According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), CICLs are often faced with socioeconomic challenges, including suffering from poverty, coming from a dysfunctional family, and experiencing peer pressure. Interventions provided to these children must be geared toward their holistic development ranging from education and skills development to rehabilitation and counseling (UNICEF, 2004, as cited in UNODC, n.d.). However, in many countries, there remains a lack of child-sensitive justice systems and rehabilitation programs. Without such measures, CICLs are at risk of experiencing further abuse. 

The Philippines’ Juvenile Justice Law, authored by Former Senator Francis Pangilinan, is the country’s response to the call for the protection of CICLs' rights. The law mandates that CICLs undergo rehabilitation in youth rehabilitation centers or community settings. Youth rehabilitation centers are homelike facilities designed for CICLs who are required to undergo rehabilitation. They are placed under the care of social workers and houseparents and are provided with support services, including education and recreational programs. 

CICLs in youth rehabilitation centers can continue their studies with a modular learning approach facilitated by Alternative Learning System (ALS) teachers. DepEd (2022) defines modular learning as a distance learning modality where learners use self-learning modules and teacher-made resources like handouts and worksheets. The presence of more knowledgeable others (MKOs) to assist learners, especially at lower grade levels, in such a learning setup proved beneficial. 

In choosing a topic for my research project, I interviewed employees of Tanglaw Pag-asa and reviewed existing studies to ensure the topic was relevant to my project site’s needs. The keywords I used to find relevant reference materials include "modular learning, children in conflict with the law, alternative learning system, interventions, and motivation." 

The project aimed to describe the modular learning experiences of Tanglaw Pag-asa residents, as there was a lack of research on the topic. The following questions guided me in identifying the appropriate research design and methods for the study: 

The qualitative descriptive research design was deemed most suitable for this project, as it aimed to describe residents’ experiences. According to McCombes (2019), this research design is best used when little is known about the population or phenomenon the researcher aims to describe. The participants in the study are Tanglaw Pag-asa residents in senior high school. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Lessons from the Introduction to Education Research (EDS 195) and Education Research Methods (EDS 196) subjects provided direction for my research project. They served as my basis for determining the appropriate data collection and analysis methods for my research topic. As discussed in the latter, the nature of the research will determine the methods you will use in the study.

The theories I used to interpret the data are the Expectancy Theory of Motivation and the Sociocultural Theory. The former suggests that motivation is influenced by the importance attached to the expected learning outcomes, self-efficacy, and the perceived difficulty of the task while the latter focuses on how interactions with MKOs support and enhance learning. 

My goal for this project is to help enhance the learning experiences of CICLs by identifying their needs and the factors influencing their motivation. As previously mentioned, residents of Tanglaw Pag-asa are under a modular learning setup. While this learning modality has advantages like allowing students to learn at their own pace, maintaining students’ motivation and engagement can be challenging without direct and constant supervision from teachers.