Left With No Choice: Experiences of Technical-Vocational Senior High School Graduates Pursuing Engineering Programs

Abstract

This study explored the lived experiences of Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) Senior High School (SHS) graduates who pursued engineering programs at Samar State University. Anchored in a transcendental phenomenological design, the research employed in-depth interviews with purposively selected participants from public SHSs in the Schools Division of Samar. Colaizzi’s method guided the data analysis, ensuring rigor through transcription, coding, theme clustering, and validation via member checking. Six major themes emerged: (1) factors influencing the choice of the TVL track, (2) motivations for enrolling in engineering, (3) shifts in understanding of engineering before and after enrollment, (4) meaningful learning experiences, (5) emotional responses to coursework, and (6) alignment or mismatch between SHS preparation and college engineering demands. Findings revealed that while the TVL track offered practical training and immediate employability, it provided limited grounding in mathematics and science—critical competencies in engineering education. Despite this gap, students exhibited resilience, resourcefulness, and growth, drawing strength from personal motivation, peer networks, and institutional support systems. Their narratives underscored both the challenges of transitioning from skillbased training to theory-intensive coursework and the fulfillment derived from overcoming such hurdles. The study concludes that TVL preparation remains misaligned with the theoretical rigor of engineering programs and recommends a strengthened career guidance system, enhanced alignment of SHS tracks with higher education, and multisectoral collaboration to inform policy and practice. By amplifying the voices of rural learners, this research contributes to ongoing discourse on educational reforms and the pursuit of equitable, responsive pathways to higher education.