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Open High School Program: Its Effects and Implications on the Socio-Emotional Development of the Learners
Balmeo, Marilyn L1.,Cacay, Daphne D2.,Camero, Jacqueline A3.,Cancio, Jessica G4.,Catacutan, NadeenReem A5.,Chopil,
Junnifer C6.
Abstract
The present study was conducted to know the effects and implications of the Open High School Program(OHSP) to the
learners who are under Baguio City National High School. The researchers aimed to present the possible effects and implications of
the program to the socio-emotional development of the learners. A questionnaire consisting of 33 items was used for data gathering.
The sample of the study consists of 44 students from first year to fourth year. The study unfolds various levels of social and emotional
development of the learners who dropped-out from school before and decided to finish their schooling. It was found out that the
enrollees had been able to develop in themselves a more enhanced self-confidence and independent learning skills. The program gave
them more opportunities to discover their innate skills and potentials.
Keywords: Dropout Reduction Program (DORP), Open High School Program (OHSP), Socio-Emotional development, dropout.

I.

Background of the Study

Twenty-rst century schools serve socio-culturally diverse students with varied abilities and motivations for learning (Learning First
Alliance, 2001). While some students are academically engaged and participate energetically in class and extracurricular activities,
others are less engaged and achieve poorly (Blum &Libbey, 2004). Many students become more disengaged from school as they
progress from elementary to middle to high school.
Preparing students for life success requires a broad, balanced education that both ensures their mastery of basic academic skills and
also prepares them to become responsible adults (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2007). It is important for
families, schools, and communities to identify and effectively implement research-based approaches that promote childrens social,
emotional, academic engagement and growth in the early years of school.
Social-emotional development provides the foundation for how we feel about ourselves and how we experience others. This
foundation begins the day we are born and continues to develop throughout our lifespan. The greatest influence on a childs socialemotional development is the quality of the relationships that he develops with his primary caregivers. Encouraging and nurturing
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early experiences and interaction have a significant impact on a childs social-emotional development. They also influence how the
young childs brain develops. An attachment relationship is an enduring one that develops during the first few years of the childs life.
It is built upon repeated interactions between the infant and the primary caregiver. These interactions mainly involve attempts by the
infant to achieve physical and emotional closeness and the caregivers responses to these attempts. They have a lasting influence on
how the child feels about him, how he thinks and interacts with his world, and what he comes to expect from others.
The dropout rate over different countries had been a long economic and social problem. Each country is looking for different ways
to address this long term problem but according to Martha Abele, Mac Iver and Douglas J. Mac Iver (August 2009), despite decades of
school improvement initiatives, many young people still do not cross the finish line of secondary education with the credential that
signifies successa high school diploma. Thousands of young people give up on school and on themselves, or schools give up on
them. Without effective support from schools, communities, and families, many at-risk students fall through the cracks and eventually
drop out. A lot of countries around the globe came up with different programs to reduce the high dropout rate in their country. In the
K-12 fact sheet of the United States of America, there is an intervention for dropout students called Alternative Schools. Alternative
schools prevent students from dropping out of school, administrators allow these students to enroll in alternative schools and it is more
likely to serve high school students. They provide more access to psychoanalysis, more personalized attention, and improved links
with social services (Dynarski& Gleason, 1998). Almost the same program was established in Canada to solve the problem with
regards to the Canadian youth who dropped out in school. As presented in the backgrounder of Pathways to Education Canada
byTonisha Bath, Citizen Optimum(2001), the Pathways to Education Program was developed as an initiative of the Regent Park
Community Health Centre, which is located in a neighborhood where the average family income was less than $18,000 and the high
school dropout rate was an astonishing 56%.Pathways to Education works at the community level by delivering academic tutoring,
group and career-oriented mentoring, and student advocacy. This program aims to help students who dropped out from school by
means of having some tutorials and counseling for the youths to understand the importance of education. Another program in
Netherlands was presented in the research Dropout Prevention Measures: An evaluation by Witte, Cabus, and Leuven(April 2010) was
a bit different from the first two programs. They have presented different interventions that can help students to avoid dropping out of
school. First is Fighting Dropouts which is under the Registration and Communication Program. In this intervention, every student
who attends schooling in the Dutch Educational System gets a personal identification number which will be used to monitor students
performance. Another program under the Registration and Communication is the VSV-Jongeren team where in youngsters who
experienced dropping out at school before gives information about the relevance of obtaining a high school diploma. They use this
intervention to save students who dropped out in school in the present days for them to realize how important it is to finish their
schooling. The second policy that was implemented in Netherlands was about reporting students truancy. There will be a report of
non-attendance by registering truants in a central database that is so-called digital office. It offers the opportunity to signal better
potential dropouts (Auditdienst OCW, 2007). By then, once a student becomes a candidate of the students expected to drop out from
school, different interventions will be given to them to prevent them from finally dropping out of school. There are also preventive
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measures like the Care and Advisory Teams thatare formulated for students who are expected to drop out in school. Care and Advisory
teams have been set up to connect internal and external interventions for potential dropouts. It typically consists of a psychologist,
pedagogues, social workers of the school, a representative of the region and a policy officer. These people help students to overcome
whatever reasons that causes them to drop out in school. The same program that is being conducted in Netherlands is the Extended
School. Extended school refers to a range of services and activities, often beyond the school day, to meet the needs of pupil and their
families. Time-In is a project in the Netherlands (de Zwartet al., 2009). The initial goal of the project is to teach skills to pupils by
means of education or work, such that pupils do not leave school without a diploma or job. It also offers the chance to motivate
youngsters to do sport activities, to combat the problem of overweight and to develop talented youngsters to professional sport careers.
