Work Immersion Performance of Senior High School Students: A Foundation for Enhancing Implementation

Abstract

This study investigated the work immersion performance of Senior High School Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (SHS-TVL) students of Kabugao Agro-Industrial High School, aiming to Identify strengths and gaps in the current implementation and provide insights for its improvement. The researcher, as a Senior High School Technical Vocational Livelihood track specialized subject and Work Immersion teacher always wanted to know and learn more about the impacts of work immersion to students and she would like to know on how to improve their performances during work immersion. Utilizing a descriptive-comparative research design, data were gathered though questionnaires, performance evaluation tools and interviews with students, school work immersion coordinators and Industry partner coordinators. The data reveals that the majority of the senior high school students undergoing work immersion at Kabugao Agro-Industrial High School are 18 years old, comprising 46.15 percent of the respondents, while smaller but equal groups of students are aged 17, 19, and 20, each at 15.38 percent, and only 7.69 percent are 21 years old and above. This suggests that most students complete their work immersion at the expected age for Grade 12, indicating a relatively timely progression through the academic track. The implication is that curriculum enhancements should be appropriately tailored to the developmental level and maturity of students in this age group. The results also show that students under the Home Economics strand, who were immersed at Hotel Carmelita in Tuguegarao City, achieved a mean performance rating of 3.26, which is interpreted as Very Satisfactory, nearing the Outstanding range. Meanwhile, students in the Industrial Arts strand, who trained at the TESDA Provincial Training Center in Conner, Apayao, obtained a mean score of 2.49, categorized as Satisfactory .Finding also revealed that while students demonstrated strong competence and adaptability in real-world settings, challenges emerged in areas such as financial constraint, limited tools and equipment in immersion venue, adjustment to the new environment, lack of focus, poor communication skills and lack of confidence in performing the task. It was also found out the School Work Immersion coordinators also experience challenges in coordination with work immersion partner industries including memorandum of agreement signing and scheduling of work immersion, ensuring safety and discipline of learners outside the campus and visitation schedule due to having other subjects being handles by the coordinator. Furthermore, the study also revealed that Industry partner Coordinator also experienced challenges especially in setting the schedule for work immersion due to number of schools requesting to be accommodated in the establishment, assigning students to different areas, especially in the hotel due to skills mismatch and ensuring learning due to the number of students undergoing immersion. The findings could serve as an input for improvement of its implementation. The findings could help curriculum developers and implementers to improve the work immersion process and implementation for the students to improve their skills and be ready for employment. Some of the recommendations are: The school should offer academic strand. The school administrators should introduce preparatory work immersion activities  like workshops and skills enhancement activities tailored to the needs of each strand to ensure students are adequately prepared before deployment. These could include soft skills training, workplace etiquette, and technical refresher courses. The school should should consider implementing etiquette and technical refresher courses that address varying student needs, including gender- and age-related performance differences. These courses can help level the playing field by equipping all students—regardless of gender or age—with essential soft skills, professional conduct, and updated technical knowledge prior to immersion. Since female students performed better on average, the school should explore the factors behind this disparity and introduce gender-sensitive interventions such as targeted mentorship programs and increased support for male students. Additionally, recognizing that age influences immersion performance, differentiated guidance and mentoring should be provided to address the specific needs of both younger and older students, ensuring they receive age-appropriate support throughout the immersion experience. Use the findings as a basis for enhancement of implementation of work immersion in school.