UNVEILING THE STORIES OF DEFEATS: FACTORS AFFECTING ON STUDENTS

POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

CHAPTER 1

The Problem and its Setting

INTRODUCTION

“Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end.”

– Denis Waitle

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

An academic related struggle was the selected motif problem where it is a

generic phenomenon which has experienced by students and still reoccurring until now.

Schools have no worth without students; students are more essential asset for

educational pioneer. Students are eager and determined to learned enabling them

make or call their selves as successor; however, struggles are present in their lives.
These struggles will affect their performances as future builders of the nation. It may be

internal or external effects depending on how students will cope up from their

challenges. It is considered as a test of character on how tough they are to dwell their

roads for triumphs (Redbubble, 2015). These factors strongly affect and influence

towards the student’s performance, but these factors differ from person to person and

country to country.

In the country US, a study released by the America’s Promised Alliance, states

that the US has a 30 percent rate of students failing to graduate because a lot of

struggles they have encounter. The strong superintendents made some important

progress to overcome the struggles that the students have: take power away from

ineffective school boards; require longer days in school; eliminates teacher that are not

effective and offer merit pay for best teachers; fire those who can’t teach effectively and

etc. This way, they can lessen the rising number of students who are not able to handle

the struggles they experienced. Therefore, US have such a long list of factors that leads

their students’ unsuccessfulness.

Consequently, In Syria, Two students from Syria was accepted to study at MIT,

one of the best schools, but they weren't allowed to go into. Due to the Presidential

Proclamation 9645, titled "Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting

Attempted Entry into the United States by Terrorists or other Public-Safety Threats", this

was signed by President Donald Trump on September 24, 2017. A Syrian man namely

George Batah and 32 Syrian kids were bought to the U.S. last 2011 by the Syrian

American group. Right now, they had their own professional jobs. It became a struggle

for our fellow students to study because of some hindrances.

contributing a high rising number of out-of-school children or dropout. A data from

Annual Poverty Indicators Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority, states that over

3.8 million or- or one in 10- Filipinos aged 16 to 24 years old are not in school. The

government failed to sufficiently plan and prepare for the implementation of the new

curriculum (Castro, 2016). The shortage of classroom and lack of schools for students,

this issue has been a struggle for students aside from financial problem. The

implementation of new curriculum have been neglected to provide sufficient funding to

schools, putting the burden on teachers, parents and students.

Moreover, the problem of mass transportation and getting around the city affects

Filipinos. Filipinos from different abode complain in incessantly about being late for

schools and wasting their time sitting on traffic. According to (Volante, nd), he states

that the rides are such a hassle; it affects every aspect of every life. Some students

struggles in the area of Katipunan at Quezon City, because of the crisis of mass

transportation it also leads to affect the students allowance for it was used up their

allowance getting a “grab” or “ TNVS”(transportation network vehicle services). Students

and their parents are not just spending such money for transportation hence; they also

waste their money for spending a dorm so that they can lessen the time to travel.

In Davao City, based from the research developed by the BSCE CE1-1 students

of University of Southeastern Philippines. Students’ having difficulties in academic

performances are affected by several reasons (USEP, 2016). First, it is affected by the

Personal Condition of the students which includes their feelings and experiences.

Second, the study habits of each students. Third, some students deal with Home-
Related Aspects such as running some errands in the house and especially if it is

family-related problems. Fourth, School-Related Aspects, sometimes a performance of

the students can be affected by the school activities that possibly are a hindrance to

perform the task well. Lastly, Teacher-Related Aspects which are the traits and the

performance of the teachers inside the classroom may affect the students. By this

alone, it solely shows that it would not be a downhill pursing this program and it is a

proven fact as there were a lot of testimonies sharing what they had experience and

how they get used of the downfalls of being a student.

In addition, Davao City, Philippines, a new year, a new class to teach of. Another

school year and expected that there is also possible triumphs that may come. The

Davao City National High School (DCNHS), the largest public school in Davao city and

it has average of 13,000 student population. The rising number of it has been struggle

of the students as well as the school; they had to deal with the lack of classrooms. The

teacher of the school would have to handle 60 to 70 students in a class (Bete, n.d.). The

shortage of classroom and lacks of furniture affects the students learning and that

added the students more to struggle aside from struggling with academic area.

