LIFE SATISFACTION OF THE RETIRED EDUCATORS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of College of Nursing University of Eastern Philippines

In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirement for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing

By: GIRAY, GENN CRISTINE M.

CHALCEDONY 2014

Chapter I INTRODUCTION The Problem and Its Background Life satisfaction can be achieved when ones goals are met, have the life they wanted for themselves and for their family and have their dreams fulfilled. It also reflects to all of ones experiences that have affected him or her in a positive way, which have the ability to motivate people to pursue and reach their goals. But when all their goals remain unmet, it may lead into frustrations. Most people take time to adjust to retirement. A job

provides not just money but lifestyle, self-image, purpose and friendships. For those who have turned an interest, hobby or passion into a career, a job is a means of personal fulfillment and creative expression. But at some point, financial problems take place, especially when they are still supporting some of their family members and yet they are not financially stable. Emotional issues also may arise wherein at first retirement can feel like a holiday and the initial phase is often referred to as the honeymoon period. You can sleep in, catch up on reading or hobbies, and spend more time with family and friends. However, once this honeymoon period wears off, you may feel down or depressed. Daily routine and activities add purpose to life. If there is nothing in particular to do or look forward to on any given day, a person is more likely to feel bored and depressed than a person who lives an active meaningful life. (Better Health Channel.com)

Retirement is for many a time of fulfillment and great personal satisfaction, and with life while in for An others has it is a time to of and be frustration satisfaction isolation. individuals perception shown

retirement

been

related to factors such as gender, age, religiosity, attitude toward work, retirement income, health, types of and time spent in activities, leisure satisfaction, mobility, marital status, housing, years in retirement, and retirement planning (Atchley, 1985, and Russell, 1984). Relationships between life satisfaction and situations, characteristics, and activities of the retired have been of great interest to social scientists for the past 40 years (Lohmann, 1980 and Russell, 1984). There are many social circumstances which may loss loss of of a role social the lost fundamental support role to personal networks. new identity Retirees change at and may social also and

retirement. The end of working life may be associated with the status. This can result in disengagement from society due to the and with experience low motivation and boredom if they are unable to replace activities (Pinquart Schindler, 2007: 442). It denial seems about many the professors years and of their institutions life and are are in not

later

academic

working to make sure this is a fruitful and satisfying part of the academic career. As they approach the later years of their professional lives, senior professors should consider methodically how they wish to spend their remaining time in the academy. They also should think carefully about the legacy they want to leave behind and plan how to bring their careers to a satisfying conclusion (Baldwin and Zieg 2013).

Statement of the Problem This study attempts to determine the factors affecting life satisfaction of the retired employee in University of Eastern Philippines, University Town Northern Samar. Specifically, questions: 1. What is the socio-demographic profile of the respondents in terms of: 1. A Age 2. B Gender 3. C Educational Attainment 4. D Religion 2. What are the factors affecting life satisfaction of the retired educators in terms of: 2. A Personality Factors 2. B Living Arrangement 2. C Family and Social Relationships 2. D Economic Conditions 2. E Health 2. F Leisure 3. What factors is the significant life relationship of between the the it attempts to answer the following

and

the

satisfaction

retired

educators in the University of Eastern Philippines?

Objectives of the Study This study aims retired educators to attain in the life satisfaction of the of Eastern Philippines,

University

University Town, Catarman N. Samar. Specifically, this study aims to: 1. Determine respondents the in socio-demographic terms of age, profile gender, of the

educational

attainment, and religion. 2. Determine the factors affecting the life satisfaction of the retired educators in terms of personality factors, living arrangement, the family and social relationships, between the economic conditions, health, and leisure. 3. Determine significant relationship factors and life satisfaction of the retired educators in the University of Eastern Philippines.

Significance of the Study Basically, the following group of individuals and

institution will be benefited by this study: Retired Educators. This study will serve as information to the group of retired educators, as so as motivation on how to deal with present life status as retired employees. Community. This study would make them aware the relevance on how to deal with elder group as to consider as a functional group in a society even after retirement. Student Nurses. The result of this study will make them aware of the factors that affect the life satisfaction of the

retired educators and the proper care to be rendered to the elderly. Colleges of Nursing. The result of this study will help the colleges get into approach they will use in order to give proper orientation elderly. Local Government Unit. The result of this study will help the local government policies officials are to implement to the programs needs of and the realistic which relevant to the caregivers particularly in caring the

retired educators and would benefit elderly population.

Scope and Limitation This study focuses on the life satisfaction of the retired educators in University of Eastern Philippines. It is limited on the government employees of the University of Eastern Philippines. Considering specifically the who financial are and in time UEP. constraints This study in also

conducting this study, the researchers choose the respondents those living considers the year of retirement of the educators which ranges from year 2008-2012.

