INTRODUCTION

O sweet child of love and wisdom, have you ever caught wind of academic risk?

To a classic Juan in the street, hearing the term might just lead to a few head scratches

due to its unfamiliarity and lack of use since academic risk is a vaguely explored

concept in the field of psychology. What is academic risk, then? Academic risk is the

state of high probability of school expulsion due to repeated failures in class. It

frequently happens when a student has too much time for “swag” but less time for

studies. For such a topic that mostly still lingers in the void but, at the same time, a

highly relevant issue, it certainly gives the researchers the motivation to explore the

concept as young seekers of knowledge and fascination.

In the Philippines, academic risk is an increasing problem for college students

and their families who religiously pay their tuition. College students under probation had

their precious youth and money wasted. Their hours spent on sitting idly while

uninterestedly listening to classroom discussions could have been used pursuing their

aspirations or working somewhere. Tuition money could have been used to pay

unsettled bills, or provide for their daily needs, or anything that could have improved

their lives instead of wasting them for a course the student fell short to pass.

Throughout a person’s early childhood until late adolescence he is expected to

study, learn, pass, and then eventually graduate. The expectation of academic pursuit

of an adolescent has been the status quo for the majority, but some adolescents tend to

skew from the expectation and become disengaged in school. They lose enthusiasm,

interest, concern, and participation towards classroom activities leading to failure and

subsequently, academic risk.

 If people would visualize what an academically at-risk student is like, many would

envision an adolescent who rarely attends class, barely submits requirements, and is

generally lazy. People might as well brand them as “the unwise, unaccomplished, and

under probation.” However, these labels have their considerable impact on each

academically at-risk student and they are not always the blunderers, each of them have

different circumstances. Nevertheless, it is of the researchers’ great interest to

investigate what goes on inside the minds of such students; how they perceive their

own state.

  If one stops and ponders about how academically at-risk students came to be, a

myriad of reasons and factors could possibly be inferred because there is no single

factor that could summarize the roots of academic risk (Lloyd-Jones, Bowen, Holtom,

Griffin, & Sims, 2010). There are causative factors that lie within the students. It could

be their current degree program was only forced on them by their parents or peers

which makes them uninterested since the beginning. Some might utter the simplistic

reason that they are just generally apathetic. However, we cannot solely blame the

student for being academically at-risk since there are causative factors that dwell

extrinsically. People are social beings who happily give importance to peer relations, but

sometimes the good chums themselves cause students to forget their responsibilities in

school. If you are a student who sympathizes with academically at-risk students, you

would probably blame the “terrible” teaching method and the treatment of some

professors causing their failures. You might say the professor has biases toward

students or are unfair in giving grades that demotivate the student to strive. We could go
on and on and on and exhaust ourselves thinking about the origins of academic risk but

we will never come to a solid conclusion unless they tell the story themselves.

As many of us know in college, those who pass the evaluation process move on,

those who fail one or two courses repeat those courses, and those who fail repeatedly

are put under academic probation. Such academically at-risk college students are

placed under said program to be encouraged to perform academic tasks satisfactorily

though a form of punishment allowing the student to realize the severity of their

academic status, and thus make the appropriate actions toward better academic

performance and student retention (Ahmed, Chowdhury, Rahman & Talukder 2014). It

is the priority of academic probation to put at-risk students back up to resume their

pursuit of academic achievement. It is commendable that the institution is taking

initiative in saving students at-risk but sometimes the change has to emerge from the

student himself.  The great existential philosopher, Friedrich Nietzche once said: “He

who has a ‘why’ can bear with almost any ‘how’.” He exclaimed that one can find his

meaning, his “why” even in the most uncomfortable places such as suffering. Meaning

found in suffering can turn into passion, a driving force that guides one’s aspirations. An

aspiration would serve as golden wings for academically at-risk students to envigor

them to abandon the trenches of academic probation. Gazing at the future they mostly

desire can certainly influence their actions and lifestyle.        

Overall, the study will be uncovering the lived experiences of academically at-risk

students; their past, present, and future. The researchers will be exploring their past

experiences which significantly led them to academic risk, their present in-depth
perception of academic risk, and their aspirations for the future which shall hopefully

strengthen their wills to fly out of probation.

Theoretical Framework

Karen Bogenschneider made a compelling statement with regard to her

development of an Ecological Risk/Protective Theory in 1996. Bogenschneider

contended that human behavior is molded by a collection of “processes” and that it is

imperative to identify these processes within the different levels of the human ecology.

Although the aforementioned model started out as two separate concepts, which are the

Epidemiological Risk-Focused Approach and the Protective Factor Etiological

Approach, it was argued upon that there is no one model that can accurately depict the

intricacies of youth development and that both models combined will produce a richer,

much more comprehensive that overcomes the respective limitations of both models

when used alone, along with substantially extensive insight regarding the intricacy of the

whole person.  

Hawkins, Catalano and Miller first conceptualized the Epidemiological Risk-

Focused Approach in the medical field to identify the risks involved in developing

diseases until it was applied to reduce or eliminate risks in youth. Bronfenbrenner

further stated that such risks may increase the likelihood of youth developing

problematic behaviors (as cited in Bogenschneider, 1996). The Risk-Focused Model

holds that problems can be prevented by identifying the risk processes and in turn

thwart or eliminate their effects. Risk processes are defined as the “individual or

environmental hazards that increase individual vulnerability to future negative

outcomes” (Bogenschneider, 1996, p. 128). These risk processes accumulate and this

accumulation impend youth development (Bogenschneider, 1996). However, while it is

true that identifying such risks may help mitigate its effects, it is not possible to identify

all risks and eliminate them. To complement this, Werner shifted the focus from

identifying the risks into ascertaining the protective processes that operates when a risk

is present. This led to the development of Protective Factor Etiological Perspective.

Protective processes include “individual or environmental safeguards that enhance

youngster’s ability to resist stressful life events and promote adaptation and

competence” (Bogenschneider, 1996, p. 129). This model operates as a means to

encourage youth to behave in ways that protects them from hazards that impede their

positive development (Bogenschneider, 1996).  Nevertheless, while it may protect the

youth from such hazards, it does not focus on reducing or eliminating the risks.

The Risk-Focused and Protective Factor Models both possess validity, however

neither model captures fully the reality of diverse youth population. In order to decipher

this, Bogenschneider combined the two in the Ecological Risk/Protective Theoretical

Model (1996). Specifically,

The risk approach identifies those processes that can potentially mitigate youth
development, whereas the protective approach identifies processes that can
magnify youth development (Bogenschneider, 1996, p. 130).

In essence, the more risks there exists, the more danger there is and the more

protective factors, the more an individual may resist risks.  This ties in closely to the

situation of academically at-risk college students due to the fact that they are

experiencing academic risk because of an interaction of certain jeopardizing factors.

Just like in sickness it is imperative to point out that which causes one to be sick in
order to cure it, and then set up defenses in order to inoculate one from further and

future sickness. The same concept is analogous to the situation of academically at-risk

college students. There are risk factors which jeopardize their education but there must

also be protective factors which would enable the students to rise above their current

predicament (academic risk) and into good academic standing.

Conceptual Paradigm
Figure 1

Multiple studies suggest that academic risk is preceded by a myriad of factors.

No one reason causes college students to be academically at-risk. These factors may

include negative peer influence, difficult home situations, course mismatch and such.

Being in academic risk due to many reasons may lead them to develop different

perceptions regarding their current academic status.

Although academically at-risk college students are in peril of being unsuccessful

in their academics, the researchers believe that just like other college students, they

also have personal aspirations which may be school and/or not school-related.

Statement of the Problem

The researchers conducted the present study to investigate the perception of

academic risk, causes behind academic risk, and aspirations of academically at-risk

college students.

The study wanted to answer the following questions:

1. What are the factors that lead students to academic risk?

2. How do academically at-risk college students perceive academic risk?

3. What are the aspirations of academically at-risk college students?

Assumptions

The researchers have the following assumptions that tentatively answered the

questions stated earlier:

1. There would be a myriad of reasons or factors that may predispose, if not lead a

student to be academically at-risk. The researchers assume that there may be

two classifications of factors which are extrinsic and intrinsic in nature. Extrinsic

factors, which include lack of institutional support, lack of familial support, and

bad influence of peers. Lack of institutional support happens when academically

at-risk students become disengaged partly because their academic institution

does not encourage them to perform better. Some of them view their instructor

as unjustly favourable towards excelling students, apathetic towards teaching, or

unfair in giving grades. Lack of familial support happens when family members of

academically at-risk students do not give enough encouragement and support

which leads to student disengagement. Academically at-risk students may have

household conflicts that keep them preoccupied preventing them from focusing

on school tasks which subsequently, making them disengaged. Bad influence of

peers is when academically at-risk students have peers that distract them from

doing school tasks and entice them to be more engaged in non-academic tasks.

The peers may also be academically disengaged initially then they pressure the

student to conform making him/her disengaged as well. Intrinsic factors include

course mismatch, lack of self-efficacy, and life purpose.   Course mismatch is

when some academically at-risk students are disinterested in their course or do

not recognize the importance and relevance of their course in their future lives

probably because they did not choose their current course for themselves rather,

it was only imposed upon them by their parents or peers. This feeling of course

irrelevance and disinterest inhibits them from engaging in academic tasks. Lack
 of self-efficacy is when academically at-risk students are having feelings of

incompetence towards classroom activities. They feel inferior when they fail their

tests or when they compare themselves with better performing students. They

feel that no matter how much effort they exert, it will still not be enough. These

feelings push them to stop trying thus, contributing to their academic risk.

2. Academically at-risk students perceive academic risk as a demeaning and

possibly embarrassing situation. Also, they would see themselves as failures who

are in a nearly hopeless situation due to their being under academic probation. 

3. Academically at-risk college students aspire to bounce back from academic

probation to a good academic status, and subsequently make it to graduation.

However, they are probably unsure as to what actions to take in order to achieve

these aspirations or may even be as of yet unready or unwilling to take the steps

in order to attain them. They also see their future selves as financially stable, and

able to provide for their families and support themselves, although they are

unsure of the career they will choose and the steps they will take to achieve

these aspirations.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study covered the lived experiences of academically at-risk college

students. The researchers focused on their lived experiences which may reveal how

they perceive academic risk, the reasons behind their being academically at-risk, and

their aspirations. 
 The scope of the study is limited to five respondents from academic probation or

other similar academic retention policies during the academic year 2016 to 2017, at

different Universities in the city of Manila.

The findings may not be applicable to academically at-risk students in the

elementary and high school, along with students who have dropped out of school.

Significance of the Study

This study served to support other relevant studies that tackle the lived

experiences of academically at-risk college students. In regards to that, these are

different sectors that are potential beneficiaries of this study:

Academically at-risk students. Provided the results of the study, the previously

mentioned students will gain insight regarding their situation, along with further

understanding of themselves, hopefully leading to their achievement of a good

academic standing. 

Educators. They will benefit significantly from this study since it will aid those in

the teaching profession to understand the experiences of academically at-risk college

students, helping them have the knowledge to prevent, and avert it when needed. Also,

they may be able to adjust their teaching techniques towards these students so they

may be able to fully engage in classroom activities.

Parents of academically at-risk college students. The parents of academically

at-risk college students will understand the possible reasons why their children are

having significant difficulty in school. The findings will enable them in better guiding their

child towards attaining good academic status.

 School counselors. Insight on the unique circumstances of academically at-risk

college students including possible challenges that these students are facing, can help

counsellors create effective programs that will encourage these students to perform

better in school.

The findings of the current study will provide additional knowledge to the field of

psychology. It can potentially help practicing psychologists in successfully working

with academically at-risk college students knowing the factors that may be present

contributions to their current risky academic situation.

Higher education institution administrators. They can potentially benefit from

the study because it will widen their perspectives as to why the students are failing in

school and reciprocally, how to manage these students, along with approving the

appropriate programs that will be of assistance  to these students.

Future researchers. They will be able to gain knowledge and insight from the

present study. Especially because to date, studies exploring academic risk in the

Philippines is still in dearth.

Readers. They will benefit from this study for they will be able to see the unique

circumstances that academically at-risk college students’ face which can help them in

their understanding of these students, and helping those who are currently academically

at-risk, and those who might enter academic risk.

Definition of Terms

According to Ormita and Vargas (2015), there are obvious indicators of academic

risk termed as academic indicators. This includes the students’ failing grades and being
put in academic probation – a poor academic status. In this particular study, the

researchers operationally defined academic risk as a state where students are in high

probability of school expulsion due to their repeated failures in class.

Conceptually, the Glossary of Education Reform characterized academically at-

risk students as “students who are considered to have a higher probability of failing

academically or dropping out of school” (2013, para. 1). Operationally, academically at-

risk college students in this study are students in the tertiary level of education who are

under academic probation and/or any similar academic retention policies.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Factors Leading to Academic Risk

According to Ormita and Vargas (2015), academic risk is a serious phenomenon

occurring among Filipino college students. Lucio, Hunt and Bornovalova (2012)

reiterated its’ massive negative effects on health, economy, crime rates, employment,

and the general society at large. Also, it was noted that there is no local measuring tool

in the Philippines available to recognize it (Ormita & Vargas, 2015). This lack of
attention towards the aforementioned issue led to the conceptualization of their

Academic Risk Scale (ARS) which through a substantial literature review and the

conduction of a survey of both academically-at risk college students and college

professors, the 11 facets of academic risk which are: academic habits, academic

attitudes, academic unpreparedness, academic adjustment, academic goals, academic

motivation, mental health, physical health, social relations, home environment and

school environment was created, it can also be said that these facets are the factors

preceding academic risk.

It is important to bear in mind that academic failure cannot be caused by one

factor. Rather, academic failure is owed to the many factors which all coincide to induce

it (Lucio et al., 2012; Perry, Stupnisky, Danels & Haynes, 2008). Additionally, these

factors can be categorized into two - intrinsic and extrinsic (Lucio et al., 2012).

