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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Education in a globalizing economy demands not only
specialized technical skills but also the needed knowledge
and awareness for the emerging occupational demands of the
modernizing social and economic environment. Such
educational needs is greatly felt especially in the
Philippines with the globalization and opening of doors
among the neighboring countries.
Rapid changes in technology and increasing
international competition have led employers to seek new
strategies for producing goods and providing services. These
changes require a high performance organization where all
workers have more responsibility and decision-making
functions. Such organizations need employees who are well
trained and possess the skills and knowledge necessary for
their new functions. In addition, as learning becomes an
integral part of the work itself, workers will need to be
better prepared to avail themselves of training and learning
opportunities in the workplace
The present conditions on technology and education will
certainly demand a mass of highly trained
1
manpower for business operation and management including the
knowledge and the language skills required for the automated
equipments and information technology of the present-day
world of business. The Medium Term Development Plan for
Higher Education (MTDPHE) 2005-2010 articulates how the
higher education system could contribute to the attainment
of the national development goals through its three main
functions namely, human resource development (HRD),
research, and extension. The needed education towards this
end, therefore, has become an important task with which
educational institutions in the country are expected to
assume.
Based on the 2007 National Human Resource Conference,
the common issues/gaps to all disciplines that surfaced
during the said event were mismatch of graduate’s
skills/knowledge against the needs of the industry and lack
of English proficiency.
In confronting a growing mass of young people who are
less inclined for the academic upbringing, the college
instruction for Business and Computer Studies Program has to
be re-designed in a manner more appropriate and fitting to
the students’ experiences and learning preparatory for
2
industry immersion. For this purpose, it would mean certain
innovation and adjustment in terms of the school curriculum,
instructional materials, teachers’ preparation, and teaching
methodology.
What instructional ends and materials as well as
approaches to be contained for curricular adjustment can
only be made when information about the assessment of
learning capabilities/skills of students acquired as well as
their language proficiency are more or less sufficient to
serve as basis of such innovation and development. A study,
in this regard, on the skills assessment and readiness of
students for industry work will crystallize the need for the
re-designing of the curriculum and instructional approaches
of the Business and Computer Studies Program.
Statement of the Problem
The study aimed to determine the correlation of the
performance of the students in Business and Computer Studies
during their Practicum Program.
Specifically, it sought to answer the following;
3
1. What is the performance of the students in the
practicum program offered by the Business and
Computer Studies Program?
2. What is the performance of students along the Key
Results Area on adaptability, attitude,
punctuality and quality of work?
3. What is the effect of the KRA results on the
performance of students during the Practicum
Program.
Objectives of the Study
This research aims to determine whether the students
who underwent the practicum program of the Business and
Computer Studies Program of Santa Isabel College Higher
Education Department for SY 2007-2008, have competencies
which match the industry need.
Its specific objectives are:
1. To assess the level of competencies acquired by
the students of the Business and Computer Studies
Program;
2. To determine the desired competencies of the
industry and match these with the competencies of
students in the practicum program.
4
3. To identify other personal factors associated with
the students’ work performance.
Significance of the Study
A study on the learning capability and the acquisition
of skills/competencies of the students of the Business and
Computer Studies Program is quite important. The findings
from such a study will certainly be of value to the efforts
of making college instruction relevant and most suitable to
the industry required skills / competencies. Its researched
findings can very well provide important information that
may help identify the problems affecting the student’s
performance and their learning capability and subsequently
direct institutional efforts in the curriculum review and
improvement of the Business and Computer Studies curriculum.
The findings of the study may help the faculty and
administrators to take up necessary measures to review and
re-design curriculum that will address both the needs of
students and the required skills of the industry today.
5
The study may also be of importance to future
researchers, since the research findings may reveal certain
problem areas that require further exploration and probing.
The results of the study may we000ll serve also as baseline
data needed for a follow-up and, at the same time, an
expanded investigation of the students’ background and
learning experiences and classroom performance in the
Business and Computer Studies Program.
To the faculty members of the Business and Computer
Studies, the results of the present study may prove useful
in their efforts to develop and improve the course content
of their syllabus. Likewise, it may help them find or
design the appropriate teaching aids and approaches for
enhancing the effectiveness of their classroom instruction.
Finally, this study may also be of help in making the
owners of industry and business companies informed and
conscious of the social and educational problems inherent
from the country’s stubbornly growing economy; that their
knowledge about these problems may incline them to offer
certain adaptive measures or recommendations that would
cater and best suit to their demand for knowledgeable and
skillful manpower resources out of the graduates of Business
and Computer Studies Program.
6
Scope and Limitation of the Study
The research inquiry was mainly focused on the learning
capability/acquisition of competence and instructional
methodology. The research purpose is to secure information
about the students’ work performance and learning needs,
which are information that may be important as basis for the
improvement of the curriculum and instruction in the
Business and Computer Studies Program offered in Santa
Isabel College.
The study was limited to the 2nd and 4th year practicum
students enrolled in Industry Immersion for the first
semester of SY 2007-2008 and who are currently deployed in
different companies and offices as part of their industry
immersion program.
7
Chapter II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter presents related literature and studies
which guided the researcher in establishing the gap between
the competencies acquired by the students in the classroom
and the competencies required by the industry.
Based on the 2007 National Human Resource Conference,
the common issues/gaps to all disciplines that surfaced
during the said event were mismatch of graduates skills
against the needs of the industry and lack of English
proficiency. It is a must to review the curricular
offerings of Higher Education Institutions if they are
preparing students for actual work.