For students who finally dropped out from school, there are also curative measures that are being offered in Netherlands. Curative
interventions deal with early school leavers who are already working in the labor market(ROA, 2009/4). The Dutch government wants
to support these youngsters in attaining their starters qualification by means of EVC or dual tracks. EVC stands for a learning
certificate which can be obtained if a student passes a learning module. Dual tracks refer to the combination of labor and study. For
instance, part-time learning on construction techniques and part-time working in construction.
In the Philippine context, high dropout rate has been also a problem through the years when it talks about students from high
school. To solve this increasing number of high dropout rate in the Philippines, the Department of Education came up with a program
to cater the needs of these students. The program was called Dropout Reduction Program. In the press release of the Department of
Education last October 19,2011, Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that there are already 46,000 students saved from dropping
out. The Department of Education records show that Dropout Reduction Program(DORP) has contributed the remarkable
accomplishment in reducing the high school dropout rate from 12.51% in 2005-2006 to 7.95% in school year 2009-2010(Luistro
2011).There is a large decrease in the percentage of the dropout students since DORP was implemented.The basis of the program is
Article XIV of the Philippine constitution. As was discussed in the Philippine Gazette of the Philippine Constitution, thestate shall
protect and promote the right of every citizen to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education
accessible to alland encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous systems, as well as self-learning, independent, and out-of-school
study programs particularly those that respond to community needs. In the Chan Robles virtual law library, the Education Act of 1982
(BP Blg. 232) also stipulates that The State shall provide the right of every individual to relevant quality education regardless of sex,
age, creed, socio-economic status, physical and mental condition, racial or ethnic origin, political and other affiliation.Republic Act
(RA) 9155 (Governance for Basic Education Act of 2001) envisions a curriculum that shall promote the holistic growth of Filipino
learners and enable them to acquire the core competencies and develop the proper values. This curriculum shall be flexible to meet the
learning needs of a diverse studentry, be relevant to their immediate environment and social and cultural need. Lastly, in the Fact
Sheet: A Summary of the Rights under the Convention presented by UNICEF was the Rights of the Child Article 28 of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child provides that States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a
view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall in particular: (1) make primary education
compulsory and available free to all;(2) encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general and
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vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take appropriate measures such as introducing free
education and offering financial assistance in case of need; and (3) take measures to encourage regular school attendance and reduce
dropout rate.
Dropout Reduction Program is an intervention program to reduce the high dropout rate and improve learning outcomes in public
and private schools of the country using formal, non-formal and informal approaches (DORP handbook, 2008). Under the program is
what they call Open High School Program (OHSP). OHSP is an alternative mode of secondary education that uses distance learning. It
caters to learners who are unable to attend the regular class program due to physical impairment, work, financial difficulties, distance
of home to school, and other justifiable and legitimate reasons (OHSP handbook, 2008). According to the OHSP handbook, this mode
uses distance learning and makes use of multi-media materials which the learner studies at his own pace and consults only with
teachers and capable persons when needed. Hence, as a requisite, the learner shall undergo the Independent Learning Readiness test
(ILRT) to assess his capacity for self-directed learning and the Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) to measure his reading level.
The start of the implementation of OHSP in Baguio City was last 2006.Baguio City National High School adapted the program for
they see the need of it in the community. In line with the mission-vision of the program, their objective was to reduce the dropout rate
in the community and by year 2015, there should be zero dropout rates. With regard of the implementation of the program in the said
school, there are but few problems faced by the implementers. During its first year, they faced a problem with regard to the modules
that will be given to students who are under the program and that was their major problem before but eventually it was resolved. With
regard to the enrollees, there are cases in which the student in the latter part do not come back or report in school. There are also
students from different places like La Union and Agoo that are being catered in the program. There is also a modification done by the
school with regard to the program. Instead of reporting in school when they finish a certain module they are asked to report in school
once a week. The reason behind is that there was a time when the students returned allthe modules answered without the assurance
that it was really the students who answered all the modules. So every time they report in school that is the time when the teacher in
charged assesses whether they studied their lessons or not. With this modification the quality of learning to the students who are under
the program is being improved. There are also cases where regular students tried to enter the program because of its structure that
students will only report in school once a week. With the aid of the different tests for the qualification of the students they are being
identified whether the program will suit their learning style because the program is more likely to be an independent learning. There
are students who passed that were before under the regular class who in the end choose to go back for some reasons. With regard to
the curricular content the lessons are the same with the regular class the only difference is the aid of the teacher because in the
program the student will be an independent learner and will undertake self-directing learning. In the over-all there is actually no
problem with regard to the program itself since it was implemented way back 2006 and it is obvious that the implementers do have
mastered the ways of the program.
