PREPAREDNESS OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEARNERS UNDER STEM AND

GAS STRANDS IN TAKING COLLEGE ENGINEERING COURSES

A Research Paper

Presented to The Faculty,

Iloilo National High School- Senior High School

La Paz, Iloilo City

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements in Practical Research 2

in Senior High School

Name of Researchers

Emmanuel Ceasar U. Bardenas Jr.

Barbara Jane S. Cambas
Shane June Demetrial
Ardriene James Fuentes
Timothy M. Navarro
John Ian F. Paitan
Trisha L. Ontoy
Marc Angelo Tacurda
Bryl Christian R. Sario

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 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The introduction of K-12 system in the Philippine education system has

overwhelmed the students since it covers 12 years of fundamental education. These 12

years is partitioned into three levels, which are: six years of essential training, four years

of High School, and two years of Senior High School (SHS). According to Velasco

(2012), the K-12 curriculum speaks about hope and change for the nation. Since

Philippine culture puts great value on education, it is about time that the national

government supports this fully.

Consequently, Senior high school serves as the preparatory level for students

before stepping into college. It is consisted of various subjects according to the chosen

strand of the learners. This program develops students through the method of using

higher level of teaching, broader lessons and actual application of learning in real life.

Some of the subjects were extracted from college-level courses and this serves as an

introductory phase for them in order to be prepared. Students under Academic track such

as STEM (Science, Technology, engineering and Mathematics) and GAS (General

Academic Strand)are the ones who mainly receive these subjects that were subdivided

into core, applied, contextualized and specialized.

This program assumes a huge part and capacity after setting up the students for

school, these are: assessments that shapes their abilities and gifts, trainings that sets them

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up for worldwide working environment and projects that can prepare them the standard

nature of instruction. Notwithstanding the jobs and capacities, the program gives a great

deal of advantages. Students under Academic strands are the ones that will generally

profit from the school embraced programs being presented by Senior Secondary School

these are understudies from Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM),

Humanities and Social Sciences, (HUMSS), Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics, (STEM) And the General Academic Strand which consists of mostly all the

strands mentioned. (Bonquin M. R., Castillo, R. D., De Guzman J., Delos Reyes D. M.,

De Torres B., Flores K., Pilapil K. M., Plamo L., 2017).

Assessment for the preparedness of students have been consistently difficult to

manage especially towards academically challenged students, and this difficulty has been

further increased by the Corona Virus Disease of 2019 (COVID- 19). According to a

study conducted by El G. D. (2020), the impact of the pandemic caused schools to switch

to a new modality, which later caused a huge change in the academic performance of

students and the decisiveness of students in picking a course in college. Our society is

pushing toward a model of setting up all students for some sort of instruction

furthermore, preparing after senior high school. That is the thing that parents need for

their youngsters, what students need for themselves, and what investigators and

policymakers at all levels accept is required for achievement in a worldwide economy.

The advantages to the students are clear—college graduates bring in more cash, have

better vocation openings, participate in more noteworthy community interest, and have a

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higher by and large personal satisfaction. Despite the benefits of getting into college

being a great help for students, they seem to not figure out how to actually prepare

themselves and are puzzled as to what course they will take (Chait R., and Venezia A.,

2009).

In an article by Reid K. (2020), College-bound high school students across the

nation are encountering phenomenal interruption to their senior year of high school. They

are feeling separated from companions, get-togethers, and the standard of going to

secondary school each day. They have lost the significant ceremonies of senior year. One

of these focal soul changing experiences, their decision of and progress to college, has

been tossed into strife and has lost significance and motivation of choosing. The choosing

of a course the student will undergo in college is a crucial task, making the massive

disruption of its choice among the running years of his/her life will greatly put the student

into pressure and problems academically and mentally.

