D.V. Madrigal

• PhD
• Dean at University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos

Your life’s journey is a vibrant tapestry, woven with threads of laughter, tears, triumphs, and challenges. Each step you’ve taken, every person you’ve met, every experience you’ve embraced, has contributed to the intricate masterpiece that is your story. It’s a rich mosaic of bright colors and subtle hues, a breathtaking panorama of peaks and vall...

The performance of a judge in the disposition of cases may be affected because of occupational stress. It may be both psychological and physical stress. This phenomenological study explored the work stress, stressors, and coping mechanisms of judges in Central Philippines. Participants were identified using a purposive sampling technique. Ten...

This descriptive-correlational study assesses the psycho-spiritual well-being of junior high school students at Catholic Schools in Central Philippines. Also, it determines the relationship between the said constructs, and at the same, their association between the variables of sex, family structure, birth order, religious affiliation, and church i...

This descriptive phenomenological paper reflects the students' lived experiences metaphorically likened to 'walking through a maze,' their struggles with online learning in the context of COVID-19 construed as obstacles. Such experiences play a role in their academic successes or failures, shaped by various factors like learning environment, peers,...

Modular Distance Learning is one of the educational trends brought about by the pandemic. The recent use of this model of learning delivery has put teaching and learning into an adjustment period. This particular challenge has been the urgent imperative to have modular classes. It implies designing and organizing for better learning. English is the...

This Volume 7.3 (July-September 2024) issue of the Philippine Social Science Journal (PSSJ) offers a compelling exploration of diverse social issues pertinent to the Philippines and beyond. Uniting these varied studies is a shared focus on understanding human experiences and behaviors within different social structures, encompassing education, the...

In the Philippines, schools are grappling with the challenge of students at risk of dropping out (SARDO), a concern heightened by evolving educational landscapes and technology. To address this, a study delved into the experiences of at-risk students, examining their attitudes towards school, subjective norms, and perceived control. Through intervi...

Japanese third-age English language learners, though growing, are still an under-researched demographic. Grounded on the quantitative results of Japanese third-age learners' English language proficiency (ELP), which is B1 on average, this descriptive-qualitative study explored why the participants got certain levels of ELP. Using the maximum variat...

The success of any degree program being delivered by higher education institutions is measured using the employment performance of its graduates as they navigate the dynamic labor market after completion of their studies. The tool used to gauge this metric is known as a graduate tracer study. Thus, this explanatory sequential mixed methods study ma...

The Philippine Social Science Journal (PSSJ) Volume 7.2 offers a rich tapestry of research that delves into a diverse range of social science issues relevant to both the Philippines and the broader global context. This issue goes beyond simply presenting findings; it encourages a deeper understanding of the complexities of human experience with...

This issue of the PSSJ delves into a series of critical issues within the social sciences, encompassing unemployment, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education, and the mental health of college students.

Judges worldwide face intense pressure from heavy workloads, emotionally charged cases, and limited resources, leading to burnout and decreased public trust in the justice system. While individual coping is important, systemic change is crucial. This descriptive-correlational study investigated occupational stress, psychological distress, and copin...

Student satisfaction is a crucial indicator of educational quality, extending beyond mere comfort. Hence, this paper examined the college student satisfaction with selected school services at a Catholic institution in Southern Negros Occidental during 2023-2024 in the light of product, price, promotion, place, people, process, and physical evidence...

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of non-Catholic graduating students at a Catholic university in Bacolod City, Philippines. The research aimed to understand their insights and perspectives on studying within a Catholic institution. The study involved in-depth interviews with eight participants from diverse religious backgr...

This study examined the socioeconomic demographics and health status of residents in a hinterland community in Guihulngan City, Negros Island, Philippines. The research utilized the RAND 36-Item Health Survey to collect data from 163 household heads, measuring eight health concepts: physical functioning, bodily pain, role limitations (physical and...

