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Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

Embarking a higher degree course is one of the most coveted investments

that an individual undertake along the field of the learning process as espoused

by Britner (2006). Most of the students in college, work to earn and support their

own studies to sustain their studies. He further added that the academic

achievement of either a regular or employed student should be efficiently

managed to succeed.

In global setting, it has been found out that 62 per cent of the students in

college work for pay to support their studies. However, DeSimone (2008) cited

that most of them who work full-time are most likely to drop out of school and fail

to receive a college degree. This situation is based on the study conducted in

Harvard in 2001 which further yielded that it is imprecise at what point student

employment moves from being beneficial to being counterproductive. The result

of the study revealed that jobs that are complementary to the students’ course,

could improve grades and appears to have positive impact on student

performance.

In the national setting, Sembrano (2010) of ABS-CBN News and Current

Affairs reported that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in 2007

released the latest data showing 8 percent of the total numbers of college

students in the country are currently juggling school and work. Working students

are most likely into food service, entertainment and sales. Despite their efforts,
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the pressure to balance work and school is just too much for working students

especially off campus. In the end, only half of these working students get to finish

college because they lack concentration on their studies, poor health and

insufficient funds.

Locally, the declining achievement rates are the primary concern of the

Department of Education (DepEd) in Davao Region. This is in response to the

findings of Ramento (2011) that the declining rates of achievements of both

elementary and high school students in Davao City were due to poor study habits

or weak study skills, lack of motivation and lack of parental guidance and notably,

because of being into the labor force. Solutions to these situations are closely

monitored through consultations and meetings.

It is in this light, that the level of self-efficacy is accentuated in relation to

the outcomes of learning. Presumably, this would ascertain the relative

components underlying the variables under study. It is hoped that result of this

study would yield positive learning outcomes brought about by self-efficacy.

Statement of the Problem

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between self-

efficacy and learning outcomes among the College of Teacher Education working

students of the University of Mindanao. Specifically, it sought to answer the

following questions:

1. What is the level of self-efficacy among the College of Teacher

Education working students of the University of Mindanao in terms of:

1.1 performance accomplishment,

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1.2 vicarious experience,

1.3 social persuasion, and

1.4 physiological state?

2. What is the level of learning outcomes among the College of Teacher

Education working students of the University of Mindanao in terms of grade?

3. Is there a significant relationship between self-efficacy and learning

outcomes among the College of Teacher Education working students of the

University of Mindanao?

Hypothesis of the Study

The study tested the null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship

between self-efficacy and learning outcomes among the College of Teacher

Education working students of the University of Mindanao.

Review on Related Literature

Pertinent information is presented in this section to provide a strong

framework of references of the variables under study: self-efficacy and learning

outcomes.

Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy refers to its dependence on the difficulty of a particular task

(Zimmerman, 2000). In addition, self-efficacy has been correlated with other

constructs. It has shown convergent validity in predicting diverse forms of

motivation, such as students’ activity choices, effort, persistence, and emotional

reactions. This serves as evidence that students’ self-beliefs about academic

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capabilities do play an essential role in their motivation to achieve.

In support, Pajares (2006) affirmed that self-efficacy leads to

human motivation, well-being, and personal accomplishment. In fact, the validity

of self-efficacy as a predictor of students’ motivation and learning is clearly

insinuated by Zimmerman (2000) who acknowledged self-efficacy as a mediating

variable to students’ methods of learning, increasing self-regulation and

predictive outcomes.

Staples (1997) found out that self-efficacy has been constantly used as a

theoretical framework. Gerber (1995) cited that setting of performance

expectations requires efficiency. Zimmerman and Kitsantas (1999) also found

self-efficacy to be highly correlated with students’ rated intrinsic interest in a

psychomotor learning task as well as in a writing revision task. Furthermore,

measures of self-efficacy correlate significantly with students’ choice of majors in

college, success in course work, and perseverance.

