THE EFFECTS OF POVERTY ON STUDENTS FROM GRADE

11    HUMSS STRAND AT ACLC    COLLEGE

OF TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE

ANGELICA GRACE S. BELTRAN

SHAN DHAVE CALUMPIANO

GLYFA MAE PAGLINAWAN

ANDREI MAE SORNITO

ANGELA MIRAFLOR

AIRA MAE ABRIA

MELANIE SALAS

FRANCIS LOSTE

BLOCK 13- FREUD

A Research Proposal

Submitted in Partial fulfillment

Of the course Practical Research 2

ACLC College of Tacloban

Senior High School Department

Tacloban City, Leyte

2022
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

A life lack of the necessities needed, such as food, shelter, clothing, and safe drinking

water for a person to live normally, is referred to as poverty. It's critical to satisfy some degree of

bodily, social, and emotional requirements. Being unwelcome in many areas makes it difficult

for those who live in poverty to attain those. They struggle to preserve their health, food security,

and education due to their poor salaries. The global issue of poverty has grown significantly. It is

not just an economic issue; it also pertains to human nature. Additionally, it is a problem on the

cultural, political, and emotional levels. People's disappointment and pain, as well as their lack of

hope, are what it is. Although many of us are aware of this, we are unaware of how serious of a

problem it is. They frequently experience great deprivation as well.

Poverty is one of the most important indicators of academic performance in our culture today. As

the proportion of students raised in poverty increases, we must all be aware of how poverty

affects students' behavior and academic performance in the classroom. Academic achievement

can be predicted using socioeconomic status.(Cedeño, et al., 2016).Brito et al. (2009) stated that

students raised in poverty are more likely to experience emotional and social difficulties,

ongoing stress, and cognitive lags caused by significant changes in the organization of the brain's

memory and emotional processing regions.

Berliner (2009) emphasized that Poverty has a significant negative impact on academic

achievement. Among the obvious reasons is the fact that poor children frequently suffer from
food insecurity and a lack of quality health care. Poverty and education are inextricably linked

because students living in poverty may skip school to work, leaving them without the literacy

and numeracy skills needed to advance their careers. One child's education is impacted by

poverty because it is known to be a barrier to a youngster exercising their right to an education.

Children with worried and uninterested personalities frequently behave badly at home and at

school. Once they are in school, children's socialization and social position can have a big impact

on their conduct. Children raised in poverty rarely make the decision to act differently, but they

experience everyday problems that children from wealthy families never have to, and their brains

have changed to cope with the poor situations in ways that impair good academic performance.

      According to studies, Children from low-income families begin school academically and

behaviorally behind their more affluent peers, and the gap grows throughout their education.

(Duncan et al.,2013). Parental participation has also been investigated and analyzed as a means

of boosting students' academic success. We are all aware of the importance of studying because it

expands our knowledge of everything in the world. However, some of them made the decision to

cease because they were not working to support their families or their daily needs and instead

were studying. In comparison to their peers who are financially secure, many of these

adolescents struggle academically and receive less parental assistance. Youth dropping out of

school is a result of this. Because of their family's financial situation, students who live in

poverty tend to lack confidence (such as poor or rich). It demonstrates how the strain of having a

low socioeconomic position can cause teenage psychological disorders, such as anxiety,

depression, and behavioral problems (Wadsworth, 2008). Additionally, poor students experience

extreme humiliation and embarrassment when their appearance, clothing, and personal hygiene

differ from those of their peers (Beegle, 2003); these children must overcome seemingly
insurmountable challenges while already weak from their upbringing in the environment and

unfair social prejudice.

In Tacloban, the regional capital, the poverty rate went up from 8.1 percent to 15.6 percent

in the past three years according to PNA or the Philippine News Agency. Poverty impacts a

child’s improvement and academic effects starting withinside the earliest years of life, each

immediately and not directly thru mediated, moderated, and transactional processes. School

readiness, or the child’s cap potential to apply and make the most of faculty, has been identified

as gambling a completely unique function in breaking out from poverty withinside Tacloban and

more in growing countries. It is an essential detail however wishes to be supported with the aid

of using many different additives of a poverty alleviation strategy, including progressed

possibility systems and empowerment of families. The paper opinions proof from interventions

to enhance faculty readiness of students in poverty and presents tips for destiny studies and

