CHAPTER I

PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Senior High School serves as the preparatory level for students before stepping into

college. It is consisted of various subjects according to their chosen strand that is under different

tracks. This program develops students through the method of using higher level of teaching,

broader lessons and actual application of learning in real life. Some of the subjects were

extracted from college-level courses and this serves as an introductory phase for them in order to

be prepared. Students under Academic Strand such as STEM, ABM, HUMSS and GAS are the

ones who mainly receive this subjects that were subdivided into core, applied, contextualized and

specialized. The given subjects mainly focus on broad reading, writing, memorizing, reporting

and then actually applied. Every strand has its own uniqueness, they differ on the major subjects

they provide, this were classified as “specialized”, this subject are the ones that will guide and

lead students to their chosen course in college.

Senior high school is recognized as the last two years of secondary level of education

under the K to 12 programs. This includes grades 11 and 12 that holds a total of 4 semesters.

Senior high school students undergo through various programs and subjects under their chosen

strand. According to the official website of Department of Education, the two additional years

will equip learners with skills that will better prepare them for the future, whether it is in aspects

of employment, entrepreneurship skills development (Technical Vocational Track) and higher

education (Academic Track). Senior high school is consisted with subjects and programs like

college in order to introduce it to students and be familiar with its contents. In order to make

Senior High School effective, they ensure that the programs being offered are inclined with the

1
curriculum of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) which is the government sector that

manages the system college and university education in the Philippines. DEPED ensures that

students will graduate under SHS program will have the standard knowledge, skills, abilities and

competencies that are mostly needed in college. In terms of tracks, it will be distributed

according to the resources available in the area, the student needs and interest, together with the

opportunities and demands of community. Among all of the changes being made by the K to 12

programs, Senior high school is the most recognized and noticeable due to its additional years

and pre-college learning system. It is being adapted from other countries as a response to

globalization in order to provide and achieve higher quality of education. This will make the

Filipino youth to be stand out and globally competitive in aspects of work, career, and

profession. Also, SHS is being used as a tool to lessen the population of out of school youth

and give them opportunity to be trained for various jobs that could change their life. It is also

permanently seen as a solution to address the issues regarding on poverty and lack of jobs, with

the goal to lessen it. With Senior High School, it ensures that the future of Filipino youth is

secured. Among all the Senior High School tracks, the students that belong to the academic track

will mostly enter higher education, that’s why they are the ones that will benefit from the courses

and programs being extracted from college. This strands that belong to academic track are

Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS),

Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and General Academic Strand

(GAS). The following strands lead students to the different branches of courses in college as a

continuation of the subjects they already took. ABM is inclined in courses relating to Business

Administration, HUMSS is in Criminal Justice, Education, Arts and Sciences, and STEM is in

Allied Medicine, Science and Engineering while GAS is inclined in wide areas of professions.

2
Senior High School serves as the transition stage for student’s decision making for their lifetime

profession. Upon deciding, there are factors should be considered like the family income,

student’s interest or ability, chosen course and grades. College, also known as higher education

serves as the student ’s training ground for their chosen life course or profession. Other countries

define college as a degree rewarding tertiary educational institution wherein it consists of

undergraduate and post graduate programs. College level education mostly focuses on providing

academic programs. According to dictionary.com, college is an institution of higher learning,

especially one providing a general or liberal and education rather than technical or professional

training. College is consisted of several years mainly 2-8 depending on the chosen degree of

course. It mostly consists of different programs, assessments and job trainings at higher level.

With the help of K to 12 Senior High School, students were already exposed in broad subjects

that made them be prepared for the college environment or atmosphere.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Input – Figure no.1 (Input) presents the factors to consider for the students’ preparation of Effectiveness of

Specialized Subject of Accountancy, Business and Management of Entering College of the Senior High School

students of STI College Lipa. Also, the different information that are indicated in the input are the

positive and negative of being part of specialized subject together with the benefits of the

specialized subject of Accountancy, Business and Management to the students, and the future

researchers that are recognized as the beneficiaries of our research.

