THE MEDIATING ROLE OF HOME IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LEARNING

STYLE AND STUDY HABIT TO THE BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF ECONOMIC

CONCEPTS OF GRADE 9 STUDENTS

A Thesis
Presented to
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Applied Research
LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
San Pablo City Campus

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION
Major in Social Science

EL NIÑO L. BERSAMINA

September, 2021
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CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

It goes without saying that a child's education begins at home. Parents are the child's

first teachers, and they also shape his or her character. According to Section 14 of BATAS

PAMBANSA BLG. 232, all parents have the following responsibilities and obligations: one,

parents individually or collectively, through school systems, shall assist in the achievement of

educational objectives in accordance with national goals. Second, in order to ensure proper

youth development, parents must ensure that their children receive an elementary education

and endeavor to ensure that they receive secondary and higher education. Finally, parents

must work with the school to implement the school's curricular and co-curricular programs.

According to Jose, Rata, and Richards (2017), children and adolescents who have

inconsistencies between their home and school cultures do worse in school and have lower

overall adjustment. Hamilton-Ekeke (2013) stated that a child's living environment is one of

the most important elements impacting his or her study habits and, as a result, contributes to

the child's academic achievement. A variety of home-related issues have both positive and

negative effects on students' academic performance and abilities. Educators and

psychologists feel that the home is the most important factor in a child's holistic development.

When children reach school age, the home environment continues to play an important effect

on their academic success. The study by Osa-Edoh and Alutu (2012), which looked at the

benefits of absorbing a student's study habit as a way to improve academic achievement,

found a strong link between study habits and academic success. This implies that pupils'

academic performance can only be improved when they adopt or cultivate good study habits.

According to Barrio-Garca et al. (2015), the substantial impact of psychological

qualities such as learning styles in describing and interpreting user reactions to systems,

family related variables and study habits are crucial, but we must not overlook the students

learning style. Learners with various learning styles should be accommodated by the learning
 3

approach. A learning style refers to a person's preferred method of absorbing, processing,

and managing information through memory, reasoning, and/or problem solving. Rogowsky,

Calhoun, and Tallal (2015) reviewed that cognitive learning styles are heuristics that apply to

several levels of information processing, from perceptual to metacognitive, and are based on

how individuals can be categorized based on regulatory function. A learner's learning style is

a combination of how they take in and arrange knowledge. Currently, the distant learning

environment is not tailored to individual learning styles. A one-size-fits-all method to education

was utilized. As a result, some students' learning styles were clearly mismatched Huang

Xiaobo (2015).

Thus, to enhance the basic understanding of students with regards to economic

concepts, it is important that the students know their learning style and must have sufficient

knowledge about effective study habits, lastly students must learn whether the home could

serve as a mediating variable to the student’s study habits and learning style. This motivated

the researcher to: first determine home related variables which may affect the performance of

Grade 9 students in Villa San Isidro Calauag, Quezon. Second, to determine if there is a

significant relationship between home, study habits and learning style. The researcher has not

yet encountered a study in the Philippines which give enough focus on home related variables

nor a study which give enough focus to the relationship between home, study habits and

learning style and their effect on the students basic understanding of economic concepts.
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Background of the Study

While countries' COVID-19 infection rates vary, more than 1.2 billion children in 186

countries are being affected by school cancellations as a result of the pandemic. Nearly 36

million individuals have been infected and over one million have died as of October 6, 2020.

This amounts to over 325,000 sick people and 6,000 deaths in the Philippines (Worldometer

2020). Most countries have chosen to use quarantine protocols and temporarily close their

educational institutions in order to stop COVID-19 from spreading. As a result, over a billion

students around the world have been impacted. Over 28 million Filipino students across all

academic levels are among those who must remain at home and adhere to the Philippine

government's quarantine regulations (UNESCO 2020).

