Online Classes Effect on Honor Students' Stress

Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Bataan
HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
A Phenomenological Study on the Effects of Online Class in the Stress Levels of
Grade 12 Honor Students of Letran-Bataan
A Research Paper Submitted to the
Senior High School Department of
Colegio de San Juan de Letran
Abucay, Bataan
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Subject
Practical Research 1
By
Marie Isabel Angela S. Oca
Sophia Raysy D. Dominguez
Liana Janeene M. Sabino
Vherciandy Alfea R. Santos
Sofia Benidict E. Paglinawan
Aliyah Joy C. Sigua
DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

ABSTRACT
The overall aim and objective of this study is to study, observe, and describe the effects
of the phenomenon of online classes in the pandemic on Letran Bataan’s Grade 12 honor
students’ stress levels and the effect of that stress on their daily lives and health. The
Philippines’ education sector has now been experiencing the phenomenon of online
classes for more than two years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and the researchers seek
to find the effects and ramifications of this to the (usually) most stressed students in high
school. The researchers want to not only see how online classes affect the participants’
stress levels, but will also endeavor to find out what exactly is it that elevates their stress
or stresses them out. To succeed in these objectives, the researchers conducted interviews
with the Grade 12 Honor Students of Letran Bataan that helped them gain the data
needed for their study. At the end of this paper, you will have an understanding on how
the phenomenon of online classes due to the pandemic affected the Grade 12 Honor
Students of Letran Bataan.
Key Words: Online Classes, Effects of Stress on Students, Pandemic, Academic Stress,
and Coping Mechanisms in Distance Learning
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Introductory Paragraph (Background of the Study)
Stress has been known to be a bad thing for quite some time now. Studies have
proven it to be detrimental to a person’s mental and physical health. As they say, stress
caused by changes may have many physical and mental symptoms that can affect one’s
overall well-being if one is not able to manage them in a positive way (Brennan, 2021).
Moreover, nothing quite says change as the past two years have been with the pandemic,
the lockdown, and, as highlighted in this current study, online classes. Being a Grade 12
student is stressful enough and being an honor student is even more stressful. However,
this current research will add all the changes brought by the implementation of online
classes. Did the change bring relief to the Grade 12 honor students and make life easier
for them? Or did the change bring even more problems and make the honor students’
lives harder? Do all this change and added stress have any long-lasting impacts on Grade
12 honor students? The researchers will be using this study to find out through qualitative
research methods. The researchers will be exploring the title, A Phenomenological Study
on the Effects of Online Class in the Stress Levels of Grade 12 Honor Students of Letran-
Bataan, utilizing the type of qualitative research called phenomenology.
Statement of the Problem
The main goal of this study is to determine the effects of online classes on the
stress levels of Grade 12 honor students in Letran-Bataan. Specifically, it seeks to find a
significant explanation of the experiences of honor students and how their stress levels

affect their academic performance during online classes in their everyday lives.
Moreover, this study aims to address the following questions:
1. What are the common effects of stress the Grade 12 honor students of Letran-
Bataan experience?
2. How can stress affect their academic performance during online classes?
3. Based on salient results, how may the findings of this study impact online classes?
Related Literature and Studies
Students in secondary and tertiary education face significant academic-related
stress (Pascoe et al., 2020). Students' learning capacity, academic performance,
opportunities for education outcomes, sleep quality and quantity, physical health, mental
health, and drug use have all been shown to be negatively impacted by the ongoing stress
of school. Therefore, stress management skills and abilities among students are critical to
improving performance.
Academic stress in terms of the ability of students to succeed in this current
setting is a specific problem for students in higher education (Clabaugh et al., 2021).
According to Malik & Javed (2021), students in online classes amid the COVID-19
pandemic experienced different factors that contributed to their stress. Based on the
findings of their study, it revealed that COVID-19-induced online learning had negatively
influenced university students’ mental health regarding their perceived stress. Most of the

time, the stress among university students has been associated with lower academic
performance.
On the other hand, the objective of the study of Raj et al. (2020) is to understand
the students' mental health and the difficulties they face. Students' stress levels may be
amplified if their families' circumstances are unstable. The researchers concluded that in
a situation when students feel threatened, the majority of students are suffering from
stress and mental health issues. Thus, most students are concerned about their studies and
dissatisfied with online classes.
Based on the study of Wiltse et al. (2020), many learners were concerned about
their mental health. Students also indicate increasing difficulties in performing well
academically as a result of major health issues. Students draw attention to the abrupt
shifts in an academic atmosphere, jeopardizing their mental health. Some students may
find that the university setting is safer than their home environment.
According to Albers & Pattuwage (2017), student life has many benefits, but it
also imposes inevitable stresses. For those already battling depression or have an existing
vulnerability to it, these stresses can trigger anxiety and episodes of depression.
Academic pressure-related stress has been identified as one of the prime types of stress in
the student learning process. It is undoubtedly one of the biggest problems faced by the
current student force during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, stress management
has been one of the buzzwords for students' commitment to their academic performance

and students' relation with fellow students. In short, the more they try or worry, the less
they can study effectively.
In the excerpt of the study called the neurobiological effects of stress on
adolescent decision making titled “stress in adolescence”, the study says: Adolescence is
a developmental period that is challenging due to the many types of stressors it bears
(Persike and Seiffge-Krenke, 2012, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013) which includes
“family, academic (Bynner, 2000; Arnett, 2002, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013), and
peer (Eccles et al., 1993; Smetana et al., 2006, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013)
pressures”. An example is the preparation for college placement and the demanding
coursework that often leads to schoolwork being stressfully increased (McAndrew et al.,
1998, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013). Adolescents are also socially developing, often
experiencing stressors in their peer networks and romantic relationships (Kuttler and
LaGreca, 2004; Hand and Furman, 2009, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013). Elevated
stress due to developing more intimate or close friendships while they maintain family
relationships and establish autonomy is also common (Laursen and Collins, 1994; Nieder
and Seiffge-Krenke, 2001, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013). "Ethnographic data
demonstrate that these effects are observed globally, as adolescents from over 140
cultures report high feelings of stress in these domains (Schlegel, 2001, as cited Galván &
Rahdar, 2013)."
“These normative life stressors are paralleled by higher basal cortisol levels in
older adolescents or more pubertally mature adolescents” (Netherton et al., 2004; Adam,

2006, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013). “However, findings have been inconsistent and
vary based on time of day of cortisol sample, sex, stressor (Gunnar et al., 2009b, as cited
Galván & Rahdar, 2013), and pubertal stage (Knutsson et al., 1997; Stroud et al., 2004, as
cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013)”.The youth exhibited these heightened cortisol reactivity
effects even when they were engaging in everyday activities, like for example playing
video games, watching TV, playing sports, and doing homework which was interesting
(McHale et al., 2012, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013).
These impacts can also be seen in experimental designs as well. Stroud and
colleagues used laboratory manipulations to show that adolescents had a higher stress
response to psychological stressors than children. (Stroud et al., 2009, as cited Galván &
Rahdar, 2013). In response to the usual laboratory stressors (e.g., public speaking) and to
a novel social stressor (e.g., peer rejection), adolescents, when compared to children,
demonstrated a larger response in salivary cortisol and other physiological parameters.
(Stroud et al., 2009, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013). These findings are similar to those
of more traditional studies that used performance and/or academic stressors. (Klimes-
Dougan et al., 2001; Adam, 2006, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013). “In addition, Gunnar
and colleagues (2009a,b, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013) show nonlinear patterns of
heightened basal HPA activity and greater stress reactivity to a stressor across
development, with adolescents showing the most robust effects compared to children and
young adults (Gunnar et al., 2009b, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013).”

