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A TRACER STUDY OF SENIOR HIGH GRADUATES OF OCCIDENTAL

MINDORO

BASIC RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Proponents

CHARMIE C. SILAO

Master Teacher II

AILEEN M. MADERAZO

Teacher II

JENNIFER C. FESTIN

Teacher I
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Background and Rationale

Every academic institution’s goal is to produce

   

that can eventually be competitive in a local
and global arena. A graduate tracer study is
a very powerful tool that can provide valuable
information for evaluating the whereabouts
and performance of the graduates in the
workplace.
Every academic institutional goal is to produce that can eventually be

competitive in a local and global arena. A graduate tracer study is a very powerful

tool that can provide valuable information for evaluating the whereabouts and

performance of the graduates in the workplace.

Tracer studies are common research methods for educational institutions to

check on the employability of their graduates (de Ocampo, Bagano, & Tan, 2012).

Likewise, Rogan and Reynolds (2016) asserted that a Graduate Tracer Study (GTS) is

useful for policy and equity implication in higher education. They have suggested that

policies should not just focus on providing interventions for the school but also by

concentrating closely on university students from the poorly resourced schools and at

the earliest stage of their studies. They also argued that instead of confronting study

choices to address graduate unemployment, it is better to focus more on improving the

match between these graduates and labor market by dealing with the oversupply-side

issues, as well as taking into account the shaping of labor demand by employer

preferences and employment practices.

Every academic institution’s goal is to produce

   

that can eventually be competitive in a local
and global arena. A graduate tracer study is
a very powerful tool that can provide valuable
information for evaluating the whereabouts
and performance of the graduates in the
workplace.
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Every academic institution’s goal is to produce

   

that can eventually be competitive in a local
and global arena. A graduate tracer study is
a very powerful tool that can provide valuable
information for evaluating the whereabouts
and performance of the graduates in the
workplace.
Rizal National High School (RNHS) offered two strands under the Academic

Track: Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM) and General Academic

Strand (GAS); and two strands under the Technical-Vocational Livelihood track:

Home Economics and Industrial Arts.

Upon enrollment in senior high school, students are going to pick among four

senior high strands or tracks. Selecting a right strand is one of the important assertions

a student must have in order to acquire basic skills and knowledge needed for their

college course (Enderun Colleges, 2019). Students will undergo assessment to

determine their strengths and interests to guarantee a good decision for their Senior

High School strand preference. These will include an aptitude test, a career

assessment exam, and an occupational interest inventory for high schools. Career

advocacy activities will also be conducted to help guide students in choosing their

specialization or track (What is K-12 Program).

The purpose of this study therefore is to trace the status of senior high school

graduates of 2016-2020 with respect to curriculum exit. The findings of the study will

serve as initial data for future research relative to SHS programs and basis for policy

formulation to further improve the implementation of the K-12 Basic Education

Program. This study could be a starting point in providing data as to how many K to

12 graduates were able to find work or start a business related to the Strand they had

completed (Chi, 2018).

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This study will be beneficial to the school administrators and teachers, as they

will learn about recent graduates' achievements in terms of K to 12 programs or how

well school administrators and teachers sustained their promise to parents and learners

in implementing changes to school-level guidelines, practices, and teaching education

to improve outcomes for subsequent graduates. Education administrators and

policymakers also need to be aware of how K to 12 program are being implemented at

the school level and make any necessary adjustments regarding its implementation. In

the end, parents and learners are the primary recipients of this research, as better

implementation of the K to 12 program results in better outcomes for our graduates,

especially in embracing the benefits of K to 12 program.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

This basic research aims to answer the following questions;

This study aimed to trace the Senior High School graduates of Rizal National

High School. Specifically, it answers the following questions:

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

1.1. age;

1.2. sex;

1.3 Year graduated;

2. What is the respondents’ track taken:

2.3.1 Academic Track;

2.3.2 Technical-Vocational livelihood Track;

3. What is the curriculum exit status of the respondents:

3.1 Higher Education;

3.2 Employment;
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3.3 Middle Skills Development;

3.4 Entrepreneurship;

4. What is the percentage of senior high school graduates who were able to find work

or start a business related to the strand they had completed?

5. What is the percentage of senior high school graduates who were able to start a

business related to the strand they had completed?

6. What is the percentage of senior high school graduates who were able to take their

bachelor degree related to the strand they had completed?

7. What are the causes for those who were not able to capture the curriculum exit of

K-12?

