Republic of the Philippines

CAMILING CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC.

Arellano St., Pob. B, Camiling, Tarlac
Tel. No: (045) – 9340 – 151

camcs1964@yahoo.com

TRACER STUDY ON THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES OF

CAMILING CATHOLIC SCHOOL, INC. S.Y. 2018-2019

In partial fulfillment of the requirements

in Practical Research 2

Laborera, Ramela Fei Cabania

Lopez, Maria Nicole
Navarro, Adrian Ianson Santos
Ong, Jazbe Rinpo Pre
Pallaya, Kyla Ramos
Pangilinan, Secia Ruth David
Pineda, Jeremiah Clyde Pedroche
Purganan, Joanna Marie Bulatao
Rabino, Michelle Anne Tomas
Simon, Kaia Krishna Bautista
Tumbaga, Nathaniel Libunao
Villamin, Ian Christian Ramos
Yabut, Kierstein Chelsea Tamargo

September 2022
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Education is vital in shaping each individual’s future. It is widely assumed that

education is one of the pillars of a better life. It gives a person the ability to navigate life

by equipping them with knowledge and appropriate skill sets. Thus, one of the main

objectives of the government is to serve society by providing relevant education that

enables students to become prolific learners and globally competitive professionals.

Before the enforcement of Republic Act No. 10533 or the “Enhanced Basic

Education Act of 2013”, the Philippines had a basic education consisting only of 10

years, with six years of primary education and four years of secondary education. With its

full implementation in 2016, an additional two years of senior high school (SHS) was

mandated as part of the country’s basic education, along with four years of junior high

school, six years of elementary, and a mandatory Kindergarten. This major educational

reform, also known as the “K to 12 Program”, was launched to give students enough time

to master concepts and skills, foster lifelong learners, and catch up with global standards

in secondary education (Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines, 2013). With

this, the curriculum is designed with four exits to ensure graduates have options after

finishing their last year of high school, including tertiary education, middle-level skill

development, employment, and entrepreneurship. By providing different pathways,

students can be better prepared for future success in their fields or courses. With the
available options, graduates will have more opportunities and choices than under the

previous curriculum.

Four different tracks, namely: Academic track, Technical Vocational Livelihood

(TVL) track, Sports track, and Arts and Design track are offered in senior high school as

a preparation for students’ tertiary education or employment, each including different

strands or fields of specialization. The following strands, including Accountancy

Business and Management (ABM), General Academic Strand (GAS), Humanities and

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

(STEM) are under the Academic track, while Agri-Fishery Arts (AFA), Home Economics

(HE), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Industrial Arts (IA)

strands are under the Technical Vocational Livelihood (TVL) track.

Camiling Catholic School, Inc., a private catholic school in the province of Tarlac,

offered the SHS program as mandated by the Department of Education (DepEd). The

institution then offered two strands under the academic track in the school year

2018-2019, namely: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and

Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM).

Since its implementation in 2016, the K to 12 curriculum has always been in

question by parents, industries, and stakeholders in terms of its effectiveness in preparing

students for higher education and employment. However, despite DepEd’s call for studies

regarding the graduates of the curriculum through regional memoranda across the country

in 2018, there have been only few works of literature that have attempted to study the

status of the program’s graduates.

 Thus, this study adds to the body of knowledge by highlighting the strengths and

weaknesses of the new basic education system to help examine its impact in the country.

Specifically, this study focuses on tracing the Senior High School Graduates of Camiling

Catholic School, Inc. of the school year 2018-2019 in terms of their SHS exit and its

alignment to their SHS strands. Moreover, it intends to evaluate CamCS with regards to

the graduates’ perceived educational gain and ways for program implementation

improvement to increase the competitive edge of students.

Statement of the Problem

The main goal of this study is to trace the Senior High School graduates of

Camiling Catholic School, Inc. S.Y. 2018-2019. In order to get all the information

required, this study aims to answer the following questions:

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

1.1 age;

1.2 gender;

1.3 civil status;

1.4 SHS strand;

1.5 SHS academic rating;

1.6 socio-economic status; and

1.7. SHS exit taken?

2. How may the SHS exit taken by the respondents be described in terms of:

2.1 tertiary education;

2.1.1 year level; and

 2.1.2 specific course?

2.2 vocational courses;

2.2.1 course duration;

2.2.2 specific course; and

2.2.3 certificates acquired?

2.3 employment; and

2.3.1 employment status;

2.3.2 reasons for employment;

2.3.3 nature of work;

2.3.4 length of employment;

2.3.5 nature of business the company is engaged in;

2.3.6 present position; and

2.3.7 skills acquired in SHS in relation to your job?

2.4 entrepreneurship?

2.4.1 nature of business;

2.4.2 reasons in starting a business; and

2.4.3 skills acquired in SHS in relation to your business?

3. What are the reasons of the respondents in pursuing their SHS exit?

4. How aligned is the SHS strand of the respondents to their SHS exit?

5. What are the advantages of their SHS strand that is aligned to their SHS exit?

6. What are the disadvantages of their SHS strand that is not aligned to their SHS

exit?

7. What are the effects of SHS academic rating to college performance?

 8. How much did the respondents feel they gained as a result of their education at

CamCS?

9. What are ways to improve the competitive edge of CamCS graduates in terms

of program implementation?

