Romlyn P. Magno: Students' Independent Learning Capacity, Orientations, and Engagement On Their Academic Performace in Science

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MAGNO, ROMLYN P.: STUDENTS’ INDEPENDENT LEARNING CAPACITY,

ORIENTATIONS, AND ENGAGEMENT ON THEIR ACADEMIC
PERFORMACE IN SCIENCE
ABSTRACT
The study determined the influence of independent learning capacity, orientations,
and engagement on the academic performance in Science of senior high school students
in selected secondary schools in San Miguel, Bulacan during the second semester of
school year 2021-2022. The findings showed that the students assessed their academic
self-concept in terms of understanding, setting-up, utilizing, monitoring and evaluating as
"frequently true of me" while they agreed that they are academically oriented in terms of
academic apathy, creative expression, academic self-efficacy, and structure dependence,
as well as trust in teachers. On the other hand, the students assessed their Science
engagement in terms of cognitive as "frequently true of me; behavioral as "always true of
me"; and affective engagement as "sometimes true of me". The students performed
"satisfactorily" academically. It is revealed further that there is a significant relationship
between senior high school students' independent learning capacity, orientations, and
engagement and their academic performance in Science. It can be inferred that this type
of student-centered learning gained a lot of attraction and experienced exponential
growth during the COVID pandemic.
CHAPTER I
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THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global catastrophe which affects various aspects of
human society. Governments are scrambling to impose various restrictions to prevent the
spread of the virus and curb the death rate. As a result, various activities, including work
and education, have gone online and people have to adapt to the new situation (new
normal) by working remotely. Because of the closure of educational institutions and
physical classrooms are restricted or closed altogether, most, if not all learning and
teaching activities have been conducted remotely through the internet or other traditional
means such as radio and television broadcasting. Remote learning is vital during the
COVID-19 pandemic, yet it is challenging because it does not have the level of
interactions between teachers and students or between students and students, which is
normal in physical classrooms. This showcases the need for students to develop
autonomous learning as a skill in order to study effectively during and after the COVID-
19 pandemic.
The DepEd developed a Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP), it
is a DepEd Order No. 12 s. 2020 or the “Adoption of the Basic Education Learning
Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) Year 2020-2021 in Light of the COVID-19 Public Health
Emergency”. It provides clear direction to the Department of Education's (DepEd)
offices, units, schools, and community learning centers, as well as learners and their
parents and other stakeholders. The BE-LCP was developed in collaboration with internal
and external partners to build a learning delivery strategy and operational direction that
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ensures the health, safety, and well-being of all Department learners, instructors, and
workers (DepEd Oder No. 12, s. 2020). In accordance with DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2020
“Adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) Year 2020-2021
in Light of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency,’ the Department of Education uses
a variety of learning delivery modalities (LDMs) to guarantee that learners have access to
learning opportunities while also protecting the health and safety of both staff and
students. Blended learning, distance learning, and homeschooling are all options (DepEd
Order No. 032, s. 2020). Additionally, DepEd issued directives on flexible learning and
materials, notably DepEd Order No. (DO) 21, s. 2019 or the Basic Education Program
Policy Guidelines. It established Flexible Learning Options (FLOs), which are alternative
delivery methods and educational resources responsive to the need, context,
circumstances, and variety of learners (DepEd Order No. 018, s. 2020).
. Teachers and students/learners must be trained in the usage of various online
educational resources, according to Pokhrel and Chhetri (2021). Teachers and students
should be urged to continue using such online tools to boost teaching and learning once
the COVID-19 outbreak has passed and regular classes have resumed. And provide
answers to these issues: 1.) internet bandwidth is limited; 2.) data packages are too
expensive for some; 3.) appropriate pedagogy for online teaching and learning should be
established, and 4.) building tools for genuine evaluation and timely feedback is another
worry (Pokhrel and Chhetri 2021). No doubt, students may feel neither concentrated
during lectures nor motivated to do self-study.
The ability to develop independent learning is necessary for coping with the
abrupt changes caused by the pandemic. A study on undergraduate and postgraduate

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students showed that during online classes, students usually felt less motivated to study.
A majority of students in the study believed that the traditional class was more motivating
than the distance learning. Although the study did not explain why it was the case, it is
perhaps due to the lack of classroom interaction as most students in the study believed
that face-to-face contact with the instructor was important. Thus, if students are well-
equipped with the ability to be self-driven, they might be better prepared for such
challenges. In addition, having students who are prepared for the class makes online
learning more interactive and enjoyable (Adnan & Anwar, 2020).
Students who have more control over their own education will participate more
actively in educational activities. As a result, they are capable of taking the initiative to
find new experience by participating in an independent learning activity without the
assistance of either peers or teachers (Wong et al., 2019).
Students are encouraged to engage in some academic experiences without any
coercion from outside sources thanks to the internal motivation that manifests itself in the
shape of willingness and awareness. This independence in learning is assigned by the
internal motive (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Therefore, it is vital to build students' learning
independence in order to ensure that they are accountable in regulating and growing their
study capacity in a conscientious manner.
Students that are able to learn independently do not need to rely on their teachers
to acquire new knowledge and information. Students are motivated to try new things as a
result of their high levels of curiosity. The capacity of students to manage themselves,
particularly in the context of the educational process, is a vital process (Sukowati et al.,
2020).
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The capacity to manage and organize lesson plans, as well as time and even their
own learning purposes, is also related to a student's level of learning independence
(Zheng et al., 2020). Students study based on their own initiative, which enables them to
exercise better self-control. Self-regulation is the term used to describe this process.
Meanwhile, the academic orientation, researchers hypothesized this factor to
affect how students select academic tasks in a rather neutral-of-context process: Students
with high learning orientation select tasks they have less mastery of in order to maximize
learning; students with high performance orientation select tasks they already have high
mastery of in order to maximize performance (Alonso-Tapia, et al., 2015). If the students
develop these during this pandemic, it helps them to select tasks appropriate to their
academic performance.
Since the students are studying remotely and there is no physical interaction
between them and their classmates and teachers, their performance and motivation in
studying are low. According to Murayama et al., (2016) academic orientation is often
seen as the most positive motivation, and it has been found to be related to students’
learning performance. Studies of academic achievement and academic orientation are
mixed, with some correlational studies, mostly in K-12 settings, finding positive
correlations between learning orientation and various measures of academic achievement;
other studies, primarily in higher education, find the opposite (Kaplan and Maehr, 2017).
It has been suggested that the difference might lie in what type of assessments are used to
measure academic achievement: learning orientation might be more related to open-
ended projects, and performance orientation might be more related to close-ended
problems and multiple-choice tests (Barron and Harackiewicz, 2016).

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Work on gender differences in academic orientations is mixed. Many studies find
slightly higher learning orientations among girls/women. Many studies find slightly
higher performance orientation among boys/men. An extensive study of gender
differences in academic orientation found, however, that this pattern flipped with the
strongest students; in that study, strong male students were more academic oriented and
more willing to face a challenge. Strong female students were highly performance
avoidant, selecting tasks on which they knew they would perform well (Dweck, 2014).
On the other hand, student engagement is one of the important constructs that is
used to understand the behavior of the student towards the teaching-learning process.
Understanding the behavior of students in the academic institutions will provide a
glimpse of how the instructions and academic practices are going on in the university. As
such, it could be used as a powerful tool by the teachers and academic supervisors to
design an effective pedagogical techniques to maximize the learning experiences of the
students. The data on student engagement has the advantage of providing information on
what students are actually doing (Meadows, 2013).
Student engagement refers to a meaningful engagement throughout the learning
environment. It is best understood as a relationship between the student and the school,
teachers, peers, instruction, and curriculum. Student engagement refers to students being
actively involved in their learning tasks and activities. This engagement not only appears
to affect school changes directly such as teacher’s professional identity and school’s
positive atmosphere, but also seems to lead to improvement in academic achievement of
students whose grades have been poor, and lowering levels of student dissatisfaction and
dropout rates (Lei et al., 2015). Especially in this time of pandemic, the students are
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struggling on their own to engage themselves on how to improve their academic
performance.
Perry (2022) argues in his paper that since most students in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines have reported low engagement, the
secondary STEM education system should prioritize student engagement which will be
result in improved student achievement and determination in STEM college and
profession pathways. In existing literature in his research, he indicates that youth engage
genuinely with STEM activities when they do significant connections to the material
through strategies like project-based learning which blur the line between classroom and
community.
Academic achievement has consistently been regarded as an important outcome
of student engagement. Although there is extensive empirical research on the relationship
between the two, the results so far have been inconsistent. There are two major
perspectives on this relationship. For example, King (2015) concluded that academic
achievement positively correlates with behavioral and emotional engagement.
In the same vein, Dissanayake et al. (2020) found that in higher education in Sri
Lanka, students’ scholarly accomplishments and students’ engagement have statically
significant strong positive connections (r= 0.912, p=0.000). Some researchers have
pointed out that, compared to emotional and cognitive engagement, the positive
correlation between behavioral engagement and academic achievement is more obvious
(Furrer & Skinner, 2013). Taken together, the findings in these studies indicate that
different aspects of student engagement have differing relationships with academic
achievement.
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However, other scholars did not reach similar conclusions, and in some studies
researchers have not even found any significant correlation between student engagement
and academic achievement. For example, Shernoff and Schmidt (2018) found that student
engagement did not predict grade point average among college students. Chen et al.,
(2013) also found no significant correlation between student engagement and academic
achievement. Appleton et al., (2016) found that the correlation between cognitive
engagement and academic achievement was weak. A possible explanation for these
results might be that students who achieve good grades master the skills needed to learn
content quickly, thus devoting less time to studying. In contrast, students who get poor
grades do not have a good foundation of skills that help them learn, so they have
difficulty getting good grades even when they attempt to engage more.
Science refers to a curiosity in a thoughtful action about the world and how it
behaves. Anyone can think like a scientist. It is key to innovation, human advancement
and to be a globally competitive. Eldian and Banguis (2022) found on their study that
student’s performance in Science based on their grades during modular approach was just
satisfactory unlike to face-to-face approach was very satisfactory. Cabual (2021)
reiterated that each student has their own learning style and preferences. Some people
discover their essential learning style, while others use several learning styles in different
situations. Student engagement promotes academic success. And if students are well-
equipped with the ability to be self-driven, they might be better prepared for the
challenges. Thus, the learner accepts responsibility for his/her own learning as a basis of
learner’s autonomy (Little, 2015).