Success would not be worth it without the struggles. What the students had been

through is just as going through the eye of a needle. Uncovering the stories behind

those embarrassments and struggles of the students would enlighten the people

through their experiences and struggles along with the factors that hinder their

academic studies. As this academic issue arouses there is an urgency of conducting

such research to let the student to see and apprise them about the possible struggles or

defeats that may come. The researchers will explore the gaps between the students
and their academic performances since the researchers believe that there is a need to

clarify about the reasons of their academic failure whether it may be internal or external

reasons. This would help the students to overcome such downfalls and to be aware of

the struggles that they may face in the future.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The researchers will conduct this study to explore and uncover the stories of the

students concerning their academic performances and the significant contributory

reasons that makes it as their downfall. And also the researchers want to know about

their perspective of student.

Consequently, this would answer the following question:

 What are the struggles that experienced by students?

 What are the contributory reasons why students struggle?

 Did these factors affect their academic performances?

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

students concerning about how struggles affect their studies that lead towards

academic failure and to understand the perspective of Grade 11 Stem Students at Holy

Child College of Davao. At this stage in the research these factor that affects them will

be generally defined as crisis for students.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study is to explore and investigate the important factors that

lead the students towards failure. The researcher ought to know the contributory reason

why struggles are present in the students might experience. This also needs to solve

the problem by helping recovering and overcoming those struggles that occur. And also

researcher wants to know/determined:

 Determined what the factors that affects the students learning

 What are the possible contributory reasons why students struggle

 Identify the defeats/struggles/crisis that students experienced

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

these problems arises to students and presented personal insights that are relevant for

future undertakings.

Results of this study are supposed to be beneficial to the following:

Senior High Students. The result of this study will guide them and be more

aware of the defeats/struggles that may come. Uncovering those defeats and helps

them to recover to make their selves attain success in life. Their voices will be heard

upon uncovering their stories and will help them overcome these problems through the

school by implementing new teaching methods or providing them counseling and

programs that will help them.

Professors. As the head of the class, they will be the instrument towards the

success of the every student and will help them understand the difficulties of their

students.

School Administration. Since the instructions and implementation of the school

is in the power of their words, the result of this study will let them be aware of what they

can do and will become an avenue to the progressivism of the education system that

will help the students to overcome the said reasons of their failures and as the school

promotes this kind of education system the students will trust them as they pursue their

dreams.
Theoretical Lens

This study is based from the following theories and study proposed by Solomon

(2016) and Tinto (1993)... In accordance with the study, the first theory related to this

issue is Solomon’s Theory of Academic Failure. This theory simply means that it is an

academic performance that lacks success in which the said theory states that low

intelligence, lack of commitment towards learning, lack of money, unnecessary

deduction of marks by the teachers as a result of hatred, etc. are the contributory

reasons why students fail. Equally the same to the results of the research from the

Education Planning and Research Division, it shows that negative attitudes of a student

towards learning are attributed to lack of basic skills in learning, weak mastery of

language skills and poor self-efficacy that affects the academic performance of a

student (Nordin, Wan, Yunus, Yahya, Azrai, Rahman, Ismail, Ahmad & Yunus, 2012).

According to Solomon (2016) academic failure gives existence to different effects of it;

(1) F 9 (2) Carry over (c.o) (3) Repeat/Probation (4) School Drop outs or college drop

outs (5) Weeding of incapable and incompetent students.

Tinto’s longitudinal model of institutional departure widely states that a student’s

withdrawal occurs over a length of interactions between individual participants of the

educational personnel and the social Environment of the institution. Tinto summarizes

individual student withdrawal into three extensive ‘themes’ namely the entry traits of a

student first time entering at a university, the quality of their involvement inside the

university after getting into the university, and the exterior drivers that impact the
student’s behaviour (Tinto, 1993). Therefore, the academic performance of every

student is influenced by their attitudes, behaviours, social environment and internal

factors. These maybe some reason why students struggle in their academics and

performance as student.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

There are certain limitations of this study. This study aims to reflect the factors

that affect the students that lead them into failure. It is expected to be conducted to

students of Holy Child College of Davao. It aims to focus to all young students to be

more aware towards the defeats or triumphs that may come.

Howey, S.C. (2008). Factors in student motivation. Retrieved from

http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Clearinghouse/View-

Articles/Motivation.aspx

Solomon, M. (2016). The Theory of Academic Failure-Education-Nigeria. Retrieved from

https://www.nairaland.com/3050579/theory-academic-failure

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