The Impact of Social Support in Academic Performance of Second Year Nursing Students of Perpetual Help College of Manila

Abstract

Social support plays a vital role in students’  motivation, confidence and academic performance, especially in demanding programs such as nursing. The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of social support on the second year college nursing students’ academic performance in Perpetual Help College of Manila. The design of the study was quantitative descriptive. A total of 181 respondents were selected by simple random sampling. The researchers used a 22 - item questionnaire. The instrument, which was validated, determined the demographic profile, perceived social support and academic performance. The findings indicated that the respondents receive moderate to high levels of social support and academic performance. The findings indicate that the respondents receive moderate to high levels of social support from families, peers and faculty members, with emotional support as the strongest type of social support. Using regression analysis, It was found that there is a significant impact of social support on academic performance (R2= .412, p = .000). This means students who  receive higher levels of social support had higher academic performance. The conclusion is that social support can improve motivation, resilience and academic performance of nursing students. The researchers suggested strengthening peer mentoring, family participation and faculty support to sustain the students’ resilience and academic success.