Mataasnakahoy Senior High School

Bayorbor, Mataasnakahoy, Batangas

Effects of Lack of Internet Access in the Academic Performance of STEM

Students

A Research Paper Presented to the Faculty of:

Mataasnakahoy Senior High School

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the:

Grade 12 Senior High School In
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

By:
Umali, Rodolfo Jr. K.
Acar, Jerome
De Ocampo, Jayvee
Katigbak, Kent Jym
Lubi, John Lexter
Pigao, Ricardo
Salazar, Raineir
Sayas, Joice Ann

February 2018

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Background of the Study

Before the internet came into existence, it takes a long period of time to

communicate to someone else. Sending messages leaves with only two options

which are either through phone call or mailing. There were also times that people

need to physically go to various places just to keep track to their business. But

time changes so fast and internet has revolutionized everything. Nowadays,

millennial, as well as any average individual can enjoy the benefits of internet

connection without leaving their houses. As the humanity entered 21 st century,

these changes just came our way and continues to make things more possible. It

is therefore undeniable that the technological world has invaded the lifestyle of

every human being around the planet.

In the latest internet usage statistics, as of June 2017, the world’s total

number of internet users increased by 22% compared to the total number of

internet users in the year 2010. After seven years, half of the world’s population

is totally engaged with the subsisting internet access. This indicates that internet

has somehow become part of people’s wants and necessities. It is also related to

the study of Louge (2006) that computer access and use among adolescents and

other ages have grown considerably over the past decades.

At present, the internet has also been very essential for the students

specifically those who were under the K-12 curriculum as it serve as a way for

them most especially those in public school to easily acquire information they
need knowing the fact that many educational institutions are not yet able to

provide every teaching and facility that the student need.

However, despite of all the benefits of the internet, it is unfortunately not

affordable for many. This problem has been main focus of this study with an

objective of determining the effects of lack of internet access in the academic

performance of STEM students in their E-TECH subject. After conducting the

present research, it will provide solutions that may help the students to excel

academically.

Statement of the Problem

1. What are the teaching materials that can be used in learning

Empowerment Technology?

2. What are the effects of lack of internet access in the academic

performance of STEM students in MSHS?

3. How does the effects of lack of internet access affects the academic

performance of STEM students in their Empowerment Technology

subject?

4. Based on the study, what is the possible solution that may resolve the

problem?
Significance of the Study

The findings of the study may benefit the following:

STEM STUDENTS. This research may help them to find alternative

solutions in terms of lack of internet access that could improve their academic

performance in Empowerment Technology.

TEACHERS. It could help them understand fully the situation of the

students due to lack of internet access and find ways that can help the students

excel academically.

CURRICULUM PLANNER. They will be guided in the revision,

enrichment, and modification of the curriculum to meet the needs of the

students.

FUTURE RESEARCHERS. They may find this material a good source of

information. Thus, this study could serve as their basis.

Assumption of the Study

Over the large number of population in the Philippines, many families have

their own internet access at home. This serve as their link to have a faster

communication with their relatives far from them. but other than communicating

with family it also helps them to have more information about a certain topic.

Internet becomes their reliable source of information that may help to broad their
knowledge. This internet mostly benefits the students because it provides

information that may help and related to their studies. Due to this free wide

access, the number of source of facts around the world it is said that it increases

the learning of every student. Through internet access the students are more

knowledgeable and aware of what are the happening around them. also it is said

that this is the reason why the students excel academically.

On the contrary, this research focuses on lack of internet access which

affects the academic performance of the students. It assumed that having no

internet access personally is one of the reasons why some of the students have

lower performance at school compared to the students who their own internet

access at home. Also, it assumed that if the students or the respondents will

answer the questionnaire honestly, the number of students with internet access

will generate a lower number compared to the students who don’t have personal

internet access.

Scope, Limitation and Delimitation

This study will conducted at Mataasnakahoy Senior High School and

covers only the 66 enrolled students of Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics strand for the school year 2017-2018 from grade 11 to grade 12

between the ages 16-19. The range of the study is from 2017-2018.
 This study will be limited only to assess the effects of lack of internet

access in the academic performance of STEM students in their Empowerment

Technology subject for the first semester.

Definition of Terms

Internet access. The Internet is a massive, computer-linked network system

used globally to access and convey information, either by personal or business

computer users; it is also used for communication, research, entertainment,

education and business transactions (Schneider, et al. 2006). In this study it is

used as the wide global source of information of most of the STEM students who

have internet access at home.

Academic performance. Academic achievement among students generally

equates to the effort expended, and is related to intellectual and environmental

factors. Habits acquired at an early age such as an interest in reading, or a lack

of resources with which to develop elementary capabilities such as verbal

comprehension and production are also an influence (Lucas, 1998). In this study

the term academic performance refers to the reflection of all the activities and

results of exam of a specific student.

STEM Students. This term refers to the people or individual who spend most of

their time at school who choose to study Science, Technology, Engineering and

mathematics and doing their responsibilities as a student (Galang 2004).In this

study this term is used as the respondents of the study which are said to be the

students with and without personal internet access at home.

STEM. This term refers to the strand that is part of the K-12 curriculum which

deals with Science, Technology, engineering and mathematics.

 Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

This chapter contains all the related literature of the study and the

conceptual framework.

Through the years, changes come along our ways which really affect

every one of us, different inventions and creations that brought advantages and

disadvantages in terms of living. But nowadays, the most usable creation that is

ever made and used by the most of the people around the world is internet

access. The existing of the said inventions makes more things possible.

Conceptual Literature

The Internet plays a profound role in the field of education. The

academic community has undergone profound transformation during these

years, assuming new dimensions influenced by technology-driven applications.

The Internet is a priceless source of information for students and a tool to

enhance their productivity (Metzger, Flanagin & Zwarun 2003). This has made

students to be heavy users of the Internet compared to the general public ( Ni,

Yan, Chen, & Liu, (2009).

