COVID-19 Pandemic Influences

on the Choice of Career Path

A Research Paper
Presented to
THE FACULTY
of Sta. Catalina National High School
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
Candelaria, Quezon

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for
PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1

By:
Sean Kyron Z. Briones
Shaira Mariz U. Perez
Alexis D. Mortel
Althea Z. Panaligan
Lemuel C. Ilagan

June 2020

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 Acknowledgment

This research paper is made possible through the help and support from

everyone, including: parents, teachers, family, and friends. Please allow us to

express our heartfelt gratitude to the following contributors in particular:

First and foremost, we give thanks to God, the Almighty, for showering us

with blessings throughout our research study, allowing us to complete it

successfully despite the pandemic.

We would want to express our deep and sincere gratitude to our research

teacher, Mrs. Lorelyn N. Saltoc, for providing us invaluable guidance throughout

this research. Her dynamism, vision, sincerity and motivation have deeply

inspired us. She has taught us the different processes to carry out the research and

to present the research works as clearly as possible. It was a great privilege and

honor to work and study under her guidance. Without her support, it would have

been very difficult for us to accomplish this research so meaningfully and

interesting especially we are in distance learning.

We would also like thank ourselves as researchers of this study for sharing

of prior knowledge, giving a lot of efforts, diligence and tenacity to accomplish

this research.

Finally, we want to express our gratitude to our parents, family, and

friends for their guidance, motivation, inspiration, and financial assistance.

Dedication

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 This research is dedicated entirely to our colleagues, teachers, and parents.

To all who have provided moral, spiritual, and emotional support during this

journey, and who have been a source of motivation and strength when we felt like

giving up. This work was developed for individuals who require this information

as well as for us to learn new things as we progress. In order to complete this

subject successfully, we learnt how to work together. We appreciate each other's

constant participation and patience during the process. We will never forget how

much time we spent on this research.

This research is dedicated to those who have helped us along the way.

Because of them, all of the stress and difficulties we went through were

worthwhile. Despite our difficulties, we were enthusiastic about what we were

doing and had a good time. We are grateful because we were able to educate

ourselves on topics with which we were previously unfamiliar. We are grateful to

everyone who shared their knowledge with us; it is because of them that we were

able to complete this study. We will be always grateful for all of your assistance.

Table of Contents
iii

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Preliminaries Page

Acknowledgement.……………………………………………. ii

Dedication……………………………………………………... iii

Table of Contents……………………………………………… iv

List of Figure and Tables ……………………………………. v

Abstract………...……………………………………………… vi

Discussions

Chapter I. The Problem and its Background

Introduction……………………………………………………. 1

Statement of the Problem……………………………………… 2

Scope and Delimitation………………………………………... 2

Benefits and Beneficiaries………………………………........... 3

Definition of Terms…………………………………………… 3

Chapter II. Review of Related Literature and Studies

Related Literature and Studies….……………………………. 5

Conceptual Framework………………………………………. 10

Chapter III. Research Methodology

Research Design………………………………………………. 12

The Sample/Sampling Procedure……………………………… 13

The Research Instrument……………………………………… 14

Data Gathering Procedure…………………………………….. 14

Chapter IV. Presentation, iv Interpretation and Analysis of Data

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 Profile of the Participants……………………………………... 15

Table with Interpretation and Analysis……………………….. 18

Chapter V. Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations

Summary of Findings…………………………………………. 30

Conclusions…………………………………………………… 31

Recommendations…………………………………………….. 32

References…………………..………………………………………… 34

Appendices

Appendix 1. Letter to the Respondents………………………………... 37

Appendix 2. Bio notes……………………………………………..……... 38

Appendix 3. Interview Questions………………………………............. 41

List of Figure and Tables

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Figure 1. Conceptual Framework……………………….......... 10

Table 1. Career Choice of Students Before and During the Pandemic.

Table 1.0……………………………………………… 18

Table 1.1……………………………………………… 20

Table 1.2……………………………………………… 22

Table 2. Influence of Covid-19 Pandemic in Students’ Career Choice

Table 2.0……………………………………………. 24

Table 2.1…………………………………………… 26

Table 3. Impact of Covid-19 in Students’ Selection of Career Path

Table 3.0…………………………………….. 28

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 Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

The corona virus disease has made a huge impact to the lives of every

individual. Changes in one corner of the world now have an impact on everyday

life on a worldwide scale. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, people's life

goals and professional ambitions have shifted. This virus has wreaked havoc on

major states' demographics and economies. As a result, we are able to determine

people's priorities. Today, this study will try to present information and factors

that affect the students’ decision-making regarding their career path; moreso,

their reflections and realizations during this pandemic can really affect their

decisions.

Facing pandemic and being enrolled in the distance learning is one of the

challenging and major factors that every student has and is facing right now. The

researchers will deal on the influences of the the COVID-19 pandemic to the

career path of grade eleven students under the STEM strand. This study analyzes

the impact of COVID-19 confinement on the career choice of students on the

eleventh year. The survey report further reveals that 63% students feel that their

initial career plans have been badly hit due to COVID-19, while 42% students

feel that they have been forced to reconsider their preferred career choices and are

thinking of having a backup plan now. The survey was attempted by over 45000+

students with 56% of the students being girls and 44% boys. (Mindler, 2020).

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 At this point, many grade eleven STEM students changed their college

course because of the pandemic. This pandemic allowed the students to reflect

their past decisions that made them rethink their selection of career path- if they

will still pursue their first career choice or consider their second career choice.

Some became confused and undecided on what course will they take that will

have a huge impact to their lives at present and in the future

Statement of the Problem

1.What are the students’ plan about their career path before and during the Covid-19

pandemic?

2.Why did it change during the pandemic?

3.How does Covid-19 made a difference in deciding the career path of STEM

students?

Scope and Limitations

This study is primarily focused on the influences of Covid-19 pandemic in the

decision of the Grade 11 STEM students of Sta. Catalina National High School about

their career path specifically in the choice of course when it comes to college and how

it made a difference in their decision. This research work aims to have a

knowledgeable information on how Covid-19 influence the selection of the career

path of the students. This will be limited to fourteen (14) students consist of seven (7)

males and (7) females that randomly selected in the students of Grade 11 STEM.

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Benefits and Beneficiaries

The result of the study will give advantage to the following:

Students. They will gain insights on whether and how the pandemic can influence

their choice of career path. Thus, they can utilize these information as guide to decide

effectively about their future career path amidst the pandemic.

Parents. Through this study, the parents can have awareness about the influence of

covid-19 in the choice of career path of their children and by that, they can properly

guide their children in deciding on what career path will they take in college. This can

also help them to understand their children's change of decision in their career path

due to the pandemic.

