EFFECTS OF ENGAGING IN A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP TO

THE ACADAMIC PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED

LICEO DE LA SALLE ABM 11 STUDENTS

(QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH)

Researchers:

GOMEZ, CASEY

PEREZ, CAMILLE MEGGY

RAMOS, MA. JENNETH

TORRES, JOCEL ROSE

Research Adviser:

SIR JP CAÑADA
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Committed relationship is a serious, romantic and an interpersonal type of relationship

where two people have a mutually-agreed upon commitment to one another, involving love,

trust, and honesty. Committed relationship is good for mental health; it helps the persons who

submit their selves in this type of relationship in terms of decision making, critical thinking, and

also help change their mind-set and perspective. However, a difficult and strained relationship

perhaps unsurprisingly has the opposite effect. Negative behaviours, such as hostility and

criticism, during conflict in relationships have been linked to negative impacts on mental health.

(Iris Tse, 2011). A variety of unhealthy relationships have been reported to cause mental health

problems. However, specific information is limited on the sporadic occurrences of psychological

problems. The need of additional data investigated the conduct of this surveillance study of the

effects of being a couple in their studies of grade 11 Accountancy Business Management (ABM)

students of Liceo De La Salle S.Y 2019-2020. This study was an explanatory survey on the

effects of committing into relationships on the ABM students of Liceo De La Salle.

Being in romantic relationship is an important aspect of adolescents, healthy relationship

can help you lessen your stress, better healing, longer life etc. As humans, the relationships we

form with other people are vital to our mental and emotional wellbeing, and really, our survival.

(Northwestern Medicine). In addition relationships can be fraught with sadness, anger, confusion

and stress. (Iris Tse, 2013). Strong positive or negative emotions in adolescent are more

commonly caused by romantic relationships as opposed to other kinds of relationships such as

with friends, parents, or school staff (Furman & Shaffer, 2003).

 Nowadays, it is often believed that romantic relationships may negatively affect

adolescent’s academic outcomes because the time spent with a romantic partner might distract

one from schoolwork, and many people believe that students should not have a romantic

relationship since it will distract their attention and performance (Newman, n.d.).

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to show the different impacts of engaging to romantic relationship of students to

their academic performance.

Specifically, it seeks to answers the ff. questions:

1. How do the students balance their time between studies and their partner?

2. Does their partner motivate them into studying/finishing their school works?

3. Does their partner emotionally alleviate their worries on studies?

Conceptual framework

8
Romantic
Students Academic Performance
Relationship

Figure 1. This conceptual framework shows that having a Romantic Relationship between

students’ can affect their Academic Performance in school.

Significance of the study

The result of this study may be important and help the following:

Academe. This study would inform them about the effects of being a couple of

Accountancy Business Management (ABM) in their studies and did them in their understanding
towards a harmonious coexistence in this University. This will also help them to make decisions

and recognise their strengths and weakness, the things they should look their knowledge, skill,

attitude and talents.

Parents. This study will help the parents to understand why their children commit in

such relationship while studying, so that they could guide them on how to balance their time

wisely, and parents should motivate their children who was committed in relationship to

prioritize their study first.

Friends. This study will help will help their understanding, relation, and strength of their

friendship with one another.

Future researcher. This will help the future researchers to have idea about of this study

and this could be serve as their reference in making their research.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is limited to the use of respondents and categorization, specially, by their

strand and their sections.

Only Accountancy Business Management (ABM) 11 B and G students of Liceo De La

Salle - Bacolod will be involved, hence the main of the study. This study is only limited to the

method and instrument to be used for the conduct. The raw data will be collected through

interview. The questionnaire will focuses around accumulating the effects of being a couple in

their studies of grade 11 Accountancy Businesses Management (ABM) of Liceo De La Salle -

Bacolod S.Y. 2019-2020 solutions benefiting mostly futures and understand the effectiveness of

the changes of their study methods.

Chapter 2

REVIEW AND RELATED LITERARURE

 This chapter deals with related concepts and related studies from various sources to

provide assistance about the information relevant in this study to avoid knowledge gap and to

help familiarize the concept in this study. This also includes the synthesis of the related of

literature to make it more comprehensive.