action. Poverty and education are inextricably linked. Not all students without an education live

in such poverty, however, there are some still students residing in poverty has to drop out of

basic education. Poor families prevent their children from going to high school due to the fact

they must work, which leaves them without the literacy and numeracy competencies to enhance

their situation. With few profits and few options, their kids also are much more likely to depart

school, perpetuating a cycle of poverty that spans generations. This is unfortunate, due to the fact

the maximum essential manner that training influences poverty is that it may assist to stop it. But

why do students have to stop going to school if education is free? Does poverty contribute to the

number of school dropouts? What is the impact of poverty on the academic performances of the

students in grade 11 HUMSS students in ACLC COLLEGE OF TACLOBAN CITY?

Each day countless students come to school, each with their own set of unique gifts,
abilities, and challenges. Recent data has found that students living in poverty often face far

more challenges than their peers. Poverty has a negative impact on students in a variety of ways,

both within and outside of K-12 education. This can be accomplished through a variety of factors

that are frequently symptoms of poverty, such as health problems caused by a poor diet,

homelessness, a lack of food, or the inability to receive medical treatment for illnesses. These

factors frequently increase a student's stress, which can have a negative impact on the student's

ability to succeed in school. Furthermore, Students living in poverty frequently have fewer

resources at home to complete homework, study, or participate in activities that prepare them for

success in school. Many impoverished families do not have access to computers, high-speed

internet (only three-fourths of households have access to high-speed broadband), or other

materials that can help a student outside of school. Parents in these families frequently work

longer hours or multiple jobs, making it difficult for them to assist their children with their

schoolwork.

Poverty is a reality today and will continue to be a significant factor in our society.

Students raised in poverty are indeed more likely to experience emotional and social challenges,

mental health issues, chronic stressors in their everyday life, and cognitive lags due to significant

changes in their brain structure in areas related to memory and emotion. This study was created

to show young people and pupils that poverty does not prevent them from succeeding in life.

Despite their family's financial situation, they should continue their education. They are required

to use the government program that is specifically offered to the impoverished and to exercise

their right to education as children. We hope to encourage individuals to take action to address

this issue by educating them with all of this information. It is important for us to know how

poverty affects the academic performance and behavior of grade 11 Humss students so that we
can take action and help students who are extremely struggling to reach academic success

because of poverty.

Statement of the Problem

This study will generally aim to determine the effects of poverty on students in the ACLC

COLLEGE OF TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE

These inquiries are what the researchers are attempting to address:

1. How does poverty affects students from grade 11 humss at Aclc College of Tacloban City in

terms of;

I. Academic Performance & Behavioral Performance

II. Physical & Mental Health

III. Social Life

2. How does parents occupation affect the students in Grade 11 Humss?

3. What strategies do students employ to improve their academic performance while coping with

poverty?

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study is to understand the potential consequences of poverty on

education and the students' performance and it will provide recommendations on how to improve

the academic performance of those students living in poverty. This research is made with the aim

to provide crucial information and knowledge regarding the chosen topic to our respondents and
readers. The primary beneficiaries of the study are the Students who will greatly benefit from

our study especially the students who are currently and continuously experiencing poverty.

Through this study, they will have a better and broader understanding of their situations and this

will help them realize that poverty does not prevent them from succeeding in life, it may only be

a hindrance to their academic performance but, this study will provide the strategies to improve

their academic performance while coping with poverty. This study will also stimulate empathy

and sympathy for the students' who came from a high socio-economic background. Once they

understand how poverty greatly affects their peers, the discrimination inside the school will

lessen. The Teachers will also benefit from our study, it is crucial for educators to understand the

situations of students who are living in poverty because they hold the key to unlocking the chains

that poverty has on education. Additionally, by creating positive school environments, providing

opportunities for academic growth, and teaching positive social behaviors, educators can help

students find academic success. The Parents are also one of the beneficiaries of this study.

