Parental Factors Affecting Student's Self-Concept and Academic Performance Amid Modular Distance Learning

Nelda B. Caasi Palawan National School, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Philippines Parental factors impact students’ self-concept and academic performance during the pandemic. Thus, this study determined the students’ self-concept and academic performance and the parental factors related to it. The research design was descriptive-correlational, and 500 nonrandom college students in West Philippines participated in the study. Researcher-made instruments were used, which were subjected to reliability and validity evaluation. Data were collected online from June 2021 to July 2022 and were analyzed using descriptive (frequency counts and percentage) and inferential statistics (Spearman correlation). Results revealed a positive self-concept and satisfactory academic performance among the students. Besides, parental factors such as educational attainment and school/classroom involvement are significantly related to self-concept and academic performance. Further, self-concept is significantly associated with academic performance. This shows that some parental factors are vital in developing the student’s self-beliefs and supporting their studies and academic endeavors amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies may consider more factors related to academic achievement and self-concept. Other researchers may find the mediation or moderation effect of self-concept between parental factors and students’ scholastic achievement.

Identifying Gaps Between Actual English Learning of Intermediate Students and the Curriculum Aims of Pakistan and Developing English Learning Materials to Reduce These Gaps

This research aimed at preparing effective English learning materials to help enhance the proficiency of intermediate (Pre-University) students of English of the public sector colleges in Pakistan. In the light of this aim, the researcher identified gaps between the actual English learning of the intermediate students of public sector colleges and National Curriculum of Pakistan for English language education and prepared English learning materials to reduce these gaps. For the purpose of identifying gaps the researcher prepared a test based on the targets of the curriculum and administered to the students of 20 colleges in various districts of the Punjab (a province of Pakistan). The results of the test through which the proficiency was gauged showed that the students could not comprehend and interact with the text in reading and listening successfully and were not able to operate language in writing and speaking. They were mostly found copying and repeating the language of the test items. However, they were slightly good at the formal aspects of language. The answers supplied by the learners indicated that most of them lacked background knowledge and skills to interact and operate language. Either they did not answer at all or answered in an inappropriate and broken language. In the light of these results and information about how the students used language in answering the items of the test, the researcher prepared learning materials with a view that it should have capacity to engage students meaningfully; provide the students with meta-cognitive skills and carry such stimuli that could generate required motivation among students. It was also taken care that the materials addressed the difficulties of the learners which were there on account of non-native setting. These materials were initially validated through the critical analysis by some teachers and students. The impact of these materials was later tested through an experimental phase of the study on experiment group and control group. The results of the pretest and posttest showed that collectively the impact of the materials was good. However, some students did not perform well. The researcher’s conclusion was that materials prepared may reduce the gaps between the English learning of intermediate students of public sector colleges and National Curriculum of Pakistan.