Effective Study Habits Used By Sophomore Students

Chapter 1

PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

RATIONALE

Today, our life is so much easier because of so much knowledge explosion and printed

materials around, that the ability to read has become an important asset. Effective

study habits enable students to accomplish more in a comparative shorter time to finish

the school requirements and at the same time enjoy life.

Wide variations have been universally noted in the methods of studying typically

practiced by the students. The time of day preferred, time laps between study sessions,

noise or music as background, physically and emotionally condition when studying, are

but few of many factors which may vary in every conquerable way among individual.

According to Horton-Murillo (1992), in academic achievement, every child is unique. His

learning style is one aspect of his uniqueness. Teachers must recognize the knowledge

and respect in every child’s individual learning style. Learning styles include cognitive,

effective, and physiological domains.

Learners have individual differences; each has inner strength and capacities. Knowing

this will help the learners where they would engage themselves to acquire effective

learning.
Studying plays a vital role in the attainment of the educational goals of the students.

Some teachers wonder why some of their students are not making any significant

progress in their work. Probably one factor behind this situation is that most teachers

failed to help their students to acquire the needed attitude towards the class. Study and

application of the students are needed to have a successful learning and effective

teaching. The extent of students learning in academics may be determined by the

grades a student earns for a period of learning has been done. It is to believe that a

grade is a primary indicator of such learning. If a learner earns high grades it is

concluded that they may also have learned a lot while low grades indicates low

learning.

Effective study skills must be practiced in order to improve. It is not enough too simply

“think about” studying, a students have to actually do it, and in the process use

information from what the students to get better.

With this, the researchers decided to undergo this research to find out how proficient

the MSU-ILS sophomore students are in studying.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The following theories and principles serve as a guide in the organization of this study.

The first theory is the Theory of Constructivism by Hooper (2002) it is a philosophy of

learning founded on the premises that, by reflecting learner’s experiences, they

construct their own understanding of the world. Each of them generates their own
‘rules’ and “mental models’ which are used to sense their experiences learning

therefore, is a process of acquiring new knowledge and add new experiences. With this

theory, learners will know the facts and understand it. Learners will be able to analyze,

interpret and gather information.

The second theory is the Multiple Intelligences by psychologist Howard Gardner (2002),

it says that there are at least seven (7) ways of people to perceive and understand the

world. He identifies the seven lists as the following: a) verbal linguistic as the ability to

use words and language, b) visual spatial as the ability to visual objects, images and

pictures, c) body kinesthetic as the ability to control physical motion ( activity which

mor4e on body work), d) logical mathematic as the ability to reasons and think logical

using numbers and abstract patterns, e) musical rhythmic as ability to recognize sounds

beat and rhythms, f) interpersonal as the ability to work and communicate with others,

groups and peers, and g) intrapersonal as the inner state of being, self-reflection and

awareness.

The Cognitive Theory of Gestalt emphasize that it is on importance of experience

meaning, problem-solving and the development of insights (Burns 1995, p. 112). Burns

notes that this theory has developed the concept that individuals have different needs

and concerns at different times, and that they have subjective interpretations in

different contexts.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
This study is concerns with the following independent variables consist of the

respondent’s profile. The in dependent variables use in this study consist of personal

profile includes age, tribe, religion, parent’s educational attainment, parent’s

occupation, academic status, family monthly income and language used in households.

The dependent variables consist of study habits of the sophomore students. This is

reflected in the schematic diagram as follows.

Independent variables Dependent Variables

Respondent’s profile

Age

Tribe religion

Academic status

Parent’s educational attainment

Parents occupation

Family’s monthly income

Language used in households

EEFECTIVE STUDY HABITS USED BY SOPHOMORE STUDENTS OF MSU-ILS

IMPLICATIONS
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of study habits used by sophomore

students of MSU-ILS this school year 2010-2011. Especially, this study seeks to answer

the following questions:

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

1.1 age

1.2 tribe

1.3 religion

1.4 academic status

1.5 father educational attainment

1.6 mother educational attainment

1.7 father’s occupation

1.8 mother’s occupation

1.9 family monthly income

1.10 language used in households

2. What are the study habits used by sophomore students?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the respondent’s profile and the study

habits used by respondents?

4. What is the level of effectiveness of study habits among sophomore students of

MSU-ILS?

5. What implications can be drawn from the findings of the study?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study aims to gather information about the study habits by sophomore students of

MSU-ILS. And so, the researchers believe that this will be beneficial to the students,

teachers, parents, school administrators, and to the future researchers. Furthermore,

the researchers believe that students, particularly in MSU-ILS will be benefited from this

study since it will provide basic awareness and better understanding of how their

current study habits will be effective. Likewise give them a more focused and clear

perspective on how the specific behaviors related to their studies influence study habits.

Students aim to get good grades, earn a degree, and hopefully have a good job in the

future. Therefore, developing effective study habits will greatly help them in their

everyday classroom activities.

The findings of this study will be beneficial to the following:

Students. They will be able to identify their weaknesses and strengths in studying, and

they will determine what strategies that suit to their learning styles. This will make

them aware of the common study habits among their co-sophomore students.

Teachers. This is to help to adjust teacher’s methods in teaching. Also, it will help them

on what kind of assessment will be use in teaching.

