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Transition of single-sex high school graduates to coeducational
higher-level institutions
__________________________________________
A research paper submitted to the
Humanities Division
University of the Philippines Cebu College
Lahug, Cebu City
____________________________________________
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in
Communication II
Melissa Kimberly D. Baluyos
Rembrandt L. Cenit
Researchers
Prof. Crina Escabarte Tanongon
Adviser
October 2013
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Researchers’ Personal Data:
Baluyos, Melissa Kimberly D.
Address
:
137 Acacia St, Capitol Hills, Cebu City
Date of Birth
:
February 8, 1995
Civil Status
:
Single
Name of Father
:
Mario H. Baluyos
Name of Mother
:
May Ann D. Baluyos
Educational Background
Tertiary
:
:
University of the Philippines Cebu
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Secondary
:
Saint Theresa’s College - Cebu
March 2012
Elementary
:
Maria Montessori International School
March 2008
Cenit, Rembrandt L.
Address
:
Kawit, Medellin, Cebu City
Date of Birth
:
September 19, 1995
Civil Status
:
Single
Name of Father
:
Resteo D. Cenit
Name of Mother
:
Sally L. Cenit
Educational Background
Tertiary
:
:
University of the Philippines Cebu
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
Secondary
:
Medellin National Science and Technology School
March 2012
Elementary
:
Araneta Learning, Child and Development School
March 2008
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Acknowledgment
We, the researchers of this study, wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the
following people whom without whose unwavering guidance and support, this research
paper would not be made possible.
To our Almighty Father who continues to bless us everyday with His Divine
Providence, thank You for Your constant guidance throughout this study. Thank You for
the strength You have blessed us with to be able to surpass the trials we have
encountered during the production of this report.
To Professor Crina Tanongon, our Communications II professor, for honing and
developing our skills needed for the procurement of this paper. We thank her for the
knowledge that she has imparted in us for the last semester; for her patience and
consideration.
To the respondents, thank you for taking time in your busy schedules to answer
the questionnaire we imposed on you. Thank you for your honesty and participation in
this research paper.
To our family and friends, thank you for the steadfast guidance and support you
have shown us throughout this whole endeavor. You are our inspirations; the driving
force that motivates and propels us to strive for excellence and to do the very best that
we are capable of doing in this research paper.
Our words will never be able to evoke how incredibly grateful we are for the help
that you all have contributed to the success of this research. From the bottom of our
hearts, we thank you.
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Abstract
This study sought to find out if there is a significant difficulty in the transition of
single-sex high school graduates to coeducational higher-level institutions. The
researchers wanted to find out if single-sex high school graduates experience any
notable difficulties in adapting and adjusting to a new, mixed environment compared to
their co-ed counterparts. The study, which involved respondents from the University of
San Carlos who were high school graduates from Saint Theresa’s College, also aimed
to extract the coping mechanisms that these students may have established in order to
adjust and adapt appropriately to their new environment. The study was guided by the
Integrative Communication Theory designed by Young Yun Kim and Coleman’s theory
on adolescent subculture, both theories serves as the theoretical framework of this
research.
The results revealed that there is no notable difference in the degree of
adjustment that single-sex high school graduates tend to do compared to the students
who have graduated in coeducational establishments. Furthermore, these students do
not consider the opposite sex as an impediment or hindrance to their overall adaptation
and adjustment to their new environment, rather they are mostly confident of
themselves and show great interest in participating in school functions and
organizations.
Notably, among the factors considered to have considerably affected the
students’ adjustment to the new environment, the influence of peers and the daily
interaction with classmates have significantly contributed to the overall transition and
adjustment of the student, both academically and socially.
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Table of Contents
Curriculum Vitae………………………………………………………………………
1-2
Acknowledgment……………………………………………………………………. .
3
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………
4
Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………..
5-6
List of Tables and Charts…………………………………………………………….
7
List of Figures………………………………………………………………………....
8
Chapter
I.
Introduction
Rationale of the Study………………………………………...9- 10
Statement of the Problem……………………………………. 11 - 12
Significance of the Study…………………………………….. 13 - 14
II.
Review of Related Literature…………………………………………….. 15 - 22
III.
Study Framework
IV.
V.
Theoretical Framework………………………………………
23 - 25
Conceptual Framework………………………………………
26 - 29
Operational Framework………………………………………
30 - 33
Methodology
Research Design, Sampling Procedure……………………
34
Respondents, Research Instrument………………………..
35
Data Collection………………………………………..............
36
Data Analysis………………………………………................
37
Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data…………………….. 38 – 53
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VI.
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
Summary of the Findings……………………………………
54 - 57
Conclusion………………………………………...................
58
Recommendation………………………………………........
59
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………
60 - 61
Appendix
Questionnaire………………………………………………………………….
62 - 65
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List of Tables/Charts
Chart 1.1
List of respondents’ ages
38
Chart 1.2
List of respondents’ courses
39
Chart 2.1
Percentage of students with previous coeducational experience
40
Chart 2.2
Percentage of students’ initial feelings upon entering USC
41
Chart 2.3
Percentage of students who found their previous coeducational
42
experience beneficial in terms of their transition
Chart 2.4
Percentage of agreeability that friends aid in the adjustment of
43
student
Chart 2.4a
Ways that interaction has helped in the students’ adaptation
44
Chart 2.5
Percentage of agreeability that consider the opposite sex as
45
a hindrance
Chart 2.6
Difficulties encountered in USC
46
Chart 2.7
Percentage of students that participate in school events
47
and functions
Chart 2.8
Percentage of students that are active in school-based events,
48
clubs and activities
Chart 2.9
Percentage of students that consider the opposite sex as a
50
hindrance to their adaptability
Chart 3.1
Percentage of respondents that establish coping mechanisms
51
Chart 3.2
Respondents’ level of adjustment
53
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List of Figures
Figure 1
Theoretical Framework
25
Figure 2
Conceptual Framework
29
Figure 3
Operational Framework
33
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
Every year, a fresh batch of inquiring and inquisitive minds journey forth to
tertiary education to seek new knowledge, to strengthen and broaden their
understanding on the general mechanics of their surroundings and most importantly, to
prepare themselves for the real world. With that said, college is anything but easy. For
an institution that prepares students to become leaders and globally-competitive
graduates, the training undergone both in the four walls of the school and the field work
it requires should never be taken for granted.
Pursuing higher-level education guarantees a myriad of benefits, but also
challenges that the student is forced to face and eventually, overcome. With all the
academic pressures of college such as deadlines and school works, there is also the
feat of maintaining social activity through extracurricular participation. These factors,
coupled with the significant factor of a new environment and culture, are what loom
ahead for college freshmen.
College freshmen entering their chosen institutions undergo the adjustment
phase required to adapt to the new environment and culture that they will experience
and ultimately, live by. As one progresses in life, a series of changes are to be met in
order to advance. These changes are inevitably undergone by college freshmen during
their critical transition from high-school to college which is then followed by major
adaptations in the period of adjustment as they establish in the new environment. This
is affirmed by Boulter (as cited in Saquin and Yap, 2012) that the adjustment during the
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first year of college is the very crucial part to survive the culture which the student
belongs.
As co-ed high school graduates have problems in transitioning to college, the
researchers are curious if single-sex high school graduates are any different. Facing
new faces, walking in a new environment and submerging in a whole new culture- these
await both coeducational and single-sex institution graduates upon their arrival to a new
tertiary-level institution.
