San Miguel Rural Development High School

San Miguel, Catanduanes

Tracer Study of San Miguel Rural Development High School Graduates of

School Year 2017-2018

Researchers:
Justin Mark Tano
John Rick Fajardo
Aphol Soriao
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Background of the Study

Education in the Philippines contributes great possibility that all must have the courage to

cope up in the challenges being faced. Having a diverse educational system helps to identify the

different capabilities of individual to be productive in the future as a part of manpower in society.

People must know what really the importance of education in every aspects either socially or

economically. Department of Education (2010) with regards to adding the 2 years education in

high school discussed that through this, every graduate must be fully equipped as they step to find

work and to start entrepreneurial endeavor.

Philippine Education of great importance is considered as the primary avenue for upward

social and economic mobility. Recognizing this fact, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

is mandated to the national government’s commitment to transformational leadership that puts

education as the central strategy for investing in the Filipino people, reducing poverty, and building

national competitiveness that shall promote, among others, relevant and quality education which

is accessible to all.

Tracer study is a survey of graduates from education institutions which takes time after

graduation or training and some subjects can be manifold but topics cannot (Schomburg, 2016).
 According to Former DepEd Bicol Regional Director Ramon Fiel Abcede said, “more than

fifty percent (50%) of the senior high school graduates in the region took academic track such as

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

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), General Academic Strand (GAS)

(Loterte, 2018).”

“One fundamental problem of education and training is that they must be geared to the

current and future needs of societies undergoing social and economic change. Education and

training cannot be planned to static specifications, but rather must be planned flexibly within the

dynamic process. It is, and must always remain capable of change. It must also be ensured that the

specific circumstances of the country in question are taken into account, such that education and

training are made effective and efficient, in order to make the best possible use of scarce resources

(Schomburg, 2003).”

Catanduanes as a small island in Bicol adopted what has been implemented that is why the

different schools especially high schools in the province almost already have a senior high school

including San Miguel Rural Development High School which is located at District 1, San Miguel,

Catanduanes. Tracer study is geared to generate or influence decision making and planning within

the administrators of San Miguel Rural Development High School with regards to the development

of the curriculum. It is likewise regulating documents efficiency and supports on the demographic

profile of the school that can be measured through the quality of graduates.

Primarily focused of the study is to track down the graduates of Senior High School in San

Miguel Rural Development High School discussing their path as they enter tertiary education. The

school offers a different strand. In the year 2017, the strands in grade 12 are General Academic
Strand (GAS), Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), Technical

Vocational Livelihood (TVL)-Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Agri-

Fishery Arts (AFA).

In General Academic Strand (GAS) class, there are fifty-six (56) students, in Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) class there are nineteen (19) students, in

(TVL)-Information and Communication Technology (ICT), there are thirty-two (32) students and

in Agri-Fishery Arts (AFA), there are eight (8) students.

The school has one hundred and fifteen (115) graduates in the year 2017-2018. In doing

this study, it is an attempt to know the decisions and the effect of Senior High School (SHS)

students in terms of entering the tertiary level, workforce or entrepreneurship.

This study will use research made questionnaire and interview guide in gathering necessary

data.

Statement of the problem

The main purpose of the present study is to track the graduates of Senior High School for

S.Y. 2017-2018.

This study aims to answer the following questions:

1.) What is the general profile of the respondents in terms of the following:

A.) General Information

a.) Name

b.) Age

c.) Present and Permanent Address

 d.) Civil Status

e.) Sex

2.) A. Educational Background

a.) Track/Strand completed in Senior High School

b.) Specialization Completed in Senior High School (Qualification)

c.) Honors and Award/s Received

COLLEGE EDUCATION DATA

a.) Year Level

b.) Course taking up in college/university

c.) Challenges/problem they encountered in college

d.) Does the strand taken by the student in SHS really helped him/her to choose what

course he/she taking up. In what way?

e.) Suggestions/ recommendations in improving SHS program.

