Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The academic performance of every student has consistently been a

central focus within the field of education. Academic performance reflects a

student’s ability to apply learned concepts across various tasks. Collaborative

projects are increasingly recognized as an effective strategy for enhancing

student engagement, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills. These

projects foster an interactive and engaging learning environment, wherein

students participate in group activities that necessitate teamwork,

communication, and shared responsibilities.

This study will examine and demonstrate the effectiveness of collaborative

projects, in which students will work collectively through an experimental group

to solve problems and share knowledge, as compared to individual projects that

require students to complete tasks independently and showcase their

comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. The academic performance

will be quantified through project grades and activity scores.

This research aims to provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of

collaborative projects as a learning approach among Grade 12 Senior High

School STEM students at DIvine Saviour Montessori School (DSMS) Inc.

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Background of the Study

Collaborative Projects go beyond just working in teams; they represent a

deeper idea of coming together to reach common goals, which can greatly

benefit both individuals and the group. This type of project plays an important

role in education, allowing students to connect with one another in a meaningful

way and work together towards shared success.

Collaborative Projects is becoming more popular in schools as a way to

boost student engagement, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This

approach encourages active participation by involving students directly in their

education, rather than just having them make activities passively. Collaborative

Projects includes various teaching methods that promote teamwork among

students in small groups (Le et al., 2018). As noted by Ismail et al. (2018), the

core idea of collaborative learning is for learners to work together towards a

common objective. This means that, beyond focusing on their own studies,

students also play a role in supporting each other’s academic growth.

According to Johnson et al. (2016), collaborative learning environments

can improve academic outcomes by promoting critical thinking and

problem-solving skills. Some key factors contributing to the effectiveness of

collaborative projects include enhanced motivation and retention rates among

STEM students (Baker et al., 2015) and the development of essential soft skills

for future employment (Hernandez et al., 2020). Collaborative efforts within

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teams lead to collective knowledge enhancement and problem-solving

(Licuanan, Benitez, Cabral, et al. 2012).

This study aims to establish the effectiveness of collaborative projects in

the academic performance of Grade 12 STEM Senior High school students at

Divine Saviour Montessori School (DSMS), Inc., emphasizing the role of

teamwork in achieving academic success.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to identify the effectiveness of collaborative projects in the

academic performance of Grade 12 STEM students. Specifically, it aims to

answer the following questions:

1. Demographic profile of respondents

1.1 Age

1.2 Sex

1.3 Grade Level

2. How do collaborative projects influence specific academic performance

indicators such as project grade and activity scores among STEM

students?

3. Is there a significant difference in the academic performance of STEM

students who participate in collaborative projects compared to those who

do not?
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Hypothesis

H₀: There is no significant difference in overall academic performance

(e.g., project grades, activity scores) between STEM students who participate in

collaborative projects and those who do not.

H₁: STEM students completing collaborative projects will have significantly

higher project grades and activity scores compared to those completing
individual projects.

Scope and Delimitations

The scope of this study encompasses an in-depth investigation into the

effectiveness of collaborative projects on the academic performance of Grade 12

STEM students. This study will be conducted exclusively within the Divine

Saviour Montessori School (DSMS), Inc. Our target respondents are 64 grade 12

STEM students. 28 Students from St. Padre Pio and 36 Students from St. John

Paul II. This research will examine various types of group work and peer tutoring

among students, and how these collaborative projects affect the academic

performance of Grade 12 STEM students.

Furthermore, this study focuses specifically on Grade 12 STEM students

at Divine Saviour Montessori School, without examining other grade levels.

Additionally, collaborative projects had always been considered by the student to

be one of the effective ways of learning as it results in excellent grades. The

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researchers will adopt a quantitative approach, analyzing data through project

grades and activity scores.

Significance of the Study

By identifying the effectiveness of collaborative projects on the academic

performance of Grade 12 STEM students, the results of this study will benefit

the following:

Students. By identifying the effectiveness of collaborative projects on

academic performance, students will benefit by enhancing their academic

performance through collaborative projects. These projects will help them foster

essential skills such as communication, critical thinking, and teamwork, which is

vital in every student's development.

Parents. Through this study, parents can gain a deeper understanding of

how their children’s engagement with collaborative projects affects their

academic performance.

Teachers. Through this study, teachers can gain new perspectives by

making their teaching methods much more diverse in where their students can

adopt, leading to improved educational outcomes and a more engaging

classroom environment.
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School Administrators. By recognizing the potential influence and

effectiveness of collaborative projects on academic outcomes, administrators

can implement targeted intervention and support services to help students

develop.

