Chapter 1

The Problem: Rationale and Background

“When you focus on yourself and love yourself, some relationships have to go.” -Adrian
Michael

School, colleges and universities have no worth without students. Students are the
most essential asset for any educational institute. The social and economic development
of the country is directly linked with student’s academic performance. The students’
academic performance plays an important role in producing the best quality graduates
who will become great leader and manpower for the country thus responsible for the
country’s economic and social development (Ali et.al, 2009). Student’s academic
performance measurement has received considerable attention in previous research, its
challenging aspects of academic literature, and science student performance are affected
due to social, psychological, economic, environmental and personal factors. These factors
strongly influence on the student performance, but these factors vary from person to
person and country to country.

A study conducted by Quatman, Sampson, Robinson and Watson (2001) among

high school students in California. Researchers examined the relationship between dating
status and academic achievement, academic motivation, depression, and self-esteem.
Although high school students do not face as many distractions, the affiliation can still be
made between the two. The research focused on the frequency of dating and not so much
the level of commitment. Results showed a relationship between dating more frequently
and lower academic performance.

During adolescence, teens become interested and involved in dating because of

the desire to belong with others. As a result, it is clear that over the time, romantic
relationships gain in importance. Adolescents crave to have an intimate romantic
relationship to which love is given and received without restriction. It is according to the
need to belong theory by which individuals have the determination to connect with others
in enduring, close relationships. Furthermore, the theory states that humans “share” the
same need to be a part or connected with other individuals, and claims that all individuals
may live life better if they are connected. Myers (2010) supported the need to belong
theory by asserting that people who find a person complementing their needs to whom
they can share their problems with, makes those people more acknowledgeable.
Belongingness is supported by close, intimate relationship which tends to be healthier
and happier. Because of this need to belong, we can see nowadays that most university
students are synchronizing their time in both academic and romantic aspect. Engaging
themselves in this romantic relationship enables them to feel that someone cares for them,
shows affection to them, loves them, etc. In fact, Furman (2002) reported that romantic
relationships become more and more significant to adolescents in their social world as
they also develop from puberty towards late adolescence in which it shows how prevalent
is romantic relationship among adolescents.

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 Moreover, some students on the University of the Philippines Cebu College have
also involved themselves in a romantic relationship. Having been in an institution which
promotes honor and excellence among its students gave them a great challenge to
maintain a good academic performance. Considering that each professor has higher
expectations of the students, an increase of workloads which includes projects, school
papers, reports and challenging exams were given. Therefore, being college students of
UP Cebu College gives them more responsibility and it requires a great amount of time
and attention. In addition, Myers (2010) said that relationships also consume much of the
life of university students. It is proven in the study of Mehl & Pennebaker (2003)
conducted to 11 participants (using Electronically Activated Recorder for each
participant) coming from the University of Texas at Austin, that 28 percent of the
students’ waking hours were spent just by talking to their romantic partners and it did not
include the time they spent in listening to their romantic partners. Furthermore, research
conducted by Campbell & Oliver (1994) found benefits in having a romantic relationship
such as “companionship, feeling of happiness or elation, feeling loved or loving another,
intimacy, self-growth and self-understanding, and more positive self-esteem”. These
benefits found in a romantic relationship were said to be the cause of motivation of the
students in pursuing their studies.

However, Campbell & Oliver (1994) also pointed out some costs which are found
in a romantic relationship, namely: stress and worry about the relationship, social and
nonsocial sacrifices, increased dependence on the partner, fights, time and effort
investment, and feeling worse about the self which were said to be the cause of anxiety of
the students. Having been in these situations, UP Cebu students who are in a romantic
relationship may be faced with the challenge in maintaining a good academic
performance as “Iskolars ng Bayan”. UP students have greater responsibility to do well in
their studies since it is the nation which subsidized most of its students to provide them a
quality education. Consequently, a question on the effect of romantic relationship among
the students involved, whether they can manage their time efficiently or not still remains.
Moreover, determining the vital role of motivation and anxiety in the life of the romantic
partners and how they affect their academic performance still remain a problem. In this,
status of time management was investigated as well as the levels of motivation and
anxiety of the students.

