Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite Concept Paper | November 2020

A CONCEPT PAPER ON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’

ACADEMIC STRESS IN DISTANCE LEARNING AMIDST COVID-19
Bartolome, Charmaine L.1, Calolot, Alea Jan Beatriz D.2, Pabres, Patricia Mae J.3,
Rodil, Kristine Angelica G.4, Ross, Kervin M.5
Senior High School, International School, Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite
charmaine.bartolome@lpunetwork.edu.ph1, alea.calolot@lpunetwork.edu.ph2,
patricia.pabres@lpunetwork.edu.ph3, kristine.rodil@lpunetwork.edu.ph4,
kervin.ross@lpunetwork.edu.ph5
INTRODUCTION

The coronavirus disease comes from an extensive family of viruses. It originates in bats endemic
to humans and various types of animals. However, the novel coronavirus is unknown before the
outbreak began in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Because of COVID-19, government
agencies promoted distance learning as an alternative platform for face-to-face classes. This
mode of learning became difficult for both students and teachers because of the lack of financial
support, essential gadgets, and stable internet connections. Thus, it brought academic stress to
senior high school students. With this, the proposed research will be constructed under the
supervision of the Practical Research adviser. If there is any funding needed for the study, the
researchers will take responsibility for it.

PURPOSE

Out of the 24.98 million officially enrolled students, there are 2.8 million senior high school
students undergoing online and modular modes of learning in public and private schools
nationwide (Malipot, 2020). Reportedly, many enrollees and teachers alike find the new “normal”
difficult with the 19.51 Mbps average internet speed in the Philippines (Tulfo, 2020). Moreover,
approximately 6.9 million people lack stable internet connections, whereas 6.8 million people lack
the necessary gadgets for distance learning. Also, 2.5 million people reportedly have noisy
surroundings, while 838,000 people stated the lack of study spaces (Mateo, 2020). Nonetheless,
distance learning continues, and the mental stability of students continues to decline from the
stress brought by the pandemic and their academic workloads. Therefore, the study will determine
the challenges and effects of distance learning on senior high school students’ academic stress.

BACKGROUND

Distance online learning has become the norm of the environment in which teachers and students
are in the comfort of their own homes. There, they make use of the internet and necessities that
can come upon inside their spaces. However, people must identify the encountered challenges
and effects of distance learning. Baticulon, MD et al., (2020) conducted a national survey that
revealed that regardless of the geographical location of the students, they have faced various
challenges to adjust to online learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers classified
the obstruction into five categories: technological, individual, physical, and psychological. They
also included domestic, institutional, and community barriers.

Meanwhile, Alipio (2020) held a descriptive evaluation of higher education Filipino students’
readiness for online learning. It showed that the preparedness for the new normal is affected by
the distress the pandemic has brought them. Similarly, Raj and Fatima (2020) conducted a study
about students' stress after the lockdown. The results showed that there are students stressed
because of the coronavirus, students stressed because of academics, and students
uncomfortable with the new learning environment. With most studies focusing on foreign and

1
 Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite Concept Paper | November 2020

college students, the project aims to focus on the challenges and effects of distance learning on
senior high school students' academic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the study is to identify the challenges and effects of distance learning to
Filipino senior high school students in using the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) and
Perspective on Academic Stress Scale (PASS). And the specific objectives are to:

• Verify whether the demographic profile of the students (gender, age, grade level, and type
of institution) affects their experiences in distance learning in terms of studying and
complying with subject requirements.
• Determine the challenges experienced by students during distance learning in terms of the
availability of gadgets, Wi-Fi connection, study place, financial support, and others using the
results from the College Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (CASES) and Perspective on
Academic Stress Scale (PASS).
• Find out the effects experienced by students during distance learning in terms of academic
stress according to the results from the CASES and PASS.
METHODOLOGY

The study will use a non-experimental quantitative research design. Non-experimental is a

quantitative research design that presents the association between the variables and the subject
of the study without manipulation (Swart et al., 2019). A survey research design under non-
experimental applies because surveys will act as one of the major sources of information.

The researchers will use Google Forms as the medium of the survey. Thus, respondents will
answer it online using their resources at their own time. The survey will consist of a letter of
consent and the two main parts of the questionnaire. The first part includes their demographic
profile and the second part involves the commonality of the experiences of the participants. The
study will also use two scales: the Perspective on Academic Stress Scale (PASS) developed by
Adel Gabriel and the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) of Angelo Dullas. The target
participants are Filipino senior high school students, wherein the sample size is 385 participants
out of the 2.8 million senior high school students enrolled for the SY 2020-2021.The researchers
will then use a descriptive statistical analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis is used to describe
the data in a study together with simple graphics analysis (Trochim, 2020). Then, the researchers
will draw conclusions based on the evidence gathered. The entire course of the research will
involve multiple consultations with the research adviser to achieve the objectives of the study.

TIMELINE

September 1 – 25:

1) Formulation of the possible quantitative study to be conducted.

September 28 – October 23:

1) Gathering different related literature to support the study.

2) Making the detailed introduction of the study.
3) Determining the scope and limitations.
4) Identifying the objectives of the study.

2
 Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite Concept Paper | November 2020

October 26 – 30:

1) Adding the significance of the study to the revised detailed introduction as well as the
scope and limitations, and objectives.
November 9 – 27:

1) Making the conceptual framework.

2) Listing the operational definition of terms.
3) Identifying the data gathering instrument.
4) Listing the complete process of data gathering.
5) Making of the data analysis (process).
December 1 – 18:

1) Collecting the data from the online survey via ASES and PASS.
2) Analyzing and interpreting the data, and drawing the conclusions.
REFERENCES

Alipio, M. (2020). Education during COVID-19 era: Are learners in a less-economically

developed country ready for e-learning?. ZBW-Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.

Baticulon, R. E., Alberto, N. R. I., Baron, M. B. C., Mabulay, R. E. C., Rizada, L. G. T., Sy, J.
J., … Reyes, J. C. B. (2020). Barriers to online learning in the time of COVID-19: A national
survey of medical students in the Philippines. Medrxiv.
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.16.20155747

DOH warns of possible health problems from online classes. Sunstar Philippines.
https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1869290/Manila/Local-News/DOH-warns-of-possible-
health-problems-from-online-classes

Malipot, M. (2020). Enrolment in public schools exceeds 100% of last school year’s turnout –
DepEd. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2020/10/21/enrollment-in-public-schools-
exceeds-100-of-last-school-years-turnout-deped/

Mateo, J. (2020). Tech woes among top concerns for distance learning. The Philippine Star.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/08/02/2032336/tech-woes-among-top-concerns-
distance-learning

Raj, U., Fatima, A. (2020, May 08). Stress in Students after Lockdown Due to COVID-19
Thereat and the Effects of Attending Online Classes.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3584220

Swart, L.-A., Kramer, S., Ratele, K., & Seedat, M. (2019). Non-experimental research designs:
Transforming Research Methods in the Social Sciences, 19–35.
https://doi.org/10.18772/22019032750.7

Trochim, P. W. M. K. (2020). Descriptive Statistics. Research Methods Knowledge Base.

https://conjointly.com/kb/descriptive-statistics/.

Tulfo, M. (2020). Slow internet perils DepEd’s online education. Manila Standard.net.
https://manilastandard.net/opinion/columns/point-of-impact-by-erwin-tulfo/324995/slow-
internet-perils-deped-s-online-education.html