Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM

Background of the Study

The Philippines before the implementation of K to 12 was the only Asian

country to have 10-year education programs, and one of the three countries which

still has it implemented along with Djibouti and Angola in Africa (Geronimo, 2013). 10

years of education has always been debated when it comes to competitiveness with

other countries which have 12 or more years of education and are unable to master

the basic competencies that they need. The mastery of basic competencies and the

age of the youth who have undergone the 10 years of basic education were also

things the department of education needs to contend to.

To battle the problem of unemployment and par with the developing countries,

the department of education implements the K to 12 Basic Education Program

because 10 years of education is insufficient and is considered congested

(SEAMEO, 2012). This initiative by the Department of Education offers an education

system that provides sample time for students to master the needed skills and basic

competencies that they need. This program also prepares students for the future by

being eligible to work internationally because they completed the 12 years of

education which is the global education standard for companies around the world.

One thing that everyone has noted is adding two years in the K to 12 whilst

Junior High School (JHS) will replace the 1 st year up to the 4th year in secondary

education. (Banal- Formoso, 2016). Upon completion, they will receive a high school

diploma. When a student cannot graduate Grade 12, he/she will miss out on the

benefits of SHS such as having a job after they graduate SHS, etc. The addition of
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two years has been particularly criticized by parents of being “heavy on the

pockets’’ and for students as “two more years of misery”. Senior high School

ensures its graduates that they can be employed upon graduation depending on the

path they choose.

Subjects in the K to 12 Program will be taught by spiral progression. In a

lesson, basic knowledge is first taught and when eventually mastered, links to each

lesson which “spiral upward”. To advanced lesson which build up the study

(Johnston, 2012). Through this, Students can pick knowledge more efficiently

because they will not be overwhelmed when an advanced topic is taught because

they already have a good grasp of the knowledge that is needed topic hence

improving their skills.

Even before they arrive at SHS, Grade 10 students are into a dilemma in

which track to choose. This led the researchers to do a study on the track

preferences of Grade 10 students.

The two track which are the Academic and Technical-Vocational track are

further subdivided into strands. In the Academic track there are four (4) strands

which are the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM),

Accountancy and Business Management (ABM), Humanities and Social Sciences

(HUMSS), And General Academic Strand (GAS) And in the Technical-Vocational

track there are also Four (4) Strand which are Technical-Vocational livelihood (TVL),

Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW).

The tracks offered by Senior High is the First step towards the chosen career

of the students. The track that the students will choose will provide necessary skills

in preparation for their future job. It is important that students choose the right track
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and if not, can have detrimental effects to their future. How Students decision. This

range from family choice to influence from friends. The school also plays a big rule in

the Students selection of a track What if the track the students wants isn’t accessible

in the said school? They and up choosing the wrong track. Influence can be a reason

why students choose a track that is even not for them. Even students in grade 11 are

still confuse and their choice of track because of the lock of guidance. If the students

Dislike the track that he/she took, they can change their track but with

consequences. How can they prevent this from happening? How can students

choose the right track for their future? That is why they conduct this research to

identify the track preferences of the students and guide them in choosing the right

track.

Significance of the Study

The results of the study are deemed beneficial to the following:

Students. As the prospective Senior High School Learners in the future, the

result of this study will benefit and inspire them to formulate and act upon on their

chosen career plans in the future.

Parents. This Study will Benefits the parents because it will give them a lot of

ideas about Senior high school.

Teachers. This study will help them to educate their students in employable

skills.
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Future Researchers. This Study will help the future researchers to gain more

ideas and this research can be use a Guide to have a background about their topic

related to this study.

School Administrations. This study would enable them to find ways and

means to improve the student’s abilities and skills that would empower them to

pursue meaningful careers.

The Researcher Themselves. This will be a benefit and will contribute to the

researchers. As they can find out what they want to know in response to their

research.

Scope and Delimitation of the study

This study only involves the grade 10 students of Coloscaoayan National High

School, S.Y. 2022-2023. This research will be conducted to help the students who

are incoming Senior High School to determine their considerations in selecting a

college degree. The study will help them to develop their decision-making ability.

Conceptual Framework of the Study

The findings of the study. It can be concluded that most of the Grade 10

students regardless of age, gender, and family income would prefer to take the

academic track over the track when they enroll the senior high school. It can also be

deduced that there are several factors affecting the choice of track of incoming

senior high students. However, the extent to which these factors influence them

varies. Results also implied that economic factors such as work opportunities and
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family income significantly influence the track preference of the students. Thus, it can

be concluded that students would put much consideration on the availability of work

in the future as well as the kind of track which their family can support rather than

considering their innate abilities and interest. Consequently, this will have an adverse

effect in the future since interest and passion are predictors of work productivity and

job satisfaction. Students consider parents and teachers as important individuals in

career decision-making, while peers do not significantly contribute to their career

choice.

Paradigm of the Study

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Determining The profile of Gathering of suggested measure that

Grade 10 students terms questionnaire can be proposed to guide

of: the students in choosing

the respondents.
B.) sex

Tallying of the data in the

Determining preferred preferences.

choice of track of the

Determining factors

effecting the track

preferences of the Grade

10 students.
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Figure 1. The Research Paradigm

Objective of the Study

[Link] determine the profile of the respondents:

[Link] determine the factors effecting the Strand preferences of Grade 10 students;

[Link] determine if the students are satisfied with their chosen course

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the strand preferences of

Grade 10 students. It especially sought to answer the following questions.

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. sex:

b. age;

c. strand preferences:

d. monthly family income, and

e. parents’ job?

2. What are the factors affecting the strand preferences of Grade 10 students of

Coloscaoayan along with

a. family;
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b. peer, and

c. school?

3. Is there a significant relationship between Factors affecting the Grade 10 students

of Coloscaoayan national high school and their profile variables?

4. What are the possible guides that can be proposed in choosing the right strand?

Null Hypothesis

Taking the variables into mind, multiple hypotheses were made. Each

hypothesis tackles a different set of variables yet is very similar. Each of them shall

be tested at a 0.05 level of significance.

1. There is no significant relationship between the respondents when classified

according to gender.

Definition of Terms

To facilitate a better understanding of this study, the following terms were

conceptual defined:

Interest – These are the qualities or things that attract one’s attention and make a

person want to learn more about something or engage in it.

Strand – A student’s choice by interest or the path of his/her chosen strand.

Personality – Refers to the desired careers that a child wants to be upon becoming

an adult.

Profile – Refers to the Gender, Age, Parent’s Occupation, and income.

Track – under the secondary education, k-12 program the students need to choose

a track/strand to continue their career pathway and finish there high school and

proceed to college.