The Effectiveness of using Academic Websites on improving Academic Performance of Grade 12 XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment
In Fulfilment of Research 203 Requirements
Submitted By: Yuri Benedict Autor Owenn Heart Gimpayan Marichu Gonzaga Jules Hartzer Lagat Leocel Andre Libago Sittie Nor-Ayen Sarip
Submitted To: Mrs. Lolita Martinez
APRIL 2021
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CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY This is to certify that the work entitled “THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING ACADEMIC WEBSITES ON IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF GRADE 12 XUSHS STUDENTS IN A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, SCHOOL YEAR 20202021” is an original work and submitted as a requirement for the subject of Research 203 for Grade 12 Senior High School at Xavier University Senior High School –Ateneo de Cagayan. We hereby confirm that the work is our own, that everything is original except as those specified in the acknowledgements, footnotes, or in the references and that this has not been submitted earlier either to this University or to any other University/Institution for the fulfillment or the requirement of a course of study. JULES HARTZER T. LAGAT MARICHU C. GONZAGA OWENNHEART GIMPAYAN LEOCEL ANDRE LIBAGO YURI BENEDICT AUTOR SITTIE NOR-AYEN SARIP
APRIL 2021 II
APPROVAL SHEET This Research Paper entitled: “THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING ACADEMIC WEBSITES ON IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF GRADE 12 XUSHS STUDENTS IN A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, SCHOOL YEAR 20202021,” prepared and submitted by JULES HARTZER T. LAGAT, MARICHU C. GONZAGA, OWENNHEART GIMPAYAN, LEOCEL ANDRE LIBAGO, YURI BENEDICT AUTOR, SITTIE NOR-AYEN SARIP, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation for Senior High School has been examined and is recommended for Oral Examination. Ms. Lolita Martinez Research Teacher
PANEL OF EXAMINERS Examined and approved by the Committee for Oral Examination. Ms. Maricel E. Acerdano Chair Mr. Rando Romulo Member
Mr. Proceso III Perturbos Member
Approved and accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation for Senior High School. Dr. Rogelio L. Gawahan, PhD Principal April 19, 2021 III
ACKNOWLEDGMENT The researchers would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the following individuals who supported them in some way in making this study possible. To God, first and foremost. To our Almighty Lord, who gave the strength to keep going, inspiration, knowledge, determination, bravery, faith, and, most importantly, His Love. Our research advisor, Ms. Lolita Martinez, without her the success of this study would not be possible. To all of the remarks, lectures, encouragements, and stresses that motivate us to work harder on our studies. It was an honor and a privilege guided by them, being shared with their wisdom and brilliance in making this research work. We would not complete this work without their support. We need not ask for more, with their all-out support. And last, we give our utmost gratitude to our Families for giving their full support throughout the making of the research paper. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank them for providing us everything we need, especially their faith in us until the end.
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ABSTRACT Xavier University Senior High School is well known for its quality education and excellence within its students. As an educational continuity effort amidst pandemic COVID-19, classes were shifted to the virtual learning environment, students find ways to broaden their knowledge about the topics that were discussed in their online classes and to also improve their academic performance amidst the online environment. The institution has provided academic websites for students to access and use for their benefit in the whole duration of the online learning. The purpose of conducting this study is to have knowledge on what is the level of the effectiveness of academic websites in improving academic performance of Grade 12 XUSHS Students in a virtual learning environment. The study was conducted at XUSHS with the Grade 12 students from all academic strands as the participants. Through descriptive research, it is probed further by looking at the level of effectiveness of academic websites in terms of Degree of Helpfulness, Frequency of usage of Academic Websites, Knowledge of Academic Websites and the Students’ average exam scores and GPA. The researchers used 100 respondents as the sample size. Stratified random sampling was used to identify the participants. The Chi-Squared Test was used to analyze the data to know he relationship between the variables. After analyzing the data, it was discovered that the overall variables that makes academic websites an effective way to improve academic performance of Grade 12 Students, and also there is significant difference when it comes to frequency of visiting the websites and the students’ average GPA and exam scores.
