Home⇛Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal⇛vol. 35 no. 4 (2025)

School Distance: Its Impact to Learners’ Academic Performance

Maimana Mangotara | Erlinda Basmayor

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

This research aimed to determine the potential impact of school distance on the academic performance of Grade 8 learners at Pantao Ragat Agro-Industrial High School in the School Year 2024-2025. The study sought to understand how various factors related to school proximity—such as distance, mode of transportation, and road accessibility—might influence students' academic outcomes. A descriptive-correlational research design was employed, utilizing a survey questionnaire completed by approximately 100 Grades 7-10 learners. Findings suggested that a large number of learners lived approximately 3-5 kilometers from school, with a majority primarily walking to class. Despite most respondents indicating accessible roads, long travel times affected their focus and energy levels during school hours. However, the overall effect on academic performance appeared minimal, as most students achieved grades categorized as "Satisfactory" or higher. Statistical analyses indicated no significant correlation between school distance and academic performance. Although students expressed challenges related to commuting, such as fatigue and time constraints, these did not translate into substantial declines in their grades. This suggests that while school distance may present logistical challenges, other factors—potentially including teaching quality and student motivation—might play a more substantial role in determining academic success. Overall, the study indicated that school proximity alone may not significantly influence academic performance among Grade 8 students at Pantao Ragat Agro-Industrial High School.



References:

  1. Abe, T., Kitamura, A., Seino, S., Yokoyama, Y., Amano, H., Taniguchi, Y., … & Shinkai, S. (2020). Frailty status and transport disadvantage: comparison of older adults’ travel behaviours between metropolitan, suburban, and rural areas of japan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(17), 6367. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176367
  2. Abun and Magallanes "Academic Self-Regulation of STEM of Senior High School Students of Divine Word Colleges in Region I, Philippines and Their Academic Performance" Texila International Journal of Academic Research (2018) doi:10.21522/tijar.2014.05.01.art003
  3. AlQuhtani, S. (2023). Factors affecting active commuting to school in sprawled cities: the case of najran city, saudi arabia. Sustainability, 15(12), 9562. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129562
  4. Alrasheed, S. and Elmadina, A. (2020). Effect of binocular vision problems on childhood academic performance and teachers' perspective. Pakistan Journal of Ophthalmology, 36(2). https://doi.org/10.36351/pjo.v36i2.896
  5. Ao, Y., Li, M., Ding, X., Zheng, J., Xiao, S., Deng, S., … & Martek, I. (2022). Built environment and travel behavior in rural areas: a scientometric literature review. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.1018581
  6. Baliyan and Khama "How Distance to School and Study Hours after School Influence Students’ Performance in Mathematics and English: A Comparative Analysis" Journal of Education and E-Learning Research (2020) doi:10.20448/journal.509.2020.72.209
  7. Barboza, G. and Meshelemiah, J. (2023). Danger, students beware, school ahead! gun violence exposure near schools in compton, california.. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2976516/v1
  8. Berg, J. and Ihlström, J. (2019). The importance of public transport for mobility and everyday activities among rural residents. Social Sciences, 8(2), 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8020058
  9. Bergdahl, N. and Nouri, J. (2020). Covid-19 and crisis-prompted distance education in sweden. Technology Knowledge and Learning, 26(3), 443-459. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-020-09470-6
  10. Berry, N., Coffee, N., Nolan, R., Dollman, J., & Sugiyama, T. (2017). Neighbourhood environmental attributes associated with walking in south australian adults: differences between urban and rural areas. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(9), 965. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14090965
  11. Cai, J., Huang, C., Deng, Z., & Li, L. (2023). Transport accessibility and poverty alleviation in guizhou province of china: spatiotemporal pattern and impact analysis. Sustainability, 15(4), 3143. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043143