Parents. They will know where to start or continue in the follow-up activities of their

children’s academic performance and how they could help and improve their children’s

strength.

School Administrators. This may serve as guide to them so that they will know if their

students learn.

Future Researchers. This may serve as guide to them and help them to future studies

regarding the effectiveness of study habits or any related to subject.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION

The study wants to find out the effective study habits of sophomore students and so

the second year level of Mindanao State University-Integrated Laboratory School. The

limitations of this research are only those students that are currently enrolled at MSU-

Integrated Laboratory School.

The researchers focus on sophomore students so that they will prepared more in

incoming school year as a junior students for it need more concentrations and they are

expected to be more prepared for new learning styles.

Aside from the fact that it is so much expensive to conduct a study in other places, the

researchers choose this particular locale of study because of limited time.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For better understanding of the study the following terms are defined either

conceptually or operationally.

Study Habits. It is the art of the student’s accustomed methods of approach to units of

learning, his consistency in ignoring distraction, his attentiveness to the specific material

being studied in the efforts to which to exert throughout the process.

Study Skills. This refers to the efficient technique requires by the school work.

Habits. A loose term denoting any learned activity that is performed immediately and

automatically in a relatively undeviating fashion. In this study, it refers to the tendency

to repeat an action in the same way.

Learner. The course of the study should be organized to enhance the describe

uniqueness of individuals (Gregorio, 1961). In this study, it refers to the sophomore

students of MSU-ILS.
Teaching-Learning Process. It is a kind of teaching procedures that facilitates learning

by explaining major idea. It is the process by which the teacher facilitates the learning

of the students (Rivera, 2001).

Teaching. Is a guiding and facilitating learning enable to learn, setting the conditions for

learning, your understanding of how the learner will determine your philosophy of

education, your teaching styles your approaching methods and classroom techniques

(Rivera,1996).

Factors. This refer to anything that affects study habits.

Chapter 2

REVIEW ON RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature

Parents can do a lot of training their children into achievers. But it takes extra efforts,

loads of practice, and creativity. The pay-offs, however, are immense not only for the

child’s academic performance or social studying in the community later in his life, but

also for his self-confidence and self-esteem (Bismark, 1992).

According to Manubac(1999), a positive relationship between academic achievements

and to study habits is to be expected, study habits and attitudes is a study, a test

rather of interest, motivation methods and techniques and amount of effort put first by

the students in their studies. On the other hand, the chief reason for inefficiency in
learning are associated with carelessness and effectiveness habits of study. Thus,

students who do their best are sure to succeed academically. If not in achievement but

they will know that they gone so far and gain knowledge and understanding.

As what Aquino (1989) said about study habits. It refers to the routines of the students

in studying and this routine can be develop in every student through adequate and

effective classroom teaching that can acquire towards school and proper study habits

(Encyclopedia of Research Education 1984).

Frank Pogue (2000) did a research project to determine why students fail. What he

founds to be true in that study habits survey was that more than 30 years ago still rings

true today—students fail because they do not know how to study. The best advice he

can give is to develop sound study skills. He said that a student should make sure that

he/she has a good study environment, a good desk, a sturdy chair, good light,

comfortable room temperature and quiet atmosphere. That means he/she should

eliminate all external and internal distractions. Second, get a good overview of the

assignment before starting the work. Know what skills, facts, and ideas that are

expected to master and the ground that are expected to cover. Start with most difficult

subject first, while the mind is freshest and most receptive. Karim and Hassan (2006)

also note the exponential growth digital information, which changes the way students

perceive studying and with printed materials that are to be use in facilitating study. Liu

(2005) and Ramirez (2003) report that the students print material from the Internet in

order to study and read later on.

According to the how-to-study.com (2009), students who are very successful in their

desired career have good study habits. It is stated in the website that the students

apply these habits to all their classes. The website also suggests that the student

should try not to study all the subjects in just a period. The website also added that if

you try to do too much studying at one time, you will tire and your studying will not be

very effective. Space the work you have to do over shorter periods of time. Taking

short breaks will restore your mental energy.

According to Mark Crilly (2000), successful students are able to balance social activities

with study habits. A diversion from studies will alleviate stress and help prevent from

becoming fatigued. He said that a student should make sure that he must take a break

for an hour after studies to meet with friends, to play some cards, work out at the gym,

or go to gab with a new acquaintance. For this way, that student will find concentration

when he does study, if he plans a social activity afterwards. He said “To develop routine

study habits. After supper, lug your books and homework to the library, find a

comfortable and quiet niche, and study for two or three hours, taking intermittent 10

minute breaks every 45 minutes or so”. Making friends with whom you share similar

study habits, and share a table or a study space with them would be a best way in

developing study habits as what Mark said.

Related Studies

According to Palm Beach Community College (PBCC,2008), they recommend that

student’s study should have at least three hours out of class for every hour spent in
class. They also said that a student must have a special place to study with plenty of

room to work. And student should not be cramped. They presupposes that study time

will go better if a learner take a few minutes at the start to straighten things up. The

PBCC suggests also that distracting noise should be minimized however they said that

there are some people need sounds and some like silence. In this case, a learner must

find what works for him/her. Culprits are family and friends, consider a “do not disturb”

sign and turning on your answering machine is the way also to have better study habits

according to the PBCC.

