INTRODUCTION

Academic performance or academic achievement is the extent to which a

student achieves to their short or long-term educational goals, and it has been playing a

crucial role for every student, teachers, and any professionals as part of their educational

background. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, but learners

may also educate themselves, which means that it is not all up to the teachers that affect the

performance of the students but the students themselves. Measuring of academic performance

of students is challenging since student performance is product of socio-economic,

psychological, and environmental factors (Naqvi, 2007). In any educational institute students

are most important asset.

Universities and colleges have no value without students. The students’

academic performance plays a vital role in creating the finest quality alumni who will become

leader and manpower of a particular country, thus, responsible for the country’s social and

economic development (Ali et. al, 2009). The academic performance of the students’ has

gained significant attention in past researches. Though the above-mentioned factors strongly

influence the performance of the students, but these factors differ from country to country

and person to person (Singh, 2016). Most of the previous studies on academic performance of

students focused on such issues like teacher education, class environment, gender difference,

teaching style, family educational background, and socio-economic factor.

In the past years, a number of valuable studies have been conducted to develop

various models to evaluate the students’ performance by taking various factors like peer

pressure, learning with opposite se, sponsorship status, health problems, poor sanitation

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 1

facilities, social media, students’ interest, study habits, and family backgrounds, but they

didn’t focus more about how these factors affect to the academic performance of the students

specially the senior high school (Owusu, 2017).

Senior High School (SHS) covers the last two years of the K to 12 program

and includes Grades 11 and 12. According to Department of Education (DepEd), SHS is the

crucial part secondary education. SHS as part of the K to 12 Basic Curriculum was developed

in line with the curriculum of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) – the governing

body for college and university education in the Philippines. This ensures that by the time the

students graduate from Senior High School, they will have the standard knowledge, skills,

and competencies need to go to college, therefore failing their subjects can lead a huge

impact in their future endeavors.

Senior High School is the latest curriculum implemented by the government to

enhance the skills of 21st century learners and I came out with this study to help the SHS

students develop and prevent themselves from having poor academic performance, since, this

study aims to determine the factors affecting poor academic performance of USL senior high

school students.

Research Objectives

This study aims to identify the factors affecting poor academic performance of

USL senior high school students.

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 2

Significance of the Study

The finding of the study will help us determine the possible factors affecting

poor academic performance of the students. This study will also evaluate the students having

poor academic performance to help them improve.

Underpinning Theory

The theory of educational productivity by Walberg’s (1981) is one of the few

imperially tested theories of school learning based on an extensive review and integration of

over 3,000 students (DiPerna, Volpe & Stephen, 2002). Using variety of methods, Wang, et.

al. (1997) identified 28 categories of learning influences. Of the 11 most influential domains

of variables, 8 involved social-emotional influences: classroom management, parental

support, student-teacher interactions, social-behavioral attitudes, motivational-effective

attributes, the peer group, school culture, and classroom climate (Greenberg et. al., 2003).

Distant background influences (e.g. state, district, or school policies, organizational

characteristics, curriculum, and instruction) were less influential. Wang et. al.’s research

review targeted student learning characteristics (i.e. social, behavioral, motivational,

affective, cognitive, and metacognitive) as the set of variables with the most potential for

modification that could, in turn, significantly and positively affect student outcomes

(DiPerma et. al., 2002).

Literature Review

Factors affecting academic performance

In this era of globalization and technological revolution, education is

considered as a first step for every human activity (Chaudhry et. al., 2006). It is vital to have

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 3

a comprehensible understanding of the factors that benefit and hinder the academic progress

of an individual’s education. Measuring of academic performance of students is challenging

since student performance is product of socio-economic, psychological, and environmental

factors (Naqvi & Hijazi, 2006). Educational services are often not tangible and are difficult to

measure because they result in the form of transformation of knowledge, life skills, and

behavior modifications of learners (Tsinidou, Gerogiannis, & Fitsilis, 2010). So there is no

commonly agreed upon definition of quality that is applied to education field (Naqvi &

Hijazi, 2006).

