Filipino High School Students Research Articles

Sense of relatedness and science engagement among Filipino high school students

AbstractPast studies indicate that feeling related to specific social agents such as parents, teachers, and peers can facilitate domain‐general academic engagement. However, there is scarce research on how relatedness may be associated with engagement in specific academic subjects. This cross‐sectional study explores the associations of sense of relatedness to mother, father, science teachers, friends, classmates, and neighbors with behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement in science. Four hundred and thirty‐eight high school students completed an online survey that included scales to assess demographic information, relatedness, and science engagement. Only relatedness to science teacher positively predicted behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement in science when controlling for other relatedness dimensions, age, gender, year in school, parental educational attainment, and daily allowance. Although further research that can uncover causal conclusions is needed, these findings suggest the importance of science teacher relatedness for students' science engagement.

The Moderating Effects of Social Media Networking Usage on Adversity Quotient and Academic Performance among Filipino High School Students

Teenage years are often the subject of considerable interest for researchers and practitioners of education as children experience the psychological turmoil and transition that often accompanies this period of development. Knowing the teen’s behavior and how they cope with adversity by using social media networking to help them with academic challenges would be beneficial. The study is a moderation model research that will investigate the moderating variable Social Media Networking Usage influences the independent variable Adversity Quotient and its relationship on our dependent variable Academic Performance among High School students. The result of the study showed that social media does not moderate its relationship. The findings suggest that Social Media has become the new normal, everyone is using it to get information and it is not limited to improving academics alone, it may not be a significant variable to influence AQ. There might be other external factors aside from social media that need to be examined like family, peers, age, demographics. The study contributes to AQ as predictor to academic performance and achievement literatures by introducing social media as one of the many variables that may have an influence on the relationship of AQ and academic performance.

Does school kindness lead to greater school engagement? Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence in the Philippine context

ABSTRACT Studies have shown that kind school climates are linked to positive psychological outcomes. Yet, there is scant evidence on how school kindness relates to subjective and objective measures of academic success. This research addresses this gap by examining the associations of school kindness with academic achievement and engagement using cross-sectional (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) designs among Filipino high school students. Study 1 demonstrated that school kindness positively predicted agentic, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement after controlling for demographic covariates and dispositional kindness. School kindness marginally predicted subjective academic performance. Study 2 showed that Time 1 school kindness positively predicted Time 2 behavioral engagement even after controlling for demographic covariates and auto-regressor effects. Results suggest that fostering kindness in school can be a potential route to facilitate students’ active participation in academic activities.

Metacognitive reading strategies and its relationship with Filipino high school students’ reading proficiency: insights from the PISA 2018 data

Learners’ metacognitive reading strategies support their attempts to draw meaning from texts and to overcome comprehension difficulties. For second language readers, such strategies may compensate for lack of language proficiency while reading. Taking a sample from a country that ranked last in the PISA 2018 reading assessment, this study aims to investigate potential discrepancies in how students evaluate the usefulness of specific reading strategies and how these conceptions are associated with related to the students’ reading proficiency. We explored the association between metacognitive reading strategies with reading proficiency by analysing data from a nationally representative sample of 15-year-old students who participated in the PISA 2018 (N = 6591). Awareness of different reading strategies was compared using repeated measures ANOVA; relationships with reading proficiency were examined using regression analysis. Self-reports on metacognitive reading strategies accounted for a significant portion of the variation in Filipino students’ English reading proficiency, after controlling for SES, sex, and number of books at home. The reading strategies perceived as most useful were not the most strongly associated with reading proficiency, suggesting that students may not be aware of which reading strategies are helpful in learning to read in English. The results indicate variations in the students’ awareness of which strategies aid in their reading comprehension and point to the need to better understand how effective reading strategy instruction is taught to and is engaged by Filipino students in their reading classes.

