Emotional Boundaries to Identity Conflict of Multigrade Elementary School Pupils In Bohol

Multigrade classrooms present unique social and pedagogical dynamics that can significantly impact the psychosocial well-being of learners. The study aims to determine the relationship between the level of emotional boundaries in terms of self-regulation, empathy, and respectful turn-taking, and identity conflict in terms of sense of belonging, role and status clarity, and peer relationship adjustment among multigrade elementary school pupils based on their teachers’ observation in Bugang Elementary School Bilar, Bohol. The study utilizes a descriptive-correlational quantitative research design and it deploys a complete enumeration. The data was collected through a five-point Likert scale for all 78 pupils in Bugang Elementary School. The study utilized a Weighted Mean to describe the variable levels and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient (Pearson r) to test the relationship of the two variables. The results show a high level of emotional boundary with a Grand Mean of 4.10 and a high level of identity adjustment with a Grand Mean of 4.06. The result of r-value=0.442 and p-value=0.000 subsequently rejected the null hypothesis. Moreover, the multigrade elementary school pupils in Bilar, Bohol possess highly adaptive psychological assets. The findings indicate that the pupils’ emotional boundary control is directly intertwined with their social identity stability. The higher the emotional boundary, the higher their ability to stabilize their identity in the social setting. The findings were able to create an intervention plan titled “Project ECHO (Enhancing Classroom Harmony and Overcoming identity conflict)”. Its aim is to further institutionalize Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies within multigrade education frameworks.