EXPLORING HOW PUBLIC SPEAKING ENHANCES THE SELF-CONFIDENCE OF

HUMSS STUDENTS.

A Quantitative Research
presented to the Faculty of TALAMBAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
A. Borbajo St., Talamban, Cebu City, Cebu

in partial fulfillment of the requirements in

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

Abdul Azis, Asraynie Belle V.

Bonjoc, Maurys Allynne A.
Canete, Ravy Mae A.
Garrido, Eugene Anthony
Minoza, Joanne B.
Pisao, Arriane Jane B.
Sala, Miles Erika Shane P.
Tudtud, Iven Claire D.
Velayo, Angelann S.
Villegas, Percel Jean V.

Grade 12- HUMSS- DAVID

Kate Eunice Callo

Research Adviser

SEPTEMBER 2024
 Chapter I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Background of the Study

Public speaking is an important form of communication in most academic and

professional fields, especially for students pursuing the Humanities and Social Science

(HUMSS) strand. In this setting, effective communication is important. However, there is

one area of concern in the HUMSS strand, a significant amount of students in the

HUMSS strand struggle with self-confidence when speaking in front of an audience. As

a result, this lack of self-confidence can limit a student’s academic performance and

career opportunities in the future, as public speaking is a common requirement in

various professions that HUMSS graduates often take. Thus, mastery of public

speaking can be a key factor to a student’s overall growth.

The purpose of this study is to determine how public speaking enhances the self-

confidence of Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students, potentially leading to

better academic outcomes and preparing them for success in their future careers. By

understanding how public speaking enhances confidence, this current study hopes to

bring attention to the ways the skill of public speaking can positively impact their overall

learning experience. In addition, the findings may provide valuable insights to the

teachers of Talamban National High School (TNHS) on how to better support students

overcome their fear of public speaking and develop into more confident communicators.
 Theoretical Framework

Exploring How Public Speaking

Enhances the Self-Confidence of
HUMSS Students

Humanities and Social

Self- Determination
Sciences (HUMSS) Theory
Students’ Challenges

 Social Anxiety  Authencity

 Low Volume and  Social ease
Monotone Voice  Open Opportunities
 Limited Experiences
 Fear of Judgement

Enhancing the Self-Confidence of

Humanities and Social Sciences
(HUMSS) Students

Figure 1. Theoretical Framework

Statement of the Problem

The study sought to determine the effect of public speaking on the self-

confidence of HUMSS students.

The study centers on the following research questions to answer the cited

problem:

1. What is the correlation between public speaking activities and the self-confidence

levels of HUMSS students in terms of:

1.1 Communication Skills;

a. With peers

b. With family

c. With professionals (e.g. educators/ faculty members)

1.2 Reducing anxiety during classroom performances such as;

a. Reporting

b. Oral recitation

c. Role play

2. Do HUMSS students who frequently engage in public speaking activities have

significantly higher levels of self-confidence than those who do not?

3. What is the impact of receiving constructive feedback on public speaking

performance on the self-confidence of HUMSS students?

Significance of the Study

The result of the study will benefit the following:

Students. This study aims to help students overcome their fear of speaking to

others and presenting reports in class. By engaging in regular practice and performance

of public speaking, students can gradually improve their communication skills and build

confidence over time.

Educators. The findings of this study can be used to integrate effective public

speaking practices and training into the curriculum, fostering an environment that

supports student confidence and skill development.

Parents. This study can help parents understand the importance of public

speaking in terms of communication and self-confidence in which, they can better

support their children’s academics.

Scope and Limitations

This study will look into how public speaking affects the self-confidence of Grade

12 Humanities and Social Sciences students at Talamban National High School. This

study is limited for the Humanities and Social Sciences strand. Other academic strands

in Talamban National High School such as Accountancy, Business and Management

(ABM) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), are excluded

in this study. The study will be conducted in the school year 2024-2025.
Definition of Terms

To provide a better understanding of this study, the following terms are defined

operationally:

ABM- Accountancy, Business, and Management, a strand in senior high school

that focuses on subjects that are related to business mathematics, economics,

accounting principles, and management.

HUMSS- Humanities and Social Sciences, a strand in senior high school that

focuses on subjects related to human society and social behaviour.

Public Speaking- an oral presentation or speech delivered to a live audience.

Self-confidence- is an attitude about your skills and abilities. It means you

accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control in your life.

Social anxiety- the intense fear and anxiety you feel in social situations. It can

make you worry about being judged and avoid social interaction.

STEM- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, this is a strand in

senior high school that focuses on biology, chemistry, and physics.

 Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The purpose of the review of related literature in this context is to provide a

foundational understanding of how public speaking can influence self-confidence among

Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students. Public speaking is crucial for

HUMSS students in developing effective communication skills, as it enables them to

convey their ideas and opinions confidently and persuasively. Through public speaking,

HUMSS students can learn to articulate their thoughts clearly, organize their ideas

logically, and use language effectively to engage their audience. Public speaking also

helps HUMSS students develop their listening and responding skills, allowing them to

respond thoughtfully to questions and engage in meaningful discussions.

