A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVES OF NAGA COLLEGE FOUNDATION

WORKING COLLEGE STUDENTS

A Thesis Concept Paper

Presented to
The Faculty of Senior High School Department
Naga College Foundation, Inc.
Naga City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in Research Daily Life 1

Colasito, Raphael Justin

Ganalon, Ella Joy C.
Palacio, Renz John
Pante, Jasper
Punzalan, Kallista Kassandra
Vicente, Pette Robert

11-Gennaios
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

2024
Rationale of the Study

Studying while working is a relevant phenomenon for many students. Eventually, it has become usual for
this generation where it is noticeable that everyone seems eager to earn money based on their needs and
reasons. According to Rockman et al. (2022), working and studying simultaneously is tough. It is
demanding for the students' everyday lives. It was also said that the reasons why they are working were to
earn money to support themselves, pay for their educational expenses, help with finances, supply their
day-to-day needs, and grow as a person so they can pursue their dreams of a better life (Sebullen &
Kitani, 2023; Balacuit Jr, 2022).

This situation can have a significant impact on the lives of students. Summer et al. (2023) stated that work
has four main impacts on students’ lives: it limits flexibility in students’ schedules, leaving them
vulnerable in emergencies; it requires students to make complicated financial calculations; it can cause
students’ social lives and mental health to suffer. Moreover, during their part-time employment, the
participants experienced a range of feelings, including joy for achieving and being autonomous, regret
being away from home, and irritation of pressure from their job (Frigillano et al., 2015). The results of the
study also said that when schoolwork piles up along with the problems in both school and work, students
are more likely to feel stressed at work and school and can be emotionally exhausted, which can affect
their performance in both natures (Assi, 2023). Students become physically and emotionally exhausted
due to their education and work demands. Therefore, they use physical and cognitive coping techniques to
manage their challenges, including strolling, self-pampering, managing tasks and time, cognitive
reframing, planning, passion, ambition, balancing work and education, and family and employer support.
These coping mechanisms are essential because they can restart, reorganize, and rejuvenate themselves
while managing their obligations with great assistance from them (Pedroso et al., 2022; Rockman, 2022).
Commitment and discipline were also factors in overcoming problems and balancing work and study
(Sebullen & Kitani, 2023). Despite the negative impacts, students find work fulfilling; their desire to
complete their education and gain employment is their primary motivation (Summer, 2023; Frigillano et
al., 2015). The study also suggests that working students in classroom discussions are eager to learn and
participate and could still attain their performances and assessments. Still, submitting activities on time
and regularly joining the class got the lowest mean (Bias & Bias, 2023). Nevertheless, they should still
receive assistance, support, and measures to ensure their work and studies are not jeopardized, and their
academics are unaffected (Mutya et al., 2022; Casumpang et al., 2023).

For this reason, it is essential to gain knowledge about these students to help them. Many studies have
already been conducted on the lived experiences of working students. Although some of the studies are
international and most are local, studies have yet to be conducted at the Naga College Foundation.
Therefore, this study will fill the gap by describing the lived experiences of College working students in
one of the Private schools in Naga City.

Statement of the Problem

This study will describe the lived experiences of Naga College Foundation (NCF) Working College
Students.
The study will seek to answer the following questions:
1. What are the day-to-day experiences of NCF Working College students?
2. What are the challenges faced by NCF Working College students?
3. How did the NCF Working College students cope with their challenges?

Framework of the Study

Theoretical Construct
1. Role Strain Theory
According to the sociologist William J. Goode (1960), Role Strain Theory refers to the individuals
occupying multiple social roles. Each of these roles has its own set of expectations and demands. It also
touches on the stress individuals experience when facing difficulties meeting their social roles.

In connection to the study, working students are prime examples of individuals experiencing Role Strain.
In this case, they are students and employees or part-time workers simultaneously, and they also have
different roles in their households. As a result, this may lead to significant stress and challenges in
meeting the expectations in both areas. It can be exhausting, making the students need help performing in
either role. With the help of this theory, working students can develop coping mechanisms for the
challenges they face, such as giving up a role, taking a new role, and avoiding unnecessary interruptions
while working in a specific role. So, those working students who understand the Role Strain Theory will
be able to recognize these difficulties and can create healthy coping strategies. Thus, reducing the strain
caused by their roles, and achieving success in both work and school by setting priorities, using their time
wisely, and asking for support from their friends.

2. Self-Determination Theory
Self-determination Theory, according to Edward Deci and Richard Ryan (1960), is a theory of personality
and motivation that centers on the innate need for development and fulfillment. It said that people can
decide to manage their own lives. Furthermore, according to this theory, people can develop a sense of
self-determination after their demands for independence, skill, and connection are satisfied.

In connection with the study, the Self-Determination Theory is a helpful framework for understanding the
motivation of working students who frequently encounter obstacles that may impair their academic
achievement and employment satisfaction. Also, students who feel competent, connected, and
independent likely have a natural drive to succeed in their work and academics. This promotes improved
focus, time management, and study engagement, which can improve academic performance. These
motivated students find happiness and fulfillment in work, which can result in higher job satisfaction
because they are less likely to feel that they are just going through the process. This creates a more helpful
and complete learning environment for working students and a more encouraging environment for them,
ultimately improving their performance and well-being in their social roles.

3. Resource Theory
According to Uriel Foa (1971), Resource Theory helps explain why people make efforts to build
connections with other people. The basic principle of this theory is that social interactions enable people
to receive necessary resources from other people because we can rarely meet our physical needs alone.

This theory tells that in order for working students to meet their academic and financial needs, they need
to depend on the support of different sources such as their family, friends, employer, and educational
organizations. Through this, working students can achieve to meet their different goals such as earning
money for their school and achieving consistent academic grade. This shows the importance of social
support and how they utilize the resources to achieve career goals.

