Senior high school is designed to prepare students for college. Online senior high schools in the Philippines offer different strands so students can learn the relevant knowledge, skills, and behaviors that will help them achieve academic success in college and find gainful employment after.
One of the strands is Accounting, Business, and Management (ABM), which is designed to prepare students for business- and management-related courses. Let’s talk about the ABM strand curriculum and how it can boost college readiness.
What is College Readiness?
Students go through major transitions when they move up from senior high school to college – academically, socially, and personally.
Most college students move away from home to study in their desired college or university where they must also make new friends. More importantly, as college students, they take on more challenging classes and subject matter.
The role of senior high schools is to hone students’ skills and knowledge, as well as instill a resilient mindset, to empower students to take on the fresh challenges of college.
How is College Readiness Measured?
Ideally, all students who graduate from senior high school are college ready. However, college readiness is not quite that simple. College readiness has three key aspects:
Content Knowledge
Students need to have a strong foundation of knowledge from basic academic disciplines because these serve as the steppingstone for acquiring more complex knowledge in college.
Knowledge of English, Math, Science, Social Sciences, and the Arts are essential in students’ ability to process information in more complex subject matters like financial accounting, business law, business ethics, and so on.
Cognitive Strategies
The foundation of learning is the ability to learn different subject matters. Students need to develop certain mental processes and behaviors that allow them to be open to new learning opportunities and process new information.
Here are important cognitive strategies:
- Intellectual curiosity and openness
- Analytical thinking
- Reasoning and argumentation
- Problem solving
These ways of thinking lead students to ask questions and seek logical explanations rather than simply accept what they are told. It enables them to process information to uncover meaning and truth, empowering them to engage in intellectual pursuits at the college level.
Behaviors
Success in college is also anchored in the student’s attitude and behavior. College readiness requires a greater degree of self-awareness and self-monitoring as they may often need to figure out solutions to problems on their own by applying what they have learned and be aware of what more they need to work on to improve their skills.
Self-control is also important since college students can no longer rely on authority figures to schedule time for studies and other projects. They must learn to do this in their senior high school years to help them thrive in college, so it should be embedded in the curriculum of ABM strand and other strands.
The ABM Strand
The Accounting, Business, and Management (ABM) strand is designed to prepare students for the business and corporate world. This strand introduces students to business, management, and finance concepts as early as senior high school.
As they dive into the world of business, students also strengthen their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. So, when they pursue courses related to ABM in college, students have a strong foundation in business and all the other related fields like finance and marketing.
What is the Curriculum of the ABM Strand?
The ABM strand’s curriculum is specifically designed with entrepreneurial students in mind – to equip them with the relevant knowledge, skills, and mindset to give them a head start in the field.
The ABM curriculum aims at providing a holistic education for future business leaders. So, while senior high school students are exposed to business concepts and problems, they also have classes in English and Social Sciences.
Here are key courses included in the curriculum for the ABM strand:
- Fundamentals of Accountancy, Business, and Management
- Physical Science
- Statistics and Probability
- Organization and Management
- Business Math
- Principles of Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
- Applied Economics
- Work Immersion
Core subjects included in ABM:
- General Mathematics
- English
- Culture, Society, and Politics
- Earth and Life Science
- Philosophy
- Reading and Writing Skills
- Practical Research
- Physical Education
- Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion
The Impact of the ABM Curriculum on College Readiness
As the last step before college, the senior high school curriculum bears the responsibility of completing students’ basic education. Thus, their readiness for college depends on how well their respective curricula builds and challenges them. How does the ABM strand’s curriculum help with college readiness?
Builds Content Knowledge in ABM and Other Subjects
The ABM strand’s curriculum is strategically designed to focus on building students’ knowledge in business, management, and accounting. The strand builds knowledge from the most basic concepts to more complex ideas. The knowledge they acquire in senior high school should empower them to understand and apply more challenging knowledge in university.
The ABM strand doesn’t ignore other basic subject matters. Students are reminded of the importance of learning English, Math, Science, Social Sciences, and the Arts and are encouraged to appreciate the applications of these subjects in business.
Hones Learning Skills
Students in the ABM strand are encouraged to engage in real-world problems and experience working in a real business or a business simulation. There, they learn to apply their knowledge and skills to explain or support their arguments or find creative solutions.
The ABM curriculum focuses on developing students’ critical thinking along with other cognitive strategies so they can not only find creative solutions to different challenges, but also be capable of exploring new concepts on their own.
Fosters Positive Values
The future of business in the country depends on the ethics of future professionals, so it’s important to establish students’ values and ethics as early as senior high school. At this age, students can understand complex moral concepts and their implications to the world, which is why this is a crucial time for shaping their minds.
Gain Confidence in Their Abilities
Perhaps the most important impact of a strong ABM curriculum is its ability to build the student’s confidence in their capabilities. The ABM strand offers plenty of opportunities for students to apply their skills and knowledge in the field of business and management. This way, students are not afraid to explore and communicate their ideas.
When they enter college, students of ABM become comfortable with learning and leading because they know that they can trust in the skills and knowledge they have built in SHS.
Encourages Independence
The ABM strand helps students gain skills vital to learning and studying business and management. Classes encourage students to learn concepts and explore solutions on their own using what they have learned. Through activities like this, students learn to think independently and creatively, which can help them succeed in college.
The challenging curriculum also encourages students to learn to manage their time and prioritize effectively, so they arrive at university ready to handle their workload on their own.
Helps Students Decide on a Career Path
College readiness is not just about skills and knowledge. It’s also about security in the path you choose. The strand shows students the different disciplines within ABM and, in doing so, empowers students to decide what career path they want to pursue, be it in entrepreneurship, management, or finance.
The guide to all strands in senior high presents a concise explanation of the focus of each strand. By carefully evaluating the strands and the potential careers they come with, students can confidently decide on what course they want to pursue in college.
Are You Ready for College?
Your preparation for college starts with senior high school. So, not only is it important to choose the right school, but also the right strand. The curriculum of the ABM strand is designed to hone students that are ready for the rigors of business school and, eventually, the corporate world.
Enroll your child in one of the schools in the Philippines offering online education that focuses on getting students college and job ready, so they can secure success in the field of business and management.
To learn more about our course offerings, get in touch with us today.
