COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL

ABM STUDENTS COURSE PREFERENCE AND PERFORMANCE IN

SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS:

A CORRELATIONAL STUDY

A Quantitative Research

Presented to

The Faculty of the Senior High School Department

Commonwealth High School

Ecols Street, Commonwealth, Quezon City

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Research for Practical Research II

For the Accountancy, Business and Management Strand in Senior High School

By

Cardenas, Racei

Dumanig, Reslyn

Estrada, Jhunalyn

Vibal, Ly ann

Mr. Calvin Dulay, MBA Adviser

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CHAPTER I:

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

The Problem

This study presented the Introduction, Background of the study, Statement

of the problem, hypothesis, Conceptual framework, Research paradigm and

Definition of terms.

Introduction

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those

who prepare for it today” (Malcom X). Nowadays, many changes are happening

in our society that can help our country to develop. One of these is the K- 12

program, the additional two years in high school with a purpose to give a piece of

additional knowledge and build a stronger foundation for education. This program

has a different track including Academic tracks and Non – Academic tracks. It will

help the students to know what particular path they should take if they pursue

college education. Along with this additional education, there is an additional

subject exceeding that will guide the students through their ability and skills. The

specialized subjects of the Grade 12 Accountancy, Business, and Management

(ABM) students such as Business Mathematics, Fundamentals of accounting

(FABM), Business Finance and the Business ethics are the most crucial and

have a great impact that gives them the prior knowledge about the course they

will take in college.

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Statement of the Problem

Generally, this study aims to the correlational between ABM student’s

course preference and performance in specialized subjects.

Specially, this often to answer the following questions:

1. What are the factors they have considered in choosing ABM strand in terms

of:
A. Parents occupation
B. Exposure to media
C. Peer influenced
D. Interest
E. Subjects they excel
2. What are the preferred courses of the respondents?
A. Accountancy
B. Banking and Finance
C. Business Administration
D. Management Accounting
E. Marketing
F. Entrepreneurship
G. Human Resource/ Development Management
H. Hospitality Management
I. Tourism

3. What is the performance of the respondents in the specialized subjects?

A. Fundamental of Accountancy, Business, and Management (FABM)
B. Business Finance
C. Business Math
D. Business Ethics and Social Responsibility (BESR)
E. Applied Economics
4. Is there significant relationship between the preferred course and

performance of the respondents in the specialized subjects?

 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL

Hypothesis

The researchers formulated the hypothesis into null: There is no

significant relationship between the Grade 12 ABM student’s course preference

and performance in specialized subjects.

Significance of the Study

This study will be beneficial for the students, teachers, parents, and also

the future researchers. Their academic performance in their specialized subjects

will be their instrument to acknowledge their skills and abilities.

Students

The result of this study may help the students to acknowledge them if their

performance in their specialized subjects has a relation to the courses that they

will choose pursuing a college education. Also, their awareness of the progress

of their performance in specialized subjects.

 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
Parents

The parent will come to realize its benefits including the fact that they will

see the full capabilities of their child by their academic performances, especially

in their specialized subjects. Also, they will understand how to motivate their child

to pursue knowledge despite the challenges ahead of them. They can develop

the way they see the level of intellect that their children have, and instead of

being disappointed in the academic performances of their child, they will find a

way to help and guide their child also, motivate them to continue to develop their

abilities.

Teachers

The result of this study may be used by teachers to help the students by

guiding them through their specialized subjects that can help the students to

know the path should take pursuing college education, they are also the one who

will enhance the abilities of their students and help them to decide what or which

particular course they want to.

Future Researchers

Future researchers can use this study as a reference or basis for their

future research regarding correlational assessment on different strands including

Science, Technology, Mathematics (STEM), Humanities and Social Sciences

 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
(HUMSS). Also the Non- Academic track that study about the students

relationship between the preferred courses and the performances in their

specialized subjects.

Conceptual Framework

This study is based on the concept that the department of Education in the

Philippine implemented the new K to 12 curriculums which started last school

year 2012 - 2013 by virtue of the Republic Act 1033 or the Enhanced Basic

Education 2013. The new science program has many innovation in terms of the

arrangement competencies, integration of each branch on science in every grade

level, mode of instruction, and learning pedagogies.

K to 12 is the program implemented by the government that helps to

enhance the skills of every students and broadening knowledge of their

community. It is a program wherein the students undergoing to an additional two

years after the four years in junior high school. However, In Senior High School

there is a different track and strands, also a special subject. Senior High School
 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
is different in junior high school, particularly in their subjects. One of the best

example is Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) strand, were there

is a special subjects such as, Accountancy, Management Accounting, Banking

and Finance, Marketing, Entrepreneurship and etc. The Department of Education

(DepEd) envisioned the SHS program to produce graduates prepared for higher

education and capable of starting their businesses or land a job even without a

college degree. Through the K12 program, students are expected to gain core

competencies that will help them to become more ready and equipped with the

knowledge, skills, and good values that are essentials to nation-building [1].

