Senior High School Track and Course Preference of the Students

ABSTRACT

their desires and areas of interest.Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, Arts and Design, and Sports are some of the four paths available.This track is further subdivided into strands, which are the specific study programs within a designated track.
Those learners who aspire to continue tertiary education may choose the Academic Track.This track has four strands namely: Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM); Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS); and General Academic (GA).Those who intend to study business-related and entrepreneurship courses at the tertiary level may opt to enroll in the ABM strand.Mathematics and science enthusiasts may prioritize the STEM strand.To those inclined in the fields of humanities and social sciences, the HUMSS strand is recommended.The GAS strand is suited for those who are undecided about their fields of study in college.
For learners who are planning to pursue careers in the arts, Arts and Design Track is designed for them.This track includes the following: Theater, Music, Dance: Creative Writing, Visual Arts, and Media Arts.There are three art field specializations that the learners may select from based on aptitude and skills such as apprenticeship, art exhibition/performance, or production.Sports-related careers aspirants may prioritize the Sports Track.Some of these careers are athlete development, fitness training, coaching, and officiating.
. Careers specializing in technical-vocational livelihood are suited for the Technical-Vocational Livelihood Track.It consists of four strands: Agri-Fishery Arts Strand; Home Economics (HE) Strand; Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Strand; and Industrial Arts Strand.These are correlated to Technology and Livelihood Education (TVL) learning areas in grades 7 to 10. Different specializations are offered in every strand that may or may not have a National Certificate (NC) equivalent from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
One of the goals of the K to 12 curriculum is to ensure that senior high school students are well-prepared for tertiary education.Tracks and strands enrolled in senior high school may be parallel to course preference in college so that they can use what they have learned in school.However, the incongruous rate is high between their senior high school strands and the courses they enrolled in college (14).A situation like this may lead to outright fear and lack of satisfaction in college.Research shows that one of the major reasons that some students fail is the gap between their high school experiences and their college expectations.
It is vital to identify one's aptitude in high school as the basis for courses to be enrolled in the tertiary level.Everyone's meaning in life is related to their career aspirations (8).Similarly, the alignment of students' Senior High School track and course preference in college with their aptitude may determine their probable performance in educational programs (16).On the other hand, career choices made by the respondents that are not congruent to their aptitudes may lead to increase in unemployment and underemployment rates due to misfit graduates.
Choosing a career path can help identify career goals and create a plan to achieve them.An honest assessment of one's abilities, interests, skills, and personality and outlining career goals are necessary when choosing a job (6).Having a career goal will help them make important decisions with more clarity, even if some aspects of their career may change over time due to choices or circumstances.
The best education and training can be chosen when people, especially those who are starting high school, have a clear idea of the career they want to pursue.With K-12 programs, students can make their own career decisions.Choosing a career in high school is the first step a student should take in his career.This stage is very important because it forms the basis of student preparation.The choice of a career path must be planned carefully because it has a longterm impact on a person's development and future success.
Nowadays, a person not only needs to plan his career but also consider future employment (10).Similarly, student interest is significant in determining career choice decisions for an individual's career (12).It implies that senior high school students need guidance in choosing their tracks and strands in preparation for the tertiary level where they are expected to proceed after secondary schooling.
Numerous aspects could impact a student's decision in selecting a college course.Preparing students for professional futures and challenges is one of the noteworthy aspects of the SHS curriculum.However, there is a distinguished situation in which students' tracks or strands in SHS are not related to their enrollment in university courses (18).A parallel study regarding the alignment of tracks and courses in college disclosed that career choices made by the respondents are not related to their aptitude (16).This may reduce productivity and dissatisfaction in their chosen fields.Lack of fulfillment and struggle to find success may also be experienced.
To prevent high school students from making poor career choices, schools should complete career counseling programs.Career Guidance is designed to provide secondary school students with career skills to choose the career they plan to pursue to be productive and help others, as stated in Republic Act No. 10533, also known as the Basic Education Act of 2013.These situations motivated the researcher to conduct the study that may provide baseline data about the senior high school track and course preferences in college.

Objectives
This study aims to determine SHS tracks and course preferences of the students in the Province of Sorsogon, Philippines for the School Year 2022 -2023.Specifically, it identifies the enrolled tracks of the respondents in Grade 11, determines the respondents' college's course preference, evaluates the extent of agreement of the respondents along the factors when grouped according to track, and correlates track choice to course preference in college.

