SELF-ESTEEM, FACTORS OF DISCONTINUED

STUDIES, AND COMPENSATORY BEHAVIORS: THE

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF DISCONTINUED
STUDENTS FROM THE COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE CEBU
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - UNIVERSITY

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

2023
Volume: 8
Issue: 5
Pages: 530-546
Document ID: 2023PEMJ672
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7879388
Manuscript Accepted: 2023-04-29 23:24:45
Psych Educ, 2023, 8(5): 530-546, Document ID: 2023PEMJ672, doi:10.5281/zenodo.7879388, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Self-Esteem, Factors of Discontinued Studies, and Compensatory Behaviors: the Lived

Experiences of Discontinued Students from the College of Engineering and Architecture
of the Cebu Institute of Technology - University
Jica Abella*, Lovely Karoline Agudo, Marella Desirae Amaba, Denessa Merlle Monacillo, Harvey Talaugon,
Ronald Yrog-Irog
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.

Abstract

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, numerous students from the Philippines decided to discontinue their studies. With that,
the study focused on the effects of discontinued studies on the self-esteem of students who decided to do so. The factors that
were considered and compensatory behaviors were also investigated. The research conducted to investigate the variables used
a transcendental phenomenological design. It utilized the snowball sampling method to gather and interview six (6) students
from the Cebu Institute of Technology – University who were enrolled in programs under the College of Engineering and
Architecture (CEA) but dropped out when the pandemic started. Through thematic analysis, the researchers came up with
global themes that described the shared phenomena among the participants. These global themes gave findings that there were
positive and negative implications for self-esteem, multiple factors that led to the decision of discontinuing one’s studies, and
the compensatory behaviors present since dropping out. The findings of this study can become useful in understanding the
thought process of dropouts and can offer new insights on the lack of educational achievement and performance can affect self-
esteem. This is in contrast to existing studies that focus on the effects of self-esteem on educational achievement instead.

Keywords: Self-esteem, Factors, Dropout, College Student, Compensatory Behaviors

Introduction higher in the hierarchy. These factors, such as illness

The implications of the Covid-19 pandemic had spread
in all the countries, the Philippines being one of them,
and brought about various problems in the different
sectors. Among the sectors that had to be temporarily
closed to assure the safety of the people and to contain
the spreading of the virus was the education sector
(Tria, 2020). This has greatly affected numerous
students in the country. In an article posted by the
Philippine News Agency (2021), it was noted that the
number of out-of-school youth has increased
significantly since the pandemic started. An estimate
of 4 million students did not or were not able to enroll
for the school year 2020-2021.
The statistics affirm that students have put on hold
their education due to the environmental situation. As
the pandemic continues, a considerable number of
students are still out of school or are considering
dropping out until the situation of the pandemic will
end or when a physical set-up is allowed (Añago,
2021). This has caused the students not to be able to
fulfill all their basic needs, as Maslow (1943) in his
Hierarchy of Needs has classified education as to be
one of these. According to him, the ability or inability
to sufficiently provide the needs in each of the five
stages can affect the others. He has stated that there are
factors that would lead to the inability to proceed
or poverty, can hinder the chances of an individual
progressing any further in life.
As mentioned, education is a basic need that every
individual should be able to attain (Engler, 2016)
because should this not be met, these students will not
be able to proceed and reach the succeeding levels in
Maslow’s model, wherein self-esteem is the focus of
the fourth level out of five. Self-esteem, by definition
of the American Psychological Association (2022), is
to be the reflection of one’s self-image and how one
perceives themselves and their accomplishments. Now
considering that these students are no longer receiving
one of their basic needs, this can potentially affect how
they would view themselves and where they think they
stand.
Reasons as to why students decide to drop out have
been topics for different studies as well. In the Model
of Institutional Departure by Tinto (1975), it was
studied that the main reasons why students decide to
drop out and believed that these students begin their
university life with emotional and intellectual baggage,
which can affect their motivation. With the Covid-19
pandemic being relatively new though, it does not
have many studies that focus on how this has become a
factor, how it has affected students and their self-
esteem, or if it has become a factor or reason at all for
them to drop out. Aside from that, there are also