As cited by Staples, Hulland, & Higgins (1998), self-efficacy is correlated

to individual’s motivation and performance. It was further stressed that self-

efficacy is characterized by the following: performance accomplishment,

vicarious experiences, social persuasion and physiological or emotional state.

Performance accomplishment. Performance accomplishment is defined

by Ryckman (1997) as the most influential source of efficacy. These are based

on actual mastery of personal experiences. Successes tend to create high

expectations, while failures tend to produce low expectations. Occasional failures

are implausible to have much impact on people’s judgments of theirs capabilities.

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Once low expectations have been instilled by repeated failure, occasional

successes are not very effective in changing people’s judgments of their

capabilities. Further, low expectations can be changed by repeated and frequent

successes fuelled by determined effort on the part of the individuals.

Vicarious experience. Vicarious experiences as espoused by Ryckman

(1997) are gained through seeing or visualizing other people performed

successfully. A person’s observations of other’s explicit performance can develop

high or low self-efficacy, a comparison between self and other’s competence.

One who sees someone succeed, it can boost his/her self-efficacy. However, the

opposite is also true, that seeing someone similar fail can lower self-efficacy

Redmond (2010).

Social persuasion. Similarly, Ryckman (1997) cited that social or verbal

persuasion is dependent on the credibility of the persuader. It promotes

development of skills and a sense of personal efficacy. Failed attempts to

accomplish such goals following persuasions are likely to create low efficacy

expectations and lessen credibility.

He further elaborated that encouragement and discouragement regarding

the individual’s performance or ability to perform is influential to self-efficacy. It is

further stressed that verbal persuasion is negative, thus, it can lead to doubts

about oneself resulting in lower chances of success, while verbal persuasion can

also be directly influenced by the level of credibility, wherein the higher the

credibility, the greater the influence of social persuasion.

Physiological state. Likewise, Ryckman (1997) added that physiological

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state is observed in difficult and stressful situations. It generates high state of

arousal in most individuals in judging their capabilities. When an individual feels

tense and physiologically aroused, he is more likely to expect failure. In

opposition, when they are more likely to expect success, it seems they are

relaxed and not highly aroused in with the challenge or obstacles. In addition,

Redmond (2010) cited that sensational body experiences such as fatigue, stress,

and other emotions influence the person’s belief of efficacy.

In summary, self-efficacy is considerably of emergent attention in

unleashing the learning outcomes. The aforementioned literature established its

link to some behavioral patterns in the forms of: performance accomplishment,

vicarious experience, social persuasion and physiological state.

Learning Outcomes

Vlasceanu, Grunbeg & Parlea (2004) mentioned that learning outcomes

served as the measure of the students’ achievements in the school. These are

the intertwined activities wherein the students’ abilities, knowledge and skills are

evaluated upon the completion of any course or program. Reflected in the course

are the expected learning outcomes. The aforementioned determinants of

learning outcomes are expected to be exhibited by the student after the period of

the study and are measured by appropriate learning assessment methods. In

most schools, the end-point of the assessment is affixed in the final grades.

Grade. Hoskin (1992) argued that the concept of grading students' work

quantitatively was developed by Farish and first implemented by the University of

Cambridge in 1792. As a technology, grading both shapes and reflects many

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fundamental areas of educational theory and practice. Grades are standardized

measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades

can be assigned in letters, range, descriptors, percentages, or as Grade Point

Average (GPA). GPA is calculated by taking the number of grade points a student

earned in a given period of time divided by the total number of credits taken. In

like manner, the grade comes from the students’ Grade Point Average (GPA).

In the study of Salisbury (2009) as cited by Lederman (2009), employment

has an impact not just in pure academic performance but with critical thinking,

moral reasoning, responsible leadership and psychological well-being of a

working student. Learning outcomes can be reflected in the grades of a student

particularly in the Grade Point Average (GPA). It shows the student’s academic

standing in a particular course or program he is currently enrolled in. Grades also

determine how much the student struggles to cope up with others in dealing with

academic matters such as all kinds of related school and subject requirements.

