THE AID OF STUDYING SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS FOR GRADE 12 GAS

STUDENTS OF CARLOS F. GONZALES HIGH SCHOOL

ON CHOOSING THEIR COURSES

A Paper Presented to the

Faculty of Microlink Institute of Science and Technology

San Roque, San Rafael, Bulacan

In Partial Fulfilment of the

Requirements for Inquiries, Investigations & Immersion

MARIA CRISTINA PAULA S. DELA PEÑA

MARILYN P. CHICO

MICHAEL C. ENRIQUEZ

THEDY L. PACHECO

WARREN N. ROXAS

KAREN B. ROXAS

CHEZCA C. VERAGUAS

CRISHELLE C. VERGEL DE DIOS

March 2019

1
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction

The education system of the Philippines has been highly influenced by the country’s

colonial history. That history has included periods of Spanish, American and Japanese rule and

occupation. The most important and lasting contributions came during America’s occupation of

the country, which began in 1898. It was during that period that English was introduced as the

primary language of instruction and a system of public education was first established—a system

modeled after the United States school system and administered by the newly established

Department of Instruction. The United States left a lasting impression on the Philippine school

system. Several colleges and universities were founded with the goal of educating the nation’s

teachers. In 1908, the University of the Philippines was chartered, representing the first

comprehensive public university in the nation’s history. Like the United States, the Philippine

nation has an extensive and highly inclusive system of education, including higher education. In

the present day, the United States continues to influence the Philippines education system, as many

of the country’s teachers and professors have earned advanced degrees from United States

universities.

Moreover, the Philippine’s education system consists of three structures: the primary,

secondary, and the tertiary or higher education. But with the implementation of the K-12 Program

of the Department of the Philippines (DepEd), the Basic Education Curriculum was altered and

improved in which the formal structure of 6-4 that spans for ten years was added with two more

years. According to the National Government Portal, this program was designed to provide
2
sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates

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

extension of the basic education to 12 years seeks to boost the quality of Philippine education to

make it at par with that of other countries. The K-12 program is described to have six salient

features: 1) strengthening early childhood education through universal Kindergarten, 2) making

the curriculum relevant to learners, 3) ensuring integrated and seamless learning, 4) building

proficiency through use of mother tongue based multi-lingual education, 5) provision of career

tracks and 6) nurturing holistically developed Filipino. The goal of the K-12 program that every

graduate is equipped with information, media and technology skills, learning and innovation skills,

effective communication skills, and life and career skills. Part of the success of the K-12

curriculum hinges on the ability of students to discern their career goals and to obtain the necessary

training to prepare them for this.

Since its implementation in 2012, the K-12 system has created changes in the way high

school students are trained not only for educational advancement but for possible employment as

well. With goals of achieving educational equity, the K-12 program aims to equip students with

the needed skills to gain employment even without a college degree. The additional two years are

called senior high school consisting of grades 11 and 12. In senior high school, there are mainly

four possible tracks to choose from; namely: Academic, Sports, Arts and Design and Technical-

Vocational-Livelihood tracks. Four different strands fall under the Academic track: Accounting,

Business and Management (ABM) strand, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

(STEM) strand, Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) strand and the General Academics

(GAS) strand.

3
 However, there are still a lot of uncertain senior high students thinking what and who will

they be in the future. While the other tracks and strands are career-specific, the General Academic

Strand (GAS) is great for students who are still undecided on which track to take. You can choose

electives from the different academic strands under this track. These specialized subjects include

Humanities, Social Sciences, Applied Economics, Organization and Management, and Disaster

Preparedness. As a result, most of them choses GAS which is the most suitable track being offered.

Choosing the right track for you would be a guide towards your profession so a lot of students are

getting pressured to choose what’s the best for them. For example, we are the few undecided senior

high students too, so we chose GAS to help us decide what to take in college. In our track,

Contemporary Philippine Arts, World Religions and Belief System, Philippine Politics and

Governance and Oral Communication are the examples of our major subjects. Unlike the other

strands that focuses on one major subject, we have the most general subjects that can somewhere

help us enhance our reading and writing capacity, logical reasoning and be an information literate

too. Choosing what’s the right track for every student is already a big thing, everyone knows. But

we do not convince every undecided future senior high school student to also take the GAS which

we already took, but to think about it a hundred time before stepping in to the room which is not

the right fit for you.

The main purpose of the research is to present the helpfulness of studying specialized

subjects of the undecided grade 12 GAS students of Carlos F. Gonzales High School on choosing

their possible courses for the school year 2018-2019 of Second Semester. Thus, helping graduating

senior high school students in choosing their preferred courses on college.

