EXPLORING THE GRADE 10 STUDENTS PREFERENCE OF THEIR CHOSEN

STRAND AT SOUTHERN TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE

OF THE PHILIPPINES SENIOR HIGHSCHOOL

CHAPTER 1

Background of the Study

The implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program in the Philippines

includes the introduction of senior high school (SHS), or grades 11 and 12, the final 2

years in a new 6-year secondary education system. While previous curricula focused

mainly on readiness for postsecondary education, the SHS curriculum aims to prepare

students (grade 10 students) for either further education or employment (Development

Asia, 2019). The K-12 is a relatively new program here in the Philippines if you compare

it with our neighboring countries. For students to move into college or the university

level, they must undergo junior (Grades 7-10) and senior (Grades 11-12) high school

level to be given a diploma. A certification is given during junior level but finishing

senior high level certifies and validates that a student is qualified for college (Draven

Cueva, 2022).

Here in the Philippines, SHS students undertake a standard core curriculum and

can choose from four tracks of specialization: academic, technical-vocational and

livelihood (TVL), sports, or arts and design. The academic track is further divided into

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four strands: accountancy, business, and management (ABM); science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics (STEM); humanities and social sciences (HUMSS); and

general academic. The TVL track also has four strands and various specializations under

each one: home economics; information and com munications technology (ICT); agri-

fishery arts; and industrial arts (Development Asia, 2019).

This offers a balanced approach to learning that will enable children and students

to acquire, know and learn more skills in different fields of education taking up

vocational and later profession degree courses (Ma. Araceli Bello Verjon, 2019). In

choosing what job is truly crucial to young students, the grade 10 students must be

prepared and sufficient on taking the careers that they chose will have a great impact for

the rest of their lives. Grades, age, personal interest, experiences, and other things

affected students’ career choices, and by the experiences they have these students can

accomplish anything they wanted in terms of their future proficiency (Quinter et.al,

2011). They will encounter decision-making, motivation, peer pressure, institutional

concerns, and future employment chances, all had an impact on their choices (Ibid).

An SHS strand or track is basically the future or an achievement of a student’s

life. According to Lord Vincent van Mendoza (2022), strands are intended for learners to

determine which paths could best match the strengths, passions, and a set of good skills

that the learners have. Choosing the right Senior High School strand will help motivate

the learner for the future career. Once they have chosen a strand they like, studying

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becomes more interesting. Also, because of this many people who have taken those

strands and earned a degree in it, they have great opportunities to work outside the

premises or work overseas and have started to teach others as well. It gave a huge help to

our country’s employment rate, job finding and industry as well.

In fact; in school years 2017-2018 there was a total of 1,025,907 students who

took up TVL tracks in 11,087 high schools in the country (PIDS, 2019. Many of those

schools offer different available SHS TVL tracks. Specially here in Southern

Technological Institute of the Philippines (STIP) where the study is conducted. STIP

offers the SHS TVL tracks like TVL SMAW, TVL HE, and GAS and just like other

schools in Bislig City they also offer some SHS tracks that any learners can choose from

and learn from.

In pursuit of passion, dreams, and professions in life that they pondered in senior

high school, young learners must know what they wanted to pursue according to what

they desired the most for their senior high school years. Children with great ambitions

and visions in what they wanted to pursue or to achieve is truly significant to them as a

career or a profession for it may come in handy in the future.

But nonetheless, the purpose of the study is to know the factors affecting the

choice of incoming senior high school students in choosing a strand and to what they

have choose, guiding, informing, and helping them ethically about the strands they’ve

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chosen. By exploring furthermore according to their choice to the point of choosing the

right and suited strand that they desired.

Research Questioners

The following questions will be pondered more about the study:

1. What are the strands the grade 10 students prefer in the next SHS years?

a. GAS

b. TVL SMAW

c. TVL HE

2. What are the factors that grade 10 students consider in choosing their strand?

3. How can choosing a strand for grade 10 students be beneficial or how can it affect

the assessment of their learning?

4. Are the participants familiar with these kinds of strands that they chose to learn

and what motivated them to choose that certain type of strand?

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Scope and Delimitation

The researchers conducted this entitled “EXPLORING THE GRADE 10

STUDENTS PREFERENCE OF THEIR CHOSEN STRAND AT SOUTHERN

TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUE OF THE PHILIPPINES SENIOR HIGHSCHOOL.

The target respondent of this research is the Grade-10 students here in STIP. This

study mainly focused on the factors such as parental influence, accountability of the

student's choice, skills compatibility, budget, interest and opportunity to enhanced self-

improvement by choosing the strand they preferred for. There may be more factors

however, there would not be within this study.

Significance of the Study

This presented study will help benefit the following:

1. To the Students - They will gain knowledge and skills on what strand that they

truly choose to learn according to what they have interested in and what

professions they settled on and for their future as well.

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 2. Parents- will have the point of decision making to help furthermore with the

learnings of their children to help them choose a strand fit for them. They will

provide their children with support, guidance, enrollment and help in order to

achieve their goals.

3. To the Administrators - They will assist the students in order for them to be more

competent with the subjects they are assigned in senior high school.

Definition of Terms

Ability – Skills, intelligence, and talent are a must require aspect for every student who

will undergo in their chosen strand.

Strand - Subjects where students can choose according to what they have interest in.

Technical Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) – A track offered by the school in academic

track.

