Home Study and Learning Motivations of Students Major in Social Studies among Higher Education Institution

Home Study and Learning Motivations of Students Major in Social Studies among Higher Education Institution

Alkhaser V. Sappayani, Glein B. Bustamante

College of Education and Liberal Arts, Davao Central College

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.803185

 Received: 06 March 2024; Revised: 19 March 2024; Accepted: 23 March 2024; Published: 22 April 2024

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

This study determined the relationship between home study and learning motivations of students major in Social Studies among Higher Education Institutions. It used the quantitative research design utilizing descriptive correlation research. The respondents of this study were the 100 students major in Social Studies enrolled in school year 2021-2022. Results revealed that home study and learning motivations of students major in Social Studies was high. This means that students major in Social Studies believe that their academic performance is influenced by the socio-economic status of their family. Accessing resources over the internet helped them understand the core concepts of the lesson, in which case they found that the subject was interesting and encouraged to learn. Moreover, results showed that there was a significant very strong correlation between home study and learning motivation of students major in Social Studies. The indicators of access and connectivity and time management significantly improved the learning motivation of students major in Social Studies. Furthermore, healthy competition is important because it helps students recognize their abilities and find additional learning sources. It also challenges students to be talented and fundamentally motivated. It explains further, that for every home study, there is also a very high achievement of their learning motivations. Based on the findings which is high, it implies that home study education in students major in Social Studies is effective and should sustain.

Keywords: Home study, learning motivations, time management, socio-economic status, Social Studies major student

INTRODUCTION

Learning at the comfort of their home gives students sense of independence. It allows them to go outside the box and be motivated to do great things. The lack of teachers ’guidance and direct instructions especially in their major subjects makes it very difficult for them to understand the lessons because of the lack of instructional materials provided such as curated videos from YouTube. Other than that, teachers ’slow response to students’ questions add to the difficulty comprehending the lessons especially when you are studying at home. The researcher is interested to know how home study affects the learning motivation of the learners in different higher education institutions here in Davao City given the fear of Covid-19 infection.

According to National Literacy Trust (2018), home study class is completed at home rather than in a classroom. Based on studies, daily talks and reading activities are particularly influential components of home learning. In particular, warm and nurturing parenting behaviors that encourage children’s natural curiosity and communicate reasonable expectations for learning are potent predictors of student’s school achievement, over and above parental income and social status.

On the other hand, Borah (2021) stated that motivation is the heart of learning, the golden route to understanding, and the potent component in education. Proper motivation encourages students to reflect, pay attention, be interested, and work hard, which helps them learn. The basis is vital in many aspects of life and at different stages of activity.

In Turkey, specifically at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation University, the students reported higher levels of engagement when they found the activities and classes relevant to their targets and when they acknowledged that the tasks were meaningful for them. The respondents reported varying degrees of satisfaction with the course content, one thing they agreed on was the need for self-discipline to follow the courses and they stated they had difficulty in convincing themselves to connect to the lesson (Mese & Sevilen, 2021).

Musingafi, Mapuranga, and Chiwanza et al. (2015) the findings revealed that students faced several challenges like ineffective and delayed feedback of students’ assignment and examination results, lost scripts and unrecorded grades. These instructional related challenges contributed negatively to student’s learning because would find it difficult to move on to new content. Consequently, in Bulacan, Philippines, a study conducted by Santos (2017) on learning motivation factors of Grade 8 students and its implications in science teaching, showed that in all aspects of learning motivation, students from the high performing classes show more motivation than low performing classes, albeit in small margins. Students from high performing group can be more active and productive on their science classes than students from low performing group if their prior knowledge on science will be triggered. In addition, learning is more visible when students are directly participating in the development of new knowledge. To make science learning easier, existing information must be activated, such as recalling previous lessons and relating them to the current session.

Moreover, in South Korea, learning motivation and learning expectations are essential for higher level of learning activities in home study learning. The findings of the study showed that student engagement in home study learning was composed of six factors: psychological motivation, peer collaboration, cognitive problem solving, and interactions with instructors, community support, and learning management. Research shows that multifarious benefits occur when students are engaged in their own learning, including increased motivation and achievement (Lee, Song, & Hong, 2019).

In the University of the Philippines, the physical and social home environment of the university students have varied influences on their learning motivation. A physical home space that provides a comfortable, quiet, and private study area; coupled with proper study facilities and needs create a motivating study environment for students. Similarly, a social home environment where positive interaction and affection are present, rewards and verbal affirmation are appropriately given, and household tasks and rules are reasonably implemented, also provide a stimulating study atmosphere. The provision of an adequate physical home environment enables the student to achieve their basic needs for comfort and sustenance, thereby allowing them to move on attaining higher level needs such as intellectual stimulation. On the other hand, a desirable social home environment facilitates positive interrelationships and interactions among family members that leads to an effective family system that stimulates study motivation (Bosmion, 2020).

Further, in Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Camarines Sur, the findings revealed that the students are motivated to learn during online classes and often utilized the learning strategies to support self-paced learning. Also, the findings imply that students can be motivated in online learning despite the hindrance through proper support, assistance, and encouragement (Avila, Maria, & Genio, 2020).

A poll performed by Holy Child College of Davao (2020) in Davao City found that most students are uncomfortable spending several class hours on computers; others believe that quality education cannot be achieved without face-to-face interaction with instructors. Furthermore, the survey’s findings reveal that some students are having second thoughts about activities they used to do when there was no pandemic. Meeting their classmates and instructors in person, driving, or commuting to school are just a few examples. Parents, like students, are comfortable with the current learning since, with the increasing cases of Covid19, they feel safe seeing their children only inside their homes.

