Chapter V

SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary, findings, conclusions, and the

corresponding recommendations of the study.

Summary

This study describes the influence of social networking

participation on students’ academic performance across gender lines in

Notre Dame-Siena College of Polomolok (NDSCP) in Polomolok, South

Cotabato. Moreover, this study identifies the academic performance (i.e.

grade point average (GPA), college plans, and assignment completion) of

both male and female respondents influenced by their social networking

participation (i.e., social networking sites, location, accounts, frequency

and duration)

There are 200 respondents from grade seven to fourth year high

school equally divided into male and female. They were selected through

a convenience sampling method.

This study is basically descriptive using quantitative and

qualitative data gathering analytical method.

Quantitative data were generated through a survey questionnaire

administered to 200 respondents. Qualitative methods includes the

conducts of the key informant interviews with a teacher, a documentary

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review of pertinent and relative literature and other documents were also

made in order to provide a framework for analyzing data.

For qualitative analysis, the following statistical measures were

used: frequency count, mean and correlation coefficient (Pearson r)

analysis. All hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

Findings

The following are major findings of the study:

1. For the Social Networking Participation Across Gender Lines

1.1.1 Majority of the male respondents are currently a member of

Facebook and access social networking sites at home.

1.1.2 Majority of the male respondents have account settings

activated so that the information from social networking site

can contact them through e-mail address; typically visit a

social networking website at least once a week; and spend 30

minutes to one hour visiting a social networking site.

1.2.1 Majority of the female respondents are currently members of

Facebook and access social networking sites at home.

1.2.2 Majority of the female respondents have account settings

activated so that information from social networking site can

contact them through e-mail address; typically visit a social

networking website at least once a week; and spend 30

minutes to one hour visiting a social networking site.

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2. For the Social Networking Importance Across Gender Lines

2.1 Majority of the male respondents shows that social

networking sites membership(s) are important; spending on

a social networking site interfered with their ability to study

or complete assignments several times; and believe that what

they learn on a social networking site is not more important

than most of the things they learn at school.

2.2 Majority of the female respondents shows that social

networking sites membership(s) are important; spending on

a social networking site interfered with their ability to study

or complete assignments several times; and believe that what

they learn on a social networking site is not more important

than most of the things they learn at school.

3. For the Academic Performance of the Students Across Gender

Lines

3.1 Majority of the male respondents have 81-85 grade point

average (GPA); plans to go to college; and have not been late

in handing in an assignment.

3.2 Majority of the female respondents have 81-85 grade point

average (GPA); have plans to go to college; and have not been

late in handing in an assignment.

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4. For the Respondents’ Social Networking Participation

Influence on their Academic Performance

a. Social networking sites have significantly high influence on the

respondents’ grade point average (GPA).

b. Location has no significant influence on the respondents’ grade

point average (GPA).

c. E-mail accounts have no significant influence on the respondents’

grade point average (GPA).

d. Frequency has no significant influence on the respondents’ grade

point average (GPA).

e. Duration have no significant influence on the respondents’ grade

point average (GPA).

f. Social networking sites have no significant influence on the

respondents’ college plans.

g. Location has significant influence on the respondents’ college

plans.

h. E-mail accounts have no significant influence on the respondents’

college plans.

i. Frequency has no significant influence on the respondents’ have

college plans.

j. Duration have significant influence on the respondents’ college

plans.

k. Social networking sites have significant influence on the

respondents’ assignment completion.

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l. Location has significant influence on the respondents’ assignment

completion.

m. E-mail accounts have no significant influence on the respondents’

assignment completion.

n. Frequency has no significant influence on the respondents’

assignment completion.

o. Duration have significant influence on the respondents’

assignment completion.

Conclusions

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions are

made:

1. Majority of the respondents are currently a member of Facebook,

have e-mail addresses that access social networking websites at

home, visits a social networking website at least once a week and

spend 30 minutes to one hour visiting the social networking

website. It indicates that Facebook is the most popular site

adolescents and young adults participate in; access mostly from

home; e-mail accounts necessary for communication and

interested in keeping in touch with people on social networking.

2. Majority of the male and female respondents show that social

networking sites membership(s) are important but admits that it

interfered with their ability to study several times. Although,

majority of the respondents believe that what they learn on a social

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networking website is not more important than most of the things

they learn at school. This indicates that the respondents would

find a time to spend social networking participation; is not a form

of distraction; and that what they learn in school is more

important.

