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TABLE OF CONTENT
Title Page
Chapter I. BACKGROUND AND ITS SETTING
1.1 Background of Study
1.2 Conceptual Framework
1.3 Statement of the Problem
1.4 Hypothesis
1.5 Importance of Study
1.6 Scope and Limitations
1.7 Definition of Key Terms

Chapter II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Common causes of tardiness
2.2 Effects of tardiness on engagement and participation
2.3 Relationship between tardiness and academic performance
2.3 Summary

Chapter III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Design
3.2 Research Site
3.3 Instrumentation
3.4 Research ethics protocol
3.5 Data collection
3.6 Statistical techniques
3.7 Respondents
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
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Survey questioners
CHAPTER 1

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Tardiness has already become a habit if some students nowadays, being tardy means coming

late on school even their house is just beside their school and it can lead to more serious problem

affecting their academic learning as well as in their performance , if students is not on time

everyday the students cannot perform well in the class discussion, when passing their output

after a deadline is also an example of being tardy. Tardiness causes students to feel disconnected

with school, leading to behavior problems and dropouts. Students who are frequently tardy to

school are also more apt to be fired from a job for showing up late. When students are tardy, they

negatively impact their teachers and other students.

Tardiness has been a longstanding issue in education, posing significant challenges to both

students and educators. Research indicates that students who arrive late to school consistently

miss valuable instructional time, particularly during the initial parts of lessons where

foundational concepts are introduced. This loss of learning time can adversely affect their

academic performance and disrupt classroom dynamics. Teachers often need to reteach content

for late students, which diverts time from other instructional activities and affects the progress of

the entire class (Caldarella et al., 2011; Tyre et al., 2011)

Chronic tardiness also fosters poor time-management habits, which can hinder students’

readiness for higher education and employment. Socially, tardy students may experience

alienation, as they miss group activities and peer interactions, reducing their sense of belonging
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within the classroom environment. This social disconnection may exacerbate their

disengagement from school, further diminishing their academic outcomes (Gottfried, 2014)

In the Philippine context, a study at Best link College of the Philippines revealed that

tardiness negatively impacts the academic performance of senior high school students. The

research emphasized the importance of addressing punctuality through school-wide policies and

interventions aimed at promoting time discipline among students (Bihison Barreto et al., 2019)

This study aims to analyze how tardiness specifically affects the academic performance of

senior high school students, providing insights into effective measures to improve punctuality

and overall academic achievement.

1.2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Independent variable dependent variable

TARDINESS ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE

The dependent variable is academic performance, measured through grades, class

participation, and task completion

The independent variable is tardiness, which refers to the act of being late to school or class.

This includes its frequency, duration, and causes (personal, environmental, or social factors).

1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study aims to investigate the impact of tardiness on the academic performance of grade

12 students Mindanao State University-Sulu. Specifically, this sought to answer the following

research questions:
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1. What are the common causes of tardiness among senior high school students?

2. How does tardiness affect students’ engagement and participation in classroom activities?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the frequency of tardiness and students’ academic

performance, such as grades, test scores, and overall achievement?

1.4 HYPOTHESIS

Null Hypothesis (H₀):

There is no significant impact of tardiness on the academic performance of senior high school

students at Mindanao State University.

Alternative Hypothesis (H₁):

Tardiness significantly impacts the academic performance of senior high school students at

Mindanao State University.

1.5 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is important because it aims to explore the impact of tardiness on the academic

performance of Grade 12 students at Mindanao State University – Sulu. By understanding how

tardiness affects students’ learning outcomes, the findings can help school administrators and

educators implement strategies to reduce tardiness and improve student engagement and

academic success.

The study also provides insights for parents and students to recognize the importance of

punctuality in achieving better academic results. Overall, this research can contribute to the

development of a more conducive learning environment, leading to enhanced academic

performance and discipline among students.

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1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study focuses on analyzing the impact of tardiness on the academic performance of

senior high school students at Mindanao State University.The participants will be Grade 12

students from the senior high school department. Data will be collected through survey

questionnaires and academic records for the school year 2024–2025.