Conceptual Framework
One of the highlights of the senior high school program is to prepare students before entering college.Teachers and guidance counselors may assist students in fitting their abilities and personalities to the selection of tracks and course preferences in college.Success in their career may be attained in the future if they are globally competitive and skillful in their chosen fields.Matching the skills of students to their choice of tracks and strands may help ease their studies.This may boost confidence in work and lead to a positive attitude toward a career.Likewise, being aware of strengths and how to improve them may help them find satisfaction in their work.This may also serve as motivation for their career in the future.
The college course is closely connected to the senior high school curriculum (11).Likewise, career preferences are connected to the courses students choose to take (19).Moreover, the alignment of the SHS strand in college courses is determined by factors like interest, future career paths, and financial and employment considerations (17).Aligning the interests of students in the Senior High School track and strand with their college courses is a way to determine what is suitable for their study.Hence, this study tested the following hypothesis: There is no significant relationship between the enrolled tracks in senior high school and their course preference in college.

II. METHODOLOGY
The present study employed a descriptivecorrelational design in which a questionnaire was utilized to survey the respondents.This design is appropriate because there is a need to describe the enrolled tracks in senior high school and course preferences in college.Correlation between the enrolled tracks and course preferences is established without making any claims about cause and effect.

Population and Sample
This study used purposive and nonprobability quota sampling in choosing the respondents.The population of the students was provided by the school head of each schoolrespondents.The researchers selected the respondents from the population using Slovin's formula.The respondents of the study are presented in Table 1.

Research Instrument
The study used the researchers-made survey questionnaire, which was examined, edited, and validated by the three experts in the field of education research.The questionnaire was improved and revised according to the comments and suggestions of the experts.The Cronbach's alpha test was used to determine the internal consistency or reliability of the researchers-made instrument.Based on the Cronbach's alpha test, as a rule of thumb (5), a questionnaire with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.72 with 34 items means that it is reliable and acceptable.

Collection of Data
After the dry run and revision of the research questionnaires, the researchers filed a letter to the School Division Office and senior high schools in the province of Sorsogon.This is done to seek approval to conduct the study.After the approval, the researchers started collecting the data.The researcher also communicated with the school heads and senior high school coordinators regarding the research through text messages, phone calls, and chat via Messenger.The researcher gathered the data from Grade 12 students in the province of Sorsogon for the school year 2022-2023.

Data Analysis
The gathered data was summarized, interpreted, and analyzed using the following statistical tools and its purpose: frequency counts are used to determine and describe the enrolled tracks and occupational fields of interest of Grade 12 students.Raw data is grouped into a frequency distribution, which is utilized to find out the average or centrality of percentile scores.Finally, an analysis was utilized in the study to determine whether there is a significant relationship between the senior high school enrolled tracks of the students and course preference in college.A chi-square test for association was used to determine the relationship between enrolled tracks and course preference in college.Likert scale was used to describe the extent of agreement of the respondents along the factors when grouped according to track as strongly disagree, disagree, agree, and strongly agree with the scales 1.00-1.49,1.50-2.49,2.50-3.49,and 3.50-4.00respectively.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This section discusses the enrolled tracks of the respondents, college course preference, degree of agreement along with the identified factors when grouped according to tracks and course preferences, and the relationship of enrolled tracks to course preference in college.It also presents the

Senior high school tracks
College course preferenc e analysis and interpretation of data as guided by the statement of the problem and the conceptual framework of the study.

Enrolled Tracks in Senior High School
The enrolled tracks of the respondents, as shown in  (15).However, senior high school track and strand preference using the SOAR Intervention Program revealed that the majority of respondents chose the technical vocational track over the academic track (3).
The result tells us that the enrolled tracks and strands of the respondents in this study varied greatly, reflecting the diverse interests and career goals of the students.The most common track among the respondents was GAS, STEM, then by Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) then by Accountancy and Business Management (ABM) as well as Maritime.GAS careers are in high demand and offer lucrative opportunities for growth and advancement.However, there were also a significant number of respondents enrolled in STEM, showing a strong interest in fields such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.Also, the Humanities and Social Sciences stands, showing a strong interest in fields such as literature, psychology, and sociology.Additionally, a considerable number of respondents were enrolled in the Business and Management strand, highlighting a desire for entrepreneurship and leadership roles in the corporate world.It was also worth noting that a small but significant percentage of respondents were enrolled in Maritime.In terms of the TVL track, it is worth noting that a significant percentage of respondents were enrolled in Electrical Installation Management, followed by Agri-Crop, Shielded Metal Arc, Computer System Servicing, Cookery, Beauty Care, Event Management, Tailoring, and Electronic Product Assemble Servicing, showing a practical approach to education and a focus on gaining hands-on skills.Overall, the data on enrolled tracks and strands of the respondents showcased a diverse range of interests and aspirations, highlighting the importance of providing a well-rounded education that caters to the individual needs and goals of each student.
The result has far-reaching implications.Firstly, the data collected helped in understanding the enrolment trends of the students in the province.It provided vital information on the areas where the students are showing greater interest and identified areas for improvement in terms of course selection.Additionally, the data helped in determining the strategies necessary to improve the enrollment of students in various tracks.This helped the educational authorities to focus on the tracks that require better promotion and support and allowed them to properly allocate resources to improve the overall quality of education in the province.Moreover, the data also helped in understanding the profile of the respondents, which can be used to tailor educational policies to meet the needs of the students.Finally, the data was used to assess the progress of the educational system in the province, which can serve as a basis for further development.

