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Chapter I

Introduction

Background of the Study

The degree of one's confidence has a big influence on their capacity to

communicate since confidence encourages clear expression, active participation in

discussions, resilience to criticism, flexibility, persuasion, and conflict resolution. People

who are confident are more likely to communicate effectively because they are more

willing to share their opinions, participate in conversations, and take constructive

criticism. This makes them more influential and flexible in a variety of communication

situations, such as everyday conversations and public speaking. On the other hand, a

lack of confidence may hinder efficient communication by resulting in reluctance, inactive

participation, heightened sensitivity to criticism, challenges in accommodating different

contexts, and restricted capacity for persuasion. These factors can ultimately impact a

person's overall communication proficiency.

Everybody needs interpersonal communication and confidence, but students

especially so since they interact with others in the classroom. Numerous research on

confidence and interpersonal communication have been done. Similar to the study by

Sahputra et al. (2016), which examines the role that students' self-confidence plays in

interpersonal communication and finds that it has a major impact, self-confidence plays

in interpersonal communication. According to research done by Dockrell et al. (2014),

who conducted surveys on interpersonal communication over a number of years, children

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aged 5 to 16 reported having communication issues in 2011, a 71% rise from the previous

year. Since junior high school children are people in their teens, the study is pertinent to

bolster.

If this is not given enough attention, every student will suffer from the difficulties

in handling the self-assurance. And this will result in the HUMSS students to doubt their

abilities and potential, leading to underachievement. They may not push themselves to

their full potential academically, which can result in lower grades and missed

opportunities. Students who lack self-assurance may struggle to connect with professors,

peers, and potential employers, which can affect their future career prospects.

However, due to a variety of factors that could affect their lives as students, most

pressing issue facing today’s students lack self-belief may not perform to their full

potential academically. They may doubt their abilities, which can lead to lower grades

and a reluctance to take on challenging assignments or courses. Generally, this study

intends to find out the confidence level and communication skills of HUMSS students of

Pontevedra National High School.

This study will help students in terms of handling their confidence level and

communication skills. In addition, self-assurance have a significant and positive impact to

the students, on how they manage themselves.

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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the relationship between confidence level and

communication skills of HUMSS students for School Year 2023-2024.

Furthermore, it seek to answer the following questions:

1. What is the socio-demographic profile of the respondents in Pontevedra National

High School in terms from:

a) Age

b) Sex

c) Strand

2. What is the confidence level of HUMSS student of Pontevedra National High

School?

3. What is the level of communication skills of HUMSS students of Pontevedra

National High School?

4. Is there a significant relationship between confidence level and communication

skills?

Hypothesis of the Study

There is no significant relationship between the confidence level and

communication skills of HUMSS students of Pontevedra National High School.

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Theoretical Framework of the Study

These are the theories examining confidence level and communication skills.

"Self-efficacy theory" This theory, proposed by Albert Bandura, published in 1977

suggests that individuals' beliefs in their own abilities to perform specific tasks or skills

influence their behavior and performance. In this study, the self-efficacy theory can be

used to understand how HUMSS students' confidence levels affect their communication

skills. It can explore how students' confidence in their ability to communicate effectively

influences their actual communication performance.

"Social cognitive theory" This theory, also proposed by Albert Bandura (1960),

emphasizes the role of observational learning and social interactions in shaping

individuals' behavior and skills. In the context of this study, the social cognitive theory

can be used to examine how HUMSS students' confidence levels and communication skills

are influenced by their observations of others' communication behaviors and their

interactions with peers, teachers, and other individuals.

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Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework of this study, wherein the independent variable is the

confidence level while the dependent variable is the communication skills.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Confidence Level Communication Skills

Figure 1. Shows the schematic diagram of the study

Significance of the Study

This study provide the valuable information of the confidence level and

communication skills of HUMSS students of Pontevedra National High School. The findings

of this study will be useful to the following entities:

Students. The study findings can benefit students who want to improve their

communication skills. By understanding the role of confidence, students can identify

strategies to enhance their confidence levels, leading to improved communication abilities

in various personal and professional contexts.

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Teachers. The findings of this study will benefit them by providing insights into

how confidence levels can impact students' ability to effectively communicate and

participate in classroom discussions.

Parents. It can benefit the parents in understanding and supporting their

children's communication development. Parents can gain insights into how confidence

levels can influence their children's ability to effectively express themselves, articulate

their thoughts, and engage in meaningful conversations.

School administrators. They can identify areas for improvement and implement

strategies to promote effective and confident communication throughout the school

community.

Future Researchers. This research study will serve as guide for future

researchers in their related studies. Also, this will help them to understanding the factors

that influence students' confidence and communication skills. This, in turn, can lead to

improved educational outcomes and student success.

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Scope and Limitation of the Study

This study focuses on the confidence level and communication skills of HUMSS

students at Pontevedra National High School for the school year 2023-2024. The

participants of the study will be randomly selected in grade 11 and 12 HUMSS from the

four (4) sections at Pontevedra National High School. The independent variable in this

study is the confidence level while the dependent variable is the communication skills.

The statistical tools to the used in data analysis are frequency count, mean and standard

deviation for descriptive analysis, Pearson’s r for inferential analysis.

Definition of Terms

To understand the study clearly, the following terms are conceptually and

operationally defined:

Communication Skills. Skills you employ when exchanging various types of

information. (G. Northup et al. 2023)

Confidence level. The alpha value, which determines the proportion of times you

should be able to replicate an estimate between the top and lower boundaries of the

confidence interval. (R. Bevans, 2020)

Student. Refers to one who attends in school. (Merriam Webster, 2023)