This study looks into the preparedness on learners in choosing the course of

engineering. This study will aid learners who are still unprepared, indecisive, or having a

difficult time to bear the obstacles one will face in choosing engineering as their college

course and will also determine whether they are prepared and are fully ready for their

next stage of education under the engineering course. The participants of this study are

the Senior High School students in Iloilo National High School under the STEM and

GAS strands. The purpose of this study is to inform students for their preparations and to

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examine those who are ready and those who are not. This study will also undergo

analysis on the academic performance of students choosing engineering for college. The

results of this study may give aid to students who want to choose engineering but are

troubled and worried on their current status and is having a hard time having to keep up

with the requirements for the course chosen.

Research Questions

General Research Question:

What is the level of preparedness of senior high school learners under Stem and

Gas strands in taking college engineering courses?

Specific Research Questions

Specifically, it will seek to answer the following questions:

1.What is the level of preparedness of senior high school learners under Stem and Gas

strands in taking college engineering courses when taken as a whole and classified as

section and family income?

2. Is there a significant difference of the level of preparedness of senior high school

learners under stem and gas strands in college engineering courses when taken as a whole

and classified as section and family income ?

Significance of the Study

The results of the study aim to benefit to the following:

Curriculum Administrators. The results of this study will contribute to the

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Department of Education to better understand the level preparedness of senior high

school

learners under Stem and Gas strands in taking college engineering courses to enhance the

skills and capabilities that students might not have yet discovered in themselves. They

can strategize trainings and fora for teachers. Furthermore, activities that are geared

towards the development of the students in problem solving skills can be planned,

proposed, and eventually implemented to give venue for the continued enhancement in a

contextualized aspect.

GAS and STEM Students. The research study can help students gain awareness

and consciousness to determine the different factors to consider in order for them to be

prepared before entering tertiary level of education such as: their income, interest, chosen

course, grades and performance inside the class. Also the results of the research study can

help students determine the role, function, and affectivity of Senior High School program

to their level of preparedness.

GAS and STEM Teachers. This research study can help teachers gain awareness

and consciousness with their essential roles or function as an important foundation for

student’s preparedness before entering college. It can help them formulate methods to

ensure student’s learning, together with the development of skills and talent that can be

used for their later years. Also, the results of the research study can notify teachers to

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address student’s needs in aspects of education.

Parents, Guardians, Relatives. Parent’s guardians, and relatives need to provide

support or guidance on the career path of the student. Also, it can give them awareness to

their duties upon fulfilling the needs of students before entering college mostly in

financial

aspects. Also, the results of the study can provide them a clearer view of the impact and

benefits of Senior High School to the future of the students and their lives.

Future Researchers. Future researchers can make use of the results and other

data of this study for related researches. This study would enable future researchers to

consider conducting and improving the study involving the level of preparedness of the

students.

Definition of Terms

In order to give a clear understanding of the terms used in this study, the

following terms are conceptually and operationally defined:

Preparedness refers to the quality or state of being prepared. (Merriam, n.d.)

In this study, preparedness refers to skills, abilities, knowledge of STEM and

GAS students exhibit that show their preparedness in taking college engineering courses.

Senior High School refers to the last phase in the implementation of the K-12 program. It

covers Grades 11 and 12. Students have four general programs or tracks to choose from.

Under each program, there are various specializations or strands to specialize in

(Merriam-Webster, n.d.)

In this study, SHS refers to the STEM and GAS Senior High School students of

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Iloilo National High School.

Students are the person who attends a school, college, or university (Merriam-Webster,

n.d.)

In this study, students refer to the SHS students enrolled in General Academic

Strand and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Strand of Iloilo National

High School of school year 2021-2022.

Topic Outline

I. Engineering

1. Description

2. Types

II. Preparedness

1. Description

2. Aspect to consider in preparation for college engineering course

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 Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

College is a big opportunity for students to find and hone their talents into

something they can apply when getting a job in the future, and the course that one

chooses for college determines where your road in life will go. “From a very early age,

those with an “engineering mind” can often be found taking things apart and putting them

back together. Some may enjoy repairing machinery or electronic equipment, teaching

themselves computer programming, or tinkering with inventions. In essence, these

individuals possess both a passion and an aptitude for figuring out how things work.”