Research by Tem Doro (2000) has shown that four major environmental factors affect

the learning process of students such as some students gear best with sounds, others

study well under dim light, some like to learn in cool environment and others learn best

when they study in an informal set-up.

However, success of learning depends sometimes on emotional states of the learner.

This had resulted to the findings of Howard (2005), states that when brain is relaxed it

is like a sponge that naturally absorbs the data without effort. But if the learner’s

emotionally stressed, the brain literally repels data. And Howard even advice learners

not to study if tired, angry, and distracted or in a hurry because this contributes to

failure.

Beberly C. Pandao and Cyrex Lou C. Tagudin (2004) made a study about the Mass

Media Exposure and Study Habits of Grade Six Pupils of Marawi Foundation Academy
Incorporated and they found out that the student’s exposure to mass media has no

significant relationship to their study.

Ladera (1991) conducted a study regarding the effects of mass media exposure to

academic performance of the grade IV of North Buenavista District, Buenavista Agusan

Del Norte. The findings of the study implied that the pupils who were sometimes

exposed to mass media achieve satisfactory academic performance when they had

good study habits. There is a significant relationship between mass media exposure and

study habits and academic performance of the grade VI pupils involved in the study.

. As cited by H. C and H. Nassif on the related study of their thesis, Caburian (1987)

conducted a research entitled “Achievement need levels, study habits and academic

performance among freshmen students of MSU Marawi City in the academic 1986-1987,

he found out that Filipinos do not generally possess a high need for achievements. The

result of the study indicated that the respondent’s motivation for studying stems from

the need that they simply wanted to maintain the scholarship as their only way of

giving through college. This reflects the socio-economic type of incentive rather than

interval.

Flores (1992) in sighting Goughs and Medoran confirmed his postulate that poor study

habits and lack of sense of accomplishment are characteristics found among under

achievers. In fact, it has always been noted that students with average scholastic

aptitude but who possess good study habits and attitudes.

Lavin (1985), in his survey of reports; first, measures of study habits can predict

academic performance whether ability is controlled; second, positive attitude towards

school such as belief in predicting academic performance; and third, measures of study

habits are equally successful in predicting academic performance for either sexes.

A study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the study habit of students was made

by Mercado (1989). Particularly, it involved the third and fourth year students and the

prevailing factors that have influence the development of such habits.

The study revealed that about sixty percent of both the third and fourth year students

had no fixed schedule. The typical student did not seem to have definite time for

studying. About one-fifth studied daily not more that one subject at an average of less

than thirty minutes.

The poor and improper study habits of the students were results on products on several

factors. The most common were lack of proper sense of scale of values as shown by

doing irrelevant things during time suitable for studying. Such as, a) entertaining

visitors, attending parties, reading books than assignment, b) inability of the students to

distribute their time well, c) performing house hold chores and other activities at home

and else where during periods which could be utilized or used for study, in absence of

appropriate tools for study and proper study places as home.

Pangcoga and Busran (2001), made a survey on the study habits of the scholar and

non-scholar students of MSU College of Education. They have 171 scholar and 860 non-
scholar respondents. As to their findings; 35 of the scholar respondents study their

lesson at night before going to bed while 89 of the non-scholar respondents study their

lesson in between their classes. 12 of the scholars spent 3hours in studying their lesson

while 75 of the non-scholars spent 1 hour in studying heir lesson. 37 of scholars prefer

to study alone while 101 of non-scholars prefer to study with television. 24 of scholars

prefer to study their lesson by sitting in chair with table while 72 of non-scholars study

by lying in bed. 14 of the scholars are reviewing their lesson by finding the necessary

materials skillfully and quickly while 73 of non-scholars are reviewing their lesson by

applying one self consistently. 33 of the scholars used understanding the main ideas in

memorizing the lesson while 91 of non-scholars used understanding the ideas in

memorizing the main topic. 29 of the scholars consulting dictionary while 100 of non-

scholars understand vocabulary through context.

According to researchers, with respect to the study habits, scholars and non-scholars

differ in time schedule, duration of the study, style in studying, position while studying,

style in reviewing the lesson, building their vocabulary, ways of preparing their

assignments and work style in finishing a requirement.

The above mentioned information had enriched the researcher’s perspective in the

study. Most of the students nowadays don’t have a good study habits in studying. But

they don’t realize it and the worst thing is no matter how they struggle to strive harder,

they even get failing grades that maybe attributed to their loss of interest in studying.

Thus, the students need to realize it before it too late.

This study also aims to identify students with proper study habits on how they perform

in school or those students who perform poorly that in anyways can be credited to their

poor study habits through identifying problems that they encountered in forming good

study habits. In doing such things the students can be taught so that learning becomes

more effective.

Chapter 3

RESEARCH AND METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the of research use in the investigation, the setting or the locale

of the study, the respondents, and data gathering procedures, instrumental and

statistical tools.

Research Design

The Descriptive-survey design is adopted by the researchers in order to find out the

effective way in study habits of the second year students of MSU-ILS enrolled during

the school year 2009-2010.