Teachers. They will be more knowledgeable on what their student’s situation is

regarding the influence of covid-19 in the decision making of their students' career

path. As teachers, they can advise their students on what they should do in order to

help their students in their choice of career path amidst the pandemic.

Future Researchers. It will be a useful material for future studies in a sense that it

will impart findings about how the COVID-19 pandemic influences the STEM

students in terms of choosing the career path that they will take. It can be used as

reference for future researchers of future studies.

Definition of Terms

The key concepts below are from the research and it will help to furthermore

understand the research itself. The definition of the key concepts are based on the

utilization of them in the research.

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 Career path refers to the sequence of jobs that leads to your short- and long-

term career goals.

Covid-19 refers to an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered

coronavirus.

Decision-making refers to the act of evaluating several options and choosing

the most likely to achieve one or more goals.

Influence refers to the power to have an important effect on the decision-

making of the career path.

Pandemic refers to the worldwide spread of a new disease that limits people's

activities and make them stay at their homes.

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 Chapter II

REVIEW OF LITERATURES AND STUDIES

This chapter contains the related literature and studies from various

books and studies. For a better understanding and greater knowledge of

this subject, the use of the internet as a source of information is explored.

As a result, the data obtained serves as the conceptual framework's

foundation.

Related Literature and Studies

A career is an occupation undertaken for a big period of an individual's life

and with opportunities for progress (Oxford Dictionary). Career may be a profession

that one trains and which is undertaken as a permanent calling. (Merriam-Webster

Dictionary). Career choice is that the selection of a vocation supported various factors

like ability, parental influence, counselling for careers, part time jobs etc. Making a

career choice may be a defining introduce every student's life. (Shahid Kazi &

Akhlaq, 2017). Career choice may be a significant issue within the developmental live

of youths because it's reported to be related to positive also as harmful psychological,

physical and socio-economic inequalities that persist well beyond the youthful age

into a person's adult life (Robertson, 2014; Bubić and Ivanišević, 2016).

Factors Affecting Students' Career Choices

Nowadays, in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, there's a dramatic

transformation of the professions in demand and market preferences. In this regard,

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universities need to review and pay special attention to young people’s professional

development taking into account new conditions. In February 2020, before quarantine

within the Russia, the authors of this research conducted a survey so as to review the

students’ career preferences. The results showed that the scholars consider career

development as a chance to understand their material goals, to mix professional and

private interests, and to line up their own business. In addition, during a quarantine

measures due to the COVID 19 pandemic in May 2020, an express survey of 437

students was conducted. The results of the survey showed that some students have

changed their attitude to their future career, i.e., they wanted to urge advanced

professional education, improve their digital skills to make it easier to adapt for

remote work. Some students expressed their thoughts regarding future employment,

i.e., a budget organization or the sphere of small and medium businesses. The authors

concluded that university programs for future specialists’ training should take under

consideration students’ career preferences, desires, professional intentions and

attitudes.

Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic in Students' Selection of Career Path

Nowadays, changes that take place in one part of the world influence

everyday life on a global scale. People’s life goals and professional aspirations have

changed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. This virus has caused enormous

demographic and economic damage to leading states. As a result, we can discern

people’s priorities. For example, if a person’s main concern is to stay at home, remain

indoors unless necessary, and order products through a delivery service, i.e., to isolate

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himself or herself completely, then the person’s most vital values are health and

responsibility to others. If people continue going to work, they are focused on money

and career. Currently, the younger generation is heavily influenced by the current

crisis since their long-term goals are being formed based on their life objectives

(Borisova & Vas Moilieva, 2020). Therefore, the successful socialization and

therefore the professional development of graduates of Russian and foreign

universities are hampered by this reality (Zalutskaya, 2019).

The coronavirus pandemic has had a serious and potentially detrimental

impact on the lives of every student. The spread of the destructive virus changed the

way people lived and even in education-which was one of the most affected by the

Covid-19 pandemic. To the extent of its impact on education, the career choice of the

students has been affected and gradually the decision making of the students are

changed by it. This virus caused a widely impact to the students resulting to

reconsideration of their career choices and as the month continues, the percentage of

the students that change their plans gets higher and higher (Gutterer, 2020).

According to a study of Malayala (2021), 63 percent of students believed that

COVID-19 has affected their initial career plans, while 42 percent believe that they

have been forced to rethink their desired career options and are considering making a

backup plan now. The fact that over 57 percent of students said coping with

frustration and ambiguity about their education plans was one of their greatest

challenges during these testing periods was not shocking.

Career and profession development may have taken a back seat to many

demands and emergencies facing organizations in the pandemic era. That said,

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restoking career and professional development conversations is critical because the

COVID-19 crisis continues. If you are a high school student planning for your future

career, you have probably noticed that the pandemic and the uncertainty it caused

have thrown a lot of things about college selections up in the air. With no way of

knowing how long this pandemic and the changes it has brought to everyday life will

last, it become much more difficult to foresee how it will impact new college students

in the coming year and how much is the presence of the coronavirus already

influencing students' college selections (Burdick 2020). Prospects polled over 6,500

students and graduates to learn how Covid-19 influenced their career decisions and

experiences. More than a quarter of those polled had changed their career plans

because of the pandemic, and 37% are still unsure what they will do. Students and

graduates changed their plans due to professions in demand and labor market

preferences (Prospects, 2021).

The extreme conditions of the forced transition of all sorts of Russian

education to distance learning has revealed that distance learning, despite its

grounding in Russian pedagogical theory and practice, does not meet the educational

needs of the teachers nor of the students (Vayndorf-Sysoeva & Subocheva, 2020).

Therefore, teachers must be able to organize training, to apply time management skills

and to organize, implement, evaluate, and adjust the training process, contributing to

the reevaluation of the career process.

While the problem of uncertainty is acute for all age groups under quarantine,

the authors have focused on students. On the one hand, this category is characterized

by its flexibility and its adaptability to the requirements and the pace of modern life.

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On the other hand, they have insufficient life experience in overcoming difficult

situations. For students, each non-standard event isn't an act of repetition, but an act of

novelty, one that needs search and creation (Sokolovskaya et al., 2020).

Career Development Guidance

Special attention is paid to the issues of professional self-determination of

youth in the Russian Federation since at this stage of life, young people start

considering themselves as members of a certain professional activity. To promote

career objectives and guidance, federal programs are being implemented. These

programs include: “You Are an Entrepreneur,” (n.d.) aimed toward developing

personal and professional development skills; “Working Youth,” (n.d.) which

supports professional development, civic education, leisure, and young workers’

initiatives; and “Professional Trajectories,” (2018) which focuses on the

implementation of their professional trajectories.