The significance of this research around the globe tells us to be aware of the different interventions that can help children who
dropped out from school. Analyzing the effects and implications of a certain program that deals with students who dropped out from
school it can be a very good basis to come up with other program/s similar to this. This can also be a basis for people to understand the
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effects and implications of the different interventions to the students who were benefitting from a certain program. In the end it can be
the source of realization whether interventions given to students who dropped out from school and ought to finish schooling are
helpful to their socio-emotional development.
II.

Methodology
The present study was delimited to students who are under the Open High School of Baguio City National High School.
Samples of 102 students from Baguio City National High School were the respondents of this study.Unfortunately only 44
samples were gathered due to the absence of the other respondents. Their absence was said to be consistent as was said by
the coordinator due to some reasons. The researchers floated a questionnaire to students under the OHSP.
a. Research Problem
The purpose of this study is to know the levels of the effects and implications of the open high school program to the
socio-emotional development of the learners. The problems were stated as follows:
1. What were the levels of the implications of the Open High School Program to the socio-emotional
development of the learner?
2. What were the levels of the effects of the Open High School Program to the socio-emotional development of
the learner?
b. Research Objectives
The main objectives of the research study are as follows:
1. To have an information dissemination of the effects and implications of the program to the socio-emotional
development of the learner who are under the program.
2. To help the goal of the Department of Education to eliminate the rate of drop-out and illiterate number of the
Filipino population
3. To know techniques and procedures that helps a student to be successful in studying.
c. Population
For the study, the population includes students under the Dropout Reduction Program-Open High School of Baguio
City National High School-Main. There were suppose to be 102 students who will be the respondents of this study but
due to some reasons only 44 students answered the questionnaires.
d. Sample
The sample of the study consists of 102 studentsbut only 44 students were gathered to answer the questionnaire. The
respondents were from first year to fourth year who are under the program. The researchers used selective and
purposive sampling due to the number of available students who will be the respondents.

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e. Procedure
The researchers used descriptive method in finding the effects and implications of the program to the socio-emotional
development of the learners who are under the Dropout Reduction Program. The reason behind is for the researchers to
elaborate and describe the data that were gathered from the respondents. The technique that were used for the data
gathering were floating of questionnaires to the students under the Open High School Program (OHSP) of Baguio City
National High School-Main.
III.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
1. What were the levels of the implications of the Open High School Program to the socio-emotional development of the learner?
HIGH
1. The program helped me to be more independent since it is only once a week that I need to report to school and the rest is that I
should learn my modules independently.
The highest scores mean was 3.57 this item was more of being independent of students under the Open High School Program.
Analyzing their situation these students are only advised to report in school once a week depending on their year level. During their
days in reporting to school their teachers will be giving them different modules that they should study for the week. It is also during
this day in which students are free to ask questions on the things or topics that they did not understand from their modules. There is
also sharing of ideas in which they validate whether they have similar understanding in a certain topic. According to Larkin (2001) a
supportive environment enables students to capitalize their strengths and minimize or cope effectively with their weakness. In here we
are able to see that students under the OHSP are able to find support from the environment or in school that on the latter part will lead
into working independently by means of learning their modules with less help. They are also given opportunities to ask questions,
share ideas, and explain their understanding with regard to the topic that results to a meaningful learning to students. We are able to
see the importance of scaffolding here because teachers support their students until such time that their students will be able to do it on
their own. This results to a gradual decrease in support and a gradual increase in students responsibility for learning shifts from the
teacher to the students (Rosenshine& Meister, 1992). Its major effect to the students is that they become more independent and they
are able to express their thoughts correctly. As was said by Hogan and Pressley (1997) there are essential elements of scaffold
instruction that will lead to students mastery or students independence. One of this is to establish a shared goal; OHSP gives modules
in which students should finish with the given span of time. The students are able to see that for a certain week they know their target
goal to be able to have their next modules. Hogan and Pressley (1997) also suggested that assistance could take place in the form of
cueing or prompting, questioning, modeling, telling or discussing which is highly present under the OHSP. For complicated task,
teachers may need to provide more support for students to be persistent and focused (Hogan & Pressley, 1997). Also presented by
Hogan and Pressley teachers need to create an environment in which students are free to create alternatives without being penalized
and in which mistakes are considered as part of learning that if we are to see under the OHSP will become very visible during their
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class discussions. The independence of students under the program results to other positive attitudes that of they become responsible
and confident for they knew that with proper support from the environment what they are doing is right. There is also a boost in their
confidence for they are able to do work independently.
