INTRODUCTION:
Academic performance is a term that refer to how we have performed academically; grades, test
scores, participation, and actually making progress in our studies - THE MATTER OF FACT of this being the
literal subsconcious manifestation of our academic intelligence. We learn more about the students with
the symbolism within them, the theme of their minds, mastering knowledge hands down, managing
time wisely, practicing in all subjects. Student’s intelligence is just one of the variables that influence
academic performance and includes a student’s motive, study habit, support system, and the learning
environment. It’s a good indicator of where a student’s going on their learning journey and what
opportunities they have coming up.
But academic performance has declined, and it is common among all levels of education, with students
complaining of problems concentrating, remembering information, and completing work. Many people
attribute such increase to the growing patronage of mental health issues among students, which can be
as a result of both academic pressure, social expectation, family issues and the growing impact of online
technology and social media.
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:
In recent years, stress has been mounting in the education sector - trying to find the perfect balance
between the academic rigour on one hand and keeping the mental well being of the students in check
on the other. Grades, attendance and classroom engagement continue to be the key focus for academic
performance and educators and institutions. But there has been a decrease in academic achievement
among students - and with more mental health issues, that is a source of concern.
It is now well appreciated that, apart from those traditional school based issues such as the curriculum,
examination and qualitative educational facilities and conditions, issues of mental health problems
including anxiety, depression, stress and burnout affect students’ ability to perform well in the
classroom. With the challenges often coming in as a poor focus, lack of energy, procrastinates, in general
a disconnection of academic responsibilities. Such stress on heavy workloads and competitive
environments and external pressures (whether peer, family or societal), makes these problems worse.
Tardiness and absenteeism in educational institutions are raising a disturbing trend which is directly
related to learning outcomes. Students who are tardy in their arrival to class or are absent will often
suffer academically because they have fallen behind in their studies, they have yet to understand course
material, and they lack the academic confidence to carry them through the course. Equally often, they
strive to these behaviors are linked to past emotional difficulties for instance chronic stress that can
cause sleep disorders as well as feelings of hopelessness or a reduction in motivation from depression.
Additionally, the stigma concerning mental health in a lot of communities makes it difficult for students
who struggle to bring such issues out. These issues only tend to get worse without proper support
systems and unfortunately creates a cycle in which poor mental health leads to poor academic
performance and the stress and anxiety increase in turn.
ASSUMPTIONS AND HYPOTHESIS:
For this one, I have already interviewed a certain person that I have my faith and trust on, Ethan James
A. Jimenez. And here's what he has to say: " As a grade 10 student who personally has experience with
this myself, I would say that part of the reason why student's academic performances have been going
down is as of late would be partly due to the fact that a lot of us are not actually equipped with the skills
necessary to handle being a grade 10 student. "
" While I'm only able to speak for myself, I can observe this with some of my peers as well. A lot of
them mention still feeling like a kid and even if they don't mention it a lot of those around me still act
like a kid too. I'm sure the two-year quarantine hit all of us hard and especially us, especially me as a
grade 10 student. I did not get to experience what grade 6, 7 and half of grade 8 felt like. We were
thrown into the wilderness from captivity to be fed to much more skilled and equipped predators. "
" However, while I can give a reason as to what stunted the growth of many others like me I won't say
that it is excusable. No excuse will ever be excusable only understandable, because though, thrown into
sudden undeserved responsibility the choice to sink or to swim or die trying will always still remain. The
same friends I know who mention they feel like a kid? They're striving right now, as am I. We've grown,
albeit in a not very satisfactory way we've still grown nonetheless. Because under the pressure and stress
of the expectations, responsibilities, lingering regrets and failures one has the choice to shatter or shine
like diamonds. "
The observation that many grade 10 students report to not be ready for their academic responsibilities
are connected to the topic of discussion about academic performance and psychological health.
Overwhelment of inadequacy and stress and in turn decline of academic performance may also be
further amplified by the lack of necessary skills such as emotional regulation, time management etc.
Essentially what is being said here is that the young will miss those crucial formative stages of
development due to the pandemic. As a result, they did not have academic continuity, or the social and
emotional growth opportunities of a normal school population, and as a consequence, they feel
unprepared for the demands of the higher grades. The two year quarantine as a mention is a huge factor
when trying to figure out why students may be having difficulty getting academic performance.
