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BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF BEING IN THE LOWER SECTION

ON THE GRADE V AND VI STUDENTS OF

MELCHORA AQUINO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Galino, John Carlo

Mano, Rio Anne

Mendoza, Deema

Palomo, Anna Paulina

October 2012

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ABSTRACT

Many schools of today, whether public or private has this ability sectioning among the

students. They are grouped according to their thinking skills, ability performances and level of

intelligence. This study would be discussing and be focusing on students who belong to the

lower section. This was made to determine the behavioral effects on students being in a lower

section, particularly on the last two lower sections in Grades 5 and 6 in Melchora Aquino

Elementary School. Researchers are to observe and conduct an interview among the students in

order for us to identify what were the common effects and/or maybe some problems students

experience during their stay in the lower section. In doing so, the study will utilize a

qualitative descriptive research design. Data and observations will be analysed using content

analysis.

Keywords: behavior, lower section, effect

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 2

Objectives of the Study .. 2

Hypotheses of the Study. 2

Theoretical Framework.. 3

Significance of the Study 4

Scope and Limitations of the Study

5

Definition of Terms. 5

CHAPTER II. REVIEW LITERATURE.. 7

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY

Research Design. 13

Sources of Data.. 13

Method of Data Collection/Data Collection Procedure. 14

Analytical Procedures/Methods of Analysis.. 14

REFERENCES 16

APPENDICES 17

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Many of Filipinos have experienced being sectioned homogenously in their elementary

and secondary years of schooling. This is also called the Ability Grouping. Students are

grouped according to the abilities and thinking skills they possess. Homogenous student-

sectioning consequentially follows the emergence of the higher sectio n-lower section

dichotomy with the higher(est) sections composed of students having exceptional

marks to the lower(est) sections composed of students with the lowest grades. This

arrangement wou ld most likely produce the higher section student and the lower section

student labels, with their accompanying att ributions and expectations that are

traditionally attached to them. This trend of student sectioning or grouping still exists today.

Often in primary grade levels, which will be the focus of the study, research depicts three

specific groups; high, average, and low-ability students. In the study conducted by Kruse(2006)

heterogeneous grouping in the elementary grade level has been found to produce academic and

social benefits for high-ability, average-ability, and low-ability learners. It seems that majority of

the research focuses on the homogenous grouping and the academic and social benefits for the

students. But the problem is that homogenous grouping and its behavioral effects on the student

seems to be disregarded, specifically for those in the lower sections.

Students in lower section are often disregarded by most people in our surrounding,

leaving them unnoticed and so affect their behaviors. This study aims to focus on them,

identify why could be the reason of such behaviors and so people may understand them. This is

not only for the students and for the researchers but most importantly for teachers, school

administration and for the parents who have their children in lower sections and is noticing

something about the behavior of the student. With these, we could understand them, and think

and do the best we can to improve the current educational trend we have in the Philippines.

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Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to determine the behavioral effects of elementary students in

the lower sections. Behavioral effects will be defined by the actions, performances and answers

as measured by having an interview and an observation on students in Melchora AquinoElementary School.

The study hopes to answer the two main questions:

a. What are the respondents perceptions towards homogenous sectioning?

b. What are the behavioral effects on students belonging in the lower section?

Since this will use an interview as a method of getting data, additional questions will surely arise

based on students responses and behavior on the whole duration of the study.

Objectives of the Study

This study will attempt to find out the behavioral effects on students in the lower section.

Specifically, the study aims to:

a. determine the positive and negative effect in the student

b. identify the behavior that students demonstrate towards studies and relationships

c. know their perceptions about homogenous grouping

Hypotheses of the Study

For the purposes of this study behavioral effects will be defined by the students response

on the questions and its interpretations. There will be one independent variable which is the

students in the lower section. The dependent variable or outcome will be from the respondents

behaviors. Through the course of this descriptive research, data collected and interpreted will

show that elementary students, who are in the lower section, grouped homogenously beacademic ability, will show significantly poor behaviors than those in the higher section.