V TABLE OF CONTENTS TITLE
I
CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY
II
APPROVAL SHEET
III
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
IV
ABSTRACT
V
TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER
VI-VIII PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study ………………………………………………………………1-2 1.2 Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………………….2-3 1.3 Research Questions ……………………………………………………………………….3 1.4 Significance of the Study ……………………………………………………………….4-5 1.5 Scope and Delimitation …………………………………………………………………...5
VI 2. RELATED LITERATURE 2.1 Introduction of Literature Review ………………………………………………………...6 2.2 Conceptual Literature ………………………………………………...............................6-8 2.3 Related Studies ………………………………………………………………………….8-9 2.4 Synthesis ……………………………………………………………............................9-10 3. METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research Design ……………………………………………………................................11 3.2 Context and Participants …………………………………………………………………11 3.3 Research Instrument ……………………………………………………………………..12 3.4 Data Gathering Procedure ……………………………………………………………12-13 3.5 Data Analysis ……………………………………………………..………………….13-14 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………..15-16 4.2 Results ………………………………………………………………………………..16-21 4.3 Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………21-25
VII 5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5.1 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………...26-27 5.2 Recommendation …………………………………………………………………….28-29 REFERENCES APPENDICES Appendix A: Letter of Approval
30-31
Appendix B: Informed Consent Form
32-33
Appendix C: Questionnaire
34-36
CURRICULUM VITAE
37-42
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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study Improving and expanding education worldwide has been easier and less complicated with the help of technology. Using technology in classrooms created a potential to increase student motivation, enhance student learning, and engagement, as well as positive outcomes. It is capable of unlocking keys of learning with the students. Studies have shown that incorporating technology into student’s learning experiences results to better academic outcomes. Academic Websites are part of technology that contains information and virtual activities such as games, videos and topic related sources that act as tools in enhancing the learning experience of the students. These types of websites can easily be accessed by anyone with the help of the internet and any available gadget. Nowadays, a variety of technologies are currently used to deliver education on the internet. The advent of online education has made it possible for students with busy lives and limited flexibility to obtain a quality education. As opposed to traditional classroom teaching, Web-based instruction has made it possible to offer classes worldwide through a single Internet connection. Although it boasts several advantages over traditional education, online instruction still has its drawbacks, including limited communal synergies. Still, online education seems to be the path many students are taking to secure a degree. This study aims to evaluate the effect of academic websites on the improvement of the student’s academic performance. Through this study, it will be made clear whether these types of websites really help academically. The researchers chose to focus solely on the 1
academic website’s effectiveness as most students rely on these websites especially in this time of pandemic.
1.2 Statement of the Problem The whole education system of the Philippines has changed drastically with the implementation of Online Classes as a mode of learning amidst the pandemic. Students have been adapting to this new normal and have made ways and strategies to be able to participate in this form of learning. As traditional classroom modality is found to be restrictive, inflexible, and impractical. In this age of technological advancement, schools can now provide effective classroom teaching via the Web. This shift in pedagogical medium is forcing academic institutions to rethink how they want to deliver their course content. Even though online classroom deems to be better than the traditional classroom setting, students are still experiencing problems in their academics and getting stressed which is similarly comparable to a situation in a traditional classroom setting. It may seem that not all students can benefit in this setting because of many factors such as problems with technicality, teaching methods of teachers, and many factors which affect their academic performance and participation. Many strategies and online courses teachers recommend and add to their teaching agenda which can help students alleviate their struggle in academics since the whole classroom is part of the Internet itself. The Internet has been a tool in learning due to its never-ending sources of data you can find with just one click. As Robova (2013) points out, there are benefits and risk when students use Internet as a tool for learning. The key benefits of integrating websites in the classroom lie in: increasing the clarity of explanation and learning effectiveness, student motivation and proactive approach, individual approach to instruction and the possibility to test student knowledge and skills. This is why it is important
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to know the level effectiveness of academic websites on improving the academic performance of students in a virtual learning environment.
1.3 Research Questions The overall objective of this case study is to determine the level of effectiveness of Academic websites on improving Academic Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment. Central Question: What is the level of effectiveness of Academic websites on improving the Academic Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment? Sub Questions: 1.
How does using academic websites improve the academic performance of students especially in a virtual learning setting?
2.
What impact it made to students who are currently using/ have used these websites especially in their academic performance?
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1.4 Research Hypothesis The researchers will determine whether there is significant difference between which hypotheses will be considered true: 1.H0: There is no significant difference between the frequency of visits to the academic websites and the students’ average GPA. 1.H1: There is a significant difference between the frequency of visits to the academic websites and the students’ average GPA. 2.H0: There is no significant difference between the degree of helpfulness of academic websites to the frequency of visits to the academic websites. 2.H1: There is a significant difference between the degree of helpfulness of academic websites to the frequency of visits to the academic websites.
1.5 Significance of the Study This study will benefit the following: Students. This study will help students know how effective it is to use education websites and apply them in their studying in a virtual learning environment. This will also provide as a guide for them to use these websites to their advantage if this study proves effective. Lastly, this will also help them even when normal school environment returns, educational websites can be an extra source of information for studying. Teachers & the Academic Community. This study would be helpful as it can be an eye-opener for teachers and to how applying educational websites can help improve students’ performance in online classes and have good grades. After all, teachers are the ones 4
responsible for giving the topics that students need to study about since in a virtual learning environment, students are independent in making their own study habits to learn. This study will also help teachers know the benefits of recommending the students to boost their knowledge about the topic they recently discussed with them. Also, this study can be utilized by teachers even if virtual learning is over and classes return to face-to-face environment, it can help teachers to create effective learning habits that students can adapt with the help of these educational sites. Future researchers. Although there are a few similar studies, this paper focuses on the effectiveness in improving academic performance of students in a virtual learning environment. This research can be utilized as a useful reference for the researchers who plan to make a related study. They may also gain insights about this particular topic and may even apply them in real life situations, considering that new educational systems are being implemented because of modern technology and substitutes for learning going on for years and is very evident in today's generation due to the pandemic.
