Pa ge 1 Pa ge 63 American Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation (AJMRI) Teaching Competencies and Coping Mechanisms in the New Normal Education Among Public Elementary Teachers Mart Julius L. Talahiban1,3*, Gerald T. Malabarbas2,3, Bartolome L. Amoto3, Jomar B. Mendoza4 Volume 1 Issue 3, Year 2022 ISSN: 2158-8155 (Online), 2832-4854 (Print) DOI: https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmri.v1i3.373 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Article Information ABSTRACT Received: July 05, 2022 Accepted: July 11, 2022 Published: July 12, 2022 When COVID-19 became a pandemic, distant learning was adopted. As a result, teachers have had to work despite circumstances and stressors that may have affected their mental health. This study determined the teaching competencies and coping mechanisms in the new normal education among public elementary teachers in Oquendo 1 District, Schools Divi- sion of Calbayog City. The study employed a descriptive-correlation design using a survey questionnaire to gather the necessary data and information for the investigation. The tool was pilot tested and then subjected to a reliability test using Cronbach’s alpha. In this study, 78 teachers from public elementary schools were selected using a combination of complete enumeration and convenience sampling techniques. Based on the result, the level of teaching competencies gained an interpretation of ‘competent across its variables such as instruc- tional delivery, classroom management, formative assessment, and personal competencies. Moreover, personal competencies have the highest level, while formative assessment has the lowest level. Problem-focused, emotion-focused, and appraisal-focused coping mechanisms were interpreted as ‘agree’ based on the overall computed mean. Moreover, emotion-focused has the highest level of coping mechanism, while appraisal-focused is the least. Therefore, it can be inferred that public elementary teachers have prepared themselves to be skilled and competent in their teaching profession, which is relevant to the needs and demands of the new normal education. Moreover, they have adopted coping strategies or mechanisms that help them overcome the challenges and difficulties of the new normal education, allowing them to adjust and fit into the new educational environment. One of its recommendations is to provide ongoing training to public elementary school teachers to ensure that their ped- agogical and professional competence continues to improve. Keywords Coping Mechanism, Elementary Teachers, New Normal, Teaching Competencies 1, 3 Dinagan Elementary School, Calbayog City, Samar, Philippines. 2, 3 University of Antique, Sibalom, Antique, Philippines. 3 Christ the King College, Calbayog City, Samar, Philippines. 4 Our Lady of Fatima University, Quezon City, Philippines. * Corresponding author’s e-mail: gerald.malababas@antiquespride.edu.ph INTRODUCTION In educational institutions, the effect of COVID-19 has been devastating, having the impact of closure or non- operation in schools in which educators are stuck at home with little or no access to digital platforms. The abrupt transition from traditional to ICT-integrated systems as the primary tool in carrying out the teaching-learning process has presented several challenges for students and educators, particularly those who are technologically illiterate. The Philippines’ sudden shift to online learning sparked a heated debate because it completely changed education. To continue learning, switch to distance learning because face-to-face learning in the classroom is impossible (Indrawati, 2020). The DepEd’s mantra ‘no child left behind’ sends a message of inequality, but learning cannot be cancelled as much as driving the economy. This led to tighter measures for schools to continue operations despite the risk. Despite the closure order, classes are a major problem. Face-to-face classes pose a higher spread risk, so online learning is best. This new platform challenges both teachers and students. This situation calls for a “adopt quickly” response to the pandemic’s new normal in teaching and learning. The shift to online learning is sudden and must be accelerated by academic institutions. How tech-ready are schools remains unanswered (Zhang et al., 2020)? Reopening schools now is costly. DepEd has formulated an immediate solution to open the school year. It has changed educators’ preparation of e-learning materials, e-modules, virtual in-service training, webinars, and makeshift arrangements by under-resourced school heads and educators. Training a learner in his environment to play a significant role in society requires education. Unpragmatic teaching assumptions can lead to negative practices for new teachers. New normal educators need well-structured curricula, enough e-teaching and e-learning materials, internet access, and gadgets. They need subject knowledge to teach confidently, effectively, and efficiently. If teachers lack e-learning and instructional materials, home learning facilities and durable gadgets, positive/ constructive criticism, and colleague support, teaching- learning cannot occur. This pandemic has brought a dilemma to