8. What can be done to reduce these causes and improve the outcomes for the

succeeding SHS graduates?

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This study will be conducted only for the Senior High School graduates

(respondents) of Rizal National High School. Self-administered Survey questionnaire

will be used to gather data.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Two years after the start of K to 12 implementation and producing the first

graduate of the curriculum Sec. Briones said that DepEd will have a thorough review

of the curriculum as they have made enough experience (Parrocha, 2018). Usec. Dig-

Dino said that among the goals of the review is to make sure that all the learners will

have “21st century skills” (Tomacruz, 2018).

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Likewise, this study relies on the theories and methods of program evaluation

to review whether the K to 12 program attained its intended outcomes. Program

evaluation is a systematic method for collecting, analyzing and using information to

answer questions about projects, policies and programs, particularly about their

effectiveness and efficiency (Administration for Children and Families, 2010). A

program evaluation measures the outcome of a program based on its student-

attainment goals, among others (Beswick, n.d.). Particularly, we will use summative

evaluation which refers to the assessment to participants where the focus is on the

outcome of a program, (“Summative assessment,” 2019). The purpose of the

evaluation is to provide findings of a program, to update programming result and/or to

improve its efficiency.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework of the study will use IPO Model.

The IPO model represents a system in three stages: input, process and output.

The first box, which is input, contains the SHS graduates’ profile (age, sex and year

graduated), their educational tracks (Academic Track and Technical-Vocational

livelihood Track) taken during senior high school years and the curriculum exit status

(Higher Education, Employment, Middle Skills Development, Entrepreneurship) of

the K to 12 graduates of Rizal National High School in terms of the aforementioned

data and find out if the success of the SHS graduates is related to their profile,

educational track and curriculum exit. An arrow directed toward the second box

entails the process. In the process, the researchers used questionnaire which can be

done through google form or hard copy, informal interview and the statistical

treatment. Thus, it can only be done through the conduct of this graduate tracer

research study.
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INPUT
 Senior High School
graduates’ profile
 Age
 Sex
 Last School
Attended
 Curriculum Track PROCESS
 Academic Track OUTPUT
 Technical- Analysis of data
Vocational through the
questionnaires, Tracer Study of
livelihood Track Senior High School
 Curriculum Exits informal interviews
and statistical graduates
 Higher Education
 Employment treatment.
 Middle Skills
Development
 Entrepreneurship

LITERATURE REVIEW

Philippine Education in its response to the Asian regionalism and globalization

fully implemented the K-12 program in 2016 introducing 2 years of senior high

school after the existing 4 years of junior high school. The Philippine Senior High

School Program consists of the following: 1) Academic Track which has different

tracks namely Business- Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), Science &

Engineering- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM),

Humanities & Social Science (HUMSS), and General Academic strand (GAS); 2)

Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Track also known as TVL composed of the

following strands: Agri-Fishery Art, Home Economics, Information and

Communication Technology (ICT), Industrial Arts, and TVL Maritime (all with

highly specialized subjects with Technical Education and Skills Development

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Authority (TESDA) qualifications); 3) Sports Track, and 4) The Arts and Design

Track. The Department of Education (DepEd) of the Philippines emphasizes that the

Senior High School Program offers a lot of benefits to Philippine education. One of

which is that graduates of the Senior High School Program especially the Technical

Vocational and Livelihood (TVL) track will be readily employable (Del Mundo,

2013) and (Bacarra, 2016). It will equip the graduates with the skills that will make

them more productive members of society (Patrinos & Samer, 2016).

Senior high school implementation aimed to equip the students with essential

knowledge and skills that will help them prepare better for their chosen path in the

higher education, employment, or entrepreneurship. The addition of two more years

or two more grade levels, Grades 11 and 12, will better equip the students with the

necessary skills, knowledge, and values needed for successful future in their fields or

course.

Philippines has now graduated a couple of Senior High School (SHS) batches

since its major education reform but not much was studied yet regarding its graduates.

In view of tracing and learning of their status relative to the curriculum exits, this

study is conceptualized.

The impression of HEIs in the

Philippines is likely tangled to its reputation
of generating graduates who would
undoubtedly acquire a good and stable
job after graduation. Tracer studies are
common research methods for educational
institutions to check on the employability of
their graduates (de Ocampo, Bagano, & Tan,
2012). Likewise, Rogan and Reynolds (2016)
asserted that a Graduate Tracer Study (GTS)
is useful for policy and equity implication in
higher education. They have suggested that
policies should not just focus on providing
interventions for the school but also by
concentrating closely on university students
from the poorly resourced schools and at
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the earliest stage of their studies. They also

argued that instead of confronting study
choices to address graduate unemployment,
Republic Act 10533, the K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of

basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and

two years of Senior High School (SHS)) to provide sufficient time for mastery of

concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary

education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

(www.officialgazette.gov.ph). Also, it 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 thought 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.