If the negative manifestation of the home study in learning motivation of the Social Studies major student among higher education institutions will not be urgently addressed, it may deteriorate the quality of education and may sooner affect the student’s learning and the teachers’ teaching profession as well. The researcher is interested in determining whether home study and learning motivation of Social Studies major student among higher education institutions affect the learnings of the students, as this can raise concern to the intended beneficiaries of this study and possibly develop intervention schemes to improve the teaching practices in new normal education of Social Studies teachers, thus, the need to urgently conduct this study.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to find out the home study and learning motivations of students major in social studies in Davao City. Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of factors affecting home study of students major in Social Studies in terms of:

1. socio-economic status;
2. parent-teacher relationship;
3. access and connectivity; and
4. time management?

2. What is the level of learning motivation of students major in Social Studies when analyzed in terms of:

1. interest in subject;
2. self-confidence;
3. reward and punishment; and
4. social pressure and competition

3. Is there a significant relationship between home study and learning motivations of students major in Social Studies?
4. Which among the indicators socio-economic status, parent-teacher relationship, access and connectivity, and time management significantly influence learning motivations of students major in Social Studies?

Importance of Home Study

People have been affected in one way or another since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019. Lockdowns in the country have had a profound effect on the behavior of people of all ages and occupations. According to Jha (2020) in his study learning from home in times of covid-19 lockdown cited the challenges face during home study learning including: parent-teacher relationship, socio-economic status, lack of teacher preparedness to use technology, and access and connectivity. The upheaval has had an impact on education systems all around the world, as well as on the lives of students. In addition, growing number of students are now opting for distance classes (Trespalacios & Rand, 2015).

Brother Empower (2020) discussed common home learning challenges like: home learning and work from home together and tough time management. Moreover, Lee, Ward, and Chang (2020) in their study, revealed that the majority of parents (78%) were educating their children at home and (50%) were burdened by obligations to educate their children at home. Kern (2020) the abrupt transition to study at home could be a good thing, allowing students to engage in true, deep learning that is more self-directed, more playful, and better aligned with young students’ development and far easier for parents to handle than stacks of worksheets.

Socio-economic status of family.  Academic achievement is influenced by a family’s socioeconomic situation in one way or another. According to Omoraka (2001) as cited by Gobena (2018) all children have specific physical and sociological demands that, when addressed, help them achieve scholastic success. A suitable reading environment, adequate food, a play area, the provision of books and other materials, and attendance at the best schools available are some of these requirements. Academic achievement and cognitive development are influenced by socioeconomic status through a variety of family environment variables such as parental educational expectations, parenting ideas and behaviors, and the parent–child relationship.

Furthermore, Li and Qiu (2018) examine how children’s academic achievement is influenced by their family background. Parents strive to provide their children with high-quality courses, and greater educational opportunities lead to improved academic performance. Parental behavior and educational assistance for their children may also influence academic performance through cultivating children’s learning habits. In comparison to rural learners, they also found out that urban students’ academic achievement is more substantially influenced by their families’ socioeconomic status. On the contrary, Chen, Kong, Gao, and Mo (2018) considered that the influence of socio-economic status on children’s academic achievement tends to be indirect, and can initiate changes in some other factors. In addition to material and social resources, non-monetary factors provided by the family are important for children’s academic achievement.

Parent-teacher relationship. A study conducted by London School of Economics (2019) parents and teachers must work together to provide a successful learning environment for children. However, this was a huge difficulty even before the shutdown of many schools in the countries. Most teachers were having difficulty to get most parents to realize the academic challenges their children were encountering and that they needed to be involved. On the other hand, parents assume their job is done the moment their child is enrolled in school. Nonetheless, they acknowledged that most parents had stated at some point that they desired a better life for their children than the one they were living and had asked teachers to help them guide their children.

Moreover, Perras (2020) elaborate those parents have an important role in their children’s education. They have an impact on their children’s attitudes toward learning and encourage learning at home. They serve as a key link between the home and the classroom. They make our schools better places to learn, grow, and thrive when they become active in the life of the school. The province of parent involvement policy recognizes that when parents are welcomed and acknowledged as partners, and given the support they need to contribute at home and at school, student progress and success improve.

Further, King (2019) cited that both parents and teachers play a pivotal role in educating a child. Parents are a child’s first teacher. They teach essential life and academic skills while providing love and support that help students healthily develop. When teachers partner their ability to inspire thought and creativity with the foundational support parents provide, students are better prepared to have a positive school experience. Both parents and teachers play a pivotal role in educating a child. Parents are a child’s first teacher.

Access and Connectivity.   A study conducted by Melorin (2019) revealed the challenges in distributing and retrieving the learning materials. Majority of the parents did not follow their assigned schedule in getting and retrieving the learning materials. This resulted in the unnecessary reporting to schools of teachers as they went back and forth just so they could entertain the parents. This was such a huge health risk for them given the circumstances of the COVID-19 infection. Also, the late delivery of modules from the service providers which oftentimes, caused the stress to the teachers as they needed to reproduce the modules themselves for the modular learners.  It also meant that the late modules would just pile up in the school and would no longer be usable for the time being.

McCormack and Miffitt (2020) in their study Understanding and Supporting Student Access and Connectivity that there are institutions have made strides over the past few months in adapting to the sudden pivot and extraordinary challenges of continuing to fulfill their mission during the global COVID-19 pandemic. It is evident that there are areas where institutions could do more to effectively adapt to the new realities of higher education. One such area: students’ remote access to reliable devices and internet connectivity has garnered national attention and catalyzed discussion and action among higher education leaders on how students can continue to be well served by their institutions when many of them are still struggling to get online. And some student populations in particular (e.g., low-income students, students living in rural areas) may lack critical technology and financial resources and face insurmountable barriers to device access and internet connectivity while away from campus, potentially leading some among these student populations to make difficult enrollment decisions.

