Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

CHAPTER 1: THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Disturbances on learning can deed fundamental role to students – either favorably or

unfavorably.

Our life as a student actuates in a world paved by manifold interruptions, disruptions,

setbacks, and disturbances which indeed obstructing us in obtaining productive learning. Those

disturbances nobly impede the learning process of each student. As the learning disturbances

persist to unfold time by time, the students’ capability and capacity to burden with them must

eminently be configured at least step by step on their own little means.

“We define learning as the transformative process of taking in information that – when

internalized and mixed with what we have experienced – changes what we know and builds on

what we do. It’s based on input, process, and reflection. It is what changes us (Bingham and

Conner).”

Learning seems similar with gathering crops, further development of an organism, and

thereafter attaining life goals that each one of us really covet to notch up. It factually takes time

for it to completely be accomplished. It often follows several footsteps with corresponding full

exertions to successfully go through. Just like in learning, it cannot be easily obtained. It is not

that facile to gain. Above all, it will always be upon us on how we will going to learn effectively.

The opportunity to learn and acquire things subsists in our hands all the time.

As it has been indicated, learning does not always come in facile ways. Numerous aspects

can touch the learning of the students, as well as the process obtaining it. One of these facets is

the existence of sorts of interruptions, typically denoted as disturbances. The variety of

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

disturbances drastically affect the learning of every student, for it certainly hold back students on

learning things in school, with great respect to their classes.

These disturbances and its influence on students’ learning can be associated with a bird

which is being caged, - hindered on flying and suppressed its chance to momentously explore

and acquire things, while soaring up high in the sky. If we will going to correlate in to the

students, it is comparable that they are being highly obstructed due to the presence of the

aforementioned disturbances on their world of learning.

Conversely, we must not close our eyes to look onto the worthy side of having

disturbances while learning. They may be beneficial to students in distinct ways. It just merely

depends on how student account the wide presence of them on the field of their learning. They

may be beneficial in several ways – perhaps by lending ample time to take rest, ease the burden

of life and other related activities, or holding an elongated time which can be spent with others

whom the students desire to be with.

Learning disturbances in classes may induce and further manifest as time persist to pass

by. Just because they manifest does not mean you will not be dealing with them. The mere value

of a certain thing hinges on how you will consider it. In this case, it may be valuable or

otherwise, depending on how you will about to account these learning disturbances.

Significance of the Study

The product of this study will furnish implications and corresponding boon to the

following:

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

Students

This study will help students gain information on how class disturbances’ influence

students’ learning. They can also use this research for future references. Likewise, students can

learn the effects of class suspensions or holidays and what are the kind of activities that they can

do such as resting, bonding with family or friends and using this time for school activities.

Parents

This research can give benefits to parents by monitoring their child on what are the

impacts of class disturbances. They can also adapt clippings on this study and apply it on

situations where it is necessary.

Teachers

Through this study, teachers will be knowledgeable on what degree would be the effects

of class disturbances to every student. They can rely on this study and give their students advices

on what activities or things they can do in such leisure time.

Future Researchers

This study can be applicable to the future researchers who will also conduct this kind of study.

This study can guide them if they choose to administer a research that discusses class

disturbances’ effects. This study can be expounded by the future researchers because additional

class disturbance may induce for the forthcoming times, as that time occur, the future researchers

can use this as a support to their study.

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

Review of Related Literature

Learning has been defined functionally as changes in behavior that result from

experience, or mechanistically as changes in the organism that result from experience. Both

types of definitions are problematic, according from the study carried on by De Houwer, Barnes-

Holmes and Mours (2013) entitled “What is learning? On the Nature and Merits of a Functional

Definition of Learning”. They define learning as ontogenetic adaptation – that is, as changes in

the behavior of an organism that result from regularities in the environment of the organism. This

functional definition not only solves the problems of other definitions, but also has important

advantages for cognitive learning research.