The EFL (English as a Foreign Language) participation and engagement of third-age learners, whose ages range from 50 up to 70 and above has received global attention. Japanese third-age learners' pursuit of English competence exhibits broader societal trends and personal desires for lifelong learning. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational approach,...

The research presented in this Volume 6.4 (October-December 2023) explores diverse yet interconnected themes within Philippine society, including healthcare innovation, cultural identity, education, and social resilience. Telemedicine in the Philippines. The study highlights the rapid evolution of telemedicine in the Philippines during the COVID-1...

Aims: This assessed the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) level of Physical Education (PE) teachers relative to educational attainment and years of teaching. Likewise, it investigated the relationship between the demographics and the teachers’ technological knowledge (TK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and content knowledge (CK)...

Seven interesting articles were featured in this issue. A big congratulations to all authors for the publication of your papers. Also, we express our heartfelt gratitude to our referees, and editors for the expertise, patience, and hard work you extended in the technical review of the papers.

Six interesting journal articles were included in this issue, Volume 6.3 (July-September 2023). These papers explored various topics on making sacred images, agritourism, well-being and psychological distress as mediated by mindfulness and coping., micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), thinking skills and learning interests, and child behav...

Catechists play a significant role in the church’s evangelization. Despite the numerous problems they experienced, they remained faithful to their vocation. Thus, this phenomenological study intends to explore the lived experiences of the parish catechists teaching religion in public schools. Using a purposive sampling method, the data were gathere...

The social sciences are essential for students to function in society. Therefore, a proficiency assessment is necessary to check their acquisition of competency. This research aims to assess the level of student proficiency and challenges in Social Science Disciplines and Ideas (DISS) in private high schools. Additionally, this study investigated d...

This qualitative study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of school principals who also serve as teachers in Leyte and Southern Leyte, Philippines. Thirty school heads, selected based on experience, marital status, and willingness to participate, provided insights through a Pre-Survey form and semi-structure...

Older adults or third-age learners, despite their age, are growing more enthusiastic about learning English. In Japan, 18.2% of English learners are from the third-age learners' group. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Japanese third-age learners in learning English in Japan's Chubu region. Eight (8) Japanese third-age l...

Conflict is manageable when paired with reason and experience. Using explanatory sequential mixed-method, this study determined the extent of practice and explored the insights and experiences of school heads in conflict management styles. For the quantitative phase, frequency count, percentage distribution, mean, spearman rank correlation, and ran...

This explanatory sequential inquiry determined the contribution of graduate education to the development of skills, the satisfaction with the delivery of the graduate school program and services, and the practice of graduate attributes of the graduates of education graduate programs of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos Graduate School....

Finally, we present to you PSSJ Volume 6.1 (January-March2023) issue. In this issue, we have included 8 interesting papers which explored various topics on education, health and wellness, resilience, catastrophizing, and rice production. May the research findings address the gap in the literature and serve as basis for policies, programs, and plans...

We close this pandemic year 2022 with the publication of Volume 5.4 (October-December 2022). Employing varied quantitative and qualitative research designs, 11 interesting papers explored various topics on education, health, environment, vulnerabilities and resilience, women court judges, and Roman Catholicism.

Life skills are essential among students in countering the circumstances of life. However, due to the shifting instructional modality, their skills acquisition was compromised. Thus, this study aims to analyze the life skills of Filipino emerging adults in terms of self-awareness, empathy, effective communication, interpersonal relations, creative...

Life skills are essential among students in countering the circumstances of life. However, due to the shifting instructional modality, their skills acquisition was compromised. Thus, this study aims to analyze the life skills of Filipino emerging adults in terms of self-awareness, empathy, effective communication, interpersonal relations, creative...

The education sector is one of the vital stakeholders in the functional transformation of our world through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as an education sector is one of its enablers by carrying out sustainable development through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). But, o...

