Exploring the Influence of the Perceived Social Support on
Academic Performance of Grade 12 Senior High School Students
CHAPTER III
Research Methodology
This chapter presents the research design, research locale, respondents and
sampling procedure, research instrument, validation and reliability of the instrument, data
gathering procedure, and statistical treatment of data. This chapter outlines the specific
steps the researchers followed in collecting and analyzing data to ensure that the findings
accurately address the objectives of the study.
Research Design
This study will employ a quantitative descriptive–correlational research design to
determine the influence of perceived social support on the academic performance of
Grade 12 Senior High School students at Calbayog City National High School. A
quantitative research design focuses on collecting and analyzing numerical data to
explain, predict, or describe relationships among variables objectively (XYZ, 2014).
Within this approach, the descriptive–correlational design is most suitable for the nature
of this study. According to ABCDE (2018), a descriptive–correlational research design
describes the characteristics of a particular group of individuals or phenomena and
examines the relationship between two or more variables without manipulating them.
This design is particularly appropriate for the present study because it seeks not
only to describe the students’ perceived levels of social support but also to determine
whether such support has a significant relationship with their academic performance. It
allows the researchers to examine the extent to which social support from family, friends,
and significant others (independent variables) may influence or be associated with
students’ academic achievement, as measured by their General Weighted Average
(GWA) (dependent variable). By adopting this design, the study will examine the extent
to which perceived social support influences academic performance among Grade 12
students.
Time and Locale of the Study
This study will be conducted at Calbayog City National High School (CCNHS),
located in Calbayog City, Samar. It is one of the largest public secondary schools in the
city and offers both Junior and Senior High School programs under the K to 12 curriculum.
The researchers chose this school because it has a large number of Grade 12 students
from different academic strands and backgrounds, making it suitable for studying how
perceived social support affects their academic performance. Moreover, the study will be
conducted during the second semester of the school year 2025–2026. Data collection will
take place over four weeks, which will give the researchers enough time to distribute and
collect the survey questionnaires and organize the data for analysis.
[INSERT PIC FROM GOOGLE MAP OF CCNHS]
Respondents of the Study
The respondents of this study will be composed of Grade 12 Senior High School
students from Calbayog City National High School for the School Year 2025–2026. They
were chosen because they can provide the necessary information about their levels of
perceived social support from family, friends, and significant others, as well as their
academic performance, which will help the researchers determine if there is a relationship
between the two variables.
A total of two hundred ninety-five (295) students will participate in the study. These
respondents will come from different strands such as Accountancy, Business, and
Management (ABM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); and Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to represent the various academic
strands offered in the Senior High School program.
Sampling Technique
The researchers will use the stratified random sampling technique in selecting the
respondents for this study. According to ABC (2017), stratified random sampling is a
method in which the population is divided into smaller groups called strata that share
similar characteristics, and samples are randomly selected from each group. This method
ensures that all important subgroups are properly represented in the study.
This technique is suitable because the Grade 12 population of Calbayog City
National High School is composed of students from different academic strands. The total
population will first be divided into four groups based on their strand, namely:
Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM); Humanities and Social Sciences
(HUMSS); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); and General
Academic (GA). A proportional number of respondents will then be randomly chosen from
each strand to make sure that every group has fair representation.
Table 1
Distribution of the Respondents of the Study (N=65)
Strand Total Number of % of
Population Respondents Respondents
ABM 80 21 7
GA 250 65 22
HUMSS 500 131 44
STEM 300 78 27
Total 1130 295 100
*The numbers above are just examples so you should replace them with your actual
population data per strand.
The % of respondents = (Respondents per strand ÷ Total respondents) × 100.
As shown in Table 1, the largest group of respondents will come from the HUMSS
strand (44%), since it has the biggest population among the four strands. This is followed
by STEM (27%), GA (22%), and ABM (7%). Through this approach, the researchers can
ensure that each strand is properly represented and the results more reliable for the
overall Grade 12 Senior High School population of Calbayog City National High School.
Research Instrumentation
This study will use a researcher-made survey questionnaire as the main tool for
gathering data. The questionnaire will be composed of three parts and will be designed
to obtain relevant information that will help determine the relationship between perceived
social support and the academic performance of Grade 12 Senior High School students.
Part I will focus on the respondents’ profile, including their academic strand, sex,
and age. This section will provide background information that may help explain variations
in the students’ perceived social support and academic performance.
Part II will measure the respondents’ perceived social support using statements
adapted from the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)
developed by Zimet et al. (1988). This section will assess the level of support the students
feel they receive from three sources: family, friends, and significant others. Each item will
be rated using a 5-point Likert scale, where: 5 (Strongly Agree), 4 (Agree), 3 (Neutral), 2
(Disagree), and 1 (Strongly Disagree). The overall score will indicate whether the
respondent experiences high, moderate, or low perceived social support.
Part III will record the academic performance of the respondents based on their
most recent General Weighted Average (GWA) from the previous grading period. This
will serve as the basis for determining the relationship between perceived social support
and academic achievement. The instrument will be prepared in a simple and easy-to-
understand format to ensure that all respondents can answer it accurately and
confidently.
Validation of the Research Instrument
Before the actual data gathering, the questionnaire will be reviewed by the research
adviser to ensure its validity and clarity. A pilot test will also be conducted among a small
group of students who are not part of the main respondents to assess the reliability of the
instrument. Necessary revisions will be made based on the results and feedback obtained
from the pilot testing.
Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers will personally administer the survey questionnaires to their fellow
Grade 12 Senior High School students of Calbayog City National High School. Before
answering, the respondents will be informed about the purpose of the study and assured
that all information gathered will be kept confidential and used solely for academic
purposes.
The respondents will also be told that their participation is voluntary, and they may
withdraw from the survey at any time if they choose to. The questionnaires will be
distributed and answered during the students’ free periods or after class hours to avoid
interrupting regular lessons.
The researchers will be present during the distribution to give instructions and
answer questions from the respondents to ensure that all items are properly understood
and completed. After all responses are collected, the researchers will check, organize,
and tabulate the data in preparation for analysis to determine the relationship between
perceived social support and academic performance among Grade 12 students.
Statistical Treatment of the Data
After the data have been collected, they will be carefully checked, tallied, and
encoded for statistical analysis. The researchers will seek guidance from the school
statistician to ensure the accuracy and proper handling of the data during analysis.
To describe the respondents’ demographic profile and their levels of perceived
social support, the researchers will use frequency counts, percentages, and weighted
means. These tools will help summarize the characteristics of the participants and reveal
general trends in their responses.
To determine the influence or relationship between perceived social support and
academic performance, the study will use the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation
Coefficient (r). This statistical test measures the strength and direction of the relationship
between two variables. A positive correlation means that higher perceived social support
tends to be associated with higher academic performance, while a negative correlation
means the opposite.
The data will be analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences,
version 21, under the guidance of the school statistician to ensure correctness and
reliability.