In recent years, the Academic Strand of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics) in Senior High School has grown in popularity with students. Its emphasis on

critical thinking, problem solving, and invention has drawn a varied group of young minds.

However, the decision to pursue this rigorous academic path is not taken in isolation. Rather, it is

influenced by a variety of factors that shape students' perceptions and decisions. These factors

are classified in this study, such as: Personality, Parents, Peers, Academic Experience, and

Parent's Occupation. Personality is an important factor that determines students' decisions. Some

people may have a natural aptitude for STEM courses due to their curiosity, analytical ability,

and desire to solve complicated problems. Others may find these courses intimidating and prefer

a different academic path. Understanding these personality qualities is critical in determining

why certain students choose the Academic Strand of STEM. Parents also play an important role

in their children's educational path. Their educational background, morals, and aspirations have a

huge impact on their children's choices. Parents who are passionate about these field of study are

more likely to urge their children to follow the Academic Strand. Peers also have an important

influence on students' decisions. Friends and classmates can offer vital insights and support,

making pursuing the Academic Strand of STEM more enticing. Academic experiences such as

engaging STEM-related activities, projects, or competitions can pique students' interest and lead

them to pursue this academic path. Moreover, parental occupation, particularly in a STEM-

related field, can affect youngsters' choices. Exposure to their parents' professional experiences

can drive students to pursue the Academic Strand of STEM. This study seeks to give a thorough

analysis of the factors that influence students' decisions to pursue the Academic Strand of STEM.

Understanding these characteristics allows educators, policymakers, and parents to better support

kids' educational and vocational goals.

Department of Education's 2013 implementation of the Enhanced Basic Education Curriculum

(Estonanto, 2017). Both the society and the lives of the students are greatly impacted by

education. A productive and receptive citizenry is a necessary component of development, thus

the Philippine education system needs to know what critical actions to take in order to produce

graduates who are not just self-centered but also sensitive to the demands of the community. For

the Philippine school sector, this K–12 curriculum established new system patterns. In order to

create an effective curriculum that shapes students into responsive members of society, schools

today evaluate their human capital, infrastructure, grading system, and management system.

Orimaco, T. S. (2000) stated that education serves to shape a person's perspective on the outside

world. It idealizes various social classes and personal characteristics. People are changed by the

knowledge we impart to them, as well as the assistance and direction we provide in gaining new

perspectives, values, and skills.

The academic years 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 mark an evolution in the Philippine

educational system. This is because, in order to properly implement the last phase of DepEd's K–

12 program—also known as RA 10533, or the Basic Education Act—across the nation, a 2-year

senior-high school level, consisting of grades 11 and 12, was added. SAMEO INNOTECH

(2012) states that the acquisition of the following 21st century skills is the learning objective in

the new "K to 12" curriculum: 1) learning and innovation skills; 2) IT and media skills; 3)

effective communication skills; and 4) life and career skills. The "K to 12" Program was

designed to support the development of comprehensive skills necessary for both higher education

and employment. Secondary school graduates might not have a firm decision about where to go

college or what kind of degree program to pursue.

DepEd Order 31 S. 2012 and 2013. The guidelines for implementing the K-12 Program in all

public elementary and secondary schools in the Philippines are outlined in DepEd Order 31 S.

2012. The order provides an overview of the various parts of the program, such as the

curriculum, instructional materials, teacher education, and evaluation. On the other hand, DepEd

Order 31 S. 2013, which is part of the K to 12 Program, contains the guidelines for the senior

high school (SHS) program. The SHS curriculum is laid out in the order, with core subjects and

tracks or strands that students can select based on their interests and career objectives. The two

orders were given by the Branch of Training (DepEd) to give a reasonable structure to the

execution of the K to 12 Program, which was acquainted in 2012 to adjust the Philippine

schooling system to global norms and better plan Filipino understudies for school and the labor

force.