Employment Scenario
One challenge faced by educators and employers is how
to prepare students for their changing roles in the
workplace and how to ensure that the economy uses the full
capacity and potential of our youth. At a point in our
history when education beyond high school is increasingly
viewed as necessary to meet the educational and skill
8
requirements of many current and emerging careers,
approximately one half of U.S. youth do not attend college
and about half of those who do will not complete their
studies. For many of these youth, particularly those who are
members of the growing underclass, the transition between
school and work has become problematic (U.S. GAO, 1990b).
Many graduate high school with few or no job-related skills;
often their academic preparation is weak.
Those who drop out before high school graduation, many
of them caught up in an inescapable world of poverty, fare
worse with even more limited job and career prospects. Until
the age of 25, these youth are likely to move from job to
job, usually in the service sector of the economy where they
find jobs that are low-skilled, poorly paid, and offer few
opportunities for further training or advancement.
The result for some young people is a life of poverty.
For many others the prospect is employment that pays less
than a living wage and offers neither self-respect nor a
future (William T. Grant Foundation Commission on Work,
9
Family, and Citizenship, 1988). Unemployment rates among all
youth are high (twice that for adults) and not responsive to
economic upturns. The official 1991 unemployment rate for
high school graduates below the age of 24 was 13 percent for
whites, 17 percent for Hispanics, and 29 percent for Blacks.
In reality, these frighteningly high rates are probably even
worse. If young people drop out of school, their prospects
for not getting a job are one out of four, and their
employment prospects do not improve with time.
Related to these employment patterns are the prospects
for further training and career mobility. Employers tend to
invest training dollars in their best educated employees.
Only 45 percent of high school dropouts received training
from their employers compared to 71 percent of high school
graduates and 79 percent of college graduates (Vaughan and
Berryman, 1989). Also, those who are trained on one job are
more likely to be trained on subsequent jobs.
Education and Employment
Recent attention to the "forgotten half" of students
who do not follow the traditional high school to college
10
sequence stems from changes in the economy and the
inadequate response by schools, businesses, and government.
A number of factors make the school-to-work transition issue
critical at this time.
First, the changing demographics of the U.S. population
find fewer young people and a general aging trend (U.S. DOL,
1989a). Second, a set of changes in the labor market
suggests a shift from manufacturing to a service economy
with the resulting reduction in low-level high-pay jobs in
manufacturing and growth in low-skilled low-pay jobs in the
service sector of the economy (Johnston and Packer, 1987).
According to the U.S. General Accounting Office (1992),
while there is general agreement that the demographic make-
up of the labor force will continue to change, critics
differ on the likelihood of labor shortages and skill gaps.
Johnston and Packer argue that there will be a need for
higher order and technological skills for a growing number
of jobs in all sectors of the economy. Others assert that
labor shortages will be limited in scope
11
and impact and that high-skill technical jobs will represent
only four percent of all jobs by the year 2000.
Third, an increasing number of young people are "at-
risk" of not becoming productive members of society.
Finally, as the institutions of the family and community
have changed dramatically, society once again has turned to
the schools to carry out the transition process, an enormous
role for which schools have not received the resources or
the required training and which some critics view as a
dangerous shift in the focus of attention away from "the
nation's economic malaise." These critics argue that while
our education system is in need of major improvement,
business has done much to contribute to the American
worker's lowered competitiveness and offers little in the
way of an economic agenda aimed at absorbing the highly
skilled workers it is demanding from the schools (Weisman,
1992).
In many communities, transition programs are a part of
major school reform and restructuring efforts. School-to-
work transition may in fact be driven by school reform or
may drive some of the changes that are being incorporated
12
as a part of restructuring efforts. The literature taken as
a whole indicates a consensus that school-to-work transition
cannot be accomplished as an activity separate from the
school reform movement. It is an integral component in any
effective reconfiguration of our current education system.
There is a growing recognition that school reform
requires the full commitment of all partners to
systematically change the way we approach education in the
U.S. Schools alone cannot be expected to develop effective
strategies for providing young people with the knowledge,
skills, and support they need to become creative and
productive members of society. At the same time that
educators have reached out to the community for advice and
support, businesses have become aware that the local and
national economic interest is increasingly at risk.
Furthermore, the absence of an effective system to help non-
college-bound youth make a smooth transition to the primary
labor market has cost the U.S. socially and economically.
Half of our young people are experiencing difficulties
finding long-term, productive employment. Currently there is
no system in place to help them access
13
such opportunities. Charner (1990) suggests that such a
system would comprise a set of services essential to an
effective transition, including information on employment
and career options, career counseling, oversight of student
work experience, linkages to employers, and other essential
services, similar to those offered in other countries. Byrne
et al. (1992) point to the Quality Connection Consortium,
initiated by the National Alliance for Business, as a
school-to-work transition model where employers take direct
responsibility for a portion of the educational enterprise.
Curriculum and Employment
The Council of Chief State School Officers (1991a) also
views the improvement of transition connections between
school and employment as a critical catalyst in the
restructuring of elementary and secondary education. The
Council offers a set of nine principles for improving the
preparation of youth for gainful employment and continued
learning, and a set of ten actions which should be taken in
each state to establish curriculums that promote a school-
to-work system.