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In view of the premise presented above, this study was conceptualized with the
hope that senior high school students’ independent learning capacity, orientations, and
engagement would improve their academic achievement in Science especially in this new
normal.
Statement of the Problem
The study determined the influence of independent learning capacity,
orientations, and engagement on the academic performance in Science of senior high
school students in selected secondary schools in San Miguel, Bulacan during the second
semester of school year 2021-2022.
Specifically, it answered the following questions:
1. How may the independent learning capacity of the senior high school students in
the new normal be described in terms of:
1.1 understanding;
1.2 setting-up;
1.3 utilizing;
1.4 monitoring; and
1.5 evaluating?
2. How may the academic orientations of the senior high school students in the new
normal be described in terms of:
2.2 academic apathy;
2.2 creative expression;

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2.3 academic self-efficacy;
2.4 structure dependence; and
2.5 trust for teacher?
2 How may Science engagement of the senior high school students in the new normal
be described in terms of:
3.1 cognitive;
3.2 behavioral; and
3.3 affective engagement?
3 How may the senior high school students’ academic performance be described in
terms of their average grade in Science?
4 Is there a significant relationship between the senior high school students’
independent learning capacity, orientations, and engagement and their academic
performance in Science in the new normal?
5 What are the views and insights of the respondents as regards the importance of
independent learning capacity, orientations and engagement on academic
performance in Science in the new normal?
6 What program of activities can be crafted from the results of the study?
Hypothesis
The null hypothesis was tested in the study. There is no significant relationship
between the senior high school students’ independent learning capacity, orientations, and
engagement and their academic performance in Science in the new normal.

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Conceptual Framework
The term independent learning has widely concerned psychology schools.
Humanistic psychology puts forward to integrate emotional and intellectual education
into the inner learning of optimal growth and advocates those students should be regarded
as the subject of learning, and students centered learning should be carried out to promote
the freedom of learning and the initiative of creativity. Constructivism emphasizes the
process of students' active construction and believes that the construction of students'
independent learning ability not only depends on the students themselves, but teachers
also play an important role in promoting students' independent learning. The idea of
lifelong learning education suggests that all members should adhere to the self-education
beyond the school and give full play to their own initiative, and the school should also
provide the environment for lifelong learning. Social cognitive theory suggests that when
students are active participants in metacognition, motivation and behavior, their learning
is autonomous (Zimmerman, 2019). In this paper, the researcher believes that students
with strong independent learning ability would have positive learning attitude and
learning behavior which will result to improved academic performance in Science
especially in time of Pandemic.
Benson (2016) points out the number of related but not fully synonymic to
autonomy terms (self-access, self-study, self-education, out of class learning, distance
learning), and explained the difference in such way: ‘they describe the way and degrees
of learning by yourself, whereas autonomy refers to abilities and attitudes as well as the
capacity to control own learning’. The researcher also mentions that among other terms
used as synonyms in discussions on the issues of students’ autonomy is self-directed

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learning or independent learning. That’s why he stresses the necessity to check what the
author exactly meant by using them.
Learner independence has become a topic of interest and discussions over the last
two decades. As Benson indicated, it was caused by some learner-centered approaches to
language education, which included different aspects of independence of learning. In a
study of Yildiz (2020) he reiterated that learner autonomy has been considered as a
necessary effective variable in language learning. It is important for language learners to
be responsible for their own learning. Recently, learners are placed at the core of the
language learning process. According to Holec (2011), learner autonomy is ‘the activity
that a learner has developed to take charge of his or her learning’. The activity includes:
a) determining the learning objectives; b) defining its contents; c) selecting methods and
techniques; d) monitoring the procedure, as well as evaluating the results. He stressed
that self-assessment is an important and integral element of learner autonomy. This point
of view is supported by many pieces of research, among them is Little (2015), who
asserted that ‘the basis of learner autonomy is that the learner accepts responsibility for
his/her learning’. According to Benson, the wide notion of autonomy can be classified as
technical autonomy: the act of learning language outside the framework of an educational
institution and without the intervention of a teacher; psychological autonomy: a capacity
which allows learners to take more responsibility for their learning; political autonomy:
control over the processes and content of learning. And in a study of Gonzales et.al.
(2020) they analyze the effects of COVID- 19 confinement on the independent learning
performance of students in higher education in Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
(Spain). They used 458 students from different subjects and divided the students into two
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groups. The result show that there is a significant positive effect of the COVID-19
confinement on students’ performance. And based on the results, they concluded that
COVID-19 confinement changes students’ learning strategies to a more continuous habit,
improving their efficiency.
In recent years, some scholars at home and abroad have conducted empirical
research on college students' independent learning ability and academic achievement.
Zhou and Qi (2014) argue that college students' autonomous learning plays a predictive
role in academic achievement in the study of the relationship between autonomous
learning, achievement goal orientation and academic achievement. In the study of the
relationship between learning motivation, attribution, self-efficacy and students' self-
control learning behavior, Zhou and Sang (2017) put forward that the self-control
learning behavior is proportional to the internal control score of success attribution, but
has little relationship with failure attribution, and the self-control learning behavior is
positively correlated with the self-efficacy. In their paper, learning motivation, attribution
and self-efficacy are several important internal factors that influence self-control learning
behavior.
Academic orientations have been widely discussed by scholars in recent decades
(King and Mendoza, 2020). A considerable body of literature suggests that academic
orientations play an important role in promoting learning performance among students,
and it can enhance their engagement in and enjoyment of studying. Furthermore, it is
beneficial as it alleviates psychological stress and promotes the use of active learning
strategies, thus leading to high academic achievement. Academic orientations are also
inseparable from some emotional experiences, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and
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burnout (Gonçalves et al., 2017). Undoubtedly, continuous attention should be given to
academic orientations (Sideridis, 2020).
The relationship between academic orientation and academic performance has
been studied extensively. Traditionally, researchers found a strong positive relationship
between academic orientation and academic outcomes (Huang, 2012). Within distance
education, research on academic orientation associated with academic performance is
limited. The research of Remedios and Richardson (2013) is the only study in which the
relationship between academic orientation and academic achievement for adult students
in a distance education setting was examined. Remedios and Richardson found a positive
relationship between academic orientation and examination grades of the students.
A study by Geta (2012) assessed the relationship between academic orientation
and academic achievement of college students. In the study, 243 sample of Bonga
College of Teacher Education from Ethiopia were used. The result of the study revealed
that academic orientation statistically correlates with academic achievement. In a recent
study, Ireri (2015) examined the relationship between academic orientation and academic
achievement among secondary school students in Kenya. The study utilized 390 student
participants drawn from selected public secondary schools in Mbeere South Sub County.
The empirical findings reported a significant positive correlation between academic
orientation and academic achievement (r (383) =.20, p< .05).
Meanwhile, engagement has been used to describe diverse behaviors, thoughts,
perceptions, feelings, and attitudes (Reschly & Christenson, 2012). Engagement is
defined as a growth-producing activity where a person pays deep attention and focus in
responding to his/her environment (Hart et al., 2015).

