CHAPTER I

The Problem and its Background of the Study

Introduction

The K-12 Program implementation started on batch 2011-2012, and

the first batch of students to go through K-12 will graduate in March 2018.
The K-12 Program is found to be an adequate period for learning under basic
education and its distinction requirement of professionals and non-
professionals in our country and foreign Asian or Non-Asian countries. It offers
a balanced approach to learning that will enable children and students to
acquire, know and learn more skills in different fields of education taking up
the vocational and later professional degree courses. (Ma. Araceli Bello
Verjom)

The number of educated is now decreasing because of the different

circumstances that they face during the days that they are trying to step up in
their lives. A survey from the DepEd shows that out of 100 students studying
in elementary, only 80 of them will graduate and those 80 students may be
deducted and will become 50-60 students to go to high school. In 50
students, there might only be 30 of them can only proceed to college and only
a few of them can finish college and/or masteral degree courses. (Ma. Araceli
Bello Verjom)

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 The K-12 program of the government will allow students to have
mastery of competence and enable them to cope up with the lessons. The
curriculum is enriched to the local needs of students to be responsive to
choose a specialization that will suit their field of interests. The present
curriculum offers a more balanced approach that students may acquire and
master their life long interests and Learning skills for livelihood income
approaching the 21st century. With the K-12 education also help graduated
students the skills needed in the labor market and prepare responsibilities and
opportunity to be accepted and work to the skills they acquired. (Ma. Araceli
Bello Verjom)

After finishing the K-12, particularly in the senior year of schooling,

graduates are awarded a certificate of competence and a national certificate
showing of proof allowing them to have middle-level skills and will be offered
a better opportunity to be employed and later become young entrepreneurs.
(Ma. Araceli Bello Verjom)

Technical-Vocational (Tech-Voc) courses are part of non-formal

education in the Philippines. Under the Republic Act 7796, the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is ordered to give
specialized instruction and aptitudes advancement programs for Filipino
students. The tech-voc programs permit out of school youth and other
intrigued understudies to learn down practical abilities that will set them for
business or employment.

Contemplating tech-voc courses fills some needs. It furnishes

understudies with broad hands-on preparation required in actual industries
and other practical evaluations. The educational plan is additionally made out
of competency benchmarks required for powerful work execution as endorsed
by industry specialists. Taking short professional courses likewise helps in
growing chances and increasing new abilities for the individual who need to
step up in their vocations or dare to new organizations.

Technical-Vocational is defined as a comprehensive term referring to

those aspects of the education process involving the study of technologies and
related sciences, and acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, understanding,
and knowledge relating to occupants in various sectors of economic and social
life. The objective of technical vocational education is to bring up application-

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oriented talents that have related technical theoretical knowledge and
practical ability. Its requirements of the theoretical study are low, more
emphasis and hands-on capacity and demanding actual working capacity.
Vocational education considered appropriate for professions like automotive
mechanics, plumbers, electricians, and other similar profession. It is geared
towards the practical needs of a specific occupation. Vocation education is
seen as a strategy that contributes to increasing efficiency and education
investment and can provide young people with the skill needed for
employment and industry.

Background of the Study

K12 curriculum is a system implemented by the Department of

Education (DepEd). Before taking an additional 2 years in Senior high school,
students are free to choose the offerings of the curriculum: The Academic
Track, Sports, Art, and Technical-Vocational Track. The main purpose of it is
to develop learners’ skills for them to be ready to start to work- if they want
to- start a business, or continue college. One more reason why it was
executed was that foreign countries think that a 10-year curriculum was
insufficient and K12 provides basic competencies to meet the standards of
foreign countries in case they work abroad.

In Juan Sumulong High School, the SHS offering tracks are the Academic
Track and Technical Vocational Track (TVL). Academic Track comprises 3
strands: Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), Humanities and
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Social Sciences (HUMSS), and Science, Engineering, Technology and
Mathematics (STEM). Yet, the TVL track comprises of also 3 strands:
Information Communication Technology (ICT), Home Economics (HE), and
Industrial Arts (IA). The Academic track mainly focuses on learners on their
chosen field of specialization in college and TVL makes students enhance their
practical work skills to make them job-ready. But some researches asserted
that there is a significant difference found in both tracks. In terms of the
confidence of TVL track, Zhao et al (2013), says that the vocational track
students expressed a low level of self-esteem. Houtte et al (2012), concluded
that Academic tracks showed significantly high confidence than TVL track.

The aims of this study were to investigate the perceptions of Grade 10

students in Juan Sumulong High School toward Technical-Vocational education
and to understand the factors influencing students’ choice. These were
considered as starting points to create plans for applicable intervention in
order to progress students’ choice for Technical Voctional Livehood (TVL)
track.

The researchers came up with the problem: “What is the perception and
factors influencing junior high school students towards Technical Vocational
education?” with the objectives of knowing the profile of participants, their
mind-set on Tech-Voc Education before enrolling, reasons for enrolling on a
Tech-Voc course, find out the benefits gained after graduating from one of its
course, to determine how it helped in the development of their career, and to
find out what is their current mind-set about it.

