Understanding the effects of K-12 System on the Development of Skills of Young

Professionals in their Field: A Qualitative Approach

The Researchers

Alpe, Joshua, D. Enguero, Eric Ibrahim,

Atento, Althea, Nacional, Uriel, D.

Botor, Johenes, B. Pepito, Mico Alrey, A.

Caspillan, Charles, Villegas, Nestor Adrian, M.

Levon Nino Miguel Magayanes

Adviser

Humanities and Social Sciences

Camarines Sur National High School

JUNE 2023

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The K-12 Curriculum System is a program proposed by the Department of Education and finally

implemented in 2012. One of its goals is that students have enough time to shape and develop

skills in their abilities and focus. the academic performance of students and to prepare the

students to go to college. The K-12 Curriculum System has been implemented in all public and

private schools and is completely adapted to the learning system.

With the implementation of the K-12 Curriculum System, two grades were added to the

secondary school. There were 11th and 12th grades and it was called Senior High School (SHS).

It is divided into three trucks, Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts.

And with these trucks there are attached Strands that suit the ability or ability of the students.

With K-12, students can be prepared for employment and the students' abilities will be shaped

even more. But this raises questions of the suitability of having a K-12 Curriculum System in the

development of skills. Especially to those who underwent the K-12 Curriculum System.

This research will discover if the K-12 Curriculum System really helps in the development and

shaping of skills and abilities and if it is applied in its appropriate situation or work. In doing so

there will be new perspectives and approaches to the K-12 Curriculum System. Young

Professionals who have undergone the K-12 system is one of the good bases for understanding

and exploring this research as they can express their experiences of going through the K-12

system when they were still in school.

Statement of the Problem

In this research, it aims to know the effect brought by the K-12 Curriculum System in shaping

the skills and abilities of Young Professionals in their suitable jobs today.

And the researchers want to know them through the following questions:

Research Problem
 1. What are the skills and abilities they learned in SHS that can still be used in their work?

2. What are the good and bad effects of the K-12 Curriculum System when they reach their
jobs today?

3. Without the K-12 system, would they have reached the profession they are in today?

4. Will the employment situation be the same today as it was before without K-12?

Thesis Statement

K-12 system provides a good foundation of education for preparation in College. But as things

progress until reaching the profession the skills learned during Senior Highschool really

improved and shaped the personality. And that is why understanding the Effects of K-12 System

on the Development of Skills of the Young Professionals are significant.

Significance of the Study

This study will provide a good grasp of the effectiveness of applying the Young Professionals'

learnings from the K-12 System. The study's findings will provide new insights on how to tackle

challenges concerning the effectiveness of the K-12 system.

The findings of the study will contribute to the following :

Academic Institutions – The findings of the study will help academic institutions to promote K-

12 System and make programs for better skill improvements and developments of students.

Teachers – The findings of the study will create an impact to the teacher’s way and quality of

teaching.
Students – They will have a clear understanding about the impacts that the K-12 has brought to

the development of skills and learnings of the Young Professionals.

Parents – Parents will be more convinced to let their kids take K-12 system to build up a good

foundation of Education before entering College.

Young Professionals – They will be able express their experiences and application of K-12 to

their profession.

Future Researchers – This study contains information regarding the Effectiveness and Impacts

of K-12 System to Young Professionals. The findings of this study can help in future

discussions.

Scope and Delimitation

The aim of this study is to know the significant effects brought by K-12 system to the

development of skills of Young Professionals and their Field of work. This study is delimited to

the Young Professionals of Naga City with work experience and have undergo the K-12 System.

The city of Naga was chosen because it is a center of trade and commerce. There are also many

universities and other schools within the city. The number of young professionals aged 25-30 is

also high.

The researchers want to do the interview with the selected participants as a way of getting its

data. Professionals aged 30 and over are not included in the study. The purpose of the study is to
discover whether learnings from K-12 system are applied in developing their skills most

specially in their field of work. However, this study does not cover the choosing right track and

specialization in senior highschool on the corresponding field of work.

Theoretical Framework

In this research three theories were focused. Constructivism, Hard Skills, and Pedagogical Skills.

These theories show a relationship about the Impact of the K-12 Curriculum System on the

formation and development of skill.