This study aims to explore the relationship between public speaking and self-

confidence among Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students. It draws upon

established theories in communication, psychology, and education to provide a

comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms involved. Communication

apprehension is defined as an individual's fear or anxiety (real or anticipated) about

speaking to one or more individuals (McCroskey, 1984). Buss (1980) stated that the

major causes of communication apprehension include novelty of the situation, formality

of the situation, subordinate status, unfamiliarity and dissimilarity with the

communication situation, and feelings of conspicuousness and excessive attention.

High levels of communication apprehension can be a major obstacle. Social cognitive

theory a view of self-regulated academic learning (Zimmerman, 1989). Researchers

interested in academic self-regulated learning have begun to study processes that

students use to initiate and direct their efforts to acquire knowledge and skill. The social

cognitive conception of self-regulated learning presented here involves a triadic analysis

of component processes and an assumption of reciprocal causality among personal,

behavioral, and environmental triadic influences. This theoretical account also posits a

central role for the construct of academic self-efficacy beliefs and three self-regulatory

processes: self-observation, self-judgment, and self-reactions. Research support for this

social cognitive formulation is discussed, as is its usefulness for improving student

learning and academic achievement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all

rights reserved). Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in his or her capacity to

execute behaviors necessary to produce specific performance attainments (Bandura,

1977, 1986, 1997). Self-efficacy reflects confidence in the ability to exert control over

one's own motivation, behavior, and social environment. These cognitive self-

evaluations influence all manner of human experience, including the goals for which

people strive, the amount of energy expended toward goal achievement, and likelihood

of attaining particular levels of behavioral performance. Unlike traditional psychological

constructs, self-efficacy beliefs are hypothesized to vary depending on the domain of

functioning and circumstances surrounding the occurrence of behavior. Public speaking

is the act of speaking to a group of people. The speech should be in a structured and

deliberate manner, delivered with sincerity. Every public speaking speech usually will

have a function, and it is whether intended to inform, influence or to entertain the

audience (Nadiah Ma’mun, 2018). At least, at the end of the speech, the audience
should be able to bring back a message that they can learn from the speech. Templeton

and Fitzgerald stated that public speaking has a speaker to stand before the audience

to deliver a speech in a structured manner, with the purpose of either persuade, inform

or entertain the audience. Public speaking is quite similar to the presentation, where

the difference is the latter is usually meant for the commercial or academic environment

(Yee, Jafre, & Abidin, 2014).From the statement above, public speaking is delivering a

speech, topic, or material in front of the audience with the aim to give information to the

audience. With public speaking, the audience will know about topic or material, and the

audience will attract with the material that has been delivered by the speaker.
Review of Related Studies

Self-esteem is the level of favourability of an individual’s self-evaluation

(Premeaux & Bedeian, 2003). This view is laid and can be altered both by examination

of individual behaviours and attitudes as well as from views of ourselves gained through

interaction with others (Westhues, Clarke, Watton, & St. Claire-Smith, 2001). Though

self-esteem is rarely deined as stable, the favourability of an individual’s self-evaluation

does not generally vary to extreme degrees (Rhee, Chang & Rhee, 2003). In addition to

measuring an individual’s perception of self, self-esteem inluences an individual’s

perception of others. Those with low self-esteem report a higher expectation of rejection

from others and often perceive others as more worthy than they are in reality (Kernis,

Brown & Brody, 2000; Westhues et al., 2001). The unrealistic perceptions of others for

individuals with low self-esteem have been linked to lower levels of job and relationship

satisfaction (Premeaux & Bedeian, 2003; Westhues et al., 2001). These findings directly

relate to the perceived rewards of a communication interaction and an individual’s

(un)willingness to communicate. During adolescence, females report lower levels of

self-esteem than do males (Cairns, McWhirter, Duffy, & Barry, 1990; Chubb et al., 1997;

Martinez & Dukes, 1991; Quatman & Watson, 2001). Throughout the four years of high

school, self-esteem remains stable for males and females. However, males have

signiicantly higher self-esteem levels than do females (Chubb, Fertman, & Ross, 1997).

Minorities and women also hold perceptions of lower self-esteem, due in part to their

experiences with racism and sexism (Martinez & Dukes, 1991). Though self-esteem
levels vary between males and females, biological sex is not typically a predictor of self-

esteem.

There is little study that especially focuses on HUMSS students, even though the

literature highlights the overall advantages of public speaking. Because of this gap,

results may not adequately address the particular requirements and environments of

HUMSS students. Some studies use different metrics to measure the impact of public

speaking on communication skills, leading to inconsistencies in how effectiveness is

reported. Many studies focus on short-term effects, without examining how self-esteem

changes over a longer period with sustained public speaking practice. Existing studies

often do not differentiate how self-esteem impacts might vary across different

demographics within the context of public speaking.

