IEEE Paper Template in A4 (V1) 206 This is an open access article under CC-BY-SA license. Journal of Science and Education (JSE) Vol. 3, No. 3, 2023, 206-220 DOI: 10.56003/jse.v3i3.151 ISSN: 2745-5351 Perceived psychological distress and learning barriers on emergency remote education: association with students’ motivation and resilience Shyra Grace Bauya1, Mary Princess Cacayan2*, Diane Mae Ulanday3 1,2,3 Mindanao State University, General Santos City, South Cotabato, Philippines E-mail: maryprincess.cacayan@msugensan.edu.ph Received: 14 August 2022 Accepted: 14 March 2023 Published: 31 March 2023 Abstract: : Emergency remote education has become a critical learning platform that created changes in ways of attaining learning goals. This shift to a new learning platform posed a great challenge to students’ motivation and resilience in learning. This study aimed to analyze the students' learning barriers and psychological distress and their motivation and resilience in studying during the public health emergency. A descriptive-correlational research design was utilized to assess the research questions posed in this study. The respondents of the study were the two hundred thirty- eight (238) BEED students of Mindanao State University, General Santos City who were officially enrolled during the S.Y. 2021-2022. The researchers employed a stratified sampling technique in selecting the respondents for this study. Adapted questionnaires such as the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Learning Barriers Questionnaire, Motivation to Learn Online Questionnaire (MLOQ), and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD- RISC), checked and validated by experts, were used to gather the needed data. Descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment- Correlation Coefficient were used to analyze and interpret the gathered data. In this study, the researchers found that psychological distress significantly influences the resilience of students, but it does not influence their motivation to learn. Results also revealed that the learning barriers significantly influence both motivation and resilience of the students. Replication of this study is highly recommended using qualitative research design and including other variables such as assessments and the engagements of students. Keywords: psychological distress; learning barriers; learning motivation; emergency remote education; BEED students. How to cite: Bauya,, S. G. M., Cacayan, M. P. R., & Ulanday-Lozano, D. M. (2022). Perceived psychological distress and learning barriers on emergency remote education: association with students’ motivation and resilience. Journal of Science and Education (JSE), 3(3): 206-220. https://doi.org/10.56003/jse.v3i3.151 INTRODUCTION The strong wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has ushered the birth of a new normal in education. The changes in the school system included the closure of educational institutions worldwide, which had reached around 1.6 billion students from 194 countries (UNESCO, 2020). This sudden shift to a new learning platform poses today's most significant challenge to educational institutions. Among students who had studied on emergency remote education, 33% expressed they could not learn online rather than face-to-face, 44% saw no difference, and 23% revealed they know better in this setting (Talbert, 2020). Research has shown that the rapid educational changes posed by the pandemic have impacted the learner’s well-being (Plakhotnik, et al., 2021). For instance, the new set-up in education has escalated anxiety among students (Wang et al., 2020). Moreover, it has been reported that university students have experienced other health problems, specifically depression and eating disorders (Kohls et al., 2020). The adverse mental and emotional consequences of emergency remote education have potentially threatened the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ https://doi.org/10.56003/jse.v3i3.151 https://portal.issn.org/resource/ISSN/2745-5351 mailto:maryprincess.cacayan@msugensan.edu.ph https://doi.org/10.56003/jse.v3i3.151 https://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.56003/jse.v3i3.151&domain=pdf&date_stamp=2023-04-27 Bauya, Cacayan, & Ulanday-Lozano – Perceived psychological distress and learning barriers … 207 students’ holistic well-being and educational progress (Singh et al., 2020). Due to Covid-19, the students have also faced learning barriers, including learner motivation and social interaction (Mukhtar et al., 2020). Previous studies have pointed out that the pandemic has affected students’ lifestyles (Duraku & Hoxha, 2020; Labrague & Ballad, 2021; Baticulon et al., 2020). However, limited studies investigated their motivation and resilience levels despite the barriers and problems caused by the pandemic that focuses on future teachers. Therefore, the current study wanted to fill the gaps and deepen the knowledge of the learning barriers and psychological problems that university students may encounter, which could determine their motivation and resilience in studying emergency remote education. These and other related studies (Li et al., 2020; Zhai & Du, 2020) have pushed the researchers to explore the influence of Covid-19 on the students’ psychological states and their well-being in general. Thus, this paper aimed to answer the research questions: 1) What is the perceived level of psychological distress of the students on emergency remote education? 