2. The program is very helpful to me because it helped me finish my studies and the teacher gives me enough attention.
The second highest has a mean of 3.55 that focuses on how they see the program. Students in the program need proper
guidance and assistance. Vygotsky's theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition
Vygotsky, 1978, as he believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of "making meaning." Vygotsky focused on
the connections between people and the socio-cultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences (Crawford, 1996).
According to Vygotsky, humans use tools that develop from a culture, such as speech and writing, to mediate their social
environments. Initially children develop these tools to serve solely as social functions, ways to communicate needs. Vygotsky believed
that the internalization of these tools led to higher thinking skills. He talks about scaffolding which means supporting framework. Our
respondent was somehow dependent to the program. It helps him to be successful in his studies. His community helps him to do his
best and gives him a chance to showcase his knowledge. By means of proper guidance the students can accomplish his goals in life.
This perspective looks to find the typical rather than the unique and look for the underlying similarities among cultures in order to
define universal occurrences. The program helps the respondent to view himself as a true or regular student and he finds himself well
functioned to the community. He is being optimistic in viewing the successes of other people rather than depending on his own
understanding and characteristics. UrieBronfenbrenner emphasized that the developing person is embedded in a series of
environmental systems that interact with one another and with the individual to influence development. This program helps him to be
a futuristic and his environment affect each other, environment and the other people involved. We cannot function well without the
others. No man is an island. The way people, societies, and countries develop and interact with each other have a strong influence
on deviance. Although societies may differ in appearance and way of life, they all have crime, religion, family structure, politics, and
economy. The vast differences in societies are constantly studied and theorized. Grand theories, for example, are meta-theories that
examine an aspect of society on a global or national scale. One particular theory of interest is the modernization theory. Stephenson,
1968, stated that the concept of modernization has to do with a transformation of culture and of personality in so far as it is influenced
by culture, rather than of some aspect of social organization or of human ecology. The action that he was doing this time was the result
of his perseverance in school. Most people in the program wants to go t college so our respondent was influenced with this concept,
when the students in OHSP was not doing their best it will affect their performance and his perception towards others. Between good
intentions and great results lays a program theory not just a list of tasks but a vision of what needs to happen, and how. Now widely
used in government and not-for-profit organizations, program theory provides a coherent picture of how change occurs and how to
improve performance. Michael Patton made a theory that shows how to develop, represent and use ii thoughtfully and strategically. It
makes the students goal clearer and understands what they want in life. The program helps them to realize and experience that they
can still study despite their problems. Program helps them to improve themselves and their performance.
3.
I give priority to the program because I know that it helps me in my holistic development as a learner.
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The third that gained the highest mean scores 3.52 that talks about how students give priority to the program. The theory that the parts
of any whole cannot exist and cannot be understood except in their relation to the whole; "holism holds that the whole is greater than
the sum of its parts"; "holistic theory has been applied to ecology and language and mental states. The students understand the state/
condition that they cant be successful without interacting with their peers and other people involved. They are meriting the program
because it helps them to be competitive in the future. Though most teachers aspire to make critical thinking a primary objective of
their instruction, most also does not realize that, to develop as thinkers, students must pass through stages of development in critical
thinking. That is, most teachers are unaware of the levels of intellectual development that people go through as they improve as
thinkers. The reader should be expressly aware that we are approaching the human mind exclusively from an intellectual standpoint
this theory is like evaluating. The respondent was evaluating and carefully exercising his way of thinking. He is thinking the possible
result of his work so he is giving a lot attention to the program. He can be competitive by critically thinking every situation that he
faced. The concept was proposed by IcekAjzen. His theory was entitled Reasoned Action. The theory states that attitude toward
behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, together shape an individual's behavioral intentions and behaviors. This
is all about how people planned. He is giving attention to the program by means of abiding to the norms of the school and program.
Attitude and behavior must be balance. Behavior is the manner or conducting yourself while attitude is your specific purpose or aim.
According to Hale, Householder & Greene of 2003, the theory was "born largely out of frustration with traditional attitudebehavior
research, much of which found weak correlations between attitude measures and performance of volitional behaviors". The students
intention is right that is why the outcome is also right. The way we react to something is the result of our work. It is also talking about
the attitude and behavior of the respondent. The program molds the student to be unblemished in his next stage. At a simple level, it
seems obvious that people do things, such as to go to work, in order to get stuff they want and to avoid stuff they do not want. Every
one of us has our goals in life. We have different motivation to pursue our dreams and goals. We must be patient and give attention and
work for it in order to get what we want. The students/respondent in OHSP are working and studying hard to achieve their goals in
life. We must work to get what we want and what we need. We must have a positive attitude towards our goals just like the students in
OHSP. They will be satisfied in the future if they are courageous and persevere to work for their objectives in life. They are not
missing the given opportunity but they deals with it.