Lachman (1996) correspondingly delineated learning as a relatively permanent change in

behavior brought about by practice or experience. However, (a) learning is as a process should

be identified and distinguished from the behavioral results or the products of that process, (b)

learning does not necessarily produce a change in behavior – the behavior may remain relatively

unchanged while there is a change in the effectiveness of the stimuli – eliciting it, (c) ambiguous

words, such as practice and experience, are replaced by words that more clearly represent what

happens during learning. The following is suggested as an improved definition: Learning is the

process by which a relatively stable modification in stimulus – response relations is developed as

a consequence of functional environmental interaction via the senses.

In order to bring desirable changes in students, teaching methods used by educators

should be best for the subject matter (Adunola, 2011). The relationship between the behavior of

teachers, knowledge, attitudes and values is very important to the students’ learning. Teachers

need to know and understand their own practice and how it will affect the students’ performance

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

and achievement. According to Ayeni (2011), teaching is a continuous process that involves

bringing about desirable change in learners through the use of appropriate methods including;

Teacher-centered methods, student-centered, and teacher-student interactive methods. In

Teacher-centered methods, students get information from the teacher without engaging to the

subject. This method is least practical, more of memorizing and theoretical. Second method is

the Student-centered, which has a concept of enhancing active learning of the students. Many

teachers used this method to promote interest, research, critical thinking, and enjoyment among

students. Lastly, Teacher-Student Interactive method which applies the used of both teacher-

centered and student-centered approaches. This method encourages students to search for

relevant information that will enhanced their academic performance.

One way for students to shoulder the responsibility for learning is for them to be the

readers, writers, speakers, listeners, and thinkers in the classroom through active engagement in

social interaction with others (Alvermann and Phelps, 2005; Vacca and Mraz, 2011). Social

interaction is very important to the learning process. Promoting social interaction among teachers

and students can improve their learning skills by frequently discussing and sharing of

knowledge. Social engagement can serve as a positive thing by being a good source of

communication. Social interaction encourages students to produce more ideas, participate more

and work better together.

Amin, Mansoor, et.al. (2016) established a research. The focus of the study is to

determine the effect of growing use of social media sites on the academic performance of the

students of universities and colleges. On the basis of random sampling a sample of 300 students

was selected. Questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection.97% questionnaire

received back from respondents on which descriptive statistics apply for data analysis. Results

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

indicate that the effect of social media can be positive as in this study closely determined the real

effect of social media sites. In recent time, it encourage the carrier and future of students’ .The

social media sites like Facebook, twitter, Google+ and Skype capture the attention of students for

study and affecting positively their academic Grade points.

Classroom environment is a concern among teachers, students and educators. All

classrooms hold an environment that could play a serious role in the students’ learning behavior.

Students need to be comfortable with their surroundings, classmates, teachers, and with

themselves to gain more knowledge. Stewart, Evans and Kaczynski (1997) argue that “an orderly

and attractive environment can have a positive effect on behavior by improving the level and

quality of student interactions”, so teachers and students would carry out activities efficiently

without excessive noise or interruptions. Interesting and appealing items in classrooms, like

making their classrooms visually appealing by having bright and colorful displays. Teachers

should use materials that are actually motivating to the students and relevant to their learning.

The classroom is where the students will gain knowledge and build up their personality, as well

as behavior. Better learning environment is integral for students’ understanding, thus, will help

them to create an adequate learning.

Meanwhile, Turano (2005) identified classroom environment as a concern among almost

all educators. This thesis discusses the four major factors of classroom environment: physical

environment, time and instructional management, behavior management, and teacher

effectiveness. A goal of this study is to contribute to teacher knowledge about how classroom

environments impact student learning. A resource center and a first grade classroom were

observed and the teachers of both classes were asked to complete a self-evaluation of their

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

classroom's environment. Both teachers were found to have classroom environments that were

conducive to learning.

