Table of Contents

Background to the Problem

Significance of the Study
Research Objectives
Literature Review
Hypotheses Formation
Methodology Research Design
--Population and Sampling
--Conceptualization
--Operationalization
--Identification of Variables
--Data Collection
--Data Analysis
--Data Presentation
Appendices
-Questionnaire
-Informed Consent

References

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What is the relationship between TV viewing and

Academic Performance of grade six pupils in public
schools in St. Catherine

Background to the Problem

Watching television is something most children and adults do. It is convenient,

inexpensive, available, and appealing. Television can be very entertaining for children and can
teach them some things. But too often it is used as a substitute for studying.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that children and adolescents spend on
average seven hours per day on combined media devices. Since television is easily accessible in
a variety of media formats, it is important to understand 2its potentially harmful effects on
academic performance.
With limited access to a variety of recreational activities, children tend to be attracted to
the medium that is always available; television viewing. Also the availability of portable media
outlets only growing, it is easy for children to view several hours of television a day whether at
home, in the car or elsewhere. In a 2005 study published in The Archives of Pediatric and
Adolescent Medicine, Hancox. R, M.D., et al, found that excessive television watching is
associated with poorer academic performance and educational progress.
Putting boundaries in place is an important part of parental discipline in all areas of a
childs life, including watching television. It is often the case, where parents spend very little
time supervising their childrens viewing habits and are always the ones expressing great
dissatisfaction with their performance; to the extent where physical abuse is used to remedy the
problem.
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Significance to the Study

Every child in sixth grade looks forward to that one special day; the day they sit their
Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). The feeling of anxiety rests not so much on the fact that
they will be moving on to higher education, but being placed in the school of their choice,
mastering all subject areas to be named top boy or girl for the school, parish and overall
achiever across the island. This however comes with much sacrifice and good discipline. For
some this dream is never realized for one reason or another.
This study is being undertaken to determine the relationship between television viewing
and academic performance. This is quite essential as it will clarify any misconceptions about the
influence of television on the passes obtained by grade six students, be it negative or positive,
parents can also be guided into being better supervisors and managers of the amount of time
spent by the child watching the television. It will also provide a foundation for which further
studies can be conducted. The Ministry of Education can benefit from the findings in the sense of
creating a policy that encapsulates parents as part of their childrens learning process.

What is the relationship between TV viewing and

Academic Performance of grade six pupils in public
schools in St. Catherine

Research Objectives
This Research Paper aims to:

identify the difference in academic performance between a child who often watches tv

compared to another who rarely watches

identify the relationship between TV viewing and academic performance
to add information to the knowledge that already exists on the topic

Literature Review
The relationships between television viewing and the academic performance of children
and teenagers have been the subject of great controversy. Popular opinion and some educators
have held that television generally has had a detrimental effect; by taking up time that might be
better spent acquiring basic skills or doing homework, by encouraging a preference for quick
solutions and entertaining portrayals that is inconsistent with the sometimes frustrating demands
of schoolwork, and by creating tastes and enthusiasms that draw young people away from
intellectually

demanding

subject

matter.

Television (TV) has its good side. It can be entertaining and educational, and can open up
new worlds for kids, giving them a chance to travel the globe, learn about different cultures, and
gain exposure to ideas they may never encounter in their own community. According to an
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online source, TV viewing among kids is at an eight-year high. On average, children ages 2-5
spend 32 hours a week in front of the TV; watching television, DVDs, DVR and videos, and
using a game console. Kids ages 6-11 spend about 28 hours a week in front of the TV. The vast
majority of this viewing (97%) is of live TV.
Frederick Zimmerman and Dimitri Christakis at the University of Washington in Seattle found
that kids who watched the most TV before the age of 3 performed poorest on reading and
mathematics tests at ages 6 and 7.
Professor Shirley Biagi, in her recent publication of Media Impact/ an introduction to
Mass Media, highlighted a study conducted by the California Assessment Programme (CAP),
which tested the academic achievement of some sixth graders. The main focus was on the
responses to the question which asked, On a typical weekday, about how many hours do you
watch TV? The responses were matched to the students achievement test scores and revealed a
consistent relationship between viewing time and achievement. Students, who said they watched
more, scored lower in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics.
Research on relationships between amount of televiewing and reading has generally
shown negative correlations between large amounts of viewing and reading achievement. But
sophisticated methodologies reveal the connection to be complex. In a 1982 meta-analysis of 23
studies dealing with television and achievement in various academic areas, Williams and her
colleagues showed that some televiewing was beneficial, with viewing up to 10 hours a week
correlating positively with reading achievement. Beyond this amount, however, the correlation is
negative; reading achievement declines sharply with increased viewing.