Hypothesis 1. There is significant profiles affecting relationship of the their life between the socioto the after

demographic factors retirement.

retired

educators

satisfaction

2. There is no significant relationship between the sociodemographic factors retirement. profiles of the retired life educators to the affecting their satisfaction after

Theoretical Framework of the Study This study made use of a core theory and several theories related to it served as strong bases to make this study realistic. This study is anchored to Maslows Human Need Theory.

Maslow surmised that a hierarchy of five needs motivates human behavior: Physiologic, Safety and Security, Love and Belonging, Selfesteem, such and that Self-Actualization. more basic needs and These like self leads needs are prioritized (love Maslow and physiological actualization). to feelings life of is that

functioning or safety take precedence over personal growth needs belonging, that depression, self-esteem, failure and to the asserts grow

failure,

perception

meaningless. (Maslow) According life. The to Havinghurst activity Activity with Theory it states health that and

remaining occupied is necessary ingredient to satisfying lateassociate psychological suggest activity as a means to prolong middle age and delay negative effects of old age. (Havinghurst, Neugarten, and Tobin, 1963) According environment affected by as to a Lawtons central (1982), theme. PersonEnvironemntcompetence such as Fit is ego

Theory introduced functional competence in relationship to the Functional conditions multiple interpersonal

strength, motor skills, biologic health, and cognitive capacity as well as centernal conditions posed by the environment. The degree of competency may change as one ages, affecting functional ability in relationship to environment demands. Newson and Schulz (1996), demonstrated that physical

impairment is associated with fewer social contacts, less social supports, depression and lower life satisfaction. Riley et. al, the interdependence between older adults and society are between older adults and society are interrelated and cause reciprocal changes to individuals, age group cohorts and society. It varies on the society that is stratified into different In age categories age cohorts that are are the basis by for the acquiring historical resources, roles, status, and deference from others in society. addition, influenced context in which they live; thus age cohorts and corresponding roles vary across generations. People built in the same cohorts have similar experiences attitudes generations with shared as meanings, well as ideologies, expectations that may orientations, in different and values

regarding to the timing of life course transitions. Individuals have different experiences cause them to age in different ways.

Conceptual Framework of the Study It is a fact that as the age of the person increases; the biological and psychological aspects of a person are changing and expected to be affected. These changes could greatly affect the persons and performance, working most especially leading to to the social This interaction ability retirement.

study is conceptualized on the assumption that factors such as

age,

gender,

educational

attainment

&

religion

have

relationship on the life satisfaction of the retired educators in terms of the seven domains which are the personality factors, living arrangement, family and social relationships, economic conditions, health, leisure and personal fulfillment.

Paradigm of the Study Independent Variables Dependent Variables Life satisfaction of the retired educators considering the following factors: Personality factors Living arrangement Family and social relationships Economic conditions Health Leisure

Profile of respondents in of: Age Gender Educational attainment Religion

the terms

Figure 1. The schematic diagram shows the relationship between the independent and the dependent variables.

Definition of Terms To facilitate understanding, the following terms are

conceptually and operationally defined: Life satisfaction. It is defined as a sense of well-being and is assessed in terms of satisfaction with relations with others, mood and with self-concepts, achieved goals and self perceived ability to cope with daily life. Retirement. It refers to the period of a person's life

during which he/she is no longer working. The standard age for retirement is 65 year old, although many individuals choose to retire earlier or later due to personal or financial reasons. After retirement, an individual's needs are usually funded through any combination of sources including a pension plan, a retirement account such as Social Security and savings account.

Chapter II REVIEW OF LITERATURE Related Literature The aging process is a biological reality which has its own dynamic, largely beyond human control. However, it is also subject to the constructions by which each society makes sense of old age. In the developed world, chronological time plays a paramount role. The age of 60 or 65, roughly equivalent to retirement ages in the most developed countries is said to be the beginning of old age. In many parts of the developing world, chronological time has little or of no importance in the meaning of old age. Other socially constructed meanings of age are more significant such as the roles assigned to older people; in some cases it is the loss of roles accompanying physical decline which is significant in defining old age. Thus, in contrast to the chronological at the milestones when which mark life stages is no in the developed world, old age in many developing countries is seen to begin point active contribution longer possible. (Gorman, 2002) In the gerontology literature, the term successful aging has received a great deal of theoretical and empirical attention during the past few decades. Despite this fact, the scientific community successful definitions has for not this yet Torres term: agreed (1999) (1) on the interpretation four groups self-potential of of and aging. identified

maximizing

reaching a high level of physical, social, and psychological well-being; (2) possessing the capability of adapting to changes that occur in later life; (3) possessing capabilities similar to those of younger people; and (4) managing to remain productive.