Locale of the Study

Mindanao State University (MSU) is charted by the Republic Act nos. 1387 as amended

by R.A. 1885, 3791 and 3868, was formally established on September 1, 1961 in order

to meet the pressing educational needs of the children and the dependents of the

faculties and employees to stay within the university approved September 4, 1964, the
establishment of Laboratory Elementary School (LES). The BOR resolution no. 1552

series of 1978 duty with the university commitment for quality education, LES was

made a Laboratory School especially for the College of Education. Its name was

changed from Integrated Laboratory School (ILS).

ILS is located in the MSU main campus Marawi City. The main campus is located in a

1,100 area curved cut of a military reservation about 4 kilometers away from the

downtown Marawi City. It is on top of a hill overlooking a beautiful Lake Lanao. It is

both academic and residential campus where academic building, student’s dormitories,

athletic facilities and faculty colleges are located.

The MSU-ILS enrolls pupils from grade one to grade six. It also offers a complete

secondary education. The school is under the supervision of the College of Education of

the MSU-ILS student handbook.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of study are the sophomore students of Mindanao State University-

Integrated Laboratory School who are officially enrolled during the SY 20910-2011. To

select the respondents systematically, the researchers will be using the Slovens

Formula.

Research Instrument
The process of gathering data needed for the study, the only instrument that are going

to be use is questionnaire and only one set of questionnaire is going to be use in

gathering data.

The questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first part cover the personal pro file of the

respondents and the second the related factors such as personal factors, academic

factors, and social factors in which the respondents where asked to choose answer with

the letter a, b, and c.

Statistical Tools

To determine the veracity of the findings of the study, the formulas used by Sloven

(1960) as cited by Rivera Jr. (1999), as the following:

n = ___ N___

1+ (n) (e) ²

Where:

n= Size of sample

1 = constant

N = size of the population

Effective Study Skills And Academic Performance

Introduction

Effective study skills are necessary for a college student to excel academically. The student must
develop these skills in order to retain information learned in the present for their future benefit.
Study skills can be a combination of several techniques, including time management, note-
taking, self-testing, and test-wiseness, to name a few. There is no one best way to study,
therefore, techniques can be tailored to the needs of the student to achieve the most optimal
result. However, diagnostic testing is also available to assist students in assessing their
weaknesses in their learning behaviors and study habits. Research has shown that effective study
skills lead to improved academic performance. The habits that students develop during their
college years will remain with them long after graduation and will be reflected in their
performance in the workforce. This paper will provide insight into the different techniques that
improve study skills, and in turn, improve academic performance.

The Merriam – Webster Dictionary defines the word study as "the application of the mental
faculties to the acquisition of knowledge, which can be in a particular field or to a specific
subject." The dictionary then defines skill as "the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and
readily in execution or performance." A rather general combination of the two terms would
yield, "learning and motivational strategies considered essential in being successful in college"
(Tuckman, 2003 page). A more in depth conceptualization of the term is the "competence in
acquiring, recording, organizing, synthesizing, remembering, and using information and ideas,
and are among the skills that can be modified for learners of all ages" (Harvey, 1995 page). In
other words, study skills are systemized approaches to learning and retaining knowledge to apply
to academic and non-academic progression in college and beyond college (White, 2004).

Gettinger and Siebert (2002) concluded that effective study skills lead to positive results across
multiple academic fields. Research has even shown that study skills yield "benefit[s]…in areas
beyond improving their academic performance" (White, 2004, p.38). Study skills are vital
because they help to improve one’s retention of information, aid in strengthening one’s
performance in classes and in evaluation, and to assist in applying information in real life or in
work setting.

Effective study skills can take the form of a range or combination of various learning strategies
and techniques. All, when performed properly, increase the possibility of improved academic
performance. Additionally, the amount of time spent studying in class can also increase a
student’s likelihood to perform better academically. Research shows that it is unclear whether the
amount of time spent studying is more important than having effective study habits. While a
majority of college students lack the skill sets for effective studying, many researchers argue that
it is the time spent studying that will have the greatest effect on performance. One study shows
that upon entrance to college, most students are less prepared than their counterparts from
decades ago (Nonis and Hudson, 2006). As the demands of college-level work increase, the
motivation and time spent studying must also increase to maintain or improve academic
performance. However, since 1987, time spent studying outside of class has steadily been on the
decline (Higher Education Research Institute, 2003). Surveys taken by college freshmen from
413 of the nation’s colleges showed that only 34 percent of these students spent six or more
hours per week studying during their senior year of high school. The assumption was made that
study habits were carried forward into college and explain the lack of preparedness for students
completing college-level work. In another study of college freshmen, the correlation between
time spent outside of class on academic activities and the student’s grade point average was
tested and found no evidence proving a direct relationship between the two variables (Nonis &
Hudson, 2006). In contrast, research was conducted with college students and found a direct
relationship between amount of time studied and exam scores (Barbarick and Ippolito 2003).
While the amount of time spent studying may have an unproven impact on academic
performance, it is very important to acquire good study strategies to enhance the productivity of
any time spent studying. According to Adams, Hurst, Petscher, Prevatt, and Proctor (2006), there
is a link between study skills and academic success that has been supported by various studies.
Although most educational structures are based on the assumption that students possess good
study habits, many college students exhibit difficulty with various skills including: note-taking,
ability to select main-ideas, test-wiseness, information processing, and self-testing (Kuhn, 1988).
Going further, difficulty in school and poor performance on evaluations should not be attributed
to lack of ability; but lack of the knowledge and application of these techniques. While students
have been expected to possess certain study habits since grade school to complete homework and
prepare for evaluations, little class time has been appropriated to cover techniques that enhance
these skills. Whether it be a lack of emphasis on these skill sets from teachers or a lack of
concern on behalf of students that leads to poor performance, it is essential to understand the
proper use of these skills sets before combating other factors.