Process – On the next figure which is the process, it introduces the different methods for

gathering data and information. Through distributing survey questionnaires can provide us answer to

the problem of our research. It is being used because our research uses qualitative type of

3
gathering data. At the end, analyzing these answers can be the way to formulate the appropriate

solutions for the research problem.

Output – The last figure which is the output of conceptual framework, presents the results and

final output about the specialized subject of Accountancy, Business and Management of entering college of Senior

High School students. It aims to provide conclusions and recommendations for the preparation of

these students.

Input Process Output

- The factors to
consider for
students’ preparation
for college. Effectiveness of
- Conducting Specialized Subject
- The positive and interviews of Accountancy,
negative impact of Business and
having specialized - Distributing survey Management to the
subject of questionnaires Preparation of
Accountancy, Entering College in
Business and - Analyzing answer STI College Lipa
Management in
preparation of
entering college.

- The benefits of
specialized subjects
to students for
college preparation.

4
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

1. What are the factors to consider for students’ preparation for college?

2. What are the positive and negative impact of having specialized subject of Accountancy,

Business and Management in preparation of entering college?

3. What are the benefits of specialized subjects to students for college preparation?

HYPOTHESIS

These specialize subjects will help and guide most of the Senior High School student in

STI College Lipa in selecting or choosing their specific course/s before entering college.

These specialize subjects will not help and guide most of the Senior High School student

in STI College Lipa in selecting or choosing their specific course/s before entering college.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

In this study, the researcher believes that the effects of having specialized subjects of

Accountancy, Business and Management would be beneficial to the following individuals and

group of individuals.

For the Students - The significance of the study is to determine the effectiveness of specialized

subject of Accountancy, Business and Management to the preparation of entering college in STI

College Lipa.

For the Future researcher - For the future researcher can conduct a research that is related their

research, it helps to understand better who is interested in this study and to improve their ideas.

5
SCOPE AND LIMITATION

This study focuses on the preparation of Senior High School from Accountancy, Business

and Management to know the advantages and disadvantages of taking specialized subject on

Accountancy, Business and Management and how it can help the Senior High School when they

enter college and how specialized subject improves and enhance the academic performance of a

student.

This research limits the students of STI College Lipa, who are randomly selected students

of Senior High School from to know the advantages and disadvantages of taking specialized

subject on Accountancy, Business and Management Strand in STI College Lipa.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

A term may have multiple or complicated meaning, in order to have a clear definition to

understand the specific word better, we should require the definition of terms. With that, the

researchers have presented below a list of terms that can give the readers an accurate

information.

College - a place of higher education usually for people who have finished twelve years of schooling and where

they can obtain more advanced knowledge and get a degree to recognize this.

Course - a program of instruction, as in a college or university.

Curriculum - a set of courses constituting an area of specialization.

Profession - any type of work, especially one that needs a high level of education or a particular

skill.

Semester - In colleges and universities in some countries, a semester is one of the two main

periods into which the year is divided.

6
Senior High School - covers the last two years of the K to 12 program and includes Grades11

and 12. In SHS, students will go through a core curriculum and subjects under a track of their

choice.

Strand - A strand is a consistent thread running through a course offer respective of its subject

content.

Specialized - It involves detailed and specific knowledge or training.

Academic Performance - Is measured by taking written and oral tests, performing

presentations, turning in homework and participating in class activities and discussions.

