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Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Background

Introduction

The k-12 Program covers 13 years of basic education with the following key

stages: kindergarten to grade 3, grade 4 to 6, grade 7 to 10(junior high school) and grade

11 and 12(senior high school). In senior high school there are different tracks such as

academic, technical vocational, sports, and arts and design track but on our research we

are going to focus on the strands of academic tracks such as STEM, HUMMS, ABM and

GAS.

Some of us are confuse on what strand to enter because their future depends here.

In true sense, Learning Theory of Career Counseling (LTCC) tries to simplify the process

of career selection of an individual and National Career Assessment Examination

(NCAE) is exclusive for career assessment. There are factors that can affect their choice

for special abilities, environmental conditions, learning experiences and task approach

skills. From the book MAPEH 10 says that before choosing your dream, it is best that

you learn some things about yourself. You need to evaluate what qualities you have right

now and what you want to develop and strengthen. These special qualities include your

abilities, interests, values, skills, and talents.

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Every students must choose wisely upon choosing their strand because it can be

their advantage if their strand matches their college course and their college course

matches with what they really want because according to Dr. Nancy Pascual “The wrong

choice of course taken by most of high school students adds to the unemployment and

underemployment rate of newly graduate students. And as we researchers, the

Respondents need to be more careful on upon choosing their strand. The purpose of our

research is to help the respondents who are struggling on choosing what strand to enter.

Statement of the Problem

1. Demographic profile of the respondents

1.1 Financial Income
1.2 NCAE Result
1.3 Relatives’ Occupation
1.4 Family Status
2. Other Factors that can affect respondents on choosing their strand
2.1 Peer Pressure
2.2 Undecided
2.3 Their dream vs. their family’s dream
2.4 Interests
3. Is there a significant relationship between the respondents demographic profile to

other factors that can affect their respondents on choosing?

4. What suggestion can be embedded from the result of the study?

Scope and Delimitation

This study deals with the factors influencing students in choosing junior, senior

academic track at Makabulos Memorial High School S.Y. 2017-2018 .The study was

focused on the grade 10 students in Makabulos Memorial High School. Who are having a

hard time deciding on what course to take.

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This data will be gathered using the questionnaire on the factors influencing

students’. The primary data gathering method was interview to determine by the

researcher the factors that may affect the respondents’ decision-making regarding their

academic track. The researcher will be asking questions to the MMHS grade 10 students

regarding the topic that they will answer honourably.

Significance of the study

High school is a time for teens to learn valuable skills for life from peers and

professionals. And your skills and knowledge was the results from practice and

experience which sought for quality education. The benefit result of the investigations is

in the following:

To the Makabulos memorial high school faculty member,as one of the immense part

of teaching and learning process. This study will be compelling for the faculty member of

MMHS because this will be their motivation to improve their skills and knowledge to

prepare the Senior High students of MMHS for college.

To the Future Researchers, as one of the expected future educator and instructor of K-

12, this study will inspire them to be brilliant and immense of handling the Department of

Education (DepEd) programs that will benefit the students and faculty members And

also, this study will help them to gain an additional knowledge and skills and a complete

understanding of the analysis of choosing a strand in SHS.

To the Curriculum planners, this study can give insights to them in implementing a

feasible senior high school curriculum that would give the student knowledge, skills and
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ability that the students needed. This will be the basis to improve and develop the

curriculum.

To the Parents, as one of the main influence of the children’s career development and

career decision-making. Parents want their offspring to find happiness and success in life.

This study will help both of the student and the parents also because when students feel

supported and loved by their parents, they have more confidence in their ability to

research careers and to choose a career that would be interesting and exciting.

To the junior and senior high school guidance counsellor, The students career success

can best attained if proper guidance was given in choosing the right course in college,

suited to students personality, ability, and intellect. This study will help them to help the

student to choose the career that suits them and finished by integrating career plan with

the curriculum enable the students can make a worthy decision in what course to take in

college.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are operationally defined to enhance the understanding of the

readers of this research:

Career Pathways- optional courses that offers the student for specialization in

academic, technical-vocational, sports and arts, and entrepreneurship.

Demographic Profile -refers to gender, age, parent’s educational attainment,

parent’s occupation, size of income, and NCAE result.

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Interests -These are the qualities or things that attract one’s attention and make

him/her want to learn more about something or to be involved/ engaged in something.

K-12 program - is the newly implemented educational system in the Philippines

where in it covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education to provide sufficient time

for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners and prepare graduates for

tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment and entrepreneurship.

Senior High School -is the second part of secondary education under the K-12

program, wherein the students would take up the subjects under their career pathway

specialization.