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Student engagement has been found to be a key to addressing problems of low
achievement, and overcoming high levels of distraction, alienation and high dropout
rates. Engaged students do more than attend or perform academically; they also put forth
effort, persist, self-regulate their behavior toward goals, challenge themselves to exceed,
and enjoy challenges and learning. Engagement is a complex construct dealing with
many aspects of the educational experience such as attending lectures, participating in
classroom activities, having a sense of belonging amongst peers. All aspects are a part of
student engagement and are necessary for overall academic success on varying levels
(Christenson et al., 2012).
In higher education, student engagement in classrooms has been associated with
desired outcomes, including academic performance, retention, and graduation (Ayub
et al., 2017). Student engagement is a multi-disciplinary concept, which consist of
behavioral, emotional, and cognitive components. A profound understanding of how
these engagements interact would permit instructors to create and facilitate more
appealing learning experiences for students (Manwaring, 2017). Students’ engagement
had become one of the important aspects studied by many researchers (Estévez et
al., 2021; García-Martínezet al., 2021). Engagement in learning was related to students’
participation ineffective educational activities, both inside and outside the
classroom. Students who are actively involved in their learning can enhance their
critical thinking, problem-solving, and grades, as well as apply what they have learned in
the workplace (Romano et al., 2021).
The study was also guided by Socio-cognitive theory by Albert Bandura. Bandura
(1977) as cited by Surum (2018) defined learning as an internal mental process that may
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or may not be reflected in immediate behavioral change and postulated that human
behavior is as a result of interplay of factors both inside and outside the individual. He
suggested that personal factors like cognition, biological variables and other internal
events like a person’s beliefs and expectations relevant to ability are related to behavior
which affects the external environment. In the same way, the environment can influence
the person’s feeling and cognition.
According to Bandura (1986) as cited by Surum (2018), one of the basic
principles of learning is that learning is as a result of reciprocal causation or
determination. This implies that learning involves the interaction of several factors, such
as behavior, environment, storing information in memory and personal factors. This
theory was of great significance to the study, because it concurs that student academic
engagement affects learning. In addition to that, success on a first attempt on a task may
change internal events such as feelings about the circumstance involved with the success.
From the theory, related studies and literature cited, presented, and explained
above, the researcher came up with the paradigm that served as guide in the conduct of
the study.
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Independent Variable Dependent Variable
Independent Learning
Capacity
Academic Orientations Academic Performance

and
in
Science Engagement
Science
of Senior High School
Students in the New
Normal
Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study
Figure 1 shows that the independent variables are the independent learning
capacity, academic orientations, and Science engagement of senior high school students
in the new normal. These variables were hypothesized to influence (as implied by the
arrowhead) the dependent variable which is the students’ academic performance in
Science amidst pandemic.
Significance of the Study
This study is beneficial and important in both teaching and learning. It will help
the educators understand the importance of independent learning capacity, orientations,
and engagement on the academic performance in Science of senior high school students,
and it will ultimately benefit the following:

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Senior High School Students. The findings of this study will be of great assistance
to senior high school students as they will become aware of the contributions of their
independent learning capacity, orientations, and engagement on their academic
performance in Science. Moreover, they would be able to be flexible enough in the new
normal wherein they stand on their own even without the assistance of their relatives and
teachers.
Science Teachers. The study is of great importance to Science teachers because it
will provide them concrete evidence about the significance of students’ independent
learning capacity, orientations, and engagement on their academic performance. Further,
results of the study could serve as basis to Science teachers to make a program of
activities on how to improve and develop the students’ independent learning capacity,
orientations, and engagement in the new normal.
School Administrators. The findings can make the school administrators fully
aware on the influence of the students’ independent learning capacity, orientations, and
engagement on their academic performance in Science. They can include the variables
under study in their plan of activities for the school year.
Future Researchers. Results of the study will serve a reference for researchers
who have the same interests. The researcher ultimately believe that the findings of this
study will help the future researchers to fully understand the influence of students’
independent learning capacity, orientations, and engagement on their academic
performance in Science.
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Scope and Limitation of the Study
This research focused on the influence of students’ independent learning capacity,
orientations, and engagement on their academic performance in Science. Hence, the main
variables in the study were the independent learning capacity, orientations, engagement
and academic performance in Science. Independent learning capacity was limited only to
understanding, setting-up, utilizing, monitoring and evaluating. On the other hand,
academic orientations of the senior high school students were described only in terms of
academic apathy, creative expression, academic self-efficacy, structure dependence and
trust for teacher. Meanwhile, Science engagement of the senior high school students was
focused only to cognitive, behavioral, and affective engagement.
The respondents of this study were the senior high school students in selected
secondary schools in San Miguel, Bulacan. This study was conducted in the second
semester of School Year 2021-2022.
Location of the Study
This study was conducted in selected secondary schools in San Miguel, Bulacan.
The schools that participated in this research were John J. Russell Memorial High School,
San Miguel National High School, and Vedasto R. Santiago High School.
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Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Miguel,_Bulacan#/media/File:Ph_Bul_San_Miguel.jpg
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Figure 2. Map of San Miguel, Bulacan
Definition of Terms
To shed the light in understanding, the following operational definitions are
hereby presented.
Academic Apathy. This refers to students' disengagement in the classroom
environment.
Academic Orientation. This refers to students’ learning process and learning
activities that are intended to achieve academic or scholarly objectives.
Academic Performance. This refers to the students’ grade in Science in the SY:
2021-2022
Academic Self-Efficacy. This refers to the students' beliefs and attitudes about
their ability to do well in school, as well as their confidence in their ability to do
schoolwork and learn the material.
Affective Engagement. This refers to students’ focus on the emotional responses
associated with task involvement.
Behavioral Engagement. This refers to the observable act of students being
involved in learning.
Cognitive Engagement. This refers to metacognitive and self-regulatory strategies
employed by students to better comprehend the instructional material.
Creative Expression. This refers to process in which the senior high school
students takes an idea and brings it to life in forms of visual art, music, writing, and
dance.
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Engagement. This refers to students’ cognitive, behavioral and affective
engagement towards Science.
Evaluating. This refers to senior high school students’ capacity in evaluating their
learning and identifying their weak and strong areas.
Independent Learning Capacity. This refers to senior high school students’
understanding, setting up, utilizing, monitoring, and evaluating their own learning.
Monitoring. This refers to senior high school students’ capacity in monitoring the
use of learning strategies and all the components of their own studies.
Setting-Up. This refers to senior high school students’ capacity in setting up
personal learning objectives and study plans.
Structure Dependence. This refers to the students' ability to construct an indefinite
number of ideas.
Trust for Teacher. This refers to students’ beliefs that their teacher is someone
who is honest and reliable.
Understanding. This refers to senior high school students’ capacity in
understanding teachers’ teaching objectives and requirements.
Utilizing. This refers to senior high school students’ capacity in using learning
strategies in an effective way.

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CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
The information about the research and sampling procedures that were utilized by
the researcher are provided in this chapter. It includes the research design, data gathering
techniques, sampling procedures, and data analysis scheme that were employed in the
study.
Research Design
Mixed method sequential explanatory research design was used in the conduct of
the study. According to Creswell and Plano Clark (2018) the design is merited on its
strong quantitative orientation, two phase structure and the link to emergent approaches
where the second phase can be designed as a result of the outcomes of the first phase.
This research collected data in two consecutive phases within the study. The quantitative
data was collected first and analyzed followed by qualitative data collection and relate to
the outcomes from the quantitative phase. The design is suitable to this current study in
which the researcher wants to explain significant, non-significant and interesting
quantitative findings. The researcher identified the quantitative findings which needed
further exploration and used these results in the qualitative phase.

