FACTORS AFFECTING THE COURSE PREFERENCE OF

SELECTED GRADE 12 SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY

ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS
STUDENTS OF HOLY CHILD’S
ACADEMY
1st SEMESTER 2022-2023

Dsa Mari P. Dalena

Jason C. Cortes
Kurt Axl J. Claver
Krystel Jann J. De Guzman
Rhelanny Shane P. Daguman
Joshua Emmanuel Ebarle
Brett Denver R. De Asis
Jezzyl Ann Codino
Hanna Faula M. Deguit
Joko S. Corea
Alaine Victoria M. Dagandan
Joseph Angelo L. Cortes
Diagrace Glen L. Cortes
Chee Wah Choong

STEM (B)
ST. PHILOMENA
 CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE
ABSTRACT
Choices and life decisions as well as decision making are powerful. This study aims to determine
the factors that affect the senior high school track preferences of the of Selected Grade 12
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of Holy Child’s Academy Year
2022-2023. This topic/title is common for grade 12 students particularly. As observed, Grade 12
students are troubled to which career course they will consider and this may encounter factors.
For example, the students themselves will consider their friends choice of course that suited to
their SHS track. One of these tracks is the STEM (SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING
AND MATHEMATICS). The students will also consider the demand of course needed by many
companies. This study aims to know the factors affecting the course preference of the selected
Grade 12 Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of Holy Child’s Academy

Background of the study

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the unemployment rate in the Philippines
increased to 5.3% in the first quarter of 2018 from 5.0% a year ago. Misfit graduates are one of
the considered reasons why the country has an increasing unemployment and underemployment
rate annually. The possible reasons could be either that the produced courses of graduate do not
suit the demand of the present economy, or the graduates do not possess the characteristics
required by the industries in need. The wrong choice of course taken by most of the college
students brought about by unguided decision-making in choosing career choice preferences is the
primary cause. And this is also true after former Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
Secretary Rosalinda Baldos said that only ten out of one thousand Filipino applicants are getting
hired because of lack of skills needed for available job; thus, the rate of unemployment in our
country is commonly associated on misfit graduates from school and universities. (Our Lady of
Lady of the Pillar College-Cauayan Senior High School study) To be able to find way to lessen
misfit qualification of graduates needed work force of companies and institutions and
establishments a consistent rising of the country's employment rate, the government, specifically
the department of education, find way to solidified the quality of education of students before
reaching college. This one of the reasons why the government implemented the K-12 program in
the Philippine educational system.
The decision on good career choice and school sometimes depends on what ways students
perceived the world and their future. Some of them may not have enough knowledge and
consciousness about how they should process information from personal, social, economic,
political, spiritual and environment aspect of putting into context and realization of having a
successful profession. Pafili and Mylonakis (2015) emphasize that in coming up with the right
decision of what profession to take, students can properly utilize their skills and knowledge to
gain proper experience who could contribute to the development and welfare of the society.
Statement of the Problem or Research Objectives
The primary concern of this study is to identify the factors affecting the course preference of
selected Grade 12 Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of Holy Child’s
Academy Year 2022-2023.Specifically, this study aims to answer the following questions:
1. Is there a significant factor affecting the course preference of selected Grade 12 Science
Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of Holy Child’s Academy Year 2022-2023
in terms of
1.1 Family Influence
1.2 Peer Influence
1.3 Individual Up-bringing

Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis

The following null to be tested at 0.05 level of significance

Ho1: There is no significant factor affecting the course preference of selected Grade 12 Science
Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of Holy Child’s Academy in terms of:

H01.1: Family Influence

H01.2: Peer Influence
Ho13: Individual Upbringing

Significance of the study

The purpose of this study is to determine this the Factors Affecting the Course Preference of
Selected Grade 12 Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of Holy Child’s
Academy Year 2022-2023. The result and the findings of this study will benefit the following:
STEM Students The outcome of this study will help them get more ideas in choosing the best
course that fit to the strand they get in their previous Senior High School.
Teachers It will help them to explain to their students what are the different courses that fit to
their strands.
Future Researchers The findings and outcomes of this study will serve as their references in
conducting a related study.
Scopes and Limitations of this Study

The scopes and limitation of the study focuses on the Factors Affecting the Course Preference of
Selected Grade 12 Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of Holy Child’s
Academy Year 2022-2023. The respondents of this study will be 40 Grade 12. Science
Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of Holy Child’s Academy Year 2022-2023.
The 40 selected students will be coming from STEM students A (10), B (10), C (10), and D (10).
This study will be conducted at Holy Child’s Academy located at San Jose, Pagadian City, ZDS.

