The Effectiveness of using Academic Websites on improving Academic Performance of

Grade 12 XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment

In Fulfilment of Research 203 Requirements

Submitted By:

Yuri Benedict Autor

Owenn Heart Gimpayan

Marichu Gonzaga

Jules Hartzer Lagat

Leocel Andre Libago

Sittie Nor-Ayen Sarip

Submitted To:

Mrs. Lolita Martinez

APRIL 2021

I
 CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

This is to certify that the work entitled “THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING ACADEMIC

WEBSITES ON IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF GRADE 12 XUSHS

STUDENTS IN A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, SCHOOL YEAR 2020-

2021” is an original work and submitted as a requirement for the subject of Research 203 for

Grade 12 Senior High School at Xavier University Senior High School –Ateneo de Cagayan.

We hereby confirm that the work is our own, that everything is original except as those

specified in the acknowledgements, footnotes, or in the references and that this has not been

submitted earlier either to this University or to any other University/Institution for the

fulfillment or the requirement of a course of study.

JULES HARTZER T. LAGAT

MARICHU C. GONZAGA

OWENNHEART GIMPAYAN

LEOCEL ANDRE LIBAGO

YURI BENEDICT AUTOR

SITTIE NOR-AYEN SARIP

APRIL 2021

II
 APPROVAL SHEET

This Research Paper entitled: “THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING ACADEMIC

WEBSITES ON IMPROVING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF GRADE 12 XUSHS

STUDENTS IN A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, SCHOOL YEAR 2020-

2021,” prepared and submitted by JULES HARTZER T. LAGAT, MARICHU C.

GONZAGA, OWENNHEART GIMPAYAN, LEOCEL ANDRE LIBAGO, YURI

BENEDICT AUTOR, SITTIE NOR-AYEN SARIP, in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for graduation for Senior High School has been examined and is recommended

for Oral Examination.

Ms. Lolita Martinez

Research Teacher

PANEL OF EXAMINERS

Examined and approved by the Committee for Oral Examination.

Ms. Maricel E. Acerdano

Chair
Mr. Rando Romulo Mr. Proceso III Perturbos
Member Member
Approved and accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation for Senior

High School.

Dr. Rogelio L. Gawahan, PhD

Principal
April 19, 2021

III
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The researchers would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the following individuals

who supported them in some way in making this study possible.

To God, first and foremost. To our Almighty Lord, who gave the strength to keep going,

inspiration, knowledge, determination, bravery, faith, and, most importantly, His Love.

Our research advisor, Ms. Lolita Martinez, without her the success of this study would not

be possible. To all of the remarks, lectures, encouragements, and stresses that motivate us to

work harder on our studies.

It was an honor and a privilege guided by them, being shared with their wisdom and

brilliance in making this research work. We would not complete this work without their

support. We need not ask for more, with their all-out support.

And last, we give our utmost gratitude to our Families for giving their full support

throughout the making of the research paper. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank them

for providing us everything we need, especially their faith in us until the end.

IV
 ABSTRACT

Xavier University Senior High School is well known for its quality education and excellence

within its students. As an educational continuity effort amidst pandemic COVID-19, classes

were shifted to the virtual learning environment, students find ways to broaden their

knowledge about the topics that were discussed in their online classes and to also improve

their academic performance amidst the online environment. The institution has provided

academic websites for students to access and use for their benefit in the whole duration of the

online learning. The purpose of conducting this study is to have knowledge on what is the

level of the effectiveness of academic websites in improving academic performance of Grade

12 XUSHS Students in a virtual learning environment. The study was conducted at XUSHS

with the Grade 12 students from all academic strands as the participants. Through descriptive

research, it is probed further by looking at the level of effectiveness of academic websites in

terms of Degree of Helpfulness, Frequency of usage of Academic Websites, Knowledge of

Academic Websites and the Students’ average exam scores and GPA. The researchers used

100 respondents as the sample size. Stratified random sampling was used to identify the

participants. The Chi-Squared Test was used to analyze the data to know he relationship

between the variables. After analyzing the data, it was discovered that the overall variables

that makes academic websites an effective way to improve academic performance of Grade

12 Students, and also there is significant difference when it comes to frequency of visiting the

websites and the students’ average GPA and exam scores.

 V

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE I

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY II

APPROVAL SHEET III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV

ABSTRACT V

TABLE OF CONTENTS VI-VIII

CHAPTER PAGE

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study ………………………………………………………………1-2

1.2 Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………………….2-3

1.3 Research Questions ……………………………………………………………………….3

1.4 Significance of the Study ……………………………………………………………….4-5

1.5 Scope and Delimitation …………………………………………………………………...5

 VI

2. RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction of Literature Review ………………………………………………………...6

2.2 Conceptual Literature ………………………………………………...............................6-8

2.3 Related Studies ………………………………………………………………………….8-9

2.4 Synthesis ……………………………………………………………............................9-10

3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design ……………………………………………………................................11

3.2 Context and Participants …………………………………………………………………11

3.3 Research Instrument ……………………………………………………………………..12

3.4 Data Gathering Procedure ……………………………………………………………12-13

3.5 Data Analysis ……………………………………………………..………………….13-14

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………..15-16

4.2 Results ………………………………………………………………………………..16-21

4.3 Discussion ……………………………………………………………………………21-25

 VII

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………...26-27

5.2 Recommendation …………………………………………………………………….28-29

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Letter of Approval 30-31

Appendix B: Informed Consent Form 32-33

Appendix C: Questionnaire 34-36

CURRICULUM VITAE 37-42

VIII
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Improving and expanding education worldwide has been easier and less complicated

with the help of technology. Using technology in classrooms created a potential to increase

student motivation, enhance student learning, and engagement, as well as positive outcomes.

