read☕ Coffee break read

CC BY 4.0

Original authors: Maria Anna D. Cruz, Jeaneth D. Serna, Lloyd D. Feliciano, Mike Haizon M. David, Ma. Ferna Bel L. Punsalan, Glen Brian L. Lacsa, Michelle C. Castro, John Paul P. Miranda

Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ✨ This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer

Imagine the world of hospitality education (training future chefs, hotel managers, and tour guides) as a massive, high-energy kitchen. Traditionally, this training happens in a real kitchen: students chop vegetables, feel the heat of the stove, and get immediate feedback from a chef walking around.

This paper is like a report card on what happened when that real kitchen was suddenly forced to move into a Zoom call. The researchers, a team from Pampanga State University in the Philippines, wanted to know: What makes teaching this hands-on subject online work, and what makes it fall apart?

They didn't just guess; they talked to 68 teachers (both from public and private schools) to hear their stories, and then they asked those same teachers to fill out a survey to see how widespread those feelings were.

Here is what they found, broken down into simple, everyday concepts:

1. The "Wobbly Table" (Technological Barriers)

Imagine trying to cook a complex meal while your kitchen table keeps shaking, the lights flicker, and your stove sometimes just won't turn on.

The Reality: Many teachers and students in the Philippines faced unstable internet connections, power outages, and a lack of proper equipment (like good microphones or laptops).
The Verdict: This was a problem, but not the biggest one. It was like having a wobbly table—it's annoying and makes things hard, but you can still try to cook.

2. The "Impossible Juggling Act" (Pedagogical Challenges)

This was the biggest headache for the teachers. Imagine a gymnastics coach trying to teach a student how to do a backflip, but they are only allowed to talk through a walkie-talkie.

The Reality: Hospitality is all about "hands-on" skills (cooking, baking, serving). Teachers found it incredibly hard to teach these skills online. They struggled to keep students interested, to give feedback on a student's actual performance, and to make sure students were actually doing the work and not just watching.
The Verdict: This was the most critical issue. The teachers agreed that teaching a physical skill through a screen is like trying to teach someone to swim by only showing them videos of water.

3. The "Support Crew" (Institutional and Personal Support)

Think of the school administration as the support crew on a ship. Are they handing the captain a map and a life jacket, or are they just shouting from the deck?

The Reality: The teachers felt mixed about this. Some schools gave good encouragement and training, but many teachers felt they were left to figure out the technical problems alone. They also felt the workload was heavy, leading to burnout (feeling completely exhausted) and making it hard to balance work with family life.
The Verdict: The support crew was sometimes helpful, but often the teachers felt they were rowing the boat by themselves.

4. The "New Robot Assistant" (AI Integration)

Imagine a new robot assistant has just arrived in the kitchen. It can chop vegetables super fast and write recipes instantly, but no one is sure if it's safe to eat the food it prepares.

The Reality: Teachers saw that tools like ChatGPT could help them save time and make lesson plans. However, they were also worried. They worried about students using the robot to cheat or giving wrong answers. They also felt they needed more training to learn how to use this robot properly.
The Verdict: They liked the idea of the robot helping out, but they wanted a manual (training) before letting it run the kitchen.

The Bottom Line

The study concludes that while the internet and gadgets (the "table") are shaky, the real problem is the method of teaching (the "juggling act"). You can't easily teach someone to flip a pancake over a video call.

The researchers suggest that to fix this, schools need to:

Train teachers better on how to teach physical skills online.
Give teachers clearer rules and more help from the administration so they don't feel alone.
Teach teachers how to use AI tools safely and effectively.

The paper ends by saying, "We found these patterns with this group of 68 teachers. We need to talk to more people to make sure these rules apply everywhere, but for now, this is what we know."

1. Problem Statement

Hospitality education is inherently experiential, relying heavily on simulation, service-based learning, and hands-on laboratory practice (e.g., cooking, baking). In the Philippines, where the tourism and hospitality sector contributes significantly to the GDP, the shift to online instruction presents unique challenges that differ from developed nations with stable infrastructure.

The study addresses a critical gap in existing literature: while much research focuses on student readiness or general digital skills, there is a lack of data regarding hospitality teachers' perspectives in the Philippine context. Key issues include:

Infrastructure Deficits: Unstable internet connectivity, power interruptions, and limited access to devices.
Pedagogical Limitations: The difficulty of replicating physical laboratory supervision and hands-on assessment in virtual environments.
Emerging Technologies: The unregulated integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the lack of teacher training on its ethical and effective use.
Teacher Wellbeing: Increased workloads, burnout, and the struggle to balance professional duties with family responsibilities during remote teaching.