1.6 Scope and Delimitation The scope of the study involves the time, the tools, materials and techniques which will be used, and the number of students needed for the experiment to be completed. This particular study is descriptive in nature and will be done in 4-5 months and the sample will be composed of 100 Grade 12 students from Xavier University Senior High School only. The sampling technique to be used will be stratified random sampling and surveys will be utilized and survey responses from the respondents will be used.
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CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction of Literature Review This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the thorough and in-depth search done by the researchers. This will also present the synthesis to fully understand the research to be done.
2.2 Conceptual Literature The concept of online learning has not been introduced until now due to the pandemic and it has been a shock to the whole education system in the Philippines. Top universities in the country, especially Xavier University, has resorted to the mode of online learning in which students engage in a virtual learning environment. Most filipino senior high students engaging in online classes have been passively doing well in their academic performances. According to a Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA) test conducted to K-12 students from Cebu Technological University in 2020, only the STEM and ABM students obtained at least an average score in all subtests. However, all the other K-12 tracks obtained scores that are below average. In other words, despite the reforms made in the K-12 curriculum, many students may still be unprepared for higher education and obtaining overseas jobs, among others. In the foregoing related literature and studies, several cases shall be indicated to establish the main points above. Online learning should be an edge and a better option than its traditional counterpart but as results and studies show, and it is given that online learning is a perfect and flawless way to teach students but even as it is, it still has gaps and minor incapacities. According to a 6
study made by Kizilcec and Halawa (2015) The primary obstacle for most learners was finding time for the course, which was partly related to low levels of volitional control. Selfascribed successful learners reported higher levels of goal striving, growth mindset, and feelings of social belonging than unsuccessful ones. Insights into why learners leave online courses inform models of attrition and targeted interventions to support learners achieve their goals. So what happens to students when they become pressured and not being able to learn fully about the topics and also following through online learning? According to a survey conducted by Veritas about the feelings of students during online classes, high school or secondary students’ top 3 emotions were: exhausted at 49%, frustrated at 16%, and disappointed at 10%. It shows that students were feeling stressed and anxious during online learning. According to a study conducted by Haider and Mehfooz (2017), Anxiety and stress leads to low self-esteem of students, difficulty in handling different situations, sleep disorder, decreased attention and abnormal appetite which eventually effects the academic achievement and personal growth of students. Online learning in its sense should be an excellent alternative to learning aside the traditional way in the classrooms. According to a study conducted by Nguyen (2015), the important benefits of online learning are its effectiveness in educating students, its use as professional development, its cost-effectiveness to combat the rising cost of postsecondary education, and the possibility of providing world class education at the cost of having a broadband connection. Based on an article published by Schmitz on The Benefit of Individual Course Websites in Professional Development and Higher Education, Individual course websites containing comprehensive information about the course and its subject and offering
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the course materials for download are a useful instrument to achieve a better performance in higher and professional education. Therefore, online learning should provide more than adequate teachings to students instead of exhausting themselves and not learning from it at all. Academic websites should aid and help in the students’ learning and fill the gaps of online learning.
2.2 Related Studies One of the benefits of the Internet is the development of course websites to enhance traditional face-to-face-instruction. Although course websites are prevalent in many disciplines, only few studies have investigated students’ perceptions of these websites. Studies have been made about the perceptions of students in course websites to enhance face-to-face instruction. Based on a study by Markwei, E. and Tagoe, M., The findings showed that students had intermediate computer literacy skills, used the websites frequently, were generally satisfied with the contents which include course outline, lesson notes, assignments, class project instructions, announcements, links to relevant websites, course readings, etc. Another study was conducted solely for the purpose of evaluating online course websites. According to a study conducted by Hathorn, L., & Hathorn, J., An instrument was developed and tested to assess whether there was an appropriate checklist of items that were expected of an online course website by both students and faculty. The instrument was developed from surveying the current literature in online learning. Faculty and student surveys showed that there was strong support for the instrument overall, but lack of agreement for some individual items. Categories that showed the most differences between 8
faculty and students were instructor information, computer-mediated communication, navigation, and use of the site. Frustration, expressed in comments over differences in expectations, may be mitigated by faculty anticipating problems with the described items and stating requirements prior to the start of the course. This study was conducted because of the need to make an evaluation instrument for web-based, mainly asynchronous, course websites. Online learning should be an edge and a better option than its traditional counterpart but as results and studies show, and it is given that online learning is a perfect and flawless way to teach students but even as it is, it still has gaps and minor incapacities. According to a study conducted by So far, the studies focusing on the impact of the Internet on the knowledge and skills of teachers and students have not provided unambiguous results (National Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008). If teachers try to use quality websites in their classes, they are likely to find out after a certain period of time that their integration itself does not grant better results of the teaching process but does not make them worse either. These websites, however, may provide informed teachers with other ways of motivating and interesting students, increasing the clarity of explanation and including proactive methods in their classes.
