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HIGH SCHOOL WORKING STUDENTS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY WITH

PHOTOVOICE

Research Proposal · May 2020

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 HIGH SCHOOL WORKING STUDENTS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY WITH
PHOTOVOICE

Ryan L. Race, Mark Christian A. Medina, and Mark Ed M. Reyes

Schools Division of San Pablo City

Introduction

The reality of high school students who are already working is an open-secret in the
Philippines. It exists but is not often talked about. Its existence is known as some schools report of
having child laborers who are at high risks of dropping-out. It is a secret because high school
working students seem not receptive to the idea of sharing their experiences to others, maybe due
to embarrassment. Their parents seem apprehensive that laws on child labor may be used against
them once people become aware of what their children are doing.
In the global estimate of the International Labor Organization (ILO), for the year 2012-
2016, 152 million were in child labor, of which 7.4% are in the Asia-Pacific region. Majority of
the child laborers are in the agricultural sector. In the Philippines, 3.3 million of children aged 5-
17 years worked for at least one hour, a week prior to the 2011 Survey of Children (SOC). Almost
90% (2.97 million) of them are Junior-High-School-aged children, and 2.1 million were attending
school. It is not a surprise anymore that many studies showed an increasing trend on the number
of students who are working. Singh (2010) and, Green and Jaquess (2015) observed that part-time
employment is increasing among high school students. Similar trend had been noted by Curtis and
Shani (2010) who posited that students who combine work and study have been rapidly increasing
over recent years. It is therefore worth considering the reasons for this global phenomenon.
Poverty is the primary reason why school-aged children work. Edmonds and Pavcnik
(2005) said that child labor is a symptom of poverty, and most economically active children assist
in family farms and businesses, and in domestic work. Similar observation was made by Siddiqi
& Patrinos (1995) who argued that poverty is the most important reason why children work, which
significantly augments family income in developing countries. Other identified reasons related to
poverty are the distance of schools from home and the cost of schooling (Siddiqi & Patrinos, 1995),
parental assigning of children role of which certain siblings go to school while others do not
(Chernichovsky 1985), and low perceived returns to attending school (Edmonds and Pavcnik,
2005). Sadly, it was noted that parents account for 62% among the sources of induced pressure for
children to work. Being a working student has inevitable consequences on the physical, mental,
and social development of the learners.
There are studies which point to the negative effects of employment on the health and
academic performance of the students. Teixeira et al. (2009) discovered that workers have a shorter
mean sleep during weekdays than non-workers, which causes the former to be moderately sleepier
during the week and during class on specific days, as compared to the non-workers. The
researchers commented that such could have a negative impact to the students in terms of their

