PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY WORKING STUDENTS AND ITS EFFECT ON THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY WORKING STUDENTS AND ITS EFFECT ON THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

PROPOSED ACTION PLAN

Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

The need for education is universal. Education is the antidote of ignorance which is the source of evil. To minimize evil, one must be educated. There are only six children out of ten in the elementary level, can go to high school; three out of six students in high school can go to college, one out of three student will continue their studies (Tamano, 2010).

College education in this information age is one of the avenues to access global competitiveness in labor and manpower. The transition to college is marked by complex challenges in emotional, social and academic adjustment (Chickering, 1999).

Being a college student is not easy because tuition fee is expensive especially on private colleges and universities. It requires a lot of money to become a degree holder.

Not all parents have enough income to send and support their children in school especially in college. As a result, some students have to support themselves by becoming working students.

Being a working student is a responsibility of many less fortunate but willing young adults and adult individuals. The reason is economics- scarcity of funds, scarcity of financial resources. Working and studying at the same time can augment the income or the resources for matriculation or other needs (Velasco, 2014).

These students commonly encounter many problems about their work and their studies. According to Baum (2010), some of these students are awarded “work” as part of their financial package; other students either do not receive work-study funding or find such awards insufficient to cover the cost of attendance. This creates high level of stress and anxiety making them vulnerable to sickness and failure in pursuing their college degrees (Kasworm, 2010). Working while studying has its positive and negative sides. When students have a job they will earn money, some of these students need the money to pay for expensive schools, while other students need it to make their life easier

One of the negative impact on working while studying is the students performance in school. Working more than 20 hours a week has a negative impact on students’ grades, whether the employment is on campus or off. Students who work 20 hours or less, on campus and off, report roughly similar grades as do students who do not work at all (Pike, 2008).

Some traditional-age student may use employment as a way to explore career options or earn spending money. Working students are trying to meet multiple demands and roles of a student and at the same time, an employee. This creates high level of stress and anxiety making them vulnerable to sickness and failure in pursuing their college degrees.

In 2010, about 216,000 working students in the country are juggling school and work, according to the data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). The figure is about 8% of the total number of students in the country. Working students are mostly into food service, entertainment and sales, apart from their usual stints as library and research assistants.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), added that only 50% of the working students get to finish college as many cannot cope and cannot concentrate on their studies, while some have poor health, while others give up because of insufficient funds (abs-cbnNEWS.com).

College working students can be more likely be left behind in their academic environment. They could also feel “out of place” and have less time for their social life since they are not always around in the campus.

Balancing school work and a social life while coupled with the newly found freedom of living away from home is often a formidable challenge. Add a part-time job to that mix, and the burden can become overwhelming, affecting all aspects of a student’s life and his physical and mental well-being (Globalpost.com).

One factor that affects working students physical well being is a lack of sleep. Sleep loss doesn’t usually cause long-term medical problems, but it can adversely affect physical and intellectual performance, and mood (Reyes, 2002).

The purpose of this research is to look into the problems the working students encountered and its effects on their academic performance so that an action plan that aims to help them may be formulated.

THEORETICAL/CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This study is anchored on several theories. One of these theories is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. It states that the needs of a person are physiology, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization.  Another theory this study is anchored on is the Human Capital theory by Gary S. Becker (1962) which focuses about the importance of investments on education, health care and training. Investment in education, medical care and training courses are investments that can benefit and raise earnings, improve health and good habits of people for a lifetime.

According to this theory, Investing on education can raise the economic and social status of an individual. Education can greatly increase a person’s income and after the cost of schooling, educated people tend to have higher IQs and soon will eventually become richer parents (Becker, 1962).

Without education, people especially those who are less fortunate will always be trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty. Students who want to break free from the chains of poverty and escape to seek education as a cure.

The most common reason why students work while studying is financial independence (Robinson, 1997). There are several advantages and disadvantages of working while studying. Advantages of working while studying is that students can support their financial needs for their studies and also to be able help their parents financially.

