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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Education is a dynamic process and it has continued to evolve, diversify and extend.

Mitchell (2014) stated that, “good education facilitates the development of an internal

compass that guides us through life”. It has been playing a vital role in shaping ones

understanding skills and development. Students today face increasing pressures to do well

academically as well as perform well in other non-academic areas.

Academic performance is one of the most vital considerations among students in

higher education level and this can be illustrated by their grade point average (GPA). It is

the general weighted average of the students per semester. Several studies identified

internal and external factors associated with academic performance. Specifically, stressful

academic situation reduces the working memory available to attend to a task’s information

processing requirements and to control its execution (Beilock, 2008).

According to the psychology today (2019), there are two different meanings for

stress: the abstract psychological perception of pressure and the body’s response to

stressors. An article in MedlinePlus (2019) stated that stress can be either positive or

negative. A positive stress is when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline while a

negative stress lasts for a long time and it may harm your health. It can be the result when

you feel frustrated, angry or nervous in a certain event.

Everyone has different skills and capabilities so their style of handling situations

and the stress level for each person could also differ. It is possible that the stress level of

two persons facing the same situation could be different. It depends on which kind of
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stressor affects them both. Stress can improve our motivation and productivity (Centre,

2010). It can also affect us negatively if we react negatively against it (Robinson, 2010).

Leal (2012) showed that the graduating students experienced the different academic

pressure, causes or sources of stressors, effects and coping mechanisms of stress. Results

also revealed that effects of stressor differ between male and female. Mazo (2015)

mentioned that the most common causes of stress among students were school related. It

also showed that the most common effect of stress to students are experiencing low

performance in class and becoming absent-minded or forgetful.

Oketch-Oboth (2014) stated that most of the students reported that they experienced

between moderate to high levels of stress while just over 35.6% reported stress low levels.

Analysis also showed that as the higher stress level the poorer the academic performance

the students have.

Along with this, the researchers are eager to conduct a study which aimed to

determine the relationship between the level of stress-related factors and academic

performance among Senior High School students of Notre Dame of Makilala, Inc.

Statement of the Problem:

This study aimed to determine the relationship between the level of stress-related

factors and academic performance among senior high school students of Notre Dame of

Makilala, Inc.

Specifically, this study will seek to answer the following questions:

1.) What is the profile of the students in terms of;

a.) age;

b.) gender; and

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c.) family status?

2.) What is the level of stress-related factors among students in terms of;

a.) academic factor;

b.) environmental factor;

c.) peer factor;

d.) health factor; and

e.) self-imposed factor?

3.) What is the academic performance of the students?

4.) Is there a significant relationship between the level of stress-related factors and

the academic performance of the student?

5.) Is there a significant difference on the academic performance of the students

when analyzed according to their profile?

Hypotheses

H01: There is no significant relationship between the level of stress-related factors

and academic performance of the students.

H02: There is no significant difference on the academic performance of the students

when analyzed according to their profile.

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Theory: Life Stress and

Legal Basis: Child
the Accuracy of and Youth Welfare
Cognitive Appraisals in Center P.D. No.603
Article 13
Depressed Youth by
Elisa Krackow and
Karen D. Rudolph
(2008)

Levels of Stress-
Related Factors

Academic Performance
of Students

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the study

Theoretical Framework

This study is based on Life Stress and the Accuracy of Cognitive Appraisals in

Depressed Youth by Elisa Krackow and Karen D. Rudolph (2008). According to this study,

depressed youth appraise naturally occurring stressful events. Depression is related with

considerable impairment even at subclinical levels and it suggest that it is essential to

consider milder symptoms of depression as an important sign of disturbance. Assessment

and intervention with depressed youth should target both psychological deficits that might

promote heightened stress reactivity as well as behavioral deficits that might lead to the

generation of stress.
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Youth who are exposed to heightened interpersonal stress and who overestimate

the stressfulness of events and their contribution to events might feel overwhelmed and

failed at coping with their environments, resulting in decrease in self-worth, increases in

shame or hopelessness, and resulting depression. With the Youth Life Stress Interview uses

the best-estimate approach to combine information from parents and youth reports. Greater

number of stressful events were likely acquired using this approach. The findings were

influenced by the presence of comorbid disorders.

The theory was relevant to this study in that the life stress is a substantial part in

the students’ academic performance. Depression is a result of overstressed and it gives

negative impact to the students. The theory explains how youth acts on a stressful events

and it shows life stress has a great impact to the youth. Life stress changes the mentality of

the youth resulting in decrease in self-worth, increases in shame or hopelessness, and

resulting depression. Academic performance may vary on the mentality of the students.

Scope and Delimitation

This study covered and focused only on the relationship between the level of stress-

related factors and academic performance among senior high school students of Notre

Dame of Makilala, Inc in the S.Y. 2018-2019. The subject of the study was only limited to

the present Senior High School students of Notre Dame of Makilala, Inc. during the actual

conduct of the study.

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Significance of the Study

The study aimed to know if there is a relationship between the levels of stress-

related factors and the academic performance of the Senior High School students of Notre

Dame of Makilala, Inc.

The result of this study is beneficial to the following:

Students: The study will help students to figure out the stress factors that they may

experience. Allowing every learner to know how to cope with stress caused by various

reasons related to the study.

Teachers: Their level of awareness regarding the level of stress-related factors among

senior high school students will increase. The teachers will also be able to understand why

some students have different performance at class, knowing that stress may come into

different areas. They can be a big help as well especially in communicating and act as an

adviser every time needed.

Parents: They will be knowledgeable about how stress affects their children’s academic

performance and they would be able to identify the stress factors which affects students’

academic performance. By this, they would be able to understand them more. Parents will

be able to understand every result of their child’s actions regarding with performance

shown in school or classes’ activities. They’ll be able to know where the children lacks’ or

having hardships, most importantly in stress related factors. Parents will have an open and

wide understanding about every progress and even the failure of their child.

Future Researchers: This research will be a useful reference for the researchers who

would plan to make any related studies.

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Definition of Terms

For better understanding of the different terms used in the study, the following

terms were defined operationally.

Academic Performance- refers to the students’ general percentage average (GPA) in the

first semester of S.Y. 2017-2018.

Stress- the abstract psychological perception of pressure and the body’s response to

stressors. It can be either positive or negative.

Stress Related-Factors- this refers to the factors which causes stress that affects the

students.

Academic Factor- this refers to the stressors of academic activities of the students.

Environmental Factor- this refers to the stressors of physical environment of the

students.

Peer Factor- this refers to the stressors from the peer pressure.

Health Factor- this refers to the stressors of physical and mental health of the students.

Self-Imposed Factor- this refers to the stressors of the students coping abilities.

Nuclear Family- A family that only includes both parents and their children.

Extended Family- A family that extends beyond the nuclear family, consisting parents

like father, mother, and their aunts, uncles and cousins living in the same household.

Joint Family- A family that consists of two or more families living together under a

common shelter.

Broken Family- A family that has split or separated.

Single-parent Family- A single parent is a parent who only lives with a child or

children without a partner.