3. Majority of the male and female respondents show that they have

81-85 grade point average (GPA) and have not been late in handing

in an assignment. Moreover, majority of the respondents plans to

go to college. It indicates that the most of the respondents have

good grade point average (GPA); give importance for their future

goals; and social networking participation is not a distraction in

their assignment completion.

4. Social networking sites have significantly high influence on grade

point average (GPA). It indicates that social networking

participation has an impact on grade point average (GPA). It also

shows that location, e-mail accounts, frequency and duration have

no significant influence on grade point average (GPA). Location has

significant influence on the respondents’ college plans. It indicates

that where respondents access social networking sites have

bearing on their college plans. Duration, though, has significant

influence on the respondents’ college plans. It indicates that the

length of time that the respondents spend social networking site

have negative effects on college plans. Social networking sites, e-

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mail accounts and frequency have no significant influence on the

college plans. Social networking sites, location and duration have

significant influence on the respondents’ assignment completion. It

indicates that the social networking sites, where they access these

sites and the length of time they spend on social networking have

influence on their assignment completion. E-mail accounts and

frequency has no significant influence on assignment completion.

Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusions of the study, the following

recommendations are given:

1. Majority of the respondents are a member of Facebook and the

lowest is MySpace. The result of this study shown that more

attention needs to be placed on understanding social networking

sites and their influence on the adolescents. Focus should be given

in encouraging them to become members of more informative sites.

2. Majority of the students believes that social networking is

important and it interferes in their studies several times, they also

believe that what they learn in school is more important. School

counselor should build upon the positive attitudes that these sites

have, such as the ability for students to join student groups or

meet others from school. One way to do this would be to give

classroom presentations on the risks and benefits of social

networking participation, highlighting the problematic behavior

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associated with the sites but also educating students on how these

sites can improve their lives socially and academically.

3. It is good that the majority of the students earned a grade point

average (GPA) 81-85 which is described as good. However, it is the

goal of the school to produce students of excellent rating which

means that enrichment programs should be used by the teachers,

parents, and the school as a whole in order to attain the grade

point average (GPA) of 96 and above which is described as

excellent.

4. Since almost half of the respondents admits the social networking

interfering in their study and have been late in handing in

assignments, parents also need to be aware that there are times

when their child’s social networking participation is interfering

with homework and studying. Most of the respondents access

social networking sites at home and the lowest survey is in other

sources. On the other hand school counselors can help parents set

boundaries for their children and teach them how to talk to their

children about internet safety since they log in these sites at least

once a week for at least 30- 1 hour. The number of limitations in

this study suggests that further research needs to be done on the

influence of social networking participation on students’ academic

performance and/or attitudes. This research should be done with a

larger number of students which encompasses many different

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grade levels. Aside from that, social networking participation is

believed to cause social and behavioral problems rather than

academic problems which should be addressed.

5. Since most of the influence of social participation in the academic

performance across gender lines is positive, the researchers

recommended that a program involving social networking be used

in the curriculum. This program should aim to provide a casual

place of learning that will encourage students to express their own

thoughts. The program should also offer effective collaboration and

communication between teachers and their students. Focus on

building online community for Notre Dame-Siena College of

Polomolok who shares interests and activities or who are interested

in exploring the interests and activities others. Should also be

addressed through social networking, students’ learning

experiences will be enhanced. The program should also intend to

build an online learning community and offer immersion in a

foreign language environment. The design of the social network

may include Classroom 2.0 on Ning as an online platform to create

a class social networking site. Classroom 2.0 is a free, community-

supported network which has over 75,000 members from 188

countries. It allows students and teachers to participate in the

discussions, receive event notifications with colleagues and other

students. The page will allow students to create their own profiles;
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upload photos, audio, podcasts, and videos, create and join

discussion groups, send messages and publish logs and

presentations. It is designed for private use and only class

members (i.e. grade seven to fourth year high school) in the course

were invited to join the class social network. No guest or outsider is

allowed to join and participate in the social network platform. In

implementing the program, it starts with the introduction to social

networking concept and the social networking site in the beginning

of the course. Provide hands-on demonstration on using the social

network site. Invite students to join the respective social network.

Require students to create a personal profile. Encourage students

to post personal media and personal blog, podcasts, and videos

related to the course content to the social network. Hold bi-weekly

class discussions in the forum. Encourage students to form groups

for other personal or class activities.