The Effects of Adolescents Romantic Relationships On the Academic

Performance of Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy- Grade 12 Senior High

Students
CHAPTER I
Introduction
Adolescents become interested and involved in dating because of the desire to

belong with others. Adolescents crave to have an intimate romantic relationship to

which love is given and received without restriction. Teens spend a great deal of time

thinking about, talking about, and being in romantic relationships yet adults typically

dismiss adolescent dating relationships as superficial (Furman, 2002). Although most

adolescent relationships last for only a few weeks or months, these early relationships

play a vital role in the lives of adolescents and are important to developing the capacity

for long-term, committed relationships in adulthood. It is often believed that romantic

relationships may distract the adolescent’s academic school works while spending time

with a romantic partner (Sorensen, 2007).

Often times these decisions are affected by outside factors that are beyond the

control of the student. One other factor that is believed to be a major influence is the

existence of a significant other. While involved in a relationship during Senior High, one

might be forced to choose either studying for school or spending time with the

significant other, leaving the student with increased amounts of stress. Level of

commitment to the relationship must also be taken into consideration

Academic achievement is a concept that is affected by several different factors of

the individual and the environment. There has been a vast amount of research

published on discovering what factors motivate a student to achieve success in their

educational setting. academic achievement for all students is one of the key goals of the
public school system, and mastery of state standards provides students with useful

skills for a fulfilling and productive life. While not all aspects of achievement can be

efficiently measured and compared statewide, it is important to include some

measurement of academic achievement when evaluating and prioritizing support for

schools.

Because of this need to belong, we can see nowadays that most students are

synchronizing their time in both academic and romantic aspect. Engaging themselves in

this romantic relationship enables them to feel that someone cares for them, shows

affection to them, loves them, etc. Having been in an institution which promotes honor

and excellence among its students gave them a great challenge to maintain a good

academic performance. Considering that teachers has higher expectations of the

students, an increase of workloads which includes projects, school papers, reports and

challenging exams were given.

Adolescents in dating relationships are at great risk for experiencing verbal,

emotional, and physical abuse from their partners. A majority of teens (61 percent) who

have been in relationships report that a partner has made them feel bad or

embarrassed about themselves. More than one fourth (27 percent) of dating teens said

that they have a partner call them names or put them down. Nearly one third (30

percent) of teens who have been in relationships said that they have worried about

being physically hurt by a partner and 15 % said they have been hit, slapped, or pushed

by a partner (Teenage Research Unlimited, 2006) Consequently, a question on the

effect of romantic relationship among the students involved, whether they can manage

their time efficiently or not still remains. Moreover, determining the vital role of
motivation and anxiety in the life of the romantic partners and how they affect their

academic performance still remain a problem. Learning all these aforementioned

concepts, the researchers was motivated to conduct a study to be able to determine the

effects of teenage relationship on academic performance of Senior High School

students. It explores the degree of importance on how to handle such behavior and to

establish proper connection between students and stakeholders perceived to be.

Statement of The Problem

The main thrust of the study was to determine the effect of romantic relationships

to the academic performance of male and female Grade 12 Senior High School Students

in Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy. Also time management was investigated as well

as the levels of motivation and anxiety of the students. Lastly, this study aimed to

determine the level of relationship between the time management, levels of motivation

and anxiety and the academic performance of the students.

Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the profiles of respondents in terms of the following?

a. Age

b. Gender

c. general weighted average in the A.Y. 2010-2011 first sem,

d. general weighted average in the A.Y. 2010-2011 second sem.

2. What is the status of time management of the respondents?

a. in studying,

b. with their partner

3. What is the level of anxiety of the respondents in playing their role as a student?
 4. What is the level of motivation of the respondents in playing their role as a

student?

Objectives

The main objective of the study was to determine the effect of romantic relationships

to the academic performance of male and female Grade 12 Senior High School Students

in Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy.

 To determine the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a) Gender

b) general weighted average in the A.Y. 2010-2011 first sem,

c) general weighted average in the A.Y. 2010-2011 second sem.

 To determine the status of the time management of the respondents

 To determine the levels of motivation of the respondents in playing their role as a

student.

 To determine the level of anxiety of the respondents in playing their role as a

student

The following questions guided this research:

 How can students manage their time on doing academic works while having a
relationship aspect?
 How can students affect their academic works in having relationship?
 Does the length of the relationship heighten the level of the academic
performance?

