I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study Failing a course is a situation many students in college have experienced.

Flunking a subject or more could be the most difficult thing for them. Having an irregular academic status in college can be a major problem if not handled properly. Failing in classcan have an impact on the students academic record, progress toward graduation, financial aid, and even their selfesteem. Failure could either improve or worsen the current performance of students depending on their ability to cope up and their degree of determination. This research is conducted to identify the effects of having an irregular academic status due to failing grades to the performance of college students, specifically on engineering students, after failing; and how these affect their life and behavior. B. Statement of the Problem This research reports on a small-scale action research project that looked at the effect of having an irregular academic status to the performance of engineering students. The specific objectives of the study are: Describe the causes that lead to the failure of the engineering students. Specific effects of failing grades to the students, to their selfesteem, determination and way of thinking. Compare the academic performance before and after attaining failing grade/s.

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

Identify approaches used by the irregular students to maintain good school performance. Enumerate ways on how the students cope up after failing the subjects and how they can handle the situation

C. Statement of Hypotheses In conducting this study, the following hypotheses or assumptions are to be tested: Getting failing grades results in intensified determination in studying. Getting failing grades results in diminished determination in studying. Getting failing grades results in same determination in studying.

For the Students: The research could help the irregular engineering students in handling the pressures and the difficulties in being an irregular student. Students would also be aware of the common reasons of having failing grades. Also, the students will figure out how to improve their academic performance. For the Teachers: This research could provide the PLM teachers with a deeper understanding of the behavior of the irregular engineering students towards studying/school. The teachers can gain more ways of coping up with their students and thus providing an improved quality of education for the irregular students. For the School:

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

The research will help the school in figuring out ways on how to help the irregular engineering students in improving their academic performance. For the Nation: The research imparts knowledge on how does being an irregular student could affect the behavior of the students toward studying thus giving insight on what being an irregular student be like. D. Significance of the Study The research about the effects of irregular academic status to the performance of engineering students is very timely because of the increasing number of students who acquire failing grades. It would show whether the student will strive harder to acquire higher grades or be more carefree in school. The research will reflect its importance to the following sector: E. Scope and Limitations This study covers the effects and reactions of third and fourth year college engineering students in PamantasanngLungsodngMaynila when they fail in certain subjects or course. The researchers did not, however, include in their study students in the first, second and fifth year levels in the college of engineering, students who are not taking engineering courses and those engineering students who are enrolled in other universities. II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE College failure can and does repeat itself, and very often the same factors that caused the initial failure can cause a second, or even third. There is a myth that bright students cant fail, or that students that did fail didnt have what it takes. I can tell you that, from directly working with students who did

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

fail in college, this is simply not the case. I have had clients who graduated from top high schools, took many AP classes, had a high GPA and stellar SAT scores, and still failed in college. While the reasons are many, they either amount to something happening during college, or a key action not happening prior to attending. If a failing student isnt helped at the right time, in the right way, they may never see college success. The initial phases or roots of college failure almost invariably begin in high school. Being prepared for college is much more than taking the right classes and having challenging coursework. At the high school level, everything is focused on attaining a high GPA, strong admission scores, and other things that the traditional model of college planning says are important. This model is completely focused on getting in to college, but leaves actually being in college and reaching graduation as a black box. I call this an entryonly model, and many college-level professionals consider this to be obsolete. I agree. With the over-focus on getting in to college, risk factors for future problems are overlooked or not addressed. Students and families are advised by people who have most likely never worked face-to-face with college students, let alone directly learned lessons from working with students who have failed. Their advice, therefore, is strictly theoretical. The reality, as they often tell me, is that parents are never informed while their students are in high school of the key information they truly need: That students are taking longer to graduate from college than ever before, and without careful planning they may not ever see graduation. Because of the longevity of the traditional model, most parents simply trust and send their students away to college, hoping for the best. They have no transition support or clear strategy, unless one could call trust and hope a strategy. Its at the high school level that careful planning can help mitigate future failure, and prevent the financial losses and other problems that can come later. The next phase is when a student actually begins to fail while in college, which can occur at many points. Ive worked with freshmen at public colleges