Traditional learning environments were totally disrupted because of pandemic, leading to little
engagement, skill development, and social interaction. It's the right comparison to say that you’re
‘thrown into the wilderness’ from remote learning to learning in the traditional classroom. This created a
steep learning curve that is not only about schoolwork and poor grades, but about the effect on your
mental health too and many students were lacking enough time or the resources to bridge that gap. The
absence of feeling ready can cause stress and anxiety and defeat, and leads to absenteeism and
tardiness.
I've noticed "Understandable, Not Excusable" Mentality as well. Such philosophy is a constructive
framework to tackle mental health and academic performance problematics. Is a reflection of
accountability while recognizing that students do face actual struggles. That statement frames challenges
as 'understandable and not excusable' and that stimulates personal responsibility, resilience. But such a
decision also necessitates strategies put in place by educators and institutions that will support students
as they make a choice to ‘either sink or float.’ This matches up well with what the study is aiming to
achieve: establishing solutions which improve mental health and academic outcomes.
SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS
We investigate how student mental health impacts their grades and classroom attendance in 10th
grade. Research shows that mental health issues stress anxiety and depression lead to lower grades
attendance and late arrival at school. This research analysis reveals how the pandemic transformed
traditional education which impacted student readiness for their current academic expectations.
The research includes qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, such as surveys, interviews,
and academic records, to understand:
1. Students in grade 10 suffer from more mental health problems than previous studies showed.
2. Their view of how well they handle learning responsibilities during classes.
3. We investigate what leads students to be late and miss classes.
4. Students who succeed despite adversity reveal their strategic ways to deal with problems.
For efficient research management we study grade 10 students from people who I, Marc Gabrielle M.
Despojo have given my trust on.
Now for the delimitations:
1 Grade Level:
I, Marc Gabrielle M. Despojo personally have selected grade 10 students to study because this grade
level experiences increased academic demands as they move from one level to the next. The main study
only includes grade 10 students because looking at other grades would add unnecessary information.
2 Location:
We limit the study to one designated school location because it enables better data collection and
helps us match findings to that specific area. Our research limitations prevent us from applying these
findings to educational environments that use different teaching methods and social environments.
3 Time Frame:
The study analyzes educational challenges that emerged after the pandemic during the current school
year. The study only studies current academic year data and does not explore trends from before or after
COVID-19.
4 Mental Health Factors:
This study investigates typical mental health problems including stress anxiety and depression but does
not extend into advanced psychiatric conditions that need expert medical assessment.
5 Data Sources:
Students provided their own data alongside their academic information in this research. Teacher and
parent opinions along with mental health expert views fall beyond the boundaries of this research study.
6 Intervention Focus:
Our study investigates academic patterns alongside mental health status but stops short of testing
direct solutions for improvement. Future solutions will emerge from our proposed analysis.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
This study has several limitations that may affect the generalizability and comprehensiveness of its
findings:
1 Scope of Participants:
This research only includes grade 10 students from one specific school region which reduces its power
to represent other schooling levels and different cultural backgrounds.
2 Self-Reported Data:
Participants might give biased responses through their own surveys and interviews because they could
either put down too much or too little about their experiences.
3 Temporal Focus:
The study focuses on current academic year challenges in mental health and academics without giving
future or historical data.
4 Limited Mental Health Scope:
The research explores ordinary mental health challenges like stress and depression but skips studying
more complex mental conditions that impact grades.
5 External Factors:
The research does not measure several external components including household methods and
teacher relationships that influence students' academic results and psychological state.
6 Lack of Professional Assessment:
The research lacks mental health expert assessments as mental health professionals could better
identify student conditions and academic effects.
The study team (AKA My groupmates) admits these weaknesses to stay honest and help researchers
find solutions to these research gaps later.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study helps everyone understand how mental health affects grade 10 students' success in school.
The research helps different groups understand how mental health problems affect students' tardiness
and absences while impacting their academic performance.
The data shows students how different elements impact their learning results and emotional health.
