CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION
According to the World Health Organization, the 2019 coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) was announced a pandemic by March 11, 2020. It may follow the influenza
pandemic of 1918 in magnitude, which affected about one-third of the world population
and killed 50 million. To date, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-
CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19 disease, has affected 213 countries and
territories worldwide with 14 million cases and half a million deaths. Control efforts
worldwide led to travel bans and restrictions. In the Philippines, President Rodrigo
Duterte placed the entire Luzon archipelago on enhanced community quarantine on
March 16, 2020; curfew, checkpoints, and travel restrictions were strictly implemented,
business and school activities were temporarily suspended indefinitely. People were
forced to stay in their homes to keep themselves safe and free from the airborne virus.
The rapid and chronic spread of SARS-COV2 affects all the living normal life of every
people in this world specially teenagers that has been deprived instantly of their
freedom and independent lives, might as well as workers and other sectors within the
economic zone of our country especially un health sector and educational sector. The
emotional impact of the worldwide lockdown affects almost every people especially
teens, children and senior citizen, from the previous disease outbreaks caused
generalized fear to the public and induced fear-related behaviors and anxiety. The novel
coronavirus plaguing the world, these related fears emotionally attack humans with low-
stress management, exceptionally high school students were highly affected, and there
are so many unidentified uncertainties with the disease with a possibility of a fatal
outcome. Infection or death of family and friends could worsen an individual's overall
mental health well-being. Patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 may
experience fear, while those in quarantine might experience boredom, loneliness, and
anger. The listed deaths accompanied by the COVID-19 lockdown affects the students
as well as they school academic activities because of the said number of recorded
deaths that was affecting them. Overwhelming deep emotional traumas and socio-
economic stressors brought about by the pandemic, and the lockdowns have led more
vulnerable people to commit suicide. It is imperative to determine the prevalence of
adverse mental health issues in society during this pandemic and mitigate its
psychological risks and consequences. To date, there are no studies that examine the
psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the general population in the
Philippines, especially to those affected the most incomparably, had the level of
emotional stress that governs because of this lockdown. There were reported
manifestations of distress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia in general populations.
Especially students because of distress of E-learning activities, these manifestations
were seen almost around the globe and the affected of this distress were mostly high
school students. Therefore, dealing with the hectic senior high school student life the
drastic lifestyle changes imposed due to COVID 19 pandemic can be challenging. As
there is no current study done in the Philippines among senior high school students, the
present study attempts to explore the perceived stress and the coping strategies utilized
by the selected Senior High School students in the COVID 19 pandemic lockdown.
Although the government is making all the efforts within the new mode of
learning many students still not used to this new way because of many things that
needed in order to meet these educational needs like Wi-Fi connections, laptops
android phones and tablets that they can use to interact within the lesson. Another thing
is the lesson itself because most of the students can’t barely comprehend the lesson
very well, they are giving themselves a hard time understanding the lesson and ended
up stress. Because of this, our study requires analyzation on the factors that gives
students stress. Students feel not really understand the material presented because
study with offline and online is different, and lecture assignments are piling up so that
causing physical education students to become boredom and stressed. The lack of
supervision of students, difficulty in getting signals in remote areas, and the high cost of
quotas are challenges in online learning.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students' readiness will never comply with
the needed resources to cope with their online academic strategies. Most of them do
not have a stable connection because they live in remote areas, and some do not afford
the needed resources to make it within the online materials needed. Some also needed
further explanation of the subject matter in order to understand the subject content.
These are lecture barriers that can cause academic stress. Academic stress is a
subjective perception of an academic condition or a response experienced by students
in the form of adverse physical reactions, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions that arise
due to academic demands. Academic stress can reduce academic achievement, reduce
motivation, and increase the risk of dropping out of school. Stress is one of the most
significant health problems in modern society, and in the 21st century, the feeling
experienced by an individual when facing stress the students has a response of one's
body that arises as a reaction to external demands that are considered dangerous or
threatening. In particular, stress can harm learning conditions and cognitive abilities.
When a person experiences stress, it will indirectly affect the performance of the brain
to concentrate, namely the ability to maintain focus on activities in an environment or
learning environment. If they postpone doing essential activities, they become urgent,
which can increase stress levels.
The symptoms of stress consist of (1) physical symptoms, including headaches,