(Belasco A., 2021)

In an article by Smith R. J. (2021), engineering is described as the application of

science to the optimum conversion of the resources of nature to the uses of humankind.

The field has been defined as the creative application of “scientific principles to design or

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develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or works utilizing

them singly or in combination. It is also a means to construct or operate the same

apparatus with full cognizance of their design, or to forecast their behavior under specific

operating conditions. (Engineers Council for Professional Development, 2021).

Engineering degree programs are designed to equip the students with cognitive

learning or technical knowledge related to mathematics, technology and allied sciences to

better understand how the society can be developed and improved from breakthrough

innovations. Meanwhile, affective domain of learning has a significant contribution in the

accomplishment of student outcomes (Savic & Kashef, 2013).

Furthermore, engineering is one of the most in demand and attractive degree

programs in college as it is considered both rewarding and challenging (Boles & Whelan,

2017). It brings certain level of fascination to every student who dreamt to become

engineer in the future. However, the struggle is real and the difficulty of passing the

professional courses is beyond control. Zhou (2012) believed that the root of challenges

for engineers is thought to be the complexity of engineering practice. Study of Chen et al.

(2014) in India found out that most engineering students experienced lack of social

engagement and sleep deprivation due to heavy study load. Meanwhile, the study of

Baillie and Fitzgerald (2000) is concerned on students at risk from demotivation within

engineering courses at Imperial College in London.

Meanwhile, Australia is concerned with excessive loss of its engineering

graduates which is approximately 54 percent in 2010 which is noted with considerable

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variation across institutions and sectors (Godfrey et al., 2010) with the same scenario

with UK and USA where the number of engineering graduates call for an increase to

meet the needs of current global challenges (Boles & Whelan, 2017). Moreover, low

course grade is considered one of the factors according to the Geisinger and Raman

(2013) as related to attrition of the engineering students based on the literature review

including inadequate teaching and advising. Mara et al. (2002) on their study noted that

engineering students in the US leave the program due to curriculum overload, poor

teaching, and they were discouraged due to low grades.

According to Terrazas, G. (n.d), when specialists began applying mathematics to

build military fortifications in the 1500s, the profession of engineering as we know it

today was started. These special military architects would delegate building to craftsmen,

making them the world's first true engineers in the modern sense. Military engineering

and civil engineering are the two types of engineering. The former included fortifications

and military engines, while the latter included non-military projects such as bridge

construction. The term engineer derives from the word engine, which is derived from the

Latin word ingenium, which means "innate quality notably of mental power," and it

refers to someone who makes useful inventions.

Engineers can accomplish incredible feats, such as designing and building the first

suspension bridge, assembling the equipment to land a man on the moon, or inventing the

steam engine. Engineers are the people in charge of building everything from the steam

engine to the engine in your car, which is where the word 'engineer' derives from.

Technology refers to the stuff that engineers create. The modern world would simply not

11
exist without technology, and we are constantly surrounded by the labor of engineers.

(Wood, D. & Bergstresser, M., 2021).

Engineering is a vast discipline with numerous subdisciplines dedicated to

different topics of study in terms of different technologies or products. Engineers may be

trained in a certain discipline when they begin their careers, but because of the

engineering duties they take on, they usually become multi-disciplined after working in a

variety of fields. Aerospace engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering,

Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering are the classic engineering career

categories in engineering. However, as humans have progressed in terms of technology,

new disciplines of engineering are being produced. Computer Engineering, Software

Engineering, Nanotechnology, Molecular Engineering, Mechatronics, and many other

fields now have engineering positions available. Most engineering occupations require

applying physics and mathematics to issues to find feasible solutions or improve them.

When multiple options are available, engineers evaluate them against the desired goal to

determine the optimal course of action (Terrazas G., n.d).

Engineering as a degree program requires the students' tendency to science and

mathematics to make due on tackling issues more systematically and critically.

According to Laguador, J. M. (2013), Engineering is viewed as one of the hardest degree

programs in school considering its number of years to complete which is one year longer

than the typical four-year degree program; the idea of the seminars on engineering

mathematics and science are not quite the same as the approach to creating information

and abilities of different projects in expressions and business callings.

