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Study skills can be a combination of several techniques, including time management, note taking, self testing and being wise in the test, to name a few. There is no one best way to study, therefore, techniques can be tailored to the needs of the students to achieve the most optimal result. However, diagnostic testing is also available to assist students in assessing their weaknesses in their learning behaviors and study habits. Research has shown that effective study skills lead to improved academic performance.
The habits that students develop during their college years will remain with them long after graduation ND will be reflected in their performance in college. This paper will provide insight into the different techniques that improve study skills, and in turn, improve academic performance. The Merriam – Webster Dictionary defines the word study as “the application of the mental faculties to the acquisition of knowledge, which can be in a particular field or to a specific subject. ” The dictionary then defines skill as “the ability to use one’s knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance. A rather general combination of the ;o terms would yield, “learning and motivational strategies considered essential in being successful n college” (Tucking, 2003 page). A more in depth conceptualization Of the term is the “competence in acquiring, recording organizing, synthesizing remembering, and using information and ideas, and are among the skills that can be modified for learners of all ages” (Harvey, 1 995 page). In other words, study skills are systematized approaches to learning and retaining knowledge to apply to academic and non-academic progression in college and beyond college (White, 2004).
The extent of student’s learning in academics maybe determined by the grades a student earns for a period of learning has been done. It is believed that a grade is a primary indicator of such learning. If a learner earns high grades it is concluded that they may also have learned a lot while low grades indicate lesser learning. At this point in time, the researcher would like to investigate the relationship of study habits to the academic performance of third year students of Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School for the academic year 2011-2012.
Background of the Study The Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School (Stars, Sic-Tech Hi, and GIRTHS) is a Secondary Public Science High School located in J. P Racial Blvd. Barraging Market Area, Santa Rosa City, Laguna, in the Philippines. By the virtue of the Republic Act 9083 written by the former Representative of the 1st District of Laguna, Alular Joaquin, the School was built with the support of the Local Government of Santa Rosa led by former Mayor Leon C. Arcadias.
The school has three stages of screenings composed of an Aptitude / Mental Ability Examination, Proficiency Examination and an intent,’IEEE and are implemented in a step-by-step format (An applicant will be ineligible to be screened in the next stage if he/she fails on the previous stage). An applicant just have at least 85% average and no failing subjects in order to qualify for the entrance test. Provide a photocopy of first and second quarter of School Report Card with dry seal Of school, Form, etc. Examinees must fill up the Application Form and submit it on/before the deadline of submission.
A student of Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School must maintain a grade of 85% in all major subjects (English, Math and Science) and a grade of 83% in all minor subjects. With Engineering Science and Education Program as its curriculum, the school is a lot different from ordinary public schools. The school offers subjects more than what is offered in ordinary public schools. It also has its own grading system that readily distinguishes students that are good in science, math, TIT_E and language.
The third year curriculum offers the following subjects: Filipino Ill (Noel Me Teenager), English Ill (American Literature), T EL Ill (Civil Technology), Math Ill (Advanced Algebra, Advanced Statistics, and Pre-Calculus), Science Ill (Chemistry, Physics, and Zoology), MAPLE Ill, Values Education Ill, Social Studies (World History), and Computer Literacy (Web Design). With its thirteen (13) subjects, third year dents has to do a lot works and therefore must develop and improve study skills that will enable them to pass all the subjects.
In this study, junior GIRTHS students are the respondents. They were selected as the respondents because they are the batch that has gone through different political issues having past students, parents and teachers to question their qualification and quality and the admission where they went through because comparing with the last batches of third year students they are the first batch who got a very low average on the annual National Achievement test administered last March 2011 on their sophomore year.
They will be given a survey questionnaire to evaluate them whether they have given their all to be able to survive the tough curriculum and for the researchers to identify what are the students’ study habits that make great impact on their academic performance. Theoretical Framework In Dorothy E. Johnny’s Behavioral System Model, she stated that a behavioral system encompasses the patterned, repetitive, and purposeful ways of behaving.
These ways of behaving form an organized and integrated functional unit that determines and limits the interaction between the person ND his or her environment and establishes the relationship of the person to the objects, events, and situations within his or her environment. Usually the behavior can be described and explained. A person as a behavioral system tries to achieve stability and balance by adjustments and adaptations that are successful to some degree for efficient and effective functioning. The system is usually flexible enough to accommodate the influences affecting it.