palpitations, changes in diet, weak, frequent urination, and difficulty swallowing, (2)
emotional symptoms, including depression, irritability, moody, anxiety, worried, easy to
cry, anxiety about minor things, panic, and behaving impulsively,
and (3) behavioral symptoms, including frowning, aggressive actions, tendency to be
alone, careless, blaming others, daydreaming, high pithe nervous laughter, pacing, and
changing social behavior who mentions the symptoms of stress during the Covid-19
pandemic as follows: (1) having an excessive worry or fear so that they think irrationally,
(2) having negative thoughts towards people who have signs sufferers of covid-19, (3)
looking for excessive news about Covid-19, causing anxiety which results in difficulty
sleeping, and (4) feeling headaches and other physical ailments emotional aspect is the
highest aspect that affects the academic stress of gifted students, which is 48.60% so
that students need special attention to manage academic stress through guidance and
counseling programs. Stress on individuals will cause difficulties in life management
because stress will cause anxiety and the nervous system becomes less controlled.
stress experienced by students when learning online significantly affects learning
outcomes, so this is considered necessary because this research has not been carried
out before. No research result describes the level of stress among students of online
education.
Thus, this study determines the stress level of online modular education students
during the Covid-19 pandemic. The stress level of physical education students needs to
be known to prevent or overcome distress and manage stress so that academic
education students can focus and concentrate while studying and can keep learning
motivation from decreasing. In conducting this study, the expected outcome of coping
strategies will be determined to help reduce stress so that students can learn well.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into focus the mental health of various
affected populations. It is known that the prevalence of epidemics accentuates or
creates new stressors, including fear and worry for oneself or loved ones, constraints on
physical movement and social activities due to quarantine, and sudden and radical
lifestyle changes. A recent review of virus outbreaks and pandemics documented
stressors such as infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, inadequate
information, financial loss, and stigma. Mental health issues are the leading impediment
to academic success. Mental illness can affect students’ motivation, concentration, and
social interactions—crucial factors for students to succeed in higher education. This
affects students because of their economic status that will be the main reason for the
pandemic happening. This study aims to assess students while having the new mode of
educational learning which would provide the emotionally healthy mind that would be
bearable to stress, this study differentiates e-learning and traditional learning with
different coping strategies provided by the outcomes of the two approaches. This will
also adhere the learning barrier of students in e-learning set up.
The effect of information technology on human life is immense, and its role in
education cannot be subsided. In the current scenario of the COVID 19 pandemic, the
contribution of information technology has gained momentum due to the closure of
educational institutions that raises challenges for students' learning. Information
technology is serving as the solution for the ongoing learning process through
innovative and learning management systems during this quarantine time. It has
provided the opportunity for educators to implement IT solutions for teaching and
evaluation for the completion of students' coursework. The efforts of stakeholders,
namely teachers, students, and institutional administrators, are optimal technology and
an efficient learning process. The ultimate goal is to minimize the learning gap that
arouses lockdown. Educational institutions and students across the world have
accepted and appreciated the online platform of learning. The reasons for this
perceptibility are ease of use, learning flexibility, and a controllable environment;
however, despite its multiple advantages, there are quite a few limitations of e-learning,
such as social isolation and face-to-face interaction between teacher and student
connectivity issues, etc. E-learning has never been adopted and accepted as real
learning or the formal mode of education before this ongoing pandemic that compelled
to resort to electronic learning solution would not be over. Now, at the hour of pandemic
crisis standards, educational institutions are exploring and approaching e-learning to
make it easy for students to work out at new normal. Also, various e-teaching software
are being explored by teachers or educators to bring massive ease for their students.
As this e-learning wave is a recent development, is achers and students are in the
process of adapting this new teaching and learning methodology. At this prevailing
situation of virtual teaching and setting of new normal of teaching-learning methodology,
it becomes all more important to get to know the opinion of learners and to explore
learners' inclination towards this novel teaching methodology, such as their degree of
adaptation and amendment if any they would like to suggest for the same or want to
reject it altogether. Against such a backdrop, this study examines the perception of e-
learning during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Although the benefits of e-learning will
more effectively help students, they still need to configure the subject on their own
unlike when in traditional learning explanations and further discussion of the subject
matter where provided. These stressors affect students and the innovation of
information technology will still be arising in centuries. Proper education cannot be a
determinant as a stress determinant because learning never infatuates with the
strategies of the student’s stress managements.
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This study utilize Cox’s Model Stress, according to Cox (1978, 1985) the

