One of the most inspiring visions of the future is a world where everyone can enjoy clean water,

affordable healthcare, and sustainable energy. This is the world that STEM students are striving to make
a reality. Every day, STEM students are innova ng new technologies and solu ons to the world's most
urgent problems. But what mo vates students to choose the STEM strand? According to Abe and
Chikoko (2020) for some students, the choice to pursue STEM is obvious. They have a strong interest and
ap tude for science and math, and they envision themselves working in a STEM career in the future. But
for other students, the choice is more complex. They may be uncertain of their interests, or they may be
in midated by the difficul es of STEM coursework. This research paper will inves gate the elements that
influence students' decisions to pursue the STEM path. We will analyze these elements, as well as the
most common determining factors that influenced STEM students to pursue STEM. Addi onally, we will
examine how these elements influence their level of sa sfac on with their STEM path. Finally, we will
discuss the implica ons of our findings for educa onal policymakers and prac oners. STEM educa on
is increasingly important in today's world. Science, technology, engineering, and mathema cs (STEM)
fields are driving innova on and economic growth, and STEM skills are in high demand across all
industries. STEM educa on also helps students develop cri cal thinking, problem-solving, and crea vity
skills that are essen al for success in any field (Suwono et al., 2022). A recent study by Nelson et al.
(2018) explored the commonali es and varia ons in educators' conceptualiza ons of STEM educa on.
The study found that educators generally agree that STEM educa on is important for preparing students
for future careers and for developing essen al 21st century skills. However, there is some varia on in
how educators interpret and implement STEM educa on in their classrooms. One of the key findings of
the study is that STEM educa on is not simply about teaching students’ Science, Technology,
Engineering, And Mathema cs concepts. Rather, STEM educa on is about teaching students how to
apply these concepts to solve real-world problems. This requires students to develop cri cal thinking,
problem-solving, and crea vity skills. For example, in a STEM classroom, students might work together
to design and build a bridge that can withstand a certain amount of weight. This project would require
students to apply their knowledge of science and engineering concepts, as well as their problem-solving
and crea vity skills. The study also found that STEM educa on is important for all students, regardless of
their future career plans. Even if students do not plan to pursue a career in a STEM field, they will s ll
need to be able to think cri cally and solve problems in order to succeed in the workforce. In today's
rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever for students to be able to think cri cally and solve
problems effec vely. STEM educa on provides students with the skills they need to succeed in any field,
whether they choose to pursue a career in STEM or not. The STEM strand is one of the four academic
strands offered in Senior High School in the Philippines. It is designed to prepare students for careers in
science, technology, engineering, and mathema cs. Students who choose the STEM strand are typically
mo vated by the perceived advantageousness of the strand, which includes the belief that it will lead to
a rewarding job, a secure career, and the chance to make a difference in the world (R. J. Rafanan & De
Guzman, 2020). According to Na onal Cancer Ins tute, perceived advantages are the posi ve outcomes
that a person believes will result from a specific behavior, in response to a real or perceived threat. In the
context of educa on, perceived advantageousness is the student's belief that the STEM strand suits
them best, based on their own evalua on of their interests abili es, and goals. Students who choose the
STEM strand for this reason think that it will lead to a rewarding job, a secure career, or the chance to
make a difference in the world. One of the challenges that senior high school students face is choosing a
strand that will suit their interests and goals. Among the various strands available, the STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathema cs) strand is o en perceived as advantageous by students who
want to pursue careers in STEM fields. A recent study by Rafanan et al. (2020) explored the perspec ves
of STEM senior high school students in a public secondary school in the Philippines. The study revealed
that students enrolled in the STEM strand because they believed that it would provide them with
benefits such as high-paying jobs, career advancement, real-world relevance, and college prepara on.
