Lived Experiences of Senior High School Students in Processing Literary Texts: An Inquiry

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to determine the lived experiences, coping mechanisms, and insights of Senior high school students in processing various literary texts in some selected schools in the Division of Davao del Norte. With the increase of public-school students in senior high school in the Division of Davao del Norte, students experienced trouble in analyzing literary pieces given by their teacher, specifically those works that are covered in the 21st Century Literature subject. The study is conducted urgently in lieu of the widespread problem of the majority of the students’ lack of ability to effectively analyze literary texts. I used qualitative research in conducting the study because it is concerned with understanding the particular phenomenon being studied through natural observation and analysis rather than using a controlled measurement. In this study, the participants were the Senior High School Students of the school year 2023-2024. This study was conducted on fourteen (14) senior high school students in the selected public schools in the Division of Davao del Norte, equally divided into seven (7) participants for the In-Depth Interview (IDI), and another seven (7) participants for the Focus Group Discussion (FGD). The findings of the study have managed to mirror the lived experiences of Senior High School students in processing literary texts. As a Senior High School English teacher, My viewpoint on this phenomenon has expanded sufficiently, allowing me to glean richer insights from my participants specifically on how they cope with the experiences and challenges they have encountered from this study. The significant findings that they shared have greatly contributed valuable lessons that I, as an English teacher, find beneficial to internalize and implement in real-world scenarios.