College Course Preference
Based on Table 3, there are a total of 95 or 14% of respondents who preferred education and training, followed by information and technology courses, for a total of 86 or 13%.Next is hospitality and tourism, with a total of 78 or 11%.Another, business, management & administration, 56 or 8%; law, public safety, corrections & security, 53 or 8%; architecture and construction together with health sciences and marketing, sales and services with the same data of 26 or 4%; government and public administration with a total of 24 or 3%; finance with 21 or 3%; manufacturing (mechanical/industrial)with a total of 16 or 2%; arts, audiovisual technology and communication with a total of 14 or 2%; human services with a total of 12 or 2%; and finally, transportation, distribution and logistics with a total of 10 or 1%.Moreover, many of the students are interested in taking courses related to information technology, which has become an integral part of their lives.Additionally, students also prefer courses related to agriculture and fishing, as these are important sources of livelihood in the province.Furthermore, students have also expressed an interest in courses related to business and entrepreneurship, as these can provide them with the skills and knowledge, they need to become successful in their chosen career paths.Lastly, students have also indicated a preference for courses related to the arts and humanities, as these can help broaden their intellectual horizons and provide them with a better understanding of their own culture and the world around them.
The result implies that the course preferences of the students can be seen as an indication of the kind of education they would like to receive and the career paths they would like to pursue after graduation.With the necessary data gathered from the respondents, the educational authorities in the province can plan and implement policies and activities that cater to the needs and interests of the students.This includes providing adequate resources, facilities, and other support services to ensure that the students will receive a quality and relevant education.Furthermore, the data gathered can also help educational institutions properly allocate their resources and manpower to address the student's needs.The result also served as an indicator of the current and future trends in the province's educational system.By monitoring the preferences of the students, the school authorities can anticipate the direction and focus of the education system and make necessary adjustments to ensure that the student's needs are met.It could help educational institutions prepare students for the future and equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen fields.
Finally, the present course preferences of the respondents in senior high schools in the Province of Sorsogon can also be used as a basis for developing educational policies that would be beneficial for the students, the schools, and society.By understanding the preferences of the students, the educational authorities can formulate policies that will help the students achieve their educational goals and empower them to pursue their chosen career paths.This would ultimately lead to the overall development of the province and its people.
It can be gleaned from Table 4A that the majority of the respondents agree that among the factors, personality greatly affects the TVL track with a WM of 2.63 followed by environmental with a WM of 2.60 but disagree in terms of opportunity with a WM of 2.47 and educational with a WM of 2.42.In terms of Academic track, it was found that the majority of respondents agree that personality has a greater impact to them with a WM of 2.58 followed by environmental factor with a WM of 2.53 but disagree in terms of opportunity with a WM of 2.37 and educational with a WM of 2.31.
Personality is an important factor in choosing a career.Personality traits are found to play an important role in explaining education and occupation choices over the lifecycle (20).Results show that individuals with a comparative advantage in schooling and white-collar work have, on average, higher cognitive skills, and higher personality trait scores.Allowing personality traits to evolve with age and with schooling proves to be important to capturing the heterogeneity in how people respond to educational policies.
The implications of personality and environmental factors on students who enrolled in TVL and academic tracks are significant.The personality of a student plays a crucial role in their academic and career success.Students who possess traits such as determination, resilience, and selfdiscipline are more likely to excel in both TVL and Academic tracks.
In the TVL track, students are exposed to a more hands-on and practical approach to learning.This requires them to have a certain level of physical and mental stamina, as well as the ability to work well with others.Students who have a strong sense of determination and can adapt to different situations are more likely to excel in this track.They are also more likely to persevere through challenges and setbacks, which are common in vocational education.Additionally, students who possess good problem-solving skills and can think critically are more likely to succeed in TVL programs.
On the other hand, the Academic track focuses on theoretical and academic learning.This track is more suited for students who have a strong intellectual capacity and excel in subjects such as math, science, and language.Students who have a natural curiosity and a desire to learn are more likely to thrive in this track.They are also more likely to have strong study habits and time management skills, which are essential for success in academic pursuits.
Aside from personality, environmental factors also play a crucial role in a student's academic and success.The environment in which a student grows up can greatly influence their educational and career choices.Students who come from families with a strong emphasis on education and have a supportive home environment are more likely to excel in both TVL and Academic tracks.On the other hand, students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds or have a lack of support at home may struggle to succeed in their chosen track.
Parents as one of the environmental factors affect the children's choice of career.Parental expectations and other individual and contextual factors greatly affect the decisionmaking of some adolescents in choosing their academic paths (4).They also revealed that academic motivation, work hope, and mattering, which later have a positive and vital effect on both future intentions to undertake university studies and on the participants' occupational well-being is affected by their parents' desires significantly.Hence, the results displayed associations between adolescent-parent career choices and decision-making.
Along with agriculture, animals, and natural resources, most of the respondents agree that among the factors, personality is a great factor followed by environment and opportunity.Opportunity and personality factors highly influence making career decisions and it showed a strong positive relationship (2).This also implies that agriculture, animals, and natural resources are all interconnected and play a significant role in society.
Moreover, the accessibility and quality of educational resources also play a role in a student's success.Students who have access to well-equipped schools and resources such as books, computers, and laboratories are more likely to excel in their studies.On the other hand, students who attend schools with limited resources may face challenges in their learning and may not reach their full potential.