Researchers, since they themselves experienced grouping or sectioning according to their

abilities, assume that students who are from lower-ability sections really have negative behaviors

due to some factors. Students tend to have a pointless argue with each other and exhibit the

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things or behaviors according to others negative perception towards them rather to prove others

that they are wrong.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

This study will use Social Stratification Theory by Ogburn and Nimkoff. According to

Ogburn and Nimkoff (1964)'', the process by which individuals and groups are ranked in a more

or less enduring hierarchy of status is known as stratification".

Gisbert (1973) says, "Social stratification is the division of society into permanent groups

of categories linked with each other by the relationship of superiority and sub-ordination".

Melvin M. Tumin (1967) defines social stratification and refers to arrangement of any social

group or society into a hierarchy of positions that are unequal with regard to power, property,

and social evolution and of psychic gratification". According to Lundberg (1920), "A stratified

society is one marked by inequality by differences among people that are evaluated by them is

being 'lower' and 'higher'. According to Raymond W. Murry(1987), ''Social stratification is a

horizontal division of society into 'higher' and lower' social units".

Social stratification Theory has characteristics. First it is social. It is social in the sense it

does not represent biologically caused inequalities. It is true that such factors as strength,

intelligence, age and sex can often serve as the basis of strata are distinguished. But suchdifferences by themselves are not sufficient to explain why some statuses receive more power,

property and prestige than others. Biological traits do not determine social superiority and

inferiority until they are socially recognized and give importance. For example the manager of an

industry attains a dominant position not by his strength nor by his age but by having the socially

defined traits. His education, training skills, experiences, personality, character etc. are found to

be more important than his biological qualities. Then, it is ancient. According to historical and

archaeological records, stratification was present even in the small wandering bands. Age and

sex were the main criteria of stratification then, women and children last was probably the

dominant rule of order. Difference between the rich and poor, powerful and humble, freemen and

slaves was there in almost all the ancient civilizations. Ever since the time of Plato and Kautilya

social philosophers have been deeply concerned with economic, social and political inequalities.

Lastly, it is universal. is a worldwide phenomena. Difference between the rich and the poor or

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the 'haves' and the 'have nots' is evident everywhere. Even in the non-literate societys

stratification if very much present. As Sorokin has said, all permanently organized groups are

stratified.

As defined by the theory, it is the process where people are ranked hierarchal based ontheir status, intelligence and abilities. So same with homogenous grouping, it will help us to

know about it.

Significance of the Study

The result of this study would be beneficial for these groups of people: Students

Students opinions are to be voiced out and so they will be heard and be understood by the

people around them. It is important, that to be able to help students learning problems, they

must be understood first and if that happens, their perception and behaviors may be improved.

Teachers This study may help teachers understand, assess and help students towards their

academic, emotional, social and behavioral growth. Since teachers are students second parent, it

is important that they know what the effects of current trend are in the educational system. For

this will help them improve the way teaching and handling students should be.

Parents It is important that students performance and behavior inside and outside the school

premises, parents are briefed. They would be able to help their child. This study will help

parents, together with the teacher; attend to either negative or positive behavior of students in the

lower section. Information gathered through this study can help them identify what and why

students behave the way they are doing.

Researchers Information gathered from this study may help and give ideas to other researchers

who are to focus on the subject. Since this specific research problem are not too common to

others, the group wants this to be paid attention so that other researchers would have a wider and

more comprehensive study on the problem.

Educational System This trend in the current educational system may be found unequal among

students, though the system benefit from it. Students are suffering for it causes more on negative

effect on the students in lower sections. This study may be a help in the current educational

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system by improving the system so that everyone would benefit. Information and interpretations

could be one of the bases that they can consider.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

Since this study will use a qualitative descriptive research design, this will be much

difficult one and will have more delimitations compare to other designs. First, respondents are

selected purposively, meaning they are chosen from a group because they are fitted the

qualification set by the researchers in choosing the proper respondents. This may have its

limitation for respondents should possess a rare or somewhat different from the common

behavior in the group. Also, there might be a circumstance that the respondent would not be

portraying the real behavior while the interview session is ongoing. Next is that a qualitative

research design, in order for the information to be gained an interview will be conducted. There

might be a conflict in the result of the study if the respondent would not answer the given

question properly. And so interpretations would be different that the truthful one. And the major

restriction of this study is that data and information collected are to be interpreted by the

researchers. In this, researchers may fail if they would be decoding answers objectively. There

might be instances, because behavior is the main focus, researchers would not take intoconsideration respondents answer but rather interpret their own views, observations and

perceptions towards the subject.