What is the relationship between TV viewing and

Academic Performance of grade six pupils in public
schools in St. Catherine
A 2010 report published by the Henry J. Kaiser Family foundation indicates that nearly
half of all heavy media users report that they got fair or poor grades. This is thought to be the
result of displacement, or replacing time students should be doing homework or studying with
TV viewing. The more television students watch on school nights, the more their grades suffer.
TV viewing can also replace hours of sleep a child needs, making him less likely to perform well
in school.
Diehl and Toelle suggested therefore, that parents carefully choose educational
programming, keep televisions and computers out of a childs room, set rules limiting use of
media, and create alternative family activities. By developing daily routines and establishing
rules regarding television viewing during infancy and childhood, parents promote healthy
learning habits early. Structured routines can decrease the risk of learning and academic
performance issues as a result from television viewing.

Research Hypotheses:
Null Hypotheses (H0): Watching too much television results in poor academic performance.

Methodology
i.

Research Design

This research will be conducted using a quantitative approach and will be explanatory and
descriptive. The term explanatory implies that the research in question is intended to explain,
rather than simply to describe, the phenomena studied.
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The researcher will simply be examining the relationship, the effects of one variable on the other.
The study will be longitudinal; using a panel design. Simply put, it will be opened to the same
clusters of grade six students throughout their tenure in the grade. This will permit a more
generalized analysis of the problem.

ii.

Population and Sampling:

Population will consist of all grade six students in primary schools within the parish of St.
Catherine. The schools will be listed according to the Ministry of Educations registry. The
sample size will be determined from the attendance register to eliminate interference from other
variables. There will be a margin of error of 5%. The relevance of this population is to provide
a broader scope for capturing a more accurate representation of the general population.

iii.

Conceptualization

A television is an electronic system of transmitting transient images of fixed or moving

objects together with sound over a wire or through space by apparatus that converts light
and sound into electrical waves and reconverts them into visible light rays and audible
sound. Academic achievement or (academic) performance is the outcome of education; the

extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved their educational goals.

What is the relationship between TV viewing and

Academic Performance of grade six pupils in public
schools in St. Catherine
iv.

Operationalization

For the purpose of this study, TV viewing will be measured at the rational level; how often a
child sits to watch television and the accumulated hours per week. Academic performance will
also be at the Rational Level and will engage the interval measure in presenting the standardized
pass mark, established and accepted by primary schools in St. Catherine.

v.

Identification of Variables

Independent Variable TV Viewing

Dependent Variable Academic Performance

A Flow Chart will be used to show the direction of relationship between the independent and
dependent variables. In this study the relationship is projected to be Associational. This
correlation should show how one variable relates to the other.

vi.

Data Collection

The data will be gathered from the use of Questionnaires, covert observation, and Students
Achievement Records. The information collected from the questionnaires will be matched to
their achievement records for a comparison to be made. A copy of this instrument can be found
in the appendices. The questions will be structured using some open-ended and closed-ended
formats. The questionnaire will be administered at the last phase of the study to prevent the
Hawthorne Effect.
An informed consent from can also be found in the appendices as this will be a requirement that
must be met before students can actually participate in the study.
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vii.

Data Analysis

The researcher will inductively establish a categorical system of organizing the open-ended
information. The data will be analyzed in categories of gender, viewing frequency etc. For the
open-ended questions, the responses will be read through carefully and coded after the event, that
is, code in relation to kinds of answers, themes and issues, and categories of responses.

viii.

