Chapter 4

Presentation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data

This Chapter includes the Presentation of Data, Analysis, and Interpretation of Data

4.1 Presentation of Data

Question No. 1: What was the first thing that you thought about when choosing a Senior

High School Strand?

Respondent 1: "The course I will take after senior high school."

Respondent 2: "Stem"

Respondent 3: "I thought about what course I wanted and if it would be able to satisfy my goals

compared to the other available Senior High School Strands."

Respondent 4: "I thought about what future career will I take once I entered college."

Respondent 5: "What's a strand? And why is this necessary?"

Question No. 2: What are the roles of your parents in choosing a SHS Strand?

Respondent 1: "Supporters as they are happy to whatever I choose."

Respondent 2: "They're there to guide me from the upcoming actions and choices that I'm going

to make."

Respondent 3: "They are the ones who will guide me in my decision-making regarding my strand

and somehow influence as well."

Respondent 4: "My parents were supportive of what strand I chose, but also advised that I choose

wisely when thinking about my long-term career."

Respondent 5: "They just want to support me in reaching my dreams"

Question No. 3: Do your friends influence their decision of choosing the Strand they want to

take? How so?

Respondent 1: "In some ways yes but merely no. I think bond and connection of a friendship makes

it hard to be separated from them however, I still choose whatever I think is the best for my future."

Respondent 2: "No. They never bothered me to change my strand."

Respondent 3: "Not really because my friends have different path they want to take in and we have

different decisions as well in where we have contrasting wants or desires."

Respondent 4: "I think my friends influenced my decision early on, and it encouraged me to be in

the same field as them. I think a work environment with familiar faces give people a sense of

comfort and relief, which is why they often go down the same path as their peers."

Respondent 5: "No, this my decision because this strand can help me reach my course in college."

Question No. 4: Do you believe that the Strand you chose will be able to prepare and enhance

the skills they have for the future?

Respondent 1: "yes"

Respondent 2: "yes"

Respondent 3: "In my opinion, yes because when you're doing something that you really want

you'll become inspired and you want to continue. Just like in taking strand, if it's in your heart

you'll not have dissatisfaction. You can also have the desire to learn that's why I believe that it's a

big help."

Respondent 4: "I think I’m capable of many things and interested in what the future holds. For

now, I think I chose what I think would benefit me the most in terms of job demands in the future."

Respondent 5: "I think yes because i might take a career path that is in the field of medicine or in

the field of architecture."

Question No. 5: Is the strand you want to take aligned with the College course you want to

take in the future?

Respondent 1: "yes"

Respondent 2: "yes"

Respondent 3: "yes"

Respondent 4: "yes"

Respondent 5: "yes"

Question No. 6: Are you fully convinced of your choice of the strand? Explain why.

Respondent 1: "As of now yes, because I’ve thought about it enough and I’m looking forward to

it."

Respondent 2: "Yes. My mind is already set on this decision I've made since it's aligned to the

course that I'm going to take."

Respondent 3: "Yes. Because I personally want to go in this path, my parents are very vocal about

it, and they also support me whatever I want. As long as this strand will help and prepare me for

college, there's nothing to worry about."

Respondent 4: "Honestly, no. I think that I’m still growing and have much more time ahead of me.

And since I’m still discovering myself and what skills I have, I like to think that whatever it is I’ll

be pursuing in the future is what I have passion in doing."

Respondent 5: "Yes, because this strand has what I need in order to go to the course I'll choose."

Question No. 7: Do you think you have the skills needed in the strand they chose?

Respondent 1: "I do think so. However, if I don’t have it, learning is something that happens every

day so why not learn it?"

Respondent 2: "I don't believe I have it. However, I can always learn the abilities that are required

for my strand."

Respondent 3: "I think I have the skills but not all of them. But, if the skills needed are not easy

then I'm eager to learn and give time to improve them to become better. And, I have no problem

in discovering new skills and being open to them."

Respondent 4: "Yes, I’m eager to learn and develop new skills."

Respondent 5: "yes"

4.2 Analysis & Interpretation of Data

This chapter identified how Parents, Friends, Skills, and alignment of the strand to future

courses affect the students’ decision in choosing a track. For Parents, the respondents said they

serve as a support and guide in choosing their strand. In a study by Downing and D’andrea

(1994) about Parental Involvement in Children's Career Decision Making, they found out that

Effective career development and job counseling systems appear to result in parents who are

competent in assisting their children with career decisions. On the other hand, most respondents

said they did not let their friends influence them. A respondent specifically stated they chose a

track that is best for their future. This relates to the other factor wherein the strand they choose is

aligned to their future courses. (Santos, Blas, Panganiban, et. al, 2019) stated that students who

are passionate about their careers can have a better college experience if they choose strands

connected with their present courses. Future Senior High School students should choose strands

based on their preferred professional route since this will help them polish the abilities they will

acquire. Thus, the respondents said they do not have all the skills needed. However, they are

willing to learn, which is not a problem since tracks in senior high help the students develop their
skills. Hence, a work immersion will expose the student to a real-world learning experience

while improving their skills for the job route they are most likely to choose after high school or

college. This presents an opportunity to prepare them and equip them with employable abilities.