Knowledge with kindness is power! Knowledge about autism and kindness relate to better attitude towards persons with autism spectrum disorder

Prior studies have shown inconclusive evidence on how knowledge predicts attitude towards individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in diverse cultural contexts. There is also dearth of research on psychological resources that facilitate inclusive attitude towards students with ASD. This study examines the links of kindness and knowledge about autism to attitude towards ASD among Filipino high school students. An online survey with items measuring kindness and knowledge about autism as well as a vignette-based measure of attitude towards ASD was administered to participants. Results showed that knowledge about autism and kindness positively predicted attitude towards ASD when controlling for age, gender, and previous contact with students with ASD. This research suggests that integrating ASD awareness with kindness education can bolster positive attitude towards persons with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Exploring the role of implicit theories of talent in subjective well-being, academic buoyancy, and perceived physical health: A study in the Philippine context

Prior studies commonly emphasized the beneficial impacts of a growth mindset on students’ success and well-being. However, recent evidence cast doubts on the ability of a growth mindset to optimize desirable achievement and psychological outcomes. This study contributes to this line of evidence by exploring the association of mindsets in talent—a new domain of implicit theories encompassing belief about the nature of talent—with students’ subjective well-being, academic buoyancy, and general health among selected Filipino high school students. Results of structural equation modeling indicate that whereas incremental theory in talent (or growth mindset) was more strongly and positively correlated with academic buoyancy, school connectedness, and joy of learning, entity theory (or fixed mindset) was more strongly and positively associated with educational purpose and general health. These findings underscore the mental health rewards associated with cultivating both growth and fixed mindsets about talent in school contexts.

Grit Competency, Growth Mindset, and Mental Ability among Filipino High School Students

Educators and mental health professionals have promoted social and emotional learning (SEL) as the foundation for safe and positive education. SEL factors such as grit competency and growth mindset were the critical factors in this research, along with the student’s mental ability level. Grit competency pertains to one’s ability to work hard, overcome setbacks, finish tasks, and set long-term goals. At the same time, a growth mindset refers to believing intelligence and ability can change with persistence and practice and believing interests and behaviors can positively change with effort and learning. This research aimed to determine the grit and growth mindset levels of 137 all-female Filipino senior students from Quezon City and test their relationship with mental ability. A standardized test measured grit competency and growth mindset, while the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, 7th Edition (OLSAT-7), measured cognitive ability. Results signified a low and negative relationship between grit competency and mental ability, with r = -.152 and p = 0.039 < 0.05. Similarly, there was a low and negative relationship between a growth mindset and cognitive ability with a value of r = -.157 and p = 0.034 < 0.05. Keywords: Grit Competency; Growth Mindset; Mental Ability; High School Students.

Students’ Time Management, Academic Procrastination, and Performance during Online Science and Mathematics Classes

COVID-19 affected all sectors, including academia, which resulted in an increase in online learning. While education continued through online platforms, various students-related problems arose, including improper time management, procrastination, and fluctuating academic performance. It is in this context that this quantitative study was carried out to determine how time management and procrastination affected students’ performance in science and mathematics during the pandemic. We surveyed 650 Filipino high school students using the Procrastination Assessment Scale-Students and Wayne State University’s Time Management questionnaire with a 0.93 reliability coefficient. The findings revealed that in science and mathematics, female students outperformed males. Eleven 12-year-olds had the highest mean grades in science and mathematics, while 15 16-year-olds had the lowest. Younger respondents (11-14) were more likely to have better time management in than older ones. Further, older respondents (15-18) procrastinate more than younger ones. Time management correlates positively with success in science and mathematics. Achievement in science and mathematics is the highest among students with good time management. Procrastination negatively affects achievement. High school students who procrastinated less fare better in mathematics. With this, the study opens possibilities for teaching older learners in time management to boost their performance. Students across ages should be urged to avoid procrastinating as it negatively affects academic performance. As reinforcement, schools may educate learners on time management and procrastination avoidance through orientations and other platforms.