4
Statement of the Problem

Do the specialized subjects that are taken by the GAS students in Carlos F. Gonzales

High School can help them choose their possible courses?

Specifically, the following questions will be answered:

1.) What are the specialized subjects of GAS students and how do these subjects engage
them?

1.1) Philippine Politics and Governance

1.2) Introduction to World Religions and Belief System
1.3) Contemporary Arts
1.4) Understanding Culture, Society & Politics
1.5) Entrepreneurship
1.6) Philosophy
1.7) Practical Research II
1.8) Physical Education
1.9) Applied Economics
1.10) Media & Information Literacy
1.11) Personality Development
1.12) Empowerment Technologies
1.13) Marketing
1.14) Inquiries, Investigation & Immersion

2.) What subject/s sparked their curiosity and they found interesting?

3.) Did they find these mentioned subject/s enjoyable?

4.) Which of the following subject/s they found challenging?

5.) What are the possible courses that GAS students could take in college?

5
Significance of the Study

The result of our study is significant to the primary members of the community.

Its benefactors include:

Students. The finding of the study will help students focus more on their necessary major

subject on their chosen courses. Particularly graduating high school students. The object of

learning and direct benefactors of the advantages of the study. They would be more aware of their

interests and more certain of what they want to become in the near future.

Parents and Guardians. The finding of the study will help the parents and guardians serves

as a guide for them in supporting and sending their children on their desired courses. They can

focus on their children, to give them more attention and guidance towards the right path.

Teachers. The finding of the study will help the teachers to teach effectively on the major

subjects where students can help most to easily understand.

Future Researcher. The result of the study would be a great stepping stone on their other major

studies, position papers, and thesis relevant to the topic.

6
Scope and Delimitation

The aim of this study is to present the aid of studying specialized subjects for the senior

high students of Carlos F. Gonzales High School on choosing their possible career in the future. It

is also our goal to help students specially for those who take the General Academic Strand on

choosing their preferred courses in college. We will also discuss the specialized subjects we have

in our senior high school years and how it helps us measure our capability in a specific subject,

thus evaluating its efficiency as an aid for students.

We, the researchers, conducted a study particularly in Carlos F. Gonzales High School,

Maguinao, San Rafael, Bulacan in order to showcase several reasons and cases regarding the aid

of the specialized subjects on the second semester of school year 2018-2019. Furthermore, we

administered a survey and handed out questionnaires to our 120 respondents from the General

Academic Strand.

7
Definition of Terms

Several terms that was used are defined the conceptually and operationally for the purpose

of better understanding.

College Courses. A program of instruction, as in a college or university: a course in

economics. A prescribed number of instruction periods or classes in a particular field of study.

General Academics. Academic requirements pertaining to areas of study that are not

primarily vocational or applied, as the humanities or pure mathematics.

General Academic Strand. It is the most flexible strand among the four strands offered

in the Academic Track because students get to learn and experience something from all the other

strands. GAS is essentially for students who are undecided on which strand to take.

K-12 Program. The curriculum implemented by the Department of Education that 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 lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education.

Specialized Subject. A school or university subject that concentrates on a particular field

of knowledge.

Senior High School. Refers to Grades 11 and 12, the last two years of the K-12 program.

Undecided. A person who has not decided or not having made a decision.

8
Conceptual Framework

• Presentation of studying various specialized subjects and finding out if they

help the students of General Academic Strand determine their college course.
Input

• Administration of survey and utilizing the questionnaire method.

Process

• Showcases the aid of these specialized subjects and how they helped General
Academic Strand students choose their courses.
Output

Input Process Output

The researchers presented the The research process consists This study would evaluate the
problem of finding out if these of administration of survey ways of how studying the
specialized subjects aid the and using the clerical tool that specialized subjects aided the
GAS students of Carlos F. is questionnaire method. This General Academic Strand
Gonzales High School in will be conducted on the grade students in selecting their
choosing their courses and 12 GAS students of CFGHS college courses.
how it helps them. with total of 120 respondents.

9
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents a review of existing available literature and studies which have some

bearing on the present study.

Review of Related Literature

Foreign Literature

According to Ni Direct Government Services, there are a range of subjects and courses

available which can help you reach new careers, so it’s important to research what’s right for you.