One of the known single-sex institutions in the Philippines is Saint Theresa’s
College (STC), an institution that develops great women leaders from their students. To
this, the impending graduates of STC strive to meet the academic qualifications of their
desired university- one of which is the University of San Carlos, an institution that offers
eighty (80) undergraduate courses and is deemed as Cebu’s premier university.
For the STC graduate, the calm discussions, team-building projects and
anticipated high school functions they are accustomed to are soon replaced by intense
and heated debates, challenging academic demands and leadership seminars and
conferences aimed to develop the students' globally-competitive spirit. The STC
graduate does not only embark on the academic journey that is college life, but also on
the quest to reaffirm and establish herself in a new gender-mixed environment with its
equally mixed perceptions, opinions and mindset that is the University of San Carlos.
Hence, this study aims to examine the transition of the female graduates from
Saint Theresa’s College to a coeducational tertiary institution of the University of San
Carlos. This study will give us insights on the struggles and coping mechanisms of
these single-sex graduates, thus giving us the chance to understand them even more.
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Statement of the Problem
This study investigated on how the graduates from Saint Theresa’s College, a
private single-sex institution, adjust and adapt to the University of San Carlos, a
coeducational university.
Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions:
1. Do the single-sex education graduates from Saint Theresa’s College experience
any difficulty in transitioning to the University of San Carlos?
2. Does the presence of the opposite sex in their learning environment affect their
academic and/or social life?
3. Do these graduates consider the opposite sex as a hindrance or an impediment
to their overall transition to their new school environment?
4. In terms of adapting to the new school environment, do these graduates
establish any coping mechanisms to be able to adjust appropriately?
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Objectives of the Study
1. To determine if there is a significant difference between the level of adjustment
between single-sex institution students and coeducational students in their
transition to tertiary-level education.
2. To verify if the single-sex institution graduates consider the opposite sex as an
obstruction to their adjustment to their coeducational university.
3. To find out if the opposite sex has had any effect in the transition and adjustment
of the single-sex institution graduate in terms of their academic and/or social life.
4. To know how the single-sex institution graduates adjust and adapt to their new
school environment through the coping mechanisms they may have established.
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Significance of the Study
This study on the transition of single-sex institution graduates from Saint
Theresa’s College to the University of San Carlos may help and benefit the following:
Saint Theresa’s College Graduates
This study helps the respondents, the Saint Theresa’s College graduates, to
adjust and adapt appropriately to their new coeducational environment in their chosen
university. The study, which focuses on the graduates’ transition to university, can give
insights on the struggles and difficulties the students’ may encounter and face during
their transition to a co-ed institution. Thus, they can be guided on how to cope with
these problems to be able to adjust accordingly.
Students of the University of San Carlos
This study does not only benefit the incoming freshmen of the University of San
Carlos, but it helps the whole student body of the institution, as well. There may be
higher-year students that may have not fully adjusted to the environment of USC. With
this study, the students may glean useful insights that they may apply in their
adjustment to their environment.
University of San Carlos Faculty
With this study, the faculty of the University of San Carlos may be aware of the
various obstructions and barriers that hinder students from fully-adjusting to their
institution. The faculty, especially the guidance office, may implement helpful programs
that foster the students’ participation to be able to be acquainted with both the culture of
the school and with one another that can contribute to the students’ overall transition.
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Parents
Parents of the single-sex institution graduates or the incoming college freshmen
in general benefit from this study as they can be guided about the different problems
and hardships pertaining to the students’ transition to university. By being aware of
these problems, the parents may help their children prepare for these struggles to
lessen the difficulty of facing the challenges that the student may encounter.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE
College freshmen entering their chosen institutions undergo the adjustment
phase required to adapt to the new environment and culture that they will experience
and ultimately, live by.As one progresses in life, a series of changes is to be met in
order to advance. These changes are inevitable and every college freshman undergoes
these changes during the critical transition from high-school to college, then major
adaptations in the period of adjustment as they establish in the new environment .This is
affirmed by Boulter (as cited in Saquin and Yap, 2012) that the adjustment during the
first year of college is a crucial part to survive the culture which the student belongs
because this adjustment period contributes to the overall adaptation of the student to
his/her new environment.
Single sex education
While the first year of college is deemed to be the most stressful due to the
adjustment phase of the students (Lu as cited in Saquin and Yap, 2012), exclusive
single-sex institution students are expected to bear a heavier burden in adapting to their
respective colleges. This additional pressure is due to their exposure of the opposite
sex.
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Although the difficulty of adjusting to a new culture with the opposite sex is a
problem single-sex institution students transitioning to co-ed schools inevitably face, it is
no question that single-sex education has proven to be beneficial to their students . Sexsegregated schools and classrooms are viewed today as a possible antidote to gender
inequalities (Sax, 2007) which have given rise to the number of single-sex institutions
for both public and private schools.
The on-going debate over single-sex education has resulted in the demand for
concrete evidence to support the effectiveness of exclusive gender-specific schools.
This has led to the various researches, studies and theses conducted to prove that
there is a difference in single-sex education compared to its counterpart.
A study authored by Linda J. Sax has proven that single-sex education produces
favourable outcomes for female students (Sax, 2007).The study, which focuses on the
effects between single-sex and coeducational schooling and their contributing factors
such as the demographic backgrounds, behaviour and attitudes of the students,
incorporated the descriptive comparative method (to draw the comparisons between
single-sex and co-ed schools) and the multilevel analysis method (to provide detailed
results regarding the factors previously mentioned). In a study of 6,552 single-sex
female graduates and 1, 169 female co-educational graduates conducted in the UCLA’s
Higher Education Research Institute, Sax (2007) was able to conclude that “single-sex
education produces favourable outcomes for female students, especially in terms of
their confidence, engagement, and aspirations, most notable in areas related to math
and science”(p. 11). This is drawn from the research methods she designed in which it
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was found that female graduates from single-sex institutions show higher academic
performances, self-confidence in academics (specifically in mathematical and
computing abilities) and exhibit greater political and social activism.
While Sax’s study primarily focuses on comparing the academic performances
between students studying in single-sex institutions versus their coeducational
counterparts, the social and emotional aspects of both types were not stressed which
the researchers believe would have played a huge role in affecting the outcome of the
study. As there is a significant difference in the environment and culture these students
are exposed to in their respective institutions, these eluded factors would’ve sparked
change in the results due to the assumed influence of these factors on the students’
performance.
Role of adolescent subculture to the students’ transition
A major hindrance to the smooth transition of single-sex institution students to
co-educational institutions is the presence of adolescent subculture which is simply
defined as gender-based stereotypes (Coleman as cited in Foster, 2012).The absence
of adolescent subculture in single-sex institutions propels the benefits of these exclusive
same-gender schools due to the lack of enforcement of any type of gender based
stereotype (Riordan as cited in Foster, 2012)such as sexism in the participation of
sports-based clubs.
Foster (2012) theorized that due to the reduction of adolescent subculture,
students attending single-sex institutions will have increased both interest and
participation in coursework and extracurricular activities that may be seen as
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stereotypical for the opposite gender. The author’s study involved 12, 444
correspondents from the University of Elon in the United States and utilized data from
the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 to estimate the impact of single-sex
education to the willingness and participation on the students’ extracurricular activities.
