Challenges Encountered by Senior High School Students in their Research Undertakings

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The implementation of senior high school in the Philippines brought along the advancement of subject offerings. For grades 11 and 12, significant changes are the addition of applied subjects that are research driven, namely: Practical Research 1-Qualitative, Practical Research 2-Quantitative, and Inquiries, Investigations and Immersion, where the students can freely choose which of the two approaches, or the combination of both, they would like to use to come up with a sound research paper that will be of help to the society. This study seeks to determine the difficulties encountered by a senior high school class as they undertake researches in grades 11 and 12. It further seeks to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the research curriculum in a classroom context in the perception of the students.

METHODS

Thematic Analysis was used to treat the behavioral data. Sub-themes were generated to facilitate data analysis and further specify findings. A researcher-made semi-structured questionnaire was utilized to gather data. 10 Grade 12 students, the research team leaders in the class, were chosen as respondents. The respondents belong to the pioneering batch of Senior High School. Since the perception of the students is behavioral, open-ended questions were used so as not to limit their responses.

RESULTS

The study has found out the following challenges that research students encountered: 1) Lack of basic research background from Junior High School, 2) Formulating a Topic, 3) Dealing with a research team, 4) Insufficiency of Resources, 5) Data Analysis and Treatment, and 6) Staying motivated in the course of the study. It also revealed that time management played a vital role in the completion of the study because research subjects were offered simultaneously with specialized and applied subjects. These also required term papers and reports and were sometimes due for submission within the same time frame.

DISCUSSIONS

The results revealed the significant need for the integration of basic lessons in research in junior high school years, suggestively among grades 9 and 10. The study also emphasized the need for Time Management Seminars for Senior High School students to help them cope with the new demands of the program which prepares them for higher education. Furthermore, a collaborative work plan among SHS teachers handling applied and specialized subjects could be designed and utilized to consider students' schedule of performances and work submission.