(Brillantes, Orbeta, Capones, et. al., 2019)

Question No. 1: What was the first thing that you thought about when choosing a Senior

High School Strand?

In this question, the respondents explore their curiosity, but first, they must determine if

the area is worthy of their time. 3 out of 5 respondents thought about what course they will take.

Grimes Jr. (2021) conducted a Study About the Heart of Community College Student: A

Phenomenology of Student Decision-Making as it Relates to Passion and Major Selection

wherein the study seeks to examine students' passion and their insights related to the decision-

making process in both considering and selecting a major, motivation, and a possible career in

their future. This research sets out to examine how student passion influenced the decision-

making process of community college students. Respondent 4 said they thought about what

future career they will take once they entered college, according to Macleod and Chamberlain

(2012), their data revealed the determinants of the students in wanting their particular degree or

strand. These include their knowledge, their confidence, and knowing their purpose in life.

Respondent 5: "What's a strand? And why is this necessary?" Melbourne (2020) discussed the

Benefits of Practical-based Learning wherein Practical-based learning is unique in that it allows

students to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom. While learning the theory of a topic

or subject is vital, getting out and applying the theory to a practical situation allows you to build

on current skills like problem-solving. It also allows you to put your technical knowledge to use
in the field, which is extremely useful in all topics, but especially in horticulture, aged care, and

disability care. Most issues require firsthand experience to be fully comprehended.

Question No. 2: What are the roles of your parents in choosing a SHS Strand?

The question was to determine what are the roles of the parents in choosing an SHS

Strand. All of the respondents answered that the role of their parents was to support and guide

them in choosing a Strand in Senior High. Two of the respondents were advised by their parents

to choose wisely when thinking about their long-term careers until they reach their dreams in life.

Reflected in chapter 2 of this study, The findings also show that social influence at home (parental

expectations and college plans for children) was greater than that in school (that is peer influence

and teacher expectations). Parental support, in particular, has a positive impact on their children's

academic performance (Eccles and Harold, 1983). In this vein, Steinberg (2001) concluded that

when parents were more involved in their children's schooling (for example, helping with

homework, helping to select courses, and keeping track of school progress), children performed

better academically and were more engaged in high school. Given the potential influence of parents

on adolescents' academic activities, it appears that families have the potential to catalyze

achievement orientations in their children. The findings of these studies revealed that children

perceived their parents as having high expectations for their studies as well as influencing their

choice of future careers. Because students in most Asian countries live in joint families, this clash

of social influence in career choice appears to be especially prevalent in Asian families. This

situation was comparable to studies conducted by Eesley C and Wang YKaribeet al., Marino et

al., Jover et al., and Tangade et al., who testified that Asian students' parents were very persuasive.

According to Amit Aggarwal and Sonia Mehta's study, the majority of students were encouraged
to pursue a professional course by their parents. The parent-child relationship is one of the most

obvious examples of this connected life principle.

Question No. 3: Do your friends influence their decision of choosing the Strand they want to

take? How so?

The question was to identify if the respondents were influenced by their friends in making

decisions for choosing the strand they want. Four (respondents 1, 2, 3, and 5) out of five

respondents were not influenced by their friends in choosing their strands, as this relates to the

study-Influence of Close Friends on the Boundaries of Adolescent Personal Authority where

Daddis (2008), wherein it was stated that Friends were the most salient sources in the construction

of boundaries about personal and multifaceted issues and were more salient for middle than for

early adolescents. Friend influence was primarily attributed to indirect processes, as adolescents

used friends as metrics demonstrating age-appropriate levels of freedom. However, Respondent 4

thought they were influenced and was encouraged to be in the same field as them. This corresponds

to the study entitled Peer and Friends and Career Decision Making, the study's findings indicate

that peers and friends have considerable impetus toward career decisions and academic choices.