Student disengagement among young people is not simplistic (Lloyd-Jones et al.,

2010; Lucio et al., 2010). It is claimed that often it involves a mixture of different factors

such as social, emotional, and personal development, events that happened in their life,

their coping strategies and their attitudes toward learning. Iachini, Buettner, Butcher and

Reno (2013) claims that the question of disengagement is partly answered by

behavioural and discipline challenges, lack of support from teachers, and

unpreparedness (lack of choice and advice in program selection) in entering school

were the primary factors that affected the disengagement of drop-out charter school

students. To further this view, De Lay and Swan (2014) studied the phenomenon of

student apathy, a construct similar to student disengagement, as perceived and defined

the secondary school students who experience it themselves. Also, De Lay and Swan
(2014) emphasized their findings since it reveals that student apathy is a “conscious

choice often occurring when students perceive teachers as creating inhospitable

learning environment that communicates a lack of caring and fails to make student

learning a high priority” (p. 114). Furthermore, factors that may contribute to academic

risk are (1) lack of caring on the part of the students, (2) lack of caring on the part of the

teacher, (3) exclusion of student learning as an instructional priority, (4) student inability

to learn or demonstrate learning in a way they prefer or are successful, (5)

miscommunication about what constitutes learning, and (6) favoritism and elitism (De

Lay & Swan, 2014). In addition, Brint and Cantwell (2014) claim that academic

disengagement is a multidimensional phenomenon. Brint and Cantwell theorized

academic disengagement is composed of 5 distinct dimensions which are values,

motivations, study behaviors, academic interactions and competing involvements.

     Factors that can add to the likelihood of college success as mentioned in Tinto’s

Model of Student Attrition in 1975 include whether or not the students (1) are fit in the

university’s social and academic structure; (2) can integrate their academic and social

life; and (3) show commitment to the university (as cited in De Witz, Woolsey, & Walsh,

2009). However, other factors, as mentioned in the study of DeWitz et al. (2009) can

outweigh the factors previously stated. Among these variables are “finances, poor

academic performance, lack of family or social/emotional encouragement, difficult

personal adjustment and integration into the college and academic community, and

feelings of isolation and helplessness” (p.20). Moreover, college adjustment can also be

a factor that can significantly affect the student’s academic performance. It is significant

in predicting college grades and retention (Crede & Niehorster, 2012).

 In the study of Mekonnen and Reznichenko, they found out that college students

have difficulty comprehending math (2008). This weakness in specific subject is viewed

to be adding to the many factors towards academic risk. 

Stephan, Caudroit, Boiche, & Sarrazin (2010) exclaimed that in the academic

setting, when students find their school competence threatened by unsatisfactory

grades, they tend to disengage psychologically by devaluing the academic domain and

discarding academic outcomes.

Stephan et al. (2010) further explained how disengagement becomes a process.

There are two pathways of disengagement: The first pathway would be devaluing the

subject or domain so that the results and feedback are not anymore perceived as

relevant or important to the definition of the self. When applied in the academic setting,

it happens when students devalues academic achievement to the point where they no

longer perceive its importance and relevance to their self. It is supported by the findings

of Singh, Granville, and Dika (2002) in which they stated that students may invest or

withdraw from learning depending on their interest in the subject. The second pathway

would be when the person may discount the credibility of the evaluation or feedback

then denies it as a real indicator of competency in a domain or subject. When applied in

the academic setting, this process of discounting is shown by the denial of academic

feedback, whereby students diminish the importance of received grades by considering

them as flawed indicators of competence. Negative feedback in a subject or domain

drives a student to disengagement only if a student’s global self-esteem is in jeopardy

because of a lowered perceived competence in that specific subject or domain.

 More than having their academic esteem threatened, academic performance can

be predicted using the student’s academic self-efficacy (Patall, Awad & Cestone, 2012).

Students with academic self-efficacy are those who have positive self-beliefs regarding

their competence in accomplishing certain academic tasks. These students find

themselves performing effectively in school. Meanwhile, students who have negative

self-beliefs about their competence have poor academic outcomes (Valentine, Dubois &

Cooper, 2004).

Not only did their expectations on self affect their academic performance, but

also those that they receive from other people (Jacobs & Harvey, 2005). Accordingly,

students who receive positive expectations from their parents affect their academic

achievement positively and vice versa.

Going further, Barouch-Gilbert (2016) examined the relationship between student

experience and self-efficacy enhancement among probationary college students and

discovered that two primary emergent themes from friends, family, and the institution

played a significant role in their academic attainment during academic probation. The

second theme is “I can do this” which the students describe that after they had been

motivated or encouraged to progress academically and had been provided paths to exit

academic probation. It was also noted that the students noticed remarkable learning

improvements, and positive changes to emotional states when they were encouraged

by peers, family, and the institution. The student’s interpretation of these positive

changes and academic achievements heightened their beliefs in their own capabilities

thus, increasing self-efficacy.

 Another problem that can easily be seen is that when students do not come to

school, they will be left behind in the discussions and school work, which could

contribute to their failure in their academic pursuits. Thwarting that which blocks

students’ attendance in class is given importance so it may not lead to a more serious

educational disadvantage (Lloyd-Jones, et al., 2010; Wigley, 2009). 

As to why some students don’t come to school, Suhid, Aroff and Kamal (2012)

found out that some of the factors outside school, such as electronic media and the

support given by the students' parents, are more influential than factors under the

purview of school, like teachers and peers. A supporting study of Barlow & Fletcher

(2014) show how student absenteeism arises. Inconsistently applied attendance

policies and rules, lack of maturity of students, difficulties of college independence, and

new teaching approaches all affect the institute, the teachers, and the students. Barlow

and  Fletcher (2014) stresses that universities should provide more vivid policies to aid

students understand the context within which they are operating; the fact that the

principal mode of study is self-directed; their obligations in terms of preparation and

participation; and the efforts they will be required to make in order to establish

themselves academically and socially. Students need reassurance that support will be

available, and to know that the aim of this support will be to point the way for them to

develop independence and the ability to work productively with their peers. Pellerin

(2005) uttered that when truancy policy is too permissive or is unenforced by the school

personnel, students tend to think that the school does are apathetic about them, or that

attendance is optional. When truancy policy is highly strict and strongly enforced,

students tend to feel they are virtual prisoners. Policies at either extreme would likely be
counterproductive, contributing more to student alienation and disengagement than to

engagement. Another finding from Pellerin (2005) study would be that absenteeism is

less frequent in schools with high perceived quality of teaching, strong academic press,

high percentage of students in the academic track, and low levels of disciplinary

problems, curricular diversity, and socioeconomic diversity.

Studying is the main point of being in the academic setting, and is the bulk of

activities that students perform in school. Ryan, Moss S. and Moss J. (2015) stresses

the importance of the amount of study time a student has in relation to their being

apathetic in class. In these modern times, some students tend to give less attention to

reviewing or reading their lessons. They would rather spend most of their time in

watching TV or playing games since they find it more enjoyable. (Shanahan, Hermans &

Haytko, 2006). According to Ryan, et al. (2015), today’s average student hits the books

only about 15 hours per week, and that this results in them not getting high grades or

even failing which is due to the fact that they did not study or did not study enough. As

part of the study, an intervention that would require students to review was conducted.

Results from the intervention shows that the summary score, the grade that were given

to them from the summary that they made before the lesson was tackled, and exam

performance is highly significant. Which leads one to infer that the programs a school

has for encouraging better study habits of a student, or the studying techniques of the

student themselves would be a factor that influences their academic status.

Academically at-risk college students also fall short when it comes to being

committed in their academic (Nakajima, Dembo & Mossler, 2012). When they are faced
with challenging and difficult  tasks in school, they do not persist. This failure to persist

in their academics further lead them to academic risk.  

Many things, might it be school or not school-related, may cause stress to

college students. However, students differ in their way of handling it. Students who are

better able to handle their negative emotions and stress manage to separate their

school from their emotions, while those who are less able to do the same find their

school grades being affected by negative emotions and stress (Akgun & Ciarrochi,

2003).

In addition, low performing students, according to Mkumbo and Amani (2012),

tend to attribute the causes of their underachievement to external, uncontrollable

factors. They do not see themselves solely responsible for their being in academic risk.

A number of literatures support that there are external or extrinsic factors that

escort college students to academic risk. For instance,  Itaaga, Mugagga and Kaahwa

(2013) said that socioeconomic status renders a great influence on school

disengagement because students are enrolled in their institutions with different reasons.

Students that were enrolled using their parents’ money tend to engage more on school

activities because they thought of valuing more the money that their parents spent for

their academics. Sometimes, we thought of working students are not fully engage in

their classroom activities but in contrary, these students are well engaged but tend to

lack time in school because of their work (Itaaga, et al., 2013). Meanwhile, this is

opposed in the study of Uchida (2010) where students who are engaged in part-time

activities such as working were still considered to be in a state apathy because they

departed from their essential or primary task which is to actively participate in school.
         Worley (2007) suggested that there are many factors that affect the achievement

gap and the ability of at-risk students to experience academic success specifically:

teacher-student relationships, parent or caregiver-student relationships, motivation,

SES, and peer influence, and that factors identifying at-risk students have a substantial

influence on the academic achievement of individual students and schools. Statistical

analysis of the data of Worley’s study reveals that the most substantial variance

observed was found between GPA and motivation, along with GPA and peer influence.

Other examinations reveal that there is a relationship between GPA and participation in

sports activities specifically, as GPA increases, the number of students engaging in

sports activities increased. According to Iachini et al. (2013), lack of success of students

in academics is attributed to lack of support from teachers. The students appreciate the

concern and respect that their teacher is giving. They also want their teacher to make

an effort to connect with them and help them cope to the lessons that they didn’t able to

catch (De Lay & Swan, 2014). Teachers’ support and care has an effect on the

engagement of the students to classroom activities. In support, Selim (2014) found that

students with high level of of engagement tend to have high level of academic

achievement.

Stephan et al. (2010) utilized the Self Determination Theory in explaining

academic outcomes. It stated that the degree to which motivation is self-determined

versus controlled predicts different academic outcomes like academic performance.

This theory differentiates three motivational states reflecting different levels of self-

determination which are intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation.

Stephan et al. (2010) suggested that amotivation is the relative absence of motivation,
in settings where people don’t perceive connections between their actions and

outcomes. In the academic setting, amotivation is prevalent among students who

devalue school or feel incompetent.

Adolescents’ negative school behaviors and emotional disengagement or

academic disinterest, and disengagement with school differentiated according to their

pathways, claims Blondal and Adalbjarnardottir (2012). This goes on to reinforce the

study of Iachini, et al. (2013).  Those who were at-risk at age 14 who graduated

unexpectedly seemed to show fewer negative behaviors than those who were expected

to drop out. Also, high achievers who unexpectedly dropped out showed more negative

behaviors along with disengagement (academic disinterest/disengagement) compared

to expected graduates. Disengagement in this sense is viewed as a serious concern

that has to be taken into account because “it is associated with a range of negative

outcomes for both individual young people and for society as a whole” (Lloyd-Jones et

al., 2010, p.11). Its effects in society includes lower levels of achievement, an increased

risk of being unemployed, out of school or training, an increased possibility of antisocial

and criminal behavior, substance misuse and teenage pregnancy (Lloyed-Jones et al.,

2010). Socio Economic Status was also noted as a factor in disengagement since

males and students who were from lower-SES backgrounds were more disengaged,

and males from the aforementioned backgrounds became much more emotionally

disengaged during their final year in compulsory school.

Pellerin (2005) emphasizes the effect of school climate on student engagement

or disengagement. Authoritative schools have the lowest levels of disengagement,

indifferent schools have the highest, and permissive schools have moderate levels.
Children in authoritative schools had greatest outcomes in academic achievement,

social competence and behavior, on the other hand, children in chaotic neglecting or

indifferent schools had the worst outcomes. In Pellerin’s (2005) literature review

included that good schools are responsive communities in which students are engaged

personally and challenged to engage in school life by adult role models.

The result of the research done by Kpolovie, Joe and Okoto (2014) also implies

that both teachers and parents needs to be involved actively in the students' learning

and attitude towards school in order for the learners to have a good academic

performance. A supporting find by a study of Pellerin (2000) asserts that adolescents

who are authoritatively-reared have the lowest levels of problem behavior, followed

closely by those who are reared by authoritarian parents. Permissively-reared

adolescents have relatively high rates of problem behaviors, while the indifferently

reared have the highest rates of any group. In the literature review of Pellerin (2005)

mentioned that in several studies, researchers concluded that students have the most

positive outcomes when their parents are authoritative characterized by both responsive

and demanding, and do worst when parents are indifferent characterized by neither

responsive nor demanding.

Academically At-Risk College Student’s Perception of Academic Risk

         Academic risk as a situation appears instantaneously upon initial inspection as a

purely negative situation. Besides, who would not think of it as such? Ahmed et al.

(2014), claims that students that are under academic probation are at further risk to

experience academic difficulties and are more prone to drop out. However, they are
also open to receive institutional institutional assistance which means that they see the

truth about their critical academic status and their need to turn their academic lives

around. This is furthered by the study of Fletcher and Tokmouline (2010) wherein they

discovered that academic probation serves as a “wake up call” of sorts to those who

experience academic risk, and that next semester GPA, following student’s realization

of their grim academic status, was boosted considerably. However, this boost to GPA

was short lived, and fades out over time.

Bartels and Herman (2011) claim that a student’s perception of failure, that is if

they fear it, prompts them to resort to behaviors remarkably reminiscent to self-

handicapping, and also feel negative emotional responses such as shame and

embarrassment when faced with failure. Academic failure being a prominent event in

the lives of academically at-risk college students, this piece of literature sheds

significant light upon how they may perceive academic risk. Also, the confidence of a

student also comes into play when trying to predict whether or not they will complete a

certain program, according to Telbis (2010). 

A student’s confidence in regards to his prior knowledge will influence that

student’s behaviour either positively or negatively depending upon their perception,

subsequently influencing the outcome of his or her academic standing. In relation to

fear, worry is another common emotional reaction that can be common in academically

at-risk college students, since their situation prompts one to ponder upon what may

happen. Freeston claimed that worry has been linked to be a sign of responsibility within

a person (as cited in Stefan & David, 2013). However, it does not necessarily prompt

one to do something about that which causes worry. In fact, worrying in the context of
stressful situations is unrelated to any increase in performance based on the experiment

of Stefan and David (2013). 

In regards to shame, students usually feel shame when they evaluate their own

failure. The problem is, the failure that students attribute to themselves is too general.

Whereas in reality, it is only failure in one aspect, or a single behavior. This eventually

causes demoralization among the affected students. The main problem here is not the

actual objective failure rather, it is the student’s perception of failure. (Turner & Husman

2008) 

Whether or not a student is competent in school, specifically in their subjects, will

dictate how they perceive their future career opportunities. Whether or not they are

effective in a certain subject, will dictate the path they will choose in regards to their

career prospects. (Swinton, 2009) This is further reinforced by the study of Cox (2009)

wherein it was stated that college students deem an undergraduate degree as a

necessity to achieve success in their desired career. The inverse of this, which is failure

to achieve undergraduate success, would be disastrous for prospects in career seeking.