In addition, a survey of Chinese university students found that 25% of them had
additional anxiety as a result of COVID-19 (Zhai & Du, 2020). Living independently,
altered or lack of accessibility to professional help or counseling and support services,
disturbance of educational setting and environment, setbacks in degree completion, and
family members or friends being unwell are all problems that raise students' likelihood of
developing anxiety disorders (Cao et al., 2020; Zhai & Du, 2020).
As stated in the study of Barrot et al. (2021), their findings showed that students'
challenges and difficulties in e-learning varied in different aspects. The study also
revealed that COVID-19 plays a vital role for it is the most significant factor that causes
impacts to students' educational performance. Regarding the unfavorable effect on
teaching and learning quality, their findings show that the absence of groundwork for the
transition of learning to online platforms has become the main reason to cause stress to
students. However, the study also considered that students' most prominent difficulties
were connected to their learning environment at home. The data revealed that online
learning challenges during the pandemic are similar to the typical challenges students
experience in a pre-pandemic online learning environment.
Moreover, students in the Philippines' Mapua University, where the survey was
conducted, were investigated to report their experiences with online courses and how
they felt about it (Anne et al., n.d.). The Mental Fatigue Scale was used to collect data
from a sample of 100 people, and descriptive and analytical statistics were employed to
evaluate the results. According to the findings, students' mental tiredness was strongly

linked to their academic workload in online courses. Thus, the study showed that these
variables have a considerable influence on the level of college students' mental fatigue.
Researchers concluded that the students' mental fatigue was unrelated to their
demographics. Mental exhaustion was not significantly affected by sleep deprivation,
although most respondents slept fewer than eight hours. This suggests that the
respondents' academic burden is a contributing factor to their mental exhaustion. Experts
stated that a shift might reduce students' mental exhaustion in arranging major and minor
courses and better time management.
Furthermore, in the Philippines, students struggle to adjust to the sudden arrival of
online education (Montano, 2021). They wanted to see if students would thrive in this
setting and if their success might be utilized to inspire long-term goals through an online
survey of 181 college students (39 males, 135 women). The impact of self-efficacy and
academic stress on grit was investigated. The research found a relationship between self-
efficacy and grit. Consequently, grit was revealed to be most effective when pupils were
under intense classroom pressure. Students can be adaptable when faced with difficulties,
especially when they excel in the most stressful situations. This study extends to the
expanding body of information about COVID-19's positive benefits on student well-
being.
Significance of the study (Contribution of the Study)

This study will provide information regarding the effects of online classes on the
stress level Grade 12 honor students in different ways in Letran-Bataan. This study will
evaluate their academic performances and approaches under the circumstances they are
facing right now. Specifically, this study will determine the ways of Grade 12 honor
students on how they focus on online class setup, their different learning and assessing
styles, and how they cope despite having different stressful events happening in their
lives that affect their academic performance. The people that will be affected are:
For Colegio de San Juan de Letran-Bataan. This study will help in the
advancement of the school teaching-evaluation approach and the advancement of the
school management.
For Students. The information that will be gathered will be able to help the
students, specifically Grade 12 honor students, improve their academic performances, as
well as their mental health. This study will serve as a basis for them to assess their own
learning lifestyle alongside their stress and adapt or change it consequently.
For Parents. This research study will present parents the experiences of their
children, specifically Grade 12 honor students, in online classes that contribute to their
stress, which affect their academic performance. This will give them an idea on how to
approach and help their children.
For Teachers. This phenomenological study will contribute information to the
teachers to know what kind of approach or teaching methods are suitable for the learners.

It will also allow the teachers to deliver the lessons or courses that will have a positive
impact on students. This study will give them a perspective on how their honor students
study and cope in this trying time, and consequently help students efficiently learn
despite this problem.
For schools and educational institutions. This study will provide other schools
the idea of the experiences of Grade 12 honor students during online classes that
contribute to their stress levels, and thus affect their academic performance. With this, it
will give them the basis on what type of learning approach and materials that is most
effective in terms of online class setup.
For Future Researchers. This research study will benefit future researchers by
providing them information about how online class affects honor students in terms of the
stress they are experiencing. Through this research, they will be able to improve this
study and dig deeper to learn more about the effects of online learning on the stress level
of Grade 12 honors students in case the online learning set-up continues to happen.
Research Gap
Although some studies have already been conducted with regards to the effects of
online class on the mental health of students, only a few reports have been made about
Grade 12 honor students, because most are in connection with students’ populations in
general, universities, and colleges. Specifically, no reports up to now have diagnosed the

effects of online class in the stress level of honor students that affect their educational
performances.
Scope and Delimitation (Objectives and Limitations of the Study)
This phenomenological study aims to analyze how online classes affect the stress
levels of Grade 12 honor students in Letran-Bataan. The aspects of this research study
focus on the experiences of targeted honor students in the middle of online class learning
that contribute to their stress levels.
This study will be efficient in determining the needs of the students. Furthermore,
it will help identify the consequences of online class setup on students’ academic lives.
By obtaining this information, teachers or other academically related authorities will be
able to understand the consequential situations of the students. Therefore, it will allow
them to be aware of their students’ experiences and determine what needs to improve on
the overall approach of online class setup.
Furthermore, this research study will be conducted at Colegio de San Juan de
Letran-Bataan by administering questionnaires through online means, specifically by
Google Forms. The researchers chose this to determine the way of life of Grade 12 honor
students during online classes. The researchers aim to execute and finish the study within
the academic year 2021-2022.

This study is limited to the selected Grade 12 students of Letran-Bataan who are
currently enrolled. The range of knowing students’ certain events occurring in their
everyday lives, in general, would not be as extensive and detailed as a result of this. Thus,
the findings of this study cannot be generalized as the study was conducted on the
students in a particular institution. Given that, the data that will be provided could be
utilized to be aware of the complex and thorough research on how the existing online
classes influence the selected honor students.
Research Objectives/Research Questions
The study examines the impact of online classes on the stress level of grade 12
honor students of Letran-Bataan, guided by the following questions:
1. How do online classes affect the everyday lives of Grade 12 honor students?
2. What are the effects of academic stress in their everyday lives?
3. What challenges do Grade 12 honor students experience during their online
classes?
4. In what ways do online classes contribute to Grade 12 honor students’ stress?
5. What effects do online classes have on Grade 12 honor students’ overall well-
being?
Research Assumptions
The researchers will base this study on the following assumptions:

1. Grade 12 honor students experience a high level of stress regarding their
academics.
2. Grade 12 honor students experience pressure due to the high expectations
from their surroundings.
3. Grade 12 honor students experience pressure, yet they could easily cope up
with it.
4. Grade 12 honor students feel more burnt out.
5. Experiencing stress affects the academic or class standing of each Grade 12
honor student.
Conceptual Framework
Input Process Output
● Grade 12 honor ● Questionnaires will ● Will assess the
students of be administered to the effects of Online
Letran-Bataan respondents to collect Classes on the
data through online Stress Level of