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limited studies on students who only have temporarily
halted their studies due to different reasons. Hence, the
researchers interchangeably used the terminologies
“drop out” and “discontinued” within the study with
the intention of both to mean “temporarily stopped.”
This is due to the related works of literature found that
have only been using “drop out” as a term, which does
not entirely depict what the study wanted to
investigate.
With these students no longer in school, they now have
no school-related activities and actions. With that said,
the researchers have decided to look into the
compensatory behaviors these students took to make
up for the loss of school activities. There is no
concrete definition for this terminology. That is why
the researchers gave an operational definition by
defining the two words separately. By definition,
“compensation” is the act of substituting or mitigating
something with what was lacking, while “behavior” is
the action that acts as a response (American
Psychological Association, 2022). This means that
what will be studied are behaviors or actions that these
students have done as substitutes for the time they
would have used for their studies. However, the lack
of studies that focused on this matter has garnered the
attention of the researchers.
The researchers recognized this as a concern, along
with how the pandemic has affected numerous people
and aimed to study the students who dropped out
because of it. The focus will be on how dropping out
due to the pandemic, among other reasons, has
affected how they would regard themselves and their
self-esteem, and what these students have been doing
since then. Through conducting a transcendental
phenomenological study, the researchers studied and
investigated the various implications of halting one’s
studies during this pandemic on the self-esteem of
students who were previously enrolled at the Cebu
Institute of Technology – University. It also aimed to
see the thought process and considerations taken that
led the students to the decision of dropping out, and
what they have done to compensate for the time and
lack of school-related activities. The findings of this
study can also potentially fill the gap in terms of the
lack of literature regarding compensatory behaviors
and the different effects of dropping out of school
from a psychosocial perspective.
Research Objectives
The researchers of the study observed that there has
been an increased number of school dropouts,
especially college students when the Covid-19
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pandemic started. With that, they set the following
objectives for this study:
1. To determine the implications of dropping out of
school on the self-esteem of those who did
2. To determine the factors that led to the decision of
dropping out
3. To determine the compensatory behaviors observed
since dropping out
4. To determine the emergent themes and shared
phenomena of those who have dropped out
Literature Review
Self-esteem is a fundamental notion in the educational
setting and is linked to academic success, cognitive
relationships, and psychopathology. It is an overall
assessment of the value of oneself or self-worth
(Jordan et al., 2020). People who have a healthy sense
of self-esteem admire and respect themselves. While
everyone lacks confidence from time to time, people
with low self-esteem are uncomfortable or discontent
with themselves regularly.
In the context of education, Self-esteem is a
fundamental notion in the educational setting, and it is
linked to academic success, cognitive relationships,
and psychopathology. Self-esteem is crucial for
providing the drive needed to succeed academically
and enabling students’ self-esteem may be a
component of supporting the school’s academic goals
by putting in the effort in the classroom (Kususanto &
Chua, 2012).
According to the indications of the relationship
between self-esteem and academic performance
among university students, there is a substantial
positive link between self-esteem and academic
accomplishment. Similarly, strong academic
achievement is linked to a high sense of self-esteem.
The term “self-esteem” has become widely used.
Individuals have concentrated their efforts on raising
self-esteem, assuming that having a high level of self-
esteem will lead to a variety of beneficial outcomes
and advantages. Various factors make assessing the
impact of self-esteem difficult. It does not only affect
academic performance but as well as accomplishments
in life (Arshad et al., 2015). Mohammad (2010)
emphasized the relationship between self-esteem and
academic achievement in pre-university students. The
study also wanted to see if there were any variations in
academic performance between males and girls.
Furthermore, Höschler and Backes-Gellner (2014)
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investigated the link between unmet educational
ambitions and low self-esteem in college students. The
study found that the formation of self-esteem, and the
lack thereof, is affected by the amount of time the
student has spent in college. By comparing the self-
esteem of adults who have graduated with an associate
degree, or a bachelor’s degree, and those who either
dropped out or never attended college at all, it was
seen that the long-term effects of education differed in
each group.
Higher education institutions are not excused from the
altering of the education system. They have been
pushed to experiment with e-learning as the traditional
class-based learning is impossible under Covid-19
regulations (Demuyakor, 2020; Ratten, 2020). It is
therefore clear that Covid-19 has resulted in a major
disruption in the education system, much of which is
still being understood due to the severity of its effects
(Bryson & Andres, 2020; Crawford et al., 2020). A
variety of stakeholders, including government
officials, academic staff, students, and parents, are
concerned about whether the transition from classroom
to online learning will provide the desired results.
According to the article in Admissions (2021), a total
percentage of 57% of students would take at least six
years to graduate from college in the United States.
Out of that number, 33% have dropped out of school.
Typically, around 28% of students would drop out
even before they would reach their second year in
college. Being a school dropout accompanies its own
arrangement of difficulties including lower income
when contrasted with those of graduates. They are
likewise much behind on the financial stepping stool in
examination with the people who have finished their
graduation.
Numerous scholars have examined the causes of
dropout, and several explanations have been proposed.
Student motivation is one of the most important
aspects of dropout theories. Students in higher
education may be more successful academically if they
can self-regulate their learning, which is linked to
intrinsic drive and self-efficacy (Szabo, 2021).
Another correlational study proved that motivation is
linked to the self-esteem of students and dropouts.
With the occurrence of the pandemic had been bad
timing for most students, especially those that were
affected up to the point where they had to delay their
education and personal goals. A correlational study
showed that academic delays and economic worries,
intent to drop out or freeze studies, were all positively
connected with poor mental health, which included
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anxiety and lower self-esteem (Tarabia & Abu Alhaija,
2021).
Shi et al. (2017) examined the effect of family function
and family-related variables such as being an only
child, grandparenting, income, and family connection
on self-esteem in college students transitioning from
late adolescence to emerging adulthood. The
participants ranged in ages from 16 to 20 years old and
were 2001 Chinese college freshmen. The family
assessment device (FAD), the Rosenberg Self-esteem
Scale, and self-report of family information were used
to collect data. According to the comparison analysis,