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Data Gathering Techniques
To perform this study in secondary schools in San Miguel, the researcher
requested permission from the Bulacan Schools Division Superintendent for the conduct
of this research. Upon receiving the approved permit, the researcher coordinated with the
principals of the school respondents for the schedule of administration of questionnaires
and conduct of semi-structured interviews. Because of the pandemic situation, the
researcher gathered the needed data using social media platforms such as Facebook,
messenger, and email.
The needed data for the study was divided into two categories: quantitative and
qualitative data. To collect quantitative data, a closed-ended questionnaire was used. On
the other hand, the qualitative data was acquired through semi-structured interviews. In
the video call through messenger, the researcher asked questions using an open-ended
questionnaire that was created in conjunction with the problems raised in the preceding
chapter.
In the quantitative data gathering, the questionnaire that utilized were composed
of three (3) parts. Part I of the questionnaire was adapted and modified from Gulten
(2015) to describe the senior high school students’ independent learning capacity.
Meanwhile, Part II was adapted from Davidson et al., (2019) utilized to gauge the
academic orientation of the students amidst pandemic. On the other hand, Part III was
adapted from Gaylo (2017) used to measure the Science engagement of the respondents.
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For the academic performance, the researcher asked the students’ grades in the first
grading period through document analysis.
The researcher made sure that all the collected data (quantitative and qualitative)
were used for the research purposes only. These data were stored in one folder in the
researcher’s laptop and will be permanently deleted after the final defense. Moreover, the
names, residences and other personal information of all the respondents were not
published to protect their identities.
Sampling Procedures
This study utilized purposive sampling in selecting the school respondents. Only
the secondary schools in San Miguel, Bulacan that offer STEM in senior high school
were considered participants in the conduct of this research. Since the total number of
Grades 11 and 12 students is too big, only 10 percent was chosen as sample respondents.
According to Gay & Diehl, (1992), generally the number of respondents
acceptable for a study depends upon the type of research involved - descriptive,
correlational or experimental. For descriptive research the sample should be 10% of the
population for a larger population as large as 1000. But if the population is small (as
small as 500 and below) then 20% may be required. In correlational research at least 30
subjects are required to establish a relationship. For experimental research, 30 subjects
per group is often cited as the minimum.
Table 1. Distribution of Respondents of the Study
GRADE 11 GRADE 12
School Total
N n N N
John J. Russell Memorial High 40 4 45 5 9
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School
San Miguel National High School 1893 189 585 59 248
Vedasto R. Santiago High School 474 47 478 48 95
Total 2407 241 1108 111 352
Meanwhile, 4 students per school (two from Grade 11 and two from Grade 12)
were selected at random (considering the recommendation of their teacher) to participate
in the conduct of semi-structured interview wherein open-ended questions were asked to
gather the qualitative data for the study. These respondents were given prior information
about the topic that will be asked during the interview. This was done for them to be
ready and have some background knowledge on the importance of interactions and
achievement emotions on their academic achievement in the new normal.
According to Guest et al. (2006) data saturation occurs around 12 interviews
where the sample is fairly homogeneous. However, if the sample is heterogenous, then
more might be required.
Data Analysis Scheme
After collecting all the quantitative data, it was organized, tallied, tabulated, and
analyzed using some statistical tools.
Descriptive statistics such as range, mean and standard deviation was computed to
describe the senior high school students’ academic performance in Science in the new
normal.
Weighted mean was computed to describe the students’ independent learning
capacity, orientations, and engagement in Science amidst pandemics.

27
Correlation analysis was performed to determine if significant relationship existed
between the students’ independent learning capacity, orientations and engagement and
their academic performance in Science in the new normal.
For the collected qualitative data, content analysis was utilized to analyze these
data. Qualitative content analysis is one of the several qualitative methods currently
available for analyzing data and interpreting its meaning. As a research method, it
represents a systematic and objective means of describing and quantifying phenomena. A
prerequisite for successful content analysis is that data can be reduced to concepts that
describe the research phenomenon by creating categories, concepts, a model, conceptual
system, or conceptual map (Schreier, 2012).
Document Analysis was used to describe the senior high school students’
academic performance in Science through their grades that will be given by their
respective science teacher.

28
CHAPTER III
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data
collected and the results of the statistical treatment employed in the study with the
purpose of determining the influence of independent learning capacity, orientations, and
engagement on senior high school students’ academic performance in Science.
The Independent Learning Capacity of the Senior High School Students
Independent learning capacity is often linked with other approaches to learning
such as ‘personalization’, ‘student-centered learning’ and ‘ownership’ of learning.
Students who have independent learning capacity have a good work ethic, robust,
empowered, professional, creative, courage, and become lifelong learners.
Through independent learning, a student will be able to determine the steps that
must be taken in learning, able to obtain self-learning resources, and able to conduct self-
evaluation activities and reflection on learning activities.
The assessments of the senior high school students with regard to their academic
self-concept in terms of understanding, setting-up, utilizing, monitoring and evaluating
are summarized in Tables 2 to 6.

29
Understanding
Checking for understanding during daily lessons encompasses a wide range of
techniques—formal and informal, oral and written, verbal and nonverbal—used by
teachers and students to track what students understand and can do throughout a lesson.
As a result of this ongoing assessment, teachers and students make adjustments to what
they are doing to ensure that gaps in understanding are addressed and that students who
have mastered concepts are ready to move on to another learning task.
The assessments of the senior high school students regarding their independent
learning capacity in terms of understanding are presented in Table 2.
Table 2. The Independent Learning Capacity of the Senior High

School Students in terms of Understanding
Item Statement Responses = 352

Mean VD
In Science… 5 4 3 2 1
1. I understand the class requirements. 208 32 26 42 44 3.90 FT
2. I understand the teacher’s teaching
objectives and turn it into my own 104 65 66 64 53 3.29 STM
learning objectives.
3. I understand it’s very important to
study hard according to the lesson 246 48 37 11 8 4.44 AT
objectives.
4. I understand why the teacher add
223 75 25 18 11 4.37 AT
certain class activity.
5. I can keep up with the progress of the
219 84 18 16 15 4.35 AT
subject.
Overall Mean 4.07 FT
Legend:
Scale Verbal Description
4.21 – 5.00 Always True of Me (AT)
3.41 – 4.20 Frequently True of Me (FT)
2.61 – 3.40 Sometimes True of Me (STM)
1.81 – 2.60 Seldom True of Me (ST)
1.00 – 1.80 Never True of Me (NT)
30
It can be noted from the table that item “In Science, I understand that it is very
important to study hard according to the lesson objectives” garnered the highest
computed weighted mean of 4.44 with a verbal description of “always true of me.”
Meanwhile, item “In Science, I understand the teacher’s teaching objectives and turn it
into my own learning objectives” received the lowest computed weighted mean of 3.29
with a verbal description of “sometimes true of me”. A closer look at the table reveals
that a computed overall mean of 4.07 was recorded which is verbally interpreted as
“frequently true of me.”
These results imply that senior high school students believe they need to work
extremely hard and spend additional effort in order to understand Science lessons.
In contrary to the present findings, the findings of Junio-Sabio et al. (2020) show
that students' performance in Science subjects fluctuated over five school years, implying
that their aggregate performance decreased, slightly increased, and then decreased again.
It is clear that the learning outcomes in Science generally indicate poor performance as
the year progresses (Junio-Sabio, 2020).
Setting-Up
One of the important things the students should do when learning in the new
normal is to set-up and create their personal goal. When they set-up clear goals, it’s easier
to manage their time and stick with their tasks. They must always remember why they are
studying in the first place. They need to focus on their end goal and what they can
achieve when they finish their classes. They should have enough encouragement and
motivation.
31
The assessments of the senior high school students as regards their independent
learning capacity in terms of setting-up are shown in Table 3.
It can be examined from the table that item in “In Science, I set up my objectives
in studying” yielded he highest computed weighted mean of 4.35 with a verbal
description of “always true of me.” On the other hand, item “In Science, I set up a time
plan to study” got he lowest computed weighted mean of 3.24 with a verbal description
of “sometimes true of me.” Further examination of the table shows that a computed
overall mean of 3.98 was computed which is verbally interpreted as “frequently true of
me.”

School Students in terms of Setting-Up

Mean VD
1. I set up my own study plan aside
195 36 27 43 51 3.80 FT
from the class tasks and assignments,
2. I set up my own study objectives
208 83 26 19 16 4.27 FT
according to my own situation.
3. I adjust my study plan if necessary. 217 52 41 28 14 4.22 FT
4. I set up a time plan to study. 109 78 26 65 74 3.24 STM
5. I set up my objectives in studying. 224 78 17 16 17 4.35 AT
Legend:
These results imply that senior high school students know that setting their goals
and objectives would make them more responsible in accomplishing their school tasks.
32
According to the findings Yilmaz (2018), students who take responsibility for
their own learning will set their own learning goals and plan for creative learning. Putting
one's aspirations for academic or professional advancement on writing gives them
concrete form. They remind the learner regularly of the goals they have set for
themselves. The act of setting and working toward personal objectives has been shown to
increase aspiration and self-assurance by fostering a mindset of resilience in the face of
adversity and rewarding effort afterward (Yilmaz, 2018). In addition, it provides students
with exposure to new regular classes as they are learning, and its efficacy is boosted by
providing students with appropriate study incentive. Classes in the new normal have a
more significant effect on students' resourcefulness since they are an alternative to the
conventional learning method.
Utilizing
Skills utilization is about ensuring the most effective application of skills in the
workplace to maximize performance. Skills utilization allow students to arrange, sort and
use their resources effectively.
The assessments of the senior high school students with regard to their
independent learning capacity in terms of utilizing are summarized in Table 4.

