HOW DO SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN

ST. VINCENT'S COLLEGE INCORPORATED

UTILIZE THEIR VACANT TIME

Researchers:

Arro, Chrizzle V. Corpuz, Ivan Jay G.

Atilano, Mariel Dennyce T. Catahay, Kent Vincent F.

Hayag, Maveric Xerxel T. Martinez, Ashley M.

Piñero, Hannah Leah M. Requilme, Renahn P.

Samson, Micah Arabella S.

Teacher:

Mrs. Peah R. Ebal

 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

Students spend their vacant time differently from each other like doing things that catches

their interests in order to entertain themselves and avoid boredom. From doing things that are

essential at a certain time to unnecessary things just to amuse each individual in their respective

free time.

Most of teenagers nowadays have their own mobile phones that they use to enjoy social

media, mobile games, electronic books, taking pictures, and playing music and videos. An access

to these things brings us a ton of enjoyment, some also have their other ways of utilizing their

vacant times like doing homework or school projects in advance to avoid a stockpile of projects,

there are also students who likes resting and taking nap in their vacant time. “It was such a

simple routine, but my students loved having their 10-15 minutes of free time each day! They

talked in groups, ate their snacks, and some even chose to read. It was their time that belonged to

them, and they loved having that privilege and responsibility.” (Alison 2015). Our interests and

personality could determine what we usually do in our in our vacant, oftentimes, we prioritize

things that we are interested in and skips some things that should be done. Utilizing our vacant

time properly and accordingly could bring us benefits, it could help us to relieve our stress from

the recent thing that we did. It is a must that we take a break to restart yourself before jumping in

to your next work, for us to perform much and exert our full potential.

We are now in the modern era where youths are also called "millennial" that have

dissimilar habits and desires than the past generations. This generation has undergone a massive
change that affects our lifestyles which is much easier and more innovative. As a youth, they are

more active and prefer making fun rather than staying idle. “During adolescence, the level

of engagement in physical activities declines as adolescents get older .” (Caspersen,

Pereira, and Curran, 2000; Stone, McKenzie, Welk, & Both, 1998). They always want new

things around them that would catch their attention and greatly amuses them. Understanding

what students do in their vacant times could be a way to know their behavior and how to interact

with them.

“Free time, as opposed to time spent at work, in school or college, gives us the

opportunity to autonomously choose what we want to do, who we want to spend time with,

and to choose the activities we want to engage in. Those choices might reflect our life goals

and motivations, as well as orientations to happiness, or our current mood, and most certainly

they have an effect on our well-being. Once basic biological needs are met, leisure will

most likely become a valuable source of subjective well-being, especially because it is more

under individuals control than work or school.” (Diener, Suh, Lucas & Smith, 1999; Diener &

Biswas-Diener, 2008; Newman, Tay, & Diener, 2014). What we do in our free times reflects

ourselves in many aspects because it is who we really are and theres no a hindrance to us to be

restricted on what we want to do. Having vacant times could help us to develop or improve

ourselves and stir our mood up. This could help see through our environment more conveniently

and understand our surrounding better than before.

Background of the study

This study determined the activities done by Senior High School students during their free or

vacant time in Saint Vincent’s College Incorporated. Saint Vincent's College, officially known as

St. Vincent's College, Incorporated and abbreviated as SVCI, is the oldest and the most

recognized higher educational institution in Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines: situated in the

heart of Dipolog City. It is a private, nonsectarian, non-stock and non-profit institution duly

approved and authorized by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher

Education to offer course programs from kindergarten to postgraduate levels.

It was founded on June 17, 1917, Incorporated on June 20, 1917. It was the first to be

called Dipolog Parochial School with the following Jesuit priests as the priest incorporates and

officers of the school administration. Bishop Ralph Curam DD., Rev Fr. Francisco Garice, Rev.

Fr. Manuel Valles, Rev. Fr. Eliseo Gil, Rev. Fr. Hobac, and Rev Fr. Handueza.