Community outreach serves as a core function of higher education institutions which helps promote sustainable development goals worldwide. In the Philippines, universities have been mandated to provide extension activities and reach the most vulnerable communities in the country. Thus, the study used descriptive, comparative, and correlational appr...

We are proud to announce the release of the third quarter journal issue (Volume 5 Number 3, July-September 2022). Twelve articles were included in this issue, exploring interesting social science topics with the use quantitative and qualitative research designs, particularly ethnographic, autoethnographic, and phenomenological approaches. Jamaal S...

The famous psychologist Erik Erikson regarded adolescence as the most critical stage of development. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to look into the intrapersonal dynamics of adolescents' mental health reflected through their sense of coherence, self-compassion, and mental well-being. Through an explanatory-sequential mixe...

The immediate transitioning of instructional delivery from the traditional face-to-face teaching to online learning prompted college instructors to design pedagogical strategies and assessment tools appropriate for the online learning environment. Instructional strategies and assessments in teaching Social Science general education courses online i...

The immediate transitioning of instructional delivery from the traditional face-to-face teaching to online learning prompted college instructors to design pedagogical strategies and assessment tools appropriate for the online learning environment. Instructional strategies and assessments in teaching Social Science general education courses online i...

Aim: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of public primary school teachers in handling children with reading difficulties during online teaching. Study Design: Descriptive Phenomenology. Place and Duration of the Study: Bacolod City, Philippines, February to July 2022. Methods: Participants were identified using a purposive s...

Physical education (PE) develops students' motor skills, knowledge, and behaviors for active living. As such, individuals need to participate in various physical activities (PA) which contribute to a healthy lifestyle. But many PE programs fail to bring the actual value of a lifetime PA and fitness. Therefore, there should be extended scientific re...

Physical education (PE) develops students’ motor skills, knowledge, and behaviors for active living. As such, individuals need to participate in various physical activities (PA) which contribute to a healthy lifestyle. But many PE programs fail to bring the actual value of a lifetime PA and fitness. Therefore, there should be extended scientific re...

The global demand for high-skilled professionals emphasized the role of higher education in career advancement. This descriptive tracer study of the Master in Public Administration and Governance (MPAG) and the Doctor of Philosophy in Development Management (PhD-DvM) programs aimed to establish a database on the profile of the graduates; the e...

Education does not only allow for the exploration of every aspect of life but as well as have a longing for knowledge and the desire to take this learning to the next level. Thus, the teacher’s role in the teaching and learning process is vital. However, that delivery of the instruction towards the learners is a big challenge for the teachers who a...

Disaster preparedness has played a vital role in mitigating disaster risks. A well-planned disaster risk reduction program is effective in minimizing hazards and casualties. The study determined the extent of disaster preparedness practices of households in the coastal communities of a congressional district in the Philippines, particularly on typh...

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study determined the residents' perceived tourism impacts and provided an in-depth explanation of these tourism impacts to the community. The positive tourism impacts help enhances residents' living. Conversely, the negative tourism impacts are the challenges in the destination. Residents positively perceiv...

We are happy to introduce the second quarter journal issue (Volume 5 Number 2, April-June 2022). Eleven articles made a cut for this issue, exploring interesting topics on disaster risk, mental health, civic engagement, work-life balance and work values, community and pedagogy, reciprocal determinants of Mathematics performance, tourism impacts, Bu...

This phenomenological research was conducted to inquire into the experiences of fathers of children with autism during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative study was explored because there is a dearth of studies focusing on paternal involvement and a lack of local autism research. Nine participants, who were chosen using purposive sampling, indi...

We open this new issue for the pandemic year 2022 with articles now indexed in Index Copernicus International in addition to our being indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Crossref, and Asean Citation Index (ACI). Being indexed in these international databases will guarantee more global visibility and accessibility and enhance t...

Capping the final issue for the pandemic year 2021 is the release of the journal's tenth issue, Volume 4.4 (October-December 2021). The issue features 16 interesting papers which discussed various topics on mental health, spiritual well-being, quality of available healthcare services, online teaching pedagogy, electronic evidence, school managemen...