individual becomes stressed when a discrepancy occurs between the perceived level of

the stressful demands and his/her perceived ability to respond to and to cope with the

demands. There is thus an imbalance between a perceived demand and a perceived

capacity to cope. Cox (1985) notes that: The classic stressful situation is one in which

the persons resources are not well matched to the level of demand and where there are

constraints on coping and little social support. Stress, itself, is an individual

psychological state. It is to do with the persons perception of the work environment and

the emotional experience of it (p.1156). Cox (1978, 1985) maintains that perception

plays an important role in recognizing‟ stressors. The individual’s ability to cope with

environmental „threats‟ or adverse events are also emphasized. This view would

suggest that if the individual can perceive environmental and psychological demands

made on him, he can learn (for example, through counselling as a form of intervention)

to recognize which are the best resources to call upon when confronted with perceived

stressful demands. Cox (1985) emphasizes that the stress phases experienced by the

individual involve a complex interactive process with various levels of appraisal, emotion

and response, with the immediate response to a stressful situation being in the form of

negative emotion, propelling the individual into flight or fight action. Cox (1978, 1985)

maintains that stress is an imbalance between a perceived demand and a perceived

capability, with the demands changing at various levels of appraisal during the phases

of the stress process. An appraisal of capability takes into account external resources

as well as internal capabilities. In using the „capabilities‟ the individuals makes an

assessment of the social support available (external factors) and appraises his or her

internal strengths or limitations in order to deal with the stressor. Successfully coping

with stress would thus be reliant on the individual’s assessment of where his/her coping

resources exist, namely from an internal or an external source. Cox’s model could be

compared to Rotter’s theory of Locus of Control which asserts that some individuals

have a stronger internal locus of control, namely a greater sense of self-reliance.

According to Rotter’s theory, individuals with a stronger internal locus of control have a

greater influence over their destiny or circumstances, which would suggest that they
would cope better in stress related situations. Mayer and Sutton (1996) contend that

individuals with a strong internal locus of control are associated with greater academic

achievement, more effective relationships and a greater problem-solving ability than

those individuals showing a greater external locus of control. When further compared to

Cox’s model, the individual with the stronger internal locus of control would reveal a

more positive appraisal of his/her internal capabilities than the individual with a stronger

external locus of control, which would reveal a less confident appraisal of his/her

internal capabilities in coping with stress. As part of the individual’s appraisal of his/her

coping abilities, recognition of the symptoms of stress whether physical or

psychological, play an important role in “warning‟ the individual that he or she is