Research Paradigm

Grade 12 - ABM
Refers to the preferred courses Refers to the specialized

of an ABM student subjects of ABM students.

A.COURSE
Accountancy
SPECIALIZED SUBJECTS PREFERENCE
B. Banking and Finance
Scope and Delimitations C. Business
administration
A. Fundamental
D. Managementof
This study focused on the preferred courses and Accountancy,
accounting Business,
E. Marketing
and Management (FABM)
performance in specialized subjects on Grade 12 ABM B. F. Entrepreneurship
Business Finance
C. G. Human
Business resources
Math
students of the Commonwealth High School- D. Business Ethics and Social
development
H. Hospitality(BESR)
Responsibility
E. Applied Economics
Management
I. Tourism

J.
K.
 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
Commonwealth, Quezon City. We did not include the Grade 11 students because

they did not already taken the specialized subjects of what Grade 12 ABM

student’s encountered.

In the Commonwealth High School there are two sections of ABM strand

the section Hughes and Buffett that they considered as their respondents of their

study. And this study focused on the current and present school year: 2019-2020.

Definition of Terms

Course preference

In this study, the term course preference refers to the basis of the ABM

student in choosing a particular course that they will take when pursuing a

college education.

Implemented
 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
In this study the term implemented refers to an accomplishment of the

Philippine government to apply the K to 12 program that helps many students to

enhance their skills and gave them an additional knowledge.

Senior High School

Refers to the additional two years in high school with a purpose to give a

piece of additional knowledge and build a stronger foundation for education.

Specialized subjects

From the word itself, it refers to a subjects that only acquired in a specific

or a particular track or strand.

Strand

The strand refers to the elements or subdivisions that are under the tracks

which Senior High students decide where she/he wants.

References

 Dissertation Abstracted in Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI)

 Author A. A. (Month and Year of Publication). Title of dissertation.
 Dissertation Abstracts International. Section: Discipline, Volume number, (issue

number), pp.
 Montebon, D. R. (December 2014). K to 12 Science Program in the Philippines:

Students perception in its implementation: Volume 2 (12), 153.

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 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Darryl_Montebon/publication/280234350_K1

2_Science_Program_in_the_Philippines_Student_Perception_on_its_Implement

ation/links/55ae591b08aee0799220d900.pdf
 https://www.questionpro.com/blog/correlational-research/
 https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sampling.asp
 research-methodology.net/sampling-in-primary-data-collection/purposive-sampling/

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter represents the related literature and studies that are both

from local and foreign studies. It includes the ideas, generalization or conclusion.

The information in this chapter can help the future researchers through their

relevant and similar present study.

1.1 Literature Review

 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
According to Wikipedia (2013), academic performance is the outcome of

education; it is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has achieved

their educational goals. Thus performance is characterized by performance on

tests associated with coursework and the performance of students on other types

of examinations (Kyoshaba, 2009). Various studies have been carried out on the

factors that affect students’ academic performance or achievement in schools,

colleges and universities. Some of the factors identified and reported to have

affected the academic performance of students in these different settings are:

student effort, previous or prior educational performance, self-motivation, the

social-economic status of the students’ parents, the students’ age, number of

hours of study per day, admission points, different entry qualifications, tuition

trends and the students’ area of residence (rural or urban) (Farooq, Chaudry,

Shafiq & Berhanu, 2011; Ali, Haider, Munir, Khan & Ahmed, 2013). Admission

points and the different entry qualifications, which are the results of prior or

previous academic performance likely to affect the students’ future academic

performance, have been considered in this study, as this research concerns the

academic performance of students admitted with different entry certificates.

Tertiary institutions all over the world, including Nigeria, use prior academic

performance in terms of admission points or different entry

qualifications/certificates as a basis for selecting students for admission into the

colleges of education, polytechnic schools and universities. These admission

points or entry certificates are always of equivalent rating or value, even though
 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
they may be awarded by different examination bodies. Thus Bratti and Staffolani

(2002) observed that the measurement of the students’ prior educational

outcomes or performance is the most important indicator or determinant of the

students’ future academic performance. The type of school a child attended also

affects the academic performance of the student. In this regard, Kyoshaba (2009)

observed that students’ educational outcome and academic success is greatly

influenced by the type of school which they attended. The school we attend is the

institutional environment that sets the parameters of a student’s learning

experience. In agreement with this, Considine and Zappala (2002) reported that

the type of school a child attends influences the educational outcomes;

furthermore, schools have an independent effect on the students’ educational

attainment, and this is likely to operate through the variation of quality and

attitudes. In the same vein, Miller and Birch (2007), while studying the influence

of the high school attended on university performance, observed that outcomes

at the university level differ according to the type of high school attended. Thus, a

student’s school background is positively related to his or her academic

performance at an undergraduate level. In addition, Ali et al. (2013) and Kwesiga