According to Jones (2002), 86% of university students in America are

Internet users compared to only 59% of the general American population. The

internet provides an array of powerful tools that may help in transforming the

present isolated teacher-centered and text-book bound classrooms into rich,

students focused, interactive knowledge environment. The Internet was

described as a ‘sea of information’, containing texts which are not housed

between library and bookshop walls and subject areas span across all fields of

knowledge. Suhail and Bargees (2006) also reported some benefits of the

internet access for college students. They indicated that the internet usage

impacts education in a positive way by increasing communication with

classmates and professors, increasing access to libraries and educational

databases, and improving study hours and study habits. Despite the positive

impact of the internet on academic performance, research findings have shown

that excessive internet usage adversely affects one’s physical health, family life

and academic performance (Akhter, 2013). Academic related problems includes

decline in study habits, drastic drop in grades, missing classes and poor

integration in extracurricular activities.

Moreover, searchers and academicians have been debating about the

students’ academic performance being influenced both positively and negatively

with the increasing internet usage (Englander, Terregrossa & Wang, 2010).

Present scenario shows that the number of students accessing internet multiplies

every year. Hence if the students access the internet for academic purposes

student’s academic performance will be enhanced (Brown, Ellore & Niranjan,

2014).

In line with the previous literatures, several reasons might lead technology

to assist or impair human capital attainment by students. Youths may employ the

Internet in educational matters such as writing papers, searches for answers to

questions and communicating with classmates on homework. Within the past

decade, the Internet and WWW use have increased substantially – for example,

according to Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys, the percentage of U.

S. online users has increased from 40-45% in March 2000 to nearly 80% in April

2009 (Pew Internet & American Life Project Surveys, 2009). Recent expansion of

adolescent use of the Internet is the result of an ongoing shift in adolescents’

daily behavior patterns. The majority of adolescents from a sample in one study

compared their online behaviors to the phenomenon of placing telephone calls,

which are typically mundane, the purposes for which are both social and

nonsocial (Gross, 2004).

In a conceptual context, we tacitly assume that students utilize the Internet

for both academic and non-academic purposes, with the most intense users

(which is described in the Data section) spending the most time in non-academic

pursuits (e.g. Facebook, downloading music). And our general modeling

framework is one of optimization, where there are both educational benefits and

costs to the Internet, and where the primary benefit of Internet use is increased

human capital accumulation as evidenced by higher grades. At a basic level,

Internet use denotes a certain amount of technical savvy which emanates from a

student actually learning a new skill – this alone can translate into higher grades.

Benefits derived from Internet use usually come about at significant costs,

including deployment of the required infrastructure for providing Internet access

to students (which this study does not directly address) as well as monetary and
time costs devoted to the Internet that detract from educational achievement

(Angrist and Lavy, 2002).

Most people agreed that the advantages of the Internet as healthy

productive activities such as students can catch up the opportunity by surfing

web-sites, engaging in chat-room, excellent tool for the research and watching

video related to their studies (Young, 2000). However, many students fall behind

in their studies due to excessive investments in online relationships, which are

called internet addiction (Hansen, 2002). According to the survey conducted in

2009 by American College Health Association-National College Health

Assessment (ACHA-NCHA), college students ranked the Internet use in the

“Health Impediments to Learning”. 19.7% of the college students reported that

their internet use had negative impacts on their previous-year academic results

(ACHA-NCHA, 2009). Consequently, students encountered obstacles in their

studies, sleep (Anderson, 2001; Nalwa and Anand, 2003), and completing their

assignments as well. This problem can also influence their academic

performance indirectly.

Many studies have claimed that people may use the Internet addictively

and that this can cause harmful effects on individuals, academic problems,

changing their social behavior, habits and abilities in a negative way (Young,

2000; Scherer, 2000; Kraut et al., 2002; Kubey et al., 2001; Nalwa & Anand,

2003). In spite of the fact that the Internet could contribute a lot to students’

learning, it is vital to scrutinize students’ internet use trend for early care taking.

Due to the mentioned consequences the effect of students’ internet usage on

their academic performance need to be addressed. Moreover, the controversy

over whether technology actually improves student learning is one that stirs

debate and motivates research. The articles reported in the economics literature

have been limited both in quantity and scope with methods and results varying

across studies. The literature has focused primarily on the impact of technologies

in general on student learning; few studies have examined the direct link

between educational outcomes such as GPA and Internet use.

The important effect that needs to be investigated in this study is whether

internet addiction will affect the academic performance of students. Previous

studies on internet use of teenagers have been inclined to concentrate on

Internet addiction (Son, 2003). Various studies have reported that internet usage

has a negative impact on students‟ academic performance. Jeong (2005)

examined the difference in academic performance of elementary school students

by Internet use. On the basis of the existing literature it was hypothesized that

internet addiction would have negative impact on academic performance of the

university students.

Research Literature

Students are the key assets of universities. The students’ performance

plays an important role in producing best quality graduates who will become

great leaders and manpower for the country thus responsible for the country’s

economic and social development. Academic achievement is one of the major

factors considered by employers in hiring workers especially for the fresh

graduates. Thus, students have to put the greatest effort in their study to obtain

good grades and to prepare themselves for future opportunities in their career at

the same time to fulfill the employer’s demand.

A non-profit organization- EDUCAUSE (located in Colorado, USA)

conducted a survey in 2011 gathering 3000 college undergraduate students from

1179 US colleges and universities Young (2006) conducted a research on the

‘Effect of the Internet and Social capital on Academic performance in Korea.’ The

result showed that only the students with better academic grades spent more

time on the Internet than others. Also more than a half of the survey respondents

considered the Internet the most important information source for widespread

knowledge, wisdom, and entertainment. Suhail and Bargees (2006) indicated

that academic oriented internet usage impacts education in a positive way by

increasing communication with classmates and professors, providing easy

access to libraries and educational databases, and improving study hours and

study habits. Also, the internet is an essential part of learning for almost every

college student in United States. They are benefited by internet specifically while

conducting research, seeking new ideas and communicating with their resource

guides and friends (Jones, Johnson-Yale, Perez & Schuler, 2007).