2) To what extent do students experience the learning barriers on emergency remote education? 3) What is the level of students’ motivation for learning during the pandemic? 4) What is the level of students’ emotional resilience during the pandemic? 5) Do the experienced psychological distress and learning barriers correlate with the motivation and resilience of students?. METHOD Research Design A descriptive-correlational research design was utilized to assess the research questions posed in this study: This method collected data in a detailed manner, and factual information was examined to describe the existing phenomena. A descriptive design describes the current status of a variable or phenomenon. The study does not begin with a hypothesis but typically develops after collecting data. A correlational study is a research method that involves measuring two or more variables and assessing the relationship between or among those variables (Stangor & Walinga, 2019). The study used this particular type of method to examine the relationship between psychological distress and learning barriers on emergency remote education in association with the motivation and resilience of the selected Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd) students of Mindanao State University, General Santos City in the first semester of the academic year 2020- 2021 in all year levels. Moreover, this method is appropriate for this study since the information was collected without changing to the subject. 208 Journal of Science and Education (JSE), Vol. 3, No. 3, March 2023, pp. 206-220 Figure 1. Research Flow The respondents of the study were composed of two hundred thirty-eight (238) selected Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd) students of Mindanao State University - General Santos City in all year levels. There were 54 respondents from 1st year, 69 from 2nd year, 55 from 3rd year, and 60 from 4th year, respectively. Stratified sampling was employed by the researchers in selecting the respondents. This sampling technique is suitable since it ensures that the sample group represents characteristics of the population in terms of psychological distress, learning barriers, emergency remote education, motivation, and resilience. Additionally, the researchers followed the stratified sampling method of Aoyama (1954) to get the sample size per year level. This indicates that the distribution of the sample means is fairly normally distributed. The entire population of the BEED students was also considered to provide equal opportunity for the respondents to participate in this study. Only those who are willing to participate in the survey received the survey questionnaire links. Locale of the Study The study was conducted at Mindanao State University. It covers 149.76-hectare land located at Barangay Fatima, General Santos City. The institution is one of the top-performing universities in Mindanao that produces globally competent individuals. This locale is suitable for this study since the researchers and respondents are from this school, particularly in the Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd) Department, which will allow prompt and cost-effective data collection. https://jse.rezkimedia.org/index.php/jse/index Bauya, Cacayan, & Ulanday-Lozano – Perceived psychological distress and learning barriers … 209 Due to the current social and physical constraints, the researchers were unable to conduct the survey in a face-to-face set-up and given that the students were in their respective locations, the researchers chose online surveys as the only suitable alternative at the time the study took place. Instrument The current study utilized four (4) different questionnaires to measure the students' psychological distress, learning barriers, motivation, and resilience, respectively. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995) was an adapted instrument to measure the students' psychological distress levels. It is a set of three self-report scales designed to measure the emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. Each of the three DASS-21 scales contains 7 items, divided into subscales with similar content. Each of the questions is rated from 0 to 3. The learning barriers questionnaire was adapted from Muilenburg and Berge (2005) to measure the respondents' perceived learning barriers. It is a 45-item instrument that was classified into eight (8) factors: administrative and instructor issues, social interaction, academic skills, technical skills, learner motivation, time and support for studies, cost and access to the internet, and technical problems. Respondents will rate each barrier identified by Muilenburg & Berge (2005) according to the five-point Likert scale choices: 1–no barrier, 2-weak barrier, 3-moderate barrier, 4-strong barrier, and 5-very strong barrier. The Motivation to Learn Online Questionnaire (MLOQ), adapted from Fowler (2018), is designed to assess differences in student motivation in online and traditional classes. Students will rate themselves on a 5- point Likert scale from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree." The Resilience questionnaire is a 25-item Connor-Davidson (2003) Resilience Scale. Respondents rate items on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 (not true at all) to 4 (true nearly all the time). Each item has a minimum score of 0 and a maximum score of 4. Scores are then totaled with a possible range from 0 to 100. Higher scores reflect more heightened sense of resilience. Data Gathering Procedure The researchers underwent several procedures to acquire the necessary data to complete this study. First, a letter of permission was crafted and submitted to the Office of the Dean of the College of Education of Mindanao State University- General Santos City to conduct the study as well as regarding the involvement of selected Bachelor of Elementary Education (BEEd) students in all year levels as respondents of this study. Following approval, the Secretary of the Federation of Elementary Educators obtained a master list of the entire population of respondents. This served as a guideline for selecting respondents using the stratified sampling technique. As soon as the sample frame was finalized, the researchers sent the respondents a link 210 Journal of Science and Education (JSE), Vol. 3, No. 3, March 2023, pp. 206-220 that would take them to the online survey questionnaire. Finally, the researchers collected and analyzed the survey questionnaire responses. Statistical Treatment of the Data The gathered data for this study were treated using frequency count and weighted mean. To determine the students’ perceived level of psychological distress on emergency remote education, frequency count was used (Table 1). Table 1. Perceived Level of Psychological Distress Level/Disorder Depression Anxiety Stress Normal 0-9 0-7 0-14 Mild 10-13 8-9 15-18 Moderate 14-20 10-14 19-25 Severe 21-27 15-19 26-33 Extremely Severe ≥28 ≥20 ≥34 A five-point scale was utilized to measure the extent of the experienced learning barriers of BEED students. This is shown Table 2 below. Table 2. Verbal Interpretation of Experienced Learning Scale Range Description Verbal Interpretation 1 1.00-1.79 No Barrier Very Low Extent 2 1.80-2.59 Weak Barrier Low Extent 3 2.60-3.39 Moderate Barrier Moderate Extent 4 3.40-4.19 Strong Barrier Great Extent 5 4.20-5.00 Very Strong Barrier Very Great Extent A five-point scale was utilized to measure the students’ motivation level on emergency remote education. This is shown Tanle 2 below. Table 3. Verbal Interpretation of Motivation Level Scale Range Description Verbal Interpretation 1 1.00-1.79 Strongly Disagree Very Low Level 2 1.80-2.59 Disagree Low Level 3 2.60-3.39 Uncertain Average Level 4 3.40-4.19 Agree High Level 5 4.20-5.00 Strongly Agree Very High Level A five-point scale was utilized to measure the students’ resilience level on emergency remote education. This is shown Table 4 below. Table 4. Verbal Interpretation of Resilience Level Scale Range Description Verbal Interpretation 1 1.00-1.79 Not true at all Very Low Level 2 1.80-2.59 Rarely true Low Level 3 2.60-3.39 Sometimes true Average Level 4 3.40-4.19 Often true High Level 5 4.20-5.00 True nearly all the time Very High Level https://jse.rezkimedia.org/index.php/jse/index Bauya, Cacayan, & Ulanday-Lozano – Perceived psychological distress and learning barriers … 211 Finally, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation on Coefficient was utilized to find the correlation between psychological distress and learning barriers associated with students’ motivation and resilience during emergency remote education. The test was carried out at a significant level of 0.05. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The data show (Figure 2) the students' perceived level of psychological distress in emergency remote education. On depression, 26.9% of the respondents (64 students out of 238) had an extremely severe level of depression, while 17. 