Furthermore, the comprehensive Tracer Study of the 2017-2018 Senior High

School Graduates is an initiative of the Department of Education of Education -

Bureau of Curriculum Development to trace the status of the first cohort of SHS

graduates with respect to curriculum exists: higher education, employment, middle

skills development, and entrepreneurship.

More relatedly, DepEd Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) issued

Regional Memorandum No. 235, s. 2018 entitled “Tracer Study for Senior High

School Graduate, SY 2017-2018 Phase II” in response to the Section 14 of RA 10533

that mandates evaluation and review of the K to 12 program. DepEd CAR provided

several templates in the study for easy data gathering and reporting.

Even though the study provided templates, it was silent with regards to the

methodology, Therefore, it is hard to verify the template’s validity and reliability.

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There were no details provided whether those who enrolled in college are pursuing

courses aligned to their Strand. Further, employment and self-employment were not

qualified with regards to employment status, salary and benefits. On the other hand, it

added the causes for not enrolling in college which we will adopt in this study.

Meanwhile, DepEd Region X issued Regional Memorandum No. 287, s. 2018

entitled “Senior High School Graduates Tracer Study and Basic Research on Senior

High School Program Implementation” to strengthen the culture of research in basic

education. The study’s respondents were the graduates from 2016-2020. The basic

research template (format and outline) and questionnaires were provided in the

Regional Memorandum which the researchers will use as reference.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Resign Design

The researcher shall employ descriptive design to validate whether the K-12

graduates of Rizal National High School captured the curriculum exits of K to 12:

Higher Education, Employment, Middle Skills Development and Entrepreneurship.

Descriptive research methods merely present and describe responses and do not make

accurate predictions or determine cause and effect (Hale, 2018).

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study are the Senior High School graduates’ batch

2016-2020 of Rizal National High School.

Sampling Technique

To determine the samples of the study, stratified random sampling technique

will be used.
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Research Instrument

The researchers shall survey the respondents using a modified questionnaire

patterned from previous researchers. The questionnaire is composed of five parts that

will answer the research questions. General Information, Senior High School (SHS)

Background, College Background, Employment Background and Entrepreneurship

Background.

Ethical Issues

For ethical purpose of research, the researcher will going explain to

respondents the purpose and objectives of the study. Anonymity of the respondents

will be ensured as contained in the opening part of the survey questionnaire.

Validity of Research Instrument

With regards with external validity, the researchers will administer the

instrument directly to the target population of this research to eliminate any potential

bias occurring through sampling technique. With regards to content validity, the

researchers shall pilot test the instrument to a number of target respondents to thresh

out and correct any issues with the instrument.

Reliability of Research Instrument

Respondents will directly answer the questionnaire either in paper from or

online to ensure reliability of data. Data validation will also be done by the

researchers prior to data analysis and interpretation.

Data Gathering Procedure

The respondents may fill up the questionnaire through hard copy or online

through Google Forms. In cases where the respondents cannot be found or unable to

answer directly the questionnaire, the researchers shall administer the questionnaire
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by interviewing the respondents or basing on available information from the

respondents’ former classmates, friends or relatives.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The researchers shall present the findings per School Year, School and Strand

by using frequencies and percentages. Ideally, 100% of graduates are attending in

college, working or managing a business. If not, then there is a gap that would be a

basis for action research to lessen or prevent the same from recurring which is the

succeeding goal of this research.

REFERENCES

Department of Education. (2010). Basic Education Research Fund (DO No. 24, s.

2010). Retrieved from

https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/DO-No.-24-s.-

2010.pdf.

Department of Education. (2015).Revised Guidelines for Basic Education Research

Fund (BERF) (DO No. 43, s. 2015). Retrieved from

https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content /uploads/2015/09/DO_s2015_43.pdf.

Department of Education-Bureau of Human Resource and Organizational

Development (2019). Updated Results-based Performance Management

System Manual for Teachers and School Heads for SY 2019-2020. Retrieved

from https://drive.google.com/file/d/ 1AVMbjdqeNIElCa_gn68W8V88q-

u37eeZ/view.
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