THE PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS OF STUDENT ASSISTANTS

IN RENDERING SERVICE AT THE SELECTED OFFICES

OF CAGAYAN DE ORO COLLEGE-PHINMA

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A Research Paper Presented to

The Faculty of the Nursing Department
Cagayan de Oro College

________________

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

To Nursing Research 1

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by

Calugay, Carmelli Mariae H.

Padinit, Marie Antoinette A.
Perido, Elinor G.
Razo, Mary Yvonne

CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Performance is the act of functional effectiveness, a formal exhibition of one's path in various
themes. It is the accomplishment or achievement of action or deed through demonstration that
shows functioning effectively. In relation to this, people in service must be consistent in
rendering quality service since they are accountable to the clientle they serve. Working students
also known as Student Assistant are not exempted on providing quality service to their clientle
even though they are working and studying at the same time.
Many parents can hardly afford to send their children to school. Thus, with help of the
Student Assistance Program, many students can avail the opportunities that it serves globally.
These students are financed by the school to pursue their studies in a condition that they render
service in the institution.
The country today is facing an economic crisis that increases poverty in this land. Thus, many
Filipino who graduated from high school cannot go to college. With regard to this, Colleges and
Universities in the Philippines offer privileges for these students such as being a working scholar.
The PHINMA Education Network implemented such scholarship. It embraces those students
who deserve to be sent to school, but could hardly be sent due to financial crises. The unique
function of a student assistant is to assist the clientle in the guidance and assistance of their
needs. Indeed, the said scholarship has contributed much to the fulfillment of the dreams of the
many COCean students.
Cagayan de Oro College is Filipino, Non-sectarian educational institution. Its mission is to
inform well - integrated persons by providing Education to all, especially to the less fortunate. In
consonance with the vision and mission of the Cagayan de Oro College, the SASP(Student
Assistant Scholarship Program) is committed to help in the education of the poor and deserving
students. It aims at the total development of its members and to assist the Cagayan de Oro
College employees in all offices in the disposal of their responsibilities towards the efficient and
effective operation of the institution.
They enjoy the following benefits and privileges:

Free tuition fee for 24 units of academic subjects per semester and 9 units per summer

session for minimum work of twenty (20) hours per week.

In connection to this, the researchers strove to determine the effectiveness of the student
assistants of Cagayan de Oro College in rendering service to their fellow students, to the faculty
members as well as to the administrators of the school.
Moreover, this research is envisioned to shed light regarding the help or assistance given to
the students, teachers and administrators in the school community.

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework

Young (2000) stated that job competence is essential to qualitative, efficient, skillful working
practice. It emphasized that for a person to provide quality of service; he should be competent
enough in performing one's tasks.
Sison (1991) asserted that good communication is important in interrelationships either with
the employee's co-workers or with his superior. Good communication leads to a harmonious
relationship between the co workers as well as to their superiors, which is of great help in the
proper disposal of their responsibilities towards the efficient and effective operation of the
institution.
Kozier (2004) states that to know that the effective service outcome have been met, the person
in service must listen attentively to the clientele, observe cues and determine that the service
rendered was effective. The clienteles are the most important person who benefits the service
rendered by the worker. Thus, their welfare should be considered first in the service process.
Sison (1991) added that several research studies showed that workers do not work harder just
for the purpose of making more money alone, but are motivated also by their desire for
accomplishment and success in their job. Dedication toward one's job is an important element to
achieve effective service. Money should not be considered as a big factor in motivating the
worker to perform quality service. Rather, their desire for a successful outcome in service is what
matters most.
Maslach (2001) viewed that in the organizational and work role competency domain of
practice; worker should identify specific stressors at work and strive to eliminate them. Stress is
one factor that contributes to the hindrance in performing one's job efficiently. The worker
should know the ways to eliminate and prevent them to attain success in their work.

Statement of the Problem

This study is conducted to determine the perceived effectiveness of the Student Assistants in
rendering service to the clientele in the selected offices of Cagayan de Oro College.

Specifically, the researchers sought answers to the following questions:

1. What is the perceived level of performance on the job possessed by the student assistants
assigned in the selected offices of Cagayan de Oro College?
2. How do the student assistants maintain a mutual relationship with co-workers?
3. How do the student assistants maintain relationship with the clientele?
4. What is the perceived level of satisfaction of the student assistants with their job?
5. What is level of abilities of student assistants in coping with stress?
6. What is the overall level of effectiveness of student assistants service?

Significance of the Study

Since the effectiveness in service is important to achieve goals in different fields, it is
imperative that factors related to the effectiveness in service be properly studied. This
effectiveness must be met if those in rendering service aim to achieve these goals.

