THE PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF POOR EYESIGHT TO THE CLASS PERFORMANCE

OF GRADE 12 STEM STUDENTS OF ‘HIGHER SCHOOL NG UMAK’

In Partial Fulfilment Of The Requirements For

The Grade 12 Senior High School

In Practical Research II

A.Y. 2018-2019

Acierto, Andrea C.

Anastacio, Genevieve Gabrielle A.

Apiado, Fella Mae A.

Ato, Maria Mikaela DG.

Nealega, Joanne B.

Pallagao, Hazel Marie M.

Pulido, Ana Jone C.

Solis, Xilca Angela P.

Ms. Rebekah C. Mambiar

Practical Research II

August 11, 2018

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With sincerest appreciation and gratitude, we wish to acknowledge the valuable

assistance given by the following people who helped shape and complete the study:

First of all, we are grateful to the Almighty God for granting patience, guidance,
everlasting love and divine wisdom to complete the research.

We wish to express our sincerest gratitude to our dearest Parents and Guardians for
providing us financial support and all the necessary facilities to finish the study.

We would also want to give appreciation to every professor and students that have
actively participated to the fulfilment of the study and also for giving additional ideas.

To our Research Adviser, Ms. Rebekah C. Mambiar, for her expert, sincere and valuable
guidance and encouragement extended to everyone in the group.

We would like to take this opportunity to record our sincere thanks to all the faculty
members of the Department of Science and Mathematics for their help and unceasing
encouragement and support.
 CHAPTER 1

PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Students in schools and universities are required to expand the use of their visual ability.
As students grow and progress in school, the size of text in textbooks decreases and the amount
of time spent on reading, studying, and class works increases. According to a research made by
Irvine Clarke III et al (2006), about 40% of college students are visual learners. Students prefer
to be taught using visuals such as pictures, diagrams, charts and demonstrations.

With the increasing amount of visual activity used by the students, it is common to have
low vision or poor vision. Students are having a hard time reading texts from the text books or
from the power point that the teacher uses. The rate of poor eyesight increases in higher grade
levels (Han Ya-nan, 2009). According to Douglas M. Osborne (2015), 25% of children and
adolescents have vision problem. He also states that vision problem is the most common disorder
children can have. Low vision is a condition caused by eye disease in which visual acuity is
20/70 or poorer in the better Seeing Eye and cannot be corrected or improved with a regular eye
glasses. (Scheiman and Whittaker) Snellen Eye Chart is a test that ophthalmologists and
optometrists use to measure a person’s distance visual acuity. It contains letters, numbers and
symbols.

The researchers will conduct a study about perceived effects of poor eyesight to the class
performance of Grade 12 STEM students of ‘Higher School ng UMak’. This study can inform
the teachers about the difficulties a poor eyesight students can have and for them to construct
other teaching styles that can benefit not only the students having a high visual acuity but also to
the students having a low visual acuity.
Background of the Study

University of Makati being a state university located in the metro or among the
urban cities in the Philippines, is one of the schools wherein the 21st century modern system of
education, involving the wide usage of computers and gadgets, is highly implemented. The new
curriculum also asks the new technology-driven school works and classes in accordance with its
goal to produce productive and globally competitive individuals.

As the cyber era emerged, students were demanded to increase the use of their visual
senses and abilities. When the internet became much easier to access, they spend a lot of time
greater than before in front of their iPod’s and laptops being more prone to radiation emitted by
the gadgets which can be harmful for their health and may damage the condition of their eyes.
The student’s vision was constantly in use at schools. The size of print in schoolbooks becomes
smaller and the amount of time spent reading and studying increases significantly. Increased
class work and homework place significant demands on the child's eyes.

In 1999, NEI-funded researchers initiated the Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation

of Ethnicity and Refractive Error (CLEERE), a long-term study following the eye development
of more than 1,200 children ages 6 to 14, the age range during which poor eyesight typically
develops. CLEERE researchers found that children who spent more time outdoors had a smaller
chance of becoming near-sighted. The researchers also showed that time spent outside is
independent from time spent reading, providing evidence against the assumption that less time
outside means more time doing near work. This scenario is not new to the Department of
Education and the university. They are constantly conducting free eye check-up and lending free
glasses on students with different cases of having poor eyesight the last one executed at UMak
on September 2017.