educational institutions, especially since the government has ordered not to open face-to-face classes until the COVID-19 vaccine is available and most are vaccinated. In response, the DepEd issued Department Order Nos. 007, 12, 13, and 14 series of 2020, instructing all basic education institutions to develop a Basic Education-Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) and health and safety protocols for the pandemic. Public elementary schools now face a bigger challenge. With challenges in learning delivery, the Bureau of Curriculum Development has identified essential learning competencies and streamlined them into the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC), where some parts of the process decide whether a learning competency is to be retained, https://doi.org/10.54536/ajmri.v1i3.373 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri mailto:gerald.malababas%40antiquespride.edu.ph?subject= Pa ge 64 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(3) 63-71, 2022 dropped, merged, or rephrased to be more concise and suited to the learners’ needs. The DepEd helps teachers by creating a pool of master teachers who write Modules, unified supplementary materials, and learning activity sheets based on the MELCs. This condition allows teachers to focus on their duties as virtual classroom teachers. Educators must find time to explore and learn how to combine online, offline, and blended delivery modes to facilitate flexible learning. Teachers should re- teach certain success-related skills. Furthermore, it is also recommended for the teachers to unpack the MELCs into more specific learning competencies as guided by the original curriculum guide. On the other note, in a situation like this, public teachers during the pandemic are said to be burned out and grieving simultaneously as they try to make ends meet by developing alternative modes to deliver learning despite their own worries for their health and safety. They also cited that stress is not new to the teaching job, but it seems to be a daily serving nowadays driven by the pandemic. On the other hand, they stressed that public teachers apply coping mechanisms. First is the action-based coping mechanism, which involves directly dealing with the cause of stress and devising a solution to overcome it. Second is the emotion-based coping mechanism which involves relieving stress through indirect ways like denial, distractions, humor, or relaxation. Public teachers dealing with stress from different sources should have a positive approach to coping with it. It can be observed that changes in teachers’ mental health conditions are possibly associated with changes in their working conditions. Data suggests that most educators were not prepared to face the technological challenges that came with the pandemic due to a lack of preparedness and experience in terms of digital competencies and remote learning pedagogical methods. For others, there is uncertainty about the impact of remote education on academic progress, as it has been reported that students experience higher levels of psychological distress due to the pandemic (Andrade, Bosano, & Paz, 2021). Teacher competencies are situation- and demand- responsive cognitive performance dispositions (Kaiser and König, 2019). Teachers should be able to apply technology to pedagogical concepts and teaching practice regardless of the subject. COVID-19 requires knowledge, skills, and confidence in online or remote teaching. Educators are challenged to transition from the traditional classroom set-up to a remote setting where their competencies do not fit the new normal education. Face-to-face and online teaching may require similar skills. Therefore, online teachers should include online learning skills in their professional development plans. Like in Oquendo I District, Schools Division of Calbayog City, teachers have been facing several challenges and issues in teaching the subject, knowing that it is best taught in an actual or face-to-face set-up. Consequently, teachers struggle with how the teaching-learning process is carried out, specifically its instructional delivery, classroom management, and assessment and evaluation, given that their competencies are well-suited in a face- to-face setting. In connection with the above discussions, the researcher was instigated to conduct an investigation relative to the problems cited in this study. Consequently, this study determined the teaching competencies and coping mechanisms in the new normal education among public elementary teachers in Oquendo 1 District, Schools Division of Calbayog City. LITERATURE REVIEW When a crisis occurs, the teaching and learning process takes on a whole different appearance. Schools and colleges must be resilient in the face of disasters and crises (both man-made and natural), and they must discover innovative ways to maintain the teaching-learning activities (Chang-Richards et al., 2013). As a result of the global health crisis, one developing reality is the migration to online learning modalities to reduce the risk of face-to- face interaction between students. As a result, educational institutions are compelled to transition away from face- to-face