The document provides an overview of a research proposal that aims to study the coping strategies utilized by grade 12 STEM students at Isulan National High School in dealing with academic stress in general physics. It introduces the background and significance of the study, presents a literature review on stress and coping strategies, and outlines the research methodology which will involve distributing questionnaires to students to understand their stress levels and coping approaches. The study aims to identify stress sources, examine coping strategies used, and determine how stress impacts physics learning to help address issues faced by students.

1. COPING STRATEGIES TOWARDS IN GENERAL PHYSICS
SUBJECT UTILIZED BY SELECTED GRADE 12 STEM STUDENTS
OF ISULAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
A research proposal
RIZA F. TAMBALO
Researcher
2022

2. Introduction
School education is a very important part in an individual’s life and is also a turning point in their
academic life. At this stage, the academic performance of a students plays a vital role in deciding
the next stage of their education, which in turn shapes their career. Students nowadays
especially those who are aiming to maintain high grades that will be their gateway to have
scholarship when they enter higher level are having stress and coping with it almost every day.
Stress usually starts when the students feel the pressure among their parents, relatives, friends
and even with classmates. An excess of academic stress during this stage can result in adverse
effects that are far-reaching and prolonged.
In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes
bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or
social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure). Stress can initiate the "fight
or flight" response, a complex reaction of neurologic and endocrinology systems. (Shiel, 2018).
Evidence suggests that although academic sources of stress such as grades, assignments,
examinations, long duration of study, and lack of free time have continued to exist during the
past several years, these sources have increased
CHAPTER 1
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

3. Additional stress in certain individuals differ on how poor coping strategies and depends on the
personality types that a person has which leads to a negative pattern of behavior, developing
psychosomatic symptoms, and the academic performance decreased (Busari, 2011; Busari&Eniola,
2007).
Statement of the Problem.
1.What are the profiles of the respondents according to:
a. Gender
b. b. Junior High School Program: STE and Regular
C .Age
d. General Average in General Physics
2. What is the level of academic stress of students respondents in terms of:
a. Pressures to perform
b. Workload
c. Academic self-perception
d. Time restraints
3.?

4. Conceptual Framework
INPUT
• Age
• Gender
• Perceived Stress
• First Grading
Grade in General
Physics
• Second Grading
Grade in General
Physics
PROCESS OUTPUT
COPING
STRATEGIES
UTILIZED
SURVEY
QUESTIONNAIRES

5. Primarily to the students
For clinical instructors
For the administrator
For the future Researcher
Scope and Limitation of the Study
Data will be gathered from the Grade 12 Science, Technology , Engineering and Mathematics
students through a questionnaire and through interviews that the researchers created.
Limitations of the study include limited Philippine-based resources about stress and coping
strategies, specifically in the academic field.
Significance of the Study

6. Stress
Coping Strategies.
Eustress
Distress
Definition of Terms

7. Local Literature
Stress is here to stay, according to Maraya de Jesus Chebat.
What people need to do is to learn more about their nature, sources and alternatives so that
people use energy positively and work in the best way possible.
Calaguas (2011) Stress affects people from all walks of life regardless of age, gender, civil status,
political affiliation, religious belief, economic status and profession. It affects decision-makers such
as the politician, the manager, the priest or pastor, the employee, the housewife, the student, the
out-of-school youths, the driver, and even the jobless. Stress is found everywhere, that is, at home,
with friends, in the office, in school, in the classroom. It is just around the corner.
Ellison (1990) considered stress as a biochemical response by the body to a threatening situation.
The school is one place where a lot of people converge on a regular basis. It is a fact that when
people come together, stress is bound to happen. The Administration may be stressed with the
low turn-out of enrolment or the need to generate more funds to finance important capital
outlays. The causes of stress for teachers vary, such as lack of preparation, family and financial
problems, absentee and, sub-par students, among others.
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

8. According to Park, (2003) the word “coping” has two connotations in stress literature. It has been
used to denote the way of dealing with stress or effort to master conditions of harm, threat, or
challenge when a routine or automatic response is not readily available Coping refers to mastering
conditions that tax or exceed adaptive resources.
Lazarus,(2015) stated emphasized the key role of cognitive process in coping activities and the
importance of coping in determination of quality and intensity of emotional reactions to stress.
According to him we are constantly self-regulating our emotional reaction in various ways. We
either postpone unpleasant situation, or change the threatening conditions or simply detach
ourselves from unpleasant situations. Therefore, Lazarus emphasizes that the individual actively
considers the situation and the unforeseen environmental conditions which manipulate the
individual’s behavior coping strategy refers to a technique of coping adopted in a specific context.
Over a period of time the individual develops a specific coping style. This refers to the manner in
which an individual respond to any stressful event.
Thakkar (2018) believes that school education is a very important part in an individual’s life and is
also a turning point in their academic life. In our fast pacing and highly competitive world, students
face various academic problems including exam stress, disinterest in attending classes and the
inability to understand a subject.
Foreign Literature