10. What is the relationship between the respondents' SHS academic rating to the

advantages of an aligned SHS strand to SHS exit, effects SHS academic rating on college

performance, and perceived educational gain at CamCS?

Objectives of the Study

The primary objective of this study is to trace the Senior High School graduates of

Camiling Catholic School, Inc. S.Y. 2018–2019.

The particular objectives are as of follows:

1. To determine the demographic profile of the respondents in terms age, gender,

civil status, SHS strand, SHS academic rating, socio-economic status, and SHS exit

taken.

2. To describe the SHS exit take in terms of tertiary education (year level and

specific course); vocational courses (course duration, specific course, and certificates

acquired); employment (employment status, nature of work, length of employment,

nature of business the company is engaged in, present position, and skills acquired in

SHS in relation to your job); and entrepreneurship (nature of business, reasons in starting

a business, and skills acquired in SHS in relation to your business).

3. To determine the reasons of the respondents in pursuing the SHS exit.

 4. To determine the alignment of the SHS strand taken by the respondents to their

SHS exit.

5. To determine the advantages of the aligned SHS strand taken to their SHS exit.

6. To determine the disadvantages of the chosen SHS strand that is not aligned to

their SHS exit.

7. To identify the effects of SHS academic rating on college performance.

8. To determine how much the respondents feel they gained as a result of their

education at CamCS.

9. To identify ways to improve the competitive edge of CamCS graduates in terms

of program implementation.

10. To determine the relationship between respondents' SHS academic ratings, the

advantages of an aligned SHS strand to SHS exit, SHS academic rating effects on college

performance, and perceived educational gain at CamCS.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to trace the Senior High School Graduates of Camiling Catholic

School, Inc. S.Y. 2018-2019 in terms of their SHS exit and its alignment to their SHS

strands. Moreover, it intends to evaluate CamCS with regards to the graduates’ perceived

educational gain and ways for program implementation improvement. The research

findings would be valuable and useful to the following:

To the Department of Education (DepEd). This study provides information

about the SHS graduates' present status, which may be used in the evaluation of the
current K to 12 curriculum in order to maintain the program’s strengths while focusing on

improving its weaknesses.

To Camiling Catholic School, Inc. (CamCS). The outcome of this study will

help the school improve their program implementation as well as their learning systems

in order to increase the competitive edge of graduates.

To the Teachers of CamCS. This study's findings will serve as a guide to help

teachers improve their instructional approach and methods to boost student learning and

academic performance.

To the SHS Graduates. The results of this study will enable the senior high

school graduates to compare their experiences and present status to the experiences and

status of CamCS SHS graduates of S.Y. 2018 - 2019.

To the Students of CamCS. The findings of this study will give them insights

about SHS strands as well as the different SHS exits, helping them in planning their

careers.

To the Future Researchers. Through this study, researchers who are intending to

conduct a similar topic will help them complete their study by offering thorough

knowledge and relevant data.

Definition of Terms

These are the following terms for a better understanding of the concepts and ideas

that revolve around this research.

 Advantage. This is a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor. In this

study, it refers to the benefits of SHS students for the alignment of their SHS strand to

their SHS exit. In technical terms, it is a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor.

Academic Rating. This term refers to the student’s performance during his/her

Senior High School time in CamCS. In technical terms, this refers to the growth and

development of education through time

Camiling Catholic School, Inc. (CamCS). In this study, Camiling Catholic

School, Inc. (CamCS) is the institution where the respondents have graduated. This

research aims to identify the whereabouts and current status of Camiling Catholic School,

Inc.’s graduates for the batch 2018-2019.

Certificates Acquired. This refers to when a student receives a paper stating that

a person has finished a course of study.

College Course. It refers to the class provided by a college or university. These

classes are commonly a part of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's, master's, or

specialist's degree, or a certificate.

Competitive Edge. This term pertains to the advantages of students against other

students globally. In technical terms, it refers to the factor that offers a person or company

that has an advantage over opponents or rivals.

Course Duration. This term refers to the to the span of time needed to complete a

course. In this study, this refers to the duration of vocational courses taken by the

respondents.
 Disadvantages. This shows the drawbacks of conditions that make it more

difficult for SHS students to continue their studies. In technical terms, this is a quality or

circumstance that makes achievement unusually difficult.

Employment. It refers to the actions taken when one is hired or employed by a

company or employer.

Employment Status. This is the status of a worker in a company based on the

terms of their employment or the amount of time they have worked there. A worker could

be employed full-time, part-time, or on a temporary basis.

Likert Legend. A scale used in research to gauge how much a respondent agrees

or disagrees with a specific statement. In this study, it is composed of 4 points ranging

from Strongly Agree with a mean of 3.51-4, Agree with a mean of 2.51-3.50, Disagree

with a mean of 1.51-2.50, and Strongly Disagree with a mean of 1.0-1.50.

Program Implementation. In this study, these are implementations of possible

programs that could improve the school’s educational system. Technically speaking, it

refers to how well a proposed program or intervention is put into practice. It is critical for

determining the internal, external, construct, and statistical validity of outcome

evaluations.

Reasons. It refers to the causes or justifications of why the respondents decided to

pursue their respective SHS exits. In technical terms, this word refers to the cause of an

event or situation or something that provides an excuse or explanation.