6% or 42 students have severe depression. Unfortunately, only 15.1% or 36 students are considered normal. Regarding anxiety, 62.6% of the respondents (149 students) suffer from extremely severe levels of anxiety, whereas only 4.2% of the respondents, or 10 out of 238 students, are normal. Concerning stress, 33.6% of the respondents comprised 80 students had a moderate level of stress, and 30.3% or 72 students had extremely severe stress. Whereas only 5.5% or 13 students have a normal level of stress. Overall, 26.9% of the respondents had an extremely severe level of depression, 62.6% suffered from extremely severe levels of anxiety, and 33.6% had a moderate level of stress. This implies that students in emergency remote education have perceived levels of psychological distress from moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress. Figure 2. Perceived Level of Psychological Distress of the Students on Emergency Remote Education Meanwhile, it is to be highlighted that DASS-21, as a standardized test, comes with its disclaimer on how to interpret its results: “The DASS-21 is based on a dimensional rather than a categorical conception of psychological disorder. The assumption on which the DASS-21 development was based (and which was confirmed by the research data) is that the differences between the depression, anxiety and stress experienced by normal subjects and clinical populations are essentially differences in degree. The DASS-21, therefore, has no direct implications for the allocation of patients to discrete diagnostic categories postulated in classificatory systems such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).” Hence, given the nature of this research and the 212 Journal of Science and Education (JSE), Vol. 3, No. 3, March 2023, pp. 206-220 questionnaires, the results presented are not conclusive of any clinical implications and/or diagnosis of any of the students who have participated in the study. Notwithstanding, the present study reveals alarming levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, implying that students have developed psychological distress in emergency remote education. This corroborates with previous studies, which highlighted that students nowadays are experiencing increased depression, anxiety, and stress (Aslan et al., 2020; Son et al., 2020). In the Philippine setting, the psychological distress experienced by the students is reflected in many of the context-based psychological measures of disorders experienced by Filipino citizens (Montano & Acebes, 2020; Tee et al., 2020). Studies reported that Filipino students in the new learning platform have severe levels of psychological distress (Rotas & Cahapay, 2020; Pusta et al., 2022). In addition, the study by Tus (2021) reported that more than half of the students are experiencing moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Specifically, out of 259 respondents, 32.84% have severe depression level, 54.85% have extremely severe anxiety level, and 39.5% have moderate stress level. Moreover, according to Shaikh et al. (2021), the Philippines had higher depression, anxiety, and stress levels when compared to Egypt, Pakistan, India, and Ghana. According to Lim et al. (2022), the activities implemented by the different schools on emergency remote education significantly affect students’ mental well-being. Thus, the abrupt transition led to depression, anxiety, and stress for several students due to the lack of time to adjust to the remote learning modality. Figure 3. Extent Students Experienced the Learning Barriers on Emergency Remote Education The data (Figure 3) presents the extent of students’ experienced learning barriers on emergency remote education. Students experience learning barriers in terms of cost and access to the internet (χ = 3.49), technical problems (χ = 3.29), learner motivation (χ = 3.26), time and support for studies (χ = 3.14), social interactions (χ = 3.11), academic skills (χ = 2.85), administrative/instructor issues (χ = 2.69), and technical skills (χ = 2.37). The overall mean of learning barriers is (χ = 2.94) described as a moderate barrier. This https://jse.rezkimedia.org/index.php/jse/index Bauya, Cacayan, & Ulanday-Lozano – Perceived psychological distress and learning barriers … 213 implies that students have a moderate extent of experienced learning barriers on emergency remote education. This finding is coherent with a national survey by Baticulon et al. (2021), which revealed that students in the Philippines encountered learning barriers as they adapted to emergency remote education. Moreover, recent studies showed significant challenges experienced by students during emergency remote education. These are administrative/instructor issues, technical problems, technical skills, time and support for studies, learner motivation, social interactions, cost and access to the internet, and academic skills (Jingco et al., 2021). Among the eight (8) factors of learning barriers on emergency remote education, cost and access to the internet obtained the highest (χ = 3.49), whereas technical skills had the lowest (χ = 2.37), interpreted as a low extent of barrier, thus, interpreted as a moderate extent of barrier. In coherence with Aung & Khaing's (2015) findings, students nowadays have greater computer and internet experience; thus, they perceive technical skills as an advantage rather than a barrier to learning. However, cost and access to the internet are of major concern for instructors and students in the new learning platform (Mahmud, 2010). Besides, previous literature revealed that students' unwillingness to participate well in the new learning modality is influenced by the high cost of technological resources and inadequate internet access (Sinha & Bagarukayo, 2019; Nambiar, 2020). Table 5. Level of Students' Motivation for Learning during the Pandemic Indicators Mean Description 1. I enjoy online classes. 