The Importance of Breakfast to the Academic Performance of the Junior High School

Students of Merry Treasure School

A Thesis Presented

to the Faculty and Staff of Merry Treasure School

BF Resort Village, Las Pinas City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Subject

English 10

By:

Daphne Marielle L. Buebos

February 2018
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Objectives

1.3 Statement of the Problem

1.4 Hypothesis

1.5 Significance of the Study

1.6 Scope and Delimitation

Definition of Terms

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Local

2.2 Foreign

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

3.1 About the Study Population

 3.2 Sampling Criteria

3.3 Instrumentation

3.4 Validation of Instrument

3.5 Data Collection Procedure and Statistical Treatment of Data

3.6 Gathering of Data

CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION DATA

4.1 Results and Data

4.2 Analysis

CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Recommendation

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES
 Chapter 1

Background of the Study

1.1 Introduction

Studies rarely investigate the acute effects of breakfast on behavior in the classroom and

there remains a lack of research in this area. This may be, in part, attributed to the complicated

nature of the measures used to assess behavior in class and the need to develop standardized,

validated, and comparable coding systems to measure behavior. Similarly, few studies examine

the effects of breakfast on tangible academic outcomes such as school grades or standardized

achievement tests relative to cognitive outcomes. Whilst crude measures of academic

performance may not provide the most sensitive indicator of the effects of breakfast, direct

measures of academic performance are ecologically valid, have most relevance to pupils,

parents, teachers, and educational policy makers and as a result may produce most impact.

Breakfast provides children with energy and essential nutrients, including iron, calcium

and vitamins B and C, which are necessary for growth, development and good health. Children

who eat breakfast each day are much more likely to meet their daily nutritional requirements, as

a good quality breakfast can provide a child with up to a third of their daily nutrient needs.

Children who don’t eat breakfast may not make up for the nutrients not consumed within the rest

of the day’s intake. Eating breakfast can also reduce the risk of overweight and/or obesity, as

breakfast is often replaced by mid-morning snacks that tend to be high in fat, sugar and salt.

Skipping breakfast can also lead to over eating throughout the rest of the day, increasing the risk

of becoming overweight or obese.

 Providing breakfast at school can also ensure that children are getting enough to eat.

Children who eat a complete breakfast have been shown to work faster and make fewer mistakes

in math problems and to perform better on vocabulary tests than those who ate only a partial

breakfast. They also show improved concentration, alertness, comprehension, memory and

learning.

Beyond academics, children who participate in school breakfast programs show

decreased anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity. The breakfast offered can improve a child’s

overall nutrition by providing her/him with necessary vitamins and minerals and can actually

reduce the risk of obesity.

Children who have eaten breakfast can concentrate better and have a longer attention

span, helping them to learn and study better. They can also perform better physically after eating

breakfast as there is more energy available to their muscles. Breakfast can improve behaviour

and mood, as children have better concentration and aren’t tired or hungry.
1.2 Objectives

This study aims to: (1) gather information that will help the researcher analyze the effects

of breakfast in students' performance in school. (2) distinguish between healthy and unhealthy

breakfast choices. (3) know the possible effects of not having breakfast to the Junior High

School Students of Merry Treasure School

1.3 Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to know the importance of breakfast which can help students

with their performance in school. The purpose of this study is to answer the following questions:

1. To what extent do students give importance on eating breakfast?

2. What are students’ breakfast preferences?

3. How does breakfast affect a students’ performance in school?

1.4 Hypothesis

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it serves as a fuel that gives our body

energy. In this reason, the researcher hypothesized that eating healthy breakfast everyday

before going to school can help students’ performance more productive.

1.5 Significance of the Study

This thesis will benefit the following:

 To the students, this study will help them understand the importance of breakfast to their

scholastic performance as well as their health.

 To the teachers, for them to encourage their students to eat breakfast because it will give

their students the energy they need at school.

  To the parents, for them to also encourage their kid/s by joining them at breakfast.

 To the institution (Merry Treasure School), for the school to conduct further studies on

the importance of eating breakfast so that they can spread awareness among their students

regarding this research.

1.6 Scope and Delimitations

This study will focus on how does breakfast affects a student’s performance in school.

The researcher will look into the average of the students for her to see if the respondents who eat

breakfast before school has the higher possibility of gaining good grades.
Definition of Terms

Attention - the action of dealing with or taking special care of someone or something.

Behaviour - the way in which one acts or conducts oneself, especially toward others.

Breakfast - a meal eaten in the morning, the first of the day.

Concentrate - focus one's attention or mental effort on a particular object or activity.

Energy - the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.

Growth - something that has grown or is growing.

Habitual - done or doing constantly or as a habit.

Knowledge - awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.

Performance - the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or

function.

Standardized - cause (something) to conform to a standard.

 Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

1.1 Local Literature

According to Rome B. Moralista, from West Visayas State University, studies on

health nutrition have been mainly on hunger, malnutrition, and micronutrient deficiency. The

top approach to learning diet has pointed on the contribution of individual nutrients or foods.

Individuals, however, do not consume single nutrients but mixture of foods. In consisting the

different facets and nature of diet, studies of the interrelations of nutrition and health have

looked into the impact of overall diet quality using summary measures of food and nutrient

intake. Academic performance influences future educational attainment and income, which,

in turn, affect health and quality of life. Moreover, as increased levels of educational

attainment and income facilitate increased understanding of nutrition messages and access to

healthy food. This relationship has been observed as steady.

They cited that eating breakfast may improve cognitive function reflected on memory,

better marks and school attendance and kids who do not eat breakfast have reduced memory

function, poorer attention spans and reduced performance in tasks requiring concentration

when compared with those who consume an adequate breakfast. Therefore, consuming a

healthy breakfast improves cognitive function and learning outcome.

Nutrition played a very vital part in the etiology, management, and recovery of several

medical conditions and the determining nutritional status can lead to early detection of

nutritional deficiencies that can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. However, early

nutritional support can improve nutritional status, minimizing the chances for light problems
 becoming more serious. Finally, nutritional assessment should be a routine procedure for

people of all ages and including young children demonstrates a preventive stance.

Nutrition also indirectly impacted school performance. Poor nutrition can leave students’

susceptible to deceases or lead to headaches and stomach aches, resulting in absences among

students. Access to nutrition that incorporates protein, carbohydrates, and glucose has been

shown to improve students’ cognition, concentration, and energy levels.

In particular, a review by Rampersaud et al. found that young people who reported

eating breakfast on a consistent basis tended to have improved nutritional profiles compared

to other children who were breakfast-skippers. Specifically, results suggested that

consumption of morning meals, might improve cognitive function related to memory, test

grades, and school attendance. The authors advocate for the regular consumption of a

healthful breakfast on a daily basis, suggesting that breakfast consist of various foods,

especially high-fiber and nutrient-rich whole grains, fruits, and dairy products.

In addition, breakfast programs were thought to reduce food insufficiency and increase

nutritional status through minimizing breakfast skipping and providing adequate nutrition

through a healthful breakfast.

1.2 Foreign Literature

The claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day has an abundance of sound

science behind it. A brief compiled by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) outlines

the correlation between breakfast and school performance among children, based on
numerous research findings. The findings include how eating, and not eating, breakfast affects

academics, brain function, and overall wellness.

Children who do not eat breakfast at home or at school were less able to learn. Hunger

can lead to lower math scores, attention problems, and behavior, emotional, and academic

problems. Furthermore, studies show that children who are consistently or often hungry are more

likely to repeat a grade. It is these problems that have lead many schools to participate in school

breakfast programs including the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) School

Breakfast Program and the Breakfast in the Classroom program. Both programs make breakfast

available to all students. While it is true that students can chose not to eat, children themselves

have reported a belief that eating breakfast increases their energy and ability to pay attention in

class.

Providing breakfast at school can also ensure that children are getting enough to eat.

Children who eat a complete breakfast have been shown to work faster and make fewer mistakes

in math problems and to perform better on vocabulary tests than those who ate only a partial

breakfast. They also show improved concentration, alertness, comprehension, memory and

learning.

Beyond academics, children who participate in school breakfast programs show

decreased anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity. The breakfast offered can improve a child’s

overall nutrition by providing her/him with necessary vitamins and minerals and can actually

reduce the risk of obesity.

Numerous studies show how students will benefit from school lunch programs in the

classroom and beyond.

 Chapter 3

Methodology

3.1 About the Study Population

A sample of 40 students was selected: 10 from Grade 10 Students, 10 from Grade 9

Students, 10 from Grade 8 Students, and 10 from Grade 7 Students. These students were chosen

through Quantitative Research Method. According to Earl R. Babbie, Quantitative methods

emphasize objective measurements and the statistical, mathematical, or numerical analysis of

data collected through polls, questionnaires, and surveys, or by manipulating pre-existing

statistical data using computational techniques. Quantitative research focuses on gathering

numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people or to explain a particular

phenomenon.

3.2 Sampling Criteria

Respondents are carefully chosen in order to meet the following criteria as they must be:

 Must be a Junior High School Student

 Ages 12-16 years old.

 Willing to answer the given survey

 Be any sex or race

3.3 Instrumentation

A survey was used to collect data from said respondents. A survey is used to collect data

for an analysis of some aspect of a group or area.