This is also the means of rating whether the student passed or failed.

In its entirety, the related studies identified grade as an indicating agent in

tracing the learning outcomes of a student. As what Zimmerman (2000) imposed,

self-efficacy is a predictor of students’ motivation and learning, in which learning

outcome is an end-product.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

This study is anchored on the theory of Zimmerman (2000) which states

that self-efficacy has emerged as a highly effective predictor of students’

motivation and learning. Furthermore, he cited that self-efficacy has been found
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to mediate student’s academic achievement.

In support, the Social Learning Theory of Bandura in1963 as cited by

Pajares (2006) clearly states that self-efficacy is the foundation for human

motivation, well-being, and personal accomplishments.

Figure 1 shows the variables of the study. The independent variable is

self-efficacy with performance accomplishment, vicarious experience, social

persuasion and physiological state as its indicators. On the other hand, the

dependent variable is the learning outcomes which is quantified by grade

(GPAs).

Significance of the Study

Results of this study are deemed beneficial to the following:

School Administrators. The result of the study will provide them inputs

in planning programs that will aid the students’ attainment towards the

achievement of desirable learning outcomes.

Teachers. The result of this study can be a useful guide for them in

designing instructional activities that heightens motivation of the students to

engage in the learning process.

Working students. The result of this study can serve as a facilitating tool

for them to engage in activities which would help them work on the increment of

their academic achievement.

Parents / Guardians. The result of this study can be an awareness tool

for them to take part in motivating their child for better scholastic performance.
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Independent Variable Dependent Variable

SELF-EFFICACY LEARNING OUTCOMES

- Performance
accomplishment

- Vicarious experience - Grade Point

Average (GPA)

- Social persuasion

- Physiological state

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework Showing

the Variables of the Study
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In essence, the findings can be of valuable benefit to those people who

are interested in probing self-efficacy as an indicator in academic success.

Definition of Terms

The following terms used in this study are operationally defined to

establish a common frame of reference:

Self-efficacy. In this study, the term refers to the level of self-efficacy of

the respondents in terms of performance accomplishment, vicarious experience,

social persuasion, and physiological state.

Learning outcomes. As used in this study, the term refers to the level of

learning outcomes of the respondents which is quantified through their Grade

Point Average (GPA).

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Chapter 2

METHOD

Presented in this section are the discussions of the research design, the

research subjects, research instruments, the data gathering procedure as well as

the statistical treatment of data.

Research Design

The descriptive correlation method was utilized in this study. Key (1997)

cited that the method is used to obtain information concerning the current status

of the phenomena to describe "what exists" with respect to variables or

conditions in a situation.It is in this light that this design was used. Hence, this

study aimed at determining the influence of self-efficacy in relation to the learning

outcomes of students.

Research Subjects

Quota sampling was used in selecting the subjects of this study. The

population of the respondents comprised of students from second year to fourth

year level who are officially enrolled at the College of Teacher Education during

the School Year 2011-2012. Further, the respondents comprised of 9 household

helpers, 8 Students Training Assistant Program (STAP) scholars, 4 office

workers, 4 tutors, 2 sales associate or merchandiser, 1 call center agent, 1

service crew and a cashier.

Table 1 shows the distribution of the research population which reflects 10

or 33.33% respondents in each year level excluding the first year students.
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Table 1

Distribution of Respondents

Year Level Frequency Percentage (%)

Second Year 10 33.33

Third Year 10 33.33

Fourth Year 10 33.33

TOTAL 30 100
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Research Instruments

The study utilized a test questionnaire and the Student Permanent Record

(SPR) of each respondent. The test questionnaire was adapted from the tool

used in a study conducted by Schwarzer and Jerusalem (1995) on self-efficacy;

however, slight modifications have been made to suit the present conditions of

the study and thereby, subjected to validation of experts. The validation resulted

to an index reliability of 3.71 of the test questionnaire which means very good.

