The Perspectives of Senior High School Students with Overseas Filipino Worker Parents

Abstract

Being left behind by parents is not easy. The absence of the parents can affect children in many ways especially when it comes to decision-making. This gives them a burden or additional pressure on the thinking process of teenagers. This phenomenological study described and gave relevant information about the experiences of the students with parents working abroad. The purpose of this qualitative research is to inform the millennial regarding the life experiences of senior high school students with Overseas Filipino Worker parents but to give them the knowledge to understand the life struggles of these individuals. In this study, the researcher conducted a series of interviews. The researchers developed four (4) sets of questions, one (1) central question and three (3) sub-questions or aide memoir to know the perspectives of senior high school students with OFW parents. These questions were answered by the participants aged 16-18 which is the average age of senior high school students enrolled in Polytechnic University of the Philippines. The data gathered were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). After analyzing the data, master themes, and superordinate themes were explored. Four (4) master themes were formed, namely: Factors that affect the student’s decision-making, Coping strategies in parental absence, Factors that affect the attitude towards studies, and Development of behavior in the absence of parental role. From the findings generated, it is indeed recommended motivating the students to become disciplined individuals and proactive in life