To meet the needs of students, the country has adopted proactive regulations to

ensure that education continues despite the closure. Remote learning demonstrates a digital

divide among Filipino students in this scenario (Santos, 2020). This current state of remote

learning is likely to worsen existing disparities and create barriers to online learning. According

to a nationwide cross-sectional study, thirty-two percent (32%) and twenty-two percent (22%)

of 3, 670 Filipino medical students polled, respectively, have difficulty transitioning to new

learning styles and do not have dependable internet access (Baticulon et al., 2020). As a

result, DepEd implements a distance learning strategy that includes three components: (1)

distribution of printed modules to students, (2) access to DepEd Commons, an online

education platform developed by DepEd to support alternative modes of learning, and (3) radio

and television delivery of lessons or self-learning modules. The particular criteria for

implementing distant learning, on the other hand, are still being reviewed (Magsambol, 2020).

Distance learning became a requirement for learners and educators all across the

world during COVID-19 (Ali, 2020). Finally, there is a problem with the "lack of learning

environments at home" (Bagayas, 2020). The findings of Aristeidou and Cross (2021) revealed

a 36 percent decrease in the frequency with which pupils engaged in study activities. The

challenges in managing coursework and restricted engagement with other students are the
 5

key causes of this negative influence. While challenges in adjusting new study, habits are

blamed for study workload issues (Adnan & Anwar, 2020; Händel et al., 2020). H. Harju-

Luukkainen, J. Vettenranta, J. Wang, and S. Garvis (2020) identified four family-related

variables: (a) parental perceptions of their child's fundamental skills, (b) the number of books

in the home, (c) parental educational level, and (d) parental educational value. This was done

in order to have a better grasp of how family circumstances influence a child's educational

outcomes.

In Villa San Isidro National High School, the researcher found out that they have

adopted a hundred percent (100%) of modular distance learning approach, this is due to the

difficulties of adopting another approach. The reason for this is the lack of internet connectivity

in the said school. The researcher, knowing that the students have no choice but to study at

noticed many variables which may positively or negatively impact the performance of the

students. With this fact and premises the researcher was motivated to determine the home

related variables which may affect the basic understanding of economic concepts of students

in Villa San Isidro Calauag, Quezon, to determine if there is a significant relationship between

home, study habits and learning style and to know if home could serve a mediating role

between study habits and learning styles.

Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored on the theories of multiple intelligences and Functionalism.

When it comes to the role of the home in society, functionalists believe that families are an

important social institution that helps to keep society stable. They also point out that in a

marriage or family, family members take on status positions. The family and its members

provide a variety of functions that aid in society's success and progress. The home plays a

critical role in preparing children for adulthood once they are born. The family, as the major

agent of socialization and enculturation, teaches young children social and cultural norms,

values, beliefs, and attitudes through their thinking and behavior. For example, some parents
 6

educate their children manners and civility because they believe that a well-mannered child

reflects a well-mannered parent, social science libretext (2021).

Howard Gardner utilizes eight criteria to decide which sets of human abilities should

be classified as intelligence and which should not. Each intelligence is assumed to have its

own semiautonomous memory system, complete with cerebral areas specialized to the

processing of its unique contents. The growing body of neurological evidence is

overwhelmingly in favor of the MI theory's general direction. It's more logical to talk about

numerous brain areas participating in any complicated intellectual task now, and to emphasize

the extent to which different people may do different functions using different parts of their

brains Gardner (1993).

Researchers have made a variety of attempts to uncover elements that influence

academic achievement in order to find answers to the questions. According to Badhiri (1991),

the characteristics that influence kids' academic progress are divided into four categories:

student-related, teacher-related, home-related, and school-related: a. Intelligence, anxiety,

interest, achievement motivation, aptitude, emotional stability, study habits, and language

ability are all student-related factors. b. Teaching skills, teaching methods, personality and

behavior, classroom interaction, teaching experience, instructor motivation, homework and

reinforcement c. Home-related factors include socioeconomic status, home environments,

religion, birth order, family size, and cultural influence. d. School-related factors include the

climate of the school, the medium of instruction, and the type and location of the school. Study

habits are a well-organized and deliberate pattern of study that has resulted in a level of

consistency on the part of students in terms of comprehending academic subjects and passing

exams (Pauk, 1962; Deese, 1952; Akinboye, 1974 cited by Oyedeji).