Foster (2012) found that single-sex institutions are more likely to participate in
extracurricular activities in both high school and college. The results were found after
analyzing that single-sex students were more willing to participate in coursework or
extracurricular activities (such as sports clubs) that might traditionally be seen as
stereotypical for the opposite sex. Foster (2012) concluded, after controlling for
selection bias), students at single-sex schools are “more likely to participate in
extracurricular activities in high school and college, implying the benefits of single-sex
schooling extend beyond an individual’s educational experience” (p. 11).
In co-educational colleges, single-sex school graduates may be plagued with the
stigma of a certain stereotype society has imposed on them due to their exposure to a
new environment with the opposite sex; thus, they are prone to a significant social
cultural adjustment that they need to undergo.
Foster (2012) heavily stressed in her study the significant influence of adolescent
subculture that affect the participation and performance of an individual, based from
Coleman’s theory. While the data had been substantial, there is no basis to support and
compare her assumption on whether or not the implication of adolescent subculture has
a remarkable effect on those studying in a mixed-gender environment. Foster generated
her findings and based her assumption that adolescent subculture would indeed affect
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the participation of those in coeducational institutions with no prior investigation nor
experimentation on the aforementioned party.
Social Cultural Adjustment
It is inevitable that college freshmen tend to go in the adjustment phase from high
school to college, but for single-sex high school female graduates, it is not just an
adjustment to unknown people, or to a new environment but a change of culture as a
whole.These graduates are inclined to adapt to the “culture shock” that their respective
college brings; changes are likely to occur in their social behaviour as they interact with
the population of mixed sex- a feat they may not be used to.This culture shock is
defined as a primary set of emotional reactions to the loss of perceptual elements from
one’s own culture to a new cultural stimuli (Oberg as cited in Zapf, 1991).
Some
graduates may find no difficulty in this change of environment if they are used to
interacting with the opposite sex outside their high school premises.
Majority of these graduates, however, are not inclined to this change . The
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Intelligence (EI) of the students was theorized
by Abellana and Arzadon (2012) to play significant roles in the adaptability of students
to a new culture. Therefore, the differences of a student’s IQ and EQ levels may affect
his/her rate of adapting to their new culture.
The researchers’ study, composed of students from the University of the
Philippines- Cebu in the Philippines, evaluated the social adaptability and academic
adaptability of the students on the first and second semester. Their study suggested
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that the students have agreed that they have adjusted well to their new environment
(both academically and socially) regardless of the difference in their IQ and EQ levels.
Abella and Arzadon (2012) concluded that “adaptability cannot be determined by
the IQ and EQ levels of the student” and that “the researchers believe that there are still
certain variables that can determine how a student adjusts in a life transition”.
General Adaptability
Heedless of the specified factors previously mentioned, Saquin and Yap (2012)
studied on the levels of general adjustment that the students from private institutions
undergo compared to their public school counterparts. Their research, which focused on
providing a detailed comparison between the public and private institutions in terms of
their transition and adaptation to the University of the Philippines-Cebu utilized a
quantitative-qualitative method which requires the collection and analysis of the data
they garnered and then further describing and explaining the data found .
Saquin and Yap (2012) based their theories on “The Integrative Communication
Theory” conducted Young Yun Kim which states that an individual begins to adapt only
as he/she communicates with other people in their new environment; integration relies
on that interaction (Kim as cited in Saquin and Yap, 2012) . From this, the researchers
were able to theorize that an individual’s degree in which they adapt to a certain
environment depends on “the amount and nature of communication with members of
the new environment” (Saquin and Yap, 2012, p. 30).
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The conclusion drawn from this study reflects that there is no notable difference
between the public and private institutions regarding their academic and social
adaptation to higher-level standards. It was found that among the factors that affect the
students’ adjustment, the most significant is the influence of the students’ peers (as
supported by the Integrative Communication Theory by Kim). Thus, they concluded that
“the students’ level of adjustment is not affected by the type of high school they
attended, but instead how they cope with the culture of their chosen university” (Saquin
and Yap, 2012, p. 5).
In relation to the study authored by Saquin and Yap (2012), this study
investigates on the adaptability and adjustment levels of students’ and their transition to
tertiary-education. This research, however, differs from their study because this focuses
solely on female single-sex high school graduates. This study also investigates on the
coping mechanisms these students utilize to be able to adapt and adjust to their new
environment and culture better.
In conclusion to the studies and theses mentioned in this review, single-sex
education produces favourable outcomes for their students; they are confident in their
mathematical and computing abilities and are shown to willingly participate in various
extracurricular activities due to the absence of adolescent subculture in their respective
exclusive institutions.
Single-sex female students are expected to bear more difficulty in adjusting to
coeducational institutions because of the predetermined stereotypes that they fall upon
once they enter college and the significant difference that the exposure and interaction
of the opposite gender brings.
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A considerable number of studies and researchers have been conducted to
determine the level of adjustment that students undergo upon entering higher-level
institutions. This research, however, focuses on the rate of adaptability and the methods
single-sex institution graduates utilize in order to adjust to their university. This research
narrows the broad range of students to single-sex institution graduates to investigate on
the factors that affect their transition and how they react/respond to this change.
This research seeks to find out in what ways do female high school graduates of
single-sex institutions have difficulty in transitioning to co-educational tertiary-level
schools, the coping mechanisms they have established regarding this problem, and if
the adjustment period that they have experienced had any social and/or academic effect
on them.
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CHAPTER III
STUDY FRAMEWORK
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
In order to provide a solid background on this study, the researchers gathered
several theories to base their hypotheses on. The theories listed in this framework aid in
the researchers’ study in supporting and guiding them in formulating their conclusion by
using these theories to base their results. The first theory that gives light to the
researchers’ study is Coleman’s theory on adolescent subculture. Coleman defines
adolescent subculture as “a society ideal that values attractiveness and heterosexual
popularity over academic achievement” (Coleman, 1961). Single-sex schools may not
be completely lacking adolescent subculture, but it is less dominant due to the absence
of the opposite sex.
The second theory entitled “The Integrative Communication Theory” designed by
Young Yun Kim (20030 focuses on the cross-cultural adaptation process that occurs
when an individual is exposed to a new environment and/or culture. Kim states the
cross-cultural adaptation process occurs when an individual attains an increasing level
of psychological and functional fitness with respect to the receiving environment (as
cited in Saquin and Yap, 2012). Thus, this theory refers to the psychological and social
improvement and adaptability of a person to their culturally different environment.
The theory states that as an individual enters a new culture, there is a
“transformation process” that transpires wherein they must learn how to adapt to their
respective environment and/or culture. This process comprises of four stages, namely:
enculturation, wherein the individual is being nurtured, influenced and taught about
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his/her environment through interaction; integration, defined as the general transition of
an individual to the new culture; acculturation, wherein the individual modifies the
conflicting cultures of the new culture he/she is adapting to with the past culture he/she
is accustomed to; and finally, assimilation, defined as the phase wherein the individual
has finally adjusted to his/her environment; their customs, behavior and culture.
Figure 1 on the next page illustrates the Integrative Communication Theory in
diagram showing how an individual assimilates into the new culture. The diagram
depicts how an individual attains a culture that is affected by many factors and his/her
transition into a new environment. The transition to the new culture involves the process
of acculturation wherein the individual evaluates the cultures to be kept and to be
discarded. This acculturation is also being affected by some factors. After acculturation
happens, the assimilation of the new culture begins. It is here that the individual feels
that he/she is fully adapted to the new culture in the new environment.