The Grade 10 level of Juan Sumulong High School is made up of seven

(7) sections with a total of two hundred sixty-four (264) Grade 10 students.
The researcher will only choose fifty (50) students out of two hundred sixty-
two (262) Grade 10 students as respondents in the study.

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Conceptual Framework

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Organizing the 1. Conducting  The perception of

questionnaires. interviews
and surveys Grade 10 Students
 Demographic
Profile of the towards Technical-
2. Tallying of
respondents
data in the Vocational (Tech-
 How do the questioner
Grade10 students voc) Education in
perceive Technical- 3. Identifying
Vocational the factors Juan Sumulong High
Education affecting the
School
track
preference

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

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Theoretical Framework

Developmental Theory of Career Development

According to Super’s (1990) Developmental Theory of Career

Development, high school students are at the exploration stage of career
development, which involves crystallizing and specifying their occupational
preferences, while also making preliminary decisions about their career
choice.

Teaching and Learning Theories

Teaching and learning theories say that educators should not afraid to
apply something new for their classroom teaching approach. This practice will
help their students to become academically productive in and outside of the
classroom.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to deduce the perception of grade 10 students

regarding the Senior High School Program of the DepED. Furthermore, the
study aims to determine the plans of the grade 10 students about the K to 12
academic programs and their opinion about its implementation. Especially it
answers the following:

1. What does the grade 10 students perceived about the TVL?

2. What are main factors that affect a student in choosing their strand?

3. What is the correlation between their grade 10 average and their average
perception between TVL?

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4. What percentage of the grade 10 will take the TVL Track?

Significance of the Study

The study aims to identify the perception and factors influencing junior
high students’ choice on technical-vocational education in Juan Sumulong
High School.

The result of this study will benefit the teacher and parents by
knowing the perception and factors influencing Junior High students in
choosing tracks in Senior High School. This will help them to improve
Technical-Vocational Education and raise awareness that Tech-voc education
is not a low standard of education. Finally, the researchers will make the
study further and wider.

Scope and Limitations

This study was an investigation of the factors affecting the choices of

the students under K to 12 on which track they would take for senior high
school. The study was only limited to the Grade 10 students of the senior high
school of Juan Sumulong High School. This study mainly focused on the
perception and factors influencing junior high students’ choice on technical-
vocational education in Juan Sumulong High School.

Definition of Terms

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Automotive Servicing Strand - one of the sub-strands under industrial arts
strands that focus on car maintenance services.
Department of Education- is the executive department of the Philippine
government responsible for ensuring access to promoting equity in and
improving the quality of basic education. 
Influencing – the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling
force on or produce effects on the action, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.
Factor - is one of the things that affect an event, decision, or situation.
Industrial Arts Strand (IA Strand) - is a strand under the technical-
vocational track that focuses on hands-on electrical and mechanical-related
courses.
Juan Sumulong High School - is one of the performing schools in Cubao,
District III, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Junior High School- A school usually including grades seven to nine, called
also junior high.
Paradigma a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in
particular syntactic roles.
Perception – is the organization, identification,and interpretation of sensory
information to represent and understand the presented information or the
environment.
Refrigeration and Air Condition Servicing Strand (RAC Strand) - is one
of the sub-strands under of industrial arts strand which focuses on
maintaining the good function of appliances like the refrigerator and air
conditioners.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Strand (STEM
Strand) - is a strand under academic track that focuses on innovation,
experimental activities, and other science and technology-related courses.
Senior High school- A secondary school typically comprising three highest
grades.
Strand- a strand is a consistent thread running through a course offer
irrespective of its content.
Technical-Vocational Education- is education and training which provides
knowledge and skills.
Track – A track defines a set of possible course selection available to be a
specific group of stands.

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 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

High School is an important period in an adolescent’s life. It is the

time that students are making decisions about their course taking and future

educational and career plans. Every student carries the unique history of their

past and this determines how they view the world. One of the tasks of high

school students is to explore and plan for their post-secondary career options.

According to Super’s (1990) Developmental Theory of Career

Development, high school students are at the exploration stage of career

development, which involves crystallizing and specifying their occupational

preferences, while also making preliminary decisions about their career

choice.

According to DepEd Orders No. 41 and 48 series of 2015 dated august

28, 2015 and October 20, 2015, respectively is the full implementation of a

month-long SHS Career Guidance Program. The main purpose of this is to

guide Grade 10 students in making informed decisions regarding their choice

of SHS Track given the conduct of the SHS Early Registration where every

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G10 student submits SHS Preference Slip containing his first and second

choices of schools and programs to his class adviser. Consequently, the

adviser registers the student for SHS and electronically submits his preference

through the Learners’ Information System (LIS).

Billet (2004) hypothesized that social outlook determines the

perception individuals have of the status of vocational education. The

standard, morals, way of life and the views of education and potential

opportunities are the factors that influenced the choice the students make

concerning education paths. The literature on student perceptions of

vocational education and their decision-making processes will now be

discussed, with a special focus on the influences from society, family and

personal interest.