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Common Types of Engineering Courses

A blog created by Bukas (2021) listed down some common Engineering courses

aspiring students may take in tertiary education,

Industrial Engineering. The field is tied in with further developing frameworks

and streamlining production processes. You'll figure out how to expand proficiency and

reduce or limit waste in factories. It aims to further develop cycles or plan things that are

more effective and waste less cash, time, resources, labor and energy while observing

safety guidelines.

Chemical Engineering. The field creates and plans chemical compound processes.

It applies the standards of chemistry, biology, physics, and math to take care of issues

that include the creation or utilization of synthetics, fuel, drugs, food, and many other

items.

Electrical Engineering. The course creates prototypes of electrical equipment like

motors, generators, navigation systems, and communication systems. This course also

applies physics and math to creating solutions for related problems.

Civil Engineering. This course configures significant transportation projects.

Structural specialists imagine, plan, design, supervise, develop and keep up with

foundation projects and systems in general society and the private area, including streets,

structures, airports, burrows, dams, bridges, and water systems for sewage treatment.

Readiness Level of Engineering Freshman Students in College Physics.

Determines the preparedness level of incoming college students who had

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undergone physics classes in their freshman years. The objective of this study is to find

the preparedness of freshman learners in college physics for engineering courses at Rizal

Technological University. Descriptive research method was used on and correlational

survey techniques were used. The study Recognizes the strength and shortcomings of the

students in various themes on physics since the test utilized is adjusted and no table of

particulars was accessible. Likewise, critical contrast in the status level of respondents

while gathered by their courses isn't a piece of the review. Percentage, analysis of

variance and spearman's r relationship was utilized to break down the information and the

preparation level of the respondents. Consequences of the review showed the degree of

capability of the respondents in secondary physics is proficient, developing in algebra,

plane and spherical trigonometry and in Hewitt’s basic content in physics. No huge

varieties in the school material science execution of respondents while gathered by

profile factors. A negative connection between the respondents' exhibitions in Hewitt’s

Basic Content Physics Test and a positive relationship in school polynomial math. The

positive connection between the respondents' exhibitions in Hewitt’s Basic Content

Physics Test and in plane and round geometry with a processed - worth of 0.12 is viewed

as critical at 0.05 level.

Based on the findings of researchers Manalo et al. (2015), it successfully

prescribed to distinguish different elements that could influence students' preparation in

college physics for Engineering beside the factors utilized in the study. In line with the

worry for further developing the Science instruction in the Philippines, the researchers

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accept that the discoveries of the study will accommodate improvement of training.

Preparedness

Preparedness alludes to the arrangement of abilities, information, and practices a

person ought to have upon going in to the next level of their lives. In the case of students,

the most important preparedness measures one needs to prioritize is their preparedness

for tertiary learning or college. It focuses on a learner’s aptitude to complete their high

school life and find success on a higher learning system. (Wignall A., 2020).

The idea of readiness shows the capacity of Senior Secondary School (SHS)

graduates to be conceded to school and prevail without remediation in establishment

courses. As indicated by Conley (2007), college preparedness incorporates information

on satisfied, utilization of content, and mental techniques. These components are reliant

and it is for understudies to jump these difficulties of school life.

In a recent study by Vecaldo R. T., Tamayao A. I., Mamba M. T., Asuncion J. E.

L., Paat F. M. G., and Pagulayan E. S. (2020), preparedness for college in the Philippines

is a generally late idea welcomed on by the presentation of the K-12 program. Since

advanced education is one of the program's curricular ways out, educators, instructors,

policymakers, and other partners are associated with evaluating SHS graduates' planning

in looking for tertiary training. Along these lines, the Commission on Advanced

education (CHED) fostered the School Preparation Principles (CRS) in 2011,

determining the abilities expected of graduates from the K-12 program in the Overall

Training Courses (GEC) in request to guarantee congruity of the abilities gained from the

K-12 educational program.