1
quality of life and school development. Carney et al. (2006) found evidence that being in debt and
working part-time may be detrimental to the mental and physical health of the students. They
added that students who work more hours have a higher negative perception on the effect on
academic performance. Supporting this finding was the study of Marsh (1991) who observed that
the number of hours worked is associated with dropping out of school. Quirk et al. (2010) found
that high school GPA had an overall negative and curvilinear effect on employment. Other studies
seem to provide reasons on the ill effects of employment on the students. In terms of the academic
performance, Lillydahl (2014) argued that students working in modest levels may not experience
significant interference in their studies. Quirk et al. (2010) agreed to this finding by stating that
students working more than 11-13 hours per week were observed of having the significant decline
in their academic performance. Eric and Pavcnik (2005) posited that the effectiveness of the
classroom for child workers that attend school is undermined by the deprivation of play and sleep
taken away from the students by their time spent in working. Curtis and Shani (2010) included
missed lectures as another contributing factor on decreased academic performance. The number
of hours worked may be the main reason for the significant negative effect on academic
performance among working students. Minimal working hours may provide explanation on the
research findings which say that employment does not significantly affect the academic
performance of the students. Singh (2010) reported that even when socioeconomic status, gender,
and previous achievement were controlled, only a small negative effect on achievement was
observed. Green and Jaquess (2015) found that employment has no significant negative impact on
academic performance. There are also findings which highlight the positive effects of employment.
Improved attendance in college was reported by Marsh (1991). Green and Jaquess (2015) said that
part-time employment is viewed in a positive light by the students that they surveyed. Curtis and
Shani (2010) pointed out that aside from monetary, development of skills and increased confidence
are some of the benefits. Eric and Pavcnik (2005) provided further benefits like learning valuable
skills, accumulating experience, bringing in resources, establishing independence, support to the
family, being able to pay for their schooling, developing a sense of effectiveness and enhancing
their self-confidence.
Countries and non-government entities tried different measures and strategies to
discourage and decrease the number of children being employed. Some were effective while others
were not. Edmonds and Pavcnik (2005) identified making education attractive by improving
school infrastructure and reducing the cost of schooling as a promising means to reduce child labor.
They added that this will work best when combined with conditional cash transfer programs for
families sending their children to school. They further said that policies banning child labor, or
requiring children to attend school are difficult to enforce, especially in developing countries. The
same ineffectiveness may also be true for legislations relative to child labor or prohibiting imports
believed to be produced involving children. In the Philippines, the School Feeding Program is
implemented with an aim of increasing classroom attendance by 85% to 100% and improve the
children’s health and nutrition values and behavior, thus making education attractive to the
children.

2
 The Schools Division of San Pablo City caters to almost 70,000 basic education learners
accommodated in 63 public elementary schools, 15 public junior high schools, 4 public senior high
schools, 1 public special education school, 9 private purely pre-elementary schools, 13 private pre-
elementary and elementary schools, 3 private purely elementary schools, 17 private pre-
elementary, elementary and junior high schools, 1 private purely junior high school, 19 private
senior high schools, 2 LUC/SUC, and 54 community learning centers for the Alternative Learning
System.
With 14,305.74 hectares of land planted with seasonal crops like rice, green corn, coconut
intercropped with fruit trees such as lanzones, rambutan, banana, papaya, pineapple, assorted
vegetables and root crops; 17.09 hectares allotted to fish pens and fish cages; and 56 industrial
establishments; a wide variety of jobs (agriculture, farming, fisheries, retail trade, manufacturing)
are available for the residents. However, such job opportunities resulted to child labor incidents
involving elementary and secondary school learners.
Unlike college working students whose experiences had been extensively studied, there is
rarity on researches dealing with high school students who are working, particularly here in the
Philippines.
But again, it is a reality that affects the lives of learners who are also entitled of being
provided with quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education, as enshrined in the
mission of the Department of Education. It is a phenomenon that should not be ignored.
Policymakers and other stakeholders need to know the reasons why students become
workers at a very young age, what struggles and challenges they go through, the support that they
need, and the effects of being a working student on their personality and well-being. Only through
a deeper understanding of their situation will needs-appropriate policies and innovative
intervention strategies will be developed for their welfare.
Through interviews and photo-essays, this research aimed to understand the lived
experiences of high school students, who, due to inevitable circumstances, engaged on working to
help themselves and their family. The findings, however, can only be contextualized to the
individual experiences of the participants, who are all residents of San Pablo City, all males, and
all from the public school.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to provide additional insights to policymakers and other
stakeholders on the lived experiences of high school working students so that needs-appropriate
policies and innovative intervention strategies will be developed for their welfare.

It problematized the phenomenon of high school working students and sought answers to
the following questions:

1. What are the lived experiences of high school working students?

3
 2. How does the experience of working affect the lives of the students?
3. What policies and interventions do high school working students need?

