The Levels of Anxiety of Grade 10 Deaf Students: The Aftermath of Blended Modality Melody Torrejos Darwin Lisondra Nhoryl Mabala Lalaine Cortes Jessa Caco Vince Keith Geronimo Precious Respicio Shawn Edrea Matus Yngwie John Valencia March 2023 A Research Proposal Presented at Philippine School for the Deaf F.B. Harrison ST., Pasay City In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Subject 3Is Chapter 1 Introduction It’s been two years since Covid -19 pandemic happened. The educational system shifts from traditional face-to-face to online class. Students usually stay at home while having online class. As per DepEd Order 34, s. 2022, starting November 2, 2022, all public and private schools will have a transition to five days in-person classes. There will be a full implementation of the in-person classes except for those that are implementing Alternative Modes of delivery (Galvez, July 2022). President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary Sara Duterte approved that students can now go to face-to-face star and no more online class anymore. Many of the students were anxious because of lack of preparation. The Department of Education worked hard just to introduce distance and blended learning for both teachers and students. However, going back to the face-to-face classes seems to be a worry for some, knowing that Covid 19 is still present. It’s another big adjustment since submissions and lessons will be done in school and not online. It triggered anxiety in students due to continuing pandemic, loss of social skills and social connections, as well as fear of their safety. Some may also lose their confidence and think that it may not be the same anymore. It is important that students should realize and try to accept that they need to go back to their lives prior to the new normal. Combating anxiety in times like this is very crucial and important. Background to the problem Deaf learners’ anxiety is evident in classroom presentations and program during the new normal and now many of them are worried because they do not know what install for them once they go back to in-person classes. Students and youth experience anxiety daily within school, home, and/or community. When anxiety is beyond what we would consider adjusting to normal daily difficulties, one may begin to show overt signs of stress, these individuals may present as anxious, fearful, withdrawn, timid, depressed, to name a few. They may seem very unhappy, barely exhibit a smile, and demonstrate a lack of self-confidence. One of the most challenging things educators’ faces is deciding whether the anxiety displayed by a child or youth is typical for developmental age or this anxiety is give everyone’s feeling a panic. Yes, maybe, many students cannot wait any longer to go back to school and do things they used to do before then pandemic but the question here is are students really prepared for it? It is very important to understand the anxiety of the Deaf learners, like in this study, Grade 10 learners are in their transition from Junior High School to Senior High School. Statement of the Problem The research goal is to investigate the anxiety of Grade 10 leaners at Philippine School for the Deaf. Specifically, it will answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the Grade 10 learners based on: 1.1 age 1.2 gender 1.3 social economic status 2. What causes the anxiety of Grade 10 learners? 3. How does anxiety affect the students’ learning? 4. What help can be given to the learners experiencing anxiety? Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to understand the anxiety of Grade 10 learners and look for ways they can be helped. Just like any change that happens around, this can possibly have a great effect on one’s mental and emotional state. From the typical face-to-face to the new normal and now getting back to face-to-face classes again. New settings may affect the learning of the students. The present study will analyze the factors that cause anxiety in students of in-person classes. Furthermore, the study will also check on the demographic profile of Grade 10 learners like age, gender, and socio-economic status of the family. It will put into light the level of anxiety students is experiencing. Significance of the Study The beneficiaries of this study are the students, teachers, school, and future researchers. Students- The results of the study will inform the students that their emotions are valid, and it can be addressed and managed. Teachers- This study can help students with how they could handle or solve their anxiety and for them to be more empathetic towards their students. School -This study will help the school to address and develop a program or new approach to problems like anxiety. Future researchers- Lastly, this study can help future researchers to explore further in this topic of anxiety and help learners to properly handle it. Scope and Delimitation of the Study The study will be conducted to investigate the anxiety of Grade 10 leaners at Philippine School for the Deaf, the causes, how it affects students’ learning and what help can be given to alleviate the anxiety. The study will only focus on the Grade 10 learners of Philippine School for the Deaf. Therefore, the data gathered were interpreted in the light of the said limitation. Furthermore, the results yielded from the study will only be applicable for the said study. Definition of Terms Anxiety - is defined as feeling of fear and uncertainty associated with academic, in other words, research anxiety includes to the feeling of worry, tension or dread that are setting or tasks. This could be (exams, assignments, or presentation, reading), Social pressures related to schoolwork (parents, peers) or feeling uneasy about studying or working in group in class. Blended Modality - learning delivery which combines face-to-face with any or a mix of online or distance learning, modular distance learning, and TV/Radio-based Instruction. Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature Nature of Anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure (American Psychological Association, n.d.) People with anxiety may avoid doing things that will cause them to worry. Students is prone to anxiety. Anxiety for them is a normal reaction to stress and worry. Stress is a normal thing to people and can be adaptive however, anxiety can be observed in an exaggerated fear response on something that is not yet happening. Anxiety becomes a problem with students when (Moreau, 2014). it is very intense it is unreasonable or out of proportion to the situation it persists over longer periods of time and/or it interferes with their ability to learn, socialize, and participate in activities. It is said that you see these signs, it’s time to seek help. An early intervention can be of big help because it could help a person manage the anxiety before it become worst. According to the Mayo Clinic (n.d.) people with anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). Causes of anxiety includes neurotransmitters, especially serotonin and dopamine, aren’t functioning correctly in their brains. In short, these “happy hormones,” aren’t being produced or sent through the brain and body effectively, causing problems with mood and alertness, as well as more frightening issues with blood flow and body temperature regulation. Another cause is the family, where they are modeling anxious behavior in front of their children. Expectations from them also causes anxiety to students. And lastly, trauma, where in highstress events cause commotions and problems like cabin fever which was experienced by some during the pandemic (Konen, n.d.). You may avoid places or situations to prevent these feelings. For example, a student is used to in staying at home for two years due to pandemic and now is required to go faceto-face classes, but he is afraid to go out and socialize. This causes a dilemma and a problem to the student. Types of Anxiety The following are the types of anxiety connected with the study. (National Institute for Mental Health, n.d.) 1. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). It is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This may affect their work, school, or their daily activities. 2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). It usually involves a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread which can affect daily life. People who have GAD experience it frequently for months, if not years 3. Panic Disorder. It is a frequent and unexpected panic attacks that happen in sudden periods of intense fear, discomfort, or sense of losing control even if there is no clear danger. 4. Test Anxiety. It is a combination of physical symptoms and emotional reactions that interfere with your ability to perform well on tests (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, n. d.) Effect of Anxiety to Students The present time is a bit harsh and for one to be able to excel he or she needs to overcome a ton of barriers. One-way anxiety affects learners’ academic performance is the ability not to remember as many things as what was taught in them in class. This is because they occupied their minds with worries and fears about the outcome of their studies. Their intellectual quotient will reduce and cause them to perform poorly in their tests or exams. They may think that a particular course is too difficult for them. Instead of focusing on how to understand and pass that course, they are worried about failing the course, which makes taking the right information about the course to become difficult. Academic anxiety is associated with almost all the tasks concerning the academics like attendance in school, failure to do what was expected of them thus may leader to decrease in attention span or concentration in what one does (Lal Banga, 2016). They may feel agitated and worrisome as they already endured two years of online learning and what awaits them in the face-to-face classes. Most students experience feelings of anxiety from time to time, but if these feelings are extreme, it can affect their daily life, and might be a symptom of an anxiety disorder. In a study conducted by Jehi, Khan, Santos, and Majzoub (2022), it shows that anxiety is highly prevalent among the students during the Covid-19 pandemic. The question is, will it still be the same for the face-to-face or what changes will happen again upon the implementation of it. This may lead students to s=isolate themselves from their surroundings, develop other mental health issues, like depression, look for solutions in addictive substances, drop out of school, or give up on their chosen careers (Gordana S, 2021). The Benilde Well-Being Center of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde aired their thoughts about this. They understand that while campuses gradually open their doors for limited face-to-face classes, the idea of re-engaging students in physical activities might take a toll on the mental health of learners (The Diarist.Ph, 2022). Some students who suffer from anxiety experience painful emotional symptoms such as depression, sadness, nervousness, anger, and loneliness. Students may feel unhappy about coming to a university or become very nervous around people, such as friends and peers. Others feel worried and sad when they cannot overcome the challenges they face, such as having a low GPA. Some of them like to be alone when they have stressful feelings, which can lead to depression. Sometimes, these students may have negative thoughts about School, especially when their friends are successful and have good GPAs. Some students may feel tired from studying, the tough circumstances and attending the class. They may have expected to be happy with High School life but instead found it to be the opposite of feelings of the anxious. A student is having a difficult time adjusting to one or more aspects of school life, they may find themselves feeling down and experiencing anxious thoughts. These thoughts usually include negative self-talk, self-doubt, worry, cycles of obsessing about various outcomes, and many other self-critical thoughts. As these thoughts continue to escalate, there is a possibility that the student will start to become more anxious and possibly isolate themselves to avoid being exposed. In addition, students and younger populations may feel additional anxiety due to climate change, political events, or recent racial unrest. Uncertainty about the future can often lead to increased anxiety. Although there are some students who are excited with the face-to-face classes, there are also some students who deeply worry about their comeback in school. Some factors are expensive commutes, traffic, workload difficulties, problems for those who are working parttime, teacher expectations etc. One student answered, “managing my time as a working student, full time student and full-time call center agent kasi ako”. The other one replied, “Two years of online classes haven’t been kind to everyone on a physical, mental, and psychological level, and pretending that we’re back to