First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities

Fidelis Senior High School

Practical Research 1 – Qualitative Research

Perception of Grade 12 STEM Fidelis Senior High School

Students on Job opportunities in the Field of Engineering
Atienza, Benedict V.1, Manalo, Keanu Reeven M.2, Torres, Paul Jhon L.3
1
(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

ABSTRACT: 1 Nowadays, Engineering is one of the best courses that one can take when he come up to
college level. Despite many difficulties, there are a lot of students who take this course because there are
many great job opportunities after finishing it. This research paper entitled Perception of Grade 12 STEM
Fidelis Senior High School Students on Job opportunities in the Field of Engineering. The objectives of the
researchers are to know the students perception on job opportunities in the field of engineering, how do
they cope with these, and their perceptions in choosing their career. The study involves ten (10) STEM
students from Fidelis Senior High School of First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities as their
respondents. Phenomenological Method was the research design used, and the researchers conducted an
interview as the instrument of the study. It shows at the result that there are lots of job opportunities like
civil, mechanical, electrical, etc., it needs proper academic attitude for you to cope with engineering
course, and the students didn’t focus on themselves in choosing their courses. The researchers
recommended this paper to the other students and teachers that will help them do a study related to this.

KEYWORDS – Acquire, Affluent, Integrate, Perception, Insight

1. INTRODUCTION
Engineering is one of the best courses that one can take when he comes up to
college level. Despite many difficulties in studying engineering, there are a lot of students
who take this course because there are many great job opportunities after finishing it.

There are many job opportunities in the field of engineering that the students can
take when he comes up to college level. They cope with these opportunities by having
patience and eagerness in doing their work. On the other hand, the students chose their
courses by the help of their environment like family, peers, and etc.

The researchers came up with the study because they observed that many Grade 12
students chose STEM track in studying senior high school. The researchers wanted to know
the perceptions of the grade 12 students.

The study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the students’ perceptions on the job opportunities in the field of engineering?
2. How would the students cope with the job opportunities in the field of engineering?
3. How do the students choose their preferred career?

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Perception of Grade 12 STEM Fidelis Senior High School Students on Job opportunities in
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This study will be beneficial to other students who take up high school as this will
provide them ideas on what job opportunities included in the field of engineering. Also how to
choose the course like engineering courses, and how they will respond like how the
participants of this study have. Moreover, this study would be beneficial to parents of those
engineering students because it will give them idea how to adjust with their children taking
up engineering course. In addition, this study will also be a big help to future researchers
because it can serve as their basis for their future researches.

2. METHODS
Qualitative Phenomenological research is the design of this study. According to
Waters (2017), the goal of qualitative phenomenological research is to describe a “lived
experience” of a phenomenon. As this is a qualitative analysis of narrative data, methods to
analyze its data must be quite different from more traditional or quantitative method
research. Essentially, here, the researchers focused on meaning, the meaning of the
experiences behavior, and the also in the narrative. The researchers used
phenomenological design to describe the perception and the lived experiences of the chosen
respondents regarding to the given topic.

This study was conducted at First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities. The
researchers decided to choose FAITH as their location because they observed that there are
a lot of students who took STEM Track as their strand in Senior High School. The
respondents of this study are ten (10) selected STEM students of FAITH. The researchers
used simple random sampling. They created names for draw lots coming from the different
sections STEM B, C, D, E, F, and G. Two students were picked from sections B, C, D, and
E, otherwise, one student were picked from sections F and G. Overall, there were 10 STEM
Students who are purposively included as respondents.

The research conducted a one on one interview as the instrument of the study. Also,
they prepared interview questions for the interviewee, on their perceptions regarding Job
Opportunities in the field of Engineering. The researchers used data recorder specifically the
mobile phone to gather the answers from the interviewee. After that, they made a narrative
as a result for the interviewees’ answers. The statements of the respondents will be
summarized to answer the central question of the study, to know their perceptions regarding
job opportunities in the field of engineering.

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Perception of Grade 12 STEM Fidelis Senior High School Students on Job opportunities in
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The data gathered were examined and went under an analysis with the use of
descriptive phenomenological data analysis that was created by Colaizzi (1978).
Step one. Each transcript was read several times to gain a sense of the whole content.
During this stage, any thoughts, feelings, and ideas that arose by the researchers due to
their previous work with the perceptions of grade 12 students were added to the bracketing
diary. This helped to explore the phenomenon as experienced by participants themselves.

Step two. In this stage of analysis, significant statements and phrases pertaining to job
opportunities, students’ responds, and perceptions in choosing career were extracted from
each transcript. These statements were written in separate sheets. After extracting the
significant statements from the transcripts, the researchers compared their work and
reached consensus. Sixteen significant statements were extracted from one hundred and
ten transcripts. Meanings were formulated from the significant statements. Thereafter, the
whole statements and their meanings were checked by the research adviser who found the
process is correct and the meanings are consistent.

Step three. After having an agreement toward all formulated meanings, the process of
grouping all these formulated meanings into categories that reflect a unique structure of
themes was initiated. Each theme was coded to include all formulated meanings related to
that group of meanings. Indeed, all these themes are internally convergent and externally
divergent; meaning that each “formulated meaning” falls only in one theme that is
distinguished in meaning from other structures (Mason, 2002). Later, the researchers
compared their themes and checked the accuracy of the overall thematic map along with
having assistance from the research adviser in qualitative research.