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 A student’s experience of college preparedness is considered a complex

developmental process that commences before high school (Cabrera, Deli-Amen,

Terenzini, Lee, & Franklin, 2006). The concept of college preparedness indicates the

ability of Senior High School (SHS) graduates to be admitted to college and succeed

without remediation in foundation courses. According to Conley (2007), college

preparedness includes knowledge of content, application of content, and cognitive

strategies. These elements are interdependent and it is for students to hurdle these

challenges of college life.

Notably, college preparedness in the Philippines is a relatively recent concept

brought on by the introduction of the K-12 program. Since higher education is one of the

program's curricular exits, instructors, teachers, policymakers, and other stakeholders are

involved in appraising SHS graduates’ preparation in seeking tertiary education. In the

same vein, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) developed the College

Readiness Standards (CRS) in 2011, specifying the skills required of graduates from the

K-12 program in the General Education Courses (GEC) in order to ensure continuity of

the skills acquired from the K-12 curriculum. CRS development aims to reduce

remediation among higher education institutions (HEIs) and assess compliance with

international quality standards (Commission on Higher Education, 2011). The CRS has

seven fields of study: English, Literature, Filipino, Science, Mathematics, Social Studies,

and Humanities. It consists of content and performance standards. Content standards refer

to what students need to know, while performance standards pertain to what they can

demonstrate with what they know.

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 Our education system is working as they were planned to, yet don't meet the

needs of every learner in the country. K-12 schools generally don't begin preparing

students for postsecondary education until some point in high school while students from

well-to-do foundations whose parents went to college report that they have continuously

been planning for college since then. This well-established verifiable separation will be

troublesome to move without purchase in and serious activity from both the K-12 and

advanced education networks.

These are the difficulties that policymakers face as they foster approaches to work

on scholarly groundwork for school. The study analyzed that college graduates obtain

more money, have better job opportunities, participate in more prominent city

cooperation, and have a higher in general personal satisfaction. Chait R. and Venezia A.

(2009) said that various examinations have explored the connection among educational

plans and student results and have discovered that school preliminary educational

programs are related with higher accomplishment and more prominent value in course

access. Generally, this study proposes that both course meticulousness and student

accomplishment in those courses are basic to planning understudies for school.

There are factors to consider upon College preparation, first is course rigor and

grades- Clifford Adelman (2009) of the Institute for Higher Education Policy analyzed

high school students’ transcripts using longitudinal data collected by the U.S. Department

of Education and documented that the intensity and quality of the high school curriculum

completed is the biggest predictor of postsecondary success. Adelman found high school

grade point average and achievement test scores were also important. Moreover, the

17
impact of a high school curriculum of high academic intensity and quality on degree

completion is far more pronounced and positive than any other pre-college indicator of

academic resources.

A similar study by researchers Bonquin M. R., Castillo, R. D., De Guzman J.,

Delos Reyes D. M., De Torres B., Flores K., Pilapil K. M., and Plamo L. (2017) entitled

“Assessment for the Preparedness of Senior High School Students Under Academic

Strands for College” state that Senior High School guarantees that the fate of Filipino

youth is secured. Among all the Senior Secondary School tracks, the students that

underwent academic tracks like STEM or GAS will enter advanced education, that is the

reason they are the ones that will profit from the courses and projects being extricated

from school.

The study explains how Senior High School fills in as the progress stage for

student's dynamic as their lifetime calling. After choosing which course they will take,

there are elements ought to be viewed as like the family pay, student's advantage or

capacity, picked course and grades. College fills in as the student's preparation ground for

their picked course. Different nations characterize school as a degree compensating

tertiary instructive foundation wherein it comprises of undergrad and post alumni

programs. (Bonquin M. R., et al. 2017).