The school years are a very important time in every child's life and one important
learning tool needed to succeed in it is their vision. The Vision Therapy Center, an international
organization composed of a unique set of individuals, doctors, optometrists, that are all driven to
help improve the vision of their patients agrees to the fact that Vision Problems Affect the
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic skills of an individual. It will identify whether it would lessen
the rate of their learning or would have no difference at all with those students having good
eyesight. This would be done through observing and analysing the quantitative information of
students with high visual acuity and those with normal sight mainly their General weighed
average last semester. It will also include the factors that may be affecting their eye conditions
such as the gender, age and civil status of the respondents. However, the significant difference
among the variables is yet to be confirmed.

The high probability of having poor eyesight condition in students made the
researchers came up with the idea to conduct a study of its perceived effects on their academic
performance.

Statement of the Problem

This research focuses on the perceived effects of poor eyesight to the class performance
of Grade 12 STEM Students in HSU. The study specifically aims to determine the following:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a) Age
b) Gender
c) Usage of eye glasses (with or without)
2. What is the visual acuity of the respondents from the results of:
a) Visual Test (Snellen Chart)
b) Medical Results (Clinic)
3. What is the General Weighted Average of the respondents based on the last
academic year?
4. Is there a difference between the GWA of the students with poor eyesight
condition (high visual acuity) than the GWA of the students without poor
eyesight condition (low visual acuity)?
Research Hypothesis

The GWA of the respondents who have HVA (high visual acuity) are lower than
respondents who have LVA (low visual acuity), then teachers must consider students with HVA
and give them readable font size and font in quizzes and other paper work.

If the GWA of the respondents who have HVA (high visual acuity) are the same in
respondents who have LVA (low visual acuity), then having HVA is not a problem and students
can cope up with the lesson well even if they have poor eyesight.

Theoretical Framework

Vision is the learned ability to see for information and performance; it allows people to
understand things that they cannot touch, taste, smell or hear. The development of some
respected vision theories such as Democritus (c. 425 B.C.), Epicurus (342-270 B.C.), Plato (c.
427-347 B.C.), Aristotle (384-322 B.C.), Empedocles (495 BC), and Scheiner (1619) and have
been used by researchers to succeed in determining the perceived effects of poor eyesight among
students nowadays. However, this study gives focus on the visual acuity theories.

One of the renowned theory of vision was that of the pre-Socratic philosopher,
Democritus. His theory of perception depends on the claim that eidôla or images, thin layers of
atoms, are constantly sloughed off from the surfaces of macroscopic bodies and carried through
the air. These films of atoms shrink and expand; only those that shrink sufficiently can enter the
eye. It is the impact of these on our sense organs that enables us to perceive. Visible properties of
macroscopic objects, like their size and shape, are conveyed to us by these films, which tend to
be distorted as they pass through greater distances in the air, since they are subject to more
collisions with air atoms. A different or complementary account claims that the object seen
impresses the air by the eidôla, and the compacted air thus conveys the image to the eye (DK
68A135; Baldes 1975).

Emission theory or extra mission theory is the proposal that visual perception is
accomplished by eye beams emitted by the eyes. This theory has been replaced by intromission
theory, which states that visual perception comes from something representative of the object
later established to be rays of light reflected from it entering the eyes. Modern physics has
confirmed that light is physically transmitted by photons from a light source, such as the sun, to
visible objects, and finishing with the detector, such as a human eye or camera. It was held by
Plato around 400 BCE and was later further studied by succeeding philosophers and scientist
such as Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) and Euclid (300 BCE).

Conceptual Framework

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

 Respondent’s  Class
Profile Performance
- Age - GWA of the
- Gender students
- Usage of - GWA of the
eyeglasses respondents
(with or based on the last
without) academic year.

This paradigm illustrates the relationship between the visual acuity in the academic
performance of Grade 12 STEM students. In the process, researchers studied and explore the
areas covered in their study. They conducted surveys regarding the perceived effects of poor
eyesight Grade 12 STEM students of HSU in A.Y. 2018-2019.
Scope and Limitation

This research study will get at least 100 respondents consisting of Grade 12 students from
academic track - STEM will be taken as samples. They were chosen as they have low eyesight.
The nature of study to be used is a simple survey with each respondents using survey
questionnaire.
This study is limited only to the STEM students from ‘Higher School ng UMak’
Academic Year 2018-2019. The research will be conducted in the said University and will not go
beyond it. These, therefore, delimited the analysis of the study.