● Online Classes
means, specifically Grade 12 honor
● Effects of Online
Google Forms. students in Letran-
Classes in terms
Bataan based on
● The data will be
of stress
the data and
gathered and
conclusion
examined through

thematic analysis and acquired from the
coding in an online Google Forms.
course to determine
the results.
METHODOLOGY
This section discusses the procedures and conduct utilized to determine the effects
of online classes in the stress levels of Grade 12 honor students. Primarily, research
design and method, sampling, data gathering procedure, data analysis and interpretation,
and ethical considerations are specified in this part.
Research Design
The researchers used qualitative research design in order to conduct their study: A
Phenomenological Study on the Effects of Online Class in the Stress Levels of Grade 12
Honor Students of Letran-Bataan. According to Busetto et al. (2020), qualitative research
may be recognized as the study of the nature of phenomena, and it is beneficial for
addressing questions about why something occurs or does not occur, analyzing complex
multi-component solutions, and concentrating on intervention improvement. The research
approach to be used will be a phenomenological study. It is a process for gaining a deep
understanding of people's experiences in the context of the actual environment, which is a

commonly used research design, especially for focusing on the individual's perspective.
This implied that the researchers selected to use surveys and questionnaires to be
answered by the chosen subjects online and code these data to fully understand the effects
of online classes in the stress levels of Grade 12 honor students of Letran-Bataan.
Research Sampling
The researchers conducted this study in their homes via online surveys due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. This place was chosen since it is the safest option to engage with
the participants and to accomplish the study. As the key focus of the participants, Grade
12 honors students were aimed. These students were listed on their corresponding honor
circle. The participants were thoroughly chosen for they would be beneficial in helping
the researchers discover the research gaps and further allow them to understand the study
and their future works. The participants of the study were followed to know the Grade 12
honor students who were significantly affected by the virtual learning setup. The criteria
were based on the honors list and their general weighted average.
The participants were selected utilizing a non-probability criterion sampling
strategy. A purposive sampling technique was utilized in conducting this research. The
researchers chose this method with qualitative research to have a facile way to analyze
their answers.
Data Gathering Procedure
Figure
DEUS  1.PATRIA
Flow Chart of Study
 LETRAN
Construction Conducting Data Analysis

Interview Interpretation
Rationalizing the
gathered data and
Conducting and Transcription and Creating
HandingColegio
out de San Juan deof Letran - Bataan
Interpretation recommendation
Google FormsH I G H S Cdata
H O O L D E P A R T M E N guidelines
T for Grade
surveys 12 honor students.
The figure above shows a flow chart of how the research was handled
methodically. A diagram was used to show the process of gathering data and procedure.
Structured interviews, observations and experiential knowledge were also used as data
tools to gather and collect data by the researchers.
The researchers used Google Forms as the platform for gathering the surveys. The
content of said forms was carefully chosen in relation to the factors that cause stress and
the effects of stress. For the online one-on-one interviews later on, a semi-structured
interview or interview guide was used for the in-depth interview and storytelling of
experiences. Open-ended questions were the contents of the interview guide that
investigated the experiences of the participants. The narratives and interviews were
transcribed word for word later on and were subjected to analysis and reflection from the
researchers to look for patterns and recurrent themes.
Moreover, the researchers formed observations from the respondents to allow
them to correlate the stories to be told through their non-verbal cues such as tone of
voice. Valuable data, such as “How do the respondents look like?”, “Do they look
tired?”, “Do they look happy?”, and more were used to further develop the study. The
usage of experiential knowledge was crucial for the success of the study.
Construction and validation

The researchers made their Google Forms survey and semi-structured interview
guide in draft form after studying up and researching material related to the topic and
study. The draft of the Google Forms survey and the interview guide were then presented
to the thesis adviser for suggestions and possible improvements. Improvements were
made if suggested and/or necessary. The researchers then validated their Google Forms
survey and interview questionnaires to the Research Office of Letran-Bataan.
Conducting and Handing out Google Forms Survey
In this part of the data gathering procedure, the researchers began sending out the
Google Forms survey to the Grade 12 honor students of Letran-Bataan. This gave an
insight to the researchers of the general stress levels of the Grade 12 Honor students
without the deep and very specific details yet. Once the researchers received the results of
the Google Forms Survey questionnaire, the researchers took a further step and dive
deeper into answers that intrigued them and conducted the online interviews.
Conducting Online Interview
The researchers asked first the participants to fill up a consent form to continue
with the interview. The names and signatures of the participants were kept confidential
and were only used for part of the study. The participants were interviewed one at a time
and were given the choice of choosing the desired time for the interview to take place.
The interview was conducted online through Google Meet, Zoom, or if the respondent

cannot access those platforms, Messenger. Respondents will then be asked for their
consent to record the call.
Transcription and interpretation of Data
The interviews and survey questionnaires conducted were transcribed precisely in
Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word. The transcription involved the close observation of
data through the listening of the recordings and reading of the Google Forms survey
answers which was an important step in data analysis.
The researchers interpreted and logically put together the data acquired to form
the answers to the questions of the study. Further study and research might be required to
fully interpret the data. Revisions might also take place.
Rationalizing the gathered data and Creating recommendation guidelines for Grade 12
honor students
Observations from the study according to the data gathered that the researchers
made were analyzed to form outlooks and realizations. The outlooks and realizations
were then used to make recommended guidelines for the Grade 12 honor students
themselves and those around them so that solutions could be made regarding their
elevated stress levels. Further study was needed to see (if the results are affirmative to
whether online classes do cause elevated stress) if the elevated stress and experience have
permanent effects on the students and the guide also questioned whether conducting

online classes should be kept, further developed, or stopped. The study along with the
guide were then published.
Data Analysis and Interpretation
The researchers conducted a thematic analysis to manage the data gathered in a
careful and transparent manner. This analysis method aimed to uncover relevant themes
or patterns in the data and utilized them to address the research. Hence, it represented,
interpreted, and created meaning of the textual data, rather than merely summarizing it.
For this reason, the common approach for analyzing qualitative research was thematic
analysis. This analysis was well-known for its flexibility yet thorough enough to be used
by the researchers to develop meaningful findings from the data. Therefore, thematic
analysis was utilized due to the research gap, in this case, the lack of definition or
meanings in the field of qualitative research locally and internationally regarding the
effects of online classes in the stress levels of the selected participants.
The data analysis procedures included examining the data acquired from the
targeted participants to determine the common themes or patterns that arise repeatedly
and focus on crucial aspects of the research objectives. Specifically, the researchers
conducted familiarization, carefully read the data corpus, and re-read the transcripts.
Furthermore, the researchers generated initial codes and searched for patterns or themes
in the codes through the interview to build in-depth comprehension of the critical subject
of the research study. Moreover, the data were reviewed to ensure that the identified data

and themes were directly relevant to the research questions. Then, the final refinement of
the themes was constructed, and therefore presented the findings and interpretation of
data through the write-up. Finally, thematic data analysis was utilized if there was
insufficient information about the study and to fill the research gap by interpreting the
data collected from participants.
Ethical Considerations
The researchers provided consent to the principal's office to request permission to
give out questionnaires and conduct interviews with Grade 12 honor students of Letran-
Bataan. This resulted in consent of confidentiality for the participants prior to any data
collection, guaranteeing that their personal information will remain confidential. The
researchers asked the participants for their consent before proceeding to the
questionnaire. The researchers then saw that their privacy would be kept, therefore, their
permission to participate in the interview, as well as their consent of the recordings, were
respectfully prioritized by the interviewer. With this, the data gathered were treated with
utmost confidentiality through the guidance of the Data Privacy Act of 2012. A consent
letter of ethical consideration and data privacy were also distributed via email to the
respondents to get ahold of the assurance and safety of their privacy.
FINDINGS

