BREAKING THROUGH STEREOTYPES: ACCOUNTANCY, BUSINESS,

AND MANAGEMENT (ABM) STRAND BEYOND ACCOUNTANCY,

ENTREPRENEURSHIP, BUSINESS, AND
MANAGEMENT COURSES

A Research Paper Presented to the

Faculty of Senior High School of
MCA Montessori School

In partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject

Inquiries, Investigation, and Immersion

by

BAQUIRAN, KATE NICOLE G.

BAHAN, MARY ANGELIQUE B.
BRILLANTE, JANNELLE P.
GASCO, KIRSTEN ASHLEY O.
HANGAD, HENRY JR. A.
JUMUAD, SHANISSE KATE D.
MILCA, YANA GLAZEE A.
PADILLA, CRIZZEL D.
PARON, BEA E.
RAMOS, KRISTAL ARABELLA S.
RIVERA, RICZHEL JEAN L.
SAMOY, JELIAH KRYSTAL M.
TOLEDO, MARY JOYCE L.

July 2023
 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

The choice of a career path is a pivotal decision in the life of an

individual, as it determines their future, personal, and professional life. The

ABM strand (Accountancy, Business, and Management), is one of the most

popular tracks offered to senior high school students in the Philippines. ABM

students are trained for careers in the fields of accountancy, business,

entrepreneurship, and management. Unfortunately, a common misconception

among students is that these four courses are the only options available for

ABM graduates. This limited perspective can cause many ABM students to

miss out on the numerous career opportunities available to them. Therefore,

this study aims to break through stereotypes and expand the scope of career

paths associated with the ABM strand. Students' perception of the relevance of

their academic strand to their future careers may be influenced by various

factors, such as their interests, skills, exposure to career guidance,

socioeconomic status, and cultural background.

The ABM strand’s objective is to mold proficient students to become

future business leaders by giving them ample knowledge and skills to prosper

in the finance and business industry. However, are ABM students aware of the
different career paths linked to the ABM strand? These potential career paths

can open several doors for graduating students to shape their future plans.

Some students become limited to the idea that ABM courses will only allow

them to take on traditional jobs such as accountants, entrepreneurs, or

managers.

Every student must be aware of the various job opportunities that an

ABM student can acquire as most students believe that the ABM strand limits

their career opportunities to only business-related fields and that they do not

have the same opportunities as those who study other strands, such as STEM

(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) or HUMSS (Humanities

and Social Sciences); however, ABM is more than just becoming an

accountant, an entrepreneur, or a manager; rather, graduating as an ABM

student offers a variety of jobs that are in demand across industries. It has

opened up a wide range of career options for students who have taken this

strand, they can also pursue careers in government agencies, non-profit

organizations, and the arts industry. The skills and knowledge gained from the

ABM strand can be applied in various fields and industries, making it a versatile

and valuable choice for students who want to explore different career paths.

According to the Philippine Government (2013), a lack of employment

information or inadequate career preparation is needed to contribute to an

increase in the number of unemployed college graduates and job mismatches.

Some of them are jobless, and even if they find employment, it won't be in line

with their specialty or course of study. Students' lack of interest in the strand

may be caused by their unawareness of the different employment options open

to ABM graduates. Students can explore and follow their interests in many

fields when they are comprehensively aware of the variety of job options

accessible within the ABM strand. They may discover a work that fits their skills

and passions as a result, which will increase their level of job satisfaction.

Overall, this research recognizes the need to explore the variety of

career paths that are available to ABM students. By challenging stereotypes

and misconceptions, ABM graduates' potential can be maximized. The

research aims to contribute to the discourse on the importance of a

well-rounded understanding of the ABM strand and its opportunities, especially

for ABM students at MCA Montessori School.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) (Lent, Brown, & Hackett,

1994) can provide a lens to understand the career decision-making process of

ABM students. According to SCCT, individuals' career choices are influenced

by their self-efficacy, outcome expectations (perceived outcomes of a career

choice), and personal goals. Thus, ABM students' perceptions and attitudes
towards non-traditional career paths can affect their self-efficacy and outcome

expectations, which can, in turn, impact their career choice. Stereotype threat

theory (Steele & Aronson, 1995) can explain why ABM students may limit their

career choices to traditional fields. Stereotype threat is the anxiety or fear of

confirming a negative stereotype about one's group. ABM students may avoid

non-traditional career paths due to a fear of confirming negative stereotypes

about their strengths and abilities. Festinger’s (1957) cognitive dissonance

theory explains why interventions that challenge ABM students' perceptions

and attitudes may be effective. According to this theory, individuals experience

discomfort or dissonance when they hold conflicting beliefs or attitudes. By

presenting information and role models that challenge ABM students'

perceptions about non-traditional career paths, this dissonance can be created,

leading to a shift in attitudes and beliefs.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Figure 1: Paradigm of the Study