Saint Vincent's College is the first institution in the Province of Zamboanga Del Norte

granted government authority and recognition to offer a doctorate degree. Saint Vincent's

College is devoted to education along Catholicism in the City of Dipolog.

The school has a population of approximately one thousand five-hundred (1500) enrolled

students for Senior High School. Due to the large number of the students population, the school

is currently experiencing conflict on schedule in filling slot-less hours. The school does not

really offering free or vacant time for the students on their schedule but because of the said

conflict, slot-less hours becomes free time. Having a vacant time is a great help for students if

they utilize it in a particular and proper way. Utilizing vacant time appropriately could really

help the students in their academic performance because it provides time for studying and to
windup unfinished works, thus it also helps to develop their social skill. However, some students

spend their free time to take some rest, strolling, surf in the internet, play online games and etc.

Statement of the Problem

The schools faculty organizes the schedule for the Senior High School department for

most if not all to contain “free time”; accommodated because no available teacher can fill in the

slot because of schedule constraints, identifying if students use this time to their advantage in

studying, making projects and assignments, or if they use it leisurely.

Specifically, it answered the following problems:

1. What is the profile of the senior high school students in terms of gender?

2. What are the vacant time activities and to what extent?

3. Is there a relationship between the students activities during period and the students

academic performance?

4. What are the advantages of having vacant time?

5. Does it promote students laziness?

6. Does having vacant time promote students communication skills?

7. What effects will it bring if students are not given vacant time?
Hypothesis

The following hypotheses were formulated:

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between the students activities during vacant time

period and academic performance.

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the profile of Senior High School students in terms of

gender.

Ho3: There is no significant effect if the students are not given vacant time.

Significance of the study

Students attended school to become educated member of the society, capable of making

informed decisions and increasing future career possibilities. Students need free time to process

and practice the lessons they learned during academic periods. However, some of the senior high

school students spend their vacant time for their recreational activities, relaxation, and to

socialize.

The study would benefit the following:

Students. Senior High School students would benefit in terms of how they utilize their

vacant time, it enables them to enjoy, socialize which may result to better social climate inside

the school. The positive school or classroom climate may result to better development. The result

of this study will help the SHS students to determine their individual potentials to develop their

social skill as well as their emotional skill and academic performance

 Teacher. Knowing the effect of vacant time to students on how they utilize it. The

teacher would be informed on how important vacancy is for students, in terms of recreational

activities, socializing, relaxation and compliance.

Administration. The result of the study would allow the administration to decide what to

do to reinforce or retouch the school schedule in order to provide students with appropriate

vacant time in order to sustain learning, develop socializing skills, relaxation, as well as

recreational activities.

Future researcher. Finally, the result of this study may serve as reference materials for

future researcher who will conduct study of similar nature.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

Content. The study focused on how Senior High School students of Saint Vincents

College Incorporated utilize their vacant time.

Place. This study was conducted in Saint Vincents College Incorporated located at Padre

Ramon St. Estaka, Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte.

Time. The study was conducted in the school year 2019-2020.

Instrument. The study utilized questionnaires to obtain the needed data.

Subject. The subjects of this study were the two-hundred (200) randomly selected senior

high school students enrolled at Saint Vincent’s College Incorporated.

 Research method. The type of research method used are descriptive method and

correlational method of research.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined to provide the readers a clear understanding of the

important terminologies used in the study

Vacant Time. A time given for the students to do whatever they want in their free time

whether to rest, study for the next lesson, to socialize, browsing on internet, playing online

games, or for recreational activities and etc.

Respondents. They are the persons who answered or responded to questions being asked.

Teachers. The academically qualified individuals assigned to teach and handle the

selected senior high school students in Saint Vincents College Incorporated.

Utilize. This refers to make a particular, practical and effective use of students vacant

time.

Recreational activity. This refers to the students activity of leisure, performed solely for

the enjoyment, pleasure and amusements.

Social Skill. This refers to the students competence facilitating interaction and

communication with others where social rules and relations are created, communicated, and

changed in verbal and nonverbal ways.