CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The Philippines teenage pregnancy rate has increased by 60% in the year 2000- 2010,

according to the Philippine National Statistics Office. This is very alarming. Teenage

pregnancy often occurs between the ages of 15-19 years old, often in this age the girls

are still studying.

With early pregnancy the girls usually have to abandon their education to give birth or

raise their child. Girls who become pregnant are expelled from school especially in a

Catholic School like Lourdes College because it goes against the moral teachings of the

school thus delaying the chance of earning a degree that will help them in providing for

their child. Education becomes a lesser priority and is often delayed until they are able

to leave the children at home are financially stable. But there are girls who are studying

as well as taking care of their child and they are who we call Student Mothers. The

burdens for these girls have double as to they have to take care of school as well as

their child at home.

The life of a Student Mother is no easy feat they have to juggle their time between

attending their classes, making their requirements, taking care of their child and taking

care of the house. They become the primary caregiver of their child and are expected to

rear their child well. Many of these student mothers also engage in working part-time to
help in the financial burdens of both studying and caring for the child. But, this becomes

another disadvantage as it takes up time and effort on the part of the Student Mother.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to understand how student mothers cope with their situation towards

their studies and as well as child rearing. More specifically, what are the problems they

have encountered in studying while nurturing their child at home.The study also seeks

to find the coping strategy used by Student Mothers in their circumstances.

With these in mind the purpose of the study is to help the readers understand the

endeavors experienced by student mothers.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

From 2000 to 2010, the number of live births by teenage mothers in the Philippines rose

by more than 60 percent, latest data from the National Statistics Office showed.

Another alarming fact is that the number of teenage mothers who gave birth to their

second or third child during their teenage year has increased in the last 10 years. This is

according to the data shown in the press conference in Quezon City by Carmelita Ericta,

administrator and civil registrar general of the National Statistics Office. ( Ime Morales,
July 9, 2013) Teenage preganancy is a global issue and a major contributor to school

drop-out among girls. Permanent expulsion was one of the solutions made for teenage

pregnancy but this has been proven ineffective and unfair to the girls. Now there is a

return to school policy where a student is temporarily dismissed from school due to

teenage pregnancy to further pursue their education.(Okeyo, 2012)

As stated by Brown and Amankwaa (2007) “As more female college students are

involved in sexual relationships their risk of conception increases. However, when

pregnancy occurs it is only the woman who bears the burden and risk of the pregnancy

and in most cases child care.“ often these types of pregnancy are unplanned or planned

caring for a child becomes a full time job. Having a child while being a student becomes

stressful because child rearing consumes time and energy, with a few exeptions the

women are the primary care giver of the child. ( Hofferth, Reid, & Mott, 2001 as cited by

Brown &Amankwaa, 2007). According to Kidwell (2004), rearing a child while being s

full-time student may be daunting and difficult however, it will be easier if she has a

partner or a family member who can help her in taking care of the child.

With the increase of higher education students, 10% of this population areparents or

mothers who are hoping to give their children a better future and attending to their

needs through receiving a degree. These nontraditional students are often Student

Mothers and should be given special attention because aside from their role as student
they are also mothers and care givers at home. Many see or consider their families a

hindrance to their education which is wrong they should see it as a motivator because

primarily, Student mother go back to studying because they want to provide for their

child. (Wilsey, 2013)

When pregnant students and student mothers are expected to subordinate their needs

and desires to those of their children and families, they are forced to grapple with the

conflicting roles of motherhood and studentship (Berg &Mamhute, 2013). Brown

&Amankwaa, (2007) stated that parenting is a very stressful and some women cannot

handle all the tasks involved especially the first time mothers and need help or

assistance from the people around them. Although having someone help the mother is

good but the expectation of receiving support after giving birth to a baby often causes

Stressors that may lead to depression during postpartum period. Many student mothers

have expressed feelings of guilt, worry and inadequacy in both as a student and as a

mother.( Thompson, 2004)

Though not always does being a student mother have negative effect, it also has

positive effects. Story (1999), as cited by Brown &Amankwaa (2007), has found out that

student mothers are more responsible than those of regular students. He has seen that

girls who were irresponsible before pregnancy has become more responsible after

pregnancy and ismore less likely to drop out of College than the regular students.
For women who juggle family and student responsibilities, the lack of time is one of the

major issues faced. (Liversidge, 2004) Many student mothers use different coping

strategies to adjust to their situation. As stated by Grohman (2009), student mothers

depend on time management to handle the many different tasks of a student mother.

Another coping cited by Grohman&Renelamn (2009) is managing tasks to handle the

things needed to be done as both student and a mother as well as emotional and

physical support from both the partner and parents of the student mother.

Okey (2012) has said student-mothers go through a number of challenges as they live

double lives as mothers and students. Often challenges are faced like lack of support

due to other factors like lack of finances and time being limited.

A study by Boutan (2012) shows the feeling of student mother in regards to lifestyle she

said thaGale (her participant) said she juggles multiple lifestyles as a full-time student

and a full-time mom. This does make her feel disconnected from campus life.

Due to student mothers’ situation being difficult they have adapted coping mechanism.

According to Okeyo (2012), Their coping mechanisms included: problem-focused,

avoidance and emotion-focused strategies and the support they received upon

resuming studies were spiritual and social support.

It was argued that raising a child involves a great deal of financial, emotional, and

practical planning (Kidwell, 2004). it is necessary to make sure that there are adequate
child care resources available. This may be very difficult to do if the student is going to

school full-time. However, if the student decides to remain in school and take care of

the child it may be more fpossibleif she has a partner or family member who will provide

additional help to care for the child (Kidwell, 2004). Parenting is very stressful and some

women cannot deal with all of the tasks that are involved. It is best if there are people

around who are there to assist. Although it is best to have family, friends and spousal

support after giving birth to a baby this expectation often causes Stressors that may

lead to depression during the postpartum period. (Brown &Amankwaa, 2007)

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

In this study a qualitative exploratory design was used, allowing the researchers to get

an in-depth understanding of the socio-educational problems faced by Student

Mothers. Qualitative research has the advantage of uncovering the lived experiences of

individuals by enabling them to interpret and attribute meaning to their experiences

and in the process construct their worlds (Merriam and Simpson 2000, as cited in Berg

&Mamhute, 2013)

Discussion
Time management is seen as the common obstacle for these student mothers. Because

the live double lives as a mother and as a student, they struggle to split their time to

accommodate all their responsibilities. This is supported by Grohamm (2009) work,

student mothers greatly depend on time management.

For coping the respondents commonly rely on being positive and not being stressed

about their situation. As for the factors they consider that greatly helped them cope the

common factor was the help of family members and husband. This is supported be

works of Kidwell (2004), Thompson(20014 and Okeyo(2012) that it lessens the burden

on the student mother if there are people around her who can help in caring for the

child. This is evident as stated by Ione (27) that when she has things she needs to do at

home her husband is the one who takes care of the child and as for Tepa (23) she stated

that her mother has helped her both financially and caring for the child at home.

The most common learning of the student mothers is that one should not be rash and

should know the consequences of their actions.

Conclusion

Time management is the biggest obstacle of being a student mother as you need to

divide your time between school and caring for the child. As for the coping strategy it is

seen that the having a positive outlook is effective in handling different situations as a

student mother.