CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Review of Literature

The Department of Education implemented the Republic Act No. 10533 “Enhanced Basic

Education Act of 2013” or the K to 12 Curriculum in the Philippines since 2012. Part of the

implementation is the Senior High School where students choose their corresponding track and

strand. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM, one of the strands under

Academic Track, provides hands-on and minds-on activities, creates critical thinkers, increases

science literacy and enables the next generation of innovators (U.S. Department of Commerce,

2016).

According to Enderan Cholleges (N.D) STEM strand requires an average of 85 in Science

and Mathematics and a percentile rank 86 and above in National Career Assessment Examination

(NCAE) to qualify.

Science and Technology are around us and continuously expanding throughout this

generation. Engineering takes the challenges of Mathematics to better understand on how to

improve our daily lives. Exposing students by giving them opportunities and chance to explore

STEM-related concepts that will develop their passion and to pursue a job in a STEM field.

According to National Science Foundation (2017) in the 21st century, Scientific and

Technology innovation continuously increasing wherein it is important to look onto the benefits

and challenges both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. Therefore, in order to succeed

highly technological society, students must enhance their capabilities and skills in STEM to levels

much beyond what was considered in the past.

 The DepEd of Government of Western Australia (N.D) stated that, “Through STEM,

students develop key skills such as problem solving, creativity, critical analysis, teamwork,

independent thinking, initiative, communication and digital literacy”. The global economy is

changing. The continual of technological advances changes the way student learns and interact

with other people. It puts emphasis to prepare the future generation in their individual careers.

Base from Equality of Opportunity Project (EOP) the basis of innovation is to have an ability to

think critically and challenge standards to the economic growth wherein innovative thinkers has a

potential to change the world with the use of technology and individual skills. According to them

currently 75% of jobs are requiring workers with STEM skills.

Base from the study by Flormata et al. (2017) “STEM education is important to the future

of this country and is critical to maintain the social, economic, and national security that comes

with pre-eminence in STEM fields.” (Preston, 2012) With this, it is clear that STEM students and

graduates are in demand and is needed in the society, and people who are critical thinkers,

innovative, creative and social and culturally competent are likely to excel in this strand. Ursuline

College (2012).

According to DepEd (2016) with the members of various private and government

education ministries, departments, and agencies that attended the (Asia-Pacific Economic

Cooperation) APEC Women in STEM Forum. The session served as a platform for participants to

share results of the region-wide study undertaken to highlight promising and emerging practices,

and specific opportunities that support women and STEM across the region. “Currently, we have

an estimated 721,000 Filipino STEM professionals, with more men than women. The challenges

are to encourage and retain more women in the field and ultimately enable them become innovators

and leaders”, stated Assistant Secretary G.H. Ambat, who represented the Philippines in the forum.
The Philippines has 722,889 teachers educating, nurturing, and developing 25.4 million learners.

Through continuous trainings, teachers are enabled to develop and enhance capacities that will

help them guide a generation of innovators. “We would like to see more Filipino women making

ripples of change and making a name for themselves in the highly competitive field of STEM,

because more women in STEM means an economy that is adapting, developing, constantly moving

forward,” Ambat said. The forum is served as a promotion to improve and develop the STEM

education in the Philippines basically women.

According to Sabino (2019) STEM track for senior high school students not only prepares

them for college, but also increases their chances of employment. In the speech at the Second

Commencement Exercise of Mapua University’s Senior High School, Sabino stated, “STEM

education in the Philippines gave opportunities for students in basic education to learn Science and

Mathematics practices. However, STEM education in the Philippines is still lacking in terms of

equipment, laboratories, and Science and Mathematics practices”. Sabino notes that there remain

several challenges, especially in terms of educational infrastructure with “congested classrooms

and outdated teaching materials and methodologies, added to a dearth of qualified and competent

teachers to handle Science and Mathematics.” These, she said, were the primary roadblocks to a

sustainable and more equitable implementation of STEM education in country.

A survey by Emerson Electric Co. (2019) found that 91% of Filipino respondents are

interested in pursuing careers in STEM, and 80% left encouraged to do so.

Here are some reasons why they take up STEM strand, one is the availability because not

all strands and tracks will be offered by schools in your area. To be a Successful Engineer, Doctor,

and according to them STEM is compatible in any kind of course that they will take, Uy et al.

(2017). Some also says because they are interested in Science, solving problems, pursuing
Medicine/Medical and it allows students to discover which specific part of STEM and which

particular field of study they want to focus on. (Durian, Ferrer and Perez, 2018). Most of the Grade

11 students chose STEM over the other strand because they believe that taking this strand will help

them achieve the best career that they aspire in the future. However, not all students had the

freedom to choose what they want because of their different reasons, some of it is that their parents

asked them to take this strand and another is that the slots are limited. Flormata et al. (2017)

We studied STEM because it is everywhere. It’s in the products, technology, and even the

roads we drive on. It’s so widespread that it’s been predicted that over the next decade 75% of all

jobs will require STEM related skills. Studying this give us additional knowledge about STEM

strand not just here in our school but also outside of the country, wherein it gives awareness

specifically the condition of this strand in our country. However, even though we weren’t able to

find the exact percentage of the students who are taking up STEM strand in the Philippines from

the year it started until now we are still looking some research or articles that presents the rate of

the STEM students in the Philippines. We also found out about the STEM education in the

Philippines as well as the lack of materials and teaching style here in our country

References:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_technology,_engineering,_and_mathematics

https://www.engineeringforkids.com/about/news/2016/february/why-is-stem-education-so-

important-/

https://www.education.wa.edu.au/what-is-stem
https://www.invent.org/blog/trends-stem/value-stem-education

https://www.flipscience.ph/news/features-news/features/stem-ph-worforce/

https://www..deped.gov.ph/2016/11/01/stemming-the-tide-of-industry-gender-gap/

https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/philippine-daily-inquirer-

1109/20170818/281779924237536

https://blog.edukasyon.ph/senior-high/heres-why-stem-rocks-according-to-senior-high-school-

students/

https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/09/05/campus-press/survey-finds-interest-in-stem-

careers/611100/

https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/08/29/campus-press/stem-track-prepares-hs-students-for-

work/607355

https://www.manilatimes.net/

https://k12stemtrackblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/30/what-are-the-reasons-on-choosing-stem-as-

your-track-for-the-newly-implemented-curriculum-which-is-k12/amp
Prepared by:

Roselyn T. Galenzoga

Jane Antonette Lumbre

Milchzedek Cabales

Kim Alexa Adtoon