Further, the 20 item-questionnaire contained 5 questions for each indicator

in the level of self-efficacy: performance accomplishment, vicarious experience,

social persuasion and physiological state. Below is the rating scale used to

interpret the responses:

Mean Level Description

4.20 – 5.00 Very High The respondents always have

high self-efficacy
expectations in terms
of performance vicarious
accomplishment,
experience, social persuasion
and physiological state.

3.40 – 4.19 High The respondents often have

high self-efficacy
expectations in terms
of performance
accomplishment, vicarious
experience, social persuasion
and physiological state.

2.60 – 3.39 Moderate The respondents sometimes

have high self-
efficacy expectations in
terms of performance
accomplishment,
vicarious experience, social
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persuasion and physiological

state.

1.80 – 2.59 Low The respondents seldom have

high self-efficacy
expectations in terms
of performance
accomplishment, vicarious
experience, social persuasion
and physiological state.

1.00 – 1.79 Very Low The respondents have very low

self-efficacy
expectations in terms of
performance accomplishment,
vicarious experience, social
persuasion and physiological
state.

Another tool used in the study is the Student Permanent Record (SPR)

which bears the Grade Point Average (GPA) of each respondent. The GPA

serves a representation of the learning outcomes. The scale below was used to

describe and interpret the level of learning outcomes:

Mean Level Description

1.51 – 1.00 Very High The respondents have very high

Grade Point Average
(GPA) as their learning
outcomes.

2.01 – 1.50 High The respondents have high

Grade Point Average (GPA) as
their learning outcomes.

2.51 – 2.00 Average The respondents have moderate

Grade Point Average (GPA) as
their learning outcomes.

3.01 – 2.50 Low The respondents have low Grade

Point Average (GPA) as their
learning outcomes.
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3.50 – 3.00 Very Low The respondents have very low

Grade Point Average (GPA) as
their learning outcomes.

Data Gathering Procedure

The following were the steps in the gathering of data:

1. Seeking permission to conduct the study. The researchers sought

permission from the Dean of the College of Teachers Education to conduct the

study.
2. Administration and distribution of the questionnaires. After the

approval, the study commenced. Questionnaires were personally administered to

the respondents by the researchers.

3. Retrieval of the questionnaires. The data were then retrieved,

collected, tallied, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted confidentially and

accordingly through the aid of the statistician.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The data collected were tested using the following statistical tools:

Mean. This tool was used to determine the level of self-efficacy and

learning outcomes of the respondents in answer to sub-problems 1 and 2.

Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. This tool was used to determine

the significant relationship between self-efficacy and learning outcomes in

answer to sub-problem 3.
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Chapter 3

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS

Presented in this section are the discussion on the presentation and

analysis of findings. The following headings center the discussions: level of self-

efficacy, level of learning outcomes and significance of the relationship between

self-efficacy and learning outcomes among the College of Teacher Education

working students of the University of Mindanao.

Level of Self-efficacy

Shown in Table 2 is the result on the level of self-efficacy of the

respondents as measured through the following indicators: performance

accomplishment, vicarious experience, social persuasion, and physiological

state.

Performance accomplishment. In terms of performance

accomplishment, the mean rating yielded 3.52 or high which means that the

respondents often have high self-efficacy. The result further indicated that the

respondents have excellent study skills compared with other regular students

and they prefer challenging task to learn new things both in school and

workplace. In addition, the respondents can manage to solve difficult problems

regardless of their busy schedule and is capable in performing jobs well without

compromising their studies. This further implies that the respondents have
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high built-in self- esteem that they can manage time regardless of the pressure

and they would likely succeed in all their endeavors as supported by Silver,

Mitchell and Gist

Table 2

Level of Self-efficacy Among the College of Teacher Education

Working Students of the University of Mindanao

Indicators Mean Descriptive Equivalent

Performance Accomplishment 3.52 High

Vicarious Experience 3.88 High

Social Persuasion 4.07 High

Physiological State 3.41 High

OVERALL 3.72 High

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(1995).