With these researchers would be very clear with their purpose of studying this specific

problem. Researchers should always keep into their minds that this research focuses on students

answers and behavior while interview is ongoing, even before and after the interview, for true

behaviors are mostly shown if no one is looking.

Definition of Terms

In order to better understand the study, the following are list of terms that are defined

conceptually and operationally to clarify idea presented in the study:

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a. Behavior - that portion of the organism's interaction with its environment that is

characterized by detectable displacements in space through time of some part of the

organism and that results in a measurable change in at least one aspect of the

environment.

b. Effect result; a change or changed state occurring as a direct result of action by

somebody or something else. In the study, effect is the one that researches must

give focus; to be specific is the behavioral effects. This is the variable that would

define and give direction to the research study.

c. Student sectioning the problem of assigning students to classes (i.e., individual

sections of a course) while respecting individual student course requests along with

additional constraints (e.g., a student cannot attend two classes that overlap in time).

In the study, student sectioning is the key where in researchers can find the desired

information in order for them to answer the problem.

d. Lower section the groups in a year level who are grouped according to their abilities

and capacities. They are considered the weaker(est) students.

e. Behavioral Effects - An influence upon some human action in response to media

content.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

As a background regarding the behavioral effects of sectioning, specifically the first

factor which is the sectioning, here are some studies that will be very helpful in conducting this

study.

In Smeighs (2002) research, he first defined the meaning of ability grouping and here it

goes. Researchers have struggled for decades to find answers to questions about ability grouping:

Does anyone benefit from it? Is anyone harmed by it? Who benefits (or is harmed) the most?Why? Are there alternatives to ability grouping?

The answers are not always clear cut and often depend on whom you ask and what

learning outcomes are deemed important. To many educators, ability grouping is considered a

sensible response to academic diversity. To others, the practice has harmful unintended

consequences and should be abandoned. Indeed, research, logic, and emotion often clash when

debating the topic of ability grouping. But what do we really know? This issue of the Balanced

View takes a close look at the research evidence and attempts to make sense out of this nearly

century long debate. We begin our discussion with a clarification of terms.

Ability grouping, simply put, is the practice of dividing students for instruction on the

basis of their perceived capacities for learning. The two most common forms of ability grouping

are: within-class grouping, which refers to a teachers practice of dividing students of similar

ability into small groups, usually for reading or math instruction, and between-class grouping,

which refers to a schools practice of separating students into different classes, courses, or course

sequencescurricular tracks based on their achievement.

Students in classes grouped by ability are said to be homogeneously grouped.

Conversely, students in mixed-ability classes are said to be heterogeneously grouped.

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The term trackinghistorically referred to the practice of grouping high school students by

ability into aseries of courses with differentiated curriculum. Students took all high, middle, or

low-level classes, labeled college preparatory, general, or vocational, and rarely moved between

them. Although this type of tracking has declined in recent years, many researchers still use the

term to describe various forms of between-class grouping.

In the study of Kruse(2011), academic growth will be defined by a percentage of increase

on the mean percentile scored on the MCA-II in the subject area, one before treatment and one

after, and the comparison of pretest and posttest unit raw scores in the subject area. There will be

two independent variables, or treatments; those are the specifically designed heterogeneous and

homogeneous groupings. The dependent variable, or outcome, will be the measured academic

growth. Through the course of this experimental research, the data collected and quantified willshow that primary grade students, who are grouped heterogeneously by academic ability, will

show significantly higher academic growth than students grouped homogeneously by ability.