Also, the widespread view about working while studying is it enhances the students’ long-term job prospect because prospective employers see it as a motivation and initiative (Robinson, 1997).

When a working student graduates college, they can use their past knowledge and experience about working in their future professional jobs. They can be confident enough, flexible, work with less supervision and effective at their work.

But there are also negative sides about working while studying. One of the disadvantages of working while studying is that students sacrifices their time for their studies (Powers, 2013).

Working students have less time to study their lesson. Classes which require extensive reading and writing are affected (Powers, 2013). They can be always late for their classes. This may result in poor academic performance and low grades.

In Tinto’s model of student retention, student integration plays a vital role to students to fulfill their academic success. There are two kinds of integration in Tinto’s model of student retention which is the academic retention and the social retention. Academic integration comprises of grade/mark performance, personal development, academic self-esteem, identification with academic norms and values and identification with one’s roles as a student.  In social integration, there are also factors which affects’ student retention.

These are number of friends in the campus, personal contact with academics and is the student enjoying their college life.

Juggling work and study can be stressful to students which may lead to drop-outs. Few hours on-campus can help integrate students into campus life and increase retention while long hours of work, especially off-campus work, can have the opposite effect (Tinto, 1975).

If the student cannot integrate in school, the student might feel out of place which will make them lose the will to continue their college degree. Working while studying can also affect the physiological, psychological and social well-being of the student. Negative consequences on the other aspects of in the life of a working student are also threatening. Lack of sleep is one of the major problems that a working student faces especially those who work on graveyard shift or night shifts such as call centers. Studies have shown that shift workers getting too little sleep at the wrong time of day may be increasing their chance of getting type 2 diabetes and heart attacks (www.BBC.com).

The human body has a natural clock that has a rhythm tuned to sleep during the night and active during the day. Lack of sleep has an effect on the body temperature, mood and brain function. Psychologically, working student is also prone to anti-social behaviors such as drug addiction, increased alcohol intake, tobacco use and criminal activity such as theft from employers.It can also promote poor attitudes among people such as excessive materialism (Greenberger and Steinberg, 1986).

Working students that are working off-campus tend to have few friends in the campus because they are not always around. These students have less time socializing and enjoying and cannot establish relationships because of their work outside the campus. This may also lead to depression and drug abuse to students. Working full-time or part-time jobs on an off-campus prevent them from enjoying the college and all the activities that they should experiences because of the bulk of their time is devoted to work and studying (Powers, 2013).

Another theory is Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. Bandura  (1977) believed that the learner’s environment shapes learning and behavior and that human behavior, development and learning are reactions to the environment. Studies have shown the detriment of noise within the classroom.

Student literally can’t hear the teacher’s voice because of the unnecessary noise that distracts students in their learning process. Ergonomic classroom design benefits learning (www.Christianschoolproducts.com).

Fig.1

Theoretical/Conceptual Schema

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study focuses on the problems encountered by working students of the University of Cebu-Main Campus and its effect on their academic performance as basis for a proposed action plan.

Particularly, this study attempts to answer the following questions:

1. What are the problems encountered by working students in University of Cebu-Main Campus?

2. What are its effects on their academic performance?

3. Based on the findings of the study, what action plan may be proposed?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is significant and would be beneficial to the following:

Working Students.

This study will motivate them to manage their responsibilities towards school and work so that their academic performance will not be affected in favor of their work or vice-versa.

Students.

          This study will give the regular students an idea on how important education is. This will motivate them to be more focused on their studies.

Parents.

This study will give the parents idea on the problems working students have encountered. This will motivate them to become more supportive and more understanding towards their children.

School Administrators.

          School administrators will benefit from the results of the study by applying the proposed action plan which will help minimize drop-outs among working students.

Teachers.

This study will give teachers an idea on the problems encountered by working students. Thus, they will understand them better.

Researchers.

          This will deepen the researchers’ knowledge of the lives and  struggles of the working students in their quest for success.

Future Researchers.

The future researchers will benefit from the study because this will serve as their source and guide for future studies.