EMPLOYMENT DATA (if employed)

a.) Present employment status

b.) Number of working experience after SHS

c.) Is SHS-graduate enough to find regular job?

d.) Reason in staying in the current job.

e.) Suggestions and recommendations to improve the quality of SHS program.

NOT EMPLOYED NOR CONTINUE STUDYING

a.) Reason why he/she doesn’t continue study nor employed.

b.) Suggestions and recommendations to improve the quality of SHS program.

Scope and Delimitation of the study

This study focused on the graduates of the San Miguel Rural Development High School-

Senior High School batch 2017-2018 strand of GAS, STEM, TVL-ICT and TVL-AFA. Those

graduates are the first batch who experienced K to 12 curriculum. This study has been delimit

based on the series of questions asked by the researcher.

Significance of the study

The importance of this study is to track and recognize the situation of the alumni of San

Miguel Rural Development High School for the batch 2017- 2018, to know whether the ideas they

learned from the institution were utilized in their current occupation and/or their work

experiences/in their study in tertiary level, to help department identify the improvement needed in

their programs and curriculum.

Also it contributes to the following:

School’s Administration- for their assessment to the alumni through gathering

recommendations from the respondents in implementing improvisation to academic areas, and for

the good of the future enrollees in SMRDHS.

Faculty- it helps to inspire them in upgrading their techniques in their areas of

specialization by advancing academically to prepare students to actively participate in competing

globally.
 Alumni Officer- it helps the officer of the alumni to keep in touch with and foster

relationship and partnership with its former graduates.

Parents- this study serves as reliable report about how Senior High School in SMRDHS

is effective and it helps them come up with parental advices for their children.

Teachers and Students- it serves as additional information such as knowing the present

situation of the graduates.

Future Researcher- it serves as reference for future studies.

Definition of Terms

Tracer Study. It refers to the study that traces graduates of higher education institutes.

Graduate Surveys, Alumni Researches, Graduate career tracking or follow-up Study are other

terms for it.

Academic Track. This is for those who have already and surely decided to pursue a college

education after senior high school; basically, it helps you in your journey going to college because

of its subject specialization.

STEM. The next strand is the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math track or also

known as STEM. STEM is the strand for students who wish to go into college with the following

courses: Biology, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, Computer Studies, Information Technology

and so on and forth on the related courses. This strand is a very hands-on type of experience that

would be good for students who have firmly decided their future college course and profession.

GAS. And the last strand in the Academic track is the General Academic Strand or GAS.

Now if you have some uncertainty or confusion in your mind on what specific path you would
want to take, then GAS is the strand offered in this track. What makes this good is that the courses

offered here are encompassing; meaning in all fields. The things that one can learn in this can help

your uncertain mind explore your possible college options. To simply put, this strand is for all

courses in college.

TVL Track. Our next track is the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Track. The subjects

on this track focus on practical knowledge and job-ready training. Once you take and finish a

strand on this track, you will be given the TESDA National Certificate. If your goal is to work

immediately or be eligible for certified jobs after senior high school, this track is perfect for you.

Finishing any strand from this track gives you skills that are considered and accepted to qualify

you for work.

Agri-Fishery Arts Strand. The first strand under the TVL Track is the Agri-Fishery Arts

Strand. The skills taught here are those that can be used in the agriculture and aquaculture field.

Examples of lessons to be learned are rubber production, food processing, and such.

ICT Strand. Lastly, the Information and Communications Technology Strand, basically if

you are tech and computer-savvy then you’d love this strand. Professions that can be considered

after this stand are as a graphic designer, encoder, web developer and designer, call center agent,

sales agent and such.

 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

The literature review related to the study was limited because there was no related

studies/research done by the school and it includes Senior High school which are not existed in

other researches.

