Behavioral Influences of The Catholic Faith and The Religious Education Competencies, Bohol Association of Catholic Schools, Diocese Of Talibon Incorporated

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between the behavioral influences of the Catholic faith and the religious education competencies of Grade 11 students in the Bohol Association of Catholic Schools (BACS), Diocese of Talibon Incorporated, during the School Year 2021–2022. Specifically, it determined respondents’ profiles by sex and age, assessed the degree of behavioral influence of the Catholic faith across the dimensions of prayerfulness, agreeableness, and extraversion, evaluated the level of religious education competencies based on performance on a summative test, and investigated the relationships among the study variables. The study employed a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design involving 617 Grade 11 students selected from participating Catholic schools. Data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages, means, chi-square tests, Spearman’s rank-order correlation, and analysis of variance. The findings revealed that prayerfulness was the most prominent behavioral influence of the Catholic faith, followed by agreeableness and extraversion. Students generally demonstrated very high levels of prayerfulness and high levels of agreeableness and extraversion. However, the overall religious education competency level was classified as “Did Not Meet Expectations,” with most children scoring below the desired proficiency level. The chi-square analyses revealed significant associations between the respondents’ profile factors (sex and age) and the behavioral impacts of the Catholic religion and religious education competence. Furthermore, a statistically significant positive association was observed between the behavioral effects of the Catholic religion and religious education competence (p = .247, p < .001). The results show a relationship between competence in religious education and faith-related behaviors, although only a small proportion of students' learning outcomes is explained. The study emphasizes the importance of strengthening instructional methodologies, faith formation programs, and learner-centered interventions that integrate faith practices with competency-based religious education.