Coronavirus Disease 2019 forced educational sectors worldwide to implement various distance learning modalities. In the Philippines, printed modular distance learning modality was implemented to continue delivering quality and relevant education amid the pandemic. Thus, this study assessed the quality and implementation of PMDL in public elementary...

Catholic education is a Catholic school's way of participating in the Church's evangelizing mission through holistic formation and conversion accordant with Catholic faith and doctrines. This descriptive comparative-correlational study determined the quality of Catholic education among parochial schools relative to the Philippine Catholic Schools S...

Students around the world pursue graduate education for their professional development, career promotions, and lifelong learning. Seen as an investment, universities faced challenges with rising expectations and industry competitiveness on factors influencing satisfaction to improve graduate school service quality. The paper aims to assess and comp...

This ninth issue of the journal (Volume 4, Number 3, July-September 2021) contains interesting papers which talked about modular instruction, Catholic education, mathematics education, qualitative research interviewing, online learning experience, stakeholders’ satisfaction, healthcare services in school and urban community, public employment servi...

Aims: The study assessed Salesian educators' level of online teaching readiness and the challenges they have encountered during the conduct of online classes. Study Design: This descriptive-comparative and correlational study gathered data from Salesian Educators as respondents and Bosconians as assessors. Place and Duration of Study: Salesian Scho...

Aims: This study assessed the degree of school climate and extent of teacher leadership of Catholic schools in Antique, Philippines. It also investigated the difference in the school climate when assessors were grouped according to the designation. Likewise, it correlated the teachers' age, sex, employment status, educational attainment, and profes...

Aims: The absence of data complementing independent learning, which is vital in the pandemic-induced distance learning, propelled the conduct of study. The study aimed to assess Self-Directed Learning, Self-Efficacy in Learning, and Academic Motivation of Public Senior High School Students, and investigated what demographic variable may influence e...

PHilippine Social Science Journal Volume 4 Number 2 April-June 2021 Issue

Online learning has become a popular teaching modality used by educational institutions worldwide due to the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. The paper intends to describe the experience of Social Science teachers in the conduct of online classes in a private school in Southern Negros in the Philippines. The study used phenomenological research to...

Social media has become a vital part of people's daily communication activities in all walks of life and had globalized its use, especially to learners. Learners' propensity to social media has come to increasing involvement in the internet cafes. Since its medium of instruction is mainly English, it influences learners' English communication skill...

Twenty-first-century education recognizes the role of sports as one framework for life-long skills, values, health, and well-being. The purpose of the study was to explore the on and off-field experiences of the six Junior High School student-athletes, the driving forces associated with their participation, and its influences and contribution to th...

One unique function of a Catholic school is developing a campus-based Christian community and nurturing the Christian life of the members of the academe. The Church stresses its importance in the task of evangelization. Hence, this phenomenological study intended to explore the lived experiences of the permanent employees on the evangelizing missio...

Child abuse has become prevalent in the society and has reached an alarming state. An experience of abuse creates a domino effect on a child’s learning and socialization in school, and consequently impacts their holistic development. Anchoring on B.F. Skinner’s Operant Conditioning Theory, this study investigates the undesirable school behaviour of...

Education is a process of welcoming truth and opportunity. It is the prudent, encouraged, and respectful learning undertaken in the belief that all should have the chance to share in life. Befittingly, there are no gender biases when it comes to being a teacher. However, this all depends on one's working environment. This study investigates the att...

The school administrators' skill in managing conflict and resolution is vital towards creating a peaceful and productive working environment. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the lived experiences of public secondary school administrators on conflict management. Using a purposive sampling technique, three school administrato...

Private schools ensure students' future with rigorous academic curricula that incorporate durable skills like pro-activeness, critical thinking, and collaboration. However, due to financial constraints, learners are left with no option but to enroll in a tertiary school that offers free of charge. Hence, this paper aims to inquire into the lives of...