Time management.  Brown and Kafka (2020) pointed out that learning new abilities is rewarding and enjoyable, but the learning process can be difficult. Furthermore, distant learning creates the possibility of distraction. In one study of online college students, it was discovered that they were 25 percent more likely than in-person students to multitask when they should be performing academic work. Furthermore, there are numerous non-digital distractions at home, as well as little or no indicators to help pupils refocus and no built-in breaks like recess at school.

MITSDE (2019) revealed that students are dealing with a lot of uncertainty, loss, and interruptions in their habits and lifestyles, and it’s having a big impact on their mental health. Most people prefer distant education since they are unable to attend regular classes owing to professional or personal obligations. As a result, such people frequently study when they have free time. They must incorporate academics into their daily routine. They must manage their time in order to achieve this. There are regular lessons in the case of traditional learning. As a result, the student’s study at a specified location and time, and in a pleasant environment. Students have a set schedule, which allows them to complete their studies on time. Studying at home, on the other hand, is totally different, and students must construct their own suitable learning environment.

Further, their attention is focused and they are not wasting time on distractions, effective time management allows students to do more in less time. Students can also complete their work on time, stay involved in their studies, and have more time free to pursue things that are important to them, such as sports, hobbies, youth group, and spending time with friends and family, by managing their time well. Students who manage their time well can maximize their potential and experience a sense of success. It’s also one of the most sought-after abilities in the workforce (Australian Christian College, 2020).

Importance of Learning Motivations

Learning and motivation are two characteristics of human behavior that are intricately linked. Learning and academic success are aid by motivation. Motivation is describing as an individual’s predisposition and the persistence of an effort directed toward achieving a goal. According to Yildirim (2017), many factors influence a student’s motivation to learn, including interest in the subject matter, confidence, and information acquisition. Further, Ngan and Law (2014) revealed factors affecting learning motivation of the students including reward and punishment, social pressure and competition, individual attitude, and challenging goals.

Interest in the subject matter. Students are more likely to be interested and achieve learning performance when they have some influence over their learning. However, as important as student interest is, we must not forget the other aspects that contribute to student success and how they are all intertwined. Yukhymenko (2011) referenced Renninger and Wozniak (1985) who underlined the importance of information about a subject in order to have an interest in it, designating interest as a state only when an individual has both a high value for a topic or activity and a high level of knowledge about it.

In a similar vein, Harackiewicz, Smith, and Priniski (2016) stated that individual interest highlights individuals’ stable preferences for specific content. Here, the immediate experience of interest reflects a well-developed personal preference to enjoy and value a particular subject or activity across situations. Individual interest is, therefore, a stable, underlying disposition activated in particular situations. Moreover, McCarthy (2014) said that when a topic connects to what students like to do, engagement deepens as they willingly spend time thinking, dialoging, and creating ideas in meaningful ways. Making learning contextual to real-world experiences is a key learning technique with differentiating for student interests. Further, Mirshekaran, Namaziandost, and Nazari (2018) revealed the effects of topic interest to the learners and student’s interest on the said topic has a relationship to the improvement pf the student on a specific area.

Self-confidence. Self-confidence refers to it as simply believing in oneself (Bénabou & Tirole, 2002) as cited by Ackerman (2021). Self-confidence is a mindset about one’s own strengths and skills. It implies that you accept and trust yourself and that you are in command of your life. You have a good outlook on yourself and are aware of your talents and weaknesses. You speak assertively, set realistic expectations and goals, and can handle criticism.

The importance of confidence in students’ learning cannot be underlined. High achievers are students that have a high level of academic confidence. Internal motivation is a key factor in boosting pupils’ academic confidence. It has been discovered that a child who feels himself to be confident achieves great academic success. A child who believes he or she is worthless is less confident and may not achieve their full potential (Stevens, 2005 as cited by Shaukat & Bashir, 2016). Shoemaker, 2010; Sander and Sanders (2005) as cited by Shaukat and Bashir (2016) found that students with low academic confidence enter college with lower academic skills, are less engaged, and have more transition difficulties. Understanding students’ confidence in their studies, according to Sander, Stevenson, King, and Coates (2000) as cited by Ochoa, Rosa, and Sander (2012) could be important for understanding students’ expectations of teaching, learning, and assessment.

Reward and punishment. Student motivation refers to the motivations for students’ participation or non-participation in academic activity. While positive motivation such as rewards is often employed in organizations, people also respond to the threat of punishment, but they may become demotivated if the threat of punishment is used excessively. An individual’s motivation orientation is likely to be affected by the anticipation of performance evaluation, and hence competence feedback and recognition, and these motivational processes may have further cascade impacts on task involvement and performance. In fact, research by Cameron, Pierce, Banko, and Gear (2005), cited by Ngan and Law (2014), supports the idea that rewarding people for improving their performance levels in an activity can motivate them to perform that and other similar tasks in the future, though improper reward can also detract from one’s motivation to complete the task.

Moreover, behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is more likely to be repeated, according to B.F. Skinner (1948) as quoted by McLeod (2018) in his theory operant conditioning or punishment and reinforcement. This principle states that activity that results in pleasant consequences is more likely to be repeated, while action that results in unpleasant consequences is less likely to be repeated. Negative reinforcement, on the other hand, is the ending of an unpleasant situation as a result of a reaction. Further, Fuad, Suyanto, and Muhammad (2021) revealed that the use of the reward and punishment strategy improves student motivation to a moderate extent. Students fight for incentives from their teacher while also attempting to avoid sanctions for faults such as distracting their classmates while learning.  Students are more engaged in class while they are outside, which makes the class livelier. Giving prizes can improve the relationship between teachers and students in addition to enhancing motivation. Over-punishment, on the other hand, can create a gap because students are terrified and attempt to avoid their teacher.