However, looking at the role of parents in the socialization process and personality development,

they usually play the initial leading roles in the value transmission but peers and friends seem to

have the greatest role in the adaptation of lifestyle, appearances, and decision making and even

educational choices. The present study concludes that peers and friends dominate academic

choices and the career decision-making process. (Saeed et al.,2014)

Question No. 4: Do you believe that the Strand you chose will be able to prepare and enhance

the skills they have for the future?

In this question, the grade 10 respondents were asked if they believe that the strand they

choose will be able to prepare and enhance the skills they want for the future and all the

respondents answered Yes. This answer relates to the study made by Sierra (2017) wherein the

researchers believe that giving an in-depth perspective as to how students react in relation to

learning, will help identify research gaps to work on and may improve the quality of education

overall. One of the unique features of the curriculum is the ability of the students to choose a strand

in senior high school. The senior high school strand contains subjects that prepare the students for

their careers in college and industry. It is important that a student must decide what they really

want to take or what career they are good at, for them to have a successful college career. Witko,

Bernes, and Bardicks (2006) studies on senior high school students' occupational aspirations found

out that interest, skill, personal meaning, challenges, and parental support are variables

contributory to the occupational aspirations of senior high school students. Also, the most

important thing that a student considers in choosing a track is their personal choice because for

them when they choose a track they are interested in, they would be more motivated to achieve a

good performance in that field. Moreover, Magdadaro (2020) also stated that having an ideal strand

and sticking with it can help students build their passion. It can offer learners a sense of self-

assurance that whatever they are doing is good because it came from an ideal view.

Question No. 5: Is the strand you want to take aligned with the College course you want to

take in the future?

The goal of this question was to see if the strand they want to take is compatible with the

college course they want to take in the future. All five of the respondents answered yes, they were
sure and already knew that the strand they wanted was compatible with the college course. Alipio

(2020) said that in the Philippines, the low academic adjustment of students leads to poor academic

achievement (Calaguas, 2011). According to Hernandez (2017)'s research, the senior high school

strands include subjects that will prepare students for careers in college and industry. Thus, the

choice of senior high school strand is critical; however, students may pursue a college degree that

is not aligned with the senior high school strand (i.e. non-STEM students taking dentistry). To

address the enormous need to strengthen the health workforce, as influenced by the graduation rate

of health sciences students, dropout rate, academic adjustment, and performance, this study aims

to determine the difference in academic adjustment and performance. First-year students'

adjustment and performance in health sciences courses in the Philippines Furthermore, the research

aims to determine the moderating effect of senior high school strand on the relationship between

academic adjustment and performance among Filipino freshmen college students.

Question No. 6: Are you fully convinced of your choice of the strand? Explain why.

This question was to know if the students are fully convinced about their choice of the

strand, four (4) out of five students answered yes. Respondent 2 and Respondent 5 said their mind

is already set on choosing this track since it is aligned with their future course and it is what they

need for this course. The Department of Education recommends future students and SHS pioneers

match their course to their preferred future job, as this will provide them a general idea of their

course and enhance their skills and readiness for subsequent courses, giving them more practice

and knowledge. Respondent 3, they want this track and their parents are very supportive of their

choice as long as the track choice will help them prepare for college. Nawabi and Javed (2019)

said that Parental influence can encourage children to explore a range of possible careers or to stay

in a career they believe their parents will approve of. On the other hand, Respondent 4 answered
No. The respondent said they have more time to grow and discover themselves and think of

pursuing something they are passionate about. With so many factors to consider while deciding on

a career path, students face career uncertainties due to their decisions. (Trevor- Roberts 2006).

Question No. 7: Do you think you have the skills needed in the strand they chose?

The question was to determine if the students think they have the skills needed in the strand

they chose. Two of the respondents answered they do not think they have the skills, and the other

three said they believe they have skills. The differences in their answers on the capacity of their

skills are understandable as Cumigad (2019) stated that everyone has unique talents that can be

used in a career of some type. For many, these talents have been present since childhood; for

others, they are learned over time. Moreover, all the respondents answered that they are willing

and eager to learn the skills. Some of them may not have the skills yet, but it is considerable since

the programs in senior high will offer the students aid in achieving high levels of efficiency and

gratifying results in the activities they will participate. Leaders in education and programming

have agreed that the directions in Schools are designed to meet the requirements of students and

prepare them for a life of work in which they can apply their skills, talents, and interests to find

joy and self-fulfillment. (Penedilla and Rosaldo, 2017). Knowing one’s skills is essential upon

finishing senior high. Graduates will possess competencies and skills relevant to the job market.

The Senior High program was designed to adjust and meet the fast-changing demands of society

to prepare graduates with skills essential for the world of work. (Faelnar, Cal, Albaracin, et.al.,

2019).