Barriers to Work Immersion and Skill Development Among Home Economics Students With and Without Communicable Disease Diagnoses

Work immersion serves as a core component of Senior High School (SHS) Home Economics curricula, created to connect classroom instruction with real-world industry practice and build practical skills. However, diagnoses of communicable diseases—most notably Hepatitis B and Tuberculosis (TB)—may affect placement processes due to institutional health screening requirements, particularly in certain immersion venues. This study used a quantitative cross-sectional research design to: (1) identify barriers that prevent students from participating fully in immersion activities; (2) compare immersion experiences and skill development levels between students with communicable disease diagnoses and those without; and (3) evaluate how placement-related restrictions and access to preferred sites relate to learning experiences. Participants included 82 Grade 12 Home Economics students selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered using a validated structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, and chi-square test, with assumptions of normality assessed prior to inferential testing. Results showed that students with communicable disease diagnoses (M = 4.08, SD = 0.42) and those without diagnoses (M = 3.96, SD = 0.54) did not differ significantly in immersion experiences and skill development, t(80) = -0.742, p = 0.460, with a small effect size (Cohen’s d = -0.232). Meanwhile, overall barriers to work immersion were rated high (M = 3.49, SD = 0.68), indicating that learners experienced notable challenges in placement and access to immersion sites. Findings from this study are intended to guide evidence-based support strategies, inclusive immersion policies, and health-sensitive educational planning while maintaining workplace safety and non-discriminatory educational practices.