FORCED CAREERS: THE LIMITED OPTIONS IN ACADEMIC STRAND OF CLARETIAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ZAMBOANGA CITY A Research Presented to the High School Unit of Claret School of Zamboanga City, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Del Sur by Gercelle Anne T. Aquino Lianne A. Lacastesantos Anjheluz Briget L. Somera (11- STEM B) Alih Aping Jr. (Statistics and Probability Teacher) CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Everyone concludes that education is the key to success in life. It motivated everyone to take a leap of faith in life, grab the initiative, and lead in developing positive benefits where accomplishment and honor can be feasibly obtained. Education lets everyone have the ability to understand logical things and to handle and solve problems even when faced with different and challenging situations in life. It helps people to stay motivated and to grow and become the best version of themselves with their chosen path to achieve their dreams. Wherein everyone now demands high-quality education, the curriculum of the people must be brought into line with the demands of the world economy. It led the Philippines' educational system to adapt to a more effective and modern education where it followed the 12-year program. The implementation of the 12-year-old program objectives was to polish up competent students to acquire basic proficiency for their constant learning and pursuit. As a result of the Filipinos' competency regarding learning and mastering their intellectual capabilities, it enabled them to advance in the required demands of the working world despite being at the age of 18 and lower (Dizon et al., 2019). The young learners were given the chance to decide on their own in picking and pursuing the track that helped them to succeed in the career path that they chose. According to Nazareno et al. (2021), choosing a career must be thought carefully because of the long-term impact it may have on the student's future career. However, a lot of us struggle to choose what career is best for us. It is ideal if we are certain about the course we are taking. We must be certain of what we should be doing and what we actually desire in order to succeed. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Claretian's personal experiences and struggles in choosing careers. The researchers observed that many students are still tormented because of the complications of not being able to choose the career they truly want. Thus, this study aims to determine the reasons behind the lack of choices Senior High School Claretian Students have in careers. Statement of the Problem This research study aims to determine why some Senior High School Claretian Students lack choices in choosing their desired academic strand. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Do you feel pressured to choose your strand? 2. In a scale of 1-5, how hard do you think is your strand? 3. Have you ever thought of shifting to another strand? PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The primary purpose of this research study is to investigate the Claretians personal experiences and struggles in choosing careers. The researchers observed that many students are still tormented because of the complications of not being able to choose the career they truly want. Another purpose of this study is to look into the personal experiences and struggles of Claretian senior high school students when deciding on a career. The study aims to determine the reasons for these students' lack of academic options, as well as to shed light on the challenges and difficulties they face in pursuing their desired career paths. According to Almario (2021), making the right career choice for students entering professional education is critical, as it has a significant impact on their professional life and future achievement. The study seeks to provide insights into the factors that influence career decision-making among these students in order to develop strategies and interventions to support and empower them in making informed and fulfilling career choices. Lastly, the purpose of conducting research based on the lack of options students have in careers would be to identify the reasons for this problem and to explore potential solutions. This study could examine the factors contributing to limited career options for students. This could include examining the education system, job market trends, and the overall economic landscape. By understanding the underlying causes of this problem, policymakers and educators could work to address them. This could include interventions at the individual, institutional, and systemic levels. DATA GATHERING Research Question 1: Do you feel pressured to choose your strand? PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT 1 YES / PARTICIPANT 2 / PARTICIPANT 3 NO / PARTICIPANT 4 / PARTICIPANT 5 / PARTICIPANT 6 / PARTICIPANT 7 / PARTICIPANT 8 / PARTICIPANT 9 / PARTICIPANT 10 / PARTICIPANT 11 / PARTICIPANT 12 / PARTICIPANT 13 PARTICIPANT 14 / PARTICIPANT 15 / Research Question 2: In a scale of 1-5, how hard do you think is your strand? PARTICIPANT 5 PARTICIPANT 1 / 4 PARTICIPANT 2 PARTICIPANT 3 / / / PARTICIPANT 7 / PARTICIPANT 8 / PARTICIPANT 9 / / PARTICIPANT 11 / PARTICIPANT 12 / PARTICIPANT 13 / PARTICIPANT 14 PARTICIPANT 15 1 / PARTICIPANT 6 PARTICIPANT 10 2 / PARTICIPANT 4 PARTICIPANT 5 3 / / Research Question 3: Have you ever thought of shifting to another strand? PARTICIPANT PARTICIPANT 1 YES / PARTICIPANT 2 / PARTICIPANT 3 / PARTICIPANT 4 / NO / PARTICIPANT 5 / PARTICIPANT 6 / PARTICIPANT 7 / PARTICIPANT 8 / PARTICIPANT 9 PARTICIPANT 10 / / PARTICIPANT 11 PARTICIPANT 12 / / PARTICIPANT 13 PARTICIPANT 14 / PARTICIPANT 15 / INTERPRETATION OF DATA Research Question 1: Do you feel pressured to choose your strand? 26% 74% Yes No INTERPRETATION FOR RESEARCH QS 1: Table 1 shows that 26% of the students did not feel pressured to choose their strand. Indicating that 74% of the students did. According to The effects of Interest, Family Peers, and Socio Economic Status On the career choice of the Grade 10 students of St. Matthew College in San Mateo, Rizal SY 2015-2016 (2016), one of the reasons why students struggle to choose a career is because they are influenced by their second thoughts and by the people around them. Majority of the students who did not feel pressured probably carefully considered what benefits they could get in their chosen careers, but also getting into a career they are satisfied with. Research Question 2: In a scale of 1-5, how hard do you think is your strand? 47% 27% 1 2 3 4 27% 5 INTERPRETATION FOR RESEARCH QS 2: In table 2, the researchers asked for a rating, wherein rating 1 is finding the strand easy, and 5 for hard. 47% rated 5, 27% rated 4, and 27% rated 3. This shows that the students' answers vary from not easy to hard. With none being able to rate 1 or 2, this also indicates that the reason for their struggles is because they may find their strand difficult. Some students may find this difficult because they are uneasy with the subjects that they may encounter especially in Science and Mathematics (Dela Rosa, 2017). Each strand is different and are challenging in their own ways, resulting in the students’ varying marks. Research Question 3: Have you ever thought of shifting to another strand?? 54% 46% Yes No INTERPRETATION FOR RESEARCH QS 3: In table 3, the results show that 46% have thought of changing their strand and 54% haven’t. Considering that in the first table, the majority did not feel pressured in their strand. This probably has affected the answers for this table, as it is evident as their answers align. The students who have thought of shifting could be the outcome of their choice shifting or as a result of their failure to achieve the requirements for a certain strand (Albay et al., 2017). SUMMARY OF FINDINGS This research study examines why some Senior High School Claretian Students lack choices in choosing their desired academic strand. One of the tasks of high school students is to explore and plan for their postsecondary career options. High school students are at the exploration stage of career development. Many factors affect career choices of high school students (Anuada, 2017). The study focuses on three research questions: whether students feel pressured to choose their strand, how difficult they find their strand, and whether they have considered shifting to another strand. According to Nazareno et al., (2021) Selecting a career track is crucial and must be thought of carefully because of its long-term impact on an individual's future career. Knowing the factors that may influence students' career track choices can be helpful in the development of strategies that may help them make intelligent decisions. The study found that 26% of students did not feel pressured to choose their strand, while 74% did. The majority of students rated their strand as hard, with 47% rating it as 5 (the highest difficulty level). Additionally, 46% of students have considered shifting to another strand, possibly due to difficulty with their current strand or a failure to meet its requirements.