Significance of The Study

This study aims to determine the effects of romantic relationship on the academic

performance of Grade 12 Senior High School Students in Immaculate Heart of Mary

Academy. This may found out how the Grade 12 Senior High School students manage

their time in which study and romantic side is involved. Furthermore, it determines the

levels of motivation and anxiety of the respondents.

This study also highlights the effect of time management, anxiety and motivation

level of students who are critically involved in romantic relationship on their academic

performance. The result of this study may alert the student and raise awareness on the

effects of romantic relationship on the academic performance of a student especially on

its negative effect. These concluded data would also make the students who are involved

in romantic relationship assess their time management between romantic and academic

aspects.

This study may also raise awareness of the parents who are synchronizing their

time in both academic works and romantic aspects. This could also benefit them so that

they could guide their children on how to balance time wisely, and as parents, they should

motivate their children to prioritize their studies and set aside or minimize factors of

romantic relationship which could affect the academic performance of their children.

And for the teachers, the information that they get in this study may help them

guide and give proper attention to their students who are involved in having a romantic

relationship so that teachers could help in increasing the academic works of their students

not just by teaching them lessons on the course or subjects they handled.
Delimitation of the study

The researcher imposed the following delimitations: The bias of the

respondents, as well as the interpretation of the data, may produce potential limitations.

The researcher made the following assumptions:

(a) only grade 12 students are the respondents in Immaculate Heart of Mary

Academy

(b) the respondents are composed of 40 students either male or female from the

grade 12 students

(c) the survey would compose of separate sections of grade 12 students

CHAPTER II

Related Theories and Concepts

The researchers discuss in the first part why do adolescents get involve in romantic

relationships and how these relationships contribute in the growth and development of

adolescents. These three variables were looked in to determine or to see if there are

relationships exist between romantic relationship the academic performance of

individuals and its effect.

Gottfried, (1990). Romantic relationships are central in adolescents’ lives. They have the

potential to affect development positively, but also place adolescents at risk for problems.

Development of academic motivation in accounting students is an important goal to attain

because of its apparent effect on improving the desire to learn, as well as for students’

effective school functioning.

Barber & Eccles, (2003) Adolescent romantic relationships can also provide a training

ground for youth to develop interpersonal skills. Through their dating relationships,

adolescents often refine their communication and negotiation skills, develop empathy,

and learn how to maintain intimate relationships. The emotional ups and downs

associated with getting together and breaking up may also help youth develop important

skills. While breakups may put some young people at risk for anxiety, they may also help

youth develop emotional resiliency and coping skills needed to handle difficulties later in

life

Myers, (2010) Humans, particularly adolescents get involve in romantic relationships with

variety of reasons. According to Aristotle, humans are “social animals” which made

them long to form an intimate relationship in which love can be given and received

freely which the psychologists called “the need to belong”

Luqman, (2002) One other factor that is believed to be a major influence is the existence

of a significant other. While involved in a relationship during college, one might be forced

to choose either studying for school or spending time with the significant other, leaving

the student with increased amounts of stress. Level of commitment to the relationship

must also be taken into consideration. A student who is involved in an exclusive

relationship differs from the student involved in a casual dating relationship.

Meier and Allen, (2009) Several important theoretical schemas have emerged to help

make sense of how adolescent romantic relationships fit into the existing social

relationship order and how they develop over time. While these schemas are relatively

new, they have roots in earlier theories of development

Furman and Wehner, (1994) offer a behavioral systems approach to understand the

various developmental tasks accomplished by adolescent romance. The four systems

invoked in adolescent romantic relationships are affiliative, sexual/reproductive,

attachment, and care giving.

Morelli, (2020) Youth in early and middle adolescence will usually begin dating. However,

for younger adolescents, "dating" doesn't necessarily mean two youth spending time

alone together. Younger teens often feel more comfortable if a date occurs within the

context of a larger gathering of friends.

Related Studies

The time spent with the partner would consume much time that must be allotted

for studying; taking into consideration the time management of a student being involved

in romantic relationship affects the academic performance. On the other situation,

negative effects of romantic relationships are very evident in saying that “developing

feelings of love, two weeks before exams can lead to lack of concentration during the time

a learner should be revising and thus failure” Namaganda, (2009). Knowing that teenage

relationship plays a huge impact to a teenager, some high school students that are

involved in a romantic relationship struggles in keeping their grades up while trying to

maintain their relationship.

It is often believed that romantic relationships may negatively affect youth’s

academic outcomes because the time spent with a romantic partner might distract one
 from schoolwork. Regarding such behavior of students on focusing more on their love life

they inclined on failing examinations, being late in class and losing comprehension and

retention on their studies.