Romantic Relationship

Romantic relationships are central aspect of adolescents’ and have importance about their

social worlds. These involve feelings about sexuality, love, and affection. According to Aristotle,

humans are “social animals” which made them long to form an intimate relationship in which

love can be given and received freely which the psychologists called “the need to belong”

(Myers, 2010). Nowadays high school students have mostly experienced at least one intimate

relationship. Few students examine to know the effects of being in relationship on academic

performance most of them are concerned with adolescent. This study is associated with the class

absences for 3 or more class meeting per course in a semester, but not with grade point average.

(Schmidt, Lockwood, 2015). In addition, recent study based on the National Longitudinal Study

of Adolescent Health (Add Health) project indicate that 25% of 12-year olds report having a

romantic relationship in the past 18 months and more than 70% of 18-year olds have been

involved in a romantic relationship within the past 18 months, with the median length of

romantic relationship for individuals 16 years of age or older being 20.5 months (Carver, Joyner,

& Udry, 2003). Furthermore, many relationships are long-lasting, with most 16 year olds

reporting stable relationships of 6 months or longer (Carver et al., 2003).

Dating is considered a normal thing that can provide opportunities in the future for intimacy and

support and lays the foundation for intimate adult relationships (Furman, Brown, & Feiring,

1999). However, students involved in a relationship experienced more stress when facing
deadlines for school. A student who is involved in an exclusive relationship differs from the

student involved in a casual dating relationship. Many factors contribute to a student’s struggling

grades; the aim of this research was to isolate the effects of dating on a student’s academic

performance.

An article of Barber and Eccles talked about the importance of romantic relationships to

adolescent development and its long lasting effects on self-confidence. It affirmed that romantic

relationship teaches moral values on romance, intimate relationships and sexuality (as cited by

Luqman, 2009). In addition to this, healthy romantic relationship could possibly benefit student’s

education (Phelps, 2007). Romantic relationship provides positive outlook of adolescents’ life

which motivates the adolescents in achieving goals such as performing well in the studies

Self-esteem

Research shows that self-esteem can influence your relationship satisfaction just as much

as it affects your partner’s. When a person feels bad about their self, their insecurities can start to

creep in to the way they act with their significant other — and that can have a negative impact on

both of them. It can also distort their perception of their partner, according to research in the

(Journal of Personality and Social Psychology).

In addition, having low self-esteem can also make the person more anxious about their

relationship in general. “You may be afraid that your partner will leave you, or you panic over

other things that others wouldn' think twice about. This can lead to panic attacks or

extreme jealousy.”(Riggio, PhD, 2013)

Nowadays, using of technology which can it is easier contact and communicate online

with potential partners may exacerbate adolescents’ feelings of jealousy when dating (Baker &

Carreño, 2016). Teens have difficult handling their emotions such as fear, sadness, and anger
associated with jealousy and other issues within dating relationships. Although emotion

processes develop early in life, the development of skills to exert effortful control over emotions

continues into adolescence and often improves in adulthood (Rothbart & Bates, 1998). This

system develops over the course of adolescence, with maturation leading to greater inhibition of

impulsive behaviour and better control over responses to emotionally arousing situations

(Steinberg, 2008)

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are more advantages of having an early romantic relationship. These are the

positive results to every teenager who are engage in romantic relationship. It is to know that

having an early romantic relationship gives them a positive result for every aspect of their lives;

to their social and emotional life. We cannot say that early romantic relationships are right or

wrong. We cannot criticize or judge teenagers because they enter in a relationship at a very

young age. Teenage year now is very aggressive and willing to take risks.

It’s nothing wrong to enter a romantic relationship but this study would be better if the

teenagers will handle it properly, love is a decision if you will have it wrong, many people and

even you will be affected. (joshuaelevate,2016)

Sexuality

The quality of adolescent romantic relationships can have long lasting effects on self-

esteem and the shape personal values regarding, intimate relationships, and sexuality. Dating

provided them constant interaction with students of the opposite sex. 

