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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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).

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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

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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

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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%.

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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