THE VARIOUS COPING MECHANISMS UTILIZED BY THE LATE

AFTERNOON PROGRAM STUDENTS IN COMBATTING ACADEMIC

STRESS IN DAVAO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Late Afternoon Program

Davao City National High School

Torres St., Davao City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject

Inquires, Investigation, and Immersion

By:

Acar, John Andrei

Andog, Josh
Dalagan, Rose Marie
Delos Reyes, Juliemar
Macaumbao, Isnaira
Tecson, Dhrym

February 2024
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE
TITLE PAGE i

TABLE OF CONTENTS ii

LIST OF FIGURES iv

APPROVAL SHEET v

ABSTRACT vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT x

CHAPTER 1 | INTRODUCTION 1

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 11

Definition of Terms 12

Review Relate Literature 13

Theoretical Framework 19

Conceptual Framework 23

CHAPTER 2 | METHODOLOGY 26

Research Design 26

Research Locale 27

Research Respondent 28

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Research Instrument 28

Data Gathering Procedure 29

Data Analysis Tools 29

CHAPTER 3 | RESULTS 34

CHAPTER 4 | DISCUSSION 38

Summary of Findings 39

Conclusions 40

Recommendations 41

REFERENCES 42

CURRICULUM VITAE 47

APPENDICES 53

Appendix A 53

Appendix B 54

Appendix C 55

Appendix D 58

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 List of Figures

Figure 1: Conceptual Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. p.g.

23
Figure 2: Research Locale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.g. 27
Figure 3: Digital-based Coping Mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . p.g. 31

Figure 4: Communicative-based Coping Mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.g. 32

Figure 5: Self-Treatment-based Coping Mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. p.g. 32

Figure 6: Avoidance-based Coping Mechanism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.g. 33

Figure 7: Table 1: Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . p.g. 34

Figure 8: Table 3: Results - Genders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p.g. 36

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 DAVAO CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Late Afternoon Program
F. Torres St., Davao City

APPROVAL SHEET
This research entitled, “The Various Coping Mechanisms Utilized by
the Late Afternoon Program Students In Combatting Academic Stress In
Davao City National High School”, prepared and submitted by Acar, John
Andrei; Andog, Josh; Dalagan, Rose Marie; Delos Reyes, Juliemar;
Macaumbao, Isnaira; and Tecson, Dhrym in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the subject Investigation, Inquiries and Immersion has been
examined and hereby recommended for approval and acceptance.

Ms. Jingle M. Jamili

Research Adviser

Approved by the Committee for Oral Examination on May 02-03, 2024.

FLORA MAE P. OROSIO

Panelist

CHRISTOPHER L. SERRA EMEL PAUL L. DUAVES

Panelist Panelist

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 ABSTRACT

Academic stress is a common problem among high school

students as they try to juggle academic demands while managing all aspects

of their lives. Davao City National High School offers evening classes tailored

to senior high school students. These varied schedules aim to reduce

academic stress through flexibility; and coping mechanisms exist for one

reason – to lessen the academic stress. Understanding the relationship

between coping mechanisms and student stress levels in this unique

educational environment is critical to improving student education and well-

being. While previous studies have explored the relationship between

academic stress and students’ performance, the specific dynamics within the

Late Afternoon Program setting have not been extensively investigated. This

research bridged this gap by examining the interplay between academic

stress and students’ coping mechanism, with a focus on the Late Afternoon

Program at Davao City National High School.

The deteriorating effects of the academic stress in the students of

Late Afternoon Program has not been studied further and its outcome for this

research is be valuable when it comes to evaluating a proper way of

suppressing or stopping stress due to the academic tasks and responsibilities.

Furthermore, the research was conducted within the Late Afternoon Program

and only be going to target students that are currently enrolled regardless of

chosen strand, be it grade 12 or 11, they’ve served as research respondents.

The selected students who are involved in this research study are the

grade 12 students/ learners of DCNHS under Late Afternoon Program. Out of

250 grade 11 and 12 LAP students, the researchers selected randomly, 5

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classrooms selected with two sections for grade 11 & three sections for grade

12 LAP and 20 respondents each classroom which is equivalent to 100

respondents. The strand isn’t specified and will vary depending on the

convenience of the section that is being sampled. 86% of the population in the

Late Afternoon Program was gathered out of 595 population.