STEM education is vital for the economic development of the Philippines. The

government recognizes this, and as such, it has implemented policies to promote STEM

education. According to the Department of Education, the STEM strand is a priority area of

education because it is crucial for the country’s economic growth and development (Strand.Ph).

Early interest in STEM topics is an excellent predictor for later learning and eventual career

interests and choice (DeBacker and Nelson 1999). Contextual and individual variables influence

these social cognitive variables including factors such as parental, teacher, and peer cultural

expectations (Lent et al. 1994). Nugent et al. (2015) found support for the social cognitive career

theory (Lent et al. 1994) as a framework for examining STEM learning and career orientation

outcomes by providing a way in which to view the socio-contextual, motivational, and

instructional factors that can impact youth STEM interests. Recent studies have also indicated
that junior high students have an unclear view about engineering (Compeau 2016; Karatas et al.

2011) and science (Masnick et al. 2010) yet these are critical years in which to build STEM

interest

According to Blotnicky et al. (2018) and Wang et al. (2013), students are more likely to

select a STEM job if they have stronger self-efficacy in mathematics and STEM career

information. Furthermore, students' personal convictions that extraordinary skill is necessary for

success in science can have a detrimental effect on their desire to learn as well as their enjoyment

and self-assurance (Lin-Siegler, Ahn, Chen, Fang, & Luna-Lucero, 2016; Wu, Deshler, & Fuller,

2018).Students face the risk of rejecting a STEM-based career path as a viable option for their

future if they don't receive enough encouragement or information about the educational and

employment options that STEM abilities boost (Blotnicky et al. 2018). Women are still less

likely than men to pursue STEM careers, despite recent improvements in the gender gap in

STEM education (e.g., number of courses taken and performance in those courses)

Many students are greatly influenced by careers from their parents. Most parents tend to

want their child to take a path where they think its best for them. Choosing a career choice by

parents is common among parents who feel they know better than their children. You will hear

parents telling their children to go for careers like doctors, pilots, accountants, auditors or other

careers they believe come with huge benefits. They tend to choose the career of their children

believing it’s better for their childs life.(standyouteam 2022) Individuals often choose a career

where they could live up to their parents expectation. A decision they often come to regret later,

but those who resist this pressure are most likely individuals who still faces career challenges.

For instance, those from business backgrounds may feel obligated to pursue commerce degrees,

even if it’s not their passion, (Manav Rachna Vidyanatariksha.)

policymakers, and stakeholders to support Grade 12 students in making informed and

empowered decisions about the STEM strand. The Grade 12 level is chosen for this study

because it represents a pivotal time for students to make critical decisions about their future

academic and career paths. By analyzing the factors that influence Grade 12 students' decisions

to pursue the STEM strand, targeted interventions and initiatives can be developed to improve

participation and diversity in STEM disciplines.

According to McCharen and High (2010), students who successfully finish their high

school pre-engineering programs have greater enrollment and success rates in STEM-related

postsecondary degree programs. Villena (2017) claims that the K–12 program helped students

get ready for their future careers and that the career advisory program helped them choose the

best job path after graduating from SHS. According to Rask (2010), enrolling in a STEM

program might have a significant negative impact on a student's motivation and future

employment prospects. One of the most popular courses in DepEd's senior high school is STEM

education. More students became more competitive as a result of the K–12 curriculum,

particularly in the fields of science and technology, engineering, and mathematics that use

complex ideas and topics. Because of this, the Philippine educational system is always

improving and making pupils more competitive in the global market. However, because there are

few scholarship options, few parents provide support, and a few other criteria, many students

studying STEM typically accomplish their chosen careers.

Selecting a strand to take in senior high is a crucial decision for students and must be

carefully considered because of the long-term implications for an individual's future career. It is

essential to choose a strand since it will act as their training ground for their chosen career and
jobs. As Tortor et al. (2019) stated, students make a firm decision on which strand to pursue after

asking their parents and peers, as well as taking into consideration their financial situation and

chosen careers.In choosing a strand, you must consider its factors. There are several factors that

influence how an individual selects or decides on their strand. A factor is something that

influences an event, decision, or situation in one's life (Alentijo et al., 2023). Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Strand or STEM is a specialized educational track

that prepares students for careers in these fields. Its goal is to provide students with the necessary

skills, knowledge, and experience to excel in science, mathematics and technology-related fields.