Student learning achievement is influenced by a number of factors, including learning

styles (Cuevas, 2015; Ulstad, Halvari, Sreb, & Deci, 2016; Tatar, Tüysüz, Tosun, & lhan).

Learning style refers to a person's preferred method of receiving, managing, and processing

information received through recall, reasoning, and/or problem solving. Kolb's learning style
 7

model was created using Kolb's experiential learning cycle phases (Kolb, Boyatzis, &

Mainemelis, 2000) involving concrete experience (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract

conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE) which aligned with the phases of

scientific learning. Kolb Learning styles consist of four learning styles: Divergers, Assimilators,

Convergers, and Accommodators the Divergers learn best through concrete experiences and

reflective observation, the Assimilators learn best through reflective observation and abstract

conceptualization, the Convergers learn best through abstract conceptualization and active

experiments, and the Accommodators learn best through concrete experiences and active

experimentation.

The absence of suitable study habits that most students have adds to their low

performance in exams and examinations. The learner must develop strong study habits in

order to achieve exceptional results. A student who wishes to do well in school must find a

good location for his studies. It's just as vital to know where to study as it is to know what to

study and how to study. Learners who want to develop productive study habits should create

a unique timetable for themselves, giving a specific amount of time to each subject based on

how tough it is. There are certain well-known study/reading habits that are either beneficial or

detrimental. For the purpose of this topic, they are grouped into: (i) Hobbial (ii) Recreational

(iii)Concentration These ones produce positive effects while (iv)Deviational has a negative

effect. Ogbodo (2010)

Hobbial, a hobby is an activity that brings pleasure and satisfaction to the person who

engages in it. Some people like reading as a hobby after completing their formal schooling. Its

goal is to broaden the reader's horizons in areas such as education, religion, politics,

economics, current events, fiction, and nonfiction. Reading as a hobby broadens one's

knowledge in a variety of fields and allows one to converse intelligently with others. This form

of reading is beneficial to learning since it aids in the development of mental thinking as well

as the fulfillment of a person's interests and objectives.

 8

Reading for pleasure or relaxation is quite popular among the education elite. People

who work for a living spend their days in offices attempting to address challenges connected

to their occupations. When they go home from work, they usually want to spice things up by

reading books, newspapers, and other written materials that are unique and interesting to

them. Instead of reading textbooks all of the time, students should be encouraged to read

magazines. Students who read periodicals on a regular basis learn to relax, cool down their

minds, and avoid mental exhaustion. This method of learning yields great results because it

maintains students' interests, assists them in gaining more knowledge, and promotes a

disciplined school life. In most cases, its ability to induce sleep and rest after hours of arduous

reading in the classroom or library contributes to excellent health practices.

Although the concentration reading is not positive, it is the most significant factor in

achieving the intended result. It is the foundational and goal-oriented reading that leads to

success. Several equations for achieving favorable results in a learning scenario have been

developed by famous language arts experts. Counsellors propose the S4R, Unoh (1974),

Robinson's (1961) SQ3R, and Rosemary "L" approach (Ogbodo: 2005) for use in schools.

The reader deviates from the real reading and pretends to be reading in a deviational

habit. If pupils do not change their habits, they may lose interest in learning. Brown study or

Browsing are two methods for studying or reading textual materials. Because the person

deviates from the norms and conventions of genuinely learning, the outcome of this form of

reading is unfavorable.

Conceptual Framework

The main goal of this study is to know if home could serve a mediating role in the

relationship between study habits and learning styles and its relationship to the basic

understanding of economic concepts. This motivated the researcher to: first determine the

relationship between home related variables and learning style, study habits, and basic
 9

understanding of economic concepts which may affect the performance of grade 9 students

in Villa San Isidro Calauag, Quezon. Second, to determine the correlation between home

related variables, study habits and learning styles. Lastly to determine the correlation between

home related variables and the basic understanding of economic concepts of grade 9

students.