The data were gathered from the participants (interviewees) who are honor
students of Letran-Bataan by contacting the school’s office for the list of Grade 12 Honor
Students. The researchers interviewed the participants through the platform zoom. The
predetermined questions were made by the researchers and were deeply analyzed through
thematic analysis. The interview was made into two parts: (1) Aims to know and
determine the experiences during online class with regards to their stress levels and how
they manage it. (2) Aims to gather how (if they are experiencing elevated stress) the
stress they experience affects their life and academic performance as gathered and
analyzed by the researchers from the last interview. The answers are only based on their
experience, perspective, and feelings. The respondents were given a consent form and the
ethical considerations were discussed to ensure that their identities remained confidential
until the end of this study.
The respondents were given an alias R1, R2 and R3 to guarantee that their personalities
stayed private for the rest of this research.
1. How did the grade 12 honor students' stress levels react to online class?
Table 1
Transcribed and Coded Answers from the Interview
Theme Response English Translation Description

Emotional State R1 R1 The emotional state
Emotionally drained Too stressed and of the three (3)
ta’s ‘di ka na naliligo. emotionally drained. respondents was
Pati hygiene ko It got to the point affected. The
napabayaan ko kamo where I neglected respondents
‘Di na ako my personal hygiene experienced a
nakapasok, noong and there was a time change in emotions
time na ‘yun ano eh, when I didn’t make when they felt
workload din tas it to our synchronous stressed.
marami ginagawa, sa class, because I was
bahay ganon English emotionally drained
Translation too at the time since
stressed and there’s a lot of work
emotionally drained. to do plus the chores
It got to the point I needed to do in the
where I neglected my house.
personal hygiene and
there was a time R2
when I didn’t make it When I’m
to our synchronous experiencing stress, I
class because I was tend to lose the

emotionally drained energy to talk with
at the time since anyone. I feel lazy
there’s a lot of work communicating. And
to do plus the chores I then my emotions
needed to do in the are that I’m grumpy
house and I don’t talk to
them
R2
Kapag nakakaranas R3
ako ng stress I think, I don’t have
nawawalan ako ng any experiences
gana makipag usap sa where I’m too
tao, tinatamad akong stressed or super
makipag emotional where it
communicate. Tapos caused me to not
siguro yung emotion attend my classes,
na nararamdaman ko but I think I slightly
is masungit kasi ayun experienced being
nga hindi ako stressed, especially
nakikipag usap sa tao when there are
conflicts and

R3 problems I have to
Siguro ano, wala face.
naman ako
experience na super
stress ako or super
emotional ako na di
ako naka-attend, pero
feeling ko yes,
madami ako na
experience na nastre-
stress tapos madami
darating na problema
Sleeping Habits R1 R1 It seems that stress is
Siguro 6 to 7 hours Stress really takes a the biggest factor
(face-to-face), pero toll on my sleeping why they tend to
ngayon mga 3 hours schedule and habits. have fewer hours of
na lang. Oo, mga 3 na Most of the time, it sleep. This also
lang. Oo, it prevents prevents me from shows that the stress
me from sleeping. sleeping. When I am the respondents
English Translation in face-to-face experienced is

Stress really takes a classes, I get to have caused by the set-up
toll on my sleeping at least six to seven in today’s education
schedule and habits. (6-7) hours of sleep, system (online
Most of the time, it but now I get to have classes).
prevents me from only three (3) hours
sleeping. When I am of sleep
in face-to-face
classes, I get to have R2
at least six to seven Stress prevents me
(6-7) hours of sleep, from sleeping.
but now I get to have That’s my only
only three (3) hours problem now in
of sleep. online classes.
Unlike when it was
R2 face-to-face, I got to
Nakakahadlang siya sleep for at least
sa pagtulog ko. Ayun seven (7) hours, but
lang ang problema ko now during the
ngayong online online classes I only
classes noong face to get to sleep for five
face classes 7 hours to three (5-3) hours

pa yung sleep ko pero since I do my
ngayong online class, activities given by
5-3 hours kasi nga sa the teachers.
gabi ako gumagawa
ng mga activity na R3
binibigay ng mga To be honest, I feel
teachers. like I sleep less due
to stress and
R3 procrastination.
Sa totoo lang, feeling
ko mas less lang ako
nagsle-sleep because
of procrastination and
stress.
Eating Habits R1 R1 It shows that the two
For stress eating, nag- Usually, my stress respondents, two (2)
aano lang ‘yan, eating occurs when and three (3),
lilitaw lang ‘yan ‘pag I’m very tired. These experienced
sobrang pagod na past few weeks I abnormal eating
ako. These past few haven’t had an habits. Losing their
weeks, I lost my appetite, but when I appetite was one of

appetite, pero was still on my diet, them. They lost
no’ng--- nagda-diet I experienced weight as a result of
ako, ta’s bigla ako overeating because not eating at the
kumain ng marami of stress since it was proper times, eating
no’ng completion peta week. When unhealthy foods, and
week na. Nag-oover I’m overeating, I losing their appetite.
eat ako. I gained tend to consume a lot (1) of our three (3)
weight. I usually of chocolate since respondents didn't
consume chocolates, we have it in and it’s encounter stress
comfort food and they also like my comfort eating despite the
said it is good for the food, plus they said web-based classes.
brain cell. English it’s good for the
Translation Usually, brain cells. Because
my stress eating of that, I gained
occurs when I’m very weight since the
tired. These past few online class started.
weeks I haven’t had
an appetite, but when R2
I was still on my diet, I tend to lose my
I experienced appetite. I lose
overeating because of weight in this set-up

stress since it was of online classes
peta week. When I’m because I don’t eat at
overeating, I tend to the right time
consume a lot of because the break is
chocolate since we only fifteen (15)
have it in and it's also minutes for every
like my comfort food, subject. Usually, I
plus they said it’s only eat junk foods.
good for the brain They are the foods
cells. Because of that, that I can eat easily
I gained weight since and that don’t take
the online class much time since the
started. allotted time was
short.
R2
Nawawalan ako ng R3
gana kumain. Yung I don’t stress eat, I’m
timbang ko, pumayat just always hungry. I
ako ngayong online think I don’t stress
class kasi wala sa because of online
oras yung kain ko classes.

kasi 15 mins lang
yung break kada
subject. Kadalasan
puro junk foods lang
kinakain ko, yung
mabilis lang kainin
kasi unti lang yung
allotted time na
binibigay para sa
break time.
R3
Hindi ako nag-sstress
eating, lagi lang rin
talaga akong gutom
eh. . I feel, ‘di naman
ako nag-sstress eating
because of online
class
Student R1 R1 These show that
Academic Actually, comparing Actually, compared respondents exert

Performance face-to-face at tsaka to face-to-face more effort and
online class, oo, I’m classes, I’m giving energy when it
giving much more much more effort comes to their
effort ngayon. Kasi, now (in online academic
you need to contact classes) because in performances during
your teacher to online classes you online classes.
understand the need to contact the Despite the
lessons, assignments, teachers about the challenges and
gano’n. Eh sa face-to- lessons and conflicts the
face, puwede mo na assignments to respondents
itanong (nang) understand them. encounter, they
personal eh. Ta’s Unlike face-to-face, make sure that the
ngayon, ang hirap you can ask your quality of their
lang i-connect, questions personally, outputs are at its
kailangan mong mag- but now it’s hard to best.
adjust. ‘Yon, ‘yon connect since you Therefore, we — the
yung nakaka-stress also need to adjust. I researchers conclude
do’n, tapos pag sa also find it harder to that the respondents
lessons, online focus compared to do face short-
lectures, bigla-bigla when in face-to-face comings. Yet, they
minsan nawawala classes. Now I get block these struggles

