Leon National High School

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Leon, Iloilo

Conquering Stress: A Phenomenological Study on ABM Students’ Strategies and

Techniques in Managing Stress

Angeline T. Cabaluna

Aika Marie C. Cacay

Lady Joy S. Calanuga

Marc Dave C. Nakpil

Rica Mae C. Soribas

Jovan Louie Lhynne T. Tacadao

June Andrie C. Tiquio

Chapter 1

Introduction to the Study

Chapter One consists of six parts: (1) Background of the Study,

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Leon, Iloilo

(2) Epistemological and Theoretical Research Perspective, (3) Statement of the

Problem, (4) Assumptions of the Study, (5) Definition of Terms, and (6) Significance of

the Study.

Part One, Background of the Study, presents the overview of the study. It also

presents the background of the chosen topic.

Part Two, Epistemological and Theoretical Research Perspective, anchors the

epistemological and theoretical perspective use in the study.

Part Three, Statement of the Problem, states the problem and identifies the

specific goals and aims for doing the research.

Part Four, Assumptions of the Study, consists the assume points in conducting

the study.

Part Five, Definition of Terms, includes the conceptual and operational

meaning of the significant terms used in the study.

Part Six, Significance of the Study, cites the benefits and the beneficiaries of

the study.
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Background of the Study

Stress is a common problem that individuals face in their day-to-day life. This

stress has a positive and negative effects to the person whose been experiencing it. It

can trigger your physical and emotional aspects. However, stress is found everywhere;

it can be experienced in school, in the workplace, with friends or peers, and even at

home. It is just around the corner. No person is free from stress because it is part of

being human. Regardless how rich, famous, beautiful, handsome, and clever you are

or how stable your careers are. You will still experience stress because no onr can

escape stress.

Stress is one of the most essential problems spanning through human

endeavour. Also, it is the single most common inhibitor on academic performance of

students, followed by depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties. These increased

stress levels come with some dire consequences. Thus, the term “stress” can define in

many ways. Generally, a layperson may define stress in terms of pressure, tension,

unpleasant external forces or an emotional response (Ogden, 2004, P.234). In

addition, stress is an abnormality in psychology, behavior and emotional of person,

restraint in performing habit or physiological changes in human being.

To understand stress, Blona (2005) pointed out that one needs to know what it

is and its causes, in order to cope with it well. He defined stress as any event or
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Leon, Iloilo

circumstance that strains or exceeds an individual ability to cope. Ellison (1990)

considered stress as a biochemical response by the body to a threatening situation.

Management may define in various ways. In the view of Esiekpe (2003)

management simply implies the skill in dealing with something or to be in perfect

control of a situation. Stress management as defined by Cohen and Lazarus (1979) is

problem-solving effort made by an individual faced with demands that are highly

relevant to his welfare but taxing his adaptive resources. Adaptive resources involve

coping methods that people exhibit in order to be habituated with stress.

Plotnik and Mollenauer (1986), states that stress management strategies are

referred to as the methods we employ to deal with stressful or disturbing situations. It

categorizes into two methods which are effective and ineffective strategies. Such

ineffective strategies are overeating, drug abuse, aggression which may make us feel

better shortly, while effective strategies are thought substitution and relaxation.

Akubue (2000) identified other management strategies like exercise, discussion,

relaxation, meditation and holiday. Also in stress management, individuals use coping

strategies and resources that help them to adapt to environmental demands. These

strategies play a key role in determining the nature and extent of the stress impact.

The role of the researchers is to determine the various techniques that may

help to every individuals and ABM students in conquering their stress. Beside the fact
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that ABM strand is difficult because it concentrates on the foundational concepts in

corporate operations, financial management, business management, as well as each

and every factor that revolves around those central fields (Enderun Colleges, 2005).

Stress arises when individuals perceive that they cannot adequately cope with

the demands being made on them or with threats to their well-being (Lazarus, 1966).

High stress levels lead to poor physical health, mental distress, low self-esteem, and

have a negative effect on the cognitive functioning and learning of students in the

ABM strand. Indeed, students have a unique cluster of stressful experiences. Student’s

academic performances can be affected by many factors. Bernstein et.al 2008) defines

the sources of stress as every circumstance or event that threatens to disrupt people’s

daily functioning and causes them to make adjustments.

Similarly, Phinney and Haas (2003) stressed out sources of stress more

specifically as a unique set of stressful encounters among student which includes:

difficult financial challenges, domestic responsibilities, responsibilities related to

holding a job while in school, relationship among peers, learning process and a heavy

academic load.

Managing is important because if you can't manage your stress, it may leads to

serious condition. Coping up stress is really important to the ABM student. Importantly
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it is imperative to develop coping strategy and techniques to help the ABM students

manage stress and to conquer them.

