Navigating futures: examining how the addition of senior high school tracks influenced postsecondary aspirations among education majors in the Philippines

The article investigates how the introduction of senior high school tracks in the Philippines has influenced the postsecondary aspirations of education majors. It highlights the significance of selecting appropriate curricular pathways during secondary schooling and the potential risks of skills-job mismatches. The study utilizes the expectancy-value framework and the Factors Influencing Teaching Choice (FIT-Choice) framework to examine the personal, academic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors that shape students' educational choices. Through a case study of Urdaneta City University, the research provides insights into how students' experiences in different senior high school tracks and strands influence their decisions to pursue a degree in education. The findings reveal the complex interplay between individual aspirations, structural constraints, and social influences, offering a comprehensive understanding of the factors that drive educational and career aspirations in the Philippines. The article also discusses the implications of these findings for educational policy and practice, suggesting that policy revisions may be necessary to better align with students' perceived utility value of different educational pathways.