Related Literature

According to an online article, a tracer study is an approach which is widely being used in

most organization especially in the educational institutions to track and to keep records of their

students once they have graduated from the institution. It is the follow-up of graduates of higher

education or institutes. Its aim is to evaluate one’s progress up to the time he or she gets a job.

http://www.academia.edu

Other findings that may be generated from the tracer study are: type of graduates who are

most employable, academic experiences (competencies learned in college) that the graduates find

very useful in the workplace, and personal academic background of graduates that can determine

employability.

Aquino and Punongbayan (2015) conclude that in the recently conducted tracer study of

the University of Batangas among their Education graduates, majority who participated are

graduates of the Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED), who believe that teaching is the most

rewarding and challenging profession.

 Through the study, CHED hopes to assess the issues concerning employability and the

relevance of higher education programs vis-a-vis expectations of the employers. It will use the

results of the study to monitor the quality of programs offered in the Higher Education Institutions

(HEIs); provide incentives to institutions; prioritize or deprioritize courses; determine the basis for

allocating scholarships; and investigate whether 21st century skills are properly and adequately

taught to college students.

ILO Thesaurus (2005) defines a tracer study as an impact assessment tool where the

“impact on the target groups is traced back to specific elements of a project or program so that

effective and ineffective project components may be identified.” In educational research, the tracer

study is sometimes referred to as a graduate or alumni survey since its target group is former

students. They provide quantitative- structural data on employment and career, the character of

work and related competencies, and information on the professional orientation and experiences

of their graduates. Biographical data on “Where are our graduates now?” may supply information

on income, job title, nature of employment, and years of employment.

The tracer study of Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) graduates has been one of the

important research activities in AIT. The first tracer study was done in 1971. The periodic tracing

of AIT alumni focuses on updating the alumni directory and gathering certain information required

for the improvement of AIT curriculum, teaching, research, extension, and networking.

Regmi (2009) wrote that alumni tracer studies are the most important vehicle to build strong bonds

between the Alma Mater and the ever-increasing graduates. This is feasible through two

perspectives. From one perspective, the alumni are the rich source of feedback for improvements

in the course curriculum, teaching, research, extension, and networking. On the other, the tracer

study helps to measure the extent of professional and academic careers pursued by the graduates
after gaining knowledge and skill through academic institutions like AIT. Its objective include

finding out the effectiveness and relevance of AIT degree as a resource and credential for

employment/job placement upon graduation from AIT (employment opportunities for graduates –

for both men and women.), finding out the relevance of AIT courses/curricula and research to the

current job function and professional development in respective fields, and furthering

academic/scientific pursuits, finding out the professional status and ranks of the AIT graduates in

their respective employments, assessing the level of networking among AIT graduates and

recommendations to strengthen the existing network among them, assessing the gender awareness

of AIT graduates in their respective professions, assessing the contribution of AIT graduates in the

development of their home countries and of the region; including contribution to poverty

alleviation and to fulfill AIT’s mission.

Republic Act 10533 declares that the state shall ensure that every graduate of basic

education shall be empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on

sound educational principals and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning

throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive. And further explained in

Section 14. Mandatory Evaluation and Review that DepEd shall conduct a mandatory review and

submit midterm report to Congress as to the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education

Program.

Related Studies

According to the study of Wickramasinghe and Pereira (2010) on Graduate, University

Lecturers, and Employer’s Perceptions toward Employability Skills in Sri Lanka is a good resource

as a part of this research activity. The finding suggest that the results of looking at the skills will
assist educational institution in applying strategic decisions in managing graduate’s career. The

research adopts employability skills questions on the extent of their self-evaluation of the

respondents.

Moreover, Rocaberte (n.d) conducted a tracer study whose objectives are to determine the

graduate’s employment/unemployment rate, the reasons of unemployment, what programs are

most sought, what type of graduates are most employable, waiting time before employment,

reasons for staying in the job, competencies learned in college and correlates graduate’s

employability.

According to study conducted by Tano (2018), most of the student who enter the specific

strand in Senior High School-SMRDHS is because of the job related course.