Another similar study by Magno C., and Piosang T. (2016) named “Assessment

Schemes in the Senior High School in the Philippine Basic Education” examines the

assessment of students in SHS. The addition of SHS levels in the essential schooling

gives a few pathways on making assessment useful. The current report determines

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evaluation openings in the SHS to create more suitable guidance for students and better

framework. The degree of assessment in the SHS portrayed in this report is viewed as an

exhibit covering it in the individual level, classroom level, and a bigger scope like the

public and worldwide field. These evaluation levels range local to international levels.

Consequently, there are different steps of preparation being done, one of this is

the adaptation of college readiness standards and assessments- until recently, K-12

standards and assessments were developed, by and large, without consulting with higher

education institutions. Several states have increased the rigor of high school exit exams,

or aligned high school assessments with postsecondary entrance requirements in order to

assess whether students have mastered a more challenging curriculum and are ready for

college and work. The study conducted in California State University system is taking a

different tactic to improve readiness. It worked with K-12 schools to augment the 11th

grade assessments to include items that test for students’ readiness for college. CSU

established 12 the Early Assessment Program to provide high school students with

information to measure their readiness for college-level mathematics and English in their

junior year and to help them improve their skills during their senior year. Second

preparation is adopting rigorous graduation requirements. Along with adopting more

rigorous standards and assessments, many states are adopting more rigorous graduation

requirements to ensure that all students are taking the courses they need to be prepared

for college.

Senior High School curriculum in various parts of the world is offered to prepare

students for work or a university life. The World Education News and Reviews (2016)

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presented various basic education curriculums in the world. The senior SHS curriculum is

an entry point to college/university life or business and industry, the later seen as the

lesser of the two regarding prestige (Bidwell, 2014, Peano et.al., 2008). In the Philippines

for example, more students would prefer going into the academic track than any other

track. In a study conducted, about half chooses academic tracks while tech-voc courses

are selected only by about 3% of their prospective students (Lagajino et.al, 2015). Based

on enrolment data from DepEd, 60.6% of Philippine senior high school enrolees went to

academic track while around 39% went to the tech-voc track. In Japan, about 73% choose

14 academic track compared to 24% going to tech-voc. track. The desire for many to go

into college/university has resulted in huge unemployment and underemployment.

Furthermore, according to Sarmiento, D. and Orale, R. (2016), The K-12

program is a more potent educational model compared to the old curriculum of basic

education in the Philippines. Students can prepare themselves for a more rigorous

training in the higher education or go immediately to employment or be an entrepreneur.

Being new in the Philippines, it is marred with issues such as lacking qualified teachers

and the much-needed facilities for use in the highly specialized courses, specifically at

the SHS level. There were, however, interventions made and are expected to be in placed

very soon.

Aspects to Consider in College Preparedness for Engineering

An article by Reality Changers (2015) identified different aspects a graduate

should take note of in preparation for their engineering course in college.

Academic Preparation. This involves good academic performance in different

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subjects that require a student’s logical and creative thinking, problem solving skills,

analysis and application of scientific laws and calculation. These subjects include

Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physical Science, Mathematics and other branches of

Mathematics, along with Structural Analysis.

Emotional and Financial Preparation. Whether you commute or remain nearby,

college experience requests a specific degree of development, confidence and persistence.

College is difficult and expensive, and you must be prepared to deal with the afflictions

of a busy and troubling schedule. A student must also be mindful of their financial

capability, since engineering can cost a lost depending on the chosen engineering course.

Social Preparation. Social skills are a must whenever you level up to a higher

education, as confidence is one key factor you must have in yourself. A lot of your

interactive ability improvement progresses as you enter college. This can be honed by

joining various clubs to gain practice social skills.

Personal Skills. This lies along the same level as a student’s social skills, since it

builds up on one’s self. Being an engineer seeks curiosity, improvement in the chosen

field, creative and innovative thinking to formulate different kinds of products using the

knowledge a student has gained. An engineer also must build up leadership and good

management towards their coworkers or fellow learners with the same goal.