Aspirations of Academically at-risk College Students

Despite the typical negative perception of others towards academic probationary

students, they are eager to receive institutional assistance or guidance on how to

perform better academically in comparison with regular college students, according to

Ahmed et al. (2014), disproving the conception that most, if not all academically at-risk

college students are not willing to remedy their situation. It was also suggested that

probationary student support initiatives or similar programs be implemented in order to

facilitate the re-education of students, and understand how their unique qualities and
personal perception of their school environment affects their academic position, due to

their apparent interest in achieving a normal academic status.

Purpose in life, as a construct, contributes to the college experience of students

specifically, and to many aspects of life in general. The development and articulation of

one’s life purpose is a continuous skill-building process rather than an end goal or

product (Schluckebier, 2013). Undergraduate students as suggested by Schluckebier

develop and articulate purposes in their lives through three major themes: (1) support

system where the students rely in developing their purpose; (2) exemplars who they

sought to emulate or simply, students’ ideals whom they want to model; and (3)

experiential learning. 

Bronk, Finch and Tali (2013) identified that purpose among youths was not

particularly prevalent but high ability youth tend to have self-oriented goals earlier than

the typical type of youth and that these high ability youths are on conventional aims

rather than purposeful ones. This recognized that youths that are enrolled in college and

are under academic probation doesn’t have particular goals that may influence their life

purpose or in the contrary, they may have goals that may affect life purpose but it is said

to be vague and unclear. Since Beks (2015) identified life goal as one of

“the most important factors that provide meaning to the life of individuals because it

gives a direction for people’s lives and protect them from chaos and uncertainties” and

academically at-risk students may be confused about their life goal, we can consider

that these students are the youths who don’t have a life purpose, or whose life purpose

is unclear (p. 77). Also, in the study of Cox (2009) it was claimed that a common goal of

college students would be to finish their undergraduate studies and obtain a bachelor’s
degree, which was central to their academic aspirations. Also, some of the participants

(undergraduate students) listed one of their aspirations is to pursue graduate degrees in

the respective fields of their choice that are relevant to their current program. It was also

noted that majority of the participants in this study were dominated by the fact that their

futures hung in the balance of their success in their current degrees, further stressing

the importance of their aspiration to succeed in their undergraduate program .

In addition, Stoyles, Chadwick, and Caputi (2015) aimed to investigate the

relationship between purpose in life, hope, coping, and inward sensitivity among first-

year university students. Results of the Stoyles et al. (2015) study reveal positive

correlations were found among all variables, along with low indicators of suicidal

ideation. The significant correlations between all variables with the exception of

suicidality goes on to show the protective nature of the aforementioned variables.

Furthermore, direct correlations between self-efficacy, social desirability and life

purpose has also been shown in the study of De Witz et al. (2009).

However, Ackerman (2013) claims that there is no correlation between PIL

(purpose in life) and Grade Point Average (GPA), and that careful statistical analysis

revealed that there is no correlation between PIL and GPA (p=0.20), only weak

correlation between PIL and reading scores (p=0.20), and moderate correlation

between PIL and math scores (p=0.01). She advises that these results can be utilized in

order to inform educators in regards to the lack of a significant relationship between the

PIL and academic success. It is important to note though, that the subjects utilized in

Ackerman’s (2013) study are 11 grade students. Hence, certain factors may contribute
th

to the results of the study.

 Gender and ethnicity does not have a significant relationship with life purpose

meanwhile, individuals with religious affiliation have a better sense of meaning (DeWitz,

et al., 2009; Garcini, Short & Norwood, 2013; Bek, 2015). Presence of meaning

correlates are stronger among young adults, middle-age adults, and older adults

(Steger, Oishi & Kashdan, 2009). Steger et al. also suggested that individuals at their

later stages of development have more meaning in life than those at the earlier stages

(2009).

A study by Karp (2011) suggested that college students without clear future goals

are likely to be skewed from a good academic track by minor challenges. A clear goal

will be detrimental to the academic motivation and commitment for college students.

College students are likely to develop commitment when they engage in campus

activities. Also, they can attain commitment when they realize the utility of a college

degree in employment, or the enjoyment of being a college student, or the importance

of college.

Kennett, Reed, & Stuart (2013) identified reasons for attending college as two

types: internal and external. Internal reasons include liking learning, pursuing a major

life goal, and giving back to society while external reasons include family and societal

expectations, earning respect, and proving oneself to others. It was stated that students

with internal reasons were more academically resourceful and in control of academic

path compared to students with external reasons.

Filipino college students may enroll and attempt to finish college in order to repay

their parents’ kindness for raising them. This is called utang na loob in Filipino

psychology. Utang na loob or depth of gratitude functions when the beneficiary

acknowledges the goodwill received from the benefactor at the same time feel the need

to reciprocate goodwill even if the kindness does not request payment (Rungduin, T.,

Rungduin, C., Aninacion, Catindig, & Gallogo, 2016).

. 

METHOD

Research Design

A qualitative research design, particularly was used by the researchers to

investigate the lived experiences of academically at-risk college students. According to

Husserl, “phenomenological studies focus on how people perceive and talk about

objects and events, rather than describing the phenomena according to predetermined

categorical system, conceptual and scientific criteria” (as cited in Pietkiewicz & Smith,

2012, p. 362). This particular research design allowed the researchers to examine the

perception,causes, and aspirations of academically at-risk college students in the light

of the individuals experiencing the phenomenon themselves.

Additionally, qualitative research as Pietkiewicz and Smith (2010) put it, is

concerned with the quality and meaning of an individual’s lived experiences where both

the participants’ and researchers’ interpretation are given consideration in the process

of analysis.

Participants

Five (5) academically at-risk college students of ages 17 to 24 who are under

academic retention (e.g., academic probation) in selected Universities in the city of

Manila were chosen as the respondents of the study. The participants were selected

using a non-probability purposive sampling method. 

Instruments

In the effort of gathering relevant data for this study, the researchers utilized

personal data sheet, informed consent form and interview schedule. All of which will be

discussed in the following:

1. Informed Consent Form 

Consent forms were marginalized in order to give the participants sufficient

information regarding the current study’s nature. These forms also certified their

willful participation in the study after having been educated with all the information

needed.

2. Personal Data Sheet (PDS)

Personal Data Sheets were used to account for all the demographic

information of the participants deemed needed. Among the information included are

age, gender, year level, and the degree program, the university where they are

currently enrolled and whether or not they are under academic retention. This aided

the researchers in the process of identifying the respondents.

3. Interview Schedule

An interview schedule was designed to answer the problems of the study.

Beforehand, this interview guide were subjected for expert validation of three
 professors in Psychology who are equipped with the knowledge of conducting

qualitative research. This served as the researchers’ guide in conducting the semi-

structured interview.

Procedure

The researchers took into serious account the following procedures:

1. The researchers sought permission from the program head of Department of

Psychology to conduct the study outside Far Eastern University – Manila.

2. The participants were gathered through purposive and convenience sampling

method. The researchers made sure that all respondents who participated in the

current study possessed the predetermined criteria. 

3. Informed Consent forms were given to the participants to warrant their

understanding of the current study’s nature, risks and potential benefits as well

as their willingness to participate. Since the researchers conducted face-to-face

interviews, the consent forms included the permission to record the interview with

an audio recorder.

4. Participants who agreed to participate were provided Personal Data Sheets to

account for their demographical information. The researchers then facilitated

individual interviews at the respondent’s most convenient time. Additionally, a

standby psychologist supervised the interview process so that proper and

 immediate intervention could be given in case the participant experiences

emotional distress during the process of sharing.

5. Transcriptions of the recorded interviews were completed to document the data

collected. The transcribed interviews were then used by the researchers in the

analysis of data. The anonymity and confidentiality of the participants’ responses

were highly observed by assigning them with code names which served as their

identification.

6. All data gathered was documented using digital recorder and a microSD memory

card and was stored in a secure place where only the researchers have access

to it. The data will be properly disposed after one year by crushing the micro SD

memory card beyond repair to ensure that confidentiality of the data will not be

breached.

Data Analysis

         The researchers analyzed the data with the aid of thematic analysis. A deeper

understanding of the data was achieved by making use of such. Braun and Clarke

(2006), specified thematic analysis as “a method used for identifying, analyzing, and

reporting patterns (themes) within the data” and that “‘rigorous thematic approach can

produce an insightful analysis that answers particular research questions” (as cited in

Jugder, 2016, p.2).

        An audit trail was used to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. According to

Creswell and Millar, “in order to develop a detailed audit trail, a researcher needs to

maintain a log of all research activities, develop memos, maintain research journals,

and document all data collection and analysis procedures throughout the study” (as

cited in Carcary, 2009, p.15). Thus, to facilitate the audit trail, the researchers provided

the research adviser with a transcription of the interviews conducted to assure the

authenticity of data.

RESULTS

Question 1. What are the reasons behind college students being academically at-

risk?

Category 1. Intrinsic Factors

Factors that are within, and relate directly to the self of academically at-risk

college students. These are factors that are internal to the academically at-risk college

students which causes them to be in their current situation. These internal factors which

are viewed by the students to be contributing to their at-risk status include college

adjustment difficulties, subject matter weakness, lack of academic self-efficacy, student

laziness, absenteeism, self-alienation, self-fulfilling prophecy, unhealthy pessimism,

academic devaluation and external locus of control. All of which will be discussed

further below.

Theme 1. College Adjustment Difficulties

 The unpreparedness of academically at-risk college students to adapt to tertiary-

level education leads them to finding difficulty to adjust to the seemingly fast-paced

setting in college and fail to keep up with the demands they must meet.

“Mas grabe ‘yung difficulties ng college life kesa sa highschool.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS

Psychology)

“Nagulat. Kasi nga nasanay ako na wala akong ginagawa (noong high school) tapos pumapasa ako.”

(Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“Parang ang bilis lang po ng [mga] pangyayari… ang  bilis bilis po lahat kasi nga tri-sem po [tapos]

June to March lang.” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“Yun din po pala yung isang factor… ‘yung nahirapan po akong mag-adjust sa... tri-sem after kong

hindi mag aral.” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

Theme 2. Subject Matter Weakness

The innate lack of ability to comprehend and efficiently perform in specific

subjects of academically at-risk college students. Four of the five participants had

admitted having weakness in some of their subjects, particularly math, causing them to

fail multiple times. This adds to the factors that led to the course of failure for

academically at-risk students.

“Wala talaga akong maintindihan sa lessons ko. Math in particular. Wala talaga akong maintindihan.”

(Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“Ayaw ko ng memorization at ayaw ko talaga sa math. Ewan ko talaga kung bakit pero iyon [math]

talaga ang weakness ko.” (Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business Administration)

“Puro math po yung ano… nagkaka line of seven po ako.” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early

Childhood Education)
 “Maaga ako na-expose sa business ad kaya puro math agad tapos puro bagsak pa ako... tapos nung

lumipat ako dito may math nanaman, ayun natakot na ako sa math.” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old,

BS Education)

Theme 3. Academic Self-Efficacy

This is the academically at-risk college students’ belief that they cannot perform

well in academic endeavors. They believe that their own capacities are not sufficient to

accomplish classroom activities. This, in turn, negatively affects their actual

performance in class.

“...’pag dating po sa subjects, selective [o pili] nalang po ‘yung… pinaniniwalaan ko na kaya ko.”

(Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“Parang average lang yung capacity ng isip [ko]. Mahirap makisabay sa [mga taong]... Sabihin na

nating matalino” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

Theme 4. Student Laziness

A state wherein academically at-risk college students act sluggishly towards

classroom activities. They give inefficient effort in completing tasks causing them to fail

the activities and eventually, the class. Student laziness may be in the form of poor

study habits, absenteeism, and lack of persistence.

Theme 4.1. Poor Study Habits

Students at-risk in school do not give sufficient effort and time to study

their class lectures. Instead of investing their time studying their lessons, they
 find themselves being occupied by not school-related activities or overcame by

their own laziness. 

“Thirty minutes lang na aral tapos yung natitira na oras nanunuod nalang ako sa laptop.”

(Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“Doon lang ako mismo nagbabasa pag mag e-exam na parang 15 minutes before the exam.”

(Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“Yun talaga ang kalaban ko... katamaran.” Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information

Technology)

“Tamad ako magaral. Iyon talaga ang nature ko” (Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business

Administration)

Theme 4.2. Absenteeism

The non-appearance of a student in class causes them to fail due to

exceeding the maximum number of absences and missing out on important

lectures, quizzes, and other classroom activities.

“Pasok lang ako [at] attendance sabay lalabas tapos tatambay lang ako.” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years

old, BS Education)

“...’yung katamaran ko talaga na pumasok sa umaaga…” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early

Childhood Education)

“Feeling ko po yung absences ko [isa sa mga naging dahilan]...” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS

Early Childhood Education)

“[Bumagsak ako sa] philosophy due to absences.” (Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business

Administration)

Theme 4.3. Lack of Academic Persistence

 An attitude of academically at-risk college students to discontinue from

trying to pass the course when faced with academic difficulties. Their failure to

pursue the course eventually leads them to class failure.

“...once na hindi ko maintindihan [‘yung lessons], parang tinatamad na talaga ako magpatuloy”

(Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

Theme 5. Pessimism

A mental attitude in which academically at-risk college student strongly believe

that undesirable things are going to happen to them in school more than desirable ones

which hinders their academic performance in school.

“Masyado ako pessimistic magisip…” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“Iniisip ko yung mga cons [disadvantages], mostly cons [disadvantages] ganoon...” (Respondent 3, F,

20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

Theme 6. Academic Devaluation

The belief of academically at-risk college students that they do not need

education to succeed in life. The disregard for the importance of academics causes

them to be apathetic towards their classroom failures which subsequently leads to

academic risk.

“Di ako naniniwala sa formal education to be honest. Mas naniniwala ako na matuto ang mga tao sa

experience. For example… uhh… business. Maraming tinuturo sa atin ang mga professor natin na

kung anu-ano. Galing siya sa books pero most of the time hindi siya nag-aapply in real life.”

(Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business Administration)

 “Pero ako na nagsasabi na hindi hadlang yung diploma para maging successful ka. Maraming

successful without a diploma.” (Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business Administration)

Theme 7. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

An occurrence when academically at-risk college students tend to live up to the

negative expectations of people about them. These students experience resignation in

trying to redefine other people’s beliefs about them because they believe nothing will

happen even if they try to do so. They yield to other people’s damaging expectations by

not trying to perform effectively in school.