Epistemological and Theoretical Research Perspective

In this study, researchers used social constructionism (also called social

constructivism or constructionism) as their epistemological stance. Social

Constructionism is the epistemological ‘view that all knowledge, and therefore all

meaningful reality as such, is contingent upon human practices, being constructed in

and out of interaction between human beings and their world, and developed and

transmitted within an essentially social context’ (Crotty, 1998:42). Thus, meaning is

not discovered, but constructed. Social Constructionism employs both subjectivism and

objectivism. It does not remain as an objectivism or subjectivism in order to construct

meanings out of meaningless. Their role as a researcher is to seek for a different

stress management approaches that can be used in conquering stressors. The

researchers select Interpretivism as their theoretical perspective to interpret the data

that the researchers gathered among ABM students experiences regarding their stress

management techniques and strategies used. Also, it seeks to understand the world

through directly experiencing the phenomena. Interpreting data involves specific,

contextualized environments and acknowledge that reality and knowledge are not

objective but influenced by people within that environment (Nicole Brown , 2015).
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Researchers used narrative inquiry as their methodology. Narrative inquiry is a way of

using oral or written accounts of individuals to tell a story about peoples’

understanding. Humans are storytelling organisms who individually and collectively

lead storied lives. Thus, the study of narrative is the study of the ways humans

experience the world (Connely & Clandinin, 1990). Therefore, it is the process of

gathering information for the purpose of research through storytelling. They used

narrative inquiry as their methodology in order to gather the experiences of ABM

students who has already implemented and used stress management plan and

approaches against various stressors. Narrative inquiry becomes their centre of

collecting lived experiences that will be beneficial in the creation of descriptions. In

gathering of data they will be using in-depth interview, and Model of Narrative

Analysis: A typology by Mishler (1995).

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Leon National High School

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Leon, Iloilo

Figure 1. The conceptual framework of the study. It includes the epistemology,

theoretical perspective, methodology and methods

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to identify the techniques and strategies used by ABM students

in managing the pressure and stress issues. Specifically, it will seek to answer the

following research questions:

1. What are the different stressors of ABM students?

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2. What are the common techniques used by ABM students in handling

stress?

3. How does stress affect the behavior of ABM students?

Assumptions of the Study

Assumptions of the theory used in your research, about the researcher, and

about the entire research process may be discussed in this section.

Definition of Terms

ABM students. According to (Enderun Colleges, 2005), ABM students are the

students that chooses the ABM strand which refers to the accountancy, business, and

management academic programs that concentrate on the foundational concepts in

corporate operations, financial management, business management, as well as each

and every factor that revolves around those central fields.

In this study, ABM students means the grouped of respondents that are chosen

by researchers.

Conquering. According to (Merriam Webster, 2019), conquering refers to

overcome and take control of (a place or people) but use of military force.
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In this study, conquering means the action of ABM students’ on how they deal,

face and cope up to the various stressors.

Phenomenological Study. According to (Creswell, 2013), phenomenological

study refers to describing the meaning of several individuals of their lived experiences

of a concept or a phenomenon. Using phenomenology, data can be collected from

persons who experienced the phenomenon, and a composite description of the

essence of their experience can be developed.

In this study, phenomenological study means to learn the variety of life

experiences of ABM students’ in encountering different stressors.

Strategies. According to (Business Dictionary, 2019), Strategies refers to the

methods or plan chosen to bring about a desired future, such as achievement of a

goal or solution to a problem

In this study, a strategy means the plan that was done by respondents in

terms of handling their stress if it is effective.

Stress. According to Ogden (2004), stress refers to the abnormality in

psychology, behavior and emotional of person, restraint in performing habit or

physiological changes in human being.

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In this study, stress means the problem that the researchers were going to

research about and it is also the reason why the researchers conduct this study.

Stress management. According to Cohen & Lazarus (1979), stress

management refers to the problem-solving effort made by an individual faced with

demands that are highly relevant to his welfare but taxing his adaptive resources.

In this study, stress management means the techniques and strategies tha

design to reduce the impact of stressors among ABM students at increasing their

ability to cope with stressors.

Techniques. According to (Merriam Webster, 2018), a technique refers to a

way of carrying out a particular task, especially the execution or performance of an

artistic work or a scientific procedure.

In this study, a technique means the approaches that the respondents use in

conquering stress.

Significance of the Study

This study will obtain results that will be beneficial to the following:
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Students. This study may provide them the techniques and strategies that

they can use to manage their stress in which can help them to have new ideas to

develop perceptual capacities. Furthermore, it would serve as a guideline for them to

test their lifestyle and learn how to manage stress that causes negative effects on

their academic performance: and, alter their lifestyle if it affects their academic

performance.

Parents. This study may help them to be more aware of their children’s

mental condition so that they can better educate them on the common circumstances

of the stress they have. They may apply the data gathered in communicating and

evaluating how their actions may create stress to their children. Also, they would be

aware to avoid their children from getting stress that may start from their households.

Teachers. This study may provide as a basis for them to take care of their

students and understand them on different aspects of their life to handle or lessen

their stress as a concern mentor.

School Administrator. Through this study, they may encourage teachers to

pay more attention on their students’ mental health. They further could implement

new rules that can strengthen the relationship of the educators and learners to avoid

conflict in the room that may trigger stress on both parts.

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Future Researchers. This study may be used as reference, basis of

information or data in conducting studies, particularly in the area of stress

management on ABM students. This study may serve as a guide and methodologies

and methods that they might used in conducting researches.