3.17 Uncertain 2. I feel "disconnected" from my teacher and fellow students in online classes. 3.00 Uncertain 3. I learn the content well in online classes. 3.00 Uncertain 4. I have control over my online learning process. 3.38 Uncertain 5. Online classes are easy for me. 2.36 Disagree 6. I pay attention in online classes. 3.26 Uncertain 7. I like online classes because they fit my personal schedule. 2.92 Uncertain 8. I choose online classes because they fit my personal schedule. 2.81 Uncertain 9. I feel like I can freely communicate with other students in online classes. 2.85 Uncertain 10. I feel like I can freely communicate with my instructor in online classes. 2.70 Uncertain 11. I think my online classes are challenging. 4.24 Agree 12. Cheating on tests is easy when done online. 3.17 Uncertain 13. I prefer online materials that really challenges me, so I can learn new things. 3.21 Uncertain 14. If I study in appropriate ways online, then I'll be able to learn the material. 3.92 Agree 15. When I take online tests, I think about how poorly I'm doing compared with other students. 3.56 Agree 16. I believe I'll receive excellent grades in my online classes. 2.99 Uncertain 17. I'm certain I can understand the most difficult material presented in the readings online. 2.74 Uncertain 18. Getting a good grade is the most satisfying thing for me during the online modality. 3.74 Agree 19. When I take online tests, I think about items on other parts of the tests I can't answer. 3.63 Agree 214 Journal of Science and Education (JSE), Vol. 3, No. 3, March 2023, pp. 206-220 20. It's my own fault if I don't learn the online material taught. 3.80 Agree 21. The most important thing for me in online classes is to improve my overall grade point average, so my concern is getting a good grade. 3.56 Agree 22. I'm confident I can learn the basic concepts that are being taught online. 3.58 Agree 23. I want to get better grades than most of the other students in my online classes. 2.98 Uncertain 24. When I take online tests, I think of the consequences of failing. 3.84 Agree 25. I'm confident I can understand the most complex material presented by the instructor. 2.87 Uncertain 26. I prefer online material that arouses my curiosity, even if it's difficult to learn. 3.29 Uncertain 27. If I try hard enough, then I'll understand the material presented online. 3.91 Agree 28. I have an uneasy, upset feeling when I take online exams. 3.66 Agree 29. I'm confident I can do an excellent job on assignments and tests online. 3.12 Uncertain 30. I expect to do well in online classes. 3.36 Uncertain 31. The most satisfying thing for me is trying to understand the content as thoroughly as possible during online classes. 3.90 Agree 32. During online classes, I choose assignments that I can learn from even if they don't guarantee a good grade. 3.47 Uncertain 33. If I don't understand the material presented online, it's because I didn't try hard enough. 3.51 Agree 34. When taking online exams, I feel my heart beating fast. 4.21 Agree 35. I'm certain I can master the skills being taught online. 2.96 Uncertain 36. I want to do well in my online classes because it's important to show my ability to my family, friends, employer, or others. 3.76 Agree 37. Considering the difficulty of the online classes, the teachers, and my skills, I think I can do well. 3.56 Agree Overall Mean 3.35 Uncertain The data above (Table 5) shows the level of students’ motivation for learning during the pandemic. The students agree that they think their online classes are challenging (χ = 4.24) and when taking online exams, they feel their hearts beating fast (χ = 4.21). For the students, the most satisfying thing for them is trying to understand the content thoroughly as possible during online classes (χ = 3.90). If they try hard enough, then they will understand the material presented online (χ = 3.91). And, when they study in appropriate ways online, then they will be able to learn the material. It appears that students show motivation in online classes because they find ways on how to learn the materials presented online. Indeed, the students are expected to do well in online classes (χ = 3.36). They learn the content well in online class (χ = 3.00) and they believe that they will receive excellent grades in online classes. On contrary, the students disagree that their online classes are easy for them (χ = 2.36). They just chose online class because they think that it will fit their schedule (χ = 2.81) or they have no choice at all. The result shows low scores on that they can freely communicate with