As observed by the researchers, there are some cases that can be viewed through
social media and even in the society that the students’ academic performances are being
negatively affected because they were in a relationship. There are some who can’t focus
on their studies and gets low grades while others experience anxiety and depression to the
point that they would commit suicide. These were some of the reasons why others
prohibit students to be in a relationship. When a student is in a relationship, it becomes an
issue to the society that the student’s future might get destroyed.

These urged the researchers to venture a study in knowing the effects of being in a
relationship to a student’s academic performance.

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Significance of the Study
This study would benefit the following:
Parents. The study would serve as information for them to know on how does being in a
relationship affects their children’s academic performances so that they would know how
to handle such situations.
School. This serves as a basis for incorporating additional research studies about
knowing the factors that could affect a student’s academic performance.
Students. This would serve as a guide for them in knowing the effects of being in a
relationship to their academic performance. This would serve as an eye opener for them
that giving too much attention to relationships has no positive effect on their academic
performance because instead of making it as an inspiration, this just leads to distraction
on their studies.
Researchers. This would serve as an answer to the questions in their minds which made
them conduct this research study.

Conceptual Framework
This study revolves around the idea or concept of determining the effects of being
in a relationship to the students’ academic performance.
To be able to make this study, it is important to formulate questions on how does
being in a relationship is considered, either a distraction or an inspiration. Questionnaires
will be created after questions are formulated. The questionnaires will then be distributed
to the respondents and as the data are all gathered, the effects of being in a relationship in
the academic performance of students will be determined.

Theoretical Framework
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Formulating of
 Distribution of
questions on the
questionnaires
effects of being in a
to the
relationship to a Effects of being in a
respondents
student’s academic relationship to the
 Gathering and
performance. academic
analyzation of
 Making performance of the
data
questionnaires students
 Creating a
based on the
conclusion
questions that have
been formulated.

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Statement of the Problem
The main purpose of this study is to determine the effects of being in a
relationship in the academic performance of the students of Balanacan National High
School.
Specifically, it aimed to answer the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of these students who are in a relationship?
(Age, Gender)
18 Female
17 Male
16
15
14
13
2. How would you consider being in a relationship?
DISTRACTION INSPIRATION
Cannot concentrate on Motivated by partner to
studies pursue studying
Has more time on dating and Influenced by partner to
chatting with each other than study than dating and
studying chatting with him/her
3. What is the significant difference between being single and in a relationship in the
academic performance of a student?

Hypotheses
1. There are 50 respondents, half are female and the other half are male whose age are in
the range of 13-18 years old.
2. Being in a relationship could be considered as a distraction to the studies of students
because they cannot concentrate to their studies and instead of studying, they have more
time on dating and chatting with their partners.
3. Being single provides more concentration on studies and eventually an improvement to
academic performance because it requires fewer responsibilities than being in a
relationship.

Definition of Terms
Academic Performance. This refers to the level of schooling that a student has
successfully completed.
Distraction. This refers to something that makes it difficult for students to pay
attention or to concentrate to their studies.
Inspiration. This refers to something that influences the students to pursue
studying

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 To venture. This refers to taking risks to discover something that you want to
know.
Eye-Opener. This refers to something that enlightens and provides realization to
someone about the given issue.
Elation. This refers to the quality of being happy and excited.
Intimacy. This refers to the state of closeness or belongingness of the student to
their partner that makes them feel comfortable and happy.
Anxiety. This refers to the student’s feeling of nervousness about what might
happen to their relationship.

Scope and Limitation

This study is listed in determining the effects of being in a relationship to the
academic performance of the students of Balanacan National High School. The research
is done when the questionnaires and other things needed for the study are all prepared.
This study will be conducted at Balanacan National High School, Balanacan, Mogpog,
Marinduque this SY 2018-2019.