LOW
1. I am forced by someone to enter the program because of some reasons.
The lowest mean gained 2.52 that talks about own free will.Several factors influence decision making. These factors, including past
experience (Juliusson, Karlsson, &Grling, 2005), cognitive biases (Stanovich& West, 2008), age and individual differences (Bruin,
Parker, &Fischoff, 2007), belief in personal relevance (Acevedo, & Krueger, 2004), and an escalation of commitment, influence what
choices people make. It becomes now the students will to enter the program despite of what happen in them in the past. Their past
experience is also one of the reasons why they pursue the program and finish high school. It becomes a way for them to correct
whatever happened in the past by not committing the same mistake again in the present. Juliusson, Karlsson, and Garling (2005)
indicated past decisions influence the decisions people make in the future. This is also a proof that past experiences greatly affect our
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present decisions in life because people tend to avoid repeating past mistakes (Sagi, &Friedland, 2007) that they do not want to have
wasted time. It is where they make it to a point to do things right in the present. Some individual differences may also influence
decision making. According to research age and socio-economic status (SES) influence decision making (de Bruin, Parker, &Fischoff,
2007; Finucane, Mertz, Slovic, & Schmidt, 2005). Age and socioeconomic status influence decision making in many ways. As Eric
Erickson presented in his theory of psychosocial development he was able to present that in each stages in life there are certain actions
that we must surpass in order to balance the crisis in each stage. Age affects our decision making in a way that each stages has a
bearing on what decision we are going to make. Each decision depends in how we foresee things depending on our age. This results
that students under the program makes their own decisions. They decide for themselves for they know that it is the right thing for them
to do. Socioeconomic status also affects our decisions in a way that they are conscious about their financial status. Explaining further
there are students under the Open High School who got early pregnancy that strive to finish high school so that they will be able to
support their child. In addition getting a high school diploma enables students to get a more descent job for them to survive. In
addition socioeconomic status affects their choice because logically finishing secondary education gives them more benefit in life
disregarding any other factors. It becomes a way for them to learn new things, gain experiences, and develop skills. Finishing high
school now becomes a way for them to be productive so they will be able to support their living. Decision making now becomes
objective because once they do things other positive things will follow. Botti and Iyengar (2004) observed individuals prefer to make
their own decisions and believe they will be more satisfied with their choices; however, when people are given only undesirable
options, decision makers are less satisfied than those who have had the choice made for them. That is why we can say that it is the
students own decision to enter the program for they know there are a lot of benefits that they can gain from it. It is also a way for
them to accomplish many things after they finish high school. In conclusion education now for them becomes a factor to have
satisfaction in life and contentment.
2. I see the program as a hindrance to my work, business, or being a parent.
Has a mean of 2.75, itshows that this is one of the lowest because definitely, the students do not find the program as an obstruction in
their way. This means that the students do not see it as burden on their part. One factor that they do not see the program as a hindrance
is that the students are motivated. As stated by Maehr and Meyer (2004), motivation is defined as something that energizes, directs and
sustains behavior. It gets students moving, points them in a particular direction and keeps them going. We often see students
motivation reflected in a personal investment and in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement in school activities. This
denotes that the students look at it as a way to attain a diploma in secondary education. They are dedicated to finish their high school
as much as possible. It is asserted also by Maehr and Meyer (1997) that social cognitive theorists propose that set goals for themselves
and direct their behavior accordingly. The motivation determines the specific goals toward which learners strive. Their motivation
directs their own behavior toward a particular goal. In here, it affects the choices students make. It increases their initiation of and
persistence in activities. They are more likely to begin a task they actually want to do. According to Larson (2000), people likely to
continue working until they have completed it, even if they are occasionally interrupted or frustrated in the process. In general,
motivation increases students time on task, an important factor affecting their learning and achievement. In relation to it, the
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students are really giving their time and effort on the said program. They are focused as much as they can especially on the given
modules which are required to be submitted. Another basis would be is that the students have a high self- efficacy on their part. Selfefficacy is a persons self- constructed judgment about his or her ability to execute certain behaviors or reach certain goals. According
to Schunk and Pajares (2004), students sense of self- efficacy affects their choice of activities, their goals, and their effort and
persistence in classroom activities. Ultimately then, it also affects their learning and achievement. Basically, students tend to choose
tasks and activities at which they believe they can succeed and to avoid those at which they think they will fail. It is said by Bandura et
al., (2001) that, they also set higher goals for themselves in a particular domain. Their choices are often consistent with traditional
gender stereotypes. In connection to this, the students in the said program are trying to be choosy on the activities on which they think
they will excel. However, they tend not to improve on their weak point which is greatly needed to be developed. According to Dweck
(2000) that once students have developed a high sense of self- efficacy, an occasional failure is unlikely to dampen their optimism
much. In fact, when these students encounter small setbacks on the way to achieving success, they learn that they can succeed if they
try and they also develop a realistic attitude about failure- that at worst, it is a temporary setback and at best, can give them useful
information about how to improve their performance. In other words they develop resilient self efficacy. In correlation to this, it is the
students who encountered so many struggles in life that tend to be hopeful and be confident. They have strong will and they are firm to
finish whatever they have started.