It is capable of unlocking keys of learning with the students. Studies have shown that

incorporating technology into student’s learning experiences results to better academic

outcomes.

Academic Websites are part of technology that contains information and virtual

activities such as games, videos and topic related sources that act as tools in enhancing the

learning experience of the students. These types of websites can easily be accessed by anyone

with the help of the internet and any available gadget. Nowadays, a variety of technologies

are currently used to deliver education on the internet.

The advent of online education has made it possible for students with busy lives and

limited flexibility to obtain a quality education. As opposed to traditional classroom teaching,

Web-based instruction has made it possible to offer classes worldwide through a single

Internet connection. Although it boasts several advantages over traditional education, online

instruction still has its drawbacks, including limited communal synergies. Still, online

education seems to be the path many students are taking to secure a degree.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of academic websites on the improvement of the

student’s academic performance. Through this study, it will be made clear whether these

types of websites really help academically. The researchers chose to focus solely on the

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academic website’s effectiveness as most students rely on these websites especially in this

time of pandemic.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The whole education system of the Philippines has changed drastically with the

implementation of Online Classes as a mode of learning amidst the pandemic. Students have

been adapting to this new normal and have made ways and strategies to be able to participate

in this form of learning. As traditional classroom modality is found to be restrictive,

inflexible, and impractical. In this age of technological advancement, schools can now

provide effective classroom teaching via the Web. This shift in pedagogical medium is

forcing academic institutions to rethink how they want to deliver their course content. Even

though online classroom deems to be better than the traditional classroom setting, students

are still experiencing problems in their academics and getting stressed which is similarly

comparable to a situation in a traditional classroom setting. It may seem that not all students

can benefit in this setting because of many factors such as problems with technicality,

teaching methods of teachers, and many factors which affect their academic performance and

participation. Many strategies and online courses teachers recommend and add to their

teaching agenda which can help students alleviate their struggle in academics since the whole

classroom is part of the Internet itself. The Internet has been a tool in learning due to its

never-ending sources of data you can find with just one click. As Robova (2013) points out,

there are benefits and risk when students use Internet as a tool for learning. The key benefits

of integrating websites in the classroom lie in: increasing the clarity of explanation and

learning effectiveness, student motivation and proactive approach, individual approach to

instruction and the possibility to test student knowledge and skills. This is why it is important

2
to know the level effectiveness of academic websites on improving the academic

performance of students in a virtual learning environment.

1.3 Research Questions

The overall objective of this case study is to determine the level of effectiveness of

Academic websites on improving Academic Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual

Learning Environment.

Central Question:

What is the level of effectiveness of Academic websites on improving the Academic

Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment?

Sub Questions:

1. How does using academic websites improve the academic performance of

students especially in a virtual learning setting?

2. What impact it made to students who are currently using/ have used these

websites especially in their academic performance?

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1.4 Research Hypothesis

The researchers will determine whether there is significant difference between which

hypotheses will be considered true:

1.H0: There is no significant difference between the frequency of visits to the

academic websites and the students’ average GPA.

1.H1: There is a significant difference between the frequency of visits to the academic

websites and the students’ average GPA.

2.H0: There is no significant difference between the degree of helpfulness of

academic websites to the frequency of visits to the academic websites.

2.H1: There is a significant difference between the degree of helpfulness of academic

websites to the frequency of visits to the academic websites.

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study will benefit the following:

Students. This study will help students know how effective it is to use education

websites and apply them in their studying in a virtual learning environment. This will also

provide as a guide for them to use these websites to their advantage if this study proves

effective. Lastly, this will also help them even when normal school environment returns,

educational websites can be an extra source of information for studying.

Teachers & the Academic Community. This study would be helpful as it can be an

eye-opener for teachers and to how applying educational websites can help improve students’

performance in online classes and have good grades. After all, teachers are the ones

4
responsible for giving the topics that students need to study about since in a virtual learning

environment, students are independent in making their own study habits to learn. This study

will also help teachers know the benefits of recommending the students to boost their

knowledge about the topic they recently discussed with them. Also, this study can be utilized

by teachers even if virtual learning is over and classes return to face-to-face environment, it

can help teachers to create effective learning habits that students can adapt with the help of

these educational sites.

Future researchers. Although there are a few similar studies, this paper focuses on

the effectiveness in improving academic performance of students in a virtual learning

environment. This research can be utilized as a useful reference for the researchers who plan

to make a related study. They may also gain insights about this particular topic and may even

apply them in real life situations, considering that new educational systems are being

implemented because of modern technology and substitutes for learning going on for years

and is very evident in today's generation due to the pandemic.

1.6 Scope and Delimitation

The scope of the study involves the time, the tools, materials and techniques which

will be used, and the number of students needed for the experiment to be completed. This

particular study is descriptive in nature and will be done in 4-5 months and the sample will be

composed of 100 Grade 12 students from Xavier University Senior High School only. The

sampling technique to be used will be stratified random sampling and surveys will be utilized

and survey responses from the respondents will be used.

5
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction of Literature Review

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the thorough and in-depth

search done by the researchers. This will also present the synthesis to fully understand the

research to be done.

2.2 Conceptual Literature

The concept of online learning has not been introduced until now due to the pandemic

and it has been a shock to the whole education system in the Philippines. Top universities in

the country, especially Xavier University, has resorted to the mode of online learning in

which students engage in a virtual learning environment. Most filipino senior high students

engaging in online classes have been passively doing well in their academic performances.