Social pressure and competition. Social forces such as peer pressure and competition have been shown to have an impact on learning. This can be seen in relation to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow 1943) which states that externally forced social comparison and rivalry can threaten one’s sense of competence, adequacy, and confidence. As a result, the potential of comparison to and competition with others, combined with the desire to maintain self-esteem, encourages a person to put forth more effort on a task (Ngan & Law, 2014). They are, on the other hand, drawn to join their peer groups because they may provide them with sources of information they need academically, vocationally, and psychologically, as well as provide them with emotional feedback when they are stressed and need someone to discuss their thoughts with. Peer pressure and support can influence how anxious they are about their academic success. DeMenichi and Tricomi (2015) pointed out that social motivation specifically, competition can have strong effects on attention and memory. In a physical exertion context, competition may improve attention, whereas the presence of a competitor may impair memory and performance. These findings have significant consequences for schooling, the workplace, and other social contexts in the real world.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

This study was anchored on Self-Directed Learning Theory or Andragogy Theory by Knowles (1975).  In the case of self-directed learning, students are active respondents in their own learning journey. Knowles defines self-directed learning as taking the initiative to assess one’s own needs, create goals, and seek out appropriate strategies on their own. Also, this study was further anchored on Expectancy-Value Theory by Fishbein (1963). The theory explains and predict an individual’s attitude toward objects and actions. The concept of expectancy represents the idea that most individuals will not choose to do a task or continue to engage in a task when they expect to fail. Value refers to the different belief’s students have about the reasons they might engage in a task.

The conceptual framework of the study is shown in Figure 1. As seen in Figure 1, the independent variable is home study with four indicators: socio-economic status, parent-teacher relationship, access and connectivity, and time management. On the other hand, the dependent variable is learning motivation with four indicators: interest, confidence, reward and punishment, and social pressure and competition. The arrow connecting the variables signifies the assumed relationship.

METHODOLOGY

This chapter discussed the research steps and procedures employed by the researcher in the study. It includes the research design, locale, respondents, instruments, sampling technique, data gathering procedure, and statistical tools utilized. The researcher used non-experimental quantitative research design specifically correlational method using a questionnaire for data gathering. They were chosen as respondents after they passed the inclusion and exclusion criteria set for this study such as the following: they must be 2nd year and 3rd-year college social studies major students enrolled in the A.Y. 2021-2022, and not included in this study are 1st-year students because they do not have much experience and exposure about this new normal education as respect to their major and 4th-year students for the researcher believe that they have hectic schedule and do not have enough time to participate in this study due to their Field Study 1 and 2 and Internship.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter presents the analyses and interpretations of the data gathered by the researcher. Discussions are presented categorically based on the sequence of the statement of the problem in the first chapter.

Level of Home Study of Students major in Social Studies

The first objective of this study was to determine the level of factors affecting the home study of Social Studies major students. Table 1 provides the answer to this objective.

Table 1. Summary of the Level of Home Study of Students major in Social Studies

The level of home study of student major in Social Studies in terms of socio-economic status, parent-teacher relationship, access and connectivity, and time management is shown in Table 1. In particular, among the four indicators in the home study, respondents perceived that socio-economic status has the highest mean score of 4.65 which means that it was manifested all the time. This proved that academic achievement is influenced by a family’s socioeconomic situation in one way or another.

The study implies that suitable reading environment, family’s social resources as well as non-monetary factors are significant in-home study learning. The educational expectations of the parents as well as the parenting ideas had a bad effect to the students who are studying at home. The study’s findings imply that a father’s income and both father and mother’s education have a positive impact on youngsters’ academic achievement.

This finding substantiates the idea of Fatima, Nazir, and Firdous (2020) that the impact of parental socioeconomic status on student academic performance. They discovered that factors such as family background, father education, mother education, number of children interested in education, government facilities for children’s education, and decisions about a child’s future have an impact on student academic performance.

The second highest indicator is time management with a mean score of 4. 31 or high which means that manifested oftentimes. This implies that home study Social Studies major students that time management is crucial for higher education students.

The attention of Social Studies major students is focused and they are not wasting time on distractions, effective time management allows students to do more in less time. Further, Social Studies major students do things orderly and completed the task easily if they set a schedule depending on the weight of the activity as well as the deadline of submission of their requirements. Lastly, the most important tasks were made and completed when they feel motivated and energetic.

In fact, Novak (2021) cited the benefits of time management for college students. One of the most essential aspects of good learning is time management. It enables students to complete college assignments on time, increase productivity, and improve academic success. Less effort needed, better quality of work, lower stress, and anxiety levels, and get more free time are just a few of the benefits according to him.

The third highest indicator is access and connectivity, with a mean score of 4.19 or high, often manifested. The data revealed that slow internet connections or limited access from homes in rural areas could contribute to students falling behind academically.

Students with no high-speed internet access at home are also less likely to plan to attend a college or university. As a matter of fact, students nowadays are depending on the internet to get information related to the topic. It is easy for the students to understand more and easy references regarding the topic. Further, students who are studying at home do not have a book that is related to their specialization and some teachers are requiring students to submit a performance task via online that is why a strong and stable internet connection is vital for home study.

