Secondary School Students in Foster Homes: A Phenomenology of Academic Struggles

The main objective of this phenomenological investigation was to document the experiences, coping mechanisms and insights of the students in foster homes. The study was conducted in Tambongon National High School, Municipality of Pantukan, Division of Compostela Valley among students who were living in their foster homes for the school year 2015-2016. The usefulness of this study is highly relevant to the struggle and success of students from foster homes. The purposive sampling was used to select the fourteen students who have shared that in their foster homes, they experienced insecurity and have self-doubt, misery and isolation, psychological challenges, and their academic concerns are not attended well since they cannot study on time. Findings suggest that the participants coping mechanisms on their academic struggles were the support system, inspiration of the parents, the drive and determination, being positive and belief in the Divine Providence. Their insights include having persistence and perseverance, the guiding values and principles, dreams and aspirations and their realizations, appreciation and forgiveness. The real identity of the participants and the data were kept confidential for ethical consideration purposes. It is beneficial to the informants themselves as they were able to share their respective issues on the secondary school students in foster homes. Based on the findings of the study it could formulate results which would be the bases for future research particularly on childrens behavioral and academic concerns.