Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Self-doubt is the act of having a low confidence in oneself and one’s abilities.

This is a central construct in clinical, developmental, personality, and social psychology.

Self-doubt is a constant companion for too many people, especially those who

experience depression, anxiety, phobias, delusional thinking, or who have an illness or a

disability. Based on an experiment conducted way back on 1983 and was redone on

2005, the people that experiences self-doubt are those who has past records regarding

to depression, anxiety, and hallucinations. Most of the cases has multiple records of

therapies. This disorder keeps you from enjoying life, doing the things you want to do,

and excelling inside the class.

On the other hand, grades and academic performance greatly play a big role in a

teenager’s life. It is one of the most important assets to a person in his/her life. The

students’ academic performance plays a vital role in creating finest quality alumnae who

will become leader and manpower of a particular country, consequently responsible for

the country’s social and economic development. Academic performance is also the

extent to which a student, teacher, or institution has achieved their short or long-term

educational goals. This is commonly measured through examinations or continuous

assessments but at this curriculum it is measured more on the performance task given to

the student but still the common way of measuring the academic performance greatly

affects the academic grade of the student.

Both of this factor plays a big role to teenagers, especially to Junior High School

students of The Mabini Academy, because it can greatly affect their academic

performance inside the class and also the academic performance in extracurricular

activities. Self-doubt is mostly associated with having low self-esteem as for the reason

of it has the same meaning. According to Rosenberg (1965), he stated that self-esteem

refers to an individual overall positive evaluation to the self. So, this means that having

low self-esteem or self-doubting consists of an individual not having enough courage or

does not think that he is worthy with that assigned task on him/her. According to the

study of Rosenberg (2006) and Coopersmith (2001), it is showed that parental

involvement and willingness to give adolescents autonomy can affect their self-esteem.

All of this usually came from the personal beliefs of the person about skills, abilities, and

social relationships. The formation of self-esteem is a long-term process that cannot be

build in just a snap.

Many people suffer from self-doubt because of what have they experience while

as a child and this change the person’s perception about life and it affects their

academic performance while they were inside the premises of the school. This was

proven on 2008 for the reason of an experiment was conducted on 100 people and

asked about the experience they had as a child and most of it was negative and they

suffered self-doubt. People with self-doubt suffer from feeling of worthlessness,

inferiority, and emotional instability, so leading to dissatisfaction with life. Moreover,

there is a tendency of respondents with self-doubt scores to have a general attitude

toward many things such as, how they perceived life, the capabilities of their work, the

negative thoughts of doing the things they want, and especially the doubts they get

referring to their academic performance.

On a survey that was conducted by Dahlberg and Behrens (2005) 100 selected

students, most were failing in class, were given a questionnaire that is regarding to their

self-esteem. The results were almost 90% of the respondents doubt their selves

regarding their performance in class which lead them to a failing grade.

The importance of this study is to help other people, not only the students, but

also the people that is having this inferiority that they can excel in what they want to do

and not having the doubts that they will fail. It will help the students to be decisive on

what they will do for them to excel in the class and reduce the inferiority of self-doubt in

themselves.

Just like the importance of this study, the main purpose of this research is to

identify the effects of self-doubt or having low self-esteem to the academic performance

of the student. It affects them in a great cause for the reason of there are a lot of

students that experience this disorder or mental instability during their time in school or

during their adolescents.

The researcher’s chose this topic because the researcher’s want to help or give

knowledge to others on how this disorder can greatly affect the stability of the student

regarding to their academic performance. The other reason why the researcher chose

this topic is to give guidance to future researchers that has the same passion and goal

like theirs that want to prove that this mental instability will and can change the results of

the performance of a student inside the classroom. This study will test the students on

how self-doubt can affect them in their academic performance.

Statement Of The Problem

The role of education in society is a big factor for a very long time now and there

are peers that affect the results of the performance of the students inside the school.

