problems ecnountered

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY WORKING STUDENTS OF
UNIVERSITY OF CEBU-MAIN AND ITS EFFECT ON THEIR
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: PROPOSED
ACTION PLAN

A Thesis Presented to:
Dr. Rex Argate

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in Social Studies 5
By:

Casinillo, Jenny Rose X.
Castillo, Mary Jane Q.
Curambao, Lloyd Elvin S.
Eliguir, Mary Jane S.
Enojardo, Leleth T.
Hadjijalil, Ansari M.
Lungayan, Mary Ann L.
Tolentino, Nestor Jr. C.
Yapching, Ira Jesus Z.
S.Y. 2014 - 2015

Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

Education, a need and education is for all. Education is the antidote of ignorance which is the source of evil. To minimize evil, one must be educated. College education in this information age is one of the avenues to access global competitiveness in labor and manpower. The transition to college is marked by complex challenges in emotional, social and academic adjustment (chickering, 1999).
Being a college student is not easy because tuition fee is expensive especially on private colleges and universities. It requires a lot of money to become a degree holder. Not all parents have enough income to send and support their children in school especially in college. As a result, some students have to support themselves by becoming working students.
There are only six (6) children out of ten (10) in the elementary level, can go to high school; three (3) out of six (6) students in high school can go to college, one (1) out of three (3) student will continue their studies (Atty. Adel Tamano, 2010).

Being a working student is a responsibility of many less fortunate but willing young adults and adult individuals. “The reason is economics- scarcity of funds, scarcity of financial resources. Working and studying at the same time can augment the income or the resources for matriculation or other needs” (Nicolo Velasco 2014).
These students commonly encounter many problems about their work and their studies. According to Baum (2010), some of these students are awarded “work” as part of their financial package; other students either do not receive work-study funding or find such awards insufficient to cover the cost of attendance.
This creates high level of stress and anxiety making them vulnerable to sickness and failure in pursuing their college degrees (Carol Kasworm, 2010).Working while studying has its positive and negative sides. When students have a job they will earn money, some of these students need the money to pay for expensive schools, while other students need it to make their life easier (www.Studymode.com).
One of the negative impact on working while studying is the students performance in school. Working more than 20 hours a week has a negative impact on students' grades, whether the employment is on campus or off. Students who work 20 hours or less, on campus and off, report roughly similar grades as do students who do not work at all (Gary R. Pike, 2008).

Some traditional-age student may use employment as a way to explore career options or earn spending money. Working students are trying to meet multiple demands and roles of a student and at the same time, an employee. This creates high level of stress and anxiety making them vulnerable to sickness and failure in pursuing their college degrees.
In 2010, about 216,000 working students in the country are juggling school and work, according to the data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The figure is about 8% of the total number of students in the country. Working students are mostly into food service, entertainment and sales, apart from their usual stints as library and research assistants.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), added that only 50% of the working students get to finish college as many cannot cope and cannot concentrate on their studies, while some have poor health, while others give up because of insufficient funds (abs-cbnNEWS.com).
College working students can be more likely be left behind in their academic environment. They could also feel “out of place” and have less time for their social life since they are not always around in the campus.

Balancing school work and a social life while coupled with the newly found freedom of living away from home is often a formidable challenge. Add a part-time job to that mix, and the burden can become overwhelming, affecting all aspects of a student’s life and his physical and mental well-being (Linda Emma, Everyday life by Demand Media, Globalpost.com).
One factor that affects working students physical well being is a lack of sleep. Sleep loss doesn’t usually cause long-term medical problems, but it can adversely affect physical and intellectual performance, and mood (Tyrone M. Reyes, M.D. 2002).
The purpose of this research is to look into the problems the working students of University of Cebu-Main Campus have encountered and its effects on their academic performance and to be able to formulate an action plan that aims to help these working students.

THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This study is anchored on several theories. One of these theories is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943). It is stated in this theory is that the needs of a person are physiology, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization. Employment is a part of the safety that is stated in the hierarchy. This means that man must find employment in order to achieve his/ her goal but before he can proceed to next level in the hierarchy. Working students clearly fall into this category since they are employed while studying.
Some students are finding a hard time to finance their studies especially those working students. These students need to work in order to study because of their economic stature in life. It is their only way to afford education. This is what we call “Earn and Learn” which means earning and learning at the same time. Having a part-time job is not easy because students need to divide their attention on work and at study.
Physiological problem is one hindrance of the working students’ learning process. Many working students arrive in school without breakfast. Thus, many of them cannot focus in class because their stomachs are empty while listening to the discussion. In order for the student to learn in the discussion, they need proper and adequate nutrition for them to be physically active and mentally alert in school. To have proper nutrition, students need to have money to buy nutritious foods. Even though, some working students receive enough salary especially those working in call centers and other outside school jobs, they have the money to buy food but they don’t have the time and will just skip their meals. This would lead to malnutrition and other serious illnesses.
Stress is one major factor that working students are most prone to psychologically. Their mental capacity towards learning may depreciate. This can result into poor academic performance. It can also lead to depression and can cause them to lose their appetite for learning and lose focus towards their studies and may force them to drop-out of school. Lack of sleep is also common to working students especially those who work on graveyard shifts. Some may resort into illegal drug use which they think is the only way to cope with depression and stress.
Depression and stress can also result into low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence. This can affect their social life. Lack of self-confidence is one factor that some working students feel inferior in class. They have a hard time finding friends or have only a few because they are not always around in the campus. They find it hard to establish a student to student relationship. They can’t also spend more time with their friends and love one’s because they must use their spare time studying to catch up to the lessons. Some working students may find time to enjoy themselves in bars and disco clubs with their friends but may forget that they have work and classes in the morning. They may use this opportunity to enjoy themselves because this is the only time they can relax and have fun after their tiresome day and forget that they have their responsibilities. This can to also affect their performance in school because they may go home in the wee hours of the morning and waking up late which will cost them their attendance in work and in school.
The Students Development Theory (Evans & Guido Dibrito, 1998) focuses on physical, biological, physiological, psychological, social and environment factors that affect the individuals. This means that learning is affected by these factors.
Students also need a conducive environment to promote effective learning. The work environment is different from the learning environment. Albert Bandura(1977) believed that the learner’s environment shapes learning and behavior and that human behavior, development and learning are reactions to the environment.
Some working students sometimes study their lessons at work to keep up with their studies. They cannot study well during their break-time at work because it is just very noisy and working students need to focus on their work to avoid certain mistakes that would lead to slow production outcomes. Learning environment plays a vital role in student learning process. Students need to feel at ease, comfortable and secure. It suggests that learning environment should be light, airy, organized and roomy for the student to learn effectively.

Also, they need adequate and extra time to do their assignments and study their lessons when they arrive to school after work or vice versa. Hence, working students also need to manage their time.
Society also plays a major role in promoting effective learning. Another problem face by the students is sociological problem it is vividly portray in our society. The societal ill like protest against the government, crime, ineffective leaders prone to corruption, urbanization that can cause overpopulation and it turn out to be overcrowded slum areas, beggars roaming on the street, unemployment, rampant of alcohol and drugs, unbearable diseases spread all over the cities and increasing number of poor community. How this thing can affect the student on his work and study
Charles Darwin proposed the Social Darwinism Theory that believes that only the powerful has a chance to survive the weak will strive to overcome the overwhelming class. In other words life of humans in society is a struggle for existence ruled by “survival of the fittest”. Some must have thought that life is a competition and that the weaker will be outrun and outsmarted by others if he/she cannot stand on his own feet. That is why they look for part-time jobs to support their daily needs and for their education.

THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL SCHEMA

Fig.1

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study focuses on the problems encountered by working students of the University of Cebu-Main Campus, as basis for a proposed action plan.
Particularly, this study attempts to answer the following questions:

The problems encountered by working students in University of Cebu-Main Campus.

Effects on their academic performance.

Action plan should be proposed.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This study is significant and would be beneficial to the following:

Working Students.
This study will motivate them to manage their responsibilities towards school and work so their academic performance will not be affected in favor of their work on vice-versa.
Students.
This study will give the regular students an idea on how important education is. This will motivate them to be more focused on their studies.