Does Mindfulness Matter for Cognitive Reappraisal and Academic Engagement? A Cross-Lagged Panel Model Study in Filipino High School Students

Previous evidence has revealed that mindful individuals tend to pay more attention to specific tasks and demonstrate better work engagement. However, prior investigations commonly used cross-sectional designs to examinine the link of mindfulness to engagement in Western societies. This research explores the association of mindfulness with cognitive reappraisal and academic engagement via a two-wave longitudinal design in 381 Filipino high school students from Quezon City, Philippines joined this research. Cross-lagged panel structural equation modeling demonstrated that mindfulness had positive concurrent associations with cognitive reappraisal and engagement. Academic engagement was linked to increased subsequent cognitive reappraisal. Mindfulness is linked to increased concurrent cognitive reappraisal and academic engagement. This research contributes to existing evidence regarding the inconclusive links of mindfulness to learning outcomes.

The Mental Health Benefits of Kindness-Oriented Schools: School Kindness is Associated with Increased Belongingness and Well-Being in Filipino High School Students.

Prior research has demonstrated the role of kind school climate in students' academic and social-emotional learning outcomes. However, there is sparse literature showing the link of school kindness to mental health functioning. This study examines the association of school kindness with well-being dimensions such as positive emotions and depressive symptoms among 1287 Filipino high school students. It also explored whether school kindness would have indirect effects on well-being via school belongingness. Structural equation modeling via maximum likelihood estimation approach showed that school kindness was linked to higher positive emotions and lower depressive symptoms after controlling for demographic covariates such as age and gender. Further, results of bias-corrected bootstrapping analyses demonstrated that school kindness had indirect effects on positive emotions and depressive symptoms via school belongingness. This research underscores the mental health benefits associated with fostering kindness in school contexts.

Challenges in STEM Learning: A Case of Filipino High School Students

STEM education faces monumental challenges which are aggravated by the Industrial Revolution (IR) 4.0 and the current COVID-19 global contagion. These challenges also affect how students learn in the STEM discipline in the senior high school. This qualitative study employed a case research design which sought to investigate nature of the challenges in STEM learning among senior high school students in the Philippines. Semi-structured interview guide was used in gathering the qualitative data from the 20 STEM learners in a government-run secondary school in Zambales, Philippines. Findings showed that the students encountered challenges in the STEM program. Ten themes emerged based on the students’ responses. These challenges encountered by the students revolved around three categories – course-related challenges, individual challenges and socio-cultural challenges. The study recommends that schools offering STEM academic strands may reframe and rethink their processes, practices and policies to address the students’ challenges in STEM learning. Policy recommendations are also discussed in the paper to equip the students towards the demands of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and in the post-pandemic world.

Variety is the spice of life: How emotional diversity is associated with better student engagement and achievement.

Past studies on emotions have mostly focused on mean levels of positive and negative emotions. In recent years, the concept of emotional diversity (emodiversity) which refers to the variety and relative abundance of emotions was introduced and was found to have important implications for mental and physical health. However, its role in the educational context is unexplored. The current study aimed to examine how emodiversity is associated with indicators of optimal school functioning including engagement and achievement. Four hundred four Filipino high school students (M = 14.34, SD = 1.47; 55% female) and 10 class teachers participated in the study. Students completed surveys measuring their emotions, emodiversity, and engagement, while class teachers rated their students' engagement. Finally, grades from the school were obtained at the end of the semester. Positive emodiversity-diversity of positive emotional experiences-was an independent predictor of academic engagement and school achievement over and above mean levels of positive and negative emotions. These results were found to generalize to self-reported and teacher-reported outcomes as well as more objective measures of achievement. Moreover, findings remained robust after controlling for demographic variables such as gender and year level. Positive emodiversity is associated with higher engagement and achievement suggesting the importance of emodiversity in the educational context.

Gratitude intervention optimizes effective learning outcomes in Filipino high school students: A mixed-methods study

Prior studies have shown that gratitude is a catalyst of well-being and desirable psychological outcomes. The academic benefits of gratitude, however, remains underexplored in school contexts. This research builds on previous research integrating gratitude interventions with educational technology via evaluating the impacts of a Facebook-based gratitude intervention on academic motivation and engagement among selected Filipino high school students using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design. In the quantitative phase of this research, results showed that students who were assigned to the intervention condition had higher scores than those in the control condition, on autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and cognitive engagement. In the follow-up qualitative phase, findings indicated that Facebook-based gratitude intervention increased such learning outcomes because this interventioncould promote social support, motivation, positive thinking, and desire to pay back parents and other significant people. Taken together, this research suggests that designing online gratitude intervention via social media platform can boost positive learning processes and outcomes.

