THE PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF POOR EYESIGHT TO THE CLASS PERFORMANCE

OF GRADE 12 STEM STUDENTS OF ‘HIGHER SCHOOL NG UMAK’

In Partial Fulfilment Of The Requirements For

The Grade 12 Senior High School

In Practical Research II

A.Y. 2018-2019

Acierto, Andrea C.

Anastacio, Genevieve Gabrielle A.

Apiado, Fella Mae A.

Ato, Maria Mikaela DG.

Nealega, Joanne B.

Pallagao, Hazel Marie M.

Pulido, Ana Jone C.

Solis, Xilca Angela P.

Ms. Rebekah C. Mambiar

Practical Research II

August 11, 2018

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

With sincerest appreciation and gratitude, we wish to acknowledge the valuable assistance
given by the following people who helped shape and complete the study:

First of all, we are grateful to the Almighty God for granting patience, guidance, everlasting
love and divine wisdom to complete the research.

We wish to express our sincerest gratitude to our dearest Parents and Guardians for
providing us financial support and all the necessary facilities to finish the study.

We would also want to give appreciation to every professor and students that have actively
participated to the fulfilment of the study and also for giving additional ideas.

To our Research Adviser, Ms. Rebekah C. Mambiar, for her expert, sincere and valuable
guidance and encouragement extended to everyone in the group.

We would like to take this opportunity to record our sincere thanks to all the faculty
members of the Department of Science and Mathematics for their help and unceasing
encouragement and support.
 CHAPTER 1

PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Students in schools and universities are required to expand the use of their visual ability.
As students grow and progress in school, the size of text in textbooks decreases and the amount of
time spent on reading, studying, and class works increases. According to a research made by Irvine
Clarke III et al (2006), about 40% of college students are visual learners. Students prefer to be
taught using visuals such as pictures, diagrams, charts and demonstrations.

As the cyber era emerged, students were demanded to increase the use of their visual senses
and abilities. When the internet became much more easier to access, they spended a lot of time
greater than before in front of their ipads and laptops being more prone to radiation emitted by the
gadgets which can be harmful for their health and may damage the condition of their eyes. With
the increasing amount of visual activity used by the students, it is common to have low vision or
poor vision. Students are having a hard time reading texts from the text books or from the power
point that the teacher uses. The rate of poor eyesight increases in higher grade levels (Han Ya-nan,
2009). According to Douglas M. Osborne (2015), 25% of children and adolescents have vision
problem. He also states that vision problem is the most common disorder children can have. Low
vision is a condition caused by eye disease in which visual acuity is 20/70 or poorer in the better
Seeing Eye and cannot be corrected or improved with a regular eye glasses. (Scheiman and
Whittaker) Snellen Eye Chart is a test that ophthalmologists and optometrists use to measure a

person’s distance visual acuity. It contains letters, numbers and symbols.

The researchers will conduct a study about perceived effects of poor eyesight to the class

performance of Grade 12 STEM students of ‘Higher School ng UMak’. This study can inform the

teachers about the difficulties a poor eyesight students can have and for them to construct other
teaching styles that can benefit not only the students having a high visual acuity but also to the
students having a low visual acuity.
Background of the Study

University of Makati(UMak) being a state university located in the metro or among the
urban cities in the Philippines, is one of the schools wherein the 21st century modern system of
education, involving the wide usage of computers and gadgets, is highly implemented. The new
curriculum also asks the new technology-driven schoolworks and classes in accordance with its
goal to produce productive and globally competitive individuals.

Aside from that, the books and photocopies used as lesson guides and reading materials
that are given to senior high school students are concise and very informative, undoubtedly in
smaller texts than those on lower grades as they are expected to obtain more informations at a
shorter period of time. This require the students to engage in the extensive use of their visual ability
as reading with comprehension is a fundamental part of learning.

The classes at the university of Grade 12 STEM students, both morning and afternoon
shifts, lasts for eight hours a day in five days every week. This means a lot of time staring at the
powerpoint presentation or the writings of the professor on board during discussions, reading
lengthy texts and articles as part of class activities, or facing monitors on computer laboratories on
technological subjects. It also involves the time spent at nights finishing assignments and projects,

researching thoroughly in the internet in meeting up deadlines. The student’s vision are always at

constant use during all these instances and may be damaged if not properly taken care of.

