ST.

THOMAS ACADEMY

Pob.3 Sto. Tomas, Batangas

S.Y. 2018-2019

In Partial Fulfilment

In the Subject Requirement

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1

“The Impact of Religion Subjects to the Spiritual Faith of Grade 12 students in St.
Thomas Academy”

Submitted by:

Bryan Gardiola

Aeron Russel Vicente

Dhana Mae Quiatchon

Rizelle Anne Rivera

Mykee Terrones

Brenda Alexa Torres

 CHAPTER I

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

Introduction

In the Christian life there are certain truth that are either so formative, or so fragile, that
your discipline may require special assistance in learning to hold them in the shopping cart of
faith. As a mature Christian we are used to toting these truths around like a handbag, but young
Christians need to develop the spiritual muscles that we take for granted.

In pre-historic times, people don’t have any religion to believe in. They are the ones who
provide explanations in all their questions like, how the earth is created, why there is life and
death, and many mysteries of the world that need to be answered. They use their imaginative
mind to provide and come up with a reasonable and acceptable hypothesis that may answer
their specific question about the wonders of the world. They are forced to believe in anything
that one may suggest even though they lack of concrete evidences because they are left with
no choice for there is no one to guide them and give them the answers. These false beliefs
created by the people changed when God made Himself known to them.

Feeding the people with religious information brought light to their life. They became
enlightened about their purpose in life as they are given something to believe in. Being able to
know and have a religion helps unite the people for they share the same rituals and beliefs.
When Jesus taught the people about Christianity, they learned to act and behave like how their
religion demands. Having a religion helps the people seek answers to many confusing
questions, gain peace of my mind, and seek guidance through difficult times.

Religion plays an important role in our life. It is important not only to guide the people
through life but also to reflect on the meaning of their lives and what they really want. Religion is
something that we place our faith in. Faith is an evidence of things not seen and it is our
complete trust or strong belief in something. Everyone believes in something and that conviction
determines our behavior and way of life. Religion influences our faith for it changes the things
we believe in. Our spiritual faith mainly influences our behavior because it determines the
religious practices we will possibly do.

Religious education has an important role to play in our society. Religion subject
contributes to the school curriculum by enhancing the students’ knowledge and understanding
about their religion. This may include their beliefs, practices, morals and religious views. It
allows the students to be conscious of their own actions and activities. It also helps the students
in developing their social, moral and spiritual aspect in which they prepare and may use the
things they have learned in the future. It helps them grow closer to God in a very early age.
Religion greatly influences our society by shaping our minds. In religion subject, they are
teaching us concerning the works of God, it expands our prior knowledge. It also provides
different opportunities for all students to be a part of a larger culture. It supplies the students
with significant and relevant information that they will apply in their everyday lives, where they
can find the purpose of life itself and attain to be free, happy and contented at the same time
while still considering the things God wants for us.

Religion subject indeed has a big impact in terms of the spiritual faith of an individual. It

helps us grow our faith to God, having a religion subject will be a lot helpful to students in

gaining a strong spiritual faith. Spirituality has a big role into our lives. Its highest priority is to

love yourself and others. We build a strong spirituality when we make effort and give time in

studying religion subject. It can bring positive effects to anyone just like understanding other

people, other societies, and eliminating prejudice, intolerance and hate. It also provides the

students lessons that can be used in real life; students can also see a better view of their

surroundings.

These situations motivated the researchers to conduct the study. The researchers aimed

to identify and determine the respondents’ perception on religion subject and its impact to the

spiritual faith of the respondents. Toward the end of the study, the researchers opted to discover

the relationship between the respondents’ perception on religion subject and their spiritual faith.

Conceptual Framework

Everyone knows that religion subject plays a significant role in our spiritual growth.
Research findings shown that spirituality and religion can enhance individuals’ quality of life by
positively contributing to greater life satisfaction, happiness, positive affect, morale, and hope
(Koenig et al., 2001; Levin, 2001; Plante& Sharma, 2001; Swinton& Kettles, 2001; Thoresen,
Harris, & Oman, 2001). Religion refers to a series of practices and rules according to people’s
beliefs, but the substrate to them is spirituality, understanding it as that which precisely nurtures
religion and gives it sense, that is, faith in God. According to Vanistendael (2003), “religion
places spiritual life in a traditional community. This is based on faith in God, looks for community
organization and expression, as well as support to spiritual life.”