instruction and toward online instruction. This rapid adoption of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) as the primary resource in the teaching-learning process has revealed some challenges for students and teachers, including technological illiteracy and access to adequate technological infrastructure. It is expected to exacerbate previously existing learning disparities across regions (UNICEF, 2020). As a result of the pandemic and the various prevention and control measures implemented, there has been an increase in the number of symptoms and signs of stress, anxiety, and depression among the general population as well as other specific subgroups such as epidemiological fence medical staff and mental health professionals. On the part of the teachers, changes in their mental health may be linked to changes in their working conditions. However, due to a lack of preparedness and expertise in digital competencies and remote learning pedagogical techniques, most educators were not prepared to confront the technical obstacles that came with the pandemic, according to data (Fernandez, 2020). The delivery of instruction is moved to a separate undertaking in the teaching and learning process. Various teaching methods have been used to teach different subject matter, including inquiry, hands-on learning, social engagement, and constructivism. However, such pedagogies appear difficult to adopt in a distance learning environment, and teachers do not believe they are fully prepared and capable of teaching the topic remotely (Lichoro, 2015). Teachers who are new to distance learning may feel unprepared to enable teaching and will require assistance with technical, pedagogical, and time management issues (Doming & Dyment, 2013). Because of the heavy reliance on technology in instruction, teachers are not completely prepared and lack competency (Nilson & Goodson, 2018). In this context, digital literacy is being increasingly recognized as a critical tool for lifelong https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 65 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(3) 63-71, 2022 learning and as a vital ability for Industry 4.0. However, it still has its drawbacks, like expensive expenditures and upkeep, accessibility to internet platforms and resources, and inexperience when using it properly. While the pandemic has amplified and exacerbated stress, mental health issues among teachers have been on the rise for decades. COVID-19 has created an unprecedented crisis and raised awareness about issues affecting teachers’ mental health and psychosocial well-being, necessitating changes to mitigate the negative impact on teachers’ wellness. Teachers must be well cared for in order to effectively perform their duties as front liners in the delivery of education. The United Nations has cautioned that if the COVID-19 pandemic’s social crisis is not appropriately addressed through policy, inequality, exclusion, discrimination, and worldwide unemployment will rise in the medium and long term. Teachers, who, as part of their sworn duty, put themselves in harm’s way to guarantee that students’ education is not disrupted, are not immune to the pandemic’s effects (United Nations, 2020). In the Philippines, the prospect of a global pandemic caused by COVID19 has surprised every nation. Economic activity has ceased abruptly, necessitating the need to adapt systems to what we now refer to as the “new normal”. Changes in the economic system and lifestyle throughout the pandemic period have occurred in the Department of Education’s educational system, with new modes of learning and teaching methodologies. The Department of Education has been considering alternatives to ensure that education can continue despite the Pandemic threat. The pandemic raised numerous concerns among those in the education sector, particularly public teachers, who have been charged with ensuring education occurs regardless of the repercussions or problems. The manner of life in the Philippines has changed, yet Filipinos are not the only ones whose lives have been altered; given that COVID-19 is already a global concern, everyone’s way of life has been altered (Pan, 2020). Following the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 epidemic, many aspects of daily life were radically altered, including job arrangements, socialization, and even educational settings. Those who are directly affected by these changes experience feelings of anxiety as a result of these changes. Education institutions are working round the clock to address the pandemic’s immediate academic problems. They are working on developing protocols that will fulfill the demands of both teachers and students. Many people now work from home and participate in online learning. The isolation and stringent restrictions on socializing cause concern, and internet interaction is an additional source of anxiety. Numerous social media interactions and digital communication create an atmosphere of surprise and dissatisfaction. Not only that, but online learning creates anxiety for teachers as they prepare lessons and students participate in online learning. Anxiety is a normal emotion in a specific situation; a