Extent of Agreement of the Respondents along the Factors when Grouped according to Course Preference
The academic performance and general well-being of students participating in programs in the arts, audio-visual technology, and communication are significantly influenced by environmental influences.The availability and caliber of resources is one of the major effects of the environmental factor on this set of students.They required facilities, specialized software, and equipment to advance their abilities and produce high-quality work.Environmental aspects ranked highest among respondents in terms of agreement with architecture and structure, followed by personality.Environmental and psychological factors have a wide range of important effects on students enrolled in architecture and construction courses.These pupils are being formed by their surroundings and individual characteristics in addition to acquiring the technical skills and knowledge necessary for their careers.The outcome suggests that individuals' attitudes, behaviors, and performance in the domains of business, management, and administration are significantly influenced by their personalities and contextual circumstances.Individuals' total job happiness and well-being are significantly impacted by these factors, which also have an impact on how successful and effective they are in their professions.

Table 4. Extent of Agreement of the respondents along the factors when grouped according to tracks
The implications of environmental and personality factors on respondents along with education and training are significant and far-reaching.These factors play a crucial role in shaping an individual's attitudes, behaviors, and learning outcomes.The implications of environmental and personality factors for respondents in finance are vast and multifaceted.The environment in which the individual grows up and lives can heavily influence financial behaviors and decisionmaking.Moreover, personality traits can also play a significant role in financial decisions.Moreover, (9) disclosed the relationship between personality types and career choice.They also found out that most of the students (73.3%) are satisfied with their course of study.Likewise, contentment and success in their schooling would be enhanced with appropriate career choices.
The field of government and public administration has been greatly impacted by both environmental and personality factors.These factors play a crucial role in shaping the behavior and decision-making of individuals within these organizations.The external environment can greatly influence the types of policies and strategies implemented, while individual personality can affect the approach and styles of decision-making.
The implication of environment, personality, and opportunity factors of respondents have a significant impact on the field of health sciences.These three factors play a crucial role in shaping the health outcomes and behavior of individuals.The environment in which the person lives, works, and interacts with others can greatly influence their physical and mental well-being.
Along with hospitality and tourism, the majority agreed on both personality and environment.These factors play a vital role in the overall sustainability of the hospitality and tourism industry.A positive and welcoming environment, combined with the right personality traits in service providers, can lead to a more progressive business in the world.Most of the respondents in human services agree that the environment greatly affects them.This factor can influence a person's ability to access and utilize human services.
The interplay of environmental and personality factors along with information technology has an important impact on an individual's behavior toward the environment.These factors play an essential role in shaping the person's perceptions, attitudes, and values which ultimately influence their actions towards the environment.
The extent of the agreement of the respondents regarding law, public safety, and corrections and security showed that the majority of them agreed on environmental factors.The environment in which a person is raised, and lives can greatly shape personality and behavior.This can have both positive and negative effects on the person's interactions with the law and the criminal justice system.
Personality, environment, and opportunity were the three key factors that have an essential impact on manufacturing, for mechanical and industrial.Personality traits such as openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion can affect a person's perception of work and ability to adapt to new situations.The environment in which a person works can greatly impact the level of agreement.Opportunity, on the other hand, also plays a vital role in the fields of mechanical and industrial manufacturing.The environment, opportunity, and the influence of personality play an important role in career choice (2).The results showed that all three variables had a positive relationship, but the environmental factor had a weak relationship.Therefore, environmental factors do not have much influence on the management of students' career choices.
Personality and environmental factors were agreed upon along with marketing, sales, and services.These factors shape a person's behavior and attitudes toward various aspects of life.Moreover, personality traits positively influence motivation towards entrepreneurship (21).The extent of agreement among respondents in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is influenced by a combination of environmental and personality factors.These factors play a significant role in shaping a person's attitudes and beliefs towards STEM fields.Opportunity, personality, and environmental factors play great roles in the fields of transportation, distribution, and logistics.These factors have a significant impact on the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward these fields.Stakeholders in this field need to understand and consider these factors to promote a positive and collaborative working environment and drive the industry forward.Moreover, opportunity is the factor that has shaped career choices for students.Opportunity may influence how students perceive their future in terms of the reasonable probability of a future in particular career fields (13).