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Single-sex institution
students
Less exposure to adolescent
subculture
More confident, socially-adept
graduates compared to their
counterparts
Transition to new
environment
Enculturation
Integration
Acculturation
Completely adjusted/adapted
to new environment
Assimilation
Figure 1 Theoretical Framework
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CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The conceptual framework defines the Adolescent Subculture theory
designed by Coleman that explains how female single-sex high school graduates
interact socially in a new environment and in a new culture. Theoretically, the decrease
of this adolescent subculture or stereotype results in students being more likely to be
participative in extracurricular activities. This increase in extracurricular is a result of the
students being more comfortable in participating in an activity and being less worried to
what their association with the activity. This gives female single-sex graduates the edge
from their co-ed counterparts. Unlike their counterparts, they do not go with the status
quo, and participate in activities that are stereotypically for the opposite sex. These
make female single-sex graduates more motivated in and out of the classroom and are
more likely to speak their mind. Based on this theory, the researchers can draw that
single-sex institutions produce socially-adept and academically-competent graduates
due to the absence of stereotypes. Thus, the researchers can hypothesize that female
single-sex high school graduates may ease in easily to their new environment.
The researchers based their understanding on the adaptation process that
female high school graduates undergo through the Integrative Communication theory.
The theory, which expounds on the process of cross-cultural adaptation of an individual
settling in a new environment or culture, is applicable to a student’s cultural and social
adjustment from their secondary-educational institution to their transition to tertiary-level
education.
The processes that Kim stated in her theory, namely enculturation, integration,
acculturation and assimilation, are processes that apply to the respondents in this study.
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The first stage that the adaptation process Kim designed calls for the
enculturation of an individual. The respondents in this paper, the female single-sex
institution graduates, are exposed to an entirely new culture and environment once they
shift to a coeducational institution. With that said, a broad range of cultures are imposed
upon them with notable distinctive differences from their previous environment. Hence,
the enculturation of the female single-sex institution graduates involves the crossing of
their old culture to the new culture that they are exposed to in their new environment.
As these female single-sex institution graduates gradually ease in to their
environment through the enculturation of the traits and values encompassing it, they are
integrated to the new culture. Through this general transition, these female single-sex
institution graduates must also modify the conflicting cultures that they have been
exposed to.
Once these students have undergone the processes of enculturation, integration
and acculturation, they assimilate to the new culture. It is here wherein the students
have fully adapted and adjusted to their coeducational environment and the conditions
that affect them. These students have adjusted to the behaviour, culture and traits that
the environment encompasses.
The Integrative Communication theory also expounds on the necessity of
interaction as a significant contributing factor to an individual’s cultural adaptability. In
relation to the researchers’ study, the integration to the new environment and/or culture
of single-sex female graduates relies on the nature of communication with members of
the coeducational environment. Thus, communication and interaction contributes to a
successful cultural adaptation of these college freshmen.
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Figure 2 on the next page illustrates how the respondents, the female single-sex
institution students, are less exposed to the adolescent subculture and stereotypes
imposed on their counterpart coeducational schools in their respective environment.
Due to this, these students become more confident, socially-adept and academicallycompetent. The next phase takes into account the phases defined in the Integrative
Communication Theory which involves the enculturation, integration, acculturation and
finally, the assimilation of the female single-sex institution graduate to their new
coeducational environment.
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Single-sex female
institution students
Less exposure to adolescent
subculture and stereotype
More confident, socially-adept
graduates compared to their
counterparts
Transition to coeducational
college institution
Exposure to new culture
imposed by the environment
General transition to new
environment
Modification of conflicting
cultures
Adjustment to new
environment
Adaptation to the conditions of
new environment
Figure 2 Conceptual Framework
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OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK
This paper focuses on the transition of high school graduates from exclusive
female
institutions
to
co-educational
higher-level
institutions.
Specifically,
the
researchers have assigned their respondents as the high school graduates of Saint
Theresa’s College, or commonly abbreviated to STC, as they adjust and adapt to the
environment of the University of San Carlos (USC) for their tertiary-level education.
Saint Theresa’s College is an exclusive female institution known for producing student
leaders in each and every one of their students; flourishing their skills in scientia, virtute,
floreatartibus – science, virtue and the arts. STC accepts preschool, elementary, high
school and college students and aids in their transformation to becoming women
leaders of God. The University of San Carlos, known as the first school established in
the Philippines, is a coeducational university that offers a broad range of courses for
students to enroll in. While USC caters to elementary, high school and college students,
the institution that this study has specified is the USC - Talamban Campus that only
offers college courses.
This framework centralizes on the adjustment of these female single-sex
institution graduates to their coeducational environment. This framework also revolves
on how the culture of these STC graduates in their exclusive single-sex high school
have either aided or affected their adjustment in USC and their adaptation to the
coeducational environment.
This research assumes that the environment in St. Theresa’s College produce
graduates that are academically-competent, socially-adept and globally-competitive
compared to their coeducational counterparts due to the absence of adolescent
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subculture or stereotype that may hinder the students’ interest to perform and
participate in the different academic and social fields such as the implementation of
sexism and gender discrimination that may be practiced in other environments.
However, in coeducational high school institutions, students may be plagued by the
stereotype imposed upon them that may affect their willingness to participate in
activities and clubs implemented by the school. In example, female students may be
discouraged in joining football clubs established by their institution because others
deem it to be a “men’s sport”. The adolescent subculture that is ever-present in
coeducational environments dictate the actions that their students perform; imposing
gender-based clubs, actions that may be deemed to be out of social norm thus students
are discouraged from joining, etc.
With that said, the researchers hypothesize that STC graduates foster
confidence in both their social and academic fields and that STC produces female
graduates that are inclined to participate in a broad range of activities, including sports.
Although these students encompass great academic and social skills, this does
not guarantee that these students can easily transition to a coeducational institution.
These STC graduates, along with the other college freshmen, must undergo the
adjustment phase that is inevitable in every process that involves adapting to a new
environment. These STC graduates, however, may find a significantly greater difficulty
in adapting to their new institutions due to the culture-shock that they may experience.
This culture-shock may be because of the reality of interacting with the male population
in their learning environment or it may be stem from the general changes that they will
inevitably experience: new cultures, a new institution/environment, new people, etc.
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Other than the cross-cultural adaptation that these students are forced to face,
the student’s own ideology (that stems from whatever expectation and belief they are
made to believe and think) regarding their college may affect their transition to college.
Their ideologies could include their expectations of higher intellectual standards and
challenging academic responsibilities and their subsequent fear of living up to these
expectations. These students may develop their own ways and mechanisms of
overcoming these obstacles that impede their adjustment.
In the general sense of transitioning to a new environment, STC students’
personal communication and interaction with the USC environment greatly contributes
to their integration to the new culture. As explained in the Integrative Communication
Theory, these students may ease in their environment more comfortably if they are
welcomed warmly by their host environment. Thus, the influence of peers prominently
affects the students’ integration to the new culture and environment.