  12. Carver, A., Veitch, J., Sahlqvist, S., Crawford, D., & Hume, C. (2014). Active transport, independent mobility and territorial range among children residing in disadvantaged areas. Journal of Transport & Health, 1(4), 267-273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2014.01.004
  13. Cordes, S., Rick, C., & Schwartz, A. (2022). Do long bus rides drive down academic outcomes?. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 44(4), 689-716. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737221092450
  14. D.T, I. (2024). Distance to school and students’ mathematics achievement in ethiope east local government area of delta state. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5(3), 7522-7526. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.5.0324.0921
  15. Ding, P. and Feng, S. (2022). How school travel affects children’s psychological well-being and academic achievement in china. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 13881. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192113881
  16. Edwards, W., Boggs, R., & Reyes, P. (2022). Student-principal racial/ethnic match, geographic locale, and student disciplinary outcomes. Journal of School Leadership, 33(3), 313-339. https://doi.org/10.1177/10526846221134009
  17. Elliott, J. (2023). Assessing medical student satisfaction with rural placement: the australian rural clinical school support survey. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 31(5), 957-966. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajr.13028
  18. Espina, A. and Monte, R. (2022). Academic experiences of shs learners studying english in distance modular approach: a phenomenological study. Electronic Journal of Education Social Economics and Technology, 3(1), 8-14. https://doi.org/10.33122/ejeset.v3i1.48
  19. Fan, J., Wen, M., & Kowaleski‐Jones, L. (2014). Sociodemographic and environmental correlates of active commuting in rural america. The Journal of Rural Health, 31(2), 176-185. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12084
  20. Fitzhugh, E., Jarvandi, S., Franck, K., & Elizer, A. (2023). A community profile of walking and cycling for exercise or transportation in a rural county in the southeastern united states. Health Promotion Practice, 24(1_suppl), 46S-55S. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399221121110
  21. Gocotano, T., Jerodiaz, M., Banggay, J., Nasibog, H., & Go, M. (2021). Higher education students’ challenges on flexible online learning implementation in the rural areas: a philippine case. International Journal of Learning Teaching and Educational Research, 20(7), 262-290. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.7.15
  22. Grize, L., Bringolf‐Isler, B., Martin, E., & Braun‐Fahrländer, C. (2010). Trend in active transportation to school among swiss school children and its associated factors: three cross-sectional surveys 1994, 2000 and 2005. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-28
  23. Guo, Q., He, Z., Li, D., & Spyra, M. (2022). Analysis of spatial patterns and socioeconomic activities of urbanized rural areas in fujian province, china. Land, 11(7), 969. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11070969
  24. Hasselder, P., Brüchert, T., Baumgart, S., & Bolte, G. (2022). Destinations fostering older adults’ walking for transport: a cross-sectional study from germany. BMC Geriatrics, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-02896-w
  25. Haxhiu, Z. (2023). Closing the achievement gap: an analysis of equity-based educational interventions. Journal of Education Review Provision, 2(2), 32-35. https://doi.org/10.55885/jerp.v2i2.154
  26. Hernández, L. (2021). Strengths and challenges of distance learning modalities in the new normal: basis for intervention program. Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 3(2), 80-87. https://doi.org/10.36079/lamintang.jhass-0302.241
  27. Hofer-Fischanger, K., Grasser, G., & Poppel, M. (2022). Psychosocial and environmental determinants of active transport to school in austrian rural communities: a cross-sectional study among schoolchildren and their parents. Journal of Public Health, 31(11), 1807-1816. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01754-8
  28. Hopkins, D., Bengoechea, E., Coppell, K., Spence, J., & Mandic, S. (2022). Active travel in rural new zealand: a study of rural adolescents’ perceptions of walking and cycling to school. Active Travel Studies, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.16997/ats.1222
  29. Hou, J., Liang, Y., Tong, L., Kolars, J., & Wang, M. (2019). <p>targeted enrollment of medical students for rural china: prospects and challenges</p>. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, Volume 10, 1021-1030. https://doi.org/10.2147/amep.s227028
