School-based Career Guidance Program and the Preparedness of Students in Senior High School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

A good Career Guidance Program (CGP) tries to teach students to plan and make their own decisions about work and learning. CGP helps learners manage their career skills as well as their career development. Given the fact that the Department of Education is on its third year of implementing the Senior High School (SHS) curriculum, it is therefore imperative to determine how CGP is instrumental to the preparedness of students in taking SHS. This study covered the perception of the student-respondents about school-based CGP, its support for their preparation in SHS, and the effects to their career-related decisions.

METHODS

A descriptive method was used in this study with validated questionnaire as research instrument. The study made use of 248 Grade 10 students of Buhaynasapa National High School, School Year 2017-2018. It was obtained through random sampling using Slovin's Formula with 5% margin of error.

RESULTS

The respondents perceived CGP as a tool that enhances learning by assisting students to acquire skills critical to student development evident on the obtained weighted mean of 3.72 interpreted as strongly agree. Likewise, the respondents also strongly agreed that CGP focuses on student development of 21st century skills such as critical thinking, creativity, self-direction and leadership as it generated a weighted mean of 3.61. In terms of the support provided by CGP in preparing for SHS, the respondents believed at very great extent that it motivates them to life and skills dynamics having 3.71 weighted mean. On the other hand, students have the chance to carefully evaluate and analyze their decisions relative to career competencies and goal setting. However, trackand strand preferences must be given consideration in implementing CGP since it obtained the lowest composite mean of 3.48 interpreted as agree.

DISCUSSIONS

Majority of the respondents viewed CGP as one of the tools that enhances learning by assisting them to acquire critical skills in academic, career, personal, social aspects of student development. It also enlightens their mind, nurture their skills, add knowledge, and boost confidence resulting to right decisions relative to track and strand to take and career goals and competencies to consider. Therefore, contextualizing and localizing school-based CGP will help learners to realize further its advantages and value.