CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

One of the goals of higher education is to prepare students for profession or

occupation. They will become professionals and will soon contribute to the success of our

nation. To achieve these goals, students are taught as early as possible to be involved in

different areas in college pursuit. In line with this, involvement in student organization is

considered as one of opportunities for skill development (Ebede, 2015).

Student organizations provide individual opportunities to acquire or develop

valued communication skills, enable them to learn from others (Harper & Quaye, 2007).

Participation and membership in university sponsored organizations seem to provide

students with different opportunities to get acquired with campus life and enhances

intellectual development (Ebede, 2015).

Events and organizations are prevalent on campuses that engage students in

learning. Lectures can teach the importance of communication and how to deal with

others and leadership can be taught and developed. Students engaged themselves in

organizations to practice leadership and refine the skills they possessed; they seek out

opportunities to gain new experiences and developed knowledge for a better

understanding.

Students who participated in student organizations viewed involvement as a

significant element of their socialization and academic persistence that provide students
with resources to excel in academic environment. He further suggested that students are

likely to continue towards achieving or completing their degree as long as they remain

committed to the organization. The more students participate in student organizations, the

more they are likely to improve essential abilities that will be useful in the real-world

setting (Flowers, 2007).

A research conducted by the education department of the United States of

America discovered that the students who actively contribute in the co-curricular

activities are more likely to have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or more as

compared to those who are not involved in co-curricular activities (Daniyal et.al.,2012).

According to Hall (2012), student organizations offer approaches to stimulate

learning experience beyond the classroom curriculum. They create networking

opportunities among students with similar personal and professional interests and provide

the probability of building networks to bigger communities beyond an organization.

Through participation in student organizations, students can maintain relationships with

other individuals that have the same professional interests; develop stronger mentoring

relationships with their teachers; gain ability to think critically, plan appropriately and

make decisions.

However, it is also possible that high levels of student involvement may have

negative implications for student’s success. Student leaders spend great deal of time

delegating tasks, planning events, working with budgets, and doing the administrative

work in student organization requires. Students involved as campus leaders may be at risk

2
for low levels of academic engagement due to their extracurricular responsibilities

(Crawford, 2009).

Garland (2010) stated that student involvement has become a powerful concept in

higher education and is considered crucial to retention rates, although it is seldom seen as

needing limits. If student involvement is indeed essential to educational life, then it is

worth should have a positive impact on students. The dilemma becomes to what extent

students can be involved in extra-curricular activities without those activities becoming

detrimental to the students’ GPA.

Engagement can be described as the purposeful use of time and energy on an

activity. Extracurricular student engagement has been associated with both positive and

negative academic outcomes (Farr, 2010). The leadership obligations of a student leader

require considerable extracurricular engagement for a successful outcome. The energy

allocated to extracurricular engagement may lead to an increased risk of low academic

engagement (Crawford, 2009).

Some literature revealed that involvement in student organization has a positive

effect on the student’s performance that leads to a successful outcome of the student’s

performance throughout academic pursuits, on the other hand it may have negative

implications on the student’s performance and some study showed relationship of

involvement in organization and student’s academic performance. In line with this, the

study aims to examine the relationship of level of engagement and academic performance

of college student leaders in Colegio de Dagupan. Academic performance is defined from

students General Weighted Average (GWA) for the first semester of the academic year
3
2018-2019. The study can help the Student Affairs Professionals to be aware of the

academic performance of the student leaders while leading an organization; they can help

through programs on how to balance academic responsibilities and leadership role of the

students. It is important that student leaders are engaged in academic area as well as

organization to be able to lead properly and set an example to others.

Theoretical Framework

This research undertaking will anchor itself to the Theory of Involvement by

Alexander Astin. The theory describes the importance of student involvement in college;

it describes the three elements of involvement, the inputs, environment and outcome

along with the five postulates in involvement.

The theory explained how desirable for institution of higher education are viewed

in relation to how students change and develop in result to being involved in co-

curriculars. The core concepts of the theory are composed of three elements: (1) student’s

“inputs” such as demographics, background and any previous experiences, (2) student’s

“environment”, which accounts for all the experiences a student would have during

college, and (3) “outcomes” which cover a student’s characteristics, knowledge, attitudes,

beliefs, and values that exist after a student has graduated college.

Astin’s Student Involvement Theory supports actively engaging students in

education; students become invested in their education through involvement. Astin’s

Student Involvement Theory states that students learn more when they are involved in all

aspects of college life. Astin describes an involved student as one who devotes “energy to
4
academics, spends a great deal of time on campus, participates in student organizations

and activities, and interacts with his or her faculty”.