This study will try to identify one of the peers that affect the results of the academic

performance of the student inside the classroom and school. To reveal one of the factors

affecting the academic performance of the student we will conduct a survey that intend

to answer these following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondent in terms of:

1.1 Age

1.2 Sex

1.3 Grade Point Average (GPA)

2. What are the effects of self-doubt in the academic performance of Junior High

School Students of The Mabini Academy?

3. Is there a significant relationship between self-doubt and the academic

performance of the junior high school students of The Mabini Academy?

4. What course of action is recommended in line with the result of the research?

Hypothesis

The hypothesis of this study is presented in null form.

𝐻0 : There is no significant relationship between the self – doubt and the academic

performance of the junior high school students of The Mabini Academy?

Theoretical Framework

Walberg’s (1981) theory of educational productivity is one of the few empirically

tested theories and it is concerned on how the individual will perform inside the school, it

is stated that there are a lot of factors that is affecting this performance. One of which,

having low self-esteem or self-doubting makes a student unmotivated to perform well

inside the school. This theory supports the research for the reason of this is the main

topic of the researchers and this theory has been proven and used on different

experiments regarding self-doubt.

Wang ‘s research review targeted student learning characteristic such as social

behavior, motivational, affective, cognitive, and metacognitive as the set of variables with

the most potential for modification that could, in turn, significantly and positively effect

student outcomes.

In addition to, Zins, Weissberg, Wang and Walberg (2004) demonstrated the

importance of the domains of the motivational orientation, self-regulated learning

strategies, and confidence of oneself can affect the results of the performance of the

student. It is stated that, those students that are self-aware and confident regarding their

learning abilities, who were more motivates, who set learning goals and organize in their

approach to work, perform better in school. Some characteristics of students, like self-

doubt, have indirect effects to the student because of what they went through when they

were a child.

On other theories like Spady’s sociological theory, there are a lot of variables that

affect a person, academically or personally, what of which is the family background that

causes some people to have self-doubt that makes their potential in certain things like

academic performance go below their own standards. He also stated that, peers and
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moral support can help a person develop their self-esteem in order for them to grow and

excel in their own work.

Based on their theories one of the main factor of having self-doubt is the family

background of the person. It can affect the student personally and greatly affect them in

academic performance, it can slow their progress in terms of making a performance

task, understanding the lesson, and participating inside the classroom. It also has direct

effect to the person when failing in class it can make them doubt their selves more and

get an even more failing grade, actions should be done as soon as possible when a

student is having this disorder.

Tinto’s theory of social and academic integration is the most referred to in the

area of student retention. There are variables affecting the social and academic

integration of student in the school. These variables are adjustment, difficulty,

incongruence, isolation, finances, learning and external obligations or commitments of

the student in the school. Tinto asserts that the interaction process that takes place in

the classroom determines the social and academic integration of students and

subsequently their academic performance.

As cited in Leary (2006) mood is an evidence of self-doubt. In the form of

feelings of pride and high self-esteem, and shame with low self-esteem, translating as

levels of anxiety. In Terror Management Theory (TMT), internalization of cultural values

is also a key factor in which self-esteem is seen as culturally based construction derived

from integrating specific contingencies valued by society into ones’ own worldview. It

states that high self-esteem promotes positive affect and personal growth, psychological

well-being and coping as a buffer against anxiety in the knowledge and reduces

defensive anxiety related behavior. This proposes that when self-esteem is weak, this
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underlying anxiety can instigate defensive behavior to threats in contingent domains.

Students will always base on approval of others or on social comparison.

These theories really state that self-doubt can affect and damage the academic

performance of a student if action is not done as soon as possible. These are living

proofs that doubting oneself can destruct and damage oneself, not only in academic

performances but also can destruct the person personally and give them anxiety about

themselves that can lead up to depression at some point. In order for those students that

have self-doubt to get better grades, they should be supervised by an adult and make

them feel good about themselves to lessen their doubting.

