CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

The world nowadays is a difficult place to live in. It is full of occurrences

and things that are complicated and are difficult to understand. There is a saying

that goes, “There's no limit to how complicated things can get, on account of one

thing always leading to another.” In order to understand the world, the youth who

are believed to be the future of the earth are sent to school to learn about how

things work and how to survive in a changing world.

In school, a student joins different groups to hone his or her skills needed

to survive in the world. While joining different groups, the student gets exposed to

various kinds of personalities and develops varied levels of relationships.

Vygotsky (1978) states that all the functions in the cultural development of a child

shows up twice; interpsychological (between people) comes first, then

intrapsychological (inside the child) comes second. Voluntary attention, logical

harmony, and formation of concepts are all equally applied to by this. Every

higher function comes first as actual relationships between individuals. Thus, a

student’s interaction with adults and significant others including peers,

contributes to the development of skills.

Studies show that most students around the world, particularly high school

students connect with their peers, or group of friends more than they do with
other people. It is most likely that the various interactions within the peer group

influences a student’s attitude and behaviour, including his or her performance

inside the classroom, or in general, his or her academic standing. With that

stated, this study is hoped to determine the relationship between peer interaction

inside the classroom and their performance in the Social Studies class of all high

school students in the International Academe of EnScieMa during the school

year 2014-2015. The output of this study shall lay the basis for specific actions in

the development of the students’ academic performance that shall be formulated

and proposed.

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

This research is centered on the Social Learning Theory of Albert Bandura

which states that patterns that are new in relation to the behaviour can be gotten
from direct experience in the way of observing others.
Studies that supports this is research are the studies of Kulwinder Singh,
Mary E. Gifford Smith and Celia A. Brownell and Kenneth H. Rubin, William
Bukowski and Jeffrey Parker. Kulwinder Singh’s study states that intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation are both very important to an individual’s capacity to want to
achieve something.
Mary E. Gifforn Smth and Celia Brownelll stated in their study that events
that occur in an individual’s peer groups and relationships with friends affect the
development and the ability to function maybe in every other aspect of the
individual’s life, which include the individual’s family, school and his or her
community.
The study done by Kenneth H. Rubin, William Bukowski and Jeffrey
Parker presents theories and observations about the interaction of an individual
with his or her peers which can be used by the researchers in their research.
 SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM (Draft)

Theories and Studies: Legal Basis:

-Albert Bandura’s Social -Educational Act of 1982,

Learning Theory the Educational Community,
section 9, paragraph 8
-Kulwinder Singh’s Study in
Relation to Academic
Advancement of Students

-Mary E. Gifford Smith and Celia

A. Brownell’s Journal of
Childhood peer relationships…
(2003) <psychology law>

-Kenneth H. Rubin, William

Bukowski and Jeffrey Parker’s
peer interactions, relationships
and groups

The high school students that

are enrolled in the SY 2014-
2015 in IAE

Peer interaction of the The Academic

highschool student Performance of
inside the classroom the highschool
during the class of student
Social Studies

Action plan
 THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the relationship between peer interaction

inside the classroom and the academic performance of the high school students

in the International Academe of EnScieMa for the school year 2014-2015 in the

subject of Social Studies.

This study is further aimed to answer the following specific questions:

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

a. Peer interaction during the class in:

a1. Social Studies

b. Academic Performance in the class in:

b1. Social Studies

2. Is there any relationship between the students’ peer interaction in the

classroom and academic performance in Social Studies?

3. What action plan should be proposed to develop the students’

academic performance?

Statement of the Hypothesis

There is no relationship between the students’ peer interaction inside the

classroom and the academic performance of the students in Social Studies.

Scope and limitations

With every power that is given to you, there is always a responsibility that

comes along with it. Being responsible is accompanied with knowing your

limitations. The researchers of this study have made limitations so that the study

will be organized.

The researchers will identify the relationship between students’ academic

performance and peer interaction. Peer interaction refers to the interaction of the

peers in general. Academic performance pertains to the grade in the Third

Grading Period specifically in the Social Studies subject of the high school

students in IAE during the school year 2014-2015.

Significance of the Study

So that the researchers can accomplish this study pertaining to peer

interaction and the relationship of this to academic performance of the students’

to the Social Studies subject, the following has been enlisted as the entities who

would benefit from the study:

Students. The students may look at the data gathered and act on

correcting themselves, either to leave their peers alone and learn by themselves

or look for better peers.

Teachers. The teachers can help the students through the data gathered

and they can give them advice so that the students’ grades will be better.

School. Through the data gathered in this study, the school can act if

there is a change of a students’ grade in Social Studies because of peer

interaction.
 Parents. Through the data gathered in this study, the parents of the

students can help their child when there is a sudden change in the academic

grades of the student because of peer interaction.

Future Researchers. With the data gathered through this study, future

researchers with a study that has some kind of relationship with this can refer to

this work and improve any of the procedures done in it.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The researchers who are doing this study used the descriptive correlation

design. The researchers found it very proper to use because it determines the

relationship between two variables: peer interaction of the high school students

inside the classroom and the academic performance of the students’ pertaining

to the subject Social Studies.

Research Environment

This research study is to be conducted in the International Academe of

EnScieMa, focused at the high school department also known as the secondary

department. The International Academe of EnScieMa is situated in Totolan,

Dauis, Bohol. The researchers chose this school because the interaction among

peers is really observed within the campus.

