HOLY SPIRIT ACADEMY OF LAOAG

Laoag City

CHALLENGES THAT STEM STUDENTS FACE TOWARDS ACADEMIC

SUCCESS

A RESEARCH PAPER

In partial fulfilment of the requirements in Research in Daily Life II

Submitted by:

XIAMARA GEIANELLE BUMANGLAG

KAMYLLE DOMINIQUE B. ANCHETA

ALTEIA KYANN L. TAMAYO

GRADE 12 STEM

Submitted to:

IAN KIRBY M. DUGAY

Practical Research-Teacher

S.Y. 2021-2022
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to everyone who helped us fulfill this major requirement. 

First of all, we would like to thank our Almighty Father who guided us in this

time of need and for his never-ending blessings;

Second, to our parents who are very supportive in everything we do;

Third, our friends, who gave us good vibes and helped us through bad times;

Fourth, to all of the respondents, without you this would be impossible;

And lastly, to our Practical Research in Daily Life II teacher, Mr. Ian Kirby M.

Dugay for his amazing techniques in teaching the subject;

Thank you very much and may you find this paper worth all of your time and

effort.

The Researchers
 DEDICATION

This work is the fruit of countless and arduous sacrifices. Throughout the

researchers’ effort, this work is heartily and proudly dedicated to the people who

served as inspiration. From parents and guardians to classmates and circle of

friends who extended their help in the midst of problems while doing this work.

Without their love and assistance, this research would not have been made

possible. 

Moreover, We dedicate this research paper to our subject teacher, Mr. Ian

Kirby M. Dugay, who constantly guides and teaches us to make this study even

better. And for giving us the drive and discipline to tackle a task with enthusiast

and determination. Without his guidance and willingness to give a lot of time, we

will not be able to pass through the tiring process of this research.

Lastly, to the Almighty God for giving us the wisdom, patience, strength,

support, knowledge in exploring things, and for giving us good health while doing

this. All of these, we offer to you. 

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preliminaries

Title Page i

Acknowledgement ii

Dedication iii

Chapter 1 - Introduction

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 2

Significance of the Study 2

Scope and Delimitation 2

Conceptual Framework 3

Definition of Terms 3
Chapter II - Review of Related Literature

Review of Related Literature 5

Chapter III - Methodology

Research Design 11

Locale of the Study 12

Population and Sample of the Study 12

Research Instrument 12

Data Gathering Procedure 13

Statistical Treatment 13
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Strand offers

the needed academic grounding for those who intend to pursue tertiary programs

that are geared towards the physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, and

technology. A unique feature of the strand is the specialized subjects that prepare

the students for the tertiary program they intend to pursue (University of Santo

Tomas). This strand is designed for students who desire to pursue college degrees

centered on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). This

strand provides preparation for students in using science, math, engineering, and

technology to solve real-life problems and advance national development

(Malayan Colleges Mindanao).

The researchers noticed that senior high school students, especially students under

the academic track STEM, are feeling stressed and pressured due to lack of

motivation to study, time management issues, and family expectations or

problems. 

The researchers, therefore, thought about putting together the challenges STEM

students face towards academic success and how to overcome them. 

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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the challenges STEM Students of Holy Spirit

Academy face towards academic success.

1. What are the challenges that STEM students face on their journey towards

academic success?

2. How do challenges affect STEM students' academic performance?

3. Which major subject do STEM Students have a hard time understanding?

4. How will the STEM students manage their time and cope up with their choice

of track?

Significance of the Study

This study will be beneficial for the following people:

STEM Students. If the outcome of the study will be positive, STEM

students will be able to know the solutions to the challenges they are facing on

their journey towards academic success.

Parents. Parents that are able to read the research study will know

beneficial ways on how to handle and help their children who are STEM students.

Other researchers. This study will serve as a basis for future researchers.

Scope and Delimitation

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This study limits its coverage on the Senior High School STEM students only. Its

main purpose is to determine the challenges towards academic success of STEM

students in Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag. The data collection will be conducted

on some STEM Students of Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag. This study will be

done by making an online survey and sending it to the chosen STEM Students of

Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag by the use of social media.

Conceptual Framework

CHALLENGES STEM
STUDENTS EXPERIENCE

PRESSURE

STRESS

LACK OF
MOTIVATION TO
STUDY

Definition of Terms

Academic Challenges: a problem that can negatively affect school performance. 