3. I am comfortable interacting with my peers or classmates despite of our individual differences.
Has a mean of 3.07, this is one of the lowest because the students find themselves enduring the embarrassment of being in classrooms
with children much younger than them. It is stated by Rabber (1990) that low achievers are more likely to have repeated a grade level;
they are often older than their classmates. It is quite possible that the school becomes less attractive when students find they must
attend class with peers they perceive as less physically and socially mature than they are. They might really feel the sense of
belongingness to their former batch than the present. It may be the reason that they are not at ease interacting and socializing their
peers or classmates inside the classroom. Another factor also is that having low self- esteem on the part of the students. In the study of
Jacobs et al ., (2002), it says that self- esteem is lowest as children enter middle school or junior high school and with the onset of
puberty. The self- esteem undergoes fluctuations and changes during adolescence. This says that probably they prefer to be alone;
others may be very shy or may not know how to go about initiating interaction, and still, others may be contented with having only
one or two close friends. Also, in the findings of Schofield (1995), it says that even when students have good social skills, we may find
that many of them interact almost exclusively within small, close- knit groups and that a few others remain socially isolated. This
might be that the students have a propensity to be silent and keep themselves while others may be out of the social loop for extended
periods. There might be some trust issues with regards to the students and afraid to be rejected on the social crowds. An additional
reason is that some students might be socially rejected and others are neglected students. It is asserted by Asher and Renshaw (1981)
that neglected students are those whom classmates rarely choose as someone they would either most like or least like to do something
with. This state that the global self- esteem or feelings of self- worth appear to be influenced most strongly by physical appearance and
then to by social acceptance from peers. The nature of peer relationships has been characterized in terms of social status and peer
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crowds. In the study of Pope and Bierman (1999), children who are socially rejected appear to be at greater risk for later academic and
social problems. The students might have the tendency to display antisocial behavior that will lead them to self- disclosure and lack of
supportive friendships. It also may have fewer opportunities to develop the social skills that many of them to a great extent need it.
2. What were the levels of the effects of the Open High School Program to the socio-emotional development of the learner?
HIGH
1.
I say thank you when others appreciate me.
This gained the highest average that is 3.43. There are different ways on how we appreciate other people what matters here is that on
how they react every time we appreciate them. As was discovered by Mayesky (2009) he knew that students like to feel proud about
them. Thinking about these words we are able to see that every time a student is being appreciated there is a positive response because
they feel proud that someone appreciated what they have done. Relating to the students under the Open High School they respond to
such appreciation by saying thank you and the like. They know that what they have done is something good that someone noticed it
that is why they appreciate that person. Based on Wilmore (2007) it is one of the teachers strategy to promote nurturing classroom
culture and climate that makes a students realize that their efforts are truly appreciated. That is why positive reinforcement is given to
students for them to realize that once theyve done something good appreciation follows. Relating to the Open High School students
each of them do have different experiences that lead them to have a hard time focusing on their studies before. Since this statement
gains the highest average we are able to see that students under the program have a high positive response when they are being
appreciated. We can clearly see that appreciation of teachers to students gains a benefit not only to the students but also to the
classroom climate. This results now to a meaningful learning since there is a good classroom climate that students now are able to
participate in class. It is also a way for the students not to end up dropping out from school again for this time they are able to enjoy
while they learn. Its implications now are that positive reinforcement should be given to students because it will motivate the student
to perform well in class and it also boosts their self confidence.
2.
I am having a good relationship with my family members for they encourage me to continue my studies.
This item also gained thehighest average with a mean of 3.43.Its human nature to feel socially wanted. It is the nature of man to have
the sense of belonging and the desire to love and to be loved. This need is part of the basic needs of man for survival. Accordingly, no
man is an island. This saying suggests that man, by nature really needs someone to talk to, confide with, and share life with. Just like
the other basic needs of man, social interaction which makes up the social life of man is an important tool to building good
relationship. When we talk about family relationship, we do not only refer to the parents and children relationship but it also comprises
the connection it has to those around them. In other words, a family relationship is a springboard and a connection to any other
relationships. It means that if one relationship is a failure, it follows that another relationship may not work out as well. And if family
relationship is good, so is the relationship of these members to other people outside the family. Students who stopped from schooling
develop a good relationship with their family members because they are the ones who really encouraged and support them to continue
their schooling despite of their bad experiences, bad decisions and failures in life. A family is always the first and last option wherein a
person can run to in times of troubles and problems. For the students who are under the Open High School Program developed such
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good relationship with their family because when they stopped entering school, they really stayed at home and spent more time with
their family members especially when the student who got pregnant at an early age. They felt that even in times of hardships, they can
really on their family.
3. I feel that I am part of the society because I was able to have a chance to enter high school
despite of my age, social
status, etc.
