Advisers

Ms. Shirley A. Sablayan

Discipline

Education

Abstract

The development of social awareness is essential in preparing students to become empathetic, responsible, and socially engaged individuals. To promote this, St. Mary's College Inc., Quezon City, implements the Social Consciousness Program (SCP), a faith-based initiative designed to expose students to social issues and encourage reflection, empathy, and civic responsibility. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the SCP in fostering social awareness among Senior High School students. Specifically, it seeks to understand students' perceptions of the program's purpose, the changes in their perspectives about society after participating in the program, and how the school can further support the development of students' social awareness. The study employs a qualitative research design using a phenomenological approach to capture students' lived experiences and perceptions. Five Senior High School students from St. Mary's College Inc., Quezon City, who have prior exposure to the SCP during Junior High School, are selected through purposive sampling. Data are collected through semi-structured interviews and are analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the Social Consciousness Program significantly enhanced students' awareness of social and moral issues. Participants reported increased empathy, open-mindedness, critical thinking skills, and a stronger sense of responsibility toward others and the community. However, some participants noted challenges, such as the repetitiveness of certain topics, suggesting the need for more diverse and experiential learning activities. The results indicated that the Social Consciousness Program was effective in promoting social awareness and moral responsibility among students. The findings highlighted the importance of continuously improving the program by incorporating varied content and more engaging, hands-on activities to ensure its long-term impact on students' personal and social development.

Keywords

senior high school students, social issues, moral responsibility, faith-based initiative, social consciousness program, social awareness