2.3 Synthesis According to the previous studies and literature presented earlier, Online class makes students become stressed and being unable to perform well in their academics. According to a survey conducted by Veritas about the feelings of students during online classes, high school or secondary students’ top 3 emotions were: exhausted at 49%, frustrated at 16%, and
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disappointed at 10%. It shows that students were feeling stressed and anxious during online learning. Online classroom learning is expected to be the better alternative of the traditional classroom modality, but these previous studies show that it is otherwise. Online learning in its sense should be an excellent alternative to learning aside the traditional way in the classrooms. It is a more efficient and very effective in educating students, reduces costeffectiveness to combat the rising of postsecondary education, and providing world class education in just one click, Nguyen (2015). Recent studies also show that students that are participating in online classes from K-12 have lesser scores in their academics and has lesser comprehension and understanding of the topics that are discussed during their online classes. This has been proven due to their relatively average scores in the Scholastic Ability Test for Adults, most of the students have lesser performance in their academic performance which is also deemed to be alarming and may render them unable to take up their careers in college. The review of the literature summarizes the facts related to Academic websites and how it can or could enhance the learning development of the students that would eventually lead to the improvement of their academic performance. These reviews of related literature present the different statements by professionals and researchers about academic websites and its effect on academic performance.
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CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Research Design This study will employ descriptive case study. Descriptive case study is a scientific method involving the observation with explanation of a subject's behavior, without any effect on it. According to Albert M. (2010), descriptive case study is a case study which focuses and explains in detail in which statements and questions about a phenomenon are thoroughly examined and expressed from the very start. This design is fitted for this present study since the focus is on the effectiveness of using academic websites on improving the students’ academic performance especially in a virtual learning environment, soliciting their personal views and perceptions relative to their responses given by a batch of surveys during school year 2020-2021.
3.2 Context and Participants Since the study is a quantitative research, the participants or the respondents will be surveyed about their insights and knowledge of the effectiveness of educational websites in a virtual learning environment. The respondents that will be given a survey are G12 students coming from different strands. 100 students would be interviewed using stratified random sampling.
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3.3 Research Instrument Because of its quantitative nature, this study will gather its data through surveys. The instrument often used in this method is the survey questionnaire. A survey questionnaire is a set of questions used in a survey. The survey questionnaire is a type of data gathering method that is utilized to collect, analyze and interpret the different views of a group of people from a particular population. In this case, survey questionnaire is comprised of questions relating to the Effectiveness of Academic Websites on the Academic Performances of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment, and their said views about the said topic. The researcher tells the respondent the benefits of conducting the said survey and the time limit of the activity. Furthermore, the questions related to the research topic are found in the body of the questionnaire. This way, the instrument is authorized to obtain valid responses of the students.
3.4 Data Gathering Procedure Before conducting the surveys, the researchers will use stratified random sampling to determine respondents from the different strands in Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan Senior High School, then ask permission from the selected participants/respondents for consent which is enclosed with the survey link. The researchers will explain the purpose of the study to the respondents and then make sure that each participant corresponds to their predefined criteria which is also enclosed within the survey. Then, after making preparations for the survey, the researchers will distribute the survey link to the respondent within their respective group chats with the help of a facilitator. The survey questions contain questions
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pertaining to the topic of research. After the surveys are conducted, the data gathered will be interpreted and used in finding/comparing the results.
3.5 Data Analysis . After the data has been entered, it can be analyzed using descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics are commonly used for summarizing data frequency or measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode). Frequency analysis is a descriptive statistical method that shows the number of occurrences of each response chosen by the respondents. The researchers will use a one sample t-test to determine if the usage of academic websites does improve the academic performance of the Grade 12 XUSHS Students. The study will use Chi Square statistic test since the data and variables collected from the data gathering are nominal and it best represents any changes or no changes with relation to the hypothesis depending on the results of the survey. The formula for the chi-square statistic used in the chi square test is:
The
researchers
will
also use the assistance of
SPSS Software designed for making excellent data analysis for the chi square statistic test which will be employed in the study.
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By determining the factors of good academic performance, the researchers can formulate conclusions that students have good academic performance in a virtual learning environment with the help of using academic websites. With these hypotheses, the researchers will be able to find out the effectiveness of academic websites in improving academic performance of Grade 12 XUSHS Students in a virtual learning environment.
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CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter discusses the data analysis and findings from the survey responses of 100 students about the Effectiveness of Academic websites in improving their Academic Performance in a Virtual Learning Environment. The objectives of the study were to identify: ● degree of helpfulness in improving students’ academic websites give to students in a virtual learning setting. ● impact of academic websites on improving academic performance to students who are currently using it/ have used it. Survey questionnaires were given to Grade 12 students from different academic strands of Xavier University Senior High School through Google Forms links. After agreeing to the consent form in the survey link, these students completed the questionnaires. Their responses are processed in the forms and to ensure no responses were repeated, the researchers used the option from Google Forms to enable respondents to submit another response after responding to the survey. A total of 100 Grade 12 students completed the questionnaires through online surveys in a span of 1 month, starting from 20 February 2021 to 25 March 2021.