The Concept of Learning Disturbances

Students encountered setbacks, difficulties and obstacles during the study. Over the long

term, this will lead to study pressures, anxiety and psychological problems related to learning. If

these are ignored, students will not be able to concentrate on studying, resulting in a serious,

negative learning attitude. Eventually students with low achievement will drop out. When

learning disturbance problems expand, or snowball, in combination with classmates’

interactions, this forms an atmosphere in class and in the campus culture (Teng, 2009).

As the researcher mentioned, Huang (2005) pointed out that most students have

experienced these so-called learning disturbances, which can be so difficult that students cannot

solve them alone. In view of this, it is urgent to discuss these learning disturbances with them,

which will really help them. Learning disturbances lead to anxiety and unrest in students. These

can be due to problems with individuals, families, schools or other aspects of their lives, and they

can have an effect on students’ learning performance and emotional life. This study will

categorize learning disturbances into the following factors: individuals, families, schools, non-

academic affairs.

Based on the study accompanied by Woolley, Kol, et.al., (2008), youth's social

relationships at school and at home have been shown to predict a wide variety of school

outcomes, such as behavior at school and academic performance. Specifically, relationships with

teachers, parents, and peers have all been shown to affect student performance. The current study

utilized data collected from 848 Latino middle school students to examine direct and indirect

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

linkages of students' relationships with teachers, parents, and friends with student outcomes.

Structural equation models revealed that teacher support was associated with both student

behavior and satisfaction with school and was indirectly associated with time spent on

homework and grades. Parental support, friend support, friends' school behavior, and parental

monitoring of educational issues were directly associated with student reports of teacher support

and were indirectly linked to school behavior and satisfaction. Friend behavior at school also

showed a significant direct association with student behavior, and parental education monitoring

directly predicted student satisfaction with school. Directions for future research and

implications for school policy and programming are discussed.

Technology turns hard into easy. School strategies, both teaching and learning, are based

on technology irrefutably, everything now is on technology, for example: When there is a need

for such supporting ideas or proofs and to pass some requirements to your teacher, the facile way

is through social media. As students, we use technology in making our school life easier. Before,

technology and social media were aids but now, they are destruction. Notification in facebook?

No one can resist it even if you are doing assignments. A study published in the Journal of Media

Education by Dejk (2017) stated, that using digital devices in classrooms for non-class reasons

have its costs. Students were asked what the biggest disadvantages were, and nearly 89%

responded that they don’t pay attention, therefore, miss instructions or other important

information. Why students use their digital devices? Students want to fight the boredom as well

as to be connected to some people outside the school.

Multitasking on students looks like holding cellphone and checking social media

accounts while doing projects, assignments or reviewing. Neuroscientists said that there are very

few people in the world who can multitask. Neuroscience researchers argue that, what people

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

call multitasking should actually be called rapid toggling between tasks. This means that the

brain concentrates weakly on one topic and switches to another. Switching is not easy because it

takes time for the mind to get deeply involve with single topic. That is why switching mind’s

focus can decrease productivity and mental performance. You are less focused and can do more

mistakes. Research said that human’s brain can do amazing things like imagining but

multitasking of the brain was a joke.

Social media, an average student in the generation of Millennial can check their

cellphone in Social Media account 150 times a day. Dejk (2017) also formulated that in 2016,

users spent roughly 50 minutes per day on social media. “When you compare it to our recent

survey from Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is actually a lot of time. The results of this survey

show that people spend way less time in other leisure activities (17 minutes), or reading (19

minutes).” Social media have positive effects, “social media platforms are full of unimportant

and surreal stuff. However, this increases the student’s ability ‘filter’ information and learn only

to use the relevant sources.” On the other side, social media’s negative effects: first, it is very

distracting. When the class got boring, you will check your phone directly on your social media.

During class breaks, rather than being with your friends, you are just being with your phone.