This finding of the study is an articulation of diverse authors (Gupong, Redondo, & Endozo, 2021; McCormack & Miffitt, 202; Gierdowski, 2021) which recognizes the importance of internet connectivity to senior high school students in the context of learning, which includes the new regular distance learning delivery modalities that students must choose upon studying this academic year.  It is evident that there are areas where institutions could do more to adapt to the new realities of higher education effectively. One such area—students’ remote access to reliable devices and internet connectivity—has garnered national attention and catalyzed discussion and action among higher education leaders on how students can continue to be well served by their institutions when many of them are still struggling to get online. And some student populations, in particular; low-income students and students living in rural areas.

The lowest indicator, albeit still moderate, is the parent-teacher relationship, which scored 3.23. Based on the data result, the parents sometimes communicate to their children’s teachers regarding their performances in school. Under the study conducted by the London School of Economics and Politics (2020), parents and teachers must work together to provide a thriving learning environment for children. However, this was a vast difficulty even before the shutdown of many schools in the countries.

The implication of it is that the parents feel confident that their children are doing good in school because they are not contacted by the teachers to visit to school. This would be addressed if teachers and parents have a strong relationship related to their children’s performances in school. Most teachers were having difficulty getting most parents to realize the academic challenges their children were encountering and needed to be involved. On the other hand, parents assume their job is done when their child is enrolled in school.

As shown in Table 1, the level of home study of student major in Social Studies got an overall mean of 4.09 or high. This means that the indicators affect the performance of the Social Studies major students in-home study settings.

According to Jha (2020), learning from home in times of covid-19 lockdown cited the challenges faced during home study learning. Further, Brother Empowers (2020) that home learning is a concept that has never had to carry as much weight as it does today. With the COVID-19 pandemic confining people worldwide to their homes, school districts have embraced small classes and home study learning. Unsurprisingly, considering how new learning at home is to many families, some distinct challenges have been overcome.

Level of Learning Motivations of students major in Social Studies

The second objective of this study was to determine the level of factors of learning motivation of Social Studies major students. Table 2 provides the answer to this objective.

Table 2. Summary of the Level of Learning Motivations of Students major in Social Studies

The level of learning motivations in terms of interest in the subject, self-confidence, reward and punishment, and social pressure and competition is shown in Table 2. In particular, among the four indicators in the learning motivations, respondents perceived that interest in the subject has the highest mean score of 4.57. Based on the data result, interest in the subject has the highest mean score of 4.57 or very high, which means that it was manifested all the time.

The students are more likely to be interested and achieve learning performance when they have some influence over their learning. This further implies that the Social Studies major are motivated to learn if they found the subject interesting and fascinates them if they heard or read currents events and any related Social Studies disciplines. They are also wanted to take part any activities related to Social Studies and wanted to know prominent people that have a social importance and social contributions.

This finding substantiates the idea of Sauer (2012) that the investment of students in what is going on in the classroom might be linked to their interest. Students who are passionate about a subject process information in a meaningful, elaborative, and systematic manner. Yukhymenko (2011) referenced Renninger and Wozniak (1985) who underlined the importance of information about a subject in order to have an interest in it, designating interest as a state only when an individual has both a high value for a topic or activity and a high level of knowledge about it.

The second highest indicator is reward and punishment with a mean score of 4. 36 or high which means that manifested oftentimes. This implies that the learning motivations of Social Studies major students are motivated to learn if they are appraised and acknowledged by their teachers and classmates.  They tend to perform better and learn when their teacher gives them encouragement and praise. However, they may become demotivated if the threat of punishment is used excessively. In fact, research by Cameron, Pierce, Banko, and Gear (2005), as cited by Ngan and Law (2014), supports the idea that rewarding people for improving their performance levels in an activity can motivate them to perform that and other similar tasks in the future, though improper reward can also detract from one’s motivation to complete the task.

The third highest indicator is access and connectivity, with a mean score of 4.19 or high, often manifested. The data revealed that slow internet connections or limited access from homes in rural areas could contribute to students falling behind academically. Students with no high-speed internet access at home are also less likely to plan to attend a college or university. This finding of the study is an articulation of diverse authors (Gupong, Redondo, & Endozo, 2021; McCormack & Miffitt, 2021; Gierdowski, 2021) which recognizes the importance of internet connectivity to senior high school students in the context of learning, which includes the new regular distance learning delivery modalities that students must choose upon studying this academic year.  It is evident that there are areas where institutions could do more to adapt to the new realities of higher education effectively. One such area—students’ remote access to reliable devices and internet connectivity—has garnered national attention and catalyzed discussion and action among higher education leaders on how students can continue to be well served by their institutions when many of them are still struggling to get online. And some student populations, in particular; low-income students and students living in rural areas.

The lowest indicator, is the social pressure and competition, which scored 3.75 or moderate. Based on the data result, social forces such as peer pressure and competition have been shown to have an impact on learning. This can be seen in relation to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1943), which states that externally forced social comparison and rivalry can threaten one’s sense of competence, adequacy, and confidence. As a result, the potential of comparison to and competition with others, combined with the desire to maintain self-esteem, encourages a person to put forth more effort on a task (Ngan & Law, 2014).

As shown in Table 2, the level of learning motivations of Social Studies major students gets an overall mean of 4.15 or high. This means that the indicators affect the learning motivations of the Social Studies major students.

In addition, Shin, Kim, Hwang, and Lee (2018) in showed that informative feedback positively affected commitment to purpose and social contribution, especially for students who had low intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation and feedback both positively predicted students’ confidence in purpose. To positively influence students’ life purpose development, these results suggest the importance of providing college students with intrinsically motivated experiences plus informative feedback that supports their competence during service work.

Significance of Relationship Between Home Study and Learning Motivation of Students major in Social Studies

Shown in table 3 the significance on the relationship between home study and learning motivation of students major in social studies It is included the interpretation of the table.