low level of anxiety is normal, but severe anxiety can be a serious problem. Academic anxiety is concerned with performance. This type of anxiety can affect teachers and students, particularly those new to online learning. In light of this and to cope with academic anxiety in the new normal, it is important to make daily plans, establish positive relationships with family and friends, limit social media interaction, set boundaries on excessive media consumption, manage negative feelings, and remove oneself from the situation. These are some of the most important tips that can help one cope with academic anxiety in the new normal (de la Rosa, 2020). Further, teachers from all around the world, like their associates, are isolated from their students. The sense of alienation and despair that may result from this current state is one known cause of teacher burnout. According to Christina Maslach, burnout is “a condition characterized by passionate exhaustion, depersonalization, and impaired individual success that can occur in persons who perform ‘human work’ or anything akin to it.” It responds to the constant, intense strain of managing other people, particularly when they are grieving or experiencing difficulties. Apart from feelings of alienation, additional grounds for burnout in the current COVID-19 environment include feelings of inefficacy, a lack of control, or debilitation. Therefore, not only are educators learning new teaching platforms - Zoom, Canvas, and Google Classroom - but they must also plan this new knowledge to ensure that students who are generally concerned about their GPAs continue receiving straightforward feedback on their understanding, that the most social students have opportunities to share their thoughts and participate in real and meaningful conversation as well as community work in a virtual space, and that they utilize best practices (Hart, 2020). Moreover, teachers in the Philippines are reportedly stressed out due to a lack of funding, according to Granthorn (2020), and it has been revealed that teachers in distress are looking for ways to ensure that the funds provided by their local governments are sufficient to meet the needs of all of their students. Moreover, Tria (2020) highlighted that teachers in the Philippines are not psychologically or skillfully prepared for the country’s abrupt shift in learning models. Talidong et al. (2020) stressed that the most essential reform teachers had implemented the development of various creative teaching approaches. The result was that they felt more connected to their students even if their encounters with them were limited. The Philippine Government (2020) highlighted a coping guideline designed to assist educators in coping with the shift and transitioning to the new normal on its official website. Guidance and counseling are still widely available to students and teachers who have been affected by the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, education issues in the Philippines have increased and received new challenges that worsened the country’s current state. With the sudden events brought about by the health crisis, distance learning modes via the internet or TV broadcasts were ordered. https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 66 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(3) 63-71, 2022 Further, a blended learning program was launched in October 2020, which involves online classes, printouts, and lessons broadcast on TV and social platforms. Thus, the new learning pathways rely on students and teachers accessing the internet (Child Hope Philippines, 2021). However, this brings up yet another issue within the current system. Millions of Filipinos do not have access to computers and other digital tools at home, making it impossible for them to benefit from blended learning. As a result, many students and teachers are affected by the importance of technology in learning. The following are the primary concerns: the amount of money for mobile load, lack of technology, the internet signal is weak, students’ inability to concentrate and learn when using the internet, and parents’ lack of understanding of their children’s lessons. It is important to mention that equipped schools have more opportunities to adopt various approaches to cope with the new challenges surrounding remote learning. This scenario further demonstrates the disparities in resources and training for K-12 and higher education and the differences between private and public schools (Child Hope Philippines, 2021). The adoption of online education in the Philippines faces significant challenges, despite Filipinos being among the top Internet users in the world. The lack of preparation of faculty members to conduct online classes, combined with the problem of poor internet connectivity in the country that has existed for some time, are major obstacles to the expansion of online education in the country. According to others, fully online education deepens the educational and social inequality while failing to make higher education more accessible for most students (Cuaton, 2020). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study employed a descriptive-correlational research design. This design is useful in predicting one variable from another or building a theory about a complex phenomenon. Bhandari (2022) defines correlational research design as investigating relationships between variables without the researcher controlling or manipulating them. Instead, a correlation reflects the strength and direction of the relationship between two (or more) variables. In this study, the teachers’ profile, teaching competencies, and coping mechanisms determined the relationship between these variables. This study was conducted among public elementary schools in Oquendo District, Schools Division of Calbayog City. This study utilized the total enumeration sampling technique. Total enumeration is a sampling technique that examines the entire population with a particular set of characteristics. Moreover, it made use of purposive sampling, too. In this study, only the public elementary teachers of the Oquendo 1 district were the respondents of the study. A survey questionnaire was used in gathering the data, and this tool was subjected to face validation and content reliability test using Cronbach’s alpha analysis. Generally, the 20 items for teaching competencies and coping mechanisms’ Cronbach’s alpha is 0.945 and 0.878, respectively. Thus, the research instrument is considered very good and highly acceptable. The researchers personally fielded and distributed the questionnaire to the target respondents. In order to analyze and interpret the findings of this investigation, the following statistical procedures were used: (1) to identify the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, civil status, highest educational attainment, position, number of relevant seminars/trainings attended and years in service, frequency and percentage distribution was used; (2) to determine the level of teaching competencies in the new normal education among public elementary teachers when it comes to instructional delivery, classroom management, formative assessment, and personal competencies, weighted mean and standard deviation were utilized; same statistical tools were applied to determine the coping mechanisms manifested in the new normal education by the teachers as to problem-focused, appraisal-focused, emotion-focused and occupation-focused; (3) to test if there a significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their level of teaching competencies in the new normal education, a Kendal Tau b test was utilized; (4) to test if there is a significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and coping mechanisms in the new normal education, Kendall tau-b correlation coefficient was applied; (5) to test if there is significant relationship between the level of teaching competencies and coping mechanisms in the new normal education, Pearson correlation coefficient was used. Lastly, the data and information in this study were encoded and treated using IBM SPSS software 28. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Demographic Profile of the Respondents As presented in Table 1, almost all of the respondents (92.3 percent) are in their prime working lives (OECD, 2022), aged 25 to 24. Female (84.6 percent) respondents outnumbered male (15.4 percent) respondents. A great majority are married (64.1 percent) and with bachelor’s degrees with MA units (67.9 percent). There are 42.3 percent teachers 1, 16.7 percent are Teacher 2, 37.2 percent are Teacher 3, and only 3.8 percent are Master Teacher 1. Moreover, almost all respondents (62.8 percent) have 1-5 relevant training. It can be inferred that most of them are indeed members of the active working group and have already established their own families, demonstrating that teaching is their primary source of income to raise them. The overwhelming majority of female respondents represent a manifestation of the feminization of the teaching profession. They have already started to advance in their profession by pursuing graduate studies. Furthermore, it can also be explained that many are still considered at the beginning of their academic careers manifested in their academic rank. The number of relevant training sessions attended, and the https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 67 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(3) 63-71, 2022 Table 1: Frequency and Percentage Distribution on the Demographic Profile of the Respondents (n=78) Profile Variables f % Age (15-24 y.o.) 1 1.3 (25-54 y.o.) 72 92.3 (55-64 y.o.) 5 6.4 Sex Male 12 15.4 Female 66 84.6 Civil Status Single 26 33.3 Married 50 64.1 Widow/Widower 2 2.6 Highest Educational Attainment Bachelor’s Degree 19 24.4 Bachelor’s Degree with MA Units 53 67.9 Master’s Degree 5 6.4 Master’s Degree with Doctorate Units 1 1.3 Position Teacher 1 33 42.3 Teacher 2 13 16.7 Teacher 3 29 37.2 Master Teacher 1 3 3.8 Number of relevant trainings 1-5 49 62.8 6-10 22 28.2 11-15 4 5.1 16-20 3 3.8 Length of Service 1 - 5 years 26 33.3 6 -10 years 21 26.9 11 -15 years 9 11.5 16 - 20 years 11 14.1 21 - 25 years 4 5.1 26 - 30 years 4 5.1 31 years and above 3 3.8 Legend: yo = years old; Mean: Age= 37.82(10.03), Trainings=5.68(4.08), Service=10.96(8.45) length of service can be explained by