2. Methodology

The study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, consisting of two distinct phases:

Phase 1: Qualitative (Thematic Analysis)
- Participants: 68 hospitality teachers from public (n=38) and private (n=30) higher education institutions in the Philippines.
- Sampling: Purposive sampling of instructors with experience in online/hybrid teaching.
- Data Collection: Semi-structured interviews (in-person and online) focusing on challenges, strategies, and AI experiences.
- Analysis: A rigorous thematic coding process involving independent coding by two researchers and consensus review to identify emergent themes.
Phase 2: Quantitative (Survey Validation)
- Instrument Development: Survey items were derived directly from the qualitative themes.
- Data Collection: The same 68 participants completed a Likert-scale survey (1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree).
- Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics (Mean and Standard Deviation) were used to gauge agreement levels. Cronbach's Alpha ( $\alpha$ ) was calculated to test the internal consistency (reliability) of the constructed scales.

3. Key Contributions

Instrument Development: The study successfully transformed qualitative interview data into a validated quantitative instrument (survey constructs) specific to hospitality education barriers and enablers.
Contextual Specificity: It provides a localized framework for the Philippine context, highlighting that infrastructure issues (internet/power) are as critical as pedagogical ones.
AI Integration Framework: It categorizes teacher attitudes toward AI, distinguishing between its utility as a time-saver and the risks regarding accuracy and ethical use, while emphasizing the urgent need for structured training.
Reliability Metrics: The study establishes the psychometric properties of the identified constructs, proving they are statistically reliable for future research.

4. Key Results

A. Identified Themes (Constructs)

Four major themes emerged from the qualitative phase and were tested quantitatively:

Technological Barriers: Unstable internet, device shortages, LMS technical issues, and power interruptions.
Pedagogical Challenges: Difficulty teaching hands-on subjects, maintaining student engagement, and providing performance-based feedback.
Institutional and Personal Support: Availability of training, administrative guidelines, and the impact on teacher workload/burnout.
AI Integration: Awareness of tools, perceived usefulness, concerns about misuse, and the need for training.

B. Quantitative Findings

Reliability: All constructs showed acceptable to good internal consistency:
- Pedagogical Challenges ( $\alpha = 0.819$ )
- AI Integration ( $\alpha = 0.810$ )
- Technological Barriers ( $\alpha = 0.807$ )
- Institutional/Personal Support ( $\alpha = 0.724$ )
Pedagogical Challenges (Highest Concern):
- Teachers rated these as the most critical barriers.
- Top Items: Preventing student misuse of AI ( $M=4.44$ ), adjusting teaching strategies ( $M=4.40$ ), and teaching hands-on subjects ( $M=4.35$ ).
- Insight: The inability to replicate physical supervision is the primary pedagogical hurdle.
Technological Barriers (Moderate Concern):
- Unstable internet ( $M=3.84$ ) and solving technical problems alone ( $M=3.75$ ) were significant.
- Lowest Concern: Noisy teaching spaces ( $M=2.43$ ) and lack of private space ( $M=2.74$ ) were rated lower, suggesting infrastructure is a bigger issue than the physical environment of the teacher.
Institutional Support (Mixed Evaluation):
- Positive: Departmental encouragement for innovation ( $M=4.09$ ).
- Negative: Perceived lack of adequate training ( $M=3.66$ ) and administrative support ( $M=3.66$ ).
- Wellbeing: Moderate agreement that online teaching increases workload ( $M=3.24$ ) and causes burnout ( $M=3.18$ ).
AI Integration:
- Teachers are highly aware of AI tools ( $M=4.12$ ) and find them helpful for saving time ( $M=3.90$ ).
- However, actual content generation usage is lower ( $M=3.60$ ), and there is a strong consensus on the need for more training ( $M=3.85$ ).

5. Significance and Implications

Curriculum and Pedagogy: The findings suggest that hospitality programs cannot simply "move online." They must invest in pedagogical training specifically designed for virtual hands-on instruction and develop new assessment models that do not rely solely on physical presence.
Infrastructure Investment: While pedagogical issues are paramount, the moderate rating of technological barriers indicates that internet stability and device access remain foundational requirements for equitable education in the Philippines.
AI Policy and Training: The study highlights a "readiness gap." While teachers see the value of AI, they lack the training to use it responsibly. Institutions must develop structured AI literacy programs to mitigate risks (plagiarism, misinformation) while leveraging efficiency.
Teacher Support Systems: To combat burnout, institutions must provide clearer guidelines, reduce administrative burdens, and offer mental health support, acknowledging that online teaching significantly increases workload.

Conclusion: The study concludes that while technological barriers exist, pedagogical adaptation and institutional support are the primary determinants of successful online hospitality education. Future research should validate these instruments with larger samples and explore specific AI integration strategies for laboratory courses.