Figure 3 on the next page illustrates the operational framework of the study
wherein the Saint Theresa’s College students are depicted to foster more confident,
socially-mature and globally-competitive graduates due to the absence of adolescent
subculture in their single-sex environment. In their transition to the University of San
Carlos, these students may experience a certain culture shock due to the sudden
emergence of the opposite sex in their environment. The students’ acculturation is thus
affected by the mechanisms she has developed in order to adjust and the initial
perception and ideology she has of USC to successfully integrate to the environment.
During this integration phase, her assimilation to the environment and culture rely on the
interaction and communication she has with the host environment.
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Saint Theresa’s College
students
Less exposure to adolescent
subculture and stereotype
More confident, socially-adept,
and academically-competent
graduates
Transition to the University of
San Carlos for tertiary-level
education
Develop
mechanisms
that aid in
their
adjustment to
the new
culture
STC students’
own
perception and
ideology
regarding USC
STC students’ acculturation
to the new environment
STC students’ integration to the new
environment
Interaction and
communication with the USC
environment
Adjustment to the University
of San Carlos
STC students’ gradual assimilation
to new environment
Figure 3 Operational Framework
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CHAPTER IV
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The quantitative method was utilized in this study which uses statistical,
mathematical, and computational techniques in order to interpret the data gathered.
This method would give the researchers the necessary data required determine if the
Saint Theresa’s College graduates have experienced any difficulty in transitioning from
a single-sex high school to a co-ed environment of the University of San Carlos.
Specifically, the survey method was used, and for this study, the researchers
used a normative survey - a fact-finding study with adequate and accurate
interpretation. The survey, often utilized in collecting demographic data about people’s
behavior, practices, intentions, beliefs, attitudes, opinions, judgments, interests,
perceptions, and the likes, was implemented in our survey to be able to extract
important information from the respondents. The collected data was then analyzed,
organized and interpreted.
Sampling Procedure
The purposive sampling procedure was used to come up with the desired
population of respondents. The purposive sampling technique is a type of nonprobability sampling where the researchers consciously select particular elements or
subjects for addition in a study so as to make sure that the elements will have certain
characteristics pertinent to the study. This sampling procedure was used because the
researchers had a target audience for the research; the researchers could not randomly
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choose anyone to be a respondent for this study. There are certain specifications to be
met in order to be a respondent of this study- that of which is to be a graduate of Saint
Theresa’s College and must be currently enrolled in the University of San Carlos. These
conditions must be met from the respondents in order to come up with the desired data
to draw out if there is truly a significant difficulty experienced from single-sex high
school graduates in transitioning to a co-ed higher level institution.
Respondents
The freshmen students from the University of San Carlos who graduated from
Saint Theresa’s College were chosen as the respondents for this study. Since the
population is great and due to time restrictions, the researchers randomly choose thirty
(30) students who were bonafide students in the University of San Carlos who have
graduated in Saint Theresa’s College for their secondary education as the sample size
of the total population of this study.
Research Instrument
For the primary tool of gathering data in this research paper, the questionnaire
was used to determine the difficulty of the students in transitioning from the Saint
Theresa’s College to the University of San Carlos – Talamban Campus. The questions
comprised in the survey dealt with the different problems encountered by the STC
graduates during their adjustment period in USC. The questionnaire included openended questions to enable the researchers to gather various opinions and information
that would aid in the study.
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The beginning of the questionnaire is comprised of the respondent’s age, course
and name (which was optional) - these made up the Respondent’s Profile. After that,
the questionnaire was divided into two parts. The first part was about the Transition
Phase and Difficulties Encountered - this part of the questionnaire was about the
general transition and adaptation of the student to the new environment. It stresses on
the different problems and difficulties that the student may have encountered during this
transition period. The second part, the Coping Mechanisms and Self-Assessment of
Adjustability Level, examined the coping mechanisms that the student may have utilized
in order to adjust appropriately to the environment. This part also evaluates the
student’s own assessment of her level of adjustment.
Data Collection
In gathering the data, the researchers constructed and published the finished
survey in a Google docs form to be able to distribute the survey in a convenient manner
for both the researchers and respondents. The researchers asked the respondents’ to
answer the survey which was sent via the URL of the online survey. The time allotted
for the respondents to answer the questionnaire online was five (5) days – from the 29th
of September until the 3rd of October. This is to allow ample time for the respondents to
answer the questionnaire. After retrieving thirty (30) survey responses, the online form
was closed and the results were tabulated virtually. The tabulated results were then
meticulously analyzed, organized and interpreted accordingly.
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Data Analysis
Since the questionnaire was comprised of both open-ended and close-ended
questions, the results that were tabulated were analyzed differently.
In the close-ended questions in which the researchers provided choices for the
respondent to choose from, the responses were ranked according to the number of
respondents who chose that answer. While in the open-ended questions, the
researchers categorized the responses that were similar to each other before deriving
the respective answer for each question.
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Chapter V
PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
This chapter presents the data and information that the researchers had tabulated
through a series of illustrated figures and the respective analysis of each chart.
I. Respondents’ Profile
This portion presents the respondents’ background; this part of the survey
requires the Saint Theresa’s College graduate respondent to fill in their basic
information in terms of their age and course taken in the University of San Carlos.
Chart 1.1 List of respondents’ ages (where n = 30)
Ages
16
17
18
19
Chart 1.1 shows the respondents’ ages of the survey population n. The
respondents were all between the ages of sixteen (16) to nineteen (19) years old,
distributed to population n. The age of the respondents was not given much significance
due to the fact that this does not necessarily indicate or verify if the student is a first-
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year college student or not. Nevertheless, this information was required for each
respondent to fill out.
The next figure, chart 1.2, lists down the different courses that the respondents of
the survey are taking up in the University of San Carlos.
Chart 1.2 List of respondents’ courses
Psychology
Information Technology
Anthropology
Computer Science
Marketing
Hotel
Management
Pharmacy
Accountancy
Architecture
The courses of each of the respondents were taken into consideration because
this was used to validate if the student was really from the University of San Carlos.
II. Transition Phase and Difficulties Encountered
Adjusting to the life and culture of a new environment usually takes time and
effort due to the stress, considerable differences and the difficulties that are usually
applicable to this transition. Moreover, when people move to a new culture, “conflicts
related to the difference in rules, meanings and values between the new culture and the
old one will be inevitable” (Zapf, 1991, p.106). Thus, problems are likely to emerge for
single-sex institution graduates transitioning to a new culture (i.e. coeducational
university).
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This portion of the survey deals with the transition phase of an individual and seeks to
discover the difficulties and problems that the student has encountered and faced.
The following charts were generated and constructed based from the questions
from the survey the researchers had conducted. In the survey, the respondents were
asked several questions regarding their general transition to the University of San
Carlos and the various problems they may have encountered during this adjustability
phase.
The questions in this portion of the survey were mostly close-ended questions,
with pre-set answers provided after each question that the respondents were able to
choose from. Some questions had follow-up questions wherein the respondents were
able to indicate their own personal opinions and answers for that particular question.
Chart 2.1 Percentage of students with previous coeducational experience
Yes (students with previous coeducational experience)
25
83%
No (students without previous coeducational experience)
5
17%
The data above reveals that 83% of the respondents has had previous
encounters with the opposite sex in a learning environment. This could be from their
elementary education, summer class or camps, etc. The remaining 17% do not have
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any experience dealing with the opposite sex in a learning environment, thus implying
that they have been subjected to single-sex education throughout their entire academic
life before university.