Theoretical Framework

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 First developed by Vygotsky in the 1930s, sociocultural theory is a theoretical

perspective used to analyze how people live and work; the purpose of the theory is to

analyze the subjective interpretations of a situation based on a person’s historical and

cultural norms (Schreiber & Valle, 2013; Creswell, 2007). In respect to knowledge

acquisition, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory underscores the mediation of social

interactions and cultural tools on students’ learning and concept interpretation (Schreiber

& Valle, 2013). Phillipson and Renshaw (2013) established a sociocultural analysis

framework useful for the educational context. The framework was inspired by Rogoff’s

(1995) three planes of observational development for 6 sociocultural activity and

included: (a) participatory appropriation, (b) guided participation, and (c) apprenticeship.

Phillipson & Renshaw’s (2013) five planes of sociocultural theoretical analysis include:

(a) cultural-historical plane, (b) institutional plane, (c) social plane, (d) personal plane,

and (e) mental plane. This sociocultural theoretical analysis is suitable to the research

because of the intent to investigate first-semester undergraduate students’ academic lived

experiences transitioning from one educational context to another. Therefore, the

sociocultural theoretical framework guides this study.

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 Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Section College Preparedness of

Family Income SHS learners under

STEM and GAS

Strands

Figure 1. Paradigm showing the level of preparedness of senior high school

learners under Stem and Gas strands in college engineering courses when taken as a

whole and grouped according to section and family income. The output is about the level

of preparation of Senior High School students under STEM and GAS for college.

23
 Chapter 3

Methodology

Purpose of the Study and Research Design

In determining the significant result of a research study, a specific method and

design should be utilized in doing the study. According to McCombes (2019), descriptive

research can use a wide variety of research methods to investigate one or more variables

in identifying characteristics, frequencies, trends, and categories this study. The main

purpose of the study is to determine the level of preparedness of Grade 12 students under

GAS and STEM strands aiming for engineering courses in the tertiary level of learning.

In this research, the descriptive research design will be utilized to analyze and discuss the

status of the current phenomenon as well as it best satisfies the objective of the research

conducted. This research method will be fulfilled to observe and measure all the

necessary data collected from the respondents.

Method

Respondents

The respondents of the study will be the Grade 12 GAS and STEM (General

Academic Strand & Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students of

Iloilo National High School.

The simple random technique will be employed in the selection of the respondents

of the study. The researchers will conduct the study through an online platform such as

Google forms web application aside from that other online application will be utilized

24
like Messenger, Gmail, etc. This is to ensure the safety and accessibility of both the

researchers and participants during the conduct of the research given the critical situation

at this time. The respondents will be classified according to sex, section and family

income.

Instrumentation

This study will make use of a researcher-made questionnaire on the students’

preparedness, as the data gathering instrument. The researcher-made instrument will be

made up of two parts. The first part of the questionnaire will seek the respondents’

personal information, which will be confidential. The second part contains 10 questions

that will draw out the preparedness of the respondents towards tertiary level. It will be

introduced in a four point Likert Scale design where the respondent is found out if he/she

strongly disagrees, disagrees, agrees, or

strongly agrees. The respondents will tick the box corresponding to their choices in each

question.

Upon the formulation of the research instrument to be used for the conduct of the

study, there will be a need to check the validity of the questionnaire as well as to

determine its reliability to ensure reliable results for the survey proper. The researcher-

made instrument will be submitted to the research adviser for suggestions and this will be

validated in the field of English, statistics, research and measurements for face and

content approval involving the Eight Point Criteria for Content Approval of Good and

Scates (2012).

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Pilot Test

The poll on readiness of GAS and STEM strand students will go through trial-

tested to 30 students from Grade 12 of Iloilo National High School. After building up the

validity and reliability of the survey, the researchers at that point will ask authorization

again from the subject teacher to regulate the poll through google forms. After permission

is granted, the researchers will set up the survey through google forms, and it will be sent

to the respondents of this study online.