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Academic Performance: is measured by the final grade earned in the course. And

also defined by students’ knowledge and skills developed in the school subjects. 

Academic Success: an academic outcome that indicates the extent to which a

student has achieved their learning goals. 

Pressure: the burden of physical or mental distress. 

Stress: anxiety, worry, depression, anger, pressure, trouble, uneasiness. 

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 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 

This chapter presents the related literature and studies that support the

challenges STEM students face towards academic success.

Related Literature

In the world, every person is faced with many challenges and obstacles

throughout their lifetime. Experiencing difficulties in life is not new. This is

simply because everybody is always learning something new, and that entails that

an individual would face some difficulties. This also holds true when it comes to

students. It is common for students to face a number of problems or challenges

throughout their academic life. And this is why it is important for students to be

aware of those difficulties beforehand so that they can spend enough resources to

try and manage those issues or difficulties. This literature review will focus on

and discuss the findings of the challenges STEM students face towards academic

success. Each area will consist of information being studied from the original

sources to give a clear understanding and wider perspective on the said topic. 

Pressure

5
 For many students, adaptation to senior high school life includes

both academic and developmental demands, facing numerous challenges

including marked pressure to succeed academically, increased

expectations for independence and maturity, as well as the need for

successful adjustment to unfamiliar tasks and environments.

Pressure to do well at school has been shown to increase stress and

anxiety in students, leading to poorer physical, social, and emotional

health. Students can feel pressure from their parents, school, teachers,

society, or themselves to achieve higher grades and academic success. 

Stress

Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but it can harm students’

physical health, emotional well-being, and academic performance if they

do not learn to manage it well. Changes in lifestyle, greater workload, new

obligations, and interpersonal connections cause stress in college students.

Extreme stress can make it challenging to work effectively and lead to

poor academic achievement and attrition. Students who had stressful life

events reported poorer health and a lower quality of life.

Students in secondary and tertiary education settings face a wide

range of ongoing stressors related to academic demands. Students get

stressed when doing loads of work. They can’t think clearly especially

when they are stressed. Stress can hinder work effectiveness and lead to

poor academic performance and attrition. Some of the Senior High School

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students often get stressed due to their requirements. Stress can prevent us

from being aware of and controlling our emotions, getting along with

others, adapting to change, and maintaining a positive mood.

Not all stress is bad. Stress from a variety of sources, such as

chaotic and poorly run classrooms, or problems with family or peers,

impedes learning. The good news is that understanding the negative

impact of stress means that figuring out how to deal with it can help

students study more effectively. It’s possible that making educated

modifications to students’ home and classroom environment would

improve self-control and academic competency. Students’ well-being and

cognitive performance can be improved by actively minimizing stress.

Students are taught to stop and breathe during periods of peak stress. The

breathing helps calm emotions by focusing on the student on breathing

and helping them learn to pay attention to the moment-by-moment

experience without judging or thinking too deeply about it. The breathing

may also develop executive functions directly. Students learn to inhibit the

urge to elaborate on thoughts and feelings that pop into their

consciousness.

Lack of Motivation to Study

Limited motivation is a heavy worry for several Senior High

School students. Students who do not have a clear goal and know why

they want to finish education will likely be unmotivated. Unmotivated

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students are less likely to stay up late studying or ignore social influences

to complete school works. When a student experiences paper, test, or

project that fails, they will develop a sense of powerlessness.

Students may also have had discouraging experiences that

convince them they cannot do the work. If they believe learning is

generally fast and easy, they may lose motivation when they encounter

challenges. If students attribute their success to their innate talents rather

than effort, they may not be motivated to work. 

To motivate students, we need to set standards that are challenging

but attainable with reasonable effort. It is important to know what prior

knowledge and experiences your student has in order to know where to

begin and how fast to proceed. Students’ motivation will increase if they

see that their efforts are helping them make a goal.

Time Management Issues

Your worst enemy is almost certainly procrastination. Nothing is

more damaging to your concentration and genuine potential than going in

circles and finding excuses for not getting down to work. It not only

creates a large backlog, but it also makes you feel bad for not starting your

task, mainly if it is urgent. 

