It’s Hot in Here : Effect of Heat Index to the Academic Participation and Learning Attitudes of Students on Blended Learning

Intensifying extreme weather condition is the new pandemic. Studies correlating intense thermal conditions' effect on learners' academic performance is very limited. This study takes a closer look at how high heat levels affect students’ ability to participate and stay engaged in blended learning environments. As temperature rises, many students are reported to feel less motivated, struggling to focus, and even noticing changes in their academic performance—especially during online classes. Additionally, projected environmental changes significantly affects teaching learning process. Through structured surveys, the researchers examined various aspects of learning attitudes such as motivation, perseverance, and goal orientation, along with academic participation skills like collaboration, time management, and seeking help. This study utilized Likert scale and descriptive-correlational approach to analyze the data and identify significant relationships between the heat index and students’ academic participation and learning attitudes. Despite the challenges brought on by heat like discomfort and technical issues, many students showed resilience. To explore how closely motivation and participation were connected, a correlation test was done. It showed a weak positive link (r = 0.255), meaning that students who were more motivated did tend to participate more, but not by much. Since the p-value was 0.315, which is above the usual cutoff for significance, the result wasn’t strong enough to prove that motivation and participation were truly linked in this situation. Correlation analysis suggested how academic participation tends to increase with increased motivation despite of weak positive correlation having a r-value of 0.355.Moreover, observed correlation revealed that there is no significant difference between the effect of heat indices on learning attitudes and academic participation of 2nd year students under the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science program in blended learning environment. The findings highlighted how environmental factors, like extreme heat can shape students’ educational experiences and suggested the importance of providing strategies and support to help them adapt and succeed in learning process through climate-resilient curriculum and institution.