National Career Assessment Examination(NCAE) -It is an aptitude test geared

toward providing information through test results for self-assessment, career awareness

and career guidance of junior high school students of the K to 12 Basic Education

Program (BEP).

Senior High School Track Preference - It is the choice of the student for senior

high school specialization. The choices are as follows: Academic, Technical-Vocational,

Sports and lastly Arts and Design. The Academic track has three strands: (1)

Accountancy, Business and Management, (2) Humanities and Social Sciences, and (3)

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. On the other hand, the

specializations under the Technical-Vocational fall either into four: (1) Agriculture and

Fisheries, (2) Home Economics, (3) Industrial Arts, and (4) Information and

Communication Technology.
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Chapter 2

Related Studies and Related Literature

Related Studies

A. Educational Choice: The Stratifying Effects of Selecting Schools and Courses

Valerie E. Lee

First Published June 1, 1993 Research Article

The current political climate of educational reform very actively focuses on the

positive aspects of increasing parental choice of children's schools, but there is little

discussion of (and scant empirical research on) the potentially negative effects of

increasing choice. This article examines the rich empirical base on another aspect of

choice in education-curriculum choice-to draw parallels between the potentially

harmful effects of both types of choice. Specifically, it has been shown a wide latitude

of student choice of courses in high school magnifies the social stratification of

educational outcomes. This socially undesirable consequence results from two well-
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documented relationships: (a) Following a more demanding set of academic courses in

high school is strongly and positively associated with higher academic achievement,

and (b) less advantaged students are considerably less likely to select such a

demanding course of study than are their more academically and socially advantaged

counterparts. Additionally, academically and socially disadvantaged students and their

families are less likely to seek out, or have access to, information about the

consequences of their choices (of either schools or courses). If our society is unwilling

to accept any educational reform that increases the inequitable distribution of

educational outcomes among diverse social and racial groups, as is argued in this

article, then we must take a hard look at the possible effects of school choice in this

regard.

Source: Lee V. (n/y) Educational Choice: The Stratifying Effects of Selecting Schools

and Courses. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0895904893007002001

(accessed on 2018)

B. Influence of Student's Interest on Career Choice among First Year University

Students in Public and Private Universities in Kisii County, Kenya

Nyamwange, Josephine

Journal of Education and Practice, v7 n4 p96-102 2016

Career choice has lately become a very complicated science, considering that the

decision is influenced by numerous factors. Yet, choosing the right career is important in

ensuring that individuals lead rewarding lives, are motivated at their jobs and can achieve
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remarkable productivity, thus setting the stage for organizational success and

sustainability. Given the importance of making the right career choice, it is imperative

that individuals are aware of the factors that influence such weighty decisions and do so

from a point of knowledge. The present study sought to examine the influence of interest

on career choice decisions among first year university students. To address this objective,

the study utilized two hundred and ninety six (296) first year students selected from six

universities. The Respondents were selected using purposive as well as systematic

sampling approaches within the descriptive survey design. They responded to a specially

designed questionnaire and the data collected were analyzed descriptively using the

Statistical Package for Social Sciences as the main tool of analysis. The study concludes

that student interest is significant in determining career choice decisions for an

individual's career.

Source:Nyamwange,(n/y). https://eric.ed.gov/?

q=an+analysis+on+the+choices+of+grade+10+students+on+choosing+their+strand&pg=

2&id=EJ1092415 (accessed on 2018)

Related Literature

At this pace of this changing society and economy a lot of actions should take

place. They have to face a lot of challenges especially educators who are being asked to

do more with less due to rapidly evolving technologies and ongoing shifts in global

economy and demography. A successful education system will need to be of paramount

importance if a multicultural society to succeed and prosper in the future. Education is a

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gateway to a better job and greater earning potential. One key to understanding this issue

is an appreciation of the overall landscape education and training

A.

This chapter presents a review related literature and studies related to choice of

specialization of senior high school students. The chapter includes the following topics:

senior high school, factors that influence the choice of specialization of students,

theoretical framework, and conceptual framework.

Senior High School

Senior High School is two years of specialized upper secondary education;

students may choose a specialization based on aptitude, interests, and school capacity.

The choice of career track will define the content of the subjects a student will take in

Grades 11 and 12. SHS subjects fall under either the Core Curriculum or specific Tracks

(Official Gazette, 2012). Senior High School (SHS) covers the last two years of the K to

12 program and includes Grades 11 and 12. In SHS, students will go through a core

curriculum and subjects under a track of their choice (http://k12philippines.com/, n.d).