the fact that most respondents have just gained a few years of service. Level of Teaching Competencies among Public Elementary Teachers in the New Normal Education The next table presents the mean and standard deviation on the level of teaching competencies among public elementary school teachers in the new normal education. The means of all the computed items are above 3.50. This result reveals that the respondents consider that all Table 2: Mean and Standard Deviation on the Level of Teaching Competencies in the New Normal Education Competencies N M SD Interpretation Instructional Delivery 78 4.1744 0.50797 Competent Classroom Management 78 4.1462 0.48099 Competent Formative Assessment 78 3.9513 0.47721 Competent Personal Competencies 78 4.2103 0.48446 Competent Overall Teaching Competencies 78 4.1205 0.42970 Competent Legend: Scale Interpretation M=mean, SD=standard deviation 1.00 - 0.49 Not Competent 1.50 - 2.49 Slightly Competent 2.50 - 3.49 Moderately Competent 3.50 - 4.49 Competent 4.50 - 5.00 Highly Competent the above factors consist of some degree of importance concerning teachers’ competencies in teaching in the new normal. Moreover, personal competencies (M=4.21, SD=0.49) have the highest competencies, while formative assessment (M=3.95, SD=0.48) has the lowest level. Coping Mechanisms among Public Elementary Teachers in the New Normal Education Table 3 presents the mean and standard deviation of the coping mechanisms manifested by the public elementary teachers in the new normal. Table 3: Mean and Standard Deviation on the Coping Mechanisms in the New Normal Education Coping Mechanisms N M SD Interpretation Problem-focused 78 4.17 0.51 Agree Appraisal-focused 78 3.95 0.48 Agree Emotion-focused 78 4.35 0.42 Agree Overall 78 4.16 0.40 Agree Legend: Scale Interpretation M=mean, SD=standard deviation 1.00 - 0.49 Strongly Disagree 1.50 - 2.49 Disagree 2.50 - 3.49 Moderately Agree 3.50 - 4.49 Agree 4.50 - 5.00 Strongly Agree https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 68 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(3) 63-71, 2022 The means of all the computed items are above 3.50. This result reveals that the respondents consider that all the above factors consist of some degree of importance concerning the coping mechanisms of teachers in teaching in the new normal. Moreover, emotion-focused (M=4.35, SD=0.42) has the highest coping mechanism, while appraisal-focused (M=3.95, SD=0.48) is the least coping mechanism exercised by the teachers. Test of Significant Relationship Between the Profile of the Respondents and their Level of Teaching Competencies in the New Normal Education In this subsection of analysis, Kendall’s tau b is done. Kendall’s tau b is a nonparametric test used to determine the relationship’s significance between two variables. The significance of the relationship between the profile of the respondents and their level of teaching competencies in Table 4: Test for Relationship Between the Profile of the Respondents and the Level of Teaching Competencies Level of Teaching Competencies Age Sex Civil Status Highest Educational Attainment Position Number of Relevant Trainings Length of Service Kendall’s tau_b Instructional Delivery Correlation Coefficient -0.041 0.019 -0.089 -0.014 0.085 0.079 0.109 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.679 0.853 0.372 0.884 0.367 0.414 0.228 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 Classroom Management Correlation Coefficient -0.039 -0.023 0.050 0.081 0.100 0.145 0.050 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.691 0.817 0.608 0.396 0.283 0.128 0.570 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 Formative Assessment Correlation Coefficient -0.042 -0.124 -0.047 -0.005 0.098 0.122 0.037 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.669 0.212 0.630 0.957 0.292 0.203 0.681 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 Personal Competencies Correlation Coefficient 0.016 0.015 -0.108 -0.005 0.110 0.118 0.083 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.871 0.877 0.273 0.961 0.243 0.222 0.354 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 Overall Teaching Competencies Correlation Coefficient -0.050 -0.012 -0.052 0.034 0.117 0.111 0.081 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.599 0.895 0.576 0.715 0.190 0.226 0.344 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 the new normal education is summarized in Table 4. As presented in table 8, the computed Kendall tau-b correlation coefficient ranges from -0.124 to +0.145, and the p-values (sig.) are greater than the 0.05 level of significance. Thus, there is no significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their level of teaching competencies in the new normal education. Test of Significant Relationship Between the Profile of the Respondents and their Coping Mechanisms in the New Normal Education Table 5 displays information about Kendall’s tau b result on the relationship between the profile of the respondents and their coping mechanisms in the new normal education. Table 4: Test for Relationship Between the Profile of the Respondents and their Coping Mechanisms Level of Teaching Competencies Age Sex Civil Status Highest