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

who ran in to problems during their first semester, and Ive also worked with seniors at top-tier schools who were only a semester away from graduation. Problems can manifest as a student being placed on academic probation, or even as a student who stops attending classes altogether. The students initial reactions can include wanting to transfer to another college or even to try and appeal the schools decision. Sometimes students will seek help from the schools counseling center, with variable response. Keep in mind that recent surveys consistently showed that only about one in ten students who have problems in college say theyd go to the schools counseling center. Interestingly, this rate was lower than the one in eight who said they considered suicide rather than seeking help. In other words, the odds for college students seeking help on their own is lower than their considering suicide, so dont count on a student actually seeking help while at school. At this first level of failure parents must intervene, forcefully if necessary, and find effective solutions since the situation rarely resolves itself. Events can then begin to form a cycle following the initial failure. If the situation cant be corrected, the student will usually want to try another school, and their parents are typically open to that. Most often parents agree to this because theyre trying to be supportive, still hoping for success, or outright dont know what to do. A second common response to failure is coming home and trying to raise ones grades at a local community college. Both of these can be outright mistakes in many cases, and the same lack of planning that probably contributed to the initial failure can lead to more bad decisions. For example, credits earned can be lost in transfer, making matters worse. Also, the characteristics of the new college are important, not just the fact that the student can get in. Well documented factors must be considered, like the fact that community colleges have low levels of student engagement, which bodes poorly for college success. What also doesnt happen at this phase is an identification and correction of real reasons for the poor performance, which puts the student at risk of further failure. Its crucial to

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

take action at this phase, no matter what the emotional (or monetary) cost, since a second failure can mean the student not getting in to a reputable college for five or more years if they fail again. Colleges dont like to accept failed students, and a double failure can be an academic death sentence. If the cycle goes on too long, both parents and students can burnout on the entire effort, ultimately giving up on the students college efforts. Also, taking a semester off can lead to the end of a college career if it isnt planned, structured, and supported to lead the student back to college. At this phase, where the student has failed once or even twice, its the absolute last chance to take action to effectively intervene and develop a plan to help the student finish college. The end result of college failure or abandoning a student who needs help normally manifests in regret. To illustrate, I recently had lunch with a nice gentleman in his late 50s, and we got on the subject of college. He became a little bit sensitive about the subject, but I finally found out that he actually went back to college when his own children were there. It seemed like a touchy subject with him, so I dug a little deeper. He said its nothing its just that I wish my parents would have made sure that I finished when I was younger. After talking with him for a while, I could see his clear resentment. He faced a lifetime of struggle without a degree and got to see first hand exactly why one should finish early in life. I find the same regret even in the many twentysomethings that I meet who wished that they would have gone to college, or in the vast majority of cases, finished college. Many of them are in the limbo of those with some college, which has little impact on their employment prospects. The lesson of all this is that earning a college degree still remains the most consistent way that individuals in the U.S. can see higher earnings, increased social status, and have a sense of accomplishing something important. Having a degree even makes one more likely to be married and 6

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

have greater health status. The implications are truly far reaching.

Earning a

degree especially in ones youth will have life long effects, so intervening when college problems arise is critical. No matter what students tell parents at the time, they unanimously say later that they wish they had help or were forced to overcome their bad judgment about the situation. If students are resistant to help, parents must have the mindset of youll thank me later when it comes to interceding, because they will. If not, when they reflect on their lives as adults, they may only find regret over never finishing college and face a lifetime of the negative effects of not having a degree. (Jeff Ludovici, The Cycle Of College Failure And Regret) THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STRESS AND STUDENT PRODUCTIVITY Students undergo a lot of stress while they are at school. This stress comes from a combination of pressures from co-students and educators. The numerous workloads are just sometimes hard to bear and sometimes, stress becomes evident resulting to failing grades and remedial classes. How stress affects student productivity is no longer a great wonder. It is a given that stress drives students to excel yet when left unmanaged, it can also ruin their lives. How to manage all the stress that they go through is a significant skill that they all should learn. LESSENED PRODUCTIVITY BECAUSE OF STRESS Having study strategies can be smart but a student has first to realize how stress affects his school work. With much stress weighing down on his shoulders, and symptoms that come out of not being able to manage stress, he would soon realize that he is lagging behind on his school work.