Therefore, it is well-explained that through little efforts on modifying a students habits in studying, they can develop an organized pattern of behavior useful to their goal of becoming a successful student who has good academic performances. This theory clearly supports this study that study habits are relevant to academic performance. The basis Of Edward Thorniness approach to problems of behavior lay in his belief that human behavior could be analyzed and studied in terms of units. The essence of behavior was to be found in the initiation of an even and an individual’s reaction to them.
As a behaviorism, Thornier views learning in terms of establishing connection or bond between stimulus and responses. Humans only differ from other animal their greater capacity to make associations. Thornier investigated learning in animals by using cats. A hungry cat was confined in a puzzle box with food visible on the outside. He presented it a problem, which required the cat to manipulate some devices, which would open the gate of the puzzle box. Bits of food were placed outside the box as an incentive for the cat to open the gate.
F-room such experiments, Thornier made the following observations. The cat first behaved aimlessly as if doing things by trial and error. It then responded correctly by accident (chance success) and finally, repeated the successful operation the food (satisfier) rewarded it. Getting the reward strengthens the connection between the stimuli and the response made just before the reward (satisfier) was given. From the above observations, Thornier formulated three major laws, namely: law of effect, law of readiness and law of exercise.
The law of effect states that the association between a stimulus and a response will strengthen or weakened depending on whether a satisfier or an annoyer follows the response (Gibson, 1980). An act, which is followed by satisfaction in a given tuition, will generally become associated with that situation; so that when it recurs the act will also be likely to recur (Curran, 1 981 On the other, an act, which results in discomfort, tends to be disassociated from the situation, so that when the situation recurs, the act will be less likely to recur.
The greater the satisfaction or discomfort experienced, the greater the degree to which the S-R bond will be strengthened or loosened. After research studies have showed that this explanation was inadequate, Thornier propounded another law, the truncated law of effect. This law added the idea that while testifiers always strengthens the bond between a stimulus and a response, the effect of annoyers is much less predictable; sometime they weaken the bond, but sometimes they do not.
The law of exercise states that response to a situation may be strongly connected with the situation depending on the number of times it has been so connected and to the average strength and duration of the connection. The exercise here refers to practice. Practice they say makes perfect. In a later revision of the law, Thornier asserts that practice in itself did not make perfect, but practice in circumstances that lows the learner to be informed or given comments about his progress could be valuable in strengthening the S-R links.
The law of readiness states that a learner’s satisfaction determined by the extent of his preparatory set, that is, his readiness for action. This law was summarized into two: When someone is ready to perform an act to do so is satisfying. When someone is ready to perform some act, not do so is annoying. An interference with goal- directed behavior causes frustration and making someone to do something he does not want to do is frustrating. Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework discussed the flow of the study to be taken. The study used the systems approach.
It is of three (3) frames composed of input which went to the process or operation and emerged as the output. Figure 1 Conceptual Paradigm The input contains the profile of the respondents. The second frame contains the methods and procedures to be used to analyze those variables by the form of questionnaires, interview, documentary search and statistical analysis. The third frame is the output that contains the recommendations suggested by the researcher for the improvement of students’ academic reference with regards of their academic skills.
The arrows include the workflow of information in the research process. The feedback loop connects the output to the process involved as well as to the input. It made the system continuous. Statement of the Problem The study aims to identify different study habits and academic performance of third year students of Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School for the school year 2011-2012. Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the third year students in terms of the following: 1. 1 Age 1. 2 Gender 1. 3 Section . 4 Second Year General Average 1. National Achievement Test Average 1. 6 Favorite Subjects 1. 7 Less Favorite Subjects? 2. What are the students response on the self-evaluation stated in terms of study habits and values, ethics and attitudes as students? 3. Is there any significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their self- evaluation on study habits and academic performance? Hypothesis The null hypothesis to be tested is: There is no significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and their self-evaluation on study habits. Scope and Limitations Of the Study
This study will focus on the identification of study habits and academic performance of third year students of Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School based on a self-evaluation and their values, ethics and attitudes while studying. The respondents of the study are the 220 third year students of GIRTHS. The questionnaires will be administered after the second quarterly exam on October 201 1 and be retrieved after a day. Students’ past academic records will also be requested to the guidance and registrar’s office. Significance of the Study This study will serve the following individuals and organizations.
Third year students of GIRTHS. This study will be beneficial because it will make an improvement in grades and other academic performances. It will also have a long effect as the students went to college and work after. Administrators of GIRTHS. This will serve as a tool for evaluation of the standard and quality of the school they are implementing under the curriculum Engineering Science and Education Program. It will also help the guidance and registrar’s office in the proper admission of tests and elimination of students who did not qualify for the set standards of school.