“Ba’t ko ba aayusin kung kung ganoon din naman ang tingin nila sayo? Mabuti pa pangatawanan ko

nalang.” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“...pinaninindigan [ko] po yung sinasabi nila [other family members]...” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years

old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“Parang tanggap ko na na ganu’n na’ko, ‘yung sinasabi nila [friends].” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years

old, BS Information Technology)

Theme 8. Self-Alienation

A situation wherein academically at-risk college students wilfully disengage

themselves from interacting in class, seeing socializing with classmates as pointless.

This limits their opportunity to seek help from classmates when they need it.

“..bakit ko pa ba sila kikilalanin e next sem iba na naman mga kaklase ko diba. So hinahayaan ko

nalang na… ganu’n.” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“...mga subject ko kasi ngayon iba-ibang mga kaklase so parang wala akong maasahan wala akong

matanungan. Lagi nalang ako nasa likod.” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)
 “Hindi naman po hirap kasi yun nga po, kagaya din ng sabi ko ayaw ko din po talagang

makisalamuha sa kanila.” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“Simula nung nagloko na ‘ko, iba na yung nakasama ko. Doon ko na-feel na mag isa na lang ako.”

(Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

Theme 9. External Locus of Control

This is the perception of academically at-risk college students of outcomes as

controlled by external forces, or by chance. Academically at-risk college students tend

to see their situation as something that is due to external factors and not by themselves.

“Hindi ko makita sa sarili ko [ang dahilan nang aking pagbagsak]... kung hindi makita ng teachers mo

‘yung [efforts] ibabagsak ka.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“...kung bumagsak ako sa mga subjects na alam kong deserve kong pumasa, hindi ko na problema

‘yun kasi alam kong deserving akong pumasa.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

Category 2. Extrinsic Factors

Factors that are outside of the person, or unrelated to the actions of academically

at-risk college students. These are external or environmental factors that causes the

academically at-risk college students to be in their current situation. These factors

include family and financial problems, negative peer influence, program mismatch,

course irrelevance, teacher factors and work to school spillover.

Theme 1. Family Problems

 The conflict that occurs within family members. In effect, students become

preoccupied by their family problems causing them to lose focus in classroom activities.

The lack of focus on classroom tasks contributes to their academic failure.

“Siguro sa bahay. Kasi minsan pag nandoon ako sa bahay di pa nga ako naghuhubad ng sapatos

ang dami na pinapagawa. Tapos lalabas ako para gumawa ng thesis ko, gagabihin ako galit pa sila

[my parents]. Ipapaliwanag mo [na ginabi ako dahil sa thesis] galit sila. Tapos pag hindi mo ginawa

[iyong thesis], galit pa din sila. Parang hindi mo na alam kung saan ka lulugar.” (Respondent 2, M, 22

years old, BS Education)

Theme 2. Financial Problems

A situation wherein financial incapability has been the reason why academically

at-risk college students find it hard to enroll in a university/ college right after finishing

high school. Thus, affecting their choice of school and degree afterwards. Another

aspect of this would be the preoccupation of their family’s current dire financial status,

which reduces focus towards school activities.

“Hindi kaya ng budget [mag UST or FEU] ni Mama tsaka ni Papa” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old,

BS Psychology)

“Nag-educ din po ako [pero hindi natuloy]... Ayaw pong mag sustento ng family ng tito ko.”

(Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

Theme 3. Negative Peer Influence

The negative influence from friends or peers that leads to academically at-risk

college students’ engagement in poor academic behavior particularly absenteeism.

They engage in cutting classes and other behaviors that further escort them to

academic risk.

“Na-bad influence ako ng mga classmates ko dati. Cutting class, punta ng computer shop, ganon.”

(Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

Theme 4. Program Mismatch

A condition where the college degree program taken by academically at-risk

college students does not match the program they personally intend to take. Such

condition reduces their motivation in performing classroom activities, thus, adversely

affecting their classroom performance.

“Na-INRA ako noon eh, kaya [Education na lang] ang pinili ko.” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS

Education)

“...iba po kasi yung field na gusto ko… katulad nga ng sinabi ko kanina, [kung ‘yung gusto ko ang

kinuha ko] mas motivated po ako.” (Respondent 3, F, 20, BS Early Childhood Education)

Theme 5. Course Irrelevance

A condition where academically at-risk college students perceive a particular

course to be unnecessary and pointless in their degree program therefore, they are

demotivated to give effort in these classes. Most of these “irrelevant” classes are minor

subjects.

“Yung mga lessons na tinuturo sa inyo di naman natin na-aapply eh. For example, Algebra. Mayroon

ba kayong Algebra? Sabihin natin nag-aral tayo ng Algebra or Rizal, for sure mayroon kayong Rizal.

Paano mo siya gagamitin after you graduate bilang psychologist?” (Respondent 5, M, 22 years old,

BS Business Administration)
 “Hindi ako motivated mag-aral lalo na kung alam kong walang kuwenta ang course.” (Respondent 5,

M, 22 years old, BS Business Administration)

Theme 6. Teacher Factors

This refers to the influence a professor has over the behavior and attitude of

academically at-risk college students towards the particular subject which they handle.

Students under academic risk specified that the professor’s ineffective way of teaching

and lack of care hinders them from attending and performing effectively in a certain

class.

Theme 6.1. Professor’s Way of Teaching

How a professor teaches in class influences the participation of academically

at-risk college students. If a professor simply reads out passages directly from the

book, and does not do much to elicit active engagement in class, academically at-

risk college students will be less interested, and subsequently display low

performance and absenteeism.             

“Yung alam naman nilang marunong kaming magbasa, binabasa pa nila. Tapos after ng kunwari

natapos na sa isang page, lipat agad.” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

“May professor po kami na... hindi po magaling mag turo. ‘Yun po yung hindi ko pinasukan…

binabasa niya lang yung power point… gusto ko po yung nag tuturo [ng maayos].” (Respondent 3, F,

20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“Mas natututo po kas kung yung parang nakikipag daldalan [interactive].” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years

old, BS Early Childhood Education)

 “Kapag wala talaga [akong] matututunan sa professor, talagang wala akong interes makinig.”

(Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business Administration)

Theme 6.2. Professor’s Lack of Care

Whether or not a professor cares for the outcome of their students influences

both behavior and attitude of academically at-risk college students. If their professor

shows that they have no concern for their students, the students are less likely to

perform actively, eventually leading to low academic performance.

“Important factor kasi mas marami silang alam kaya ang ine-expect ko sa kanila, na maintindihan nila

na hindi ko alam.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“Masyado silang tamad makinig at tamad magbasa nung mga sinusulat at ginagawa nu’ng student.”

(Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

Theme 7. Work to School Spillover

A situation wherein academically at-risk college students have to attend class

and work at the same time causing fatigue and stress which affects their classroom

performance.

“May isa akong kaibigan dati, napunta sa academic probation, bumagsak dahil kailangang mag-work

para… ma-enroll niya sarili niya. Kaya minsan hindi nakakayanan, bumabagsak ganoon, napupunta

sa academic probation.” (Respondent 5, M, 22, BS Business Administration)

Question 2. How do academically at-risk students perceive academic risk?

Category 1. Negative Perspectives of Academic Risk

Initially, academically at-risk college students perceive their overall situation as

grim. They see academic risk as a state that prompts others to treat them in a

demeaning manner, as state that makes them feel worthless, and a waste of their

efforts. They also see that they may have future complications due to their current

situation of being academically at-risk.

Theme 1. Feelings of Worthlessness

Students who are in academic risk view their situation as a status that makes

them feel they are good-for-nothing individuals because of their inability to achieve in

school. This mode of thinking negatively affects how they see themselves as

individuals, and as their parents’ child.

“Parang ano [bagsakin], yon. Mababang klase ng tao [ako].” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS

Information Technology)

“Wala ng kwentang tao [ako]. Sorry for the word” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information

Technology)

“Parang failure ka sa sarili mo... [at sa pagiging] anak.” (Respondent 2, Male, 22 years old, BS

Education)

“Parang patapon na [ako] ganoon…” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

Theme 2. Demeaning Treatment from Others 

 Academically at-risk college students see academic risk as a situation that

prompts other people to treat them in a undignified manner. They are being degraded

based on what other people say, and what they think other people say about them.

“Ano na lang sasabihin sakin ni Mama ni Papa, nung mga kapatid ko, ng family ko in general [kapag

bumagsak pa ako ulit].” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“Simula nu’ng narinig nilang [napunta ako sa] academic probation, ang nakita lang nila hindi ako nag-

aaral… na walang kuwenta ‘yung mga pinag-aaralan ko [psychology].” (Respondent 1, M, 18, BS

Psychology)

“Mamaya sabihin sakin “oh yung kapatid mo naunahan ka pa grumaduate. Mamaya siya pa magpapa

aral sakin. Eh diba nga dapat yung panganay ang magpapa aral sa kapatid niya?” (Respondent 2, M,

22 years old, BS Education) 

“binababa nila [professors] yung standards [in grading] nila para pumasa ako” (Respondent 2, M, 22

years old, BS Education)

“Sabi nila mommy mag- stop na lang daw ako ng pag-aaral...” (Respondent 4, Male, 22 years old, BS

Information Technology)

“Baka imbis na tulungan ako, baka lalo pa kong ano, i-down [ng mga kaklase ko].” (Respondent 4, M,

22 years old, BS Information Technology)

Theme 3. Waste of Efforts

Academically at-risk college students view academic risk as a situation where the

efforts they have put forth towards their academics had gone to waste. They believe

that they have exerted enough effort to pass, which was wasted because of failure in

those classes.
         “Nung nag-repeat ako [ng klase], sayang ‘yung… efforts ko.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years

old, BS Psychology)

“Yung parang nawala lahat ng effort mo noong sem na iyon..” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old,

BS Education)

Theme 4. Future Complications 

Academically at-risk college students believe their situation will trigger negative

events that subsequently causes other undesirable happenings to occur in the near

future, and eventually academic risk will compromise their career prospects. They have

the perception that they will find it hard to find a high-paying job upon graduation.

Likewise, their repeated failures will taint their student record and give them difficulty

when job-seeking after graduation.

“[Ito ay] isang bagay na [kapag] tumumba ka, may tataman na iba [domino effect]… [Noong]

tumumba [o] bumagsak ako, nagalit sakin si mama, in-enroll ako [at] nag-repeat ako.” (Respondent 1,

M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“[Kapag] hindi ka maka-graduate, mas mababa sweldo…” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS

Education)

“Mahihirapan ako makakuha ng work.” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

Category 2. Positive Perspectives of Academic Risk

Despite the initial negative outlook, academically at-risk students see something

positive come out of their situation, which is: academic risk serves as a “wake up call” or

realization of sorts to them and that academic risk generates social support from family,

peers and school counselors.

Theme 1. Wake Up Call

Academic risk is seen as a distressful situation by at-risk students wherein they

experience realization of their dire academic status and then try to resolve their situation

by improving their behavior towards classroom activities. They aim to cope up with their

current academic standing by acting upon it.

“Wake-up call... na kailangang bumawi [at] tumayo ulit...” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS

Psychology)

“[Noong nalaman kong napabilang ako sa academic retention], ‘di na’ko katulad nung dati na pa

easy-easy lang, na papasok lang ako para sa baon, kailangan ko baguhin yung sarili ko.”

(Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“Doon ako nag-start na mag-panic… Gumagawa ako ng actions ngayong term pa lang.” (Respondent

3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

Theme 2. Generates Social Support

Despite the initial dire outlook, with the help of other people, academically at-risk

college students see their situation as one that can boost morale due to the support and

encouragement they receive from friends, family and school counselors.

Theme 2.1. Friends

The friends of academically at-risk college students act as a support

system which encourages and motivates them to perform better academically.

 “They [my friends] view me as a human being… [My] support system… Nagtitiwala ako sa kanila

[and] at the same time, nagtitiwala sila sa’kin…” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“[May] support ang mga kaklase ko ngayon. Pinapa-alalahanan nila ako [at kapag] nakakumpleto ako

ng isang week, niyayakap nila ako [at] minsan pinapalakpakan nila ako ‘pag maaga ako.”

(Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“[May] motivation na binibigay sa’kin [ang] mga kaibigan ko… ‘Yung mga kaibigan kong nakilala ko

ngayon.” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

Theme 2.2. Family

Just like their friends, the family of some academically at-risk college

students support and encourage them by being proud of their achievements.

“[Nararamdaman] ko po ‘yung support ng mama ko… [Siya ang] pinaka-fan ko... Showy po siya sa

mga kaunting achievements ko sa school.” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood

Education)

Theme 2.3. School Counselors

Academically at-risk college students receive advice, guidance, and

emotional support from their respective guidance counselors.

“..tsaka yung one on one guidance counseling nakatulong [emotional support] naman. [saakin]”

(Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“Yung sa scholarship ko po tiyaka yung guidance counselor po namin nag tutulungan po sila para po

i-coach [at] i-mentor po ako [sa gagawin sa school]...” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early

Childhood Education)

Question 3. What are the aspirations of academically at-risk college students?

Category 1. Present-Focused Aspirations

These pertain to the hopes and dreams of academically at-risk college students

which focus on how to positively change their present situation. At-risk students have a

desire to change in order for them to regain and maintain good academic standing.

Theme 1. Desire to change oneself

The desire of academically at-risk college students to change their attitudes and

behaviors which will help them perform better academically. They exhibit willingness to

help themselves in their quest of getting out of academic retention.

“Sana matuto pa kong mag exert [ng effort] at bumukas ‘yung utak ko.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years

old, BS Psychology)

“Kailangan ko baguhin yung sarili ko [para sa school, tulad ng] papasok na ko sa klase...”

(Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“Ano po, syempre po optimistic po ako na masusurvive ko po yung term namin na ito.” (Respondent

3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“...’yung pumasok na talaga. Kahit hindi kaya, talagang umalis sa bahay… [at] pilitin na mag stay sa

school lang… [Gusto ko ding baguhin] ‘yung pagiging overconfident ko sa cramming.” (Respondent 3,

F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“Siguro sisimulan ko sa lifestyle ko. Hihinto ko na yung pagpupuyat tsaka yung pagiging addict sa

facebook. Next naman, pakikisama... aalisin ko na yung hiya ko at saka yung takot.” (Respondent 4,

M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

Theme 2. Regain and maintain good academic standing

 The aspiration of academically at-risk college students to get out of academic

probation and preserve a satisfactory academic standing to keep them from going back

to academic risk. This seen as a stepping stone of the students to achieve their future-

focused aspirations.