Parents should have knowledge and information regarding the effects of poverty on students'

day-to-day lives and their mental health. The researchers aim to encourage parents to work hard

and find solutions to their current social status so that they can provide their children with a

quality education. This study also aims to make parents understand how poverty greatly affects

their child's mental health so they give better parental support. Furthermore, this study gives the

National Government the direction to put forward the appropriate measures to alleviate poverty

so that students' will afford quality education and a better future. To the Future Researchers, the

findings of this study may serve as the foundation for additional research and can be cited as

relevant literature.
Scope and Delimitations

The main objective of this study is to determine the effects of poverty on students' academic

performance and behavior and to provide strategies on how to improve academic performance

while dealing with poverty. This study is limited to the effects of poverty on students academic

and behavioral performance, mental and physical health and any subjects that are affected by

poverty won’t be covered. The grade 11 Humss students at ACLC College of Tacloban City will

be the focus of this study. Students in Grade 12 will no longer be included in this study. The

study will gather data on the HUMSS strand and won't cover any other tracks or strands. This

study is qualitative research and this will be done through surveying and interviewing grade 11

HUMSS students.

Theoretical Framework

This research covers the theory related to the factors that affect students' academic performance.

Family Stress Model

This theory was developed by Reuben Hill in 1949. The family stress model demonstrates how

poverty and economic pressure affect the quality of interparental relationships, which in turn

impacts on child outcomes. Longitudinal evidence indicates poverty or economic hardship.

Pressure has an effect on parents' mental health, which can lead to parental conflict and parenting

difficulties. These, in turn, have a negative impact on child outcomes and future life chances,

including externalization and internalizing issues, academic and physical health issues, and

social and interpersonal relationship issues problems. Parental conflict is increasingly seen as a
central mechanism of or a precursor to poor parenting and negative outcomes.

Figure 1. Family Stress Model

The above-mentioned theory is relevant to the current study because it shows that poverty causes

parental conflict, which in turn causes child problems such as poor academic performance,

behavioral issues, mental illness, and poor health.

Conceptual Framework & Paradigm

The major concept of this study is to focus on the effects of poverty on students in terms of

academic performance, behavioral performance, mental and physical health, and social life.

Figure 1; shows the relationship of input variables which contains the factors that are possibly

affected by poverty which are the students academic and behavioral performance, students

mental and physical health, and lastly students social life. While in the process it contains the

research techniques that the researchers will use which are the survey, interview, and

documentary analysis. The output variable carries the analysis of the effects of poverty in Grade
11 Humss students at ACLC College of Tacloban City.

Figure 1. Framework

HYPOTHESIS/NULL HYPOTHESIS

In relation to the identified study problem, the researcher will create the following hypotheses:

H0: Null Hypothesis.

Academic achievement and behavior of students and poverty do not significantly correlate.

H1: Alternative Hypothesis.

Academic achievement and behavior of students and poverty are significantly correlated.
Definitions of Terms

For a better understanding of the study, the following terms are further defined conceptually.

Academic Performance ~ refers to the extent to which a student, teacher, or institution has

attained their short or long-term educational goals and is measured either by continuous

assessment or cumulative grade point average.

Behavioral Performance ~ It results from a balance between adaptive flexible behavioral choices

and more rigid, repetitive choices, which are supported respectively by brain networks known as

goal-directed and habitual brain systems.

Education ~ Is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting

knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of

understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty.

Mental Health ~ It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how

we think, feel, and act.

Poverty ~ Is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing, and

shelter. However, poverty is more, much more than just not having enough money.   

SES ~ (Socio Economic Status) A way of describing people based on their education, income,

type of job.
 CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature and Studies

Family Background of the Students

According to Claro et al. (2016) If the poor were given a way to overcome their situation,

perhaps the effects on education and the learners would be less visible, influencing the academic

performance of the learners in this case. It is pretty clear that in a poor background, the academic

performance in this particular situation will be very low as compared to the backgrounds that are

not poor or rather are doing better than the latter. Poverty, in fact, tends to put the effect on

families or communities at a severe disadvantage, affecting not only environmental concerns but

also psychological, emotional, and physical aspects. As a result, this is a clear indication that a

child or person from a poor background will have a lot of issues to deal with, putting them in a

position where they will struggle to perform or grasp whatever is taught to them academically

(Sulieman, 2016).

Sulieman (2016) stated that A factor such as family background has an impact on learners'

performance, which is a true scenario considering that poverty goes beyond influencing how the

same students who have been affected by it will be able to respond to things or environmental

aspects such as stimuli. A poor family background will influence how people from such

backgrounds perceive things and, more importantly, how they first grasp them.