teacher, tapos na- distracted easily. To from affecting their
didistract ka. be honest, I missed a performances.
Emotionally drained. synchronous class
‘Di na ako because of tiredness.
nakapasok, no’ong I’m very tired and
time na ‘yun ano eh, emotionally drained.
workload din. ‘Di I also experienced
katulad no’ng face-to- having a missing
face, naka-focus ka activity (failure to
naman. Okay lang, pass the task at the
kasi pag-ano, ‘pag given due time), but
nagpapa-missing ako it’s fine, even though
ng isang activity, it was late, since I
gusto ko kasi siyang wanted to pass a nice
gwaing maayos, kahit output. When fourth
over na siya, grade started, the
kailangan may quality very last semester, I
pa rin ‘yung gawa. felt very tired. But
Oo, ‘pag kailangan when it comes to
magrecite, nagre- participating in class,
recite ako. ‘Pag I’m eager to

kailangan magsagot participate. If I need
nagsa-sagot ako. to recite for
recitation, if there’s a
R2 need to answer, I’ll
In terms of time answer.
management, di ako
magaling dito kasi R2
nag poprocrastinate In terms of time
ako. Mas gusto ko management, I am
ang nag not a pro. This is
poprocrastinate mas where I
maganda yung procrastinate. I
nagiging outcome ng prefer
gawa ko pag maaga procrastinating
ko siyang ginawa, because my output
parang walang maisip always turns out
yung utak. Mas nag well. My brain does
fafunction and utak function well when
ko kapag nag I’m procrastinating,
poprocrastinate ako but unlike when I do
tapos wala naman it early, my brain

siyang masamang can’t function well, I
epekto sa life ko dahil can’t think of ideas.
naeenjoy ko siya And it doesn’t have
masaya lang lagi kasi any bad effects on
part naman yun ng my life since I enjoy
pagiging estudyante, it a lot, given the fact
yung mag aral ka that it’s a part of a
nang mag aral. Yung student’s life, like
experience ko dito is studying and
kunwari nagpupuyat studying. My
ako, lagi akong experience here was,
naagpupuyat kapag for example, I
gumagawa ako ng always stay up late at
academic works night when doing
naeenjoy ko siya, mas academic work. I
gusto ko yung enjoy it a lot, like
nagpupuyat ako tapos after that night I can
masarap yung tulog go to sleep
sa umaga ganon kaya unbothered and can
wala naming sleep well at night
masamang epekto sa and wake up without

akin. Meron akong di worrying. That’s
naka attend. Yung why it doesn’t have
chemistry class any bad effects on
naming kay Sir Reid me. I have a class
tapos sobrang stress that I didn’t attend,
ko dito kasi ang hirap the chemistry class
niya napag aralan of Sir Reid. I felt a
kapag recording lot of stress at that
unlike kapag may time because it was a
mga kasabay kang difficult lesson and I
mga kaklase na only had the
sumasagot sa recording. Unlike
recitation, mas when you were able
ginaganahan ako. to attend the class,
Actually, wala pa when I’m with my
akong naeexperience classmates, I like
na magpasa ng late reciting. And I
kasi lagi akong actually didn’t
buzzer beater. Lagi experience having a
ako umaabot sa missing activity and
deadline ng missing the deadline.

schoolworks. Sa I think it’s easy to
tingin ko madali mag focus on my
pokus ngayon sa mga schoolwork right
gawain sa paaralan now because I love
kasi mahilig ako studying and I’m
magaral at dedicated also dedicated to
ako makakuha ng getting good grades
maganda grades kasi because I’m grade-
grades conscious ako. conscious. I can also
Tapos focus on my
nakakapagfocus pa teachers' discussion
naman ako sa mga during this time even
diskusyon ng mga though I’m
guro ko ngayong experiencing stress.
kasalukuyang Because you can just
panahon kahit forget about the
nakakaranas ako ng stress and it will
stress. Kasi yung vanish, and you just
stress kalimutan mo need to focus on
lang yan, mawawala what you need to do.
na kailangan mag That’s the only thing

focus ka lang sa I’m doing.
kailangan mong
gawin, iyan lang ang
ginagawa ko. R3
When it comes to
R3 schoolworks, I think
Sa schoolworks kung I can focus. I think
nakakapag-focus ako, that even though
yes. I feel like kahit there are
maraming house responsibilities such
responsibilities, anak as house chores, I
responsibilities, I feel think can still focus
like nakakapag-focus on the task that I’m
parin ako very much required to do as part
on the task that I need of my schoolworks
to do for school.
Personal and R1 R1 The responses show
Family Time Medyo nag-affect sa To be honest, it that two of the
personal life ko, to be actually interferes interviewees (R1 and
honest. Pero,’yung with my personal R2) , experience the
ginagawa ko kasi, I life, but I distract effects of online

distract myself, I myself by watching classes when it
distract myself by movies. When it’s comes to personal
watching movies. too much, I watch and family time.
‘pag sobrang-sobra movies, and They struggle from
na, I’ll watch a sometimes I hang joining their family
movie, or hangout sa out with my dogs. bondings, because
dogs ko. Ay ito However, the time they tend to be on
ngayon, ‘di kami that I should be their gadgets and
makapg-bonding, kasi spending with my finishing
completion week. family is not schoolworks. On the
Usually, completion happening at the other hand, R3 stated
week, ‘di kami moment since it’s that he/she thinks
nakakapg-bond kasi completion/peta that their family time
‘di ko talaga sila week. Usually, my does not get affected
kinakausap. I have family and I can’t by the learning
my own bubble. Oo, have bonding time method the country
nakakausap pa rin. when it is has in today’s time.
Kasi, ano ‘yun eh, completion week. I This is due to
review-review lang really don’t talk to mandatory
tayo no’n ‘di ba? ‘Pag them; I have my own lockdown, where
may performance task bubble. Unlike face- people are prohibited

man na kailangan to-face, I can still from going out,
gawin sa labas, okay talk to them properly which causes R3 and
lang naman, pagka- since most of the his/her family to
tapos, bonding na. time all we do is always stay home.
review, and if we
R2 have a performance
Naapektuhan tulad task, we can do it
nga ngayong outside, so after that
kakatapos ng semana we can bond with
santa o kaya mahal na each other.
araw na tawag. Nag
family bonding yun R2
family ko tapos It affected my time
minsan di ako with my family, just
nakakasama dahil like now, the holy
gumagawa ng mga week just ended. My
activities sakto family had a family
ngayon kasi peta bonding, but
week kailangang sometimes I can’t
magbawas bago join them because
dumating yung I’m doing my

tinatawag na “hell activities, especially
week”. now it’s peta week. I
need to reduce my
R3 activities before the
Siguro to be honest, I "hell week" comes
don’t think I into view.
experience family
bonding, kasi na sa R3
bahay lang din kami. To be honest, I don’t
Parang, personally, I think we do family
would rather be with bonding anymore,
my friends kaysa with since we are always
my family at this home. I personally
point of my life. At would rather be with
this point parang ang my friends instead of
makaka-apekto sa’kin my family at this
is yung bonding ko point of my life. I
with my friends. Kasi, think the bond I
parang mas vinavalue would have with my
ko siya ngayon, kasi 2 friends would have a
years na akong nastu- huge impact on me.

stuck sa bahay na ‘to. It’s because I’ve
Parang gusto ko been stuck at our
naman ng bagong tao. house for 2 years. I
feel like I want to see
other people.
DISCUSSION
The following five main themes emerged: (a) Emotional State, (b) Sleeping Habits, (c)
Eating Habits, (d) Student Academic Performance, and (e) Personal and Family Time.
The data gathered from the conducted interview was utilized to discover the experiences
and perspectives of each participant about the topic. Afterward, examples of theme
content in the respondents' own words are presented.
Emotional state
This theme emphasizes the importance of emotional state in a student's general well-
being and their success in the ability to perform well academically. As stated by
Yerkinbekova et al. (2014), a person's emotional state is a certain mental condition that
happens during his or her life, affecting not only the degree of information processing
and energy metabolism, but also the ability to focus.