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

Stress causes a lot of emotional turmoil which eventually affects a students general performance. The most common psychological manifestations of stress are: Irritabilitywhen a student becomes irritable, his relationships with this schoolmates, and even teachers, could be affected. This is one way of how stress affects student productivity. Loss of concentrationwhen this happens, a student is less likely to memorize information that is needed on exams and he would not be able to fully participate with his colleagues. Forgetfulnessthis is the last thing any student would need. Being forgetful would mean not being able to recall necessary details or information that would answer important exams. Depressionwhen a student is depressed, he is more likely to concentrate on his despair rather than on his projects and other school tasks. Also, depression is clearly manifested on the works of melancholic individualsand these works are oftentimes sub-standard. Disorganizationwhen a student becomes disorganized, he is not able to manage his schedule and his activities and all his work are jumbled. This is yet another way of how stress affects student productivity. Anxietythis condition is a prelude to more serious mental illnesses so a student would be well off without this disorder. A REALIZATION OF STRESS IMPACT ON STUDENT One great part of taking charge on how stress affects student productivity is to realize the time that they waste by not managing their schedules effectively. Time, by itself, cannot be managed but a person can manage the activities he sets on his available time and he can manage himself as well.

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

Disorganization, unclear objectives, disorganized processes, reading junk e-mails, answering personal phone calls, text messaging, surfing, this list could go on and on for all the clatter that clouds each students mind each day. Proper scheduling would suggest that some of these activities can be scheduled at a particular day in a week but never daily. These activities could be highly important to office workers and other professionalsbut for a student Ever wondered how stress affects student productivity? Wonder no more for its effects can be enormous. It could begin by simply snagging away a few scores from exams here and there, then it would eventually develop into failed projects and low grades; and from there, its final destination is ripping away a degree that a student could have. Of course, these are dire ways to look at it but that is stressit is negative, it is terrible and it can be unforgiving to those who dont learn to deal with it. POSITIVE REACTIONS OF STUDENTS WHO FAILED IN CLASS We are taught that failure should always be avoided. It casts a dark shadow that can suffocate our spirit. When we experience failure, our sense of self-worth is damaged and our confidence takes a debilitating hit. Whether failure occurs in a marriage, in your career, or perhaps with your finances, it is discouraging and can keep us from taking advantage of the next opportunity when it occurs.However, there is a brighter side of failure - a side that can be nurturing and inspirational. Failure can be a catalyst for personal growth and can lead us to achievement when we pause long enough to hear its message. Learning options Is it too late in the semester or quarter to drop the class? Can you switch to a pass/fail option? Can you withdraw -- and if you do so, what is the impact

Effects of Academic Failure to Engineering Students Academic Performance

on your transcript or financial aid eligibility (and even health insurance)? Once you realize you're failing a class, your options vary depending on when in the semester or quarter you make that realization. Check with your academic adviser, the registrar's office, your professor, and the financial aid office about what you can do in your particular situation. Taking Action One of the worst things you can do is to realize you are failing a class and then do nothing. Don't dig yourself in deeper by not going to class anymore and pretending like the problem doesn't exist. That "F" on your transcript may be seen years later by future employers or graduate schools (even if you think, today, that you'll never want to go). Even if you're not sure what to do, talking with someone and taking some action about your situation is a critical step to take. Not Being Too Hard Oneself Let's be honest: lots of people fail classes and go on to live perfectly normal, healthy, productive lives. It's really not the end of the world, even if it feels overwhelming at the moment. Failing a class is something that you'll handle and move on from, just like everything else. Don't stress too much and do your best to learn something from the situation -- even if it's how to not let yourself fail a class ever again. (Kelci Lynn Lucier, What to do if youre failing in class) Acceptance

Accepting failure is to be fully aware of the present moment without judgment or shame. Accepting failure is the best way to accept you a little more each day. There is a difference, however, between accepting failure and

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reconciling yourself to it. You dont have to settle for failure, but by accepting failure when it happens, you are providing some needed grace and self-care. You are accepting yourself as being appropriately, and significantly, human. Asking for help

When we fail, we are not alone. Everybody fails. Because of this fact, we are eager to help others. We understand the feeling all too well. Our capacity to show compassion is a gift we dont just give to the recipient, but we give to ourselves, too. Compassion provides a measure of comfort and hope. Everyone is invited to receive it. The next time you fall short of a goal or when a situation does not turn out as expected, understand there are others who understand exactly how you feel. Reach out to these people. Ask for help and then receive the love and support you deserve. III. METHODOLOGY Research Design This research study conducted by Fourth Year Chemical Engineering students is a descriptive type of research design and falls under Quantitative Descriptive Research. Descriptive research can be either quantitative or qualitative. It can involve collections of quantitative information that can be tabulated along a continuum in numerical form, such as scores on a test or the number of times a person chooses to use a-certain feature of a multimedia program, or it can describe categories of information such as gender or patterns of interaction when using technology in a group situation. Descriptive research involves gathering data that describe events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts, and