Senior High School (SHS). This term refers to the academic level comprising

Grades 11 and 12 that the respondents attended in Camiling Catholic School, Inc. In

technical terms, it is a two-year specialized upper secondary education.

 Senior High School Strand. This word refers to the particular subjects that

senior high school students pursue during Grades 11 and 12. STEM (Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and ABM are the two study options

available (Accountancy and Business Management).

SHS Academic Rating. This term is used to describe the level of academic

excellence each student attained within the specified school year. This is classified into

Excellent (90-100), Very Satisfactory (85-89), and Satisfactory (75-84).

SHS Exit. This term describes the decision made by each student regarding the

path they took after graduating senior high school. There are mainly four exits namely

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

Skills. In this study, this term refers to the abilities that Senior High School

students develop during their stay at CamCS. In technical terms, it is the ability to use

one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance.

Strand Misalignment. It refers to the disconnection of the student's SHS strand

to their college course. In this study, it is when the student's courses in college are not

related to their SHS strand which hinder the students highly proficient in their field.

Socioeconomic Status. It refers to an individual's social standing or class. It is

frequently determined as a composite of education, income, and occupation.

Tertiary Education. In this study, it refers to the level of education following

completion of secondary school.

Vocational Courses. Students who enroll in these programs are getting ready for

careers that require hands-on experience rather than academic concepts and are not

generally associated with higher education.

 Year-Level. This refers to the duration of the courses in years. In this study, it

refers to the duration of tertiary education courses in years.

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the discussion of different related literature and studies that

acted as the foundation and reference of the current study. These previous researchers

conducted by scholars and members of the academe are essential in order to make sure

that the researchers will complete a study that is relevant to society’s needs and will be

useful for future researchers. This chapter will also be important for the researchers to

know the similarities and differences of the conclusions that they will form compared to

existing studies.

Related Literature

A. Foreign

There are senior high school curricula available in different places of the world.

As stated by Orale and Sarmiento (2016), as cited by Liwanag (2021), the senior high

school program is the final level in all basic education programs of different countries.
 The basic education system in the United States varies by state, as does the SHS

curriculum. There is no definite path because it is up to individual states and school

districts to decide. There are academic, vocational, and other types of schools. The

majority of those who choose the academic track are college-bound students. Within the

United States, each individual state maintains the right to deliver standards of its

choosing, relevant to the state and region. Vocational schools are post-secondary schools

that teach the skills necessary to help students acquire jobs in specific industries.

Programs for career and technical education help prepare teenagers for employment once

they graduate from high school (Pannoni, 2015).

Japan, as mentioned by ADEK (2021), divides its educational system into three

categories: "Elementary," which lasts for six years following kindergarten, "Lower

Secondary," which lasts for three years, and "Upper Secondary," which lasts for three

years to prepare the students in their academic and outside life and is composed of two

tracks in academics and tech-voc.

In the article of Siliman and Schleifer (2018), Americans feel that public

education should not just focus on academics and college preparation, but also assist kids

in building their career and interpersonal skills and prepare them for citizenship and the

workforce. Many national and provincial initiatives in the United States are aimed at

encouraging academic excellence. Although academic preparedness is the primary

objective of public education, the teaching of cooperation, respect, and problem-solving

techniques, as well as the availability of technology and engineering programs, are the

elements of school quality that are deemed to be most crucial.

On the other hand, Singapore, a global leader in education, had a higher rate of
students pursuing higher education after highschool (The AQi Team, 2021). In

comparison to other countries with K-12 curricula, most students in Singapore continue

their education after turning 18. This was accomplished via a centralized, controlled

approach, a set national curriculum, and reasonably consistent classroom instruction and

practice.

There are various factors that influence high school graduates' decisions about

where to go following graduation, such as college, entrepreneurship, employment and

vocational courses. Vlasova (2020), suggests that most high school graduates enrolled in

colleges directly. Furthermore, the majority of teenagers would prefer to launch their own

company in the future than to hold down a traditional job. This coincides with the article

of College Stats Org (2020), which states that most college students anticipate promising

work opportunities following graduation and that attending college will most likely help.

In contrast to that, Ford (2018), mentioned that working immediately after high

school may help make better educational decisions in the future. As suggested by

Stefanakos (2022), if higher education is not the best option, going directly to work might

be a worthwhile path for young people. Moreover, some highschool graduates choose

entrepreneurship because they will inherit a family business and hope to strengthen and

extend the heritage (Marlborough, 2020). Many entrepreneurs walk out of college

because they believe colleges and institutions will not help them reach their goals, and

they are not interested in obtaining a degree that will prepare them to work for something

else (Entrepreneur Middle East, 2018).

The downsides of starting a job right out of high school, according to Avis &

Tests (2022), include feeling stuck in jobs that are identical to the previous one you had,
which prevents you from developing your talents or advancing your career. Additional

barriers to work for high school graduates include preparedness and insufficient exposure

to the real world. Chances of developing your talents or career are astronomically low.

He discussed that working after high school may possibly cause to not having saved up

enough money, because most graduates are not yet ready to face and have not sampled

real world problems.

Vocational education is merely seen as an alternate path for high school students

who did not intend to attend college (Kelly 2017). As reported by Studentcaffe (2017)

,vocational courses were taken by high school graduates since they do not require

four-year college degrees, and a typical college will not impart the skills required to

perform these occupations well. Moreover, more females than males were enrolled in

post-secondary non-tertiary education programs that were vocational in nature (Eurostat,

2022).

