Barriers and Enablers of Online Instruction in Hospitality Education in the Philippines: An Exploratory Study
Teaching hands-on subjects like cooking online? New study reveals key barriers and enablers.
A new exploratory study from researchers at multiple Philippine universities (Cruz et al., 2026) investigates the barriers and enablers of online instruction in hospitality education, a field heavily reliant on hands-on training. Using a sequential exploratory design, the team interviewed hospitality teachers from both public and private higher education institutions, then transformed the resulting themes into survey constructs tested for reliability. Thematic analysis revealed four key areas: technological barriers, pedagogical challenges, institutional and personal support, and integration of artificial intelligence (AI). Pedagogical challenges—including difficulties teaching practical subjects like food preparation and hotel management, and sustaining student engagement in virtual settings—emerged as the most critical concern. Technological barriers such as unstable internet connectivity and limited device access were rated as moderate obstacles. Institutional and personal support received mixed evaluations from teachers, indicating inconsistent backing from schools and colleagues.
Interestingly, teachers viewed AI integration as a helpful tool for enhancing online instruction but expressed caution and emphasized the urgent need for proper training to use AI responsibly. The reliability analysis showed acceptable to good internal consistency across all constructs, lending credibility to the findings. The study concludes that strengthening pedagogical training for online delivery, providing clear institutional support, and fostering responsible competence in AI use are essential for improving online hospitality education in the Philippines. The researchers recommend future studies validate these results with larger, more diverse samples to generalize the findings beyond the current context. Published in the Proceedings of the 2025 COSITE conference and available on arXiv, this work provides actionable insights for educators and policymakers navigating the shift to digital learning in skill-based disciplines.
- Pedagogical challenges—teaching hands-on hospitality skills and sustaining engagement—were the most critical barrier identified by teachers.
- Technological barriers like unstable internet and limited devices were rated as moderate obstacles, not the primary issue.
- AI integration is seen as helpful for online instruction, but teachers stress the need for formal training to use it responsibly.
Why It Matters
Insights guide educators and policymakers in improving online learning for hands-on fields like hospitality.