Framework

This research focused on the phenomenon of high school working students conducted
among current and graduate students in the Schools Division of San Pablo City where incidents of
“child labor” were reported. This study intended to describe the students’ experiences and their
perception on how such experiences affect their personality. It further aims at investigating the
influence of work, parents, peers, teachers and the school as an institution on the school life of the
students in order to identify a responsive support mechanism for their welfare. Since the focus of
this study is on the effects of the work students do, their school and parents, and the
interrelationship between these factors in addition to the educational setting and laws on education
and child work, Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) theory is relevant as it includes a set of interrelated
concepts that facilitate the understanding of the interaction between learners, their school life, their
parents, the school and the society of which they are a part of. It highlights the role of interaction,
environment and culture on how human beings develop. His Ecology of Human Development
model provides a broad range of biological, physical and socio-cultural conditions affecting
development. Bronfenbrenner posits that learning occurs at several different but interrelated levels
illustrated as a series of concentric circles. These systems are referred to as the microsystem, the
mesosystem, the exosystem and the macrosystem. The child is in the middle of the circle with
his/her biological and psychological makeup, including also his/her cognitive capacities and socio-
emotional and motivational propensities for responding to and acting on the environment. This
ecological principle provides explanation on the influence to students of the relationships between
micro system level and the meso system level (e.g. between work and school, parents and school,
or work and parents). It also shows broader influences at exo and macro system levels (e.g.
traditions, laws, and culture).

Methodology

Research Design

This is a phenomenological research which utilized the participatory action research

approach, to some degree. Its framework of data collection and analysis was patterned after the
photovoice method by Wang and Burris (1997), with some modifications. The three phases of the
photovoice method are: a) Implementation Method and Data Analysis, b) Dissemination of
Findings, and c) Advocating Policy. Groenewald (2004) said that a researcher applying
phenomenology is concerned with the lived experiences of the people involved, or who were
involved, with the issue that is being researched.

4
Sampling

Samples were taken from the referrals of teachers who knew of high school working
students, either currently enrolled or had already graduated. Kruger (1988, p. 50) said that
participants should “have had experiences relating to the phenomenon to be researched”. There
were five participants in the study, two currently enrolled students and three who had already
graduated. Their individual lines of work were being a barbecue vendor, a houseboy, a funeral
parlor attendant, a farmer, and a candle and sampaguita vendor; coded as P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5,
respectively. Both currently enrolled participants were students of two different public schools,
while the remaining three were also public school students who are now employed as a restaurant
crew, a teacher, and a call center agent. Boyd (2001) considers 2 to 10 participants or research
subjects as sufficient to reach saturation.

Description of the Participants

The Barbecue Vendor (P1). He was 21 years old at the time of the interview, and still
unmarried. He has five siblings. His father was a driver earning 400 pesos a day, while his
mother was a vegetable vendor but stopped working due to illness. He was forced to stop
schooling when he was in 3rd year high school (Grade 9) due to financial problems. This
prompted him to find work in order to continue schooling. He first worked as a bagger in
a bargain store (baratilyo). His boss then recruited him to manage a barbecue store, which
required him to work from 3 pm to 10 pm. He is currently employed as a restaurant crew.

The Houseboy (P2). He was 25 years old at the time of the interview, and still unmarried.
He was an illegitimate child, and was never acknowledged by his father. He has seven
siblings from the first family of his mother, and six siblings from the other family of his
father. He has a sister from both his mother and father. The legal family of his father evicted
them from their house when he was in 2nd year high school (Grade 8). They were forced to
live in a farm of a distant relative in exchange of feeding pit bulls. They then transferred to
an abandoned and dilapidated retail store (Sari-Sari store), where he was infected with
dengue virus which almost took his life. In order to support his studies, he applied as a
houseboy. He was tasked to regularly clean the house, cook meals, do the laundry, and
fetch children to school. He is currently employed as a public school teacher.

The Funeral Parlor Attendant (P3). He was 28 years old at the time of the interview, and
still unmarried. His parents were separated. His mother was the only bread winner in the
family of four. His mother recruited him in the funeral parlor where she was working, when
he was still in grade five. He assisted in funeral services during weekends and

5
 summer vacation. He then became a receptionist for customers availing their service, until
he graduated in high school. This required him to be awake even at night. He is currently
employed as a call center agent.