Alignment and collaboration, as per Education First (2015), can improve student

performance in terms of college and career readiness, as well as perseverance and

completion of college. Subsequently, Core Education (2015), indicated that alignment of

high school track and shared ownership of college preparedness and success can result in

increased college preparation and excelling in college, as well as acquiring post

secondary qualifications that can lead to a brighter future. On the contrary, the

misalignment of secondary high school tracks and higher education can undermine the

economy and the nation's commitment to excellence and sustainability (Asghar et al.,

2022).

This contradicts with the article by Ferenstein and Hershrein (2016), which
suggests that students who recall a few fundamental concepts may have an advantage that

quickly fades as college classes go toward more sophisticated subjects.

Deciding a career path after finishing high school is one of the difficult decisions

one must make as the future is at stake. Depending on an individual, there are various

factors to take into consideration before making a decision. As stated by Aduli et al.

(2018), family expectations are the most influential element influencing individuals from

collectivist cultures, with stronger professional congruence with parents increasing career

employment confidence and self-efficacy. Individual interest, on the other hand, is

highlighted as the major factor determining career choice in individualistic environments,

and individuals are more self-reliant in their career decision-making.

Additionally, Venable (2021), in his article suggests that career decisions are often

decided in the context of society and the economy. Numerous career theories, such as

Social Cognitive Career Theory and Social Learning, take this context into account along

with other factors. Life events may also influence one's decisions and, to some extent,

dictate what one should do. Correspondingly, the status of the economy and the resulting

labor market may also alter how careers progress. Henceforth, career advice from friends

and family, as well as a desire to work for educational institutions, cannot influence a

person's career choice (Guraya and Almaramhy, 2018).

In connection with the competence and skills acquired from years of education,

the problem of graduate employment is widespread. In the article of Vinichenko et al.

(2015), it is stated that the effectiveness of college work is declining, wherein young

specialists' career trajectories typically follow a flat curve, and enterprises and public

authorities lack crucial resources that can handle dealing with both short-term problems
and long-term effects.

As claimed by Gamede (2022), the mental component that helps foster

entrepreneurial preparation has been identified as entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE).

There is a dearth of research on the readiness of Nigerian Technical and Vocational

Education and Training (TVET) graduates for future employment, particularly in the field

of entrepreneurship. The ESE marshaling skills training component of the TVET

institutions' entrepreneurship education curriculum content is not adequately covered in

these programs. The practical conclusion is that entrepreneurship education should

concentrate on developing economic resource capabilities for startup companies.

In relation to the article of Hedrick et al. (2015), students rated their self-report of

skills based on SCANS competencies and fundamental foundation skills. Students gave

higher ratings for personal qualities than for basic skills or thinking skills. A number of

other categories, such as using resources, using information, using technology,

interpersonal skills and working in systems were also assessed.

B. Local

Prior to the implementation of the K-12 curriculum, the Philippines was the last

country in Asia and, along with Angola and Djibouti in Africa, one of only three

countries in the world with a 10-year pre-university or basic education cycle. The 10-year

education cycle has long been viewed as a disadvantage for students competing in an

increasingly global labor market, particularly as compared to children in neighboring

nations and the rest of the globe who have completed the K-12 curriculum (Vicente,

2016).
 In accordance with Republic Act No. 10533, which was signed by Former

President Benigno S. Aquino III into law on May 15, 2013, the senior high school

program was fully implemented in the academic year 2016-2017. Also known as the

“Enhanced Basic Education Act”, the aforementioned law mandated twelve years of

basic education in the Philippines, which aims to enable every Filipino learner to be

competitive in their job path or whatever discipline they desire to pursue after completing

highschool (LPU, 2015).

The senior high school program offers four academic tracks with the purpose of

educating students for college by giving them the knowledge, abilities, and skills required

to pursue successful professional options in the future. Mocon-Ciriaco (2018) states that

graduates are prepared for different career paths immediately after graduating from high

school. With four possible exits for SHS graduates—higher education, entrepreneurship,

employment, or middle-level skill development—graduates of this program are set to

become full-fledged contributors to social progress and nation-building.

As mentioned by Enderun Colleges (2020), the program boosts students’ chances

of finding a stable career and finding opportunities. Students can have the chance to

expand their networks, learn new skills, and discover a career they truly appreciate.

This corresponds to the article of Philippine Business for Education (2020), which

suggests that students will have adequate time on each track to become experts on a

particular topic and develop their skills. Therefore, K-12 graduates will be globally

competitive and able to find work in a competitive job market.

However, Banal-Formoso (2015), states that students from the K-12 generation

who do not complete Grade 12 will be disadvantaged since they will not be accepted into
a college degree or technical-vocational certificate program unless they have a SHS

diploma. They will also miss out on opportunities to master skills that would qualify

them for a job immediately following SHS or prepare them for entrepreneurship.

Selecting the right senior high school track becomes a crucial step for the

students’ career planning. With the help of tracks in senior high school, students may

decide which career choices will suit their strengths, talents, and interests. It will help

students to broaden their knowledge and abilities as it will also introduce them to the

chosen topic of study to get ready for college (MCL, 2021).

