STI College Sta.

Maria

CAUSE AND EFFECTS OF TARDINESS ON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

A project
Presented to
The Faculty of STI College Sta. Maria

In partial fulfillment
Of the Requirements on the subject of
Practical Research 1

By:
Salud, Frederick
Yu, Jan Adrian
Delos Santos, Ella Marie

Ms. Ruth Secretario

Project Adviser

March 2018

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CHAPTER 1
Introduction

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1.1 Introduction

Time is like a sword. If you did not cut it, it will cut you. Basically, human beings are the

most difficult to manage. However, some students are late to class on a regular basis, and students

are probably displaying a sort of defiance or impedance. Thus, students are proper to rationalize

excuse, such as, traffic jam, parents care or job responsibilities that prevent them being punctual

attending the class.

Researchers from Hammill Institute on Disabilities found that students who are frequently

late to school often miss out on important opening announcements and academic activities.

Activities that are designed to build connections with their peers, potentially impacting their social

interactions and creating a greater sense of alienation from their classmates. In line with this, tardy

behavior negatively affects the overall classroom environment. Teachers can become frustrated as

late students disrupt instruction, often requiring re-teaching of what they have missed.

In fact, According to Nakpodia and Dafiaghor (2011) The tardiness of a student disturbs

other students and the teacher, distracting the flow and system of the whole class. The tardy student

creates a diversion of attention as he/she walks in late in class and disturbs other students and the

teacher with his/her inquiries about the missed lesson.

The most critical learning hours of a school day are the morning periods (Zeiger, 2010),

specifically 8:05 to 9:30 (Cowan Crier, 2007). These are the times when students are most alert

and attentive, that’s why some schools teach more important lessons and subjects at this time.

Tardy students miss a part of these lessons or could even miss the whole subject period. It could

be worse if the class starts out with a quiz; the student may have lost a considerable part of his/her

grade. What more if there is a major exam scheduled that time? The student may have lost a

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significant amount of time for the exam. The student will be a little fortunate if no sanctions or

charges will be imposed on his/her tardiness.

The school as an institution is also vastly affected. As Nakpodia and Dafiaghor (2011) put

it: “lateness inhibits the process of achieving the goals of the school” . The school cannot serve its

function as well as it should be expected if tardiness among students is prevalent. A school must

provide students with quality education and ensure that students have full access to it. But, students

can’t fully experience this education when they are tardy and absent. ETC (as cited by Nakpodia

and Dafiaghor, 2011) stated that “regular and punctual attendance is of paramount importance in

ensuring that all students have full access to the curriculum…valuable learning time is lost when

students are absent or late” .

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1.2 Background of the Study

Whatever grade a student is from, he/she cannot avoid being late. Whether it’s by traffic,

difficulty in managing one’s schedule, or even lacking the eagerness to go to school. One should

understand that one cannot avoid the consequences of being tardy. Be it in their education or their

productivity. However, some learn by those consequences, others simply don’t care. They allow

their tardiness to become habitual. Some allow themselves to become influenced badly by their

peers. Tardiness seem to become a habit of students.

Tardiness is not much of an issue for students nowadays, to them it seems to be a normal

thing. Due to the fact that some schools seldom get in touch with their students’ punctuality. Not

as often as they do in the absenteeism of students. Because they believe that it is the students’

responsibility to catch up with their missed lessons.

Tardy students present lack of responsibility. Most often when it’s not corrected, the

behavior can accumulate from tolerable to a habitual state. This can become embedded in their

mind pattern until college then later on in their life.

As the school inculcates discipline to have well rounded graduates and individuals, the

researcher had in mind to highlight the virtue of punctuality and why every student should uphold

this behavior.

Being on time is not only a duty for students, but also a part of good manners, respect and

reputation. Thus every student should know how to value their time and ensure that they take every

step to avoid being late.

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 1.3 Statement of the Problem

1.3.1 General Problem

How can this study contribute to the target students’ current performance.

1.3.2 Specific Problem

 What are the effects of being tardy for an SHS student?

This include possible effects on a student’s psychological and physical health.

Furthermore, it also includes the effect on one’s academic performance.

 How to gather adequate information, analyze that information, and use the

interpreted information.

By performing this study, we would be able to collect information that is vital to our

research and to analyze the gathered information to help students in the state of being

late.

 How to lessen the rate of tardy SHS students in STI Sta. Maria?

Finishing and submitting this study can benefit students and teachers. In such a way

that students can change their present actions affecting their performance and help

inform teachers to keep in touch with their students.

 What can the school do about the current tardiness rate of SHS students?

By performing this study, we can inform the school about the ongoing rate of tardy

students. By doing so, the school can take proper and appropriate action to help the

students.

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 How do students’ habits correlate with their tardiness?

