CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Society plays an important role in determining quality of life and good work

ethics of human beings especially among students particularly in case of loneliness,

physical inability and loss of engagement in our situation today that is under Online

Distance Learning. Today’s students have taken to social networking, yet, from our

perspectives, there is little social interaction taking place in many of today’s classes

from kindergarten through college.

Many students find that learning isn’t just an intellectual activity, but a social

one, and that explains why a number of students report missing in-person interaction

with their classmates and teachers. For some students, this lack of social interaction

and the accompanying need to be self-motivated to get their work done that can lead

to feelings of isolation. For many students, not having enough interaction with

teachers and peers is among the biggest challenges of studying online and passing

their requirements in different subjects.

For students studying in an online environment, social interaction with peers

and educators can often be an exercise in frustration. If such frustration is to be

minimized, much thought needs to be given to the methods of communication that

will be utilized so that the online environment fulfills the human desire

for social interaction.

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 You might expect that the lack of socialization would affect online students

exclusively. Today’s students spend less time socializing and more time studying

alone, and that has led to an “all-time low” in students’ emotional health that affects

their good work ethics.

If you know someone who’s not so much interacting with people, you’ve

certainly known that this affects their work ethics in studying. It might be frustrating

but we cannot judge them for not making social interaction. Luckily, there are

solutions and ways in dealing with social interaction in the creation of good work

ethics. This might not change the character of not interacting socially but this will

allow you to recognize and discern the importance of social interaction in the creation

of good work ethics. 

As stated by educators, social interaction in online learning can lead to increased

student engagement, motivation, and can help improve student performance. As

educators, they must consider how the students will create opportunities for

meaningful and sustained social interactions in online learning, especially in

balancing their studies with home and work responsibilities.

        There may be an occasion of why students are not socially interacting. Students

may have depression and anxiety as well as stress with studying online. As parents of

the students, you should check your child and reach them out if they have problems

with online learning. You should help and assist your child in all their work in order

for them to be encouraged to study and build up good work ethics. Techniques such as

the incorporation of protocols and guidelines for social interaction into the learning

concepts of the online environment can be utilized to minimize the feelings of

aloneness that affect many students.

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 There is a great role of social interaction in improving quality of life among

the students. Social interaction entails the means through which people act and also

react to others. Interacting with other people has proven to be quite effective in

assisting the learner to coordinate their thinking, focus on their understanding, and

find gaps in their reasoning.

Hasnan Baber released a study about social interaction and its efficacy on

January 05, 2021. The goal of this study is to investigate the importance of social

interaction on the effectiveness of online learning during the pandemic when social

distance norms are in place. The findings indicate that social interaction has a positive

influence on the efficacy of online learning. However, this impact is reduced in the

presence of social distance norms, as people attach more importance to continuous

learning and life-saving than to socializing in the internet world. The study will be

helpful for the researcher to analyze all the causes and effects of this issue.

Students who do not interact with their classmates, teachers, siblings or

parents not only miss out good work ethics for themselves, they also affect the grades

of other students especially in group work because of their absence and not joining as

well as cooperating. The inability to interact freely with other students may

exacerbate feelings of aloneness, and provide a less-than-ideal environment for

successful study. Students who spend less time socializing and more time studying

alone will lead the students to have poor emotional health that affects their good work

ethics. Students who frequently alone have lower scores and grades on the

assignments, projects, quizzes, and assessments. Lack of social interaction is also

connected to poor behaviour and failure in classes.

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 As the Harvard Women’s Health Watch reported, “Dozens of studies have

shown that people who have satisfying relationships with family, friends and their

community are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer.” The Texas

researchers pointed out that social interactions can enhance good health through a

positive influence on people’s living habits. People who are chronically lacking in

social interaction are more likely to experience elevated levels of stress and

inflammation.

According to the National Association of School Psychologists, children with

poor social skills have been shown to have a hard time in interpersonal relationships

with the people around them, receive negative responses from others resulting in peer

rejection, show signs of anxiety, aggression, and depression, and exhibit a poor

academic performance as a secondary response. Moreover, studies show that people

who feel more connected to others also have higher self-esteem, greater empathy for

others, are more trusting and cooperative and, as a consequence, others are more open

to trusting and cooperating with them.

Statement of the Problem

We, the researchers, would likely seek answers to these following questions so

that we would come up with possible solutions and suggestions on how our

respondents could resolve it.