Conceptual Framework

Day-to-day
experiences

To describe
The act of studying their day-to-day
while working Challenges experiences,
challenges, and
coping mechanisms

Coping mechanisms

Fig. 1. A Phenomenological Study of the Lives of Naga College Foundation Working College Students

This study conceptualized the process of describing the lived experiences of working students by
considering three factors. The first is day-to-day experiences; this pertains to when they are in school and
work. It also refers to their current well-being and how they perform in their academics and work lives.
The second is their challenges; this pertains to the problems they face in school and work. The third is the
coping mechanisms; this pertains to their ways of accomplishing the challenges they encounter.

Methodology

This study will use a phenomenological research design of qualitative study. According to Creswell
(2007), phenomenological research describes the meaning of the lived experiences of several individuals
in a phenomenon. To clarify, it describes the phenomenon that all the participants have experienced.
Hence, the study will use phenomenological research because the research goal is to describe the lived
experiences of working college students at Naga College Foundation (NCF).

This study will gather data from working students at the Naga College Foundation, where some college
students experience studying while working.
Additionally, the approach employed in qualitative research will influence the number of participants. For
a phenomenological study, a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of ten (10) participants is enough,
according to Creswell & Creswell (2018). Therefore, there will be five (5) participants for the researcher.
Since working students are a complex population to reach directly, snowball sampling will be used to
recruit participants from the Naga College Foundation. According to Julia Simkus (2023), snowball
sampling is where the current participants will help to recruit other participants, and so on until the
desired sample size is reached. It is good when your participants are hard to reach.

To gather the data from the participants, the researchers will conduct a 30-minute to 1-hour
interview. According to the Short Guide for Conducting Research Interviews (2014), the typical
time to conduct the interview frame is 30 minutes to 1 hour. The interview will be semi-
structured, where the interview questions will be asked in sequential order for each participant to
have a similar question and a balanced answer. According to Mashuri et al. (2022), in qualitative
research, the semi-structured interview was more powerful to use than the structured and
unstructured interviews because it allow researchers to have pieces of in-depth information and
evidence from the participants while considering the focus of the study. The researchers have the
chance to have a deeper understanding and richer insights about the participants' given data.
Furthermore, this type of interview allows the interviewer to ask follow-up questions for
clarification of answers.

For the interview schedule, the interviewer and participant discussed the participants' schedule
choices to ensure that their free time matched and that their flexibility and schedule for their
daily lives were unaffected.

The participants from where the data will be obtained will have a one-on-one interview with the
researcher. Twelve (12) open-ended questions will guide the interview so that they can explain
their experiences, which will help the researcher gather data about working students. According
to Boyce and Neale (2006), fifteen (15) main questions should be asked and within the limit to
guide the interview. Before the interview, the chosen participants who referred to this study will
be given a letter of consent to authorize and explain the research goal and to have a right to
privacy information that will be gathered in the interview.

During the interview, the researcher will have an audio recording of the whole interview,
depending on whether the participants agree or disagree with the audio recording. The purpose is
for the researchers to have a copy, which will help check the answer and fill in the information
missing in the researcher's notes. The participants will use Filipino and English language for the
researcher to understand them clearly, and no confusion will be present because of the chosen
language.

The Twelve (12) open-ended questions created to gather the data will be submitted to the
authorities to validate and ensure correctness. The authority is the researcher's research teacher,
an education and research expert. In contrast, the authority is the one that will examine the content and
validity.
An interview will be conducted to gather the data. Specifically, this study will systematically use
an interview protocol. The instrument consists of five parts: the introduction, background
information, main interview questions, follow-up questions, and conclusion and feedback.

The introduction contains the purpose and significance of the study. The background information
consists of the participants' details or the information about the interviewee. The researcher will
ask questions to determine if the participants are comfortable and get to know them better during
the interview. Next, 12 main questions are asked that are associated with the phenomenon being
studied, followed by the follow-up questions section. Lastly, in the conclusion and feedback,
after the interview, we will allow time for feedback, such as comments or suggestions for the
interviewee, and the researchers will acknowledge and thank the participants for their
participation and the time they have given them.

The data will be gathered in a face-to-face interview of 30 minutes minimum and 1 hour
maximum. The participants' permission will be asked to audio-record the interview. Hence, the
interview will be audio-recorded for the whole conversation. Once the data collection from the
participants is completed, the collected data will be transcribed and translated into English. The
translated answers will be submitted to the Filipino or English teacher to ensure the translation of
the data is accurate. After that, the participants will check the translated data of their answers so
that they can check the results and ensure that all of the data is correct. Before interviewing the
participants, consent letters are prepared and given to them to ensure they are willing and aware
of the study. Furthermore, no private details will be asked and presented during the presentation
and publication of the result of the study to ensure the confidentiality and inanimateness of the
participants. The researchers will use codes such as Participant 1 and 2 to keep the participants'
identities hidden.

The researchers will use thematic analysis to analyze the data. Thematic analysis is a procedure
that can be used to analyze and make sense of the patterns (also referred to as themes) in the
given data (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The thematic analysis aims to find essential patterns within
the collected data. A refined thematic analysis must be uniform to the theoretical framework
(Braun & Clarke, 2006).

In thematically analyzing the data gathered, the following steps mentioned by Creswell and Poth
(2016) will be followed:
Step 1: Describe the phenomenon based on the researchers' awareness or involvement.
Step 2: Make a list of essential statements.
Step 3: Group the important statements into bigger units of information.
Step 4: Write down the experience of participants.
Step 5: Create a description of how the participants' experiences occur.
Step 6: Produce separate parts of the description that define what participants experienced and
how they experienced it.
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