The Relationship between the Study Habits of STEM 11 SHS Students

S.Y. 2018-2019 and their Poor Eyesight

A Research Paper presented to

Foundation Preparatory Academy

A Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

for Practical Research I

Francisca Lean Alquiza

Justine Mae A. Batadlan

Jebriel Fahad M. Cagas

Kharlyn A. Celecios

Zarah Mae A. Jakosalem

Daniella G. Langit

Renard Vince S. Malunes

February 2019
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

21st century education is aimed at developing globally competitive individuals in the

world market. With this, the education system has changed enormously in order to keep up with

the demands of skilled workers in the market. Along with the various developments in science

and technology, educators have Incorporated technology in their teaching methods to further

improve and hasten the learning experiences of 21st century learners. Meanwhile, students are

developed in different aspects as well as different fields; the reason why they do are no longer

limited to learning the fundamentals such as English, Science and Math but are already exposed

to a wide array of specializations and fields. On the other hand, it is evident that not only the

education system has changed but the way students embrace education.

Over the years, the study habits of students from various levels has changed. Learning and

studying was not only about reading and understanding but rather on constant researches,

observing and analyzing. Also, the use of technology to improve their learning experience plays

a big role in changing the study habits of students. With the aid of various multimedia

presentations and graphic representations as well as the use of the internet, students depend

mostly on their gadgets to cope up with their lessons and discussions.

Research literature throughout the past decade has shown that technology can enhance

literacy development, impact language acquisition, provide greater access to information,

support learning, motivate students, and enhance their self-esteem (ACT, 2004; CEO Forum,

2001; Boster et al., 2004; Mann et al., 1999; Tracey & Young, 2006; WestEd, 2002). Indeed,

researchers have affirmed that computer technology provides abundant opportunities for students
to build or modify their personal knowledge through the rich experiences that technology

affords. (O’Hara, Pritchard, 2014)

However, the issue does not mainly revolve on the effect of technology to how students

study. One way of educators to assess the learning experiences of their students is by giving

homeworks or activities. Having numerous things to do at a short period of time will push the

students to deprive themselves from sleeping only to meet deadlines the following day. This is

one major change in 21st century education; students stay up late most of the time doing

homework and other school-related things. Spending too much time working on homeworks was

proven to have a negative effect not only one's study habits but also on one's health.According to

a study conducted by Stanford researcher that was published in the Journal of Experimental

Education found that students who completed 3.1 hours of homework per night were more

susceptible to developing health problems, depression, sleep deprivation and a lack of balance in

their lives. Professors better watch out with their homework assignments before they become the

cause of deaths on campus. All in all, keep in mind that excess studying can actually produce

detrimental effects on the body. Also remember to knock on wood next time you make a joke

about dying from over studying because you can never be too careful. (Kim, 2016).

The same effect goes with the influence of technology on how students study. With iPads,

Facebook, smartphones, video games, music, and others, technology now occupies a significant

amount of a child's time in the United States (almost eight hours a day - National Center for

Education Statistics, USA). Students in the Philippines probably face the same increasing

amount of time spent on these activities provided by technology (Kim, 2016). Too much time

spent on these gadgets can cause a major problem on one's health.

 It cannot be denied that attending school may cause a student to encounter different

situations that may cause him/her to be stressed such as sleep deprivation, hunger, and tiredness.

However, too much stress can cause major health problems that could result to students being

less productive rather than competitive individuals as what the education system develops them

to be.

In today's generation, it is clearly evident that many students (who are mostly teenagers)

suffer from poor eyesight. In relation to the above mentioned evidences, stress from studying and

and sleep deprivation for school matters may contribute to why a lot of students have poor

vision.

In the case of chronic stress and anxiety, the level of adrenaline within the body remains

elevated. This can cause pressure on the eyes, sometimes resulting in blurred vision.

