Project HaSTsiKo (Hanggang saan ang tsinelas ko?): Lived Experience of Balaytigue Elementary School Pupils from Grades 4-6 in Combating Lengthy School Distance

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Going to school regularly is a crucial element to develop learners' social and academic skills, Murcia (2015). It is not only a privilege but also a right for each learner to be educated and not just to be a learned individual. Despite these benefits, some pupils of Balaytigue Elementary School are having a hard time to go to school because of the lengthy school distance added by inevitable factors that lead them to increase absenteeism and decrease academic performance towards classroom's activities. In this research, I found out the driven factors that motivate the pupils to improve academic performance and to decrease the number of student's absences through a project HaSTsiKo.

METHODS

This research was conducted at Balaytigue Elementary School in Nasugbu West District, Nasugbu, Batangas. There were five (5) qualified respondents out of eight (8) grades 4-6 pupils. They were chosen through a purposive sampling method and were interviewed based on a set of semi-structured questions. The qualitative research method was used to analyze and interpret the data.

RESULTS

The respondents have identified the driven factors that motivate them in combating lengthy school distance to improve academic performance and lessen absenteeism. These are; 1) personal interest for learnings to expand 2) family influence due to proper educational orientation 3) rewards and punishment orientation 4) inspiration for a stable future 5) peer's influence. On the other hand, the environmental factors are lengthy school distance, health and street hazards like a snake and stray dogs, possible landslide while the socio-economic factor is the proximity to the source of income. The activities that cannot be done after lengthy walking are; to do better group presentation, do the assigned homework, participate in the group activities well and concentrate well to the discussion.

DISCUSSIONS

Despite the prevailing factors that add to the problems of lengthy school distance just like the studies of Gasparovic (2015), Shadbolt (2014) and Vuri (2007), the results still showed that there are driving factors that can motivate the Balaytigue Elementary School pupils to improve their academic performance and lessen absenteeism through the project HaSTsiKo. This would help the school to link with the stakeholders to have their own school service added by quarterly monitoring of pupils' absences and academic performance by their adviser and parents/guardians. In contrast, these results could vary based on the type of pupils, location and other factors that could lead to further research of those who'll conduct the same matter.