UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP SYSTEM DALTA

EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY ON THE ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS

Briones, Jay Alfonso V.

Castil, Kyle

Delos Santos, Michaella D.

Jordan, Katrina May M.

Manzano, Riel Nio M.

Morana, Jhon Aron B.

A Thesis Presented to

Mr. Aldrin A. Manlapaz

University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Las Pias

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for Practical Research

Humanities and Social Sciences Strand

Las Pias City

October 2017
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II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This section presents an analysis of selected literature and studies, both local and foreign

related to the research, focusing on the issue of teenage pregnancy and its effects.

Foreign Literature and Studies

A study from the University of Ghana published in 2013 aimed to identify the causes of

teenage pregnancy and its effects on the educational attainment of teenage girls. The study was carried

out at Chorkor in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. To be able to ascertain the effect of teenage

pregnancy on academic performance of teenage pregnant girls, the researcher further asked the

respondents to indicate their academic performance after their pregnancy. A majority of the

respondents posited that their performance was below average. It was clear from the results of the study

revealed that most of the teenage mothers had dropped out of school during and after the pregnancy

period. The study concluded that school dropout is seen as a cause as well as a consequence of teenage

pregnancy. (Gyan, C. (2013). Effects of Teenage Pregnancy on the Educational Attainment of girls at

Chorkor, a suburb of Accra. Journal of Social and Educational Research, 3(3).

doi:10.5901/jesr.2013.v4n3p53).

Ramirez and Carpenter (2008) categorize reasons for dropping out of school into four

issues; home, community/society, school and student based. According to them any of these or a

combination of any of them can contribute to girls leaving school due to pregnancy.
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According to Bezuidenhout (2004) pregnant schoolgirls are often openly discriminated

by their peers and learners at school. Other students call them humiliating names and tell them

discouraging words, while their teachers exclude them from group activities. This causes the pregnant

individual to discontinue her studies. A policy against pregnancy discrimination called The Equality

Act was passed on October 1, 2010. It introduces a new protection from discrimination for students

during pregnancy and maternity by extending the protection that exists for women in employment to

higher education. A student who is pregnant, or has given birth within the last 26 weeks, is now

explicitly protected from unfavorable treatment

According to Rangiah (2012): Pregnant schoolgirls are often absent from school for a

variety of reasons related to their pregnancy. Some of the most common physical problems associated

with pregnancy are nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and fatigue which may prevent the girl from going

to school. This causes a downfall in the individuals academic performance.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, teenage

parents often dont complete higher levels of education. They often have more restricted economic

opportunities than older parents. Poor socio-economic background is a common factor for teenage

pregnancy and in most cases, finances are reserved for the expenses of childbirth and nursing causing

the mother stops schooling.

Local Literature and Studies

A study of Tanya Darisi (2007) stated that a negative perspective on teen pregnancy

leads to a negative view of pregnant teens. The young woman who becomes pregnant sets in motion a

series of events that ultimately leads to the disaster of a teen birth. The pregnant teen becomes a statistic
 UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP SYSTEM DALTA

and assumptions are made about her character, intelligence and maturity. Young mothers are often

well- aware of these assumptions. These assumptions affect their level of self- esteem possibly causing

them to withdraw from social activities, interaction and the school environment.

According to Quinlivan (2004) Pregnancy has long term effects. The problems

encountered maybe physical, psychological, social, academic and emotional. Teenage mothers may be

subject to postnatal depression and drop out from school. Some mothers undergo a cesarean procedure

for the infants birth. The mother will need time to recover thus, withdrawing from school.