Many people with long-term anxiety find they experience eyestrain during the day. A common

feature of anxiety is hyper vigilance and the anticipation of events that will increase stress.

Vigilance actually affects all the senses but as far as vision is concerned our pupils dilate in

response to adrenaline order to take in more of the surroundings. We become highly sensitized to

any slight movement. Over time this and the strain from other senses can cause muscular

tensions and headaches. (SpecSavers, 2015).

This study was conducted to test if there is a significant relationship between the study

habits of STEM 11 SHS students of Foundation Preparatory Academy and their poor vision.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to identify the relationship between the study habits of STEM 11

students from Foundation Preparatory Academy and their poor eyesight.

 Specifically, the researchers sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the effects of having a poor eyesight towards the study habits of STEM 11

students?

2. What study habits shall the students engage to alleviate the suffering of having a poor

eyesight?

3. Is poor eyesight a big factor in students’ study habit?

Hypothesis

There is no significant relationship between the study habits of STEM 11 students from

Foundation Preparatory Academy (FPA) and their poor eyesight.

Significance of the Study

This study is considered significant as it will benefit the students suffering from poor

eyesight to identify and trace the study habits that contribute mostly to their vision.

Scope and Limitation

The focus of the study is the relationship of having a poor eyesight among STEM 11

students and its studying habits and the effects of the aforementioned conundrum. The

geographic area of the study takes place only in Foundation Preparatory Academy and the

respondents are only STEM 11 students who have poor eyesight,

Definition of Terms

FPA stands for Foundation Preparatory Academy.

Study Habits refers to students’ methods and approach to learning. This covers action taken by

the students with regard to time management, participation, study groups, note taking, and

reading skills.

Academic Performance refers to the achievement of scores and grades in the end of semester

examination conducted by the university

Note taking means writing down pieces of information in a systematic way as the lecturer

teaches indicating the dates, main ideas, logical sequence and proper documentation.

21st Century Learning means that students master content while producing, synthesizing, and

evaluating information from a wide variety of subjects and sources with an understanding of and

respect for diverse cultures. Students demonstrate the three Rs, but also the three Cs: creativity,

communication, and collaboration. They demonstrate digital literacy as well as civic

responsibility. Virtual tools and open-source software create borderless learning territories for

students of all ages, anytime and anywhere.

 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Related Studies

The term "21st-century skills" is generally used to refer to certain core competencies such

as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving that advocates believe

schools need to teach to help students thrive in today's world. In a broader sense, however, the

idea of what learning in the 21st century should look like is open to interpretation—and

controversy.To get a sense of how views on the subject align—and differ—we recently asked a

range of education experts to define 21st-century learning from their own perspectives. (Rich,

2010)

Research literature throughout the past decade has shown that technology can enhance

literacy development, impact language acquisition, provide greater access to information,

support learning, motivate students, and enhance their self-esteem (ACT, 2004; CEO Forum,

2001; Boster et al., 2004; Mann et al., 1999; Tracey & Young, 2006; WestEd, 2002). Indeed,

researchers have affirmed that computer technology provides abundant opportunities for students

to build or modify their personal knowledge through the rich experiences that technology

affords. (O’Hara, Pritchard, 2014)

A study performed by a Stanford researcher that was published in the Journal of

Experimental Education found that students who completed 3.1 hours of homework per night

were more susceptible to developing health problems, depression, sleep deprivation and a lack of
balance in their lives. Professors better watch out with their homework assignments before they

become the cause of deaths on campus. All in all, keep in mind that excess studying can actually

produce detrimental effects on the body. Also remember to knock on wood next time you make a

joke about dying from overstudying because you can never be too careful. (Kim, 2016).