According to a survey conducted by Matthews and Schrum (2003) at a

large public university in southeast of United States, study showed a significant

positive correlation between grade performance and perception of the Internet as

a useful academic tool. Cheng and Huang (2005), conducted a survey at a major
University, they found that using the Internet significantly correlates with the

students insight of learning as well as their job prospects.

Base on the study of Cameroon researcher Mbah (2010) students from

the University of Buea are of the view that internet have a positive impact on their

study habits, although 90% of male students support this view with regard to 73%

of female students. Data reveals that University students daily use internet to

support their studies. As such study habits are basically improving because of

wide use of the internet, hypertext, and multimedia resources (Mbah, 2010). In

the context of developing countries, Okello-Obura and Magara (2008)

investigated electronic information access and utilization at the East African

School of Library and Information Science, Makerere University, Uganda. Out of

250 targeted students, 190 responded, giving a response rate of 76%. The study

revealed that users derived a lot of benefits from academic oriented internet

usage (electronic resources) gaining access to a wider range of information and

enhanced academic performance as a result of access to quality information.

Just as computers are about to replace books (some would argue this has

already happened) as our main source of information globally, computers will

come to occupy the central position in education once occupied by books. The

Internet was initially developed by the US Defense Department and was at one

time only popular within the research community. Its ability to share information

across organizations and to interact with people at low cost has gradually enticed

other sectors to explore its use. Today, the Internet has an impact on every facet

of our life including business operation, education, communication,

entertainment, social activity, shopping, and so on. Many universities around the

world are expanding their investment in information technology (IT), and

specifically the Internet, and are actively promoting Internet use. From a

student’s perspective, learning using online tools is multidimensional. It may

entail a multitude of variables such as prior student knowledge of IT, experience

in its usage, perceptions of IT usage, computer competencies, and background

demographics.

The Internet is one of the greatest recent advancement in the world of

information technology and has become a useful instrument that has fostered the

process of making the world a global village. It provides several opportunities for

the academia. It is a mechanism for information dissemination and a medium for

collaborative interaction between individuals and their computers without regard

for geographic limitation of space. The word Internet is derived from two words:

“international” and “network”. It therefore can be defined as an international

computer network of information available to the public through modem links so

internet is a worldwide system of linked computers networks. It is the world’s

largest and most widely used network. It is an international network of networks

that is a collection of hundreds of thousands of private and public networks all

over the world. There are rich and varied learning experiences available on the

Internet that would have been inconceivable just a short while ago. It has a range

of capabilities that organizations are using to exchange information internally or

to communicate externally with other organizations. The primary infrastructure for

e-commerce, e-banking, e-business, e-learning and virtual library is provided by

the Internet technology. The Internet provides several opportunities for all

academia, business organizations, the employed and the unemployed, the young

and the old. The Internet is a ‘live’ constantly ‘moving’, theoretically borderless,

potentially infinite space for the production and circulation of information. The

Internet might thus be described as a ‘sea of information’, containing texts which

are not housed between library and bookshop walls and subject areas span

across all fields of knowledge. The Internet can be used for other things besides

email. One can listen to international radio station on research and education on

the Internet, read national dailies of other countries, and talks to friends around

the global, read books and other materials on the Internet. The list of things that

can be done on the Internet is a very long one. The Internet contains more

information than the world’s largest libraries with access to the Internet one can

retrieve information from the world’s largest information database.

Since the mid-1990s, the Internet has experienced unprecedented growth

in both its size and number of users around the world (Rotsztein,

2003).According to UN-APCICT (2009), in year 2008, 56.45% of the Malaysia

residents were internet users, whilst 23.41% of Malaysian had computers.

Following the expansion of internet services in the country and the growth of

internet users, there is a prominent trend on the change of the average hours of

internet use per week. The number of users using the Internet less than 4 hours

a week is declined to 34.9% from 2005 to 2008, while the number of user using
the Internet more than 28 hours a week gradually increased to 79.8% (Malaysian

Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), 2005; 2008).

In line with this, Kuh and Hu (2001) suggested that using the internet has

a strong relationship with an overall measure of student’s engagement. In a study

of “best wired campuses” (institutions that have made large investments in

technology), students reported slightly more frequent contacts with faculty and

participated more in active learning activities compare with their counterparts

attending less wired campuses. The results pointed out to a positive link between

information technology and engagement in effective educational practices. Kuh

(2001) in their study of use of data of the National Survey of Students’

Engagement (NSSE) in Indiana University Bloomington to investigate the

relationship between students use of the internet and other forms of students

engagement, found a strong positive relationship between using the internet for

educational practices such as active and collaborative learning and student

faculty interaction. When students used the internet, their opportunities for other

types of engagement increased. Adegboji and Toyo (2006) in their study on the

impact of internet on research reported that internet contributed significantly to

the ease of research through downloading materials. It is commonly believed that

researchers and students in higher education institutions are battling the problem

of inadequate and out-of-date materials. One of the ways to pursue knowledge is

through research and the internet is having a profound impact on the research

process and dissemination of information. Aseni (2016) showed that all

respondents were using the internet frequently because all faculties were well
equipped with internet services. It was revealed that the researchers of the

university were getting quality information through the internet. Fifty-five percent

of respondents searched for scientific information through the internet because

the university library has provided access to various data bases and online

journals for all the students and staff.

Other studies show that the use of technology has a positive effect on

certain cognitive areas such as the development of spatial skills and memory,

and improved reading, writing and information processing skills, but this does not

necessarily lead to better academic achievement. Heyam (2014) carried out a

meta-analysis of the use of technology, in particular social networks, with regard

to student performance, and drew two conclusions: technology and social

networks facilitate communication, socialization, coordination, collaboration and

entertainment.

Other studies have found relations between the use of technology and

factors associated to academic achievement, one such being Gil-Flores (2009)

who saw a significant link between computer usage and educational success.