Vicarious experience. In terms of vicarious experience, the mean rating

yielded 3.88 or high which means that the respondents often have high self-

efficacy. This means that the respondents can also perform well if someone

performs successfully ahead of them and they are not affected if someone fails to

complete his/her tasks which remind them to do better. Also, the respondents

are well-determined to pursue their goal especially when they saw documentary

shows related to it. They become more motivated to perform task successfully

based on their past achievements and they believe that their failures in life do not

hinder them in achieving their goals. The result of the study implies that the

respondents are goal-oriented, willfully determined and strongly motivated.

Comparable activities as cited by Ryckman (1997) can be performed by a person

who knows how to set goals, determine to succeed and motivated.

Social persuasion. The mean rating of social persuasion posted 4.07 or

high which means that the respondents often have high self-efficacy. The result

further indicated that the respondents can accomplish goals easily through

encouragement and they feel more motivated whenever they hear praises from

the people around them. Additionally, they take positive response from the

support given to them by their friends and workmates and they took advices from

different social groups to help them achieve their goals. Lastly, they become
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more challenged to achieve their goals and feel more confident whenever they

hear success stories from different people. The result, therefore, implies that the

respondents have been propelled and convinced by the people around them to

pursue and accomplish their goals in school and the community where they

belong. In support, Ryckman (1997) highlighted that convincing promotes

development of skills and a sense of personal self–efficacy.

Physiological state. The same table indicated that physiological state of

the respondents posted at 3.41 or high which means that they are often have

high self-efficacy. The result further indicated that the respondents do not feel

any pressure when they take periodical examinations even if they only have

limited time to study due to work and they do not cram in submitting their school

projects. Moreover, the result shows that the respondents can easily overcome

nervousness during presentations in school. Aside from that, the result shows

that despite of difficult problems, the respondents remain calm and steady. Thus,

it can be inferred from the result that respondents have the ability to manage

stress, control nervousness and fight fatigue. In conformity with Redmond (2010),

to improve the physiological state of an individual, one has to remain calm.

Level of Learning Outcomes

The data provided in Table 3 shows the level of learning outcomes among

respondents which was quantified through the Grade Point Average (GPA).

The statistical computations of the combined ratings of the Grade Point

Average (GPA) of the respondents yielded 2.30 which means that the

respondents have average Grade Point Average (GPA). The result further
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revealed that the learning outcomes of the respondents are in average level in

which implicates that amidst their work, the respondents have a well-defined

Table 3

Level of Learning Outcomes Among the College of Teacher Education

Working Students of the University of Mindanao

Indicator Mean Descriptive Equivalent

Learning Outcomes
2.30 Average
(Combined GPA)
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study schedules or time management. The study further insinuates of their

interest to succeed in their studies while working. It can be implied that the

working students of the College of Teacher Educations have high hopes and

aspirations, motivated to learn and valued much their hard-earned money. This

result adheres that activities wherein the students’ abilities, knowledge and skills

are honed in the completion of any course or program are motivated by some

factors as cited by Vlasceanu et.al.(2004).

Significance of the Relationship between Self-efficacy and Learning

Outcomes Among the College of Teacher Education
Working Students of the University of Mindanao

The main focus of this research is to find out if self-efficacy was

considerably an influencing factor in determining the level of learning outcomes

among the College of Teacher Education working students. Result of the

statistical tests of the significant relationship between the variables understudy is

reflected in Table 4.

The overall result obtained from the preceding tabulations shows that

there is no significant relationship between the two variables of this study.