As Muller and Murray (1997) says student sectioning is the problem of assigning

students to classes (i.e., individual sections of a course) while respecting individual student

course requests along with additional constraints (e.g., a student cannot attend two classes that

overlap in time). The traditional reason for optimizing student sectioning, rather than students

choosing individual classes, is to maximize the number of satisfied student course requests. In

the on-line version of the problem this means maintaining a distribution of available space in

classes across times needed to accommodate requests by students who come later in the process.

To meet modern expectations, optimizing student sectioning must also consider other

preferences and priorities of students while creating their class schedules. This is an important

problem for institutions offering many courses with multiple sections.

In the study conducted by Klausmeier, Mulher and Wakefield (1960) they studied those

students opinions about sectioning and their responses to the sociometric test exam mean? In the

light of this and the other evidence from achievements tests results, teacher and the parent

opinions, and the continuance of the sectioning in these schools was recommended. It was also

pointed out that the low ability students seem to be getting less from school in terms of their

social and academic needs that do those of high ability. Since the large majority of students and

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teachers favoured continuing the sectioning and since non-class activities were considered far

more important by all the students than classes as the basis for forming friendships, the

sectioning is not considered likely to produce any more undesirable social effects that would

non-sectioned classes in which possibly a larger number of low ability students might fail, quit

school, and not have the opportunity to form friendships at school in non-class activities.

Smithson (1971) states: although the education literature is filled with studies of

homogeneous vs. heterogeneous sectioning of students in elementary and secondary schools very

little has been reported at the college level and the author is not aware of any such studies

involving large numbers of college students in physics. In the academic year 1968-1969 we had

the opportunity to collect some data on homogeneous sections of both good students and poor

student. The courses were General Physics I and II, which at that time were required of allsophomores except majors in physics, applied science, and electrical engineering. Each course

consisted of three fifty-minute class periods and one two-hour laboratory period per week for a

sixteen-week semester. Enrollment was 994 in General Physics during the first semester and 925

in General Physics II during the second semester. The students were computer scheduled into

twelve divisions each of which had a different class schedule. Each division was then subdivided

into sections of 15-20 students. Twenty-five instructors taught one or more of the resulting

sections with the same instructor meeting the: section for both classes and laboratory.

And after his study was done, he concluded that on objective final examinations in

general college:

Bettor students do equally. Well in either homogeneous or heterogeneous section.

Poorer students do better when paced in heterogeneous sections rather than homogeneous

sections.

Instructors tend to grade daily work more liberally when teaching homogeneous sections

of low ability.

According to Abletis (2009) mostly educated Filipinos experienced being sectioned

homogenously during their elementary and high school years. The trend of homogenous student-

sectioning still exist today (although efforts have been made to weaken it) such that labels,

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expectations, and attributions associated and indicative to student-stratification continue to exist,

constraining and aiding people to pigeonhole (typifications) students based on how much they

posses what the school values (academic achievement i.e. indicative to grades, especially to what

section-status they belong [higher, average, lower section).

The paper strays from qualitative methodologies conventionally required in Symbolic

Interactionism to explicitly show that (the conception of) labels, expectations, and attributions

are shared and that their possible effects shouldnt be neglected (because a considerable

proportion of the population has been consulted), unlike case studies which, the researcher

thinks, are prone to such (because of small number of respondents). Despite being largely

quantitative, meanings on qualitative responses (i.e. reasons, explanations) given by the

respondents were explored and interpreted. This is a manifestation that this research hasrecognized the duality of both macro and micro processes of the labeling phenomena (Structural

Symbolic Interactionism).

Using the commonly used survey method, the researcher was able to get the attitudes,

perceptions, and feelings of higher and lower section students regarding the labeling that they

were experiencing, on a massive and collective sense. The theory was validated among randomly

selected respondents from Justice Cecilia Muoz Palma High School (former Payatas High

School) SY 08-09, Barangay Payatas, Quezon City.

After data gathering and analyses, the researcher found out that higher section students

were secondary deviants, have positive subjective-academic-self-concepts, were aspiring and

(more) motivated for academic achievement, were being competitors with other students, and

were being co-operators with their teachers, other teachers, and the school administration. All

these findings were caused (although not strong) by the positive, high expecting labels associated

to them. Lower section students, on the other hand, were primary deviants, have indeterminate

subjective-academic self-concepts, were aspiring and motivated for academic achievement, and

were also being competitors with other students. Negative, low expecting labels associated to

them caused (although not strong) these findings.