According to a Scholastic Abilities Test for Adults (SATA) test conducted to K-12 students

from Cebu Technological University in 2020, only the STEM and ABM students obtained at

least an average score in all subtests. However, all the other K-12 tracks obtained scores that

are below average. In other words, despite the reforms made in the K-12 curriculum, many

students may still be unprepared for higher education and obtaining overseas jobs, among

others. In the foregoing related literature and studies, several cases shall be indicated to

establish the main points above.

Online learning should be an edge and a better option than its traditional counterpart

but as results and studies show, and it is given that online learning is a perfect and flawless

way to teach students but even as it is, it still has gaps and minor incapacities. According to a

6
study made by Kizilcec and Halawa (2015) The primary obstacle for most learners was

finding time for the course, which was partly related to low levels of volitional control. Self-

ascribed successful learners reported higher levels of goal striving, growth mindset, and

feelings of social belonging than unsuccessful ones. Insights into why learners leave online

courses inform models of attrition and targeted interventions to support learners achieve their

goals.

So what happens to students when they become pressured and not being able to learn

fully about the topics and also following through online learning? According to a survey

conducted by Veritas about the feelings of students during online classes, high school or

secondary students’ top 3 emotions were: exhausted at 49%, frustrated at 16%, and

disappointed at 10%. It shows that students were feeling stressed and anxious during online

learning.

According to a study conducted by Haider and Mehfooz (2017), Anxiety and stress

leads to low self-esteem of students, difficulty in handling different situations, sleep disorder,

decreased attention and abnormal appetite which eventually effects the academic

achievement and personal growth of students.

Online learning in its sense should be an excellent alternative to learning aside the

traditional way in the classrooms. According to a study conducted by Nguyen (2015), the

important benefits of online learning are its effectiveness in educating students, its use as

professional development, its cost-effectiveness to combat the rising cost of postsecondary

education, and the possibility of providing world class education at the cost of having a

broadband connection. Based on an article published by Schmitz on The Benefit of Individual

Course Websites in Professional Development and Higher Education, Individual course

websites containing comprehensive information about the course and its subject and offering

7
the course materials for download are a useful instrument to achieve a better performance in

higher and professional education.

Therefore, online learning should provide more than adequate teachings to students

instead of exhausting themselves and not learning from it at all. Academic websites should

aid and help in the students’ learning and fill the gaps of online learning.

2.2 Related Studies

One of the benefits of the Internet is the development of course websites to enhance

traditional face-to-face-instruction. Although course websites are prevalent in many

disciplines, only few studies have investigated students’ perceptions of these websites.

Studies have been made about the perceptions of students in course websites to

enhance face-to-face instruction. Based on a study by Markwei, E. and Tagoe, M., The

findings showed that students had intermediate computer literacy skills, used the websites

frequently, were generally satisfied with the contents which include course outline, lesson

notes, assignments, class project instructions, announcements, links to relevant websites,

course readings, etc.

Another study was conducted solely for the purpose of evaluating online course

websites. According to a study conducted by Hathorn, L., & Hathorn, J., An instrument was

developed and tested to assess whether there was an appropriate checklist of items that were

expected of an online course website by both students and faculty. The instrument was

developed from surveying the current literature in online learning. Faculty and student

surveys showed that there was strong support for the instrument overall, but lack of

agreement for some individual items. Categories that showed the most differences between

8
faculty and students were instructor information, computer-mediated communication,

navigation, and use of the site. Frustration, expressed in comments over differences in

expectations, may be mitigated by faculty anticipating problems with the described items and

stating requirements prior to the start of the course. This study was conducted because of the

need to make an evaluation instrument for web-based, mainly asynchronous, course websites.

Online learning should be an edge and a better option than its traditional counterpart but as

results and studies show, and it is given that online learning is a perfect and flawless way to

teach students but even as it is, it still has gaps and minor incapacities. According to a study

conducted by

So far, the studies focusing on the impact of the Internet on the knowledge and skills

of teachers and students have not provided unambiguous results (National Mathematics

Advisory Panel, 2008). If teachers try to use quality websites in their classes, they are likely

to find out after a certain period of time that their integration itself does not grant better

results of the teaching process but does not make them worse either. These websites,

however, may provide informed teachers with other ways of motivating and interesting

students, increasing the clarity of explanation and including proactive methods in their

classes.

2.3 Synthesis

According to the previous studies and literature presented earlier, Online class makes

students become stressed and being unable to perform well in their academics. According to a

survey conducted by Veritas about the feelings of students during online classes, high school

or secondary students’ top 3 emotions were: exhausted at 49%, frustrated at 16%, and

9
disappointed at 10%. It shows that students were feeling stressed and anxious during online

learning. Online classroom learning is expected to be the better alternative of the traditional

classroom modality, but these previous studies show that it is otherwise. Online learning in its

sense should be an excellent alternative to learning aside the traditional way in the

classrooms. It is a more efficient and very effective in educating students, reduces cost-

effectiveness to combat the rising of postsecondary education, and providing world class

education in just one click, Nguyen (2015). Recent studies also show that students that are

participating in online classes from K-12 have lesser scores in their academics and has lesser

comprehension and understanding of the topics that are discussed during their online classes.

This has been proven due to their relatively average scores in the Scholastic Ability Test for

Adults, most of the students have lesser performance in their academic performance which is

also deemed to be alarming and may render them unable to take up their careers in college.