their instructor (χ = 2.70) why it is done online, and the barriers were set too high. They are not certain that they can understand the most difficult material presented online (χ = 2.74) they also got low scores when asked if they enjoy the class discussions online (χ = 2.82). The overall mean of students’ motivation is (χ = 3.35), described as uncertain. The findings show an average level of motivation. This indicates that students are generally motivated to learn during emergency remote education. https://jse.rezkimedia.org/index.php/jse/index Bauya, Cacayan, & Ulanday-Lozano – Perceived psychological distress and learning barriers … 215 Table 6. Level of Students' Emotional Resilience during the Pandemic Indicators Mean Description 1. I am able to adapt when changes occur. 2.78 Often true 2. I have at least one close and secure relationship that helps me when I am stressed. 3.00 Often true 3. When there are no clear solutions to my problems, sometimes fate or God can help. 3.53 True nearly all the time 4. I can deal with whatever comes my way. 2.92 Often true 5. Past successes give me confidence in dealing with new challenges and difficulties 3.22 Often true 6. I try to see the humorous side of things when I am faced with problems 3.08 Often true 7. Having to cope with stress can make me stronger. 3.24 Often true 8. I tend to bounce back after illness, injury, or other hardships. 2.95 Often true 9. Good or bad, I believe that most things happen for a reason 3.60 True nearly all the time 10. I give my best effort no matter what the outcome may be 3.33 Often true 11. I believe that I can achieve my goals, even if there are obstacles. 3.54 True nearly all the time 12. Even when things look hopeless, I don’t give up. 3.47 Often true 13. During times of stress/crisis, I know where to turn for help. 2.98 Often true 14. Under pressure, I stay focused and think clearly. Under pressure, I stay focused and think clearly. 2.74 Often true 15.I prefer to take the lead in solving problems rather than letting others make all the decisions. 2.71 Often true 16. I am not easily discouraged by failure. 2.53 Often true 17. I think of myself as a strong person when dealing with life’s challenges and difficulties. 3.07 Often true 18. I can make unpopular or difficult decisions that affect other people, if necessary. 2.38 Sometimes true 19.I am able to handle unpleasant or painful feelings like sadness, fear, and anger 2.71 Often true 20.In dealing with life’s problems, sometimes you have to act on a hunch without knowing why. 2.71 Often true 21.I have a strong sense of purpose in life. 3.04 Often true 22.I feel in control of my life. 2.67 Often true 23.I like challenges. 2.53 Often true 24.I work to attain my goals no matter what roadblocks I encounter along the way. 3.31 Often true 25.I take pride in my achievements. 2.96 Often true Mean 3.00 Often true It is presented above (Table 6) the students' resilience level during the pandemic. They believe that it is true nearly all the time that good or bad, most things happen for a reason (χ = 3.60) and they can achieve their goals, even if there are obstacles (χ = 3.54). They believe that when there are no clear solutions to their problems, fate or God can help (χ = 3.53). However, it is sometimes true that they can make unpopular or difficult decisions that affect other people, if necessary (χ = 2.38) It is often true that they are not easily discouraged by failure (χ = 2.53) Whereas, they like challenges (χ = 2.53). The overall mean of students’ resilience is (χ = 3.00), described as often true. This indicates that students have an average resilience level today. It implies that students show resilience during emergency remote education. 216 Journal of Science and Education (JSE), Vol. 3, No. 3, March 2023, pp. 206-220 Labrague et al. (2020) pointed out that individuals with high resilience and have more effective coping mechanisms can adapt to life adversities and keep functioning well - physically and psychologically. Despite the Philippines being ranked 66th out of 85 nations in terms of internet connection quality by Surfshark in its 2020 digital quality of life assessment (Tadalan, 2021), students are still willing to join online classes. They find the learning modalities challenging during this remote education, and they have a lot of inhibitions regarding the online evaluation. They should be instructed to become familiar with online modalities to cope with and comprehend the online materials. Students are expected to read, understand, and complete work without the assistance of teachers in the new setting. They are compelled to learn independently and on their own. The requirement obliges them to actively participate in online classes with awareness, learn new things and interact with the teacher and other students (Knowles & Kerkman, 2017). Table 7. Relationship between the Experienced Psychological Distress and Learning Barriers Correlate with the Motivation and Resilience of Students Variables