Constructivism, it is important for teachers to have Constructivism in the classroom so that

students can have a good learning environment. In this way, a collaborative environment is

created where students actively participate in their own learning. In this way, it is easier to

understand the lessons and learn the skills that are also suitable for their ability. Hard Skills are

the technical skills or abilities needed for a job. It is necessary to have a good foundation in

learning to have an idea and to hone technical skills or abilities and to properly adapt them to

work. Pedagogical Skills is the ability to effectively apply learned skills to work, from the very

beginning the foundation of knowledge and skills of students must be solid. And one of the

important parts here is the teachers. Pedagogical Skills are the teacher's ability to teach students

and manage the classroom. Because the students' learning is the teachers' responsibility. And the

things learned in school that shaped the abilities of the students will be helpful and useful lessons

in the correct application of skills and abilities to the job.

Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Implementing the K-12 1. Selection of young
System: The K-12 professionals to be
system's policies, study participants.
curriculum, and teaching 2. Gathering An Understanding on
methods information and data effects of K-12 System
through interviews. to the Development of
Workplace
3. Analysis and Skills of Young
Environment: The work
classification of the Professionals in their
setting, organizational
collected data and Field
culture, job requirements,
information from the
and opportunities for
interview
professional growth.
4. Analysis and
Young Professionals: interpretation of
Participants were selected gathered information
for the study who on participants
underwent the K-12 5. Presentation of
system and are currently results and
working in various conclusions from
workplaces in Naga City. gathered information
or data.

Figure 1: IPO diagram

Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework based on the IPO model or Input-Process-Output

Model.

In the Input can be seen the introduction to the main purpose of the study. The Process shows the

steps that researchers will take to gather information and data. And data collection will be done

through interviews. Analysis and classification of the collected data and information from

selected participants will also be conducted. In the Output shows the analysis and interpretation

of the data and information gathered from the selected participants. The results and conclusions
of the data obtained will also be presented here. This research focuses on the conceptual

framework to better understand and clearly know the purpose of the study.

Definition of Terms

It contains terms used in the study and their definitions. It gives its actual use in learning so that

readers can understand it more easily.

K-12 Curriculum System - The term "K–12" is the abbreviation of kindergarten (K) for

children ages 5–6 through 12th grade for ages 17–18, as the earliest and last grade level in free

education in different countries.

Young Professionals – refers to young people between 20 and 49 working in a profession or

white-collar job.

Constructivism- Interaction skills are developed because this theory aims to have the active

participation of students in various types of academic work.

Hard Skills- Technical skills required for a job. These are learned skills that are best acquired

through education and experience.

Pedagogical Skills- A teacher's ability to teach students and manage their classroom. Teachers

learn the material, understand their students, communicate with parents, collaborate with

colleagues and develop their own fair and consistent rules.

Learning Environment- A place where students feel safe and supported in their pursuit of

knowledge, as well as inspired by their environment.

Collaborative Environment - Two or more participants communicate, coordinate and work

together to achieve a shared goal.

 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents related literature and studies considered by the researcher in strengthening

the importance of the current study. It also presents a synthesis of the arts to fully understand the

research.

Related Literature

Shared on Tech target, A website created by K. Hannah (2023), K-12 A term used in education

and technology. And it's a program with scores supported by pre-college schools. They also

mentioned the positive effects that K-12 brings to education. Some of the ones mentioned here

are the academic preparation for college, it also helps in social and emotional development,

recognition of different cultures and perspectives, opportunities for physical activity and

extracurricular involvement.

According to A. Harve (2023), While advancements in K-12 education offer several benefits,

some are particularly outstanding in making this an effective education system. He also noted

here that K-12 strengthens students' education in important subjects and subjects including math,

science, language, and social sciences. Another benefit of K-12 is that it sharpens the student's

social skills.

According to a Website K-12 Philippines (2023) K-12 aims to have a compatible workforce by

meeting the required and standardized skills. Necessary skills to be able to work and pass the

standards required for college and further work and study in the future.
Also according to a Website endruncolleges.com (2022), It is shared that K-12 is this type of

benefit that encourages students to be enthusiastic in the workforce and the scheme empowers

students to choose in themselves.

According to A. Abueva (2023), In K-12 education, Filipino graduates are automatically

recognized as professionals abroad because we follow the international standard of education

practiced by all countries.

Things learned in school may or may not be applied at work. The formation of skills in school is

a bridge to a more comprehensive environment in the world of professionalism but people have

their own views about these things.

According to M. Al Shagdari (2015), "Whatever you learn in school is considered a theory that is

not applicable when it comes to work because everything depends on your responsibility and the

workplace." According to him, it all depends on yourself and your responsibility because what

you learn in school is often not applicable to work.