Study skills should first be differentiated from other forms of school learning (Gettinger &
Seibert, 2002). To begin with, studying requires active involvement by students. Most lectures
require listening and receiving of information with little room for processing and regurgitating.
Study skills only become effective when a student is actively participating, analyzing, making
inferences, and comprehending. Secondly, studying is personalized. Classroom learning is paced
by the teacher’s speed and style and is guided by the needs and interaction of multiple students.
Effective study skills are tailored to a student’s learning style and preference and should be
paced according to a student’s ability to comprehend and apply the information. Finally, study
skills require practice. While student’s get only one opportunity to learn a particular lesson in the
classroom, effective studying thrives upon the premise that materials should be read and reread,
homework should be done and redone, and notes should be written and remembered. Only when
these factors are in place will the following techniques prove successful.

Four important strategies to enhance the productivity of study time include: note taking, reading
textbook material, self-testing, and test-wiseness. Contrary to popular belief, preparation for an
exam should not begin when the teacher announces the exam. The importance of note-taking is
to highlight certain topics that will likely appear on a future test. Holding consistently to this
thought, preparation for an exam should begin when a student first takes the notes or listens to a
lecture. Since most college professors use a lecture style of teaching, possessing great note-
taking skills is critical to success. Different teachers lecture at different paces, cover different
amounts of materials, allow different amounts of discussion time, and vary immensely based on
several other variables. Nonetheless, a student must learn to capture the main idea of the lesson
within their notes. Rereading notes immediately after class also increases the probability of
retaining the information written. Students can then identify topics in the lesson that were
unclear and either focus on these when reading the text or consult the teacher or a peer for further
clarification (Kiewra, 1989). It is also necessary for students to study their notes throughout the
semester. Though many believe that underlining and highlighting enhance memory of concepts,
these techniques often include excessive information and eliminate critical components of the
lesson. Students should focus, rather, on reading, remember, drawing inferences, and
summarizing key points in the notes. These strategies should help embed the information in the
student’s long-term memory. Since most information is comprehensive, it is also advisable to re-
read notes prior to an upcoming class session and seek help on concepts that are unclear. Many
times students fall behind when teachers build upon topics that have been taught but not
understood. If a student can understand and remember more material when moving from topic to
topic, it will be easier to prepare when an exam is announced.

Textbooks are not only supplements to in-class lectures, but they elaborate in detail to concepts
that have only been briefly covered during the lecture. In order to capture lecture information
better, students should read assigned text materials prior to coming to class. By doing this, a
student can gage what is important, organize the information into the concepts outlined in the
text, and will find the lecture more meaningful. ( Ormrod, 1995) When reading, the student
should pay close attention to the main points and titles within the text. According to Myron
Dembo (2000), the author of Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Students: A Self-
Management Approach, "individuals learn best when they recognize or impose patterns of
organization on content rather than studying isolated bits and pieces of information."(pg 248)
These main ideas will probably be tested. Reading requires active thinking and participation. The
reader should summarize material, draw inferences to information the author may have omitted,
apply the lesson to real life situations, ask and answer questions, and monitor comprehension of
what is being read (Dole, Duffy, Roehler, and Person, 1991). The amount of information
understood will determine a student’s ability to analyze and answer contextual, thought-
provoking questions on examinations.

There are numerous supplementary materials available to students to enhance their learning
experience. Besides the library filled with books, there are textbook quizzes and assessments,
homework and practice questions, online resources and tutorials, instructor’s handouts, prior
exams, and a mass of other alternatives for students. Studying should not be limited to note
taking and reading textbook materials. To maximize success, students should use all the
resources available. Amongst these listed, self-assessments are most important. After each
chapter, most textbooks or online supplements offer quizzes to ensure the information has been
comprehended and remembered. By utilizing these resources, a student should be able to identify
areas of weakness prior to the real examination. If the student cannot successfully complete these
materials, it is highly probably that the student will perform poorly on class examinations. On the
other hand, by utilizing these materials, students can maximize their study time and ensure they
have effectively studied (McWhorter,1996).

Students often perform poorly on examinations due to their inability to focus on material that
will be covered on tests. While textbooks and notes hold an abundance of information, students
should be able to pinpoint main ideas and major concept and focus the most attention on these
concepts. A test-wise student understands certain techniques to successfully perform on exams
and completes these steps prior to the examination. First, the student should find information that
the teacher stressed heavily in class. Teachers will often repeat concepts that are of major
importance (Dembo, 2000). Secondly, the student must understand these concepts thoroughly
and commit the information to memory. Cramming is not an effective study strategy to prepare
for college-level examinations (Dembo, 2000). While it may prove successful for tests that
require regurgitation of simple questions, students must fully understand the concepts and be
prepared to analytically apply them to more complex situations.