With iPads, Facebook, smartphones, video games, music, and others, technology now

occupies a significant amount of a child's time in the United States (almost eight hours a day -

National Center for Education Statistics, USA). Students in the Philippines probably face the

same increasing amount of time spent on these activities provided by technology. Thus, it is time

to ask how current technology affects student learning.(Dios, 2012)

We will all probably encounter sleep deprivation at some point in our lives, whether

willingly or unwillingly. Still, if you think staying awake all night is beneficial to your study

habits, think again."Sleep deprivation's effect on working memory is staggering," said David

Earnest, PhD, a professor with the Texas A&M College of Medicine who studies circadian

rhythms (our 24-hour body clocks). "Your brain loses efficiency with each hour of sleep

deprivation."

Most people need at least seven to eight hours of sleep at night for the body and brain to

function normally. So, if you stay up all night, missing out on the recommended amount of sleep,

your brain will be equally as weary -- rendering a sharp decrease in performance for specific

learning and memory tasks. (Texas A&M University, 2016)

James-Lange: Theory of Emotion which states that in 1884 and in 1885, theorists

William James and Carl Lange might have separately proposed their respective theories on the

correlation of stress and emotion, but they had a unified idea on this relationship – emotions do

not immediately succeed the perception of the stressor or the stressful event; they become
present aft5er the body’s response to the stress. Just like students’ vision, it will not be present

nor observed unless students engage in study habits can only be left upon experience bodily

changes such as having poor vision.

In the case of chronic stress and anxiety, the level of adrenaline within the body remains

elevated. This can cause pressure on the eyes, sometimes resulting in blurred vision.

Many people with long-term anxiety find they experience eyestrain during the day. A

common feature of anxiety is hyper vigilance and the anticipation of events that will increase

stress. Vigilance actually affects all the senses but as far as vision is concerned our pupils dilate

in response to adrenaline order to take in more of the surroundings. We become highly sensitized

to any slight movement. Over time this and the strain from other senses can cause muscular

tensions and headaches.(SpecSavers, 2015).

Stress causes your pupils to dilate as a result of the fight or flight system all people are

wired with. Dilated pupils allow more light to enter your eyes in case you need to react quicker,

potentially leading to light sensitivity and headaches. Stress can also cause you to tighten your

facial muscles, constricting blood flow and causing blurry vision and more headaches.(Silver

Stein Eye Center, 2015).

 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

This study was based on James-Lange: Theory of Emotion which states that in 1884 and in

1885, theorists William James and Carl Lange might have separately proposed their respective

theories on the correlation of stress and emotion, but they had a unified idea on this relationship

– emotions do not immediately succeed the perception of the stressor or the stressful event; they

become present after the body’s response to the stress. Just like students’ vision, it will not be

present nor observed unless students engage in study habits can only be left upon experience

bodily changes such as having poor vision.

Over Studying

Poor Eyesight
or
Vision

Stress and Anxiety

Figure 1:

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study used descriptive correlational research. This is a statistical measure of a

relationship between two or more variables, gives an indication of how one variable may predict

another. The descriptive techniques discussed above permit a statement, in the form of

correlations, about that relationship. However, correlation does not imply causation; that is,

simply because two events are in some way correlated (related) does not mean that one

necessarily causes the other. This is a method of obtaining information from the detailed

observation of an individual or individuals. Much information about behavior and mental

processes has been obtained through such studies of individual clinical cases. Although valuable

information about certain types of problems may be obtained by this method, the procedure is

time consuming, and it is difficult to obtain data from a broad sampling of people.

Research Environment

The researchers chose Foundation Preparatory Academy as a place to conduct their study

since FPA implements an iPad Program. In FPA, students use iPads instead of books and papers

which makes it a paperless school. But this program also has its flaws. This program could help
students be more active and learn more about technology but using more than what it is meant to

be, our body could be affected by the radiation especially our eyes since we look at the screen to

watch videos, games, etc., that led us to this research topic concerning the STEM 11 students

here in FPA on having poor eyesight due to the abusive use of iPad in school and how it affects

the students’ study habits.

