Theoretical Background

Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture is a peer-reviewed academic
journal published by Routledge. It was established in 1997 and covers the study of
fashion, including aspects from sociology, art history, consumption studies, and
anthropology.

School uniforms are being advocated for a range of social, educational, economic,
and familial reasons. In 1998, The Journal of Educational Research (The JER) published an
article by D. Brunsma and K. Rockquemore that claims that uniforms correlate negatively
with academic achievement, but data presented in this article actually show positive
correlation between uniforms and achievement for the total sample, and for all but 1
school sector.

This theory seeks to explain the appropriate wearing of school uniform to have better
development of each students and also the school. It explains students’ motivation to be
a good model for the pride of the school. Furthermore, this theory wants the students to
have a cognitive, affective and behavioral affects on the society and community.

Legal Basis

Dress code explains the manner in which students dress for school influences
behavior in learning. Students are expected to come to school dressed in a manner that
assures adequate modesty. Student dress that causes disruption or leads to
unsatisfactory behavior is inappropriate and is not to be worn. Violation of dress
standards can result in a warning or suspension for willful defiance of authority.

School uniforms are really mandatory because of the strict policy of dress code.
Students should wear the appropriate school uniform to be a good model for others.
Review of Related Literature

Uniforms have been a staple component of private schools for many years, but
have increased in public schools. School uniforms are sometimes viewed as an oppressive
way of reducing student freedom. Brunsma & Rockquemore (2007) cited that some critics
suggest that school uniforms may lower students’ creativity and affect their ability to
properly express themselves. School uniform policies are designed to foster student
outcomes.

Schools claim that when students come in uniforms, it improves discipline and
leads to academic gains. However, such mandatory policies that decide what students can
or cannot wear to schools, have led to free speech violations lawsuits. Students allege
such policies are unconstitutional, as they restrict their freedom of expression. A school
uniform policy defines what clothes must be worn to school.

An example of student and parental reaction to school uniforms is found in New

Hampshire Pinkerton Academy, a private secondary school, considered adopting a
“uniform dress code” (a school uniform). Students in an online protest wrote:

A school uniform take away individuality. Also, it will not change study habits of
students.

It means to much money needs to be spent for each child. Parents do not have
the type

of money, especially in this economy. We have the right to freedom of expression

and

would like to keep it that way. And “its sic my right to wake up in the morning and
have

my own unique individuality.”

 Uniforms show that you are part of an organization. Wearing it says we’re all in
this together. A school uniform teaches to dress smartly and take pride in their
appearance. Howlette says: “Uniforms help students to prepare for when they leave
school and may have to dress or wear a uniform”.

Unfortunately, nowadays, students do not wear school uniforms for some factors.
They feel uncomfortable for the policy of wearing appropriate school uniform. Also, the
expenses of buying the clothes is one of the most factor that the students can’t wear. In
Cangawa National High School, there are some students don’t wear school uniform
because of those reasons.
 FASHION THEORY DRESS CODE

FACTORS OF NOT WEARING SCHOOL

UNIFORM

UNCOMFORTABLE

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
FINANCIAL

RECOMMENDATION

FIGURE 1. Conceptual and Theoretical Framework

Related Study

School uniforms have been adopted all across the country, particularly in
conventional and metropolitan school settings. With the introduction of the year 1996,
nearly 3% of all schools in The United States of America had adapted the trend of school
uniforms to promote equality (Gentile & Imberman, 2009). By 2000, this percentage rose
up to 21% and since then has been rising continuously. School uniform policies face
approval as well as disapproval various schools all over the country. The development of
uniform policy has led to discussions about its effectiveness as to whether it is a necessary
step or rather just an unnecessary implementation. School authorities often that the
implementation of uniforms has brought discipline in the school campus. Introduction of
uniforms have bought about level of professionalism among students for their career and
academic achievements some authorities believe introduction of uniforms has a positive
response on students’ academic achievements and personality (Bodine, 2003). All good
things are accompanied by criticism. Critics say that uniforms are an unwanted gist and
transgress on students (Mitchell,2003). Some minor groups of strong cultural background
imply that uniforms restrict students from following their cultural dress code and
traditions. Many school districts presume that uniforms are a way to mend student
accomplishment and behavioral problems.

The school uniform discipline has been a sturdy one for a long duration. There are
many pros and cons of the uniform system that parents, teachers and students believe
strongly about. Dussel assured that “the United States has not been familiar with school
uniforms for a long time” (as cited in Firmin, Smith & Perry, 2006, p. 145). The 1950’s and
1960’s marked the implementation of dress standards for schools (Firmin, et al, 2006,
p.145). Different registration has been approved in consideration to school uniforms and
some of t he queries that come up.

