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CHAPTER I The Problem and Its Background
Introduction
There have been many man y studies conducted to determine the factors that may affect students’ academic performance. This study focuses on how being Balik-aral being Balik-aral affects student’s academic performance. Balik-aral performance. Balik-aral refers to a learner who finished a grade level, stopped schooling and then enrolled in the next grade level after a year or more. One of the consequences of being Balik-aral being Balik-aral is that they have an age older than their classmates. It means some balik-aral students students may be one year older than their classmates or more. According to the study of Coleman, Campbell, Hobson, McParland, Mood, Weinfield, York (1966) and White’s White’s (1982), as students become older, the correlation between age and school achievement diminishes. Crosser (1991), Kinard & Reinherz (1986), and La Paro & Pianta (2000) presented an evidence that older students fare better academically than their younger, age appropriate peers. While, De Meis & Steams (1992) and Dietz & Wilson (1985) found no significant relation between age and achievement. Balik-aral achievement. Balik-aral students are different from repeater students because balik-arals chose du e to balik-arals chose to stop their studies due some reasons while Repeaters refers to students who repeat a grade because during the previous year, they failed the grade. Some students chose to stop schooling and later on decided to return to school after a year they are out of school or more. The researchers would like to know the advantages and disadvantages of being a Balik-aral a Balik-aral and if this has an impact to student’s academic student’s academic performance.
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Paradigm of the Study
INPUT
PROCESS
OUTPUT
Semi-structured Interview
Advantages and Disadvantages of being a Balik-aral
Reasons why students stopped their studies
Reasons why students return to school
Student’s experience as a Balik-aral
Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study.
Discussion
To obtain the desired output which is the advantages and disadvantages of being a Balikaral , the researchers will get the reasons why students stopped their studies, why they decided to return and their experience as a Balik-aral student through the process of semi-structured interview.
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Statement of the Problem
Many students chose to stop their studies due to different reasons that will also be a part of this research. Some students tend to realize that the remaining years that they were supposedly studying is still an opportunity that’s why they chose to return in school eve n though they are older than their classmates. The researchers would like to know the advantages and disadvantages of being a Balik-aral and if this has an impact to student’s academic performance. The following questions aim to support this topic: 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a Balik-aral ? 2. How did they cope with the challenges in returning to school? 3. Is there an impact of being balik-aral to student’s academic performance?
Hypothesis
HO: There is no significant effect of being Balik-aral to their academic performance. HA: There is a significant effect of being Balik-aral to their academic performance.
Significance of the Study
This research was conducted to determine the advantages and disadvantages of being Balik-aral and if this has an impact to student’s academic performance. The findings of this research would be beneficial especially to the following:
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Students. The results will provide the students with some knowledge about Balik-aral s. It will
give them a better understanding about Balik-aral students and to avoid making some judgments to them. Teachers. Like the students, the teachers will understand too their students who are Balik-aral.
Teachers would be able to understand how being Balik-aral affects their academic performance and if this has a negative impact, later on, help them. Future Researchers. This study will bring benefits to future researchers as it will serve as their
secondary data for their studies relative to this research.
Scope and Delimitation
The study will focus on grade 11 students in Dapdap High School who are Balik-aral. However, the study will not focus on other issues such as dropouts and repeaters.
Definition of Terms Balik-aral – a learner who finished a grade level, stopped schooling and then enrolled in the
next grade level after a year or more.
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CHAPTER II Literature Review
This chapter includes the ideas, finished thesis, generalizations or conclusions of related literatures and studies. Those that were included in this chapter helps in familiarizing information that are relevant and similar to the present study.
Foreign
There are many consequences of being a balik-aral student. One of these is having an age older than their classmates. In an age where students, teachers, and schools are judged based on standardized test scores, it is important to consider the possible advantage an older student might have over a younger one (Oyles, 2011). Thomas, Beeby and Oram (1939), DEL (1961), and Orr (1974) studies have shown that those who are delay in entering school for a year or more were more successful than those who entered direct from school. While, there are studies saying that those students who admitted early education fared better than those whose entry was delayed, as seen in the study of Kapur (1972). According to Harris (1940), the relationship between age and performance disappeared when he controlled for intelligence. Another consequence of being a Balik-aral is that they are mature than their younger classmates. In United Kingdom, mature student is defined as someone who is aged 21 years or older on admission to universities. But, mature student can also be a person who begins their studies after leaving a school at least 1 year. That is why they are older than most of the people they are studying with.