Parents. This study will give the parents idea on the problems working students have encountered. This will motivate them to become more supportive and more understanding towards their children.

School Administrators. School administrators will benefit from the results of the study by applying the proposed action plan to minimize drop-outs among their working students, to increase the number of working students who will graduate and to increase enrollees in the university.

Teachers.
This study will give teachers an idea on the problems encountered by working students. Thus, they will understand them better.

Researchers. This will deepen the knowledge of the lives and their daily struggles of the working students in their aim for success.

Future Researchers. The future researchers will benefit from the study as a source and guide for future reference.

Chapter 2

Related Studies and Literature

Education is the main key path in understanding why people keep on attending in school so that they can acquire fine jobs after a long and tiring college years and yet it is also a path toward earning a college degree.To continue study the most important thing to remember is the financial capital for their educational needs. Capital that expect will last longer until they finish their studies. As the tuition fee increases, more students are determined to find part-time jobs. The money that they receive from their job will serve as an addendum to the expenses to their financial capital for education( Sharon E. Jarvis & others, The political Participation, The Annette Strauss Institute civic publishing corporation of New York 2005).
Utilizing available financial aid helps students graduate from college (M.K.Bixby, 2000). There is a proliferation of working students in industry. There is a diverse division that depends on the company that they apply and the company which offer an adequate rate to suit the needs of its student workers. An amount that abides in order the student workers can able to continue their traditional university degree. Student roles including the full- time and the part-time workers. Full-time workers render duty from 6-8 hours, while the part-time is 4-5 hours( Armour et al, 2003).

College students force to work during their pre-college and post- college year. They sought to retain a social connectedness to their families because they believe they are now to help their parents (Rodoyski, 2001). Students start to work as early as 15 years old. Work and education in an adolescent life is a primary domain (Markel and Frone, 1998). These students also try to support their studies and their families.( Smith & Green 2001) These students are probably still on their elementary or high school level. Student engagement is widely understandable in work and study. That needed more focus and dedication. By this they can attain greater attention. Even if they are a little bit bother of the errands on their respective working place. Krause (2007) said “the time, energy and resources are designed to enhance learning in both school and work”. Students who are working while studying in college find their part-time jobs beneficial and on the other hand, problematic. Beneficial because of the income they can get. It provides a positive educational benefits on students ( Lucas, 1997). Seeking job students can enhance their skill which is more needed in the industry. Thus, companies who are encouraging the students to work are continuing to develop their program to provide the needy and aspiring applicant to have a settled job in a near future career (Richard James 2008). It is also beneficial if the work is related to the student’s chosen course. This may be particularly beneficial as an aid to academic knowledge and career prospect.
On the other hand, it is problematic because, when working long hours, it can damage the student’s academic activities and performance (Hansen & Jarvis, 2000).

Also, working off campus negatively affects students’ academic work more than working at an on-campus job (M.K Bixby, 2000). Vickers et al. (2003) stated that university students who worked 20-29 hours per week have a greater chance of dropping out. Approximately 160% greater than those students who do not work at all. This is due to stress and inter-role conflict (Vickers et al., 2003). Shifting from work to school and vice versa results to stress and anxiety (Smith & Green, 2001). The number of hours spent at work each week is associated with a sense of conflict between work and education among adolescents and young adults (Hammer et al., 1998).
Mental health is also an issue for working students. Excessive combination of work and study leads to tiredness and depression (Rolfe 2002). Students are highly prone to burnout from school and work compare to those over 30-40 years old. Less educated people are also prone to burnout than those highly educated people. Burnout to students is associated to many stressors. These include long hours of work or practicum work, academic grades, uncertain about their future, unbalanced personal and professional life and less support from family and friends (Boudreau et al.,2004). These Problems occur and interfere with the students’ studies and in his personal life like family bonding, religious activities, peer activities is work itself. It is regarded as “menial and exploitative (NSW Commission for
Children and Young People, 2005).

Working students also face other problems such as lack of understanding of the rights of work and the safety of the employee. The lack of knowledge can be associated with Exploitation (Tannock, 2001) and the number of safety issues on fast food chains’ injuries with the young part-timers were no higher than with the full-time employees and awareness of safety issues were high (Mayhew & Quinland 2002).