The article discusses the importance of romantic relationships to youth and youth

development, including benefits of healthy relationships, the risks romantic relationship.

 Intimate relationships are often characterized by attitudes of mutual trust, caring, and

acceptance. A part of our sexuality might include intimacy: the ability to love, trust and care for

others in both sexual and other types of relationships.

Sexual identity may also be used to describe a person&#39 perception of his or her own

sex, rather than sexual orientation. The term sexual preference has a similar meaning to sexual

orientation, and the two terms are often used interchangeably, but sexual preference suggests a

degree of voluntary choice. (Baleros, n.d)

Learning

Of the few studies that have examined the effects of romantic relationships on academic

performance, most have been concerned with adolescent students. The results

of multivariate analyses indicate that being in a romantic relationship while in junior high school

is significantly associated with class absences, but not with grade point average.

Specifically, logistic regression models show that participation in a romantic relationship

more than doubles the odds of failing to attend three or more class meetings per course in a

semester. Practical implications of these findings include the consideration of romantic

relationships among the undergraduate student body by University administrators and faculty

when attempting to address course attendance concerns.

This study suggests that future researchers examine the characteristics of romantic

relationships and romantic partners in order to more fully understand how such relationships

might affect the academic performance of the University (The International Journal of Indian

Psychology, 2015).

Motivation
 Social relationships have a significant impact on students' motivation and achievement in

school (Martin and Dawson, 2009). But by looking at how perceived social relationships with

peers influenced academic motivation both interest and effort with psychological place

attachment as mediating variables. This study also examined the effect of gender as a moderating

variable of the relationship model between social relationships, psychological place attachment,

and motivated strategies for learning interest and effort tested by (Li et al.,2013). It was also

found out that the level of motivation has no significant relationship with the academic

achievement of the respondents (Bernales, 2011)

Romantic relationships are often characterized by changes and challenges. How partners

recognize, interpret, and attempt to cope with these events can determine whether partners persist

at or give up on the relationship. In other words, how partners orient toward relationship

challenges, seeing them as opportunities for improving the relationship rather than indications of

a bad investment, may influence how they subsequently think, feel, and behave in the

relationship. Indeed, recent empirical research underscores the importance of construing

relationship challenges as potential for growth (Knee, 1998; Knee, Nanayakkara, Vietor,

Neighbors, & Patrick, 2001; Miller, Lefcourt, Holmes, Ware, & Saleh, 1986; Sprecher, 1999).

Synthesis

The Related Literature of this study, if summed up, will account to the result that there is

an advantages and disadvantages of relationship among students in their academic performance.

Early romantic relationship have advantages and disadvantages relationship can motivate

and inspire you to study hard to have higher grades but there are also disadvantages like it can

distract you and lost your focus in studying. On the other hand romantic relationship have

positive, negative and neutral effects in academic but it is mostly neutral. In other study
conducted it was stated romantic relationship can cause anxiety or emotionally unstable because

of the conflicts between their partner, while in relationship most of the students are associated

with absents which can affects their grades.

Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

This section describes the components of the study which relate to research methodology

such as the research design, research participants, research instrument, and data gathering

procedure.

Research Design

The study used a quantitative descriptive survey research design – survey method. The

research opted to use this kind of research design considering the desire to acquire first hand data

on the respondents as to formulate conclusions and recommendations for the study.

Research Participants

The respondents are Senior High School grade 11 ABM B and ABM G students at Liceo

de La Salle – Bacolod located in the La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. There

are 15 in total in section ABM 11 G who are engaging romantic relationship while there are 5 in

section ABM 11 B.

The researchers only surveyed those who are engaged in romantic relationship that

affecting their academic performance. These 20 respondents were ask to answer the survey

questionnaire.

Research Instrument
 The researchers used survey questionnaires, in which the questions are strictly followed,

as guide in conducting this research. The researcher applied the purposive sampling to figure the

population of the respondents. The researchers gave a brief explanation about the purpose of the

survey and the respondents were ask to answer truthfully in order to gather and get the

legitimacy of the data.