The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of

primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High

School [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop
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lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills

development, employment, and entrepreneur ship. Each student in Senior High School

can choose among three tracks: Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports

and Arts. The Academic track includes three strands: Accountancy, Business

Management (ABM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); and Science,

Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM). Students undergo immersion, which

may Include earn-while-you-learn opportunities, to provide them relevant exposure and

actual experience in their chosen track (Official Gazette, 2012).

Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community. However,

our current education system hinders us from becoming even more competitive. Starting

in the 2012-2013 school year, the education system of the Philippines was enhanced from

the ten years of basic education to a 12-year program through an initiative called the K-

12 Education Plan sponsored by the Department of Education (HubPages Inc. 2016). The

K-12 program offers a decongested 12-year program that gives students sufficient time to

master skills and absorb basic competencies. The K-12 program accelerates mutual

recognition of Filipino graduates and professionals in other countries (K-12 Philippines,

2015.

Source:BarnacheaC.(March4,2017)Baracksz.

https://winrightambasa.blogspot.com/2017/03/reviewof-related-literature.html (accessed

on 2018)

B.
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Factors Affecting the Choice of School and Students’ Level of Interest towards

the Maritime Program

This study is more on preventive rather than a corrective action on the problems

or consequences that may occur when the implementation of K-12 in the Philippines will

reach in 2016 wherein no first year students will enroll in college. Deeper understanding

on how customers make their choices and who make the choices are essential

considerations in image building, marketing and advertising. The faculty members,

students and marketing staff of the university assist the graduating students from various

secondary schools within its vicinity and along the neighboring towns in the region to

think of the appropriate college degree program that will be suitable to the needs of their

respective communities or match to their line of interest. They provide possible options

and the opportunities to be well oriented and informed of the program offerings that

would make them excel and successful. Hirschi and Läge (2007) noted that the

educational career starts officially in Grade 8 among students in Switzerland and it seems

to assume that they enter this process with the same conditions and mostly uninformed of

existing choices. This time, they will be orienting junior high school students to enter in

the senior high school with properly selected academic track: Accountancy, Business and

Management (ABM) Strand; Humanities and Social Sciences Strand (HUMSS); Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Strand while other colleges and

universities will be offering other tracks based on the approval of the Department of

Education.
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The choice of career of the students is being influenced by some factors from the

social environment, mainly the parents as immediate family who plays an active role in

choosing the right education for their children (Pafili & Mylonakis, 2011). As a sign of

respect for the parents and culture of the Filipinos, parents or the elderly are being

consulted first by their children because primarily they will be the one to provide the

financial support to enter in college (Laguador, 2013)

Source:LaguadorJ.et.al(July6,2015)ResearchGate

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282623530_Factors_Affecting_the_Choice_of_

School_and_Students'_Level_of_Interest_towards_the_Maritime_Program (accessed on

2018)

Bibliograhy

Internet

Anonymous (n/y) Teacher Ph. https://www.teacherph.com/national-career-assessment-

examination-ncae-overview/. (accessed on 2018)

Balinton R. (2017) FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENTS OF SCC IN THEIR CHOICE OF STRAND.

https://robertbalinton143.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/factors-that-influence-senior-high-

school-students-of-scc-in-their-choice-of-strand/ (accessed on 2018)

Barnachea C. (March 4, 2017) Baracksz.

https://winrightambasa.blogspot.com/2017/03/reviewof-related-literature.html (accessed

on 2018)
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Japitan, J. et.al (n/y) Factors Affecting Senior High School Track Preferences of Grade 9

Students of Don Bosco Technology Center, Inc. Academic Year 2014-2015: A Basis for

Career Guidance Program.

http://www.academia.edu/24519450/Factors_Affecting_Senior_High_School_Track_Pref

erences_of_Grade_9_Students_of_Don_Bosco_Technology_Center_Inc._Academic_Yea

r_2014-2015_A_Basis_for_Career_Guidance_Program. (accessed on 2018)

LaguadorJ.et.al(July6,2015)ResearchGate

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282623530_Factors_Affecting_the_Choice_of_

School_and_Students'_Level_of_Interest_towards_the_Maritime_Program (accessed on

2018)

Lee V. (n/y) Educational Choice: The Stratifying Effects of Selecting Schools and

Courses. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0895904893007002001 (accessed

on 2018)

Nyamwange,J.(n/y). https://eric.ed.gov/?

q=an+analysis+on+the+choices+of+grade+10+students+on+choosing+their+strand&pg=

2&id=EJ1092415 (accessed on 2018)

Pascual, N. (n/y) Factors Affecting High School Students’Career Preference: ABasi sfor

Career PlanningProgram.http://www.urs.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2261-4881-

1-PB.pdf (accessed on 2018)

Book
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Copiaco H. MAPEH 10, Vibal Group Inc. (n/y)