The study highlighted the importance of understanding the mo va ons and expecta ons of students
who choose the STEM strand, as well as the implica ons for curriculum development and career
guidance. Parents o en have strong opinions about what their kids should study in high school. Some
parents really want their kids to choose STEM classes, because they believe that these classes will
prepare their kids for the best jobs in the future. They may also worry that the job market for non-STEM
jobs is not as good. According to the study done by Lloyd et al. (2020), parents have a big impact on their
kids' interest in STEM, both directly and indirectly. For example, they might directly encourage their kids
to go into STEM by talking about the benefits of STEM careers or signing them up for STEM
extracurricular ac vi es. They might also indirectly influence their kids' STEM interests and expecta ons
through their own a tudes and beliefs about STEM. For example, if parents think that STEM careers are
hard or not meant for girls, their kids are less likely to be interested in pursuing them. Previous studies
have explored the factors that influence career choices among STEM undergraduates, but few have
examined the factors that mo vate students to choose the STEM track in the first place. This is especially
true in the Philippines, where research on this topic is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to inves gate
the factors that affect students' decision-making in selec ng the STEM strand. This study aims to iden fy
the main reason why students chose to study STEM fields, and how sa sfied they are with their decision
a er facing the challenges of these disciplines. We will analyze the data and present our findings in an
honest and clear way.

One of the challenges that senior high school students face is choosing a strand that suits their interests,
abili es, and career goals (Brillantes et al., 2019). The academic strand determines the subjects and
competencies that they will learn in prepara on for higher educa on or employment. However, many
students are unsure of their interests, abili es, and goals, and may find it difficult to decide among the
four strands: Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathema cs (STEM), Humani es and Social Science (HUMSS), and General Academic Strand (GAS).
Among the different strands, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathema cs) is one of the
most popular and in-demand choices. However, what are the factors that influence students to choose
STEM as their strand? According to a study by Madriaga and Siobal (2022), there are personal and
ins tu onal factors that affect students' decision to choose STEM. Personal factors include students'
interest in science and math, their percep on of their abili es in these subjects, and their career
aspira ons. Ins tu onal factors include the availability of STEM courses and programs, the quality of
STEM educa on, and the support that students receive from their teachers and peers. The study found
that students who were interested in science and math, who perceived themselves as being good at
these subjects, and who had career aspira ons in STEM were more likely to choose STEM majors. The
study also found that students were more likely to choose STEM majors if they had access to high-quality
STEM courses and programs, if they had teachers and peers who supported their interest in STEM, and if
they felt that they had the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in STEM fields. A study by Han et
al. (2021) found that students' self-efficacy and expectancy-value beliefs in STEM subjects had a
significant impact on their knowledge achievement and career awareness. This means that students who
believe in their ability to succeed in STEM subjects and who value STEM subjects are more likely to
achieve in these subjects and to consider STEM careers. Similarly, Abe and Chikoko (2020) found that
students' personality, personal development, and outcome expecta ons played influen al roles in their
career decision-making. This means that students who are interested in STEM subjects and who believe
that STEM careers will be rewarding are more likely to pursue STEM careers. Moreover, a study by De
Guzman et al. (2022) revealed that most students in the STEM strand aimed to pursue STEM-related
courses and careers such as medicine and engineering. This suggests that students are interested in
STEM subjects and believe that STEM careers will be rewarding. Parental factors also play a significant
role in students choosing the STEM track. According to a study by Tilbrook and Shifrer (2021), students
whose parents have a bachelor's degree in STEM are more likely to choose and persist in a STEM major
than students whose parents have no bachelor's degree or have a degree in a non-STEM field This may
be because STEM parents can provide more guidance, support, and role models for their children who
are interested in STEM fields. Similarly, a systema c review by Plasman et al. (2020) found that parents'
professionalism, defined as requiring high-level literacy and numeracy skills, was posi vely related to
high school students' success and persistence in STEM fields. Peer pressure is the influence that one's
peers exert on one's a tudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Peer pressure can have both posi ve and nega ve
effects on the academic performance and decisions of students, especially in choosing their academic
track or strand. According to a study by Fadare et al. (2022), peer group pressure can lower the academic
performance of adolescent students by influencing their behavior and a tude towards school. The study
also found that peer group pressure can lead to truancy, absenteeism, and lack of self-confidence among
students. However, the study also suggested that teachers and parents can provide adequate guidance
and interven on programs to help students resist peer pressure and improve their academic
performance. On the other hand, peer pressure can also mo vate students to excel in their academic
performance and choose a challenging track or strand, such as STEM. According to a study by Flores et
al. (2022), academically competent senior high school students experienced both posi ve and nega ve
effects of peer pressure on their habit-forming behavior. However, most students took advantage of peer
pressure to strive in every aspect of the educa onal component, which led them to get higher grades
and a ain the learning they deserved. Another ar cle by The State News (2022) reported that
compe on among STEM students created an atmosphere of academic pressure that pushed them to
perform be er than those around them. Therefore, peer pressure can affect the decision of students to
pursue a par cular academic track or strand in different ways, depending on how they perceive and
respond to the influence of their peers. Peer pressure can either discourage or encourage students to
choose STEM as their academic track or strand. One of the key aspects of STEM educa on is the factors
that influence its effec veness and students' interest in pursuing STEM careers. A descrip ve survey by
Mitsopoulou and Pavlatou (2021) involved 301 senior secondary school students in Greece and explored
how their exposure to STEM ac vi es, experiences, and subjects affected their interest in STEM fields.