Definition of Terms

Academic Performance.   

It is the level of the students’ learning outcomes.

Action Plan.      

Is a devised to intervene to a problem being assessed.

Problems Encountered.

          The hindrance and obstacles the working students met that

Would affect their academic performance.

Working Students.

          Students who are working while studying either outside or

Inside the campus.

Chapter II

Related Studies and Literature

Education is the main key path in understanding why people keep on attending in school so that they can acquire fine jobs after a long and tiring college years and yet it is also a path toward earning a college degree. To continue study the most important thing to remember is the financial capital for their educational needs. Capital that expect will last longer until they finish their studies. As the tuition fee increases, more students are determined to find part-time jobs. The money that they receive from their job will serve as an addendum to the expenses to their financial capital for education ( Sharon E. Jarvis & others, The political Participation, The Annette Strauss Institute civic publishing corporation of New York 2005).

Utilizing available financial aid helps students graduate from college (M.K.Bixby, 2000). There is a proliferation of working students in industry.

There is a diverse division that depends on the company that they apply and the company which offer an adequate rate to suit the needs of its student workers. An amount that abides in order the student workers can able to continue their traditional university degree. Student roles including the full- time and the part-time workers. Full-time workers render duty from 6-8 hours, while the part-time is 4-5 hours (Armour et al, 2003).

College students force to work during their pre-college and post- college year. They sought to retain a social connectedness to their families because they believe they are now to help their parents (Rodoyski, 2001). Students start to work as early as 15 years old. Work and education in an adolescent life is a primary domain (Markel and Frone, 1998). These students also try to support their studies and their families.(Smith & Green 2001) These students are probably still on their elementary or high school level. Student engagement is widely understandable in work and study. That needed more focus and dedication. By this they can attain greater attention. Even if they are a little bit bother of the errands on their respective working place. Krause (2007) said “the time, energy and resources are designed to enhance learning in both school and work”.

Students who are working while studying in college find their part-time jobs beneficial and on the other hand, problematic. Beneficial because of the income they can get. It provides a positive educational benefits on students (Lucas, 1997). Seeking job students can enhance their skill which is more needed in the industry. Thus, companies who are encouraging the students to work are continuing to develop their program to provide the needy and aspiring applicant to have a settled job in a near future career (Richard James 2008). It is also beneficial if the work is related to the student’s chosen course. This may be particularly beneficial as an aid to academic knowledge and career prospect.

On the other hand, it is problematic because, when working long hours, it can damage the student’s academic activities and performance (Hansen & Jarvis, 2000).

Also, working off campus negatively affects students’ academic work more than working at an on-campus job (M.K Bixby, 2000). Vickers et al. (2003) stated that university students who worked 20-29 hours per week have a greater chance of dropping out. Approximately 160% greater than those students who do not work at all. This is due to stress and inter-role conflict (Vickers et al., 2003). Shifting from work to school and vice versa results to stress and anxiety(Smith & Green, 2001). The number of hours spent at work each week is associated with a sense of conflict between work and education among adolescents and young adults (Hammer et al., 1998).

Mental health is also an issue for working students. Excessive combination of work and study leads to tiredness and depression (Rolfe 2002). Students are highly prone to burnout from school and work compare to those over 30-40 years old. Less educated people are also prone to burnout than those highly educated people. Burnout to students is associated to many stressors. These include long hours of work or practicum work, academic grades, uncertain about their future, unbalanced personal and professional life and less support from family and friends (Boudreau et al.,2004). These Problems occur and interfere with the students’ studies and in his personal life like family bonding, religious activities, peer activities is work itself. It is regarded as “menial and exploitative (NSW Commission for

Children and Young People, 2005).

Working students also face other problems such as lack of understanding of the rights of work and the safety of the employee. The lack of knowledge can be associated with Exploitation (Tannock, 2001) and the number of safety issues on fast food chains’ injuries with the young part-timers were no higher than with the full-time employees and awareness of safety issues were high (Mayhew & Quinland 2002