Students, however, often make mistakes by choosing a different track that is not

related to their future course. Philippine Basic Education (2018), asserts that senior high

school graduates with mismatched SHS tracks enrolled in tertiary education are expected

to take the “bridging program” which the National Union of Students of the Philippines

(NUSP) views as a significant concern for students.

Furthermore, Li (2020), stated that there are only limited choices for the shifters

or the students who took the strands that are mismatched to their college courses.

Students with mismatched SHS track barely understood lectures in their first year in

college and chose to take bridging programs. The students in this situation use their free

time or vacation time to study the subjects that were not taken during Senior high school

to catch up to their classes or lectures in college. Based on their experiences, their

decisions in taking a strand in Senior High School were influenced by their parents

considering they wanted to enroll in different courses (Bernal, 2021).

One of the importance of senior high school is to prepare students for college and

even for work. As stated by CIIT (2021), the K-12 program aims to produce job-ready
SHS graduates. The new curriculum trains students to be proficient and job-market ready.

As cited by Garcia and Yazon (2020), senior high school graduates' habits, skills,

and social abilities meet the standards for jobs provided by the Work Immersion partner

institutions. It has been suggested that academic institutions should be encouraged to

continually search for sectors that will complement and improve the abilities of students

so they can be productively immersed and ready for the job market. This contradicts to

the study of Arcayera (2021), where he concluded that even when senior high school

students conducted their work immersion in the comfort of their school, home, or

community due to the health crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, they have

given a high evaluation of the school-based work immersion wherein the competencies of

the students relevant to their strands were developed.

This contradicts the report of JobStreet in 2018, which indicated that employees

were hesitant to employ SHS graduates, and some of the employers expressed their

unwillingness to hire SHS graduates, and only a small percent of respondents stated they

were open to hire SHS graduates (Tomacruz, 2018). Moreover, more students prefer to

continue their studies. Graduates of senior high school also believed that they are not yet

ready to work and that they lack confidence in competing with college graduates

(BusinessWorld, 2021).

Wakefield Research (2022), as cited by Ranzetta (2022), indicates that about two

in five teenagers claim that celebrities and social media influencers are their main sources

of entrepreneurial motivation. A further finding of the poll was that teens would be

interested in programs at or after school that taught entrepreneurship and that few

teenagers want to learn the ropes from established business owners.

 Llego (2022), in his article stated that the first batch of approximately 1.2 million

SHS students graduated in April 2018 during S.Y. 2017-2018. After seven years of

implementation, there is still a gap between K-12 graduates and employment. The

Philippines' rising jobs are being driven by the digital economy. Active participation of

stakeholders might be anticipated as an indication of improved employment chances and

realistic upskilling.

In terms of college readiness, the program was reported to be lacking in terms of

instructional quality in all learning areas, most especially Science and Mathematics

(Mamba et al. 2019). As studied by the Program for International Student Assessment

(PISA), the Philippines came in at rank 79, averaging 340 points in reading

comprehension compared to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and

Development average (OECD) score of 487. Filipino students also achieved low marks in

science and mathematics with 353 points and 356 points compared to 489 points average

for the OECD (Paris, 2019 as cited by Awi et al., 2021).

Furthermore, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (2020), reported

that some Filipino Students in senior high school did not master fundamental literacy

skills and numeracy, especially English language proficiency, making it challenging for

students to produce research outputs.

Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community, but the

education system hinders students from becoming even more competitive. As stated by

Arias (2016), the implementation of the Senior High School program is the key to

national development. Though the government will face many challenges as it

implements the program over several years, it is a necessary improvement because

improving education quality is critical to the nation's success. The career-assessment and

aptitude tests and an occupational-interest inventory, meanwhile, will show the student’s

strengths and benefits. A career-advocacy program will help and guide students in

choosing the right track for them (Sun Star, 2018).

Related Studies

A. Foreign

Upon graduating high school, students are given the choice of selecting a career

path for their future, whether it be pursuing higher education or employment. Bromberg

and Theokas (2016), in their study on transcript outcomes of high school graduates in the

United States found that the majority of students in the United States are still meandering

through lots of disconnected courses that get them to graduation but nowhere else. Most

students are not taking several courses in a career pathway, which suggests that career

readiness for high-school students is not accomplished with the curriculum.

This conforms to the study of Bissell (2017), on the college and career readiness

and description of postsecondary life of high school graduates in Pennsylvania, which

found that gaps in transitional skills and knowledge among graduates were indicated

upon high school graduation. Even with a career program in place, graduates described

struggles with postsecondary transitions with cultural, contextual, and personal struggles.

Many graduates were comfortable with their academic transition, but struggled with

making connections to their career identity.

According to the study conducted by Sharif et al. (2019), on factors influencing

career choices among students in Karachi, Pakistan, the most influential factors affecting

career choices include the influence of earning a reputable social status, income, making

difference in society, and fathers’ pressure to take a move in a particular direction.

Although factors varied with socioeconomic and demographic factors, they were

somewhat related to the financial outcome of the course and future employment chances.

Moreover, as concluded by Mtemeri (2017), in his study on factors influencing

the choice of career pathways among high school students in Midlands province,

Zimbabwe, parents' education and guidance as well as peer pressure were found to be

important factors in students' professional decisions. Schools were also found to be

crucial in influencing students' job decisions.