To guide the researcher to the flow of this research, a conceptual framework was developed.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Learning Style
1. Divergers
2. Assimilators
3. Convergers
4. Accommodators Basic Understanding of Economic
Concepts
Study Habits 1. Knowledge
1. Hobbial 2. Application
2. Recreational
3. Concentration
4. Deviational

Home Related Variables

1. Socio-economic status
2. Home environment
3. Religion
4. Birth order
5. Family size
6. Cultural Influence

Mediating Variable
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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the possibility of home related variables having a

mediating role between the relationship of study habits and learning style, and its relationship

in the basic understanding of economic concepts. Lastly it seeks to determine the correlation

between home related variables, learning styles, study habits, and basic understanding of

economic concepts of grade 9 students.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. Is there a significant relationship between home related variables and learning style?

2. Is there a significant relationship between home related variables and study habit?

3. Is there a significant relationship between home related variables and understanding

of basic economic concepts of grade 9 students?

4. What is the correlation between family related variables and study habit?

5. What is the correlation between family related variables and learning style?

6. What is the correlation between home related variables and understanding of basic

economic concepts of grade 9 students?

Research Hypotheses

Based on the problems cited, the hypotheses were formed.

1. There is no significant relationship between home related variables and learning

styles.

2. There is no significant relationship between home related variables and study habits.

3. There is no significant relationship between home related variables and the basic

understanding of economic concepts of grade 9 students.

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Significance of the study

The researcher would like to conduct the study to determine the possibility of

home related variables having a mediating role between the relationship of study habits and

learning style, and its relationship in the basic understanding of economic concepts. Lastly the

researcher seeks to determine the correlation between home related variables and learning

styles, study habits and basic understanding of economic concepts of grade 9 students.

Significantly this study would be a great help for the following individuals:

For the students. Exposing the students to proper home environment, study habits and

learning style will change their perspective about education.

For the parents. The study will expose the parents to the proper home environment, study

habits and learning style thus, being able to better provide assistance for their children.

For the teachers. With the help of this study, the teachers will be able to create new

approaches and strategies that will be more child centered.

For the school. This study will expose the school to the challenges the students are facing

in the current distance learning setup. Thus, the school will be able to provide appropriate

assistance for the students in their homes.

For Future researchers. This study will be able to provide future researchers additional

sources for their studies.

Scope and Limitation

The study will be focused on the mediating role of home related variables (socio-

economic status, home environment, religion, birth order, family size, cultural influence) in the

relationship between study habits (Hobbial, Recreational, Concentration, Deviational) and

learning style (Divergers, Assimilators, Convergers, Accommodators) of grade 9 students of

Villa San Isidro National High School. The home related variables are the only variable we

adopted from the four main variables of Badhiri, which may affect student performance

(Student-related, Teacher-related, Home-relate and School-related), because the other

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variables are not closely related to this study. The study habits used in this study is also known

as reading habits, because 100% of the students of Villa San Isidro NHS are under the

modular approach the researcher believes that it is suitable for the study. In this study the

researcher did not adopt the original division of learning styles from Howard Gardner’s multiple

intelligences theory, instead this study adopted Kolb’s generalized learning styles because it

is more suitable for this study. Due to the pandemic the researcher was not able to witness

how the respondents actually answered the instruments. However constant communication

and follow-up interviews were conducted to verify the answers of students and their parents.

Definition of Terms

The following terms were defined operationally:

Accommodators. Learners are most successfully learning through concrete

experiences and active experimentation.

Assimilators. Learners are most successfully learning through reflective observation

and abstract conceptualization.

Application. The application of basic understanding of economic concepts of grade

9 students in their homes.

Basic understanding of economic concepts. Is the students understanding on the

primary concepts in economics.

Concentration. the concentration reading is not positive but it is the most important

one that provides the desired outcome.

Convergers. Learners are most successfully learning through abstract

conceptualization and active experiments.

Deviational. The reader deviates from the actual reading and pretends to be

reading.
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Divergers. Learners are most successfully learning through concrete experiences

and reflective observation.

Family-related variables. Are things which may affect students’ performance and

participation like socio-economic status, home environment, religion, birth order, family size

and cultural influence.

Hobbial. The practice of reading as a hobby.

Knowledge. The knowledge of grade 9 students pertaining to the basic

understanding of economic concepts.

Recreational. Fundamentally, reading for recreation or relaxation.

