SEED ACADEMY

Luxembourg St., BF Homes International, Las Piñas City 1740

Information Systems Management

Factors Affecting Grade 12 Students’ Choice of College Course

In Partial Fulfillment of Technical Writing focus on Research

Submitted to

Ms. Jesyl Yague

Submitted by:

de los Santos, Jhona

De Villa, Vergilio

Domincil, Peter John

Javier, Dominic

Mirasol, Alvin

2019
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CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Each year, Senior High School students are faced with the challenge of having to

decide on their future career paths. The decision to continue to a college education,

and choosing which institution to attend to, are two critical decisions that students make

at this time in their lives. (Fernando, et al., 2016 cited Johnson & Chapman, 1979).

Because of the increasing number of courses today, students graduating from high

school find themselves in a difficult situation. Kuehnle (2017) stated in his article, The

Difficulties of Choosing a College Course that with so many majors to decide on, it

becomes difficult to know if the major the student finally decide is actually the one right

for them.

After choosing a college course, that is not the end of the process because the

student needs to consider what can they get if they choose this course. And that can be

a thing to consider to help decide in choosing what sort of path to take. Some people

think that there is only one perfect career that exists for an individual according to

Measom (2011). She added that the more the person knows about the pitfall in

choosing their career, the more prepared they will be when faced with the process.

Sometimes, the decision on the choice of career and school depends on how the

students perceive the world and their future. Unfortunately, not all have enough

knowledge and consciousness about how they should process information from
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personal, social, economic, political, spiritual and environmental aspects of putting into

context and realization of having a successful profession. (Aguado, et al., 2015).

Most individuals have an interest in or affinity toward certain fields or occupation.

Such aspirations and preferences are formed early in life and are a product of genetics,

socioeconomic status, gender, personality, and learning history. These early hopes are

modified (positively or negatively) by forces in society that act upon individuals and

groups of individuals as they make career-related decisions. A choice implies the

completion of some actions or successful steps, and the attainment of a career is the

final outcome of the career choice process.

Senior High School students need professional advice especially in the choice of

their careers. It is in this period where students are advised to prepare for their future

occupations. To choose a perfect career is one of the most essential and difficult

decision a person has to make. This can be one of the measures whether an individual

will be successful in the future or not, On this stage, self-realization, role try-outs,

occupational explorations in schools, and finding the first job is the tentative step.

Teenager needs guidance in the proper selection of their career. Where, they will arrive

at the right decisions with their capacities, educational privilege offered to them and

other resources that society makes available so as to be more efficient and effective.

Therefore in this study, the researchers aim to identify the factors that affects the

Grade 12 students’ choice of college course .

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Statement of the Problem

The study aims to determine the factors affecting the choice of a college course

of Grade 12 students in SEED Academy. Therefore, it will specifically answer the

following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

a. Gender

b. Parents’ Educational Attainment

c. Parent’s Income

d. Preferred Course

2. Is there a significant relationship between the College Course and

a. Demographic Profile?

b. Motivational Factors?

3. Is there a significant difference in the way the Grade 12 SEED students choose

College Course when grouped according to the Demographic Profile?

Hypotheses

H1: There is no significant relationship between the Choice of College Course

and the Demographic Profile.

H2: There is no significant relationship between the College Course and the

Motivational Factors

H3: There is no significant difference in the way the SEED Students choose the

College Course when grouped according to the Demographic Profile.

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Conceptual Framework

Grade 12 Students’
Demographic
Gender
Parents’ Income
Parents’
Educational
Attainment
Preferred

College Course
Motivational Factors

Peer Influence
Parents’
Decision
Job Opportunity
Self-Decision

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

Figure 1 shows the Demographic Profile of the respondents according to Gender,

Parent’s Income, Parent’s Educational Attainment, and the Preferred Course ; College

Course and the Motivational Factors Affecting Choice of Course. The upper left box in

Figure 1 indicates the profile of the respondents according to Gender, Parent’s Income,

Parents’ Educational Attainment and Preferred Course. The lower left box shows the

Motivational Factors affecting the choice of course such as Peer Influence, Parent’s

Decision, Job Opportunity, and Self/Personal Decision. The box on the right shows the
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College Course. The line between the Demographic Profile and the College Course

would indicate if there is a significant or no significant difference between the two. The

arrow between the Demographic Profile and the College Course indicate a relationship

between the Demographic Profile and the College Course. The line between the

Motivational Factors and the College Course would indicate if there is a significant or no

significant difference between the two. The arrow between the Motivational Factors and

the College Course indicate a relationship.

