Class Time Schedule and Academic Performance in Mathematics and Science: A Comparative Study of non-STEM Grade 11 Students

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between class time schedule and academic performance in General Mathematics and General Science among non-STEM Grade 11 students during the 2025-2026 school year. Using a descriptive-comparative design, the general average grades of 195 students from six sections at Immaculate Conception Polytechnic Education Inc. – Meycauayan were analyzed across three time blocks: morning (9:15–11:15 AM), midday (11:30 AM–1:30 PM), and afternoon (1:30–3:30 PM). Assumption checks revealed violations of normality and homogeneity, prompting the use of Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results indicated significant differences in General Mathematics, χ²(2, N = 195) = 9.190, p = .010, and General Science, χ²(2, N = 195) = 8.458, p = .015. Post-hoc Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction showed that the midday group significantly outperformed the morning group in Mathematics (p = .004) and the afternoon group in Science (p = .002); no other pairwise differences were significant. These findings suggest that midday scheduling may offer a favorable temporal window for academic performance, although the observed advantages were subject-specific. The study provides grade-based evidence that class time schedule can be a relevant consideration in scheduling decisions, and it recommends further research incorporating individual chronotype measures to strengthen causal interpretations.