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Conflicting views were reiterated at the end of the paper (i.e. Chapter 4) to leave the

reader the decision of whether to track (homogenously sectioning) or to untrack (heterogeneous

sectioning) students.

In his study, some of his conclusions for the students at Justice Cecilia Muoz Palma

High School were homogenously sectioned. Previous grades (performance) were the basis in

assigning students to higher, middle (average), and lower sections. Homogenous student-

sectioning was chosen to raise the academic performance of students through teaching them

based on their (perceived) ability to learn and comprehend lessons.

Expectations and attributions associated to higher and lower section students were

presented. Data proved that these expectations are existing and are somewhat being used to

describe higher and lower section students. Expectations and attributions for higher section

students convey positive meanings unlike those for lower section students. This implies that

higher section students occupy a prestigious position in the student-hierarchy, unlike lower

section students (disadvantaged position).

Higher and lower section student-respondents tended to accept the section they presently

belong. It was found out that respondents of both subsample population were respectively

labeled based on the section-status they belong. The labelers were specified. It was clear thatexpectations and attributions associated to higher and lower section students became labels

through the act of tagging. Higher section students tended to be labeled by the labellers with

positive, high expecting words, while lower section students tended to be labeled with (mostly)

negative, low expecting words. Data were consistent that higher section students tended to accept

the labels being tagged to them (hence, were secondary deviants) while lower section students

tended to be indeterminate on their attitudes on the labels being tagged to them (hence, were

primary deviants). Further, higher section students tended to have positive subjective academic

self-concepts unlike lower section students (indeterminate subjective academic self-concepts).

In doing activities at school, the self-confidence of both higher and lower section students

tended to be moderately strengthened by the labels tagged to them. Higher section students

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tended to be more studying hard than lower section students. Higher section students tended to

be more motivated for academic achievement than lower section students.

In Olenoskis (2010) study; he conducted an interview with a teacher and at the same

time is conducting an observation towards a specific student regarding his behaviors towards the

people around him. He observed that the student went along with the class, was much disciplined

and well behaved in reading and the opposite in math. The students and class atmosphere in each

group have an effect on his behavior and academic success. While in the interview on the

teacher, some of the answers are: making the students feel comfortable in the classroom with

their peers of the same learning ability is important, it is good for the students and the teacher

because we can teach and the students can learn at the same pace, there is a big difference

between the students in each group when it comes to their behavior and effort, When there aredistractions I usually just send the student out of the room for a little while

So, he concluded that teachers believe ability grouping is necessary to benefit both the

teacher and the student. Observations still conclude that the lower levels are at a disadvantage.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study will use a qualitative descriptive research design. Qualitative research refers to

inductive, holistic, subjective and process-oriented methods used to understand, interpret,

describe and develop a theory on a phenomena or setting. It is a systematic, subjective approach

used to describe life experiences and give them meaning research is mostly associated with

words, language and experiences rather than measurements, statistics and numerical figures.

Descriptive research refers to research studies that have as their main objective, the accurate

portrayal of the characteristics of a person, situation or groups. This approach is used to describe

variables rather than to test a predicted relationship between variables.

Together, qualitative descriptive research design would be the most effective research

design problem. Since behavior is one of the main terms in the study, and behavior is a

characteristics and this is to be measured in this study qualitative descriptive research design fits.

No data are to be computed but rather interpreted. And since behavioral effects are to be

collected from the students, answers are to be described in order to attain the desired outcome.

Participants

Data and information are to be gathered from selected students in Melchora Aquino

Elementary School. Our participants would be students coming from the lower sections from

grades 5 and 6 to obtain the data needed.