14
The National Center on Education and the Economy (1990)
has received a great deal of public attention focusing on
its recommendations which provide a framework for developing
a high quality American education and training system,
closely linked to high performance work organizations. The
recommendations include: a national benchmarked educational
performance standard for all students; state responsibility
for students achieving Certificates of Initial Mastery; a
comprehensive system of technical and professional
certificates and associates degrees; incentives for
employers to invest in further education and training for
their workers; and a system of Employment and Training
Boards to organize and oversee the proposed school-to-work
transition programs and training systems. Recently, a series
of bills have been introduced in the U.S. Congress that
build on these recommendations for a national system.
Fraser and Charner (1993) recommend setting up local
Community Youth Development Councils, with a satellite
Office of Youth Transition Services in every high school.
15
Because no single institution acting alone can address the
education-work needs of youth and employers, these local
collaborative councils would be responsible for overseeing
the movement of all the community's young people between
school and work or further education and training.
Another approach that has been advocated by the Director of
the National Center for Research in Vocational Education is
"high schools with character," which would include: the
integration of academic and vocational studies; cooperative
student learning; collegial work among teachers; and a
special school identity, commonly established through an
industrial connection (NCRVE, 1992a). This connection with a
specific industry or corporation is similar to the Japanese
connection between high schools and individual corporations.
It is believed that a substantial number of students will
perform better in such a program than in traditional
college-prep programs and that such schools will be more
relevant to the needs of our economy.
Waiting until high school to address the education-work
needs of youth, however, may prove to be a costly mistake.
Lacey (1988) and the Carnegie Council on
16
Adolescent Development (1989) build a strong case for
providing new school structures and supportive services as
core program components for students in the middle grades.
Without an early focus on such elements as counseling and
health services to assist youth in overcoming difficulties,
and without innovative delivery approaches such as case
management, large numbers of our young people will not be
able to become self-sufficient (Nightingale et al., 1991).
Bostingl (1992) posits that our schools no longer
provide an opportunity for students to perform high-quality
work. The primary issue is how to rethink the schooling
process so that young people have greater opportunities to
develop the self-direction and creative decision-making
skills that are necessary for success in today's global
economy. Finn (1992) argues that the chance to reform our
schools may be squandered unless three promising educational
reform ideas are implemented: national school standards;
exams keyed to those standards; and the use of exam results
for college admission and employee selection.
The general consensus is that two problems are
motivating the current restructuring movement--the
educational system's poor performance and the changing
nature of work and workers (McDonnell, 1989). How well
17
restructuring transforms American education, improves
student learning, and eases the school-to-work transition
will depend in large measure on the sustained attention of
parents, employers, trade unions, educators, churches,
youth-serving agencies, community leaders, and local, state,
and national authorities (William T. Grant Commission on
Work, Family and Citizenship, 1988).
With our nation's economic competitiveness sagging and
our productivity levels not keeping pace with our
international competitors, employers and policy makers have
called for changes and improvements in how our schools
prepare students (PEI Quarterly, 1991). In multiple surveys,
employers point to inadequacies in academic skills and work
readiness among workers, including the lack of integrity and
of willingness to assume responsibility and work
cooperatively. They also point to the increasing need for
workers to be lifelong learners--a need generated by the
increasing speed with which skills become obsolete and by
the frequent changes in jobs that are typically made by
workers during their lifetimes (one in five workers leave
their jobs once every five years and younger workers even
more often).
18
According to the Committee for Economic Development,
"Employers in both large and small businesses decry the lack
of preparation for work among the nation's high school
graduates. Too many students lack reading, writing, and
appropriate behavior on the job. Nor have they learned how
to learn, how to solve problems, make decisions, or set
priorities" (quoted in Carlson, 1990). This view of young
workers contributes to their poor prospects in the labor
market as employers seek to hire older, more experienced
workers, even for entry-level positions.
Yet students have correctly ascertained that there is
little if any relationship between how well they do in
school and how likely they are to get a high-skill, high-pay
job, or even a job that pays good students more than their
counterparts who do less well in school. Employers rarely
bother to check the academic credentials of young job
applicants, nor does the U.S. have an externally graded
competency assessment system keyed to the secondary school
curriculum, as do most other industrialized nations (Bishop,
1992).
The U.S. Department of Labor Secretary's Commission on
Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) recently made a start on
19
developing such a system by identifying the five
competencies that effective workers can productively use and
the three-part foundation of skills and personal qualities
that competence requires (U.S. DOL, 1991).
Other approaches to providing information on the skills
employers need include the Employment Readiness Profile
proposed by Barton (1989b) and the employability skills
portfolio being piloted in the State of Michigan (Stemmer et
al., 1992). All of these approaches are aimed at providing
both students and employers with a set of useful, practical
indicators of linkages between student competencies and
achievements and their likely performance as workers in a
changing economy.
Vocational Education and Alternative Learning Systems
For years, vocational education has been regarded as
the traditional "dumping ground" for those students who were
identified as not being suited to a curriculum of academic,
college-oriented courses. According to Douglas (1992), the
long history of competition and distrust between the
academic and vocational sectors of schools succeeded only in
embittering teachers and harming students. Today, the
emphasis is increasingly being placed
20
on integrating academic (theoretical) disciplines with more
rigorous vocational (hands-on) courses for all students, but
particularly for the large number of non-college-bound
students. In the best of these programs, traditional
academic and vocational offerings are complementary, with
work activities used to help students learn English, math,
and science, for example, while the classroom experience
builds on and reinforces on-the-job learning.