Conceptual Framework

In this part of the study the researchers used the IPO model or also known as the

Input – Process – Output Model. The Input-Process-Output model is used for identifying

and analysing the structure of the information used in the study in order to make the

study happen and make the information reliable. This model is a functional graph that

identifies how an input will be turn into an output.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Effects of Self-doubt
to the Academic Descriptive - Implications of
Performance of Junior
Correlational Findings of
High School Students
the study
Demographic Statistical Treatment
Profile Proposed activities
1.1 Age
to lessen
1.2 Sex Researchers
the self-doubt
1.3 Grade Made
Point Average of the respondents
Questionnaire
(GPA)

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

Students, especially those who are in junior high school, are experiencing the

adolescence stage of their lives. In this stage people tend to get confused, mislead, and

get befuddled, also in this stage people tend to get sensitive and emotional about their

feelings which this feeling can affect them personally and most important can affect them

on their performance inside the class.

This study tries to identify the negative effects of self-doubt that makes the

student fail in class and try to make a solution in order for them not to fail because

academic achievement is a big factor of getting a better and successful future.

The first frame is all about the overview of the study. Input represents the flow of

data and materials into the process from the outside. This frame includes the
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demographic profile of the respondent and the negative effects of self-doubt to the

academic performance of the student.

In the second frame, it is written in that frame the process that the researchers

did for them to get the answers they needed. It includes the type of research they did,

the statistical treatment they used, and lastly the researchers made questionnaires

And lastly on the last frame labelled output it is written in that frame the outcome

the researchers is expecting. In that frame, it has the implications of findings of the

study, and the proposed activities to lessen the self-doubt of the respondents.

Significance Of The Study

Doubting oneself is one of the biggest problems of the students participating in

various school activities. Instead of avoiding fears, the students should do the best of

their abilities to overcome the lack of confidence in their selves. In this study, a lot of

future researchers, students, teachers, parents, and administrator will be interested in

this research because it will give the people more knowledge that will help to overcome

their self-doubt, fear, and lack of confidence in every situation.

Students. Will gain strength and build their confidence in their academic

performance. Will help them to take risk on the opportunities the students will get. Will

rise the value of their academic performance.

Parents. To give knowledge on how to identify if their children is having self-

doubt.

Teachers. Will help the teacher to identify if a student has self-doubt. To inform

the teachers that students need help to increase their self-esteem in order for the

students to participate in the class.

Guidance Counselor. Give ideas to the admins on activities that can be done to

lessen students that has self-doubt.

Future Researchers. Give more knowledge to future researchers and give them

reliable information.

Scope And Limitation Of The Study

This is study is limited only to 342 junior high school students with ages ranging

from 12 – 14 years old. The researchers used purposive sampling in selecting their

respondents. And, this study was conducted in The Mabini Academy, Lipa City,

Batangas during academic year 2019 – 2020.

Determining the effects of self – doubt and its relationship to the academic

performance of the junior high school students of The Mabini Academy was the focused

of this research. Herewith, the researchers utilized descriptive – correlational research

design.

More so, the researchers used the last semestral grade point average (GPA) of

the respondents to measure the academic performance.

Lastly, this study was completed from November 2018 – October 2019.
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Definition Of The Terms

This part of the study can be used by the future researchers as the basis of what

is inside of this study and identify what is the topic all about.

Operational Definition.

Academic Performance. Is the extent to which a student, teacher or

institution has achieved their short or long-term educational goals, can be also

referred as academic achievement.

Junior High School Students. Students including from grades seven to

ten.

Lack of confidence. It is not an abundance of confidence it is the

opposite

Low Self-esteem. Lack of confidence in oneself and one’s abilities.

Self-doubt. Lack of confidence in oneself and one’s abilities; a feeling of

doubt or uncertainty about one’ s abilities or actions.

The Mabini Academy. An institution in Lipa City.

Conceptual Operation.

Academic Performance. The independent variable in the study.

Junior High School Students. Main proponents of the researchers in

the study.

Self-Doubt. One of the reason why the students fail their academic

performance; can be referred as low self-esteem, insecurities, and lack of

confidence.