The review of the literature summarizes the facts related to Academic websites and

how it can or could enhance the learning development of the students that would eventually

lead to the improvement of their academic performance. These reviews of related literature

present the different statements by professionals and researchers about academic websites

and its effect on academic performance.

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 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design

This study will employ descriptive case study. Descriptive case study is a scientific

method involving the observation with explanation of a subject's behavior, without any effect

on it. According to Albert M. (2010), descriptive case study is a case study which focuses and

explains in detail in which statements and questions about a phenomenon are thoroughly

examined and expressed from the very start.

This design is fitted for this present study since the focus is on the effectiveness of

using academic websites on improving the students’ academic performance especially in a

virtual learning environment, soliciting their personal views and perceptions relative to their

responses given by a batch of surveys during school year 2020-2021.

3.2 Context and Participants

Since the study is a quantitative research, the participants or the respondents will be

surveyed about their insights and knowledge of the effectiveness of educational websites in a

virtual learning environment. The respondents that will be given a survey are G12 students

coming from different strands. 100 students would be interviewed using stratified random

sampling.

11
3.3 Research Instrument

Because of its quantitative nature, this study will gather its data through surveys. The

instrument often used in this method is the survey questionnaire. A survey questionnaire is a

set of questions used in a survey. The survey questionnaire is a type of data gathering method

that is utilized to collect, analyze and interpret the different views of a group of people from a

particular population. In this case, survey questionnaire is comprised of questions relating to

the Effectiveness of Academic Websites on the Academic Performances of XUSHS Students

in a Virtual Learning Environment, and their said views about the said topic.

The researcher tells the respondent the benefits of conducting the said survey and the

time limit of the activity. Furthermore, the questions related to the research topic are found in

the body of the questionnaire. This way, the instrument is authorized to obtain valid

responses of the students.

3.4 Data Gathering Procedure

Before conducting the surveys, the researchers will use stratified random sampling to

determine respondents from the different strands in Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan

Senior High School, then ask permission from the selected participants/respondents for

consent which is enclosed with the survey link. The researchers will explain the purpose of

the study to the respondents and then make sure that each participant corresponds to their

predefined criteria which is also enclosed within the survey. Then, after making preparations

for the survey, the researchers will distribute the survey link to the respondent within their

respective group chats with the help of a facilitator. The survey questions contain questions

12
pertaining to the topic of research. After the surveys are conducted, the data gathered will be

interpreted and used in finding/comparing the results.

3.5 Data Analysis

. After the data has been entered, it can be analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Descriptive statistics are commonly used for summarizing data frequency or measures of

central tendency (mean, median, mode). Frequency analysis is a descriptive statistical method

that shows the number of occurrences of each response chosen by the respondents. The

researchers will use a one sample t-test to determine if the usage of academic websites does

improve the academic performance of the Grade 12 XUSHS Students.

The study will use Chi Square statistic test since the data and variables collected from

the data gathering are nominal and it best represents any changes or no changes with relation

to the hypothesis depending on the results of the survey.

The formula for the chi-square statistic used in the chi square test is:

The researchers will also use the assistance of

SPSS Software designed for making excellent data analysis for the chi square statistic test

which will be employed in the study.

13
 By determining the factors of good academic performance, the researchers can

formulate conclusions that students have good academic performance in a virtual learning

environment with the help of using academic websites.

With these hypotheses, the researchers will be able to find out the effectiveness of

academic websites in improving academic performance of Grade 12 XUSHS Students in a

virtual learning environment.

14
 CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses the data analysis and findings from the survey responses of 100

students about the Effectiveness of Academic websites in improving their Academic

Performance in a Virtual Learning Environment.

The objectives of the study were to identify:

● degree of helpfulness in improving students’ academic websites give to students in a

virtual learning setting.

● impact of academic websites on improving academic performance to students who are

currently using it/ have used it.

Survey questionnaires were given to Grade 12 students from different academic strands of

Xavier University Senior High School through Google Forms links. After agreeing to the

consent form in the survey link, these students completed the questionnaires. Their

responses are processed in the forms and to ensure no responses were repeated, the

researchers used the option from Google Forms to enable respondents to submit another

response after responding to the survey. A total of 100 Grade 12 students completed the

questionnaires through online surveys in a span of 1 month, starting from 20 February

2021 to 25 March 2021.

15
The SPSS Program was used for the data analysis. The data from the questionnaires were

statistically analyzed by researchers The findings are discussed according to the sections of

the questionnaire. The four sections of the questionnaire were:

Section A: Students’ usage of Academic websites

Section B: Knowledge of students of various Academic websites

Section C: Students’ average GPA in their online classes

Section D: Student’s average online exam scores

Section E: Frequency of usage of Academic websites

Section F: Degree of helpfulness of Academic websites to the students

4.2 RESULTS

4.2.1 STUDENT’S USAGE OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES

This part of the questionnaire talks about the Grade 12 Students’ usage of academic

websites to aid in their studies. The results of the data are important for the researchers to

know how many students are using academic websites to aid in learning especially in a

virtual learning environment.

Figure 1 Do you use Academic Websites to aid your studies?

16
 As what Figure 1 shows, 80 Grade 12 students as 80% have been using

academic websites to aid in their studies. This shows that many students have known

to access and use these websites to their advantage in a virtual learning environment.

Meanwhile, 20 Grade 12 students as 20% are not using these websites to aid in their

learning.

4.2.2 KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS OF VARIOUS ACADEMIC WEBSITES

This part of the questionnaire is about the knowledge of Grade 12 students about

various Academic websites. This data helped the researchers find out which of these

aforementioned websites they know of which is crucial in the study. In order to determine

which of these websites that the students have knowledge and accessibility. The researchers

also chose websites that are free to be accessed by anyone.