Teachers and Advisers. This will enlighten their awareness of the students’ learning styles and habits, problems in studying and the causes of their bad or good performance in school. It will help them guide and improve students’ study habits in the future. Teachers will also be helped in understanding better the diversity of learning their students. As such, it is hoped that they could develop more effective methodologies in teaching their subject matter. Guidance and Counseling Centre. The study will provide a more focused and factual knowledge on the factors affecting students study habits.
The increased understandings of the Guidance Counsel sort the interplay of variables in this research. Such knowledge is hoped to help the guidance and counseling practitioners towards the development and implementation of more effective programs in consideration of these variables. Students. Students will be given information on how study affects their academic performance. The result of the study will make them aware of the common study habits among their fellow students. Future researchers. They may be able to use the result of the study in farther research similar to what the study is. Definition of Terms
The following terms are defined for better understanding and interpretation of the study. Academic Performance. Academic performance refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers. Academic performance is the ability to study and remember facts and being able to communicate your knowledge verbally or down on paper. Age. It refers to the students’ span of life when the research was conducted. Attitude. This refers to the judgment of students in studying the degree of dislike and like for something like studying, school subjects, etc.
Ethics. These are students’ concepts of good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc. Favorite Subjects. These are the set of subjects that the students got easy dealing it and got good grades. Gender. This refers to the classification of respondents either male or female. Less Favorite Subjects. These are couple of subjects that find difficulty in dealing with it. National Achievement Test. It is an annual examination given in March to second year high school students to assess the competency of both public and private schools.
The student’s knowledge and skills are tested in the objects of Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and Social Studies. Parents Educational Attainment. This is the status of parents in education whether they graduated or not in a college, secondary and elementary course. Parents Occupation. This refers to the job or work the parents are doing in order to support their children on their basic needs. Respondents. These are the persons intended to be the subject of the study who will be asked to answer the questionnaire such as the third year students of GIRTHS.
Second Year General Average. It refers to the to the average grade the exponents received during his/her study as sophomore student. Section. The group of students in one year level according to their academic performance in the past few years of high school life. Self Evaluation on Study Habits. This is a questionnaire to be given to the students to identify their different study habits that affects their academic performance in school. Study Habits. Study habits are the ways in studying – the habits that formed during school years. Study habits can be good ones, or bad ones.
Good study habits include being organized, keeping good notes, reading your textbook, existing in class, and working every day. Bad study habits include skipping class, not doing home work, watching TV or playing video games instead of studying and losing work. Values. This refers to the beliefs or ideals of students of a certain group, section or year level about what is good or desirable and what is not. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES Foreign Literature According to the how-to-study. Com (2009), students who are very successful in their desired career have good study habits.
It is stated in the website that students apply these habits to all of their classes. The website also recommends some tips in improving study habits. The website also suggests that the student should try not to study all the subjects in just a period. The website also added that if students try to do too much studying at onetime, they will tire and studying will not be very effective. Space the work that needs to be done over shorter periods of time. Taking short breaks will restore mental energy. On the website www. Academics. Org, the following blobs about establishing good study habits are posted: According to Dante Battles on the tip Efficient Use of Time, “I’m here to tell oh what I think is a key to academic survival and success. The first and most important thing I feel, at least to sundial and success in the classroom is efficient use of your time outside the classroom. Remember, there are 24 hours in a day. Set aside tap to three hours each day for studying. This will leave you with five to six hours after we subtract time for our classes, meals and a good nights sleep to do things that we would like to do much more than studying.
The next thing that feel contributes to survival and success in the classroom is a periodic review of your lecture notes and the appropriate happens in your textbooks. Periodic review and beginning to study for your exams early will save you time in the long run and it will prevent cramming. That way you can be well rested and more motivated and less anxious on test day. The last thing that you can do to help get good grades is take advantage of all the academic resources tryout university. It can only help you. On another blob about the Power of Cooperation, Mike Brown posted this, “Education often looks like competition. We compete for interest in school, for grades when FL?re in school, and for job when we leave school. In such a climate it is easy to overlook the power of cooperation that is developed through study support groups. Study support groups feed you energy. People are social animals and we draw strength from groups. Aside from the comradely, the fellowship and the fun, support groups can assist you by elevating your spirit. There will be days when you just don’t want to work on your education.