The participants reported how stress affected their emotional state and how their attitudes
and behaviors changed as a result. The data gathered showed that the majority of the
participants faced negative emotions as they were experiencing stress. As stated by R1,
‘Pag nastre-stress ako, ‘yung emotions ko, angry ta’s overwhelmed.
[When I am feeling stressed, my emotions, are angry and overwhelmed.]
In addition to this statement, R1 reported experiencing a sense of guilt due to the inability
to adhere to the workload schedule:
Oo, gano’n. Guilty ako kasi, I should’ve planned before, pero ‘di ko nagawa ‘yung plan
kasi, I had other things to do, gano’n. Like chores, gano’n.
[Yes, that is right. I’m guilty because, I should have planned before, but I did not do the
plan because, I had other things to do, like that. Like chores, and such.]
Furthermore, another respondent stated the noticeable change in emotional state
whenever facing stress, specifically in relational aspects. With that experience R1 stated,

Yung notable personality ko ‘pag stress ako, cold ako, ‘di ko sila kinakausap, ‘pag may
sinabi sila, ‘di ko narinig. Ano pa ba? Ahm, galit ako.
[My notable personality is when I am stressed, I am cold, and I do not talk to them, when
they say something, I don’t hear. What else? Ahm, I'm angry.]
R2 also claimed,
Kapag nakakaranas ako ng stress nawawalan ako ng gana makipag usap sa tao,
tinatamad akong makipag communicate. Tapos siguro yung emotion na nararamdaman
ko is masungit kasi ayun nga hindi ako nakikipag usap sa tao.
[When I experience stress I lose the energy to talk to people, I am lazy to communicate.
Then maybe the emotion I feel is ill-tempered because I do not talk to people.]
In addition to this, R2 stated,
Pagdating sa pamilya at kaibigan ko hindi naman siguro nila napapansin na kung may
nagbabago bas a aking pagkilos kapag stress ako kasi lagi rin silang busy pero ako
napapansin ko sa sarili ko kapag stress ako is tinatamad ako kumilos at madali ako
mairita. Ayun napapansin ko kapag stress ako.

[When it comes to my family and friends, maybe they do not notice that if something
changes in my behavior when I am stressed, because they are always busy, but I notice
myself when I am stressed, I am lazy to act and I am easily irritated. That is what I notice
when I am stressed.]
On the other hand, one respondent noted experiences of stress and having personal
problems emerging at the same time, which often resulted in overthinking. As said by R3,
Siguro ano, wala naman ako experience na super stress ako or super emotional ako na di
ako naka-attend, pero feeling ko yes, madami ako na experience na nastre-stress tapos
madami dadating na problema. And madalas medyo nag-ooverthink na ako, kasi
example tulad ng sabi ko may kapatid ako 3 yrs old, 14 yrs ang agwat namin, kaming
dalawa lang, kaming dalawa lang magkapatid. Minsan nastre-stress na ako, kasi
madalas ako nagseset ng deadline for myself.
[Maybe, I do not have the experience that I am super stressed or I am super emotional
that I did not attend, but I feel like yes, I have a lot of stress experiences and then a lot of
problems will come. And often I overthink a bit, because for example like I said I have a
brother 3 yrs old, we are 14 yrs apart, we are just two, we are just two brothers.
Sometimes I get stressed, because I often set a deadline for myself.]

However, another respondent stated having no experience of overthinking due to having
good decision-making. With that R2 stated,
Di naman ako nakakaramdam ng pag overthink kapag naiistress ako tapos di naman
naapektuhan decision making ko kasi pinag iisipan ko naman lahat ng gagawin ko.
[I do not experience overthinking when I am stressed and my decision-making is not
affected because I think about everything I am going to do.]
One of the participants mentioned that a negative emotional state affected their
attendance at synchronous meetings. Based on R1,
Emotionally drained. ‘Di na ako nakapasok, no’ong time na ‘yun ano eh, workload din
tas marami ginagawa, sa bahay gano’n.
[Emotionally drained. I did not get to attend anymore, at that time, I also had a lot of
workloads to do, at home like that.]
However, most of the participants stated that they did not miss their synchronous
meetings due to stress. According to R2,

Wala namang time na nakakaranas ako ng stress na nagdudulot sa hindi ko pag attend
ng online class.
[There is no time that I experience stress that causes me not to attend an online class.]
In addition to this statement, R3 reported,
Pero para sakin kasi, di naman yun severely naka-affect sa, yun tulad ng sabi ko sayo
kanina, wala naman ako nami-miss na deadline, wala namn ako nagiging missing,
feeling ko talaga time-management lang.
[But for me, it is not severely affected, just like what I have told you before, I do not miss
any deadlines, I do not miss anything, I really feel like it is just time-management.]
Sleeping Habits
Another theme emerged wherein the participants discussed their sleeping habits and how
they were affected by stress. Sleep deprivation can have a severe influence on academic
performance, meanwhile, adequate sleep can enhance immunity and aid in fighting
against stress (Anwer et al., 2021).

Based on the experiences of the participants, their sleeping hours had decreased due to
stress compared to face-to-face class. With that said, stress prevented them from sleeping.
As said by R1,
Siguro 6 to 7 hours, pero ngayon mga 3 hours na lang.
[Maybe 6 to 7 hours, but now it is only about 3 hours.]
With this statement, R2 also reported,
Nakakahadlang siya sa pagtulog ko. Ayun lang ang problema ko ngayong online classes
noong face to face classes 7 hours pa yung sleep ko pero ngayong online class, 5-3 hours
kasi nga sa gabi ako gumagawa ng mga activity na binibigay ng mga teachers.
[It was interfering with my sleep. That is the only problem I have now in online classes,
when face-to-face classes I still sleep 7 hours but now online class, 5-3 hours because at
night I do the activities given by the teachers.]
Meanwhile, according to the gathered data, sleeping hours were affected due to
procrastination in addition to stress. Thus, R3 stated,

Sa totoo lang, feeling ko mas less lang ako nagsle-sleep because of procrastination and
stress.
[Honestly, I feel like I just sleep less because of procrastination and stress.]
Eating Habits
This has been a major concern among the students as a determinant of health status. This
theme is to provide information about the overall pattern of eating habits among the
Grade 12 honor students of Letran-Bataan and the aim to learn more about their sleeping
habits.
Here are the honor students' response if their stress affected their eating habits and their
weight since online classes started. The data gathered showed that the majority of the
participants experienced losing weight and their eating habits are highly affected by their
workloads. As stated by R2,
Nawawalan ako ng gana kumain. Yung timbang ko, pumayat ako ngayong online class
kasi wala sa oras yung kain ko kasi 15 mins lang yung break kada subject. Kadalasan
puro junk foods lang kinakain ko, yung mabilis lang kainin kasi konti lang yung allotted
time na binibigay para sa break time.