This information is required for the researchers to determine if the respondent
has had any prior experience or interaction with the opposite sex in a learning
environment because this data will help to seek if previous encounters or experience
have aided them in adapting to a new environment.
Chart 2.2 Percentage of students’ initial feelings upon entering USC
Confident
8
27%
Anxious/Nervous
17
57%
Apathetic
5
17%
In chart 2.2, the data shows that 27% of the respondents were confident upon
entering the University of San Carlos, 57% were anxious or nervous upon entering their
new environment while the remaining 17% were apathetic upon their arrival to their new
university.
Majority of the respondents had answered that they were either anxious or
nervous during their first day in the University of San Carlos. This could be in the
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implied form of culture shock as depicted by Oberg which states that culture shock is
“precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of
social intercourse” (Oberg as cited in Zapf, 1991). Hence, the respondents that felt
anxious or nervous during their first day in USC could be due to the culture shock that
they have experienced upon their enculturation to a new environment and culture.
The eight (8) respondents that made up the 27% of the overall percentage felt
that they were confident upon entering USC. Both Sax (2007) and Coleman (1961)
have theorized and proved that graduates from single-sex education are known to be
confident and assured of their social stance upon venturing to a new environment. Sax
had concluded in her study that single-sex graduates are confident, not only in their
academic abilities in terms of computing and science, but also in social engagements.
Coleman’s theory on adolescent subculture also contributes to this belief as the
significantly decreased exposure of stereotypes and adolescent subculture in their
previous environment prompts the favorable outcome of socially-adept graduates.
Chart 2.3 Percentage of students who found their previous coeducational
experience beneficial in terms of their transition
Yes (found it beneficial)
20
83%
No (did not find it beneficial)
4
17%
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In chart 2.3, out of the 83% that had previous experience with the opposite sex in
a learning environment, it is revealed that 83% found their coeducational background
beneficial in terms of their transition and adaptability to a new coeducational university
(given that they have graduated from a single-sex institution) while 17% disagree that
this experience did not aid them in adapting to a new environment.
Twenty (20) respondents found their previous coeducational background
beneficial in terms of their adaptability to a new environment. This could be due to the
fact that experience plays an important role to both an individual’s development and
their adaptation in life which helps guide them to smoothly overcome problems and
difficulties in their environment that they may have already experienced.
Chart 2.4 Percentage of agreeability that friends aid in the adjustment of a student
Yes
29
97%
No
1
3%
The data in chart 2.4 indicate that 97% agree that their interaction with friends
contribute to their adjustability to a new environment, while 3% disagree that friends do
not aid in their transition to their new institution.
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Almost all of the respondents (excluding one) agree that friends contribute to the
adjustment of a student adapting to a new environment. As the Integrative
Communication Theory states, individuals only begin to adapt as he/she communicates
with other people in their new environment, thus integration to a new culture relies on
that interaction (Kim as cited in Saquin and Yap, 2012). This interaction with people in
the new environment contributes to a specified aspect known as social transition of an
individual’s adaptation phase. The development of a network of friends majorly
contributes to the social transition of an individual and later on, their overall transition to
their environment.
Chart 2.4a Ways that interaction has helped in the students’ adaptation
They help me with my academics through group study sessions.
19
26%
They provide me company and a sense of belongingness.
25
35%
They widen my network by introducing me to their other friends.
28
39%
0
0%
Other
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As illustrated by the chart above, 26% of the respondents agree that friends have
helped in their transition phase by helping them adjust academically by conducting
study sessions and group discussions, 35% have agreed that friends provide the sense
of belongingness for their social transition and lastly, 39% have found that friends
contribute to their adjustability to their new environment by widening their network of
friends through the introduction of new friendships and relationships with others.
Interaction with people from the new environment do not only help a student settle in
more quickly socially, but may also pave the way for better progress in their studies.
Thus, this implies that an individual without any friends may make the whole transition
process to university much more difficult.
Chart 2.5 Percentage of agreeability that consider the opposite sex as a
hindrance
Yes (agrees that the opposite sex is a hindrance)
3
10%
No (disagrees that the opposite sex is a hindrance)
27
90%
The data in chart 2.5 indicates that 10% of the respondents consider the opposite
sex as a hindrance to their adjustability to a new environment, while 90% do not
consider them as a hindrance.
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As aforementioned, the reduced exposure of adolescent subculture in the
previous environment of single-sex education graduates has developed them to
become confident, assured and socially-adept women. Thus, their cemented stance in
their self-esteem exceeds that of the fear regarding the opposite gender. These
respondents do not consider the opposite sex as a hindrance to their adaptability
because they have been trained, formed and developed to become strong and
confident women.
In a follow-up question to the 10% of the respondents that regarded the opposite
sex as an impediment to their transition, they responded that they consider them as a
hindrance because they believe they are “distracting” to both their academic and social
life and that it is difficult to adapt to a mixed society with varying degrees of differences,
especially in terms of ideas and opinions. A respondent mentioned the trouble of
becoming “too comfortable” with those of the opposite gender, prompting them to
misunderstand her friendliness as something else rather than her sole intent of widening
her network of friends.
Chart 2.6 Difficulties encountered in USC
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Academic responsibilities 17
44%
Social Problems
10
26%
None
8
21%
Other
4
10%
Chart 2.6 revolves around the difficulties and problems that the respondents may
have encountered in the University of San Carlos. Seventeen percent (17%) of the
respondents answered their academic responsibilities as a growing difficulty as a
student, 26% answered that their difficulty is regarding social problems, 21% of the
respondents do not face any difficulty in the university while 10% expressed other
difficulties and problems not mentioned in the given choices.
Chart 2.7 Percentage of students that participate in school events and functions
Yes (participates in school events, etc.)
25
No (does not participate in school events, etc.) 5
83%
17%
The data in chart 2.7 show that 83% of the respondents participate in events and
functions held by the school. These events include the week-long Intramurals, school
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commemoration days, etc. 17% of the respondents choose not to participate in these
events.
In a study conducted by Foster (2012), she found that single-sex institutions are
more likely to participate in extracurricular activities. This was concluded after observing
that these single-sex education students had shown enthusiasm, passion and high
interest in participating in coursework or events that might traditionally be seen as
stereotypical for the opposite sex. In relation to this, Coleman’s theory of adolescent
subculture applies here as the absence of this stereotype encourages these single-sex
institution students to willingly participate in extracurricular activities. By bringing this
enthusiasm and interest that these students encompass to university, this explains the
high level of participation of these respondents to school events and functions.
Chart 2.8 Percentage of students that are active in school-based events, clubs
and activities
Yes (active)
19
63%
No (not active)
11
37%
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The data in chart 2.8 reveal that 63% of the respondents participate in schoolbased events, clubs and activities. These events are similar to the ones mentioned in
the previous question but with the inclusion of clubs and organization events. 37% of
the respondents do not engage in any of the said events.
Similar to the analysis of the previous question, the respondents do not only
participate in school events and functions but they are also active in club-based and
organization activities. Organizations are established in universities to cater to the
interests of their students to broaden, hone and educate them in a certain skill or for
students to interact with people who share the same interests. Sixty-three percent
(63%) of the respondents find the time in their schedules to balance their academic
responsibilities with organization priorities while the remaining 37% may have opted not
to engage in any club or organization to focus more on their academics.