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Schematic Diagram

The majority of
students’s
preference

Affecting learning The grade 10 Skills compatibility

capabilities students preference
of their chosen
strand.

Parental influence,
aptitude, interest,
and environmental
factors.

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 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDY

In this chapter it presented the related literature and studies that the researchers

gathered to go through. It also included Parental Influence, Accountability of the

student’s choice, and enhanced self-improvements to have more briefing in our research

study. Both Foreign and Local are included in this chapter.

RELATED LITERATURE

PARENTAL INFLUENCE

Parents support has much to do in influencing the strand selection of students

(Aguado et al., 2015). Parents have played a vital role in influencing their child what

strand to be choose in SHS (Hellen & Kitainge, 2016). Additionally, parents’ income

does affect academic achievement of students’ in selecting a strand (Dahie et al., 2016).

Because they look up to their parents in choosing their future career (Braza & Guillo,

2015). In comparison, socio-economic and educational background of parents shows that

these are not significant factors to affect the academic achievement of the students in

their selected strand (Ogunshola & Adewale, 2012).

However, selecting a strand was inclined with the security and motivation, which

highly ranked factors such as exploration, advancement, opportunities, exposure and

knowledge which are responsible in selecting a career. This concludes that having

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background knowledge about the career is essential in building an interest towards the

career (Nyamwange, 2016). In addition, family income is a significant predictor that

boosts the dimensions of self-esteem (lovability, likability and self-control) of students

towards the strand they choose (Mandara & Murray, 2000).

ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE STUDENT CHOICES

Choosing a senior high school strand is one of the most challenging decisions that

junior high school students will have to face. It is greatly important because the strand

they choose will serve as their training ground before entering college. This is following

their diverse dreams and interests in life that can still change over time ( Deil-Amen,

2011). In relevance, knowing and exploring one’s field of interest will nurture and help

one land on the right career track since these factors play a crucial role in determining a

future career that suits them. In career selection, students have to undergo an intricate

process, where they should consider factors that would affect their overall decision such

as the sociodemographic profile, Socio-economic status, parents, job opportunities,

academic performance, personal interest, and many other aspects to forcefully be open-

minded of the things they will encounter in the not too distant future (Moneva & Malbas,

2019; Santric-Milicevic et al., 2014).

ENHANCE SELF IMPROVEMENT

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 Senior High School aims to prepare students before entering college, equipping

them with the global skills, competencies, and knowledge needed to achieve successful

career paths in the future.

For Grade 10 completers, it means embarking on a new academic journey. It may

seem intimidating at first, especially as you decide which strand to take or which school

to enroll in, but finding the right track and strand that matches your strengths and skills

will surely help ease your nerves to get you going.

Why is it Important to Choose the Right Senior High School Track or Strands?

Senior High School is two years (Grade 11 and Grade 12) of specialized upper secondary

education and will require you to pick among different tracks upon enrollment. Your

chosen track and strand will reflect on the subjects you will take.

These different tracks, strands, and specializations are intended for you to

determine which paths fit your strengths, passions, and skills. Choosing the right Senior

High School strand will help motivate you for your future career. Once you choose a

strand you like, studying becomes more enjoyable since the strands are designed and

specialized to match your interests. Moreover, it expands your knowledge and skills,

while at the same time, exposing you to your chosen field of study in preparation for

college. ( Mapúa Schools Collaborate with America’s Most Innovative University of

Makati City, Philippines February 20, 2023,).

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RELATED LITERATURE

LOCAL

The study assessed whether there is a significant relationship between career

preferences and employment interests of the grade 10 students in Malalag Cogon

National High School for school year 2018-2019 as basis for additional strands in the

senior high school next school year. It was a descriptive method of research which treated

data with frequency count, weighted mean and chi square (X2) test. Findings revealed

that most grade 10 students prefer to enroll in four-year degree courses. Their

employment interests vary but most of them prefer jobs which require investigative skills.

Additionally, there is a significant relationship between the career preferences and

employment interests of the respondents. Based on the results of the study, it is highly

recommended that the school provide intensive career guidance to junior high school

students to help them choose the right strand to take in SHS that match their career

preference. This will provide students with relevant labor market information and proper

guidance in choosing their career path which will offer them better opportunities to be

gainfully employed. Finally, it is strongly recommended that the school provide

additional strands specifically STEM and HUMMS to fit the career preferences among

Grade 10 students.

Based on the findings, majority of the grade 10 students both from Santa Cruz

National High School – Junior High School and Manuel Francisco C. Ramos Sr.

National High School preferred to enroll at Sta. Cruz National High School – Senior

High School for school year 2019 - 2020. Consequently, Humanities and Social Science

strand under the Academic Track had the highest number of students preferred this strand

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over the other strands. Moreover, it was significantly noticeable that most of them

preferred to take Technical Vocational Track than Academic Track. That is why one of

the reasons of K to 12 program is to prepare graduates to enter the labor force (Abueva,

2018)

Academic Performance across grades is said to be important in terms of data basis

in determining the professional strength of each student because this information gives

the students, teachers, and parents the idea of where the students perform above and

average levels in various areas to help them choose the right career track suitable for

them (Sugano & Mamolo, 2021). This means that the student-respondents are most likely

to pursue a strand they think they can excel academically, rather than the strand they

think they are not good at or not suited to their academic performance. Moreover, the

fourth statement is the only one that got an interpretation of “influential,” whereas the

other four were found to all be very influential.

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