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Some students decided to return to school aiming to broaden their career choice or shifting into a different setting. Students who are re-entering school, sometimes after a gap of several decades will likely to have challenges. The most common problem reported by mature students is that they are having difficulties to get back into the mindset of studying such as reading textbooks, retaining into heard lectures or found in articles and making notes that you can still make sense of when you read them back later (EducationGuardian.co.uk, 2005). In addition to that, mature students find themselves struggling with the demands of families, study, and school works. All of these may be difficult at any age as a student, but because they are almost exclusive to academic work, the longer you've been out of study, the more difficult it is for them. But, previous research indicates that mature students attain higher levels of academic achievement than their younger peers (Smithers and Griffin, 1986; Maynard, 1992; Hoskins et al., 1997). Mature students also outperformed their younger peers in terms of languages (Johnes, 1992) and in arts and social sciences subjects (Walker,1975). There are also studies showed that female mature students outperforming male students (Woodley, 1984; Hoskins et al., 1 997). Similar study was made by Baxter and Britton (2001) where they interviewed mature students about their perception and experience as a mature student. The students in the study identified two key themes when talking about how education has changed them. First is that they are becoming more assertive and confident, while the second is the y are taking a new language of academia. This can be a process of acquiring new forms of knowledge through education, which has significant effects on their sense of self, as well as on relations with their friends.
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Foreign
Despite of all the consequences of being balik-aral , the reasons why students stopped their studies may also have an impact to their academic performance. One reason of students leaving school is having a financial problem. Some students chose to return to school even they are still working. A major factor in determining the positive and negative effects of employment on the academic performance of students is their GPA (Grade Point Average). One would conclude that because time and energy are finite resources, jobs would be a distraction in studying and can be harmful to student's GPA (Dundes, 2006). In addition, Dundes (2006) stated that jobs can only be harmful to student's GPA if the number of work hours per week exceeds 20 hours. While the students who work fewer than 15 hours per week often reported with higher GPAs. Other studies concluded that only on-campus employment had a positive influence on academic performance. Lederman (2009) reported that working more than 20 hours a week has a negative impact to student's grades whether on or off campus employment. However, the study also found that students who work 20 hours or less on campus has a positive effect due to enhanced integration with institution, including involvement with other students and faculty. According to the study of Robinson (1999) about the effects of part-time work on school students, having a part-time job while at school is one of the ways in which a young person can achieve a smoother transition into later full-time employment. Labor market outcomes were also positive for student-workers as seen in this research. Students gain knowledge about labor market and develop skills that will be advantage to them at least in the early years of leaving school. In addition, the findings of this study indicate that having part-time jobs do not put risk their likelihood of success at school, for they don 't work for longer hours.
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Another reason why students stopped their studies is being dropped out. There has been much research conducted about preventing high school dropouts and identifying risk factors involved to it. Although research shows that life can be difficult economically and socially fot high school dropouts, some adults decided to return to school (Brooks, 2015). A variety of factors can motivate a return to school including parental pressures, recognition of the economic benefits obtained from the completion of a diploma and disappointing labor market experiences. Dropouts may have left school with the intention of returning for it is meant as just a temporary absence from school. Dropouts may find themselves in a situation that leads them to leave school even though they wish to complete high school. This ma ybe because of personal circumstances, family situation, and temporary difficulties either an academic or financial nature (Raymond, 2008). According to the findings of Brook (2015) study, the main reason why students dropped out is having a lack of counselor at school, lived in unstable environment, or many living with single parent. In addition, Brooks (2015) found that participants decided to return to school because many jobs are requiring a diploma to get hired or they are unable to promote at their current job due to the lack of degree. Workers with no high school diploma tend to have greater difficulty securing a well-paying job and also tend to be more vulnerable to economic shocks. Their wages are on average lower than those of workers with a high school diploma (Ferrer & Riddell, 2001). Dropping out of high school is for some, not a "permanent" condition; they dropped out of school but later return with the intention of completing their studies (Raymond, 2008). As similar to Brooks (2015) study, the second chance system offers the opportunity to dropouts to indeed go back and complete the requirements for their high school diploma. According to Raymond (2008) study, some 29% of young dropouts aged 20-24 returned to school in 2004/2005.
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CHAPTER III Methodology
This chapter defines the design of the research and states the research questions, ho w the data will be gathered, ethical considerations, and trustworthiness and validity of research.
Research Design
In order to determine the advantages and disadvantages of being a Balik-aral and if this has an impact to student’s academic performance, the researchers chose the case study method. Yin (1983) defines case study as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident, and in which multiple sources of evidence are used (Yin, 1984, p. 23). Case studies are in depth investigations of a single person, group, event o community. Typically, data are gathered from a variety of sources and by using several methods. Case studies allow an investigation to retain the meaningful characteristics of real-life events such as for example, an individual life cycles (Yin, 1983, p.3). The essence of a study, the central tendency among all types of case study, is that it tries to illuminate a decision or sets of decisions; why they were taken, how they were implemented, and with what result (Schramm, 1971). The case study inquiry relies on multiple sources of evidence, with data needing to converge in a triangulation fashion and as another result. Case study is not a data collection procedure but a comprehensive research strategy (Stoecker, 1991).
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Selection of Participants
In selecting participants, the researchers will focus only to grade 11 students of Dapdap High School. In order to determine the students who are Balik-aral , the researchers will give a letter to the advisers and later on, interview those balik-arals.
Why a Case Study?