The study carried on by Earthman (2002) stated that the condition of school facilities has

an important impact on student performance and teacher effectiveness. In particular, research

demonstrates that comfortable classroom temperature and noise level are very important to

efficient student performance. The age of school buildings is a useful proxy in this regard, since

older facilities often have problems with thermal environment and noise level. A number of

studies have measured overall building condition and its connection to student performance;

these have consistently shown that students attending schools in better condition outperform

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

students in substandard buildings by several percentage points. School building conditions also

influence teacher effectiveness. Teachers report that physical improvements greatly enhance the

teaching environment. Finally, school overcrowding also makes it harder for students to learn;

this effect is greater for students from families of low socioeconomic status. Analyses show that

class size reduction leads to higher student achievement.

Likewise, Arnes, Carole, et.al. (1988) correspondingly handled a research titled

“Achievement goals in the classroom: Students’ Learning Strategies and Motivation”. We

studied how specific motivational processes are related to the salience of mastery and

performance goals in actual classroom settings. One hundred seventy-six students attending a

junior high/high school for academically advanced students were randomly selected from one of

their classes and responded to a questionnaire on their perceptions of the classroom goal.

Orientation, use of effective learning strategies, task choices, attitudes, and casual attributions.

Students who perceived an emphasis on mastery goals in the classroom reported using more

effective strategies, preferred challenging tasks, had a more positive attitude toward the class,

and had stronger belief that success follows from one’s effort. Students who perceived

performance goals as salient tended to focus on their ability, evaluating their ability negatively

and attributing failure to lack of ability. The pattern and strength of the findings suggest that the

classroom goal orientation may facilitate the maintenance of adaptive motivation patterns when

mastery goals are salient and are adopted by students.

Moreover, Dr. Ijaiya administered a study entitled “Effects of Over-crowded Classrooms

on Teacher-Student Interactions”, over-crowded classrooms do really have serious effects on

students’ learning. On what manner will student and teacher interacts when the classroom is

overcrowded? Overcrowded classrooms has two effects- positive and negative. Those two effects

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

are considered as the most serious problems. The research showed that overcrowded classrooms

can decrease the quantity and quality of teaching and learning of the students, which can affect

their school performance. To solve this problem, the researchers suggested that the government

ought to build additional classrooms and provide other furniture that can support the students’

goals and performance.

Rivers made an article entitled “Disadvantages and Advantages of School Holidays”.

According to her, school holidays comprise a significant portion of any school year. Students

attend an average of 180 school days per year. The rest of that time is spent on weekends,

holidays and vacations. While students look forward to those holidays as a break from their

regular studies, there is a growing fear that American students are falling behind because of the

lack of actual classroom time.

Additionally, one of the benefits of school holidays is the time that families can spend

together. School work, especially in junior high and high school, becomes a child’s job. Holidays

give families an opportunity to spend time together and celebrate. Nevertheless, by most

accounts, the United States educational system has fallen behind that of other countries. Many in

the education community believe that this is due to an outdated school schedule still based on a

harvest schedule that gives students summer off and extensive holidays throughout the year.

President Obama called for a longer school year to extend learning opportunities for K-12

students. More school time could increase student learning.

In addition, Cooper, Valentine, et.al. (1999) also studied, on four hundred twenty-four

students in Grades 6 through 12 and 1 parent of each completed a questionnaire concerning

student participation in 5 types of after-school activities: homework, television viewing,

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

extracurricular activities, other types of structured after-school groups, and jobs. Student

standardized achievement test scores and class grades were also obtained. After-school activities

contributed significantly to the prediction of achievement even after the student's gender, grade

level, ethnicity, free-lunch eligibility, and level of adult supervision after school were statistically

controlled. Generally, more time in extracurricular activities and other structured groups and less

time in jobs and television viewing were associated with higher test scores and class grades.

More time on homework was associated with better grades. The joint effects of all 5 after-school

activities nearly doubled the predictive ability of any single activity.