A variety of innovative efforts are aimed at achieving
such an integration between academic and vocational skills,
including tech prep, cooperative education, academies,
occupationally focused schools, and occupational clusters
within schools. The 2+2 tech prep/associate degree program
is currently being implemented in a number of states (Hull
and Parnell, 1991). Tech prep links vocational education
programs offered at the secondary and postsecondary levels,
covering the last two years of high school and the first two
years of postsecondary education. The four-year program
combines a common core of learning and technical education,
built on a foundation of basic proficiency in math, science,
communications, and technology, all in an applied setting
and subject to tests of excellence. The first phase of the
program stresses career counseling and academic work
21
and moves toward a more technical concentration at the
postsecondary level. The student who completes the program
earns a certificate or associate degree in a technical
field. First introduced in Indiana in 1987, currently
approximately 700 tech prep programs in 47 states allow
students to link their high school studies with studies in
both community and four-year colleges (Education Writers
Association, 1992).
Kerka (1989) examines the findings from cooperative
education as a model for school-work integration and finds
that although it appears successful for students in the
fields of engineering, business, and health, cooperative
education remains a marginal program, lacking the scope,
funding, and impact it needs to serve as a vehicle for
workplace transformation. Grubb (1992) looks at three
approaches that attempt to reshape both the academic and
vocational components of the high school: academies,
occupationally focused schools, and occupational clusters.
Academies usually operate as schools-within-schools,
existing in many occupational areas, and maintaining close
relationships with businesses related to the core
occupational area.
22
Occupationally focused schools are usually magnet or
focus schools with clear missions, separate organization,
and social contracts that indicate the responsibilities of
teachers, students, and parents. Every student in an
occupational cluster chooses among clusters within a school
rather than among schools. In each case, the traditional
division between academic and vocational subjects has been
bridged.
The general consensus seems to be that vocational
education in this country is at a crossroads. Major
restructuring is necessary to meet the future economic,
social, and technological needs of the U.S., including a new
vision of vocational education as an integrated and
interrelated part of the overall education program for all
students (Daggett, 1990). Achieving this goal will not be
easy, given the years of historical distance between
academic and vocational educators. Based on current
information, however, the momentum seems to be growing for
closer integration of academic and vocational skills for the
benefit of all students.
Electronic Program Management
Sloan School of Management (2003) states that the rapid
rate of Internet penetration throughout the world,
23
coupled with dramatic advances in uses of information
technology in business and industry, is creating an
extensive literature on various aspects of ‘e Business’ and
‘e-Commerce’ as well as a special interest in ‘e- Readiness’
both here and overseas. Recent studies showing the
increasing knowledge intensity of economic activities in
almost all of the industrial countries contributed to an
accelerated interest in e-venues for growth in the
developing countries. National and international
institutions alike appear to be focusing on the e-potentials
for growth in private as well as public sectors, and almost
every developing country is now mounting a national
information technology (IT) development plan. And
preparations for the forthcoming World Summit on Information
Society (WSIS) planned for 2003 and 2004 are placing IT-
related issues at the center for global politics.
Underlying these trends is an implicit expectation that
successful e-Business and e-
Commerce (however redefined) can take place if, and only if,
emergent initiatives are built on robust foundations of
readiness. However, the notion of e-Readiness means
24
different things to different people, in different contexts,
and for different purposes.
As a result, a large gap exists between ideas and
concepts, on the one hand, and practical applications and
implications, on the other. Gaps also exist between new
expectations and capabilities in place. Investors as well as
policy makers would be well served by the availability of
tools to reduce ambiguity about decision and choices in this
general domain. Much of what we know about e-Readiness – in
theory and in practice – comes from a range of studies that
provide a view of past performance, current assessment, and
future expectations. Jointly, they reflect on the
characteristic features of ‘first generation of e-Readiness
assessment’. This paper reviews these studies, identifies
central tendencies and selectivity features, and proposes an
approach that, we believe, provides the basis for the next
generation of e-Readiness – for research and policy,
assessments as well as realities.
Helping youth make informed choices about what they
want to do as adults is the root of why preparatory
experiences are so essential. Assisting youth to negotiate
the transition from school to employment and further
25
education means, in part, preparing them to adjust to the
workplace and the performance of work. In a major sense,
what happens during the preparatory (work readiness) stage
of career development can significantly affect the
transition to employment of the young person. A stable,
smooth, and supportive transition to employment can reduce
the problems of unemployment and productivity that sometimes
plague young workers, particularly those with disabilities.
With all the related literature and studies presented
here, it can be concluded that Higher Education Institutions
has great responsibility in forming and preparing students
develop competencies while in their premises. The moment
students step out of the school campus after graduation, the
million dollar question is, are they prepared enough to face
the challenges and realities of the outside world? Have
they acquired competencies which would serve as their shield
and armor in facing the real battle of life outside the four
walls of the classroom?
Theoretical Framework
26
The study was anchored on themes related the
development of student competencies.
As Maslow (Feist, 2003) has pointed out, people possess
a desire to know, to solve mysteries, to understand and to
be curious. He also predicted that self-actualizing people
would have high levels of self-fulfillment and self-
acceptance. The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says that people
who have reached self-actualization become fully human and
fully use their cognitive potentials. The need to know is
important in it and is not specifically related to the
satisfaction of another need. Knowledge brings with it the
desire to know more, to theorize, to test hypothesis or to
find out how something works just for the satisfaction of
knowing (Maslow, 2003).