7
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

LOCAL STUDIES

How do we know whether a student is "college ready?" GPAs and challenging high

school coursework can predict academic potential (Garton, Dyer, & King, 2000; Komarraju,

Ramsey, & Rinella, 2013; Schmitt et al., 2009), but there are growing concerns that scores

cannot reveal nonacademic factors in college success (Le, 2005; Maruyama, 2012; Porter &

Polikoff, 2012; Zhao, 2006). Summer bridge programs and dual-enrollment courses seek to

mitigate achievement gaps and variances in high school curricula between racial groups (Castro,

2013; Droogsma-Musoba, 2011; Lee, 2012; Walpole, 2003; Yamamura, Martinez, & Saenz,

2010) and socioeconomic statuses (Bailey & Dynarski, 2011; Barnes & Slate, 2013; Deming &

Dynarski, 2011; Droogsma Musoba, 2011; Lareau, 2009; Perna & Thomas, 2007). In addition,

freshman orientation courses and additional student services have been added at many college

and universities to ease the transition for students, especially first-generation college students

(Byrd & Macdonald, 2005; Engle, 2007; Mehta, Newbold, & O'Rourke, 2011; Reid & Moore,

2008).

One problem with the college readiness research is that is that it "appears to exist in

pockets of largely independent conversations under a number of labels" (Arnold, Lu, &

Armstrong, 2012, p. 3). The many stakeholders and researchers are not communicating and

collaborating much. High school teachers and college professors operate in relative isolation, and

the standards for college readiness can be understood very differently. ACT (2013) reports that

while 89% of high school teachers think their students are well prepared to succeed at college,

only 26% of college professors think students are well prepared. Perna and Thomas (2008) argue

8
that discrepancies in terminology, research focus, and communication among these parties leads

to confusion, blame, and a lack of holistic solutions. Researchers often isolate subgroups of

students for their studies, as seen above, or isolate particular attributes such as students' levels of

engagement (Kuh, 2007), self-efficacy (Martin, 2010) or belonging on campus (Hoffman,

Richmond, Morrow, & Salomone, 2002).

Another deficit in the current research is the assumption that "good" or "smart" students

will have no trouble succeeding at college. Since GPA and ACT or SAT scores are often the

primary metrics used by admissions offices, students with excellent scores are presumed to be

ready to persist to attain a degree (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2013). While

it makes sense that students at the top of their high school classes will be most college ready,

research shows that even "at highly selective institutions, one in ten entering students is

academically unready for college" (NCES, 2012). This finding suggests that the test scores and

grades used for admissions cannot reliably predict college performance because academic skill is

just one part of college readiness (Arnold et al., 2012). No one seems to be addressing the

preparation of high-achieving students in general, although Olson (2015) and McLoughlin

(2012) worked with low-income high-achievers and Ford, Grantham, and Whiting (2008)

focused on gifted black students.

College readiness isn’t just about the academic aspects of a high school student’s resume

and overall profile – it’s essential, no doubt, but it’s only one element of a broader, well-rounded

skill set. Think about college preparation from the following perspectives:

Academic College Preparation

A four-year bachelor’s degree demands an inquisitive mind, plenty of hard work, proper

study habits and much more. Many high school students look at their college readiness in terms

9
of simply getting admitted to a university. However, the culmination of all those college prep

classes and other academic coursework is the start of something, not the end. The academic

aspect of college preparation means the ability to complete your chosen degree program with

distinction. If you’re fully prepared academically, you’re ready to take the next step and excel

beyond high school – at college, in the workplace and well into adulthood. When it came to

college, I did find completing some of my essays to the deadline a bit of a struggle, especially as

I had so many other commitments. Looking back now, I thought about getting help with my

essays, as I knew my writing services would make sure what I handed in was on time and would

be good quality. I at least knew this was something I could use as a last resort if I fell behind.

The most important thing is to priorities, as it makes everything so much easier.

Emotional College Readiness

Whether you commute or stay on-campus, the college experience demands a certain

level of maturity, confidence and perseverance. College isn’t easy (especially if you’re going for

a degree in the hard sciences), and you have to be prepared emotionally to handle the rigors of a

busy schedule. Juggling all of the school-related work requirements along with the other parts of

being a college student – holding a part-time job, involvement with extra-curricular activities,

etc. – requires emotional maturity.

Social Skills

Communication skills are a bonus in high school, but they’re absolutely essential in

college. Much of your social skill development is a work in progress as you enter college, but

you can shorten the learning curve by getting involved in as much school-related activities –

academic clubs, sororities & fraternities and more – as possible. If you can handle a busy

schedule as a freshman, go for it. But if you need a few semesters to adjust, don’t overdo it;

10
gradually build up your involvement in order to ensure your academic work doesn’t suffer along

the way.