children from one-child households, harmonious
homes, higher-income families, or reared by their
parents without the experience of grandparenting are
more likely to have high self-esteem than their peers.
Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis revealed
that FAD characteristics such as role, communication,
behavioral control, and problem solving predicted the
degree of self-esteem of college students with a
variance ranging from 13.2 to 17.9 percent. According
to the findings of this study, the self-esteem of college
freshmen was significantly associated with the
performance of their families. As a result, a program
concentrating on enhancing family functioning is
required in order to boost young people’s self-esteem
and therefore contribute to their mental health.
Ümmet (2015) examined college students’ self-esteem
based on the fulfillment of their core psychological
requirements and some minor variations. The sample
comprised 342 college students. The data was gathered
using the Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory, the
Basic Psychological Needs Scale, and a form created
by the researcher. When the acquired data was
evaluated, it was shown that the students’ fulfillment
of autonomy and relatedness requirements
substantially predicted their self-esteem, but the
satisfaction of competence needs did not. Furthermore,
the self-esteem of students differed significantly
according to the mother’s educational level, income
level, and reported parent attitudes, but the father’s
educational level and gender had no influence on self-
esteem. In many developed nations, the high
percentage of students who dropout of higher
education has become a serious problem. The
compensatory advantage hypothesis proposes that
individuals who are socially advantaged are less
influenced by past bad occurrences than those who are
disadvantaged, a process that contributes to
progressively different trajectories by social origin
over time. The CA hypothesis predicts that a poor
result would lead to worse later outcomes for
disadvantaged children than for children from socially
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advantaged families in the field of educational
inequality. There seem to be three main theoretical
arguments that could clarify why tertiary students react
differently to academic failure depending on their
social background, based on their social background:
relative risk aversion, mobilization of parental
resources, and difference in responsiveness to ability
information (Herbaut, 2020).
There are also protective or compensating elements,
according to Serbin et al. (2013), such as academic,
behavioral, social abilities, and supportive parents that
are likely to predict comparatively better performance
despite the transition’s overall difficulties. It is
expected that certain protective variables would be
adversely related to known risk factors for poor
academic achievement (e.g., low family income, male
gender). Researchers have anticipated that the
compensating abilities and supports researchers have
identified would mitigate the negative effects of the
situation.
Students who are affected by numerous factors, such
as familial issues and declining mental health would
resort to dropping out and doing other things. In an
article by Nolan (2019), she discussed the doubt and
hatred she felt towards the academe and herself after
dropping out of college twice. Work became a resort to
earn income and forget the feelings of shame and guilt.
Regret was evident but it was stated that finding
something one would enjoy would aid in the
betterment of the self and well-being.
These students who dropout of school are seen as
vulnerable. Bloom (2010) looked into policies and
programs that were aimed to help high school
dropouts. As these students often have no clear plan or
goal due to and after discontinuing their studies, the
author suggested that sectors that are able to assist
these vulnerable youths should provide a plan or
foundation for these youths. These are such as
providing them paid work while identifying new
strategies to lessen the number of dropouts yearly.
There may be issues regarding funding, but initiatives
may help these youths.
Methodology
Participants
The study was conducted at the Cebu Institute of
Technology – University. This was due to the large
population of the engineering and architecture students
in the university. Through purposive sampling,
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specifically the snowball sampling method, a total of
six (6) previously enrolled college students from the
College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) of the
university were gathered for the researchers to
interview. Students from this college were chosen due
to the large population it composed within the
university. These specifications for what college they
belonged in came from the presumption that due to the
nature of their programs, it would have higher tuition
and would rely on laboratories and application of
theories to learn, instead of just mere discussions. In
terms of the number of participants, only six (6), from
the recommended number of 3-20 participants (Ellis,
2016), were decided due to the limitations and access
to finding participants within the allotted time because
of the pandemic currently happening, which Ellis
(2016) stated that access for participants plays as a
factor in determining the sample size among other
practical reasons.
Research Instrument
The researchers did not use any instruments other than
the interview guide they created due to the nature of
this study. The interview guide consisted of fourteen
(14) questions they composed themselves and short
instructions on what they should do before and after
the interview.
Research Procedure
The study employed a qualitative method, specifically
a transcendental phenomenological research design.
This was defined and cited by Sheehan (2014) that this
is a form of trying to seek and inquire into the human
experience to be able to understand a phenomenon. A
transcendental phenomenological design, first
established by Husserl but further developed by
Moustakas, is a more specific and philosophical
approach in understanding the human experience. It is
expected that any prejudice and preconceived ideas
should not be present in the study, especially during
the interview, to have a more humane and in-depth
understanding of the phenomena that were undergone
(Moustakas, 1994). Those distinguished characteristics
of this design are what the researchers considered to
see as appropriate to use for this study. This is because
the absence of any form of prejudice and bias would
allow the researchers to analyze the findings as
objectively as possible and see them from a more
humanistic perspective.
In order to do so, the researchers first searched
possible participants from those who they knew who
had discontinued their studies. When the researchers
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were able to find potential participants, they further
checked and inquired if they fit the criteria prepared by
the group. A total of six (6) participants were gathered
from this. After assessing the participants, they were
informed further on what the study was about and
what was expected from them. When the chosen
participants agreed that they would push through as a
participant, a letter of consent and confidentiality was
sent to them directly via the platform where they were
able to initially correspond with the researchers. They
signed the letter with their names and attached their
signature. Once the letter was returned to the
researchers, which was kept for compilation purposes,
they were again instructed briefly on what happened
and how it was done. They then informed the
researchers of the time and date they were available
for an online interview to be set and what platform
they would prefer. There was no assignment within the
researchers as to who interviewed specific participants
as it also depended on who was available and had a
stable internet connection at that time to conduct said