Many courses are vocational and work-related, and lead straight into a career such as nursing or

accountancy. Others are academic and range from subjects you may have studied before in school

such as French or geography, to less familiar ones like social policy. You’ll need to look beyond

the course title because courses with exactly the same name may differ enormously. You should

look carefully at the differences between courses within your subject before deciding which to

apply for. For example, if you’re interested in construction but wish to use your creative skills,

you may be better suited to a building design management course than a building project

management course. Higher education courses are put together by individual universities and

colleges, so what’s included and how they are delivered, may vary enormously as they draw on

the strengths of the staff and facilities. When choosing your course, you should always be aware

of entry requirements. Universities and colleges set their own entry requirements for higher

education courses so they may vary widely. Two or more universities or colleges providing the

same course may have different entry requirements so you may have to consider a different route

into university or choose a different course if you don’t meet their minimum entry requirements.

10
 Based on the article by Qualifax (2018), a learner’s database based on Ireland, selecting

the best possible course for you is a key decision to make, and often a challenging one. The stress

on Leaving Certificate students is compounded by intense pressure to choose the ‘right’ CAO

course before they even step onto a university campus. For a few people, choosing a course is

simple: they have always wanted to be a brain surgeon or a dentist or an engineer. Others tend to

choose their third-level options on the basis of the number of points they expect to achieve in the

Leaving Certificate, rather than on their particular aptitudes and interests. The result is that a

considerable number of students discover that they have started on courses that may be unsuitable

to them. For most, however, there is simply a bewildering variety of courses, many of which

involve subjects that are not taught in school. So how should you go about choosing a course?

There are four steps, first consider your interests, skills, values and personality. Second, do a

research on the courses and the colleges/universities. For the third step, match what you have come

to know about yourself (self-assessment) to a course. Lastly, take action.

According to The Complete University Guide in UK (2008), choosing a university course

is one of the first and most important decisions a student makes. Your enjoyment of your course

has a huge bearing on your overall university experience and performance. There are 30,000

courses offered at UK university. While this vast array of choice means that the right course is out

there for you, it can be challenging trying to find it. Choose the right subject area. Some students

apply to university knowing exactly what they want to study, but most are faced with a huge variety

of courses and subject areas to consider. Find the type of course that suits you. Do you want a to

study a BA or BSc? Are you interested in a joint honour? Do you need to study a Foundation Year

or Access Course first? How about an integrated masters, placement year or year abroad. Decide

how to study your chosen course. There are a number of different ways to study, including:

accelerated degrees, part-time study, distance learning, and degree apprenticeships.

11
Local Literature

According to Official Gazette (2012), 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.

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) 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. Each student in Senior High School can choose among three tracks: Academics;

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.

Based on the article written by Malonda (2017), the world is a vast market place and you

have many careers to choose from. You have to be wary though because choosing the right college

degree is a lifetime decision. Having the wrong one might not bring you to the job that you want,

set the wrong course of education, or get stuck working in the wrong industry. But you don’t have

to be overwhelmed with the decision though. There are points you can consider when you choose

the right one for you. Make that dream career of yours a reality when you choose your degree.

This is because the college degree will prepare you for the career you want to have someday. Part

12
of the curriculum is to show you how the industry really works and what your responsibilities will

be if you pursue a job in that industry. The specific college degree will also arm you with the skills

you need to succeed in the near future. Going to college is an investment so you have to think

wisely of your degree because this will determine what job you are going to have and how much

you are going to earn. You should think of the employability of the career path you are taking and

see if this is going to be the workplace you want to stay for a long time. There are so many

industries that have in demand jobs. However, not because they are in demand now doesn’t mean

they will be in-demand in the next 20 years. Think ahead and with the right guidance of your heart,

you will find yourself on the right track.

According an article from Mindanao Times, going to college is an investment so you have

to think wisely of your degree because this will determine what job you are going to have and how

much you are going to earn. You should think of the employability of the career path you are

taking and see if this is going to be the workplace you want to stay for a long time. There are so

many industries that have in demand jobs. However, not because they are in demand now doesn’t

mean they will be in-demand in the next 20 years. Think ahead and with the right guidance of your

heart, you will find yourself on the right track. However, there are still people who don’t know

what K to 12 and Senior High School really means. There are questions that linger in the minds of

people about this big change in education. “Senior high school offers us a lot of benefits. First, I think,

the country is trying to prepare us to immerse with other countries, because here in the Philippines with the

previous curriculum, even though you obtained a bachelor degree, when you go outside the country to work

you still have to undergo their education for you take your desired job.” said by Geanne Firaza, a grade 12,

ABM student of Davao Chong Hua High School, noting that it is one of the reasons why the government

and DepEd decided to change the curriculum.