[I lost my appetite. About my weight, I lost weight during online class because I don’t eat
on time, each subject my break time is just 15 mins. Usually I just eat junk foods, the
ones that you can just finish quickly because the allotted time given for my break time is
just limited.]
Moreover, another respondent was the only one that stated that there was no noticeable
difference since the online classes started, he did not experience stress eating. He felt that
time had just passed resulting in him gaining weight, he just rewarded himself after
encountering stress. With that experience, R3 stated,
Hindi ako nag-sstress eating, lagi lang rin talaga akong gutom eh. Maraming
nakakakilala sakin na malakas talaga akong kumain lalo na kapag gusto ko yung food. I
feel, ‘di naman ako nag-sstress eating because of online class. I feel like I gained weight,
pero tignan mo, ang payat ko parin oh. Feeling ko lang na lumaki lang talaga ako after 2
years rin. Tumangkad ako and kaya feeling ko hindi naman necessarily sa eating habits
ko. Just because of time lang, wala din naman masyadong nagbago rin sakin.
[I’m not into stress eating, it is normal for me to be hungry at all times. A lot of people
know that I eat a lot, especially if I like the food. I feel I’m not stressed eating because of
online classes. I feel like I gained weight, but look, I’m still thin. I just feel that I just also
grew taller after 2 years. I grew taller. That's why I feel that it is necessarily because of

my eating habits. It’s just because of time, there’s nothing much has changed for me
either.]
Student Academic Performance
This theme discusses how stress and online class changed their academic performance.
Most of the participants claimed that they have a hard time managing their own time with
their personal lives. With this, R1 stated,
Medyo nag-affect sa personal life ko, to be honest. Pero,’yung ginagawa ko kasi, I
distract myself, I distract myself by watching movies. ‘pag sobrang-sobra na, I’ll watch a
movie, or hangout sa dogs ko. Kasi, ‘yung stress ko na-aaffect lahat ng tao sa paligid ko.
[It slightly affected my personal life, to be honest. But, what I do is I distract myself, I
distract myself by watching movies if it really gets overwhelming already. I’ll watch a
movie, or hangout with my dogs. Because, when I experience stress, it affects all of the
people that surround me.]
In addition to this, it is still asked how the respondent manages her time. R1 stated,
Katulad ng sinabi ko kanina, I—parang bine-breakdown ko ‘yung kailangan kong gawin,
ta’s tina-try ko sundin. Pero kahit gano’n, stress pa rin ako.

[Like what I’ve said earlier, I just cry in able to move forward in what I need to do and I
try to follow it. But still, I still feel stressed.]
However, the two respondents had different reports. R2 preferred to procrastinate to have
a better output while R3 knew how to manage his time while experiencing stress.
Personal and Family Time
This theme discusses how stress has impacted personal and family time. Most of the
participants claimed that they were not able to attend family bondings and occasions
during the hectic week when they were required to finish and submit all their school
requirements. With this, R1 stated,
Ay ito ngayon, ‘di kami makapag-bonding, kasi completion week. Usually, completion
week, ‘di kami nakakapag-bond kasi ‘di ko talaga sila kinakausap. I have my own
bubble.
[Now, we cannot bond, because of completion week. Usually, completion week, we
cannot bond because I do npt really talk to them. I have my own bubble.]
Additionally, R3 reported,
Naapektuhan tulad nga ngayong kakatapos ng semana santa o kaya mahal na araw na
tawag. Nag family bonding yun family ko tapos minsan di ako nakakasama dahil

gumagawa ng mga activites sakto ngayon kasi peta week kailangang magbawas bago
dumating yung tinatawag na “hell week”.
[It was affected just like today, last Semana Samanta or what we call Holy Week. My
family has bonded together and then sometimes I do not get along because I'm doing
activities right now because of PETA week, I need to reduce my tasks before the so-
called "hell week" comes.]
However, one participant said that they preferred to have time to bond with friends over
family as they were already inside their homes.
However, one participant said that since they were already with their family inside their
homes, they valued spending more time bonding with friends over family. As stated by
R3,
Siguro to be honest, I don’t think I experience family bonding, kasi na sa bahay lang din
kami.
[Maybe to be honest, I don’t think I experience family bonding, because we are just at
home too.]

In line with this statement, R3 added,
Parang, personally, I would rather be with my friends kaysa with my family at this point
of my life. At this point parang ang makaka-apekto sa’kin is yung bonding ko with my
friends. Kasi, parang mas vinavalue ko siya ngayon, kasi 2 years na akong nastu-stuck
sa bahay na ‘to. Parang gusto ko naman ng bagong tao.
[It seems, personally, I would rather be with my friends than with my family at this point
in my life. At this point, it seems like it is my bonding with my friend that affects me.
Because it seems like I value this more now as I have been stuck in this house for 2 years.
I feel like I want to see other people.]
CONCLUSION
The research objective was to analyze the impact of online classes on the stress
levels of Grade 12 honor students and said stress affected their everyday life and health.
The researchers also endeavored to find just how online classes contributed to the Grade
12 honor students’ stress levels.
The researchers gathered the different experiences of the participants and it
provided an insight into how Grade 12 students were affected by online classes with
regard to their stress levels. It was found that their daily lives were affected by the
phenomenon and there was a general majority of participants that were affected with

regard to their stress levels. However, the levels of their stress varied depending on
different variables in their personality and life. Additionally, their personal and family
time were impeded based on these variables.
Most of the participants reported a loss of healthy sleeping hours (8 hours) and
experienced unhealthy appetite changes like forgetting meal times and over eating, which
can be detrimental to a student’s health. Personal time and family time were also affected,
which may have an impact on their mental well-being. Furthermore, the majority also
encountered problems regarding decision-making as a result of overthinking. Some
participants also showed signs of anxiety about their school works.
The researchers also found that students who were under pressure and stress
recognized, were self-aware, and acknowledged that academic stress also disrupted their
personal and family time. Students affected by elevated stress due to online classes
experienced a lack of sleep and changes in their diet, which affected their normal weight.
The participants who were most stressed and under pressure developed poor eating
habits, whether their appetite had decreased or stress-eating unhealthy foods. Their
sleeping habits also became unhealthy. Additionally, motivation problems also persisted
with increased stress levels. The majority of participants who experienced stress also
reported behavioral changes. The people who are close to them noticed that they showed
signs of irritability and frigidness.

The researchers also found that some participants experienced difficulties with
understanding online instructions without face-to-face communication with teachers and
this caused their stress levels to elevate. Nonetheless, two out of the three participants
reported that they are satisfied with talking to their friends or classmates online. On the
other hand, they encountered struggles regarding balancing their home and academic
lives with the two blending or blurring into each other. Procrastination was a concern,
according to all the participants and all seemingly agreed that the environment of online
class was a perfect condition to produce procrastination. However, its effects on their
academic performance varied, with one out of three participants stating that
procrastination positively contributed to their performance.
Through the data gathering and analysis, the research study has concluded that
online classes add to or elevate the stress levels of most Grade 12 honor students. This
elevation in stress affects their lives, which varies in the degree of severity depending on
specific factors. It was found that most effects of stress on the participants were negative
and even detrimental to their health. Additionally, the researchers discovered that how
stressed a student becomes and how it affects them depends on several factors in their
lives and their personality as a whole.
RECOMMENDATION
The researchers highly recommend the students, teachers, school, and future
researchers to view this research paper as it contains information about the stress levels of

