Assessing Factors Influencing Students' Selection of TLE Specialization

Choosing a Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) specialization is a critical academic and career decision for junior high school students, particularly within the Philippine K–12 Basic Education framework. With increasing attention on aligning educational tracks with student interests and labor market needs, understanding the influences on student decision-making is essential for developing effective guidance interventions. This study investigated the factors affecting Grade 10 students' selection of TLE specialization in a public secondary school in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. Using a descriptive-correlational quantitative design, a total of 59 students were surveyed through a structured questionnaire. The study focused on three major domains: personal factors (interest, skills, motivation, and teacher handling), behavioral factors (peers and experiences), and environmental factors (parental guidance and socio-economic condition). Findings showed a strong preference for ICT (77.97%) over Home Economics (22.03%). Among personal factors, teacher handling (M = 4.32, SD = 0.56) and motivation (M = 4.21, SD = 0.68) emerged as the most influential, with regression results indicating statistical significance (e.g., β = 0.453, p = 0.0003). Experiences (M = 4.29, SD = 0.59) had a greater impact than peer influence (M = 4.17), both showing significant influence (p < 0.05). Environmental factors, such as parental guidance (M = 4.31) and socio-economic condition (M = 4.35), were perceived as important but demonstrated a lower statistical impact in regression analysis (e.g., β = 0.380, p = 0.0030). The study concludes that students' decisions are shaped more by internal and experiential factors, particularly teacher influence and direct hands-on exposure, than by external ones.