These various coping mechanisms are as follow; Technology-based

Coping Mechanism, Family-Oriented Communicative Coping Mechanism,

Self-Treatment-based Coping Mechanism, and Avoidance-based Coping

Mechanism. The results are as follow;

For the Technology-based Coping Mechanism, there is a standard deviation

of 9.7 and a mean of whopping 88.2, it is the first highly chosen strategy of

coping the stress chosen by the students according to the samples gathered

from the population. These two items obtained the highest scores: I use my

phone to relieve my academic stress (91%), and I listen to music when I am

feeling stressed from school works (92%), with the third being the use of

social media - I use my social media sites to post and share about my

problems (87%). In Communicative-based Coping Mechanism, there is a

standard deviation of 8.95 and an average mean of 44.25. I talk about my

academic stress with my friends (64%), I don’t usually talk about my stress

with anyone (67%). In Self Treatment-based Coping Mechanism, it has

obtained 10.71 and an average of 62.68, third highest. There are only two

items in this indicator that got high scores. These are: Taking care of others is

much easier than taking care of myself (78%), and I tend to forget taking care

about myself anymore (70%), and I eat whenever I am academically stressed

(66%). Moving to the last indicator, the Avoidance-based Coping Mechanism,

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it has obtained a standard deviation of 10.3 and a mean of 79.6, suggesting it

is very high. In this indicator, distraction and avoidance of facing the stress is

relevant. Since the research is documenting students that are working, their

work is primarily prioritized to be added as a question. These items got the

highest scores: I do household chores to lessen the stress I am feeling from

school (80%), I distract myself at work to forget about my stress (82%), and

last but not the least; I usually avoid getting myself into various situation

where it can lead me to another stress (83%).

The following numbers will represent how much out of 100% has

answered “5” as their main answer. The first digit represents the item number

and the second is the percentage (e.g. 1 – 97%). For the items, refer to the

questionnaires provided in page 36. For Technology-based Coping

Mechanism, it has gotten a mean over 88.2, here are the results: 1 = 91%, 2 =

87%, 3 = 92%, 4 = 85%, 5 = 86%. For Communicative-based Coping

Mechanism, it has obtained a mean average of 44.25, otherwise, here are the

results: 1 = 59%, 2 = 65%, 3 = 64%, 4 = 59%, 5 = 67%. For Self-Treatment-

based Coping Mechanism, it’s gotten over an average of 62.68, and these are

the results: 1 = 59%, 2 = 65%, 3 = 64%, 4 = 59%, 5 = 67%. And for the

Avoidance-based Coping Mechanism, it has accumulated an average of 79.6,

and the following are the results: 1 = 80%, 2 = 82%, 3 = 75%, 4 = 78%, 5 =

83%.

In the variable ‘Coping Mechanisms’, it is clear that Avoidance-based,

Technology-based, and Self-Treatment-based Coping Mechanisms are the

best way students know to combat stress. These three can be good in a way

that nobody has to handle it, but also negatively impacting their social and

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capabilities in handling the stress properly. Consequently, technology is not a

reliable way of coping against the stress, although communication is the

expected indicator to have the highest mean; the Family-Oriented

Communicative Coping Mechanism, since it is the best perceived way, the

respondents say differently. In the above discussion, work is also one of the

most chosen ways of combating stress. Although avoidance is good, but

ignoring these stressors and hoping they’d go away isn’t necessarily the best.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone especially God

and Allah. With out faith and our hard work, we won’t be able to make this.

Without the people (will be mentioned below), this won’t be possible. Each

and every one of them had contributed in any form of ways such as

encouragement and knowledge. The researchers in this study, thank you all

for all of your contributions. Without you, we won’t make this.

Teachers, and peers. We would like to thank you ma’am Jingle Jamili

for your help. Without your perseverance, guidance, and your patience with

us. Thank you for telling us the basics of what to do and what not. Ma’am

Annje Abella, we would like to mention you here as well for encouraging us to

work harder for our future and reminding us that this is just a part of our

challenge. Ma’am Charlyn Awayan, Ma’am Sheila Antolihao, and Ma’am

Eemjay Ampo, many teachers as well that we can’t mention here, we would

like to thank you all for being a part. Our families, guardians, and peers, we

thank you all. The various researches that were used and cited in this

research, we thank you for your contribution as they have served as a guide

for newer researchers such as us.

As for our dear panelists: Ma’am Flora Mae Orosio, Sir Christopher

Serra, and Sir Emel Paul Duaves, we thank you for being there and as a part

in terms of visioning and foreseeing the mistakes from our research. Without

your contribution, we won’t experience Defense in first hand.

Thank you ma’am Joy Buenviaje especially for facilitating us and letting

us conduct this research. It is an honor to contribute to this school especially

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LAP and MWSP through making this research that is impossible without your

help.

Last but definitely not the least, the LAP/MSWP, we thank you for being

there and without you, we’re not here at all. Our gratitude is ephemeral or

beyond words.

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