La vida comprometida académicamente de los estudiantes orientados al dominio: orden causal entre emociones positivas, metas de dominio y compromiso académico

Although prior research shows that well-being is linked to effective learning, there is scarce evidence on how positive emotions relate to achievement goals and objective measures of school engagement. Drawing from the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, this study examines the reciprocal associations of positive emotions with mastery-approach goals and teacher-reported academic engagement (using a two-wave longitudinal design. A survey comprising measures to assess students’ positive emotions (i.e., Modified Differential Emotions Scale) and mastery-approach goals (i.e., Achievement Goal Questionnaire – Revised) was administered to 411 Filipino high school students at two separate time points (i.e., 1-month interval). Ten classroom advisers also filled in a teacher-reported measure of academic engagement to provide a more objective estimate of each student's involvement in academic activities. Results of cross-lagged panel structural equation modeling via maximum likelihood estimation approach showed that positive emotions had positive concurrent relationships to mastery-approach goals and all engagement dimensions. Contradicting previous research, positive emotions did not predict subsequent mastery-approach goals and engagement after controlling for auto-regressor effects. Mastery approach goals positively predicted subsequent positive emotions, behavioral engagement, and cognitive engagement. Engagement dimensions did not relate to succeeding positive emotions and mastery approach goals. Results of this investigation highlight the emotional and academic benefits associated with students’ intrinsic drive to learn in school contexts.

Personal Profiles, Family Environment, Patterns of Smartphone Use, Nomophobia, and Smartphone Addiction across Low, Average, and High Perceived Academic Performance Levels among High School Students in the Philippines.

(1) Background: Problematic smartphone use in adolescents has become a major concern among parents and educators. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with, and the predictors of, low, average, and high perceived academic performance (PAP). (2) Methods: Descriptive and comparative analyses were employed in this cross-sectional study among 3374 Filipino high school students through an online Google forms survey. (3) Results: We found that age, grade level, father’s education, time spent daily on weekends, frequency of use on weekdays, purpose of use, nomophobia (NMP), and smartphone addiction (SA) were significantly associated with low PAP, while frequency of use on weekends and type of internet access had a significant association with high PAP. Gender was a significant predictor of low, average, and high PAP. Father’s education and SA were also significant predictors for both low and average PAP. (4) Conclusions: This study shows the significant association between personal profiles, family environment, patterns of smartphone use, NMP, and SA contributing to a significant impact on Filipino high school students’ PAP. This suggests that proper guidelines for smartphone use should be provided at home and in school settings to raise awareness of the adverse effects of SA on students’ academic performance.

The academically engaged life of mastery-oriented students: Causal ordering among positive emotions, mastery-approach goals, and academic engagement

Although prior research shows that well-being is linked to effective learning, there is scarce evidence on how positive emotions relate to achievement goals and objective measures of school engagement. Drawing from the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, this study examines the reciprocal associations of positive emotions with mastery-approach goals and teacher-reported academic engagement using a two-wave longitudinal design. A survey comprising measures to assess students’ positive emotions (i.e., Modified Differential Emotions Scale) and mastery-approach goals (i.e., Achievement Goal Questionnaire – Revised) was administered to 411 Filipino high school students at two separate time points (i.e., 1-month interval). Ten classroom advisers also filled in a teacher-reported measure of academic engagement to provide a more objective estimate of each student’s involvement in academic activities. Results of cross-lagged panel structural equation modeling via maximum likelihood estimation approach showed that positive emotions had positive concurrent relationships to mastery-approach goals and all engagement dimensions. Contradicting previous research, positive emotions did not predict subsequent mastery-approach goals and engagement after controlling for auto-regressor effects. Mastery approach goals positively predicted subsequent positive emotions, behavioral engagement, and cognitive engagement. Engagement dimensions did not relate to succeeding positive emotions and mastery approach goals. Results of this investigation highlight the emotional and academic benefits associated with students’ intrinsic drive to learn in school contexts.