“Do something today that you’ll thank yourself for in ten years.” This inspiring quote is fully

illustrated by the benefits of taking college prep classes while in high school. In fact, enrolling in

a high school college preparatory program is one of the best things you can do now – and your

future self will be grateful for!

Here are three college readiness tasks to keep in mind:

Take College Crep Classes

Nearly every high school in the United States has a college preparatory program. This

academic curriculum is specifically designed to develop the skills and habits necessary for

success beyond high school.

Give back to the Community

A strong sense of civic pride helps build lasting roots and fosters a positive business

environment. Many professionals that work in the area they grew up in actively give back to

their community, and it’s never too early to start this encouraging trend. As part of our college

preparatory program at Reality Changers, we routinely engage in productive community

service Plus, our Alumni Network helps create opportunities for Reality Changers college

graduates to give back to their communities.

Streamline the Process

Tools like the common application allow you to apply to multiple colleges with one

application. This not only saves time, but it’ll help reduce the stress associated with preparing for

college.

With the right mindset and this “mini-roadmap” in place, college preparation can be productive,

11
rewarding…and even fun!

ABM is the short term for Accountancy, Business and Management. ABM strand is

under the Academic Track of K-12 Program. This is perfect for those inclined in Mathematics

and to those people who wants to enter the world of business. The Accountancy, Business and

Management (ABM) strand would focus on the basic concepts of financial management,

business manage

FOREIGN STUDIES

Accountancy

Accountancy is the profession or practice of accounting. It is the practice of recording,

classifying, and reporting on business transactions for a business. It provides feedback to

management regarding the financial results and status of an organization.

Business

Businesses can be for-profit entities or nonprofit organizations that operate to fulfill a

charitable mission or further a social cause. Business is also the organized efforts and activities

of individuals to produce and sell goods and services for profit.

Management

Management is the coordination of the activities of a business in order to achieve desired

object. It is the process of using resources in order to reach organizational goals. It is also the art

of getting things done through efforts.

Business Management

Knowing the definition of Business and Management, Business Management is therefore

the management in all business areas and organizational activities are the acts of getting people

together to accomplish desired goals and objectives efficiently and effectively.

12
Why chooses ABM?

Sometimes student choose a course by their skills and capability on a subject, some

student choose ABM because they have strengths for being an accountant or manager someday,

for improvement of mathematical skills and preparation for harder tasks, preparation for a career

in management accountancy, management consultancy, and business management, enhancement

of skills, to have a background on how to be a business leader or accountant someday, big

opportunities in the corporate world await after graduating - can be inside or outside the country.

Advantages

Learn more than just academics, learn many practical skills that will come in handy -

communication, time management, prioritization, organization, decision-making, and critical

thinking, equipped with fundamental concept for business related courses and no need for

Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and other specialize mathematical subjects.

Disadvantages

It is quite expensive college courses and if you really hate numbers that much, then you'll

have a hard time in this strand.

According to Chait, R. and Venezia, A. (2009), with their journal entitled ‘’ Improving

Academic Preparation for College.’’ Our society is moving toward a mode of preparing all

students for some kind of education and training after high school. That is what parents want for

their children, what students say they want for themselves, and what analysts and policymakers

at all levels believe is needed for success in a global economy. The benefits to the individual are

clear college graduates earn more money, have better career opportunities, engage in greater

civic participation, and have a higher overall quality of life. High rates of remediation, stagnant

rates of college completion, and more time to degree completion suggest that many students are

13
not fully ready to succeed academically in college. Otherwise, weak academic preparation is a

growing concern in the research and policy communities.