Survey questions were based upon the following:

 The respondent’s reasoning behind actions

 The respondent’s academic performance

 The respondent’s familiarization of the benefits of breakfast

3.4 Validation of Instrument

The researcher used a survey to gather the data needed for this thesis. The questionnaire

consists of five (5) questions that were conducted by the researcher which will be given to the

selected respondents. A Yes/No questionnaire was used and a follow-up question was inclined to

justify their answer. The survey was given to quantitative research method of 40 students, from

Grade 7 - 10 students (S.Y 2017-2018) of Merry Treasure School. They were all willing and

responsible to answer the questions in relation to the importance of breakfast.

Permissions was obtained from the school of Merry Treasure School to carry out this

study and the consent was from the respondent’s themselves.

3.5 Data Collection Procedure and Statistical Treatment of Data

Survey forms were given personally to the respondents throughout free periods at school

by the researcher. The data was collected over a period of 3 days. Each question in the survey

has been explained carefully to each and every student so they will not get easily confused

during the span of time in which they answer the questions given in the said survey.

The formula that is used in finding the percentage is shown below:

𝑵𝑼𝑴𝑩𝑬𝑹 𝑶𝑭 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑷𝑶𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑨𝑵𝑺𝑾𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑫 𝒀𝑬𝑺 𝑶𝑹 𝑵𝑶

Percentage = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝑻𝑶𝑻𝑨𝑳 𝑵𝑼𝑴𝑩𝑬𝑹 𝑶𝑭 𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑷𝑶𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑺

3.6 Gathering of Data

The researcher conducted the survey to the selected respondents in order to determine the

importance of breakfast among them. The information accumulated from the questionnaires were

tabulated and analyzed respectively. The researcher used this kind of method to easily conduct

an investigation by giving out surveys.

 Chapter 4

Analysis and Presentation of Data

Table 1.0

Respondent’s Ages at the Time of Completing the Survey

Age Number Percentage

12 1 2.50%

13 11 15%

14 10 25%

15 12 30%

16 6 15%

N = 40 100%

The respondents were around the ages of 12-16 during the time when the survey were

given out. The majority of the students were 15 years old. It should be noted that 16 years old are

already familiar in relation to the importance of breakfast. 14 years old and below should be

guided by their guardian, parents, or teachers for them to be aware what are the importance of

breakfast.
 4.1 Results and Data

Table 1.2

Question #1 Yes Percentage No Percentage

Do you eat

breakfast every 29 72.50% 11 27.50%

day?

Based on the results shown on Table 1.2, 29 out of 40 or 72.50% of the respondents said

that they eat breakfast every day because it gives them the energy they need to go throughout the

day. 11 out of 40 or 27.50% of the respondents answered no; a possibility is that some students

wake up late. In that case, they do not have the time to eat breakfast.
 Table 1.3

Question #2 Yes Percentage No Percentage

Do you eat

breakfast before 28 70% 12 30%

going to school?

Table 1.2 and Table 1.3 are related with one another in a way that it reveals the students

reason why they agreed to this statement. 28 out 40 or 70% of the respondents answered yes.

Eating breakfast can help students perform better in their school works, essentially, their

concentration, alertness, comprehension, memory and learning improves when they eat

breakfast. 12 out of 40 or 30% answered no; a possibility is that some students said they feel

sleepy in school when they eat breakfast.

 Table 1.4

Question #3 Yes Percentage No Percentage

Do you ever buy

foods at a store,

fast food, or 24 60% 16 40%

vending machine

to eat for

breakfast?

Table 1.4 shows that 24 out of 40 or 60% of the respondents said that they buy foods at a

store, fast food, or a vending machine because no one will cook breakfast for them. Also, they

said that buying at a store, fast food, or a vending machine makes time less consuming. 16 out of

40 or 40% of the respondents answered no. There is a possibility that some of the students think

that food from a store, fast food and vending machine are not healthy and contains a lot of

preservatives that can harm our body.

 Table 1.5

Question #4 Yes Percentage No Percentage

Do you think that

the foods from a

store, fast food or 36 90% 4 10%

a vending

machine are

healthy?

In Table 1.5, 36 out of 40 or 90% of the respondents answered yes, that is to say that

they are aware that the foods they buy at a store, fast food, or a vending machine is not healthy.

However, students said that they still buy foods there because they have no food to eat at their

house. Also, it is not time consuming because foods at a store is convenient for them. 4 out of 40

or 10% of the respondents answered no. Some students believe that it depends on what foods

you buy and eat.

 Table 1.6

Question #5 Yes Percentage No Percentage

Do you think that

eating breakfast

helps you 40 100% 0 0%

perform better in

school?

Table 1.6 shows that 40 out of 40 or 100% respondents answered yes in this question. It

shows that eating breakfast really helps them, students, to perform better in school. Breakfast

helps students to concentrate better and have a longer attention span, helping them to learn and

study better. They can also perform better physically after eating breakfast as there is more

energy available to their muscles. Breakfast can improve behaviour and mood, as children have

better concentration and aren’t tired or hungry.