Respondents and Sampling Procedure

In this study, the accessible population comprised all the STEM 11 SHS Students of

Foundation Preparatory Academy. The proponents came up with students as respondents from

STEM1.1, STEM 11.2, and STEM 11.3.

The researchers chose students from FPA STEM 11 because the students use iPad as an

alternative tool of learning. The use of iPads for less than 8 hours a day could lead these students

into having poor eyesights. This study needs these respondents since they are the people who can

relate to having “poor eyesight” that the iPad has brought to them.

This study used simple random sampling. A simple random sample is a subset of a

statistical population in which each member of the subset has an equal probability of being

chosen.

All of these participants were selected through random sampling. This sampling method

was conducted where each member of a population had an equal opportunity to became part of

the study. All members of the population had an equal chance of becoming a research

participant. For this purpose, a a self-administered survey questionnaire was given to the

respondents to answer. No inclusion criteria were applied for the individual applicants; hence, all

were made part of the population.

 Instruments and Sources of Data

This study used questionnaires. A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a

series of questions for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Questionnaires

can be thought of as a kind of written interview. They can be carried out face to face, by

telephone, computer or post.

Questionnaires provide a relatively cheap, quick and efficient way of obtaining large

amounts of information from a large sample of people. Data can be collected relatively quickly

because the researcher would not need to be present when the questionnaires were completed.

This is useful for large populations when interviews would be impractical.

Data Collection Analysis

The study made practical use of first hand data which comes from our chosen respondents

who answered the survey-questionnaires given to them. First hand data are those that come from

the respondents who have been surveyed prior to the research.With this particular study, the

researcher utilized documentary secondary data (in the form of articles from books, journals,

magazines, and newspapers) that are generally about the causes of poor eyesight and effects to

the human body as well as relevant literatures and survey-based data in order to meet the

objectives of this study. In order to analyse the data gathered from the survey, the weighted mean

for each question item was computed. Weighted mean is the average wherein every quantity to

be averaged has a corresponding weight.

These weights represent the significance of each quantity to the average. To compute for

the weighted mean, each value must be multiplied by its weight. Products should then be added

to obtain the total value. The total weight should also be computed by adding all the weights.
The total value is then divided by the total weight. Statistically, the weighted mean is calculated

using the following formula:

The computed mean was then compared to the scale below for interpretation:

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain Disagree Strongly Disagree

The respondent The respondent The respondent is The respondent The respondent

totally agree with agreed upon the unsure whether to disagreed upon does not support

the given given statement. agree or disagree the given or totally disagree

statement. upon the given statement. with the given

statement. statement.

Results of the survey were presented in tables. Excerpts from the interview process were

integrated based on the analysis outline. Relevant literatures to support the findings are also

included

Ethical Consideration

The consideration of these issues is necessary for the purpose of ensuring the privacy as

well as the security of the participants. As this study utilized human participants and investigated

on company practices, certain issues were addressed. Among the significant issues that were

considered included consent, confidentiality and data protection. Consent, in which it is stated

ion the survey questionnaires, it is asked first whether through letter or expressed consent.

Confidentiality, the researchers does not expose the respondent’s identity, it is kept and only

the responses what the researcher’s needed. Data protection, the researchers ensure that the
data gathered are well-kept and secured. These issues were identified in advance so as prevent

future problems that could have risen during the research process.
 CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Because of your vision, do you have problems in reading what's in

your learner's module/textbook?

2 3

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Are you unhappy with your visual condition?

1
3

3
7

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree
During group activities, do you feel useless or a burden to others
because of your visual condition?

2 2

8
8
 Disagree Strongly Disagree

Does quality of vision prevent you from performing school activi-

ties normally?

1 1
6 4

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree
With your visual condition, do you take notes properly during
class?

2 2

4
6

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Because of your vision, do you have problems in reading what’s

written on the board?

1
4

8
5
2

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree
Do you copy your classmate’s notes when you can’t see what’s
written on the board?