The school years are a very important time in every child's life and one important learning
tool needed to succeed in it is their vision. In contrast, the often and continuous usage of the eyes
during classes and when doing assignments affects their health vision. The stakeholders of the
university are aware that there are a lot of students suffering from poor eyesight, one clear
implication is that they are constantly arranging for the execution of free eye check up and the
lending of free glasses the last one conducted at UMak on September 2017. These activities are
executed to ensure the efficient learning of the students in which poor eyesight may be acting as a
hindrance..

The high probability of having poor eyesight condition in students made the researchers
came up with the idea to conduct a study if it affects their academic performance. It will identify
whether it would lessen the rate of their learning or would have no difference at all with those
students having good eyesight. This would be done through observing and analyzing the
quantitative information of students with high visual acuity and those with normal sight mainly
their General weighed average last semester. It will also include the factors that may be affecting
their eye conditions such as the gender, age and civil status of the respondents. However, the
significant difference among the variables is yet to be confirmed.

Statement of the Problem

This research focuses on the perceived effects of poor eyesight to the class performance of
Grade 12 STEM Students in HSU. The study specifically aims to determine the following:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a) Age
b) Gender
c) Usage of eye glasses (with or without)
2. What is the visual acuity of the respondents from the results of:
a) Visual Test (Snellen Chart)
b) Medical Results (Clinic)
3. What is the General Weighted Average of the respondents based on the last
academic year (2017-2018)?
4. Is there a difference between the GWA of the students with poor eyesight
condition (high visual acuity) than the GWA of the students without poor
eyesight condition (low visual acuity)?

Research Hypothesis

Having poor eyesight have significant effects in the class performance of Grade 12 STEM
students in HSU. The respondents, in accordance to their age, gender and usage of eye glasses,
with different levels of visual acuity gathered by visual test (snellen chart) and medical results
(clinic) have significant difference in their General weighted average on academic year 2017-2018.
The GWA of the students with poor eyesight condition (high visual acuity) are lower than the
students without poor eyesight condition (low visual acuity).
Theoretical Framework

Vision is the learned ability to see for information and performance; it allows people to
understand things that they cannot touch, taste, smell or hear. The development of some respected
vision theories has been used by researchers to succeed in determining the perceived effects of
poor eyesight among students nowadays. However, this study gives focus on the visual acuity
theories.

According to Greenville’s doctors from a trusted eye care organization, the Hopkins eye
center, vision and learning are intimately related. Experts claim that 80% of what children learns
in school is presented visually. So, a good vision is essential for students of all ages to reach their
full academic potential.

Richard Mayer (1947), an American educational psychologist, the proponent of

"multimedia principle" states that 'people learn more deeply from words and pictures than from
words alone' and this means learning require additional effort from the eyes and an individual's
visual ability for selecting relevant words and images.

One study in brazil found that children with sub 20/20 visual acuity were three times more
likely to fail a grade than their peers, while a team of Austrian researchers saw that children with
visual disorders spent 30% more time on classwork than those without and were more prone to
make errors. Struggles in academic don’t make life any easier for growing children.

Also, worth noting is how important vision is for early recognition of emotional cues.
Facing expression is a key means of communicating mood or intent, and children with low vision
may have difficulty recognizing fine detail essential for establishing emotional context. It creates
difficulties in making social interactions and tricky for a growing child.

Betsy Zaborowski, an executive director at the national institute for the blind, emphasized
the importance of recreation and sports for blind children, or those with low vision for building
their social development. As anyone grew up with low vision can testify, poor eyesight can play
sports much more difficult than they might otherwise be. Children with undiagnosed difficulties
can quickly find themselves frustrated and several steps behind their peers.
Conceptual Framework

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

 Respondent’s  Class
Profile Performance
- Age - GWA of the
- Gender students
- Usage of - GWA of the
eyeglasses respondents
(with or based on the last
without) academic year.

Figure 1. Conceptual Paradigm

This paradigm illustrates the relationship between the visual acuity in the academic
performance of Grade 12 STEM students. In the process, researchers studied and explore the areas
covered in their study. They conducted surveys regarding the perceived effects of poor eyesight
Grade 12 STEM students of HSU in A.Y. 2018-2019.