Correlated r r2 p-value Extent of Relationship Remark Psychological Distress and Motivation of Students -.046 .002 .479 Very Low Not Significant Psychological Distress and Resilience of Students -.228 .051 .000 Low Significant Learning Barriers and Motivation of Students -.162 .026 .012 Very Low Significant Learning Barriers and Resilience of Students -.142 .020 .028 Very Low Significant The data above (Table 7) reveal the relationship between the experienced psychological distress and learning barriers in correlation with the motivation and resilience of the students. A Pearson's product- moment correlation (Pearson r) is computed to assess the relationship between the experienced psychological distress and learning barriers correlate with the motivation and resilience of students. There is no significant correlation between psychological distress and motivation of the students, r (238) = -.046, p =.479 > .05, explaining 0.2% of the variations in the motivation of the students. These results imply that the students' psychological distress does not influence their motivation. On the other hand, there is a significant low negative correlation between psychological distress and resilience of students, r (238) = -.228, p =.000 < .05, explaining 5.1% of the variations in the resilience of the students. These results imply that the psychological distress of the students influences their resilience. The higher the extent of their psychological distress, the lower their resiliency. Also, the lower the extent of their psychological distress, the higher their resiliency. In addition, there is a significant low negative correlation between learning barriers and motivation of the students, r (238) = -.162, p =.012 < .05, explaining 2.6% of the variations in the motivation of the students. These results indicate that the learning barriers significantly influence the students' motivation. The https://jse.rezkimedia.org/index.php/jse/index Bauya, Cacayan, & Ulanday-Lozano – Perceived psychological distress and learning barriers … 217 higher the level of their learning barriers, the lower their motivation. In addition, the lower the level of their learning barriers, the higher their motivation. Furthermore, there is a significant low negative correlation between learning barriers and resilience of students, r (238) = -.142, p =.018 < .05, explaining 2.0% of the variations in the resilience of the students. These results suggest that the learning barriers significantly influence the students' resilience. The higher the level of their learning barriers, the lower their resilience. In addition, the lower the level of their learning barriers, the higher their resilience. Generally, since there is a low negative correlation between psychological distress and learning barriers to the motivation and resilience of the students, then it indicates that there are other factors that influence students’ motivation and resilience other than psychological distress and learning barriers. In connection to previous studies, the factors influencing the student’s motivation and resilience are assessment and school engagement (Simon, 2019; Leenknecht et al., 2020; Cents-Boonstra et al., 2021; Romano et al., 2021). CONCLUSION Based on the findings, it was found that the students have extremely severe depression level, extremely severe anxiety level, and moderate stress level which implies that students in emergency remote education have perceived levels of psychological distress from moderate to extremely severe depression, anxiety and stress. In addition, the students have experienced learning barriers during emergency remote education to a moderate extent. The results also revealed that during remote learning, students are generally motivated to learn and are resilient. Furthermore, it was found in this study that psychological distress significantly influences the resilience of students, but it does not influence the motivation of the students, whereas, learning barriers significantly influence both motivation and resilience of the students. Other factors that influence students’ motivation and resilience other than psychological distress and learning barriers can be explored further in future studies. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors are grateful to the Mindanao State University-General Santos City -College of Education, Bachelor of Elementary Education Department for the permission to conduct this research. The proponents are equally thankful to the respondents for all their efforts and inputs in support of this undertaking. Also, to their beloved family and friends for their encouragement, trust, and valuable support in terms of financial assistance to make this study possible. Above all, they are thankful to Almighty God, for the guidance, good health, knowledge, and wisdom that made the researchers finish this study. REFERENCES Aoyama, H. (1954). A study of stratified random sampling. Ann. Inst. Stat. 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