Relationship between the Chosen Track in Grade 11 and Course Preference in College
Table 5 presents the relationship between the chosen track and the course preference of the students.It shows that at 0.05 level of significance and 15 degrees of freedom, the computed chi-square value was 161.938, greater than the critical value of 24.996 therefore the null hypothesis is rejected.This indicates a significant relationship between the tracks and course preference.This indicates a significant relationship between the tracks and course preference.This result implies that here in Sorsogon students' selection of tracks is based on their interests and skills.This may also mean that they were guided by school administration and teachers accordingly, hence the objective of the K to 12 program is attained to some extent.Likewise, career prospects are one of the critical factors in student's decisionmaking, as they were more likely to choose tracks that they believe would lead to better job opportunities (7).Similarly, results showed that course preference in college is strongly associated with SHS track/strand choice (11).Hence, the relationship between the chosen track in Grade 11 and course preference in college has significant implications on a student's academic performance, motivation, career options, finances, and overall well-being.It is essential for students to carefully consider their interests and future goals when choosing a track in Grade 11 to ensure a more seamless and fulfilling transition to college and beyond.Schools and educators also play a vital role in guiding students and providing support to help them make well-informed decisions that align with their strengths and aspirations.

IV. CONCLUSION
This study found that most respondents were enrolled in the academic track and showed a preference for education and training courses in college.Most participants in both the academic and technology tracks agree that personality has a more significant influence on them than environmental variables.They disagreed on opportunities and educational factors.The respondents in the fields of architecture, business management and administration, education and training, finance, government and administration, hospitality and tourism, information technology, marketing sales and services, science, technology engineering, and mathematics were influenced by both environmental and personality factors.These characteristics significantly influence attitudes and views about their chosen fields.Respondents in the disciplines of art, audio-visual technology and communication, human services, law, public safety, and corrections are only influenced by environmental circumstances.Environmental, opportunity, and personality factors significantly influence the level of consensus among responders in health, sciences, manufacturing transportation, distribution, and logistics.Moreover, a substantial association exists between the student's chosen track and course preference.Choosing the appropriate high school track can help students align their abilities and interests with their college course selection.

Table 2 ,
show that most of the respondents are enrolled in the Academic track, followed by the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track.In general, out of the 354 respondents from Academic Track, there are 110, or 31% are enrolled in the General Academic Strand (GAS); 100, or 29% enrolled in Science and Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); 74 or 22% enrolled in Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM); and 20 or 5% enrolled in Maritime.On the other hand, out of 333 total respondents under TVL Tracks, 95, or 29% are enrolled in Electrical Installation and Management (EIM); 68, or 20% enrolled in Agri-Crop Production (ACP); 50, or 15% enrolled in Shielded Metal Arc; 55or 16% enrolled in Computer System Servicing (CSS); 17 or 5% enrolled in Cookery and Beauty Care;12 or 4% enrolled in Event Management; 10 or 3% enrolled in Tailoring; and 9 or 3% enrolled in Electronic Products Assembly & Servicing.Track preference affect the choice of track of incoming senior high school students, and the extent to which these factors influence their track revealed that most of the students prefer Academic Track over other tracks