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Data Collection Procedure

The data gathering phase of the study will start by asking first the permission from the

school principal if he would allow the research study be conducted in his school. Researchers, on

the other hand, are to prepare for the possibilities of things to happen. This study will use an

interview in order to gain data to be used for the study. Interviewing refers to structured or

unstructured verbal communication between the researcher and the participants, in which

information is presented to the researcher. Researchers should be acting as the interviewer for the

rest of the study. Directions should be made clear before the interview be conducted. Information

should remain confidential between the researcher and the subject. Since an interview will be

done, the environment should be a comfortable place for the interviewee because if not, it may

affect the respondents behaviour which is the answer to the problem.

There should always be premise for the researchers in doing this study. Researchers

should always be aware that what they are doing is an interview and at the same time is

observing. Data collected are to be interpreted and if from the very first part in data gathering

failed, the whole study might not attain the answer to the problem truthfully.

Analytical Procedures

Data collected will be analyzed using content analysis. Content Analysis as a research

technique for the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of manifest content of

communications. Content analysis is a research tool focused on the actual content and internal

features of media. It is used to determine the presence of certain words, concepts, themes,

phrases, characters, or sentences within texts or sets of texts and to quantify this presence in an

objective manner. Texts can be defines broadly as books, book chapters, essays, interviews,

discussions, newspaper headlines and articles, historical documents, speeches, conversations,

advertising, theatre, informal conversation, or really any occurrence of communicative language.

To conduct a content analysis on a text, the text is coded or broken down, into manageable

categories on a variety of level-word, word sense, phrase, sentence or themeand then

examined using one of content analysis basic methods: conceptual analysis or relational analysis.

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The results are then used to make inferences about the messages within the text(s), the writer(s),

the audience, and even the culture and time of which these are a part. For example, Content

Analysis can indicate pertinent features such as comprehensiveness of coverage or the intentions,

biases, prejudices, and oversights of authors, publishers, as well as all other persons responsible

for the content of materials.

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References:

Abletis, John Nicer. (2009). Labeling as a consequence of Homogenous Student-Sectioning at Justice Cecilia Muoz Palma High School and its subsequent effects on

Selected student-related variables. Journal of Educational Research. 16, 185-188

Gisbert, T. (1973). A revised analytical approach to the theory of social stratification. Pp.

In Class, Status, and Power: A Reader in Social Stratification, ed. R. Bendix and S.

Lipset. Glencoe: Free Press.

Klausmeier, Herbert J. et. al. (1960). High School Students Evaluate Sectioning. 5

Kruse, Andrew J. (2011). The Benefits of Heterogeneous Groupings over Homogeneous

Groupings.Principals of Educational Research. 8

Muller, Tomas and Murray, Keith. (1997). Comprehensive Approach to Student

Sectioning.Journal of Educational Research. 1

Murry, Raymond W. (1987). New Light on Old Issues: The Relevance of Really

Existing Socialist Societies for Stratification Theory. 3341

Ogburn, H. and Nimkoff, K. (1964). Spillovers, stratification, and inequality. European

Economic Review. 38, 83645.

Olenoski, Chris. (2010). Ability Grouping in the Elementary Classroom and its Effects on

Students Academic Lives.Educational ResearchPaper.8-11

Smeigh, Frederick. (2002). Research-based information on timely topics. The Balanced

View. 1

Smithson, J.R. (1971). Two experiments in Homogeneous Sectioning of Students in

General Physics.Paper K-13. 1, 7

Tumin, Melvin M. (1967). Some Principles of Stratification: A Critical Analysis. 41

49 Lundberg, O. (1920). An Integrated Theory of Social Stratification.

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APPENDICES

Time Table

DAY ACTIVITIES

1st- 3rd day Seeking permission from the school heads for the study to be

conducted.

4th day Identifying the population

5th day Identifying the sample group

6th-15th day Administration of the interview

16th day Evaluation of answers in the interview

17th-21th day Data analysis procedures

22th-26th day Summary of findings and conclusion

27th day Recommendations

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Budget Matrix

PARTICULAR ESTIMATED EXPENSE

1. Conducting the Study

Fare P1000.00

Printing P200.00

2. Final Output

Critic P1000.00

Printing P300.00

3. Contingency P300.00

Total: P2, 800.00

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group 4 iii-8 beed

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