The Farmer (P4). He was 16 years old at the time of the interview, unmarried, and enrolled
in Grade 9. He belongs to the second family of his father. He has eleven siblings in the first
family of his mother. He started farming when he was in grade four. His work included
removal of weeds and shrubs and carrying/transporting of harvested pineapples, rambutan,
and coconuts. He works from 2 pm to 4 pm each day.

The Candle and Sampaguita Vendor (P5). He was 20 years old at the time of the interview,
single, and enrolled in Grade 10. His parents were separated. He lived for a while with his
father, but was later abandoned. He then transferred to his auntie’s house. To support his
studies, he sells candles and sampaguita in front of the city cathedral. He also skips school
when there are “fiestas” in other towns since he sells more on such occasions. He is a
consistent honor student.

Data Collection and Analysis

After identifying the participants, schedules of unstructured in-depth phenomenological

interviews were set. Welman and Kruger (1999, p. 196) suggest that questions should be “directed
to the participant’s experiences, feelings, beliefs and convictions about the theme in question”.
Two of the graduate participants opted a Facebook chat interview, while the remaining three were
interviewed face-to-face. Lengths of interviews were from 20 minutes to a little more than an hour.
Face-to-face conversations were audio-recorded and transcribed, while Facebook chat
conversations were printed. Participants were also asked to make photo-essays of their experiences
as working students which covered three themes: 1) Family Situation 2) Experience as a Working
Student and 3) Effects on Personality. Field notes were also accomplished by the researchers.

Creswell (1998) suggested four steps in the analysis: 1) describing the lived experience of
interest, 2) dissolving preconceived judgments, 3) acknowledging the realities of consciousness,
and 4) refusing subject-object dichotomy and accepting reality through an individual’s experience.

The lived experience of interest in this study was being a high school working student. It
was described as enrolled high school students working to earn money either to support
themselves, or their family, or both. The researchers, being all teachers, acknowledged their biases,
expectations, and preconceived ideas about the topic, and used bracketing to minimize as much as
possible the influence of such ideas in the analysis of data.

Common themes were derived through coding and sorting of statements in an affinity
diagram.

6
Ethical Considerations

Consent letters were secured from the participants, their parents (if minor), and principals
(if still studying). The letters contained the following provisions: 1) participation is free and
voluntary, and participants may withdraw from participating anytime they want to, 2) identities of
the participants will be kept confidential, and 3) the title and purpose of the research. Audio-
recording of the interviews was only done for participants who agreed. For validation purposes,
participants were given transcripts of interviews or printed Facebook chat conversations, and drafts
of the final report of the study. Participants were also oriented on the ethical considerations in
taking pictures.

Results and Discussions

The recurring themes were (a) kahirapan at hindi karaniwang pamilya (poverty and atypical
family setup), (b) kusang-loob at pagpupunyagi (willingness and determination) (c) pagod at
kakulangan (fatigue and deprivation), (d) pag-unawa at konsiderasyon (understanding and
consideration), and (e) katatagan at pagpapahalaga (fortitude and appreciation).
Poverty and atypical family setup. Participants revealed that the main reason for them
having to work to earn money was poverty in the family, and having a non-conventional family
setup. These findings were supported by Edmonds and Pavcnick (2005) who stated that poverty is
the primary reason why school-aged children work. P3 said during the in-depth interview:
“Actually broken family kami. Nanay ko lang nagtatrabaho at nagbubudget sa lahat ng gastusin
sa bahay at yung dalawa ko namang kapatid, may pamilya na kaya ayun highschool palang
nagstart na ako magtrabaho…” (Translation: "Actually we had a broken family. My mother was
the only one working and budgeting our expenses, while my two other siblings had their own
families already. That's why even as early as high school I was already working."). Indirect
pressure may have experienced by the working students as 62% of induced pressure were from the
parents (Edmonds and Pavcnick, 2005). He entitled his photo-essay “Basag” (Broken). P4 titled
one of his photos "Tinik" (Thorn). He explained, “Sapagkat ang aking pamilya ay nasa estado ng
kahirapan, ang pagdaan at paglalakad sa mga tinik ng pinya ay maihahalintulad sa pagsubok na
aming pinagdadaanan.” (Translation: "Because my family is under the state of poverty, passing
through the thorns of pineapples is like facing the challenges that we go through.")

