The struggles against the COVID-19 pandemic impacted all factors of human society. These have led to numerous disruptions, including, but not limited to, travel restrictions, school closures, the global economic downturn, political conflicts, racism, and misinformation and controversies. The educational sector was one of the most affected (Tria 2020, 2-4). The department shifted from traditional classrooms to the “new normal” for the 2020-2021 school year in response to pandemic challenges. To ensure quality education access, the department introduced Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) alongside various delivery methods like modular, television-based, radio-based instruction, blended, and online learning. 

Additionally, the Division of Zamboanga Sibugay introduced the GIYA (Guided, Integrated, Yearning, Activities) Modules as the primary learning resource for both learners and teachers. To support its implementation, the bi-weekly virtual sessions called Consultation and Remediation via Virtual Enhancement (CARVE) were conducted. CARVE served as an active strategy to address gaps in understanding and application, providing feedback, guidance, and remediation to learners. Together, these innovations aim to enhance teachers’ instructional performance and improve students’ academic achievement. 

The study examined SHS learners’ living conditions, parents’ educational and employment status, 4Ps beneficiary status, and access to learning resources. It also explored teacher-learner gaps affecting academic performance in the new normal and sought ways for CARVE to help address these challenges. The research focused on addressing academic difficulties faced by Senior High School (SHS) learners during the use of Self-Learning Modules (SLMs) in the “new normal.” It evaluated the effectiveness of the Consultation and Remediation via Virtual Enhancement (CARVE) intervention in bridging gaps between teachers and learners. Specifically, it explored learners’ home environments, parental education, employment status, and resource availability; identified barriers to academic performance; and assessed CARVE’s impact on overcoming these challenges.  

The study was conducted using the Learner Enrolment and Survey Forms (LESF), Individual Learning Monitoring Plans (ILMP), pre-tests and post-tests (quasi-experimental design), and weekly CARVE reports to gather and analyze data on learner progress and the intervention’s effectiveness. The study involved forty (40) learners of Sulo National High School- Senior High Department SY 2020-2021 of which twenty-eight (28) are Grade 11 and twelve (12) are Grade 12. The other nineteen (19) learners were not included because they were already part of another intervention.  Before the study was conducted, permission from the respondents was sought through an Informed Consent. 

The study’s findings can inform future curriculum planning and development, whether for modular or face-to-face classes, given the importance of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) integration in contemporary teaching and learning in the 21st century.