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The SPSS Program was used for the data analysis. The data from the questionnaires were statistically analyzed by researchers The findings are discussed according to the sections of the questionnaire. The four sections of the questionnaire were: Section A: Students’ usage of Academic websites Section B: Knowledge of students of various Academic websites Section C: Students’ average GPA in their online classes Section D: Student’s average online exam scores Section E: Frequency of usage of Academic websites Section F: Degree of helpfulness of Academic websites to the students 4.2 RESULTS 4.2.1 STUDENT’S USAGE OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES This part of the questionnaire talks about the Grade 12 Students’ usage of academic websites to aid in their studies. The results of the data are important for the researchers to know how many students are using academic websites to aid in learning especially in a virtual learning environment. Figure 1 Do you use Academic Websites to aid your studies?
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As what Figure 1 shows, 80 Grade 12 students as 80% have been using academic websites to aid in their studies. This shows that many students have known to access and use these websites to their advantage in a virtual learning environment. Meanwhile, 20 Grade 12 students as 20% are not using these websites to aid in their learning. 4.2.2 KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS OF VARIOUS ACADEMIC WEBSITES This part of the questionnaire is about the knowledge of Grade 12 students about various Academic websites. This data helped the researchers find out which of these aforementioned websites they know of which is crucial in the study. In order to determine which of these websites that the students have knowledge and accessibility. The researchers also chose websites that are free to be accessed by anyone. Figure 2 What Academic Websites do you know of?
According to Figure 2, the respondents have a range of choices of free of charge academic websites, ranging from Google Trends to Research Gate and Youtube. Majority of the respondents have known Google Scholar as 71%. It should be known that only 54 17
students as 54% have known Khan Academy, in the least only 3 students as 3% are not aware of Academic websites. A few 5 students in total as 5% have chosen either Youtube, Google, and Organic Chemistry. 4.2.3 STUDENTS’ AVERAGE GPA IN THEIR ONLINE CLASSES This part of the questionnaire mentions the average GPA (Grade Point Average) of students given that they are in a virtual environment setting. This data helped the researchers to know what average GPA the students have in a virtual learning setting and to relate it with their usage of Academic websites, and to know if it improves their academic performance with relation to their GPA.
Figure 3 What is your GPA last semester?
As what Figure 3 shows, 78 Grade 12 Students as 78% have grades higher than the GPA of 3.0. 16 Grade 12 Students as 16% have grades between 2.5 to 3.0. 6 Grade 12 Students as 6% have grades lesser than the GPA of 2.5 or less. 18
4.2.4 STUDENTS’ AVERAGE ONLINE EXAM SCORES This part of the questionnaire mentions about the average online exam scores of Grade 12 Students in a virtual learning setting. The data the research will obtain from this part will be beneficial to the researchers in determining the performance of students in their exams and to relate it with the topic of the research which to prove that there is improvement of academic performance of the students. Figure 4 What is your average exam scores last semester?
Majority of the Grade 12 Students have grades higher than 50% which is 98 as 98%. There are only a small percentage of students which have grades lower than 50%, which only comprises 2% as Figure 4 shows. 4.2.5 FREQUENCY OF USAGE OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES This part of the questionnaire is about the frequency of usage of academic websites. The data that will be gathered from this part of the questionnaire will benefit the researchers in knowing the frequency of student visits to the websites and its relation to improving the academic performance of students in a virtual learning environment.
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Figure 5 How often do you visit the site?
The respondents have been given with the choices of frequency in a Likert Scale, ranging between Always to Never. Majority of the Grade 12 Students as 45% are “sometimes” visiting the site. 27 Grade 12 Students as 27% are visiting “rarely” while 19 Students are “often” visiting the site. Also, 8 Students as 8% are “never” visiting the site or haven’t opened the site. Lastly, the researchers expected the students to have responded “always” but to the surprise of the researchers, only 1% of them always visits the websites. 4.2.6 DEGREE OF HELPFULNESS OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES TO THE STUDENTS This part of the questionnaire is about the degree of helpfulness of academic websites to students. The data collected from this part of the questionnaire is vital for the researchers to be able to make conclusions in relation to the research topic which is the effectiveness of academic websites to improve the academic performance of Grade 12 Students.
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Figure 6 Rate how helpful these websites are in your online learning. Legend: 1 = Useless, 2 = Not Helpful, 3= Neutral, 4=Helpful, 5= Very Helpful
The respondents were asked about their opinions in a closed-ended scale of 1-5 with the corresponding measure of 1 as Useless to 5 as Very Helpful. Majority which is 45 as in 45% have chosen rating 4 in terms of Helpfulness and 36 students as in 36% have chosen 5 which signifies that the students think that these websites are very helpful in their online classes. 13 students as 13% have chosen 3 or neutral, and also only a few 6% of students in total have chosen that it is Not Helpful and Useless to them in their online classes. This result helps the researchers know the impact of academic websites made to students as it made students think that it is really helpful and they become reliant to theses websites.