Maintaining an organized planner and scheduling study time

makes it easy for students to get distracted by the social scene, thus

8
neglecting disciplined study. The easiest way to balance your time is to

find out your peak time and allocate that time for doing top-priority work

instead of spreading it on completing some less important repetitive tasks.

Family Expectations or Problems 

The society that we live in has high regard for academic

excellence. Those who fail to meet expectations often face harsh criticism,

which creates self-doubts about their abilities and intelligence. With a cut-

throat competitive world out there, Senior High School students are

constantly pushed to the edge by their parents to build a bright future and

succeed in life. However, the enormous pressure on the students hinders

their growth and learning and leads to increased stress and anxiety. 

Parental support is needed for every school student to achieve their

academics. However, when parents have high expectations rather than

help, it would reflect their children’s academic performance. When they

cannot fulfill their parents’ expectations, it prompts stress and impacts

their academic achievement. 

Many studies show that there is a significant effect of the nature of

family background on the academic performance of students in school.

The family background plays a big on the academic performance of

students in the school system. It is generally accepted that the quality of

family interactions has important associations with the children’s

academic motivation and achievement. It is important to note that

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favorable home learning opportunities positively impact significant the

education process and success. Parents encourage their children to have

the proper feeding, have security, and be happy and calm. They further

reported that creating a positive physical and mental atmosphere at home

helps prepare students to be ready and motivated. A parent-child

relationship characterized by nurturing, acceptance, and encouragement

and parents’ responsiveness to the child correlates with positive academic

performance leading to academic success. 

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 Chapter 3

Methodology

This chapter shall present the discussion on the employed research

methodology of the concerned study, the subjects, sampling technique, research

instruments, procedure of data gathering, and the statistical treatment of the

concerned data, that will, in turn, be used for the analysis and interpretation of the

data.

Research Design

In order to illustrate the state of the knowledge and awareness that

students of Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag, as well as the state of their perceptions

of these issues and of environmental responsibility through a survey.

The survey method of research design was used by the researcher to gather

information about the present and existing conditions of an individual. The

researcher used the survey method in conducting the study because it is a

common means of obtaining information which includes the use of

questionnaires. It was considered the appropriate method for this study which

sought to assess the challenge STEM students face on their journey towards

academic success. Such a method shall also be suitable since the researcher used

11
survey questionnaires and various statistical procedures for conducting this

investigation.

Locale of the Study

The research locale of the study comprises of the place where the study took

place. The researchers focused on the students of Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag

which is located at Brgy 15. San Guillermo, Laoag City. The students came from

the different strands of the Senior High School Department. 

Population and Sample of the Study

The population of this study are Grade 12 students from Holy Spirit Academy of

Laoag. However, only STEM students are chosen as samples.

Given a population of 60 STEM students at Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag, the

researchers only selected 33 students to participate in the online survey.

Research Instrument

The researchers utilized a survey questionnaire centered on the main topic of

STEM Students' Academic Success Challenges. STEM students were given a

series of ten questions to respond in order to get more information, ideas, and

opinions. The researcher's readings, previous studies, and published and

12
unpublished thesis related to the topic were used to create the questionnaire draft.

The objectives for creating a good data gathering instrument were taken into

account when preparing the instrument. For example, statements explaining the

scenario or difficulties were toned down to match the respondents' knowledge

readiness. As a result, the instrument is allowed to collect legitimate responses

from pupils.

Data Gathering Procedure

In order to conduct the research, the researchers gave the questionnaires to the

research teacher to be checked and to be approved for the distribution of the

questionnaires to be placed in an online survey. Since being physical with other

people, especially students is risky during the COVID - 19 pandemic. The

respondents gave selected STEM students at Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag a set

of 10 questions to completely and honestly answer the questions of the online

survey. The data gathering procedures were conducted during the vacant time of

the students, in order to avoid disruption of classes. After gathering all of the data,

the researchers collected and compiled the data of calculating and analyzing the

gained value and metrics to apply to the statistical treatment to be used with the

study.

Statistical Treatment

The responses from the STEM Students of Holy Spirit Academy of Laoag from

the online survey were statistically evaluated to meet the study’s data criteria. To

interpret the data effectively, the researcher will employ the percentage as the tool

13
to use to interpret data. This will employ to determine the frequency, courts, and

percentage distribution of personal related variables of the respondent.

Formula:

P is the Percentage

F is the total number of answers

N is the total number of respondents

14
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