One of the very best priorities of state policy in Russia is that the preservation

and growth of the human capital of children, which is impossible without the

qualitative development of formal and informal education. It is necessary to develop a

system of education that will develop the students’ ability to plan for the future, be

responsible for it, and believe in themselves, their competencies and therefore the

possibilities for self-realization (Chistyakova et al., 2016).

Currently, within the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), a replacement educational

landscape is being formed, as new formats and models of education are being

developed in conjunction with a rise in the number of stakeholders. New technologies

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and non-standard communication formats have appeared also because the possibility

for online instruction no matter the student’s location (Gharawi et al., 2020).

The studies included above showed that the career choice of students is deeply

impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, their career choice is

based on material goals, professional and personal interest, and business goals.

However, during pandemic, the career choice of students changed due to the changes

brought by the Covid-19 pandemic in the world. This present study wanted to know

the factors that changed the decision of the students in their future career during

covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, this research would like to fill the gap of knowing the

factors that influenced the career choice of the students during pandemic.

Conceptual Framework

Factors

Changes
Material Goals

Less outside
experiences
Personal Interest

Career Covid-19 Distance

Community
Quarantine
Business Goals

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

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 The research paradigm in Figure 1 is showing the flow of the study

through the factors that affect the choice of career of students before the

pandemic and the influence of covid-19 pandemic in the choice of career

of the students.

Starting from the left side of the conceptual framework, the study

considers the factors that affect the career choice of the students before

pandemic like material goals, professional interest, personal interest, and

business goals-as the independent variables that affect the career choice

of the students before the pandemic. But due to Covid-19 pandemic, the

career choice of the students is influenced by the changes brought about

by the pandemic like less outside experiences, distance learning, and

quarantine. It depicts that Covid-19 has had a significant impact on the

choice of career path of students.

Chapter III

11
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 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the methods and procedures used in conducting the

research to utilize and provide the readers an essential view on how the research was

made and how the data was collected to develop conclusions. The sources of

information are also comprised as reference of the study.

Research Design

This research study is an exploratory qualitative study that examines the

influences of the covid-19 pandemic to the students’ choice of career path and how it

made a difference to their career choice. Exploratory qualitative study is used to

investigate a problem which is not clearly defined. It is conducted to have a better

understanding of the existing problem, but will not provide conclusive results

(QuestionPro, 2021). In this study, the researchers use the case study research design

to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about the research problem.

By definition, a case study is a comprehensive account of the context and

overall analysis of a specific event that occurred in a specific place or instance, such

as an institution, institute, or even an entire sector. The main distinguishing feature of

a case study description is that it will include interesting details and an assessment of

a specific situation. Under case studies, an overall study of what went wrong is being

done, and the distinction between different cases will be illustrated (Smith, 2020).

Case Study method is mainly appropriate in the study for through this the researchers,

could be able to deepen, the understanding in the phenomenon in choosing their

career path. It takes to be case study, because it focuses to explore and get into a

12

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deeper understanding of the factors that affect the students’ decision-making during

the pandemic.

Sample

The respondents of this research study are the students from Grade 11- STEM

of Sta. Catalina National High School. Specifically, the target respondents are five (5)

males and five (5) females from Grade 11 STEM students. They are the chosen

respondents because this research’s purpose is to have knowledgeable information on

how Covid-19 pandemic influence the choice of career path of grade 11 STEM

students.

Sampling Procedure

The sampling procedure that researchers will employ in selecting samples is

purposive sampling. Also known as purposeful and selective sampling, purposive

sampling is a sampling technique that qualitative researchers use to recruit

participants who can provide in-depth and detailed information about the phenomenon

under investigation (Statistics Solutions, 2021).

Purposive sampling is the most appropriate sampling procedure in the

research study to have participants that will surely could respond to the objectives or

purpose of the study. The participant to be selected must be a STEM student of Sta.

Catalina National High School and has an experience of reconsidering their chosen

career path due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Research Instrument
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 The researchers crafted the questions for the interview based on the statement

of the problem of the research. The researchers brainstormed question ideas until they

formulated six questions to be asked in the interview.

Basically, the six formulated questions are guide questions only. The

researchers will utilize a semi-structured interview guide to allow participants to have

open-ended responses for more in-depth information. The advantage of using semi-

structured interview is: it is an effective method to collect data (Adams, 2015). When

the researchers need to collect qualitative data, to know more about the thoughts,

feelings, and experience of the interviewee, the researchers should ask more open-

ended questions (DeJonckheere and Vaughn, 2019).

Data Gathering Procedure

After the approval of the submitted personalized questions, the researchers

asked the consent of the SHS coordinator of Sta. Catalina National High School and

the class adviser of Grade 11 STEM students to allow them to perform an interview

with the STEM students regarding the research study. Then, they proceed on finding

the target respondents through communication apps like Messenger and asked if they

can be the interviewees. After the agreement, the date and time of interview followed.

Next, the researchers conducted the interview through Messenger audio call. During

the conversation, the audio was recorded. The recorded audio was transcribed and

interpreted.

Chapter IV
14

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 PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA

This chapter discusses the data gathered from the interview, which forms the

basis for the conclusions and suggestions. It also covers the tabulation of the

collected data, as well as their discussion and interpretation.

Profile of the Participants

Respondent number one is a Grade 11 student of Sta. Catalina National High

School under STEM strand. She is 16 years old and wanted to pursue civil

engineering but during pandemic, she reconsidered her future career path.

The second respondent is also a Grade 11 STEM student who had recently

changed his future career path. He is 17 years old and from Sta. Catalina National

High School.

The third respondent is a Grade 11 student under the STEM strand section

Demeter and is experiencing extreme confusion in choosing and pursuing a college

course due to the current way of studying in the midst of the pandemic. She is also

from Sta Catalina National High School.

Respondent number four is also from Sta. Catalina National High School. She

is currently in Grade 11 STEM under the advisory of Mr. Elson Valencia. She is

currently experiencing confusion about her career choice due to the influence of her

parents who had lost their jobs due to COVID-19.

The respondent number five is a grade eleven STEM student in Sta. Catalina

National High School. Her career plans changed because of the covid-19 pandemic

and how the pandemic changed the system of education in the Philippines that made

her consider her second career choice.

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 The respondent number six is a grade eleven student taking the STEM strand

in Sta. Catalina National High School. She is currently the topnotcher of the STEM

strand. She changed her career plans because of the realization that the covid-19

brought to her that she is more fit in the medical field.