13
Review of Related Studies

Foreign Study

College students choose their job fields for many reasons. The factors that affect this decision

include family, passion, salary, and past experiences. In addition to these factors, race and gender

can also affect what field a student may choose. Some professions have greater percentages of a

certain gender or race. Another thing that plays a big role in a student’s decision of what field to

study is to people or role models in his or her life. These role models can include a parent, teacher,

or a recent employer.

When students are choosing a career, they may not have all the information about the job

they are pursuing. The job may involve more math or science than students are prepared to study.

Students may like one aspect of a certain job and not understand what other aspects come with the

profession. For example some students may want to be veterinarians because they enjoy being

around animals, but students may not realize how much school work is required to become a

veterinarian. Also, students may not be open to all jobs in their area of interest. Over time, certain

job fields have peaked in numbers versus other job fields; this can form a pattern. Tools that can

help students in their decision for certain career paths include career fairs, job shadowing, or

internships. These tools can expose students to more career fields or areas within a certain field

that a student did not know about.

Choosing a career path is a huge part of a young man or woman’s life. The career path

students choose will affect how they will live the rest of their life. A lot of students go through

college without knowing what career path they want. Before students can pick a career path they

need to experience what that career is like and what it involves.

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Local Study

The study by Sarmiento and Olare (2016) is a review of the literature on the basic education

(k-12) curriculum specifically the senior high school (SHS) of the Philippines, Japan, and the US.

Results of the review show that the SHS curriculum is intended to prepare students to enter into

college/university or to work in the industry or be an entrepreneur. The SHS program is the last

level in all basic education programs of the countries reviewed. The Philippines has a clearer model

with at least four tracks (academics, tech-voc, sports, arts & design) and at least ten strands. Japan

has two tracks in academics and tech-voc. The US basic education system varies from state to

state, similar to its SHS curriculum. There is no definite track as this is left to individual state and

their school districts to decide. There are purely academic, tech-voc and other types of schools.

The majority of those who choose academic track are students who plans to proceed to college.

There are still a stigma in selecting tech-voc and other courses as this are seen by many as the

course for poor performing/problematic students. The enrollment in tech-voc schools in the US is

declining despite the surge of demand for skilled workers. In the three countries, the availability

of qualified teachers is still an issue. This situation is very real in the Philippines as it started the

SHS program in June 2016. Other problems includes the need to construct a huge number of

classrooms and facilities. All of these are currently being addressed too by the government.

There are claims by anti-K12 groups (Valenzuela) wherein the new educational program

rather pushes students to immediately work right after graduation, and since the curriculum is said

to be structured to serve the interests of other countries (i.e. in pattern to their labor demands and

needs), then most students would most likely not enter college and thus work in jobs in conditions

unfavorable to them. Due to the fact that there is not much literature yet nor research with regard

15
to the personal views of the students undergoing the said curriculum, most of these claims are best

on statistical projections based on previous academic records of those whom make it to tertiary

education after graduating from high school. This research paper then mainly seeks to assess the

K-12 curriculum affects the Grade 12 students‟ choices and preferences on whether to have a

tertiary education, or straightaway work right after graduating from senior high school. This is to

give a clearer picture on whether the K-12 curriculum does actually push students to forego tertiary

education and immediately work as allowed by the program, with future aspirations to work abroad

rather than in the country. This research also touched on the perspectives of the students about K-

12- from how it has prepared them for jobs to; how capable are their respective schools are for the

new curriculum.

Education is big social investment for families or parents as well as the entire

nation. We cannot afford to have a good or quality education, even at least the basic level

(Abulencia, 2015). Although the true aim of education is to nurture human being to become truly

human being, however because of global competition, we need to educate and train our students

to be at par with their counterparts in other parts of the world. And, of course, we need them to be

parts or contributors to develop our national economy. In the context of the Philippines, it is

relevance to note here that two years ago, the incumbent President Aquino signed into law the

Basic Education Act of 2013 (Republic Act 10533), or most commonly referred to as K-12 law.

The K-12 law mandates that all pupils entering Grade 1 should have compulsory undergone

kindergarten or preschool, and the secondary level will add two more years, that is the senior high

school. Accordingly, everybody has stake or concern about education, and, consequently, we

should listen to all the voices who are uttering their piece regarding the K-12 program. There are

beneficiaries of the K-12 program, but some sectors will be drastically affected and dislodged.

16
 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methods of the study and sources of data used in this study. It

also includes the research design, respondent of the study, statistical tool and treatment, the

instrumentation used and sampling techniques.