Step four. At this stage of analysis, all emergent themes were defined into exhaustive
description. After merging all study themes, the whole structure of the phenomenon
“perceptions of grade 12 students on job opportunities in the field of engineering” has been
extracted. Thereafter, the research adviser reviewed the findings in terms of richness and
completeness to provide sufficient description that reflects the perceptions of the students on
job opportunities in the field of engineering. Finally, a validation to this exhaustive description
was confirmed with the research supervisor.

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

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Perception of Grade 12 STEM Fidelis Senior High School Students on Job opportunities in
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The themes that were formulated are the job opportunities in the field of engineering,
how the students cope with these, and the students’ perceptions in choosing their career.
Each formed theme has its sub-theme. For the Job Opportunities in the Field of engineering,
the respondents answer that some of the engineering courses are civil engineering,
mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, and industrial
engineering. Also, one of the job opportunities in the field of engineering is becoming a
manager of a one company. For the second theme, contains the students’ coping strategies
in engineering courses. It should have analytical skills, patience, and love what you are
doing especially at work. Moreover, it needs to know the things which are aligned with the
courses and have eagerness to cope with these job opportunities. Lastly, for the third theme,
it contains the perceptions of the students in choosing their careers. They answer the
questions based on their experiences in choosing STEM track. Some of them were
influenced by their family or friends in choosing their career. Few of them chose what is in
demand job, which job has a high salary, and which career is in lined with their track which is
the STEM Track.
Here are some of the verbatim significant statements of the respondents which can
answer the statement of the problems:
When asked about their perceptions on what job opportunities in the field of
engineering and they answered,
“Para sa akin,electrical engineering ang sa tingin ko e suit sa skills ko. Kase nandon
yung passion ko saka bata pa lang ako, naka-set na ang mind ko na magiging electrical
engineer talaga ako.”- Respondent A
“Para sa akin, chemical engineering. Kasi Masaya ako sa chemistry subject kahit na
more on computations, mas na-eenjoy ko siya compared sa physics.” – Respondent G
When asked about how they cope with these job opportunities in the field of
engineering, they answered,
“I have analytical skills, I love solving problems and creating new ideas and that are
my strengths. Otherwise, I hate English subject.” – Respondent J
“You must love what you are doing and you must enjoy life.” – Respondent I
“For me, its hard work and patience. Because if you are engineering students, you’re
involved with different math subjects, and just like me, I didn’t want solving math problems
that’s why I always have patience.” – Respndent B

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Perception of Grade 12 STEM Fidelis Senior High School Students on Job opportunities in
the Field of Engineering

When asked on how they choose their career, they answered,

“Influenced by my family and peers, my individual skills especially in math, and it is
one of the demand job now.” – Respondent J
“Because there are many professional engineers in my family and relatives, I also
expect to be an engineer also.” – Respondent F

The respondents have many perceptions regarding the job opportunities in the field
of engineering. Job opportunities involve civil, mechanical, electrical, industrial, and chemical
engineering or being a company manager. Next, they cope with these job opportunities by
having patience, loving what they’re doing, and having eagerness. Also, it needs analytical
skills and knows the things aligned with these courses. Lastly, the students chose their
career because of their peers and family or based on their environment.

4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the results presented in this study, the researchers therefore conclude the
following:

1. There are many job opportunities in the field of engineering. It is one of the courses
that can give you great job like becoming a professional civil, industrial, mechanical,
electrical, or chemical engineers. Also, as a student, you can you can choose what
engineering type you can choose which suits yourself.
2. Being engineering students are very difficult. It needs eagerness and analytical skills
in solving problems like in mathematics or physics when you are studying. Patience
is also an important thing. When you finish engineering course, it is more difficult in
working. As a professional engineer, it needs hard work, love what you are doing,
and focus with your mind for you to achieve your goals in life.
3. Students’ mind should be wise in choosing what course they will take when they
enter college level, because it will lead to their future. Some of the students chose
their courses because it is their families’ want or because of their friends. In fact, you
must look for a course that will suit your skills. Also, their chosen track helps them to
choose what career they will get after finishing it.

Based on the conclusions presented, the researchers have made the following
recommendations:
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Perception of Grade 12 STEM Fidelis Senior High School Students on Job opportunities in
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 To the students
The students may read this study to gain more idea in choosing what job
opportunity in the field of engineering that they would like to have.
 To the teachers
Also, this study can serve as the teachers’ reference of ideas in guiding the
students on choosing job opportunities especially in engineering.
 To the school
This study will also serves as school’s reference that anyone can read and
help them about the job opportunities in the field of engineering.
 To the guidance counselors
This study will also help the guidance counselors in guiding the students in
their preferred career based on the students’ answers on the result of this
study.
 To the future researchers
Lastly, the future researchers can use this study as a guide or basis in writing
another research paper related to this topic.

5. REFERENCES
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Middle Managers of FAITH Unified School”(Philippine Normal University, March 2008.)

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october, 2017, from whatisengineering.com

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Jimenez, J.(March 11, 2016).PhilStar Global[Engineering Highest Paying job for fresh
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Waters, J.(2015).SCRBD.[Phenomenological Research Guidelines].Retrieved from October,

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