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describes the data collection (Glass & Hopkins, 1984). It often uses visual aids such as graphs and charts to aid the reader in understanding the data distribution. Because the human mind cannot extract the full import of a large mass of raw data, descriptive statistics are very important in reducing the data to manageable form. When in-depth, narrative descriptions of small numbers of cases are involved, the research uses description as a tool to organize data into patterns that emerge during analysis. Those patterns aid the mind in comprehending a qualitative study and its implications. Most quantitative research falls into two areas: studies that describe events and studies aimed at discovering inferences or causal relationships. Descriptive studies are aimed at finding out "what is," so observational and survey methods are frequently used to collect descriptive data (Borg & Gall, 1989). Data Gathering Instrument This study used questionnaire as its data gathering instrument. The respondents will be asked to answer them freely and to the best of their knowledge. Questionnaires were chosen by the researchers because its more convenient, cheaper and more appropriate in having a large population. The researchers also considered the time availability of the respondents thus, requiring a short-time way of gathering the needed data from them. Under is the questionnaire constructed by the researchers for the respondents to answer.

EFFECTS OF IRREGULAR ACADEMIC STATUS TO THE PERFORMANCE OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS IN PLM I. Personal Information

Name (optional):____________________ Course/Year/Block: _________________

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Gender: ________ S.Y. Failed: __________ No. of Subjects Failed: ___________ II. Effects of Irregular Academic Status to Engineering Students

Put a check on the box that corresponds to your answer. A. Immediate Effects After failing, have you thought doing any of the following: Yes Suicide Shift course Drop out of school Transfer school No

B. Emotional Effects After failing, did you feel: Yes Sad Angry Challenged Happy Relieved Depressed No

C. Long-Term Effects After failing, did you do any of the following:

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Yes Spend more time studying Avoid/Lessen social media network Quit vices Break up with girlfriend/boyfriend Quit/Lessen extra-curricular activities Become more spiritually active Improve time management No change, same old me

No

Choose the items or opinions that would best answer the question and write a check mark on the space before each option. You may have more than one choice. D. Probable Cause of Failing Why do you think you failed? I failed because I spend less time in studying. Im addicted to Facebook or twitter or other social networking sites. I spend more time with my gf/bf. I got busy on my extracurricular activities. I failed because of a Family problem.

Others (Please specify): _______________________________________________________

E. Shifting to another Engineering Course as an Effect of Failing

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Why did you shift to another engineering course?(If you did not shift to another course, proceed to the next question.) I got kicked out of my previous course. I dont want my time in college to get extended. I dont want that course anymore. This new course is really what I want. I gave up.

Others (Please specify): _______________________________________________________

Why did you still pursue this course in PLM even after failing? This is my dream. My parents want this for me. I have no other choice. I have no money to transfer school.

Others (Please specify): _______________________________________________________

F. Effects of Failing to the Students Grades Did your grades improved after failing? Yes. Definitely! Yes. Just a little. No. Just the same. No. It got worse. Still failing.

Others (Please specify): _______________________________________________________

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If youre answer to the previous question is yes, what did you do to improve your grades? (If youre answer is no, proceed to the next question.) I got motivated and challenged. I should never fail again! I have more time to study now, because of irregular load I spend less time doing unnecessary things (internet, games, socializing) I quit my extracurricular activities and focus on my studies. (sports, groups, orgs)

Others (Please specify): _______________________________________________________

Sample and Sampling Technique The sample will be chosen from the total population of Forth year and Fifth year irregular(paying or non-paying) Engineering students of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Specifically, these students must be taking up Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and Mechanical Engineering as what the University offers under the field of Engineering courses. Irregular is the termed academic status for students that failed one or more subject/s. The table below shows the summary of irregular students from each year level and block. Course Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Electronics Engineering Manufacturing Engineering 14 11 No. of Irregular Students 29 33

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Mechanical Engineering

4+ TOTAL: 81

In line with this, sample from the whole population much be acquired. Slovins formula is used by the researchers in getting this. Since our research drew on the quantitative research design, it is ideal to use probability sampling technique, because it allows us to form generalizations from our sample of engineering students to all the third year and fourth year engineering students. And the appropriate choice of probability sampling technique would be the random sampling without replacement, since this would give all the elements of the population the same probability of being chosen to belong to our sample.

Where in; P= sample size N= total no. of population e= margin of error

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