However, conformed to the research of Mudavanhu (2014), the increase in flood intensity

and frequency poses a threat to community infrastructure and affects the total well-being of

children in regard to: access to food, health, school attendance, access to clean water and

sanitation, physical and social security. Using both qualitative and quantitative data, this article

provided an overview of flood disasters and their potential effects on children's access to quality

education in Zimbabwe. The purpose of the study was to analyze school children's specific

vulnerabilities to flood disasters that need to be taken into account in policy development.

Research indicated that floods cause loss of learning hours, loss of qualified personnel,

outbreak of waterborne diseases, high absenteeism and low syllabus coverage leading to

children's poor academic performance. Children noted a range of experiences, from food

insecurity to being withdrawn from school and sometimes forced into early marriages. These

challenges compromise children's rights and access to quality education. This article therefore

recommended that a culture of safety be promoted through disaster education, development of

good road networks and enforcement of building codes during construction of school

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

infrastructure. Findings also supported the need for adaptation strategies to ensure that the risks

specific to school children are addressed.

As well, an article made by McCarney (2015) entitled “Around the World: Do they

Affect Pupil Performance alleged an initiative school holidays to fight the summer gap,

acknowledging the American children who do not read during their vacation can lose moments

of academic progress. The holidays may be long, but when school is out for summer, it is

important that the learning doesn’t stop. Perhaps it is not so much about how time children spend

in class, but what they do when they are not.

Feldman and Matjasko (2005) also reviewed the contemporary literature on school-based

activity participation, focusing on patterns of participation, academic achievement, substance

use, sexual activity, psychological adjustment, delinquency, and young adult outcomes. Also, the

authors discuss possible mediators and moderators of extracurricular activity participation in

regard to adolescent development. The review indicates that the associations between school-

based activity participation and these outcomes are mostly positive but that the picture becomes

mixed once moderator variables are included. The authors suggest areas for future research that

include using new methods for measuring activities and applying an overarching theoretical

framework to investigations of extracurricular activities and adolescent development. Finally, to

move toward a causal model of activities and adolescent functioning, future research must

consider the mechanisms through which activities exert their influence on development. The

authors propose several possible mechanisms of participation in terms of adjustment during

adolescence and young adulthood.

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

Synthesis

The connection of the given literatures and studies on this research is that, disturbances

exhibit impact on students and their learning. Disturbances display both favorable (positive) and

unfavorable (negative) consequence in each students’ learning.

The aforesaid disturbances provide favorable effect in such way that they are aids in

making students’ life much easier and simpler. Through this disturbances, social specifically,

students are able to acquire effective learning. They are making students, teachers, and others’

task much convenient, wherein they are capable of embracing accessible learning.

On the contrary, they also furnish unfavorable effect by means of serving as barriers in

order for the students obtain productive learning, besides, they hinder each and every student,

considering the fact that they disrupt students’ learning focus. Moreover, these disturbances

authentically reduce the quality and quantity of learning, as it promote poor learning habits and

hide the real nature of learning.

Theoretical Framework

“When learning disturbance problems expand or snowball, in combination with

classmates’ interactions, this forms an atmosphere in class and in the campus culture” (Teng,

2009).

The researchers accounted the above mentioned theory in connection in this study for it

suits the researchers’ perspective of class disturbances’ influence into students’ learning. This

truly bears the researchers’ view, as it has been stated there that when learning disturbances

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

amplify for the impending time, it may result for a drastic matter for every student, in-depth

considering their learning.

Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Class Influence to
Survey Learning
Disturbances Behavior

The IPO (Input-Process-Output) model as shown over, was utilized in order to determine

the corollaries of the study’s independent variable (Class Disturbances) to student’s learning.

The influence of the aforementioned independent variable will be able to met and furnished

through the aid of survey.

Statement of the Problem

The study’s key intent is to grasp the consequences of Class Disturbances on students’

learning. It objects to scare up for responses regarding the following queries:

1. What are the sorts of Class Disturbances that affect students’ learning?

2. What are the consequences of these class disturbances on students’

learning?

