FACTORS AFFECTING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF COLLEGE

STUDENTS FROM EMILIO AGUINALDO COLLEGE-CAVITE IN THE ONLINE

LEARNING SETUP

A Research Presented to the

Faculty of School of Engineering and Technology
Emilio Aguinaldo College – Cavite

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements in The Contemporary World
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

Andrada, Roxanne
Arca, Kirk Patrick
Buhain, Louella Renee
Casido, Christian Francis
Joplo, Jheriel
Jucutan, Ai-Jay
Numeron, Grace Shied
Sabete, John Roland

April, 2022
Introduction:

Health and Education in the country and around the world was severely affected by the

COVID-19 pandemic which began in December 2019. It became a worldwide health crisis where

everyone were literally affected regardless of age, gender and social status. The world stopped

and economy collapsed as all businesses shutdown operations. For instance, most countries

closed the schools, colleges and universities to contain the spread of the virus. The crisis became

a dilemma not only to the health sectors but also to the education sectors. When the Philippine

government ordered closures of all educational institutions, the disruptions were sudden since

classes were still running. At the height of the pandemic, educational institutions came out with

remote learning as an alternative solution. The immediate action and strategy aims to mitigate the

closure while continuously delivering quality education.

The sudden shift to online learning created a hot debate in the Philippines citing the poor

living conditions of the learners. Magsambol (2020) cites an obvious gap between those who can

and cannot afford the resources to avail the new education platform. The general condition of

children in the public school system sends a message of inequality with the DepEd’s mantra ‘no

child left behind.’ However, learning cannot be cancelled as much as to drive the economy. This

led to a tighter measures for education institutions in sustaining its operations despite the

impending risk.

One of the basic problems seen by Kasrekar (2020) is the conduct of classes despite of

the closure order. As the face to face classes pose higher risk of spread, the most viable solution

is through online teaching and learning. This platform challenges both the teachers and the
students as it occurs something new to them. This calls for an ‘adopt quickly’ response to the

new normal in teaching and learning amidst the pandemic (Tanhueco- Tumapon, 2020). The shift

to online learning was too sudden at a very short notice but academic institutions have to

strategize and accelerate new forms of teaching pedagogy. The question of how ready the schools

are in terms of technical infrastructure is still left unanswered. Reopening of the schools at this

stage is really expensive (Felter & Maizland, 2020).

The current educational situation in the Philippines seem depressing. From the latest data

release by the Department of Education as of July 2020, the initial enrollment is just a little over

half of the 2019’s 27.7 million students. The decline in the number of enrollees is mainly

attributed to financial factors and access to internet. While the public school system struggles for

the resources in the remote learning, the private educational institutions face bigger threats of

closure. In the DepEd data, only 866,935 registered in the private schools, a decline from 4

million in 2019. There are over 200,000 students who transferred from private to public schools

due to economic downturn. Magsambol (2020) cites that the Coordinating Council of Private

Educational Associations posed threat of closure of over 400 private schools due to lack of

enrolees.
Statement of the Problem

This research aims to define the factors affecting the academic performance of college

students from Emilio Aguinaldo College-Cavite in the online learning setup, the researchers

would like to answer the following questions:

1. What are the significant factors that contributes to the academic performance of students

in online learning setup?

2. How does the performance of students in online learning setup differ from face to face

classes?

3. What are the possible effects of online learning on the academic performance of the

student?

Objectives
This research aims to define the factors affecting the academic performance of college

students from Emilio Aguinaldo College-Cavite in the online learning setup, this study seeks to:

1. To discover factors that influence college students' academic performance in an online

learning environment

2. To explain the advantages and disadvantages of an online learning setup

3. To know what factors and circumstances that affects sustainability of online learning in

college students.
Related Review of Literature

Online Education
According to MD. Nominal Zayed (2020) online education is here and is highly likely to stay

and grow. Online education has developed rapidly, fueled by Internet connectivity, advanced

technology, and a massive market. It has evolved from 19th- century correspondence programs

to the 21st century’s vibrant and well- designed institutional online offerings. We can well

anticipate that online education will continue to increase its presence and influence higher

education through a vigorous process of reshaping, refining, and restructuring. However,

to replace traditional higher education but merely to be an alternative. Owing to its flexibility,

convenience, and affordability, online education is gaining in popularity, especially for people

who are otherwise unable to obtain an education because of physical distance, schedule conflicts,

and unaffordable costs. Traditional education offers a face-to-face encounter; online education

does not. Both options can be beneficial, depending on your preference. Online classes in this

study refer to the availability of web lecture videos, notes, and materials over the internet

required for the course.