The study is limited to senior high school students only; junior high school and college

students are excluded. It will focus solely on the relationship between tardiness and academic

performance, excluding other factors such as family background or study habits that may also

affect grades. The study will not cover tardiness in extracurricular activities or outside the school

context. These limitations are set to ensure the study remains focused and manageable during the

data collection process.

1.7 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS

 Tardiness

Refers to the habitual late arrival of students to their scheduled classes or school

activities beyond the designated time.

 Academic Performance

Represents the measurable outcomes of students’ learning, typically indicated by their

grades, test scores, and overall achievements in school.

 Grade 12 Students

Refers to senior high school students in their final year of study at MSU-Sulu Senior

High School, who are the primary respondents of this study.

 Impact
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Refers to the influence or effect of tardiness on students’ academic performance,

including its positive or negative consequences on grades, participation, and engagement.

 MSU-Sulu Senior High School

A secondary school located in Sulu under the Mindanao State University system,

which serves as the research site for this study.

CHAPTER II : REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.0

This chapter presents the related literature and studies on impact of tardiness on academic

performance.

2.1 COMMON CAUSES OF TARDINESS

Nakpodia and Dafiaghor (2011) attribute lateness or tardiness to a lot of factors or causes.

Going late to bed and waking up late next morning are the most common. The authors added

social networking and film-watching late at night can cause tardiness. The student may forget

that he/she needs to be in school the next day. Ledoux, as cited by Pimentel and Quijada (2011),

said that lack of sleep causes neural malfunctions and further affects a person’s behavior. In the

study’s case, it is a student’s punctuality that is affected. Sometimes, it is not solely the students’

fault why they keep on being late in coming to class. The distance between the student’s home

and school or solely the school’s location is also considered by Nakpodia and Dafiaghor (2011)

as a possible cause for tardiness. Not just because it takes more time to get to school, but

according to the authors, the student is susceptible to more distractions and hindrances along the

way. In some cases, individuals are obsessed by their appearance to the detriment of timely
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engagements in school. Oghuvbu (2008) agreed to this when he opined that “lateness is common

among females more than males”. This could be as a result of the fact that, females require more

time for their body and facial care and make up.

Another factor that could affect the punctuality of a student is the response of the teachers

to tardy students. Sprick and Daniels (2007) stated that the range of the teachers’ response was

“from ignoring them to sending them to office”. This variation could lead the students to

confusion as to how important it is to be on time in going to class.

Taras (2005) reports that malnutrition has an adverse effect on both cognitive functioning

and energy levels. Students who suffer either form of malnutrition generally tend towards high

tardiness and absenteeism rates. Synder (2011) added that, habitual lateness to class is typically a

sign of devaluation and contempt for teachers and other students who have arrived to class

punctually. That’s why students should know how to take advantage of their time and, if

necessary, not be late all the time. Nowadays, stubbornness isn’t a big problem for students; they

think it’s an ordinary thing. However, certain reasons for students ‘tardiness can be identified

whether the student has committed or not is exerted (Fullio et al. (2017).

Nevertheles Odebode (2019) observed in Nigerian Society that student’s lateness is on the

increase of indiscipline and negligence. While in Akoko South East Local Government Area,

Ondo State looked at lateness as a recurrent problem among secondary school students. Poor

preparation of school, going late to bed, distance to school from home, high level of poverty,

peer pressure, single parenting among others that the factors responsible for students’ lateness to

school as expressed by Nigerian teachers in elementary schools. It is concluded that the factors

responsible for lateness to school are enormous and practical solutions were therefore

recommended (Onoyase, 2017).

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2.2 EFFECTS OF TARDINESS ON ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION

One of the most recurring and the most “frustrating problem” that the schools are having

with their students nowadays is tardiness (Sprick and Daniels, 2007). It creates problems, not just

to the students but also to the teachers (Cowan Avenue Elementary School Community, 2007).

Common problem among students is that they have a hard time getting up in the morning, which

results to getting to school on time a constant uphill battle.