Maslow further explained that self-actualizing people
extend their frame of reference far beyond self. They are
concerned with external problems and adopt a solid
philosophical and ethical basis for handling these problems.
Watson et al (1996) noted that technology itself cannot
automatically release its potential; only teachers who have
mastered the students’ learning patterns are aware of the
condition under which this new technology can play its role
efficiently.
Conceptual Framework
27
The conceptual model of the study (Fig.1) is based on
the output of the practicum program of the business and
computer studies, in relation to instructions,
methodologies, facilities of the school, and the
competencies developed to all students in both technical and
soft skills. The framework assumes that there are factors
affecting in the development of such skills, technical know-
how of students on how to manipulate and operate a computer
and a software as well as non-technical skills or the soft
skills such as English proficiency, inter and intra personal
relationship skills.
The Business and Computer Studies program seeks to
produce competent and well rounded Isabelan who demonstrate
their competencies in the workplace upon deployment as part
of their Industry Immersion program. One of the goals of
the program is to assist individuals to become self-
directing and self-motivating as they get along with other
people in the workplace.
Because they are being exposed to the actual world of
work, they are constantly learning. This can be attested
through the Integration classes held twice a week with the
Practicum teacher. The curriculum for Information
Technology (BSIT), Associate in Computer Technology (ACT),
28
Business Administration (BSBA) and Certificate in Accounting
(CIA) is designed to include critical thinking as an
integral component of the instructional strategies.
The intent is for the students to develop their
competence and self-confidence in meeting those standards
required by the industry through critical thinking,
technical know-how, and the sharing of ideas and
perspectives. Classes of the program are expected to have
designated opportunities for students to practice reflective
thinking, develop skills and competence and expression by
relating the content of classroom discussions and dialogue
to their personal paradigms and then constructing new
knowledge and insight from the interchange of concepts.
Reflections provide an opportunity for students to express
their interpretations and newly constructed knowledge in
written form and to correlate this new knowledge to the
standards and competencies. Students are expected to
continually improve and learn through the experience.
29
Figure 1
Conceptual Model of the Student Competencies and Industry Needs
Faculty believes that through continuous reflection
about the course work and field experiences of practicum
students, they can be prepared to become life-long
reflective practitioners who seek to improve their skills
and knowledge and grow as professionals.
Reflective thinking is made up of many parts and
reflects the individual desire to engage in inquiry and
30
Student Competencies
Adaptability
Attitude
Punctuality
Quality of Work
Industry Needs
Problem SolverTechnical Skills/Computer OperationHuman RelationsForeign languageBusiness ManagementExcellent Communications Skills- oral and writtenInformation Management
aggressively seek self-awareness, self-knowledge, and new
insights into the world of professional practice.
There are important terms used in the study and they
are either defined or explained in terms of their
operational use as stipulated in the conceptual model.
Student Competencies
These are the skills learned by the students from
school, training, seminars, and the likes in preparation of
sending them to the industry immersion / exposure.
Adaptability - refers to the ability of students to
learn the job requirements quickly, to makes things in the
workplace as expected, does more than the routine work,
remaining calm and poised at all times, and making
suggestions or new strategies and methods to facilitate the
student practicumer’s efficiency and productivity.
Attitude refers to the behavior of students in
accepting challenges in the specific task assignment given
to them. Having the initiative to work without asking to do
so.
Punctuality refers to students performance in the
workplace such as attendance and tardiness. It measures if
31
students does not missed any single day without valid
reasons to be absent in their practicum office.
Quality of Work refers to the quality of output
students had in the duration of their practicum program. It
refers to the thoroughness and accuracy of their work and if
this is completed as instructed.
Industry’s Desired Competencies
Problem Solver- a thinker who focuses on the problem as
stated and tries to synthesize information and knowledge to
achieve a solution.
Technical/Computer Skills- similar with the technical
know-how of the students as stated in the actual
competencies, technical skills here refers to the required
ability of students in manipulating office machines as well
as the use of productivity tools and programming software.
Human Relations – it covers all types of interactions
among people, their conflicts, cooperative efforts, and
group relationships. It emphasize the influence of peoples’
beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors which sometimes
cause interpersonal conflict in their personal lives and in
work related situations.
32
Foreign Language – aside from the English as the second
language, the knowledge of speaking another foreign language
is a competitive edge and is being required by some of the
international companies today.
Business Management – a business principles and
processes can be decomposed into several sub-processes which
have their own attributes, but also contribute to achieving
the goal of the super-process. The analysis of business
processes typically includes the mapping of processes and
sub-processes down to activity level.
Excellent Communication Skills – this refers not only
to English proficiency but the ability to compose/write a
clear and logically organized business correspondence. One
of the most common causes of work-related conflict is lack
of communication between co-workers. Because good
communication skills are essential in just about any
workplace.
Information Management- the scope of the information
management function may vary between organizations. As a
minimum, it will usually include the origination or
acquisition of data, its storage in databases, its
manipulation or processing to produce new (value added)
33
data and reports via application programs, and the
transmission (communication) of the data or resulting
reports.
Assumptions
In view of the preceding flow conceptualization, the
students actual competencies gained, the industry’s desired
competencies, and the factors affecting in meeting
industry’s standards, the study had worked on the following
assumptions:
1. The Business and Computer Studies Program provides
opportunity for students to develop and hone their
skills and talents through the practicum program.
2. Teachers use appropriate teaching strategies to
motivate the students in their studies.