Future Researchers. Through this study, Future researchers can expand

the scope of inquiry to include longitudinal studies or identify which STEM

subjects does collaborative projects are much more used in and have a

comparative analysis in between subjects.

Conceptual Framework
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Paradigm of the Conceptual Framework

The model explains the steps that the researchers took. These are the

Input, Process, and Output.

In the first frame, the input, the researchers determine the age, sex, grade

level. Influence, social interactions and observational learnings, and the

relationship between the extent of the participant in collaborative projects in

academic performance

In the second frame, the process, the researchers provided an activity in

which the teachers will approve for it to be conducted among Grade 12 STEM

students In Senior high school. Teachers will provide feedback regarding the on

the activity scores that the researchers provided. To develop a grading

framework that will substantiate the effectiveness of collaborative projects in

enhancing student learning outcomes of Divine Saviour Montessori School

(DSMS) Inc. for data collection, analysis interpretation and presentation of

findings/results.

In the third frame, the output, the effectiveness of collaborative projects on

the academic performance of grade 12 STEM students at Divine Saviour

Montessori School (DSMS) Inc will be identified.

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Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework for this study integrates several key concepts

and theories to comprehensively analyze the effectiveness of collaborative

projects on the academic performance of Grade 12 STEM students at Divine

Saviour Montessori School (DSMS) Inc.

Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977), assumes that individuals learn

through observing and imitating the behaviours of others in a social context . It

emphasizes the role of observational learning, where individuals acquire

knowledge and skills by watching models, such as peers or teachers, and

considering the consequences of the observed behaviours. Collaborative

projects often involve interaction among students, allowing them to observe and

model each other’s behaviours. This process enhances learning as students can

engage in vicarious reinforcement; for instance, if one student is rewarded for a

particular behaviour, others may imitate that behaviour to gain similar rewards.

Consequently, collaborative projects can enhance academic performance by

fostering an environment where students learn from both direct experience and

observation.

Social Interdependence Theory (Johnson & Smith, 2006), emphasizes

the importance of mutual dependency among individuals in a group. It highlights

how the success of one member is tied to the success of others, fostering an

environment conducive to collaboration. The theory asserts that positive

interdependence promotes cooperation, which enhances learning outcomes and

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academic achievement . When students work on collaborative projects, they

become aware that their contributions are critical to the success of the group.

This increases motivation and encourages students to support each other,

leading to better academic performance as they engage more deeply with the

material and benefit from diverse perspectives .

Social Capital Theory (Brufee, 1984), discusses that learning is a social

process, where knowledge is constructed through interactions within a

community. This theory emphasizes that collaboration and dialogue among

peers enhance learning and foster a shared understanding. In collaborative

projects, students engage in discussions, share ideas, and challenge each

other's perspectives, which helps build social capital. This social capital fulfills

not only educational needs but also contributes to students’ academic

performance by creating a supportive environment that encourages teamwork

and knowledge sharing .

Team Learning Theory (Licuanan, Benitez, Cabral, et al. 2012), this

theory centers around the idea that collaborative efforts within teams lead to

collective knowledge enhancement and problem-solving. This theory highlights

the importance of structured team interactions where members work together

towards common academic goals. Team learning emphasizes that students learn

more effectively when they are engaged in group discussions and

problem-solving activities. In collaborative projects, students share their insights

and knowledge, thereby enhancing the overall learning experience .

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Definition of Terms

For better understanding, different terms are defined based on this study
which are the following:

Academic Performance. Is the level of achievement students reach in

their studies, influenced positively by collaborative projects through enhanced

understanding and shared learning experiences.

Collaborative Projects. Collaborative projects are educational initiatives

where students collectively work towards common goals, enhancing engagement

and responsibility for each other’s learning, which leads to improved academic

outcomes .

Constructive Feedback. actionable insights exchanged from teachers

and parents during collaborative activities that promote reflection and skill

refinement, ultimately improving learning satisfaction and performance

Control Group. refers to a set of participants in the study who did not

engage in collaborative projects, serving as a baseline to measure the effects of

collaboration on academic performance. This group helps the researchers

understand the effectiveness of collaborative interventions by providing

comparative data.

Experimental Group. composed of participants who actively engage in

collaborative projects during the study. This group is used to assess the

effectiveness of collaborative learning strategies on academic performance,

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highlighting the benefits of teamwork and mutual engagement in educational

settings.

Peer. a fellow student of similar educational standing who collaborates

with others, contributing to shared learning objectives and enhancing overall

academic success through mutual support.