To analyze the results of the questionnaire, the responses was interpreted from MS Forms to MS Excel and then thoroughly analyzed. Therefore, the three objectives were shown to discuss using thematic analysis.
I. Principles of Happiness
Many contemporary explorations of happiness in everyday life, meanings and definition of happiness may be based upon a subjective reading of well-being. Some approach is based on the belief that there is such a thing as ‘feeling good’ and ‘feeling bad’ and that people can identify and talk about it. Philosophers have been inquiring about happiness since ancient times.
A. Aristotle
When he asked ‘what is the ultimate purpose of human existence’ alluded to the fact that purpose was what he argued to be ‘happiness’. He termed this eudaimonia – “activity expressing virtue” or what he conceived as happiness. Aristotle’s theory of happiness was as follows:
‘the function of man is to live a certain kind of life, and this activity implies a rational principle, and the function of a good man is the good and noble performance of these, and if any action is well performed it is performed in
accord with the appropriate excellence; if this is the case, then happiness turns out to be an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue’
(Aristotle, 2004).
Aristotle believed that happiness is not short-lived:
for as it is not one swallow or one fine day that makes a spring, so it is not one day or a short time that makes a man blessed and happy
(Aristotle, 2004).
In developing his theory of ‘happiness’, Aristotle drew upon his knowledge about nature. He contended that what separates man from animal is rational capacity – arguing that a human’s unique function is to reason. He went on to say that pleasure alone cannot result in happiness because animals are driven by the pursuit of pleasure and according to Aristotle man has greater capacities than animals (McMahon, 2008).
B. Aquinas
He makes numerous claims regarding happiness. Specifically, Aquinas uses the term “happiness” in a sense of objective fulfillment, rather than subjective well-being. He asserts that human happiness does not consist in acquiring things such as money, honor, fame, power, goods of the body, or pleasure. He also claims that complete, i.e. perfect, happiness can only be achieved by contemplating God in the afterlife.
St. Aquinas argues that happiness is ultimate goodness or the highest end of virtuous life as Aristotle’s argument in his Nicomachean Ethics. However, both philosophers have different views on when perfect happiness can be achieved. Aristotle asserts that happiness (Greek, eudaimonia) is being in the state of maximum wellbeing, and that happiness can be achieved in this life through virtuous life, while Aquinas argues that perfect and true happiness (Latin, beatitude) can be attained with the beatific vision of God in afterlife.
This assertion of Aquinas makes perfect happiness of being with God supreme in afterlife because it is not required for anything other than God. In brief explanation, imperfect happiness can be obtained in this life by means of human natural principle, but again perfect and true happiness can only be achieved in afterlife by the power of God (Lubak, 1984).
In brief, the principle of happiness in the Summa Theologica of Aquinas is summarized that man’s happiness is twofold (duplex hominis beatitudo): Imperfect happiness (felicitas), which is dependent on a body, can be obtained in this life by growing in one’s knowledge of God through the operation of one’s natural intellect, while true and perfect happiness (beatitudo), which is not dependent on a body, consists in the vision of God. Now since true and perfect happiness surpasses every created nature, a human being is not able to obtain perfect happiness (beatitudo) by his or her natural power. Through the vision of God's Essence alone, a human can attain perfect Happiness.
In connection to this, the results showed three factors that affects the happiness of the students. First is their personal life. In this subject, the support coming from their family, friends and significant others greatly impact their emotions throughout the day. This also includes the intrapersonal struggles that no one can explain even themselves; losing track, getting tired,
stressed and health concerns as well. In this factor, their hobbies and extracurricular activities also helped the students stay positive the whole day.
Aside from these, their academic life also affects their happiness. The data revealed that the sense of accomplishment and productivity significantly increase the level of emotions of the students positively. The more they feel accomplished and done several things during the day made them happier and they get to interact more while it decreases in the opposite note.
Moving on, during these times of pandemic, social life is hard to attain, most especially for the students, which also affects their happiness. The responses of the participants presented that the declining time for social interaction impacted their happiness. This involves meeting up with friends, family relatives or significant others. On this notable note, based on the results, it showed that majority of the students is more inclined to Aristotle's principle of happiness which focuses more on rational functions and logical reasoning.