Scope and Limitation

This research study will get at least 100 respondents consisting of Grade 12 students from
academic track - STEM will be taken as samples. They were chosen as they have low eyesight.
The nature of study to be used is a simple survey with each respondent using survey questionnaire.
This study is limited only to the STEM students from ‘Higher School ng UMak’ Academic
Year 2018-2019. The research will be conducted in the said University and will not go beyond it.
These, therefore, delimited the analysis of the study.
Significance of the Study

With the conduction of this research, the researchers will provide beneficial result to the
following individuals to achieve the goal of being aware of the perceived effects of poor eyesight
to the class performance of STEM students.

Students . This will help them to be aware of the possible effects of having poor eyesight and
make adjustments of their lifestyle and their habits in avoidance to developing the condition if
proven to decrease their academic performance, or if not in order to take care of their health.

School. It would inform the school officials, professors, and other stakeholders whether they
should make significant changes on their methods of teaching and systems of learning in
accordance with the perceived effects of having poor eyesight.

Society. The members of the society would also benefit from the research since everyone may
suffer the condition of having high visual acuity. It will help them to determine what to do and
what to avoid in terms of taking care of their vision to be productive in schools and in the world
of work.

Future Researchers. The results of this study can be used as reference, will be a good content of
their related literature, and would be helpful on pointing out where they should start and in what
area they will make advancements for their further researches about the topic.
Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined based on the usage of this research.

Age. This refers to that length of time a person has lived or a thing existed. In this study it is used
to group or distribute the respondents with respect to the time they have lived.

Gender. This refers to the behavioral, cultural or psychological traits typically associated with one
sex.

GWA. This refers to the abbreviation for General Weighted Average. In this study it is used as
one of the dependent variables in the study.

HSU. This refers to the abbreviation for Higher School ng UMak, the department for Senior High
School in the University of Makati. In this study it is used as the branch of university of Makati
that has senior high school students.

Perceived. This term refers to one’s own perception or view.

Refraction. This term refers to the change in direction of a wave as it passes through medium of
varying density.

Snellen chart. This refers to a test that ophthalmologist and optometrists use to measure a person’s
distance visual acuity. In this study it is used as a scale to measure the visual acuity of the students.

STEM. This refers to the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It
is an academic strand that is specialized in Math and Science. In this study it is used as the students
that will be part of the thesis.

UMak. The abbreviation of University of Makati. In this study it is used as the school where the
thesis is conducted.

Visual Acuity. This refers to the sharpness of vision, measured by the ability to discern letters or
numbers at a given distance according to a fixed standard. In this study it is used as help for
researchers to know the capabilities of the student’s eye sight.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies that are important and relevant to
the study. The information gathered provide background that guides the researchers to further
explore their topic and achieve their goal in knowing the perceived effects of poor eyesight to the
class performance of STEM students.

RELATED LITERATURE
According to American Optometric Association, (2014), “A student needs abilities to
succeed in school. Good vision is a key. When his or her vision is not functioning properly,
education and participation in class can suffer”

Very little data exist on vision problems among school-age children in developing
countries. Bundy et al (2003) report that about 10% of school-age (5-15 years old) children have
refraction errors (myopia, hypermetropia. strabismus, amblyopia, and astigmatism), which account
for about 97% of the vision problems among those children. Almost all refraction errors can be
corrected with properly fitted eyeglasses, but most children with refraction problems in low
income countries do not have glasses.
Dr. White’s article entitled “Vision Screening Outcomes Of Children in Australia:
Differences In Academic Achievement” said schools that were involved in the study had
anecdotally reported big improvements, with some children showing a marked increase in their
reading level and greater classroom participation. As well as vision assessment, children
completed a range of near vision learning tasks, such as reading and mathematics, while eye
tracking was used to examine specific visual processing behaviors underlying these activities.
Professor Wood (2017), stated that, “The aim is to level the playing field in terms of vision and
provide every opportunity for learning and academic achievement for children in school and later
life."

According to an article made by Krista Cabello (2016), 10% of children in grade school
have poor eyesight or eye problems. Many of its cases are undetected until the condition got worse.
Krista states that eye problems limit the ability of a child to learn and interact with other people. It
has negative impact on the intellectual and social development of students.