Not only external factors, such as traffic, affect one’s tardiness. This also include

psychological factors, such as one’s eagerness to prepare and go to school.

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 1.4 Objective

1.4.1 General Objective

To be able to provide sufficient knowledge in terms of the causes and effects of being

tardy and to be able to apply what has been studied to help contribute to the current state of the

students being tardy.

1.4.2 Specific Objective

 To be able to provide knowledge not only to the targeted students but also to every

student in campus.

Being able to make students knowledgeable towards the effects and consequences of

being tardy. Furthermore, making them knowledgeable to value time.

 To be able to determine the factors that causes the students’ tardiness

By performing this study, we are able to determine and identify the factors, such as

traffic, laziness, and even bullying, that cause a student’s tardiness.

 To inform students of the possible effects and consequences of tardiness.

Having the proper knowledge about the consequences of being tardy, a student can

avoid the foreseen effects thus lessening the tardiness rates inside the campus.

 To be able to provide new ways to lessen the rate of tardiness.

Informing the school about the current rate of tardiness, thereby allowing possible

strict implementation of school rules, and teacher to student consultation.

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 To be able to help students change their habits that might be a factor for their

tardiness.

Apprise students on how such habits can affect them in the long run, especially in

their education.

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1.5 Significance of the Study

This study aims to determine the reasons why students come to school late. It also aims to

determine the corresponding effects of the students’ tardiness. This behavior ultimately contributes

negatively towards a student’s performance in school. In order to change this and help the

identified students, this study will be conducted.

The information gathered will be used to confirm or negate the causes that were stated. The

result of the study can be used to contribute insight in planning and drafting of solutions to the

problem.

1.5.1 Beneficiaries

 For the Students

This study will benefit students in terms of being given the proper knowledge of the effects

of habitual tardiness and how it can affect them in long term periods. Furthermore it can

make the tardy students recalibrate their actions as to avoid being late again.

 For the Teachers

By performing this study, the teachers can be then informed of what causes their students’

tardiness. Possibly making the teachers more considerate or more strict in terms of

tardiness.

 For the Future Researchers

This study can help other future researchers with the same topic as ours to be used as a

pattern or guide for theirs.

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 1.6 Scope and Limitations

1.6.1 Scope

The study will be conducted in STI College Sta. Maria. The respondents are 25 randomly

selected Senior High School students from the said institution. After which, the chosen students

will be given questionnaires regarding one’s possible tardiness and its causes. In addition to the

data collection, interviews will be conducted to the 25 selected Senior High School students.

1.6.2 Limitation

 Tardiness concerned questions will be answered by the respondents’ subjectively. The

attendance of the respondents will not be included in the study.

 The respondents’ grades will not be included in the formulation of the conclusion.

 Throughout the study, all names of the respondents will remain confidential.

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 CHAPTER 2
Review of Related
Literature and Studies

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 2.1 Related Literature

2.1.1 Foreign Literature

Literally, the term “lateness” implies a situation where an individual arrives after the

proper, scheduled or usual time (Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, 5th ed., 1995).

Furthermore, Lauby (2009) puts it as a term used to describe “people not showing up on time”.

Breeze et al. (2010) contributed by saying that, lateness is synonymous with “tardiness”, which

implies being slow to act or slow to respond, thus not meeting up with proper or usual timing. It is

obvious therefore that, lateness could be seen as a system of network breakdown. Weade (2004)

added that tardiness is “being late for any measurable length of time past the stated or schedule

start school.

Sprick and Daniels (2007) implied that one of the most recurring and frustrating problems

a school has is having tardiness. Nakpodia and Dafiaghor (2011), on the other hand, gave factors

on why students arrive late to class. Some of these are: waking up late in the morning, heavy traffic,

household chores, vehicle breakdowns and lack of responsibility.

2.1.2 Local Literature

Most teachers do not like students who are tardy. Simply because they would most likely

disrupt their class causing the teacher to reiterate his/her lecture for the sake of the tardy student,

thus wasting time for the oncoming lectures. This is simplified when Shakira (2015) said “In a

time-lax culture such as in the Philippines, this leaves the punctual person annoyed by the tardiness

of others.”

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 Alfie (2012) stated that tardiness is not always caused by one’s laziness, it is often caused

by the obstacles of the heavy traffic and difficulty in transportation. In line with his statement, he

said “To be punctual is to be really strong-willed and extremely disciplined. And this is really a

challenge, yet it is something doable and achievable only if one will put his mind onto it.”

This was supported by Bilocura (2012) when he said that it is not solely the students’ fault

why they keep on being late in coming to class. Another factor that could affect the punctuality of

a student is the response of the teachers to tardy students.

The idea was further expounded by Bilocura (2012) when he added that another reason

why students come late is when the teacher gives the student the impression that they won’t be

missing anything if they are late” since in some classes, no important activities or instructions and

no lessons are being done for first few minutes.