Blended Learning
According to Amuthan Krishnan (2020) blended Learning is a blending of different learning

methods, techniques, and resources and applying the min an interactively meaningful learning

environment. Learners should have easy access to different learning resources to apply the

knowledge & skills they learn under the supervision and support of the teacher inside and outside

the classroom. Learners can select the best activities to suit their own pace, learning style, and

level, time, and place. Learners can be more independent and self-reliant in their own learning.
Students using digital learning tools and technology become more engaged in the process and

more interested in growing their knowledge base, they may not even realize that they’re actively

learning since they’re learning through engaging methods such as peer education, teamwork,

problem-solving, reverse teaching, concept maps, gamification, staging, role-playing, and

storytelling. When deciding which learning environment to choose, consider the following tips:

Balance out the pros & cons, consider the roles and responsibilities. Then decide which one

meets the needs, expectations, and competence, to be a successfulinstructor or learner.

Positive and Negative Effect of Online Learning

According to Neil Kokemuller (2021), The research held by Babson Survey Research Group and

the College Board states that online education was seen as a great opportunity for those working

adults who wanted to pursue and complete their degree. In addition, having the online platform

as a part of the new way of learning makes it easier for students to monitor their performance and

ask real time consultations every after submission and score release. However, students who are

not well capable of the new learning for lacking to attend a traditional class may find online

learning more difficult. According to Colorado Christian University’s survey, students nowadays

prefer independent learning which cause online learning to bring out the best in students as they

may have a flexible time to accomplish tasks and take time to be creative yet it limits

collaborative work unlike face-to-face classes where they can easily interact with one another

and share different ideas. Moreover, students’ growth was still dependent in socializing with

peers for them to see a broader cultural and diversity awareness. As stated by Illinois Online

Network that this online set-up is only beneficial for adults and not for the learning students.

Furthermore, it was seen that online learning needs more time to commit than the effort inserted
during the traditional classes which resulted students to provide their own learning space and

gadgets in able to sustain the needs in online learning.

Struggles faced in Distance Learning

According to Kaithreen Cruz (2021), Philippines bad telecommunication services leads students

find distance learning to be more difficult. Problems mentioned were how hard it is to learn alone

and the immediate shift from traditional mode of learning to distance learning without prior

regulations. Poor Internet connection disrupts synchronous discussions and causes delays in

student-teachers end. In addition to that, students were also noticing that some self-learning

module was poorly referenced and the information was not trutworthy enough for multiple errors

were evident which the teachers also experience. “Nothing can beat face-to-face learning” a call

from Baay National Highschool Teacher Paul John Dawal he stated that the academic

performance of the students went done after transitioning to distance learning for there is no

enough assistance to maintain the learning of the students. As competencies were difficult to

understand yet they do not have a choice but to adjust and modify the activities that would be

beneficial and easier to teachers and students. Furthermore, some lessons were also left hanging

because the time given for synchronous classes were also limited compared to traditional

learning and learning expectations was merely met. According to a survey held by the civil

society group Movement for Safe, Equitable, Quality and Relevant Education the shift to

distance learning resulted with heavier workloads and more than 50% of students were not able

to attend and drop their classes. Generally, distance learning in the Philipines is not as effective

as traditional classes and it also affect the mental health of the students that lead to emotional
stress, anxiety, depression and panic attacks. Nonetheless, Department of Education showed that

students from distance learning were still able to pass the academic year.

Effects of Online Learning on Students Performance

The COVID-19 pandemic, a global public health emergency declared by the World Health

Organization (WHO) as an outbreak in January 2020, has made remote education via the E-

learning system an urgent and indispensable requirement. Despite the global pandemic that is

obstructing education, online learning based on Internet services has grown accessible and

universal, making the learning process easier. Technology is a big source of concern since

students with obsolete devices may be unable to download updated software that requires a

higher computer specification, causing their learning to be hampered. In order to comprehend

and finish academic assignments, students from low socioeconomic backgrounds rely on the

hardware and software given by their institutions. When classes are held online, digital

competency is a must-have skill. This relates to students' and teachers' ability to work in a digital

environment, such as using a graphical user interface, comprehending audio-video settings, and

compiling assignments in the appropriate software. Noted that students in higher education can

fall behind if their digital skills aren't up to par with the demands of the fast-paced online

learning environment.