According to The Social And Economic Impact Of Poor Vision, (2012), The impact of poor
vision can be significant - resulting in poorer educational performance, reduced employment
opportunities, lower economic participation and deteriorating later life health. In this study vision
is the learning process and 80% of what children learn is acquired through the visual processing
of information. Clear and comfortable vision is critical to ensure the ability of children to learn.
Vision problems can have an adverse effect on comprehension and performance in reading and
writing that constitute nearly ¾ of a typical school day. The definition of good vision needs to be
updated to reflect the evolving requirements of the 21st century learning environment, impacted
by the growing popularity and use of computers, smart phones, gaming consoles among children
and teenagers. Screening should include tests that also detect near-vision problems and other vision
issues that hinder a child’s ability to read, learn and perform well in school. Vision care in these
crucial childhood years should be a priority.
Osborne, D. (2015). Article entitled Eye exams should be required for students, states that
“Statistics show that 25 percent of children and adolescents have a vision problem and that vision
disorders are the most prevalent and disabling conditions for our children. Something should be
done and the Legislature can make that difference.” Before a child begins to start schooling enter
the school, Senate Bill 402 would require all children to receive a comprehensive eye exam. The
academic performance of a child that is dealing with poor eyesight prevents them from learning to
their full potential. It also says that “With 80% of learning done through the eyes, we owe it to our
children to ensure that their eye health and vision needs are addressed at an early age.” Health
concerns, early treatment, and preventions, Senate Bill 402 provides innumerable cost savings. It
also includes additional eye exams as vision can change as children grow mature. This is not only
to help address eye concerns, but also teaches the children of the importance of being proactive
about their health.
RELATED STUDIES

There is an impact to an academic performance when a person is having an issue with

eyesight since 80% of what a person learns is obtained visually. Dr. Joel Zaba (2017) stated that
“If a child is struggling at school, it is better if a parent considers his or her vision.” 30% of children
experience vision problems that have a significant impact in terms of long-term health, school
performance and emotional/social development. Although there are other reasons that can affect
academic performance, it’s clear that vision has a role on how much a student could learn.

Professor Sally L. Smith, founder and director of The Lab School of Washington said "We
recommend that all students have a regular comprehensive eye exam, a child may not realize that
there is a problem and that everyone doesn't see the same way he or she does. School can be
difficult enough. As parents and educators, we owe it to our children to address vision problems
before they negatively impact academic performance." A comprehensive eye exam done by an eye
care professional is considered the most reliable and accurate method of diagnosing and treating
vision problems. It assesses eye health that is essential to learning, such as the eyes ability to focus
appropriately while reading a book or viewing in a computer screen.

Most of the studies covered in the Institute’s report concerned the intense difficulties that
children with impaired vision face at school. Poor vision can be a nightmare for students trying to
make their way in a heavily reading-oriented school system. Nearsightedness can make it
impossible for a student to fully focus on a blackboard. Strabismus in particular is notorious for
turning book assignments into headache-inducing crawls for affected children. These, and many
other undiagnosed disorders, can severely damage a child’s odds of academic success. (Rebuild
Your Vision, 2018)

Having poor eyesight is a great factor to everyone who is wearing glasses. According to
UC Davis Health System Eye Center (June 2013) their research found that visually impaired
individuals and those with uncorrected refractive error — those who could benefit from glasses to
achieve normal vision but don’t wear glasses — have a significantly greater risk of diminished
balance with their eyes closed on a compliant, foam surface than individuals with normal vision.
SYNTHESIS

The researchers’ study is all about the perceived effects of poor eyesight to the class
performance of Grade 12 STEM students of ‘Higher School ng UMak’. A vision problem is a
serious impediment for learning, in which fortunately almost all vision problems are easily cured
by providing correctly fitting eyeglasses. The study confirmed the usefulness of in-depth and
oculovisual exams throughout one’s schooling as well as the positive impact of adopting corrective
measures to avoid the struggling of students in term of academic. One of the great factors of
studying is the vision for mostly students are visual-aid learners. Having poor eyesight badly
affects the performance and outcomes of a student since most of the activities include vision and
students with clear vision most likely comfortably perform in class and ace most exams.

Furthermore, to assess the impact that visual impairments have on academic

performance, it was necessary to use questionnaire bringing together the effects of poor visual
potential in academic performance so that it can become medicated administered by all
professionals in-charged of children and teens who are having a difficulty for a reason of this.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the discussion on the research methodology of the study, the
research design, population and sampling technique, research instruments, procedure of data
gathering, and statistical treatment that will be uses for accurate data analysis and interpretation.