Data Presentation

The data will be arranged and presented so that it captures the readers mind and whole attention.
This will be achieved through a series of charts and tables, as seen below:

Bar Charts

Histograms

Pie Chart/Circle Graph

Information Table
These instruments will present the data in a compact and concise form without losing important
details.

What is the relationship between TV viewing and

Academic Performance of grade six pupils in public
schools in St. Catherine

APPENDIX 1
Questionnaire
Good day Participant
My name is Shaniel Reid-Henry, an Undergrad student at the University of the West Indies. I am currently
conducting a study to identify what relation there is between TV viewing and academic performance. The
study is important as the information unearthed will become useful in policies that are designed
concerning your education. This is a voluntary process and as such, you are privileged to withdraw at any
time you desire.
Instructions:

Please do not write your name on the paper as it is not a requirement for this process. All

respondents will remain anonymous and information treated with confidence.

Place a check () in the appropriate box to indicate your response.
Where lines are provided, use short sentences to respond accordingly.

1. What is your gender?

Male

[ ]

Female [ ]
2. Does your home have a television?
Yes
[ ]
No
[ ]
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3. Does your home have Cable TV service?

Yes
[ ]
No
[ ]
4. Do you enjoy watching TV?
Yes
[ ]
No
[ ]
Sometimes [ ]

5. What is your favourite TV Programme?

Comedy
[ ]
Cartoon
[ ]
Series Movie [ ]
Action movie [ ]
Other __________________________

6. When do you enjoy watching TV the most?

Morning time [ ]
Night time
[ ]
Mid-day
[ ]
Any time
[ ]
7. How much time do you spend watching TV before feeling to stop?
1-3 hours
[ ]
4-6 hours
[ ]
Over 6 hours [ ]

8. How do you decide when it is appropriate to watch TV?

_________________________________________________________________________

9.

Do you ever watch Network/Cable TV programs on a television at their time of

broadcast? Why, or why not?

______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
10.

On average, if you do, how many hours a week do you watch of Network/Cable
TV programs on a television at their time of broadcast?
Once per week

[ ]

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Twice weekly

[ ]

As often as it shows [ ]

11. How often do you watch with your parents?

Never [ ]
Rarely [ ]
Often [ ]
All the time
12. Do you always complete your school work before or after you watch the TV?
Before [ ]
After
[ ]
13. How do you feel about the number of hours you spend watching TV compared to reading
a book?
_______________________________________________________________________
14. Do you think your grades would improve if you spend less time watching TV?
Yes [ ]
No
[ ]
15. In preparation for your GSAT exams, are you prepared to spend less time watching the
TV?
Yes [ ]
No [ ]

16. Do you have any other comments you'd like to make regarding how you watch TV?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

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Appendix 2
Informed Consent Sheet
By signing this document you are giving your consent to participate in a study that will seek to identify
the relationship between TV viewing and academic performance of Grade Six students in public schools
across the parish of St. Catherine. The study will run throughout your tenure in grade six and will in no
way affect your placement into a secondary institution. At any time in the process, you are at liberty to
withdraw.
_____________________________
Name
_____________________________
Date :

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Reference

Retrieved from: http://research-methodology.net/research-methodology/researchdesign/exploratory-research/

Retrieved from: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/negative-effects-television-academicperformanceRetrieved from: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002329.htm
Retrieved from: http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=3a0adcd6-9ffb-44bc-92d90abdf097667e
Retrieved from: https://www.google.com.jm/webhp?
Retrieved from: http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/tv.htm
Retrieved from: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7626-watching-tv-harms-kidsacademic-success/]
Retrieved from: http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/6412/Academic-Achievement-andChildren-s-Television-Use.html
Biagi, S. (2014), Media/Impact:An Introduction to Mass Media, Cengage Learning. 11th Edition
Retrieved from: https://books.google.com.jm/books?
Retrieved from: http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-924/reading.htm
Retrieved from: http://education.seattlepi.com/tv-affect-grades-school-3857.html

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