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
UNIVERSITY OF PERPETUAL HELP SYSTEM DALTA
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
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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.