METHODS AND TECHNIQUES

This study aims to determine how the specialized subjects helps the pupils to choose what

course they will take on college. We found out that a numerous amount of students are still

confused right at this moment, thinking that the courses waiting for them do not suit their interest

and experiences. We will also discuss how the major subjects helped them discover their talents,

and how it empowers them. In order to attain the goal, we conducted a survey based on a

descriptive method of fact-finding and handed out questionnaires. It is done through random

sampling based on the students’ availability at the time the survey was administered. The

researchers’ usage of the descriptive method and clerical tool, particularly the questionnaire, would

be efficient and convenient to show various cases and result.

INSTRUMENTS OF THE STUDY

The researchers designed a closed form type of questionnaire and produced a hundred and

twenty (120) copies before handing it out to the respondents. Upon the distribution of

questionnaires, we also gave instructions on how the respondents should answer it. It has two parts;

the dichotomous type, and the multiple choice. The questionnaire was constructed in order to show

a wider range of the topic and gave sets of questions regarding the topic.

17
THE AID OF STUDYING SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS FOR GRADE 12 GAS STUDENTS OF

CARLOS F. GONZALES HIGH SCHOOL ON CHOOSING THEIR COURSES

Survey Form

Directions: Answer the following questions. Put a check mark on the space provided.

I. 1.) Do the specialized subjects help you find your desired course in college? _____Yes ______ No

2.) Does General Academics Strand make the choices wider for you? _____Yes ______ No

3.) Is General Academic Strand helpful? ______Yes _____ No

4.) Does your desire course in college fit in General Academic Strand? ______Yes ______No

5.) Does the courses offered in college limited in General Academic Strand? ______Yes, it is. ___No, it’s not.

6.) Since you are a GAS student, have you considered being a teacher? ______Yes ______No

7.) Do you find the humanities subject engaging esp. in current events? ______Yes ______No

8.) Does the eocial sciences subjects widen your vocabulary? ______ Yes ______No

9.) Does the entrepreneurship andm arketing sparked your interest in business? _____ Yes ______No

10.) Do you consider being an economist or an accountant? ______Yes ______No

II. Encircle your answer.

1.) Why did you chose the General Academic Strand?

a. It’s universal and flexible. c. There are lots of courses being offered.

b. It is the easiest one. d. I have no choice.

2.) How does these subjects affect your performance in Grade 12?

a. It helps me find my strength and my forte.

b. Those subjects help me discover where I’m good at.

c. Major subjects help me performed well in class.

d. It makes me more well-disciplined and behaved.

3.) How did the specialized subjects helped you?

a. It helps me have a wider vocabulary.

b. It found out that I’m good at a certain subject.

c. It maximizes my capacity in learning.

d. The activities engaged my brain effectively.

4.) In what way do major subjects widen your thinking capacity?

18
a. My imagination is more vivid than before.

b. My artistic side is showing up.

c. Numbers and calculations is easier than it seems.

d. I am now enlightened about different religions and beliefs because of this course.

5.) Do major subjects and minor subjects differ?

a. No, major subjects are more difficult. c. They’re both the same.

b. No, major subjects seems to be more hard. d. They don’t differ to all.

6.) How do you differentiate the General Academic Strand from the other strand?

a. It is less difficult because it is general.

b. It is more difficult because you have to focus and study every subject, major and minor.

c. They’re both the same

d. They don’t differ at all.

7.) Which of the following subjects you find interesting? (Choose only 1)

a. Philosophy h. Marketing

b. Entrepreneurship i. Applied Economics

c. Contemporary Arts j. Media & Information Literacy

d. World Religion and Beliefs System k. Personality Development

e. Philippine Politics and Governance l. Empowerment Technologies

f. Understanding Culture, Society and Politics m. Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion

g. Practical Research n. Physical Education

8.) Of all the subjects mentioned above, which particular subject you excel the most? Why? (Choose 1)

____________________________________________________________________________.

9.) Which of the following categories of subjects they enjoy the most?

a. Humanities c. Economics

b. Social Sciences d. Entrepreneurship & Marketing

10.) Which of the following categories of subject do you find challenging?

a. Humanities c. Economics

b. Social Sciences d. Entrepreneurship & Marketing

Figure 1. The Questionnaire

19
 THE SAMPLING DESIGN

The target population of this research is defined to include the grade 12 senior high school

students from General Academic Strand in Carlos F. Gonzales High School. The total number of

respondents consists of 120 pupils. With 3% as the determined margin of error, the respondents

are selected through random sampling.

Figure 2. Computation of the Sample

𝑁
𝑛=
1 + 𝑁𝑒

n = size of the sample

N = sixe of the population

e = margin of error

200
𝑛=
1 + (100)(0.03)

200
=
1 + (100)(0.0009)

200
=
1 + 0.9

200
=
1.9

n = 105.26

20