Self-awareness helps students understand how mental health affects their tasks then guides them to
choose better ways to manage their health and responsibilities. The research demonstrates student
achievement under pressure which encourages classmates to stay resilient during tough times.
Teachers and schools can use this study to find out why students have trouble with their studies.
Educators can use mental health-academic performance connections to build better learning spaces for
students. Based on this research schools can build educational support plans that combine psychological
assistance with adaptable teaching practices to meet student needs.
The research shows parents need to create a family environment where mental health and education
support go hand in hand. This study helps parents understand their children's difficulties better so they
can use better communication methods to solve problems and create a welcoming family environment.
This research helps policymakers and school leaders create policies for combining mental health
support with school education. Schools need easily reachable counseling services alongside mental
health lessons and educator training so teachers can help students with their mental health.
The study joins existing research that examines the educational impact of the pandemic. By showing
the lasting effects of education disruptions on student growth the study establishes a foundation that
researchers can use to create better support systems for future educational setbacks.
This work seeks to connect student success in class to their mental wellness while fostering complete
student growth. Through this study we want to develop educational practices that enhance learning
outcomes while building mental resilience in students.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Last but not least for this first chapter, we are to ensure clarity and consistency throughout this study,
the following key terms are defined:
1 Academic Performance
Academic performance tracks student achievement by looking at grades plus how well students do on
tests and complete their tasks. Academic performance shows how well students achieve their learning
goals and tells us about their educational success. The research evaluates the relationship between
student mental health difficulties and their academic results including attendance and punctuality.
2 Mental Health
Mental health combines how someone thinks with how they feel and connect with others in society.
Mental health directly shapes our thoughts emotions behaviors stress responses interactions with others
and choice making abilities. This investigation looks at how grade 10 students manage anxiety
depression and stress and applies this to their academic achievement.
3 Tardiness
A person demonstrates tardiness by showing up late at regular or uncommon class sessions. It hurts
the way students learn while making it harder for them to follow and learn from their lessons. The study
investigates how mental health challenges especially poor sleep habits and lack of drive affect students'
ability to arrive on time.
4 Absenteeism
Student absenteeism occurs when any ongoing pattern of unexplained school or class absence
happens. Regular absence from classes and school destroys student progress in education while hurting
their bonds with teachers and classmates. The research examines how mental health problems and
pandemic effects affect student attendance at school.
5 Pandemic Disruption
The COVID-19 pandemic created major changes to children's learning methods and their social
connections. The combination of extended school absences and remote education together with
minimal social contact seriously damages students' readiness to learn and their emotional stability. This
term shows the issues grade 10 students in the study needed to overcome.
6 Coping Mechanisms
Your coping mechanism lets you tackle your emotional challenges through different ways to manage
your anxiety. The study looks at the methods students use to handle their studies and personal mental
wellness challenges. Students find stress relief by talking to friends and doing things they enjoy plus they
learn to control their thoughts.
7 Resilience
Resilience lets people deal with hard times and pull themselves together from uncomfortable
situations. The way this determines how students handle their mental health affects their ability to
succeed in academics. This research examines how grade 10 students overcome major challenges while
maintaining their academic goals.
8 Educational Support Systems
Educational support systems at schools include all resources that help students learn better and
improve their mental state while progressing in their studies. Students benefit from assistance provided
by guidance counselors, mental health programs, peers and their teachers. Educational support
programs help students manage their mental health while supporting their academic performance
according to this research.
9 Adolescence
Adolescence occurs between child and adulthood and features major transformations in physical
health emotional state and mental development. During their grade 10 adolescent phase students must
balance academic requirements with managing their mental health.
10 Pressure and Stress
When people experience demanding situations or expectations they develop physical and emotional
stress reactions. Grade 10 students face both academic requirements and social obligations as defined
by these terms in this study. Stress plays a key role in revealing the mental health difficulties this
research investigates.
11 Preparedness
Preparedness means how well students feel they have the right abilities and enough mental strength to
complete their schoolwork and interact with others. The project studies how students' unpreparedness
because of school disruptions during the pandemic affects both their school performance and mental
health.
Therese terms help all readers understand primarily what the study explores and what the main
findings mean. This clear definition helps researchers better understand how to solve problems between
mental health and school performance.