This item gained the next highest average with a mean of 3.41.The desire for social bonds and connections with others is really part of
being a human. It has been referred to as the need for affection between people (Murray, 1983), the need for positive regard from
others (Rogers, 1951), belongingness (Baumeister& Leary, 1995; Goodenow, 1993; Maslow, 1954), affiliation motivation
(McClelland, 1987), and the need for relatedness (Deci& Ryan, 1991; Ryan, 1993; Vallerand, 1997). Deci and Ryan suggested that the
need for relatedness encompasses a persons striving to relate to and have concern for others, relating to ones self and feel satisfying
and coherent involvement with the social world. The students can relate their self in the community because they know that they are
not the only ones who experienced dropping out from school and who have lost their directions in life. Despite of their age, status in
lifeetc., they can still enter and finish schooling that is needed in the society. Vallerand suggested that the need for relatedness
involves feeling connected or belongs to a social environment. The students feel that they can be part of a social group not only in
school but also in the society where they are in. Goodenow proposed that a sense of belonging at school reflects the extent to which
students feel personally accepted, respected, included, and supported by others in the school social environment. Being part of the
society makes the students who are enrolled in the Open High School Program more confident, accepted, and they are respected
because they know that they can adapt and go with the challenges and changes that are happening in the society.
Sense of belongingness leads to physical, emotional, behavioral and mental well-being (Maslow, 1968). Goodenow (Goodenow, 1993)
described sense of belongingness in educational environments as the following: Students sense of being accepted, valued, included,
and encouraged by others (teachers and peers) in the academic classroom setting and of feeling oneself to be an important part of the
life and activity of the class. More than simple perceived liking or warmth, it also involves support and respect for personal autonomy
and for the student as an individual. The students develop self-awareness and complete well-being when they interact with others, feel
that they are part of the society and that they can do whatever role they want to be in the future as to be productive and functional not
only in their own groups but also in the bigger world.
Many educational researchers agree that the need for belonging is one of the most important needs of all students to function well in
all types of learning environments (Connell & Wellborn, 1991; Deci& Ryan, 1991; Finn, 1989; Osterman, 2000). The school plays a
big role in developing what a learner should be, not only academically but also socially. The school is a laboratory wherein students
feel that they are part of a bigger community. A community wherein they feel accepted recognized and respected despite of their
limitations. Through proper education, a learner is developing his self- esteem and boosts more confidence to play their own role in
the society where they belong. Because of Education, students are prepared to be part of the society.
LOW
1.
I am having difficulty interacting with other people because I dont feel like they are approachable.
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This item gained the lowest average with a mean of 2.3.In the Open High School Program; they dont meet regularly like in the
regular class. There communication and bonding was not that tight. Based on Moerk (1994) conducted a meta-analysis of 40 studies
and found substantial evidence that corrections do indeed play a role. From this work, corrections are not only abundant but contingent
on the mistakes of the child. Interactionist theory is less tangible than say, role theory, because it involves internal mental models as
opposed to external social models. Meaning-making occurs when the individual associates objects and actions with meaning for
themselves. Vygotsky's research suggests that educators should consider the social contexts of learning. What does this mean? This
means that students are constantly picking things up, as mentioned above, even from strangers walking down the road. A child's mind
is an overly dry sponge that is soaking everything up. Teachers should take advantage of this and use methods of learning that are
different than setting the students up with a textbook and some paper. Instead, use different medium of learning, such as videos,
internet scavenger hunts .It has something to do with making a judgment for something or maybe possible to them. For example a
students way of thinking is different from what he is seeing and doing. He has this idea because he sticks into his mind that they
wont interact with him. It has something to do with the ego of someone. The students under the OHSP want to avoid the feeling of
disappointment and pain which must be faced or tried to prove that something is true or not. He coined the terms id, ego, and
superego, to refer to different parts of the psyche. Humans basically want to minimize pain, according to Freudian principles, and they
act solely based on these selfish goals. He also pioneered the concept of "defense mechanisms" (Ormrod, 2003), which humans use to
blur or become blind to the truth and avoid feeling the pain that may come along with truths people don't want to face (Ormrod, 2003).
Erikson's eight-stage theory of psychosocial development describes growth and change throughout the lifespan, focusing on social
interaction and conflicts that arise during different stages of development. People act based upon what they think might happen, not in
the more mindless way that other theorists had proposed, Bandura posits. Some OHSP student act on what they think is right. Their
environment affects their perception and their decision making. The students have difficulty approaching others because they are
afraid to be rejected or to be embarrassed by the people they meet or want to talked to because they are afraid that they will be judged
or criticized.
2.
I blame others when things go wrong or things dont go as what Ive planned.
This item also gained the lowest average with a mean of 2.30. In this one problem that was being gathered from the student in the
open high school program the result in the survey shows that this is one of the lowest. Because definitely the students know they are
matured enough to handle their own misbehavior and also the students dont see each other often.
In social psychology, attribution is the process of inferring the causes of events or behaviours. In real life, attribution is something we
all do every day, usually without any awareness of the underlying processes and biases that lead to our inferences. For example, over
the course of a typical day you probably make numerous attributions about your own behavior as well as that of the people around
you. In this we can still say that there are these students in the OHSP who tends to blame others because of their wrongdoing that they
cant accept within themselves. Thats why they try to put the blame to others just to make them feel at ease.