3. Teaching style and strategies greatly affect
students’ learning.
4. The factors affecting the development of students
potential can be quantitatively determined.
Hypotheses of the Study
The following are the hypotheses of the study:
1. There are personal factors associated with the
performance of the students in the workplace.
34
2. The actual competencies of students are congruent
with the desired competencies of industries
Definition of Terms
There are important terms used in the study and they
are either defined or explained in terms of their
operational use for this study.
P erformance refers to the ability of student
practicumer to work on the task given to them in the
workplace.
Workplace is the place or office where practicumers
work and deal with other practitioners/office professionals.
Practicum Program is a course taken by the students
upon the completion of all academic requirements. This is
also refers to Industry Immersion.
Technical Know-How refers to the ability of students
manipulate / operate machine as well as the productivity
and programming softwares.
Soft-Skills refer to the competencies developed or
produced as an output of the practicum program. These are,
inter and intra relationship, language proficiency, human
relations and work ethics.
Work Ethics refers to the behavior / attitudes of
student practicumer as exhibited in the workplace.
35
Work Habit- a pattern of behavior which we have
learned. (The definition differentiates habits from
"instincts," which were acquired without learning.) Habits
exist in the various realms of our life: physical (as a
repeated action), mental (as a way of thinking), and
emotional (as a tendency to respond with the same emotion
when a situation recurs).
Problem Solver- a thinker who focuses on the problem as
stated and tries to synthesize information and knowledge to
achieve a solution.
Human Relations- refers to fitting people into work
situations so as to motivate them to work together
harmoniously. The process of fitting together should achieve
higher levels of productivity for the organization, while
also bringing employees economic, psychological, and social
satisfaction.
CHAPTER III
36
METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the methods and procedures
followed in the conduct of the study. This includes the
research design used, instrument and data collection and the
statistical analysis of the data.
Research Design
The descriptive research design was used in this
study. The descriptive design was employed in the
assessment and analysis of students evaluation as rated by
their practicum company. The design was helpful in
determining the level of competence of students as they
performed in the workplace for actual business work.
Respondents of the Study
The target population of the study consists of the
graduating students from BSIT, BSBA, ACT, and CIA of the
Business and Computer Studies Program at Santa Isabel
College during the first semester of the academic year 2007-
2008.
Instrument and Data Collection
A structured appraisal/performance report was used for
data collection. The items in the instrument included the
37
four KRA’s namely, adaptability, attitude, punctuality and
quality of work.
The adaptability KRA includes five indicators, learns
job requirements quickly, makes expected progress, does more
than routine work, remains calm and poised at all time, and
makes suggestions and think new methods.
The punctuality KRA includes seven indicators, has a
great interest in job, makes great efforts to progress, is
enthusiastic, accept suggestion and supervision, is
cooperative, works well without constant supervision, and
complies with office rules.
The attendance KRA includes three indicators, never
misses a day without work except for sickness, is punctual,
and observes break periods properly. The quality of work
KRA includes three indicators, works with thoroughness and
accuracy, performs tasks rapidly but accurately, and
completed work as instructed.
Statistical Analysis
The descriptive statistics such as the mean,
percentages and ranks were used in the profiling of
respondents. To test congruence of students competencies
with industry competency needs, the Pearson R was used.
38
Profile of the Respondents
Table 1 presents the profile of the respondents, 33
students from different majors composed the population of
this research. 8 students from the Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration, 3 students from the Bachelor of
Science in Information Technology, 7 students from the
Certificate in Accounting Program (evening class), and 15
students from the Associate in Computer Technology (evening
class).
The BSBA group got 24.24 percent, the BSIT got 9.09,
the CIA group got 21.21 while the ACT group got the highest
percentage of 45.45
TABLE 1
Profile of Practicumers-First Sem_SY 2007-2008
COURSE & YEAR NUMBER OF
STUDENTS
PERCENTAGE
39
BSBA 4TH YEAR
BSIT 4TH YEAR
CIA 2ND YEAR
ACT 2ND YEAR
Total Number of Students
8
3
7
15
------- 33
24.24 %
9.09 %
21.21 %
45.45 %
100 %
Eight students or 24.24% came from the BSBA goup,
three or 9.09% from the BSIT group, seven or 21.21% from the
Certificate in Accountancy group, and fifteen or 45.45% came
from the ACT group.
Table 2
Students Performance After the Practicum Program
BS in Business Administration
Rating Rank Descriptive Remarks
40
Quality of Work
Adaptability
Attitude
Punctuality
Ave. Rating
92.25
93.4
96.33
98.33
95.08
4
3
2
1
Very Satisfactory
Very Satisfactory
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
BS in Information Technology
Adaptability
Attitude
Punctuality
Quality of Work
Ave. Rating
90.5
92.4
96.0
96.0
93.73
3
4
1.5
1.5
Very Satisfactory
Very Satisfactory
Outstanding
Outstanding
Very Satisfactory
Associate in Computer Technology (2 years)
Adaptability
Attitude
Punctuality
Quality of Work
Ave. Rating
90.25
91.0
96.0
96.0
93.58
3
4
1.5
1.5
Very Satisfactory
Very Satisfactory
Outstanding
Outstanding
Very Satisfactory
Certificate in Accountancy (2 years) Rating
RankDescriptive Remarks
Adaptability
Attitude
Punctuality
Quality of Work
89.75
91.6
95.67
97.0
4
3
2
1
Very Satisfactory
Very Satisfactory
Outstanding
Outstanding
41
Ave. Rating 93.26 Very Satisfactory
Table 2 shows the specific KRA rating per program and
per course. The three programs such as Certificate in
Accountancy, Associate in Computer Technology and BS
Information Technology shared the same descriptive mark of
Very Satisfactory while the BS in Business Management got
the highest remark of outstanding rating.