Educational Attainment Position Number of Relevant Trainings Length of Service Kendall’s tau_b Problem- focused Correlation Coefficient 0.135 0.006 0.087 0.095 0.070 0.160 0.089 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.167 0.950 0.372 0.319 0.454 .092 0.315 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 Appraisal- focused Correlation Coefficient 0.066 -0.052 0.088 -0.027 0.100 0.133 0.072 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.506 0.598 0.367 0.777 0.285 0.165 0.415 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 69 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(3) 63-71, 2022 Emotion- focused Correlation Coefficient 0.089 0.038 -0.070 0.027 -0.041 0.029 -0.017 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.368 0.700 0.480 0.777 0.666 0.762 0.853 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 Overall Coping Mechanism Correlation Coefficient 0.127 0.001 0.052 0.029 0.057 0.129 0.070 Sig. (2-tailed) 0.179 0.989 0.579 0.751 0.524 0.160 0.416 N 78 78 78 78 78 78 78 As presented in Table 5, the computed Kendall tau-b correlation coefficient ranges from -.070 to +.160, and the p-values (sig.) are greater than the .05 level of significance. Thus, there is no significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their coping mechanisms. Test of Significant Relationship Between the Level of Teaching Competencies and the Coping Mechanisms in the New Normal Education Table 6 presents the Pearson correlation coefficient result on the significant relationship test between the level of teaching competencies and the coping mechanisms in the Table 6: Test for Relationship Between the Level of Teaching Competencies and the Coping Mechanisms Problem-focused Appraisal- focused Emotion- focused Overall Coping Mechanism Instructional Delivery Pearson Correlation 0.333** 0.363** 0.462** 0.453** Sig. (2-tailed) 0.003 0.001 0.000 0.000 N 78 78 78 78 Classroom Management Pearson Correlation 0.433** 0.478** 0.417** 0.527** Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 N 78 78 78 78 Formative Assessment Pearson Correlation 0.360** 0.465** 0.455** 0.504** Sig. (2-tailed) 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000 N 78 78 78 78 Personal Competencies Pearson Correlation 0.409** 0.428** 0.448** 0.507** Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 N 78 78 78 78 Overall Teaching Competencies Pearson Correlation 0.435** 0.491** .506** 0.564** Sig. (2-tailed) 0.000 0.000 .000 0.000 N 78 78 78 78 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). new normal education. As presented in Table 6, the computed Pearson correlation coefficient ranges from 0.333 to 0.564, and the p-values (sig.) are less than the 0.05 level of significance. Thus, there is no significant relationship between the teaching competencies and coping mechanisms of public elementary teachers in the new normal education. CONCLUSIONS Based on the study findings, most respondents are active members of a working group. They have already started their own families, indicating that teaching is their primary source of income for raising their children. The overwhelming majority of female respondents reflect the profession’s feminization. They have already started to advance their careers by taking courses in graduate school. Furthermore, as evidenced by their academic rank, many are still considered to be at the start of their academic careers. Most respondents have only a few years of service, which can explain the number of relevant training sessions attended and the length of service. The study can be inferred that public elementary teachers have prepared themselves to be skilled and competent in their teaching profession, which is relevant to the needs and demands of the new normal education. On the other hand, in terms of coping mechanisms, public https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Pa ge 70 https://journals.e-palli.com/home/index.php/ajmri Am. J. Multidis. Res. Innov. 1(3) 63-71, 2022 elementary teachers have adopted coping strategies or mechanisms that help them overcome the challenges and difficulties of the new normal education, allowing them to adjust and fit into the new educational environment. In addition, the study disclosed that there is no significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their level of teaching competencies in the new normal education. Similarly, there is no significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their level of teaching competencies in the new normal education. Moreover, there is no significant relationship between the teaching competencies and coping mechanisms of public elementary teachers in the new normal education. Acknowledgments The researchers would like to extend their gratitude to the district supervisor and school heads for allowing them to conduct the study. Most especially to Oquendo 1 elementary teachers for their cooperation and sharing their time in answering the survey questionnaire. REFERENCES Andrade, P., Bosano, C., & Paz, C. (2021). Teachers’ mental health and self-reported coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador: A mixed-methods study. 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