1

CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

This chapter introduces the problem of the study and its setting and presents the

conceptual framework of the study, the statement of the problem, the statement of the

assumptions, the scope and limitation of the study, the significance of the study, and the

definition of terms.

Introduction

For hundreds of years, humans have employed different ways to express their

feelings, and one of these is the art of drama. What used to be just a part of festivities in

Athenian competitions is now a vital part of the entertainment industry, and is delivered

to millions of people around the globe through various media.

Along with the constant development of technology and globalization, drama has

also improved and produced many genres and sub-genres. These genres are differentiated

from one another by the emotions they employ, or the country they originated from. At

present, one of the most popular genres is Korean drama, informally known as K-drama

by the masses. It was founded in South Korea and started off only as radio dramas during

the Japanese regime in the country.

Because of its rising popularity, K-drama largely influenced the masses,

particularly the millenials, or the young people of the present generation. K-drama is very

popular among South Korea’s neighboring countries, one of them being the Philippines.

Since the emergence of modern Philippine primetime series, several K-drama series have

been dubbed into Filipino and are aired on the country’s leading television (TV)
 2

networks. A large portion of K-drama viewers in the Philippines are teenagers, who also

actively participate in making K-dramas a huge part of internet culture.

Due to the aforementioned ideas and concepts, the researchers were encouraged to

conduct a study on the attitudes of senior high school (SHS) students toward watching

popular K-drama series. The research team chose Grades 11 and 12 of Mount Carmel

College of Baler, Aurora as their respondents because such students could provide

necessary information and useful answers for the completion of the study.

Statement of the problem

This research study was an attempt to determine the attitudes of the senior high

school (SHS) students at Mount Carmel College of Baler (MCCB), Aurora toward

watching popular Korean dramas (K-dramas) during the school year 2018–2019.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the status of the participants in terms of

a. age,

b. sex, and

c. levels of familiarity with K-dramas?

2. What are the attitudes of the participants toward watching popular K-dramas?

3. What are the effects of watching K-dramas on the personality development and

social lives of the participants?

4. What are the benefits of the findings/results of this study to the personality

development of the students?

 3

Statement of the assumptions

Based on the statement of the problem, the following assumptions were

formulated:

1. That the majority of the participants exhibit favorable attitudes toward watching

popular K-dramas;

2. That a greater number of the participants who exhibit favorable attitudes toward

watching K-dramas are in their late teens;

3. That a greater number of the participants who exhibit favorable attitudes toward

watching K-dramas are females;

4. That the majority of the participants are extremely familiar with popular K-

dramas;

5. That a greater number of the participants who are extremely familiar with popular

K-dramas are females;

6. That a bigger population of the participants are moderately aware of the

significant effects of watching K-dramas on their personality development and

social lives; and

7. That a greater percentage of the participants are slightly knowledgeable in the

benefits of the findings/results of the study to the personality development of the

students.

Scope and limitation of the study

This study was limited only to 341 students which comprise 47.50% of 718

students of the senior high school (SHS) of Mount Carmel College of Baler (MCCB),
 4

Aurora during the school year 2017-2018. The respondents consisted of 200 Grade 11

students representing 27.86% of the total school population, and 141 Grade 12 students

comprising the remaining 19.64%. In addition, there are 230 females representing

67.45% and 111 males representing 32.55% of the overall population.

Significance of the study

This research study is significant to the following persons:

To the school administrator. The K-12 curriculum was implemented during the

peak years of the digital age and mainly educates millenials. In this connection, it is

important for school heads to know the interests of the students of this generation so that

they can better understand the behavior of students. With sufficient knowledge about

such interests, school administrators, along with other members of the school faculty, can

create better learning programs in which students can actively participate.

To the school principal. A better understanding of students’ attitudes starts with

the superior of the educators. It is essential for the school principal to comprehend or

have an idea about references in popular culture which students usually talk about and are

fond of. In addition, they will be able to guide faculty members in creating more effective

learning materials.

To the guidance counselor. The interests of an individual, particularly those in the

form of films and drama series, have great effect on his/her behavior. Since the duty of a

guidance counselor is to guide students and understand their behavior, it is vital for

him/her to gain information about what many of them like. With such knowledge, he/she

can better relate to the students while helping them develop their personalities.
 5

To the teacher. As the “second parents” of students, teachers must keep up with

what their classes like and what catches their attention. Learning about what majority of

the students like can help an educator construct improved and up-to-date teaching

materials. Moreover, this research work can help teachers who are also parents.

To other researchers. This research study may interest researchers or student

researchers in particular. Students of the present generation can have an idea about the

attitudes of several millenials toward watching popular K-dramaa, which is a current

worldwide trend. Moreover, this study may inspire other researchers to conduct studies

related or similar to the topic.

To the researchers themselves. The research team agreed on the research title to

be able to find answers to questions on attitudes toward watching K-dramas, a very

popular topic, especially among teenagers. Furthermore, this study serves as a reference

for the researchers in conducting future research studies. Through this research work, the

research team was able to gather additional knowledge about K-dramas and students’

attitudes toward watching it.

Definition of terms

For the sake of clarity, the following unfamiliar terms are defined conceptually

and operationally:

Attitude. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is a feeling or way of

thinking that affects a person’s behavior. In this study, ‘attitude’ refers to the reactions

and views of the respondents about a particular subject or topic.

 6

Hallyu. Known as the ‘Korean wave’ in English, it is the worldwide phenomena

referring to the spreading popularity of Korean culture that began in the 1990’s and grew

in the mid-2000’s.

Korean drama. Informally known as K-drama, it refers to television (TV) series

originating from South Korea and is not limited to the drama genre only. According to K-

Drama Today, “K-drama” is taken from the Korean word 드 라 마 , pronounced

“deurama,” which refers to any scripted television show.

Senior high school (SHS). It refers to Grades 11 and 12 which are the additional

two years of basic education of the K-12 curriculum launched by the Department of

Education (DepEd) in the Philippines. Students in SHS are called SHS students.

NOTE: The CONTINUATION

of the DEFINITION OF TERMS
has been OMITTED. There
are MANY other terms defined
which are NOT shown on this page.