9. Local Studies
Milanes (2010) students are the most essential elements in any educational institution. They are
considered as the core of learning process. Their performance plays an important role in
determining academic achievements which are associated to what people value. If students
achieve their set academic standards and successfully attained high degree of education, the
probability of being employed in the future is high. his This academic performance also reflects the
quality graduates who will become great leaders and manpower for the country’s economic and
social development. Hence, having good academic standing is essential. School equips them with
the necessary knowledge, abilities, academic performance also reflects the quality graduates who
will become great leaders and manpower for the country’s economic and social development.
Hence, having good academic standing is essential. School equips them with the necessary
knowledge, abilities,
Academic stress involves mental distress regarding anticipated academic challenges or failure or
even the fear of the possibility of academic failure. Academic stressors show themselves in many
aspects in the students’ environment: at school, home, in their peer relations and even in their
neighborhood . Excessive levels of academic stress can result in an increased prevalence of
psychological and physical problems like depression, anxiety, nervousness and stress related
disorders, which in turn can affect their academic results. Anxiety as a disorder is seen in about 8%
of adolescents and children worldwide. Anxiety and stress have a substantial negative effect on
their social, emotional and academic success. Depression is becoming the most common mental
health problem college students suffer these days. It is also a reflection of an individual’s academic
frustration, academic conflict, academic anxiety and academic pressure. The four components of
academic stress usually identifiable in a student are academic frustration, academic conflicts,
academic anxieties and academic pressures.

10. and values to deal with specific challenges they will be facing throughout their lives. Aside from
learning academics, students are allowed to progress in other aspects and develop essential skills
such as collaboration, good manner and unity through different extra –curricular activities. But in
dealing with different challenge and demands to perform well in academics, students may feel
stressful because of their inability to perform all demands.
According to Associated Press/MTV survey (2009), school is the most frequently mentioned source
of students’ stress from 13-17 years old. A child may be studying always but if not studying
effectively, all the time spent with books might actually be causing more stress. A high school is
might be away of building up a tolerance for stress because of too much homework, testing, and
pressure from peers.
Foreign Studies
According to Yashwant Kumar Nagle and Usha Sharma (2018), the academic stress in India has increased
drastically over a period of time due to parental expectation and competitive environment among
students. Heavy syllabus, parents’ expectation and cut throat competition among students led them to
mental health issues like depression, anxiety and suicide. The education structure of India is workbook
oriented that majorly focuses on cramming of lessons which requires studying for long hours and regular
study every day. This intricate schedule of studying from morning till evening leaves less or no scope for
socialization and recreation. . The national daily Times of India reported that remarkable spike in the
incidence of suicide among teenagers across the country have given a reason to worry. A psychiatrist
reports that the reason behind the suicide could be the unnecessary academic pressure which children face
from school, peers, parents and themselves. The other reason could be immeasurable pursuit to get the
child admitted in renowned educational institute and getting best score is the criterion that is pertaining
over the years.

11. According to psychologist Folkman, S. (2011) the situations can be both positive and negative; it
requires adjustment and this could also be stressful. The concept of stress can be divided into
‘Eustress (Positive stress) and Distress (Negative Stress). Both stress types can be taxing to a
person’s resources and coping skills though distress will probably do more harm to an individual.
Similarly, children and adolescents can experience variety of stressors ranging from appalling or
shocking life events, unfortunate hassles and tension. These are the vital factors affecting young
people’s well-being and mental health.
Snehlata (2017) indicates that the reasons for stress during adolescence are because of disturbed
family dynamics, peer pressure, inability to cope with studies, drug abuse, and lack of competence.
The involvement of adolescents in getting instant gratification of needs has led to lot of stress in
them and in their relationships with family and peers. The students coming from joint families have
slightly higher mean of academic anxiety score than their counterparts coming from nuclear
families but this difference is not significant statistically. IQ and demographic factors are not key
factor in academic stress among high school students.

12. Emeka (2018), examined the stress related issues perceived by college students in Minnesota and
found out that academic/coursework demands was the biggest perceived stressor amongst others.
Furthermore, procrastination, study/life balance, money problems and work also caused significant
stress to college students.
The results of her study support past research that found female college students reported feeling
more stress than male students (May, R. W. and S.P. Casazza. 2012) Sex differences have also been
found in the use of coping strategies. Literature review searches reveal female students reported
greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies including expressing feelings, seeking emotional
support, denial, acceptance, and positive reframing than male students.
In order to overcome deviant behaviors , the parents play a constructive role in channelizing
energies of the adolescents. Proper care should to be taken in helping to take the right decisions
which may affect their future. Anxiety reduction and time management in conjunction with leisure
activities may be an effective strategy for reducing academic stress in college students. Students
should have the aspiration/expectation about their study, not beyond their capacities and abilities,
Students need also proper counseling while selecting their courses at intermediate level. The
parents should also consider the child’s interest and aptitude and not impose on selecting the
courses. The family environment should be congenial and the learning process should be made
pleasurable and parents should avoid making it as a stressful event for adolescents. Author
concludes that supportive and stimulating atmosphere is very necessary for the student to
progress in their academic life and for reaching their aim or goal.