For the respondents that had chosen not to participate in school events and
organizations, a follow-up question was asked to extract their opinion and reason for
their disinterest in joining these events. Majority of the responses were due to their busy
schedule,having no free time to allot for extracurricular activities because most of their
time is spent for school works, projects, studying for exams and other academic-related
priorities. Some respondents expressed their exhaustion, still due to academic
responsibilities, that hinder them from engaging in school-events rather than absolute
disinterest.
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Chart 2.9 Percentage of students that consider the opposite sex as a hindrance to
their adaptability
Yes (agree that the opposite gender is a hindrance)
1
3%
No (disagree)
29
97%
The data above indicate that 97% of the respondents do not consider the
opposite gender as a hindrance to their adaptability to a new university while 3%
regards them as an impediment to their adjustment.
Given the culture of their previous high school, the respondents may face
difficulty especially coming to terms with the mixed society in university. However, this
generalized view of thinking is proven wrong as majority of the respondents do not
consider the opposite sex as neither a hindrance nor an impediment to their adaptability
to their new environment. This is again supported by Foster’s and Coleman’s study
regarding their confidence in terms of social-related aspects.
For the lone respondent that considered the opposite sex as a hindrance to her
adaptation to the University of San Carlos, she expressed that she is more comfortable
interacting with people of the same gender rather than socializing with the mixed
community due to her formative upbringing of solely interacting with the female gender
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throughout her academic life. She also stressed that her female friends help her in
understanding the diversity of people to be able to adapt appropriately.
III. Coping Mechanisms and Self-Assessment of Adjustability Level
This part of the survey examines the various coping mechanisms that the
respondents have established in order to adapt to their environment better. This portion
of the survey also evaluates the respondents’ overall level of adjustment.
Chart 3.1 Percentage of respondents that establish coping mechanisms
Yes
13
43%
No
17
57%
The data in chart 3.1 implies that 43% of the respondents have established
coping mechanisms in order to adapt to their environment, while the remaining 57% do
not have any coping mechanism to apply in their transition to a new culture.
For the 43% of the respondents that established and applied various coping
mechanisms to successfully adapt to their environment, a follow-up question that
inquired regarding these mechanisms was utilized for the researchers to be able to
denote what mechanisms they have used to better adjust in their university.
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The responses heavily varied from one another, but two of the reoccurring ideas
were to be open-minded and to be more patient. To be open-minded is to tolerate and
accept whatever aspect, situation or obstacle given a certain circumstance that the
individual would face. According to Saquin and Yap, these respondents find conformity
and belongingness that aid in their adjustment through keeping an open mind (p.37).
The respondents also expressed the need to engage in school-based clubs to
expand their network of friends to be able to adjust more properly. Yee (1971) theorized
that students who participate and engage in school-based activities and clubs do not
only gain more confidence, but establish new relationships with other people, as well.
This would further indicate that students join organizations to widen their company of
friends to adjust better in their new environment.
Another mechanism was to interact with people who relate to their course and to
conduct study groups often to prepare for exams and to be able to hang out with
friends. Lastly, a respondent mentioned that speaking in dialect was a coping
mechanism she had to utilize. The respondent stressed that speaking in English in their
university would deem you as a “sosyal” or “maarte” person, thus for an individual to
adapt properly in a mixed society in the University of San Carlos, it would be beneficial
to speak in dialect rather than English.
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Chart 3.2 Respondents’ level of adjustment
Not Adjusted (1)
1
3%
Moderately Adjusted (2)
2
7%
Adjusted (3)
7
23%
Well Adjusted (4)
13
43%
Highly Adjusted (5)
7
23%
The data in chart 3.2 indicates the respondents’ self-assessment of their overall
level of adjustment in the University of San Carlos. Twenty-three percent (23%) of the
respondents assessed themselves as highly adjusted to their environment and culture,
43% assessed themselves as well-adjusted, 23% had adjusted to their university, 7%
had moderately adjusted overall and lastly, the remaining 3% assessed that she had not
adjusted to her university yet.
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CHAPTER VI
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary of results that the researchers had gathered
from
the
research conducted,
the
conclusion
that
they have
derived
and
recommendations for future researches regarding this study.
Summary of Findings
I.
Respondents’ Profile
The thirty (30) Saint Theresa’s College graduates who served as the
respondents of this research were first-year students enrolled in the
University of San Carlos. The respondents’ ages ranged from sixteen (16)
years old to nineteen (19) years of age.
The respondents were enrolled in various courses or programs in the
university; this was done so that there is a fair representation of the different
courses of each student.
II.
Transition Phase and Difficulties Encountered
1. Students were either anxious or nervous upon their first day in a new
environment.Majority of the respondents felt either anxious or nervous
during their first day in the University of San Carlos. The seventeen (17)
respondents that made up the 57% may have felt the inevitable culture
shock that is ever-present in any situation regarding the transition to a new
environment or culture. The remaining thirteen (13) respondents either felt
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confident (27%) or apathetic (17%) regarding their transition to this
change.
2. Students regarded previous coeducational experience beneficial in their
transition to a mixed environment. Out of the twenty-five (25) students that
had prior experience with dealing with the opposite sex in a learning
environment, twenty (20) of them found their previous experience
beneficial to their transition to a new culture with a mixed society. The
83% that found their coeducational background beneficial considered this
experience as an edge for them because it implicates a significant
decrease of the culture shock regarding the males in their new setting.
With prior experience in interacting with the opposite sex in a learning
environment, this keenly lessened the anxiety of dealing with the male
gender in their new school, compared to the respondents that were
subjected to single-sex education training all throughout their academic
life.
3. Agreeability that interaction aids in the adjustment of a student. Majority of
the respondents agreed that the influence of friends has greatly aided
them in their adjustment to their new school. The twenty-nine (29)
students agreed that the interaction with the people in their new
community is a major contributing factor to the success of their adjustment
to their new environment due to the fact that the development of a network
of friends in their environment aids in the individual’s social transition,
which in turn, contributes to the student’s overall transition.
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4. Interaction has helped in the students’ adaptation academically and
socially. The respondents agreed that the network of friends that they
have established in their new environment has guided them in adjusting
appropriately through the help that their friends have provided both
academically and socially. The respondents were able to adapt to the
difficulty level and academic pressures instilled upon them in their
respective courses through the group study sessions and discussions that
they conduct with fellow course mates. They were able to settle in socially
by establishing new friendships with other people through their mutual
friends. Moreover, the daily interaction the respondents have with their
friends do not only give academic and social guidance to the respondent
but also provide the necessary sense of belongingness that the
respondent
must feel in order to solidify her adaptability to the new
environment.
5. Participation in school events, organizations and school functions. In the
conducted survey, majority respondents show enthusiasm and interest in
participating in school events and functions with only 17% of the survey
population stating that they do not engage in the school-based events.
However, only nineteen (19) respondents consider themselves active in
partaking in organization activities, clubs and other activities. Many
reasons were mentioned including academic priorities, exhaustion and
their limited free time that hinders them from joining.
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6. Single-sex graduates do not consider the opposite sex as a hindrance to
their transition. Twenty-nine (29) out of the thirty (30) respondents do not
consider the opposite sex as an impediment to their transition to their new
environment. Additionally, 90% of the respondents do not consider the
opposite gender as a hindrance in general, whether regarding their
academic, social or general transition to the university.