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) becomes an imperative trend among educational institutions, which requires a change in education in this modern society. Consequently, all learning institutions need to revisit its functions if it plays its vital role in transforming society by promoting social and environmental equity. This qualitative r...

Online education is a rapidly growing phenomenon for teachers. With the outbreak of COVID-19, there are changes in all societies worldwide, and a forcible shift in the medium of teaching and learning is inevitable. This paper explored the social science teachers' lived experiences in a Chinese school during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This qualitative s...

The rising educational attainment for women and economic uncertainty gave rise to high maternal employment rates and the global labour force participation of women. Often working mothers, are put into the complexities of work and family life, resulting in stress and perplexity of values and priority. The phenomenological paper intends to explore th...

The teachers' role in the teaching and learning process is vital. However, they can only be effective if they maintain their health and energy levels. Thus, this phenomenological inquiry intends to explore the health of public school teachers in Negros Occidental, Philippines. The data were gathered using an in-depth interview. Meanwhile, the recur...

Psychological well-being (PWB) refers to a person's quality of looking at things and situations. Despite one's limitations, he/she can overcome challenges and live a satisfying, productive, and happy life. This descriptive-correlational research design assessed the level of psychological well-being of Catholic high school students with absentee par...

Academic stress is a certain level of academic-related demands that exceed the students' adaptive capabilities. Related to this is coping strategies, which is a mindful effort to endure the stress. Thus, the descriptive-correlational research determined the associations among the demographic variables, the level of academic stress, and the extent o...

Guidance and counseling is a crucial concern today to aid the educational, vocational, and psychological potentials of the students for optimum achievement and adequate adjustment in the varied life situations. The primary purpose of a school's guidance and counseling program is to provide a broad spectrum of services to students, such as student a...

Introduction. Bullying is an increasing problem globally, which affects school children over the years. The students who have experienced bullying have a greater risk of psychological distress. Likewise, the incidence of bullying has been increasing despite the efforts of the Philippine government and Department of Education. Moreover, the problem...

Classroom climate is a comprehensive set of educational, psychological, social, cognitive, organizational, and physical variables that may affect the academic achievement of learners. Perceptions of students in their learning environment affect the way they perform in the classroom. However, classroom climate is a less explored construct creating m...

Introduction. Bullying is an increasing problem globally, which affects school children over the years. The students who have experienced bullying have a greater risk of psychological distress. Likewise, the incidence of bullying has been increasing despite the efforts of the Philippine government and Department of Education. Moreover, the problem...

Introduction. Disasters cause deaths and serious disruptions in society, which call for the global community to take drastic steps to address and reduce the impacts of these inevitable calamities. That is why the government, through the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010, requires the integration of disaster risk reduction in...

The development of the World Wide Web in the 1990s has brought about various technological advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), which provides fast-growing web solutions (Gough, 2010). One of these web innovations is the emergence and growth of Web 2.0 technology. Web 2.0 Technology with different web sites allows users t...

Today, stress is growing day by day among students with single-parents, yet the basic concepts to minimalize, endure, and master the stress are often ignored. In many places around the world, students experience significant academic distress, and being unaware of how to deal with it is a serious concern, which worsens the school-setting situation....

Psychological well-being (PWB) refers to a person's quality of looking at things and situations. Despite one's limitations, he/she can overcome challenges and live a satisfying, productive, and happy life. It has become an interesting subject and a growing concern, especially for those who go through an unfavorable life situation. Thus, the paper d...

Children in conflict with the law (CICL) experience psychological distress during detention. Psychological well‐being is about CICL feeling better and functioning effectively. The ability to manage negative emotions that come with their failures and disappointments is essential for the long‐term well‐being of CICL, especially when negative emotions...