(2002) also observed that the learning outcomes and educational performance of

students are strongly affected by the type of educational institution where they

received their education. However, this is a function of the number of facilities a

school offers, which usually determines their quality, and which in turn affects the

performance and accomplishments of its students. Entry qualifications linked to

 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
different certificates of equivalent value for student admission into post-

secondary institutions is another factor that affects the students’ academic

performance at post-secondary levels. Although the certificates each group of

students obtained from different examination bodies may be equivalent, the

curriculum content and the expected educational outcomes may not be exactly

the same. In a study conducted by Ringland and Pearson (2003) on the

difference between diploma entrants and direct ‘A’-Level entrants and the

subsequent performance of each group reported that there was no significant

difference between the groups; however, performance in terms of academic

achievement prior to reaching the university did appear to affect performance at

university to a small extent. In a related study, Mlambo (2011) observed that for a

number of institutions, student admission is based on a number of different

qualifications, to the extent that students receiving instruction in the same course

differ greatly in terms of their prior knowledge. This being the case, one might

wonder whether other researchers totally agree that prior educational

performance, admission points and different entry qualifications truly affect future

academic performance. The answer is no. In a study on the relationship between

previous academic performance and subsequent achievement at the university

level, Huws, Reddy and Talcott (2006) found that students learning or studying at

the graduate level and scores earned failed to predict any level of academic

achievement at university. The Academic Admission Council at Oregon State

University (2003) also disagreed with the view that academic performance is
 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
determined by prior academic performance. They held that traditional measures

of academic potential, such as grade point average or ‘A’-level grades did not

predict academic performance at university. Mlambo (2011) also reported that

there was no significant difference in the academic performance among students

due to differences in the admission criteria employed; the same study observed

that while varied, these criteria adequately assessed the potential of students to

handle the demands of courses in agriculture. However, holders of diplomas in

agriculture and other qualifications appeared at the bottom of the academic

performance chart. Nonetheless, it is very important to note that even though

these studies do not agree with former studies that indicate achievement in

previous studies affects future performance, they did confirm that admission

scores are related to academic performance at the university level, but to a very

minimal extent (Ali, et al.; Mlambo, 2011; Kyoshaba, 2007). In light of the related

literature reviewed, it seemed pertinent to find out whether there is actually any

difference in the academic performance of students with different qualifications.

This is because quality technical teachers are very relevant in technical

education. Thus, the success or failure of any technical education system is

dependent on the quality of its teachers (Banjo, 1974).

Also, the level of academic performance of the students in the NCE Technical

Programme could prove to be an index of the quality of the technical teachers in

the system (Ihiegbulem, 1992). Thus, this level of academic performance, in

terms of the two groups of students admitted into the NCE Technical Programme

with SSCE or C & G certificates, respectively, was the subject of examination of

 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
this study. It also examined whether the groups differed significantly in terms of

their academic performance.

Foreign Study
Decision about their college courses is one of the biggest problems of

particular graduating high school students. There are lots of factors affecting their

choices. One of these factors is the curriculum. A study by Education Policy

Improvement Center (2015) in the State of Texas, United States of America found

out that existing major standards, performance expectations, and performance

indicators are necessary for college success in subjects areas, including

languages, mathematics, and social sciences. The researchers concluded that

students taking college courses aligned to pre-college courses they took develop

detailed key cognitive skills and foundational skills that make them ready for

college Previous studies shows that when there is a specific educational

outcomes, the curriculum specially designed for it will be successful. A study by

Porter (n.d.) found out that students improved their information and scientific

literacy skills after undergoing specific exercises related to those skills. Another

study by CBE-Life Sciences Education proven this theory, by having a curricula

design that focuses on scientific literacy skills in introductory courses of biology

majors can increase scientific literacy. It shows the effectiveness of the curricula

aligned to the competencies to improve the scientific literacy. Such improvements

can be achieved through active-learning exercises that mainly focus on scientific

terms or literature. Increasing laboratory experience is not that necessary to

increase scientific literacy. To sum it up, a curricula designed to enhance a

 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
specific skill can make different outcomes on an introductory biology students.

(Senerath, Patabendige, 2014)Vertical alignment is best known as one of the

successful techniques to use when it comes to students performance, according

to Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Investment. It has its main

advantage to the students since It figures out the uniformed pattern of the topics

to be taught to the students. Thus, it diminishes the repetition of the topics per

course or year level and reduces the reviewing of the subject matters anew.