Roesch and Amirkham (1997) found that more experienced athletes made less self-serving external attributions, leading them to find
and address real causes and hence were better able to improve their performance. As what is being stated the students in the OHSP is
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just like athletes who have self discipline because they already learned from the mistake they experienced. They play fairly and not
just accuse others because of their own mistake they have done, but they know how to be socially involved and solved their own
problem in a nice way.
Blame is like anger in that it dulls ones sense of empathy. It allows a person to act in a hurtful way to another human being. It isnt the
act itself, but it often clears the road. This is a small, but important point. Ordinary humans have inhibitions that serve as a buffer
against what we know is bad behavior. Blame is not the act itself, but it either erodes or outright removes these inhibitions, often both.
It develops a thought pattern that allows the persons emotions to override his/her self-control in order to achieve an often selfish end
-- including sustaining dysfunctional pattern. This confirm that students know who they are a matured being who cannot passed their
own mistakes to others just to find their belonging but either they solved the problem by their own.
From the gathered information it shows that this is one of the lowest which means that students are enrolled in the program dont have
this character in blaming others just because of their mistake. Talking about the student in the open high school program it associated
for being independent learners that lead them to be careful about their work. Students naturally who become independent learners
based on life circumstances and learning style. It's also true dependency on instruction is tied closely to student age and maturity. The
older the student, the more independent they tend to be. They work individually that can prevent misunderstanding of one another.
3.
I isolate myself when I feel hurt.
Based on the collective results of the gathered problem the result shows that this is one of the lowest with a mean of 2.39. According
to the data, that has been tallied it shows that few students in the OHSP isolate themselves when they feel hurt.
Given that all people seek happiness and all people desire to be happy, the feelings of loneliness as registered among adolescents,
young adults cited by Jenny de Jong Gierveld that according to (Marcoen, Goossens, &Caes, 1987; Sippola&Bukowski, 1999),
midlife and older adults (see among many others, Lopata, 1996) reveal a major problem in society. Based from the information
gathered most students enrolled in the OHSP is drop-out, single mom and others. And despite of their problems still they tend to
enrolled because they know that it will help them in the future. Despite the fact that loneliness is not treated as a specific
clinical entity [Mijuskovic, 1996), Russell, Peplau, and Cutrona [1980) presented evidence on the uniqueness of loneliness as a
phenomenon in its own right. After being largely ignored by social scientists until the mid-20th century, an ever-increasing flow
of work since the 1997 amply testifies to the utility of loneliness as an important concept. That is why student tend not to
segregate themselves and it just shows that school is good for them to overcome their loneliness, because they feel accepted in the
environment.
In the study of (Dykstra et al .,2009 ) from their chapter Loneliness and Social Isolation stated that loneliness has a negative
connotation. Lonely people carry a social stigma. For those reasons it is embarrassing to talk about feelings of loneliness, in
particular for men [Borys& Perlman, 1985), and people with deficiencies in their relationships do not always admit to being
lonely. This says that there are still students who are lonely because of their experienced and being shy to be enrolled in the open high
school program. Others student have this feeling that they are being secluded by their classmate or by the people in the environment,
because of who they are.
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Some research has suggested that lonely people do not spend less time in relationship than other people, but rather the types of social
interactions are different (Jones, 1982). Lonely people spend more time with strangers and a large number of people who are not
lonely to spend the same amount of time in fewer relationships. This suggests that the quality and depth of the interactions are more
important than the quantity of interactions.
From the situation of the students in the open high school program, which most students who enrolled in this are those who are dropouts, single mother, and other more. And it shows that these students are motivated for them to meet their needs and to satisfy what
they want to achieve. They start to be socially involved in the activity and overcome being isolated with their classmates. Also in this
program the students dont see each other always because they learned independently, their modules in school being implemented is a
take home. They just go to school to present the module given to them. Thats why they can avoid being isolated; they start enjoying
their studies, and learned to be more responsible of their own life.
IV.
Conclusion
In this study we are able to see that there are a lot of positive effects and implications of the program to the students under
the Open High School Program. The researchers learned that positive reinforcement to students has a great effect during
their stay in school. The researchers are also able to see that independence of students leads to a lot of positive effects that
affects their learning. The program helped them realize how important education is and how it affects their lives. The
researchers are able to see the importance of education despite of age, socio-economic status and the like. The researchers
also saw how the Department of Education specifically the BCHNS- Maincaters the needs of these students to finish high
school.
V.
Recommendation
Education plays an important role to the socio-emotional development of all learners. Therefore the researchers
recommend to teachers to create a classroom that is conducive and child-friendlythat leads to a meaningful learning. The
researchers recommend having other national schools at Baguio city to open programs like the Open High School Program
of Baguio City National High School-main. Provided that not all dropped-out students are being catered at BCNHS main,
there will have a great chance to decrease the number of drop out once other national schools open the said program. It will
also help the goal of the Department of Education to have zero dropout rates at the year 2015. The collaboration among
members of the society and the local government units, we can attain this goal to its maximum chance. We also recommend
to teachers to have a positive reinforcement to students.
VI.
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