Respondent number seven is a Grade 11 student under the strand of STEM

from Sta. Catalina National High School. He is currently 17 years old. He wanted to

be a Neurologist but due to pandemic, he became overprotective of his health and that

lead him to change his future career path.

Respondent number eight is a Grade 11 student under the strand of STEM

from Sta. Catalina National High School. He is currently 17 years old. His childhood

dream of becoming a Civil Engineer will be only a childhood dream because the

Covid-19 pandemic had made him reflect what he truly wants in college.

The ninth respondent is a Grade 11 STEM student at Sta. Catalina National

High School. He is 17 years old. Due to Covid 19 pandemic, he considers a career in

the medical field because it was important in today's situation. Despite his personal

interest in choosing a profession, he valued the majority's need and the demand for

work, which changed his chosen path.

The last respondent is a Sta. Catalina National High School Grade 11 student

in the STEM strand. He wanted to be a Civil Engineer, but because of the feeling that

this course might not be suitable for him due to the difficulties in distance learning

caused by Covid-19, he decided to pursue a career in tourism. Despite the difficulties

brought on by Covid-19, he remained as an honor student.

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 17

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Tables with Interpretation and Analysis
Table 1.0 Career Choice of Students Before and During the Pandemic.

Transcription Collate Code

(Subcategory) (Core

Category)
1. What are your career plans before the Covid-19 pandemic? (Ano ang iyong SOP1: What do Grade Engineering related

mga plano para sa iyong karera o propesyong tatahakin bago ang pandemya 11 STEM students plan courses

ng Covid-19?) to take in college before

Respondent 1: Plano kong maging civil engineer. COVID-19 pandemic? Service-related

courses

Respondent 2: Gusto ko mag-engineer, electrical engineering. Prior to the COVID-19

pandemic, the selected

Respondent 3: Bago magsimula ang pandemya, ahh… ang gusto ko talaga na careers of Grade 11

kuhanin na kurso ay ano… engineering, civil engineering. STEM students were

electrical engineer, civil

Respondent 4: Noong ano… wala pang covid, before yung covid, ang naisip ko na engineering,

talaga non na kukunin ko kapag kunwari nag-senior high is STEM tapos sa college, mechanical

mag-aano ako, kukunin ko yung BS Architecture kase yung na talaga yung first engineering,

choice ko nong una. Then, ang plano kapag kunwari naka-pasa rin naman ako sa architecture, lawyer,

mga ano ah… tawag dun, entrance exam, yun na talaga yung kukunin ko. and neurologist.

However, there is still

Respondent 5: Nong bago mag-pandemic, ang gusto ko ay engineering, gusto ko one student who is

mag-civil engineering. confused about what

course he wants to take

Respondent 6: Before yung pandemic, gusto ko talagang mag-CPA lawyer, plano in college.

ko talaga muna mag-accountant tapos saka ako papasok sa law school.

Respondent 7: Before the pandemic, ang plano ko… kukuha ako ng Neurosurgery

or Neuroscience. Gusto ko mag-surgeon sa utak o neurologist.

Respondent 8: Gusto ko maging engineer…mechanical o civil engineering.

Respondent 9: Ang plano kong tahakin bago mag pandemic ay ang kuhanin ang

kurso ng mechanical engineering.

Respondent 10: ang kukunin ko sana ay engineering. Civil engineering.

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 Majority of the Grade 11 STEM Students wanted to take engineering related

courses such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical engineering

before the Covid-19 pandemic. Their chosen career is connected to the STEM strand

but there is one student whose chosen course is not related to STEM such as Lawyer-

a service-related course that belongs to the HUMSS. Most students had already

decided what career choice they will pursue in college before the pandemic. The

chosen careers of the grade 11 STEM students are all engineering related courses

and service-related courses. According to Robertson, (2014); Bubić and

Ivanišević, (2016), career choice may be a significant issue within the

developmental live of youths because it's reported to be related to positive also as

harmful psychological, physical and socio-economic inequalities that persist well

beyond the youthful age into a person's adult life.

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Table 1.1

Transcription Collate Code

(Subcategory) (Core

Category)
2. What factors do you consider in choosing your career plan before the pandemic? SOP1: What are the

(Ano ang salik na isinangalang-alang mo sa pagpili ng iyong propesyong tatahakin bago students’ plan about their

ang pandemya?) career path before and Personal interest

Respondent 1: Uhmm… skills, capability, tsaka financial status. during the Covid-19

pandemic? Financial status

Respondent 2: Yung ano, yung gusto ko, yung trip ko, kung saan ako magiging masaya,

personal interest. The Grade eleven STEM Skills

students said that they

Respondent 3: Ang mga factors na ikino-consider ko sa pagpili ng kurso ay ang aking ano plan their career plans Professional interest

kakayahan sa kurso na ‘yon. Syempre kasama na rin don yung mga gastos, financially. based on their skills and

capabilities- if they can Abilities

Respondent 4: Ano, tinitingnan ko kung kakayanin ng utak ko yung ano, yung course na overcome the challenges

kukunin ko tsaka yung budget na kaya ng pamilya ko, tapos yung ano pa ba? Tsaka yung and the subjects that they Peer Pressure

skills ko, yun nga, yung kakayahan ko. will face when they

choose a particular

Respondent 5: Kase yun yung gusto ko tapos yun din yung gusto ng magulang ko tsaka course. Also, they

feeling ko doon ako magiging professional. consider their

professional interest and

Respondent 6: Ano, yung family ko is supportive sa kung anong career na gusto kong personal interest, if that’s

kunin, since undecided pa ako, parang wala lang, gusto ko maging accountant pati parang what they really want.

gusto rin nong friends ko, hahaha, parang peer pressure, ganon. Additionally, they plan it

thinking about their

Respondent 7: Dati bago mag pandemic, ang iniisip ko bago kumuha ng kursong parents’ plans for them

kukuhanin, kino-consider ko ang time- kung kaya ko ba mag-aral ng ganon katagal, yung and their ability to

pera- kung kakayanin ba ng aking family, at yung aking abilidad. support them financially.

Also, peer pressure is one

Respondent 8: Yun yung ano… childhood dream. Ayun yung gusto ko nung maliit pa factor that affects their

ako. decision-making.

Respondent 9: Pinili ko yung mechanical engineering dahil bumase ako sa mga hilig kong

gawin, sa mga… yon.

Respondent 10: Kung ano yung gusto ko at kung ano yung gusto o nirerecommend ng

family ko para sa akin.