The

literature

dealing

with

successful

aging

usually

examines the relationships between good physical, cognitive and personal functioning, and the various factors explaining them (socio demographics, behavior, and physiology). It relates to old age as a period in which the individual is physically, cognitively and mentally challenged. A successful confrontation with these challenges is defined not only as the absence of physical or mental illness, of but also as an improvement of various dimensions of ones psychological well-being, such as: self-acceptance, sense control, good inter-personal relationships, a sense of having a goal in life, personal growth and relative independence (Ryff et al., 1998). LSI-A, according to Lawton, is one of the most frequently used scales in the area (1977, p. 13 as cited in Helmes, Goffin & Chrisjohn, 1998). Lawton also stated that the LSI-A has the most careful psychometric derivation (1977, p. 13). The LSI-A and its variants are still widely used today in such areas of research as rehabilitation two very and gerontology areas of (Helmes the et al., life 1998). Barrett (2005) then developed specific definitions and constructs for important LSITA, satisfaction, and third age. Life satisfaction is a theoretical construct that cannot be observed directly, based and on it is, therefore, a latent variable. 2001). of life Latent variables are defined as factors that must be measured indirectly an operational of the of the definitions latent (Byrne, Neugarten and colleagues, (1961) theoretical framework provided operational zest definition versus variable five and satisfaction, variables: mood tone. which consists following observed

apathy;

resolution

fortitude;

congruence between desired and achieved goals; self-concept, and

One of the earliest attempts by social gerontologists to explain how individuals adjust to aging invoved in the appication of the role theory.In the wods of Hooyman and Kiyak (1988), people play a variety of society role in their lifetime such as son or daughter, student, mother, wife or husband, and others. These roles identify these persons as social beings and are the basis of self concept. These roles are organized into a life course. Each of these social roles is associated with a certain age or stage of life. In many societies, chronological age is used to determine ones positions and roles, and the expectations in every person. Age alters not only the roles expected of people, but also the manner in which they are expected to play these roles. The role theory acknowledges the fact that the role of dependent person is not inevitable with age. Instead, the life course is characterized by varying periods of greater or lesser dependency in social relationships, with most people becoming emotionally dependent on others regardless of age.

Related Studies According to research (Barrett, 2005; Dychtwald, 1999;

Settersten, 2002) two major current social phenomena augmented the important potential contribution that a reliable and valid index aging of can an individuals provide to subjective perception in Adult of and successful Community researchers

Education, Gerontology, Psychology, Health and Medical Sciences, and other social science disciplines. These phenomena were the baby boom generation and the third age. The baby boom was a result of the increase in the birth rate beginning after the endof World War II (Dychtwald, 1999).

The baby boom generation was generally regarded aspeople born between 1946 and 1964 (Bennis & Thomas, 2002). The extraordinary number of births in the United States during this period, over 76 million, The has created society are a at population every era now arriving phenomenon as in this the that cohort third has has age affected matured. American

boomers

(Dychtwald, 1999). The third age has been defined as the result of the extra time that has been added to the average life span since the early 1900s (Weiss & Bass, 2002) and can be thought of as beginning at the age of fifty years old and ending at death. During the past 1000 years, our life expectancy has climbed from an average of 25 to 47 at the turn of the 20th century, and then skyrocketed to 76 today (Dychtwald, 1999, p.1). According to Barrett (2005) a large and growing body of research exists that investigates what people believe makes them satisfied with constructs third age or their lives. A reliable related aging the An to as Third life successful Index (Barret, for and valid measure of satisfaction in can in the Life the the of specifically

represented Age(LSITA)

Satisfaction researchers

assist

2005).

improved

understanding

contributors or barriers to a pattern of attaining increased success in life satisfaction as perceived by those going through the aging process can be facilitated by such an instrument, according (2003). Barrett Life (2005) developed Index for a the new instrument Age to to measure This Life successful aging in the third age cohort, which was titled the Satisfaction and Third used (LSITA). the instrument or scale was based on the theoretical framework that Neugarten colleagues (1961) design Satisfaction Index Form A (LSI-A), and it was an adaptation of to Neugarten, (1996), Lawton, (1977), and Voltz,

the LSI-A. The LSI-A was an attempt to measure perceived life satisfaction in American Midwestern adults over the age of fifty as a representation of successful aging. The construct was the concept of successful aging and the researchers called it Life Satisfaction (Neugarten et al., 1961). Borg et al. (2006) investigated life satisfaction and its relation capacity. to A living sub conditions, of 522 overall persons health, self-care from a sample was selected

randomly selected cross-sectional survey using a modified form of the Older Americans Resources Schedule and Life Satisfaction Index. Life satisfaction in older people with reduced self-care capacity is determined by several factors, with social,physical, mental poor and financial health, relation aspects feeling to probably worried These interacting and poor with each other; especially feeling lonely, degree of self-care capacity, overall in financial to be resources needs. factors need

considered in the care of these people to preserve or improve their life satisfaction.