Astin also created five basic assumptions about involvement. He argues that

involvement requires an investment of psychosocial and physical energy. Secondly,

involvement is continuous, and that the amount of energy invested varies from student to

student. Thirdly, aspects of involvement may be qualitative and quantitative. Next, what a

student gains from being involved (or their development) are directly proportional to

extent to which were involved (in both aspects of quality and quantity). Lastly, academic

performance is correlated with the student involvement. This theory has many

applications in the world of higher education and is one of the strongest pieces of

evidence for co-curricular student involvement.

The research study will only encompass the “inputs” of students to be able to

identify the demographic background of each and the academic performance in terms of

general weighted average. Academic performance will be correlated to level of

engagement in student organization to be able to understand Astin’s theory of

involvement.

Conceptual Framework

The research aims to study the level of engagement in student organization and its

significant relationship between academic performance. The conceptual framework of the

study wherein input is consisting of statement that identifies the profile of the respondent

in terms of sex and GWA, the level of engagement in student organization and its
5
significant relationship between academic performance and the difference when grouped

according to gender. The process variable is the administration of questionnaires to the

college student leaders in Colegio de Dagupan; a quantitative survey questionnaire will

be used to determine the level of engagement. The output will be the identified level of

engagement in student organization and its significant relationship between academic

performance of college student leaders and the identified significant difference between

male and female.

The conceptual framework of the research study is represented by the Input-

Process-Output (IPO) model. This was used in describing the study, which is shown in

the figure 1.1.

6
 Figure 1.1 Research Paradigm

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

1. Profile of the respondents 1. The identified demographic

in terms of: Survey questionnaire and profile of the respondents in
a. Age applied the statistical tool: terms of age, sex, year level,
b. Sex  Frequency Count department, organization and
c. General Weighted Average  Weighted Mean general weighted average.
d. Year Level  Pearson’s correlation
e. Department coefficient 2. The identified level of
f. Organization  ANOVA engagement in student
organization.
2. Student leaders’ level of
engagement in student 3. The significant relationship
organization. between level of engagement
and academic performance.
3. Significant relationship
between academic 4. The significant difference
performance and level of in the level of engagement in
engagement. student organization among
respondents across their
4. Significant difference in the profile.
level of engagement in student
organization among
respondents across their
profile.

7
Statement of the Problem

The study focuses on the significant relationship of level of engagement in student

organization and academic performance of college student leaders in Colegio de

Dagupan.

Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions.

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. Age,

b. Sex,

c. General Weighted Average,

d. Year Level,

e. Department, and

f. Organization

2. What is the students’ level of engagement in student organizations?

3. Is there a significant relationship between academic performance and level of

engagement?

4. Is there significant difference in the level of engagement in student

organization among the respondents across their profile?

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference in the level of engagement

in student organization among the respondents across their profile.

Alternative Hypothesis: There is significant difference in the level of

engagement in student organization among the respondents across their

profile.
8
Significance of the Study

The purpose of this study is to explore and identify the level of engagement in

student organization and the relationship between academic performance.

Through the research findings, it may help the following;

Student Leader: This instrument can help them balance organization leadership

and their academic performance without compromising each area.

Student Affairs Office: The result of this study may help them come up with the

ways that can help student leaders in balancing academic area and leadership role through

programs and seminars.

School: Through this research, it gives them a broader idea and a wider

perspective of the problem that the student leaders are facing. They will become aware

and provide solutions that can help student leaders.

Future Researchers: The findings in this study may contribute and guide them

and through this instrument it may help them develop and create a better study related to

the research topic.

Scope and Limitation

This study encompasses college student leaders in all accredited organizations at

Colegio de Dagupan. The research respondents will include three executive positions in

the organizations. It will primarily focus in college student leaders and will use

questionnaire for data gathering. The sampling size of the study is 51college student

leaders at Colegio de Dagupan. This study conducted only at Colegio de Dagupan and
9
participants are the undergraduate student leaders. The study does not cover high school

student and non- college student leaders in the institutions.

Definition of Terms

Student Leader: The respondents of the study who is officially elected in a

specific position in an organization.

Academic Performance: The performance of the respondents in terms of

academic area.

Level of Engagement: It is a term to emphasize the engagement of respondents

in a specific area.

Student Organization: Refers to a group/club where respondents are affiliated

with.

General Performance Average or GWA: Is the average of respondents in

academic performance for a semester.

10