Jarito Verona (n.d.), “A Tracer Study of the Employment Status of PUPQC AY 2004-

2005”, The study determine the general profile in the present employment status of the respondents

which are the graduates of Polytechnic University of the Philippines academic year 2004-2005.

This tracer study tackles about the tracer study that uses a method in which is primarily intended

to locate graduates of academic institution, past recipients of scholarship grants, former participant

and among other situation and order to collect data in analysis and update information about this

type of people. This kind of study also tool to generate or influence decision making and planning

of certain institution about the development of the curriculum. It is likewise regulating document

efficiency and support on the demographic profile of a certain institution that can be measure

through the quality of graduate.

Synthesis of an Art

The literature and studies reviewed by the researchers revealed several concepts and ideas

about conducting tracer study. It is mostly used in particular field taken by college/university

graduates. In addition, some tracer study conducted to answer biographical data on “Where are our

graduates now?” that may supply information on income, job title, nature of employment, and

years of employment. Also other studies suggest that it is used to know whether the ideas learned

by the graduates from the institution were utilized in their current occupation and/or their work

experiences/in their study in tertiary level, to help department identify the improvement needed in

their programs and curriculum.

Conceptual Framework

Based from the above information, the conceptual framework is formulated. This study

seeks to know whether the ideas learned by the graduates from the institution were utilized in their

current occupation and/or their work experiences/in their study in tertiary level, to help department

identify the improvement needed in their programs and curriculum.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Profile of the Assessment of the Status

Respondents of SMRDHS-Senior
High School Graduates
Name School Year 2017-2018
Address and 2018-2019 through Tracer Study of San
Civil Status Graduate Tracer Study
(GTS) Questionnaire Miguel Rural
Sex
Present Residence Development High
 Distribution
Year Graduated School Graduates of
 Retrieval
SHS Education Data School Year 2017-2018
 Tabulation
College Education and 2018-2019
 Analysis
Data
 Interpretation of
Employability Data
Data
Not Employed nor
continue Studying
 Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter will present the research design, the respondents of study, and the research

instruments.

Research Design

This study used the descriptive method of research in covering the employment

characteristics and educational data. The descriptive method was used when the research involves

description, recordings, analysis and interpretation of conditions that exist.

Respondents

The respondents in this study are the Senior High graduates of San Miguel Rural

Development High School S.Y. 2017-2018.

Nursery 4

Paraiso 4

Pagsangahan 4

Balatohan 2

Kilikilihan 7

Mabato 1

Siay 8

Pacogon 1

Buhi 5

Pangilao 4
 Obo 13

Katipunan 7

Patagan Salvacion 1

Patagan Sta. Elena 2

San Juan (Aroyao) 2

Boton 5

Solong 8

District 1 3

District 2 7

District 3 12

Sibacungan 9

Lower Bicutan 1

Palnab Del Norte 1

Cabugao 1

Banawang 1

TOTAL 115

Instrumentation

The researcher used a research made survey-questionnaire and interview guide in gathering

the necessary data.

Data Analysis

The data gathered has been tabulated through statistical results.

Data Gathering Procedure

To achieve this study, the researchers employed this procedures:

1. Identified the Population Sample

 Ninety percent of the total population were the target number of participant of the

study. They were selected through random sampling.

2. Distribution of questionnaire

The finalized survey- questionnaires with signed letters has been given to the

respondents. At this moment, researchers also conduct a face-to-face interview and

Web - based questionnaire and interview.

3. Collection of filled questionnaires

The researchers collected the filled survey-questionnaires from the respondents.

4. Interpretation of data

The researcher analyzed and interpreted the data gathered through statistical

method.

The researcher distributed the survey-questionnaires personally, through acquaintances and

different forms of social medium. Among the social medium, messenger and Facebook were the

most effective and fastest ones in data collection. Likewise, some of data was also collected

through email and some were interviewed through landlines and via cellular network services. In

addition, great numbers of data was gathered through interview.