This study found that high school students who use a computer at home more

often scored higher marks in math and languages. Although Internet was not a

determining factor, it at least establishes a relation between the variables.

In line with this, close to 245 million people use Internet in United States,

ranking among top ten countries in the world with highest Internet usage. Studies

have shown that more than 90 percent of college students in United States use
Internet actively, this accounts for approximately 20 million college students

(National Center for Education Statistics). Internet has become an integral part of

almost every college student, while a large fraction of college students think that

the Internet is extremely beneficial to their education, specifically conducting

research and communicating with their peers and faculty (Jones et al., 2007), a

small proportion of college students seem to experience academic problems as a

result of excessive use of the Internet (Anderson, 2001). According to the

Internet World Stats 2012, the number of Facebook users in the United States

roughly equal to 166 million (53 percent of United States population). The

amount of Facebook usage in the United States clearly provides evidence that,

one of the most commonly used purposes of the Internet is social network

websites, like Facebook and a growing other social network websites including

Twitter, MySpace, and Linkedin etc. Educators and parents of college students

are often interested in knowing the effects of online social network on their

academic performance, student development, and success (Abramson, 2011).

Research shows that Facebook is the most popular social media website.

Approximately 85 percent to 99 percent of the college students use Facebook

(Hargittai, 2007). This raises an important question about the nature of influence

Facebook usage has on academic performance of college students. A recent

survey conducted by EDUCAUSE (a non-profit organization located in Colorado,

USA) in 2011 which included 3,000 college undergraduate students from 1, 179

colleges and universities has shown that students juggle between personal and

academic interactions and learn more in online class environment (Dahlstrom et

al., 2011). While we know that a high percentage of college students use

Facebook, its use may not be the only factor that influences student’s academic

performance. Other uses of the Internet like online streaming media usage will

potentially influence a student’s academic performance (Coyne et al. 2013). The

proportion of time a college student will spend on online media (like

entertainment, music, gaming etc.) for education compared to non-education

could significantly determine the success of a student.

Another study involving high school students (Ndege & al., 2015) indicates

the positive effects of technology in boosting the potential for communication and

interaction, as well as the downside, which is that time is often wasted, leading to

less time spent on academic activities. Mishra (2014) carried out a study of

university students that analyzed the relation between the average of student

scores and the time spent searching on Internet. The results revealed a

significant negative relation in that the more time spent online, the lower the

average mark. They also found a significant positive relation between the

perception of the time students thought they needed to spend on sites with

academic information and the average mark. Türel and Toraman (2015) found

that men tend to spend more time online than women. They also concluded that

as the average mark considered to be a good pass rose, so Internet addiction

declined. So, the control should center on students who use Internet more than

three hours a day. Lepp (2015) measured the impact of cell phone use on the

average marks scored by university students, and found that the greater the cell

phone use, the lower the average. Chen & Fu (2009) concluded that online
information searching improved exam results. Other studies in Pakistan found

that Internet use had a positive effect on marks, and improved reading, writing

and information processing skills (Suhail & Bargees, 2006). Computer resources

such as games had a positive effect on spatial skills and memory, as well as

developing visual and auditory capacities, thus stimulating overall student

development ( Subrahmanyam 2001). One recurring element in the studies is the

relation between academic achievement and home computer access. On the

other hand, no link has been established between academic achievement and

computer use at the educational center (Gil-Flores, 2009). Other studies show

that students who search out information online get better marks because they

have access to more data sources and are thus better informed on the subject

(Leung & Lee, 2012). This fits with Kupczynski (2011) who studied the behavior

of students in Internet courses, finding that the most active (higher number of

online sessions) had greater educational success. Castaño (2011) highlighted

the benefits of student interaction for academic achievement, with the benefits

accruing more too online students than to those who physically attended classes.

Many believe that internet use can have positive benefits on educational

achievement while others conclude that this outcome is not so obvious (Chen &

Fu, 2009; Gil-Flores, 2009; Hunley & et al., 2005; Luaran & al., 2011; Raines,

2012; Suhail & Bargees, 2006). The variables used to measure the influence of

Internet use on academic success include student online activity for task

completion, time spent on the Internet, and access to a computer and Internet

connection at home. However, no firm conclusions are drawn on the issue since
results from other studies performed under similar conditions have been

contradictory (Antonijevic, 2007; Azizi, 2014; Ellore & al., 2014; Junco, 2015).

On the contrary, with the easy access to the Internet for a vast majority of

students on campus, the Internet is not only used by students for visiting social

network websites, but students use it for a wide variety of purposes which can be

broadly categorized into media used for education and non-education purposes.

Online media used of education purposes include students utilizing their online

time to improve their knowledge relevant to the academic interests, for example,

online homework manager, watching news and videos related to the student’s

academic courses, watching online lectures etc. The online media used for non-

education purposes are usually related to entertainment, for example, watching

movies online, listening to music online, online gaming, and watching television

channels via the Internet etc (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011).

Recent and past studies have shown negative association between

academic outcomes and the use of electronic media (includes offline and online

media usage), students would perform poorly with increased use of the electronic

media (Fox et al., 2009). Not much research has been done specifically

addressing the online media for education and non-education usage, existing

studies focuses mainly on measuring the amount of time spent on the use of the

electronic media (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011). In this research, the focus is

specifically on the amount of Time College students spend on the online media

for education and non-education usage, and its influence on academic

performance.
 Even though most people agreed that the advantages of the Internet as

healthy productive activities such as students can catch up the opportunity by

surfing web-sites, engaging in chat-room, excellent tool for the research and so

on. However, many students fall behind in their studies due to excessive

investments in online relationships, which are called internet addiction (Hardie

and Tee 2007). According to the survey conducted in 2009 by American

College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-

NCHA), college students ranked the Internet use in the “Health Impediments to

Learning”. 19.7% of the college students reported that their internet use had

negative impacts on their previous-year academic results (ACHA-NCHA, 2009).