interviews. The participants were also informed that
they may be interviewed by someone else, other than
the researcher who they initially conversed with.
Prior to the first scheduled interview, the researchers
first discussed and familiarized themselves further
with the questions listed in the interview guide. They
did so by going through the questions together and
raised any concerns or clarifications about them to
achieve the desired answers from the participants
when asked. During the interview, a briefing was done
first to ensure that the participants were able and
comfortable enough to proceed with the interview.
They were reminded of the purpose of the study, to
speak as clearly as they could, and that the interview
proper was recorded. Following the interview guide,
the researchers asked how these participants viewed
themselves after deciding to discontinue their studies
due to the pandemic, the factors considered, and what
they have been doing or want to do since then. Should
there be a need for the participant to expound further
on their answers, the researchers asked further follow-
up questions for the participant to do so. When all
questions were asked, a debriefing followed before
formally ending the interview, and thanking the
participant for their time.
All the recorded interviews were transcribed by the
researchers first before analysis and coding. The
transcriptions were labeled in accordance with the
order of when it was done. This was also the
corresponding identification (ID) code the researchers
assigned to each participant. The purpose was for
easier distinguishing of answers once coding began
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and further kept the identities of the participants
confidential. The ID codes were namely: P1, P2, P3,
P4, P5, and P6.
The coding process took four (4) cycles. The first (1st)
cycle was for the researchers to individually go
through each transcription first and select significant
statements that answered the questions. These
statements were placed in an excel sheet where one
sheet was assigned for one participant. The questions
were indicated and all the significant statements that
belonged to it were placed under it. Afterward, words
or phrases were used to illustrate, describe, and
somewhat summarize what feeling or phenomena was
presented in those answers. The second (2nd) cycle was
compiling and comparing all the participants’ answers.
This was done by placing all their answers in one
separate excel sheet. Similarly, with the individual
sheets, the answers were grouped according to the
question it answered. The ID code of each participant
was placed after every statement so that it was more
convenient for the researchers to know who answered
what. Another column was also placed for all the
words or phrases used to describe the phenomena. One
of the researchers went through the transcriptions
again to further ensure that there were no missed
significant statements. If there were, it was noted and
was immediately placed in the next cycle instead.
The third (3rd) cycle was the part where the researchers
began finding all the common words or phrases, along
with the answers and clustered them together. The
researchers used the same sheet from the previous
cycle for easy navigation and copy-pasting of ID
codes, answers, and words or phrases used. This cycle
was the time when the researchers came up with the
subthemes once the compiling was done. These were
in no particular sequence as the researchers simply
named these subthemes. The fourth (4th) and last cycle
were done in another separate excel sheet. The
researchers compiled all the sub themes that shared
similarities in phenomena and slowly distinguished
under what variables these were to be placed. Once all
the sub themes have been clustered, the researchers
came up with global themes to give a broader scope
and perspective on the different shared phenomena
between the participants. All of these were separated
according to the variable they fell under.
Once the researchers came up with the themes, the
excel sheet, together with a rough draft of the
manuscript of the study, was sent to an expert for
validation and any feedback. Should the expert have
had any comments that required revision or further
analysis or coding, the researchers would have acted
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accordingly as what was suggested. After the expert
has validated the data, the themes and answers of the
participants were tabulated for discussion purposes.
Once the study reached its conclusion, the researchers
disposed of the recordings as per the conditions
imposed by the researchers upon the beginning of the
study and for confidentiality purposes.
Data Analysis
Thematic analysis is a common way to study and
analyze qualitative data and can be flexible in steps for
it to adapt according to how it is needed to be used in
the study (Caulfield, 2019). This method was used by
the researchers to reach the sub themes and global
themes to describe the phenomenon that was shared by
the majority of the participants of this study. For the
researchers to be able to reach those themes, they used
excel sheets to code the significant statements that
were determined from the transcriptions of the
interviews. The coding had four (4) cycles for the
researchers to generate the appropriate themes. They
reviewed these themes and had them validated by an
expert. Once it was validated, these were tabulated for
the researchers to explain what they meant, and a
discussion supported by related literature. Should the
validator have had recommendations or revisions, the
researchers would have followed what was
recommended. All the data collected was kept
confidential while the recordings were disposed of
after the study reached its conclusion.
Ethical Consideration
The researchers understood that the health and safety,
integrity, and confidentiality of the participants must
be all protected and ensured at all costs.
Risks. With the pandemic still happening, the
researchers only conducted the interviews via online
means, such as video chats/calls, Zoom Meetings, or
whichever application the participant preferred. The
only occurrence wherein the interview would be done
personally was only when the participant themselves
offered it, had a safe and conducive space for the
interview, and if one of the researchers was nearby.
This was to minimize the potential risk and exposure
for both the participant and researcher from the virus.
Briefing and debriefing was also done before and after
the interview respectively to ensure that the
participants were well-informed, comfortable, and had
processed potential emotions that could have arisen
during the interview.
Integrity. The researchers assured honesty and fairness
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throughout the research procedure and processing of
data. During the process of gathering the participants,
the researchers provided consent forms to assure that
they fully gave the researchers their full permission.
They were informed of the purpose and process of the
study, and how the data gathered were treated. The
participants were given the freedom to back out from
the study should they choose to otherwise without any
repercussions.
Confidentiality. The researchers ensured that the
information and data gathered from this study were
only accessible to the researchers and their adviser.
Once the data had been transcribed and analyzed, all
recordings from the interviews conducted were
deleted.
Result
The findings of this study are sectioned according to
variables. These were further categorized by the
emergent or global themes which were broken down
into sub-themes. These were tabulated with the
corresponding verbatim responses of the participants
and then discussed afterwards.
Self-Esteem
Due to the closure of all educational facilities, distance
learning became an inevitable, though essential.
Strategies implemented by education stakeholders
worldwide raised concerns about uneven involvement
of all students and benefits continue to be skewed
toward people who are deemed privileged in every