Lauby (2009) puts it as a term used to describe “people not showing up on time” and Breeze et

al. (2010) contributed by saying that, the term “class tardiness” has been defined as students not

attending lecture on time, missing out initial time from the first period and primarily not being

present in the time set. In most schools, a student is considered tardy when he/she is not present

when the school bell rings. Breeze et al. (2010) also added that, lateness is synonymous with

“tardiness”, which implies being slow to act or slow to respond, thus not meeting up with proper

or usual timing. It is obvious therefore that, lateness could be seen as a system of network

breakdown, a situation of not meeting up with programme, a function of time, time is the criteria

and determinant of lateness.

Student’s tardiness has already developed into a habit in the present. Even though a student’s

home is just next to the school, arriving late to class is still considered tardy and has an impact on

academic performance. A student cannot participate effectively in class discussions if they are
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consistently late, and turning in their work after the due date is another indicator of tardiness

(Caroro et al., 2017).

Participation is normally taken toward the start of the school day, understudy who arrived

behind schedule might be considered truants. One of the elements that adds to this worry,

understudies who have TVs in their own room are investing an excessive amount of energy in

watching motion pictures or one of the late-night television shows who awakens and came to

school late. Some school chiefs were confronting a similar worry of scaled back lateness,

incorporate awards for understudies who consistently arrive as expected and after school films

for the people who are generally reliable (Murray, Light 2000).

2.3 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TARDINESS AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Tardy students miss important instruction and get lower grades or fail subjects. They also

disrupt the delivery of instruction as they straggle into class late during the first 5 -10 minutes or

more of each class (Edufow, 2013).

Student tardies, attendance issues, and dropout prevention remain critical issues for high

schools, and there is limited research that supports the role of the school climate in preventing

student absenteeism and dropout (Bohanon et al., 2009)

Research shows that tardiness has a negative effect on academic achievement (Caldarella et

al., 2011; Gottfried, 2009; Gottfried, 2014). Gottfried (2014) performed a six-year empirical

study of urban elementary schools and determined two primary findings: “First, students with

greater tardiness perform worse on both standardized reading and math tests. Second, holding

constant an individual’s own record of tardiness, students whose classmates are tardy more

frequently also have lower test scores” (p. 1). Caldarella et al. (2011) found the following:
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Students who are frequently tardy may miss important opening announcements or academic

activities. Teachers can become frustrated as late students disrupt instruction, often requiring

reteaching of what they have missed. Tardy behavior can also negatively affect the overall

classroom environment. (p. 104)

Students who are frequently tardy may “infect” others and cause them to start becoming late

(Bataineh, 2014). “When many students arrive late to instructional periods throughout the day,

teachers must continually restart class or delay beginning instruction because it is not practical to

begin class on time (Tyre, Feuerborn, & Pierce, 2011, p. 132). In addition, Tyre et al. (2011)

point out that if several students arrive to Class tardy then classroom instruction time is greatly

reduced.

According to research, tardiness is also associated with poor student behavior (Grayson,

2008; Sprick & Daniels, 2007). Sprick & Daniels (2007) relayed that, in addition to robbing

teachers and students of instructional time and momentum, tardiness behavior also often leads to

opportunities for students to misbehave in the halls and restrooms as well as when coming into

the classroom (para. 2). Research by Gottfried (2014) also supports the negative behavioral

consequences of students who are tardy. Students who are tardy may become socially disengaged

from their peers or feel alienated causing negative interactions that lead to behavioral issues.

These behavioral issues can then, in turn, disrupt and negatively impact the learning of both the

tardy and non-tardy students (Gottfried, 2012, p. 4)

Gottfried (2014) relayed “School tardiness, or ‘tardies’ for short, is altogether an under-

researched area, and yet this behavior has been flagged a signal of educational risk by both

researchers and practitioners” (Gottfried, 2014, p. 3). He went on to say that “Being tardy is also
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a form of missing school, and similar to the effects of absences, tardiness may also be correlated

with worsened student outcomes” (Gottfried, 2014, p.4)

So it is understood that various causes of tardiness have been studied (Adegunja et al.,

2019; Bataineh, 2014; Maile & Olowyo, 2017). The negative effects of tardiness on academics,

in addition to behavioral and social implications have been researched (Drake, 2017; Gottfried,

2009; Gottfried, 2014). Teachers, school leaders, and district leaders have attempted plethora of

various strategies to tackle the issue of tardiness, including writing praise notes (Caldarella et al.,

2011).