Other members of the study group, however, can support you and encourage you. In addition to drawing strength from the group when you’re down, you can give support to others yourself as they need it. A study purport group is also a good place to build rewarding relationships with people. So remember your friends and classmates when you study. ” Dry. John Filmier on Changing Your Habits wrote this, “Poor study habits such as not completing assignments, missing classes, and staying up too late before your next class do not have to be repeated in the future. Who can make these changes?
You and only you can change the future to achieve more success and productivity. Make these changes for a better life. ” According to Palm Beach Community College (BBC, 2008), they recommend that student’s study should have at least three hours out of class or every hour spent in class. They also said that a student must have a special place to study with plenty of room to work. And students should not be cramped. They presupposes that study time will go better if a learner take a few minutes at the start to straighten things up. A desk and straight-backed chair is usually best. Don’t get too comfortable–a bed is a place to sleep, not to study” as what they said. A student must have everything close at hand (book, pencils, paper, coffee, dictionary, computer, calculator, tape recorder, etc. ) before starting to study. Students are not suggested to spend on time mumping up and down to get things. The BCC suggests also that distracting noise should be minimized however, they said that there are some people need sound and some like silence. In this case, a learner must find what works for him or her. Culprits are family and friends.
Consider a “do not disturb” sign and turning on your answering machine is the way also to have better study habits according to the BBC. Karri and Hosannas (2006) also note the exponential growth digital information, which changes the way students perceive studying and with printed materials that are to be use in facilitating study. Gun (2005) also found that Nigerian study from materials downloaded from the Internet. Study habits are said to be improving because of the advent and wide use of the Internet, hypertext, and multimedia resources which greatly affects the Study Habits (Ill, 2005).
Ill (2005) and Ramirez (2003) report that students print material from the Internet in order to study and read later on. Professors in the developing countries said that the undergraduate students should be fully equipped with high level of analytical skills, the capacity for critical reasoning, self-reflection and conceptual grasp and ability to learn autonomously and exercise flexibility of mind (Commissions). According to Mark Crinkly (2000), Successful students are able to balance social activities with good study habits. A diversion from studies will alleviate stress and help prevent from becoming fatigued.
He said that a student should make sure that he must take a break for an hour after studies to meet with friends, to play some cards, work out at the gym, or to gab with anew acquaintance. For this way, that student will find concentration when he studies, if he plans a social activity afterwards. He said, “To develop a healthy social life, develop routine study habits. After supper, lug your books and homework to the library, find a comfortable and quiet niche, and study for two or three hours, taking intermittent 1 0 minute breaks every 45 minutes or so. Making friends with whom you share similar study habits, and share a table or a study space with them would be a best way in developing study habits. Local Literature The Department of Education’s (Depend) Monitoring and Evaluation Report for SYS 2004-2005 revealed that students’ who were observed to have positive attitude towards their classes (Bridge Program) have shown improved skills in Mathematics, Science, and English (Depend, 2005). This confirms the importance of a positive attitude towards learning in one’s acquisition of skills.
Education experts and teachers also affirm the role of students’ positive attitude and interest in learning as major factors in their acquisition of reasoning skills. They noted that students have to be interested in what they are doing for them to be able to learn. They should have a positive view of things that they are learning, by relating this with their goals, and by viewing learning as an activity to be done for its own sake. Because man is different room animals, he has the ability to think symbolically.
In fact, he can recognize qualities, form, concepts, recalls, remember and memorize solutions until he forms habits (Canyon and Young, 1992). If study habits are formed during the early years, some educational problems could be solved such as those involving the difficulty of pupils in solving mathematical problems and their reading difficulty. Aquinas averred that academic failure caused by reading difficulty gives rise to feelings of inferiority and frustrations. Because of this, teachers and parents should guide students in order to form good study bits.
One of the three main factors affect the success in study is the ability in studying. This ability involves knowing what to study and how to study. Likewise, Gregory suggested some measures by which students can be properly guided on how to study. These are follows: a) develop in the students an active interest in effective study based on an understanding of its importance; and b) help them become. Andrea noted on his study (1982). Santos, et. Al. (1987) cited a number of reasons on why one should learn to read well. These include: One reads to acquire meaning, effective immunization skills, for enjoyment and to socialize.
In addition to this, Canyon and Young (1992) recommended that one should read for ideas rather than words or use the eye and do away with lip service and should read while seated upright in sufficiently illuminated quiet room fixed for the purpose where other study aid materials are easily accessible. They further suggested that relative to study habits, it is best to read alone, thus the study room may need to be compartmentalized. Moreover, they described the effectiveness of writing. Thus, Effective Scheduling. This leaves us to the object of scheduling your studies. This periods, meals and leisure activities.