According to Jay Greene (2009) of the Manhattan Institute defines college readiness as

graduating with a regular diploma, having completed a minimum set of course requirements

(four years of English, three years of math, and two years each of natural science, social science,

and a foreign language), and being able to read at the basic level or above on the National

Assessment of Education Progress reading assessment. While, federal policy could play an

important role in communicating the need for all students to prepare for college and providing

the public information about what that means. The federal government should invest in research

and development to support programs that align secondary and postsecondary education and

improve students’ preparation for college; provide funding to improve academic preparation in

struggling high schools; and improve data collection and analysis and require public reporting.

States should develop better student support policies and align them with policies to increase

academic rigor, support the development and evaluation of high school models that prepare all

students for college, improve data systems to better assess where students are and where they

need to be, and monitor and evaluate the implementation of all of these state policies to identify

inconsistencies, implementation concerns, and needs for technical assistance. There are factors to

consider upon College preparation, first is course rigor and grades- Clifford Adelman (2009) of

the Institute for Higher Education Policy analyze d high school students’ transcripts using

longitudinal data collected by the U.S. Department of Education and documented that the

intensity and quality of the high school curriculum completed is the biggest predictor of

postsecondary success. Adelman found high school grade point average and achievement test

scores were also important. Moreover, the impact of a high school curriculum of high academic

14
intensity and quality on degree completion is far more pronounced and positive than any other

pre-college indicator of academic resources. A number of other studies have investigated the

relationship between curriculum and student outcomes and have found that college preparatory

curriculum is associated with higher achievement and greater equity in course access. Second

factor is the student’s skills, knowledge, and habits of mind- David Conley, director of the

Center for Educational Policy Research at the University of Oregon College of Education, has

developed a set of standards gauged toward university-level expectations regarding the

knowledge and skills students need to be successful in first-year coursework. Conley and his

staff conducted focus groups with faculty and administrators from universities around the

country, gathered syllabi, graded student work and other course materials, and analyzed those

data to develop standards for college success. He identifies four central elements to college

success: The cognitive strategies emphasized in entry-level college courses, such as analysis

reasoning and argumentation, and interpretation. The content knowledge necessary to understand

the structure of each academic discipline, such as the specific knowledge and skills developed by

studying English, math, or science. Academic behaviors that enable students to cope with the

academic demands of college, such as self- monitoring and study skills. The “college

knowledge” necessary to understand how the postsecondary system operates, including an

understanding of the process of college admissions, financial aid, and successful functioning in

college. The third factor is High school instruction, the link between teacher quality and college

preparedness has not been well explored in other research, but it is logical to assume that

teachers have a great effect on students’ college preparedness. Not only do teachers provide

students with the skills they need to be successful in college-level courses, they also guide them

in selecting their courses and often act as guidance counselors, giving advice about

15
postsecondary options. Researchers are beginning to gain an understanding of what

postsecondary education requires, but there are major differences to overcome regarding what

high schools are teaching and what postsecondary institutions want first-year students to know.

Teacher preparation needs to better address the skills and knowledge needs to prepare all

students for postsecondary education. Schools also need to ensure that they build a college-going

culture in which all teachers view all students as college-bound and provide them with the

opportunity to prepare for some form of postsecondary education. Fourth factor is the K12 and

postsecondary education, one of the challenges in improving students’ preparation for college is

that activities and reforms that aim to bridge the gap between high school and college are

fighting against decades of difference and separation on many levels, including issues

surrounding prestige at the postsecondary level, postsecondary incentives to connect with K-12,

content and performance standards, local governance, curriculum and instruction, support

services, finance and budgeting, professional development and training, networks and unions,

data collection, and incentive structures, to name a few.

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

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

assessments were developed, by and large, without consulting with higher education institutions.

Several states have increased the rigor of high school exit exams, or aligned high school

assessments with postsecondary entrance requirements in order to assess whether students have

mastered a more challenging curriculum and are ready for college and work. The study

conducted in California State University system is taking a different tactic to improve readiness.

It worked with K-12 schools to augment the 11th grade assessments to include items that test for

students’ readiness for college. CSU established the Early Assessment Program to provide high

16
school students with information to measure their readiness for college-level mathematics and

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

preparation is adopting rigorous graduation requirements. Along with adopting more rigorous

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

ensure that all students are taking the courses they need to be prepared for college.