4.2 Analysis

Table 1.7

Respondents that answered YES in question #1

1st Grading 2nd Grading 3rd Grading TOTAL

83 84 85 84

82 83 83 82.6667

94 95 97 95.3333

86 85 87 86

90 90 90 90

90 90 90 90

87 88 89 88

86 88 88 87.3333

84 85 88 85.6667

91 91 93 91.6667

90 91 92 91

90 90 89 89.6667

80 82 82 81.3333

85 85 85 85

84 84 85 84.3333

87 89 90 88.6667

82 82 84 82.6667

87 89 91 89
 84 85 86 85

84 86 87 85.6667

82 83 84 83

81 80 81 80.6667

92 92 94 92.6667

90 91 92 91

89 91 91 90.3333

90 91 92 91

83 84 84 83.6667

TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL

86.40741 87.1852 88.1111 87.2346

 Table 2.7

Respondents that answered NO in question #1

1st Grading 2nd Grading 3rd Grading TOTAL

79 81 82 80.6667

82 84 86 84

86 86 86 86

85 85 85 85

91 91 93 91.6667

83 83 83 83

85 85 85 85

87 90 92 89.6667

85 86 88 86.6667

86 85 88 86.3333

84.9 85.6 86.8 85.6667

In the data gathering process the researcher requested the respondents to give their

average grade on the First, Second, and Third quarter respectively. This is to see the performance

of each student and also to show how breakfast might affect their performance. On question

number 1 of the survey, the researcher asked if the respondents eat breakfast everyday, 29 of

them said YES and only 11 said NO.

The data gathered on this question was compared on the average grade of the students

and it shows that student who eats breakfast everyday has an average grade of 87.23, compared
to those students who do not eat breakfast everyday with an average of 85.76. The researcher

also ranked the Top Ten students whose average was 90 - 95.33, and the data shows that 9 out of

10 students on the list eat breakfast everyday.

This only shows that the hypothesis of the researcher is true and verifiable. With all the

data that has been gathered that supports this argument. The researcher can say that eating

breakfast everyday can lead to a very good performance in the class.

 Chapter 5

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations

5.1 Summary

Eating is an essential part of our culture and food is one of the most important human

needs. We have to take food so we can perform our daily tasks. It gives nutrients our body need

for it to work well. People usually take three to five meals a day, and breakfast is the most

important. This is the first source of energy during the day.

On this research, the researcher looks into the benefits of breakfast. And on the process of

research, she focused on its effect on a student's performance in school. Guided by three

objectives, first is to gather information that will help the researcher analyze the effects of

breakfast in students' performance in school. Second, distinguish between healthy and unhealthy

breakfast choices. Third, know the possible effects of not having breakfast to the Junior High

School Students of Merry Treasure School. The researcher also has to address problems, first is

to know the importance of breakfast which can help students with their performance in school.

Second, is to what extent do students give importance on eating breakfast. Third, what are

students’ breakfast preferences? Lastly, how does breakfast affect a students’ performance in

school?

The researcher has to validate her claims using a Quantitative Research Method. To

perform this method the researcher used 40 respondents at Merry Treasure School Junior

High. And after a careful selection of respondents the researcher gave a 5 questioned survey

(approved by the Thesis Adviser) to them.

 After gathering important data, the researcher analyzed it and compared it to the average

grades of the respondents' First, Second, and Third Grading Periods. And showed the researcher

a clear picture for her to conclude.

5.2 Conclusion

The researcher hypothesized that eating healthy breakfast everyday before going to

school can help students’ performance. All measures have been done to gather all the data and

information needed to validate this hypothesis. Quantitative Research Method has been used to

extract the data from the respondents.

And after a careful analysis of all the data and information that has been gathered, the

researcher therefore conclude that eating breakfast everyday before going to school will improve

the performance of a student. It is measured based on the survey and the grades of the students.

Grades as we all know are the measuring tool for the performance of each student. A

teacher will give a corresponding grade based on the performance of a student in one particular

task. In this reason the study and the data took side on the researcher's claim of the benefit of

breakfast in a student's performance.

5.3 Recommendation

The researcher concludes based on the gathered information. It shows that eating

breakfast before going to school will improve a student's performance. This research only looks

into the general performance of a student based on average grades. Hence, recommending a more

specific study on this subject. These are the following recommendations of the researcher:
 First, to study the specific behavior of each student who eats breakfast every morning to

analyze the outcome of his/her average grades. This will give an in-depth perspective on this

subject.

Second, to do a qualitative research to achieve a more accurate data to have a more specific

conclusion.

And third, to have a sponsored study by the institution (Merry Treasure School) so that

it can give more help to students might be struggling in their performances because of the lack of

breakfast every day.