In research of Stockfelt (2013) on boys’ educational aspirations, it was

emphasized that aspirations are contextual and dynamic and should be

anticipated in light of the socio-economic environment being experienced. Her

study discovered that these aspirations are usually associated with

employment opportunities and perceptions of the economic future.

Additionally, she recognized the family as one of the strongest influences on

the aspirations of young people. In the literature, the social class of the family

was a variable employed by numerous researchers when investigating

students’ academic progression. She depicted the impact of a parent’s level of

education as remarkable when exploring students’ progression patterns.

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 Lack of examples of success through the course of vocational

education in the home and immediate community led to students not being

motivated to progress via this course. Using qualitative methods, she exposed

that being in a family with inadequate economic resources meant that space,

situation, and resources to sustain a constant educational experience were

limited’ (Stockfelt, 2013). She found that this has placed students at a

disadvantage, which limited their educational aspirations and has admitted

that low-income students are over-represented in vocational education. The

cases above illustrate that the process of choice can be influenced by existing

social stratification in different contexts.

A further significant item to consider in the DepEd Order No. 41 series

2015 is its mandate to promote of awareness in the importance of choosing a

track that suits their skills and interest that matches the available resources

and needs of society as this will play a crucial role in planning and recruiting

students to engage in the different senior high school programs. However,

this study aims to appeal to every student to give a second thought to choose

the more practical vocational track. Therefore, the concern of this study is to

investigate the perceptions G10 students on vocational education; specifically

how they feel about the job opportunities it presents and future earning

potential (Harris, 2014). The different factors that influence students’ choice

were also be considered as starting points to create plans for applicable

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intervention to progress students’ choice for the Technical Vocational

Livelihood (TVL) track.

Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter discussed the research design, area of the study,

population, sample of population, sampling technique, and instrument for data
collection, validation of the questionnaire, administration of the instrument
and method of data analysis.

Research Design

Snowball methods design and purposive sampling were used in this

study relating to the perceptions and factors influencing grade 10 students in
choosing their track for senior high school. In grade 10 of approximately 264
students, 50 were chosen through the random selection to be the
respondents. The control group consisted of subject-based students intending
to graduate within the year. Internal validity was not guaranteed, however,
the subjects surveyed were unaffected by environmental qualities that may
skew results. The external validity in general terms was applicable to other
seniors of similar school populations.

This study had put in deliberation certain ethical subjects wherein all
respondents report their written response regarding their contribution through
a signed consent letter. Subsequently, the respondents and their parents were

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knowledgeable about the purpose of this research since the respondents are
underage. They were comforted that their answer was treated top secret and
used for the intellectual purpose only.

Descriptive Research Definitions

      
The researcher chose a survey research design because it best served
to answer the questions and purpose of the study. 

        The survey research is the collection of data attained by asking

individuals questions either in person, on paper by phone or online. Survey
research is defined as the “collection of information from a sample of
individuals through their responses to questions”(Check & Schutt 2012). This
type of research allows for a variety of methods to recruit participants, collect
data, and utilize various methods of instrumentation. As it is often used to
describe and explore human behavior, the survey is therefore frequently used
in social and psychological research (Singleton & Straits, 
2009).

Instruments/ Techniques Used

The research prepared a survey questionnaire for the Grade 10 Junior

Learners of Juan Sumulong High School as the respondents. The researchers
let their research teacher make some suggestions in order for it to be
corrected as well.

Validation. The final copy questionnaire was checked and validated

by the teachers of Juan Sumulong High School who were not included as
respondents. The validity of this study may have been compromised by
selecting Grade 10 Junior High School students as the respondents. The final
copy was already checked and ready for the administration or the permission
to conduct the study.

Administration and Retrieval. The permission to conduct the

study was sought from and granted by the head of Juan Sumulong High

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School, Dr. Janet D. Dionio. The Grade 10 students who participated in the
research were informed about the study and the Research Teacher and
Principal’s permission to request the respondents to answer the
questionnaires. Their cooperation was requested and promised. The
researcher undertook not to cause any disruption during the survey.

The Instrument. The questionnaire served as the instrument in

conducting the survey together with the Grade 10 Junior High School as the
respondents. Each completed questionnaire was placed inside a specific folder
because confidentiality was maintained by the researchers though the
demographic profile was optional. Anonymity was still ensured by the
researchers in conducting this study.

The population of the Study. Polit and Hungler (1999:37) refer to

the the population as an aggregate or totality of all the objects, subjects or
members that conform to a set of specifications. In this study the population
was the Grade 10 Junior High School students of Juan Sumulong High School.
        
         Statistical Treatment of Data. To present, organize, analyze, and
interpret gathered data with accuracy and scientifically, the following
statistical tools were utilized: frequency counts, percentage, weighted mean,
simple ranking, arithmetic mean, verbal description and verbal interpretation
and arbitrary set of five (5) point available scale.

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