Research Participants

While doing this study, the population of the whole high school department

of the International Academe of EnScieMa situated in Totolan, Dauis, Bohol of

the school year 2014-2015 will be used by the researchers. The high school

department was chosen by the researchers because most teens are more

interactive with each other.

Research Instrument

In determining the relationship of the peer interaction in the classroom of

the high school students of IAE, the researchers will use a questionnaire. The

statements listed in this questionnaire talk about the attitude of the students. The

statements listed come in a positive nature or a negative nature. If a respondent

will answer Always or Sometimes to positive statements, this will be interpreted

as a positive attitude towards peer interaction inside the classroom during the

class of Social Studies. Negative statements that are answered with rarely or

never will be interpreted as a positive attitude towards peer interaction inside the

classroom during the class of Social Studies.

There will be four responses to choose from in the questionnaire provided:

Always, Sometimes, Rarely and Never. Always and Sometimes will be placed in

the “yes” category during the interpretation of the data. While Rarely and Never

will be placed in the “no” category.

The questionnaire will be subjected to a pilot-test to make the statements

listed by the researchers valid. After analysing the data given by the pilot test,

questionnaires were given to the respondents by the researchers.

In gathering the academic performance of the high school students

enrolled in IAE for the school year 2014 to 2015, the researchers submitted a

letter to the principal and the teacher of the Social Studies Subject for each class
asking his permission to let the researchers make use of the account of the

student so as to access their academic profile. The names of the students are

placed in a sheet of paper divided into three columns. The first column contains

the names of the student . The second column is for the year the student is in.

The third column is the 3rd Quarter grade of the student.

Data Gathering Procedures

First, the researchers made a questionnaire. They pilot tested the

questionnaire. Then they asked for permission from (someone,idk) to distribute

the questionnaires to the high school department of IAE. Once they will be given

the permission, they will distribute these to their respondents. The questionnaires

will be gathered once the respondents will be finished answering them.

The researchers will then send a letter to the Principal and the teacher

that teaches Social Studies to the high school department asking permission to

use the academic profile of the respondents. The grades of the students will be

used to find the relationship between their peer interaction inside the classroom

during the class of Social Studies and their academic performance. The data

gathered by the researchers will be recorded, tabulated and analyzed.

Statistical Treatment

The researchers used the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation in

determining the relationship between the peer interaction of the students inside

the classroom and their academic performance in the class of Social Studies.

The following is the formula:

 n  XY   X  Y
r XY 
n X 2  
   X   n Y 2   Y  
2 2

Where:

n= number of students
Xi= peer interaction inside the classroom
Yi= academic performance of the high school
students in the class of Social Studies

DEFINITION OF TERMS

To make important points in this research understandable to the reader,

the following terms were defined:

Academic Performance. This pertains to the grades of the high school

students of IAE for the third quarter.

Social Studies. This is a subject in EnScieMa taught to the students with

topics ranging from the Philippines’s history to the world’s history.

Peer Interaction. This pertains to the interaction of the student with his or

her group of friends or anyone he or she has something in common with inside

the classroom.

Students’ Attitudes. This pertains to whether the students always,

sometimes, rarely or never do the activities stated by the statements listed in the
questionnaire made by the researchers.
 Questionnaire (not yet pilot tested)
1. My peers encourage me to cheat during FTs, STs and quizzes.
2. My peers and I talk during discussion.
3. My peers encourage me to study for any exam to be given in that subject.
4. My peers will help me when I do not understand something.
5. My peers will help me make my assignments and projects.
6. When I am absent my peers will tell me what I missed.
7. I and my peers go to great lengths together to broaden our views in Social
Studies.
8. My peers will let me do stupid stuff inside the classroom during the class.
9. When I am down, my peers will motivate me to study.
10. My peers will leave me alone when I need them the most .
11. I ignore my peers when they encourage me to study.
12. Because I see my peers cooperate during the class discussion, I also
cooperate.
13. When I know that my peers are getting in the way of my studying
schedule, I tell them to shut up because “CAN’T YOU SEE I AM
STUDYING?!”
14. When I accomplish something in a subject I feel satisfaction when my
peers congratulate me and I also feel motivated.
15. When my peers get higher marks than I do in an exam, I feel discouraged
because I usually get higher scores than them.
16. I am comfortable with my peer group.
17. When my peers tell me to interact with them to get better in a subject I
think it is a waste of time.
18. When I or any one of my peers does not understand something, we go to
each other’s houses for in depth studying.
19. My peers do other activities rather than studying for the subject.
20. I feel challenged when my peers get good scores in FTs and STs and I do
not.
21. When the teacher is choosing contestants for a contest and he or she
chooses my peers instead of me, I feel like a despicable speck of dust in
the world.
22. I feel annoyed when my peers are recognized for their talents and I am
not.
23. When my peers know that I am having difficulties, they isolate me so that I
will continue not understanding the topic which will make them have better
grades than I.
24. My peers intimidate me in studying (e.g. memorizing)
25. When my peers know that I do not have time to study, they will tell me the
answers in the exam.
26. If my peers do not help me during the exams, I threaten them (e.g.
blackmail).
27. I do not have any peers to motivate me to study.
28. I feel shy when my peers decide to group study, so I usually do not join
them.
29. My peers pressure me too much.
30. My peers make me nervous to share my ideas.

APPENDICES