3. How students account class disturbances as a major concern toward their

learning?

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

Scope and Delimitation

This study is purely limited to San Rafael National Trade School. It will be administered

to Senior High School students, specifically Grades 11 and 12 of the forenamed school, as the

sole respondents. Besides, this study is primarily restricted to determine and grasp the mere

corollaries of class disturbances on students’ learning, whether these would be favorable or

otherwise. Thus, the respondents’ response will eminently be needed in order for researchers,

and the study itself, explore the key matter, and further delve for integral consequences of the

independent variable – class disturbances.

Definition of Terms

Disturbance – it is something that stops you from working, sleeping and the like. It is the act of

disturbing someone or something. In this study, the term was utilized as class disturbances, and

was also the independent variable which brought consequences to students’ learning.

Learning – the activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being

taught, or experiencing something, the activity of someone who learns, knowledge or skill gained

from learning. It is the process of acquiring new or modifying existing knowledge, behaviors,

skills, values or preferences. In this study, the term was used as the dependent variable which has

been influenced by class disturbances.

Local Holidays – a day of festivity or recreation when no work is done. An extended period of

leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in travelling. A nationally

recognized day when most businesses and other institutions are closed. In this study, the term

was accounted as one of the class disturbances that obstruct the learning of every student.

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

School Activities – school activities or extracurricular are those that fall outside the realm at the

normal curriculum of school or university education, performed by students. Extracurricular

activities exist for all students and generally, volunteer activities aren’t always extracurricular

activities. Extracurricular activities increase positive self-development regardless of where the

activities take place, at school or away from school. In this study, the term was harnessed as one

of the class disturbances that hinder students on having efficient learning.

Typhoon – is a mature tropical cyclone, a hurricane of the western Pacific area and the China

seas. An extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm that occurs especially in the region of

the Philippines or the China Sea. In this study, the term was applied as one of the natural

calamities and has been classified as class disturbance that affect learning.

CHAPTER II: METHOD OF THE STUDY

Method and Technique

Descriptive research is aimed at casting light on current issues or problems through a

process of data collection that enables them to describe the situation more completely than was

possible without employing this method (Ethridge, 2004).

The study will utilize this particular research design, for the variables of the study are not

to manipulate. It will be applied in order to determine, describe, and further expound the

corresponding influence of class disturbances (independent variable) to students’ learning

(dependent variable).

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

Population of the Study

This research will make use of non-probability sampling enable for it to solely choose the

respondents of the study. The respondents will then be considered as the accessible population of

the study which comprise of students from San Rafael National Trade School: two students for

each strand – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Accountancy and

Business Management (ABM); Home Economics (HE); and Electrical Installation and

Maintenance (EIM). One student per grade level – Grades 11 and 12, of each strand. In total,

eight students will be utilized as the respondents of the study, who will be the basis of data that

the study is in need.

Instrument of the Study

A survey instrument is a tool for consistently implementing a scientific protocol for

obtaining data from respondents (Office of Behavioral & Social Sciences Research, 2018).

In this study, the researchers will be using the survey instrument to gain data from the

respondents. By applying survey as the instrument, the researchers will furnish queries to some

students about the influence of class disturbances to their learning behavior. Students from

Grades 11 and 12 will be the respondents regarding the problem.

Data Gathering Procedure

A questionnaire is a series of questions used for gathering information that does not

aggregate data for statistical analysis (McKee, 2015).

In this research, the data will be gathered through the aid of survey, wherein the

researchers will endow written questionnaire to the respondents about the different aspects

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Class Disturbances’ Influence Into Students’ Learning Behavior

considering the influence of class disturbances on their learning. The researchers will furnish the

said respondents an adequate amount of time for them to be able to supply answers within it.

Henceforth, the researchers will construe and analyze the congregated data thoroughly which

will have a major part on this research by possibly answering the key problem of the study.

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