7. Open-mindedness
and
interaction-
primary
coping
mechanisms
established by respondents. The data tabulated from the survey reveal
that only 43% of the respondents are shown to have established coping
mechanisms to help them adjust properly to their new environment. From
these thirteen (13) respondents, they expressed that being open-minded
is key to adapting to a new culture. The respondents also stressed the
importance
of
interaction
and
establishing
friendships
to
adjust
appropriately in the community, indicating the notable significance of the
influence of friends in the transition of a student.
8. Self-assessment on level of overall adjustment. Majority of the
respondents assessed themselves to have well-adjusted to their new
institution. With only 3% of the respondents claiming to have not adjusted
to the new environment at all, the data implicates that the respondents
have adjusted to their university given the length of time they have stayed
in the institution, the guidance and support provided by their friends and
the effort they have exerted into adapting to their new environment which
have all contributed to their overall transition.
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Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, the researchers conclude that single-sex
education graduates do not tend to have more adjustment to do in comparison to their
coeducational counterparts in transitioning to a coeducational university. The findings
prove that single-sex education graduates do not consider the opposite sex as an
additional impediment to their adjustment, rather the heightened difficulty in their
academic responsibilities is what
hinders them from fully adjusting- a feat that is
inevitable to all students. Thus, there is no significant difference in the level of
adjustment that the single-sex education graduates need to do compared to those who
graduated from coeducational institutions.
The researchers conclude that the opposite sex has no effect whatsoever in the
transition phase of the graduates as these graduates do not consider them as an
encumbrance or obstruction. These graduates continue to be participative and active in
school functions, events and organizations regardless of the presence of the opposite
sex.
There is a correlation between the students’ level of adjustment with the degree
of interaction they establish. The researchers found that the graduates tend to adjust
better due to the influence of their friends. Engaging in group discussions and social
outings contribute to their social transition which in turn contributes to their overall
transition to their new environment. The researchers conclude that the need for
interaction is a coping mechanism that the graduates have established to widen their
network of friends to be able to adjust better.
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Recommendations
The researchers highly recommend conducting the survey to other exclusive
single-sex institutions rather than specifying a single school to be able to draw out
multiple varying responses, opinions and ideas that would result to a more accurate,
solid and strong research.
The researchers recommend utilizing an analytically constructed research
instrument (i.e. survey, questionnaire) that would ensure that the data and findings
gathered would truly provide the necessary information to draw a proper conclusion.
The research instrument should be constructed carefully to guarantee appropriate
responses to base the findings and conclusions from.
The researchers also recommend broadening the work citations, book references
and other useful materials to strengthen the research and give it depth. The researchers
would like to stress the need for this to be able to interpret the data better and to be
guided in analyzing the results.
Furthermore, the researchers recommend expanding the population size of the
survey correspondents to make certain that every single-sex education graduates’ ideas
and opinions are expressed and represented.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
(WORKS CITED)
Thesis/Research Papers:
Abellana, M. G. &Arzadon, B. C. (2012). Effects of IQ and EQ among UP Cebu
freshmen
students
on
their
adaptability
to
their
new
school
environment.(Unpublished thesis) University of the Philippines – Cebu, Cebu
City, Philippines.
Confalone, J. (2006). From Same-Sex to Co-ed: Trinity female students’
perceptions of their transition to college. (Published Doctoral Dissertation).Trinity
College, Hartford.
Foster, G. A. (2012). The effects of single-sex education on short and long term
extracurricular participation. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of
Elon, United States of America.
Hartman, K. (2010). The Advantages of Single-Sex vs. Coeducational
Environments
for
High
School
Girls.
(Published
Dissertation).Providence College, Providence, RI, USA.
Doctoral
Keaney, C. (2004). The Transition Experience from High School to College: A
Look at Single-Sex Versus Coeducational High School Female Graduates at the
Collegiate Level. (Published Doctoral Dissertation).University of Miami, Miami,
Florida, USA.
Saquin, I. G. & Yap, S. M. (2012). A comparative study on the cultural adjustment of
UPC freshmen students to UPC’s culture. (Unpublished thesis).University of the
Philippines – Cebu, Cebu City, Philippines.
Sax, L. J. (2007).Women graduates of single-sex and coeducational high schools:
differences in their characteristics and the transition to college. (Unpublished
doctoral dissertation).University of California – Los Angeles, Los Angeles,
California, United States of America.
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Journal Article:
Marsh, H. W., et al. (1988). The Transition from Single-Sex to Coeducational
High Schools: Effects on Multiple Dimensions of Self-Concept and on Academic
Achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 25(2), 237-269.
Zapf, M. K. (1991). Cross-cultural transitions and wellness: Dealing with culture
Cross. International Journal for the Advancement of Counseling, 14, 105-119.
Books:
Yee, A. H. (1971). The Relevance of Social Interaction to Education. Social
Interaction in Educational Settings (pp. 38-41). Englewood Cliff: Prentice-Hall,
Inc.
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APPENDIX
Questionnaire:
Good day, respondents!
We are Melissa Kimberly D. Baluyos and Rembrandt L. Cenit, BS Computer Science second
year students taking up Communications-II in the University of the Philippines – Cebu. We are
currently conducting a research regarding the transition of Single-sex high school graduates to
the University of San Carlos in terms of their adaptability and the coping mechanisms they
utilize in order to adjust appropriately.
We kindly ask a little of your time to answer this questionnaire. It would be of great help to us if
you answer the following questions honestly. We assure you the confidentiality of this paper and
that the results of this questionnaire would strictly be used for academic purposes only.
Thank you and God speed!
The Researchers
I.
Respondents' Profile
Name (optional):
Course:
Age:
II.
Transition Phase and Difficulties Encountered
Have you had any experience with the opposite sex in a learning environment?
o
Yes
o
No
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Upon entering USC, how did you feel? *
o
Confident
o
Anxious/Nervous
o
Apathetic
For those who have experience with interacting with the opposite sex in a learning environment,
do you think this has helped you in transitioning to a coeducational school better?
o
Yes
o
No
Do you think that your friends help you adjust in USC? *
o
Yes
o
No
If yes, in what way? (You may have more than one answer.)
o
They help me with my academics through group study sessions and discussions.
o
They provide me company and a sense of belongingness.
o
They widen my network by introducing me to their other friends.
o
Other: __________________________________________
Has being with the opposite sex hindered you in any way? *
o
Yes
o
No
If they do, in what ways?
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
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What are the difficulties you have experienced upon entering USC? (You may have more than
one answer.)
o
Academic responsibilities
o
Social problems
o
None
o
Other: ____________________________________________
Do you participate in school events and functions held by your school?
o
Yes
o
No
Would you consider yourself active in participating in events, clubs and other school-based
activities?
o
Yes
o
No
If you answered no to the previous questions, what hinders you from participating?
____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
Do you consider the opposite gender a hindrance to your adaptability given the culture of your
previous high school?
o
Yes
o
No
If so,
why?________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.
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III.
Coping Mechanisms and Self-Assessment of Adjustability Level
Are there any coping mechanisms that you have established in order to adapt to your
environment? *
o
Yes
o
No
If yes, what are these?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________.
Overall, how would you rate your level of adjustment in USC?
o
o
o
o
o
1 - not adjusted
2 - for moderately adjusted
3 - for adjusted
4 - for well adjusted
5 - for highly adjusted
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