Student tardies, attendance issues, and dropout prevention remain critical issues for high

schools, and there is limited research that supports the role of the school climate in preventing

student absenteeism and dropout (Bohanon et al., 2009

CHAPTER III : METHODOLOGY

3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN

In this study, a quantitative research design will be used. This design is appropriate because it

aims to measure the relationship between tardiness and academic performance among grade 12

students at MSU-Sulu Senior high school through numerical data and statistical analysis.

“Quantitative research is an approach for testing objective theories by examining the relationship

among variables. Creswell (2014)

3.2 RESEARCH SITE

The researchers will be conducting the study at MSU-Sulu Senior High School Department

where researchers will survey Grade 12 GAS students across different classrooms, allowing us
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to gather insights on the impact of tardiness on their academic performance. It is beside the

MSU-Sulu Gymnasium at MSU-Sulu Campus in Capitol Site, Jolo, Sulu.

3.3 INSTRUMENTATION

The researchers will employ a survey method to gather essential data for the study. They will

utilize a checklist questionnaire designed by the researchers to assess and identify the effects of

tardiness on the academic performance of Grade 12 students at MSU-Sulu Senior High School.

The checklist questionnaire will include closed-ended questions in a checkbox format, allowing

respondents to select multiple options that apply to their experiences. The questionnaire will

focus on gathering measurable data on the frequency and reasons for tardiness, as well as its

impact on students’ grades, participation, and classroom engagement.

3.4 RESEARCH ETHICS PROTOCOLS

The research will follow ethical guidelines to ensure responsible conduct. Permission will

be obtained from the advisers within the classroom before conducting the survey. Informed

consent will be secured from the students, ensuring they understand the study’s purpose,

voluntary participation, and confidentiality of their responses. All data will be kept confidential,

with no identifying information attached. Participation will be voluntary, and students may

withdraw at any time. The survey will be administered respectfully, with minimal disruption to

their academic schedule.

3.5 DATA COLLECTION

The data collection process for this study will be conducted systematically and collaboratively

by the researchers. Formal permission will first be obtained from the Director of the Senior High

School Department to conduct the survey and ensure that the research complies with academic
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standards. Regular consultations with the thesis adviser will be made to address any concerns or

adjustments during the process. A comprehensive questionnaire will be developed based on an

extensive literature review and tested for clarity and relevance. The researchers will employ a

stratified random sampling technique to select 5 respondents from each of the 7 sections of GAS

students. Consent will be obtained from both the students’ advisers and the students themselves

before participation. Once the data is collected, the researchers will conduct a thorough statistical

analysis to assess the findings and examine any patterns that may emerge, particularly focusing

on the relevant research objectives.

3.6 STATISTICAL TECHNIQUES

To analyze the data collected from the respondents regarding the impact of tardiness on

academic performance, the researchers will use regression analysis. This statistical technique will

help identify the relationship between tardiness (and academic performance, By analyzing the

data systematically, the researchers aim to understand how tardiness influences students’

academic outcomes.

3.7 RESPONDENTS

The MSU-Sulu Senior High School Department has a total population of Grade 12 students,

which is divided into several sections for the Academic Year 2023-2024. The researchers will

focus on the GAS (General Academic Strand) sections and will survey 5 randomly selected

students from each of the 7 GAS sections. This will result in a total of 35 respondents.
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REFERENCES

Orzano, J. L. (2023). Reducing student’s tardiness through SSIP (Students Success Intervention

Program). Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 15, 149–153. Retrieved from

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10140499

Diana J. Goodwin 7-2020 (July 2020)” A Comparative Analysis Of Tardiness Policies Of

Elementary Schools” ID: 311 https://dune.une.edu/theses/311