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 The students in grade 11 under the STEM strand consider their personal

and professional interest in planning and choosing a career path, they also

consider their skills and ability because it is one of the factors that should be

considered in choosing a college course. Also, they think their parents’ career

plans for them and what their friends think that is good for them. Choosing a

career plan is not always easy especially to those who are not sure on where they

excel and don’t know what they want. Career choice is that the selection of a

vocation supported various factors like ability, parental influence, counselling for

careers, part time jobs etc. (Shahid Kazi & Akhlaq, 2017).

21
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Table 1.2
Transcription Collate Code

(Subcategory) (Core

Category)
3. What are your career plans during the pandemic? (Ano ang iyong mga plano para sa SOP1: What are the Engineering

iyong karera o propesyong tatahakin ngayong pandemya ng Covid-19?) students’ plan about related courses

Respondent 1: Electrical engineer. their career path

during the Covid-19 Science related

Respondent 2: Ngayon, ngayon mismo, mag-aano na ako…. maritime, marine pandemic? During the courses

transportation. pandemic, the grade

11 STEM students' Service-related

Respondent 3: Ngayong pandemya, hindi ko na alam kung ano ang kukuhanin ko na kurso, career choices are courses

kung itutuloy ko pa ba na tahakin ang engineering o kukuha nalang ako ng ibang kurso. electrical engineer,

marine transportation,

Respondent 4: Ngayon… medyo nag-doubt na’ko sa kukunin ko kase ano, nagka-covid journalism or mass

tapos baka hindi rin naman magka-face-to-face sa college kaya baka ang kunin ko na lang communication,

ay ano mag, mag-ano ako, Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication kase nong chemical engineer,

una talaga, yun din yung padalawa kong choice nong nagpili na ako ng course na kukunin medical doctor,

ko sa college, don din kase ako nag-eexcel, sa tingin ko na kaya ko rin pumas ana kaya rin geologist, biologist,

ng pamilya ko yung kukunin kong kurso. medical technologist,

and tourism. There is

Respondent 5: Ngayon, gusto ko na mag-chemical engineering. one student that is

still confuse about

Respondent 6: During the pandemic naman, nag-browse ako about sa medical doctors what course should

tapos yung journey, naging interested ako sa medical field, then ayon, parang may nabasa take in college and

kase ako na accelerated na medicine program, na six years lang pwede nang maging doctor one undecided.

kaya mas advantage sya pag yun ang kukunin ko na career.

Respondent 7: Ngayong pandemic kase nagbago gawa ng… naging Geology ang gusto ko

ng kunin o kaya yung mga course na malayo sa medicine at baka nga mahawaan ng covid.

Respondent 8: Gusto kong maging ano… Biologist.

Respondent 9: So ngayong covid-19 pandemic, ang gusto kong kuhanin ay ang medtech.

Respondent 10: Kukuha ako ng Tourism na course sa college.

[Type here] 22
 The STEM students' career choice during pandemic is different from their

choice of career before the pandemic. Because of the pandemic, the grade 11

STEM students want to explore the engineering related courses, science related

courses and the service-related courses. Their new career choice is still connected

to STEM strand but there are some students that selected a new course that is not

related to STEM like journalism and tourism. There are also students that are

confused and undecided about their career path due to the pandemic. According to

a study of Malayala (2021), 63 percent of students believed that COVID-19 has

affected their initial career plans, while 42 percent believe that they have been

forced to rethink their desired career options and are considering making a

backup plan now. The fact that over 57 percent of students said coping with

frustration and ambiguity about their education plans was one of their greatest

challenges during these testing periods was not shocking.

[Type here] 23
Table 2.0 Influence of Covid-19 Pandemic in Students’ Career Choice
Transcription Collate Code

(Subcategory) (Core

Category)

4. Why did the Covid-19 pandemic cause change in your career plans? (Bakit binago ng pandemya ang iyong mga plano SOP2: Why did it

sa karera o propesyong tatahakin?) change during the Struggled

Respondent 1: Nagpalit ako ng propesyon ng tatahakin, yung may mas mataas na salary. Di ba kase pandemic tas pandemic?

kailangan mas madaming income. Uncertain

The grade 11 STEM

Respondent 2: Nasa bahay lang, mas maraming time para mag-isip, mas maraming oras para makapag-reflect kung anong students said that due Doubtful

karera ang tatahakin mo gawa ng pandemya kase lagi kasi kayong nasa loob ng bahay. to financial ability,

difficulty in studying Financial ability

Respondent 3: Dahil yun dun sa kakayahan ko ga, nong ni-take ko na itong STEM strand, parang nalaman ko na medyo caused by the new

hindi ko kayang i-handle yung mga subjects lalo na yung Math. education system, and Salary

the long period of

Respondent 4: Uhmm… ano, kaya naisip ko din na magbago gawa nang nahihirapan ako ngayon gawa ng ano hindi nga time to reflect that Realization

sigurado kung magkakaroon ng face-to-face tsaka yung ang makukuha ko lang puro knowledge, knowledge, e ang skill? lead to discover new

Paano? Mahihirapan ako tsaka yung ano feeling ko rin na baka hindi ko kayanin yung sa Math gawa nang ngayon pa nga interest, they change New interest

lang nahihirapan na rin ako, paano pa kaya pag nag-college tsaka yung budget nga nong magulang ko napag-aralin ako sa their choice of career

Architecture, sinabi na rin naman nila sa’kin na baka raw hindi nila kayanin yun tsaka ko nalang i-pursue yun, pag during the pandemic.

kunwari may ano, kaya ko nang pag-aralin yung sarili ko. Also, due to the

Covid-19 pandemic,

Respondent 5: Kase naiba yung sistema natin, parang nahirapan ako at na-realize ko na mas bagay ako sa chemical they thought more

engineering kesa sa civil engineering kaya parang don ako sa kaya ko. about the importance

of higher salary, job

Respondent 6: Ano, siguro, due to the fact na mas nagkaroon ako ng time para sa sarili ko na mag-reflect kung ano talaga in demand, and the

yung career na gusto ko kase paano naman kung wala na’kong friends sa time nayun di ba, hindi naman pwedeng dahil importance of

lang sa kanila di ba kaya ayun, naano ko na doctor talaga yung gusto ko. employment

especially in today's

Respondent 7: Dahil nga dun sa merong takot patinga ang pressure sa mga courses related sa medicine… tapos nga ako sa era.

course ko at nagkatrabaho, paano kung dipa rin tapos ang pandemic? Iniisip ko pa rin ang health ko para di mahawaaan

ng pandemya.