II. Principles of Classroom Engagement
A. Aristotle
According to Waterman (1990), Happiness (eudaimonia), to Aristotle, meant attaining the ‘daimon’ or perfect self. Reaching the ‘ultimate perfection of our natures’, as Aristotle meant by happiness, includes rational reflection (McMahon, 2008). He argued that education was the embodiment of character refinement (McMahon, 2008). Striving for the daimon (perfect self) gives life meaning and direction. Having a meaningful, purposeful life is valuable. Efforts that the individual puts in to strive for the daimon are termed ‘personally expressive’. Personal expressiveness involves intense involvement in an activity and having a sense of acting in accordance with one’s purpose (Waterman, 1990).
According to Aristotle, eudaimonia and hedonic enjoyment are separate and distinguishable. However, in a study of university students, personal expressiveness (which is, after all a component of eudaimonia) was found to be positively correlated with hedonic enjoyment. Also, this refers to putting in effort, feeling challenged and competent, having clear goals and concentrating (Waterman, 1993).
B. Aquinas
According to Lee (2019), Thomas Aquinas, as the prince and master of all Scholastic doctors, emphasizes teaching and learning in the 1st Article, 117th Question of the First Part in Summa Theologiae. Aquinas asks the question: Whether one man can teach another? He answers that “one man can teach another, and the teacher can be truly said to impart knowledge to the mind of the pupil by causing him actually to know that which before he had only the capacity to know.”
Aquinas claims two different types of knowledge, sense knowledge and intellectual knowledge: sense knowledge begins in the senses and is completed in the intellect. There is also a dual operation according to Bourke (1960, p.12) to the intellect: one operation is the understanding of indivisibility; the other operation relates to combining and distinguishing (p.14). Knowledge of physical objects is better suited to human capabilities, but the highest knowledge humans can attain is knowledge of God. Aquinas asserts that there is the most perfect knowledge in God, who is in the highest degree of immateriality, and occupies the highest place in knowledge (First Part, Q14, A.1).
In his Second Part of the Second Part, Q.9, A.2, Aquinas explains the difference between wisdom and knowledge: “the knowledge od Divine things is called “wisdom,” while the knowledge of human things is called “knowledge.” In sum, Aquinas claims that it is reasonable to speak of one person teaching another in the sense that one can serve as the secondary cause of another’s knowledge, even though God is ultimately the source of human knowledge and of the capacity to acquire this knowledge (Williams, 2014, p.51).
His educational principles can be briefly summarized: on the basis of deep and pious Christian faith, commitment to clarity in reasoning, and openness to the force of the better argument (op.cit., p.53). The aims of Aquinas’ education are not only to initiate the human life of reason into the Christian life of virtue, but to enable humans to attain this ultimate state of beatific perfection through pious and abiding Christian faith (op.cit.).
Relating into this, the results identified three (3) factors that affects the classroom engagement of the students in virtual setting. First is the classroom management. There are a lot of complaints coming from the students expressing their concern on handling of the teachers of their classes. The more enjoyable the class is the more the students participate and engage in each lesson and vice versa. This also includes the bombarding sets of activities and its type which can either make or break the students' interest or educational aim. With this, the motivation to study ranges from compliance to self enhancement.
Just like a factor affecting the happiness of the students, academic accomplishment greatly encourages classroom engagement as well. The data showed that when the students realized the product of their hard works, the more they engage to their classes. The sense of accomplishment made the students more interactive and appreciative of the process of education/learning even in online setting. Some of the students expressed their tiresome journey to education but whenever they finish something in the product of their perseverance, their educational aim increases.
Lastly is self-motivation. This is somehow related to academic accomplishments, but this tackles a much broader reason. The results revealed that students are more engaged when they are motivated by themselves. They may be challenged and tired, but these hurdles keep them moving. Also, without this trait, the students lose track and interest to study and comply.
With these results, it is showed that the principles of educational aim or classroom engagement is more inclined to Aristotle which focuses more on personal expressiveness.