Study Habits. These are habits and techniques that students employ in the

performance of distance learning activities.

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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Review of Related Literature

This paper uses a poststructuralist perspective to describe home culture as “a complex

social system, as opposed to a natural system, that evolves from individuals' collaborative

activity in the environment, giving rise to sets of shared knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes,

and practices” (Baker, 2015, p. 71; Ross, 2021; Meleen, 2021). In this sense, home culture is

seen as a critical perspective that challenges an essentialist set of cultural meanings, rather

than as a cognitive idea (as knowledge, it cannot only be cognitive e but must also incorporate

social behavior) (Baker, 2012; Piller, 2011; Ross, 2021). As a result, home culture is

understood as a discourse, practice, and ideology in which IC is viewed as a process that is

intimately linked to identity negotiation and production (Baker, 2015; Liddicoat, 2015; Ren,

Chen, &Lin, 2016).

In many nations, early childhood development has become a policy priority (Sackes

2013; Garvis et al. 2018; UNICEF 2019). There is a widespread belief that high-quality early

childhood education (or learning environments) will bring numerous short- and long-term

benefits for children and their families. However, these good outcomes are linked to the

‘quality' of early childhood education, according to (Taguma et al.2012; Workman and Ullrich

2017; Megalonidou 2020). The difficulty here is that quality is defined differently in different

nations or by different interest groups. There are studies on the quality of early childhood

surroundings from various perspectives, but less attention has been made to the influence of

families, implying that parents are the child's first instructors.

Along with other learning environments, parents provide a comprehensive

mathematical and early literacy input to their child. It's important to know what kind of input

this is because early childhood knowledge is significantly linked to later knowledge and

reading skills. The most important determinants of future academic achievement are early

academic skills in literacy and math. Non-academic abilities such as social competence and
 15

self-control, which children develop early in life, also contribute to school achievement (Watts

et al. 2014; Ceka & Murati 2016 GPE Secretariat 2018).

The researcher discovered in this study that there are already far too many studies

that show a link between study habits and learning styles. It's noteworthy to note that average

scores and subject planning scores of "excellent" students have a moderate positive link, while

average habits of concentration scores and average scores of "bad" students have a moderate

negative correlation. A modest or moderate positive relationship between topic planning and

average scores in each of the three categories (poor, average, good) suggests that students

should arrange their subjects in a synchronous manner. A programming course, as is well

known, has a typical inductive conceptual structure; it is critical to study by planning the

subjects in order to acquire better learning results. In the online context, the scenario was the

same. There was a positive association between “good” students' concentration habits and

their average scores, but a negative correlation between their average scores. Concentration

is especially challenging to achieve in online synchronous environments because learners are

closely following the course because they don't know when the instructor will ask a question

or suggest something. Furthermore, it is well recognized that various circumstances at home

or at work might disrupt distance learners' concentration. Asynchronous video recordings can

be used to see the missing parts of the lessons. However, the instructor's body language

throughout the lecture is not discernible, which is crucial for the students' concentration during

the session. It's interesting to observe that none of the exam-preparation behaviors, reading

and note-taking habits, or home environment habits are linked to average grades across all

categories (Damtew et al., 2019; Akrolu, 2014; Magulod, Jr., 2019).

A study habit is described as a regular, uninterrupted period of time set aside to devote

oneself to the objective of learning. The manner in which a youngster is raised at home has

an impact on his or her study habits. Whatever the child's home life is like, it might have an

impact on his or her schoolwork, as children who are loved and cared for usually do well in

school. Children who lack parental attention, love, and tender care, on the other hand, have a
 16

difficult time forming stable relationships with other children. Emotional disturbances reduce

the desire to study, as does sadness at home and resentment of the teacher, all of which

contribute to bad student study habits. Apart from pre-school influences, the home continues

to have a significant impact during schooling, for example, overcrowding in the family.