7
 P3, “Basag” (Broken)

P4, “Tinik” (Thorn)

P2 titled one of his photos "Kalat" (Trash), and remarked, “Pakiramdam ko isa kaming
kalat o basura na itinapon sa isang tabi at pinabayaan, at literal na ang pinagtapunan sa amin
ay isang lumang tindahan na sobrang sikip at madaming sakit ang sa amin ay kumapit.”
(Translation: “I felt we’re trashes thrown and abandoned, and literally, we were thown into a
small and old storehouse where we acquired so many diseases.”)

P2, “Kalat” (Trash)

Edmonds and Pavcnik (2005) observed an inverse proportion between child labor and
improvement on household standards. He also found out that unexpected changes in family’s
economic environment has a significant effect on incidents of child labor.

Willingness and determination. The interviews revealed that participants were not forced
to work. P1 confided, “…naghanap ako ng trabaho nun. Yung trabahong parang libangan lang
po sana.” (Translation: “…I looked for a job that time. A job that would be my past time.”) He

8
added that when his employer offered free board and lodging in addition to his salary, he said to
himself, “Mas ok ito kesa sa baratilyo, kasi sa baratilyo sa boarding house babayad pa kami ng
tubig,…” (Translation; “This is better than baratilyo, because in baratilyo, in the boarding house,
we still need to pay for the water bill,…”) When asked about his feelings on being a working
student, P3 remarked, “…masaya din naman kasi yung nakakatulong sa magulang at nakakabili
ako ng gusto ko…” (Translation: “…it was also enjoyable since I was able to help my parents and
I could buy whatever I want…”) P5 narrated that when he saw some students earning money for
themselves, he said to himself, “…nagkakapera sila sa ganung paraan tapos nakakapag-aral sila.
Kaya po na ano ako, na-inspire po ako. Maggaganun din ako, magtitinda, habang napasok.”
(Translation: “…they earn money in that way while studying. That’s why I was inspired. I would
do what they do, sell products, while studying.”). Jaavall (2007) found in her study that 77.2% of
the informants answered “Yes” when asked if they like working. The reasons included learning
new skills, enjoyment, being proud of it, pleasure, and the desire of helping their family.

Responses of the participants reflected their determination to support themselves and their
family for a better life. This is supported by the study of Edmonds and Pavcnick (2005) who stated
that working students develop a sense of effectiveness, and their self-confidence is enhanced. P2
manifested this when he said, “Inisip ko na lang po sir na may pangarap ako na makatapos, kahit
po magiging iba ang tingin ng tao sakin wala na po ako pakialam. Pamilya ko po kasi ang iniisip
ko. Gusto ko po sila i anhon sa hirap.” (Translation; “I was just thinking sir that I have a dream
to finish school, even if people’s perception of me will change, I don’t mind. I am just thinking of
my family. I want to alleviate them from poverty.”) P3 expressed the same sentiment when he said,
“Siguro sir yung mapaayos ang buhay ko at ng pamilya ko. Siguro looking forward (in) the future
na after lahat ng paghihirap na yung makakahanap ako ng stable work.” (Translation: “Maybe
sir it’s to make my family’s life better. Maybe looking forward in the future that after all the
hardships that I will find a stable job.”) P5 captured the thoughts of the participants when he
stated, “pursigido po talaga po akong mag-aral na iniisip ko po na kaya po ako nagtatrabaho,
kaya po ako nag-aaral kasi para po makapagtapos po,…” (Translation: “I’m really determined to
study and think that the reason why I work, the reason why I study, is to finish,…”).

