bual watin chap 3

Chapter 3
1. In the school community, a student’s main goals, aside from gaining new friends and starting a new chapter in life beautifully, are usually just two things: to learn through academic lessons and experiences and, as a byproduct, to get high grades. (make it direct and do not delay the meaning)
2. Some students have low grade aspirations which make them less driven to work for considerably higher grades, while some students (don’t repeat some some in one sentence, use synonym)
3. these grade aspirations effect work regulation and grade satisfaction. (check)
4. with the course hat usually reflects
5. cause certain effects to (on)
6. well-explained

Chapter III

STUDY FRAMEWORK

Theoretical Framework

In the school community, a student’s main goals, aside from gaining new friends and starting a new chapter in life beautifully, are usually just two things: to learn through academic lessons and experiences and, as a byproduct, to get high grades. Greenwald and Gillmore’s (1997) theory states that one of the greatest stressors of students is getting grades that are lower than what they expected. Students have grade aspirations, which are their expectations for appropriate grades—and these have two effects: (a) work regulation—adjustment of student’s work level to achieve the grade, and (b) grade satisfaction—satisfaction in the course reflects in the grade received.

Grade aspirations are often the driving factors for the students, if not motivators. The need to achieve a certain grade drives the student to work harder in order to please not just the self but also the others (i.e. parents and family). Grade aspirations vary from student to student, and have varying effects. Some students have low grade aspirations which make them less driven to work for considerably higher grades, while some students have very high grade aspirations that usually make them work too much to achieve the grade they want. Accordingly, in order for the student to reach the expected grades, these grade aspirations effect work regulation and grade satisfaction.

Work regulation is the adjustment of student’s work level in order to achieve the aspired grade. Usually, if the present grade or standing is very low, in order for the student to achieve the aspired grade, the student must alter his/her work level. Work regulation usually entails a change in the schedule and in the work routine to be able to adapt reasonably to the work needed to be done to achieve the aspired grade.

Grade satisfaction, on the other hand, is the student’s satisfaction with the course hat usually reflects in the grades received at the end of the semester. Since he/she likes the course, he/she would want to have a high grade for that course. If the student is satisfied with the course taken, he/she usually works hard enough (or harder) to achieve the grade he/she wishes to have for that course.

In relation to the study, since it has been established that perhaps the greatest stressors of students is having low grades, the pressure to have higher grades increases in order to deal with the academic stressors present in the school community and usually given by teachers.

Figure 1 on the next page shows the flow of Greenwald and Gilmore’s theory on student stress. An existing stressor would affect the student’s health and mental, emotional, and physical disposition. In turn, these stressors would have either positive or negative effects on the student’s academic performance.

Conceptual Framework

Since Greenwald and Gillmore’s theory talked about the greatest stressor of students, its incorporation into the study and into the conceptual framework was easy and appropriate.

The Student Stress Theory states that students have one greatest stressor which helps in the formation of the pressures that the students experience in their GE and major classes. The greatest stressor pertains to getting low grades. Second Year UP students’ curriculum includes an equal number of general education classes and major classes.

The pressures elicited by the drive to get high grades (or at least the drive to achieve no failing grade) also influence the student’s perspectives concerning the quality of the teachers and the students’ satisfaction with their teachers. The weight of the homework, quizzes, and requirements usually add a lot to the pressures of the subject, since there are more things to be done to be able to proceed to the next courses confidently. The students’ assessment of their enjoyment level in the class is just as important, because it influences the performance of the student. Enjoyment level usually becomes basis for better performance in class.

Figure 2 on the next page effectively illustrates the abovementioned flow of the basic concepts of the study, as the researchers have formulated and discovered in the course of the research.

Operational Framework

Having already defined that the greatest stressor among students is having grades lower than the student’s expectations, the Student Stress Theory emphasizes that this stressor greatly helps in the formation of the academic pressures of students experienced upon the fruition of one’s GE and major classes. Second Year UP students’ curriculum includes Arts and Humanities classes like Communications, Humanities and/or Literature, and major classes offered like Psychology 110, Psychology 108, and Psychology 150.

The pressures elicited by the drive to achieve one’s expected grades, as already stated, greatly influence the student’s perspectives concerning the quality of the teachers and the students’ satisfaction with their teachers. Homework, quizzes, and requirements usually give more weight to the different classes, since, especially if it is a prerequisite major, there are things needed to be completed in order to proceed to the next courses (and in turn, the next semester and year level) confidently.

The students’ enjoyment level in the class is also an important factor, since it becomes basis for the drive to work more and influences the performance of the student. When the student enjoys the subject, he/she usually strives harder to satisfy himself and get a high grade. On the other hand, when the student abhors the subject, he will usually lose the drive to study harder and strive more for the grade he wants.

All these, in turn, cause certain effects to the students’ academic performance, be it positive or negative. Figure 3 (seen on the next page) effectively shows the abovementioned flow of the basic concepts of the study, as the researchers have formulated and discovered.