Grade 12 honors students and how it affects them. This research paper will also give
awareness and additional knowledge for one to understand the topic.
For the students, they must take into consideration their sleeping patterns. The
researchers recommend them to reach out to mental health hotlines when needed. They
must observe a healthy diet and lifestyle. They should take into consideration
modifications of their lifestyle such as engagement on physical activities and mental
exercises. In addition to this, procrastination is not necessarily bad but it is recommended
for them to follow a time table to manage their time so they are not to be stressed when it
comes to their schoolworks.
For the teachers, the researchers recommend that they should base their tasks
around fascinating phenomena or design projects, and rely on their students' sense of
curiosity to keep them engaged in online learning. As students make sense of
observations and devise answers to their given tasks, teachers should observe students’
learning through continuous, embedded, and post-instruction evaluation which is
beneficial to the institution.
For the school, having a safe and healthy environment would be best for the
students. Harnessing prevention strategies like counseling is also recommended to
examine and monitor the students' emotions and thoughts about their academic
performances. As an education constitution, the researchers hope that the students,

teachers, and faculties shall be aware of the importance of considering and understanding
one’s stress levels because of how it affects them in different ways.
For the future researchers, the limitation of the study is the small sample size due
to the selected number of respondents from Grade 12 honor students. The small sample
size leads to large standard errors and low precision as well as accuracy. The usage of a
higher number of respondents to yield more accurate results is highly recommended. It is
suggested to add three or more respondents than this study’s three participants. This also
recommends broadening the scope of the sample wherein all grade levels will be
included. The overall results showed a significant relationship between the online class
setting and the levels of stress of the students. The findings suggest seeking new avenues
for understanding the learning modalities, the effects/impacts, and the coping strategies
that are practical and applicable to modify learning outcomes in on-line class set-up. The
study brought into light that academics still pose a threat to the students and going
beyond the findings, the different approach in teaching due to the pandemic, can be used
to establish new ways of learning to improve the holistic well-being of the students that
can increase the overall efficiency of the institution.
References
[1.]Brennan, D. (2021, October 25). Dealing With Change: How it Affects Your
Mental Health and What You Can Do to Cope. WebMD.

https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-to-know-about-how-to-deal-with-
change
[2.]Pascoe, M. C., Hetrick, S. E., & Parker, A. G. (2019). The impact of stress on
students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of
Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 104–112.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823
[3.]Clabaugh, A., Duque, J. F., & Fields, L. J. (2021). Academic Stress and
Emotional Well-Being in United States College Students Following Onset of the
COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.628787
[4.]Malik, M., & Javed, S. (2021). Perceived stress among university students in
Oman during COVID-19-induced e-learning. Middle East Current
Psychiatry, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-021-00131-7
[5.]Raj, U., & Fatima, A. (2020). Stress in Students after Lockdown Due to COVID-
19 Threat and the Effects of Attending Online Classes. SSRN Electronic Journal.
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3584220
[6.]Wiltse, E., Gonda, M., Massmann, C., Williams, K., & Bott-Knutson, R. (2020).
Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on honors student learning, institutional
connections, and intent to return to campus. Journal of the European Honors
Council, 4(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.31378/jehc.143

[7.]Albers, B., & Pattuwage, L. (2017). Implementation in education: Findings from a
scoping review. Melbourne: Evidence for Learning. doi:
10.13140/RG.2.2.29187.40483
[8.]Galván, A., & Rahdar, A. (2013). The neurobiological effects of stress on
adolescent decision making. Neuroscience, 249, 223–231.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.09.074
[9.]Zhai, Y., & Du, X. (2020). Addressing collegiate mental health amid COVID-19
pandemic. Psychiatry Research, 288, 113003.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113003
[10.] Barrot, J. S., Llenares, I. I., & del Rosario, L. S. (2021). Students’ online
learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them: The case
of the Philippines. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7321–7338.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x
[11.] Anne, M., Sy, P., Irenea, M., Luis, F., Malabuyoc, S., Daniella, M.,
Sobrevilla, M., Janice, M., & Gumasing, J. (n.d.). Effects of Online Classes on the
Perceived Mental Fatigue: A Case Study of Undergraduate College Students of
Mapúa University. IEOM Society International.
http://ieomsociety.org/proceedings/2021rome/508.pdf
[12.] Montano, R. L. T. (2021). THRIVING PREDICTS GRIT THROUGH
SELF-EFFICACY AMONG FILIPINO STUDENTS ENROLLED IN ONLINE
EDUCATION: THE MODERATING ROLE OF ACADEMIC STRESS.

Hellenic Journal of Psychology, 18(3), 271–286.
https://doi.org/10.26262/hjp.v18i3.8137
[13.] Busetto, L., Wick, W. & Gumbinger, C. How to use and assess qualitative
research methods. Neurol. Res. Pract. 2, 14 (2020).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42466-020-00059-z
[14.] Yerkinbekova, M., Kasumova, R., & Fedorovich, O. (2014). A Study of
Emotional States Students. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences
and Education (IJHSSE), 1, 41–47. https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijhsse/v1-
i2/4.pdf
[15.] Anwer, S., Li, H., Antwi-Afari, M. F., Shaphe, M. A., Alghadir, A., &
Wong, A. Y. (2021). Evaluation of Sleep Habits, Generalized Anxiety, Perceived
Stress, and Research Outputs Among Postgraduate Research Students in Hong
Kong During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. Journal of
Multidisciplinary Healthcare, Volume 14, 3135–3149.
https://doi.org/10.2147/jmdh.s325479
APPENDICES




















































Online Classes Effect on Honor Students' Stress

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Online Classes Effect on Honor Students' Stress

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Colegio de San Juan de Letran - Bataan

HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

A Phenomenological Study on the Effects of Online Class in the Stress Levels of

Grade 12 Honor Students of Letran-Bataan

A Research Paper Submitted to the

Senior High School Department of

Colegio de San Juan de Letran

of the Requirements for the Subject

Marie Isabel Angela S. Oca

Sophia Raysy D. Dominguez

Liana Janeene M. Sabino

Vherciandy Alfea R. Santos

Sofia Benidict E. Paglinawan

Aliyah Joy C. Sigua

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

Students of Letran Bataan.

and Coping Mechanisms in Distance Learning

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

Introductory Paragraph (Background of the Study)

Bataan, utilizing the type of qualitative research called phenomenology.

Statement of the Problem

stress levels of Grade 12 honor students in Letran-Bataan. Specifically, it seeks to find a

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

Moreover, this study aims to address the following questions:

Related Literature and Studies

Students in secondary and tertiary education face significant academic-related

stress (Pascoe et al., 2020). Students' learning capacity, academic performance,

Academic stress in terms of the ability of students to succeed in this current

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

dissatisfied with online classes.

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

they can study effectively.

In the excerpt of the study called the neurobiological effects of stress on

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

(McHale et al., 2012, as cited Galván & Rahdar, 2013).

demonstrated a larger response in salivary cortisol and other physiological parameters.

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

altered or lack of accessibility to professional help or counseling and support services,

disturbance of educational setting and environment, setbacks in degree completion, and

impacts to students' educational performance. Regarding the unfavorable effect on

experience in a pre-pandemic online learning environment.

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

demographics. Mental exhaustion was not significantly affected by sleep deprivation,

respondents' academic burden is a contributing factor to their mental exhaustion. Experts

courses and better time management.

Furthermore, in the Philippines, students struggle to adjust to the sudden arrival of

expanding body of information about COVID-19's positive benefits on student well-

Significance of the study (Contribution of the Study)

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

advancement of the school teaching-evaluation approach and the advancement of the

students, specifically Grade 12 honor students, improve their academic performances, as

learning lifestyle alongside their stress and adapt or change it consequently.

approach and help their children.

For Teachers. This phenomenological study will contribute information to the

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

despite this problem.

effective in terms of online class setup.

DEUS  PATRIA  LETRAN

Scope and Delimitation (Objectives and Limitations of the Study)

that contribute to their stress levels.

By obtaining this information, teachers or other academically related authorities will be

the overall approach of online class setup.