experiencing unhealthy stress levels.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping Theory is a framework that
highlights a formal assessment to appraise harm, danger, and challenges, as
consequences in coping with stressful episodes. The extent of stress encountered in the
form of opinions, emotional state, sentiments, and deeds, as a result of outside
stressors, depends on evaluations of the state of affairs, which involves assessing
whether internal or external demands surpass resources and ability to cope when
demands surpass capitals.
Accordingly, this research was premised that different academic, health, and
psychosocial stressors can trigger coping responses like adaptive and maladaptive
stratagems utilized by residential and non-residential students. Thus, the conceptual
model related to the conceptual literature examined stressors encountered by students
and stress coping strategies employed to minimize stress.
Moreover, these academic-related stressors, health-related stressors, and
psychosocial-related stressors can affect learners in the course of their academic
pursuits. Most of the studies indicate that distance education students experience
diverse stressors and utilize different coping strategies instead of regular students.
Similarly, most research was also conducted on the coping stratagems adopted by
these students to manage stress. Additionally, a few studies on stressors and coping
techniques adopted by residential and non-residential college students suggest that
residential students face more stress than non-residential students found otherwise.
 A stressor is any issue that activates a stress reaction. Previous studies have
acknowledged that stressors encountered by students are grouped into three, namely,
individual, scholastic, and college-related stressors. Examples of individual stressors
encountered by learners include physical issues or hindrances, family troubles, money-
related challenges, resource accessibility, social problems, and the transition from
adolescence to adulthood. Scholastic stressors encountered by learners comprise high
scholarly expectations, thorough class plans, incorporation of the classroom and
medical learning, examinations and assessments, the measure of classwork and
horrible scores, managing time, and fieldwork on clinical, as well as student-supervisor
relationships. Similarly, stressors associated with the college comprised a change
following college life, access to assets, library assets, and friend or partner contention.
Because of the ceaselessly changing nature of the college condition, learners can
conceivably encounter significant levels of pressure that can influence their wellbeing
and academic performance, categorizing stressors into two broad categories: academic
and academic non-academic stressors.
Consequently, the underlisted have been distinguished to be related to scholarly
stress grounded on previous research: academic workload, lecture attendance,
assessments, school curriculum and insufficient learning materials, subject-related
projects, and unfriendly scholarly environmental factors, for instance, poor illumination,
excessive temperature, and uncomfortable sound might increase the threat of harm and
the resultant increase of musculature and skeleton syndromes. Bodily stress forced on
the physique comprises improper sitting arrangement and inappropriate posture on
chairs in overcrowded classrooms, which could cause significant damage to muscles
and joints. This might be an everyday phenomenon, prompting increasingly incessant,
recurrent discomfort and incidents of pain.
Notwithstanding, non-scholastic stressors involve different stressors aside from
scholarly stress that disturbs individuals' day-by-day operations by coercing them to
make adjustments. They comprise relationship stressors, for example, trust issues,
unfaithfulness, lack of self-confidence and relationship exploitation; financial stressor,
for example, tuition fees, unsettled bills, the danger of account going to the collection
and piling on unpaid liability through loans and credit card liability; unhealthy eating
habits (foods that can activate stress comprise nourishment high in caffeine, fat, refined
starches, and sugar); and employment. Coping is perceived as an important variable
during the time spent in limiting, decreasing, or enduring stress. Coping alludes to
individuals' opinions and actions to deal with the interior and exterior requests of
traumatic occasions.
Coping has been characterized as a procedure of continually changing one's
intellectual and demeanor endeavors to oversee particular outer or inner challenges that
are assessed as burdening or surpassing the individual's assets. Coping methodologies
are viewed as those endeavors, both conducts, and mental, that a person utilizes to
suppress, diminish or limit and endure distressing occasions. Correspondingly, it also
defined eight comprehensive kinds of coping stratagems that people may utilize in
traumatic circumstances. These eight categories of coping approaches are additionally
categorized into emotion-focused and problem-focused coping techniques. Whereas
emotion-focused coping techniques concentrate on positive, self-criticism, unrealistic
reasoning, minding your own business, separation, and decrease in anxiety, problem-
focused coping techniques consist of looking for social help.
Besides, problem-focused coping is when a person connects with the
surrounding through direct activity, critical thinking, and dynamic fundamental
leadership. Indicated that immediate action includes changing the
circumstance/occasion or changing oneself to eradicate the stressors. In general,
problem-focused coping procedures are planned for diminishing the anxieties of the
circumstance or stressor. This is done by increasing the resources for managing the
stressor, which is regularly utilized when the individual accepts that the stressor can be
altered. Consequently, problem-focused stratagems and confidence, clever coping
techniques are adaptive coping tactics that lessen stress experienced by individuals.
On the contrary, endeavors focused on exchanging emotional reactions to
stressful situations are termed emotion-focused coping approaches. These endeavors
aim to limit the negative impacts of the stressor; in this way, the person feels much
improved, yet the issue is not resolved. Accordingly, emotion-focused coping
techniques are planned for lessening the effect of the alleged stressor if the stressor
cannot be changed or maintain a strategic distance from it, or if a person sees the
cause of stress as very intimidating unalterable, and overwhelming.
Emotion-focused stratagems, for example, evasion and negative thoughtfulness
in light of a stressor, are maladaptive strategies for coping. Even though these
techniques for coping may diminish a person's feelings of anxiety, it encourages long-
term wellbeing. Furthermore, the outcomes of maladaptive coping may cause
diminished confidence, increased liquor utilization and smoking, decreased working of
the immune framework, increased self-destructive propensities, poor scholarly
achievement, and dropouts
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research study aim to assess the perceived stress and coping strategies