Disaster risk reduction and management apply whenever naturally caused disaster or calamity strikes. The reason for this management approach is to minimize injuries and mortalities (Corpuz, 2018). A large part of the globe experiences increased risks to natural disasters and calamities (Hoffman & Muttarak, 2017), including the Philippines (Alcayna,...

Psychologists argue that individuals’ choice, persistence, and drive expended in performance can be predicted and explained basically by their self-efficacy and motivation. Research on self-efficacy theory has examined the contribution of students' emerging perceptions of their academic abilities, and confidence that they can finish specific academ...

The adolescent stage is considered one of the challenging stages in human development. A stage where a student is planning and preparing himself in a role, he would like to take part in the community by taking his desired course or job to uplift his dignity as a person. Career decision making is undoubtedly one of the most difficult and challenging...

This study examined the religiosity and spiritual well-being of Catholic senior high school students of a rural Catholic school. Using the descriptive-comparative and correlational research design, data collection involved the survey questionnaires and hypotheses-testing used the Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis, and Pearson r. In general, the s...

Spiritual well-being is integral in seeking meaning and purpose in life. Related to this is resiliency, which is a dynamic attribute of bouncing back from difficult situations. Thus, this descriptive-correlational study determines the degree of spiritual well-being and the level of resiliency of the diocesan seminarians of Antique. Spiritual Well-b...

I am pleased to introduce the fourth issue (Volume 3 Number 1, January-June 2020) of the Philippine Social Science Journal. The issue featured thirteen insightful papers which explored various topics. These include solid waste management, health and wellness, food safety and nutrition security, gender responsiveness, education, land and agrarian re...

This descriptive-correlational study assessed the level of awareness, degree of attitude, and extent of practice on solid waste management (SWM) of high school students of a Diocesan Catholic School. The data were collected using a researcher-made instrument and analyzed using Mean, Standard Deviation, and Pearson r. The findings of the study unvei...

This paper primarily compares the spiritual well-being of students in a Catholic university classified according to their self-ascribed identity as creative and orthodox Catholics. With the use of a survey questionnaire, the demographic and academic profile and church involvement of students were first established and subsequently associated with t...

This paper primarily compares the spiritual well-being of students in a Catholic university classified according to their self-ascribed identity as creative and orthodox Catholics. With the use of a survey questionnaire, the demographic and academic profile and church involvement of students were first established and subsequently associated with t...

I am extremely delighted to introduce the maiden issue of the Philippine Social Science Journal (PSSJ) published by Recoletos de Bacolod Graduate School. It publishes full articles, abstracts, and book reviews. As a peer-reviewed journal, PSSJ aims to provide a mentoring space for researchers and writers to publish original and quality papers. This...

The Order of Augustinian Recollects (OAR) in the Philippines own and administer five Catholic educational centers in Negros Island. OAR schools promote the intellectual and religious formation of the students with a Recollect brand of education that prepares them for their Christian and professional life. Given the context, the paper intends to des...

It is with great pleasure that we introduce Volume 2 Number 1 (January-June 2019) of the Philippine Social Science Journal. In this issue, we have featured seven insightful articles and nine interesting abstracts which relate to topics on education, psychology, language, student publication, policy implementation, and church history. The first art...

Relating to God or other higher powers constitutes a basic human need which is expressed through some forms of religiosity and spirituality. Spirituality refers to the individual experience of transcendence and meaningfulness. On the other hand, religiosity is usually identified with beliefs, worship, and morals of structured religious institutions...

Now on the eve of the Fifth Centenary of Christianity in the Philippines (1521-2021), especially when the year 2021 is further dedicated to the missionary activity of the Filipino Church by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, we are very happy to offer you this opportune anthology. This year 2019 is also important because we furthe...

This descriptive-correlational study assesses the level of quality of Catholic education of five Recollect schools in Negros Island as assessed by school personnel and what they had done according to the framework of the Philippine Catholic School Standards (PCSS). Also, it determines whether a significant relationship exists between the demographi...