Purpose of the Study

This research is conducted to investigate the factors influencing Grade 12 Senior

High students in SEED Academy. This study will discuss the factors which mainly

affects the decision of the students in choosing their course in the future. Many

graduating high school students are challenged in choosing the career to take.

Therefore, this study will help them check the various factors to consider in their choice

of course.

Scope and Limitation

This study is focused on investigating the factors that affect the graduating high

school students in SEED Academy in choosing the college course during the School

Year 2018-2019. The factors looked into were Parent’s Decision, Peer Influence, Job

Opportunity, and Self Decision. The research will be conducted to all the Grade 12

students in SEED Academy. Students who will be absent during the day of data

gathering won’t be allowed to answer the questionnaire anymore.

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Significance of the Study

Career serves as the application of the totality of learning that a person acquired

in the educational institutions. It improves the competence and professionalism of an

individual that serves as their personal achievement.(Fernando, Z. et. al, 2016)

Therefore, this study will be significant to the following:

Students. Students will be benefited most by this study. They are the core of the

study because they develop awareness of themselves, strength and weaknesses for

their career development by the application of the learnings from home, school and

community. This study will help students identify the factors to consider in deciding for

their college course.

Parents. Parents play a big role in the life of their child. They guide them until the

child can compete and stand with other individuals in the business world. Parents will

look forward in providing their child an assurance of acquiring a quality education that

would enable them to be accepted to a job, have a better income and brighter future.

Teachers. Teachers play a vital role in contributing and molding their students.

This study will inform the teachers about the preferences of the students to further focus

on the skills needed by the students if ever would latter pursue the career they have

chosen.

SEED Academy Administrators. This research will help the SEED Academy

administrators in putting up an effective, guidance system and integrated career

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information that plays a very helpful role in guiding students in making the best possible

career decisions.

Definition of Terms

The following words are operationally defined to enhance the understanding of

the readers of this paper.

Career. A field for the pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement especially

in public, professional, or business life. In this study, career is the application of

education whereby it is the totality of acquired knowledge.

Course. In this study, it is defined as a specific field of study in which a student

will be pursuing in the future for his or her desired profession.

Factors. The things a student should consider or not in choosing a course for

college.

Interest. To induce or persuade, the feeling of being motivated and to engage

oneself in the desired course.

Job Opportunity. It refers to the majority of present occupation which many

companies are in need for a particular job.

Preference. It is the other term for recommend, the power or opportunity of

choosing. In the study, the term career preference refers to the basis of student in

choosing the course whether it comes from self decision, parent’s influence, peer’s

influence or job opportunity.

Peer Pressure. Means that one's decision is based to what a friend, classmate

or group of friends decided.

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CHAPTER 2

In this chapter, the researchers present the related literature and studies about

college course and the factors affecting it.

Review of Related Literature and Related Studies

Choosing a College Course

Choosing and deciding on what course to choose in college may be difficult and

sometimes an unpredictable process, but it is mainly seen from one perspective. Many

would say that the main factor or the main influence is the passion for a particular field,

but there are few who know exactly what they want to become when they graduate High

school which lead us into thinking that there are other significant motives (Procedia

Economics and Finance, 2015). Del Norte (2013) asserted that choosing a

course carefully is an important aspect which will give conclusion to a student’s

academic endeavor. The researchers provides the information that will cover various

factors such as: family, financial, peer pressure, geography, pursuing student’s passion,

job opportunity, etc. StudyLink (n.d.) on its article entitled Top 10 tips to choosing the

right course for you mentioned that the secret to happiness is being able to love

whatever it is you do in life and finding the right course at the right university or college,

will make the student inspired to succeed. Bucherer (2018) added that selecting college

courses is the start of the binding process, where students may not realize that the

decisions they make can affect their decision four years when they are expected to

graduate. Courses.com.ph mentioned that choosing a course is a tough decision to

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make for teens and many college students become stuck with courses they don’t like or

they are not particularly interested in. The course the student will take will have a lot of

say on the career they eventually pursue so it is important to decide on a course best

for them.