among selected Senior High School Students of Oxford Philippines International School

(OPIS) during COVID 19 pandemic lockdown. It sought to answer the following:

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

1.1 age;
 1.2 gender;

1.3 grade level;

1.4 religion;

1.5 residing presently; and

1.6 source of information for COVID 19?

2. How often the stress perceived by the selected senior high school student

respondents in regards to COVID 19 lockdown?

3. How much the selected senior high school student respondents have using each

coping style to relieve or minimize stress during COVID 19 lockdown?

4. Is there a significant relationship of the perceived stress level of selected senior

high school student respondents with selected socio demographic variable during

COVID 19 lockdown?

5. Is there a significant relationship of the coping adopted of selected senior high

school student respondents with selected socio demographic variable during

COVID 19 lockdown?

HYPOTHESES

Ho1: There is no significant relationship of the perceived stress level of selected

senior high school student respondents with selected socio demographic variable

during COVID 19 lockdown.

Ho2: There is no significant relationship of the coping adopted of selected senior

high school student respondents with selected socio demographic variable during

COVID 19 lockdown.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

School Administrator: Ensure the necessary resources, policies and infrastructure,

are in place that protect the health and safety of all school personnel, including

people at higher risk.

School: Must provide or think a solution to lessen or avoid stress for their students

Educate staff and students on COVID-19 prevention measures, develop a schedule

for daily cleaning and disinfection of the school environment, facilities and frequently

touches surfaces, and ensure availability of hand hygiene facilities and national/local

guidance on the use of masks.

Teachers: Must build strong relationship with and between students to help them

get through this very challenging time.

Educators: Fix problems, soothe troubled student feelings, and quickly find

a solution. Often, we need to let go and observe, allowing the experience to

unfold. Follow the quiet. Allow the quiet of contemplation to enter, and to

leave when its work is completed.

Students: Understand the effect of being stress and think of an effective strategy to

cope up stress like humming and singing activate the vagus nerve, a critical

nerve that flows from the brain stem throughout most of our body. It is

associated with functions of the body that are automatic, like swallowing,
 digesting, and the heart’s beating, and it relays signals to the brain that all

is well or not. Activating this nerve basically tells your brain that you are

calm and relaxed, while stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system to

slow your heart rate and respiration and lower your blood pressure.

Schools should

Parents: Must be aware of the feelings of their children and should keep informed

about the measures being implemented to ensure their collaboration and support

with the school.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

These study focuses only within the population of all Senior High School students

of Oxford Philippine International School (OPIS) can participate in the survey. The

limited participants in other school than Oxford Philippine International School were not

included in the study. The study scope will further understand the students stress

determinants whenever they undergo e-learning classes.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Senior High School Students: All students underlying Grade 11 and Grade 12

of Oxford Philippine International School in Dasmarinas Cavite.

Lockdown: Restrictions imposed on the general public to remain indoors and

maintain social distancing with each other in the outbreak of pandemic.

 Perceived Stress: Perceived stress is the feelings or thoughts which the Senior

High School students have about how much stress they are since being under lockdown

in the past one month.

Coping strategies: Coping strategies refer to the specific efforts, both

behavioral and psychological, that the Senior High School students are employing to

master, tolerate, reduce, or minimize stressful events during lockdown.