Chapter III METHODOLOGY Locale of the Study The University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) is

dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. The University is known to be the a prime mover of development by providing educational opportunities, which for so long had been practically beyond the reach of the common people in the different parts of the country. It is the only state university in Region 8. It is the only comprehensive state university in Eastern Visayas, offering the largest number of programs in undergraduate, graduate, and post graduate education among the universities in the region.

Research Design This study utilizes the descriptive correlational survey method of investigation to determine the factors affecting the life satisfaction of the retired educators in the University of Eastern Philippines.

Research Respondents The identified respondents of this study are retired

educators of the University of Eastern Philippines.

Research Variables and their Measures The variables that were used in this study were quantified in the following manner: Age. This refers to the number of years that the retired

educators has lived from birth up to the present. It will be categorized according to Erik Eriksons theory of psychosocial development. It will be measured using frequency and percentages distribution. Gender. It refers to the characteristics which determine whether the respondents are male or female. It will be measured by frequency counts and percentage distribution. Educational Attainment. It refers to the highest level of

education attained by retired educators. It will be measured by frequency counts and percentage distribution. Religion. It refers to the practice of religious beliefs of the retired educators. It will be measured by frequency counts and percentage distribution.

Research Instrument A questionnairechecklist is going to be used as the

primary instrument to gather important data in the completion of the study. The questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first part is composed of the Personal Identifying Data. The second part consisted of the life satisfaction data.

Population & Sampling The Eastern total number of retired year educators is of University to be of the

Philippines

from

2008-2012

going

respondents. This study will utilize the Slovins formula to determine the sample size. The researcher will use fish bowl method in choosing the respondents.

Data Gathering Procedure The needed data in this study are to be obtained through the following steps: 1. The researchers will get the information regarding the UEPs retired educators to locate respondents current location. educators. 2. A letters must be sent to the respondents to set an appointment of interview and answering the formulated questionnaire. In cases like the respondent is out of the province or country, high-technology is to be used as an option such as internet (electronic emailing) or mobile phone. 3. For personal interview, the researcher must use interview guide to add some follow-up questions. 4. If personal interview is not possible, electronic mailing and/or the mobile can be used. Researcher must ask permission to the University Registrar to look into the list of the retired

Statistical Treatment of Data Data gathered on demographic variables can be organized

through frequency counts and percentage population. The formula on percentage is as follows: F P = N X 100

Where: P Percentage F- Frequency N Number of cases

QUESTIONNAIRE

I.

Personal Data

Name: ____________________________________ Gender:______________ Age: __________ Address: _______________________________________________________ Educational Attainment: ________________________________________ Religion: __________________ Contact Information: _____________________

II. Life Satisfaction Survey

Please answer the following questions, using the criteria below. Please choose the number which most closely fits how you feel at this time in your life: 4 Always 3 Often 2 Sometimes ALWAYS 1) I know what my purpose in life is. 2) I am excited about learning new things. 3) My life is in balance physically. 4) My life is in balance emotionally. 5) My life is in balance spiritually. 6) When life feels "out of control," I choose healthy behaviors to help me re-center and renew. (i.e. I do not use shopping, eating, sleeping, television / internet, or other substances to escape and cope). 1 Rarely OFTEN 0 Never RARELY NEVER

SOMETIMES

7) I am aware and enjoy living in the moment (I don't dwell on future or past events). 8) I have fulfilling relationships with family and friends. 9) I have fulfilling intimate relationships in my life. 10) Humor, laughter, and playfulness are a big part of my daily life. 11) My partnerships are fairly and equally balanced (work and personal). 12) I find positive ways to deal with stress. (i.e. exercise, talking, meditating, etc). 13) I exercise appropriate control over the things that I can in my life. 14) I live life with an attitude of gratitude. 15) I live my life with passion and joy. 16) I have exciting dreams and aspirations to look forward to. 17) I am an optimistic person. 18) I enjoy hearing other people's insights and points of view, even when they are different from my own. 19) I find it easy to forgive others when I have been hurt. 20) I apologize and make amends quickly when I have hurt someone else. 21) I am good at keeping events in my life in perspective. 22) I live my life with integrity and honesty in all of my dealings. 23) Kindness and compassion are virtues that I practice daily. 24) I perform acts of service daily. 25) I have a strong faith which sustains me throughout my life.