SELF-CONCEPT AND COPING MECHANISMS OF PARAISO ELEMENTARY LEARNERS OF CASIGURAN DISTRICT LIZA L. ARQUINES A Master’s Thesis presented to the Faculty of the School of Graduate Studies Aurora State College of Technology, Zabali Baler, Aurora, Philippines in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION (Educational Management) May 2023 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis titled SELF-CONCEPT AND COPING MECHANISMS OF PARAISO ELEMENTARY LEARNERS OF CASIGURAN DISTRICT prepared and submitted by LIZA L. ARQUINES, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION (Educational Management), is hereby accepted. GLENDA N. GINES Member ROWEL G. OLILA, EdD Member ______________________ ______________________ JAY M. AMON, PhD Adviser __________________ Accepted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION (Educational Management). JAY M. AMON, PhD Director, Graduate Studies Department ____________________ RB J. GALLEGO, PhD Vice President for Academic Affairs ____________________ ii BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Liza L. Arquines was born in the 14th of September, year of 1986. She is the seventh among 10 children of Mr. Ben B. Lantaen and Mrs. Julie C. Lantaen from Brgy. Esperanza Dilasag Aurora, She graduated her elementary education at Manggitahan Elementary School while in 2005 she obtained her secondary education at Manggitahan National High School. She pursued her tertiary education at Benguet State University, La Trinidad Benguet because of her aspiration and loves for teaching. With God’s blessing and guidance she graduated her BEED year 2009 and luckly passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers on October 10, 2009. She taught in a public school for two years on the honorarium of the municipal school board. In June 4, 2012, she was hired as regular permanent public teacher at Agues Elementary School, Casiguran Aurora as her first teaching assigment and transferred to Esperanza Elementary School year 2014. She perceives that the more education a teacher has, the more prepared she is to address the demands of her students. She continued her graduate studies at Aurora State College of Technology in Baler, Aurora. She pursued Master of Arts in Education major in Educational Management. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, the researcher thanks and hails God, our Almighty Father, for His blessings on the successful completion of this research endeavor. The researcher would like to convey her heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed in some manner and provided vital assistance in the completion of this study. Dr. Rowel G. Olila, Chairman of the Advisory Committee, for his encouragement, unwavering support, and patience in giving his vital contribution to the study's success. To the members of the pre and final defense committee, headed by Dr. RB J. Gallego, Dr. Rowel J. Olila, and Mrs. Glenda N. Gines for their scholarly recommendations, criticisms, and concern, which inspired the researcher to wrap up the project properly. Mrs. Leidy Ryll B. Andrada, principal of Paraiso Elementary School, for allowing the researcher to do her own study on the school. To all the parents from Grades 1 to 6 at Paraiso Elementary School for their cooperation with the study's procedures. Mr. Joemar D. Arquines, her spouse, for his unfailing love and support. Above all, thanks to the Almighty God, who gave the author love, strength, courage, wisdom, and direction to face all of life's obstacles. LIZA L. ARQUINES iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE TITLE PAGE i APPROVAL SHEET ii BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iv TABLE OF CONTENTS vi LIST OF TABLES ix LIST OF FIGURES x LIST OF APPENDICES xi ABSTRACT xii INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem 3 Significance of the Study 4 Scope and Delimitations of the Study 6 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES 7 METHODOLOGY 16 Conceptual/ Theoretical Framework 16 Definition of Terms 19 Research Design 21 Population of the Study 21 v Data Gathering Instrument 21 Data Gathering Procedures 22 Statistical Analysis 23 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 25 Profile of the Respondents 25 Self-Concepts of the Learners 36 Problems Encountered 43 Coping Mechanisms 46 Proposed Intervention 48 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 51 Summary 51 Conclusions 52 Recommendations 53 REFERENCES 55 APPENDICES 59 vi LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Age 25 2 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Sex 26 3 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Parents’ Occupation 27 4 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Parents’ Educational Attainment 29 5 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Family Monthly Income 31 6 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Number of Siblings 32 7 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Birth Order 33 8 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Ethnicity 34 9 Frequency Distribution of Learners in terms of Ambitions 35 10 Distribution of Responses on the Self-Concept of the Learners in terms of Self-Image 37 11 Distribution of Responses on the Self-Concept of the Learners in terms of Self-Esteem 39 12 Distribution of Responses on the Self-Concept of the Learners in terms of Self-Worth 40 13 Distribution of Responses on the Self-Concept of the Learners in terms of Ideal Self 42 14 Distribution of Responses on the Problems Encountered by the Learners 45 15 Distribution of Responses on the Coping Mechanisms of the Learners 47 vii LIST OF FIGURE FIGURE 1 PAGE The Paradigm of the Study 18 viii ABSTRACT LIZA L. ARQUINES, School of Graduate Studies, Aurora State College of Technology, Zabali, Baler, Aurora, Philippines, May 2023. SELF-CONCEPT AND COPING MECHANISMS OF PARAISO ELEMENTARY LEARNERS OF CASIGURAN DISTRICT. Adviser: Dr. Jay M. Amon The purpose of this study was to determine the self-concept and coping mechanisms of the Paraiso Elementary Learners of Casiguran District in order to propose strategies on how these concerned students could be integrated in normal classroom environment. More specifically, it gathered the information regarding socio-demographic profile of respondents including age, sex, parents’ occupation, parents’ educational attainment, family monthly income, number of siblings, birth order, ethnicity, and ambitions. A descriptive survey was done among the fifty-one learners of the said school who, inclusively, gathered answers on their self-concept in terms of self-image. Along with the self-concept were the problems encountered and coping mechanisms of the learners. The findings showed that most of the learners of Paraiso Elementary School were 11 years of age, female, fathers were working as carpenters while mothers did not disclose the information regarding their works, fathers attained high school level, mothers attained elementary level, the family collectively gained monthly income of Php 2,501Php 5,000, having six or more siblings, learners were the eldest, ethnically affiliated as dumagat, and aspires to become teachers someday. They described their self-concept of ix the learners as “Very Likely” while revealing that they did not experience problems as they described it as “Very Unlikely”, and also shared of the coping mechanisms and described it as “Very Likely”. The researcher proposed an intervention of Project SEARCH which is dubbed as Self-Education and Actualization Readiness through Community Helpers. x