Table 3. Significance of Relationship Between Home Study and Learning Motivation of Students major in Social Studies

Table 3 reflects the significant relationship between the Home Study and Learning Motivation of Social Studies major among higher education institutions and exhibited the existence of their relationship in the results. With an overall p-value of 0.001, the association is significant at a 0.05 level of significance. Thus, rejecting the null hypothesis is the decision. It shows that there is a significant very strong correlation between the two variables.

The correlation coefficient of r = 0.558 explains that for every progress in the independent variable, there is an equivalent very strong development in the dependent variable. Thus, the overall results have shown a very strong or very high correlation as reflected in the value of r = 0.558. It explains further, that for every Home Study, there is also a very high achievement of their Learning Motivation of Social Studies major among higher education institutions. It further implies that the socio-economic status of their parents, parent-teacher relationship, access and connectivity, and time management are important factors in home study learning of Social Studies major that is greatly contributed to the academic achievement and performances.

Khan, Begum, and Imad (2019) supported this finding which there is a correlation of home environment and academic achievement of the students. Though they are satisfied, the recommendations of the study to improve the academic achievement of the students is to provide learning areas for educational progress of students.

Moreover, Ramovan (2011) agreed that studying in a distance learning course, students who set themselves more intrinsic goals, value their learning, believe in their ability to successfully accomplish academic demands and can handle distractions and maintain concentration finished more exams, accomplish them faster and achieved higher test scores. Given the characteristics of extrinsic goals, their effect on the number of tests is not surprising. It is interesting that these goals work simultaneously with intrinsic goal orientation.

Regression Analysis on the Significant Influence of the Indicators of Home Study on Learning Motivation of Students major in Social Studies

Presented in table 4. is the regression analysis showing the influence of indicators of the predictor variable Home Study on Learning Motivation of Students major in Social Studies.

Table 4. Regression Analysis on the Significant Influence of the Indicators Home Study on Learning Motivation of Students major in Social Studies

R=.635; R Square =.403; F=16.056; P<.05

Presented in Table 4 is the regression analysis showing the influence of indicators of the predictor variable Home Study and Learning Motivation of Social Studies major student among higher education institutions. The finding shows that access and connectivity (p-value=.017) and time management (p-value=.002) significantly influence learning motivation. The result is congruent to the study of Shahibi and Rusli (2017) this means that online media usage for education and non-education also play an important role in influencing student academic achievement. This is because, if the students are using online media as well without wasting time with things that are not beneficial, they will definitely increase academic achievement. This is based on the correlation of both positive and negative. In addition, student interest in university also has the highest mean value compared to other factors. Thus, based on the results obtained, a conclusion can be made that a student’s academic achievement can be increased if they allocate how to use the internet in the right way.

Moreover, in access and connectivity, there is a positive standardized beta value of .243. This indicates that for every unit increase in access and connectivity, there is a corresponding increase in their learning motivation by .243. Likewise, in time management, there is a positive standardized beta value of .315. This indicates that for every unit increase in time management, there is a corresponding increase in their learning motivation by .315.

It implies that putting the four indicators altogether, only two becomes not a significant indicators of Home Study major that influence the Learning Motivation of Social Studies major student among higher education institutions. The t-value of 3.194 for the indicator time management has the highest value, and socio-economic status with a t-value of 1.026 is the lowest. That means that there is more significant evidence against the null hypothesis because the more extensive the absolute value of the t-value, the smaller the p-value, and the greater the evidence against the null hypothesis.

Furthermore, the table explains 40.3 percent of the learning motivation of the respondents as revealed in the R-squared value of .403. This suggests that 59.7 percent of the variance can be attributed to other factors aside from their socio-economic status, parent-teacher relationship, access and connectivity, and time management.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The following conclusions are made based from the results of the study: The capability of home study of Social Studies major students in learning at home is high, which means they were observed and practiced. This proposed that the technique, approach, and methodologies during home study is effective and should be continued even during the pandemic.

Home study and learning motivations of Social Studies major students were practiced and developed all throughout the span of time they are at home during the new normal education. They were able to gain adequate knowledge about their specialization as well as they were able to master the art of independent learning without giving direct feedbacks from the teacher. Also, the home study Social Studies major are able to ensure that the motivations to learn despite the situation they have were evident and apparent. However, there are other factors that hinders the Social Studies major to excel in their specialization like the slow internet connections and other learning materials that will help them to understand more the concept of the topic. Lastly, among all the indicators the relationship of the parents and teachers are vital in the learning process of the students. This crisis cannot hamper the Social Studies major students to have quality education.

The very strong correlation between of home study and learning motivations of Social Studies major students among higher education institutions is found out using the statistical treatment of data. This means that the likelihood of a relationship between two or more variables is caused by something other than chance. It explains further, that for every home study, there is also a very high achievement of their learning motivations.

The following recommendations are made based from the conclusions drawn out of the study:

The officials from Commission on Higher Education may utilize the result of this study in preparing the Philippine educational system to modify or/and enhance the curriculum to suit the needs of home study classes. Based on the findings which is high, it implies that home study education in Social Studies major is effective and should sustain. In addition, they may also conduct training, seminars, or conference for in-depth analysis of all who are involve for continuation of this study, especially the teachers and parents’ relations which has sometimes observed, to quickly understand the lesson creatively and know the situations of the home study modality to participate and increase the students’ learning motivation.

The school heads may also find this study beneficial because it shows them how home study affects the students’ learning motivation. From the result the parent-teachers relationship has the lowest mean among all indicators of home study, which means that the school heads should closely monitor their teachers by submitting a consultation report of the parents of their students. With this, they can plan and improve their learning continuity plan that is suitable for the needs of their students by fitting the needs and considering the status of students who choose home study learning.