Significance of the Study

With the conduction of this research, the researchers will provide beneficial result to the
following individuals to achieve the goal of being aware of the perceived effects of poor eyesight
to the class performance of STEM students.

Students . This will help them to be aware of the possible effects of having poor eyesight and
make adjustments of their lifestyle and their habits in avoidance to developing the condition if
proven to decrease their academic performance, or if not in order to take care of their health.

School. It would inform the school officials, professors, and other stakeholders whether they
should make significant changes on their methods of teaching and systems of learning in
accordance with the perceived effects of having poor eyesight.

Society. The members of the society would also benefit from the research since everyone may
suffer the condition of having high visual acuity. It will help them to determine what to do and
what to avoid in terms of taking care of their vision to be productive in schools and in the world
of work.

Future Researchers. The results of this study can be used as reference, will be a good content of
their related literature, and would be helpful on pointing out where they should start and in what
area they will make advancements for their further researches about the topic.
Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined based on the usage of this research.

HSU. This refers to the abbreviation for Higher School ng UMak, the department for Senior
High School in the University of Makati.In this study it is used as the brach of university of
Makati that has senior high school students

Snellen chart. This refers to a test that ophthalmologist and optometrists use to measure a
person’s distance visual acuity.In this study it is used to scale the visual acuity of the students.

STEM. This refers to the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
It is an academic strand that is specialized in Math and Science.In this study it is used as the
students that will be part of the thesis

UMak. The abbreviation of University of Makati.In this study it is used as the school where the
thesis is conducted.

Visual Acuity. This refers to the sharpness of vision, measured by the ability to discern letters or
numbers at a given distance according to a fixed standard.In this study it is used as help for
researchers to know the capabilities of the student’s eye sight.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies that are important and relevant to
the study. The information gathered provide background that guides the researchers to further
explore their topic and achieve their goal in knowing the perceived effects of poor eyesight to the
class performance of STEM students.

RELATED LITERATURE

According to American Optometric Association, 2014, “A student needs abilities to

succeed in school. Good vision is a key. When his or her vision is not functioning properly,
education and participation in class can suffer”

Very little data exist on vision problems among school-age children in developing
countries. Bundy et al (2003) report that about 10% of school-age (5-15 years old) children have
refraction errors (myopia, hypermetropia. strabismus, amblyopia, and astigmatism), which
account for about 97% of the vision problems among those children. Almost all refraction errors
can be corrected with properly fitted eyeglasses, but most children with refraction problems in
low income countries do not have glasses.
Dr. White’s article entitled “Vision Screening Outcomes Of Children In Australia:
Differences In Academic Achievement” said schools that were involved in the study had
anecdotally reported big improvements, with some children showing a marked increase in their
reading level and greater classroom participation. As well as vision assessment, children
completed a range of near vision learning tasks, such as reading and mathematics, while eye
tracking was used to examine specific visual processing behaviors underlying these activities.
“The aim is to level the playing field in terms of vision and provide every opportunity for
learning and academic achievement for children in school and later life," (Professor Wood,
2017).

According to an article made by Krista Cabello (2016), 10% of children in grade school
have poor eyesight or eye problems. Many of its cases are undetected until the condition got
worse. Krista states that eye problems limit the ability of a child to learn and interact with other
people. It has negative impact on the intellectual and social development of students.

According to The Social And Economic Impact Of Poor Vision, 2012, The impact of poor
vision can be significant - resulting in poorer educational performance, reduced employment
opportunities, lower economic participation and deteriorating later life health. In this study vision
is the learning process and 80% of what children learn is acquired through the visual processing
of information. Clear and comfortable vision is critical to ensure the ability of children to learn.
Vision problems can have an adverse effect on comprehension and performance in reading and
writing that constitute nearly ¾ of a typical school day. The definition of good vision needs to be
updated to reflect the evolving requirements of the 21st century learning environment, impacted
by the growing popularity and use of computers, smart phones, gaming consoles among children
and teenagers. Screening should include tests that also detect near-vision problems and other
vision issues that hinder a child’s ability to read, learn and perform well in school. Vision care in
these crucial childhood years should be a priority.