In 2012, the Philippines launched the K-12 Program, a comprehensive reform of its basic

education system. The new policy prioritizes higher education preparation, eligibility for

admission to domestic and international higher education institutions, and immediate employ-

ability upon graduation, all of which contribute to a holistically developed Filipino (Okabe,

2013). Senior High School is a two-year, specialized upper secondary education program. The

subjects a student will take in grades 11 and 12 will be determined by the career path they

choose. Senior high school courses fall into either the Core Curriculum or specific Tracks

(official gazette, 2012). As Draven Cueva (2022) stated, Students entering senior high school

must choose a strand and track for the next two years. Students can choose from a variety of

strands and tracks, which can help them decide which course to take in college. The student’s

choice of strand greatly influences how well the senior high school program is put together. Poor

performance and dissatisfaction are the two most important factors in the disinclination to choose

a strand. Also, students who were enrolled in the incorrect strand reported poor levels of

involvement, poor concentration, and an inability to appreciate particular subjects to the point of

quitting (Bayungan, 2019). According to Estonanto (2016), the Science, Technology,

Curriculum aims to prepare secondary-level graduates to pursue science, research, mathematics,

and engineering-related courses at the tertiary level, contributing to the country's scientific and

scholarly workforce. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics strand is best suited

for students interested in architecture, engineering, medicine, economics, computer sciences, and

other highly technical fields of science and mathematics. This strand allows you to work as a

pilot, architect, astrophysicist, biologist, chemist, engineer, dentist, nutritionist, nurse, doctor,

marine engineer, and a variety of other professions (Jeel Monde, 2022).

The ‘S’ in STEM Strand stands for science and it can be defined as the study of the

natural world, which includes observable and measurable phenomena within the universe, with

the ‘T’ standing for technology. Technology is about human innovation in action, and it exists

everywhere. The E in STEM stands for engineering. Engineering is a profession in which a

knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences gained through study, experience, and

practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to economically utilize natural materials and

forces for the benefit of humanity. Finally, the 'M' in STEM stands for 'Mathematics'.

Mathematics is the science of patterns and relationships, providing a precise language for

technology, science, and engineering. (Reeve, 2013)

According to Song and Glick (2004), students' perceptions of their future occupations and

salaries may have an impact on capturing their interest in STEM careers. In contrast to White

women, women from Southeast Asia, especially Chinese and Filipino women, were more likely

to major in STEM because of the potential financial rewards. When subject professors view

preparing students for employment as an essential component of their professional responsibility

and when they possess the professional abilities, better STEM careers activities result as well as
the assurance to take action (Finegold, Stagg, & Hutchinson, 2011). According to Harackiewicz,

Rozek, Hulleman, and Hyde (2012), students who would choose to pursue a career in the STEM

fields may become discouraged due to the declining number of students studying the strand if

they do not have the necessary understanding about STEM-based occupations. This could lead to

misunderstanding and lessen the motivation for taking part in events that could raise awareness

and knowledge about careers in STEM.

Globally, the demand for STEM graduates is very high. Hill, Corbett & St. Rose (2010)

mentioned that many countries in the world face the task of recruiting more individuals into

STEM industries. Relatively, a strong focus was also given by the STEM-related industries in the

United States just to alleviate the number of students engaging in postsecondary participation in

STEM education (Baber, 2015). According to Orbeta, Lagarto, Ortiz, Ortiz, and Potestad (2018),

one of the reasons provided by proponents of the K to 12 law is that SHS graduates can work or

engage in entrepreneurial activities if they choose to do. They view K to 12 programs as a way of

help for the students to land on better job opportunities after graduation even if they can’t enroll

themselves in college right away.