The social studies teachers know the challenges faced by the students in home study. Thus, they can improve their creativity, and adjust the worksheets as well as the activities that is best fit for the home study Social Studies students. Furthermore, they have to explore and aim higher through professional education and attending trainings, seminar-workshops or programs whether in school or national level. As a Social Studies teacher, they have to widen their horizon and broaden their knowledge when it comes to their specialization because they cannot give what they do not have, and cannot teach on what they do not know. Lastly, they should grab every opportunity like scholarships for graduate and post graduate studies if it means improvement and competence in the field of teaching and learning in any Social Studies discipline.

The future researchers should use the research findings to enrich the learning motivations of home study Social Studies major students. A qualitative or a mixed-research method study is also highly recommended. Finally, this study can be further replicated to involve more colleges and universities outside Davao City to increase the validity and reliability of its findings.

REFERENCES

1. National Literacy Trust, (2018). Improving the home learning environment: A behaviour change approach. Retrieved from https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/919363/Improving_the_home_learning_environment .pdf.
2. Borah, M. (2021). Motivation in learning. Journal of Critical reviews, Volume 8, Issue 2, India. Retrieved from http://www.jcreview.com/fulltext/197-1619954863.pdf.
3. Mese, E. & Sevilen, C. (2021). Factors influencing EFL students’ motivation in online learning: A qualitative case study. Journal of Educational Technology           &          Online Learning, Volume 4, Issue 1. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1286748.pdf.
4. Musingafi, M. (2015). Challenges for Open and Distance learning (ODL) Students: Experiences from Students of the Zimbabwe Open University. Journal of Education and Practice, Vol. 6, No. 18. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1079750.pdf.
5. Santos, N. (2017). Learning Motivation Factors of Grade 8 Students and its Implications in Science Teaching. International Journals: Publishing Research Papers in all Fields. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/249335797.pdf.
6. Lee, J., Song, H. & Hong, A. J. (2019). Exploring Factors, and Indicators for Measuring Students’ Sustainable Engagement in e-Learning. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/glenb/Downloads/sustainability-11-00985.pdf.
7. Bosmion, J.B. (2020). The Perceived Effects of Home Environment on University Students’ Study Motivation. Retrieved from http://papers.iafor.org/wp-content/uploads/papers/ece2020/ECE2020_58333.pdf.
8. Holy Child College of Davao (2020). Learning to Blend in the New Normal. Retrieved from https://www.holychild.edu.ph/learning-to-blend-in-the-new-normal-holy-childs-blended-learning-experiences/.
9. Avila, E., Maria, A. &Genio, G. (2020). Motivation and Learning Strategies of Education Students in Online Learning during Pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349110320 _Motivation_and_Learning_Strategies_of_Education_Students_in_Online_Learning_during_ Pandemic.
10. Jha, A. (2020). Learning from Home in Times of Covid-19 Lockdown: opening up possibilities or baring inequalities? Retrieved from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/internationaldevelopment/2020/04/08/learning-from-home-in-times-of-covid-19-lockdown-opening-up-possibilities-or-baring-inequalities/.
11. Trespalacios, R. (2015). Using Asynchronous Activities to Promote Sense of Community and Learning in an Online Course. Retrieved from https://www.rirrodl.org/index.php/oirrodl/article/view/2441/3588.
12. Brother Empower (2020). Common Home Learning Challenges and How to Overcome Them. Retrieved from https://empowers.brother.com.au/2020/05/22/common-home-learning-challenges-and-how-to-overcome-them/.
13. Lee, S., Ward, K. & Chang, O. (2020). Home-based education during the covid-19 pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.parentingincontext.org/uploads/8/1/3/1/81318622/research_brief_parents%E2%80%99_ perceptions_of_the_shift_to_home-based_education_during_the_covid-19_pandemic_final.pdf.
14. Kern, S. (2020). Why Learning at Home Should Be More Self-Directed—and Less Structured. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/why-learning-home-should-more-self-directed-and-less-structured.
15. Gobena, G. (2018). Family Socio-economic Status Effect on Students’ Academic Achievement at College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia. Journal of Teacher Education and Educators Volume 7. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1207284.pdf.
16. Li, Z. & Qiu, Z. (2018). How does family background affect children’s educational achievement? Evidence from Contemporary China. The Journal of Chinese Sociology 5. Retrieved from https://journalofchinesesociology.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40711-018-0083-8.
17. Chen, Q., Kong. Y., Gao, W. & Mo. L. (2018). Effects of Socioeconomic Status, Parent–Child Relationship, and Learning Motivation on Reading Ability. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01297
18. London School of Economics (2019). Parental involvement in schools – powerful potential, compounded challenge. Retrieved from https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/internationaldevelopment/2019/08/09/parental-involvement-in-schools-powerful-potential-compounded-challenge/.
19. Perras, C. (2020). Effective Parent-Teacher Partnerships: Considerations for Educators. Retrieved from https://www.ldatschool.ca/effective-parent-teacher-partnerships/.
20. King, I. (2019). Importance of Parent-Teacher Communication and Relationships. Retrieved from https://www.kickboardforschools.com/family-engagement-communication/importance-of-parent-teacher-communication-and-relationships/.
21. Melorin, M.M. (2019). Module Distribution and Retrieval: A Challenge. Retrieved from https://www.depedsanjuancity.ph/single-post/module-distribution-and-retrieval-a-challenge.