Pursuing higher education stands as the most popular decision of high school

graduates. Kurlaender et al. (2018), in their study stated that nearly two-thirds of

California’s high school graduates enrolled in college within a year and a half upon

graduation, and nationally, only a small percentage of high school completers enrolled in

college by the October immediately following high school completion.

According to the study by Baum and Payea (2021), higher education students

obtain a wide range of rewards on a personal and economic level. Despite the

improvements in educational possibilities, their analysis demonstrates that family

income, parent education levels, and other demographic factors have a major impact on

who enrolls in higher education.

Stock and Stock (2019), while studying factors that influence a college student’s

choice of academic major or minor in Central Texas found that personal interest is the

most influential factor in choosing a major, followed by potential income and influence
of parents. This coincides with the study of Keck (2016), which revealed that interest in

the subject was the most dominant factor influencing student major selection, second to

potential salary and viewpoints of family, peer, and faculty members.

The findings of Lachowsky (2019), suggest that secondary high school graduates

encounter challenges transitioning to higher education despite having acquired skills and

performing well in high school. High-performance demands such as reading, writing,

self-learning, the need to study, and time management were regarded as the most

difficult. However, with support from family and friends, as well as college preparatory

classes, students are able to adjust better.

Moreover, the study of Hazaa et al. (2021), concluded that grades and a student's

standing in a class are important predictors of academic performance in higher education.

Furthermore, students' academic achievement at the conclusion of their first year of

college is connected to their high school academic performance. Their findings

complement that high school academic performance serves as a foundation for success in

higher education.

This coincides with the study of Elsner et al. (2021), which mentioned that a

student’s ordinal rank in a peer group affects performance and specialization choices in

college. Students who by chance had a higher rank have higher expectations about their

future grades.

In addition, Kendricksa et al. (2019), concludes that undergraduate STEM majors

can successfully use the lessons learned from K–12 best practices. In addition, combining

skills and talents that match employers' needs better prepares scholars for future jobs in a

STEM sector.
 With the increasing fees for higher education institutes, students may opt to

pursue employment rather than college degrees. According to the findings of Skyler

(2018), working instead of attending college is a monetary decision. Some students are

tired of school or never really enjoyed it in the first place. Others may want a break

before they return to full-time education.

However, as concluded by Barrington (2021), if students take a job right after

high school, they may find themselves putting higher education off year after year. They

could miss out on some significant opportunities to grow and mature. The habits and

opinions they form as a young adult will stay with them for the rest of their life. This is

why going to college after graduation is a given for many high school students.

Aside from employment, entrepreneurship is another career pathway that other

high school graduates prefer. In reference to the study of Yohana (2020), one of the

reasons for high school graduates to become entrepreneurs is that they no longer expect

to receive work in the formal sector, rather, they are self-sufficient, creative, imaginative,

and take initiatives to generate opportunities in the entrepreneurial sector.

According to the findings of the study of Ibrahim et al. (2015), entrepreneurship

is one of the reasons why high school graduates enroll in vocational courses. Most

students who participated in their survey showed a high degree of entrepreneurial

ambition.

Vocational schools are institutions alternative to higher education that prepares

students for a career in a particular job or technical field. At this level of education,

students are braced with skills that enable them to enter the workforce upon graduation.

Vokasi (2019), while studying the employability skills of vocational school students in
Palu City found that students demonstrated high levels of employability skills including

occupational health and safety skills, teamwork, self-management, learning, using

technology, planning and organizing activities, solving problems, taking initiative, and

communication.

Moreover, in accordance with the study of Abdilla and Tentama (2019) on the

employability of vocational school students in Yogyakarta, there is a positive relationship

between academic achievement and self-concept with employability among students.

That means the higher academic achievement and self-concept, the higher employability

among students and vice versa.

B. Local

The implementation of senior high school aimed to provide students with

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

higher education, employment, or entrepreneurship. However, as a result of the

curriculum’s ongoing development, its implementation faces different problems that need

to be addressed. Nacorda et al. (2019), while analyzing the effective implementation of

the senior high school curriculum observed that there is an existing lack of infrastructure

that can accommodate hands-on learning among Philippine high schools, resulting in

difficulty providing the required skills demanded by various working industries.

This coincides with the study of Cogal et al. (2019), which stated that the Senior

High School curriculum must be examined because it showed an overfull curriculum and

limited time for hands-on learning activities. Business sectors are reluctant to hire senior

high school graduates, thus producing graduates who are prepared for the workforce is

not achieved.
 In connection to this, the study of Mamba et al. (2020), revealed that there is still

a significant room for improvement in DepEd's K-12 graduates, with a particular

emphasis on the teaching of science and mathematics. As such, Philippine higher

education institutions experience significant adjustments in providing effective student

transition in college.

In terms of student satisfaction, the study of Tondo (2021), concluded that the

senior high school students are satisfied in terms of content, pedagogy, analysis, and

alignment of tracks. This confirms that the senior high school curriculums in the

Philippines are well planned and that the authorities made research collaborated with

experts of education. However, teaching quality, expertise of instructors, and academic

challenges and requirements are reported to have the lowest satisfaction level.

This conforms to the study conducted by Combalicer (2016), which stated that

teachers in the Division of Quezon, District of Infanta, showed good practices in

improving content and developing materials that will help students’ skills. However, the

findings stated that the teachers in public schools in the same division and district are not

completely prepared and lack teaching strategies that are needed for the “Curriculum

Enhancement”.