Theoretical Framework

Social Cognitive Career Theory

Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) is theory that is aimed at explaining three interrelated
aspects of career development: (1) How basic academic and career interest (2) How educational
and career choice are made and (3) How academic and career success is obtained. The theory
incorporates a variety of concepts, the interest, abilities and environment factors that appear in
earlier career theories, and this has been found to affect career development. Developed by
Robert W. Lent, Steven D. Brown, and Gail Hackett in 1994, SCCT is based on Albert Bandura's
General Social Cognitive Theory, an influential theory of cognitive and motivational processes
that has been extended to the study of many areas of psychosocial functioning, such as academic
performance, health behavior, and organizational development. Three intricately linked variables
self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and goals - serve as the basic building blocks of
SCCT. Self-efficacy refers to an individual's personal beliefs about his or her capabilities to
perform particular behaviors or courses of action. Unlike global confidence or self-esteem, self-
efficacy beliefs are relatively dynamic (i.e., changeable), and are specific to particular activity
domains. People vary in their self-efficacy regarding the behaviors required in different
occupational domains. For example, one person might feel very confident in being able to
accomplish tasks for successful entry into, and performance in, scientific fields but feel much
less confident about his or her abilities in social or enterprising fields, such as sales. SCCT
assumes that people are likely to become interested in, choose to pursue, and perform better at
activities at which they have strong self-efficacy beliefs, as long as they also have necessary
skills and environmental supports to pursue these activities.
Super's Theory
Certain theories support this research paper. The first theory the researchers used is the Super's
Theory. This theory consists three original constructs. These are the career development, self-
concept and lastly the career maturity (Sharf,2000). Vocational maturity or career maturity refers
to the ability of a person to master a task or behavior as expected of such an individual at a
certain development stage. It assesses the maturity level of individuals development with respect
to careers (Osipow, 1983). Vocational maturity should include, "The readiness to make
appropriate careers decisions" (Kerka, 1998). According to Super, self -concept changes over
time, and develops as results of experience. As such, career development is life-long.
Conceptual Framework of this Study

The conceptual framework of this study illustrates that the independent variable of this study are
the factors affecting the course preference of the students, namely: Family Influence, Peer
Influence, and the Individual Up-bringing. The dependent variable of this study is the course
preference of selected Grade 12 Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Students of
Holy Child’s Academy.
The conceptual framework of this study will explain the factors affecting the course preference
and Its Effect to the selected Grade 12 Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics
Students of Holy Child’s Academy.
The diagram below shows the independent and dependent variable of the study

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Factors Affecting the Course
Preference Course Preference and Its Effect to
The Selected Grade 12 Science
 Family Influence Technology Engineering and
 Peers Influence Mathematics Students of Holy
 Individual Upbringing Child’s Academy.

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram

Definition of Terms

The following terms are operationally and conceptually defined to facilitate better understanding
of the research:

Family Influence include coercive interaction patterns, in which parents’ child dyads learn to
use increasingly intense behavior to coerce the other person into submitting to their demands. It
is one of the factors in this study.

Peer Influence is the direct influence on people by peers, or the effect on an individual who gets
encouraged to follow their peers by changing their attitudes, by used for behavior to conform to
those of the influencing group or individual. It is also one of the factors in this study.

Individual Upbringing This is the third factor of the study. That may influence career reference
of the students.

Course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more
instructors (teachers or professors), and has a fixed roster of students.

Career is an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with
opportunities for progress.

Preference is a greater liking for one alternative over another or others.