1. Are you the type of student who is shy and an introverted person?

2. Do you communicate with your classmates and friends to find time

connecting and bonding with them?

3. Do you have difficulties in sharing or turn-taking?

4. Do you have a lack of social skills or struggle with relating to your peers?

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 5. Who are the people that you are close with?

6. What problems are you facing right now in online distance learning?

7. Are you a slow responder/replier? How long do you take time to respond

and reply with people socially?

8. Are you experiencing depression, stress, and anxiety?

9. Does your family, teachers, and friends always check up on you? If yes,

on what days and how often they do check up on you?

10. Are you doing anything else important outside that is not held by the

school? If yes, does it affect your social interactions and

communications with your friends, classmates, teachers, and family?

Objectives of the Study

The researchers aim to:

1. To educate everyone the importance of socializing with others to

exercise his/her own good work ethics.

2. Seek for possible solutions on the said problem with social interactions

under online distance learning.

3. Help and assist others to build strong bonds with other people caused

by the development of good ethics.

4. Determine the students’ perceptions of the value of the social

interaction that was taking place in the online meeting sessions on their

learning.

5. Help them develop socialization skills by being connected with their

family, friends, classmates, and teachers.

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 6. The students would be more aware of the consequences of lacking

social interaction that may lead to mental illnesses such as depression

and anxiety.

7. To help respondents on how to express problems and cease having

troubles with interacting and communicating with the people that are

close with them.

8. Help students to leave their comfort zones and explore other things that

they haven’t tried before.

9. Reveal that students studying in online classes perceived that social

interaction improved their learning by enhancing their knowledge of

literacy and teaching and their critical thinking and problem-solving

skills.

Significance of the Study

Lack of interaction is one of the problems among students in highschool .

Social interaction plays an important role in learning. We, as the researchers chose

this topic to help and reach out students, teachers, parents, and future researchers

not just only our respondents in order to end this issue and problem in social

interaction that affects the work ethics of the students with the most possible solution

that they can do as we give ways, advices, and recommendations that they may

follow to help themselves make an effort in interacting with other people. It is

significant to study social interaction in online learning because this allows students to

share their ideas on various subjects with each other. This study would be valuable

and beneficial as it helps the students to understand their behavior and it will make

them realize and aware that their poor communication skills and cooperation will

make their lives more difficult and lead to problems. To parents and teachers, they

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will understand their children and students more and as a result, they can guide and

help them to make interactions with their friends and loved ones that creates good

results in academic work. This study will benefit the students’ development and

improve their engagement in school, enhance the perseverance in learning such as the

achievement of the group goals that provides the students with a motivation to work

hard and persevere. It is also our goal to enable students to have high esteem upon

which they communicate effectively with their colleagues and friends as well and

enables them to get over their shyness and be in a position to exchange ideas with

others in which their interpersonal skills allow them to gain self confidence which in

turn helps them to succeed as far as their learning is concerned.

Scope and Delimitations

Our respondents are the Junior Highschool Students from the Colegio de

Sta. Monica de Angat. 10 students from the Grade 7 level, 10 students from the

Grade 8 level, 10 students from the Grade 9 level, and 10 students from the

Grade 10 level, having a total of 40 respondents.

Definition of Terms

● Tardiness - to be late, slow, or sluggish.

● Punctuality - is the characteristic of being able to complete a

required task or fulfil an obligation before or at a previously

designated time. "Punctual" is often used synonymously with "on

time."

● Respondents - the party who is required to answer a petition for

a court order or writ requiring the respondent to take some

action, halt an activity or obey a court's direction.

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● Freshmen - a first year student

● Sophomore - a second year student

● Juniors - a third year student

● Communication - giving, receiving or exchanging ideas, information,

signals or messages through appropriate media, enabling individuals or

groups to persuade, to seek information, to give information or to

express emotions

● Work Ethic - set of values based on the ideals of discipline and hard

work

● Discern - perceive or recognize

● Efficacy - the power to produce an effect

● Influence - to affect or change someone or something in an indirect but

usually important way

● Exacerbate - to make something worse, especially a disease or problem

● Connected - sharing ourselves, raw and unedited, with the people

closest to us

● Introvert - a shy, reticent person

● Perception - a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting

something; a mental impression

● Engagement - an arrangement to do something

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