A. Impact of Happiness to Classroom Engagement of the students.
To analyze the results of the questionnaire, the response data was downloaded from MS Forms and then saved to MS Excel. Categorized the results into different thematic analysis such as classroom engagement and academic accomplishment; and self-motivation, as shown in Table 1 with corresponding legend colors.
Table 1 illustrates the correlation of four different variables such as: happy, sad, engaged, and not engaged. Majority of the students (consist of 5 students out of 9) out of 4 days are happy and only one student is engaged for the entire week.
To investigate this difference further, a correlation was run between programs and batch or their ages, also the happiness and engagement in class. To account the day-to-day basis, regarding on the color legends, there is a pattern. The researcher observed that in day 1 there 5 out of 9 students are happy and engaged, but in day 2 and 3, it downs to 2 out of 9 students who are happy and engaged, on the last day of assessment they 3 out of 9 students. Green color is fluctuating. Yellow color means they are happy and not engaged, this is also shifting from day 1
– 2 students, increased by 3 students on the next day, day 3 only 1 student on this category and on the last day none of them are on this column. On blue color, they are sad but still engaged – changing from up and down pattern 2-1-3-2 from day 1–4, respectively. While the pattern of violet color is increasing from day 1 to day 4, this illustrates that students are happy and engaged from the first day of the week and suddenly diminishing their excitement as days go by.
Classroom Engagement and Academic Accomplishment
In terms on classroom engagement, as you can see in the Table 1. Only one student is engaged for the entire week regardless of their circumstances in their day-to-day lives. Four students are engaged in their class 3 days of the week. Only two students engaged in half of the week. And, lastly, only two students engaged in just one day of the week. There are two students exhibits in St. Thomas Aquinas lens of view, some of the lines from students.
“I thank the Lord for giving me wisdom and guiding me upon examination.”
“Thanks God, happy for our prof give 100 score in presentation…”
“Thank God and happy, participate & accomplished…”
According to Aquinas, there is a difference in knowledge and wisdom. Being engaged in the classroom, does not mean your own effort in order to pass the subject. These students are grateful, and they know how to acknowledge the presence of God in their academics, despite on the struggles and difficulties they honor God’s wisdom in their classroom activities.
Some of the reasons why students are disengaged:
“I need to submit, don't want to be late…”
“walang natututunan, choices and circumstances…”
“acads affected due to Korean character, walang ginawa…”
“due to prof na hindi nagtuturo, thrice lang nagturo ng buong term…”
“sobrang overwhelming, nakakafrustrate…”
“need to recite dito, recite doon…”
“listened attentively because the subject is hard…”
“traumatize”
Students are challenged but at the same time they know the philosophy of Aristotle, which is hedonic, they know when to enjoy and give their self a sense of break and enjoyment. Some students are pressured and having anxiety due to many things happening on their lives. No wonder why students are so easily express themselves, because of the factor that it is anonymous. Regarding this, Aristotle says that the efforts that the individual puts int to strive for the “daimon” (meaning personally expressive) in the Eudaimonia. Personal expressiveness involves in an activity and having a sense of acting in accordance with one’s purpose, and this purpose for the students to study, to pass the term, the requirements, to maintain the scholarship, and many more reasons.
Self-motivation
Lastly, although this study talked about the happiness and classroom engagement, the results also showed the self-motivation of the students why some of them are disengaged or the reasons of their emotions. This goes to show that the students feel that while they are writing their day-to- day dairy, but some of them are not aware of their life events.
“puppy pet died…”
“lost track…”
“bombarded with many things…”
“occupied of reading book…”
“struggling to feel to be happy…”
“happy in virtual tutees but family and financial problems…”
“broken & exhausted…”
The author of this study firstly investigates similarities and differences in the aspect of happiness principles between Aristotle and Aquinas. Next, she explores them in the aspect of educational principles between the two great teachers.
Basically, these two people believe that happiness is the highest good, but both have significantly different views on: what is happiness; how to obtain happiness; and when complete happiness can be achieved. Both great thinkers agree that moral virtues are acquired through practice. Additionally, both believe that virtue leads to happiness, even though Aquinas advocates imperfect happiness. In the aspect of educational principles and aims, Aristotle has a morally human view, while Aquinas has a religiously theological view.