way, leaving the impoverished and other marginalized
groups behind. The current study investigates the issue
of student social marginalization and dropout as a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which made
impacts on their view of oneself.
Advantages Over Circumstantial Disparity
The participants have found positive impacts and
advantages of dropping out of school. They have
considered that this was a good time to ponder, reflect,
and give time to themselves. One notion that correlates
with this is the study of Nwankwo et al (2013) which
states that high self-esteem becomes a factor that leads
to successful performance, justifying the initial
incentive for achievement. Thus, other than that, the
sub themes below have found no correlation with
existing studies. No positive implications as well in
relation to dropout were recorded from existing
studies.
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Table 1. Advantages Over Circumstantial Disparity
Figure 1. .
Relief from Academic Pressures, Stresses, and
Affecting Undertaking. It is common to have worries
and stress when studying. As most university students
spend 2-4 years to graduate, which is a significant time
of investment, yet students are wasting the most
productive years of life by adhering to a regimented
and out-of-date educational system (Noronha, 2022).
However, after dropping out, they found themselves
with lesser baggage. When asked how they felt after
dropping out, as seen in Table 1, the participants
shared a common feeling of relief for being away from
anything that is school-related. This shows that they
found a sense of comfort that they had one less
problem to worry about.
Personal Growth and Self-Discovery. After dropping
out of college, the time the participants had on their
hands had allowed them a lot more time to prioritize
their well-being and discover and know themselves
more than they did before. Four participants similarly
saw said growth happen within themselves. This is
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another perspective to look at on how dropping out has
actually helped the participants in certain aspects.
According to Glowiak (2020), working hard has
serious ramifications, including burnout. However,
self-care practice has been scientifically proven to
lessen or eliminate anxiety and depression, stress,
enhance focus, reduce irritation and anger, boost
happiness, improve energy, and more. By having more
freedom after dropping out, participants have more
time to work on their mental and emotional health, as
well as their hobbies and personal goals, which allows
them to continuously improve in different aspects.
This implication on the participants shows that it is not
entirely negative on their part. Although, this needs
further studying, since, as stated prior, related
literature that focus on the positive implications are not
available.
Demotivation and Decline of Mental Health
Despite the positive impacts, there are also contrasting
impacts. The negative impacts come with the notion of
struggling to cope up with the fact the participants are
out of school and resulting in the loss of motivation.
With this, a correlational study has concluded that
academic delays and economic worries, intents to drop
out or freeze studies, were all positively connected
with poor mental health, which include anxiety and
lower self-esteem (Tarabia & Abu Alhaija, 2021).
Thus, students come to college with emotional and
intellectual baggage that includes their own
personality, prior experiences, and family history. This
baggage has a substantial influence on their motivation
to pursue higher education as well as on defining and
reinforcing students' expectations and ideas about
completing the course. In relation to Maslow`s (1943)
Hierarchy of Needs Theory, two levels from below are
already met by the dropouts. However, when it comes
to the third level, which is belongingness and love
needs, it is proven that it is lacking such that their
reason for halting their studies is loss of motivation,
mental health issues, and confusion, regrets, and loss
of purpose. The dropouts felt like they do not belong
in the current scenario such that the dropouts could no
longer find their purpose. With this, motivation is at
loss and is needed to be regained for the dropouts to be
in pursuance again towards their goals.
Table 2. Demotivation and Decline of Mental Health
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Figure 2. .
Loss of Purpose, Motivation, and Direction. With the
participants not being in school and are still unsure of
when they are able to continue their studies has left
them with different emotions to deal with and have
lost the pursuit of their goals or anything related to
school. It reached a point where they started to
distance themselves from the school matters as it
reminds them of the fact they are no longer in school.
The statements tabulated in Table 2 show that being
not in school as a result of dropping out made the
participants not look forward to what they used to.
This is similar to the study of Szabo (2021) which
ascertained that Student motivation is one of the most
important aspects of dropout theories. Such that the
students may be more successful academically if they
can self-regulate their learning, which is linked to
intrinsic drive and self-efficacy. It also shows that the
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sudden stop of their studies left unwanted and negative
feelings about their future and plans. Despite dropping
out of college twice, Nolan (2019) supported these
results, stating that she had doubts and contempt for
academia and herself. Work became a way to gain
money while ignoring feelings of shame and guilt.
There was regret, but it was noted that finding
something one enjoys will help with self-improvement
and well-being. These have also proved that
motivation is linked to the self-esteem of students and
dropouts.
Mental Well-Being. The isolation and loss of
motivation led one thing to another for most
participants. This took a toll on their mental health in
various ways. From the responses that were tabulated,
there were difficulties in adjusting to the routine or
they just shunned themselves from others altogether. It
shows how it has affected the participants that this just
resulted in difficulty and a change in relationships with
other individuals. In relation to this, the article by
Nolan (2019) discussed that the students who are most
affected by numerous factors, such as declining mental
health would resort to dropping out and doing other
things. It was proven with the author's statement as
well that the doubt and hatred she felt towards the
academe and herself after dropping out of college
twice. A longitudinal study published in 2014 showed
that the relationship between self-esteem and
perceived social support appears to be bidirectional,
with self-esteem predicting the perception of social
support, vice versa (Lee, et al., 2014). This means that
there is a correlation in the type and amount of social
support that people receive from other people to their
mental health. Furthermore, the community
quarantines imposed during the pandemic immensely
affected social interactions making the participants feel
more alone as they face the weight of their decision.
This can be seen also in the findings of Holm-Hadulla
et al. (2021) wherein 72.2% of their respondents
displayed that their well-being has been severely
harmed due to restrictions and stress of the Covid-19
pandemic
Impostor Syndrome
With the participants leaning more toward the
negatives despite the advantages they saw, they tended
to compare themselves with others and felt less and
even more regret. Insecurity was also discovered to be
a recurrent trend among participants, who felt inferior
to their colleagues. The researchers identified this
global theme as “Impostor Syndrome” due to how this
is attributed to self-doubt and insecurities. Considering
that the researchers did not foresee this, there is no
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related literature placed in the study that discussed