In today’s time and age, good communication skills are needed the most at all

levels. According to Raja (2013), “Communication has become one of the markers of

social solidarity, social ranking and professional capabilities and most of the

components of the language are learnt through this medium” (p. 154). According to

Pertaub, Slater and Baker (2001), professionals are expected to present numerous talks

to both small and large groups of audience at different intervals of their professional

lives and if they become victims of public speaking anxiety, they face a backlash, and

this anxiety can have a severe influence on their career. Their research also describes

the results, which illustrate that social anxiety induced in people is directly proportional

to the variety of feedback received from the audience. They explain that this creates a
strong impact on the confidence of the individuals, and it translates significantly into

their public addresses. Spijck (2011) amplified that according to his research, almost

eighty out of every hundred people experienced public speaking anxiety at a small or

large scale. Every four out of ten people rank public speaking fear as one of their apex

three fears,

For Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students, public speaking is

crucial in enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills as it allows them to

articulate their thoughts and arguments effectively, analyze complex issues, and

develop persuasive strategies. Through public speaking, HUMSS students can practice

critical thinking by evaluating evidence, identifying biases, and constructing logical

arguments. Furthermore, public speaking helps HUMSS students develop problem-

solving skills by requiring them to think creatively, consider multiple perspectives, and

adapt to different audiences and contexts.

 Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
Research Design

This study utilized a non-experimental research design specifically correlational

research method, which aims to identify and evaluate the relationship between two or

more variables. Eckel (2021) explains that correlational research is a research design

used to investigate the relationship between two or more variables. In this approach,

researchers measure the degree of association between the variables without

manipulating or controlling them. The goal is to identify patterns or connections that

naturally exist, but it does not establish cause-and-effect relationships. This design will

be used since the main purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of public

speaking on the self- confidence of grade 12 HUMSS students in Talamban National

High School.

Research Environment

The study was conducted at Talamban National High School located at Borbajo

Street, Talamban, Cebu City, and one of the public schools in Cebu City under the

umbrella of North District 8 of the DepEd-Cebu City Division. Data collection took place

online, making it convenient for the participants. The participants of the study are Grade
12 HUMSS students from the school, who completed the online survey during their own

time.

Research Sample and Sampling Distribuion

The target population for this research study was the grade twelve (12) HUMSS

senior high school students of Talamban National High School. In order to know the

total population of participants, the researchers gathered the total number of grade

twelve (12) HUMSS students in each section of Talamban National High School,

wherein there were three hundred thirty- seven (337) grade twelve (12) HUMSS

students of Talamban National High School in the school year 2023-2024. The

researchers considered a one hundred eighty-five (185) sample size determined using

Slovin’s formula with a five percent (5% or 0.05) margin of error.

In selecting one hundred eighty-five (185) grade twelve (12) HUMSS students,

the researchers used Stratified Random Sampling. The researchers used Stratified

Random Sampling to determine how many grade twelve (12) HUMSS students in every

section should be selected as respondents, as shown in the table below.

Respondents Number of Grade 12 HUMSS Sample Size from Each

Students in Each Section Section

12- HUMSS A 49 49/337 = 0.15 (183) = 27

12- HUMSS B 47 47/337 = 0.14 (183) = 26

12- HUMSS C 48 48/337 = 0.14 (183) =26

12- HUMSS D 49 49/337 = 0.15 (183) = 27

12- HUMSS E 47 47/337 = 0.14 (183) = 26

 12- HUMSS F 49 49/337 = 0.15 (183) = 27

12- HUMSS G 48 48/337 = 0.14 (183) = 26

Total: 337 Total: 185

Table 1. Population and Sample Size Used in the Study

As seen in table 1, the number of HUMSS students in 12- HUMSS A was forty-

nine (49) students; in 12- HUMSS B was forty-seven (47) students; in 12- HUMSS C

was forty-eight (48) students; in 12- HUMSS D forty-nine (49) students; in 12- HUMSS

E was forty-seven (47) students; in 12- HUMSS F was forty-nine (49) students; and

lastly, in 12- HUMSS G was forty-eight (48) students. The sum of all grade twelve (12)

HUMSS students in Talamban National High School was three hundred thirty-seven

(337).

Research Instrument

The study used questionnaires that are used to survey the HUMSS students in

Talamban National High School about the effect of public speaking on the self-

confidence of students. The questionnaire was developed based on the statement of

the problem. The questionnaire consisted of thirteen (13) questions.

In order to gather accurate data, the researchers looked for questionnaire that is

related to the study. The questionnaire came from the study of Keshav Jhunjhunwala,

Jainam Vora, Shriya Malpani, Khushi Parikh, Manan Sanghvi (2022), entitled “Impact of

Public Speaking on the Confidence of a Student”. The questionnaire that the

researchers looked were modified by the researchers.

Research Data Gathering Procedure

Upon the approval of the research instrument, the researchers will formally write

a letter to their respective research adviser, requesting consent to conduct the study

with the Talamban National High School HUMSS students as participants.

Given the current circumstances and for the convenience of both researchers

and participants, data collection will be conducted online using Google Forms. The

researchers will distribute the survey link to the Grade 12 HUMSS students, comprising

7 sections, through their official school communication channels, such as group chats or

email.
 Chapter 4
PRESENTATION AND DATA ANALYSIS

This chapter presents, analyzes, and interprets the data in relation to the

problems of the study.

Level of Self- Confidence Before Taking the HUMSS Strand

Figure 1.