Consequently, students encountered obstacles in their studies, sleep (Anderson,

2001; Nalwa and Anand, 2003), and completing their assignments as well. This

problem can also influence their academic performance indirectly. Many

studies have claimed that people may use the Internet addictively and that this

can cause harmful effects on individuals, academic problems, changing their

social behavior, habits and abilities in a negative way (Young, 1996; Scherer,

1997; Kraut et al., 2002; Kubey et al., 2001; Nalwa&Anand, 2003). In spite of

the fact that the Internet could contribute a lot to students’ learning, it is vital to

scrutinize students’ internet use trend for early care taking. Due to the

mentioned consequences the effect of students’ internet usage on their

academic performance need to be addressed. Hence, the purpose of this study

is to focus on the foreign undergraduate students’ internet use in UTM, and its

impacts on academic performance.

 In line with this, Graetz (2005) conducted a study on socio-economic

status of the parents of students and concluded that the socio economic

background has a great impact on student’s academic performance. It has been

main source of educational imbalance among students and students’ academic

success. Considine and Zappala (2002) also having the same views as Graetz

(2005). In their study on the influence of social and economic disadvantage in the

academic performance of school students noticed, they have stated that parents

or guardians who have social, educational and economic advantage definitely

strengthen the level of their child’s success in future.

While we know that a high percentage of college students use Facebook,

its use may not be the only factor that influences student’s academic

performance. Other uses of the Internet like online streaming media usage will

potentially influence a student’s academic performance (Coyne et al., 2013). The

proportion of time a college student will spend on online media (like

entertainment, music, gaming etc.) for education compared to non-education

could significantly determine the success of a student. Ellore, Niranjan & Brown

165 Research has also found differences in the use of the Internet and adoption

of technology along gender, racial and socioeconomic lines, this is referred to as

digital divide (Salter, 2010). Several studies in psychology have found that

increased time spent on the Internet can lead to negative impact on a person’s

ability to communicate appropriately face-to-face with friends, peers, family

members including parents (Pierce, 2009). Although limited studies have focused

on college students, none have looked at specific details like the influence of
online media for education and non-education on face-to-face communication

skills.

In terms of the effects of internet use on academic achievement, several

issues have been highlighted. For example, the study have pointed out that

students were used the internet excessively were found to stay up late at night,

which led them to feel tired at class the next day, or missed classes.

Nonetheless, they found that this behavior does not necessarily impair the

students’ academic achievement, even though they may have detrimental effects

on the learning processes. Kubey, Lavin, and Barrows’ (2001) study was

corroborated by Anderson (2001), where the sample who used internet

excessively perceived their academic work, social behavior, and sleep patterns

as being negatively affected. These students who reported an excessive use of

internet typically spent three consecutive hours on the internet, with only four

hours spent on resting and sleeping. Students who excessively use the internet

to support social networking have also reported a negative on their academic

performance. Kirschner and Karpinski (2010) found that Facebook users and

Facebook nonusers who reported a similar amount of time for Internet use were

differentiated in terms of how often they logged into Facebook. Facebook users

were found to have a lower mean GPA, and fewer hours studying per week.

Some of the Facebook users were also found to report that Facebook activities

distract them from their educational endeavors, even though they realized that

their education is supposed to be their priority. Another detrimental effect of the

internet is the use of it while in class, studying, or doing homework. These

behaviors were found to negatively affect the learning experience (Jacobsen &

Forste, 2011). Controlled internet users, on the other hand, seemed to have

better relationships with others, better academic grades, and a higher level of

academic satisfaction. On the contrary, heavy internet users are found to be

more likely to get depressed, physically-ill, lonely, and introverted. Heavy internet

users, though, were found to have a difficult time in their learning, but not

necessarily in terms of their academic achievements (Chen & Peng, 2008).

Nonetheless, the internet is not necessarily bad for students. Internet tools such

as social media were found to enhance and facilitate offline social interaction

(Jacobsen & Forste, 2011). Moreover, students who used internet purposefully to

support and enhance their learning reported a higher academic achievement.

These students frequented websites which offered subject practice. Another

approach to learning on the Internet is the availability of constructive activities,

such as publishing or programming (Lei & Zhao, 2007).

Aside from considering internet use as a determining variable, there are

other variables that may glean other types of effects. Variables such as gender,

age, learning approaches and strategies are variables which may have a bearing

on use and perception (Hoskins & Hooff, 2005). For example, internet use may

differ according to gender and culture. It has been reported that British women

were more likely to view the Internet and online tools as a means for learning,

compared to their male counterparts, who perceived the Internet as a tool for

person l use. The study also highlighted the similar perceptions cross-culturally.

For instance, British and Chinese women underestimated their ability to use
computers and the Internet. The women sample was also found to be more

willing to disclose difficulties they had when using the computer or the Internet (Li

& Kirkup, 2007). Socio-economic status may be an important variable as well.

Jackson, et al. (2006) found that low-income students who were given internet

access improved in terms of their academic achievement. The reason being the

sample was more conscientious about using a privilege that they would not be

able to afford on their own.

 Conceptual framework

Input Process Output

Teaching materials
used in learning
Empowerment
Technology
A proposal of
educational wireless
Effects of lack of Conducted a survey connection for those
internet access in and distribution of students in school
the academic questionnaires to be that do not have the
performance of answer by the
ability to connect to
STEM respondents
internet for
Students in educational
E-TECH Subject purposes.

Results of how the

effects of lack of
internet access affects
the academic
performance of STEM
students

Figure 1

Paradigm of the Research Study

 The conceptual framework is done to discover the effects of lack of

internet access in the academic performance of STEM students in E-ETECH

subject. This paradigm shows the relationship between the input, process, and

output.