Figure 2 What Academic Websites do you know of?

According to Figure 2, the respondents have a range of choices of free of charge

academic websites, ranging from Google Trends to Research Gate and Youtube. Majority of

the respondents have known Google Scholar as 71%. It should be known that only 54

17
students as 54% have known Khan Academy, in the least only 3 students as 3% are not aware

of Academic websites. A few 5 students in total as 5% have chosen either Youtube, Google,

and Organic Chemistry.

4.2.3 STUDENTS’ AVERAGE GPA IN THEIR ONLINE CLASSES

This part of the questionnaire mentions the average GPA (Grade Point Average) of

students given that they are in a virtual environment setting. This data helped the researchers

to know what average GPA the students have in a virtual learning setting and to relate it with

their usage of Academic websites, and to know if it improves their academic performance

with relation to their GPA.

Figure 3 What is your GPA last semester?

As what Figure 3 shows, 78 Grade 12 Students as 78% have grades higher than the

GPA of 3.0. 16 Grade 12 Students as 16% have grades between 2.5 to 3.0. 6 Grade 12

Students as 6% have grades lesser than the GPA of 2.5 or less.

18
4.2.4 STUDENTS’ AVERAGE ONLINE EXAM SCORES

This part of the questionnaire mentions about the average online exam scores of

Grade 12 Students in a virtual learning setting. The data the research will obtain from this

part will be beneficial to the researchers in determining the performance of students in their

exams and to relate it with the topic of the research which to prove that there is improvement

of academic performance of the students.

Figure 4 What is your average exam scores last semester?

Majority of the Grade 12 Students have grades higher than 50% which is 98 as 98%. There

are only a small percentage of students which have grades lower than 50%, which only

comprises 2% as Figure 4 shows.

4.2.5 FREQUENCY OF USAGE OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES

This part of the questionnaire is about the frequency of usage of academic websites.

The data that will be gathered from this part of the questionnaire will benefit the researchers

in knowing the frequency of student visits to the websites and its relation to improving the

academic performance of students in a virtual learning environment.

19
 Figure 5 How often do you visit the site?

The respondents have been given with the choices of frequency in a Likert Scale,

ranging between Always to Never. Majority of the Grade 12 Students as 45% are

“sometimes” visiting the site. 27 Grade 12 Students as 27% are visiting “rarely” while 19

Students are “often” visiting the site. Also, 8 Students as 8% are “never” visiting the site or

haven’t opened the site. Lastly, the researchers expected the students to have responded

“always” but to the surprise of the researchers, only 1% of them always visits the websites.

4.2.6 DEGREE OF HELPFULNESS OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES TO THE

STUDENTS

This part of the questionnaire is about the degree of helpfulness of academic websites

to students. The data collected from this part of the questionnaire is vital for the researchers

to be able to make conclusions in relation to the research topic which is the effectiveness of

academic websites to improve the academic performance of Grade 12 Students.

20
 Figure 6 Rate how helpful these websites are in your online learning.

Legend: 1 = Useless, 2 = Not Helpful, 3= Neutral, 4=Helpful, 5= Very Helpful

The respondents were asked about their opinions in a closed-ended scale of 1-5 with

the corresponding measure of 1 as Useless to 5 as Very Helpful. Majority which is 45 as in

45% have chosen rating 4 in terms of Helpfulness and 36 students as in 36% have chosen 5

which signifies that the students think that these websites are very helpful in their online

classes. 13 students as 13% have chosen 3 or neutral, and also only a few 6% of students in

total have chosen that it is Not Helpful and Useless to them in their online classes. This result

helps the researchers know the impact of academic websites made to students as it made

students think that it is really helpful and they become reliant to theses websites.

21
4.3 DISCUSSION

This part of the research is about the summary and discussion about the findings of

the research, the discussion is divided to the different parts of the questionnaire and every

data is thoroughly explained and summarized.

4.3.1 STUDENT’S USAGE OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES

Majority of the students’ population use academic websites to aid in their studies

which supports the statement that students think that academic websites really benefit them in

their studies which is 98% of the population and given that the Grade 12 students are in a

virtual learning environment and have been using many ways and strategies to employ in

their studying due to the data that proves many students use academic websites to improve

their overall learning and performance.

4.3.2 KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS OF VARIOUS ACADEMIC WEBSITES

The institution has provided academic websites for the benefit of the students with

access through the Xavier University Senior High School Online Library namely

ProjectMUSE, AccessScience, GALE in Context, and Scholastic GO!, based on the post

published about the Library Subscribed Online Databases (2020). The researchers found out

that only 13% of students have knowledge of Scholastic GO! and most of the student choices

were not even part of the school-provided academic websites that the students can freely

access. The data proved that most students know Google Scholar, Khan Academy, Research

Gate, Coursera, and Google Trends which are even found in the internet and not part of the

free access websites the students have access to. The results have made the researchers know

that most Grade 12 students have little knowledge and awareness about the free academic

22
websites provided by the school and have been accessing from the internet itself to help them

in their studies.

4.3.3 STUDENTS’ AVERAGE GPA IN THEIR ONLINE CLASSES

The students’ average GPA surprisingly have really good scores in accordance to the

school-implemented grading system based on the XUSHS Handbook ver. 2019 (Chapter 1,

Section XVII, p. 34) as which you can clearly see in Figure 3 that most of the students have

grades higher than 3.0 which is considered a high GPA and it is safe to infer that most

students in this group which is 78% that are part of the honor students given that the lowest

GPA requirement to become an honor student in the institution is 3.35. There are many

students who have really positive grades which shows that they have good academic

performance in their engagement in a virtual learning environment.