But also, according to a website Indeed.com (2023) “Using your education can give you more

than just your current job. By honing the technical details and skills required for your role, you

can become better at your performance.” According to them, By studying you will be better at

your job because of honing the skills needed in your current job.

Also, according to Reynaldo Patino (2023), Work Immersion is also a way for better job

preparation. This means that what you have learned in school will really be tested in the jobs you

will do. This will also be a good experience to be more prepared for the future.

State of the Art

In the study of K. Hannah (2023), A. Harve (2023), K-12 Philippines (2023),

endruncolleges.com (2022), and A. Abueva (2023), can be seen preliminary introduction to K-12

Curriculum System. It will also discover the importance of why this program is needed in

preparing the workforce and in shaping abilities and skills.

Meanwhile, M. Al Shagdari (2015), Indeed.com (2023) and Reynaldo Patino (2023),

discovered that they have different views regarding the suitability of what is learned in school

and practice at work. There are those who disagree and there are those who agree. This shows

the primary goal of the study. If what you learn in school really helps when it comes to work.
 Bibliography

Hanna, K. T. (2022, October 19). What is K-12 education?. WhatIs.com.

https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/K-12

Harve, A. (2023, April 3). The Future of Education: 5 benefits of K-12 education in the

21st Century. Hurix Digital.

Hanna, K. T. (2022, October 19). What is K-12 education?. WhatIs.com.

https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/K-12

Abueva, A. (n.d.). What is the purpose of the K-12 Curriculum in the Philippines?

https://soapboxie.com/social-issues/The-Implementation-o-the-K-12-Program-in-the-

Philippine-Basic-Education-Curriculum

Colleges, E. (2022, March 11). K to 12. Enderun Colleges.

https://www.enderuncolleges.com/k-12
Al-Shaghdari, M. (2015, August 13). Does everything I learn from school applies to

workplaces?. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-everything-i-learn-from-

school-applies-al-shaghdari-ainstlm

What is learning and development? with methods and benefits | indeed ... (2023).

https://in.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/learning-and-development

Patino, R. (n.d.). What is the effect of work immersion in the Philippines. exprosearch.

https://exprosearch.com/blogs/job-search/what-is-the-effect-of-work-immersion-in-the-

philippines
 Chapter 3

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive overview of the research methodology

used in this study. In this chapter, research design, data collection methods, data analysis

techniques, and ethical considerations will be reviewed. Next, the researchers will discuss the

data collection methods used in this study.

Research Design

To fully understand the impact of the K-12 system, a mixed-methods research design was used.

It allows data collection using online forms and conducting face-to-face interviews.

Respondents

The participants in this study are selected young professionals in Naga City who have completed

their education under the K-12 system and are currently working in various industries. A

purposive sampling technique was used to select participants who could provide multiple

insights and diverse experiences related to the research topic. Sample size is determined based on

the concept of data saturation, where new information and insights cease to emerge.
 METHODOLOGY

Data Collection Instrumentation

1. Online Form

Survey Questionnaires: These are online forms that ask and answer questions about many

aspects of participants' growth and learning. To understand the general trend of the data, they can

be the subject of descriptive statistical analysis. Here are the questions that can be focused on

providing a platform to answer forms to be part of their experiences.

2. In-Person Interview

Semi-structured interviews: These are interviews that are conducted in front of the participants

and give the researchers the opportunity to go further and go into more detail. Participants'

personal experiences at work, the impact of the K–12 educational system on their growth and

learning, and other related topics can be the focus of questions.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The following statistical methods were used to interpret the data gathered from the respondents

of the study.

1. Simple Percentage. The following data gathered will be put into a Simple Percentage
formula for obtaining the average input of the participants.

Where:
P= Percent F = Frequency N= Number of respondents

2. Graphs and Charts. By using graphs and charts, it helps in providing a more detailed

visual presentation of the collected data.

Figure 2: Example of Pie Chart

Researchers Calendar

The research calendar offers a timetable and schedule for the various tasks and milestones

required in conducting the study. To provide a methodical and structured approach to the

research process, it describes key activities, deadlines, and times.

 Figure 3: Research Calendar

In Figure 3, the hours, and days of doing the activities required for conducting this study can be

seen. It includes organizing and preparing for the topic, finding respondents, creating usable

surveys and questionnaires, and including obtaining the collected data.