Fatigue and deprivation. The need to work while still studying demanded additional time
and effort from the participants. Teixeira et al. (2009) noted that workers have a shorter mean sleep
duration during weekdays. P2 lamented, “Nung namasukan naman po ako..ala una ng umaga po
tutulog kasi may alagang bata po tapos po 4 ng umaga ang gising para mag luto at maghatid ng
bata sa school.” (Translation: "When I became a houseboy, I usually slept at around 1 pm since I
was also a babysitter there. I would wake-up at 4 am to cook and accompany my master's child to
school.") In his photo entitled "Bilanggo" (Prisoner), he said, “Mahirap at masakit isipin na
nakakulong ka sa panahon na dapat ay sinusulit ang pagkabata. May inggit sa aking katawan na
tuwing aking nasisilayan ang ibang kabataan na nagtatampisaw at naliligo sa ulan ay heto at may
mga gawain ako na dapat tapusin para may pang tustos sa aming mga pangangailangan.”
(Translation: "It's hard to think that I was imprisoned during my childhood days. I envied those

9
who played in the rain while I was finishing some chores to sustain my needs.") In the photo of
P5 entitled "Laro" (Game), he explained, “Hindi ko naranasan ang makipaglaro sa kapwa ko
estudyante dahil priority ko ang pagtatrabaho. Imbis na gumala kagaya ng ibang mag-aaral,
ipinagtatrabaho ko na lang.” (Translation: "I never experienced playing with schoolmates because
my priority was my work. Instead of going out with friends like other students, I work instead.")
P3 who had been a funeral parlor attendant from elementary until college, remarked, “…minsan
pumapasok ako ng halos walang tulog…” (Translation: "…sometimes I had to go to school with
almost no sleep.")

P2, “Bilanggo” (Prisoner)

P5, “Laro” (Game)

Jewell (2014) observed that 54% of the working students have reduced leisure time, while
45% are affected in terms of their sleeping time.

Understanding and consideration. Maintaining passing grades is a struggle to students

who are working. They asked for consideration and understanding from their teachers,
schoolmates, and parents. P3 had this to say for the teachers: “…kung may napapansin man tayong
kakaiba sa kanila sa ugali man o sa kinikilos nila o kaya kung madalas silang wala sa klase o
kaya medyo inaantok...wag naten silang ipahiya sa klase...backgrourd check muna tayo kung ano
ba sila sa bahay nila at kung working students man sila let's give them consideration but not that
much...pero kung kaya naman nila magaral while they working let's commend them and be a good
example to others...” (Translation: "If they observe something different in the attitude or actions
of students, or if they are always absent, or sleepy in class, they should not embarrass them.
Instead, conduct a background check of who they are at home or if they are working students. Give
them consideration but not that much. If they can handle being a working student, commend them
10
and make them good examples to others.") When asked about what he expected from his teachers,
P2 said: “Siguro po consideration ..kasi di po biro pinagdaanan ko at ng mga tulad ko..mahirap
pagsabayin po ang pag aaral at pag tatrabaho...sobrang hirap po..kaya pag may inaantok po sa
klase ..wag sana pagalitan kasi bka pareho kami ng karanasan.” (Translation: "Maybe
consideration, because what I've gone through was not a joke. It was difficult attending school
and working at the same time. It was really difficult. If there are students who are sleepy in class,
don't be mad at them because they might have the same experience that I had.”) P1 asked this
from schoolmates: “Intindihin po nila, na baka kaya hindi nakakasama sa kanila ay may trabaho.”
(Translation: "I hope they would understand that the reason for not always being with them is
because of work.") While P3 added: “Suportahan nila yung mga classmates nilang bata palang
nagsusumikap at hindi dapat nila binubully at kung nahuhuli man sila sa lesson o may hindi
maintindihan, try to help them be a true friend with them.” (Translation: “Support their classmates
who at a young age are already persevering and they should not bully them (working students)
and if they missed some lessons, or if there are lessons they don't understand, help them and be a
true friend to them.") Most of the participants had no grudge against their parents. P5 captured the
common requests of the participants to their parents: “Suportahan po nila sa abot ng makakaya
po nila. Tapos tanungin din po nila yung anak nila kung anong problema, ano yung mga
kailangan.” (Translation: "Support them as much as possible. Ask their children if they have
problems, of what they need…")