The Philippine K-12 curriculum is designed with four exits to ensure that

graduates have options after finishing the final stage of high school. Graduates can

choose between higher education, middle-level labor, entrepreneurship, and employment.

Factors that affect senior high school graduates’ curriculum exits include socioeconomic

factors. The study by Padios et al. (2021), indicates that lower-income graduates were

more likely to pursue entrepreneurship than study after high school as compared to those
in the middle-income class, and males were more likely to be layabouts than females. In

terms of education, Filipino female students have consistently outperformed their male

counterparts. On the other hand, age and senior high school strand do not explain any

changes in their curriculum exits.The majority of senior high school graduates prefer

higher education to any other SHS exit. The findings of Padios et al. (2021), revealed that

the majority of SHS graduates pursue higher education courses, demonstrating that more

Filipinos preferred a college diploma over immediate employment. Only a small

percentage of graduates were employed and started their own businesses.

This coincides with the study of Orbeta and Postedad (2020), which examined the

employability of senior high school graduates using evidence from the labor force survey

and discovered that only a small number senior high school graduates are employed and

the majority of them continue their education.

Moreover, those from the Academic Track are more likely to pursue education.

STEM graduates are more inclined to pursue science-related fields such as Engineering,

Architecture, pre-med, and IT programs, while few pursue Social Sciences and Business

programs. On the other hand, ABM graduates are more inclined, as expected, to pursue

business programs, while few pursue Social Sciences programs (Awi et al., 2021).

The findings of Ouano et al. (2019), suggest that interest, peer influence,

considerations of the school, and possible job opportunities greatly influence college and

career decisions. This coincides with the study of Tahil et al. (2021), which mentioned

that students' decision to pursue their preferred college degree has been heavily affected

due to professional opportunities and an individual personality or attribute that is perfect

for their selected career.

 In terms of track alignment to college courses, Arcayera (2021), in his study

concluded that most SHS graduates have enrolled in courses related or aligned to their

strands. Moreover, the number of female graduates was almost leveled with the males

showing gender fairness.

This supports the study of Rin et al. (2021), which discovered that the majority of

SHS graduates enroll in courses related to their strands, and their chosen strands helped

them choose what course to take in college.

In addition, the study of Valdez et al. (2022), discovered that graduates of the

STEM strand have the highest levels of course alignment, followed by Arts and Design,

HUMSS, and ABM strand. The lowest strand alignment for college course enrollment is

the graduates from TVL strand.

However, educational mismatch in SHS track and college courses predispose

students to a whole range of disadvantages. Strand alignment is critical because academic

outcomes, later job market outcomes, and other life events can all be influenced. San

Andres et al. (2018), while examining the cases of students with mismatched SHS track,

learned that mismatched students had a difficult time in college. When they discovered

their passion, it was too late to back down. Some of them regret enrolling in

Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) because having to study a subject they

were not going to use was a waste of time, money, and effort. The current researchers

advise instructors to adequately explain the ABM curriculum to Junior High School

students.

This correlates to the research of Valdez et al. (2022), which revealed that

students with mismatched SHS tracks struggled during their collegiate years. Students at
senior high school who did not take the course aligned with their strand reported a variety

of reasons such as family pressure and the program's accessibility being the most

influential factors. Friends and peer pressure, uncertainty about the profession to be

pursued, family status, grades needed for the program, and limited career orientation

during high school were other factors. They also discussed that teachers should guide and

aid their students in choosing the best route for them, and they should keep their

viewpoints and arms open to students who want to seek their counsel in times of doubt

and decision-making challenges. Career counseling can be offered aggressively and

enforced in school by the school's policy.

In addition, the findings of Formaran et al. (2022), suggest that students with

misaligned SHS tracks suffered social anxiety between classmates and old acquaintances

as a result of strand mismatch difficulties, which go beyond academic expectations. To

cope with the challenges brought by strand mismatch, social support is seen to be the

most seeked, with the majority turning to their family members, professors, and peers as

their pillars for support throughout their experience. Moreover, passion continues to serve

as their driving force that allows them to strive harder and keep going despite the

difficulties.

Despite the fact that most Filipino SHS graduates pursue higher education, others

prefer pursuing employment and entrepreneurship. Awi et al. (2021), in their study

concluded that the reasons behind the employment of senior high school graduates are

due to financial factors such as the capacity to support college education and family

orientations.

In addition, according to the study conducted by Lacap (2017), students’

entrepreneurial inclination is not affected whether they were enrolled in a private or

public school. Senior high school students that have a family business background are

said not to be influenced by entrepreneurship. Students having family businesses do not

assure that they show entrepreneurial inclination.

In terms of improving program implementation and teaching quality, Margot and

Kettler (2019), concludes that teachers would be more effective at educating students if

they had more confidence. According to the research, increasing confidence leads to

better performance during instruction, which leads to advances in student learning.

