Research Title : Cut it Out!

: Cutting Classes among Junior High Students in Maya

National High School S.Y. 2018-2019

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

The problem with cutting classes in Junior High students has enough period of

growth and development. This development starts at the comfort of their homes, families,

and friends. Because of that, cutting classes will be the result for their problems. Thus

teachers and the school staff will face sorts of problems from their respective student

such as discomfort for any school teachers and staff.

This paper reports findings from a qualitative study conducted with public high

school students and guidance counsellors in the north eastern United States of America

to examine how class cutting is understood and addressed. Our findings indicate that

interactions between students and guidance counsellors are similar to negotiations.

These negotiations, however, are implicit rather than explicit. Explicit negotiations offer

guidance counsellors a valuable tool for collaboratively exploring cutting with all relevant

parties, including students, teachers, administrators, and parents. Explicit negotiations

can examine underlying issues and conflicts precipitating cutting, the social meaning that

cutting has for this student, desired outcomes, impediments to these outcomes, and the

negotiation process itself. Not only can explicit negotiations aid guidance counsellors
learning about and responding to cutting more effectively, but they also can model

effective, collaborative problem solving for students and the larger school community.

(Angela Nyawira Khaminwa, R. Kirk Fallis, Susan Opotow, 2016)

Cutting of classes is rampant in Philippines’ public schools for the reason that there is

an inefficient security and relatively high number of students that makes it hard for the

school to monitor. Educational institution are not only for mental sacrifice and mental

qoutient feedback but also for correcting, disciplining any forms of behavioral,moral, and

social problems, being faced by the students, problem has enough period of growth and

development. This development starts at the comfort of their homes and families. The

researchers all know that this is the stage where most of the students are beginning to

be curious about life. This is where they start to come out from their “comfort zone” to

explore life and make their own decisions.Not attending in class may ruin one’s future

and it can break dreams. Cutting classes are not the right thing to do if you have a

problem with your school works or if you are bored to attend class, think of ways that

can avoid you to cut your class instead of planning to escape from class. There are

people out there who are willing to help you if you have a problem in school, especially

your parents. according to Malcom X, “Education is our passport to the future, for

tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” (Managa, 2016)

It became the habit of many students who haved engaged on it. Yet it is a

headache to all the teachers and staff. Students who engaged in cutting classes has

increased and needs to put a stop on it. The study conducted in Maya National High

School S.Y. 2018-2019. The students of the Junior High School will be the respondents

and this study is all about cutting class.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The reason why the researchers have conducted this research is that the

reseachers want to know the students’ reasons on why they engaged in cutting classes.

Many schools have the same kind of problem which students who cut class is very

rampant. That is the reason why the reseachers conducted this research. The Junior High

students are the participants on the study that was conducted in Maya National High

School S.Y. 2018-2019. This study is all about cutting classes of students.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research aims to understand as to why students are engaging cutting classes

despite the underlying negative consequences . This research also aims to answer the

questions as to how this practice affects the students in their studies. This research aims

to answer the above mentioned queries through the research questions stated below:

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. Why do students cut classes?

2.Who influences you to cut classes?

3. How will you stop yourself from cutting classes?

THEORITICAL LENS

B. F. Skinner was one of the most influential of American psychologists. A

behaviorist, he developed the theory of operant conditioning -- the idea that behavior is

determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments, which make it

more or less likely that the behavior will occur again.

Skinner conducted research on shaping behavior through positive and negative

reinforcement and demonstrated operant conditioning, a behavior modification technique

which he developed in contrast with classical conditioning. His idea of the behavior

modification technique was to put the subject on a program with steps. The steps would

be setting goals which would help you determine how the subject would be changed by

following the steps. The program design is designing a program that will help the subject

to reach the desired state. Then implementation and evaluation which is putting the

program to use and then evaluating the effectiveness of it.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

As it said earlier, students that cut their classes are getting out of hand, most of the

teachers are encountering students that cut their classes every school year. In this

research, the researchers are going to know the reasons why do these students cut their

classes, so that the reseachers would be able to find ways to encourage them not to

waste their opportunity to study, and also to deliver this information to the teachers and

parents to them to solve or prevent these students from cutting classes.

This study is significant to :

A. Students. This research is vital to the students. It will provide information regarding the

consequences of cutting classes. It will also help the students attend their class regularly

since this research will provide them information about the benefits that they can acquire

in attending school.

B. Parents. This study will also be beneficial for parents in order for them to know how

their children behave in school. Likewise, this would give them the opportunity to help

guide their children in dealing problems that may affect their behavior from school.

C. Teachers and Principals. They could help each other in suggesting plans in helping

the students to go to school early and attend class regularly.

DEFININTION OF TERMS

For the researcher’s understanding, the following terms are defined as used in this study:

cutting classes – is a coined term, that actually means intentionally not attending a

required class in one's formal education without a valid excuse/reason.

Rampant – used to describe something that is very common or that is spreading very

quickly.

Junior High students – the students who engaged in cutting classes.

Vital - absolutely necessary.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study focuses on what are the reasons why students cut classes. It is often

that cutting classes is considered as one of the most major problem in schools. Another

limitation of this was the area covered wherein the research focused on the Junior High

School students of Maya National High School, Maya, Daanbantayan, Cebu, for School

Year 2018-2019. The researchers selected eight (8) students to be the interviewee for

the in-depth interview, and eight (8) also to be the interviewee for the focus group

discussion where they shared opinions.

ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This study is organized in following chapters.

Chapter 1 presents the problem situation that justified the conduct of the study

wherein the researcher cites many situations, instances, and reasons why there is a need

to conduct the said study. The purpose of the study involved some goals to follow. There

are three questions to be answered by the participants regarding their views and

perceptions about cutting classes. Significance of the study cited as to who are

beneficiaries of the study. Delimitations present the scope of the study and organization

states the description of the chapters of the study.

Chapter 2 consist of ideas, titles of various related articles that the researcher

included in the study. There are several comments, suggestions and insights related to

the reasons why Junior High students cut classes.

Chapter 3 presents the research design in which the researchers states the study.

The researcher stresses his role to conduct the interview with the participants and

observing the ethics in the conduct of the study. Research participants are the informants

who answered the interview, questioners and focus group discussion. Data analysis has

been done by software or by manual. Trustworthiness and credibility shows that the

researchers seeks the true reasons and evaluation about the status and experiences of

the students in terms of cutting classes. The ethical consideration protects the name of

the participants due to privacy reason.

 Chapter 4 presents the results wherein it reflects the detailed responses of the

participants based on the research questions formulated in the previous chapter. It also

discusses the different themes generated from the various answers shared by the

informants. It showcases the tabular details reflecting the general, typical, variant answers

of the participants. Moreover, it presents the summary of the responses of the in-depth

interview and focus-group discussion.

Chapter 5 presents the discussion and conclusion which explains the answer of the

participants. It summarizes the themes generated from the results of in-depth interview

and Focus-group Discussion with the support of the various authorities. Moreover, it

clearly states the implications for future practice, for research and the concluding remarks

of the researchers. There is an appendix section that includes copies of the interview

guide, the informed consent forms and other attachments.