Charting the Path: A Multiple Case Analysis of Grade 10 Learners’ Senior High School Track Preferences

and career development within the Philippine K–12 educational system. Despite the implementation of career guidance programs and policies supporting informed track selection, many Grade 10 learners continue to experience uncertainty, social pressure, and limited contextualized guidance in choosing their preferred SHS tracks. This qualitative multiple case study explored how Grade 10 learners described their career decisions regarding preferred SHS tracks and identified the similarities and differences that emerged across cases in terms of experiences, coping mechanisms, and insights. Purposive sampling was employed in selecting five Grade 10 learners from Lamian National High School. Data were gathered through semi-structured face-to-face interviews using a validated interview guide and analyzed through Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method. Findings revealed that personal interests, peer influence, family expectations, career guidance activities, academic preparedness, and socioeconomic realities shaped learners’ track preferences. Cross-case analysis further showed that while participants shared common experiences of uncertainty, pressure, and the need for informed decision-making, differences emerged in the ways learners coped with these challenges depending on the level of family support, peer influence, and institutional guidance available to them. Participants employed coping strategies such as seeking external support, engaging in collaborative discussions, practicing academic stress management, and carefully evaluating future opportunities. The study contributes localized qualitative evidence on SHS track selection among rural learners and highlights the importance of strengthening school-based career guidance programs, family involvement, and learner-centered interventions.