Furthermore, Draa (2005) presented conclusion on whether or not the execution

of a obligatory uniform policy in metropolitan public high schools enhanced school
performance at the base level for percentage of attendance, graduation, academic
aptitude, and student demeanor as calculated by rates of suspension and eviction. The
investigation established that through four assessment modes, a prototype emerged that
indicated enhancement in rates of attendance, graduation, and suspensio0n but not in
intellectual expertise or expulsion rates in these school with uniform policies had elevated
share of economical disadvantages and marginal students than the generously
proportioned inhabitants of public high schools. Execution of uniform policy in these
schools may be valuable for recovering rate of attendance, graduation and suspension
(Draa, 2005). As stated by Brusma in his book “Despite the media exposure, despite the
subjective meanderings of politicians, society members, educators, board members,
parents, and students uniforms have not been effectual at attacking the very outcomes
and issues they were supposed to help with”.

The study based on the Fashion theory. This theory assume that the students who
don’t wear school uniform rely on it to fulfill the specific fashion for the development of
the students’ itself and also the school of Cangawa National High School.
 THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

The study primarily aimed to determine the relationship between factors of not
wearing school uniform of grade 11 students and their academic performance in Cangawa
National High School. S.Y. 2019-2020. Specifically, it sought to discover the following
aspects of the problem:

1. How many students are not wearing school uniform out of 100 respondents?

2. what are reasons why student don’t wear complete school uniform?

3. is there a significant relationship between wearing appropriate school uniform

of students and academic performance?

Hypothesis

There is a significant relationship between school uniform and students’ academic

performance.
 Significance of the Study

The researcher believed that the findings of the study would be beneficial to the
following:

Students. This would help them realize and aware that wearing school uniform is
absolutely mandatory for all public schools and it has a relationship with academic
performance.

Parents. The outcome of this study may provide consciousness towards the
parents on how they will manage the financial and to be aware of the said law that is
mandatory for all public schools.

Teachers. This study would help the teachers to not be hassle in managing the
grades of students.

Future Researchers. This study served as the guide for their future research and
the result of this study served as a great help in gathering information for the upcoming
studies.
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Design

The nature of this study employed a descriptive correlational method through the
use of questionnaires as the major data gathering tool to attain the purpose of the study.

Environment and Respondents

The locale of this research study is in Cangawa National High School at Cangawa,
Buenavista, Bohol. This study is to be done in the Senior High Department.

Selected Senior High students in Cangawa National High School 2019-2020 were
the respondents of this study. 100 Grade 11 students in Senior High will be given by the
research questionnaire.

Instruments

The researcher use only one instrument for the data collection. They used self-
made questionnaires for the gathering of information that determine the relationship and
factors, and the effects of wearing school uniform to academic performance. The
questionnaire used scale to determine the extent of factors of not wearing school
uniform is found below:

5- Always

4- Often

3- Sometimes

2- Seldom

1- Never
 DEFINTION OF TERMS

School Uniform

School based to wear an appropriate clothes for students.

Freedom of Expression

The quality of being free to express the feelings or needs.

Financial

A personal needs that is relating to money.

Uncomfortable

A feeling of physical and emotional discomfort.

Academic Performance

It is basically defines as knowledge acquired or skills develop in school subjects,

usually designated by test score or by marks assigned by teachers. In this study the term
specifically refers to the preliminary average grades of the subjects taken by the
participants.
 CHAPTER l
THE PROBLEM AND IT’S SCOPE

Rationale

School uniform is a uniform worm by students primarily for school otherwise

educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various
countries. The debate surrounding the effectiveness of school uniform policies, as well as
discussion concerning when and how to implement them, is rooted in anecdote.
Proponents say that school uniforms make school safer for student, create a level playing
field that reduces social economic disparities, and encourage children to focus on their
studies rather than clothes.

There is a general belief in many countries that school uniform supports the
development of a whole school and therefore supports discipline and motivation,
However, there is no robust evidence that introducing a school uniform will, by itself,
improve academic performance, behavior, or attendance. There are studies that show
changes in these outcomes after the introduction of a school uniform policy. However, in
this cases uniform was usually one factor among several improvement measures. There
are cultural issues about how a school uniform is perceived which play an important role
in determining its acceptability and students compliance. There are some evidence that
free school uniforms improve attendance in areas of very high poverty, however this does
not appear to be true in all cases. In some cultures, school uniform are associated which
regulation and cause of individuality, so care must be taken when generalizing from
studies in different contexts.

School uniforms may improve attendance and discipline (Ohio, 1998). Requiring
students in urban public high schools to wear uniforms results in increased attendance,
higher graduation rates and fewer suspensions, but it does most improve academic
performance in reading and math. Uniforms help students to prepare for when they leave
school and may have to dress smartly or wear uniform (Howlette,2000). Under section
128C of the Education Act, it determines the wearing of school uniform is compulsory, it
is very important part in schooling.

Thus, researchers are conducting this study to identify the factors of not wearing
school uniform of grade 11 students in Cangawa National High School and to determine
if there is a significant relationship between wearing appropriate school uniform of
students and academic performance.