Research Design

Quantitative research is used to determine and analyze the Perceived Effects of poor
eyesight to the class performance of Grade 12 STEM students of ‘Higher School ng UMak’. This
particular type of research used quantitative information for examination. Through this, the
researchers were able to determine the problem and effects of poor eyesight to the class
performance of STEM students.
 According to Bryman and Bell (2007) Quantitative research method is adopted
because it allows the researcher to get the facts and not abstract about the aim of dissertation. It is
more reliable and less complicated than qualitative research.

Population and Sampling Technique

The population of the study was composed of a group composed of 100 respondents that
will be chosen through purposive sampling. The group were came from the Grade 12 STEM
students who have low eyesight or poor eyesight which were selected at ‘Higher School ng UMak’.

Research Instruments

The Researchers utilized questionnaires that will be used as the survey tool to interview
individual in a certain area. The main purpose of this tool or instrument is to determine the
perceived effects of poor eyesight to the class performance of each respondents. It will have a total
of 15 questions.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researcher's provided survey questionnaires regarding the effects of poor eyesight to
the class performance of STEM students to the selected 100 Grade 12 STEM students of Higher
School ng UMak. The research title, guide questions, purpose and methods were utilized.

The people who had low eyesight or poor eyesight were gathered to answer the
questionnaires as a form of interview, where it will serve as a copy of the researchers for
conducting the survey.

The researchers asked permission from each class of Grade 12 STEM students studying in
‘Higher School ng UMak’, for the survey to be successful. All of them followed the same steps
and procedures such as explaining the significance of this study and how big of a help the
respondents would be for this study.
 Week
Data Gathering Procedure August September
27 28 29 30 10 11 12 13
1 Asking Permission
2 Development of test
instrument
3 First Revision of test
instruments
4 Validation of test
instrument by research and
experts
5 Second revision of test
instrument
6 Consent form
7 Pilot testing
8 Questionnaire distribution
9 Data analysis and
interpretation
 Survey Questionnaire Survey Questionnaire
Title: The Perceived Effects of Poor Eyesight to The Title: The Perceived Effects of Poor Eyesight to The
Class Performance of Grade 12 Stem Students Of Class Performance of Grade 12 Stem Students Of
‘Higher School Ng Umak’ ‘Higher School Ng Umak’
Respondent’s Profile Respondent’s Profile
Name: _________________________ Name: _________________________
Age: _____ Gender: __________ Age: _____ Gender: __________
GWA A.Y. 2017-2018: __________ GWA A.Y. 2017-2018: __________
Optical Grade/ Visual Acuity: __________ Optical Grade/ Visual Acuity: __________
Questionnaire Questionnaire
Direction: Put a check for the corresponding answer Direction: Put a check for the corresponding answer
to the following statements using the legends below. to the following statements using the legends below.
5- Always 5- Always
4- Often 4- Often
3- Sometimes 3- Sometimes
2- Rarely 2- Rarely
1- Never 1- Never
A. Eyesight 5 4 3 2 1 A. Eyesight 5 4 3 2 1
1. I am wearing eye 1. I am wearing eye
glasses/ lenses. glasses/ lenses.
2. It is difficult for me to 2. It is difficult for me to
see when the fonts are see when the fonts are
small. small.
3. I choose to sit close to 3. I choose to sit close to
the board to clearly the board to clearly
see the visual aids. see the visual aids.
B. Class performance B. Class performance
1. I participated in extra- 1. I participated in extra-
curricular activities. curricular activities.
2. I find it hard paying 2. I find it hard paying
attention to attention to
discussions discussions
3. My eyes hurt 3. My eyes hurt
whenever I’m staring whenever I’m staring
at monitors during at monitors during
computer laboratory computer laboratory
sessions. sessions.
4. I volunteer myself as a 4. I volunteer myself as a
leader during group leader during group
activities. activities.
5. I have a hard time in 5. I have a hard time in
writing my writing my
assignments and assignments and
projects due to the projects due to the
refractive error of my refractive error of my
eyes. eyes.
6. I engage myself in 6. I engage myself in
class discussion and class discussion and
recites my insights. recites my insights.
7. I spend a lot of time 7. I spend a lot of time
reviewing our lessons reviewing our lessons
even at home in even at home in
preparation for tests preparation for tests
and quizzes. and quizzes.