To conduct the survey, the researchers use the questionnaire, which has two part the first

part is the biographical profile, which is consisted of the following: the age and sex of the

respondent, which is optional. The second part contain of 10 personal questions about their

partner. The questions are consisted of personal questions to test the relevance of their significant

partner to their studies of the respondents.

Data Gathering Procedure

The specific data-gathering procedure mentioned below was used in this study:

The researchers get the consent of the respondents. After getting the consent, we discuss

what a survey questionnaire was given to the respondents.

A survey questionnaire was prepared for each respondent with same outline of questions;

the first part was about the respondent’s biographical profile, contains of their age and sex, which

is optional. The second part discussed the purpose of research, and lastly the third part was the

survey questionnaires that the respondents need to answer it truthfully.

In order to validate the accuracy of the information, the researchers organized the given

survey questionnaires for analysis. Then after reading through all the data, the researchers

encoded the data and classify them according by their answer.

Statistical Tools
 The researchers have utilized an objective questionnaire that simply gives the respondent

the choices “YES” or “NO”.

Thus, the researchers have opted to use the statistical tool of frequency and percentage to

determine the extent of the participant's answers and to accurately interpret their given data.

Below is an illustration of the tables to be presented in the Results and Discussion.

Table 1.

Participants who are in a relationship

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 20 100.00%

NO 0 0

Chapter 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter presents the data given by the respondents and was interpreted and solved

accordingly by the researchers using the statistical tools of frequency and percentage to

accurately interpret the information and emperical data extracted from said respondents. This

chapter likewise discusses the given data and illustrated tables.

In the study, the researchers aimed to find out if all of the participants are really in a

relationship. The results are satisfactory because all of them are indeed in a relationship, which

would make them appropriate and fit subjects of this study.

Table 1.
Participants who are in a relationship
 FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 20 100.00%

NO 0 0

The researchers likewise find out that majority of the respondents are in the same age as

their partners. This implicates that the chosen respondents coming from Grade 11 Senior High

have partners who are most likely in the same year. On the other hand, there are 6 participants

out of 20 or 30% who stated that their partners are older or younger than them. This concludes

that participants are all unique and have their preferences with their relationship as to age.

Table 2
Participants whose partner are in the same age
FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 14 70.00%

NO 6 30.00%

In this table, it was illustrated the data is similar or most likely consistent with the above

table. Since the ages would be similar, it would also logical that the grade level of their partner

would also be in par with respondent's grade level.

Table 3
Participants who are in the same grade as their partner
FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 16 80.00%

NO 4 20.00%
 Modern society dictates that there is a gradual change in the conventional definition of

relationship. In the past, being in a relationship would just be exclusive among opposite sexes.

But due to modernization, advancement and tolerance among members of society, there are

couples who are now open and who are acknowledging that their partners are of the same sex.

Out of 20 respondents in this study, 4 individuals divulge that they are in a relationship with the

same sex. Although the trend is still the same with opposite sex couples with 16 participants or

80% stating that they are in a relationship with their opposite sex.

Table 4

Percentage of couples who are in the same sex.

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 4 20.00%

NO 16 80.00%

Since the invention and emergence of social media in our society, meeting up everyday

can be now an option for couples especially with conflicting schedules and busy everyday

routine. However, based on the findings of this study, majority or 12 out of 20, equivalent to 60%

shared that they still prefer to meet everyday with their partners. A considerable percentage of

40% said that they are not meeting with their partners everyday. This phenomena can be

attributed to long distance relationships and conflicting schedule among individuals.

Table 5
Couples who meet up everyday.
 FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 12 60.00%

NO 8 40.00%

In a study conducted by Bernales (2017), it was found our that couples in the University

of the Philippines, Cebu City cannot balance their relationship with their studies.

However, the same cannot hold true in this study. According to the findings, the

researchers found out that an overwhelming percentage of 100% of the respondents stated that

they could effectively balance their studies with their relationship.