Countries such as the third world and those in development are the ones most affected by

such issues (Scherer, 2016). Furthermore, it is clear that income distribution, or the distribution
of wealth between the rich and the poor, is very large. This is related to the negative impact on

the academic performance of students from low-income families. This is due to the limited

opportunities available to people from such low-income backgrounds in this case (Scherer,

2016).In fact, it is clear that students from better-off backgrounds outperform those from poorer

backgrounds in most cases. However, addressing such disparities while attempting to improve

academic performance through poverty management will be critical (Claro et al, 2016).

Children from low-income families are more vulnerable to a variety of external disorders,

which can have a negative impact on their academic performance (SULEIMAN, 2016). These

setups tend to disrupt learners' emotion regulation and, finally, early age stresses that continue to

make them unable to understand things easily as far as learning and performance are concerned

in this particular case. There is also learned helplessness that is created in this case as a result of

children being raised in poor family environments (Walling & Martinek, 2015).

This has got the tendency of making young learners from such backgrounds not feel like

they can grasp any academics thereby making it impossible for them to perform for already they

have got a notion that they can perform in academics (SULEIMAN, 2016). When this extends in

the community and lasts for lengthy periods of time without any intervention or help, then the

entire generation will be affected for it will be a belief or rather a culture that from poor

backgrounds, they cannot be in a position to perform well in academics (Scherer, 2016).

Parental education level of students

Although learning institutions promote equal opportunity for performance for all learners

through the implementation of several measures aimed at mitigating the effects of parental

education disparities, there is a widespread perception that parental education level has a
significant impact on learner performance. Parents with less education typically earn lower

incomes (Kao & Tienda, 2015).

Poor family parents with low levels of education and income are associated with

aggression, among other behavioral problems. Aggressive parents frequently punish their

children or shout at them; this frequent punishing of learners, whether at school or at home,

causes the learner to develop a state of discomfort, which causes the learner to fail to concentrate

and understand as expected in class (Kao & Tienda,2015). This will result in the student's

repeated underperformance, which will cause the learner to develop a negative attitude toward

education, making it difficult for the student to achieve their academic goals.

Parents with a high level of education and a good income will have high expectations and

confidence in their children's academic abilities because they can afford to pay for all educational

requirements (Englund et al, 2015). The majority of parents with low levels of education and low

income do not expect much from their children because they do not provide the necessary

resources to improve their children's learning environment. The lack of necessary learning

materials saps the student's confidence and hope for success in their academic lifeline. This

directly leads to reluctance and, eventually, underperformance in education.

Parents with a low level of education are associated with heavy occupation and poverty,

with the parents feeling exhausted by the time they leave their workplaces (Englund et al, 2015).

This causes the parent to avoid responsibilities such as monitoring their children's progress,

which causes the children to relax in academics and thus lose the strong foundation of education,

resulting in the children failing to archive much in education.

The gap between students from LOW SES and HIGH SES
 Family incomes continue to be reliable indicators in predicting students' level of

achievement. Students who live in poverty are at risk of not completing school and are more

likely to underachieve than their peers from high socioeconomic status. For the past twenty-five

years, the dropout rate for underprivileged students has declined. However, it still remains

substantially higher than for students from a wealthier background. Students who are living in

poverty are most likely to be retained, suspended, and expelled from school (Wood, 2003).

Martin et al.(2014) stated that A child from a low socioeconomic status will almost never

choose to behave differently. Instead, they face numerous challenges that children from affluent

families find difficult to comprehend. As a result, this preoccupation leads to low academic

performance.

According to the case study “ The effects of poverty in students' academic achievement “

that has been conducted at Southern Arkansas University in 2011.    The Investigation found that

the resources available to students are significantly affected by poverty. Students in poverty

struggle to reach the same academic achievement levels as students that came from wealthier

backgrounds due to a lack of resources.

Research has made it clear that there’s a link existing between socioeconomic status and

school performance (Engle et al., 2008-2011). Belfiore et al.(2005) stated that students living in

poverty are critically at risk of academic failure. It appears that students who live in poverty have

a very bleak future. Jensen (2009) asserted that students from low socioeconomic status attend

school less frequently and drop out more often than their peers who are from wealthier

backgrounds. They are less driven and committed to learning. Studies have shown that poverty

negatively influences brain development among children before Sthey reach kindergarten (Luby
et al., 2013).