Respondent 8: Humaba yung oras ko sa bahay, wala kong magawa… kaya nakapagisip-isip ako. Natauhan kung baga…

ahhh… na ito pala ang kaya ko at gusto ko. Naiba ang interest ko.

Respondent 9: Nabago ng covid-19 pandemic ang aking propesyon sa pagkuha ng kurso ng mechanical engineering

sapagkat dahil sa covid-19, natuklasan ko na ang medtech na kurso ay napakahalaga lalo na sa panahon ngayon.

Respondent 10: Kase ngayong pandemic, parang ang hirap pag-aralan ng mga bagay na dapat mong malaman sa civil

engineering hindi tulad nung sa iba… kagaya ng tourism. Dahil nga modular learning ngayon, mas nahirapan ako o mas

nagduda ako sa kakayanan ko kung magiging successful ba ako bilang civil engineer.

[Type here] 24
 The majority of respondents admitted that Covid-19 had a significant

influence on their choice of course. The grade 11 STEM students change their

career plans because of difficultness that they currently experiencing in the new

learning system. Like the fourth respondent statement where she states that "ano,

kaya naisip ko din na magbago gawa nang nahihirapan ako ngayon gawa ng ano

hindi nga sigurado kung magkakaroon ng face-to-face tsaka yung ang makukuha

ko lang puro knowledge, knowledge, e ang skill? Paano? Mahihirapan ako tsaka

yung ano feeling ko rin na baka hindi ko kayanin yung sa Math gawa nang

ngayon pa nga lang nahihirapan na rin ako, paano pa kaya pag nag-college." Also

majority of the respondents said that the length of time they were at home made

them to reflect and think of their future career path. On the eighth respondent

statement, he said that "Humaba yung oras ko sa bahay, wala kong magawa…

kaya nakapagisip-isip ako. Natauhan kung baga… ahhh… na ito pala ang kaya ko

at gusto ko. Naiba ang interest ko." This statement proves that, as a result of the

pandemic-related quarantine, many students had time to reflect and consider a

more appropriate course for them, as well as the fact that they discovered many

things about themselves that changed their interests. According to (Sokolovskaya

et al., 2020) the students have insufficient life experience in overcoming difficult

situations. For students, each non-standard event is not an act of repetition, but an

act of novelty, one that requires search and creation.

Table 2.1 25

[Type here]
 Transcription Collate Code

(Subcategor (Core

y) Category)
5. What factors do you consider that led to a change in your chosen career? (Ano ang mga kadahilanan SOP 2: Why did it

o salik na isinasaalang-alang mo na humantong sa pagbabago sa iyong napiling propesyon o karera?) change during the Amount of salary

Respondent 1: Ahh… salary, ah tawag dito, yung kung ano siya, yung indemand ngayon. pandemic?

Work in demand

Respondent 2: Sweldo at yung bagong personal interest ko gawa ng impluwensya ng pandemya. The grade 11

students said that New personal

Respondent 3: Dahil nga sa kakayahan ko nga sa pag-solve ng mga Math problems at yung iba pa na the factors they interest

related sa Math. Dapat i-consider yung kakayahan ko sa bawat subject ng course ko sa college. consider that lead to

a change in their Skills

Respondent 4: Una, kagaya nong una kong sinabi, yung budget ng magulang ko na pag-aralin ako, career choice are the

yung kakayanan ko, kung kakayanin ko yung course na kukunin ko at ano pa ba? Yun lang din yung amount of salary, Financial status

pinaka-una kong tiningnan, ni-consider sa pagpili ng kurso, kaya ko rin binago yung pipiliin ko sa work in demand,

college. new personal Parental

interest, skills, influence

Respondent 5: Yun dahilan kase ay yun yung kakayanin ko, impluwensya na rin ng magulang ko. financial status, and

parental influence.

Respondent 6: Ang factors na naiisip kong nakaapekto ay yung justice system dito sa Philippines kas Due to the changes

inga di pa masyadong maayos kaya disadvantage yon kung ako ay maglalawyer. And since brought about by the

nangangailangan nga ng health workers ngayong pandemic, inisip ko, why not pursue my childhood pandemic like

dream instead? Kasi nakikita ko naman na gusto ko rin talaga yun. distance learning

and community

Respondent 7: Tuwing gabi, mag-isa kasi ako sa kwarto, nakakapag-isip ako ng maayos sa course na quarantine, they are

kukunin ko dahil nga mas marami akong time ngayon mag-isip para sa future ko sa mga oras ngayon. able to reflect about

their future career

Respondent 8: yung ano ko… madiskubre yung kakayahan ko pa… wala akong nagagawa eh ngayong plans and by that,

community quarantine kaya nakaka-discover ako. they are able to

consider new factors

Respondent 9: Isa sa mga factors na yon, dahil nga sa covid-19 pandemic, tumaas nga ang demand sa in selecting their

healthcare workers. career path.

Respondent 10: Ngayon nga pandemic, dahil nga pandemic, gawa ng lockdown kaya nakapagisip-isip

ako at yung educational method ngayon. Medyo nahihirapan din ako sa civil engineer nung simula rin.
The choice of career path of students in grade 11 STEM are affected by

the new factors influenced by the pandemic and they consider them in selecting

[Type here]
their future career path. According to the authors of the present research in the

Russian Federation, in February 2020, before quarantine, they conducted a survey

in order to study the students’ career preferences. The results showed that the

students consider career development as an opportunity to realize their material

goals, to combine professional and personal interests, and to set up their own

business. In addition, during a quarantine measures due to the COVID 19

pandemic in May 2020, an express survey of 437 students was conducted. The

results of the survey showed that some students have changed their attitude to

their future career, i.e., they wanted to get advanced professional education,

improve their digital skills to make it easier to adapt for remote work.

27

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Table 3.0 Impact of Covid-19 in Students’ Selection of Career Path

Collate Code
Transcription
(Core
(Subcategory)
Category)
6. How does Covid-19 make an impact in your decision about your career path as a STEM student? (Paano SOP3. How does

naka-epekto ang Covid-19 sa iyong pasya tungkol sa iyong career path bilang isang mag-aaral ng STEM?) Covid-19 made a

Respondent 1: Ngayong nagkaroon ng pandemya, ahh… mas nag-sink in sa akin yung ano, yung importance difference in deciding

ng income kaya electrical engineering na yung course na kukunin ko sa college. the career path of Realization

STEM students?

