CONCEPT PAPER

Anna Lizette S. Clapis Prof. Lizyl R. Rebusquillo

RSH 630 RESEARCH SEMINAR I

Title:

Profile of Low Performing High School Freshmen in the District of Ternate: Basis
For Student Support Programs.

Introduction

The differential scholastic achievement of freshmen students in the Philippines has been and is still a source of concern and research interest to educators, government and parents. This is so because of the great importance that education has on the national development of the country. All over the country, there is a consensus of opinion about the fallen standard of education in the Philippines. Parents and governments are in total agreement that their huge investment on education is not yielding the desired dividend. Teachers also complain of students’ low performance at both internal and external examination.
Poor academic performance according to Aremu (2000) is a performance that is adjudged by the examinee/testee and some other significant as falling below an expected standard. The interpretation of this expected or desired standard is better appreciated from the perpetual cognitive ability of the evaluator of the performance. The evaluator or assessor can therefore give different interpretations depending on some factors. Bakare (1994) described poor academic performance as any performance that falls below a desired standard. The criteria of excellence can be from 40 to 100 depending on the subjective yardstick of the evaluator or assessor. For example, a 70% performance of senior secondary 3; students in junior secondary English language examination is by all standard a very good performance. The concept of poor academic performance is very relative and this depends on so many intervening variables.

II. Background of the Study

The purpose of this study is to answer the queries concerning the relationships of the demographic profile to the level of performance of the students. It will also provide us information regarding the factors affecting the level of performance in National Achievement Test in terms of dependent variable such as (a) student related factors. The ultimate goal of the research is to improve the competencies of teacher and students specifically in five major subjects included in NAT.

The purpose of this study was for the researcher to collect data about the factors affecting academically low-performing high school freshmen. Specifically, the researcher sought to (1) identify characteristics of academically low-performing freshman students, (2) survey the perceptions of the staff regarding the reasons for academic underachievement among freshmen, (3) identify key variables in successful transitions to high school, and (4) survey the family background of the low-performing freshmen students. (5) Use the data to formulate recommendations for minimizing academic underachievement.

1.3. State some conclusions that you feel are justified based on the current state of knowledge revealed in the reviewed materials.

For research question one and two, teachers believe that students’ poor academic performance is not influenced by teachers’ qualification while students perceived that teacher’s qualification do affect their academic performance. 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. However, Soyibo (1986)’s report is in support of students’ perception that students’ poor academic performance is influenced by teachers’ qualification. Also, only teachers perceive that teachers’ method of teaching and learning material influence students’ academic performance. This is supported by Ajayi (1988) who opine that the fallen level of academic achievement is attributable to teachers’ non-use of herbal reinforcement strategy. Students’ disagreement to this may be because they perceive that students’ personal factors affect their academic performance more than teachers’ method of teaching and learning environment. For research question 5 where teachers disagree on the influence of students’ environment on their academic performance; this may be because they perceive other factors as more influential to students’ poor academic performance than students’ environment. Some researchers like Isangdighi (1988) also agree that students’ environment promote poor academic performance. Aremu and Oluwole (2001) submit that some of the factors of poor academic achievement are motivational orientations, self-esteem, emotional problems, study habits, teacher consultation and poor interpersonal relationships. Implications for Counseling. The enormity and consequence of poor academic achievement call for a serious concern. The more reason why scholars have not ceased to turn their research beam light on the subject matter. A number of scientific and clinical remediation has therefore been proffered in this respect.