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4.3 DISCUSSION This part of the research is about the summary and discussion about the findings of the research, the discussion is divided to the different parts of the questionnaire and every data is thoroughly explained and summarized. 4.3.1 STUDENT’S USAGE OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES Majority of the students’ population use academic websites to aid in their studies which supports the statement that students think that academic websites really benefit them in their studies which is 98% of the population and given that the Grade 12 students are in a virtual learning environment and have been using many ways and strategies to employ in their studying due to the data that proves many students use academic websites to improve their overall learning and performance. 4.3.2 KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS OF VARIOUS ACADEMIC WEBSITES The institution has provided academic websites for the benefit of the students with access through the Xavier University Senior High School Online Library namely ProjectMUSE, AccessScience, GALE in Context, and Scholastic GO!, based on the post published about the Library Subscribed Online Databases (2020). The researchers found out that only 13% of students have knowledge of Scholastic GO! and most of the student choices were not even part of the school-provided academic websites that the students can freely access. The data proved that most students know Google Scholar, Khan Academy, Research Gate, Coursera, and Google Trends which are even found in the internet and not part of the free access websites the students have access to. The results have made the researchers know that most Grade 12 students have little knowledge and awareness about the free academic
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websites provided by the school and have been accessing from the internet itself to help them in their studies. 4.3.3 STUDENTS’ AVERAGE GPA IN THEIR ONLINE CLASSES The students’ average GPA surprisingly have really good scores in accordance to the school-implemented grading system based on the XUSHS Handbook ver. 2019 (Chapter 1, Section XVII, p. 34) as which you can clearly see in Figure 3 that most of the students have grades higher than 3.0 which is considered a high GPA and it is safe to infer that most students in this group which is 78% that are part of the honor students given that the lowest GPA requirement to become an honor student in the institution is 3.35. There are many students who have really positive grades which shows that they have good academic performance in their engagement in a virtual learning environment. 4.3.4
STUDENTS’
AVERAGE
ONLINE
EXAM
SCORES
Another measure which the researchers assess is whether the students have good academic performance as most students have grades higher than 50% of the total score of the exam which is also the passing grade for the online exam. Only 2% of students have grades lesser than the passing score of 50% which shows only a small population of students. 4.3.5 FREQUENCY OF USAGE OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES Students have been visiting the websites often as what the results of the survey have shown. What is noticeable is that there were a few students who never visited the websites which only composes 8% of the students and most surprising of them all is that only 1% of the students are always visiting these websites. A chi square test was made for researchers to determine whether there is significance between the frequency of using academic websites and the students’ average GPA.
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Chi-Square Tests
Value 16.444a
Asymptotic Significance df (2-sided) 8 .036
Pearson ChiSquare Likelihood Ratio 18.530 8 .018 N of Valid Cases 100 a. 10 cells (66.7%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .06. Based
on
the
asymptotic significance of the Pearson Chi Square which is our p-value and comparing them to the alpha value, which is 0.05, the results show that the p-value is lesser than the alpha value and that would mean that the researchers will reject the null hypothesis and therefore there is significant difference between the frequency of visits on the academic websites and the students’ average exam scores. This is good evidence that using academic websites are effective in improving academic performance of Grade 12 Students. 4.3.6 DEGREE OF HELPFULNESS OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES TO THE STUDENTS The degree of helpfulness of academic websites helps the researchers assess the opinions of students about academic websites and with that, the researchers can conclude the effectiveness of academic websites to their degree of helpfulness of these websites to the students. Majority of the students chose 4 which is equivalent to Helpful as it composes of 45% and only 4% regard these websites as useless for them. A chi square test was made for researchers to determine whether there is significance between the degree of helpfulness of academic websites and the frequency of visits to the websites.
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Chi-Square Tests
Value 67.405a
Asymptotic Significance df (2-sided) 16 .000
Pearson ChiSquare Likelihood Ratio 46.222 16 .000 N of Valid Cases 100 a. 18 cells (72.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is .02. From the Chi square test, the null hypothesis (H0) will be rejected, since the Pearson ChiSquare p-value from the asymptotic significance is .0, therefore the researchers can conclude that the alternate hypothesis (H1) is true and that there is significant difference between the degree of helpfulness of academic websites and the frequency of usage of academic websites. This is good evidence that shows that the helpfulness of academic websites is affected by the frequency of usage of academic websites by students. The findings of this part of the questionnaire relate to the study by Markwei, E. and Tagoe M., where students were generally satisfied with the course websites they were provided with and improved their computer literacy skills, used the websites frequently and benefitted from the contents provided by these websites.