Theoretical Framework

ROMANTIC
RELATIONSHIP

LEVELS OF LEVEL OF
TIME MANAGEMENT
MOTIVATION ANXIETY

Affects Positively Negatively

Affects
Affects

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

 It describes how the researcher examine the variables in finding the answer to the

problem. It can be observed in the framework that romantic relationships have effects

on the academic performance of the Grade 12 Senior High School students of

Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy.

Romantic relationships, as described in the conceptual framework affect the

complex cognitive tasks in either positive or negative way. Therefore, academic

performance of the students (which engaged in romantic relationship) involves academic

performances is affected by romantic relationship. The positive and negative reactions of

the students regarding romantic relationships are determined by the levels of anxiety and

motivation as a student.

Again, it is quietly observed that teachers in Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy

grade 12 senior high school students have higher expectations of their studies. Therefore,

it is expected that the students have increased workload because of challenging projects,

assignments, exercises and exams. When there is an increased workload, students need

to spend a great amount of time in doing all of these requirements. Thus, students have

to manage their time between study and relationship.

On the other hand, Social Exchange Theory explains the aspect of frequent

interaction which is characterized by the exchange of sources to individuals involved in a

relationship (which in this study’s case is romantic relationship). Wang (2004) states that

sources which are exchanged in the course of romantic relationship, do not only include

material sources, such as money and gifts. It also considers the time because in every

relationship, each interaction consumes time. In the case of romantic relationship, it may
be texting or calling the person over the phone, dating, talking with the person, etc. The

more time a person spends in a romantic relationship, the lesser the time will remain for

the other tasks. Because of these situations, performances on other complex tasks which

also require time are affected.

Chapter III

Research designs and methods

Research Methods

Quantitative method is chosen for the research. Data was collected using primary

data set through the distribution of questionnaire. The data are interpreted and express

in words and not in graphs and other statistical method.

Research Designs

The researcher conducted simple descriptive design which focuses to the

perspectives of the 18 years old below who experienced having a relationship in

conducting research among grade 12 students in Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy.

The study was conducted in Pob. Ward IV, Ming. Cebu. The respondents were composed

of 40 students either male or female. Data are gathered utilizing survey from the

institution.

Research Respondents

The respondents of this study, are composed of 40 participants either male or

female. The researcher’s respondents are chosen randomly according to their age, sex,
what strand, and their experienced in managing them of having a romantic relationship

on the academic performances.

Research Instruments

In order to answer specific sub-problems in our study, survey questionnaires will

be distributed to the respondents. Interview to one of our respondents will also be

conducted to confirm the results of the survey. The survey questionnaires will consist of

a broad range of questions aimed at calculating the students’ involvement in romantic

relationship and its adverse effects on their academic achievement. Each questionnaire

will have 3 parts.

 The first part of the questionnaire will regard the profile of the respondent (i.e.,

name, gender).

 The second part will comprise the status of time management of the respondent.

The third and fourth part will consider the levels of motivation and anxiety of the

respondent as student.

These two last parts are in a rating scale form in which respondents will be tasked to

indicate whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly

disagree in the given statements.

Statistical Treatment of Data

Data that will be collected will be converted to percentage and will be presented

in tabular and graphical forms for simple interpretation.

1. To determine the profile of the respondents in terms of gender and grade point

average, percentage will be used:

Formula:

Where:

P= Percentage

F= Frequency

N= No. of respondents

2. To determine the status of time management, level of anxiety and level of motivation,

the weighted mean will be used,

Formula:

Where:

̅ = mean

∑f(x) = Total scores of students

N = No. of respondents

3 To find the significant correlation between the academic performance and time

management; levels of motivation and academic performance; and levels of

anxiety and academic performance the Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of

Correlation (r) and T-test will be used.

Formulas:

(Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation)

∑∑∑

√∑

(∑

]∑∑

Where:

r = the Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation

n = sample size

∑x = summation of x

∑y = summation of y

∑x2

= sum of squares of x

∑y2 = sum of squares of y

(T-test)

Where:

t = computed table value

r = the Pearson Product Moment Coefficient of Correlation

N = number of respondents
Research Environment

The study was conducted at Poblacion War IV which is located in the Minglanilla

Cebu. Officially the Municipality of Minglanilla, is a 1st class municipality in the province

of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 132,135

people. This made the institution suited as the site of conducting this research. Also, the

site is convenient for the researchers as they are students coming from the institution.

Figure 2. Locale of Barangay Poblacion, Minglanilla Cebu