Benefits of Online Learning

The recent decade has been witnessing dramatic growth and various benefits in the use of online

learning in education (Allen & Seaman, 2017). A great number of students are taking their

courses online, which urged teachers to design online courses to improve learning and teaching
effectiveness (Evans, 2014). Numerous studies reported that online learning could increase

student participation, improve discussion quality, and foster online interactions. The discussion

forum could support students and improve learning by solving difficult problems. Mobile

technologies such as applications and computers could enable an easy access to an online

learning platform and facilitate mobile learning effectiveness (Panigrahi et al., 2018).

Collaboration and virtual community could be established in the online learning context. Online

learning, assisted with information technologies such as laptops, tablets, iPads, and mobile

phones, has been widely used and well accepted in higher educational institutes (Starr-

Glass, 2013). Online learning could bring numerous benefits to learners, e.g. diverting students’

attention to important knowledge and enabling them to engage in collaborative learning activities

(Alwi et al., 2012). Collaborative learning was strongly and positively correlated with peer

discussions and engagement rates (Brown, 2001). Formation of virtual communities could

benefit online learning outcomes (Panigrahi et al., 2018).

Challenges of Online Learning

Disadvantages of online learning exist in learner engagement, academic success, and time-

consumption, despite that numerous studies have reported the effectiveness of online learning

compared with traditional learning (Means et al., 2013a, 2013b). A large number of teachers still

resisted the use of an online pedagogical approach and believed that online learning could

decrease the engagement of students, thus leading to less favorable academic success than

traditional face-to-face instruction (Lederman, 2018). Very few online teaching and learning

activities could follow a rigid schedule and design (Tallent-Runnels et al., 2006)
Scaffolding in Online Learning

It is predicted that online learning will continue to rapidly increase in higher education in the

coming decade (Blumenstyk, 2018), particularly because online learning environments typically

provide access to learning resources, tools, and communication media wherever students live and

travel. Importantly, providing a sufficient infrastructure that enables easy and convenient access

to these tools for learning across a university or institution can promote flexible and self-directed

learning. For example, the rapid growth of MOOCs has accelerated the growth of online learning

options and educational opportunities to satisfy learners’ motivation and needs (Milligan &

Littlejohn, 2017). Students have been provided more learning opportunities without restrictions,

thanks to technology advancements. However, recent surveys and research findings have

identified concerns about online learners including low learning engagement and low-quality

instruction (Doo et al., 2020). To enhance online learning outcomes, learners need appropriate

instructional support such as timely and appropriate scaffolding that encourages learners to

construct their own knowledge in the online learning environment (Oliver & Herrington, 2003)

which, in turn, makes learning more meaningful and engaging.

Learner’s Autonomy and Self-Study Skills

The importance of learner autonomy and self-study skills for language learners in foreign

language education has been repeatedly highlighted in the literature (Figura & Jarvis, 2007;

Reinders, 2010). Another issue that has been emphasized in the relevant literature is the potential

usesand benefits of computers and the internet in foreign language education (Balçıkanlı, 2012;

Jones, 2001; Rüschoff & Ritter, 2001). The benefits of recent technology can be summarized as:
1) new opportunities for learners to take more control of their learning and access their own

customized information, resources, tools and services, (2) a wider range of expressive capability,

(3) more collaborative ways of working, community creation, dialogue and sharing knowledge,

(4) a setting for learner achievements to attract an authentic audience, (5) a venue for language

learners to be engaged in authentic language. More specifically, online learning gives language

learners control over the selection of materials and over the strategies to use, and of course

independent action. According to Balçıkanlı (2012: 10), “it is more than a necessity that web

technologies be employed at the service of language learning as frequently as possible”.

Methodology

Research Methodology
In this study we used qualitative method with numerical description where 24 students as

participants from Emilio Aguinaldo College-Cavite. They were given a questionnaire as an

instrument to dig up, on how certain factors affect their academic performance in the online

learning setup. It was divided into open ended and closed ended questions. The questionnaire

contents 12 items. Dichotomous type of questions was used in this study. We used closed-ended

questions answerable by a Yes or No. And open ended questionnaire was explained

Research Design
This study used the descriptive research design. The researchers believed that this design can

help them explain and describe further the current study. In addition, the descriptive research

design includes the deeper and adds additional knowledge about the description of the effect of

academic performances of the working students, narrate how this research problem arises and

how the researchers manage to responds and answer the problem.

