Exploring Course Mismatch among Former STEM Students: A Narrative Research

Abstract

One of the aims of the senior high school program is targeted at providing students with necessary knowledge and abilities that may be of need for their chosen career in college. The effectiveness of this endeavour is thought to be assessed by the alignment of high school graduates' strand in senior high school to the courses taken in college. However, there is a situation in which students enrol in college programs that are unrelated to their strand. This study employed a narrative-qualitative research design to explore the reasons and experiences of college students who are currently enrolled at a university in San Pablo City and have experienced course mismatch. Three (3) former STEM students qualified as participants via purposive sampling were selected in order to extract relevant and valuable information for the research study. The researchers conducted an interview with the participants. Recorded audio was transcribed. Then, it was coded and categorized. Thematic analysis was employed to generalize the findings of the study. This study highlighted different reasons why students were experiencing course mismatch. Researchers discovered that the decisions of STEM students to take non-STEM courses were influenced by both external and internal factors. External factors such as course availability, perceived difficulty of STEM subjects, and absence of specific STEM abilities, as well as internal characteristics such as motivation, were all considered. The difficulty highlighted by students is the struggle to keep up with their peers, resulting in a sense of being behind in the class. Parents and social expectations were also contributors to their struggles, as the responses provided by participants suggest that they were pressured by their environment, questioning their abilities and decisions. To adjust to non-STEM learning environments, students had both extrinsic and intrinsic support systems. Extrinsic support entails finding peers and participating in social activities, whereas intrinsic support entails personal resilience and determination. These characteristics helped them to persevere and develop in their new surroundings. Thorough implementation of an enhanced career guidance program, integrated with parental support may be conducted by senior high school institutions to reduce the rate of course mismatch among Filipino first-year students.