Family characteristics like socio-economic status (SES) are significant

predictors for students’ performance at school besides the other school factors, peer factors,

and student factors. The home environment also affects the academic performance of

students. Educated parents can provide such an environment that suits best for academic

success of their children (Naqvi & Hijazi, 2006). The most important factors that have

negative effect on students’ performance are missing too many classes and credit hours

achieved. (El-shaarawi & Harb, 2006). Besides other factors, socioeconomic status is one of

the most researched and debated factors among educational professionals that contribute

towards the academic performance of students. (Naqvi & Hijazi, 2006).

Health and Environment of Students

Health is vital in order to do the things you are bound to do. It has been argued

that health is an important factor for academic achievement at school and in higher education.

Also, poor school performance is associated with health-compromising behaviors, physical,

mental, and emotional problems (Naqvi & Hijazi, 2006). As stated by Gaultney, J. (2010),

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 4

sleep problems have been associated with deficits in attention and academic performance,

risk-taking behavior, and depression, impaired social relationships, and poorer health.

It is also said that diet quality affects the performance of the students.

According to Florence, et. al., 2008, students with decreased overall diet quality was

significantly more likely to perform poorly on the assessment. Increased diet quality among

these health, contribute to healthy child development, which influences health throughout the

life course. The environment may also be associated with decreased with the academic

performance of the students. Increased parental income and educational attainment were

significantly associated with decreased odds of poor academic performance. Parental marital

status household had increased odds of failing 1 or both assessments. Students attending

schooling in an urban area were significantly less likely to fail than those living in rural areas.

Moreover, school neighborhood income was found to be significantly associated with

academic performance. Children living in the neighborhoods with increased average income

levels were less likely to fail 1 or both assessments. Meanwhile, children attending schools

with a poorer average performance on the literacy assessment had significantly increased

odds of failing the assessment (Florence et. al., 2008).

It is wild held that education, health, and social outcomes are very closely

interdependent and it is widely accepted that health and well-being are essential elements for

effective learning (Ansari, W. & Stock, C., 2010). And so, promoting fitness by increasing

opportunities for physical activity during Physical Education, recess, and out of school time

may support academic achievement (Chomitz et. al., 2008) and promoting health and well-

being of all members means promoting effective learning (Ansari, W. & Stock, C., 2010).

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 5

Parent’s and teacher’s relation with students’ academic achievement

The literature on achievement consistently has shown that parent education is

important in predicting children’s achievement (Kean, P., 2005). Unarguably, parents play

and determine to a very great extent that academic achievement and overall success of their

children. They are the prime educators of the children. Thus, they are fundamentally

supposed to be equipped and re-equipped with some multi-dimensional skills (Ansari, W. &

Stock, C., 2010). Reading and parental warmth continued to have predictive relations with

achievement even after family background and expectations were controlled.

Student-teacher and parent-teacher relationship quality make unique

contributions to children’s engagement and achievement in the early grades (Hughes, J. &

Kwok, O., 2007). Asikhia O.A (2010) stated that the difference in their perceptions could be

because students have high expectations for teachers that should teach them and therefore

believe that any teacher that does not meet up to such expectations will not aid their academic

performance.

The amount of schooling that parents receive influences how they structure

their home environment as well as how they interact with their children in promoting

academic competence, such as homework, monitoring, assistance with school projects, or

going to library, will have stronger relations achievement. This is an avenue of research to

pursue in the future in understanding the complex role that parents’ education plays in

predicting children’s academic achievement (Kean, P., 2005).

METHODS

This section explains the procedures that the research will be using in the

development of the appropriate information in reporting the data that will be collected from

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 6

the respondents. The research design shows the nature of this study, the need to control the

influences of the students’ perspective. The locale discusses about the setting of the study, the

respondents, the research instrument, the data gathering procedure, and the analysis will show

how the data will be gathered and interpreted.

Research Design

This study was carried out with a descriptive-qualitative research design to

describe and to know the experiences of an individual that affects their poor academic

performance.

Locale of the Study

This study was conducted at University of Saint Louis-Tuguegarao City.

Respondents of the Study

The study used purposive non-probability sampling technique to select

respondents who are Grade 12 Senior High School (SHS) who experienced grade lower than

75 on their 1st and 2nd grading and were referred to guidance for counseling. Purposive

sampling technique was used to select informants based on their characteristics and objective

of the study. Moreover, the informants gave their whole consent without fear and

intimidation to participate in this study.