such. However, they took liberty in finding a definition
in other existing literature. Cuncic (2021) stated in
their article that Impostor Syndrome (IS) is a
psychological state where an individual would believe
they are less capable compared to what they are and do
not see what others see in them. This concept is also
attributed to intelligence and success; hence it is also
connected with perfectionism and one’s social
environment. This state is evident in the statements
seen in Table 3.1c as the participants felt inferior to
their peers and have not seen themselves in the same
way prior to them discontinuing their studies.

Even if there are good reasons for quitting school,

Gausel and Bourguignon (2020) argued that dropping
out typically goes against society's ideals and
eliminates the possibility to climb the social ladder
through education. As a result, a correlational study
found that academic delays, financial concerns, and
plans to drop out or freeze studies were all linked to
worry and low self-esteem (Tarabia & Abu Alhaija,
2021). When related to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs,
this theme is related to the fourth level which is esteem
needs. It only proves that the dropouts have desired
attention, competence, recognition, and such. This is
also aligned to the findings of a study conducted in
2014, where results show that dropping out of college
has a direct impact and significantly decreases self-
esteem as opposed to graduating (Hoeschler, et al.,
2014).

Table 3. Impostor Syndrome

Figure 3. .

Self-Doubt and Decreasing of Confidence. Dropping

out of school had resulted in the participants seeing
themselves as a low version of who they were before
they discontinued their studies and started to doubt all
the capabilities they had. The researchers saw that for
most of the participants, studying gave them
something to do and to prove about themselves but
with them no longer in school, it has affected their
self-perception. This is evident in the statement of P5
whose response provides an illustration of the findings
of Arshad et al. (2015) who saw a positive link
between strong academic achievement with high self-
esteem. This can also be linked to the study of
Höschler and Backes-Gellner (2014) which stated that
the students who did not go to college or dropped out
of their programs displayed poor and negative self-
esteem. The presence of low self-esteem in college
dropouts could also be mitigated or aggravated
depending on several influences.

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Inferiority Among Peers. The participants felt they Table 4. Finances

were left behind among their peers and even felt
jealous of those who were still in school. These
feelings, shown in their tabulated responses in Table 3,
felt by the participants would actually contribute to the
preceding sub-theme as the participants saw
themselves as less due to the fact they will no longer
be graduating on time. According to Gausel and
Bourguignon (2020), even if there are valid reasons for
leaving school, dropping out often opposes society
standards and takes away the opportunity to ascend the
social ladder through the educational system. This in
turn, gives way to the thoughts of inferiority of those
who dropped out from school compared to their peers
who did not. Similarly, Gausel and Leach (2011)
found that the failure to comply with norms will most
certainly undermine the way an individual views their
self and social image. The concern for a damaged
social image would lead to feelings of rejection, and
the concern for a damaged self-image would lead to
feelings of inferiority. These feelings are then linked to
a self-defensive motivation. Whereas a concern for
damage to a more specific self-image leads to feelings
of shame, which is linked to self-improvement
motivations. This means that depending on how
participants view and react to their situation would
affect how they will deal with their self-esteem. This is
further supported by the article of Admissionsly
(2021) which stated that being a school dropout had a
lot of influences or connected difficulties including
lower income when contrasted with those of graduates.
They are considered behind on the financial stepping
stool which has caused feelings of inferiority.
Figure 4. .
Factors of Discontinued Studies

According to a 2018 study, college students identified

four (4) determinants as their consideration in
dropping out. These are the student’s personal
characteristics, abilities, and behavior; family
background and networks; institutional characteristics;
and labor market performance (Aina, et al., 2018). The
themes that are indicated here are the identified and
shared factors and reasons that the participants
considered before fully deciding that they would halt
their studies.

Finances

The financial status of the family was a very common

factor among the participants. For most, it is one of the
main reasons why they decided to drop out of school.
This is along with material resources that were needed
for their respective programs. This can also be a reason
for them to continue their studies. Figure 5. .

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Financial Reason. In a study examining the contagion
effect of U.S. stock market to the Vietnamese and
Philippine economy, it was found out that the
developing markets such as the Philippines have been
suffering from instability due to the global financial
crisis (Le & Tran, 2021). This has resulted in the
closing of businesses and massive layoffs of
employees throughout the country, ultimately affecting
college students who require finances for tuition, as
well as the added resources for distance learning
approach. This was evident to most participants who
shared that their parents had little to no income ever
since the pandemic started due to being laid off. This
led to money being the top reason for the participants
on why they discontinued their studies. This sub-theme
relates to the theory of Tinto (1975), which is the
Model of Institutional Departure, specifically the
source of students’ departure which is them entering
college with their background to be considered. Should
there be any issues that can contribute to their thought
process can potentially lead them to drop out entirely.
Based on the answers given by the participants, they
struggle with the financial resources because during
the pandemic their family’s income is low and since
they are from the College of Engineering and
Architecture it is already known to be an expensive
degree program that is why most students decided to
discontinue their studies knowing that they lack means
to pay for their studies. This can be further supported
with the findings of Tarabia and Abu Alhaija (2021)
that there was a positive relationship between
academic delays, economic worries, and intentions of
dropping out or temporarily halt one’s studies. A study
conducted by Bennet (2003) also found that financial
difficulty had a strong influence on the stay-or-quit
decision and considerably reduced the effects of
academic achievement and the student's level of
commitment to their program.
Ease from Financial Burden. This finding is similar to
the study of Shi et al. (2017) examined the effect of
family function and family-related variables such as
being an only child, grandparenting, income, and
family connection on self-esteem in college students
transitioning from late adolescence to emerging
adulthood. This can be evident on how the participants
felt knowing they would not be much of a burden in
terms of spending. Despite not being able to continue
their studies, the participants found themselves useful
in not contributing to the decline of their financial
stability. This idea alone contributed to their decision
in halting their studies. These statements showed that
the participants found relief that they are able to be of
help in some ways. They found themselves in a
situation wherein they saw that dropping out has
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helped them or they would rather be productive and
useful by aiding to alleviate their financial issues.
However, there are little to nonexistent studies that can
be viable and have specifically found this very specific
sub-theme or detail as a finding in their own studies.
Reconsideration to Continue Studies if Financial
Support or Stability is Present. As much as finances
are their reasons for dropping out, it can also be their
reason to continue should the participants’ financial
status improve. The statements tabulated in Table 3.2a
show how important of a factor the finances are for the
participants. Finances was another factor why these
students decided to discontinue their educational
ambition but if they are given the chance to continue
then they would probably grab the chance and
continue studying. To illustrate the influence of
financial stability on their decision, the results of the
study of Tarabia and Abu Alhaija (2021) reiterated that
economic worries relate with the decision of freezing
one’s studies. This sub-theme however shows the
opposite of it wherein if the participants will no longer
have any economically related worries then there will
no longer be any need for them to discontinue their
studies.
The findings are also consistent with the study
conducted by Breier (2010), which intends to bridge
the gap by reflecting the degree of socioeconomic
hardship among students in countries where many
people live below the poverty line. According to the
study, many students dropped out before earning a
degree because they couldn't afford to stay. However,
Breier placed greater focus on the ability of students to
pay and delineated the times in the academic calendar
when economics posed the biggest difficulty to
retention. This means that the number of years that the
students have spent in college does not necessarily
affect their decision to stay when their situation
includes financial issues.
Furthermore, participants of the current research
emphasized that if the participants can receive
sufficient financial support, they would undoubtedly
continue their education. This may include
comprehensive scholarship grants provided by the
government. As reported by Vossensteyn (2009),
while many countries consider higher education to be a
major focus for economic growth, public funds
frequently fall short of supporting anticipated levels of
expansion in higher education. This results in cost-
sharing, where students and their families must
contribute more to the costs of higher education.
Change of School Setup
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Due to the pandemic needing to limit physical
interactions, classes were held online. For some
participants, this was a new experience and was
something that was not easy for them to get used to.
This theme showed how this also became a convincing
factor for some participants to discontinue their
studies. As when compared to their more traditional
classroom counterparts, studies show that students
who take online courses are less likely to participate in
collaborative learning, student-faculty contacts, and
dialogues with different people (Dumford & Miller,
2018).
Table 5. Change of School Setup
Figure 6. .
Dislike of Online Setup. There was a change on how
and where classes were done during the pandemic.
This was something new to all the participants and
some were finding it difficult to adjust. The statements
indicate that not only were the participants feeling the
need to adjust to the setup, but they needed a place in
their own homes that was conducive for them to learn,
which was not applicable to some. A lot of students
were having struggles in adjusting to the new setup
since they were used to the prior setup. The studies of
Demuyakor (2020) and Ratten (2020) provide support
to this sub theme presented due to both similarly
discussed how that higher education institutions were
not excused from the altering of education system. All
of these institutions were pushed to experiment with e-
learning as the traditional class-based learning which
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they find impossible under Covid-19 regulations.
However, since the pandemic is new, not a lot has
entirely focused on this factor as a reason why students
have not enrolled in school. The shift to a new culture
of education also has shone light to the struggles of the
underprivileged sector of education, revealing the bare
realities of unpreparedness and the lack of concrete
solutions in adapting to the sudden transition
Difficulty to Learn due to Nature of Program. Every
program differs from each other on how lessons
should be taught effectively for the students to learn.
For the case of those under the College of Engineering
and Architecture, based on the answers of the
participants, the presumptions of the researchers
deemed to be true that due to the nature of their
program, they rely more on laboratory application for
the theories that were taught to make more sense to its
students. The limitations posed by the pandemic in
educational institutions does not provide an equitable
and inclusive curriculum for all students, which
includes an educational response method that takes
into account the uniqueness of each student's situation.
Despite the new learning modalities provided by
Commission on Higher Education, opportunities for
online learning have been severely limited in regions
with internet access and proper broadband bandwidth.
According to Salmi (2021), due to a major lack of
qualified experience to implement the new approach
and enough resources, colleges and universities in low-
income countries have struggled to establish effective
distance education programs. This does not only
include gadget and internet connectivity but also the
necessary materials in relation to their course that can
supposedly be accessed in school laboratories and
facilities. This proves that what Burns et al. (2020)
said to be true that students are pressured to perform
their best despite the sudden change and transition
from classroom to online setup. Again, with the
situation still new, there are still limited studies to
further support this.
Familial Support
The participants shared the thought process that led to
the decision of them discontinuing their studies. One
common phenomena that was evident was how there
was a form of support given by the family. This theme
shows how important it was for the participants in
considering that their families had to say.
Table 6. Familial Support
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Figure 8. .