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 Procedure

Identifying of respondents in Iloilo National High School-Senior High School

GAS & STEM students using Stratified Random Sampling technique

Writing a letter of permission to the principal and students to conduct the

study

Distribution of Researcher-Made Questionnaire via Google Forms

Data Retrieval and Exportation

Tabulation of Data

Data Analysis using Descriptive (Mean and Standard Deviation) and

Inferential Statistical Tool (One Way Anova)

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 Figure 2. Flowchart of data gathering procedure

The respondents will be identified as the Grade 12 STEM and GAS students of Iloilo

National High School. Thirty (30) respondents will take part in the reliability test to

determine the validity of the researchers’ survey questionnaire. Each section will have

five respondents. The reliability test respondents will be excluded from the survey proper.

In connection, the researchers will identify the total population of INHS-SHS

STEM and GAS 12 students, and then select sample size with the use of stratified random

sampling. The chosen respondents will then be informed and notified through their

Facebook or Gmail account. The distribution of the researcher-made survey questionnaire

will be sent through their accounts. The link will be delivered to the respondents through

private message in their personal account. The respondents will also be given a time limit

of one hour to send their responses in order to obtain truthful feedback about the survey.

Upon accomplishing the survey questionnaire, the respondents will have their

data collected and retrieved via google forms web application. In addition, this

application allows the collected data to be automatically encoded in a graphical or

tabulated format as well as to be exported into comma-separated values (csv) files

(Vasantha, Narayanaswamy, & Harinarayana, 2016; Olajide, 2019). The exported files

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then be transferred and re-tabulated in an excel spreadsheet for a more comprehensive

analysis of the gathered data.

Data Analysis Procedure

The data collected by the researchers through the aforementioned instruments will

be analyzed by making use of descriptive statistical tools namely: the mean and standard

deviation. Through the said tools, the researchers will be able to determine the level of

preparedness for choosing engineering courses in tertiary level of STEM and GAS

students at Iloilo National High School. Furthermore, the researchers will also utilize an

Inferential Statistical tool-One Way Analysis of Variance (One –way ANOVA)-which

serves to determine the significant difference of the observed values of acceptability of

the respondents when they are categorized according to their sections.

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 Research-made Questionnaire

Directions: Kindly provide the information correctly and honesty. Thank you very much.

Part I. Personal Information

Name (Optional): __________________________________

Sex: __Male __Female

Please identify your section by indicating a check mark (/) on the given space.

Section: __STEM 12-A __ Stem 12-B __ STEM 12-C __ STEM 12-D __

Section: __GAS 12-A __ GAS 12-B __ GAS 12-C __ GAS 12-D __

Family income

__ ₱10,000- lower __₱20,000- 25,000

__₱10,000- 15,000 __₱25,000- 30,000

__₱15,000- 20,000 __₱30,000- higher

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Part II. Directions: In the statements below, kindly indicate a check mark (/) on the

corresponding box whether you 4 =STRONGLY AGREE, 3=AGREE,

2 = DISAGREE OR 1= STRONGLY DISAGREE to the given situation. Kindly

answer the questions below as honestly as possible.

Questions/Statements 4 3 2 1
1. I am good in problem solving even without the use of

calculator

2. I am familiar or knowledgeable about the basic concepts of

engineering.

3. I enjoy learning problem solving.

4. I am interested in learning more about engineering.

5. I like to come up with new ways to solve math problems.

6. I have fun when learning new things in Math.

7. I work on Math problems during class time with other

students.

8. In my math class, I practice things over and over until I get

them right.

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9. I have trouble memorizing formulas and solutions.

10. I make myself prepared for problem solving.

11. I have a clear plan in my choice of engineering course.

12. I seldom try Math problems that are not required by the

teacher.

13. I am willing to learn Math because it will be useful for my

engineering course.

14. I like to memorize the formula than understanding the

concept of our lesson.

15. I have good foundations in my subjects related to

engineering such as Math and Science.

16. I find it easy to learn new topics related to engineering

when they are discussed in class rather than understanding them

on my own.

17. I love to do advanced reading before our teacher discusses

the lesson.

18. The SHS program has met my learning needs to apply for

my engineering course.

19. The pandemic does not hinder my plans on which

engineering course I will choose.

20. I have back-up preparations just in case I could not get

admissions to my priority engineering course.

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