13.  Research Design
To attain the objectives of the study, the researcher used the descriptive method of research.
According to Zuelta (2003) descriptive method is devoted to the gathering of information about
prevailing conditions or situations for the purpose of description and interpretation. It is used over
a broad range to obtain information concerning the currents status of the phenomena to describe
what exists with respect to variables or conditions in a situation. It has been widely employed in
various studies for several reasons: providing the value of facts; focusing attention on most
important things to be reported; and meeting the existing daily problems in life. Costales (2003)
defined surveys as a method used to gather information from a group of individuals. Survey
research can be viewed as a form of highly structured interview with great versatility in the social
sciences including education. The greatest benefit of the survey method is its ability to collect
substantial data from many individuals within a very confined period of time
CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY

14.  This study was considered in Grade 12 STEM 1 and 2 Students of Isulan National High School,
Academic year 2021-2o22 as the respondents of the study.
Research Instrument
The research tool used in this study is a survey questionnaire; the preliminary part is the “Note to
respondents, which states the purpose of the study, and then five more parts are followed.
The first part is about the student’s profile which includes name (optional), year level, age and
gender.
The second part is about the level of academic stress that the student feels (e.g. I can organize my
time efficiently, especially when school work is done)
The third part deals with how often students interact with others (e.g. I have regular, calm talks
with people with whom I live about academic problems, e.g. failed grades, incomplete
requirements, dropped subjects, etc.).
The fourth part relates to how often social networks are used(e.g. Use social networking site to
relieve stress?).
Respondents of the Study

15. Data Gathering Procedure
The researches came up with a questionnaire of five parts ; they adapted some standardized tests on
Internet. Questions are limited but substantial because they chose questions which will answer the
problems stated in the study and answerable by the respondents.
They consulted their adviser for validation of the questionnaire. The researcher’s advisers’
suggestions and comments will be considered on the questionnaire.
The test will be conducted at Isulan Naional High School. It will be administered on different dates,
considering the availability of the respondents. The data for this research is collected using survey
questionnaires. Copies of the questionnaires will be distributed to gather the relevant data.
The fifth part deals with the different coping strategies students utilize to solve their problem/
academic stress. (E.g.eating, playing, watching a movie, etc.)And the last part consists of two
questions. The second part , until the fifth part of the questionnaire, is answered by checking always,
often, sometimes, seldom and never. The respondents should check a box that meets their answers
to the questions. Through this process, researchers can evaluate students 'perceptions according to
academic stress and how they deal with it

16. Statistical Treatment of Data
The following statistical tools were employed in the analysis of the data gathered:
Frequency Distribution and Percentage
The frequency distribution and percentage were used to describe and to treat the data
of teacher- respondents’ profiles in terms of age, sex, and grade level and birth order.
Formula:
f
P =---------x 100
N
10 respondents, taken from 2 different sections of Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics Strand will be the respondents of the study. Students are aging from 17 years old to
19 years old. Simple random and stratified sampling will be used to gather respondents
systematically . With the help of the respondents, the researchers will be able to determine the
level of stress a student is facing, the type of coping strategies students utilized and how stress
affect their learning’s towards General Physics . All fulfilled questionnaires will be retrieved and
compiled for analysis of data.

17. Weighted Mean (Wm)
The weighted mean was used to describe and to treat the data on the leadership styles
and their competence in supervisory functions to the teachers
Formula:
∑fx
Wm= -----------
n
Where:
Wm= Weighted mean
∑ fx= summation of the product of the weight given to each response
n= number of respondent
Where:
P= Percentage
f= frequency of responses
N= number of respondents

18. Where:
= Chi-square
f (a) = Actual frequency of number of observation in a cell
f (e)= Expected frequency or number or observation in a cell
Σ=”Summation “the difference are Cumulative
Scale Arbitrary Values
The five- point liker scale was used to determine the assessment of the level of academic stress of
pupils- respondents of the respondents as to the following:
Chi-square
This was used to compare the actual frequencies of the responses with the expected frequencies to determine
the level of academic stress of pupils and when the profile is considered in Isulan National High School Basis for an
action plan.
Formula:
(f (a)- f (e))
= Σ ------------------
F (e)

19. Range of Values Degree of Responses
Verbal Interpretation
Descriptive Rating
4.5 -5 5 VERY HIGH STRONGLY AGREE
3.5-4.49 4 HIGH AGREE
2.5 -3.49 3 MODERATE UNDECIDED
1.5 -2.49 2 LOW DISAGREE
1.0-1.49 1 VERY LOW STRONGLY DISAGREE