Respondent 2: Mas nakita ko yung ano… gawa ng covid-19, nakita ko yung pinaka-gusto ko na course at sa Reflection

palagay ko ay magiging successful ako sa course na ‘yon. Grade 11 students said

that because of Impact of

Respondent 3: ‘Yung nawalan ako ng self-confidence sa unang course na napili ko gawa ng sa palagay ko, pandemic and the covid-19

yung impact ng covid-19 sa learning modality natin ngayon ang nagsabing hindi ako fit don sa course na ‘yon influences it brought pandemic

dahil sobrang nahirapan talaga ako ngayon. to the selection of

their career path like

Respondent 4: Nakaapekto ito ng malaki sa akin, ngayong second semester, napaisip ako, parang feel ko hindi the reflections of what

ko kakayanin kapag kunwari nag-college, kapag nag-Architecture ako kaya ang naisip ko, yun na nga lang they are capable to do,

sinuggest ng magulang ko na yung second choice ko nalang na course kase baka hindi rin naming kayanin of their limitations,

yung budget. and of what they truly

wanted, they are able

Respondent 5: Nakaapekto yung covid-19 kase parang sa tingin ko, kung hindi babalik sa dati yung sistema to realize the right

ng pag-aaral, mahihirapan ako doon sa first choice ko. career path they will

pursue in college.

Respondent 6: Kase, ano e, yun nga nabigyan ako ng time para mag-reflect kung ano talaga yung gusto ko and Also, due to

dinala nga ako sa STEM which is mahirap pero feeling ko nakatulong yung covid na ma-pursue ko kung ano pandemic, they realize

yung gusto ko. that they needed to

consider a course that

Respondent 7: Dahil ngayong pandemic, yung dream ko dati na maging neurosurgeon, nadala na ng takot na will make them

baka mahawaan ako kaya nagbago ako ng course na gusto ko. Inimpact ng pandemic ang decision ko sa successful, safe, and

course ko dahil tinulungan ako nito na mapagtanto na huwag kong kunin ang course related sa medicine para happy in the future.

maprotektahan ang kalusugan ko.

Respondent 8: Hmmmm… sa mga subjects, nakita ko yung nahihirapan ako at nadadalian ako dahil nga

ngayong modular learning tayo. Mas nakikita ko yung mas madali kong maintindihan at nahihirapan.

Respondent 9: So dahil nga ito sa pangyayari na ito sa ating kapaligiran, mas nakita ko yung… nalaman yung

kahalagahan ng healthcare workers.

Respondent 10: Di ba nga hindi na face-to-face, naisip ko paano kung ganito pa rin yung magiging…

magiging pag-aaral pagdating ng college, mas mahirap lalo at college na’yon. Hindi na related sa STEM ang

gusto kong kunin dahil ngayon ko lang din napagisip-isip na hindi talaga madali ang civil engineering at

parang hindi para sa’kin ang civil engineering kaya napansin ko yung course na tourism at naramdaman ‘kong

parang sa course na ito… dito ako magigung mas masaya.

[Type here] 28
 Covid-19 pandemic had made a difference in the selection of career path

of grade 11 STEM students. It enables them have significant reflections and

realizations about their future career path due to the impact of covid-19

pandemic. According to Borisova & Vas Moilieva (2020), people’s life goals and

professional aspirations have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This virus

has caused enormous demographic and economic damage to leading states. As a

result, we can discern people’s priorities. For example, if a person’s main concern

is to stay at home, remain indoors unless necessary, and order products through a

delivery service, i.e., to isolate himself or herself completely, then the person’s

most important values are health and responsibility to others. If people continue

going to work, they are focused on money and career. Currently, the younger

generation is heavily influenced by the current crisis since their long-term goals

are being formed based on their life objectives.

29
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 Chapter V

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The results of the research are summarized in this chapter. It encompasses the

conclusions drawn from the results' analysis, observation, and interpretation.

Recommendations are also formulated for further improvement of the research.

Summary of Findings

The researchers are able to find answers to the study's specific questions based

on the responses obtained. And from these studies, the following are found out:

1.

a. Grade 11 STEM Students wanted to take engineering related courses and service-

related courses.

b. The factors that the grade 11 students consider in selecting their career path before

the pandemic are personal interest, financial status, skills, professional interest,

abilities and peer pressure.

c. During the pandemic, the grade 11 STEM students' career choices are engineering

related courses, science related courses, and service-related courses.

2.

a. The grade 11 STEM students changed their career choice due to work in demand,

financial ability, difficulty in distance learning, and the long period of time to reflect

that lead to discover new interest. Also, due to covid-19 pandemic, they realize the

importance of the amount of salary and employment in this time of pandemic.

[Type here] 30
 b. The factors that the grade 11 students consider that lead to a change in their

career choice during pandemic are the amount of salary, work in demand, new

personal interest, skills, financial status, and parental influence.

3. Because of the pandemic and the influences it had on their future path

selection, such as reflections on what they are capable of, their limitations, and what

they actually desired, the grade 11 students were able to realize the right career path

they will pursue in college. They also recognize that, as a result of the pandemic, they

must consider a path that will enable them to be successful, safe, and happy in the

future.

Conclusion

The following conclusions were drawn from the findings of the interviews

with the respondents:

1. Before the pandemic, majority of the Grade 11 STEM Students wanted to take

engineering courses such as civil engineering, mechanical engineering and electrical

engineering. It was influenced by their personal interest, financial status, skills,

professional interest, abilities, and peer pressure. But during pandemic, their career

choices change to various careers like electrical engineering, marine transportation,

journalism or mass communication, chemical engineering, medical doctor, geologist,

biologist, and medical technologist and tourism.

2. The STEM students changed their selected careers due to the changes brought

about by the pandemic particularly the difficulty in distance learning and the long

period of reflection that led to a realization of what course they actually want to

pursue in college. They consider the amount of salary, new personal

[Type here]
interest, work in demand, financial capability, parental influence, and their skills as

factors that influenced their career choices during the pandemic. These factors have

made the students found the course that fitted them the most but at the same time, it

also made other students to be undecided on the course they want.

3. The Covid-19 made a difference in deciding the career path of STEM students by

helping them reflect and realize what career path suited them the best that will ensure

their success and safety in the future.

Recommendation

Following is a list of recommendations based on a thorough examination of

the data:

The study focuses on the influences of the Covid-19 pandemic on grade 11

STEM students' career path choices. It symbolizes the idea that students come to a

crossroad that could affect their future in any way.

For the students

The students may pay attention on what career they really want and love to

have in the future. If something does not feel right about the first decided career

choice, talk to someone who is trustworthy and ask for advice.

Prior to starting their careers, students may think straight on what their heart

and mind really want. They may think for their selves first so that they may select the

best decision for them.