School Students in terms of Utilizing

Mean VD
1. I utilize the learning strategy in
207 52 37 23 33 4.07 FT
general.
2. I utilize my own learning strategies. 189 78 36 21 28 4.08 FT
33
3. I utilize my study skills to learn. 215 79 21 18 19 4.29 AT

4. I utilize various learning materials. 98 89 85 43 37 3.48 FT
5. I utilize various sites on the internet in
235 71 16 14 16 4.41 AT
answering my modules.
Legend:
It can be observed from the table that item “In Science, I utilize various sites on
the internet in answering my modules” received the highest computed weighted mean of
4.41 with a verbal description of “always true of me.” On the other hand, item “In
Science, I utilize various learning materials” got the lowest computed weighted mean of
3.48 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me.” Further observation of the table
reveals that a computed overall mean of 4.06 was generated which is verbally interpreted
as “frequently true of me.”
These results imply that the senior high school students point to a significant level
of internet dependence. They also see the internet as a trustworthy information resource
where they can quickly and readily find any piece of information they need. Search
engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo are great tools for researching current events and
learning more about new topics. Research on any topic can be conducted by students to
increase their understanding and acquire relevant course materials, which can have a
significant impact on their academic performance.
Relative to the present findings, according to a study conducted by Acut (2016),
there is no statistically significant correlation between the academic performance of
respondents and how they access the Internet; that is, the location from which they access
the Internet has no bearing on their academic performance.

34
Monitoring
Monitoring of learning involves the focused and timely gathering, analysis,
interpretation, and use of information that can provide evidence of student progress.
Monitoring enables the students to understand what it is that they are actually learning.
The assessments of the senior high school students about their independent
learning capacity in terms of monitoring are indicated in Table 5.

School Students in terms of Monitoring

Mean VD
1. I monitor my learning strategies to
adjust if I find they are not suitable for 188 46 38 41 39 3.86 FT
the topic.
2. I monitor whether my learning
205 48 41 27 31 4.05 FT
approaches are suitable to myself or not.
3. I monitor my learning approach and
123 68 42 51 68 3.36 STM
change it when I find it inappropriate.
4. I monitor my learning approaches to
128 42 78 41 63 3.37 STM
find the problems of my study.
5. I monitor my learning strategies and
adjust if I find they are not suitable for 129 46 58 58 61 3.35 STM
me.
Legend:
It can be gleaned from the table that item “In Science, I monitor whether my
learning approaches are suitable to myself or not” got the highest computed weighted
mean of 4.05 with a verbal description of “frequently true of me.” On the other hand,
35
item “In Science, I monitor my learning strategies and adjust if I find they are not suitable
for me” got the lowest computed weighted mean of 3.35 with a verbal description of
“sometimes true of me”. Further perusal of the table shows that a computed overall mean
of 3.60 was calculated which is verbally interpreted as “frequently true of me.”
These results show that senior high school students are aware that monitoring
their learning allows them to evaluate the success of their own ways in studying their
classes. In doing this, these students would be able to make some alterations in order for
them to understand their lessons simply. Monitoring student development on a regular
basis also enables the teacher to review a student's current performance level, as well as
evaluate progression across a school year.
In the same vein, academic monitoring can bring better outcome in higher study
by minimizing the numbers of fails (Nunes et al., 2018). Also, according to the findings
of Greene (2015), by keeping track of their academic progress, students are inspired to
take responsibility for their education, which aids in the development of learner agency—
knowledge of oneself as a learner—skills. The learner's capacity to state clearly, create,
or request the circumstances required to suit their learning needs.
Evaluating
Student self-evaluation of learning occurs when they assess their own
performance. In doing this, students learn to: objectively reflect on and critically evaluate
their own progress and skill development; identify gaps in their understanding and
capabilities; discern how to improve their performance; and learn independently and
think critically.
36
The assessments of the senior high school students as regards their independent
learning capacity in terms of evaluating are manifested in Table 6.
It can be seen from the table that item “In Science, I evaluate to try to cooperate
and learn together with my classmates” yielded the highest computed weighted mean of
4.45 with a verbal description of “always true of me.” Meanwhile, item “In Science, I
evaluate the advantage of the learning resources available” got the lowest computed
weighted mean of 3.29 with a verbal description of “sometimes true of me.” Further
analysis of the table reveals that a computed overall mean of 3.72 was obtained which is
verbally interpreted as “frequently true of me.”

School Students in terms of Evaluating.

Mean VD
1. I evaluate the opportunities to learn in
208 71 33 22 18 4.22 AT
my daily activities.
2. I evaluate the advantage of the
108 71 56 48 69 3.29 STM
learning resources available.
3. I evaluate the use of new knowledge
121 48 63 56 64 3.30 STM
when I study.
4. I evaluate to try to cooperate and
236 75 16 14 11 4.45 AT
learn together with my classmates.
5. I evaluate the learning mistakes I’ve
133 41 57 59 62 3.35 STM
made during my study process.
Legend:
These results imply that senior high school students think they will learn more if
they do school tasks in Science with their classmates. It helps students learn how to better
37
meet their own learning needs and gives them the power to be change agents in their own
achievement.
In a parallel study, Adarkwah (2021) examined students’ online learning
experience during the pandemic using a narrative inquiry approach. The findings
indicated that students considered online learning as ineffective due to several challenges
that they encountered. Among these were lack of social interaction among students, poor
communication, lack of ICT resources, and poor learning outcomes.
The Academic Orientation of the Senior High School Students
Academic orientation is a term that describes the way that students think about
and approach their studies; more specifically, it looks at the relationship between these
two factors. Thinking about and reviewing their own personal academic orientation is a
very useful thing for every student to do as it allows them to do two things: discover the
beliefs and assumptions that underpin the way they approach their studies; and begin to
replace incorrect assumptions with ones that are more accurate.
orientation in terms of academic apathy, creative expression, academic self-efficacy,
structure dependence and trust for teacher are indicated in Tables 7 to 11.
Academic Apathy
38
Student apathy is generally associated with student’s lack of interest in academics,
low attendance rates, missing exams, refusal to learn and explore, ignorance to penalties,
no desire to cite their opinions, and little or no involvement in student activities. Students
with this problem generally take learning as a burden instead of as a source of delight.
They are not usually motivated to learn and exhibit a “don’t care” attitude.
orientation in terms of academic apathy are presented in Table 7.
It can be gleaned from the table that item “In Science, I try to exert just enough
effort to avoid failing” obtained the highest computed weighted mean of 4.63 with a
verbal description of “strongly agree.” Meanwhile, item “In Science, my goal is to get the
best grade I can without expending a lot of effort on my schoolwork” got the lowest
computed weighted mean of 2.58 with a verbal description of “disagree.” Further perusal
of the table reveals that a computed overall mean of 3.85 was recorded which is verbally
interpreted as “agree.”
Table 7. The Academic Orientation of the Senior High School

Students in terms of Academic Apathy

Mean VD
1. I try to exert just enough effort to
302 12 11 13 14 4.63 SA
avoid failing.
2. my goal is to get the best grade I can
without expending a lot of effort on my 56 44 36 127 89 2.58 D
schoolwork.
3. I plan my study sessions in advance
79 28 124 111 10 3.16 MA
and pretty much stick to the plan.
4. I tend to study in a regular consistent
235 84 17 9 7 4.51 SA
pace.
5. I try to work just hard enough to get
228 78 17 15 14 4.39 SA
the grade that I need.
39
Overall Mean 3.85 A

Legend:
4.21 – 5.00 Strongly Agree (SA)
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
2.61 – 3.40 Moderately Agree (MA)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
1.00 – 1.80 Strongly Disagree (SD)
These results imply that senior high school students attempt to avoid failing by
studying at a steady, consistent pace and exerting the minimum amount of effort
necessary to get the passing grade. In general, individuals learn more from their mistakes
than their victories. Not only do students discover what does not work so that they can
modify future attempts, but they also learn about themselves and develop some empathy
for others who may be struggling as well.
In conformity to the findings of the present study, Tus (2021) were implying that
students with higher GWA exhibited reduced signs of anxiety disorder, including fewer
forms of anxiety and fewer feelings of anxiety. Anxiety and depression in the home can
have a significant impact on a student's ability to focus on class.
Creative Expression
Creative expression refers to how students use music, movement, building, and
play to express themselves. Creative expression can help to make concepts more
concrete, personalize abstractions, and affect attitudes by involving emotional as well as
intellectual responses to human rights.
Table 8 exhibits the assessments of the senior high school students with regard to
their academic orientation in terms of creative expression.
Table 8. The Academic Orientation of the Senior High School