Furthermore, the null hypothesis is accepted since the computed P–value of

0.163 is far more than the cut–off value which is 0.05 level. Consequently, the

relationship is statistically insignificant which further implies that self-efficacy has

nothing to do with their Grade Point Average (GPA) or their learning outcomes.
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The result of this study refutes the theory of Zimmerman (2000) in which

he stated that self-efficacy is a highly effective predictor of student’s motivation

Table 4

Significance of the Relationship between Self-efficacy and Learning

Outcomes Among the College of Teacher Education Working
Students of the University of Mindanao

Independent Dependent P – Value Decision on H0

Learning Outcomes
Performance Grade Point Average
0.111 Accepted
Accomplishment (GPA)

Learning Outcomes
Vicarious Experience Grade Point Average 0.052 Accepted
(GPA)

Learning Outcomes
Social Persuasion Grade Point Average 0.989 Accepted
(GPA)

Learning Outcomes
Physiological State Grade Point Average 0.937 Accepted
(GPA)
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Overall 0.163 Accepted

P ≤ 0.05 – Significant

and learning. However, the result brings to further explanation that there could be

other factors that could certainly influence the learning outcomes of working

students as theorized by Tamir (1997) based on the principles stipulated by

Krathwol, Glaser, Ausubel and Heath (1964) which states that learning outcomes

is influenced by varied factors such as student’s characteristics. This is based on

a study which treated attitudes, psychomotor skills, cognitive structures, cognitive

preferences and cognitive styles as independent variables that were significantly

contributory to the outcome of learning experiences as its dependent variable.

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Chapter 4

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECCOMMENDATIONS

Presented in this chapter are the summary, conclusions, and

recommendations based on the analysis and interpretation of the data obtained.

Summary

This study aimed to determine the relationship between self-efficacy and

learning outcomes among the College of Teacher Education working students of

the University of Mindanao. Specifically, it sought to answer the following

questions:

1. What is the level of self-efficacy among the College of Teacher

Education working students of the University of Mindanao in terms of:

1.1 performance accomplishment,

1.2 vicarious experience,

1.3 social persuasion, and

1.4 physiological state?

2. What is the level of learning outcomes among the College of Teacher

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Education working students of the University of Mindanao in terms of grade?

3. Is there a significant relationship between self-efficacy and learning

outcomes among the College of Teacher Education working students of the

University of Mindanao?

The study tested the null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship

between the level of self-efficacy and learning outcomes among respondents.

This study made use of the descriptive correlation method of research and

employed quota sampling technique involving (30) working students officially

enrolled during 1st term, 1st semester SY 2011-2012 at the College of Teacher

Education of the University of Mindanao.

The following were the findings of the study:

1. The level of self - efficacy among working students yielded the following

results: personal accomplishment, 3.52; vicarious experience, 3.88; social

persuasion, 4.07; and physiological state, 3.41 with an overall mean of 3.72.

2. The level of learning outcomes among respondents based on their

General Point Average (GPA) posted at 2.30.

3. The statistical test on the significance of the relationship between the

self-efficacy and learning outcomes yielded a p-value of 0.163 which is greater

than the tabular value of 0.05 level of significance.

Conclusions

On the basis of the foregoing findings, it can be concluded that:

1. The level of self-efficacy among the College of Teacher Education working

students of the University of Mindanao is high.

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2. The level of learning outcomes among the College of Teacher Education

working students of the University of Mindanao in terms of grade is average.

3. There is no significant relationship between self-efficacy and learning

outcomes among the College of Teacher Education working students of the

University of Mindanao.

Recommendations

On the basis of the aforementioned conclusions, the researchers therefore

recommend:

1. The school administrators should provide avenues among working

students to engage in intervention programs that shall aim to build higher level of

self-efficacy towards academic achievement.

2. The teacher should continually employ strategies in teaching that would

certainly reinforce the learning outcomes of the learners, particularly the working

students.

3. The working students should actively engage in activities that would uplift

their level of self-efficacy onward to their academic success.

4. The parents and guardians should take part in enhancing the learning

outcomes through monitoring the activities and scholastic performances of their

children.

5. Further study may be conducted to address other factors not included in

this study which may have an influence in the learning outcomes of the students.