4.3.4 STUDENTS’ AVERAGE ONLINE EXAM SCORES

Another measure which the researchers assess is whether the students have good

academic performance as most students have grades higher than 50% of the total score of the

exam which is also the passing grade for the online exam. Only 2% of students have grades

lesser than the passing score of 50% which shows only a small population of students.

4.3.5 FREQUENCY OF USAGE OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES

Students have been visiting the websites often as what the results of the survey have

shown. What is noticeable is that there were a few students who never visited the websites

which only composes 8% of the students and most surprising of them all is that only 1% of

the students are always visiting these websites. A chi square test was made for researchers to

determine whether there is significance between the frequency of using academic websites

and the students’ average GPA.

23
 Chi-Square Tests
Asymptotic
Significance
Value df (2-sided)
Pearson Chi- 16.444a 8 .036
Square
Likelihood Ratio 18.530 8 .018
N of Valid Cases 100
a. 10 cells (66.7%) have expected count less than 5. The
minimum expected count is .06.

Based on the

asymptotic significance of the Pearson Chi Square which is our p-value and comparing them

to the alpha value, which is 0.05, the results show that the p-value is lesser than the alpha

value and that would mean that the researchers will reject the null hypothesis and therefore

there is significant difference between the frequency of visits on the academic websites and

the students’ average exam scores. This is good evidence that using academic websites are

effective in improving academic performance of Grade 12 Students.

4.3.6 DEGREE OF HELPFULNESS OF ACADEMIC WEBSITES TO THE

STUDENTS

The degree of helpfulness of academic websites helps the researchers assess the

opinions of students about academic websites and with that, the researchers can conclude the

effectiveness of academic websites to their degree of helpfulness of these websites to the

students. Majority of the students chose 4 which is equivalent to Helpful as it composes of

45% and only 4% regard these websites as useless for them. A chi square test was made for

researchers to determine whether there is significance between the degree of helpfulness of

academic websites and the frequency of visits to the websites.

24
 Chi-Square Tests
Asymptotic
Significance
Value df (2-sided)
Pearson Chi- 67.405a 16 .000
Square
Likelihood Ratio 46.222 16 .000
N of Valid Cases 100
a. 18 cells (72.0%) have expected count less than 5. The
minimum expected count is .02.

From the Chi square test, the null hypothesis (H0) will be rejected, since the Pearson Chi-

Square p-value from the asymptotic significance is .0, therefore the researchers can conclude

that the alternate hypothesis (H1) is true and that there is significant difference between the

degree of helpfulness of academic websites and the frequency of usage of academic websites.

This is good evidence that shows that the helpfulness of academic websites is affected by the

frequency of usage of academic websites by students. The findings of this part of the

questionnaire relate to the study by Markwei, E. and Tagoe M., where students were

generally satisfied with the course websites they were provided with and improved their

computer literacy skills, used the websites frequently and benefitted from the contents

provided by these websites.

25
 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 CONCLUSION

The effect of using academic websites varies from student to student, however based

on the result and the data gathered, its effect is leaning more towards the good side. Some

students have been adapting great to the virtual learning environment while some are still

having problems and are having a hard time coping as online classes were implemented. With

that, students find ways to be able cope in this new mode of learning. Academic websites

support different educational sectors by providing access to relevant information and tools to

each group served, especially in this time of pandemic as not everything discussed are

understood and absorbed by the students. The researchers also found out that students have

little to no awareness about the academic websites and online courses provided for free by the

institution and through this study, it has been made clear that most students have been using

academic websites that are not provided by the institution but still accessible to the students.

The impact academic websites made to students was due to the results from the degree of

helpfulness of academic websites, it made students rely more on the academic websites

because it was very helpful from the students’ opinion. The data from the Chi-Squared tests

also show good improvement that students have significant improvement of grades especially

in the exam and their GPA which is high, and this would be good for the researchers to know

that students have been performing well amidst a virtual learning environment. Also, the

researchers have found that using academic websites is deemed effective in improving the

academic performance of students in a virtual learning environment. It gradually creates a

learning environment for everyone who wants to learn and be able to help each other out. As

Keith Bachman said, "In times where small instructor-led classrooms tend to be the

26
exception, electronic solutions can offer more collaboration and interaction with experts and

peers, as well as higher success rate than live alternative."

5.2 RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the study be given more time as not much data has been

collected due to limited time the researchers had. The study must be conducted at least within

two quarters of the school year to effectively compare the academic performance of the

students who make use of academic websites and those who do not; and whether there is a

relation in their academic performance by their exam scores and GPA. It is also

recommended that the variables be changed. For the data, instead of frequency, it must be

changed into hours. As for the institution, the Xavier University Senior High School have had

their fair share of providing enough websites for the students to access. However, it is

recommended that the institution educate the learners more about this as they have little to no

knowledge about these websites, and only a few are knowledgeable about these sites or

knows how to use it. The researchers would also recommend for the betterment of the results

of the study, the researchers should’ve applied better questions in the questionnaires with

implementing correlational study with Pearson correlation to improve the validity of the

results. The researchers also recommend that the teachers mention the availability of the

academic websites provided by the school in their discussions; and also to integrate these

websites in their lesson plan. To the future researchers, the researchers recommend making a

research program about the effects of longer usage of academic websites to students in an

online class setting.