22. McCormack, M. & Miffitt, K. (2020). Supporting Student Access and Connectivity. EDUCAUSE Research Notes. Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/blogs/2020/10/understanding-and-supporting-student-access-and-connectivity.
23. Brown, S. & Kafka, A.C. (2020). Covid-19 Has Worsened the Student Mental-Health Crisis. Can Resilience Training Fix It? The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/covid-19-has-worsened-the-student-mental-health-crisis-can-resilience-training-fix-it/.
24. MITSDE, (2019). Importance of Time Management for Distance Learning Students. Retrieved from http://blog.mitsde.com/importance-of-time-management-for-distance-learning-students/.
25. Australian Christian College, (2020). Time management skills that improve student learning. Inspired School Marketers. Retrieved from https://www.acc.edu.au/blog/time-management-skills-student-learning/.
26. Yildirim, T. (2017). An Examination of High School Social Science Students’ Levels Motivation towards Learning Geography. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/glenb/Downloads/factors-of-motivation.pdf.
27. Ngan & Law, (2014). Exploratory Network Analysis of Learning Motivation Factors in e-Learning Facilitated Computer Programming Courses. DOI 10.1007/s40299-014-0223-0
28. Yukhymenko, M. (2011). Students’ Interest in Social Studies and Negotiation Self-Efficacy: A Meta-Analysis of the GlobalEd Project. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education 19(3). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277833934_Students%27_Interest_in_Social_Studies_and_Negotiation_Self-Efficacy_A_Meta-Analysis_of_the_GlobalEd_Project?enrichId=rgreq-159cc1028c8fc6fc5c87d15d439ce33e-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzI3NzgzMzkzNDtBUzozNTc1NDQ2MjgzNzU1NTJAMTQ2MjI1NjY5MD QxOQ%3D%3D&el=1_x_3&_esc=publicationCoverPdf
29. Harackiewicz, J., Smith, J., & Priniski, S. (2016). Interest Matters: The Importance of Promoting Interest in Education. Policy Insights Behavior Brain Sci. 2016 Oct; 3(2): 220–227. doi: 10.1177/2372732216655542
30. McCarthy, J. (2014). Learner Interest Matters: Strategies for Empowering Student Choice. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-learner-interest-matters-john-mccarthy#:~:text=When%20a%20topic%20connects%20to,with%20differentiating%20for%20student%20interests.
31. Mirshekaran, R., Namaziandost, E., & Nazari, M. (2018). The Effects of Topic Interest and L2 Proficiency on Writing Skill among Iranian EFL Learners. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp. 1270-1276, November 2018. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0906.16
32. Ackerman, C. (2021). What is Self-Confidence? + 9 Ways to Increase It. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/self-confidence/.
33. Shaukat & Bashir (2016). University Students’ Academic Confidence: Comparison between Social Sciences and Natural Science Disciplines. Journal of Elementary Education Vol.25, No. 2 pp. 113-123. Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/glenb/Downloads/confidence.pdf.
34. Ochoa, Rosa, & Sander (2012). Contrasting Academic Behavioural Confidence in Mexican and European Psychology Students. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 10(2), pp: 813-838. Retrieved from https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/2931/293123547015.pdf.
35. McLeod, S. (2018). How Reinforcement and Punishment Modify Behavior. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html.
36. Fuad, M., Suyanto, E. & Muhammad, U. A. (2021). Can ‘Reward and Punishment’ Improve Student Motivation? European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences 2021; www.european-science.com Vol.10, No 1 pp. 165-171, ISSN 1805-3602. Retrieved from https://european-science.com/eojnss/article/view/6144.
37. DeMenichi & Tricomi (2015). The power of competition: Effects of social motivation on attention, sustained physical effort, and learning.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01282
38. Kurt, S. (2020). Andragogy Theory – Malcolm Knowles. Educational Technology. Retrieved from https://educationaltechnology.net/andragogy-theory-malcolm-knowles/.
39. Thomas, L. (2020). An introduction to simple random sampling. Retrieved from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/simple-random-sampling/#:~:text=Simple%20random%20sampling%20is%20a,possible%20of%20this%20random%20subset.
40. Gupong, Redondo & Endozo (2021). Significance Of Internet Access to Senior High School Students of Tanauan City Integrated High School. DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.24383.33442
41. Shin, J., Kim, M., Hwang, H., & Lee, B. (2018). Effects of intrinsic motivation and informative feedback in service-learning on the development of college students’ life purpose. Retrieved from oi.org/10.1080/03057240.2017.1419943
42. Yukhymenko, M. (2011). Students’ Interest in Social Studies and Negotiation Self-Efficacy: A Meta-Analysis of the GlobalEd Project. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education 19(3). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277833934_Students%27_Interest_in_Social_Studies_and_Negotiation_ Self-Efficacy_A_Meta-Analysis_of_the_GlobalEd_Project?enrichId=rgreq-159cc1028c8fc6fc5c87d15d439ce33e-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzI3NzgzMzkzNDtBUzozNTc1NDQ2MjgzNzU1NTJAMTQ2MjI1NjY5MDQ xOQ%3D%3D&el=1_x_3&_esc=publicationCoverPdf
43. Ramovan, M. (2011). The Relationship Between Distance Students’ Motivation, Their Use of Learning, and Academic Success. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology – January 2011, volume 10 Issue 1. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ926571.pdf.
44. Khan, Begum, and Imad (2019). Relationship between Students’ Home Environment and their Academic Achievement at Secondary School Level. Pakistan Journal of Distance & Online Learning Volume: V, Issue II, 2019, 223-234. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1266643.pdf.
45. Shahibi, M.S. & Rusli, K.N.K.K (2017). The Influence of Internet Usage on Student’s Academic Performance. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 2017, Vol. 7, No. 8 ISSN: 2222-6990. Retrieved from https://hrmars.com/papers_submitted/3301/The_Influence_of_Internet_Usage_ on_Student%E2%80%99s_Academic_Performance.pdf.