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 7

Data Gathering Procedure

Informed consent was addressed to the informants to allow the researcher to gather

data freely needed in this study. Questionnaire was used as the main data gathering method

with the use of a questions guide. All gathered information from the respondents were kept

by the researcher and considered confidential.

Data Analysis

Thematic analysis was used to analyze the experiences of the informants and

how it affects to their academic performance. There are 5 phases of thematic analysis which

was used to analyze the data gathered.

Reading and transcribing the data gathered.

The responses of the respondents were read and transcribed by the researcher for

understanding.

The significant statements were group for the formulation of the themes.

The researcher analyzes the data and the responses of the group were categorized for

the organization of the themes.

The themes were reviewed for data consistency.

Researcher assures the data consistency through scrutinizing and understanding the

informants’ responses.

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 8

Defining the nature of each theme.

The researcher defined the nature of each theme and wrote a detailed analysis about it

and begun to define and explain each information given by the respondents.

Producing the data.

Data were produced after assessing and analyzing the responses of the respondents.

RESULTS

Data saturation was achieved and after a thorough assessment of the 10 respondents’

responses, the researcher examined significant statements and come up with the following

factors and how it affects their academic performance. Similarities were clustered together to

develop two major themes namely: (1) Academic Difficulties Experience in the School; and

(2) Academic Difficulties Indirectly Affected by Home Environment.

Theme 1. Academic Difficulties Experience in the School

I found out that one of the major factors of having poor academic performance in

school-related factors, where in, at a school, the respondents experience difficulties in their

studies because of:

A.) Overwhelming academic workload

R1: “Kapag ‘yung ni’rush mo ang mga hindi mo natapos tapos deadline na

kinabukasan at madami pang gagawin.”

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 9

 R2: “Kapag dun sa requirements, pag sabay-sabay, nahihirapan akong gumawa.”

R3: “Yung rush na requirements ng bawat subject tapos sabay-sabay pa at kailangang

ipasa within short period of time.”

B.) Difficulties with teacher-student relationship

R4: “Yung mga guro masyadong strict. Ang daming pinapagawang requirements.”

R5: “Nahihirapan ako sa mga requirements at yung teachers madalas ang standards

kailangang maghabol ng requirements at dapat swak sa kanilang panlasa.”

R6: “Pag iyong teachers mo ay hindi mo ka-vibes, mahirap paki-usapan at habulin.”

Theme 2. Academic Difficulties Indirectly Affected by Home Environment

Another major factor of having poor academic performance is themed by home-

related,where in, the respondents are having family problems. To name some are the

following:

R7: “Wala naman, hindi lang makapag focus dahil lagi naming busy ang mga

magulang at wala na silang time sa akin minsan.”

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 10

 R8: “Nakakapagod sa school at mapapagod ka pa sa bahay dahil sa mga gawaing

bahay.”

R9: “Hindi ako mino’motivate sa bahay.”

R10: “Hindi makapag’focus pag nag-aaway ang membro ng pamilya.”

Those factors are similar factors that the respondents usually experience.

Table 1. Outline of Themes and Sub Themes

Major Themes
Theme 1. Academic Difficulties Experience in the School
a.) Overwhelming academic workload
b.) Difficulties with teacher-student relationship

Theme 2. Academic Difficulties Indirectly Affected by Home Environment

a.) Family Problems

Table 1 represents the two different themes were concluded from the responses of the

respondents in the first question.

DISCUSSION

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 11

 Education is vital because it gives us knowledge through our teachers and

molds us better. It develops in us the perspective of looking at life. It helps us build opinions

and have different perspective on the things around us (Doumbia, 2013). However there are

some factors affecting the academic performance of the students that we separate according

to school-related factors and home-related factors.

Theme 1. Academic Difficulties Experience in School

Having too many requirements bring out stress on the students. Students’

difficulties in understanding difficult different subjects reduce their performance on class.

Teachers and their teaching strategy usually reduce the confidence and motivation of the

students if they give many requirements and passing it within short period of time.