Research Question
This study will answer the questions; what are the significant factors that contributes to the

academic performance of students in online learning setup. Also, how does the performance of

students in online learning setup differ from face to face classes? Lastly, what are the possible

effects of online learning on the academic performance of the student?

Target population: College Students from Emilio Aguinaldo College

Sample: College Students

Sample size: 24 college students

Results
The researchers found out after conducting the survey that most of the college students are
experiencing different problems that affects their academic performance after face to face classes
were shifted to online learning set up as an alternative way of teaching in concurrence with the
new normal. The researchers were also able to figure out how face to face classes differs from
online learning set up when it comes to its advantages and disadvantages. With the factors given
by the respondents, the possible effect were discovered on how online learning set up affects the
academic performance of the students. From the gathered information, the researchers were able
to measure the sustainability of online learning set up and the difference of students' academic
performance from face to face classes.
 STATEMENTS YES NO
1. Are you satisfied with your Academic
33.33% 66.66%
Performance in the Online Learning Setup?
2. Do you think that the shift to online learning
setup has affected your academic
91.67% 8.33%
performance?

3. Do you think that unstable internet connection

has affected your academic performance? 91.67% 8.33%

4. Do you think that the lack of physical

presence of a teacher has affected your
91.67% 8.33%
academic performance?

5. Do you think that the lack of

gadgets/equipment (laptop, computer, Wi-Fi,
etc.) needed in the online learning setup has 91.67% 8.33%
affected your academic performance?

6. Do you think that the environment in your

house has affected your academic
95.83% 4.17%
performance?

7. Do you think that congested schedule of

subjects/loads has affected your academic 83.33% 16.67%
performance?

8. Do you think that social media/ online games

distraction has affected your academic 75% 25%
performance?

9. Do you think that the lack of physical books

and notes have affected your academic 75% 25%
performance?

10. Do you think that personal financial issues

have affected your academic performance? 70.83 30.17%
Discussions
Summary
Based on the study conducted by the researcher, it obtained enough data and information to

know the important things that should be done to deal with the situation. The factors affecting the

academic performance of the college students from Emilio Aguinaldo College-Cavite in the

online learning setup were also determined. The researchers selected 20 students to be

respondents in this research.

According to the students of Emilio Aguinaldo College-Cavite, the pandemic has had a

detrimental effect on the learning of the students due to the strategy or method of the class

nowadays, so the tasks have become more complicated. Because most of the online class

activities that require personal interaction or practical activities are only conducted through

video. In addition, there are things that get students' attention or are more easily distracted and

unable to focus in class, resulting in poorer comprehension.

1. What are the significant factors that contributes to the academic performance of students in

online learning setup?

Based on the results we can conclude that the significant factors that affect performance

of students are unstable internet connection, lack of Teachers Physical Presence,

Household environment, social media and online games distraction. Most of the

respondents agree that unstable internet connection affects their academic performance

2. How does the performance of students in online learning setup differ from face to face

classes?

Students in an online learning system differs on a student who in a face to face classes

setup, online learning students experience different things unlike students who are on a
 face to face set up like; online learning classes experience hardships when it comes on

learning their studies. Unlike face to face classes, students will be present without

internet connection, problems.

3. What are the possible effects of online learning on the academic performance of the student?

Base on the results students in an online learning system performs poorly when it comes

to their studies. They can't perform well when internet problem is present, their

environment settings also affects their performance and their .accessibility to gadgets

cause them to underperform.

Conclusions

Based on the stated findings, the following conclusions were made.

1.) It is also revealed that the college students who are in a online learning class has a problem

when it comes to the quality of their learning and thier performance when hindrances occurs in a

online learning setup.

2.) It is also revealed that the college students who are in an online learning environment has a

disadvantage than a face to face setup, when it comes to their learning like communication and

the quality of the education. This proves the statement that Kaithreen Cruz (2021). About the

struggles that a student may encounter in a online learning setup.

3.) It is also revealed that the college students who are in a online learning setup are not satisfied

with their academic performace due to the hindrances that they encounter.