A conceptual model is presented below for the illustration of how the concepts and ideas
are used in the study and how they are related to each other.

The first box represents the Effect of Religion Subject. The second box represents the
Student’s Spiritual Behavior. The arrow connects the first and second box that show the
relationship between the two variables. And the third box that is shown by the down arrow is the
purpose and the main goal of the study.

Integration of Student’s Spiritual

Religion Subject to Faith
the Curriculum

Impact of Religion
Subject to
Respondents’ Spiritual
Faith

Figure 1. Conceptual Model of the Study

Statement of the Problem

This study intends to determine the effects of religion subject in the spiritual faith of
senior high students. Specifically, this sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the respondents’ profile relative to:

1.1) age;
 1.2) gender; and

1.3) academic strand?

2. What is the respondents’ perception to religion subject?

3. How does the subject affect the spiritual faith of the students in

St. Thomas Academy?

4. Does Religion as a subject has a significant relationship to the respondents’ spiritual

faith?

Hypothesis of the Study

This study worked on the null hypothesis:

There is no significant relationship between the respondent’s perception about religion subject
and their spiritual faith.

Significance of the Study

This study will create stronger awareness to those who are concerned on how religion
subject affects the respondents’ spiritual faith. Specifically, the findings of this study will be
beneficial to the following:

To the school administrators. It will give them knowledge about the effects of religion
subject to the spiritual faith of the students. This study will help them to formulate a better idea
to develop the religion subject.

To the parents. It will help them to know the development happens to their child when it
comes to the behavior of their child on taking the religion subject. And it will help them to
guide/teach their child to do good morals.

To the students. This study will help them to be knowledgeable about the factors that
affect them to really focus their mind on the learnings they will get in religious education. It will
be effective for them to be able in coping up with religion subject, on how will it help them to be
more discipline with their actions in or outside the campus.
 To the teachers. This study will give them an idea to make a teaching strategy and
techniques will be used. It can be helpful to them on how they will make the discussion an
interesting one.

To the future researchers. This study will serve as a reference and a source of data to
them as they may be able to conduct this study in the future.

Scope, Delimitation, and Limitations of the Study

This study dealt with the effects of the subjects in spiritual faith towards the student in
St. Thomas Academy. It determined the respondents’ perception on how the religion subject
helps them to develop themselves as a student and a role model of the future generation. The
researcher can get the information through giving the questionnaire to the respondents to be
specifically in senior high students.

The study involved a total of one-hundred twenty senior high students of the School year
2018-2019 at St. Thomas Academy. They were chosen, for the researchers believed that since
they have the subject of religion, they should apply the learnings they’ve got from religion
subject to their own lives.

In the demographic profile, the researchers did not include the specific religion of the
respondents, since other religions are practicing the same thing with them and that they believe
that religion doesn’t have an effect on the students’ learning capabilities.

Definition of Terms

For better understanding of the concepts studied in this research paper, the following
terms are conceptually and operationally defined.

Faith. It is the complete trust or confidence in someone or something (Dictionary, n.d.).

In this study, faith is defined as the secure belief in God.

Christian life. It refers to the life lived by faith in the God who saved us, empowers us,
seals us for heaven, and by whose power we are kept forever (Got questions, 2019). In this
study, it refers to the way the Christians live as they make God the center of their lives.

Spiritual growth. It is a way to integrate one’s spirituality to a higher level and higher
degree in our daily life (Time for change, n.d.). In this study, it refers to the improvement of a
person’s spirituality and way of life based on the influence of their faith.
 Christian. It means, “follower of Christ” or “belonging to the party of Christ”. They are the
people who reflects Jesus Christ based on their behavior, activity, and speech (All about God,
n.d.). In this study, it refers to the respondents who believe that there is only one true God.

Religion. It refers to the belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with
this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple (Harper
Collins, n.d.). In this study, it is defined as the set of beliefs and practices that a group or an
organization of people believes in.

Beliefs. It is a mental representation of an attitude positively oriented towards the

likelihood of something being true (Wikipedia, 2019). In this study, it refers to the things which
an individual think is true based on his/her own perspective.