Understanding the Effects of Online Classes to Students' Academic Performance,

Students' Physical and Mental Health at Santa Rosa Science and Technology
High School

Kin Calvin M. Martinez

INTRODUCTION:

Learning is a process of achieving knowledge, skill, and performance. Thus

learning is ultimately considered one of the fundamental pillars of society changes.
Nowadays, technology has obviously made our lives easier. That means internet
technology has been considered as an important medium for many aspects of our lives
including academic learning. E-learning or online learning has received much attention
in recent years globally, with an estimated 5-7 million students now are enrolling in at
least one online course each year.

Santa Rosa Science and Technology High School is dedicated to the

advancement of students’ performance through teaching, managing school facilities,
and assessing students. Online education increases access and interactivity with
geographically distant experts and resources that are feasibly inaccessible through
traditional face-to-face learning environments. There are many potential influences
impacting academic achievement. Such influences have been researched in other
academic environments, as will be shown in the review of related literature, to
determine the impact of each on academic performance.

As Covid-19 cases continue to rise in the Philippines, most schools have adapted
to online teaching and learning to keep students safe and help control the spread of the
virus. Virtual learning has inevitably increased the amount of time students spend on
digital devices everyday. In addition to adverse health impacts from altered sleep
cycles, increased digital use can affect student’s physical and mental health. Increased
screen time usage, especially for non-academic activities, has been found to be linked
with increases in depression, anxiety and perceived attention problems (Katzenstein,
2020).

Online learning has also affected the physical activity levels of students. Not
walking between classes has made some students stationary for hours on end in front
of their computers. Problems with internet connections and shortage of gadgets
notwithstanding, incorrect posture might lead to physical health issues, warn
experts. Without the right posture and the right kind of study desk, at a certain point,
students are bound to complain about extreme pain on their backs, shoulders, and
neck muscles because of slouching or straining for long periods of time. Some may
even experience stress, tingling sensations, headaches, muscle fatigue, and
decreased performance because of bad posture.

The primary reason for conducting this study is to determine the impacts of online
classes to students’ academic performance, students’ physical and mental health. The
study will compare the students’ academic performance back on the face-to-face
learning environment with the students’ academic performance on online classes. The
researcher will also determine the physical and mental health impacts of online classes
to students.