The Perception of Grade 12 General Academic Strand Senior Highschool Students in College of

St. Catherine Quezon City About Their Comprehensive Planning in Transition to Adulthood in
the present Academic Year 2018-2019

A Research paper

Presented to the college of St. Catherine Quezon City

Senior High School Department

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in the subject research

Under the K-12 program of the department of education

Brianne Eduard Antonio

Angel Jean Ingcong
Neil Kent Piduca
Rea Mae Quisel
Ivy Retubis
 Introduction
Our national hero, Jose Rizal, stated that “The youth is the hope of our future” And that is why
we educate the youth and try to ready them for the world. If they are prepared becoming an adult,
then the country would have hope. But if they aren’t ready, it’s not too late to help and guide
them because no matter what happens, the youth will forever be the hope we will look up to and
the youth will always look up to those who have taught them and educated them.
“Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education. We are born weak we need strength.
We are born totally unprovided. We need aid. We are born stupid. We need judgement.
Everything we don’t have at our birth, and in which we need when we are grown is given by
education”
(Jean Jacques Rossaeu, Emile)

According to Jean Rossaue, education is what we need as a person because it completes our
totality as an individual. It equips us with the knowledge, attitude, skills, values, beliefs in order
to “grow”.
Education is a requirement towards a successful, meaningful and a productive life. Education is
the process in which an institution (example: a school) educates the people. It is also a right and
a privilege because everyone has a right to be educated but not everyone can.
But education is merely a process. It can equip us with the right tools and weapons we need but
the key to success is commitment and hard work. Nowadays, adulthood is said to be at the age of
18 therefore, adulthood starts as people start to go to college but according to psychologist and
psychiatrist, Prof. Beatrice Luna, true adulthood begins at 25.

Adulthood is the part in our life where in we develop and mature into adults.
According to the first stage of Daniel Levinson’s Season of Life Theory,
1. Early Adult Transition (Age 17-22). This is the stage in which a person leaves
adolescence and begins to make choices about adult life. These include choosing to go to
college or enter the workforce, choosing to enter a serious relationship, and choosing to
leave home.
But what does it mean by being an adult? Some would say that it means getting a job, focusing
on his/her career, having relationships, getting married, building a family, being a parent, and so
on. And some people would say, it means living on his/her own and becoming financially
independent. These are all correct. There are many responsibilities in this stage of life therefore
one must be ready to face them.
A progressive adulthood depends on one’s planning before adulthood even begins. If one plans
properly and strategically, his/her future would be successful and orderly.

Background of the study

This will remind the youth that adulthood is just around the corner and some of them
might already be in their adulthood stage. They should be preparing for their future and prepare
for college. In fact, if it weren’t for the K-12 Program, they’d already be colleges now and would
choose the course that they would enroll to. We chose GAS strand as our respondents because
GAS strand exists because it is for students who are potentially still undecided for their specific
course. But the rationale of the study is to remind them that after grade 12, college is next. The
youth are the hope for the future therefore they must first secure their own future first before
anything.
Planning comes with awareness. If one isn’t aware of the future, he/she’d be struggling
just to cope up with what’s happening. Ignorance will result in consequences. So, to avoid
unwanted problems, be aware of everything. If you already envisioned it before, you’d have no
problem with keeping up and you’d always be one step ahead.
We researchers seek to determine the level of awareness of the respondents towards their
transition to adulthood. And we also want additional knowledge about this topic so that someday
we, as the youth, can also benefit from this study for our future so that we may have a successful
life.
This Study perform data gathering in the current school year of Grade 12 GAS students at
College of Saint Catherine of Quezon City in the Academic year 2018-2019.
 Theoretical Framework

Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

The Stages

Through his observations of his children, Piaget developed a stage theory of intellectual
development that included four distinct stages:

The Sensorimotor Stage

Ages: Birth to 2 Years

Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:

 The infant knows the world through their movements and sensations.
 Children learn about the world through basic actions such as sucking, grasping, looking,
and listening.
 Infants learn that things continue to exist even though they cannot be seen (object
permanence).
 They are separate beings from the people and objects around them.
 They realize that their actions can cause things to happen in the world around them.

During this earliest stage of cognitive development, infants and toddlers acquire knowledge
through sensory experiences and manipulating objects. A child's entire experience at the earliest
period of this stage occurs through basic reflexes, senses, and motor responses.

It is during the sensorimotor stage that children go through a period of dramatic growth and
learning. As kids interact with their environment, they are continually making new discoveries
about how the world works.