Conceptual Framework
 Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

Figure 1 depicts the study's paradigm, which shows the SHS strand's connection

to the alignment advantages, misalignment disadvantages, and SHS exit. It also shows

that after SHS, graduates may pursue tertiary education, employment, entrepreneurship,

or vocational courses, as well as the reasons for doing so. Students' SHS academic

performance is also indicated to be linked to alignment advantages, the perceived effect

of academic rating, and educational gain from the school which are then used in

accordance to improve the school's competitive edge. The first box specifies the SHS

strand, which serves an important purpose in this study. It is linked to two boxes,

misalignment disadvantages and alignment advantages, which describes its linkage to the

SHS exit and how these can affect the students. Furthermore, the pursued exits are

tertiary education, employment, entrepreneurship, and vocational courses, which are

listed under the SHS exit box. Each reason for pursuing them in the box leading up to the

four potentially pursued exits is given. Moreover, the second box specifies the SHS

academic performance, which is linked to three boxes using a double headed arrow. It

reveals the relationship and effects of the students’ academic performance to alignment

advantages, perceived effect of academic rating, and educational gain from the school.

Lastly, the overall variables are connected to the school’s competitive edge improvements

to show a connection to the ways for improvement, as all the reasons of students’

pursuing different exits can be used to gain a clearer and deeper view on the program

implementation to develop strategies in improving the school’s learning system.

 Chapter 3

METHODS OF RESEARCH AND SOURCES OF DATA

This chapter outlines the methods that were utilized to collect the data needed to

complete the research. It contains information on the respondents, such as the inclusion

criteria for the research, who the participants were, and how they were sampled. It

presents the research design, the sampling techniques applied, respondents of the study,

scope and limitations, the statistical treatment, and the data gathering instrument and

procedures.

Research Design

This study is a quantitative tracer study that is correlational in nature, which is

used by researchers to observe conditions or events that influence people and generate

objective facts that can be expressed concisely using statistics and figures (Williams,

2021). Tracer studies involve identification and follow-up of graduates for the purpose of

evaluating education outcomes to be used as material for the improvement of the

institution.
 This is a study that also possesses a correlational research design, which, as a

research design, seeks information to comprehensively characterize a phenomena,

scenario, or population, with the aim of describing the present status as well as the skills

acquired by the Senior High School Graduates of Camiling Catholic School, Inc. S.Y.

2018-2019.

Sampling Technique

The researchers mainly used three methods to select the respondents for this

study. To calculate the sample size from a given population, the researchers employed

stratified random sampling integrated with Yamane’s Formula. The residual respondents

were therefore chosen at random using the fishbowl method, which involved drawing a

piece of paper at random from the bowl used for this purpose.

Respondents of the Study

This study consists of 186 respondents from the Senior High School Graduates of

CamCS S.Y. 2018-2019. There are 133 respondents in STEM, specifically: 46 in STEM

1, 43 in STEM 2, 44 in STEM 3. In ABM, there are approximately 53 respondents in this

study. Using stratified random sampling integrated with the Yamane’s formula, the total

number of respondents resulted to 126, with 32 respondents from STEM 1, 29

respondents from STEM 2, 29 respondents from STEM 3, and 36 respondents from

ABM.

Scope and Delimitation

 The general intent of this study is to track the SHS exit of the Senior High School

Graduates of CamCS S.Y. 2018–2019 and its alignment to their SHS strands, as well as

evaluate CamCS with regards to their perceived educational gain and ways for program

improvement. With the We employed stratified random sampling integrated with

Yamane’s formula, which resulted in 90 STEM and 36 ABM respondents, for a total of

126 respondents. Moreover, by excluding the deceased graduates from the batch, the

number of responses were limited. These respondents completed two full years of the

CamCS SHS curriculum program and are currently pursuing curriculum exits, including

tertiary education, employment, vocational courses, or entrepreneurship.

Statistical Treatment

For the statistical treatment, the researchers used two procedures for different

questions comprising the study’s statement of the problem.

For Objectives Number 1-3, the frequency and percentage of the results were

determined by the researchers. Frequency pertains to how often something happens. The

percentage is then computed after the collection of the frequencies. The researchers

added up all the frequencies on a frequency chart to determine the total in order to

calculate percentages. The percentage is then calculated by dividing the frequency of a

particular occurrence by the total frequency of events.

For Objectives Number 4-9, the statistical technique that was used by the

researchers is the mean. The means are used to determine the central tendency of the

pertinent data. It is used to determine the academic ratings, the benefits of an aligned

SHS strand to SHS exit, the impact of the SHS academic rating on college performance,
and the perceived educational gain at CamCS. It is calculated by adding up each data

point for the population, then dividing the result by the total number of points.

For Objective Number 10, the researchers used Multiple Linear Correlation

statistical treatment. This type of statistical treatment is used to explain the relationship

between one continuous dependent variable and two or more independent variables. The

independent variables can be continuous or categorical.

Data Gathering Instrument

The researchers collected and analyzed data using a survey questionnaire.

Questionnaires are popular research methodologies because they provide a quick,

efficient, and low-cost way to collect huge quantities of information from big sample

sizes (Market Research, 2022). The surveys used are created by the researchers using a

4-point Likert-scale ranging from strongly agree, agree, disagree, and strongly disagree;

checkboxes; and multiple-choice questions to establish the respondents' preferences and

reasons.

Data Gathering Procedure

The questionnaires used were distributed to the respondents who have been

chosen to participate in the study by the researchers using Google Forms. After gathering

data from respondents, the researchers then interpreted it using quantitative data analysis.

Quantitative analysis refers to the approaches used by academics to turn data into

numerical representations and then subject it to statistical analysis, which were studied

and presented further in the following chapters.