2
3
2

3
10

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Whenever you can’t see what’s written on the board, do you

immediately lose interest on the topic?

7 3

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree
Do you have problems in doing learning activities such as studying
because of your vision?

1 1
5

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree

With your visual condition, could you finish your homework

within 10-30 minutes?

1
2
5

12
 Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain
Disagree
Whenever an information Strongly
is lackingDisagree
on your notes, do you blame it
on your vision?

1 1
3

10

Strongly Agree Agree Uncertain

Disagree Strongly Disagree

Interpretation of Data

On question no. 1, 30% of the respondents agreed to have problems in reading the

content of the learner’s module or textbook, 25% of the respondents were uncertain, 20%
disagreed that the respondents does not have any problems, 15% strongly disagreed, and 10% of

the respondents strongly agreed.

Out of 20 students, 7 students disagreed about being unhappy in their visual condition, 6

students were uncertain, 3 students agreed and 3 students strongly agreed that they were unhappy

about their visual condition, and 1 student strongly disagreed.

During group activities, 40% of STEM students disagreed that they felt useless, 40%

STEM students were uncertain, 10% agreed, and 10% strongly agreed.

On question no. 4, 8 respondents were uncertain that the quality of their vision prevent

them from performing school activities normally, 6 respondents disagreed that their quality of

vision does not prevent their performance, 4 respondents agreed, 1 respondent strongly agreed ,

and 1 respondent strongly disagreed.

Out of 20 respondents, 30% of the respondents agreed that they take notes properly, 30%

were uncertain, 20% disagreed that they can’t take notes properly because of their visual

condition, 10% strongly agreed and 10% of the respondents strongly disagreed.

Because of their vision, 8 STEM 11 students disagreed of having problems in reading

what’s written on the board, 5 STEM 11 students agreed to have problems, 4 students strongly

agreed, 2 students were uncertain, and 1 student strongly disagreed.

 On question no. 7, 50% of the respondents agreed that they copy their classmate’s notes,

15% strongly agreed and 15% were uncertain, 10% of the respondents disagreed and 10%

strongly disagreed.

Among 20 STEM 11 students, 7 students were uncertain that they lose interest whenever

they can’t see clearly what’s written on the board, 7 students disagreed, 3 students agreed that

they lose interest and 3 students strongly agreed.

35% of the students in question no. 8 disagreed in having problems in doing learning

activities, 30% were uncertain, 25% students strongly agreed of having problems, 5% agreed and

5% strongly disagree.

On question no. 10, 12 students were uncertain in finishing their homework within 10-30

minutes, 5 students agreed, 2 students disagreed, and 1 student strongly disagree.

50% of the respondents disagreed in blaming their vision for the lack of information in

their notes, 25% were uncertain, 15% strongly disagreed, 5% agreed and 5% strongly disagreed.

Summary of Findings
Out of 20 STEM 11 students, 30% of the STEM 11 students agreed in having problems in

reading the content of the learner’s module or textbook, 35% of the students disagreed in being

unhappy in their visual condition, 40% of the students disagreed that they felt useless in every

group activities, 40% of the students were uncertain that the quality of their vision prevent them

from performing school activities, 30% of the respondents agreed that they take notes properly,

40% of the students disagreed in having problems in reading what’s written on the board. 50%

students agreed that they copy their classmate’s notes, 35% of the students were uncertain that

they lose interest whenever they can’t see clearly what’s written on the board. 35% of the

respondents disagreed in having problems in doing learning activities, 60% were uncertain in

finishing their homework within 10-30 minutes, and 50% of the respondents disagreed in

blaming their vision for the lack of information in their notes.

Conclusion

The relationship between the study habits of STEM 11 students and their poor eyesight

has a little effect in their school tasks and activities such as having problems in reading the

content of the learner’s module or textbook and copying their classmate’s notes, therefore there

is no significant relationship between the study habits of STEM 11 students and their poor

eyesight.