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CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5.1 CONCLUSION The effect of using academic websites varies from student to student, however based on the result and the data gathered, its effect is leaning more towards the good side. Some students have been adapting great to the virtual learning environment while some are still having problems and are having a hard time coping as online classes were implemented. With that, students find ways to be able cope in this new mode of learning. Academic websites support different educational sectors by providing access to relevant information and tools to each group served, especially in this time of pandemic as not everything discussed are understood and absorbed by the students. The researchers also found out that students have little to no awareness about the academic websites and online courses provided for free by the institution and through this study, it has been made clear that most students have been using academic websites that are not provided by the institution but still accessible to the students. The impact academic websites made to students was due to the results from the degree of helpfulness of academic websites, it made students rely more on the academic websites because it was very helpful from the students’ opinion. The data from the Chi-Squared tests also show good improvement that students have significant improvement of grades especially in the exam and their GPA which is high, and this would be good for the researchers to know that students have been performing well amidst a virtual learning environment. Also, the researchers have found that using academic websites is deemed effective in improving the academic performance of students in a virtual learning environment. It gradually creates a learning environment for everyone who wants to learn and be able to help each other out. As Keith Bachman said, "In times where small instructor-led classrooms tend to be the
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exception, electronic solutions can offer more collaboration and interaction with experts and peers, as well as higher success rate than live alternative."
5.2 RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the study be given more time as not much data has been collected due to limited time the researchers had. The study must be conducted at least within two quarters of the school year to effectively compare the academic performance of the students who make use of academic websites and those who do not; and whether there is a relation in their academic performance by their exam scores and GPA. It is also recommended that the variables be changed. For the data, instead of frequency, it must be changed into hours. As for the institution, the Xavier University Senior High School have had their fair share of providing enough websites for the students to access. However, it is recommended that the institution educate the learners more about this as they have little to no knowledge about these websites, and only a few are knowledgeable about these sites or knows how to use it. The researchers would also recommend for the betterment of the results of the study, the researchers should’ve applied better questions in the questionnaires with implementing correlational study with Pearson correlation to improve the validity of the results. The researchers also recommend that the teachers mention the availability of the academic websites provided by the school in their discussions; and also to integrate these websites in their lesson plan. To the future researchers, the researchers recommend making a research program about the effects of longer usage of academic websites to students in an online class setting.
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REFERENCES ● Daniels, M. M., Sarte, E., & Dela Cruz, J. (2019). Students’ perception on e-learning: a basis for the development of e-learning framework in higher education institutions. iopscience.iop.org.https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757899X/482/1/012008/pdf ● Aquino, L. A. (2020, September 11). Online classes ‘exhausting’ for students, says Veritas
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exhausting-for-students-says-veritas-survey/ ● Reyes Chua, E., Sibbaluca, B., Miranda, R., Palmario, G., Moreno, R., & Solon, J. P. (2020, May 13). THE STATUS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE E-LEARNING CLASSROOM IN SELECTED HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN REGION IV-A
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● Markwei, E., & Tagoe, M. (2017, March 16). Use of Course Websites to Enhance Face-To-Face Instruction: A Study of Students’ Perceptions. University of Ghana. http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/handle/123456789/34439 ● Almerino, P. M. (2020). Evaluating the Academic Performance of K-12 Students in the
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07_implementation_briefing.pdf? fbclid=IwAR2IJRocD_Uuq2xAqIQrtcCp3HHJcLfJfjJAAVrrIzFWMJPYdeTLJMPY gsg APPENDICES APPENDIX A Letter of Approval March 10, 2021 DR. ROGELIO GAWAHAN Senior High School Principal Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental RE: Permission to Conduct Research Study Dear Dr. Gawahan, Greetings of Peace! We are from the group 4 of Research 203 of Thomas A of the STEM Strand and we would like to ask permission to conduct our research studies at Xavier Ateneo Senior High School through google forms entitled: The Effectiveness of using Education-based Websites in improving the Academic Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment. Research Objectives This study aims to answer the following questions: a. How does using education-based websites improve the academic performance of students especially in a virtual learning setting? b. What impact it made to students who are currently using/ have used these websites to improve their academic performance and their studying? c. How can using these websites be helpful to the institution when the setting is changed to a traditional face-to-face environment? METHODOLOGY The design used in this study is a quantitative descriptive design. This was used since the study aims to determine the effectiveness of using education-based websites to improve the academic performance of the Senior High Students. The data collection will be conducted online through Google Forms where in a link is provided for the students. The respondents for this study will be the selected 100 Grade 12 students from different strands of Xavier University Senior High School. Stratified random sampling is the method to be used in this study to maintain anonymity and no bias among the participants. The data gathered from the survey will be analyzed through descriptive statistics. This is the method to be used as it allows the researchers to describe the data gained in the study and present the data in a manageable form. In line with this, we would like to obtain the total number of 100 students in Grade 12 from all strands for the school year 2020-2021 from the Prefect of Students or Registrar’s office. Your positive response regarding this matter is greatly appreciated. Thank you and more power. 30
Sincerely, Jules Hartzer T. Lagat Group Leader Endorsed by: MS. LOLITA MARTINEZ Research Teacher/Adviser Approved by: DR. ROGELIO GAWAHAN SHS Principal
Endorsed by: MS. MARICAR OBSIOMA RLE Coordinator
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APPENDIX B INFORMED CONSENT FORM RESEARCH TITLE: The Effectiveness of Education-based Websites on improving the Academic Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment MEMBERS: Autor, Yuri Benedict Gimpayan, Owenn Heart Gonzaga, Marichu Lagat, Jules Hartzer Libago, Leocel Andre Sarip, Sittie Nor-Ayen
DESCRIPTION: The members of the Group 4 Research group of Grade 12 Thomas A are asking for your participation in our study about the Effectiveness of Education-based Websites on improving Academic Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment. Included in this survey are multiple questions aimed at identifying your insights and views that education-based websites can help improve your grades during online class and analyzing whether there is truth in the aforementioned statement. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The study hopes to be of benefit to students to help aid them in their studies during a virtual learning environment and improve their academic performance and to institutions and individuals who want to create a better learning environment to students. Since the main purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of education-based websites at improving the academic performance of students from Xavier University Senior High School. CONFIDENTIALITY: In this survey, your responses will be anonymous. Every effort made by the researcher to preserve your confidentiality including the following:
The researchers shall only be requiring your Grade Level, and your XU email address and not your name or any personal information. 32
The researchers will not be disclosing any information from the results of the survey.