Table 6
Couples who know how to balance their academics with studies

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 20 100.00%

NO 0 0

Consistent with the findings that majority of respondents are meeting with each other

everyday, and also likewise consistent with the findings that respondents are able to balance their

studies and relationship, the same can be said as to the cooperation between couples as to their

schoolwork. With an overwhelming percentage of 95% who shared that the couples are helping

one another when it comes to their schoolwork.

Table 7
Couples who help each other with schoolwork

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 19 95.00%

NO 1 5.00%

Being in a relationship has been frown upon in the past, especially of the preceding

generation because it was perceived that having a partner would distract you from your studies.

However, the same cannot be said in this study. The researchers have found out that 85% of the

respondents are contended or satisfied with their academic performance while simultaneously be

in a relationship.

Table 8

Individuals who are satisfied with their grades while being in a relationship

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 17 85.00%

NO 3 15.00%

In connection with the findings in Table 8, it was also found out by the researchers that

100% or all of the respondents have stated and answered in their survey forms that they are

motivated to do well because of the relationship. Hence, the preconceived negative effects of

being in a relationship is debunked by the researchers in this study.

Table 9

Participants who are motivated to do well because of the relationship

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 20 100.00%
 NO 0 0

Distraction is one of the reasons why a relationships is perceived to do bad than good in a

persons life especially of the student. In this study, the researchers have found out that the

implication of a fight between couples is equal or 50% both yes and no to couples. It varies for

person to person, and reason of the misunderstanding.

Table 10

Participants who are disturbed if they are in a misunderstanding with their partner

FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE

YES 10 50.00%

NO 10 50.00%

Chapter 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Summary

This study is about the effects of being in a relationship of Accountancy, Business

and Management (ABM) Grade 11 Students of University in St. La Salle, Bacolod City.

Particularly, this study sought to know the following: if the students could balance their studies

with their respective romantic relationships, if the said relationship could motivate them to do

better, and if it inspired them in their studies. The researchers employed the quantitative design

in this study, and created a questionnaire with objective questions answerable by “yes” or “no”
for the respondents. Respondents were chosen among ABM-Grade 11 students through snow-

ball effect and purposive sampling. After the questionnaire was validated, it was utilized by the

researchers to conduct their data-gathering. During the data-gathering phase, the respondents

were assured of anonymity and the benefits that they could get from this study. The researchers

have followed the ethical procedures that they could offer to make the participants feel

comfortable.

Conclusion

After the extraction of data, according to the objectives laid down in this study, the

researchers have found out the following: first, that students in ABM Grade 11 were able to

balance their studies, are more motivated to be better individuals, and in relation to motivation,

they are also inspired in their studies.

The researchers are able to conclude that being in a relationship has its perks and

disadvantages, you just need to choose your partner well, who will help you become a better

person than you were before him/her.

Recommendation

Throughout the process of investigation, the researchers would recommend the academe,

parents, youth and the public to reduce the stigma that engaging in a romantic relationship does

only have no negative effects to the academic performance of the students. In this way, the

students could express themselves reservedly that they can catch up with the emerging 21st

century skills and character-based education which involve social, functional and knowledge-

based skills.
 The limitations of this study are specified to reach out students to the teachers. We

researchers recommend the academe, parents, friends and the pubic to spread awareness to help

broaden up students’ knowledge about the information presented in this study and to encourage

them to develop their social, functional and knowledge-based skills. Using the factors which

include time management, social and emotional adaptation. The researchers recommend to use

these information to influence educators to reflect into the collected factors and assess necessities

to the learning environment and eventually contribute for the progression of spreading awareness

to the said persons.

For future studies, this study can be used as basis for future research and psychological

studies to begin including interpersonal difficulties and psychological rationales or other

potential factors as possible reasons leading to the negative or positive effects of engaging in a

romantic relationship to the academic performance of the students. Through further

investigation, future researcher/s could open ideas about each factor related to this study in order

to reach the most specified sub-factor of the results and data presented.

This study is only limited to collecting factors of the Liceo de La Salle ABM11 B and G

students, therefore the researchers recommend to deepen the study and widen the range of

respondents. This could ultimately suggest ideas to guide the public of the effects of engaging in

a romantic relationship to the academic performance of the students.