“Sana makapasa...” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“Pag napasa ko ito, sana hindi na ulit ako mapunta sa academic probation.” (Respondent 2, M, 22

years old, BS Education)

“[Sana] mawala na po sa [academic probation] ngayon.”; “Ipag patuloy na po na wala na po ako sa

ganoong standing.” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

Category 2. Future-Focused Aspirations

How academically at-risk college students perceive the outcome of their fate,

these are the future aspirations of academically at-risk college students for themselves.

When asked about their far goals, the students have one thing in common, to graduate.

After their graduation, some of them would want to pursue further studies in relation to

their field of interest. This is for them to attain their desired career in the future, and in

turn, fulfill their familial responsibilities.

Theme 1. College Graduation

The aspiration of academically at-risk college students to eventually finish their

current degree program. This is not a surprising result since most, if not all, of the

students aspire to finish their respected programs.

“Kailangan ko na din talaga grumaduate...” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

 “Matapos ko po yung course [degree program] ko ngayon.” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early

Childhood Education)

“Target ko next year [grumaduate].” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

“Gusto ko na matapos… ‘yun talaga ang pinaka-goal ko. Ayaw ko na mag-aral, so gusto ko na ipasa

‘to para matapos na…” (Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business Administration)

Theme 2. Pursue further studies

The aspiration of academically at-risk college students to pursue a postgraduate

degree that may or may not be connected in their present field.

“Actually, ang gusto ko lang ano eh, MA.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“Itutuloy ko ‘yung PhD.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“God knows kung destiny ko ba talaga ‘yung PhD or MA.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS

Psychology)

“...’yung pinaplano ko po ngayon… magte-take pa po ako ng further studies.... Psychology na po…

Doktor po.” (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

Theme 3. Attain desired career

The aspiration of academically at-risk college students to have a career that is

related to their present field. Academically at-risk students tend to credit their current

degree as the key in getting their desired career in the future.

“Gusto ko lang mag Clinical Psychologist.” (Respondent 1, M, 18 years old, BS Psychology)

“Mag bi-business muna ko, then tsaka ako mag li-LET [Licesure Exam for Teachers], tapos saka na

ako magtuturo.” (Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

 “Puwede ko naman magustuhan yung Education… pagtuturo sa mga bata ganoon... parang may

[relation] din sa mga behaviors. “ (Respondent 3, F, 20 years old, BS Early Childhood Education)

“Kapag naging successful [ako] financially sa mga business ko eventually, ‘yun ang magiging

stepping stone ko to become a philanthropist, kasi to become a philanthropist kailangan may pera ka.

Kailangan may pera ka.” (Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business Administration)

“Pinaka-long term goal ko is to become a philantrophist. Ako kasi, mas gusto kong ma-share mga

thoughts ko how to be aware to help other people. To help people to be aware to help other people.”

(Respondent 5, M, 22 years old, BS Business Administration)

Theme 4. Fulfill Family Responsibilities

Academically at-risk college students’ aspire to potentially provide for the needs

of their family when they become successful. Two of the participants stated their

eagerness and willingness to succeed in their desired career for them to be able to help

their family financially. However, it is apparent that they want to start helping themselves

first and make themselves successful so they will have the means to support their

family.

“Kailangan [kong] pumasa kasi may naghihintay [sa aking] kapatid na kailangang pag-aralin.”

(Respondent 2, M, 22 years old, BS Education)

“Aayusin ko muna ‘yung family ko [financially]… tapos ‘dun ko na talaga gagawin ‘yung best ko para

makamit ‘yung goal ko.” (Respondent 4, M, 22 years old, BS Information Technology)

“[Nakikita ko sarili ko sa kinabukasan na] naahon ko na sa hirap yung family ko.” (Respondent 4, M,

22 years old, BS Information Technology)

DISCUSSION

Academic Risk Factors

 Results of the current study had shown that repeated failure is a result of not

one, but many factors combined. Simply put, all participants had attributed many factors

to their at-risk status. As confirmed by Lucio et al. (2012), academic risk stems from

multiple causes and the number of these risk factors, not their nature, put the students

in academic risk. In essence, the more risk factors the students have, the higher the

probability that they will experience academic risk.

In addition, these multiple causes were categorized by the researchers into two –

intrinsic and extrinsic factors since all participants had attributed the causes of their at-

risk status internally and externally. Intrinsic factors are those that are within and relate

directly to the self while extrinsic factors are those that are outside of the participants.

These factors are specified by the respondents to explain their poor academic

outcomes.  According to Perry et al. (2008) multiple attributions exist when students are

explaining the causes of their failures. These attributions may be internal (e.g., ability)

and external (e.g., professor quality) to them (Perry et al., 2008).

Intrinsic Academic Risk Factors

The researchers found out that the intrinsic factors which contribute to the

participants’ at-risk status include college adjustment difficulties, subject matter

weakness, academic self-efficacy, student laziness, lack of perseverance, pessimism,

academic devaluation, self-fulfilling prophecy, self-alienation, and external locus of

control.

Participants who are academically at-risk experience difficulties in adapting to

their college life, termed by the researchers named as “college adjustment difficulties”.

The respondents find it hard to cope or adapt to the demands of higher level education
comparing it to their prior learning experience or their secondary education. This

inability to adjust deters their academic performance and leads them to the path of

academic risk. Previous study of Crede and Niehorster (2012) had found that

adjustment difficulties can indeed interfere with the students’ ability to perform well

academically. Moreover, academic adjustment is significant in predicting college grades

and retention (Crede & Niehorster, 2012). Thus, sufficiently preparing the students

before they step to college will be beneficial for them to adapt to the seemingly fast-

paced educational setting in the tertiary level.

Subsequently, not only did the participants in the current study experience

college adjustment difficulties, they admitted having weaknesses on certain subjects,

specifically in math. In connection to this, the students acknowledged their lack of ability

and difficulty in comprehending and performing effectively in particular classes. This

weakness in a specific subject, termed as “subject matter weakness” is another theme

that emerged in this study’s findings. Mekonnen and Reznichenko (2008) conducted a

qualitative study that examined failure in a specific subject and found that students who

repeatedly fail on a particular subject find it difficult to understand or grasp concepts

included in the subject itself. This is in line with the current study’s results as indicated

by the participants’ responses admitting difficulties in understanding their weaknesses in

particular subjects. When these students fail to understand the course matter, they

submit themselves into other maladaptive behaviors which further escort them to

academic risk.

Furthermore, the researchers discovered that the academically at-risk

participants are lacking in academic self-efficacy. More than having specific

weaknesses, the respondents tend to believe that their own capacities are not sufficient

to accomplish classroom activities. They have the belief that they cannot perform their

academic tasks well. This belief was seen by the respondents to be a contributing factor

to their at-risk situation. Prior study on academic self-belief confirms this result.

Consequently, Patall et al. (2012) proposed that self-belief is multidimensional and

focusing on the academic aspect of self-belief of competence and worth yields to a

more accurate prediction of academic performance. Valentine et al. (2004) even

furthered that a negative belief about one’s own competence lead to poor academic

outcomes.

With regard to the abovementioned, factors that led to academic risk among

college students extend to their behaviors. The findings of this study suggest that

student laziness, as a theme, is considered by the participants to be a leading factor

that placed them in academic retention. This is supported by the study of Ormita and

Vargas (2015) who pointed out that laziness was identified by the students, themselves,

as the primary reason for them being in academic risk. Participants who indicated

laziness as a factor are in a state where they act listlessly towards their school activities.

Moreover, student laziness is seen in the participants’ apparent poor study habits,

absenteeism and lack of persistence. Poor study habits materialize when they do not

give sufficient effort and time to pass their class and study their class lectures causing

them to fail in the requirements and eventually the subject. Ryan et al. (2015) stressed

the importance of study time in relation to students’ academic grade. Accordingly,

students who failed to invest their time reading their academic books end up not getting

high grades or even failing because they did not study or study enough to pass.
 As mentioned earlier, the researchers discovered that student laziness also

appear in the form of absenteeism. Academically at-risk college students engage in

non-attendance which added significantly to their being at-risk. Their absences caused

them to miss important activities and lessons that are needed to pass a class. Going

further, Wigley (2009) suggested that a strong positive relationship between attendance

and examination performance exists. Considering the lessons missed by the

participants due to their absences, it is likely that they will perform poorly in their

examinations. This is perhaps, not a surprising result, but it does underpin the teachers’

perceptions that unless the parents encourage their children to attend their class every

day, they will not be able to help them towards their enhancement of analytical skills

which is necessary for their academic success (Wigley, 2009).

Lack of academic persistence is another manifestation of student laziness that

emerged in our current study. When these students are confronted by difficult concepts,

they will immediately withdraw from trying to understand it. These “learners” would

rather rely on excuses instead of creating alternative plans for the solution of their own

academic difficulties. The participants stated that once they didn’t manage to

understand the current lesson, they would not bother exerting any more effort to resolve

the matter. This result is in line with the study of Nakajima, et al. (2015) showing that

academically at-risk students have a shortfall when it comes to being committed

towards academic and career goals. 

Interestingly, the current study found out that the students’ counter productivity

do not only manifest in their behaviors, but rather extend to their attitudes. They exhibit

pessimism which makes them think that nothing good will happen to them in their
respective classes. This theme is named by the researchers as “pessimism”. They often

think and believe that undesirable things will happen to them in school more than

desirable ones. This negative attitude stresses them out and warrants a negative effect

on their classroom performance. It deters their effective functioning in school and

impacts their grades deleteriously. Akgun and Ciarrochi (2003) uncovered in their

findings that students who are better able to control their negative attitude or pessimism

are capable of handling academic stress, thus, withstanding its negative effect on their

performance in school. However, students who cannot control their pessimistic attitude

and emotions successfully are less capable in handling academic stress causing them

to fail their classroom tasks and eventually their class (Akgun & Ciarrochi, 2003).

The aforementioned themes all contribute significantly to the students’ academic

risk. However, the researchers had discovered an interesting finding with which one of

the participants in this study do not give importance to education as a whole. This

theme is regarded as “academic devaluation”. In the respondent’s beliefs, education is

not needed in order to succeed in life. They disregard the importance of their education

which causes them to behave ineffectively in school setting. To Stephan et al. (2010),

students who experience demotivation in educational setting devalue education as a

whole. This is not to say that such students do not have motivation, but rather their

motivations stems from outside the school. They are motivated to accomplish tasks

which they see as important for their desired success. Unfortunately, these do not

include schooling.

Performance of at-risk students are also affected by the expectations they

receive from other people. Negative expectations from other individuals, particularly
from family and friends, are considered by the participants to be an essential factor

contributing to their current academic status. They tend to live up to these people’s

negative expectations of them and resign from engaging in activities that will help them

uplift themselves from being academically at-risk. In a clear sense, these students

engage in self-fulfilling prophecy wherein they stand to make the negative expectations

they receive from their family and peers become true of them. In fact, Jacobs and

Harvey (2005), in their study of expectations and academic achievement, discovered

that parental expectations predicts their children’s academic achievement. Essentially,

when parents have positive expectations toward their children’s academic achievement,

the children become high achieving. On the other hand, when parents have negative

expectations regarding their children’s schooling, the implications on their children’s

school performance is negative as well (Jacobs & Harvey, 2005). This implies that

having and giving negative beliefs about academically at-risk college students do not

help them in any possible way. Receiving encouragement from the people surrounding

them will help them cope with their risky academic status.

Meanwhile, for Yii-Nii (2010), the development and the quality of interpersonal

relationships the students have is imperative for them to develop a good quality of life in

the university. In contrast, if the students have failed to develop positive interpersonal

relationships, their quality of life in the university will be seen as a failure. This is

important because the findings of this study stress that students in academic risk exhibit

self-alienation. They accentuated their willful disengagement from their friends. This

happens because the respondents do not find it necessary to interact with other

students and establish relationships with them, thus, alienating themselves from their
peers. They have a preconceived idea that it would be pointless trying to socialize with

other students since they do not have a fixed college block or section anyway. In

essence, these students do not experience a good quality of university life. Also, this

self-alienation limits the participants’ opportunity to engage in help-seeking behaviors

from their classmates when it is necessary for them. In addition, Redden (as cited in

Johnson, 2005) proposed that alienation materializes when students separate

themselves from their peers and teachers, hence, finding themselves isolated from a

group in which they should belong to during an activity.  This alienation is associated

with undesirable academic outcomes (Johnson, 2005).

It was found out in this study that students who are at-risk academically have

external locus of control. They do not hold themselves solely accountable for their

present academic status, but also attribute it to outside, uncontrollable factors. Putting

the responsibility outside of themselves do not render adaptive academic behaviors

since they are not seeing themselves as instruments which can greatly help them in

coping with their academics. Furthermore, since they perceive these factors as external

to themselves, they believe that they cannot control these factors, and in turn, not act

upon it. Mkumbo and Amani (2012) furthered that among low performing students,

academic failure is often attributed to external forces. They claim that their poor

academic outcomes are results of external factors, not exclusively of themselves

(Mkumbo & Amani, 2012).

Extrinsic Academic Risk Factors

Another category of academic risk factors, as formed in the current study, are the

extrinsic factors which are also viewed by the students as contributing factors to their
repeated academic failures. Such themes include family and financial problems,

negative peer influence, program mismatch, course irrelevance, teacher factors,

particularly their way of teaching and lack of care, and work to school spillover. 

Most of the participants stated that having problems within the family is one the

main reasons for them to give less attention towards their studies. The participants

discussed how their difficulty with a member of the household would affect their well-

being and behavior towards their academics. Therefore it is hard for them to focus on

school related activity with those negative thoughts circling around their mind. According

to the study of Landy and Tam (as cited in King, McDougall, DeWit, Hong, Miller, Offord,

Meyer & LaPorta, 2007) most important predictors of children’s well-being appears to be

psychosocial variables such as family cohesion and parents’ social support.

        Financial problem is also one of the external factors stated. The participants

believe that having financial problems can adversely affect their academic performance.

Some of them did not manage to enter the school or program of their choice due to this

reason. Having a financial problem places a student under stress that may cause them

to exert less focus toward their academics, this is supported by the studies of Welbeck

et al., Kara et al., and Trombitas (as cited in Bennet, McCarty, & Shawn, 2015) which

implies that financially stressed students were more likely to drop courses and less

likely to graduate.

