Factors related with the performance of students in the division achievement test of schools in the Fourth Congressional District of Iloilo

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the factors related with the performance of students in the Division Achievement Test of Schools in the Fourth Congressional District of Iloilo. This study was also conducted to determine the factors related with the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test of Schools in the Fourth Congressional District of Iloilo. Objectives The specific objectives of this study were: 1. To determine whether or not residence of students is related to the performance of students in the Division Achievement Test. 2. To determine whether or not sex of students is related to the performance of students in the Division Achievement Test. 3. To determine whether or not attendance of students to review classes is related to the performance of students in the Division Achievement Test. 4. To determine whether or not family income of the student is related to the performance of students in the Division Achievement Test. 5. To determine whether or not average teaching experience of teachers is related to the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 6. To determine whether or not proportion or percentage of teachers handling subjects same as their major is related to the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 7. To determine whether or not the average number of students per class is related to the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 8. To determine whether or not the number of learning resource centers/ classrooms is related to the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 9. To determine whether or not average student-book ratio is related to the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. Hypotheses This study attempted to test the following hypotheses: 1. The students living in the poblacion tend to perform better in the Division Achievement Test compared to students outside the poblacion. 2. The longer the period of attendance of students to review classes, the higher the students’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 3. Female students tend to perform better in the Division Achievement Test compared to male students. 4. The higher the family income of the student, the higher the students’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 5. The longer the average teaching experience of the teacher, the higher the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 6. The more the number of teachers handling subjects same as their major, the higher the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 7. The higher the average number of students per class, the lower the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 8. The more the number of learning resource centers/classrooms, the higher the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. 9. The lower the average student-book ratio, the higher the schools’ performance in the Division Achievement Test. The subjects involved in this study were 597 students enrolled in the school year 1998-1999 from first year to third year from the sample schools in the Fourth Congressional District of Iloilo. The students were enrolled in Anilao National High School, Banate National High School, Cayos National High School, De La Paz National High School, Mulapula National High School and Pagdugue National High School. Also involved in the study were 230 teacher respondents coming from the sixteen secondary schools in the Fourth Congressional District of Iloilo. A total of sixteen secondary school principals or teachers-in-charge were also considered respondents in the study who answered the questionnaires for the average number of students per class, number of learning resource centers / classrooms, and average student-book ratio. The descriptive survey was utilized in this study. In the treatment of the data, the mean, coefficient of correlation and t-test value were computed and tested at the 1 percent level of significance for the variables under the student factors and performance of students in the Division Achievement Test of Schools in the Fourth Congressional District of Iloilo. For the variables under school factors and the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test in the Fourth Congressional District of Iloilo, the mean and coefficient of correlation were computed and tested at the 5 percent level of significance. Findings The major findings of the study were: 1. The difference between the mean performance in the Division Achievement Test of the students residing within the poblacion and those residing outside the poblacion was highly significant. 2. The difference between the mean performance in the Division Achievement Test of the male and female students was highly significant. 3. There was a positive and significant correlation between attendance of students to review classes and the performance of students in the Division Achievement Test. 4. There was a positive and significant correlation between family income and the Performance of Students in the Division Achievement Test. 5. There was no significant correlation between the average number of years of teachers’ experience and the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test. 6. There was no significant correlation between the proportion or percentage of teachers handling subjects same as their major and the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test. 7. There was no significant correlation between average number of students per class and the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test. 8. There was no significant correlation between the number of learning resource centers and the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test. There was no significant correlation between the number of classrooms and the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test. 9. There was no significant correlation between average student-book ratio and the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test. Conclusions On the bases of the findings of the study, the following conclusions were presented: 1. Students living within the poblacion tend to perform better in the Division Achievement Test compared to students living outside the poblacion. Performance of the students in the Division Achievement Test is determined by the type of residence of the students. 2. Performance of the students in the Division Achievement Test is in some ways determined by sex. Female students tend to perform better in the Division Achievement Test compared to male students. 3. A student who was able to attend more review classes would tend to have a better performance than a student who has attended less review classes. The longer the period of attendance of students to review classes, the higher the Students’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test. 4. A student who belongs to a family having more income per month would tend to have a better performance than a student who has lesser income per month. The higher the family income of the student, the higher the Students’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test. 5. The Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test is not related to the average number of years of teachers’ experience. 6. The Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test is not related to the proportion or percentage of teachers handling subjects same as their major. 7. The Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test is not in any way related to the average number of students per class. 8. The Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test is not related to the number of learning resource centers and number of classrooms in every school. 9. The Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test is not in any way related to the average student-book ratio. Recommendations From the conclusions of this study, the following recommendations were advanced: 1. Since the performance of the students in the Division Achievement Test is determined by the type of residence and that students living within the poblacion tend to perform better in the Division Achievement Test compared to students living outside the poblacion, it is recommended that in order to improve the performance of the students in the Division Achievement Test, the school authorities should encourage students living outside the poblacion to transfer to schools near their residences so that they could give priority to their studies and at the same time attend to the varied activities of the school without having to encounter so much problems. 2. Since the performance of students in the Division Achievement Test is determined by sex and that female students tend to perform better than the males in the Division Achievement Test, it is recommended that the school authorities exert efforts to give the male students encouragement and motivation that they have the capacity to excel if they so desire that would enable them to compete mutually with the female students in terms of performance in the subjects included in the Division Achievement Test. 3. Since the length of period of attendance of students to review classes tend to determine the students’ performance in the Division Achievement Test, it is recommended that review classes in the subjects covered by the Division Achievement Test be made from the opening of the school year up to the time of examination rather than made a few weeks before the date of the examination in order to be assured of a better performance in the succeeding examinations. 4. Since a student who belongs to a family having more income per month would tend to have a better performance in the Division Achievement Test than a student who has lesser income per month, it is recommended that the school and the community should go hand in hand in pursuing livelihood programs such as but not limited to swine dispersal program, cattle fattening and cutflower production that would help uplift the living conditions of the people in the community which in turn could give the needed support for the education of their children. 5. Since the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test is not determined by the average number of years of teachers’ experience and by the proportion or percentage of teachers handling subjects same as their major, it is recommended that a similar study should be conducted using other moderator variables, such as teacher’s rating in the Performance Appraisal System for Teachers (PAST), teacher’s board examination rating, and number of hours of attendance to in-service trainings. 6. In as much as the average number of students per class, number of learning resource centers and number of classrooms in each school, and average student-book ratio do not determine the Schools’ Performance in the Division Achievement Test, it is recommended that a similar study should be conducted increasing the number of schools included in the study or extending the coverage of the study for the Province of Iloilo instead of the Fourth Congressional District of Iloilo in order to see the difference in the result. 7. In order to make the findings conclusive, a similar study should be conducted in other districts in the Province of Iloilo which had either low or high performance in the Division Achievement Test