40
Students in terms of Creative Expression

Mean VD
1. it is important to learn about other
78 68 67 65 74 3.03 MA
cultures and ways of life.
2. I am a very creative person. 86 83 69 81 33 3.31 MA
11
3. learning new things is thrilling. 185 16 14 18 4.25 SA
9
4. I prefer assignments that leave room
104 79 62 49 58 3.35 MA
for my own creative ideas.
5. I prefer assignments in which students
are expected to formulate creative
109 61 58 77 47 3.31 MA
answers and not just summarize the
work of others.
Overall Mean 3.45 A
Legend:
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
It can be seen from the table that only one item “In Science, learning new things
is thrilling” received the highest verbal description of “strongly agree” with a computed
weighted mean of 4.25. Meanwhile, item “In Science, it is important to learn about other
cultures and ways of life” got the lowest computed weighted mean of 3.03 with a verbal
description of “moderately agree.” Closer analysis of the table reveals that a computed
overall mean of 3.45 which is verbally interpreted as “agree.”
These results imply that the senior high school students feel happy to learn new
things at school. This feeling of happiness and excitement about learning something new
opens new doors for the students, who enjoy and benefit from creative and artistic ways
to express themselves, like drawing, writing, playing an instrument, painting, or making
something. Students who love to learn are always trying to improve themselves by taking
on new subjects and learning more about things they already know. Even though they
41
might get frustrated if the subject matter is too hard, the process of learning makes them
happy.
In line with the current findings, Pamintuan (2021) found that even though
elementary school students had difficulties at school, they were still imaginative and
interested in learning. He used a multi-method approach to look into the more dynamic
parts of creative learning. In addition, Gajda et al. (2017) revealed that students still have
fun and learn new things. This means that teacher activities that support creativity in the
classroom are linked to students' positive engagement, self-expression, and ideation,
regardless of the classroom type or environment (Gajda et al. 2017).
In the conducted interview, the students were asked, "How do you display your
creativity in your schoolwork?" Many of these students claimed that holistic tasks can be
expressed through the visualization of ideas and objectives. Other students stated that
they constantly stimulate their senses. In addition, others claimed that they devise rituals
that made their imaginations accurate to be creative.
Academic Self-Efficacy
Academic Self-Efficacy pertains to students' views and attitudes towards their
capacities to attain academic achievement and their confidence in their capacity to
complete academic tasks and master the content. It can enhance student achievement,
promote mental health and well-being, and accurately predict motivation and learning.
Table 9 exhibits the assessments of the senior high school students with regard to
their academic orientation in terms of academic self-efficacy.

42
Table 9. The Academic Orientation of the Senior High

School Students in terms of Academic Self-Efficacy

Mean VD
1. I am positive that I can get a good
124 98 57 41 32 3.68 A
grade.
2. I feel aware of how to get good 10
219 11 6 8 4.49 SA
grades. 8
3. I have my own test strategies to get 11
211 9 8 6 4.48 SA
high scores. 8
4. I am pretty good at guessing the 12
121 62 18 23 3.87 A
questions on tests beforehand. 8
5. I felt worried when I get low scores in 11
124 76 12 21 3.89 A
tests. 9
Overall Mean 4.08 A
Legend:
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
It can be noted from the table that item “In Science, I feel aware of how to get
good grades” garnered the highest computed weighted mean of 4.49 with a verbal
description of “strongly agree”. Meanwhile, item “In Science, I am positive that I can get
a good grade” received the lowest computed weighted mean of 3.68 with a verbal
description of “agree.” A closer look at the table reveals that a computed overall mean of
4.08 was recorded which is verbally interpreted as “agree.”
These results imply that the senior high school students, with due regard to their
self-efficacy, consider themselves competent learners. A student who is confident in their
ability can easily learn the material and perform well on a test. Having a strong, positive
belief in one's ability and ability to achieve goals lead to positive results.
In accordance with the findings of the presents study, Honicke and Broadbent
(2016) conducted 12 years of study on the relationship between academic self-efficacy

43
and the academic performance of university students. Academic self-efficacy was found
to have a moderate correlation with academic success. Several mediating and moderating
factors were discovered, such as effort regulation, deep processing techniques, and goal
orientations.
In the conducted interview, the students were asked how they assessed their self-
efficacy in terms of their performance inside the classroom. Many of these students
mentioned that they conducted assessments to gauge their talents and determine whether
they remain competent in doing performance task. Other students stated that, as part of
self-evaluation, they choose situations and engage in tough activities they believe they
are capable of handling.
Structure Dependence
Structure Dependence means that a student can come up with an unlimited
number of ideas by putting together a limited number of parts. Students with this trait
appear to recognize the connection between themselves and others whose existence
creates an instantaneous dependency when there is planned or ongoing task that demands
collaboration.
Table 10 exhibits the assessments of the senior high school students with regard
to their academic orientation in terms of structure dependence.
Table 10. The Academic Orientation of the Senior High

School Students in terms of Structure Dependence

Mean VD
1. it is the teacher’s job to set the 201 88 39 13 11 4.29 SA
44
direction for the course and the student’s

job to follow that direction.
2. I much prefer straightforward factual
questions rather than abstract, 221 89 23 9 10 4.43 SA
conceptual ones.
3. the place where I study must be
284 34 11 13 10 4.62 SA
perfectly quiet.
4. grades provide me with an ideal goal
225 53 28 21 25 4.23 SA
to work hard.
5. it is very important that the teacher
makes it perfectly clear what students 184 63 72 18 15 4.09 A
must do in order to succeed.
Overall Mean 4.33 SA
Legend:
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
It can be examined from the table that item “In Science, the place where I study
must be perfectly quiet” yielded the highest computed weighted mean of 4.62 with a
verbal description of “strongly agree.” On the other hand, item “In Science, it is very
important that the teacher makes it perfectly clear what students must do in order to
succeed” got the lowest computed weighted mean of 4.09 with a verbal description of
“agree.” Further examination of the table shows that a computed overall mean of 4.33
was computed which is verbally interpreted as “strongly agree.”
These results imply that the senior high school students frequently believe that
studying in a quiet place is beneficial for them. This allows the capacity to concentrate in
peace and quiet, free from interruptions, can greatly improve the quality of their
performance. Students are able to give their full attention to the task at hand.
The results of the present study is supported by findings of Ng (2021) where
environmental inputs from the physical learning environment can raise the cognitive load
on learners' working memory. Since it requires effort for a student to interpret irrelevant
45
environmental stimuli, irrelevant environmental stimuli should always be eliminated or at
least minimized (Ng, 2021).
During the interview, students were asked how reliant they were on the learning
environment setup. Many of these students stated that having a comfortable and
conducive learning environment helps them to stay motivated and cope with a variety of
scenarios and learning tasks. Other students believe that the best study environment is
one that is completely silent.
Trust for Teacher
Trust for teacher relates to students' perceptions of their teacher as being
trustworthy and dependable. It is essential to a positive teacher–student interaction and a
positive learning environment. It provides a relational foundation for cooperation and
collaboration and is an essential resource for both teacher and student in the teaching and
learning process.
orientation in terms of trust for teacher are shown on Table 11.
Table 11. The Academic Orientation of the Senior High School Students
in terms of Trust for Teacher

Mean VD
1. my teacher is always there when I
102 56 74 84 36 3.30 MA
need assistance.
2. my teacher does not show favoritism 11
209 8 11 8 4.44 SA
in class. 6
3. my teacher is very much
288 38 14 8 4 4.70 SA
knowledgeable.
4. my teacher always motivated us to 251 58 14 11 18 4.46 SA
46
study hard.
5. I trust my teacher. 287 37 19 6 3 4.70 SA
Overall Mean 4.32 SA
Legend:
3.41 – 4.20 Agree (A)
1.81 – 2.60 Disagree (D)
Interestingly, it can be observed from the table that items “In Science, I trust my
teacher” and “In Science, my teacher is very much knowledgeable” received the same
highest computed weighted mean of 4.70 with a verbal description of “strongly agree.”
On the other hand, item “In Science, my teacher is always there when I need assistance”
got the lowest computed weighted mean of 3.30 with a verbal description of “moderately
agree.” Further observation of the table reveals that a computed overall mean of 4.32 was
generated which is verbally interpreted as “strongly agree.”
These results imply that the senior high school students display trustworthiness
and dependability with regard to their teachers. Trust is an essential quality in both a
healthy connection between a teacher and a student and an effective educational setting.
It provides a relational framework for cooperation and collaboration, as well as a vital
resource for both the instructor and the student in the process of teaching and learning.
In conjunction with the present study, Amemiya et al. (2020) conducted a diary
study to evaluate how adolescents' institutional and teacher-specific trust influenced
classroom behavioral engagement the day after being disciplined by a particular teacher.
The results suggested that discipline had no correlation with the following day's behavior
among adolescents in whom teacher trust was low. In contrast, adolescents with high
teacher trust but low institutional trust became less involved as a result of discipline,
while those with high teacher trust and institutional trust became more engaged. These
47
findings imply that teenagers understand discipline within the social context of trust, and
that adolescents' trust in the institution and teacher is crucial for discipline to enhance
behavior.
In the conducted interview, the students were asked regarding their confidence in
their teacher. Most of these students responded that they follow their teacher direction
and explanation for them to avoid confusion. Other students stated that their teachers
motivate and influence them through their strategies for having a positive mindset and
view on activities.
The Science Engagement of the Senior High School Students
Three distinct activities are regarded to comprise science engagement: science
awareness, science communication, and science education. Science demonstrates the
intricate nature of learning engagement, which is cognitive, behavioral, and affective.
Through involvement, students participate in discussions regarding the impact of
scientific concepts on the offered issues.
The assessments of the senior high school students regarding their Science
Engagement in terms of cognitive, behavioral, and affective engagement are indicated in
Tables 12 to 14.
Cognitive
Cognitive engagement refers to metacognitive and self-regulatory skills that
students adopt to better absorb the educational material. Additionally, it is the amount to
48
which students are willing and able to undertake the assigned learning activity. This
comprises the amount of effort and perseverance that students are willing to engage in a
subject.
The assessments of the senior high school students about their Science
engagement in terms of cognitive are indicated in Table 12.
It can be seen in Table 12 that the statement “I am looking forward to learning
more” got the highest weighted mean of 4.21 with a verbal description of “Always True
of Me” and the statement “I am reading book in advance to be ready” got the lowest
weighted mean of 3.76 with a verbal description of “Frequently True of Me.”
Table 12. The Science Engagement of the Senior High