        One of the external factors that led these students to be academically-at risk is

the negative influence from their peers and friends. It was shown in the study of Ormita

& Vargas (2015) that being exposed to negative peer influence came in as the third

reason why students believe they are in academic risk. A student coming in to a new
environment would usually find a way to fit in, may it be engaging in risky behaviors, to

gain new sets of friends.  Furthermore, since parents are not as involved with their

offspring  in the college setting, these students are more likely to sway over to peer

pressure, slowly changing the habit and behavior of that individual due to indulging

themselves to risky behaviors in order to remain connected in certain groups of people

of what they refer to as “friends”.

        Another reason stated by some of the participants of why they are academically

at-risk is because they do not belong in the right program, or what the researchers refer

to as “program mismatch”. They claim they would have exerted more effort if they were

taking the degree that they wanted. As shown in the findings from the study of Itaaga et

al. (2013), one of the causes of student apathy is when students are placed in a course

they are not into. Reasons behind this may include not being able to qualify in the

course that they actually wanted, or being coerced by their parents/guardians to take

this specific program.  Being under such situation decreases students’ motive to do well

in academics.

In addition, the participants classified two forms of courses or subjects in college,

the major and minor courses. Major courses are those subjects relevant to their degree

program. While on the other hand, they classified the minor subjects as “irrelevant”

courses as minor subjects. According on the responses of the participants of the

present study, they do not see the relatedness of these minor courses with their field

and their application to future career. For example, Rizal course should be studied by

college students in the Philippines because it is mandated by law. History majors, social

studies students or other degree program that is related to history may find it useful. But
students who are enrolled in other degree programs like business administration may

view it as an irrelevant course to be studied. They are not motivated and interested in

studying in these courses which lead them to disengage in classroom activities. In

support to that, Singh et al. (2002) stated that students may invest or withdraw from

learning depending on their interest in the subject. They must be enlightened by the

meaning and relevance of these courses in their future career in order to motivate them

to engage in classroom activities. 

Moreover, teachers are often one of the first adults to notice students who are

struggling or falling behind academically, and they are usually the adult who spends the

most time with students (Iachini et al., 2013). Teachers are educators and they establish

relationships with their students. Their way of teaching and care towards their students

provide an effect on the performance of academically at-risk college students. In the

current study, the participants stated that the way of teaching of their instructors or

professors affect their interest on classroom activities. They stated that they are more

engaged in the discussion if the professors’ way of teaching is interactive and fun, and if

they know that the professor is competent in providing discussion with regards to the

course. However, if the participants think that the discussion is boring, they will not pay

attention or they will not attend the next meeting. De Lay and Swan (2014) discovered

that the students observe the way of teaching and perform positively if the method is

interesting. However, if the student would see that the way they were instructed was

boring, they disengage to classroom activities by providing minimal interaction, by not

paying attention or by being absent during class. Aside from the way of teaching of their

professors, the academically at-risk college students’ classroom engagement is also

affected by their professors’ concern for them. They expect the professors to

understand their situation and show concern on them. According to Iachini et al. (2013),

lack of success of students in academics is attributed to lack of support from teachers.

The students appreciate the concern and respect that their teacher is giving. They also

want their teacher to make an effort to connect with them and help them cope with the

lessons that they were not able to catch (De Lay & Swan, 2014). The teachers’

relationship to the students provides an adequate effect to the success of the students

in the classroom activities.

For the last factor that the researchers had found in line with the extrinsic factors

that causes the academically at-risk students to be in their situation, there is the

existence of work to school overload. Regardless of their economic status, some people

believe that being able to get proper education will make their future life better.  This is

the reason why there are students who are working on a time full-or-part time basis just

to provide assistance to their education. These working students, will be managing their

time on studies and on work, thus needing proper time management. However, there

are times that they cannot handle it so this will eventually lead them towards being

academically at-risk. According to Itaaga et al. (2013), some students have full or part

time jobs either in the day or at night. Thus, many are either too busy or are tired to

consult lectures outside class, this indicates that whenever as student is having a hard

time balancing work and studies they will not have the opportunity and time to consult

their professors about the lessons that they have missed because they are busy or

tired, thus leading them to be apathetic at school. They are busy providing for their
education, but they are not nourishing their education because of fatigue and stress that

they get from work.

Perceptions on Academic Risk

    When people first hear the term “academic risk”, negative connotations appear

instantaneously. In truth, this is relatively accurate since results of the present study

show that academic risk in the context of the students experiencing it, see it as a critical

and perilous predicament. Ahmed et al. (2012) claims that college students who

experience repeated failure are at further risk of experiencing academic difficulties, and

are more prone to dropout, furthering the idea that there exists a negative perspective

when it comes to academic risk. However, results reveal that there exists another side

to how academically at-risk college students perceive academic risk, specifically in a

more positive light. Ahmed et al. (2012) claims that academically at-risk college

students see their critical situation and recognize the need to receive institutional

support. Fletcher and Tokmouline (2008) also describe that academic probation student

see their situation as a “wake up call”, showing their recognition to remedy their

predicament. In line with this, the researchers categorized the two sides of academic

risk perspective as: “Negative Perspectives of Academic Risk” and “Positive

Perspectives of Academic Risk”.

Negative Perceptions of Academic Risk

        Findings of the study go on to show that academically at-risk college students do

perceive academic risk as a deplorable situation overall. They see academic risk as a

situation that prompts other people to treat them in a demeaning manner, and that their
situation makes them feel worthless. Also, they see their being in academic risk as a

waste of their efforts. Finally, they also see it as a situation that may trigger a chain

reaction of negative events, and can negatively impact their career prospects.

Results of the present study reveal that academically at-risk college students see

themselves as worthless because of their failure to achieve a satisfactory academic

status due to their multiple failures in different courses. The researchers coined this as

“Feelings of Worthlessness”. Bartels and Herman (2011) claim that a student’s

perception of failure, that is if they fear it, prompts them to resort to behaviors that are

reminiscent of self-handicapping, and that they also feel negative emotional responses

such as shame and embarrassment when faced with failure. The problem is, as

literature suggests, is that the failure that academically at-risk college students attribute

to themselves is too general. In reality, it is only failure in one aspect, or a single

behavior that had occurred. This goes on to demotivate the affected students. The main

problem here is not the actual objective failure. Rather, it is the student’s perception of

that failure that actually matters (Turner & Husman, 2008). 

It was revealed in the present study that academically at-risk college students’

perception of their being begins to become lower when they are degraded by their

peers, professors, and at times, even their parents. This was termed by the researchers

as “demeaning treatment from others”. Houle (2013) claims that when informed of their

child being in academic probation, parents usually react with shock or dismay, and even

anger. These reactions prompt the affected student to think less of themselves. Data

analysis of the present study unveils that these students experience shame because

their character is being lowered by what these people say about them, and what they
think people say, leading them to see academic risk as a situation that prompts other to

treat them in an undignified manner.

Academically at-risk college students see their efforts as wasted once they were

put into academic probation. They feel that they had exerted much effort in their studies

albeit their apparent failure in specific classes. They perceive that their professors had

not recognized the efforts they had put forth, thus a reason for their failure. This was

called “waste of efforts” by the researchers of the present study. 

Academic risk as an initially negative event is very much apparent. However, it

affects the future of students that experience it as much as it does their present

situation. Academically at-risk college students see academic risk as an event that can

set off a chain reaction of disastrous events for their future. As an example, if you are

put under academic probation, your total number of units will be reduced. If your parents

discover this, they will get angry and eventually they may not want to fund your

education any longer. This reflects how academically at-risk college students see the

eventual “chain reaction” that their current situations may trigger. Also, academically at-

risk college students see their current status as one that will have a fallout of sorts when

it comes to their career prospects. They think that their failures will be like a stain on

their academic record, which would be a reason for prospective employers not wanting

to hire them in the future. This perception of academically at-risk college students’ was

entitled by the researchers as “future complications of academic risk.” In the study of

Cox (2009), respondents of their study claimed that their futures hung in the balance of

their success in their current degrees, further stressing the importance of their need to

succeed in their undergraduate program, later on leading to success in career. This

goes on to show that students equate success in school with success in their future.

Inversely, we may say that failure in school would be disastrous to a college student’s

future. 

Positive Perception of Academic Risk

Although initial conceptions of academic risk prompts those who are

experiencing it to dwell on the negative aspects of it, Results show that there still exists

an encouraging aspect of academic risk. That is, that academic risk serves as a “wake

up call” to college students that experience it, and that it generates social support for

academically at-risk college students.

It was shown in the present study that academically at-risk college students are

actually willing to solve their current predicament that is academic risk. This willingness

of theirs stems from the realization of their status and their recognition that they need to

do something to aid themselves. Specifically, to exit academic probation and attain, and

subsequently maintain a satisfactory academic standing. This was named by the

researchers as “wake up call”. Coincidentally, Fletcher and Tokmouline (2010) also

describe this realization that they are in a dire situation, and are in need of help as a

short term “wake up call” to academically at-risk college students. They also claim that

this actually raises their academic performance in the semester after their entrance into

academic probation. However, this boost in performance is actually short lived, and it

was shown that students who receive academic probation after their first semester have

the same graduation and persistence rates as students who perform poorly but do not

receive probation.
 Aside from a willingness to turn around their academic lives, academically at-risk

college students see their situation as one that generates concern and assistance from

their friends, family, and school counselors. Their friends and family provide social

support through encouragement and understanding of their situation, while school

counselors provide the much needed psychological help that students in this difficult

and critical period heavily require. The researchers called this “generates social

support”. To fortify this, Barouch-Gilbert (2012) states that support from friends, family,

and the institution play a significant role in their academic attainment during academic

probation. Specifically, the encouragement they received from these various sources

was what they viewed as favorable despite their current deplorable situation.

Aspirations of Academically At-Risk College Students

Even in the depths of academic risk, academically at-risk college students still

dare to dream about their futures. Their aspirations could serve as a protective factor

that could potentially motivate them to remedy their situation. There could be a myriad

of protective factors just like the risk factors; however, only aspirations for the future was

taken into account in this study. It has been argued by Daley (2010) that students are

self-directed and self-motivated if they realize their aspirations, dreams, and hopes. In

turn, the instructor gains the student’s cooperation and energy for an effective

collaboration that should lead the student to academic success.

The researchers classified the aspirations of academically at-risk college

students as either present-focused or future-focused. Present-focused aspirations are

the steps they aim to take in remedying their academic risk situation while future-

focused aspirations are their life goals in the far tomorrow. 

Present-focused Aspirations

When students realize their dire academic status, their academic performance

receives a short boost. This short boost is fueled by present-focused aspirations that

serves as motivations to escape academic risk. These include a desire to change

oneself and to regain and maintain good academic standing.

In the immediate future, academically at-risk college students want to focus on

fixing their present state. Results reveal their desire to change their attitude towards

academics to enable them to perform better. They are looking to decrease behaviors

that initially led them to academic risk such as poor study habits and absenteeism.

Results also displayed their desire to regain their good academic standing and maintain

it to keep them from falling again in academic risk. Despite experiencing academic

difficulties and being susceptible to expulsion, academically at-risk college students

become more willing and motivated to accept help from the institution compared with

other regular students. The willingness and determination of students to apply changes

for the betterment of their state are crucial factors for a successful academic probation

program (Ahmed et al., 2014).

Future-focused Aspirations

As for future-focused aspirations, the researchers discovered that academically

at-risk college students aspire to graduate, pursue further studies, attain desired career,

and provide support to their family. 

In the long run, academically at-risk college students yearn to finish their degree

program and graduate. It is not a surprising finding that college students desire to finish

their schooling because graduation is the goal of the vast majority, if not all of college
undergraduates. In Cox’s (2009) study, it revealed that most college students

considered the 4-year degree as central to their long-term aspirations. The college

degree is merely a stepping stone towards their true desire since some college students

also wanted to pursue further studies. Since their future depended on their attainment of

a college degree, they revealed immense anxiety about the educational road they took.

As academically at-risk college students worry about their college transition, they

struggle with the fear of being unsuccessful in college. This fear of failure turns to

motivation for academically at-risk college students to exert more effort and perform

better in classes.

The fear of failure also arises with the yearning of academically at-risk college

students to attain their desired career since securing such requires a college degree

(Cox, 2009). When academically at-risk college students recognize the utility of college

in employment, they become more persistent in accomplishing the courses. On the

other hand, students who do not recognize the worth of coursework act in

counterproductive ways. They tend to exert less effort, pass incomplete assignments,

and drop courses (Karp, 2011).

Finally, academically at-risk college students want to contribute and provide for

the financial needs of their family. Giving financial support to parents and siblings is

quite uncommon for western families. When talking about families, westerner’s goals

usually include bringing honor and becoming independent from parents (Kennett et al.,

2001). However, Filipino academically at-risk college students commonly consider

giving financial support to parents and siblings as a future goal. Perhaps it can be

explained by the concept of utang na loob or depth of gratitude. According to Rungduin,

T. et al. (2016), Utang na loob is a Filipino value that arises in interpersonal

relationships wherein a beneficiary is expected to reciprocate the kindness and

generosity of the benefactor. In a parent-child relationship, the child is expected to

exhibit utang na loob to their parents through continuous support and care for the

parents and siblings even after college (Rungduin , T. et al., 2016). The expectation of

reciprocation can pressure and motivate academically at-risk college students to finish

their schooling. Even though they, themselves, are experiencing tough times, they still

look at their families and dare to dream.

Model
Figure 2. Thematic Model of Academic Risk

Conclusion
 Academic risk among college students is multidimensional in nature. There is no

single risk factor that causes academic risk. Rather, it is an interaction of many factors

that produces it. This is a concept which had been continuously stated in this study’s

results, and had shown up repeatedly in supporting literature. This is congruent with the

researcher’s initial assumptions that a myriad of factors predispose one to academic

risk. Also, the researcher’s assumption that the causes behind academic risk would be

extrinsic and intrinsic also proved to be accurate. However, results had shown that the

early conceptions about the specific factors of both the latter concepts were largely

incomplete. Although the researchers rang true about some of the factors they

predicted, there were still some that showed up unexpectedly in both dimensions of the

extrinsic and intrinsic factors. 