The researchers chose the case study method because it best fit this research. Case studies are based on an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event to explore the causes of underlying principles. The researchers chose the case study method because they want to understand a real-life phenomenon in depth such as cases of Balik-arals. This study also wants to know the advantages and disadvantages of being a Balik-aral which is too complex for survey or experimental strategies.
Defining the Case
This research is about Balik-aral students in Dapdap High School who are in 11th grade. This study seeks to know the advantages and disadvantages of being balik-aral and if this has an impact to student's academic performance.
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Data Collection Procedures
In this research, the answers to the questions will be gathered by collecting and analyzing data from personal interviews. All of the Balik-arals coming from grade 11 will be selected to have their different reasons and experiences. While, those who are not willing to participate will not be included in this study as a respect for them. The participants will be informed that the researchers will ask information as a help to their study. The participants will be also notified that their privacy would be kept protected (unless they allowed the researchers to reveal their name) and they will be allowed to review the data that was gathered from them. A semi-structured interview will be used in this research. Interview is just similar to a questionnaire that asks a set of questions but here, it is done orally. An interview format is frequently used in social issues and other phenomenon because it provides some guidance to participants on what to talk about. A semi-structured interview is a type of interview that consists of a set of questions but also allows the interviewer or interviewee to diverge in order to elaborate and give response in more detail. The researchers will have a personal interview, particularly a semi-structured with Balik-aral students as well as their advisers to support the information that they will give. After the interview with the advisers of each Balik-aral students, the researchers will ask their advisers to take a look at their grades or scores (if they will be allowed) as a support to the information gathered from both students and teachers.
Ethical Considerations
In order to promote Ethical considerations in this research, the researchers will inform their participants to the possible negative effects they may experience during the interview or while
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making this study. The participants may feel judged, uncomfortable, self-pity, and low selfesteem while interviewing them as a Balik-aral student but the researchers will assure that the y will be treated with respect and without judgment. The researchers will make a consent form which will state the purpose, procedures, possible negative effects of this study that will be read and signed by the participants before the interview.
Trustworthiness and Validity of Research
In order to keep the study unbiased or keep the accuracy and validity of the research, the researchers will use a triangulation method. Methodology triangulation or also called “cross examination” uses more than two methods in a study for double checking results. In this study, the researchers will use interview, content analysis, and observation. The conclusions from these methods will be compared to see if there will be similar results and to confirm the accuracy of the researchers' interpretation of the data. Moreover, the researcher will ask an expert to validate the interview questions they have made.
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References
Baxter, A. & Britton, C. (2001). Risk, Identity, and change: Becoming a Mature Student. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 11(1), 87-104. Brooks, C.G. (2015). A study of How Former High School Droputs View the Reasons The y Dropped out and Why They Returned. Electronic Theses, Pojects, and Disssertations. Paper 201. Coleman, J., Campbell, E., Hobson, C., McParland, J., Mood, A., Weinfield, F., & York, R. (1966). Equality of educational opportunity. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Crosser, S.L. (1991). Summer birth date children: Kindergarten entrance age and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 84 (3), 140-146. DeMeis, J.L. & Stearns, E.S. (1992). Relationship of school entrance age to academic achievement. Journal of Educational Research, 86 (1), 20-27. Dietz, C. & Wilson, B.J. (1985). Beginning school age and academic achievement. Psychology in the Schools, 22 (1), 93-94. Dundes, L. and Marx, J. (2006). Balancing Work and Academics in College: Why do Students Working 10-19 Hours Per Week Excel?. Journal of College Student Retention, 8 (1) 107-120. Kinard, E.M. & Reinherz, H. (1986). Birth date effects on school performance and adjustment: A longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Research, 79 (6), 366-372. La Paro, K.M. & Pianta R.C. (2000). Predicting children’s competence in the early school years: A meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research, 70 (4), 443-484.
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Raymond, M. (2008). High School Dropouts Returning to School. Culture, Tourism and the Centre for Education Statistics, pp. 7-9. Robinson, L. (1999). The effects of Part-Time Work on Students. LSAY Research Reports. Longitudinal surveys of Australian youth research report; n.9. Shanahan, M. (2000). Being that bit older: Mature student’s experience of university and health care education. Occupational Therapy International, 7(3), 153-162. White, K. (1982). The relation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement. Psychological Bulletin, 91,461-481.
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Appendix Interview Questions 1. Why did you stop your studies before? 2.
What particular year, grade, or age you decided to stop?
3. What are the things that came into your mind or your reasons why you stopped from schooling? 4. How do you feel that you are out of school while your batch mates are in school? 5. What are the things that pursue you to continue schooling? 6. What are the challenges that you've encountered in returning school? 7. How did you cope with these? 8. What do you think is your advantages and disadvantages with your younger peers/classmates? 9. How are you facing those disadvantages? 10. Does you, as a Balik-aral , affects your grades or academic performance? How? In what way? Interview Questions 1. How is his/her behavior towards his/her classmates? How about towards his/her teachers? 2. How is his/her performance in school? 3. Does he/she have good grades?
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