However, it takes a lot of preparation to perfect this kind of standardized strategy

because it needs a collective effort from the school, the parents, and the

students. (The Holmes Educational Post, 2012)There are also a lot of other

factors that affect college program preference. A thesis from the University of

Winsconsin-stout (Borchert, 2002) found out that personal preference is the

biggest factor considered by high school students when choosing their college

course. Environmental and economic /financial factors come after the students'

personal interest. There are also students who consider the opportunities that

they may encounter with the given course .A case study of UNLV Hotel College

students by revealed that there are indeed a lot of factors that influences

students’ choices of a college degree program, whether it be in-state, out-of-

state, and international students. With regards to the current economic downturn

and an increasing unemployment rate, there has been a sudden boom in college

enrollments in the United States. As the college population becomes more

diverse and the higher education system continues to grow, the college choice
 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
process will become even more complex, thus requiring closer attention to the

specification of plausible choice sets (Lee and Chatfield, 2011). Furthermore, the

study identified 11 factors of college choice, and the results extended previous

research to find more factors such as degree benefit, career preparation and

media impact.

Local Study
Pascual (2014) presented that the availability of work after finishing

college is mainly considered by the high school students and then followed by

choosing the course as a personal choice. The peer’s preference of course and

consideration of family business was considered the least factor that affects the

decision in choosing college course. Most of the student-respondents preferred

scientific courses which includes engineering and statistics courses. The afore

mentioned study was supported by a study in Our Lady of Peace in Antipolo

(Martin et. al, 2010) which have the same result as to Pascual’s study that relies

the decision -making of students in work viability. However, it displays the

exclusion of the majority's personal ability in order to get the "in-demand" job of

the generation. This kind of factor may have a misfit for the job and a low level of

competency since it is not the job in which they match their abilities. The problem

is that if a large amount of graduates come only on a few courses that has

fulfilled the amount given for job vacancies, there could be a problem for the
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remaining number of unemployed fresh graduates of the same courses. Alba, et.

al (2010) determined that the main factors that are affecting a student's choice for

their college course are the following: (a.) the financial stability of the family that

sometimes make students' confused whether to take courses they want or to

settle with something that their parents can afford, and (b.) interference of

parents in their college course decision-making because sometimes it is because

of the firs treason or because of the college they've been to and the path that

they want their children to take. They somehow control the student’s path and

sometimes what is worse is that they are too controlling that their assessment for

their children is becoming incorrect. A study from Roosevelt College, San Mateo

(Fernando et. al, 2016) found out that the parents’ influence, personal choice, job

opportunity and peer influence can affect the student’s decision on their choice of

college course. The researchers concluded that the students look not only at

their personal choice, but also at the decision of their parents, peers, and the

availability of the job as their guide in choosing their undergraduate program. Job

opportunity is the said highest weighted mean in the study and the researchers

concluded that this factor greatly affects the students’ choice in choosing what

college course they will take up. The study has shown that the students tend to

analyze if the course they will choose can improve their skills and if it can put

them in a highly paid profession.

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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
Methods and Procedure
This chapter presents the methods to be used in the study. It also describes

the subjects of the study and the instruments used in the study.
This study will determine the correlational assessment on Grade 12 ABM

student’s course preference and academic performance in their specialized

subjects.
Method of Research Used
The correlational method of research will be used in the study. According

to Adi Bhat, ‘’Correlational research is a type of non-experimental research

method, in which a researcher measures two variables, understands and assess

the statistical relationship between them with no influence from any extraneous

variable.’’
In this study, we used the correlational method because we want to know

if there is a relationship between the preferred course of ABM students and their

academic performance in their specialized subjects.

 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL

Subjects of the Study

In this correlational study, 2 classes (sections) of Senior High students in

Commonwealth High School will be selected to participate in the process. The

subjects and respondents of this study will be the Grade 12 ABM students of

Commonwealth High School in Quezon City.

Sampling Technique Used

According to the Investopedia (September 2019), Sampling is a process

used in statistical analysis in which a predetermined number of observations are

taken from a larger population. Purposive sampling (also known as judgment,

selective or subjective sampling) is a sampling technique in which researcher

relies on his or her own judgment when choosing members of population to

participate in the study (research-methodology.net).

The sampling technique that used in this study is a purposive sampling,

because the researcher choose the Grade 12 ABM students as a respondents

and they choose ABM strand which is there are two particular sections, the

Grade 12 ABM Buffet and Grade 12 ABM Hughes.

Research Locale
This study will be conducted in Commonwealth High School. The

respondents will be answer the quantitative survey in actual through their rooms.

The researchers choose the place of implementation because it will give the

researchers the needed information for the study of 12 ABM student’s course
 COMMONWEALTH HIGH SCHOOL
preference and performance: A Correlational Study. And this study focused on

the current and present school year: 2019-2020.