The research will look at the different perceptions of twenty-five (25)

Grade 11 and twenty-five (25) Grade 12 ABM students about the jobs related to

the ABM strand. The researchers will identify students' knowledge or insights

about the careers related to their chosen strand, as seen in the figure above.

These students will make up the study's respondents. The researchers will

perform interviews to expand the data. This graph will also show the primary

perception or ideas of students about the careers related to the ABM Strand.

The researchers aim that this research will serve as a guideline for current

ABM and future senior high school students on the jobs related to the ABM

Strand.
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

GENERAL STATEMENT

The research aims to break through the stereotype and showcase the

diverse career opportunities that are available to ABM students.

SPECIFIC STATEMENT

Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:

1. What are the current perceptions of ABM students regarding potential

career paths beyond accountancy, entrepreneurship, business, and

management courses?

2. Is there a significant influence of students' perceptions about their

courses on their career decision-making?

3. What interventions can be implemented to challenge and shift the

perceptions and attitudes of ABM students toward non-traditional career

paths?

ASSUMPTION

It is reasonable to assume that some ABM students may hold certain

stereotypes about the scope and career options of their strand. These

stereotypes may limit their career choices and may overlook career

opportunities outside of the traditional business fields. It can be assumed that

exploring and highlighting alternative career paths for ABM students beyond
the typical accountancy, entrepreneurship, business, and management courses

can expand their career opportunities and provide them with a broader scope

of potential career options.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

The subject of the study is focused on the stereotypes surrounding the

career paths related to the ABM strand, in the school year 2022-2023. The

study will be conducted among twenty-five (25) Grade 11 ABM students and

twenty-five (25) Grade 12 ABM students of MCA Montessori School. The data

that will be used in this study will be gathered by conducting interviews. The

study is limited to only the students of MCA Montessori School’s Senior High

School Students. The other students at MCA Montessori School who do not

belong to the ABM strand are not included in this study.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The results of the study will be of great benefit to the following:

Students. The study provides students who are taking the ABM strand

with a broader understanding of the various career paths available to them.

 Parents. It helps parents understand the diverse career opportunities

that the ABM strand offers. This study can assist parents to advise their

children and make informed decisions about their career paths.

Readers. The study serves as a guide for readers who are interested in

pursuing ABM careers, providing them with a comprehensive understanding of

the available paths. This study encourages readers to consider ABM beyond

the conventional views of accountancy, entrepreneurship, business, and

management courses.

School Administrators. It helps school administrators to develop

initiatives that will educate their students about career paths available in ABM.

Future Researchers. This study provides an opportunity for future

researchers to explore other possible career paths beyond the conventional

accountancy, entrepreneurship, business, and management courses.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

To facilitate the understanding of this study, different terms are defined

herein.

ABM. It is an academic strand or specialization offered in the senior high

school (SHS) curriculum in the Philippines, the ABM strand focuses on

developing students' knowledge and skills in the fields of accountancy,

business administration, entrepreneurship, and management.

Beyond. In this study, it means going further or extending past the usual

or expected scope, it implies that there are additional elements, perspectives,

or topics covered within the ABM strand that go beyond the standard

curriculum associated with those fields.

Career Path. It is the series of jobs or roles that constitute a person's

career, especially one in a particular field.

Intervention. In this study, it refers to the strategy or plan of action

utilized by entities that interfere with the outcome or trajectory of the student's

perspective.
 Stereotype. A standardized mental picture that is held in common by

members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced

attitude, or uncritical judgment.

Perception. In this study, it refers to the views and insights the students

have of the courses outside of those in accounting, entrepreneurship, business,

and management.
 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDY

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the

thorough research done by the researchers. These include research findings

from various sources that the researchers believe will help carry out the study.

According to Lagajino, P., Pascual, J., & Braza, A. (2015); Pascual, J.

(2014); Braza, A., & Guillo, L. (2015), the Philippines' government became

concerned about the rising number of unemployed college graduates and job

mismatches due to inadequate preparation for making a career decision or a

lack of career knowledge about alternative work options when students are

engaged in K–12 curricula. Some graduates are jobless, and if they do find

employment, their expertise or course of study is inapplicable. So, it's crucial to

improve students' capacity for selecting the greatest career, which necessitates

a thorough process and careful planning for them to arrive at the ideal choice.

Olugbenga O. A., et al. (2016) conducted a study to assess the

challenges and prospects of business management education in Nigeria. This

study identified inadequate awareness and knowledge of job opportunities

related to business management among Nigerian students. They identified a

lack of trained teachers, inadequate facilities and resources, insufficient

funding, and limited access to modern technologies and teaching aids, causing
the deceleration of important information such as job opportunities related to

business management.

The study conducted by Bonquin et al. (2017) provides valuable insights

into the preparedness of senior high school students in the Philippines for

college education. It highlights the importance of academic, personal, and

social skills in college readiness and suggests that students from certain

academic strands may be more prepared for college than others. It showed

that ABM students had the highest scores in terms of personal and social skills,

career readiness, and had more insights into their job opportunities.

De Guzman (2018) investigates the inadequacy of guidance counseling

in the Philippines as a contributing cause to the mismatch of skills, career

possibilities, and salaries. The study showed that students who do not receive

enough career guidance may end up taking improper college courses, resulting

in a mismatch between their abilities and work chances. Students enrolled in

the ABM strand, in particular, are not given adequate counseling on

employment prospects connected to their chosen strand. The report suggests

improving school vocational advice programs, particularly for ABM students,

and presents recommendations for more structured and comprehensive

guidance programs.
 A study by Mohammed et al. (2018) focused on ABM students in

Malaysia, the study found that the majority of the students had a positive

perception of the accounting profession and its career prospects. However,

there was a lack of awareness of the different career paths available in the

accounting profession, especially those beyond the traditional roles of audit

and taxation. The study recommended that accounting education should

provide students with a better understanding of the diverse career paths

available in the accounting profession to better prepare them for their future

careers.

Suandi, Turiman, and Imran (2018) conducted a study to assess the

efficiency of a career lecture program in increasing students' awareness of job

choices. According to the study, the curriculum improved students'

comprehension of career options, employment needs, and career development

planning. The curriculum also gave students more confidence in making

informed professional decisions and equip them with the skills they needed to

succeed in their chosen fields. Furthermore, the study found that students who

have access to career guidance programs perform better academically, and

have higher levels of motivation. The study suggests that career guidance

programs can play a vital role in increasing students' employability, as well as

bridging the gap between the education system and the labor market.
 Research done by Gideon and Kakesa (2019) found that many senior

high school students in the Democratic Republic of Congo have a limited

understanding of career opportunities in the fields of accountancy and business

management. Additionally, the research shows that the lack of awareness

about the curriculum and the poor quality of education in the country negatively

influence students' attitudes toward the program.

A study conducted by Lo and Morris (2019) investigated the career

paths of business-related graduates, including those from the ABM strand in

the Philippines. The study found that ABM graduates had limited knowledge

about career paths, due to a lack of career guidance provided by their schools,

hindering their career decision-making process. The study recommends

schools provide more comprehensive career guidance and industry exposure.

The study emphasizes the importance of career guidance and industry

exposure for ABM students to make informed career decisions and increase

their employability.

In the study conducted by OECD Publishing (2020), young individuals

begin to get ready for adulthood during their adolescent years. Teenagers must

make significant decisions that will affect their future careers, such as the type

of education or study they will follow. However young people commonly do not

have enough knowledge about the various occupations and professions that
are accessible to them; as a result, their goals for a career and for higher

education are often more influenced by their personal histories.

According to the study by Tagle (2020), senior high school students in

the Philippines are only somewhat prepared for careers, highlighting the need

for more career development interventions. The study suggested that schools

offer interventions and programs for career advice that address the needs of

senior high school students in the Philippines for career development and

career preparedness.

SYNTHESIS

A student's career vision is an important aspect of their life because it

influences their future job paths. However, young people frequently lack

sufficient knowledge about the various occupations and professions available

to them; as a result, their career and higher education goals are frequently

influenced by their personal histories (OECD Publishing, 2020). According to

Lo and Moriss (2019), career counseling and industry exposure are critical for

ABM students to make educated career decisions and boost their employability.

According to the findings of the study, ABM graduates had little understanding

of job choices due to a lack of career assistance supplied by their schools,

which hampered their professional decision-making process. The report

suggests that schools provide more extensive career counseling.

 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methodology and procedures in the data

gathering to complete the study. It consists of the research design, description

of the respondents, and the data gathering procedure.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Qualitative research will be used in this study to explore and interpret the

subjective aspects of human behavior and social phenomena, rather than

quantifying them. In the case of ABM stereotypes, qualitative research can

provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities of

implementing strategies from the perspective of students who have

experienced it firsthand. This entails obtaining information using strategies

such as observation, interviews, and focus groups. Qualitative research

focuses on acquiring subjective information about participants' experiences,

viewpoints, and meanings in relation to a particular subject, which is referred to

as subjective data. It is often collected using qualitative research techniques,

which focus on acquiring descriptive, non-numerical information that offers an

understanding of people's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. The following are

the main characteristics of the qualitative method that made it suitable for this

research: (1) subjectivity: qualitative research is subjective in nature, meaning

that it is influenced by the researcher's own experiences, biases, and

interpretations; (2) small sample sizes, as the focus is on understanding the

experiences of individuals in depth rather than generalizing findings to a larger

population; (3) researcher has clear defined research questions to which

objective answers are sought; (4) all aspects of the study are carefully

designed before data is collected; (5) contextualization is emphasized, as is

interpretation through collaboration with participants and reflexivity, ensuring

that the researcher's biases are acknowledged and addressed; (6) researchers

are encouraged to reflect on their own biases and assumptions throughout the

research process, and to be transparent about their positionality in relation to

the research topic that ensures that the researcher's own biases do not unduly

influence the interpretation of data; (7) researchers collect data through

methods such as interviews, focus groups, observation, and document analysis

that allows for a rich and detailed understanding of the experiences and

perspectives of participants.

The research utilized the Case Study research design, which is defined

by Yin (2014) as an empirical inquiry that examines a current phenomenon in

its real-life setting, particularly when the distinction between the phenomenon

and context is unclear. The approach involves gathering and analyzing various

data sources to gain a comprehensive and detailed comprehension of the case

being studied. The objective of a case study is to produce fresh perspectives,

theories, and hypotheses regarding the phenomenon being investigated, rather

than testing existing ones. The following are the main characteristics of the

case study research design that made it suitable for this research: (1) in-depth

exploration: researchers can delve deep into specific cases or examples that

challenge stereotypes and provide a comprehensive understanding of the

topic; (2) multiple data sources: allows researchers to gather diverse

perspectives and evidence to support their findings; (3) exploration of unique or

rare phenomena: by selecting and studying these cases, the researchers can

shed light on the innovative practices, successful strategies, and potential

challenges associated with breaking stereotypes in ABM education.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RESPONDENTS

The Senior High School Students of MCA Montessori School constitute

the respondents of the study. The respondents to this study are the selected

senior high school students of MCA Montessori School, consisting of

twenty-five (25) 11th Grade ABM students and twenty-five (25) 12th Grade

ABM Students S.Y. 2022-2023. They are the ones who have enough

knowledge to answer the problems posed in this study.

DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

A letter of request to conduct the study will be prepared. The

researchers will construct an interview questionnaire, that will soon be

validated by the teacher of the subject. The researchers will conduct the
research in MCA Montessori School through interviews, because of the

advantages of this method. The researchers will explain to the respondents the

importance of their response to the study. The researchers will clarify some

terms to the respondents so that the respondents can answer the interview with

full knowledge of their responsibility as the subject of the study. The

researchers will request the respondents to answer with all honesty. The

researchers will use purposive sampling, which is an appropriate sampling

technique for this study because it allows the researchers to specifically select

participants who have experience or knowledge relevant to the topic at hand,

which is breaking through stereotypes associated with the ABM strand. This

sampling technique enables the researchers to gather in-depth insights and

perspectives from participants who can provide valuable information on the

various career paths and opportunities within the ABM strand, contributing to a

comprehensive understanding of the topic. After the respondents have

answered the interview, the researchers will collect and organize the data for

interpretation. Based on the data the researchers will come up with

conclusion(s) and recommendations for this study.