CONTACT INFORMATION: If have any questions and concerns after taking the survey, please feel free to contact us thru 09979129451 or email us at
[email protected] VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION: The researchers will be choosing 100 students combined from different strands of Grade 11 and 12 to be involved in this study. By receiving this survey questionnaire confirms that you are among the selected 100 students and will be asked to participate in this study. CONSENT: By clicking “proceed”, I have agreed to the terms mentioned above. I have read and understood all aspects regarding to my participation in this research.
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APPENDIX C QUESTIONNAIRE
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CURRICULUM VITAE
NAME PERSONAL DATA NATIONALITY DATE OF BIRTH PLACE OF BIRTH ADDRESS
JULES HARTZER T. LAGAT Filipino Setyembre 10, 2003 Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Zone 8 Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental 9000
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Xavier University Senior High School 73 Corrales Ave, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis
SECONDARY
Oriental 9000 Xavier University Junior High School Pueblo de Oro, Masterson Ave, Cagayan de
PRIMARY
Oro, Misamis Oriental 9000 Xavier University Grade School Barangay Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental 9000
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NAME
OWENNHEART P GIMPAYAN
PERSONAL DATA NATIONALITY
Filipino
DATE OF BIRTH
February 14, 2004
PLACE OF BIRTH
Maramag, Bukidnon
ADDRESS
Old Nongnongan, Don Carlos, Bukidnon
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Xavier University Senior High School 73 Corrales Ave. Cagayan de Oro, 9000 Misamis Oriental
SECONDARY
Loyola High School, Don Carlos Sur, Don Carlos,Bukidnon
PRIMARY
Old Nongnongan Elementary School Old Nongnongan, Don Carlos, Bukidnon
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NAME
MARICHU C. GONZAGA
PERSONAL INFORMATION NATIONALITY
Filipino
BIRTHDATE
March 8, 2003
BIRTHPLACE
Polymedic General Hospital Apolinar Velez St., Cagayan de Oro
ADDRESS
0643 Parola Macabalan Cagayan de Oro City
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City
SECONDARY
Xavier University - Junior High School El Camino Real Street Pueblo de Oro Cagayan de Oro City
PRIMARY
Xavier University Grade School Ateneo de Cagayan Macasandig Campus 14th St, Cagayan de Oro 9000
NAME
LEOCEL ANDRE G. LIBAGO 39
PERSONAL DATA NATIONALITY
Filipino
DATE OF BIRTH
August 5, 2002
PLACE OF BIRTH
Malaybalay City, Bukidnon
ADDRESS
Block 2 Lot 19 NHA Phase 3 Casisan, Malaybalay City Bukidnon
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Xavier University Senior High School 73 Corrales Ave. Cagayan de Oro, 9000 Misamis Oriental
SECONDARY
San Isidro College Impalambong, Malaybalay, 8700 Bukidnon
PRIMARY
NAME
San Isidro College Impalambong, Malaybalay, 8700 Bukidnon
YURI BENEDICT JALAGAT 40
PERSONAL DATA NATIONALITY
Filipino
DATE OF BIRTH
February 12, 2003
PLACE OF BIRTH
Madonna Child Hospital Cagayan de Oro City 9000
ADDRESS
Camp Alagar Rd. Lapasan Cagayan de Oro City 9000
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan, Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City
SECONDARY
Xavier University Junior High School El Camino Real Street, Pueblo de Oro Cagayan de Oro City
PRIMARY
Xavier University Grade School Macasandig Campus, Nazareth 14th Street, Cagayan de Oro City
NAME
SITTIE NOR-AYEN S. SARIP
PERSONAL DATA
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NATIONALITY
Filipino
DATE OF BIRTH
January 4, 2003
PLACE OF BIRTH
Cotabato City, Maguindanao
ADDRESS
Bloomingdale Subd., Brgy. Iponan, CDO City
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan SHS 73 Corrales Ave, Cagayan de Oro, 9000 Misamis Oriental
SECONDARY
Corpus Christi School Masterson Ave, Cagayan de Oro, 9000 Misamis Oriental
PRIMARY
NDMU-IBED Poblacion, Koronadal City
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