Furthermore, an overcrowded home deprives one of peace and privacy. When numerous

children share a bed, they may sleep poorly and be unable to concentrate on their schoolwork

due to exhaustion.” One of the most important aspects of study habits, according to studies,

is time spent. According to time spent research, the more time students spend on study habits,

the better their students will be. Nonetheless, when it comes to studying time, a study found

that the quality of the study is critical. Gender, academic interest, parental pressure, school

anxiety, and motivation are all factors that influence how much time is spent studying. When

it comes to learning, most people have some features in common. Our brains function as

social tools. We learn best in a happy, supportive setting that is free of fear and tension. When

it comes to learning styles, though, we are not all alike. A child's learning style does not define

him or her. Actually, most youngsters have a mix of personalities, with one dominant over the

others. Different learning tactics are used by children with different learning styles. As a result,

watching how a youngster handles a task or a learning difficulty can reveal a lot about how

they learn new things. When parents are willing to assist, they can (Hamilton-Ekeke 2013;

Callentine 2019; Ghazali et al. 2021).

With all this fact and premises, we could see that there are enough studies that would

prove that home related variables, learning style and study habits have a positive or negative

impact on a child’s education, further there have been many studies which indicates that

learning style and study habits have a significant relationship. In this study the researcher

found out that there are few studies which pointed to the connection between home related

variables and study habits and fewer studies that showed the connection between home

related variables and learning style. The researcher believes that this is because during the

time before the pandemic, the time students allocate in home studies is very minimal, therefor
 17

the impact of home related variables on learning style is also minimal and so the lack of

studies. Finally, the researcher has not encountered any study local or international, which

identified home related variables as a possible mediator in the relationship between study

habits and learning style.

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CHAPTER III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This study is a quantitative research that is guided by the correlational-survey design.

This chapter explained the purpose of the study, research design, respondents, sampling

technique, research instrument, research procedure and statistical statement.

Research Design

This study adopted the correlational-survey design. A correlational research

design investigates relationships between variables without the researcher controlling or

manipulating any of them. The intensity and/or direction of the relationship between two (or

more) variables is represented by a correlation Bhandari (2021). A correlation might have

either a positive or negative direction. The correlational design was used in this study to

investigate the relationship between home related variables and study habits, as well as home

related variables and learning style, and home related variables and the basic understanding

of economic concepts. In addition, the researchers want to discover if there is a positive or

negative correlation between home-related variables and learning style, study habit and

understanding basic economic concepts of grade 9 students.

Questionnaires can be used to measure your variables of interest in survey research.

Surveys can be conducted online, by mail, over the phone, or in person. Surveys are a simple

and flexible way to collect standardized data from a large number of people, but it's critical to

make sure your questions are unbiased and capture useful insights Bhandari (2021). Personal

administration and email are used in this study to conduct the survey. The incorporation of

survey design in this study is primarily for the purpose of data collection.

Respondents of the Study

This study will be conducted in Villa San Isidro NHS where in, the grade 9 students for

the school year are chosen as the respondents. This study having a correlational-survey

design would give survey questionnaire to the students and their parents to gather relevant
 19

data for the study. The study will not use any sampling technique because it would cover the

entire population of grade 9 students of Villa San Isidro NHS.

Research Instrument

The main research instrument in the study will be a survey questionnaire, which would

have six parts namely: the relationship between home related variables and study habits,

home related variables and learning style, the relationship between home related variables

and the basic understanding of basic economic concepts, the correlation between home

related variables and study habits, the correlation between home related variables and

learning styles, lastly the correlation between home related variables and basic understanding

of economic concepts of grade 9 students in Villa San Isidro NHS. Each part would consist of

five questions. The study used the Likert scale as the scale of measure and logistic regression

to treat the data.

Research Procedure

The researcher found out that the role of home is very evident in the current modular

distance learning of DepEd. In search for further answers the researcher noticed that there is

a possible connection between home related variables, study habits, learning styles and basic

understanding of economic concepts. With this premise the researcher found out that there

are many studies which proves that there is a connection between study habits and learning

styles, furthermore there are also some studies which shows the connection between home

related variables and study habits. The researcher failed to find enough research that would

show the relationship between home related variables and learning styles further the

researcher also failed to see any research that showed how home related variables could play

a mediating role between study habits and learning style therefor the researcher was

motivated to conduct the study.