  30. Ibrahim, N., Osman, M., & Bachok, S. (2014). Public school development and planning: parents’ criteria of selecting public school in gombak district. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153, 274-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.061
  31. Jo, H., Lee, H., Kim, D., & Kong, I. (2022). Satisfaction with the walking-related environment during covid-19 in south korea. Plos One, 17(4), e0266183. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266183
  32. Jones, S. and Sliwa, S. (2016). School factors associated with the percentage of students who walk or bike to school, school health policies and practices study, 2014. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd13.150573
  33. Joson, S. N. and Laxamana, J. (2020). Air pollution and nasal mucociliary clearance time among urban and rural residents in two philippine communities. Philippine Journal of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 35(1), 33-35. https://doi.org/10.32412/pjohns.v35i1.1275
  34. Kamath, S., Mithra, P., Joshi, J., Kamath, P., Unnikrishnan, B., Krishnamurthy, J., … & Bhat, K. (2022). Perceptions of teachers towards covid appropriate behaviors for school children in coastal south india. Current Psychology, 41(11), 8112-8122. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02564-z
  35. Li, S. (2023). Exploring the spatial heterogeneity of rural development in laos based on rural building spatial database. Land, 12(11), 2008. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12112008
  36. Loeb, S., Christian, M., Hough, H., Meyer, R., Rice, A., & West, M. (2019). School differences in social–emotional learning gains: findings from the first large-scale panel survey of students. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 44(5), 507-542. https://doi.org/10.3102/1076998619845162
  37. Lunar, F., Marquez, J., Quianzon, F., Policarpio, B., Santelices, L., Velasco, M., … & Gorgon, E. (2019). Mobility performance among community-dwelling older filipinos who lived in urban and rural settings: a preliminary study. Hong Kong Physiotherapy Journal, 39(02), 91-99. https://doi.org/10.1142/s1013702519500082
  38. Mao, Y., Li, H., Danniswari, D., & Furuya, K. (2023). College students’ perceptions of and place attachment to rural areas: case study of japan and china. Youth, 3(2), 737-752. https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3020048
  39. Miežienė, B., Emeljanovas, A., Jusienė, R., Breidokienė, R., Girdzijauskienė, S., Sabaliauskas, S., … & Kawachi, I. (2022). Direct and indirect effects of social support and school social capital on the academic success of 11–19-year-old students using distance learning. Sustainability, 14(4), 2131. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042131
  40. Msoffe, R. and Mohamed, F. (2023). Effects of school distance on girls’ education and influence on gender inequality in secondary education: case study of community secondary schools in pangani and handeni districts, tanzania. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v8i4.1421
  41. Myers, A., Ipsen, C., & Standley, K. (2022). Transportation patterns of adults with travel-limiting disabilities in rural and urban america. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2022.877555
  42. Nandivada, V. (2022). Socio-economic and awareness correlates of physical activity of government school children in india. J Emerg Invest. https://doi.org/10.59720/22-064
  43. Nascimento, M. and Andrade, M. (2022). School transportation program as means to improve public education in a minor rural town in northeastern brazil. Ensaio Avaliação E Políticas Públicas Em Educação, 30(114), 182-206. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0104-40362021002903093
  44. Nishida, M., Hanazato, M., Koga, C., & Kondo, K. (2021). Association between proximity of the elementary school and depression in japanese older adults: a cross-sectional study from the jages 2016 survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 500. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020500
  45. Nouri, A., Zandi, T., & Etemadizade, H. (2022). A canonical correlation analysis of the influence of access to and use of ict on secondary school students’ academic performance. Research in Learning Technology, 30. https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v30.2679
  46. Nurfalah, F. (2023). Social media for indonesian and philippines students. Jurnal Kajian Komunikasi, 11(1), 49. https://doi.org/10.24198/jkk.v11i1.46555
  47. Oloo, F. (2018). Mapping rural road networks from global positioning system (gps) trajectories of motorcycle taxis in sigomre area, siaya county, kenya. Isprs International Journal of Geo-Information, 7(8), 309. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi7080309