Effective study skills are essential tools that directly affect a student’s academic performance. It
is important for students to develop and utilize wide range of study skills and strategies in order
to maximize the learning process needed for the particular material to be studied (Cukras, 2006).
Most likely, the most efficient, or simplest, way of acquiring study skills is to enroll in a study
skills course. Generally, study skills courses are offered at universities and colleges to equip
students with the necessary tools to be able to handle the rigorous course work required by
college programs.

Research has indicated that there is no one best type of study skill. A study conducted by Grace-
Ann Gorga Cukras (2006) at the Bronx Community College supports this statement. Nineteen
students enrolled in the Reading and Study Skills Course were selected for the study. In a
thirteen-week course, the study processes of encoding, organizing, monitoring, and employing a
study plan were taught. Subjects would learn to use the most suitable process based on the text
and the assignment (Cukras, 2006). During the course of the study, students were given reading
assignments and were evaluated by examinations and review of their study strategy method. The
results of the study emphasized the importance of identifying the task before selecting a study
strategy, however did not conclude one effective method of studying. A strategic combination of
the methods resulted in higher exam scores. The study however, did conclude that the choice of
study strategy is also contingent upon the student and their personal preference of study strategy
and their learning style: auditory or visual (Cukras, 2006).

Another method of acquiring and enhancing study skills is by taking a diagnostic test like the
Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, or LASSI. This test is a self-report tool designed to
assess 10 areas of study skills and strategies including anxiety, attitude, concentration,
information processing, motivation, selecting main ideas, self testing, study aids, test strategies,
and time management (Adams et al., 2006). This test identifies areas where students are strong
and weak in their study skills and strategies, which then allows them to identify where
improvement is needed.

Additionally, Kras, Strand, Smith, and Mathesius (1999), suggest that study skills can evolve and
originate in the classroom setting. Instructors can facilitate the learning of study skills in the
classroom by focusing on five areas that teach students to take responsibility for studying and
learning. These stages are: understanding and using study aids in a textbook, preparation and
participation in class, critical thinking, displaying knowledge, and learning for learning's sake
(Mathesius et al., 1999).

Effective study skills are an important tool in enhancing academic performance. Enhancing these
skills can be acquired through many different avenues. Taking a course, self-monitoring, and
learning study skills while in the classroom are effective ways of doing so. Students must be
actively engaged in the learning process. Procrastinating can be detrimental to academic
improvement. It can also result in unforeseen delays that can limit the amount of study time,
resulting in sub par performance (Jackson, Weiss, Lundquist, Hooper, YEAR) The result of
effective study habits include retention and understanding of material assigned and higher test
scores, as seen in the study by Grace-Ann Gorga Cukras (2006).

Academic performance is a measurement of a student's learning effectiveness (Chong 1999) and

mastery of a subject area. Previous studies in education and psychology have measured academic
performance through classroom and exams (Chong 1999), standardized testing, homework
assignment completion and quality (Bryan 2004), and grade point average (Sulaiman 2006).

Academic performance in the undergraduate setting measures a student’s ability to master a

subject area and its related pool of information. (Enright & Powers 1987). Similar to
performance measures at the high school level, students earn grades based on test scores and
homework assignments. These tests and assignments are oftentimes based directly on
information the student must commit to memory from a textbook or class discussions. However,
in the college setting, students may also be evaluated more often on group assignments and
presentations as well as participation. These added dimensions provide a more complex means of
evaluating students than they may have experienced at the high school level.

Academic performance in the graduate setting measures a student's ability to critically analyze
existing information available relative to a particular area of study and to provide value-added
research and new contributions to the area of study. (Enright & Powers, 1987). Although
academic performance in the graduate setting can still be measured by quantitative measures
(test scores, assignment scores, grades, GPA), the means by which these values are derived rests
on more qualitative evaluation. In the graduate arena, more emphasis is based on the ability of a
student to apply the knowledge learned in his or her undergraduate studies to critically analyze
problems (Enright & Powers, 1987). Therefore, performance may not necessarily rest on getting
the "right" answer, but the student's ability to exhibit a rational thought process using the
information learned to arrive at a conclusion. Thus, academic performance in the graduate setting
differs from that in the undergraduate setting in that students cannot rely singularly on
regurgitating information, but they must exhibit an understanding of the information be able to
apply the information in a practical environment (Sulaiman, 2006). In order to maximize
academic performance, students may need to revise and enhance the techniques previously used
at the undergraduate level.

As stated previously, studying is essential to a student’s academic success. Research has shown
that "good study skills minimize failure, and enable students to take advantage of learning
opportunities"(Gettinger & Seiber, 2002). By enhancing the use of effective study skills, students
can expect to improve their overall academic performance. In a study conducted by Adams et al.
(2006), where study skills of college students were compared using the LASSI system, the group
with the lower grade point averages displayed weaknesses in their study skills. One effective
study technique that is critical to academic success is note taking. Adams et al. (2006) stated that
there is research showing that "the quality of student’s notes is related to academic achievement"
(p.38). This technique is effective in improving academic performance because it gets the student
more involved in class by focusing their attention on the teacher, highlighting information that
may not be covered in the textbook, and creating an outline to follow during personal study time
(Bishop, Carter, and Kravits, 2002). Notes may also serve as a study guide when preparing for an
exam because the student can identify the information that may be more important than others.
Bishop et al. (2002) stated that "note taking …builds critical thinking skills" (p. 234). As
previously mentioned, students are expected to use more analytical skills in graduate school;
therefore, notetaking proves more effective when notes are written, reread, and analyzed
thoroughly.