Sabornie (1994, p. 277) suggested, “Educators should be cognizant of the different types
of social and affective problems they are likely to confront in students with learning disabilities.”
Moreover, Carney et al. (2006) suggested the implementation of measures to help students
organize their study and work to the best effect.

Fortitude and appreciation. All of the participants expressed positive effects of their
experience as working students on their personality. This was captured by the photo of P3 entitled
"Katatagan" (Fortitude). He explained, “Sa kabila ng mga pinagdaanang hirap, pagod, at halos
walang tulog sa gabi, tulad ng isang puno na marami nang pinagdaanang unos, ito ay lumalaki,
yumayabong, at nagiging mas matatag.” (Translation: "In spite of the hardships that I've gone
through, of almost not sleeping at night, just like a tree which encountered storms, it is still
flourishing and becoming much stronger.") This statement was supported by the photo of P4 who
had to skip school during harvest seasons. He entitled it "Gapang" (Creep) which he expounded:
“… ako ay naging matiyaga at natuto akong gumapang at igapang ang kahirapan upang
makatapos ako sa pag-aaral.” (Translation: "…I became persistent and learned to creep through
poverty for me to finish high school.") They also developed giving more value to things obtained
through hard work. P2 summarized the thoughts of the participants when he said, “Mas masarap
po ang tagumpay na pinaghirapan.” (Translation: "Achievements obtained through hard work are
more fulfilling.")

11
 P3, “Katatagan” (Fortitude)

P4, “Gapang” (Creep)

Triventi, et al. (2014) observed that increased independence, ability to budget, managing a
schedule, and gaining soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving skills were some of
the positive effects of working while studying.

Summary and Conclusion

The topic of being a high school working student seems to be a taboo. It was very difficult
to convince participants and their parents to open-up and share their experiences. They seemed to
suspect the researchers as investigators that would put them into trouble. But still, the team were
able to obtain significant information that could provide policymakers and other stakeholders more
understanding on the lives of high school working students.
The study provided evidence that high school students are swayed into working due to
poverty in the family, and having only one parent working in the family makes the decision to
work even more compelling. However, it was observed that high school working students willingly
engaged into working due to their desire to help themselves in finishing school, and their family
for a better life. The experience required some sacrifices. Lack of enough sleep, multiple tasking,
and deprivation of free time and material enjoyment were some of the identified challenges. Such
difficulties could be mitigated through a better understanding of the struggles that they go through,
and provision of support from teachers, friends, and family. Fortunately, the experience made the
participants ready for the challenges of life. It was an instrument through which they gained more

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appreciation of even the smallest blessings they receive. They became more resourceful and
prudent in managing their resources.

For the Dissemination of Findings and Advocating Policy phases of the photovoice
method, photo exhibits had been conducted on October 23, 2017 at the Schools Division Office of
San Pablo City, and on October 27, 2017 at the San Pablo Central School during the Division
Research Conference. Those were attended by division and school personnel, the head executive
assistant of the city mayor, teachers, and learners. Such photo exhibits were venues of
communicating to the concerned offices and individuals the struggles that high school working
students go through.

Recommendations

The following recommendations are offered to help high school working students obtain
quality education that they equally deserve despite the hardships they endure.

1. Determination of accurate and updated baseline information on the number of working

students by checking the background information of all enrolled students.
2. Intensification of the school feeding and the cash transfer programs to make schools
attractive to the learners, and to help poor families on the problems of food and money.
3. Training-workshops for teachers and administrators on how to deal with identified
working students.
4. Development of learning packages and curricular programs suited for the needs of the
working students.

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