Figure 7. .
Uncertainty of the Duration of the Pandemic. With the
Support from the Family with their Decision. pandemic being something new to the participants,
Unfortunately, there was no related literature found they simply assumed that this would only last for a
that discussed the weight and influence the family has short while. That is why they further validated their
when one has to decide on discontinuing their studies, reasons for discontinuing their studies with their
especially during this pandemic. Gotinga (2020) did assumptions that this will only last for a couple of
state though that the decision for the children to weeks or months. This can relate to the studies of
continue their studies rests on the parents, but the Bryson and Andres (2020) and Crawford et al. (2020)
author encouraged these parents to continue sending where they said that the Covid-19 has resulted in a
the children to school. However, the researchers still major disruption in the educational system. Other than
took into account the responses of the four participants that, there were no other studies to further expound
who shared that though some of their families were and support this.
surprised with what they decided, they still received
Compensatory Behaviors
the support of halting their studies as of the moment.
This sub theme goes against the statement of Gotinga
The theme was subcategorized into two themes
as parents of the participants supported them instead. It
showing what the participants have been doing since
should also be taken into consideration the other
they discontinued their studies. This can be lightly
mitigating factors that ultimately led the students and
related with what Minev et al. (2018) stated that for
family to be in the position they are in now. Herbaut
self-esteem to develop, humans need to be aware of
(2020) did state though that reaction to academic
their self-worth, but this can also be influenced by
achievement or failure, for the case of the participants
other factors, since compensatory behaviors was
is the discontinuance of their studies, is factored by
described to be as something to substitute what was
social backgrounds and resources. This can be
lost. This means that what they have been doing
connected to the first global theme which relates to
compensates for the fact they are not in school as of
financial resources.
now. It should be noted that there is minimal literature
Pandemic that actually looks into this topic as most would only
see the effects of dropouts in an economic aspect.
The researchers presumed the pandemic as one of the
Table 8. Shift in Priorities
main and immediate factors as to why these
participants decided to discontinue their studies.
However, with the statements said by the participants,
it was evident how the pandemic was a secondary
factor rather than this directly influencing their
decisions. Their main reason, being the financial
issues, was because of the pandemic instead.

Table 7. Pandemic

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Figure 9. .
Finding Means of Income. The participants found
other activities to do to compensate for not being able
to do anything school related. Considering that most of
the participants are struggling financially, they
resorted to working. Based on the article Nolan (2019)
wrote where she shared her life as a college dropout,
she resorted to working for her to gain income and
forget the shame and guilt she felt because of dropping
out. The answers the participants shared also indicate
that they have taken into account their capacity to earn
and help their families. This also shows that they truly
understand the predicament they are in.
Learning/Doing Recreational Activities. With the
spare time some of these participants have, they have
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not chosen to work, but they rather have decided to
focus on rekindling or starting a new hobby to keep
themselves busy. Nolan (2019), again, stated that when
one finds something to do that they would enjoy, this
aids in the betterment of the self and well-being. This
can tie along with the global theme of “Advantages
Over Circumstantial Disparity” under self-esteem as
the participants saw something positive in the
recreational activities they have been doing. This is in
relation with Wiegand and Geller (2004) who pointed
out strategies to help individuals turn perceived failure
into motivation, and eventually to self-improvement.
The strategy is presented in a three-way model, which
can also be used as a useful guide to build up
motivation: making a difference (motivation),
believing in one’s value (self-efficacy), and the feeling
of belonging (valuing). All three of these strategies can
be seen on the different compensation activities of the
participants. Research shows that people tend to
become highly motivated and productive when they
feel that they have a significant contribution towards
the goal (Koestner, et al., 2008). In the participants’
case, compensatory behaviors such as working to earn
money could be attributed to helping make a
difference in the current situation of their family, thus
making them feel more motivated towards
improvement. Furthermore, self-efficacy played a
significant role in these compensatory behaviors. By
definition, self-efficacy is the belief of an individual in
their capacity to perform accordingly to achieve the
goal they set themselves into (Bandura, 1997).
According to research, perceived self-efficacy and
personal objectives boost motivation and performance
accomplishment (Bandura & Locke, 2003). This
means that with the personal goal of the participants to
compensate for dropping out of school and their
perceived self-efficacy contribute towards personal
growth and improvement which they aim for. Finally,
the extent to which an individual values their role in
the organization is closely tied to their morale (Martin,
2005). Wigfield and Tonks (2002) introduced
components of valuing: the person's priority of
learning and performing well, the individual's
satisfaction of a task, the degree to which a task fits
into one's future goals, and what the individual must
give up doing a task. For the participants, this means
that a sense of value that is found through the
compensatory behaviors they do helps improve their
perception of themselves.
It was evident that dropping out of college has shifted
the focus of the participants from spending much time
in their academics to improvement of personal life.
According to Singletary and Hebl (2009), activities
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such as those that the participants chose to do are
known to increase positivity in a situation to improve
the interaction of the individual to their environment.
Compensatory behaviors that are being done by the
participants help change their perception to the current
situation, which could help lift their overall perception
of the self. Maslow (1954) also explained that when
the basic and psychological needs are not met, there is
a development of deficiency need that is manifested
through engaging in different hobbies and activities
that the participants did in their free time. The
participants reported the desire to move towards
fulfilling their needs despite it being different from
their original plan.
Discussion
This study concluded that there were both positive and
negative implications for self-esteem after temporarily
discontinuing one’s studies. Considering that
education is a basic need, the sudden stop of it resulted
in what the participants felt. There were also numerous
factors that were considered before one decided to stop
their studies. One would also try to find something else
to do to make it up for the time being. The findings of
this study allowed a chance for those who dropped out
to be understood more and have their situation be seen
by broadening the views and deepening the
understanding of just how much dropping out can
change and affect a person. It also allowed a better
grasp and perspective on the reasonings of students
why they would drop out of school, especially during
the pandemic.
Based on the findings presented in the study, the
following are recommended:
1. For the parents, they may use the findings of this
study to figure out how they can offer emotional and
mental support to their children as they go through
processing different negative emotions and self-
perception. This will allow them to open a
conversation with their children on what they plan on
doing, how the current events happening has affected
them, and in what ways they can help their children.
2. Schools and teachers can work together on
discussing how to ensure the students can continue
studying without the students having to worry too
much about the predicament they are in. They can find
ways to assure these students that their education will
not be at stake. They can also find other means for
students to learn without jeopardizing the quality of
education received, especially if online setups will
continue or will happen again. This is similar to the
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suggestion of Arima et al. (2020) who stated that there
should be educational programs that aim to improve
self-esteem and self-efficacy as they are predictors of
psychological distress.
3. Schools and policy makers can reach out to possible
sponsors/private sectors or provide more and inclusive
scholarship grants, considering that there are students
who rely on these grants.
4. Policy makers can also find means of interventions,
programs, and creating and improving policies to
alleviate the problem of the increasing rate of school
dropouts through the findings of this study,
specifically the factors that resulted in the students
halting their studies. They should also raise concerns
and spread awareness regarding the issue of high
dropout rates. As Bloom (2010) suggested that those
who can help and provide these dropouts should
provide plans or programs for them as they are
considered vulnerable.
5. Local communities can do volunteer work in
providing education to those who are out of school –
may it be tutorials, study groups, or having their own
means of sending a student to school. They may also
do talks that would raise awareness about the
education crisis that is happening.
6. Future researchers can replicate this study but can
use a different and larger population. They may also
not need to set it during a calamity, but they may also
consider a different situation.
7. The findings of this study may be useful for future
researchers should they study a similar case but of a
different setting. These findings also provide how
education, or the loss of it and school-related activities,
become a factor that can affect self-esteem, which
differs from other literature as those often discuss the
opposite, which is how self-esteem can be a factor to
what one does for school and how well a student can
perform.
8. A follow-up study can be done by future researchers
to see the difference of their participants’ self-esteem
after enrolling back to school
References
Admissionsly. (2021). Eye-Opening College Dropout Rates &
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Aina, C., Baici, E., Casalone, G., and Pastore, F. (2018). The
Economics of University Dropouts and Delayed Graduation: A
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http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3153385
American Psychological Association. (2022). Behavior. APA
Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/behavior
American Psychological Association. (2022). Compensation. APA
Dictionary of Psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/compensation
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American Psychological Association. (2022). Self-esteem. APA
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