The input contains the teaching materials used in learning Empowerment

Technology. Also the effects of lack of internet access in the academic

performance of STEM students in their E-TECH subject and how the effects of

lack of internet access affects the academic performance of STEM students. The

process shows the way in which the researchers conducted a survey through

giving of questionnaire to the respondents. The output as a result will generalize

the main goal of the research study that the researchers aimed for.
 Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

Under this section, this chapter presents description of the research

design, data collection, the respondents, research instruments, and data

gathering procedure.

Research Design

In order to have an overview of the Effects of lack of internet access in

academic performance of STEM students, a qualitative approach through giving

of questionnaire to the respondents was used.

As descriptive study, the researcher gathered information and data to give

emphasize to the issue of effects of lack of internet access in the academic

performance of students. It described the area of interest adequately. In line with

the qualitative method, a questionnaire is presented and serves as the

instrument of the study. The chosen respondents are given ample time to answer

the set of questions.

In this study, the researcher enables to formulate the generalizations of

the study through the guide of the answers of each participant.

Subject of the Study

This study have respondents directly from the chosen students of STEM 11

and STEM 12 students introduced to the use of internet access in teaching

Empowerment Technology connected with their academic performance. All of the

participants will the respondents of the study.

Herein, the respondents is given time to answer the survey questionnaire.

Total number of
Section students Number of respondents

29 29
STEM 12

STEM 11 36 36

TOTAL 65 65

Description of Research Instrument

In the collection of data, this study provided questionnaire with set of

questions that are answered by the respondents. The questionnaires consist of

set of specific questions that determined the effects of lack of internet access in

the academic performance of STEM students in their Empowerment Technology

subject.

Data Gathering Procedure

 The researchers have a direct contact with the respondents and personally

administered the research instruments. Also the discussion of the importance of

the study and accomplished the distribution of the instruments properly.

The respondents have free time to answer the given form and to avoid them

to provide unnecessary answer. Before the researchers started the survey they

first oriented the students for the survey to be organized. The researcher

conducted a room to room survey on gathering the answered questionnaires.

The researcher assures that the time they consume is the free time of the

respondents.

All the collected results were being interpreted by the researcher. The data

will be the basis or the analysis of the stud for it to be successfully done.

Data Treatment

After all the data are being gathered, the researchers tally all the answers

of the respondents. All the information gathered after answering the

questionnaire was computed and interpreted using the following formulas:

1. Frequency and Percentage Distribution

All the data are interpreted after getting the number of students who

answers the given questionnaire by the researcher and getting the percentage of

the result.

FORMULA:
Wherein:

P = percentage

= total number of students who answer the question

N = total number of respondents

2. ( Weighted Mean)

This formula is used to determine the total numbers of answer per item

over the total the number of respondents.

Formula:

Wherein:

= Weighted mean

= summation of f and x; wherein f is frequency of the answers while

x is the equivalent of every answer which is based on the given legend.

N = total number of answer in every item.

3. Average weighted mean

 This formula is used to show the total number of indication presented in

the study.

Formula:

Wherein:

AWM = Average Weighted Mean

= average number of the result

N = number of indication

Likert’s Scale

This scale is used to determine if there is a significant relationship

between the lack of internet access and the academic performance of the STEM

students. Likert items are used to measure respondent’s attitudes to a particular

question or statement. One must recall that Likert-type data is ordinal data, i.e.

we can only say that one score is higher than another, not the distance between

the points.

Range Indication

3.50-4.00 Strongly Agree

 2.50-3.49 Agree
1.50-2.49 Disagree

1.00-1.49 Strongly Disagree

The researchers used the following statistical tool to make the gathered

data more valid and accurate.

Range. It is used to show the rank of every item which tells the hierarchy of each

item.

Weighted Mean. It is used to know how the respondents agree with the factors

which affect the students’ academic performance in terms of lack of internet

access.

CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

 This chapter presents the result of the study by answering all the

questions found in Chapter I, Statement of the Problem (SOP), left-side heading

is the heading in each problem and the presentation of answers is in textual,

tabular and/or graphical forms.

1. Teaching materials that used by the teachers in teaching the

students Empowerment Technology

In this study the researches know the educational materials that can be

used in learning Empowerment Technology that helps in effective teaching of

the said subject. It also shows how the teaching materials are frequently used

by the teachers in teaching the students Empowerment Technology.

Table 1

Teaching materials used by the teachers in teaching the students

Empowerment Technology
 Weighted
I. Item Indicator Rank
Mean

1. Internet Access 1.44 Never 10

2. Hand-outs/Books 2.86 Often 3
3. Computers 2.28 Sometimes 6
4. Non-electronic visuals 2.56 Often 4
5. Projectors/TV 3.05 Often 2
6. Curriculum Guide 3.53 Always 1
7. Software Applications 2.55 Often 5
8. Educational websites 1.55 Sometimes 9
9. Manila Paper visual aids 1.70 Sometimes 7
10. Flash cards 1.67 Sometimes 8

Sometime
Composite Mean 2.34
s

This Table 1 shows the teaching materials used by the teachers in

teaching the students Empowerment Technology with its weighted mean,

indicator and rank.

Based on the tabulated findings of the survey, it is clear that curriculum

guide ranked as first and has an average weighted mean of 3.53, verbal

interpretation of always. This is an implication that curriculum guide are

always used teaching and learning Empowerment Technology in

Mataasnakahoy Senior High School.

 Next is the item that ranks in second which is the projectors/TV and have

an average weighted mean of 3.05 and verbal interpretation of often used.

This gives an implication that projectors/TV are often used by the teachers in

teaching the students Empowerment Technology.

Third is the item which is hand-outs/books that have an average weighted

mean of 2.86 and have verbal interpretation of often used. This gives an

implication that hand-outs/books are often used by the teachers in teaching

the students Empowerment Technology.

Then the item that ranks as fourth is the non-electronic visuals and have

an average weighted mean of 2.56 and verbal interpretation of often used.

This gives an implication that noon-electronic visual are often used by the

teachers in teaching the students Empowerment Technology.

Fifth is the item which is the software application and have an average

weighted mean of 2.55 and verbal interpretation of often used. This gives an

implication that software applications are often used by the teachers in

teaching the students Empowerment Technology.