The cognitive development that occurs during this period takes place over a relatively short
period of time and involves a great deal of growth. Children not only learn how to perform
physical actions such as crawling and walking, they also learn a great deal about language from
the people with whom they they interact. Piaget also broke this stage down into a number of
different substages. It is during the final part of the sensorimotor stage that early representational
thought emerges.

Piaget believed that developing object permanence or object constancy, the understanding that
objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, was an important element at this point
of development. By learning that objects are separate and distinct entities and that they have an
existence of their own outside of individual perception, children are then able to begin to attach
names and words to objects.
The Preoperational Stage

Ages: 2 to 7 Years

Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:

 Children begin to think symbolically and learn to use words and pictures to represent
objects.
 Children at this stage tend to be egocentric and struggle to see things from the perspective
of others.
 While they are getting better with language and thinking, they still tend to think about
things in very concrete terms.

The foundations of language development may have been laid during the previous stage, but it is
the emergence of language that is one of the major hallmarks of the preoperational stage of
development. Children become much more skilled at pretend play during this stage of
development, yet still think very concretely about the world around them.

At this stage, kids learn through pretend play but still struggle with logic and taking the point of
view of other people. They also often struggle with understanding the idea of constancy.
For example, a researcher might take a lump of clay, divide it into two equal pieces, and then
give a child the choice between two pieces of clay to play with. One piece of clay is rolled into a
compact ball while the other is smashed into a flat pancake shape. Since the flat
shape looks larger, the preoperational child will likely choose that piece even though the two
pieces are exactly the same size.

The Concrete Operational Stage

Ages: 7 to 11 Years

Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes

 During this stage, children begin to think logically about concrete events.
 They begin to understand the concept of conservation; that the amount of liquid in a
short, wide cup is equal to that in a tall, skinny glass, for example.
 Their thinking becomes more logical and organized, but still very concrete.
 Children begin using inductive logic, or reasoning from specific information to a general
principle.

While children are still very concrete and literal in their thinking at this point in development,
they become much more adept at using logic. The egocentrism of the previous stage begins to
disappear as kids become better at thinking about how other people might view a situation.
While thinking becomes much more logical during the concrete operational state, it can also be
very rigid. Kids at this point in development tend to struggle with abstract and hypothetical
concepts.

During this stage, children also become less egocentric and begin to think about how other
people might think and feel. Kids in the concrete operational stage also begin to understand that
their thoughts are unique to them and that not everyone else necessarily shares their thoughts,
feelings, and opinions.

The Formal Operational Stage

Ages: 12 and Up

Major Characteristics and Developmental Changes:

 At this stage, the adolescent or young adult begins to think abstractly and reason about
hypothetical problems.
 Abstract thought emerges.
 Teens begin to think more about moral, philosophical, ethical, social, and political issues
that require theoretical and abstract reasoning.
 Begin to use deductive logic, or reasoning from a general principle to specific
information.

The final stage of Piaget's theory involves an increase in logic, the ability to use deductive
reasoning, and an understanding of abstract ideas. At this point, people become capable of seeing
multiple potential solutions to problems and think more scientifically about the world around
them.

The ability to thinking about abstract ideas and situations is the key hallmark of the formal
operational stage of cognitive development. The ability to systematically plan for the future and
reason about hypothetical situations are also critical abilities that emerge during this stage.

It is important to note that Piaget did not view children's intellectual development as a
quantitative process; that is, kids do not just add more information and knowledge to their
existing knowledge as they get older. Instead, Piaget suggested that there is a qualitative change
in how children think as they gradually process through these four stages. A child at age 7
doesn't just have more information about the world than he did at age 2; there is a fundamental
change in how he thinks about the world.
 Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Development Theory
1. Trust vs mistrust
Is the world a safe place or is it full of unpredictable events and accidents waiting to happen?
Erikson’s first psychosocial crisis occurs during the first year or so of life (like Freud’s oral stage
of psychosexual development). The crisis is one of trust vs. mistrust.

During this stage the infant is uncertain about the world in which they live. To resolve these
feelings of uncertainty the infant looks towards their primary caregiver for stability and
consistency of care.

If the care the infant receives is consistent, predictable and reliable, they will develop a sense of
trust which will carry with them to other relationships, and they will be able to feel secure even
when threatened.

Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of hope. By developing a sense of trust, the infant can
have hope that as new crises arise, there is a real possibility that other people will be there are a
source of support. Failing to acquire the virtue of hope will lead to the development of fear.
For example, if the care has been harsh or inconsistent, unpredictable and unreliable, then the
infant will develop a sense of mistrust and will not have confidence in the world around them or
in their abilities to influence events.

This infant will carry the basic sense of mistrust with them to other relationships. It may result in
anxiety, heightened insecurities, and an over feeling of mistrust in the world around them.

2. Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

The child is developing physically and becoming more mobile. Between the ages of 18 months
and three, children begin to assert their independence, by walking away from their mother,
picking which toy to play with, and making choices about what they like to wear, to eat, etc.

The child is discovering that he or she has many skills and abilities, such as putting on clothes
and shoes, playing with toys, etc. Such skills illustrate the child’s growing sense of independence
and autonomy. Erikson states it is critical that parents allow their children to explore the limits of
their abilities within an encouraging environment which is tolerant of failure.

3. Initiative vs. Guilt

Around age three and continuing to age five, children assert themselves more frequently. These
are particularly lively, rapid-developing years in a child’s life. According to Bee (1992) it is a
“time of vigor of action and of behaviors that the parents may see as aggressive”. During this
period the primary feature involves the child regularly interacting with other children at school.
Central to this stage is play, as it provides children with the opportunity to explore their
interpersonal skills through initiating activities.
Children begin to plan activities, make up games, and initiate activities with others. If given this
opportunity, children develop a sense of initiative, and feel secure in their ability to lead others
and make decisions.Conversely, if this tendency is squelched, either through criticism or control,
children develop a sense of guilt. They may feel like a nuisance to others and will therefore
remain followers, lacking in self-initiative.

Too much guilt can make the child slow to interact with others and may inhibit their creativity.
Some guilt is, of course, necessary, otherwise the child would not know how to exercise self
control or have a conscience. A healthy balance between initiative and guilt is important. Success
in this stage will lead to the virtue of purpose.

4. Industry (competence) vs. Inferiority

Industry versus inferiority is the fourth stage of Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial
development. The stage occurs during childhood between the ages of five and twelve. Children
are at the stage where they will be learning to read and write, to do sums, to do things on their
own. Teachers begin to take an important role in the child’s life as they teach the child specific
skills.

It is at this stage that the child’s peer group will gain greater significance and will become a
major source of the child’s self esteem. The child now feels the need to win approval by
demonstrating specific competencies that are valued by society, and begin to develop a sense of
pride in their accomplishments. If children are encouraged and reinforced for their initiative, they
begin to feel industrious and feel confident in their ability to achieve goals. If this initiative is not
encouraged, if it is restricted by parents or teacher, then the child begins to feel inferior, doubting
his own abilities and therefore may not reach his or her potential.

If the child cannot develop the specific skill they feel society is demanding (e.g. being athletic)
then they may develop a sense of inferiority. Some failure may be necessary so that the child can
develop some modesty. Yet again, a balance between competence and modesty is necessary.
Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of competence.

5. Identity vs. Role Confusion

The fifth stage is identity vs. role confusion, and it occurs during adolescence, from about 12-18
years. During this stage adolescents search for a sense of self and personal identity, through an
intense exploration of personal values, beliefs and goals.

During adolescence the transition from childhood to adulthood is most important. Children are
becoming more independent, and begin to look at the future in terms of career, relationships,
families, housing, etc. The individual wants to belong to a society and fit in. This is a major stage
in development where the child has to learn the roles he will occupy as an adult.
 6. Intimacy vs. Isolation
Occurring in young adulthood (ages 18 to 40 yrs), we begin to share ourselves more intimately
with others. We explore relationships leading toward longer term commitments with someone
other than a family member.

Successful completion of this stage can lead to comfortable relationships and a sense of
commitment, safety, and care within a relationship. Avoiding intimacy, fearing commitment and
relationships can lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression. Success in this stage
will lead to the virtue of love.

7. Generativity vs. Stagnation

During middle adulthood (ages 40 to 65 yrs), we establish our careers, settle down within a
relationship, begin our own families and develop a sense of being a part of the bigger picture.

We give back to society through raising our children, being productive at work, and becoming
involved in community activities and organizations.By failing to achieve these objectives, we
become stagnant and feel unproductive. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of care.