normal is easier said than done”. One commented, “My social anxiety can’t relate sobrang awkward ko sa mga tao ni makikipag comminucate sa tao ilang ako since nagsimula ang pandemic wish me luck maovercome ko since icoming college na ako this year (with sad emojis)”. Another response, “Traffic…virus…transpo…” (Rappler, 2022). It may cause an anxiety for some since they are working for their family and finances is a major concern. Anxiety Help After all these concerns, what help can we give to these students who are experiencing anxiety? Two years of online classes seem fast because we were in confinement of our own home. Now that face-to-face classes are implemented, we need to go out and go back to the things we used to do prior the pandemic. This helps students challenge themselves about their negative thoughts. Students can practice through, negative thought stopping or snapping a rubber band during negative thoughts. What can we do to help these students? Seeing an expert is the best way to deal with it, but a friend, a teacher, or significant others could also help students deal with their anxiety in the classroom as well as their lives outside school. There are some strategies that could help students cope up. It may vary from one situation to another. Here are some (Link for Counselors, 2022) The 5 Whys. Student should need to understand the cause of his or her anxiety. This maybe frightening but he or she needs to face it by starting to ask why he/she is feeling anxious. Then ask another “why” question until it was repeated five times. Once the student understands the causes then teacher or other significant others would know what strategies needed to manage the anxiety. Deep breathing. This is one of the simplest yet effective way to reduce stress for students. Whenever feeling anxious, take a few deep breathes, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Positive affirmations and self-talk. It’s easy to think of negative things but hard to think of the positive ones. Help them to face and overcome by choosing simple positive affirmations which they can repeatedly. Visualization. Trying to visualize things positively and control the negative thoughts. Visualize themselves in a positive place or situation. Exercise. This helps reduce anxiety and stress. This can help avoid mental breakdown. Yoga is an example. Distractions and Grounding. Distract oneself from too much worrying by engaging on other activities. Exercises like counting backwards or count five things they see or smell etc. Journaling. Whenever they experience anxiety, encourage them to write even one thing they are thankful for and proud of or whatever makes them happy. Seek professional help. If anxiety is uncontrollable, it’s better to look for professional help. Synthesis Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat (Medline Plus, n.d.). It can be a normal reaction to stress. For instance, one might feel anxious when faced with a difficult problem at work, before taking a test, or making research. to helping student to learn handle with themselves anxiety a lot of things. And in my personality, some of students are anxious related to due lack of confidence. Students are prone to anxiety because of the role they play in the society. Anxiety in students involves an active learning through difficult course. Active learning practices may increase student anxiety if students fear being evaluated negatively. the same active learning practices may have the potential to decrease student anxiety by positively influencing their learning. Some Student may think negative affect their learning in school, due lack of confidence and not open-minded, panic a lot of things. Knowing the causes may lead in finding solutions that could alleviate the anxiety experienced by the students. Having a healthy lifestyle and find techniques that could help students to combat anxiety in the current face-to-face classes. Conceptual Framework The conceptual model, which guided the researcher in conducting this study, is shown in Figure 1. INPUT PROCESS Profile of the students Solution: Coping Mechanisms Causes of Anxiety Levels of Anxiety OUTPUT Anxiety and students’ learning Figure 1 Chapter 3 Research Design: This study used the descriptive-survey method of research in describing the nature of the situation at the time of the study. The researchers will be using quantitative research which is descriptive in nature. This is used to describe characteristics of a students, usually provide researchers with information about Anxiety. The study was discovered to the anxiety of Grade 10 Students. Respondents The respondents of the study are the Grade 10 students at Philippine School for the Deaf. High as the number is, there is some and sometimes conflicting evidence that the prevalence of anxiety (and depression as well) is increasing, especially among the young. Since Grade 10 students are in the transition from Junior High to Senior High School, it will be a significant point to see the anxiety level of students especially right from blended modality to face-to-face classes. Research Instruments The instrument that will be used will be a crafted based on the Anxiety Screen Questionnaire, Test Anxiety Survey by Emily Schrynemakers, and Test Anxiety by Suinn. Likert Scale will be used to know the level of anxiety of the students. 5 – Very Much 4 – Much 3 – Fair Amount 2 – A Little 1 – Not at All A google link form will be created for easy use of the respondents. This will minimize interaction of students since there is still pandemic. Data Gathering procedure: A survey questionnaire will be crafted and will be validated by three experts. Researchers will take note of the comments and suggestions of the experts and will finalize the questionnaire after. A letter will be submitted to the school heads for approval of the implementation of the research study to Grade 10 students. Upon the approval of the letter, a copy will be given to the Grade level leader of Grade 10. A letter of consent will also be given to students in coordination with the level leader. The google link form will then be forwarded to Grade 10 students through their grade leader. References: https://www.mayoclinic.org/?fbclid=IwAR2gZcixSlKY6cHqekLmMf_0quogupShnruvjxLTC3O GcNx_VEQk8YdSoC8 https://www.intechopen.com/?fbclid=IwAR0S6tIbK8oMM3eoeIFOY6ZcQd6d75ZzH3m4DiyE wqsDND-QWHHrykFcol0 https://www.choosingtherapy.com/ https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/ https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/tackling-test-anxiety/