Sixth is the item which is computers and have an average weighted mean

of 2.28 and verbal interpretation of sometimes used. This gives an implication

that computers are sometimes used by the teachers in teaching the students

Empowerment Technology.

Next is the item that ranks in seventh which is the manila paper visual aids

and have an average weighted mean of 1.70 and verbal interpretation of

sometimes used. This gives an implication that Manila paper visual aids are
sometimes used by the teachers in teaching the students Empowerment

Technology.

Then the item that ranks in eight is the flash cards and have an average

weighted mean of 1.67 and verbal interpretation of sometimes used. This

gives an implication that flashcards are sometimes used by the teachers in

teaching the students Empowerment Technology.

Ninth is item which is educational websites and have an average weighted

mean of 1.55 and verbal interpretation of sometimes used. This gives an

implication that educational websites are sometimes used by the teachers in

teaching the students Empowerment Technology.

For the item that ranks as the lowest is the internet access and have an

average weighted mean of 1.44 and verbal interpretation of never used. It is

an implication that internet access is never used by the teachers in teaching

the students Empowerment Technology.

 Table 2

Effects of lack of Internet Access in the Academic Performance in STEM

Students in learning E-TECH

II. If there is no internet access at Weighted

Indicator Rank
home Mean

1. I cannot do my homework. 2.68 Agree 9

2. I do not have access in lessons sent 2.93 Agree 7

through messenger.

3. I can’t gather information easily about

Empowerment Technology. 3.15 Agree 1

4. I cannot search for relevant ideas when 3.07 Agree 3

making activities.

5. I cannot watch video tutorial son

Empowerment Technology topics. 2.95 Agree 6

6. I cannot perform well in class during 2.50 Agree 10

discussions compared to those with
internet access.

7. I cannot do advance studying. 2.98 Agree 5

8. I can’t review the lessons that I did not 2.86 Agree 8

understand.

9. I am not updated with the topics on our

online group. 3.06 Agree 4

10. It lessens my inquisitive thinking to learn 3.09 Agree 2

something new.

Agree
Composite Mean 2.93
 This Table 2 shows the effects of lack of internet access in the academic

performance of STEM students in their Empowerment Technology subject. It

contains the weighted mean, verbal interpretation and the rank per item.

As shown in the table, it is clear that the item that rank highest is the item

that states I can’t gather information easily about Empowerment Technology

which have an average weighted mean of 3.15 and verbal interpretation of agree.

According to the study, the academic community has undergone profound

transformation during these years, assuming new dimensions influenced by

technology-driven applications. The Internet is a priceless source of information

for students and a tool to enhance their productivity (Metzger, Flanagin & Zwarun

2003). It is an implication that without the use of internet it limits the resources of

reference of the students.

Likewise, the items it lessens my inquisitive thinking to learn something

new and I cannot search for relevant ideas when making activities are the items

ranked in second and third which have an average weighted mean of 3.09 and

3.07 and both have a verbal interpretation of agree. Based on the study of Jones

(2002), it is said that Internet was described as a ‘sea of information’, containing

texts which are not housed between library and bookshop walls and subject

areas span across all fields of knowledge. It is an implication that access to

internet plays a big role in studying and helps the students to excel in school.

Next is the item that rank in fourth which is the item that states I am not

updated with the topics on our online group and have an average weighted mean
of 3.06 and verbal interpretation of agree. Suhail and Bargees (2006) reported

some benefits of the internet access for college students. They indicated that the

internet usage impacts education in a positive way by increasing communication

with classmates and professors, increasing access to libraries and educational

databases, and improving study hours and study habits. This gives an implication

that internet access is beneficial to a student to help them in their studies.

Then the item ranked in fifth is the item that states I cannot do advance

studying and have an average weighted mean of 2.98 and verbal interpretation of

agree. According to Angrist and Lavy (2002), at a basic level, Internet use

denotes a certain amount of technical savvy which emanates from a student

actually learning a new skill – this alone can translate into higher grades. This is

an implication that internet access is a tool to increase the performance of

students in school.

The item that states I cannot watch video tutorial in Empowerment

Technology topics ranked in sixth that have an average weighted mean of 2.95

and verbal interpretation of agree. Based on a research, most people agreed that

the advantages of the Internet as healthy productive activities such as students

can catch up the opportunity by surfing web-sites, engaging in chat-room,

excellent tool for the research and watching video related to their studies (Young,

2000).

While the items I do not have access in lessons sent through messenger

and I can’t review the lessons that I did not understand ranked in seventh and
eighth and have an average weighted mean of 2.93 and 2.86 that have a verbal

interpretation of agree. The survey showed that students used the internet for

personal use and academic discourse while students also felt that cyber

classrooms empowered students to learn more compared to the conventional

classroom methods (Dahlstrom, Boor, Grunwald &Vockley, 2011). It gives an

implication that access to internet is one of the factors why students perform well

in class and the reason why they got high grades.

The item that states I cannot do my homework ranked in ninth and have

an average weighted mean of 2.68 and verbal interpretation of agree. Acoording

to the study, consequently, students encountered obstacles in their studies,

sleep and completing their assignments as well. This problem can also influence

their academic performance indirectly (Anderson, 2001).

Then the item that ranked as lowest is the item that states I cannot

perform well in class during discussions compared to those with internet access

which have an average weighted mean of 2.50 and verbal interpretation of agree.

Related to a study, another detrimental effect of the internet is the use of it while

in class, studying, or doing homework. These behaviors were found to negatively

affect the learning experience (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011). This gives an

implication that usage of internet should be limited because it might also become

the reason why students’ performance decline.

 Table 3

Effects of lack of Internet Access that affects the Academic

Performance in STEM Students in learning E-TECH

Weighted
III. The effects of lack of internet Mean
access that affects my academic Indicator Rank
performance.