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 2.2 Related Studies

2.1.1 Foreign Study

Some teachers do not like to repeat a lecture for a tardy student. He/she believes that it is

the student’s job to catch up to the missed lecture. Gottfried (2011) stated that in evaluating the

deleterious effects of missing in-school time, research has almost exclusively focused on absences,

and almost no attention has been paid to tardiness. Very little attention has been given to tardiness

since students still managed to get to school, compared to that of absent students.

Studies have shown excessive student tardiness has a negative impact upon a student's

future (Ried, 2000). Some of the implications are academic failure, high school drop-outs,

emotional dependency, drug dependency, fighting and bullying (Chang & Romero, 2008).

Moreover, as mentioned by Zeiger (2010), the results from the survey report conducted by teachers

show that students with high tardiness rates have “higher rates of suspension and other disciplinary

measures” (National Center for Education Statistics Indicators of School Crime and Safety

(2007)). It also causes the students to have behavioral problems and to drop out.

Other tardiness factors include bullying or having problems with his/her subjects. Student

tardiness is a key factor in determining if a child will become at risk (Greenfield, 2002). Without

intervention, tardy behaviors often result in serious emotional and social problems (Harrman,

2007).

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2.1.2 Local Study

Studies have revealed that those students with “perfect or near-perfect attendance” have

good grades compared to those students who misses classes often and late-comers (Cowan Avenue

Elementary School Community, 2007, para 3).

A study by Pimentel and Quijada (2011) focused on the frequency of use by the UP Cebu

freshmen students of Facebook and a part of the study tackled about the effect of the famous social

networking site to UP Cebu students’ punctuality and academic performance.

Bilacura (2012) stated that a lot of studies as well gave testimonies to effective remedies

on tardiness. These studies promoted integration of personality development and interdisciplinary

programs into school curriculum to aid students enhance positive behavior and personality leading

to the decrease of tardiness.

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CHAPTER 3
Research Design and
Methodology

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 Research Design and Methodology

3.1 Introduction

A Qualitative research was used in the study. 25 questionnaires were given and answered

by selected senior high school students from STI College Sta. Maria. In depth, individual

interviews were conducted with the same sample of selected students to discuss and share their

insights about the possible causes and effects of tardiness, the method was based on the

phenomenological methodology.

3.2 Research Design

In order to know the cause and effects of tardiness on senior high school students of STI

College Sta. Maria, the researchers used qualitative approach in data collection. Qualitative

approach is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations

(DeFranzo, 2011).

This study also used descriptive method of research through the use of questionnaires in

gathering data. Furthermore, the semi-structured type of interview was also utilized for data

collection in this study.

3.3 Sampling Method

The sample was selected students from the Senior High School department of STI College

Sta. Maria. Tardiness can ultimately affect one’s performance in school. Because of this, the

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researchers wanted to help the fellow students. By performing this research, we are able to provide

the students knowledge regarding the effects of tardiness.

Out of more than 800 officially enrolled senior high school students, a total of 25 randomly

selected students from the said institution were interviewed and only 15 interviews were

interpreted to formulate the conclusion.

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 Summary,
Interpretation, and
Conclusion

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Summary, Interpretation, and Conclusion

The questions that were asked are about finding whether tardiness directly affects a

student’s academic performance, its causes, and possible consequences with regards to their

unpunctuality.

At first, the researchers sought to know whether tardiness affects an individual’s

performance in school. Most of the respondents’ stated that tardiness does actually affect an

individual’s performance in school. In such ways that, as stated by the respondents, one can

squander valuable time that should have been used for productive activities. Furthermore, most

respondents implied that a tardy student tends to miss out on important academic appointments,

such as lectures and quizzes. Next, the researchers wanted to find out the frequency of tardiness of

the respondents. The frequency ranges from 2 to 3 times a week, of which their most common

reason is heavy traffic. After that, the researchers went to know the respondents’ knowledge about

the school rules regarding tardiness and their corresponding punishments. Majority of the

respondents stated that they are aware and gave an example, on which three (3) tardiness is

equivalent to one (1) absent, is the most common. Next to this, the researchers wanted to know

whether their tardiness had ever gotten them into trouble. Most of which had said yes and that their

punishment is not being able to get into the classroom or not being able to take the a test that they

should have been answering. Finally, in relation to the third question, due to their awareness

regarding the possible punishments, most of the respondents stated, on our final question, that they

will try to change their actions as to avoid further unpunctuality.

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 Stated above are the most common responses given by the respondents. By their answers,

the researchers are able to formulate a plausible conclusion that had met this research’s objectives.

Specifically to be able to identify the most common factor that causes a student’s tardiness.

Therefore the researchers conclude that tardiness can affect one’s performance in school.

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