The information gathered in this research will be useful to the following:

The Cagayan de Oro College Administration. The result will develop the awareness in the
performance of their personnel, especially the employees toward their tasks. This study will also
specify recommendations to improve the quality service rendered to the clientele. This is also
one way to upgrade the facilities to direct them better ways in rendering service to the clients.
The Cagayan de Oro College Student Assistants. This result will help them develop skills in
rendering effective service and quality of service care.
The Clientele of Cagayan de Oro College. This study will provide awareness of the benefits
of effective and quality assistance that will be rendered to them, such as efficiency, adequacy,
effectiveness, safety and with the use of critical thinking in service.
The Researchers. This would serve as a basis in gaining more knowledge in developing their
whole being to the tasks given to them. The criteria commonly practiced will serve as a reminder
in rendering effective qualitative service as a future mentors.

Scope and Delimitation

This research aimed to determine the perceived effectiveness of the student assistants in
rendering service at the selected offices of Cagayan de Oro College. The offices selected by the
researchers are the CSDL office, iNet Internet laboratory, Chemistry laboratory, and the library.
The questionnaire will be distributed to the student assistants assigned at the aforementioned
offices during the Second Semester of year 2015 of Cagayan de Oro College-PHINMA
Institution.
Definition of Terms
Clientele. The person to whom the service is rendered.
Competence. The quality of a person in being capable of performing effective job.
COC. Is a Filipino, Non-sectarian educational institution at Cagayan de Oro City.
Optimal. Most favorable condition desired.

Rapport. Sympathetic attitude toward the clienteles.

Stress. A system of forces producing tension or pressure.
Stressor. Factors causing stress.
Student Assistant. Less fortunate and deserving students who avails the Student Assistance
Scholarship Program.

CHAPTER 2
Review of Related Literature
Job competence is essential to the qualitative, efficient, skillful working practice. According
to Young (2000), the amount of knowledge that workers must use and the continuing rapid
growth of this knowledge prevent them from being effective workers if they attempt to function

with only the information acquired in school or outlined in books. She added that when
unexpected situation

arise, critical thinking and competence enables the worker to recognize

important cues, respond, quickly, and adapt interventions to meet specific, client needs.
Alexander (1992), explains that competency on job performance is the result of knowledge
and working experience. The competence required to interpret departmental instructions and
makes complex decision is the basis for the advancement of working practice and the
development of the said exposure, to deliver effective service, the worker should be able to make
relevant observations, recognize client's problems and develop appropriate plans to address those
problems. These activities are continuously developed during departmental working exposures of
the people involved in the service.
According to Abdillah et.al (1996), attitudes are consistent ways of perceiving feeling or
thinking about or behaving toward the client. Mckeehan (1990) concluded that attitudes are
internal process that somehow guide or direct our behaviors. Positive attitudes of workers should
be shown to the clients and so to gain the confidence of the clients.
Establishing rapport facilities a vital working role. Arnold (1990) stated that the effective
communication in an essential element of an optimal worker- client relationship. In rendering
service, communication is a dynamic process used to gather assessment, data, to teach and
persuade and to express caring and comfort.
Most workers experiences stress in their work environments. Stressors can consist of
workloads, institutional policies, and conflict with co-workers client characteristics. Reaction to
a job-related stressor would depend on the worker's personality, health situations, and previous
experiences with stress and coping mechanisms. Job stress frequently results in a condition
called burnout, which is characterized by a decreased concern for the people with whom one is
working the job or profession no longer has positive rewards and the client may experiences
anger or apathy. Workers are at risk for job stress burnout and benefit from using the same stress
management techniques they teach clients. In the organizational and work role competency
domain of practice, worker should identify specific stressors at work and strive to eliminate
them. It is also helpful to gain social support from other co-worker in order to maintain a caring
attitude towards client.
Kashkoff (1993) stated that "Stress is an inside job", it is up to the person as how much he
will be affected by it. The way the person responds to it depends on his developmental and

