This study was conducted to determine the factors that affect students’ preference in choosing STVE major in Bauan Technical High School. This will help or guide the students in choosing the STVE majors they are going to take during their Grade 8 to avoid constraints that may arise during the school year. This study made use of quantitative method of research where in self-made was formulated from experiences and interviews among teachers and learners. The said instrument has the content of the factors that affects students in choosing STVE majors and common constraints met by both teachers and learners during the school year. The researchers found out that Computer System Servicing (CSS) was the most preferred STVE major by the learners. They also said that they chose the program offering because this is really what they want. Both students and teachers said that some of the students are good in content areas rather that skills and competency skills. The benefit of this study was to help the students choose their major properly and to help the teachers become more creative and innovative in everyday teaching and in the implementation of learning process as to being one of the characteristics that 21st century teachers must possess.
CONTEXT AND RATIONALE
Education is the method of facilitating learning, or the acquirement of facts, skills, values, beliefs, and practice. As part of the new curriculum or the K-12 program, subjects have been enhanced to produce more knowledgeable and experienced students (Cruz, 2007), thus choice of TLE major was a great factor in the success of the learners towards the skills needed in the global changing world. As stated by Manimbo, 2015 that life revolves around technology and livelihood to support existence. Every single act is accompanied by such invention and work. People should know how to use technology as an advantage to facilitate work and livelihood to sustain life and health. In connection with this, TLE is intended to provide a classroom and laboratory experience which enables the students to gain understanding of the subject and acquire competencies in various economic activities as they relate to its major areas. This subject viewed as a provider of a general balance in the school curriculum, these are taught in the elementary and secondary levels for the aim of providing high school students with livelihood skills. On the other hand, in this study STVE (Strengthen Technical Vocational Education) was termed as TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education).
The job market for agriculture has expanded into a wide range of fields. Students who choose a field in agriculture can choose from a variety of careers including animal science, plant science, soil science, agricultural business, and agricultural engineering. In the past, students who had an interest in agriculture went home to work on the family farm after graduating from high school or college. Some students even went on to start a small farm with the idea of expanding. There was less variety among jobs in the agricultural field in the past compared to present day agriculture (Thiesse, 2012). Farming in the past was more out of necessity than source of income.
Classroom and practical work experiences are provided that will facilitate the students to grow and obtain competencies and a variety of economics to the four components; namely, Agri-Fishery, Home Economics, Industrial Arts, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
In Home Economics education, students learn which nutrients are necessary for human health and maintenance of life and which food includes such nutrients, as well as the knowledge, skills and techniques in cooking. It also deals with home management including topics such as costumer education, institutional management, interior design, sewing, clothing, and textiles, cooking, nutrition, food preservation, hygiene, child development, family relationship which prepare students for home making or professional careers. It is valuable addition to the high school curriculum because it teaches students practical skills for daily living (Suzuki, 2010).
In the same way, the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the teaching-learning process, specifically computer and communication technologies have joint to produce the telepathic revolution. Research and Reviews (2008), reviewed that use of ICT in teaching learning process. ICT is an electronic means of capturing, processing, storing communicating information. The use of ICT in the classroom teaching-learning is very important for it provides opportunities for teacher and student to operate, store, manipulate, and retrieved information, encourage independent, and active learning, and self-responsibility for learning.
Likewise, industrial arts is an instructive program which wood or metal objects are used using hand power or any machine equipment’s. It is the phase of education which brings every student into industrial society through classroom-laboratory experiences. Through this subject, the role of industry and technology is unfolded as students study the history and development of industrial organization, materials, products, processes, and related problem (Leutorio, 2008). According to Wilson (2009), Industrial Arts education provides lifelong learning patterns for living and working effectively in a changing technological environment. Participants in industrial arts programming work actively in a hands-on environment with technological tools, materials and processes to transform concepts and ideas into good and services. Problems, ideas, and concepts are explored from the research/investigation stage to product construction, and ultimately to final testing and assessment/ evaluation of the good produced.
Having in mind the factual information choosing the learners career path was a great factor not only for the learners but also for the teachers and school as well. With the given four areas in STVE it is a great challenge for the teacher on how they will guide them in the right path with the mind set of being competently skilled learners. Thus the researcher made this study to guide the students have a right choice of career path are suitable in the knowledge, skills and abilities. Furthermore, the researcher will propose an intervention activity to further accompany the needs of the students to guide them in the right choice of STVE major.
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