  48. Olsen, J., Mitchell, R., Mutrie, N., Foley, L., & Ogilvie, D. (2017). Population levels of, and inequalities in, active travel: a national, cross-sectional study of adults in scotland. Preventive Medicine Reports, 8, 129-134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2017.09.008
  49. Oneya and Onyango "Perception of School Stakeholders on the Effect of School-Home Distance on Students’ Academic Performance among Community Secondary Schools in Rorya District, Tanzania" East African Journal of Education and Social Sciences (2021) doi:10.46606/eajess2021v02i01.0068
  50. Ouma, C. (2024). The effects of school groupings on student performance in the kenya certificate of secondary education exam: a classification tree approach. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(6), 10-18. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.116.16997
  51. Parolin, Z. and Lee, E. K. (2021). Large socio-economic, geographic and demographic disparities exist in exposure to school closures. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(4), 522-528. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01087-8
  52. Pečjak, S., Pirc, T., Podlesek, A., & Peklaj, C. (2021). Some predictors of perceived support and proximity in students during covid-19 distance learning. Lnternational Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 14(1), 51-62. https://doi.org/10.26822/iejee.2021.228
  53. Pudpong, N., Suphanchaimat, R., Batra, B., Hou, J., Vu, L., & Paul, D. (2017). A final-year nursing student survey: rural attitudes, perceived competencies and intention to work across five asian countries. BMC Nursing, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-017-0208-4
  54. Pudpong, N., Suphanchaimat, R., Batra, B., Hou, J., Vu, L., & Paul, D. (2017). A final-year nursing student survey: rural attitudes, perceived competencies and intention to work across five asian countries. BMC Nursing, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-017-0208-4
  55. Quiano, M. and Avila, E. (2023). The use of modular distance learning in relation to the problem-solving skills in statistics and probability of grade 11 students. International Journal of Business Law and Education, 4(1), 32-40. https://doi.org/10.56442/ijble.v4i1.98
  56. Rimpelä, A., Lindfors, P., Kinnunen, J. M., Myöhänen, A., Hotulainen, R., Koivuhovi, S., … & Vainikainen, M. (2021). The way of distance teaching is related to adolescent students’ health and loneliness during the school closure in finland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), 12377. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312377
  57. Rodríguez‐Rodríguez, F., Jara, O. P., Kuthe, N. M., Herrador‐Colmenero, M., Ramírez‐Vélez, R., & Chillón, P. (2019). Influence of distance, area, and cultural context in active commuting: continental and insular children. Plos One, 14(3), e0213159. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0213159
  58. Ross, A. (2021). Predictors of active transportation among safe routes to school participants in arizona: impacts of distance and income. Journal of School Health, 92(3), 282-292. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13125
  59. Salvador, J. (2023). The parents’ participation and students’ behavior in modular distance learning towards the academic performance of the students of pag-asa national high school. Epra International Journal of Research & Development (Ijrd), 357-364. https://doi.org/10.36713/epra13415
  60. Segura-Díaz, J. M., Rojas-Jiménez, Á., Barranco‐Ruiz, Y., Murillo-Pardo, B., Saucedo-Araujo, R. G., Aranda-Balboa, M. J., … & Chillón, P. (2020). Feasibility and reliability of a questionnaire to assess the mode, frequency, distance and time of commuting to and from school: the paco study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 5039. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17145039
  61. Senevirathne, C. (2023). Exploring the relationship between food environment and preferences among school children in a low socio-economic community in sri lanka: a gis based assessment.. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.10.23295336
  62. Situmorang, M. L., Coppell, K. J., Smith, M., Keall, M., & Mandic, S. (2022). Adolescents’ school travel and unhealthy snacking: associations with school transport modes, neighbourhood deprivation, and body weight. Sustainability, 14(12), 7038. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127038
