Beyond the Classroom: Investigating the Influence of Active Community Engagement by Generation Z University Students on Academic Performance in Readings in Philippine History
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22011716Keywords:
community engagement, Generation Z, academic performance, Readings in Philippine History, service-learning, mixed methodsAbstract
This study investigated the influence of active community engagement among Generation Z university students on academic performance in Readings in Philippine History with Indigenous People's Study. An embedded mixed-methods design was employed, with the quantitative component serving as the primary strand and qualitative interviews providing contextual explanation. The quantitative phase involved 319 first-year Generation Z students selected from a population of 346 across nine sections at a local university in Valenzuela, while the qualitative phase involved nine student class presidents with prior or current community-engagement experience. A researcher-developed questionnaire, validated by three experts and pilot-tested with 30 non-participants, obtained a Cronbach's alpha of .916. Community engagement was described across community-based learning, political participation, faith-based engagement, cultural engagement, community-based sports, community-based drug-prevention programs, and eco-volunteerism. Political participation received the highest overall mean (M = 3.77, SD = 1.10), while faith-based engagement received the lowest (M = 3.05, SD = 1.25). Students' final grades were generally high (M = 92.85, SD = 4.81). The thesis's statistical model showed a very weak relationship between community engagement and academic performance (r = .038, R² = .001), with the reported model remaining non-significant (F = .456, p = .500). Qualitative findings nevertheless identified intrinsic motivation, family influence, emotional fulfillment, civic awareness and social responsibility, skill development, and academic connection as important influences on engagement. Students also described benefits involving time management, communication, leadership, critical thinking, motivation, and real-world application. The findings indicate that community engagement may contribute to students' holistic and civic development even when its direct statistical relationship with course grades is negligible. The study supports curriculum-integrated service-learning and structured school-community engagement opportunities.
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