Barbarick and Ippolito (2003) identified another effective technique in studying that leads to
improved academic performance. The study claims that a minimum of 1.5 to 2.1 hours of
studytime outside of class is required for each credit hour enrolled, to score at least a 90 on an
exam. This would include using supplemental resources such as online tutorials, critical analysis
of important points in textbooks, completion of homework problems, and review of study guides.
By setting aside this time to study, the student will also become more organized, reducing the
threat of procrastination. Whether a student’s performance is being measured by grade point
average, test scores, or the quality of class assignments completed, researchers agree that
effective study skills enhance overall academic performance.

In the academic arena, many believe that there are endless benefits of enhancing effective study
skills. One of the most popular benefits of enhancing effective study skills is increased
performance on examinations. There are many studies which attempt to pinpoint a particular
study skill that has the greatest effect on a student's test performance. Two of those studies are
outlined below.

Grace-Ann Gorga Cukras (2006) conducted a study that seeks to maximize learning for
underprepared students. In her study, Cukras sought to empower students with strategies that
would allow them to become self-regulated learners. The study reviewed several strategies and
analyzed which of these strategies correlated with increased test performance.

The subjects of this thirteen week study consisted of nineteen students enrolled at City
University of New York. The study used textbook chapters from history and psychology which
students applied there study strategies. The four variables of the study included, encoding,
organizing, monitoring, and creating a study plan. Encoding strategies taught students how to
extract important information from the text. Organizing taught students systematize information
from the material. Monitoring allowed students to identify ways to perform self-test and monitor
their progress. Creating a study plan taught students how to put together all learning strategies to
prepare for testing. These four strategies were taught during the first seven weeks of the study
and then data was collected during the last four weeks of the study.

Going beyond another study based at the Bronx Community College, Cukras sought to define
specific self-regulated strategies that would benefit student performance on tests. Before each
test, students were instructed to select study strategies that would allow them to understand the
information from the chapters. The study concluded that monitoring and creation of a study plan
had the greatest correlation with increased test performance. Though no best variable was
defined, effective use of these processes showed academic enhancement for the population
tested.

In another study, conducted by Ross, Green, Salisbury-Glennon, & Tollefson (2006), the authors
attempted to determine if test performance depended on the students knowing explicitly what
cognitive demands would be on the exam. This study examined whether students performed
better if they expected the exam would require deep-level cognitive processing. The study
reviewed a group of students who were instructed to study for exams which required surface-
level cognitive processing and another group who was instructed to study for exams which
required deep-level cognitive processing.

The subjects of this study were enrolled at a university located in the Midwest. The sample size
consisted of 123 participants. The study used a 42 item model, know as the Study Process
Questionnaire (SPQ), which rated the items on a 5-point scale, where 1 being the lowest and 5
being the highest. The three variables used for this study were surface-level strategies, deep-
level, and achieving-level strategies. Surface-level strategies emphasized memorization and a
basic understanding of information. Deep-level strategies emphasized analysis and meaning of
information. Achieving-level strategies emphasized organizing work and scheduling. The
students were giving an essay test with 6 items which assessed memory, understanding, and
complex thinking skills.

The results of this study supported the hypothesis which indicated the test performance was
dependant on the student's expliciit knowledge of the level of cognitive processing that would be
on the exam. The students who used deep-level thinking performed better on the exam than
students who used surface-level thinking. The authors concluded that if students are aware of
level of cognitive processing which is required for examinations, they should be able to adjust
their study habits thus performing better on the exams.

Both of these studies presented facts about which skill set produced increased test scores for the
individuals who participated in each study. We believe that a combination of both, student self-
regulating strategies and explicitly knowing what type of cognitive processing required for
exams, would benefit students’ performance on test. This would allow students to know ahead of
time which strategies to select and tailor their study plan accordingly which would result in
better performance on test.
Correlation Of Nursing Students' Study Habits To Academic Performance Of
Surigao Education Center

Abstract

This study attempted to ascertain the study habits of college students of Surigao Education
Center towards academic performance. The Specific concerns include the profile of the student
participants in terms of sex, age, type of high school attended and year level.

The study also looked into the extent of the participants’ study habits, significant difference on
the extent of participants’ study habits when they are grouped according to their profile
variables, and extent of study habits significantly relate to their academic performance.

This study employed descriptive-survey method because it described a current situation

specifically the student’s study habits towards academic performance. the participants of the
study were 265 students in the academic year 2008 � 2009 at Surigao Education Center. The
Instrument used in this study was questionnaires. The Statistical tools utilized in the study was
frequency count, percentage computation, mean and standard deviation, analysis on variance and
pearson product-moment coefficient of correlation.