environmental heritage. Because every individual has his own unique set of adaptive habits that
have been selected and reinforced by his life experiences. Studies informs us that the anticipation
form of coping by anticipating stressful situations leads to many thoughts and feelings which
themselves can be stress reducing in cases of tests, interviews speeches or blind dates. Human
being have a tremendous potential for adapting not only biologically over generations but
psychologically within a lifetime- even in a short period of time if they decide they want to
change.
Whereof Copp (2003), since workers witness pain and suffering, they should also be ready to
deal with these stress. She added that in managing any stress problem should be in recognition.
One must learn not only to recognize the signs of stress but also to ask for help.
Another author, Owen (2002), states that the coping strategies workers adapt to combat stress
have also been studied extensively. They can be defined as active of passive attempts to respond
to a situation of threat or reducing the emotional discomfort.
Davis (1992) concluded that working is devoted to the service for people. Its goal is to
promote and maintain quality service. Workers then are involved in the process and on the
concern with instituting directive measures, monitoring the clients progress and providing the
assistance, guidance and support.
Nicholls (1997) studied the position and job satisfaction of workers in the position, function
and their satisfaction in the social system of workers. She found out that dissatisfaction appeared
to be associated chiefly with social organizational relationships rather than with the technical
functional relationships.
Goldstone (1999), studied assessed that the level of satisfaction is expressed by the workers
after 6 months of employment. The data revealed that job satisfaction scores were insignificantly
predicted by the respondents job expectations and the importance they placed on various
components of the work situations.

CHAPTER 3
Methodology
This chapter describes how the study was undertaken. It discusses the main topics to be
covered in this chapter namely the research design, the number of participants, the instrument
used, the procedure in gathering data, and the analysis of the data gathered.

Research Design

The researcher focused their research study on the work scholars rendering service at the
selected offices of CSDL office, iNet, Internet laboratory, Chemistry laboratory, and the library.
The descriptive method was used and the students having their duty during Srcond Semester of
S.Y. 2014-2015 were selected as the respondents. This was to determine the perceived
effectiveness of the student assistants in rendering service at the aforementioned offices of COCPHINMA.

Research Respondent
The study focused particularly to the 20 student assistants of COC-PHINMA. They have
decided to use the above respondents for the reason that they are the group who are frequently
given immediate tasks to handle, as requirements in the departmental area which the researchers
thought could give reliable answers to their research findings. The researchers oriented the
respondents as to their role in this research and were given ample time to answer the
questionnaire. This is done to ensure the reliability of the data to be gathered. There are 20
Student Assistants as the total number of respondents.

Research Instrument
The researchers used a questionnaire as their means of collecting data, because it is simple
wherein items are easily constructed. Questionnaire can be easily distributed and less time in
consumed during data gathering. Answers are kept confidential and data from closed ended items
are easy to tabulate. The terms are comprehensive and in direct manner to avoid confusion. The
respondents were asked to answer the said questionnaire by checking the box of which would
correspond to their most appropriate answer. The questionnaire is composed of 22 items and it is
divided into five parts.

The first part of the questionnaire is about the performance on the job of the student
assistants and has 10 items. The second part is about the relation of the student assistants toward
their coworkers and has three items. The third part is about the relation of the student assistants
toward their clientele also has three items. The fourth part is about the satisfaction of the student
assistants on their job which also contains three items and the last part is about the ability of the
student assistants in coping with stress also has three items.
The five parts of the questionnaire have the same descriptive interpretation and scale. The
rating scale used in interpreting the responses of the respondents are as follows:
Scale

Verbal Interpretation

Very Frequent

Frequent

Seldom

Very Seldom

Never

Data Gathering Procedures

Since this study was conducted at the different offices of the Institution, there are many legal
procedures needed that were undertaken by the researchers.
First, the researchers approached the mentor as regards to the problem identified. Before
conducting the study, preparation of the necessary requirements were made. The researchers
wrote a letter of permission to the selected department heads of Cagayan de Oro College to
conduct the study at the respective offices. The researchers then gathered related literature from
various sources. After the approval of the department heads, the validation of the questionnaire
was done. The researchers conducted the study by orienting the respondents on the purpose of
the study and by informing them of their importance to the success of the study. Then, they

started retrieving the questionnaires and the researchers did the tallying of the data gathered also.
After the tabulation and computation, the data was ready for presentation, analysis and
interpretation.

Data Analysis
The questionnaire is answerable by checking the box below the scale based on their response.
Upon getting all the data, the researchers computed the weighted mean to determine the average
of the respondents regarding their effectiveness as student assistants in rendering service at
Cagayan de Oro College. Each item of the questionnaire is based on a five-point scale.
The formula in finding the weighted mean is:
fx
X =

_________

Where
X

= Weighted Mean

fx = Sum of the products of midpoints to frequency

N = Total number of respondents

The following scale was used for the analysis and interpretation of the survey
questionnaire:
Scale

Range

Verbal Interpretation

4.50 - 5.00

3.50 - 4.49

Frequent

3.00 - 3.49

Seldom

2.50 - 2.99

Very Seldom

1.00 - 2.49

Never

Very Frequent