RELATED STUDIES

There is an impact to an academic performance when a person is having an issue with

eyesight since 80% of what a person learns is obtained visually. Dr. Joel Zaba (2017) stated that
“If a child is struggling at school, it is better if a parent considers his or her vision.” 30% of
children experience vision problems that have a significant impact in terms of long-term health,
school performance and emotional/social development. Although there are other reasons that can
affect academic performance, it’s clear that vision has a role on how much a student could learn.

Professor Sally L. Smith, founder and director of The Lab School of Washington said
"We recommend that all students have a regular comprehensive eye exam, a child may not
realize that there is a problem and that everyone doesn't see the same way he or she does. School
can be difficult enough. As parents and educators, we owe it to our children to address vision
problems before they negatively impact academic performance." A comprehensive eye exam
done by an eye care professional is considered the most reliable and accurate method of
diagnosing and treating vision problems. It assess eye health that is essential to learning, such as
the eyes ability to focus appropriately while reading a book or viewing in a computer screen.

Having poor eyesight is a great factor to everyone who is wearing glasses. According to
UC Davis Health System Eye Center (June 2013) their research found that visually impaired
individuals and those with uncorrected refractive error — those who could benefit from glasses
to achieve normal vision but don’t wear glasses — have a significantly greater risk of diminished
balance with their eyes closed on a compliant, foam surface than individuals with normal vision.

SYNTHESIS

The researchers’ study is all about the perceived effects of poor eyesight to the class
performance of Grade 12 STEM students of ‘Higher School ng UMak’. Vision problems is a
serious impediment for learning, in which fortunately almost all vision problems are easily cured
by providing correctly fitting eyeglasses. The study confirmed the usefulness of in-depth and
oculovisual exams throughout one’s schooling as well as the positive impact of adopting
corrective measures to avoid the struggling of students in term of academic. One of the great
factors of studying is the vision for mostly students are visual-aid learners. Having poor eyesight
badly affects the performance and outcomes of a student since most of the activities includes
vision and students with clear vision most likely comfortably perform in class and ace most
exams.

Furthermore, to assess the impact that visual impairments have on academic

performance, it was necessary to use questionnare bringing together the effects of poor visual
potential in academic performance so that it can become medicated administered by all
professionals in-charged of children and teens who are having a difficulty for a reason of this.
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the discussion on the research methodology of the study, the
research design, population and sampling technique, research instruments, procedure of data
gathering, and statistical treatment that will be uses for accurate data analysis and interpretation.

Research Design

Quantitative research is used to determine and analyze the Perceived Effects of poor
eyesight to the class performance of Grade 12 STEM students of ‘Higher School ng UMak’. This
particular type of research used quantitative information for examination. Through this, the
researchers were able to determine the problem and effects of poor eyesight to the class
performance of STEM students.

According to Bryman and Bell (2007) Quantitative research method is adopted

because it allows the researcher to get the facts and not abstract about the aim of dissertation. It
is more reliable and less complicated than qualitative research.

Population and Sampling Technique

The population of the study was composed of a group composed of 100 respondents that
will be chosen through purposive sampling. The group were came from the Grade 12 STEM
students who have low eyesight or poor eyesight which were selected at ‘Higher School ng
UMak’.
Research Instruments

The Researchers utilized questionnaires through application that will be used as the
survey tool to interview individual in a certain area. The main purpose of this tool or instrument
is to determine the perceived effects of poor eyesight to the class performance of each
respondents. It will have a total of 15 questions.
Data Gathering Procedure

Week
Data Gathering Procedure July August

1 Asking Permission
2 Development of test
instruement
3 First Revision of test
instruments
4 Validation of test
instrument by research and
experts
5 Second revision of test
instrument
6 Consent form
7 Pilot testing
8 Questionnaire distribution
9 Data analysis and
interpretation

The researcher's provided survey questionnaires regarding the effects of poor eyesight to
the class performance of STEM students to the selected 100 Grade 12 STEM students of Higher
School ng UMak. The research title, guide questions, purpose and methods were utilized.

The people who had low eyesight or poor eyesight were gathered to answer the
questionnaires as a form of interview, where it will serve as a copy of the researchers for
conducting the survey.

The researchers asked permission from each class of Grade 12 STEM students studying
in ‘Higher School ng UMak’, for the survey to be successful. All of them followed the same
steps and procedures such as explaining the significance of this study and how big of a help the
respondents would be for this study.

Statistical Treatment of Data