School Students in terms of Cognitive

Mean VD
1. I am looking forward to learning
216 51 41 32 12 4.21 AT
more.
2. I am reading book in advance to be 12
114 56 41 20 3.76 FT
ready. 1
3. during my free time, I spend time to 13
111 51 39 13 3.84 FT
look for more information. 8
4. I am investing time and efforts to 21
98 11 9 15 4.07 FT
learn a lot. 9
5. I am trying to learn as much as I 23
87 18 7 4 4.12 FT
could. 6
Legend:
These results imply that the senior high school students frequently believe that
studying in a quiet place is beneficial for them. This allows the capacity to concentrate in
49
peace and quiet, free from interruptions, can greatly improve the quality of their
performance. Students are able to give their full attention to the task at hand.
Results of the present study are similar to, Greene (2015) conducted a 20-year
study in which she analyzed self-report measures as they pertain to the measuring of
cognitive involvement. Self-report data have made substantial advances to the
understanding of motivation and cognitive engagement.
In the interview that was done, the students were asked how they use cognitive
skills to learn about science. Many of these students said that spreading out new
information so they can process it helps their brains work better. Other students say that
they always take part in a healthy way of learning.
Behavioral
Behavioral engagement entails students' academic participation and efforts to
complete academic work. Engaging students in the learning process heightens their
attention and concentration and stimulates them to engage in critical thinking.
engagement in terms of behavioral are indicated in Table 13.

School Students in terms of Behavioral

Mean VD
1. I am listening to the teacher’s 13
119 53 28 20 3.86 FT
discussion during online class. 2
2. I am doing my assignments. 256 58 23 10 5 4.56 AT
3. I ask questions whenever I have
13
queries about the lesson presented in 121 41 37 17 3.87 FT
6
online class.
4. I am studying whenever there are 248 36 48 14 6 4.44 AT
50
tests.
5. I am doing my projects creatively on
243 69 22 11 7 4.51 AT
time.
Overall Mean 4.25 AT
Legend:
It can be seen from the table that item “In Science, I am doing my assignments”
yielded the highest computed weighted mean of 4.56 with a verbal description of “always
true of me.” Meanwhile, item “In Science, I am listening to the teacher’s discussion
during online class” got the lowest computed weighted mean of 3.86 with a verbal
description of “frequently true of me.” Further analysis of the table reveals that a
computed overall mean of 4.25 was obtained which is verbally interpreted as “always
true of me.”
These results imply that senior high school students make efforts to do their
assignments and achieve active classroom involvement in order to facilitate learning.
Doing their assignments give students a chance to study, apply what they have learned,
and show that they understand the material. It demonstrates to the instructor that the
objectives have been met.
In a parallel study, Nguyen et al. (2018) studied how student behavioral
involvement varied based on circumstance and demonstrated the need for a more nuanced
engagement scale. They discover no consistent relationship between increased behavioral
engagement and student interaction with peers, but the connection between peers and the
teacher is predictive of increased engagement.

51
In the conducted interview, students were asked, “What behavior do they foster in
their science learning?” Many of these students responded that they cultivate a favorable
attitude toward science learning. Other students stated that they must undergo conceptual
change to have a new perspective on the physical world.
Affective Engagement
Affective engagement focuses on the emotional responses associated with task
involvement. The greater the student's level of interest, enjoyment, positive attitude, the
positive value held, inquisitiveness, and sense of belonging, the better his or her affective
engagement.
engagement in terms of affective engagement are indicated in Table 14.

School Students in terms of Affective Engagement

Mean VD
1. I like the feeling when I am solving
92 98 89 31 42 3.47 FT
problems.
2. I am sharing my ideas and notes to
154 45 63 52 38 3.64 FT
my classmates.
3. I am happy that my teacher
encourages me to be involved in online 204 86 36 18 8 4.31 AT
class.
4. I am glad that my classmates are
willing to help me in answering science 103 58 71 68 52 3.26 STM
problems.
5. I enjoyed the activities. 31 47 41 71 162 2.19 ST
Overall Mean 3.37 STM
Legend:
52

It can be gleaned from the table that item “In Science, I am happy that my teacher
encourages me to be involved in online class” obtained the highest computed weighted
mean of 4.31 with a verbal description of “always true of me.” Meanwhile, item “In
Science, I enjoyed the activities” got the lowest computed weighted mean of 2.19 with a
verbal description of “seldom true of me.” Further perusal of the table reveals that a
computed overall mean of 3.37 was recorded which is verbally interpreted as “sometimes
true of me.”
These results imply that the senior high school students demonstrate affective
involvement in their learning. It is possible for students to develop a sense of belonging
and connection to their school when teachers make an effort to get to know each of their
students. This sense of belonging and connection can then serve as a foundation for the
students' academic achievement.
In accordance with the findings of the presents study, Pe et al. (2022) demonstrate
that teacher support influences students' academic performance via learner engagement,
which serves as a mediator.
In the conducted interview, the students were asked about their extent of
emotional engagement in science learning. Many of these students claimed that they
exhibit positive emotions to express their desire to study more in science, such as interest
and eagerness. According to some students, one must demonstrate excitement and
commitment to engage in a deeper level of science learning.

53
The Senior High School Students’ Academic Performance in Science
In this part of the study, the academic performance of the senior high school
students in Science is shown in Table 15.
Table 15. Distribution of Respondents According to Learning Performance
F
Grade Percent Verbal Description
(N=352)
90 and above 27 7.67 Outstanding (O)
85 – 89 98 27.84 Very Satisfactory (VS)
80 – 84 149 42.33 Satisfactory (S)
75 – 79 78 22.16 Fairly Satisfactory (FS)
74 and below 0 0.00 Did Not Meet Expectations (DNE)
Range 75 – 96
Mean 83.06
Verbal Description Satisfactory (S)
Standard Deviation 4.55
It can be examined in the table that more than two-fifths or 42.33 percent of the
senior high school students registered grades that ranged from 80 to 84 (satisfactory).
Meanwhile, more than one-fourth or 27.84 percent obtained grades that lie within the
bracket of 85 to 89 (very satisfactory). On the other hand, more than one-fifth or 22.16
percent of the respondents yielded grades that ranged from 75 and 79 (fairly satisfactory).
The remaining 7.67 percent got grades that lie within the highest bracket of 90 and above
(outstanding).
A close examination of the table reveals that the grades of the Senior high school
students in Science ranged from 75 to 96. The mean was recorded at 83.06 (satisfactory)
while the standard deviation which measures the spread of the students’ grades in Science
from the mean was registered at 4.55.
These results disclosed that 352 senior high school students obtained grades that
lie within the bracket of 79 to 96. Additionally, these findings imply that for almost two
54
years of the implementation of distance learning, some students were not fully adjusted
which is proven by the satisfactory grades obtained by most respondents of the study.
In accordance with the recent study, Hizon (2022) found that the academic
performance of the junior high school in the new normal was described as “satisfactory.”
She concludes that, there is significant relationship between the junior high school
students’ learning skills and their academic performance in the new normal.
The Relationship between the Senior High School Students’ Independent Learning
Capacity, Orientations and Engagement and their Academic Performance in
Science
Table 16 exhibits the results of the correlation analysis which was done to
determine if significant relationship existed between the senior high school students’
independent learning capacity, orientations and engagement and their academic
Table 16. Results of Correlation Analysis on the Relationship between the Senior High
School Students’ Independent Learning Capacity, Orientations, and Engagement
and their Academic Performance in Science
Item Academic Performance