They may ask for advice from the people that are close with them like their

family or friends. Those people may help them to make a great decision and choose

the best college course that will fit them amidst the pandemic.
32

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 In addition, they may commit to the education program that they really want

despite the pandemic. They may choose a program that has been handed to them in

order to improve their capabilities, be successful and have a stable activity.

For the parents

The parents may help their children to select a college course that really fits

them amidst the pandemic. The parents know what is the best for their children.

They may give advices and tips for their children to make a decision that will

be the best for them. They may be a good influence or role model for their children,

especially, this time of pandemic.

They may select their children's career choice but still consider and encourage

their children to pursue the dream that is in their heart and do the things that inspire

them.

For the teachers

They may provide more materials and discussions that could lessen the

difficulties encountered by the students in the subjects they found difficult especially

Mathematics amidst the pandemic. This may help the students to minimize the doubt

they have in their selected career path.

They may give some of their times to their students if they not easily

understand what is in the lesson.

Moreover, they may support their students to be confident about their chosen

career choice and achieve what they really wanted.

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[Type here] 36
 APPENDICES

Appendix 1. Letter to the Respondents

Date: May 31,2021

Name of Interviewee: Barbie Dimaculangan

Dear Ms. Dimaculangan:

We are Grade 11 students enrolled in the Academic track of Sta. Catalina National
High School, Senior High School Department. At present, we are working on our
research study entitled “Covid-19 Pandemic Influences on the Choice of Career Path
of Grade 11 STEM Students” as a requirement for the completion of the Practical
Research 1 subject.

In this regard, we would like to interview you as one of our research participants. We
strongly believe that the information you will share with us will be vital in achieving
the objective of this research undertaking. You may also rest assured that all
information will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will only be used for this
purpose.

Should you consider this request, we will be happy to arrange the interview schedule
with you. Please let us know your most convenient time through my messenger
account - Sean Kyron Briones.

We are hoping for your most positive response. Thank you so much.

Truly yours

Sean Kyron Briones Shaira Mariz Perez Alexis Mortel

Althea Panaligan Lemuel Ilagan

Noted by:
LORELYN N. SALTOC
Master Teacher II, SHS Department
Subject Teacher

[Type here] 37
Appendix 2. Bio notes

SEAN KYRON Z. BRIONES, one of the study's

authors, is a student at Sta. Catalina National High

School, where he is pursuing his studies in the Academic

track-STEM strand. He is a 17-year-old student who has

competed in different quiz bee competitions in the fields

of English and Mathematics, placing fourth in SalEUc Dunong and second in the UP

Oroqueta Intellectual Quiz Bee in Lucena City. He is also a debater, having competed

in a division debate competition and placed fourth. Throughout his primary and

secondary school years, he was also a consistent honor student. In fact, he received

second honorable mention in sixth grade at Sta. Catalina Central School and Rank 1

With High Honors in tenth grade at Sta. Catalina National High School. Literature,

biology, physics, and calculus all pique this researcher's curiosity. As part of his

education, he is currently acquiring experience in a wide range of researches.

SHAIRA MARIZ U. PEREZ, one of the authors of this

study, is currently pursuing her studies under Academic

track – STEM strand in Sta. Catalina National High

School. She is a 17-year-old student who always tries to

maintain a good grade. She graduated with honors andgot

special award during her 6th grade in Tipas Elementary School. This researcher

maintained to be in the high section when she was in her junior high school years. In

fact, she received a “Determined Learner Award” when she was in the 8th grade in

[Type here] 38
her former school, Batangas Eastern Colleges. This author is also interested in

exploring the underlying stories of the world. She's also interested in some of the

social issues that the Philippines is facing today. At present, she is an honor student

who continues to strive hard in gaining more knowledge about the track that she's

pursuing.

ALEXIS MORTEL is one of the researchers in this study.

He is 17 years old and currently studying under the

Academic track- STEM strand and in the eleventh grade at

the school of Sta. Catalina National High School. He is

well-known for his involvement in school activities,

regularly participating in play, poetry, and reading activities.

He has also been an honor student since entering high school in seventh grade, and he

has remained an honor student despite the difficulties he is now facing as a result of

the new education system, particularly the modular approach. Some of his areas of

interests are when it comes to the subject of math, science, and things about

technological innovation or development of technological capability and skills. He

was interested in learning or exploring technology; video and photo editing as well as

generating PowerPoint presentations. He aspires to be better in the field of research as

a part of his education.

[Type here] 39
 One of the authors of this research, ALTHEA Z

PANALIGAN, is currently pursuing her studies under

Academic track-STEM strand student in Sta Catalina

National Highschool. She is an 17-year-old student who

competed in quiz bee competition in the field of AP,

during elementary. She is also a consistent honor students during her primary and

secondary years. In fact, she received the best in class during 9th grade and Rank 2

with honors in the 10th grade in their class in Sta Catalina National Highschool. This

researcher is also interested in studying literature, history, chemistry, biology and

physics. As a part of her education, she is currently gaining experience in a wide

range of researches.

LEMUEL C. ILAGAN, one of the researchers in this

strudy, is currently a grade eleven STEM student in Sta.

Catalina National High School. He is 16 years old who had

joined some of the activities in junior high and became a

honor student. Some of his interest can be seen in the field

of mathematics. Back then, when he was elementary, he

won in Mathraton as 4th place when he was in grade 2. He also graduated with honor

in his grade 6 and grade 10. He joined the Boy Scout of the Philippines to experience

the challenges and try different activities. As of now he is participating in this

research to improve his skills and knowledge.

40
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Appendix 3. Interview Questions

1. What are your career plans before the Covid-19 pandemic?

(Ano ang iyong mga plano para sa iyong karera o propesyong tatahakin bago ang

pandemya ng Covid-19?)

2. What factors do you consider in choosing your career plan before the pandemic?

(Ano ang salik na isinangalang-alang mo sa pagpili ng iyong propesyong tatahakin

bago ang pandemya?)

3. What are your career plans during the pandemic?

(Ano ang iyong mga plano para sa iyong karera o propesyong tatahakin ngayong

pandemya ng Covid-19?)

4. Why did the Covid-19 pandemic cause change in your career plans?

(Bakit binago ng pandemya ang iyong mga plano sa karera o propesyong tatahakin?)

5. What factors do you consider that led to a change in your chosen career?

(Ano ang mga kadahilanan o salik na isinasaalang-alang mo na humantong sa

pagbabago sa iyong napiling propesyon o karera?)

6. How does Covid-19 make an impact in your decision about your career path as a

STEM student?

(Paano naka-epekto ang Covid-19 sa iyong pasya tungkol sa iyong career path bilang

isang mag-aaral ng STEM?)

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[Type here]