As per how academically at-risk college students perceive academic risk, the

researchers assumed that the affected students would be embarrassed and demeaned

by their situation, as well as perceive themselves as failures who are in a nearly

hopeless situation. Results showed that there exists a negative perspective of academic

risk, which is that academic risk is a state of failure, a waste of the student’s efforts, and

a demeaning situation. Academically at-risk college students also see that they are

treated by their teachers with lower standards, that academic risk can set off a chain of

negative events, and that they may have future complications due to their current

situation of being academically at-risk. Apparently, the researchers presumed correctly

in some aspects of the latter, but did not capture completely in their assumptions many

of the previously mentioned perspectives. Surprisingly, the results showed that there

are positive perceptions of academic risk. Students who are experiencing academic
risk, once they become aware of their situation, get a “wake up call” which prompts

them to attain a realization of their dire status and subsequently recognize the need to

exert effort to turn around their academic lives. Not only this, academically at-risk

college students also see academic risk as a situation which generates social support

from their parents, friends and school counselors, which motivates them and enables

them to bear with their current situation. This was totally devoid from the researcher’s

assumptions and comes as a surprising new insight into academic risk.

Despite the dire situation, academically at-risk college students have aspirations

that serve as motivations that would aid them in recovering from academic risk. In the

immediate future, they yearn to change their attitudes towards academics in their

attempt to regain and maintain good academic standing. Eventually, academically at-

risk college students would want to graduate and finish their degree programs in order

to further pursue a desired career or education level in the far future. As Filipinos with a

depth of gratitude towards their parents, academically at-risk college students also

aspire to repay the kindness of their parents through supporting them when they

eventually graduate. Overall, the aspirations of academically at-risk college students

vary depending on the person. Although these aspirations have commonalities, there

would still be a multitude of varying types of aspirations the researchers have yet to

discover.

Limitations of the Findings

      Although the findings were able to add significantly to the current body of knowledge

about academic risk, it is important to remember that the results of the study pertains

only to the perceptions of selected academically at-risk college students. The results did
not include the perceptions of educators – the people who have the most contact with

these students and also their parents, among many others around them. It would

therefore be beneficial if further studies take into account how teachers, parents, and

other people who interact with academically at-risk students perceive academic risk to

shed light on a possibly more objective side of academic risk. Also, despite the fact that

this study does add something to literature regarding academic risk, existing knowledge

about it is still lacking.  As such, the researchers of the present study recommend that

their fellow academics further the inquiry into this relatively unexplored field to expand

available knowledge regarding academic risk.

         Despite the richness of the data the present study was able to collect and

subsequently analyze, it is still lacking in generalizability due to the present study’s

limited sample which consists of only five (5) respondents. It would be a good

suggestion that a quantitative study which could potentially yield a larger larger sample

with more generalizable results. Also, readers and future researchers should be mindful

in applying the study’s findings findings since a specific population was utilized to yield

results. These college students who served as the respondents are all studying in

Universities around Metro Manila, Philippines. However, the researchers did not include

students who dropped out of school after having been sanctioned with expulsion from

their respective universities due to their repeated failures. Likewise, the findings will not

be applicable to grade school and high school students and to college students studying

in schools with smaller populations.

Also, it has been reiterated many times that academic risk is caused by a myriad

of factors and while the results had shown several different causes of academic risk, the
researchers do not claim to have discovered every single risk factor. The risk factors

included and discussed in this study are also in line with the lived experiences of the

participants. Furthermore, it would be prudent for fellow researchers to conduct further

study regarding the risk factors that exist alongside academic risk in order to pinpoint

more of them.

         Aspirations of academically at-risk college students were given attention and it

was discovered that these aspirations which were classified into present-focused and

future-focused aspirations served as their protective factors which motivates them to

exit the depths of academic risk. However, this is only one of the many possible

protective factors that may exist within academically at-risk college students. Also,

existing literature regarding these protective factors remain sparse. In line with this, it

would be wise for future researchers to conduct studies which investigate further the

protective factors which exist among academically at-risk college students. Another

excellent prospective research would be to investigate the experiences of previously

academically at-risk college students who successfully bounced back from academic

risk and maintained a good academic standing in order to sample how they overcame

the influence of their respective risk factors and how their protective factors influenced

them to rise above their previously critical academic situation. 

Finally, with the knowledge the present researchers have gained regarding

academically at-risk college students, it would be an excellent recommendation to

conduct an inquiry into the creation of intervention programs, along with the

effectiveness and improvement of existing intervention programs for academically at-

risk college students. Specifically, Bogenschneider (1996) claims that effective

intervention programs define and identify the specific problems or risk factors, then

successfully target them. In line with this would be the effective identification and

subsequently fortification, of existing protective factors. However, protective factors

must not be limited only to those that exist. Rather, effective intervention programs must

create protective factors where none exist. In relation to this, intervention must be

comprehensive in addressing both protective and risk factors, along with being tailor-fit

to the affected population.

Reflexivity

Researcher 1
“There is nothing interesting about the lives of those academically at-risk

students. I have nothing to learn about their experiences”, said I, the lady who doubted

the purpose of this study. Incompetent, lazy, a person with hazardous future, these are

only some of the stigmatizing words that describes the at-risk students. But what about

their story? What about the reasons with regards to their situation? What about their

feelings? Before we gathered data, I was also one of those people who judged them

based on their incompetencies, laziness, and goals (wondered if they have one). I was

also one of those people who did not look behind what can be seen in an instant. While

conducting the study, little by little I became enlightened with their situation.  I became

aware of their stories, reasons and feelings. Surprisingly, it turned out that I was blinded

by what the society think they are and that I was wrong of judging them that easy. 

At-risk students also have their stories. Some might be thinking that these

students have a lot of resources and that they just waste it in a split-second by not

valuing their education. But what they did not know was that these people are
consistently trying to get a passing grade, to learn, to have a stable life, to make their

families proud and many more. These are some of the goals that other people

perceived to be ironic due to their academic standing. 

People view at-risk students as lazy and incompetent individuals but they are not

aware of these students’ situation outside the four corners of the room. They judge at-

risk students based on what they see inside the school; but what about their life outside

school premises? We found out that at-risk students also have problems. It can be

financial problems, problems at home or family problems, socialization problems, etc.

that the society cannot see. With not looking through that, it became easy for other

people to judge and criticize the academically at-risk students. They are also affected by

social judgements, some make it as their motivation to do better. However, most of

them view it negatively and chose to live behind those judgements. 

With regards to that, academically at-risk students are not extraordinary yet they

are also humans and they have the same feelings as we do. They can also feel

happiness, anger, sadness, the same feelings we have. What I discovered throughout

the study was that these students are very sentimental and feel very glad if their efforts

were acknowledged. Even so, they can also feel sadness. Some participants have

suicidal ideations because of negative thoughts and feelings regarding their situation.

After hearing these statements, my judgements had been eliminated. I became alarmed

by their suicidal ideation and it pushed me to let myself understand them more. 

Aside from enhancing my skills and gaining knowledge, throughout the study, a

lesson that played the most important role to me now and that has struck me was to be

sensitive enough of what I say and what I do. I had been judged base on my
incompetencies. I too experienced too much sadness. Putting myself in the situation of

these academically at-risk students, I cannot certify that I will be as resilient as them,

provided all the judgements that they hear from other people. I might also think of

committing suicide if I were in their shoes. But what I admire most about them is their

passion to overcome the situation they are involved in. They are positive that they can

do that.

Moreover, the experience that I had all throughout the study was extremely tiring

and energy draining. Despite of that, this study gave me the motivation to pursue my

passion and aspirations, which includes mental health promotion; because then I

realized that I am lucky enough to have opportunities that are not available to other

people. So why not use it to help those who are in need. Even after failing several

times, I am still given many opportunities. This study gave me the chance to understand

and accept those people that are different from me.  Thus, I value all the lessons that it

had left me.  With that, I can say, I learned a lot. In general, people may fail many times,

even so, whe should not judge them as failures and tolerate their doings; thus, we

should instead understand deeper what they are going through.

Researcher 2

From a vantage point of a student who frequently excels in academics, it was an

eye-opening experience to explore and understand the lives of academically at-risk

college students. Several of the risk factors dug from the gathered data were expected

such as student laziness and subject matter weakness however, there were some that

surprised and struck me. Who would have thought that students would internalize the

negative labels and expectations of other people then just fail all the way. Why would
they choose to waste their time and compromise their future from failing a course just

because people think they are stupid and lazy? Perhaps they rarely contemplate about

their futures that’s why they can tolerate their failures. I can never say, should I make it

as my future study?

I was disheartened when our original thesis that included purpose in life was

revised and turned to our current study. As a firm thinker of existentialism, I wanted to

establish and highlight the role of one’s life purpose in life success, that a student will

truly be at-risk when trapped in an existential vacuum and a student with a clear sense

of life purpose can excel in life with or without a college degree. I pushed myself to

exhaust all possible actions to save our old study but failed in the end. Thankfully when

I least expected it, the idea and philosophy I desired to draw from the study came to life

as we interviewed our fifth respondent. 

Truly, no one is the same and we can’t generalize academically at-risk students

as “tamad” or “bobo” because everyone has their own circumstances and that is not

always the case. I have interviewed students who really were lazy and perhaps

expected to be academically at-risk, and also defensive students who kept painting

themselves as a good picture but there were some whose lives were already ahead of

them and merely treat college as a side job. It marvels me to cognize that sometimes a

college degree is unnecessary to be successful in life, what is necessary is self-

knowledge, a clearly defined aspiration and the passion to work towards it. College is

only necessary if your aspirations demand you a college degree such as a doctor or a
professor and such but otherwise, college is just a safe path towards a stable future

which most people take. 

In the end, it was a privilege to contribute in unlocking the void that is academic

risk in the Philippines. After conducting our study and observing other students as well, I

can somehow concoct a link between our culture and classroom failure, the prequel of

academic risk. I think we are a culture that values education less compared to other

more progressive countries. We are a culture who would celebrate early class

dismissals and suspensions, revere lenient and flippant professors, and love traversing

the easy way out. I would love to explore this part of our culture and discover its link to

our global academic competence. I firmly believe in Rizal’s words that education is key

in building a better nation however, when education is available but the students are

apathetic, will it even make a difference?

Researcher 3

Why pursue an unexplored field? Why choose difficulty over triviality? Why did

we choose to study something about academic risk rather than something easier? At

first, I went with this decision because I felt that it would be challenging and prestigious

to write about a topic that not many have studied. Although I did anticipate that it would

be indeed challenging, I did not know that it would be THIS difficult and boy was it a

rough ride especially with it being a qualitative study, something I have zero practical

experience in, although our research adviser did provide us with sufficient knowledge to

start our endeavour to examine the lived experiences of academically at-risk college

students.
 Despite being a student who excels in subjects that interests him, I did come

from a rough background. I did not always have the resources I needed for school nor

did I always have much to spend for luxuries in my life. I don’t have a great family

situation either. However, none of that stopped me from excelling in what I liked.

Because of this, I believed that it was weakness of will and lack of aspirations that made

a student fail, and keep on failing. 

Although our literature review did point many factors that plagued academically

at-risk college students, I still believed in my previous conception about weakness of will

and lack of aspirations, as main contributors towards academic risk. It was only until we

conducted interviews that my previously adamant beliefs about these students were

instantaneously broken. It seemed as though the literature was correct in the fact that

academic risk is multi-dimensional and that no one factor causes it. This humbled me,

and because of this, I became more open minded about the experiences of our

respondents. What came into play at this point, was the hardships I experienced as a

student. I was exposed to many of the same risk factors they were exposed to and this

was what allowed me to be able to shed my previous negative conceptions about them,

and immerse myself in their experiences with little of my negative bias existing. 

It seemed as though our respondents, with the exception of one, was

experiencing much distress because of their situation. It’s not that they don’t want to get

out of academic probation or that they don’t have any goals. Rather, it’s that they are

having so much difficulty because of the multiple risk factors that they are experiencing

that they are having a hard time passing their courses now, and it was the influence of

the many risk factors that put them in academic risk in the first place. It was also a
surprising but pleasant experience to know that they have the same aspirations as do a

lot of regular college students, sometimes even grander. However, despite the many

risk factors that exist among them, it does not mean that we condone their failure.

Rather, it means that we need to apply our understanding in order to help these

students instead of further putting them down.  

This journey of ours into the lived experiences of academically at-risk college

students has not only given me substantial experience in qualitative research, but also a

deeper level of empathy for other people, especially our people who are in similar

situations to our respondents. Perhaps if everybody understood the experiences of

these students, the risk factors that jeopardize their education, their perceptions of their

at-risk situation, and their aspirations, less people would bear the prejudice and more

people would equip themselves with empathy, and perseverance to help these students

exit, and keep out of the depths of academic risk. 

Researcher 4

I had always believed that when writing, the most difficult and crucial part is

coming up with a topic that would capture the readers’ minds and interests, until we had

to choose one topic for our research. Choosing one from the many research topics we

had generated was difficult – if not, challenging. It seemed to me that every topic was

worth delving into, but it was impossible for us to study everything at once. That was

when I realized that writing is meant not just to feed the minds of the readers, but also to

allow yourself to be immersed in the process. Submerging yourself into doing something

requires motivation and since I have witnessed many students, including my younger
brother, fail to succeed in school, I was deeply motivated to pursue and invest my time

in conducting a research that is aimed to understand their academic failures. 

During the course of the study, we had held several interviews. Each interview

differ from one another in a sense that, they all have their own way of answering

questions. I saw how willing the participants in answering and giving their time to us.

This is important because it goes to show that not all academically at-risk students are

apathetic towards helping other individuals and themselves as well. Furthermore, the

participants we had interviewed all have different stories to share, all of which are

significant. However, even though their stories are all coming from different aspects,

they all have one thing in common – to put themselves in a better situation. 

What captured my attention the most as a researcher is how some of these

students experienced distress to the point of having suicidal ideation and attempt. This

is not included in the study’s findings because it does not answer the paper’s problems,

but it is something that should be given ample consideration. During the interview, it

appeared that these ideation and attempt were results of being put in a situation where

they feel like a failure.

Personally, I believe that in order to understand people and the events

happening to them, one should hear it from their own voices. This is one thing I take into

account since I view each individual as having their own way of seeing and defining

things. Also, I do not see academically at-risk students to be inherently lacking in ability.

Even before we came up with the study’s results, I had already seen how many different

reasons led students to academic failure since I have friends and a brother who are at-

risk academically. This is not to say that I had already anticipated all the themes that
came out. Additionally, although I have my own personal beliefs about academic risk, I

did not let those beliefs taint the results of the study so we could come up with a quality

research that can be a potential aid in helping academically at-risk college students.

As a researcher, it is important to separate my personal beliefs from the research

process to ensure that the results would be objective. However, it is important to

consider that our backgrounds and positions as researchers cannot be separated in

choosing what we would investigate, in this case, academic risk. I also acknowledge the

fact that our backgrounds have influence on how we chose to study academic risk.

