The attributions of Lasallians to underachievement: A needs and asset assessment of the DLSU-STC underachievers

• Main Author: Laurena, Benita M.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2013
• Subjects: Underachievers; Educational Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/7087
• Institution: De La Salle University

Underachievement can be seen as “content and situation specific” (Delisle & Berg, 1990 as cited in the work of Chukwu-Etu, 2009). Thus, it is tied to the self-concept where students may see themselves as failures and may eventually place self-imposed limits on what is possible. In evaluative context in which learners are concerned with the implications of academic failures, chances are they seek to avoid failures by succeeding, or they can face these challenges by altering the meaning of failure thus, expecting the worst or by trying to control the circumstances that bring about it. Attribution is viewed as the internal (thinking) and external (talking) process of interpreting and understanding what is behind our own and others’ behaviors. It is a process where we perceive other events and factors as causal agent (Griffin, 2011). Abdullahi (2010) in the work of Ojo and Owoyele (2011) articulated that individuals often think about causal attributions in terms of causal dimensions. Therefore, causal dimensions appear to play a significant role in identifying how people process information regarding its causality. Students are known to attribute academic failures to various factors. Some students tend to attribute failure to externa; causes but success to themselves. Students associate failure to other causes such as poor teaching style, poor preparation, difficult questions, emotional problems and lack of necessary facilities which make studying very difficult (Komolafe & Yara, 2010 as cited in the study of Ojo and Owoyele (2011)). The De La Salle University, Office of Counseling and Career Services (OCCS) envisions to facilitate the students’ holistic development towards a well-adjusted life equipped with adaptability skills. As St. John Baptist De la Salle highly emphasized taking care of “the least, the lost, and the last,” the researcher is just the same inspired by our founder in reaching out to students who are academically challenged and empowered them to improve their learning. Gearing up learners for academic development (GLAD) and some of OCCS public offerings are created to meet these academic gaps. This paper attempts to replicate certain processes undertaken by OCCS-Manila in the implementation of GLAD program focusing on factors related to underachievement. It was revealed that the following reasons: subject matter and difficult lessons, the too traditional teaching methodology, personal issues and students’ attitudes were concerns addressed by the program recipients as antecedent for their academic difficulties (Pre, 2013). Furthermore, it is and exploratory study of De La Salle University-Science and Technology Complex (DLSU-STC) underachievers which aimed at addressing their needs and eventually improve students’ learning. DLSU-STC underachievers are known as precarious students or the alarm list who obtained a CPGA lower than 1.20. with the factors identified that attribute to the academic difficulties by DLSU-Manila underachievers, this seek to determine if the same factors hold to them or if there are other factors that contributed to being STC underachievers. Survey need assessment was conducted among the target participants wherein the results identified the main factors that caused academic failures. The results of this study were based on the responses gathered through the survey of students with academic difficulties (SSWAD) which is adapted from A survey on the cases of unsatisfactory performance in college by De Leon, et al. (1978) and anchored on attribution theory. The academic difficulties were categorized into twelve factors, namely: background on particular subject/s; subject matter; exams; attendance; school skills; motivation and value orientation; personal concerns; emotional concerns; family; peers; teachers and polices and facilities. From the total 53 precarious students, 36 (67.92) answered the need assessment survey. Survey results revealed that the following were the top answers as attribute for academic failures: (1) committed too many mistakes in the exams; (2) limited academic freedom; (3) self-control and subject matter too difficult to understand/comprehend; (4) do not spend enough time to study a did not study regularly on scheduled time; (5) parents’ expectations and tardiness/absence due to completion of many school requirements. The results revealed that the student generally attribute their failures to external factors.