Problems Encountered by Grade 12 Student-Researchers of Balligui High School, School Year 2018-2019

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Practical Research I and Practical Research II, are tedious subjects to deal with. However, students cannot get away from this because these are academic subjects needed to be completed. In conducting research, researchers must be cautious. They must allocate plenty of time to complete each stage of the activity. They must be hard-working and must work in the library, add more hours or weeks before the scheduled deadline because there are some things that take more time than what is planned, and there are stages in research works that are more difficult than what the researchers expect. In short, there are unexpected difficulties and problems that may lead to academic failures. Hence, this study is conducted to investigate the most difficult problems that the Grade-12 senior high school student-researchers of Balligui High School encountered during the first semester of this school year.

METHODS

A descriptive survey was used and respondents were thirty (39) grade 12 students of Balligui High School for the schoolyear 2018-2019. It is composed of 15 Home Economics and 24 GAS students. Stratified random sampling was employed in determining the number of participants. The main tool used in gathering data is through the use questionnaire adapted from the result of the study of Bocar (2008), entitled, “Difficulties Encountered by the Student-Researchers and the Effect on their Research Output”.

RESULTS

Majority of the respondents are 17 years old and most of them are female. Thirty-eight percent of the respondents belong to Home Economics and 61.53% belongs to General Academic Strand. The extent of the problems encountered by General Academic strand is difficult, with a weighted mean of 3.21, where construction of interpretation, analysis, finding, conclusion, and recommendation are the most difficult problems they encountered as well as a limited period allotment. Meanwhile, the extent of the problems encountered by Home Economics students is also difficult, with a weighted mean of 2.54, and stress management and financial problem is the most difficult problem they encountered in dealing with their research.

DISCUSSIONS

The results of the study reveal the need to capacitate student-researchers in making their research outputs specifically on interpretation and analysisof data. The study also demonstrates the need to involve and exposed student-researchers in seminars and conference and encourage them to visit college libraries and e-libraries to widen their horizon in research through reading and writing.