17
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

The research study is made through the use of descriptive research, wherein it will assess

the Effectiveness of Specialized Subject of Accountancy, Business and Management to the

Preparation of Entering College to the Senior High School students of STI College Lipa. The

researchers attempted to describe and discover the factors to consider for the students’

preparation for college. The research also determines the different information that

are indicated in the input are the positive and negative of being part of specialized subject

together with the benefits of the specialized subject of Accountancy, Business and Management

to the students, and the future researchers that are recognized as the beneficiaries of our research.

VARIABLES AND MEASURABLES

The table below showed the variables and measurables used in the study.

Variables Measurables

The factors to consider for students’ - Questions that would determine the

preparation for college. factors to consider for students’

preparation for college.

The positive and negative impact of having - Set of questions regarding the positive

specialized subject of Accountancy, Business and negative impact of having

and Management in preparation of entering specialized subject of Accountancy,

college.

18
 Business and Management in

preparation of entering college.

The benefits of specialized subjects to - Questions that would establish the

students for college preparation. possible benefits of specialized

subjects to students for college

preparation.

SAMPLING DESIGN

This study used simple random sampling in determining the samples of the the study. All

of the Senior High School students of Accountancy, Business and Management were the

respondents of this study.

RESEARCH RESPONDENTS

The expected target population of this study is defined to include the selected students

from Accountancy, Business and Management of Senior High School in STI College Lipa. The

respondents of this study involve 100 students from Accountancy, Business and Management

students of Senior High School.

The table below presents a record of a numbers of Senior High School students at STI

College Lipa.

Senior High School of Accountancy, Number of Respondents

Business and Management students
ABM 201 17

ABM 202 17

19
 ABM 203 17

ABM 204 17

ABM 205 16

ABM 206 16

TOTAL 100

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

The instrument used was a researcher - made questionnaire to gather the needed data.

For effective data collection, and questionnaire checklist were used. The selected students of

Accountancy, Business and Management of Senior High School in STI College Lipa were given

set of questions to be answered. The aim of the questionnaire is to determine the Effectiveness of

Specialized Subject of Accountancy, Business and Management to the Preparation of Entering

College of the Senior High School students of STI College Lipa.

The questions/statements laid down are about will be answered in the form of interview.

The questionnaire is composed of 15 questions. The first part is the student's profile: name,

gender, grade and section. While the second part is composed of the questions to be answered.

RESEARCH LOCALE

This study was conducted in STI College Lipa at #36 C.M. Recto Avenue, Lipa City,

Batangas. This school is formerly known as Systems Technology Institute which changes in

2006. STI was declared as an orphan initial’s name. It interacts students with many challenging

academic activities and fun social competitions that develop the right attitude and skills by the

students which is needed by top industries worldwide. Also, STI develops the students to be a

20
well – rounded – individual, in – demand professionals and a responsible member of society that

is why STI so unique.

DATA GATHERING PROCEDURE

As the 1st Quarter starts, so as a part of our requirements, we are required to do a

research about our desired topic. We discussed our different ideas and come up with the topic,

Effectiveness of Specialized Subject of Accountancy, Business and Management to the

Preparation of Entering College of the Senior High School students of STI College Lipa. We

asked our teacher for her approval for our topic. As our teacher approved our topic, we decided to

do our introduction and the other variables related to our topic.

We started to collect data and information through different related literature. Most of our

information is from websites, books, and other research from different schools.

Before our group distributes the questionnaires to the selected Accountancy, Business

and Management students of Senior High School, we went first to their advisers to asked for their

consent for the said research. We asked 17 students per section, to answer the questionnaires.

After giving their consent for the students, they started to answer it. We patiently waited for our

respondents to answer the questionnaires. We finished the interview. Our subject teacher helped

us to analyze and interpret the data that we gathered.

DATA ANALYSIS

21