Teachers

One of the common factors that affect poor academic performance of the

students is their teachers. Teachers’ factors were significant predictors of students’ academic

performance (Waseka, 2016). Teaching at any level of education has the sole purpose of

ensuring that all learners can acquire information and apply those skills. Hence, it is

incumbent upon all educators to not only know their teaching style so that teaching has a two-

fold purpose where teachers teach and students learn. Consequently, knowing how your

students learn and what strategies best fit your classroom and school are fundamental in the

process of learning. As a result, the question that arises in education is, “What are those

effective teaching strategies?”(Hightower et.al., 2011).

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 12

Overwhelming Academic Workload

Hectic routines students’ experience these days make them feel lost,

overwhelmed, frozen, or unable to cope when confronted with so many tasks. Busy schedules

crammed with studies and extracurricular activities can take a toll on students’ physical and

mental health especially if one is not eating or sleeping properly. If untreated, these stressors

can compound over time, leading to even greater levels of stress (Owusu, 2017). According

to Essel (2017) buttresses the notion that, extreme levels of stress hinder studies effectiveness

and lead to poor academic performance and attrition.

Theme 2. Home-Related Factors

The students’ challenges that they encounter at home and how it affects their

academic performance on their subjects. Having family problems, distance issue, lack of

learning resources, and problems in home environment also bring out stress and reduce

overall confidence and motivation of students.

Family Problems

Family and education are two of the most important things that a child should

have. One’s family status and relationship is one of the biggest factors of a child’s

personality. It can affect how a person interacts with people as well as how one’s mind

works. Having a family problems or issues affects the overall performance of students

(Ferrer, 2012).

According to Clemente (2013) it can also be overwhelming on the kids because they

may feel the need to fix their relationship and that can become their new priority. They lose

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 13

the balance of school and home life, and home life can become more important. The pressure

of listening to fights and negative comments about the other parent could create

psychological problems for the kids. Anxiety and depression make students difficult to focus

on school work.

The amount of schooling that parents receive influences how they structure their

home environment as well as how they interact with their children in promoting academic

achievement and it is possible that home activities that encourage academic competence, such

as homework monitoring, assistance with school projects, or going to science museums or

libraries, will have stronger relations with achievement. This is an avenue of research to

pursue in the future in understanding the complex role that parents’ education plays in

predicting children academic achievement (Kean, P., 2005).

CONCLUSION

The study shows the major factors affecting academic performance, which are

home-related factors and school-related factors. These factors include family problems,

distance of school from houses, lack of learning resources, home environment, many school

works and requirements, subjects, and teachers and their teaching strategies are resulting to

poor academic performance of the students. The results also shows that majority of the

informants are having problems on their home environment, teachers, and having too much

school works and requirements.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 14

 The future researchers may conduct the study in other places. Through

interview and descriptive research design is recommended for gathering data’s that

investigates the experiences of a person regarding the factors that affect the poor academic

performance of the students. Future researchers could use and enhance this study for more

specific scope.

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 APPENDIX A

Letter of Information and Consent

Dear Respondent,

I, the researcher is currently conducting a research entitled, “Factors Affecting Poor

Academic Performance of Senior High School Students”. I am currently enrolled at the

Florencio L. Vargas Inc. and in the process of writing my research paper. The purpose of the

research is to determine the possible factors affecting poor academic performance of the

Senior High School students.

Your participation in this research is completely voluntary. You may decline

altogether, or leave blank any questions you don’t wish to answer. Rest assured that any

obtained data or information will be dealt with extreme confidentiality. No one other than the

researcher will know your individual answers to this questionnaire.

If you agree to participate, please answer the items on the questionnaire as best you

can. Return of the questionnaire will be considered your consent to participate. If you have

queries or clarifications, I am very much willing to address them.

Thank you for your assistance in this important endeavor.

Sincerely yours,

Vincent Ferdie S. Arugay

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 20

 APPENDIX B

Questionnaire

Interview Guide:

1. What challenges or difficulties do you experience?

a. At home

b. At school

2. How do these challenges affect your academics?

3. What areas/subjects do you find difficult the most?

a. What do you find difficult in these areas/subjects?

4. What school activities do you struggle with?

a. What do you find difficult in these activities?

Factors Affecting Poor Academic Performance of Senior High School | 21