Academic Engagement and Achievement Predict Career Adaptability

Abundant evidence indicates that personality, social, cultural, and contextual factors predict career adaptability. However, little research attends to the roles of academic engagement and achievement in career adaptability, especially in non‐Western cultural contexts. We examined the associations of perceived academic engagement dimensions (i.e., behavioral and emotional engagement) and academic achievement with facets of career adaptability among 324 Filipino high school students. Results of hierarchical regression analyses demonstrate that, after controlling for age and gender, behavioral engagement served as the strongest predictor of concern, curiosity, confidence, and control. In addition, perceived academic achievement was the weakest predictor of career adaptability dimensions. Our findings underscore the benefits of integrating active involvement in school‐related tasks to foster career adaptability in high school student populations.

Assessing the Correlation between Demographics, Academic Stress, and Coping Strategies of Filipino High School Students with Single-Parents

Academic stress is a certain level of academic-related demands that exceed the students' adaptive capabilities. Related to this is coping strategies, which is a mindful effort to endure the stress. Thus, the descriptive-correlational research determined the associations among the demographic variables, the level of academic stress, and the extent of coping strategies. Academic Stress Scale and COPE Inventory standardized tests, were used among sixty-seven Filipino high school students with single-parents of a Catholic school. The data were statistically analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, Pearson r, and Spearman rank correlation. As a whole, their academic stress is low with no significant relationship between academic level and single-parents' educational level. However, a moderate level of academic stress was found with a significant relationship between sex and family monthly income. The overall coping strategies is great with a significant relationship between family monthly income. However, there is no significant relationship between coping strategies and academic level, sex, and single-parents' educational level. Finally, no significant relationship was found between academic stress and coping strategies. The study recommends designing an enhanced stress management program for high school students.

Efficacy of Behaviour Modification Therapy on the Internet Gaming Disorder of the Selected Filipino High School Students

The excessive use of Internet in online gaming afflicted several adolescent students in such a way that they found it hard to control their gaming behaviour anymore. There were a lot of studies done as to the causes of this modern-day addiction but there was scarcity on the therapy program that will address the problematic thoughts and feelings associated with this behaviour. This study aimed to devise a Behaviour Modification Therapy (BMT) program that will reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of their online gaming. In developing the therapy, a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative research using sequential explanatory design was utilized. This was composed of collection and analysis of quantitative data through pre-test on Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) 20-Test; compilation of qualitative data through related literatures and studies, Focused Group Discussions (FGD) and Training Needs Analysis (TNA). The data were used as bases in designing the eight (8) sessions of BMT. The respondents included in this research were the 11-19 years old public high school students who experienced excessive internet gaming. After the therapy sessions the post test on the (IGD) 20-Test was administered and the t-Test was used to find the difference. The Behaviour Modification Therapy was helpful and efficacious in reducing the IGD symptoms of the respondents. This can be adapted as psychotherapy for IGD.

Character strengths, academic self-efficacy, and well-being outcomes in the Philippines: A longitudinal study

Abstract This research explored the association of character strengths with positive emotions, negative emotions, interdependent happiness, and academic self-efficacy in selected Filipino high school students using a longitudinal design. A survey comprising measures on character strengths, academic self-efficacy, and well-being outcomes was administered to 320 Filipino junior and senior high school students at two different time points. Results demonstrated that Time 1 fairness, Time 1 gratitude, and Time 1 hope positively predicted Time 2 academic self-efficacy after controlling for auto-regressor effects and demographic covariates such as age and gender. Time 1 love of learning positively predicted Time 2 interdependent happiness. Time 1 gratitude positively predicted Time 2 positive emotions. However, Time 1 kindness negatively predicted Time 2 affect balance. Findings underscore the importance of cultivating selected character strengths such as gratitude, fairness, hope, and love of learning in non-Western societies.