Exploring the Factors Influencing Alternative Learning System Graduates’ Transition to Higher Education: A Systematic Review Based on Social Cognitive and Student Integration Theories

Abstract

This systematic review explores the multifaceted factors influencing the transition of Alternative Learning System (ALS) graduates in the Philippines to higher education (HE). Guided by Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Tinto’s (1993) Student Integration Theory (SIT), the review synthesizes fifteen national and international studies published from 2018 to 2025. Following the PRISMA 2020 framework, relevant literature was retrieved from Google Scholar, ERIC, Scopus, and Philippine institutional repositories, screened through explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria, and appraised using the CASP and JBI checklists. Thematic synthesis revealed five recurrent and interrelated dimensions shaping ALS graduates’ higher-education transition: (1) academic readiness and study orientation, (2) institutional support and program linkages, (3) resource and implementation gaps, (4) socioeconomic and personal barriers, and (5) policy and systemic factors. Findings demonstrate that learners’ self-efficacy and environmental supports, consistent with SCT, determine motivation and persistence, while academic and social integration, in line with SIT, govern retention and success within higher-education environments. This review contributes to international scholarship on non-formal education pathways by providing an evidence-based conceptual model integrating psychological and institutional determinants of post-ALS transition. It concludes that a holistic approach, strengthening learner empowerment, inclusive institutional practices, and inter-agency coordination, is essential for sustainable lifelong-learning opportunities and equitable access to tertiary education.