27
 REFERENCES

● Daniels, M. M., Sarte, E., & Dela Cruz, J. (2019). Students’ perception on e-learning:

a basis for the development of e-learning framework in higher education institutions.

iopscience.iop.org.https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-

899X/482/1/012008/pdf

● Aquino, L. A. (2020, September 11). Online classes ‘exhausting’ for students, says

Veritas survey. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2020/11/11/online-classes-

exhausting-for-students-says-veritas-survey/

● Reyes Chua, E., Sibbaluca, B., Miranda, R., Palmario, G., Moreno, R., & Solon, J. P.

(2020, May 13). THE STATUS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE E-LEARNING

CLASSROOM IN SELECTED HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN REGION

IV-A AMIDST THE COVID-19 CRISIS. jcreview.com.

http://www.jcreview.com/fulltext/197-1590731776.pdf

● Arinto, P. (2016, February). Issues and Challenges in Open and Distance e-Learning:

Perspectives from the Philippines. Files.Eric.Ed.Gov.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1093775.pdf

● Codone, S. (2004, September). Reducing the distance: a study of course websites as a

means to create a total learning space in traditional courses. IEEE.

https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1331590/authors#authors

● Sharma, S. K. et al. (2014, August 26). Students’ acceptance and satisfaction of

learning through course websites. Emerald Insight.

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/EBS-08-2013-0032/full/html

● Hathorn, L., & Hathorn, J. (2010, February 9). Evaluation of Online Course

Websites: Is Teaching Online a Tug-of-War? Sage Journals.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2190/ec.42.2.d

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● Markwei, E., & Tagoe, M. (2017, March 16). Use of Course Websites to Enhance

Face-To-Face Instruction: A Study of Students’ Perceptions. University of Ghana.

http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh/handle/123456789/34439

● Almerino, P. M. (2020). Evaluating the Academic Performance of K-12 Students in

the Philippines: A Standardized Evaluation Approach.

https://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/edri/2020/8877712.pdf

● Schmitz, T. (n.d.). The benefit of individual course websites in professional

development and higher education. IBN.

https://ibn.idsi.md/sites/default/files/imag_file/547_551_Beneficiile%20site-urilor

%20individuale%20de%20curs%20in%20dezvoltarea%20profesionala.pdf?

fbclid=IwAR2DaCEV4CebCN3jQwAL9XGJIBQ5T8V6siooXeFd6643vbqscDnsiuD

JbnM

● O'Brien, K. (2018, May 29). The contemporary academic library resource sharing

mission: Fragmentation or evolution? Taylor & Francis.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1072303X.2018.1465010?

fbclid=IwAR3lvL--

ip4RsBebnobfofPbRw4oXbPyAheSrHeCl9eibHUpmUp_Vkf4uBs

● Information resource sharing in academic libraries in digital age: Issues and

challenges | Batagarawa | Fudma Journal of educational foundations. (n.d.).

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY DUTSIN-MA e-JOURNAL.

https://journal.fudutsinma.edu.ng/index.php/fujef/article/view/1754/pdf?

fbclid=IwAR2Ocg9Wfeja2dqYVum2YfgxAeXweBOlm3p4RnXEf6ovtEv_NJwrH17

● Research on the use of khan academy in schools. (n.d.). SRI International – American

Nonprofit Research Institute. https://www.sri.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2014-03-

29
 07_implementation_briefing.pdf?

fbclid=IwAR2IJRocD_Uuq2xAqIQrtcCp3HHJcLfJfjJAAVrrIzFWMJPYdeTLJMPY

gsg

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

Letter of Approval

March 10, 2021

 
DR. ROGELIO GAWAHAN 
Senior High School Principal 
Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan  
Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental 
 
RE: Permission to Conduct Research Study 
 
Dear Dr. Gawahan,

Greetings of Peace! 
We are from the group 4 of Research 203 of Thomas A of the STEM Strand and we
would like to ask permission to conduct our research studies at Xavier Ateneo Senior High
School through google forms entitled: 
The Effectiveness of using Education-based Websites in improving the Academic
Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment. 
Research Objectives 
This study aims to answer the following questions: 
a. How does using education-based websites improve the academic performance of students
especially in a virtual learning setting?
b. What impact it made to students who are currently using/ have used these websites to
improve their academic performance and their studying?
c. How can using these websites be helpful to the institution when the setting is changed to a
traditional face-to-face environment? 
METHODOLOGY 
The design used in this study is a quantitative descriptive design. This was used since the study aims
to determine the effectiveness of using education-based websites to improve the academic
performance of the Senior High Students. The data collection will be conducted online through
Google Forms where in a link is provided for the students. The respondents for this study will be the
selected 100 Grade 12 students from different strands of Xavier University Senior High School.
Stratified random sampling is the method to be used in this study to maintain anonymity and no bias
among the participants. The data gathered from the survey will be analyzed through descriptive
statistics. This is the method to be used as it allows the researchers to describe the data gained in the
study and present the data in a manageable form. 

In line with this, we would like to obtain the total number of 100 students in Grade 12 from all strands
for the school year 2020-2021 from the Prefect of Students or Registrar’s office. 

Your positive response regarding this matter is greatly appreciated. Thank you and more power. 