Studies have shown that students of low socioeconomic status are below grade level at

much higher rates and they eventually have poor or average grades. Poverty has unfavorable

effects on student performance (Murphy & Tobin, 2011). Jensen recommended that there are

various factors involved that play a part in students' performance as follows: nutrition and health,

vocabulary, efforts, hope and growth mindset, cognition, relationship, and distress. However,

students living in poverty are more likely to be exposed to foods with no nutritional value which

affects cognitive abilities which, in turn, has an adverse effect on students' academic

performance.

Summary of the related literature

The review of the research related to the title of the paper was conducted based on the

students' family backgrounds, the level of education of the students' parents, and the gap between

students from low and high socioeconomic status. The review of family background sought to

determine how the learner's family history affected their performance. Furthermore, the effect of

a student's family background on academic performance has been established. The review on the

impact of learners' parents' education on learner performance sought to establish the existence of

a relationship. Research relevant to our subject of study was researched, and relevant information

was gathered to aid in the development of concrete information needed. A review of the gap

between students from low and high socioeconomic status was also conducted in order to

establish the relationship between the two and the relevance of the relationship to our study.

It was clear from the aforementioned related literature and studies that the academic and

behavioral performance of the students living in poverty is low compared to students from more
affluent households. One of the possible reasons for the low academic performance of the student

is socio-economic status.

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The methodology guiding this study is a case study. The case study also allows the researcher to

explore a bounded system (a case) over time through detailed, in-depth collection involving

multiple sources of information (interviews, observations, documents, and reports (Cresswell,

2007).

In this study, the data that the researchers will gather is about how poverty affects the academic

performance and behavior of students at ACLC College of Tacloban. Regarding the sample

technique, data gathering tools, and data analysis techniques used, the design also adopted a

descriptive survey approach. The researchers will use the descriptive survey approach to pick a

smaller sample size to represent the entire population. The researchers will collect data through

the use of questionnaires, interviews, and content analysis.

Locale of the Study

This research will be carried out at the ACLC College of Tacloban. 352 Real Street, Tacloban,

Leyte. The researchers will collect data from the Grade 11 HUMSS strand. The respondents will

be interviewed inside the campus or any place that they will choose. The researcher chose ACLC

College of Tacloban because the researcher wants to investigate how poverty affects their peers’
academic performance and behavior.

Population and Sampling

In Tacloban City, the AMA Computer Learning Center is one of the most populous computer

schools. The total number of grade 11 students in the Humss strand is 409, and there are roughly

1,220 grade 11 students enrolled in this institution. There are a total of 10 sections in the Humss

strand, but only 10 respondents will be collected for each section.

The researcher will collect respondents through Purposive Sampling.The respondents will only

be students who are currently experiencing poverty. The researchers will use Homogeneous

sampling method with a limit of 10 respondents per section.

Research Instrument & Validation

The researchers will collect data from respondents using a survey questionnaire and interviews

as research instruments. The researchers will create a self-structured questionnaire to collect data

for the study, such as name, gender, age, strand, parent's occupation, number of family members,

and family income. The researcher will then conduct an interview and will use open ended

questions. The interview questions will focus on how poverty affects respondents' academic and

behavioral performance, physical and mental health, and social life.

The goal of this study is to determine the effects of poverty on grade 11 students' academic and

behavioral performance in ACLC-TACLOBAN. The researcher will write a letter for approval to

conduct this study. Then the researcher will create a research question, which will be validated

by the professor of the subject. The respondents of this study are Grade 11 HUMSS students. The

researchers will gather data through surveys and interviews. The researcher will look for ten

respondents in ten blocks that they can interview. After finding five respondents, the researcher

will explain the significance of their participation in the study and request that they answer with

all honesty. After the researchers explain the importance of their participation, the researcher will

begin to interview the respondents, and their answers will be recorded. After the respondents

have answered all of the questions, the researchers will analyze their responses.

Data Analysis Procedure

The researcher will analyze the data gathered using thematic analysis. In this method, the

researcher will interpret the data as categories, and each category will have a corresponding color

that will be used as a label for the category. After categorizing and labeling, the researcher will

group all of the categories and connect them to form one central category or theme.