The findings as summarized are as follows: There were more female student participants (70.9%)
than male student participants (29.1%); most of the participants belong to ages 18 � 20 (58.1%);
Majority of the student participants graduated from a private school (52.5%) than public school
(47.5%); 3rd year level nursing has the most number of participants (29.4%) compared to other
year level.

As to the extent of the participants’ study habits, the majority considered that studying by
yourself is essential to academic performance by the highest obtained mean of M = 4.29 with SD
= 1.233. On the other hand, the lowest mean obtained was by Drinking alcohol of M = 1.051
with SD = 1.145.

As to the level of academic performance of the student participants, only six or 2.26 percent got
a very good grade and four or 1.51 percent got a poor / failure grade. The overall mean of 80.73
and a standard deviation of 3.58 indicate that the level of academic performance is satisfactory.

On the difference on the extent of participants’ study habits when grouped according to their
profile variables, all variables implies no significant difference to the extent of study habits. A
significant relationship between the student participants’ extent of study habits to their academic
performance. Thus led to the rejection of the null hypothesis.

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: Individual Studying
can greatly help as a study habit that is essential to help improve students’ academic
performance. The students’ low level of academic performance is basically a result of poor study
habits like Drinking alcohol. Student’s academic performance needs more space for
improvement and desire to have and maintain an excellent or a very good grade. All profile
variables have no significant difference to study habits. There is an existed significant
relationship between the student participants’ study habits to their academic performance.

In the light of the findings and conclusions of this study, the following recommendations are
offered. Individual studying should be motivated to ensure that quality time and free from
interruptions is achieved and hours of concentration will be maintained as an effective study
habit which in turn lead to good academic performance. The following studies may be
undertaken by future researchers:

a. Boarding House Lodging: Effects on Students’ Study habits towards Academic Performance.

b. Behavioural Motivation: Implication for Students Academic Performance.

05797 Pio Castro Street, Surigao City, Philippines

Ronald Mark A. Edica

March 2009
CHAPTER 4

DATA RESULTS

Summary of findings

Data analysis of the responses to the pre- and post-unit questionnaires, a focus group interview,
and comments posted by the students are presented to demonstrate the students’ perceptions of
their own self-monitoring skills and improvements in their study skills over time. The students
were also asked on the questionnaire to report their attitudes about the online learning unit. The
questionnaires were originally created to measure students’ perceptions about their self-
monitoring and study skills and to compare results over time. However, upon a cursory
examination of the responses, it became clear that differences in responses could be noted
between the higher achieving and the average academic students. This became a focal point for
comparison for the quantitative data analysis. Nine additional questions had been added to the
second questionnaire as a further way to capture data and shed light on attitudes to the online
unit of instruction.

Not surprisingly, the higher academic achievers reported possessing stronger study skills than the
average academic achievers in the first pre- unit questionnaire before their introduction to the
online unit of instruction. Gaps that widened significantly between the two groups in the post-
unit questionnaire are also noted.

RESULTS

Quantitative Data

After the two questionnaire results were received, the database file was incorporated into a
spreadsheet to organize and code the data. The researcher began analyzing the raw data by
computing descriptive statistics, such as mean, mode, frequencies and correlations. The data
analysis method used in this study is quantitative.

A cursory examination of the raw data of the responses from the pre- and post- unit
questionnaires revealed that those students who tended to be higher academic performers were
responding differently from the students who had lower academic averages.

In order to examine the potential differences in responses, the class was divided into two sets of
students. Ten students were included into the first group. These students were identified as high
academic achievers in the class according to their academic performance in the three courses of
English, biology and introduction to technology for the first few months of the academic year as
well as previous experience with the students in the two years before the study. These students
had achieved an average of about 85 or more in all of those courses. The remaining eighteen
students represented the group of average achievers. These students’ grades ranged from 61 to 84
in one or more of the courses.
Once the set of twenty-eight students had been divided into the two groups according to
academic ability, the data was examined to compare and contrast the responses of these groups.
Means were compared between the two sets of students. In order to see if such differences
existed, two-sample t-tests assuming equal variances were performed on some of the responses
of the questionnaires.

Difference in Means:

Statistically significant differences in responses between the two groups became evident on
several questions in the pre-unit questionnaire. Question #2 reads “When I perform poorly on a
test, it is because I do not study the right material for a long enough period of time”. On the
Likert scale rating, “Always” represented a choice of 1 while “Never” was represented a 5 on the
scale. The mean of the ten high academic achieving students for this question was 2.24 while the
mean of the other average achievers was 2.93, showing that the higher achievers were more
inclined to take responsibility for their poor performance due to lack of preparation.

Table 4.1 T-Test Results from Pre-Unit Questionnaire, Question #2

|t-Test: Two-Sample Assuming Equal Variances |

|Pre-Unit Questionnaire | | |

|Question #2 - “When I perform poorly on | | |

|a test, it is because I do not study the| | |

|right material for a long enough period | | |

|of time” | | |

|  |Higher academic|Average |

| |achievers |Achievers |

|Mean |2.24 |2.93 |

|Variance |0.62 |0.98 |

|Standard deviation |.79 |.99 |

|Observations |10 |18 |

|Hypothesized Mean Difference |0 | |

|Df |26 | |

|t Stat |-1.90 | |

|P(T