30
 
Sincerely, 
Jules Hartzer T. Lagat
Group Leader 
 
Endorsed by: Endorsed by:
MS. LOLITA MARTINEZ MS. MARICAR OBSIOMA
Research Teacher/Adviser RLE Coordinator
 
Approved by: 
DR. ROGELIO GAWAHAN 
SHS Principal 
 

31
 APPENDIX B

INFORMED CONSENT FORM

RESEARCH TITLE:
The Effectiveness of Education-based Websites on improving the Academic Performance of
XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment
MEMBERS:
Autor, Yuri Benedict
Gimpayan, Owenn Heart
Gonzaga, Marichu
Lagat, Jules Hartzer
Libago, Leocel Andre
Sarip, Sittie Nor-Ayen

DESCRIPTION:
The members of the Group 4 Research group of Grade 12 Thomas A are asking for your
participation in our study about the Effectiveness of Education-based Websites on improving
Academic Performance of XUSHS Students in a Virtual Learning Environment. Included in
this survey are multiple questions aimed at identifying your insights and views that
education-based websites can help improve your grades during online class and analyzing
whether there is truth in the aforementioned statement.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY:
The study hopes to be of benefit to students to help aid them in their studies during a virtual
learning environment and improve their academic performance and to institutions and
individuals who want to create a better learning environment to students. Since the main
purpose of the study is to determine the effectiveness of education-based websites at
improving the academic performance of students from Xavier University Senior High School.
CONFIDENTIALITY:
In this survey, your responses will be anonymous. Every effort made by the researcher to
preserve your confidentiality including the following:
 The researchers shall only be requiring your Grade Level, and your XU email address
and not your name or any personal information.

32
  The researchers will not be disclosing any information from the results of the survey.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
If have any questions and concerns after taking the survey, please feel free to contact us thru
09979129451 or email us at jhartzerlagat@gmail.com
VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION:
The researchers will be choosing 100 students combined from different strands of Grade 11
and 12 to be involved in this study. By receiving this survey questionnaire confirms that you
are among the selected 100 students and will be asked to participate in this study.
CONSENT:
By clicking “proceed”, I have agreed to the terms mentioned above. I have read and
understood all aspects regarding to my participation in this research.

33
 APPENDIX C

QUESTIONNAIRE

34
35
36
 CURRICULUM VITAE

NAME JULES HARTZER T. LAGAT

PERSONAL DATA
NATIONALITY Filipino
DATE OF BIRTH Setyembre 10, 2003
PLACE OF BIRTH Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental
ADDRESS Zone 8 Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City,

Misamis Oriental 9000

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Xavier University Senior High School

73 Corrales Ave, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis

Oriental 9000
SECONDARY Xavier University Junior High School

Pueblo de Oro, Masterson Ave, Cagayan de

Oro, Misamis Oriental 9000

PRIMARY Xavier University Grade School Barangay

Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro, Misamis

Oriental 9000

37
NAME OWENNHEART P GIMPAYAN

PERSONAL DATA

NATIONALITY Filipino

DATE OF BIRTH February 14, 2004

PLACE OF BIRTH Maramag, Bukidnon

ADDRESS Old Nongnongan, Don Carlos, Bukidnon

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Xavier University Senior High School

73 Corrales Ave. Cagayan de Oro,

9000 Misamis Oriental

SECONDARY Loyola High School, Don Carlos Sur,

Don Carlos,Bukidnon

PRIMARY Old Nongnongan Elementary School Old

Nongnongan, Don Carlos, Bukidnon

38
NAME MARICHU C. GONZAGA

PERSONAL INFORMATION

NATIONALITY Filipino

BIRTHDATE March 8, 2003

BIRTHPLACE Polymedic General Hospital

Apolinar Velez St., Cagayan de Oro

ADDRESS 0643 Parola Macabalan Cagayan de Oro City

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Senior High School

Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan

Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Oro City

SECONDARY Xavier University - Junior High School

El Camino Real Street Pueblo de Oro

Cagayan de Oro City

PRIMARY Xavier University Grade School

Ateneo de Cagayan Macasandig Campus

14th St, Cagayan de Oro 9000

NAME LEOCEL ANDRE G. LIBAGO

39
PERSONAL DATA

NATIONALITY Filipino

DATE OF BIRTH August 5, 2002

PLACE OF BIRTH Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

ADDRESS Block 2 Lot 19 NHA Phase 3 Casisan,

Malaybalay City Bukidnon

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Xavier University Senior High School

73 Corrales Ave. Cagayan de Oro,

9000 Misamis Oriental

SECONDARY San Isidro College

Impalambong, Malaybalay, 8700 Bukidnon

PRIMARY San Isidro College

Impalambong, Malaybalay, 8700 Bukidnon

NAME YURI BENEDICT JALAGAT

40
PERSONAL DATA

NATIONALITY Filipino

DATE OF BIRTH February 12, 2003

PLACE OF BIRTH Madonna Child Hospital

Cagayan de Oro City 9000

ADDRESS Camp Alagar Rd. Lapasan

Cagayan de Oro City 9000

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Senior High School Xavier University

Ateneo de Cagayan, Corrales Avenue,

Cagayan de Oro City

SECONDARY Xavier University Junior High School

El Camino Real Street, Pueblo de Oro

Cagayan de Oro City

PRIMARY Xavier University Grade School

Macasandig Campus, Nazareth 14th

Street, Cagayan de Oro City

NAME SITTIE NOR-AYEN S. SARIP

PERSONAL DATA

41
NATIONALITY Filipino

DATE OF BIRTH January 4, 2003

PLACE OF BIRTH Cotabato City, Maguindanao

ADDRESS Bloomingdale Subd., Brgy. Iponan, CDO

City
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan SHS

73 Corrales Ave, Cagayan de Oro, 9000

Misamis Oriental

SECONDARY Corpus Christi School

Masterson Ave, Cagayan de Oro, 9000

Misamis Oriental

PRIMARY NDMU-IBED

Poblacion, Koronadal City

42