independent learning capacity 0.752**
(0.000)
academic orientations 0.804**
(0.000)
Science engagement 0.843**
(0.000)
Legend: ** = highly significant (p≤0.01) Numbers in the upper entry are t/F-test values
Numbers enclosed in parentheses are probability values (p-values)
55
It can be examined from the table that highly significant relationship was found
between the senior high school students’ independent learning capacity, orientations and
engagement and their academic performance in Science. This highly significant
relationship was brought about by the fact that the computed probability value (p=0.000)
for these variables is less than the 0.01 level of significance. Further examination of the
tabulated results reveals that direct relationship (as implied by the positive sign of the
correlation values that ranged from 0.752 to 0.843) existed between the aforementioned
variables. This discloses that as the level of students’ independent learning capacity,
orientations and engagement increases, the level of their academic performance in
Science also increases.
In conjunction to the present findings, Ejubović and Puška (2019) reported that
from the results of their exploratory factor analysis (EFA), it was shown that the
statements within Self-Regulated Learning are grouped into five factors: goal-setting,
metacognition, independent learning capacity, orientations and engagement. Multiple
regression analysis proved that 4 of 5 factors have a positive impact on satisfaction and
academic performance of students. Only goal-setting yielded no significance on the five
aforementioned variables, while remaining four factors showed a significant influence on
students’ satisfaction and academic performance in Science.
In the conducted interview with the senior high school students, they were asked
about the importance of independent learning capacity, orientations, and engagement in
their Science learning. The majority of these students agreed that successful Science
learning outcomes can be achieved through the use of constructive strategies such
interactive activities and the development of better self-regulation of learning in terms of

56
both attitudes and behaviors, as well as positive approaches in learning such as showing
of enthusiasm, curiosity, or engagement when learning. Students also believed that they
would perform better academically if they were given the tools and encouragement to
learn independently.
Program of Activities Crafted from the Results of the Study
Results of the study revealed that students’ assessments on their affective
engagement in Science is quite low. Further, items on monitoring and creativeness
received lower assessments from these students. Hence, the researcher offers the Program
of Activities which is presented in Table 17.
It can be observed from the table that the objectives from table 17 are to develop
the affective engagement of students in Science, to inculcate among the value monitoring
their own learning, and to develop the creativeness of students in Science.

57
Table 17. Proposed Program of Activities to Improve Students Affective Engagement,

Monitoring and Creativeness in Science
Objectives Action Timeline Persons Expected

Involved Outcome
To develop the Integrate in the Whole- Researcher, At the end of the
affective lesson plan some year Teachers, project, senior
engagement of activities like Senior High high school
students in gamification that School students are
Science. may develop Students expected to
students’ develop their
affective affective
engagement in engagement in
science. science.
To inculcate Ask the students Whole- Researcher, Students are
among the to create a year Teachers, expected to value
students the value monitoring Senior High the monitoring of
of monitoring their journal School their own learning
own learning. Students. through
monitoring
journal.
To develop the Integrate in the Whole- Researcher,
creativeness of lesson plan some year Teachers Students are
students in Science activities and Senior High expected to have
strategies like School high academic
singing, Students performance
debating, and through their
role playing that creativeness in
may develop the science.
senior high
school student
creativeness in
science.
58
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary of the major findings, the conclusions arrived
at based on the findings, and the recommendations given in accordance with the
conclusions.
Findings
This study determined the influence of independent learning capacity, orientations
and engagement on the academic performance in Science of senior high school students
in selected secondary schools in San Miguel, Bulacan during the School Year 2021-2022.
Using the procedures described in the preceding chapter, the answers to the
problems raised in this study were ascertained and summarized as follows: Findings
revealed that senior high school students assessed their academic self-concept in terms of
understanding, setting-up, utilizing, monitoring and evaluating as “frequently true of me.”
Meanwhile, the senior high school students agreed that they are academically
orientated in terms of academic apathy, creative expression, academic self-efficacy, and
strongly agreed in terms of structure dependence and trust for teacher.
On the other hand, the senior high school students assessed their Science
engagement in terms of cognitive as “frequently true of me; behavioral as “always true of
me;” and affective engagement as “sometimes true of me.”

59
The senior high school students’ academic performance in Science was described
as “satisfactory”.
Highly significant relationship was found between the senior high school
students’ independent learning capacity, orientations, and engagement and their academic
Conclusions
Based on the findings of the study, this conclusion was drawn: There is a
significant relationship between the senior high school students’ independent learning
capacity, orientations and engagement and their academic performance in Science in the
new normal. When the students have the capacity to study on their own, positive feelings
towards Science, they would be able to attain higher grades in the subject. This highlights
the significance of personality as a collection of noncognitive traits for students' intrinsic
drive to succeed academically on a daily basis. These findings demonstrate the crucial
role of academic self-concept as a motivator in the classroom.
Recommendations
In light of the findings and conclusions of the study, the following
recommendations are hereby made:
1. Science teachers may evaluate the activities being provided to their students
through monitoring and evaluation. They may consider some revisions to

60
increase the affective engagement of the students in the aforementioned
subject.
2. Science teachers has to ensure that their students comprehend the goals of the
various classes they are taught in order to convey to their students an accurate
and detailed understanding of the reasons for studying science.
3. Teachers may integrate in their lessons the value of monitoring their own
learning and being creative not only in Science but in all subjects as well.
4. The program of activities may be considered by the school respondents for
implementation.
5. For future researchers, further research along this line could be conducted.
The same study may be conducted to junior high school students to further
validate and understand the significance of independent learning capacity,
orientations and engagement on Science learning performance.

61
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Romlyn P. Magno: Students' Independent Learning Capacity, Orientations, and Engagement On Their Academic Performace in Science

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Romlyn P. Magno: Students' Independent Learning Capacity, Orientations, and Engagement On Their Academic Performace in Science

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MAGNO, ROMLYN P.: STUDENTS’ INDEPENDENT LEARNING CAPACITY,

The study determined the influence of independent learning capacity, orientations,

self-concept in terms of understanding, setting-up, utilizing, monitoring and evaluating as

academic apathy, creative expression, academic self-efficacy, and structure dependence,

engagement in terms of cognitive as "frequently true of me; behavioral as "always true of

"satisfactorily" academically. It is revealed further that there is a significant relationship

of student-centered learning gained a lot of attraction and experienced exponential

growth during the COVID pandemic.

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global catastrophe which affects various aspects of

normal) by working remotely. Because of the closure of educational institutions and

The DepEd developed a Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP), it

Emergency”. It provides clear direction to the Department of Education's (DepEd)

delivery methods and educational resources responsive to the need, context,

circumstances, and variety of learners (DepEd Order No. 018, s. 2020).

. Teachers and students/learners must be trained in the usage of various online

during lectures nor motivated to do self-study.

abrupt changes caused by the pandemic. A study on undergraduate and postgraduate

learning more interactive and enjoyable (Adnan & Anwar, 2020).

find new experience by participating in an independent learning activity without the

assistance of either peers or teachers (Wong et al., 2019).

Students are encouraged to engage in some academic experiences without any

shape of willingness and awareness. This independence in learning is assigned by the

study capacity in a conscientious manner.

own learning purposes, is also related to a student's level of learning independence

Meanwhile, the academic orientation, researchers hypothesized this factor to

mastery of in order to maximize performance (Alonso-Tapia, et al., 2015). If the students

learning performance. Studies of academic achievement and academic orientation are

correlations between learning orientation and various measures of academic achievement;

measure academic achievement: learning orientation might be more related to open-

ended projects, and performance orientation might be more related to close-ended

problems and multiple-choice tests (Barron and Harackiewicz, 2016).

Work on gender differences in academic orientations is mixed. Many studies find

higher performance orientation among boys/men. An extensive study of gender

Understanding the behavior of students in the academic institutions will provide a

design an effective pedagogical techniques to maximize the learning experiences of the

what students are actually doing (Meadows, 2013).

Student engagement refers to a meaningful engagement throughout the learning

positive atmosphere, but also seems to lead to improvement in academic achievement of

struggling on their own to engage themselves on how to improve their academic

result in improved student achievement and determination in STEM college and

Academic achievement has consistently been regarded as an important outcome

of student engagement. Although there is extensive empirical research on the relationship

achievement positively correlates with behavioral and emotional engagement.

Lanka, students’ scholarly accomplishments and students’ engagement have statically

correlation between behavioral engagement and academic achievement is more obvious

different aspects of student engagement have differing relationships with academic

satisfactory unlike to face-to-face approach was very satisfactory. Cabual (2021)

learner’s autonomy (Little, 2015).

Statement of the Problem

The study determined the influence of independent learning capacity,

orientations, and engagement on the academic performance in Science of senior high

semester of school year 2021-2022.

Specifically, it answered the following questions:

the new normal be described in terms of:

1.4 monitoring; and

normal be described in terms of:

2.2 academic apathy;

2.2 creative expression;

2.3 academic self-efficacy;

2.4 structure dependence; and

2.5 trust for teacher?