TABLE 3
Student’s Rating on Key Result Area along Adaptability
Indicators
Course & YearLearns
job Makes expected Does more than Makes suggestions Gen.
42
quickly progress routine work think new methods Average
BCS(33)
BSBA (8) 95 94 95 85 92.25
BSIT (3) 96 89 90 87 90.5
CIA (7) 90 91 92 86 89.75
ACT (15) 92 89 95 85 90.25
Total Average 93.25 90.75 93 85.75 90.69
Table 3 shows the performance rating of students with
their respective practicum companies. The indicator used is
“adaptability”. It measures students performance,
adaptability in the workplace setting. The BSBA group got
the highest average of 92.25, followed by the BSIT group who
got 90.5. The two year course ACT group got 90.25 while the
CIA group got 89.75. The total average weight of 90.69
indicates that this batch easily adapt themselves to the
environment of the actual work setting.
Table 4 shows the result of the evaluation on Attitude
as the indicator. The BSBA group got 93.4% followed by BSIT
group who got 92.4%. The CIA this time got 91.6% compare to
the ACT group who got 91%.
43
TABLE 4
Student’s Rating on Key Results Area along Attitude
Indicators Course &
Yearhas a great makes great
is enthusiastic
accept suggestion works well Gen
interesteffort to progress and supervision
w/o constant Average
supervision
BCS(33)
BSBA (8) 93 94 95 95 90 93.4
BSIT (3) 96 89 90 94 93 92.4
CIA (7) 90 91 92 96 89 91.6
ACT (15) 88 89 95 95 88 91
Total
Average 91.75 90.75 93 95 90 92.1
TABLE 5
Student’s Rating on Key Results Area along Punctuality
Indicators
Course & Year never misses observes Gen
44
a day except is punctual break period Average
for sickness
BCS(33)
BSBA (8) 98 96 95 96.33
BSIT (3) 97 95 96 96.00
CIA (7) 98 95 94 95.67
ACT (15) 96 96 96 96.00
Total Average 97.25 95.5 95.25 96.00
Table 5 shows the general average of the four groups
with Punctuality as the indicator. The BSBA group still in
the lead with 96.33%. The BSIT and ACT group however got
the average of 96.0% respectively. The CIA group got 95.67
which is still above average performance.
TABLE 6
Student’s Rating on Key Results Area along Quality of Work
Indicators
Course & Year work with thorough- performs tasks completed Gen
ness and rapidly but work as Average
accuracy accurately instructed
45
BCS(33)
BSBA (8) 98 99 98 98.33
BSIT (3) 97 95 96 96.00
CIA (7) 98 95 98 97.00
ACT (15) 96 96 96 96.00
Total Average 97.25 96.25 97 96.83
Table 6 shows the summary of evaluation in which the
quality of work was used as indicator. The BSBA group got
98.33%, followed by the CIA group who got 97.0%. The BSIT
and ACT group however got 96.0% respectively.
Table 7
Summary Distribution of Key Results Area per Major
KRA's
Course & Year Adaptability Attitude Punctuality Quality of Work
46
BSBA (8) 92.25 93.4 96.33 98.33
BSIT (3) 90.5 92.4 96 96
CIA (7) 89.75 91.6 95.67 97
ACT (15) 90.25 91 96 96
Total Average 90.69 92.10 96.00 96.83
BCS (33)
Gen Average 93.91
Descriptive Very Satisfactory
Table 7 shows summary of the four KRA’s per major such
as Adaptability, Attitude, Punctuality, and Quality of Work.
The BSBA, BSIT, CIA, and ACT group got an average score of
93.91 which has a remark of Very Satisfactory .
Statistical Treatment Used
The following statistical treatments were used in this
study.
1. Percentage was used to get the proportion of students
in relation to their performance in Office Practicum.
47
2. Mean was used to get the average of scores of the
students who underwent the Practicum Program.
3. Pearson’s R was used to test relationship of the
independent; intervening variables with the
dependent variables.
Table 8
Relationship of Key Results Area with Practicum Program Performance of Students
Table 8 shows the relationship of performance
indicators being used in the appraisal instrument for
48
student trainee. There was a very strong relationship with
their attitude towards their adaptability to the work
environment. This only means that whatever habit and values
they developed in the school, they tend to bring these
practices outside. A strong relationship with adaptability
towards quality of work was also evident, similar with
attitude and punctuality. The quality of their performance
is totally dependent on their adaptability and flexibility.
This depends on what kind of preparation do they have while
in the school. However, the indicators punctuality and
quality of work registered moderate correlations. This only
shows aside from the values the students should develop, a
certain skills and knowledge should also be enhanced side by
side with the values being integrated in the curriculum.
KRA’s used in the Appraisal Form
r-value Interpretation
49
Adaptability vs Quality of Work
Punctuality vs Quality of Work
Attitude vs Adaptability
Attitude vs Punctuality
Attitude vs Quality of Work
0.750
0.491
0.832
0.707
0.73
Strong Relationship
Moderate
Very Strong
Strong Relationship
Strong Relationship
Chapter IV
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
50
The data presentation and analyses of findings follow
the order of presentation of the specific questions posed in
the study.