  63. Takagi, E., Cruz, G., & Saito, Y. (2022). Older adults’ loneliness and social relationships in the philippines: comparison between rural and urban contexts. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 34(6-7), 662-666. https://doi.org/10.1177/10105395221106861
  64. Talpur, M., Ali, T., Chandio, I., & Shaikh, F. (2018). Transportation planning studies for socio-economic development of depressed sub-regions: a review. Mehran University Research Journal of Engineering and Technology, 37(3), 603-614. https://doi.org/10.22581/muet1982.1803.14
  65. Tao, X., Zong-tang, F., & Comber, A. (2018). An analysis of modes of commuting in urban and rural areas. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy, 12(4), 831-845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-018-9271-9
  66. Tengecha, N., Akintunde, T., Agyeman, S., & Alimo, P. (2023). Education for sustainable development in rural communities: parents' perceptions of children's willingness‐to‐study and learning difficulties associated with school transport in ukerewe island, tanzania. Sustainable Development. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2640
  67. Terano "Exploring the Academic Preparation and Performance to the Comprehensive Examination of First-Year Engineering Students" International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (2023) doi:10.3991/ijep.v13i7.41217
  68. Thapa, K., Bhandari, P. M., Neupane, D., Bhochhibhoya, S., Rajbhandari‐Thapa, J., & Pathak, R. (2019). Physical activity and its correlates among higher secondary school students in an urban district of nepal. BMC Public Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7230-2
  69. Urmi, U., Rahman, K., Uddin, J., & Hasan, M. (2022). The prevalence of active commuting to school and the factors influencing mode choice: a study of university students in a secondary city of bangladesh. Sustainability, 14(24), 16949. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416949
  70. Uscher‐Pines, L., Schwartz, H., Ahmed, F., Zheteyeva, Y., Leschitz, J., Pillemer, F., … & Uzicanin, A. (2020). Feasibility of social distancing practices in us schools to reduce influenza transmission during a pandemic. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 26(4), 357-370. https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001174
  71. Uthkarsh, P. (2020). Children commute to schools in bangalore urban and rural districts: travel pattern, behaviour and perceptions. International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 7(2), 748. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20200461
  72. Vaishar, A. and Šťastná, M. (2021). Accessibility of services in rural areas: southern moravia case study. Sustainability, 13(16), 9103. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169103
  73. Velaga, N., Beecroft, M., Nelson, J., Corsar, D., & Edwards, P. (2012). Transport poverty meets the digital divide: accessibility and connectivity in rural communities. Journal of Transport Geography, 21, 102-112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2011.12.005
  74. Voulgaris, C. T., Hosseinzade, R., Pande, A., & Alexander, S. (2021). Neighborhood effects of safe routes to school programs on the likelihood of active travel to school. Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2675(8), 10-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198121995490
  75. Wu, T., Yang, X., Raghunathan, V., & Hu, M. (2023). Parental perceptions and perceived environmental influences on active transport to school in u.s. inner-city neighborhoods: through the lens of health equity. Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living, 3(1), 46-58. https://doi.org/10.51250/jheal.v3i1.57
  76. Wulandari, R., Laksono, A., & Rohmah, N. (2021). Urban-rural disparities of antenatal care in south east asia: a case study in the philippines and indonesia. BMC Public Health, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11318-2
  77. Zakaria, H., Rohani, M., Rahimi, N., & Rahimi, N. (2023). The influence of fuel pricing on the mode of transportation of travellers in rural areas. Iop Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science, 1205(1), 012063. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1205/1/012063
  78. Zincirli, M. (2021). School administrators' views on distance education during the covid-19 pandemic process. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 9(2), 52-66. https://doi.org/10.52380/mojet.2021.9.2.217
  79. Zolotarev, S., Kusakina, O., Ryazantsev, I., Yushchenko, I., & Ivashova, V. (2023). Transport accessibility assessment of rural tourism facilities. E3s Web of Conferences, 376, 04005. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202337604005

Tools


Copyright © 2026  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic