Title: Factors Affecting the Decision-making of Grade 10 Students in Choosing their Senior High

School Strand.

CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter includes the Introduction, Statement of the Problem, Theoretical Framework,
Significance of the Study, Definition of terms, and Scope and Delimitation.

I. Introduction

Making decisions is one of the most challenging things each student faces that more often
than not, will lead into a dilemma and confusion. And every decision follows certain Factors that
affect it. Everyone has an ability to choose, and choosing their own track to take on Senior High
School is not an exception.

The Researchers of this Study centered on the decision-making of Grade 10 students with the
goal of identifying the factors they weighed while selecting their Senior High School strand. The
Senior High School is a two-year specialized upper secondary education program under the Republic
Act (RA) 10533 or K-12 Program that was implemented during the Aquino III administration. This
entails about how the students can specialize based on their ability, hobbies, and school competence.
Former President Benigno S. Aquino III (2013) states that the implemented law will help the next
generation of Filipinos to be empowered. Furthermore, the Commission on Higher Education said that
students might apply to whichever college course they wanted, regardless of their track. The
Department of Education, on the other hand, advises future students and SHS pioneers to align their
course to the future career path of their choice, as this will provide them with a sketch of their course
and amplify their skills and readiness for their future subjects, giving them more practices and
knowledge, making them more productive and globally competitive.

According to Development Asia (2019), the K-12 curriculum changes the years for basic
education from 10 to 12 and the added 2 years in high school makes a student more prepared for
college and work. A graduating grade 10 student has to decide the strand they will take once they start
senior high school. Their choice is crucial and will have an influence on the rest of their lives. Quinter
(2011) said that grades, age, personal interests, experiences, and other factors affect students' career
choices, and learning experiences makes a student find their goals in their future professions. Some
students choose the strand they will be taking due to influence by family and friends while others
choose the strand they wanted. And right now, withstanding the Pandemic while striving to enter
Senior High School became an additional denominator in choosing a track.

Apart from the core curriculum, which contains eight components in the new K to 12
program, SHS students must master one study area and base their decision on how they wish to
progress after completing grade 12. Academic, Arts and Design, Sports, and Technical-Vocational
Livelihood are the four major programs from which they can choose. However, Top Achievers
Private School offers three of the four strands provided in the Academic track; the strands offered are
Accounting and Business Management (ABM), Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), and
Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The following strands are being taught
in an exclusive Learning Management System with a blended learning of recorded lessons and live
classes. Activities, Lectures, and Projects all took place inside the said Management System.

The Researchers aim to pursue this study seeing that it will be beneficial since choosing a
track involves making an honest self-evaluation of one’s interests, talents, and skills. By identifying
these key factors, it would be a great help for incoming SHS students because they'll have a guide in
choosing their strand. As a result, students will feel more at ease and competent in the strand they
choose, which is especially important for students who are beginning their senior year in the midst of
the pandemic (Manuba, Morales, et al., 2018). Future researchers will also benefit significantly from
recognizing these aspects since they will be able to learn more about the topic if it is one that they
choose to investigate further, this will also act as a guide for them if they want to make a point on the
subject.

By this time now, Grade 10 students are starting to choose their strands in their upcoming
senior high school. Vallejo (2019) states that the right track is a very vital consideration in pursuing a
future career during college. With this motivation, this research was pursued. When learners enroll in
senior high school, they have to choose a strand and track they like to pursue for the next two years.
Students can choose from various strands and tracks which can also assist them to choose a course
they may want to take in college. This is a large choice that a lot of considerations need to be made
when making decisions. According to Kniveton (2004), who explored the influences or motivations of
the students with their career choice. Hence their career aspirations may refer to their passion-based
view of choosing a strand and academic capacity or previous educational achievement by being
concerned about what they want to achieve in a practical way. According to Natalie (2006), young
adults learn about and explore occupations through interactions with their family, school, and
community, which ultimately leads to their career choice. Adolescents' own ambitions are influenced
by their parents' objectives or expectations, according to one consistent conclusion in study. Parental
support and encouragement have been demonstrated to have a significant impact on profession
choice. To satisfy their parents, children may pick what their parents want (Taylor et al, 2004). On the
other hand, Macleod and Chamberlain (2012), revealed the determinants of the students in wanting
their particular degree or strand. These include their knowledge, their personal confidence, and
knowing their purpose in life. These themes being presented may probably help or have helped the
senior high school students choose their strands. Hence, this study focuses on the preference of strand
in Senior High School decision- making in choosing a particular strand to proceed in college. It
intends to assess the senior high school students with regards to their preferences in taking up a strand
in which they can grab an advantageous opportunity to meet their expectations towards the future.

The Purpose of this Qualitative Study is to determine the view of grade 10 students in
entering senior high-school, and to understand their certain reason that they consider in choosing their
strand. In addition, this paper will discuss how grade 10 students decide on a strand that is compatible
with their skills and would be applied while dealing with a pandemic. Moreover, this study aims to
assess some factors associated with preferences of senior high school track that are commonly
adopted by the Grade 10 students of the school year and to help track the importance of decision-
making for the incoming senior high students.

II. Statement of the Problem

The Study focused on the Factors that affect the Decision-making of Grade 10 Students in
choosing their Senior High School Strand. Specifically, it aims to answer the following
questions:
 What was the first thing that a student thought when choosing a Senior High School
Strand?
 What are the roles of the Student’s Parents in choosing a SHS Strand?
 Do their friends influence their decision of choosing the Strand they want to take?
 Do the students believe that the Strand they chose will be able to prepare and enhance
the skills they have for the future?
 Is the strand a student wants to take aligned with the College course they want to take
in the future?
 Is the student fully convinced of their choice of strand? Or were they forced?
 Did the student choose the strand they think is hard? Or did they choose an easier
strand?
  Does the student think they have the Skills needed in the strand they chose?
II. Theoretical Framework

This study is founded on the theory of Social Cognitive Career Theory. Lent et al. (1994)
developed Social Cognitive Career Theory to facilitate understanding of career choice, interest, and
performance processes. This theory identifies the factors that interplay when a student chooses a
certain track and progresses on the chosen career path. Moreover, it provides a framework for using
social cognitive processes to explain success and failure, academic outcomes, and career outcomes.
Social Cognitive Career Theory is divided into two levels of theoretical analysis: the presentation of
cognitive-person variables and the analysis of the additional sets of variables that may influence
career-related interests and choice behavior (Lent et al. 1994). The first level includes the core
variables that affect career choice: self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals. Self-efficacy
involves the student’s perception of whether he or she can succeed at a particular career choice.
Outcome expectations include the student’s perceived tangible rewards for successful performance.
Goals, according to Bandura (1989), are the student’s determination to accomplish a particular
outcome. On the other hand, the second level includes personal inputs, learning experiences, and
contextual influences. Personal inputs comprise the student’s physical attributes. Contextual factors
take into account the conditions of the different environments.

Social Cognitive Career Theory helps in exposing areas that may aid researchers to understand
more about career decision-making and career-related personal variables. Researchers have used this
model as the basis for a number of studies in different settings. Some researchers used Social
Cognitive Career Theory to observe vocational interests in different tracks or fields of study. In 2002,
Smith demonstrated how the social cognitive variables can predict information technology interests.
Cunningham and co-workers (2005) used Social Career Theory in studying students’ intention in
pursuing a career in sports and leisure. Academic achievement in mathematics was also partially
described by Social Cognitive Career Theory (Cupani et al. 2010). This study proposed that
successful academic performance is related to mathematical ability, beliefs on this ability, and
performance targets. Blanco (2011) applied Social Cognitive Theory to identify Spanish psychology
students' interest and choice goals in participating in statistics related academic or professional
activities. Aside from predicting career interests, researchers were also able to find links between
social cognitive variables. Conklin and co-workers (2012) demonstrated the predictive nature of
affective commitment in relation to career decision self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Social
Cognitive Career Theory also allows researchers to learn more about factors that may negatively
affect individuals in pursuing a career track. In 2013, Dahling and co-workers showed that financial
strains are inversely related to job search self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and goals. Irvin et al.
(2012) tested educational barriers in rural youth to identify variables that can help in intervention
programs and policy making. Tools were also developed in line with Social Cognitive Career Theory
to measure social cognitive variables related to career decision-making. Rogers and co-workers
(2009) developed instruments that can measure the choice of medical specialty and practice location.

In this study, the researchers utilized Social Cognitive Career Theory to identify the criteria to be
used in the career decision-making tool that was developed. The Social Cognitive Career Theory
factors used are self-efficacy, interests or preference of the student, aptitude, and the contextual
supports such as number of schools available, number of financial assistances, and preference of
parents. According to Lent et al. (1994), self-efficacy helps determine the choice of activities,
environment, effort expenditure, persistence, thought patterns, and emotional reactions once a
problem is encountered. Also, Hackett and Betz (1981) figured that self-efficacy can predict career-
related choices. Lent et al. (1994) define vocational interests as patterns of likes, dislikes, and
indifference that involve career-relevant activities. One’s interests may develop goals and
involvement in a certain career track. Preference of the students may be part of the predisposition of
the students, which makes it one of the contextual factors that may affect the career decision-making.
One’s aptitude is attributed to the learning experiences (Lent et al. 1994). Learning experiences may
affect one’s interests and self-efficacy and may also be mediated by self-efficacy beliefs. Gastardo
Conaco and colleagues (2003) found that parents have the strongest influence on the Filipino
adolescents’ career targets as cited by Mattison (2011). The number of schools and financial
assistance is also relevant, since choosing a career track also depends on the resources available to the
students. This may fall under contextual factors.

IV. Significance of the Study

The Study focused on the Factors that affect the decision-making of Grade 10 students in
choosing their Senior High School Strand. In addition, the study is also seen to be beneficial to the
following:
 Respondents. The Respondents will benefit from this Study for they will be able to recognize
and reflect on their choice of Strand. Being able to identify its factors would avoid confusion,
promote self-awareness, and will avoid having regrets in the near future.
 Students. The students will benefit from this Study because it Identifies the Factors that
students consider in choosing a strand, with this information, this will serve as a guide in
choosing the strand they want to take in Senior High School.
 Parents. The Parents will benefit from this Study in a way that they will gain knowledge about
their child's preferred strand, raise their children's awareness, and provide them with the
guidance and support that they require in order for their children to be successful in any strand
that they may choose that will serve as a stepping stone for their future careers.
 Teachers. The Teachers will benefit from this Study as this will provide them knowledge about
the students’ decision-making skills and capacities in relation to their selected strands that
would affect their student’s academic strand and in the longer run, can affect their decisions in
life including their careers.
 Future Researchers. The Future Researchers will benefit from this Study because this study can
provide them an overview of the Topic and can be a reference that will strengthen and support
their Future Researches.

V. Definition of Terms

Factor – Refers to a circumstance, fact, or influence that contributes to a result or outcome.

Decision-making – Refers to the action or process of making choices by identifying a decision,

gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions.

Senior High School – Refers to a secondary school comprising Grades 11 and 12, the last two years of
the K to 12 Basic Education Program.

Students – Refers to a person who is studying at a school or college.

Strands- used to indicate: (a) the disciplines within a learning area, e.g. history, geography, economics
and civics under ‘social studies’, each with its own associated goals for learning; (b) domains that
group the related general and specific learning outcomes or achievement aims and objectives within a
particular learning area or discipline.
VI. Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study focuses on the Factors that affect the Decision-making of Grade 10 students of
Top-Achievers Private School Inc. in choosing their senior high school strand. This study will identify
the things taken into consideration upon choosing a Senior High School track. The Respondents of the
Study composed of Ten (10) Grade 10 (10) Students of Top-Achievers Private School from Alicia
Campus.

Taking the Present situation into consideration, the Researchers of this Study conducted the
said Research through sending out forms online with a set of questions about the said topic to the
Grade 10 (10) Students of Top-Achievers Private School from Alicia Campus.