8. Ego Integrity vs. Despair

As we grow older (65+ yrs) and become senior citizens, we tend to slow down our productivity,
and explore life as a retired person. It is during this time that we contemplate our
accomplishments and are able to develop integrity if we see ourselves as leading a successful
life.Erik Erikson believed if we see our lives as unproductive, feel guilt about our past, or feel
that we did not accomplish our life goals, we become dissatisfied with life and develop despair,
often leading to depression and hopelessness.

Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of wisdom. Wisdom enables a person to look back on
their life with a sense of closure and completeness, and also accept death without fear.

Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory

Level 1: Preconventional Morality

The first level of morality, preconventional morality, can be further divided into two stages:
obedience and punishment, and individualism and exchange.

Stage 1: Punishment- Obedience Orientation

Related to Skinner’s Operational Conditioning, this stage includes the use of punishment so that
the person refrains from doing the action and continues to obey the rules.
Stage 2: Instrumental Relativist Orientation
In this stage, the person is said to judge the morality of an action based on how it satisfies the
individual needs of the doer. For instance, a person steals money from another person because he
needs that money to buy food for his hungry children. In Kohlberg’s theory, the children tend to
say that this action is morally right because of the serious need of the doer.

Level 2: Conventional Morality

The second level of morality involves the stages 3 and 4 of moral development. Conventional
morality includes the society and societal roles in judging the morality of an action.

Stage 3: Good Boy-Nice Girl Orientation

In this stage, a person judges an action based on the societal roles and social expectations before
him. This is also known as the “interpersonal relationships” phase. For example, a child gives
away her lunch to a street peasant because she thinks doing so means being nice.

Stage 4: Law and Order Orientation

This stage includes respecting the authorities and following the rules, as well as doing a person’s
duty. The society is the main consideration of a person at this stage. For instance, a policeman
refuses the money offered to him under the table and arrests the offender because he believes this
is his duty as an officer of peace and order.

Level 3: Postconventional Morality

The post-conventional morality includes stage 5 and stage 6. This is mainly concerned with the
universal principles that relation to the action done.

Stage 5 : Social Contract Orientation

In this stage, the person is look at various opinions and values of different people before coming
up with the decision on the morality of the action.

Stage 6 : Universal Ethical Principles Orientation

The final stage of moral reasoning, this orientation is when a person considers universally
accepted ethical principles. The judgment may become innate and may even violate the laws and
rules as the person becomes attached to his own principles of justice
 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Perception

Psychosocial Cognitive
Development Development
Theory theory

Transition to adulthood

Gender Age

The perception of Gas 12 senior high school

students about their comprehensive
planning in transition to adulthood
 Figure 1: Paradigm of the Study
The figure shows the main problem or topic and all the factors affecting the different perception
of students in transition to adulthood based on theories and their profile

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The general objective is to determine the level of awareness of students that are in transition to
adulthood when it comes to their plans in life and goals as an educated individual. Though
shifting strand/track is possible, it is most likely not recommended but it depends on the person if
he wants to go to a different path. But that is why one must think carefully before acting so that
one can move on accordingly without doubts.
The study specifically seeks to answer the following questions.
1. Demographic profile of the respondents?
2. Why did they choose GAS strand?
3. Are they aware that college is a year away from now? What are their plans after
graduating from grade 12?
4. After grade 12, would they go to college? If yes, what course and why? (if course is
undecided, skip) If not, why not?
5. Does the youth have any idea about what it is being an adult in our society? Their
responsibilities, hardships, planning, and work?

Hypothesis
1. The respondents are aware and prepared for transition to adulthood
2. The respondents aren’t aware and prepared for their transition to adulthood.
Locale

Figure 2: Map of College of St. Catherine Quezon city

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study seek to be beneficial to the following
The youth, they benefit from the study because it will help them understand and perceive
the reality of the situation in terms of turning into an adult
The students. As the respondents, we wanted to know what their plan in transition to
adulthood and how they would prefer themselves to make decisions for their future and to
choose between right and wrong.
Researchers -to know what their plan will be to have a better or successful future
someday and to also have knowledge about adulthood.
Definition of terms

Perception- it refers to the organization, identification and interpretation of sensory information

in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment.
Comprehensive planning – it is referred to as master planning and envisioning towards a goal.
Adulthood – it is the stage wherein an adolescent leaves his/her adolescence stage and turns into
an adult.

Scope and Delimitations

This study will perform data gathering in the current school year of Grade 12 GAS students

at College of Saint Catherine of Quezon City in the Academic year 2018-2019. This study aims to

know if they are aware and prepared for their transition to adulthood.