1. I can’t relate to the discussions. 2.62 Agree 2

2. I got low performance in our recitation. 2.52 Agree 4

3. I gained low scores in our quizzes. 2.51 Agree 5

4. I passed my projects beyond the given 2.69 Agree 1

deadline.
2.55 Agree 3
5. I got low performance during practical
activities.
Agree
Composite Mean 2.57

The Table 3 shows how the effects of lack of internet access affect the

academic performance of STEM students in their Empowerment Technology

subject.

It is clear on the results that item that states I passed my projects beyond

the given deadline have the highest average weighted mean of 2.69 and verbal

interpretation of agree. It is an implication that without internet access it affects

the tasks of the students and tends to pass late.

Next are the items ranked in second and third which are the items that

states I can’t relate to the discussions and I got low performance during practical
activities which have an average weighted mean of 2.62 and 2.55 and verbal

interpretation of agree. According to a survey conducted by Matthews and

Schrum (2003) at a large public university in southeast of United States, study

showed a significant positive correlation between grade performance and

perception of the Internet as a useful academic tool. It is an implication that

internet access is an effective tool in learning Empowerment Technology.

Then the item that states I got low performance in our recitation is ranked

in fourth and has an average weighted mean of 2.52 and verbal interpretation of

agree. In contrast to the study, academic related problems includes decline in

study habits, drastic drop in grades, missing classes and poor integration in

extracurricular activities (Akhter, 2013). It is an implication that internet access

should be wisely used to enhance their study habits for them to be able to got

high grades in school.

Last is the item that ranked as the lowest which is the item that states I

gained low scores in our quizzes and have an average weighted mean of 2.51

and verbal interpretation of agree. Controlled internet users, on the other hand,

seemed to have better relationships with others, better academic grades, and a

higher level of academic satisfaction. On the contrary, heavy internet users are

found to be more likely to get depressed, physically-ill, lonely, and introverted.

Heavy internet users, though, were found to have a difficult time in their learning,

but not necessarily in terms of their academic achievements (Chen & Peng,

2008). This gives an implication that internet helps in the academic performance

of students.
 CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary, findings, conclusions, and

recommendations of the study.

Summary of Findings

This study aimed to identify the effects of lack of internet access in the

academic performance of STEM students in their Empowerment Technology

subject, with the end view of presenting the importance of internet access and

how did it helps to improve students’ academic performance.

Specifically, it sought answers for:

1. What are the teaching materials that can be used in learning Empowerment

Technology?

2. What are the effects of lack of internet access to the academic performance

of STEM students in their Empowerment Technology Subject?

3. how does the effects of lack of internet access affects the academic

performance of STEM students in their Empowerment Technology subject?

4. Based on the results of the study, what possible output may resolve the

problem in lack of internet access ?

This study made used of qualitative method to identify the effects of lack

of internet access to the academic performance of STEm students in their

Empowerment Technology subject. The researchers used the population of

Grade 12 STEM and Grade 11 STEM class with total of 65 as participants. The

data are gathered through the use of questionnaires.

Findings

The following were the findings of the study:

1. Teaching materials that are used by the teachers in teaching the

students Empowerment Technology.

Based on the results, 4 teaching are often used includes the hand-

outs/books, non-electronic visuals, projectors/TV, and software application. Also

4 teaching materials are sometimes used consisting of computers, educational

websites, manila paper visual aids, and flash cards. While out of 10 teaching

materials, curriculum guide is the only one which is always used. Then internet

access is the only teaching materials that is never used by the teacher in

teaching Empowerment Technology..

2. Effects of lack of internet access to the academic performance of

STEM students in their Empowerment technology subject.

Based on the findings of the researchers, the item that rank as the highest

is the item that states I can’t gather information easily about Empowerment
 Technology which have an average weighted mean of 3.15. Which give an

implication that internet access is really a sea of information. While the item

that ranked as the least is the item that states that I cannot perform well in

class during discussions compared to those with internet access which have

an average weighted mean of 2.50. in addition all the participants gives a

verbal interpretation of agree to all the statements.

3. Effects of lack of internet access that affects the academic performance

of TSEM students in their Empowerment Technology subject.

Out of the 5 statements given by the researchers to the participants, the

item that states I passed my projects beyond the given deadline have the highest

average weighted mean of 2.69. While the item that ranked as the least is the

item that states I gained low scores in our quizzes and have an average

weighted mean of 2.51. As a summary, all of the participants agree with the

statements on the questionnaire.

4. Proposed Project for the Students

The researchers proposed a project that will help them to have a free

access to internet at school. This project aims to have a free internet access at

school that will be used by the students with regards to their studies. The said

project proposal will benefit every student at MAtaasnakahoy Senior High School

and through this project it will help the students to excel academically.

Conclusions
 Based on the results of the study, the researchers present the following

conclusion:

1. Out of 10 teaching materials, internet access is the only teaching

tool is never used by the teacher in teaching Empowerment

Technology. Since internet helps a lot specially in terms of wide

information.

2. The effects of lack of internet access to the academic performance

of STEM students in their Empowerment Technology are all

experienced by the STEM students in Mataasnakahoy Senior High

School.

3. For the effects of lack of internet access, based on the results it

really affects the academic performance of STEM students that

causes them to attain low grades and low performance at school.

4. The researchers proposed a project about electronic library which

will provide the students needs in terms of information and it will

help them to perform well in their Empowerment Technology

subject.

Recommendations

The researchers recommend to the students, teachers, parents,

curriculum planner and to the other researchers the following:

 For the Department of Education, to raise a fund that will support the

proposed project of the researchers that will provide solution to the lack of

internet access that may use for educational purpose.

For the teachers, help in promoting the project for the students to be more

globally competitive. It is because internet is also a tool for communicating and

mostly used in studying.

For the students, used wisely the internet and used it only with regards to

your study. Because internet can be a tool to excel academically.

For the future researchers, it is recommendable to elaborate more the

effects of lack of internet access to the academic performance of STEM students

in their Empowerment Technology but as a respect to legal owner of the

current research put citation.