Particularly, we studied academic risk in a way that (1) would give at-risk students the

voice to speak for themselves; and (2) would shed positive light to at-risk students

despite their critical academic status. This is in high hopes that the readers of the

present study will be enlightened about how they can possibly hinder or help

academically at-risk college students from coping up with their academic status.

 Researcher 5
Coming up with a topic for our study was truly difficult. The only thought that I had

in mind when I started my research class was “We need to come up with a study that is

interestingly unique, that it would capture a lot of readers' attention”. We actually

generated a lot of research topics, ones that we were prepared to put our backs into.

But of course, it only comes down to one. Of all the ones that we had, this study wasn't

really that engrossing for me. I mean, maybe we could've explored a more interesting

study. Do we really have to dive deeper to know why these students, who we have

coexisted with ever since we started studying, are apathetic towards academics?

Society see them as “learners” who comes to class just to talk, copy the work and
disturb others. From a view, we already see them as people who are more likely to

repeat a level and less likely to graduate in time, due to their lazines (which at first I

thought was caused by the fact that they do not really have an exact goal in life). As our

study slowly progresses, certain realizations pummeled at me real hard (harder than my

dad used to beat me), that there is more to these academically at-risk students than it

meets the eyes. We, as a group slowly came to realize that there are loads of factors

that contribute to the behavior of these certain types of people.

As we conduct our study, time finally came that we had to interview some of

these students, to know a thing or two of what made them academically at-risk. I was

glad that these “participants”, despite showing insufficient interest towards their studies,

was there to hand some of their time for the betterment of our research. I noticed during

the course of these interviews, that apart from stating their stories and the factors that

led them to their current situation, these people actually all have one common goal, and

that is for them to escape this “hole” they fell into (except for one respondent) and reach

a better situation in their lives.

It was wrong of me to think ill of these people at first, of course they wanted a

better situation.  Most of them are just are having a hard time getting there due to the

internal and external factors influencing their current situation. It bothers them so bad

that even the thought of ending their own life came across their minds just to end there

suffering as a student who's being stigmatized by the mass as a sad excuse for a flesh

and a good-for-nothing human being.

As our study came to an end, I must say that it was one heck of an adventure.

Not only that it provided me enough insight in the lives of the academically-at risk, and
 better  understanding of their situation, but also, a taste of what it's like to conduct a

qualitative study. Pretty challenging is what I'd say, considering the fact that I do not

have any experience in doing qualitative research. It is also through the findings of this

research that we hope to spread additional information to the reader, hoping that it

would increase their knowledge towards this matter, and ameliorate their current level of

empathy towards these set of people.

REFERENCES

Ackerman M. (2013). Relationship between student purpose in life and performance on New Mexico

standards based assessment. Walden University,

[Link]

Ahmed J., Chowdhury H., Rahman S. & Talukder M. (2014).  Academic probation: An empirical study

of private university students. Research in Education, 92. doi:10.7277

Akgun, S. & Ciarrochi J. (2010). Learned resourcefulness moderates the relationship between

academic stress and academic performance. Educational Psychology: An International

Journal of Experimental Psychology, 23(3), 287-294. Retrieved from

[Link]

Balduf M. (2009). Underachievement among college students. Journal of Advanced Academics,

20(2), 274-294.

Balfanz R., Herzog L., & Mac Iver D. (2014). Preventing student disengagement and keeping

students on the graduation path in urban middle-grades schools: Early identification and
 effective interventions. Educational Psychologist, 42(4), 223-235. doi:

10.1080/00461520701621

Barlow, J. & Fletcher, S. (2011). Student absenteeism: whose responsibility? Innovations in

Education and Teaching International, 48(3), 227-237, doi:10.1080/14703297.2011.593700

Barouch-Gilbert, A. (2016). Academic probation: Student experiences and self-efficacy enhancement.

Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research, 10, 153 –164.

Bartels, J. & Herman, W. (2011). Fear of failure, self-handicapping, and negative emotions in

response to failure. Center for Learning Innovation University of Minnesota Rochester, 1-11.

Retrieved, March 31 2017, from [Link] ED524320

Beks, H. (2015). Examining life goals and school attendance rates of Afghan students receiving

higher education in Turkey. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(2), 77-84.

Retrieved October 16, 2016 from [Link] /jets.v4i2.1109

Bennett, D., McCarty, C., & Carter, S. (2015). The Impact of financial stress on academic

performance in college economic courses. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, 19(3),

23-28. Retrieved April 9, 2017 from

[Link]

Bogenschneider, K. (1996). An ecological risk/protective theory for building prevention programs,

policies, and community capacity to support youth. National Council in Family Relations, 45(2),

127-138. Retrieved from http:[Link]/stable/585283 

Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in

Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Retrieved from [Link]

Bronk, K. C., Finch W. H., & Tali T. (2013). Purpose in life among high ability adolescents. High

Ability Studies, 21 (2), 133-145.

Blondal K. & Adalbjarnardottir S. (2012). Student disengagement in relation to expected and

unexpected educational pathways. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 56(1). doi:

10.1080/00313831.2011.568607

Brint. S., & Cantwell. A.M. (2014). Conceptualizing, measuring, and analyzing the characteristics of

academically disengaged students: Results from UCUES 2010. Journal of College student

Development, 55(8), 808-823. doi: 10.1353/csd.2014.0080

Carcary, M. (2009). The research audit-trail – Enhancing trustworthiness in qualitative inquiry.

Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 7(1), 11-24.

Cox R. (2009). Promoting success by addressing students’ fear of failure. Community College

Review, 37(1), 52-80. doi: 10.1177/0091552109338390                         

Credé, M. & Niehorster, S., (2011) Adjustment to college as measured by the student adaptation to

college questionnaire: A quantitative review of its structure and relationships with correlates

and consequences. Educational Psychology Review, 24 (1), 133–165. doi: 10.1007/s10648-

011-9184-5     

Daley, F. (2010). Why college students drop out and what we can do about it? Retrieved from ERIC

database.     

De Lay, A. M., & Swan, B. G. (2014). Student apathy as defined by secondary agricultural education

students. Journal of Agricultural Education, 55(1), 106 – 119, doi: 10.5032/jae.2014.01106

De Witz, S. J., Woolsey, M. L., & Walsh, W. B. (2009). College student retention: An exploration of

the relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and purpose in life among college students.

Journal of College Student Development, 50(1), 19 – 34. doi: 10.1353/csd.0.0049

Fletcher J. & Tokmouline M. (2010). The effects of academic probation on college success: Lending

students a hand or kicking them while they are down? Yale College. Retrieved on April 6, 2017

from [Link] FletcherTokmouline _2010.pdf 

Garcini, L.M., Short, M. & Norwood, W. D. (2013). Affective and motivational predictors of perceived

meaning in life among college students. The Journal of Happiness & Well-Being, 1(2), 51 – 64.

Retrieved from EBSCOHOST database.

Houle, N. (2013). Academic suspension and student adjustment: How students make meaning of

their experiences (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved from EBSCOHOST.

Iachini, A., Buettner, C., Butcher, D., & Reno, R. (2013). Exploring students’ perceptions of academic

disengagement and reengagement in a dropout recovery charter school setting. Children of

Schools, 35(2),113-120. doi:  10.1093/cs/cdt005

Itaaga, N., Mugaga, A.M., & Kaahwa, Y. T. (2013). Apathy among undergraduate students at

Makerere University: An analytical study of the cause and possible solutions. International

Journal of Educational Research and Development, 2 (8), 203-210. Retrieved August

28,2016, from [Link] org/journal/ijerd

Jacobs, N., & Harvey, D. (2005). Do parents make a difference to children’s academic achievement?

Differences between parents of high and lower achieving students. Educational Studies, 31(4),

431-448.

Johnson, G. (2005). Student alienation, academic achievement and WebCT use. Educational

Technology and Society, 8(2), 179-189.

Jugder, N. (2016). The thematic analysis of interview data: An approach used to examine the

influence of the market on circular provision in Mongolian higher education institutions. Hillary
 Place Papers 3. Retrieved from

[Link]

[Link]

Karp, M. (2011). How non-academic supports work: Four mechanisms for improving   student

outcomes. Community College Research Center. 54. 1-4.

Kennett, D., Reed, M., & Stuart, A. (2013). The impact of reasons for attending   university on

academic resourcefulness and adjustment. Active Learning in Higher Education, 14(2), 123-

133.

King, G., McDougall, J. DeWit, D., Sungjin, H., Miller, L., Offord, D. Meyer, K., Laporta J. (2005).

Pathways to children’s academic performance and prosocial behavior: Roles of physical health

status, environmental, and child factors. International Journal of Disability, Development and

Education, 52(4), 313-344. doi: 10.1080/103949120500348680

Kpolovie, P. J., Joe, A. I., & Okoto, T. (2014). Academic achievement prediction: Role of interest in

learning and attitude towards school. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and

Education, 1(11), 73-100. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from [Link]

Lloyd-Jones, S., Bowen, R., Holtom, D., Griffin, T. & Sims, J. (2010). A qualitative study to explore

young people’s disengagement from learning. Welsh Assembly Government Social Research.

Retrieved from ERIC – Education Resources Information Center.

Lucio, R., Hunt, E., & Bornovalova, M. (2012). Identifying the necessary and sufficient number of risk

factors predicting academic failure. Developmental Psychology, 48(2), 422-428.

Mekonnen, A. & Reznichenko, N. 2008. Factors that contribute to the failure of developmental

mathematics courses. Regional NCTM Conference Cleveland, 1- 16.

Mkumbo, K. A. K., & Amani, J. 2012. Perceived university students’ attributions of their academic

success and failure. Asian Social Science, 8(7), 247-255.

Nakajima, M. A., Dembo, M. H., & Mossler, R. (2012). Student persistence in community colleges.

Community Journal of Research and Practice, 36(8), 591-613. Retrieved April 10, 2017 from

[Link]

Ormita, L. & Vargas, M.A. (2015). The development of an academic risk scale for Filipino college

students: Test conceptualization and item analysis. Asian Journal of Social Sciences and

Humanities, 4(1).

Patall, E. A., Awad, G. H. & Cestone, C. M. 2012. Academic potential beliefs and feelings:

Conceptual relations with academic outcomes. Self and Identity, 1-23. Retrieved from

[Link]

Pellerin, L. (2005). Student disengagement and the socialization styles of high schools. Social

Forces, 84(2), 1159-1179. doi: 10.1353/sof.2006.0027

Pellerin, L. (2000). Urban youth and schooling: The effect of school climate on student

disengagement and dropout.

Pietkiewicz, I. & Smith J. (2012). A practical guide to using interpretative phenomenological analysis

in qualitative research psychology. Psychological Journal, 18(2), 361-369.

Perry, R. P., Stupnisky, R. H., Daniels, L. M. & Haynes, T. L. (2008). Attributions (explanatory)

thinking about failure in new achievement settings. European Journal of Psychology of

Education 23(4), 459-475. 

Ryan, C., Moss. S.E., & Moss. J. (2015). Attacking classroom apathy. Academy of Educational

Leadership Journal, 19(3), 281-288. Retrieved, October 31, 2016, from

[Link]

Rungduin, T., Rungduin, D., Aninacion, J., Catindig, R., & Gallogo, L. (2016). The Filipino character

strength of utang na loob: Exploring contextual associations with gratitude. International

Journal of Research Studies in Psycholog,. 5(1), 13-23.

Schluckebier, M. (2013). Dreams worth pursuing: How college students develop and articulate their

purpose in life (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved from EBSCOHOST.

Selim, J. (2014). The relationship between student engagement and their academic achievement.

International Journal on New Trends in Education and Their Implications, 5 (4), 216-231.

Shanahan, K.J., Hermans. C.M., & Haytko, D.L. (2006). Overcoming apathy and classroom

disconnect in marketing courses: Employing karaoke jeopardy as a content retention tool.

Journal Marketing Education Review, 16(1), 85-90. [Link]/10.1080/10528008.2006.1148894

Singh, K., Granville, M., Dika, S., (2002). Mathematics and science achievement:  Effects of

motivation, interest, and academic engagement. The Journal of Educational Research, 95(6),

323-332. DOI: 10.1080/00220670209596607

Stefan, S., & David, D. (2013) The functions of worry and its relation to performance in controllable

and uncontrollable situations, Cognition and Emotion, 27(3), 521-529. DOI:

10.1080/02699931.2012.722075

Stephan, Y., Caudroit, J., Boiche, J., & Sarrazin, P. (2010). Predictors of situational disengagement in

the academic setting: The contribution of grades, perceived competence, and academic
 motivation. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(3), 441-455. doi:

10.1348/000709910X522285

Steger, M. F., Oishi, S., & Kashdan, T. B. (2009). Meaning in life across the life span: Levels and

correlates of meaning in life from emerging adulthood to older adulthood. The Journal of

Positive Psychology, 4(1), 43 – 52. doi: 10.1080/17439760802303127

Stoyles G., Chadwick A., Caputi P., (2015), Purpose in life and well-being: The relationship between

purpose in life, hope, coping, and inward sensitivity among first-year university students.

Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 17, 119–134.

Suhid, A., Aroff, A.R., & Kamal. N. (2012). Factors causing student absenteeism according to peers.

International Journal of Arts and Commerce, 1(4), 342-350. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from

[Link]

Swinton, A. (2009). A longitudinal examination of African American adolescents’ attributions about

achievement outcomes. University of North Carolina. Retrieved March 31, 2017,

from [Link]

Telbis, M. (2010). Confidence and academic success in higher education. Retrieved. March 31 2017,

from [Link]

Turner J., Husman J. (2008). Emotional and cognitive self-regulation following academic shame.

Journal of Advanced Academics, 20(1), 138-173.

Uchida, C. (2010). Apathetic and withdrawing students in Japanese universities with regard to

hikikomori and student apathy. Journal of Medical Dental Science, 57, 95 – 108. Retrieved

from EBSCOHOST database.

Valentine, J. C., Dubois, D. L., & Cooper, H. (2004). The relation between self-belief and academic

achievement. A meta-analytic review. Educational Psychologist, 39, 111-133.

Wigley, S. C. (2009). The relationship between attendance and academic performance in further

education college A/S psychology students. Journal of Further and Higher Education 33(2),

183-190.

Worley C. (2007). At-risk students and academic achievement: The relationship between certain

selected factors and academic success. Virginia Polytechnic and State University. Retrieved

from [Link]

Yii-Nii, L. 2010. Taiwanese university students’ perceptions of university life. Counselling Psychology

Quarterly, 23(2), 189-202.