Students Performance after the Practicum Program
Table 2 shows the rating students got in their
practicum exposure. The Key Results Area used were all the
same to the four courses as the respondents of the study.
The following KRA were Adaptability, Attitude, Punctuality,
and Quality of Work. The group of the Business Program got
an average rating of 95.08 which has an Outstanding
descriptive remark.
The group of Information Technology(BSIT) registered an
average rating of 93.73 which has a Very Satisfactory
remark. The Associate in Computer Technology (ACT) group
got 93.58 which is also a Very Satisfactory while the
Certificate in Accountancy (CIA) group got 93.26 which is
also Very Satisfactory.
Table 3: Student’s Rating along Adaptability
51
Table 3 presents KRA # 1 which is “Adaptability”. The
BSBA group got the highest evaluation rating of 92.25. It
only shows that this group is more adaptable and flexible in
the workplace, considering their years of preparation and
study. The BSIT group got 90.5, followed by the ACT group,
90.25, and CIA, 89.75. The result on this KRA also shows
that the three group of practicumers were also flexible in
terms of accepting challenges in the workplace.
However, table 2 shows also the weakest area of our
practicumer in terms of making suggestions or new ways /
methods on how to make work better, faster, and efficient.
They may have the idea sometime but they are afraid of
expressing this since they do not know how to express this
accordingly using English language as their medium of
conversation. This is one of the reasons why lack
initiative sometime. This was observed and validated
through the integration sessions that we had.
Table 4: Student’s Rating along Attitude
52
Table 4 shows the “Attitude” as the 2nd KRA. The BSBA
group got the highest rating of 93.4, followed by the BSIT
group of 92.4, CAI, 91.6, and ACT who got 91. The
difference on this KRA is very minimal. It proves that
Isabelan practicumers are founded with the Vincentian values
and it flourishes as they go out for industry exposure.
Table 5: Student’s Rating along Punctuality
Table 5 presents KRA # 3 which is “Punctuality”. The
rating shows very minimal difference from 95.67 to 96.33.
The group of practicumers for this semester shows
punctuality in reporting to their respective practicum
company/offices.
Table 6: Student’s Rating along Quality of Work
Table 6 presents KRA # 4 which is “Quality of Work”.
This KRA measures the quality of their performance in their
respective offices. With all the KRA’s, this one got the
highest rating so far, same as true to all group of
practicumers. The ratings of the four group ranges from
96-98 which is very high. This only shows that our
practicumers work with thoroughness and accuracy and
53
performs tasks rapidly but accurately as work has been
completed and as per instructed.
Table 7: Summary distribution of the four KRA’s per group
Table 7 shows the summary distribution of the results
per major. It presents the summary ratings of the four KRA’s
per major namely, adaptability, attitude, punctuality, and
quality of work. Surprisingly, the CIA group landed the
second placer with the over all rating of 97. The BSBA
group consistently the top and first placer with an average
rating of 98.33. The BSIT and ACT groups shared the third
placer with an average ratings of 96 for both of them. The
general average of the four groups is 93.91 which is very
satisfactory in terms of the different indicators presented
in the four KRA’s.
54
Conclusion
Even with the high rating/evaluation they’ve got from
their practicum company, still, our instrument being used
here should be validated with the actual industry needs and
or required skills they are looking for fresh graduates.
As clearly defined in Figure 1, conceptual framework,
the following are the skills being required in the industry
as of today based on the latest survey on the 2007 National
Human Resource Conference. The following skills were,
problem solver, technical know-how, skills in human
relations, computer literate, knowledge of foreign language,
business management skills, and excellent communication
skills both oral and written.
In comparison with the instruments currently used by
the program, those were present except for additional
foreign language skills aside from English. Foreign
language offering as part of the curriculum would probably
be an advantage. Also, communication skills should be given
an importance since all the groups were not that
55
competitive with the Adaptability KRA, this is where they
got the lowest rating since they cannot make or think any
suggestion based on the feedback of their supervisor (see
Table 7). Having validated this, the author discovered that
the practicumers has ideas in minds, unfortunately, they are
afraid of saying this verbally if they are required to speak
in English. This is based on the author’s conference with
them in one of the integration session or focus group
discussion.
The findings shows that our practicumers given the
opportunity lo learn has the potential to compete. This has
been consistently shown in evaluations and feedback from
their practicum coordinators. Our edge among other schools
is the Vincentian Spirituality that we are integrating in
our curriculum. Proper blending of academics and activities
as well as values integration has been proven effective with
their output and performance in the practicum workplace.
56
Recommendations
In light with the findings of the practicum evaluation
of the students who were deployed last semester of SY 2007-
2008, and, the latest survey of the 2007 National Human
Resource Conference, the author recommended the following;
1. Strengthen/revised the present curriculum both for
Business and Computer Studies to match industry
needs.
2. More exposure to industry and actual practices.
3. Increase cross-discipline training across majors
and across subfields within majors.
4. Increase integration of various areas of business
such as marketing, finance, human resource and
information technology.
5. Develop applied learning/internships/field
projects through partnerships with private
industry/linkages.
6. Field projects and practicum provide students with
the opportunity to apply their learning in a
controlled environment where faculty and staff can
provide guidance and support.
7. Intensify English subjects in all majors to
develop students competitiveness in expressing
their ideas/thoughts effectively.
57