The results showed that career outcome expecta ons and self-efficacy were crucial, and that low-income
students had higher interest in STEM as a way to overcome poverty. Parental educa on also had some
impact on the choice of STEM studies, but not on the specific field. The study did not find any gender
differences in interest in STEM. Another study by Tandra Tyler-Wood, Karen Johnson, and Deborah
Cockerham (2018) examined the factors that influenced middle school students' preferences for STEM
careers. The researchers found significant gender differences in mathema cs interest, but not in science,
technology, engineering, or STEM careers. This study highlighted the difficulty of achieving gender
balance in the STEM workforce. A study by Brienne K May, Jillian L Wendt, and Michelle J Barthlow
(2022) inves gated how different science standards affect the interest of ninth and tenth-grade students
in STEM. The study compared the Next Genera on Science Standards (NGSS), which emphasize inquiry-
based learning and cross-cu ng concepts, with the tradi onal Pennsylvania science standards, which
focus on content knowledge and factual recall. The researchers measured the students' scores on a
science and technology subtest and found significant varia ons based on the type of standard used.
However, they did not find any significant gender-based differences. Another study by Opeke et al.
(2020) examined the factors that influence junior secondary school girls' interest in STEM careers in
North-Central Nigeria. The study used a descrip ve survey method and a sample of 361 students from
Federal Government colleges. The researchers explored how knowledge sharing within STEM career
paths can mo vate girls to pursue STEM fields. They also iden fied the challenges and opportuni es that
girls face in their STEM educa on. According to Lovely Rhyme P. M. (2020), passion and prac cality have
a significant rela onship with each other and with the students' strand choices. The research also
revealed that students o en rely on the advice of teachers and parents to help them choose the best
strand for their academic and career goals. This guidance can enhance their decision-making process and
their future outcomes. The research provides useful insights into the factors that affect students'
decisions in senior high school educa on. Furthermore, research by Darrah, Marjorie; Humbert, Roxann;
Howley, Caitlin (2022) In order for the global economy to thrive, a substan al workforce in science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is crucial. However, retaining students pursuing STEM majors
poses a challenge. Research has previously indicated that students from rural areas face disadvantages
when a ending college. It's challenging to determine whether rural versus urban se ngs influence
students' decisions to pursue and persist in STEM fields. This study focuses on West Virginia, using
cluster analysis to create Locale Codes (LC) to differen ate coun es based on factors impac ng STEM
major choices and persistence. Some coun es have a higher percentage of STEM declara ons, but these
students are less successful in college compared to those in coun es with fewer STEM declara ons. This
research explores the factors associated with locales that contribute to these differences. As evidenced
by recent research on academic track selec on, students consider various factors when choosing the
STEM track for their senior high school educa on (Lee, et al. 2021). It shows that the students are aware
of their interests, abili es and goals, but may also face external influences such as peer pressure,
parental expecta ons and social stereotypes. Moreover, students should be given adequate guidance
and support to make informed decisions about their future careers as it is very challenging to switch
tracks or pursue further studies in STEM fields without proper prepara on and mo va on (Garcia,
2023). This research aims to iden fy the factors that influence the students' choice of the Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathema cs (STEM) strand in senior high school. Specifically, at Speaker
Eugenio Perez Na onal Agricultural School, there is a lack of data on the students' preferences and
mo va ons for choosing STEM over other strands. While previous studies have explored the effects of
various factors such as academic performance, career aspira ons, parental guidance, and peer influence
on STEM choice, this study intends to provide a comprehensive and contextualized analysis of these
factors and how they interact with each other. By doing so, the researchers hope to contribute to the
literature on STEM educa on and provide useful recommenda ons for educators, policymakers, and
students