CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Geographic Location

Academic
Quality of Internet Performance in terms
Speed Connection of General Weighted
Average (GWA)

Sex

Figure 1. A paradigm of the evaluation of effects of geographic location, internet

connection, and sex on the academic performance of Mechanical Engineering students
in a state university

Education is regarded as the equalizer of socioeconomic status; it is capable of

uplifting one’s standard of living with just hard work and perseverance (Giovetti, 2020).

Education is a continuous learning process that shouldn’t be interrupted. According to

United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (2019), the closures of educational

institutions could exacerbate already existing disparities in the educational system. In

the quest of finding a solution without compromising the health of the learners, the

Technological University of the Philippines has opted for a mixed mode of learning that

includes having online classes and modules as a supplement for learning.

The implementation of distance learning has led to the increased dependency of

college students to the internet for educational materials. One of the factors affecting

the quality of education being delivered to the learners is the quality of their internet
connection. Speed, availability, and reliability vary greatly. In an investigation conducted

by Francis (2017), it was found that students have higher inclination on the integration

of the use of technology and are more motivated to study. Soegoto and Tjokroadiponto

(2018) concluded based on their findings that the utilization of internet for academic

purposes and the students’ performance are directly proportional. Subsequently,

Jabrin’s et al. (2017) study revealed that 63% of the students regarded the internet as

very useful in improving their academic performance; also 30% students said that

school tasks and activities are easier done with help of internet. Upon studying the

variability of internet connection quality, it is also imperative to take into account the

effect geographical location of the respondents in relation to the quality of their

connection.

Geographical location indirectly influences the academic performance of the

students. The defining characteristics of a geographical location are the factors that are

needed to be considered. One of them is temperature, it is undeniably apparent that

there is a temperature differential between rural and urban locations with urban places

having hotter temperature than that of rural homes. The continued rise in temperature

due to climate change intensifies the effects of higher temperatures in the academic

performance of students. A study conducted in Harvard University by Park (2017)

displayed that a temperature of an increase of 18F from 72F resulted to a decreased of

probability of students passing the test by 10.9% and 2.5% decline in the likelihood of

graduating on time. Subsequently, a group of researchers from De La Salle University

Manila, Falsario et al. (2014), made a similar study. Their study indicated that there is a

Positive Correlation (r=0.434) between the academic performance of students and

classroom temperature. Additionally, 18.84% of the classroom climate is the reason in

the variance of students’ academic performance. Another is the level of ambient noise

present in each location. Noise pollution in rural areas is either very low or non-existing.

The lack of development in these areas results in a much calm and peaceful

environment. While on the other hand, urban areas tend to have higher noise levels due

to oncoming traffics, honking of cars, ambulance and fire truck sirens, commercial

establishments, and etcetera. In an effort to determine the mean noise level of the

streets of an urban location such as New York City, McAlexander et al. (2015) started

an investigation. They recorded the level of street noise on 99 streets of the urbanized

city and obtained a mean value of 73.4 dBA ranging from (55.8-95.0 dBA). A maximum

continuous noise level of 55 dBA is considered to be comfortable anything more than

that could potentially annoy people according to the World Health Organization (1995).

In line with the effects of noise to the academic performance, it was found that schools

situated near sources of noise such as construction, machine shops, and oncoming

traffic is created unfavorable learning environment for students that resulted to the

dropping out of some students (Nzilano, 2018). Consequently, an analogous study by

Gilvand & Jahmshidnezhad showed that there is a negative impact in the learning and

academic performance of the students.

Students are used to going to the peaceful, quiet, comfortable and scholastic

sphere created by the campus. The transition is what is going to affect these students

as they normal are not used to these disturbances when studying. Moreover, whenever

they are at home, they do not think about school that much. Various factors regarding

location influences the students’ academic performance, however in this study the
researchers will take those factors collectively and group the respondents into urban,

and rural locations.

Different sexes have different motivations that could affect their academic

performance (Orabi, 2007). In a paper published by Bruger, et al. (2010) their results

showed that male engineering students have higher self-efficacy due to the stereotype

of being in a male dominated course. Male students usually have the mind-set that they

should perform much better over their female counter part resulting in a strong drive to

perform well. On the other hand, female students also have the same motivation to

outperform their counterparts in an act to change the society’s perspective that they are

inferiorly performing. It is observed in a study conducted by Sax & Harper (2005) that

female students appear to be outperforming their male peers based on their GPA.

Various studies regarding students’ academic performance yielded different results. The

discrepancy lies on the wide range of factors affecting the students such as quality of

education being received, intelligence quotient, peers, and a like. In the current situation

the researchers would like to take into account the differences in the performance of

both sexes in relation to distance learning in the midst of a crisis.

In this study, respondents’ academic performance was evaluated through their

General Weighted Average (GWA) for the first semester of A.Y. 2020-2021. The

researchers excluded NSTP and subjects with non-numeric ratings in taking the GWA

of the respondents. The performances of the students were analyzed and evaluated in

relation to their geographic location, quality of internet speed connection, and lastly, with

their sex.