Four days of study per week along with extracurricular activities

Students are always seeking to enhance their special abilities and faculties in an effort to stay up with the competition in the workforce. While under pressure to master the technical aspects of their chosen fields of study, students also work to develop their interpersonal and personal skills, which they often do outside of the classroom. Universities in the Philippines have been looking for solutions to provide students enough time to handle both personal and professional issues since holistic development requires immersing oneself in both extracurricular activities and classroom debates. The four-day school week is gradually replacing the traditional five-day school week in universities and colleges in the Philippines. De La Salle University, South Western University – Phinma, and Cebu Normal University are a few institutions. The reduced school week was also implemented starting in 2017 by the College of Education at the University of San Jose Recoletos. The college of education’s head, Mrs. Helmae Tapanan, said in an interview that instructors and pupils have reacted well to the abbreviated school week’s adaption. This research examines the technical preparedness of the Accounting department to adopt such a scheme using this implementation as a benchmark.

The eventual transition to a four-day school week requires research into current practices, an analysis of existing models, and a comparison of benefits and drawbacks (Donis-Keller and Silvernail, 2009). Numerous books and articles have been written on the effects of the four-day school week. While the other plan produced more functioning courses, extended weekends demonstrated a more effective instructional time in the classrooms and the periods enhanced preparatory time. The four-day school week challenged instructors to produce effect on teaching, while the typical five-day school week required them to witness more time being wasted (Yarbrough & Gilman, 2006). In addition, regardless of the new timetable, it has defined high level conduct and engagement for kids in learning.

The way the extra free day is used depends on the school’s organizational structure. However, the “free day” is often used by colleges to host extracurricular events. These endeavors “offer students the chance to participate in social, physical, and intellectual skills, to advance a sense of belonging to community, to grow social networks with adults and peers, and to experience, overcome, and fail at challenges, all of which contribute to the maturation leading to adulthood” (Eccles, Barber, Stone, and Hunt, 2003). Students regard their time with their peers as their pleasant times, and this time is a main source of good involvements (Spear, 2000). Extracurricular activities may thus aid pupils with various health-related issues. Another research found that college students had a high prevalence of mental health issues (Hunt, 2010). Universities must provide students with a way to manage this stress and get involved in projects of their choosing.

The number of extracurricular activities teens participate in has expanded, and this has helped kids’ leadership, intellectual, and social abilities (Mahoney et al., 2006). Students’ academic performance affects their health-related behaviors (Amys, 2016). Researchers found in another study that getting teenagers involved in after-school activities helps them fight off sadness and feelings of loneliness (Barber, Eccles, and Stone, 2011).

Considerations on the kinds of activities that ought to fill the allotted time were taken into account while introducing the four-day school week. The leisure time may be used as a conduit for scheduled activities, according to the parents and mentors (Siennick & Osgood, 2012). Although it is clear that extracurricular activities greatly benefit students, participating in them during school hours takes away from lecture time. A study found that instructors struggled with whether to reteach the content or simply let it go by (Gullatt, 2006). Due to the extracurricular events being planned on Fridays, the four-day school week also makes it easier to separate academic from extracurricular activities (Feaster, 2002).

Additionally, a research revealed that adolescence is a time when enough rest is necessary for both physical and mental health (Amschler & McKenzie, 2005). Unfortunately, due of their academic responsibilities and other personal commitments, the majority of college students don’t get enough sleep or relaxation. The reduced days may also be quite beneficial for students’ free time since it gives them time to relax and reenergize. A person’s health is influenced by the quantity and quality of their sleep, and less sleep leads in higher levels of discomfort as well as worse understanding and academic performance (Fuligni & Hardway, 2006).

Numerous studies were undertaken with the goal of analyzing the effects. The reaction and outcomes of monitoring after its modification are the major focus of current investigations. However, no research has been done looking into the planning process and the technicalities to take into account beforehand, despite the steady transformation of the school week in famous institutions.

A crucial first step is the exploration stage. At this step, the organization’s preparedness for implementation is evaluated, and assistance is provided if necessary. The organization’s current resources for the implementation are also determined as part of this stage’s readiness. The procurement of underutilized resources and training of workers in new procedures make up the Installation Stage. Initial Implementation, the third step, is the most delicate of all the stages. During this phase, the organization may face obstacles and problems that might cause it to turn back to its former practices. If 50% of practitioners use the innovation and have positive results, as determined by assessment, then the stage is complete.

This research only demonstrates the Exploration Stage since it only seeks to determine if the Accountancy Department is technically prepared for a four-day school week and because it takes place before the purchase of resources and real implementation. The Department’s present resources are further examined in this research, allowing any gaps in resources, if any, to become apparent. The specifications for the technical resources that the shorter school week requires were established by the researchers, and they specifically pertain to the personnel, resources, and time restrictions that would serve the specific student population.