Melone(2014), said that it is important to choose the right path you want to

achieve, it is the most important thing that you can do for your family and yourself. Even

if it is your first career or begin on a second or third, finding the career where you can

enjoy and excel and where you can improve yourself. There are jobs that are not

perfect; there are some factors that you should consider that you are into right career

you want. Melone said that interest, career opportunities, and education and training,

these are the factors that the students consider in taking up course. The students

should find out the career they want to pursue soon. The author also said that students

should put their passion and skills into a career they really want, so that the student

would enjoy their college life and succeed in their future profession.

Peer Influence as a Factor Affecting Choice of Course

According to Michael (2012) parental and peer influence is a serious problem

that has serious and far-reaching consequences. A student who prefers one subject or

career and the parents or friends prefer another, is simply reduced to a programmed

robot that simply does what is expected of him with disregard for the preferences and

feelings of them. Kala (2015) stated that parents and peers are the closest people that

students may confide in regarding careers. Some students may influence other to follow
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their career path. In her research entitled “Parental and Peer Influence on Career

Choice” she found out that the fact that peers influenced subject and class selection as

well as library books and co-curricular activities implies the need to sensitize students to

choose friends who are positive in life and those with a clear vision of their life goals.

Students who choose the bad company end up ruining the rest of their career life

because of the influence of peers. The study concluded that most peers tend to

influence career choice of their fellow students unconsciously.

Parent’s Decision as a Factor Affecting Choice of Course

Parental influence exists in career decision making amongst students and also

there is an interrelationship between father preference and mother preference; father

preference and mother occupation; father’s occupation and mother’s occupation;

father’s occupation and career and mother’s occupation and career. Autonomy in

making career decision making amongst students is restricted to parent’s preference,

further this finding is limited to the present study area. (Kumar, 2016)

Some students think that parent’s decision matter in choosing the College

Course. They think parent’s decision is an important factor because it is their parents

that send them to school and pay for their tuition and some may say that their parents

knows what is best for them. According to Pascual (2014), family is one of the most

influential factors that the Filipino students in choosing the course. Considering the

involvement of family, school administrators and guidance counselor to help students

make good career choice in the future.

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Ushure (2014) lectures indicated that limited finances available to students

will affect them negatively in their preferences of profession selection. Their

desires to become specialist in renowned fields like engineering, doctorate etc.

would be restricted by the availability of finances to them. He also argued that in

some cases even the children who belong to low status families’ ends up entering in

high status professions despite their high cost. This is because their parents want

them to enjoy those aspects of life that they have missed out due to their

insufficient wealth.

A longitudinal mixed methods research was conducted on 918 secondary school

students in the Pacific Islands. The aim of the research was to understand career

pathway development and factors influencing subject choices and career choices of

these students. They explored career aspirations and expectations of these students

and found that two-thirds of the sample were undecided about their career choice, and

33% had no career aspirations. Professional, community or personal service careers

were preferred more than trade careers. Structured career planning was seen to be

absent. Students reported of relying on family for advice regarding careers (Ministry of

Pacific Island Affairs, 2014). Thus it can be seen that career aspirations and

expectations can influence future career choices.

Kala (2015) found out in her research that those parents who agreed that it was

effective to influence their child’s course cited that they are responsible for paying for

their college and university thus, their influence on the career they will pick mattered. In

addition to this, the study found out that the parents who tended to entice their children
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to follow their career path limits the student’s ability to autonomously select a career for

themselves.

Job Opportunity as a Factor Affecting Choice of Course

Limpahan (2014) stated that a college course can determined the professional

identity may on in life. Some of the students tend not to take the course seriously and

tend to shift from one course to another. There are some misconception that the student

in choosing the course. Limpahan indicate that some of the students choose the course

because of the following; taking the easiest course, taking the in demand course, taking

the course with good salary, and they also consider the jobs that they get in the field of

course.

Aside from family related factors, economic factors which includes the

employability and availability of job in the future is also considered by students choosing

their course. (Pascual, 2014) On a research conducted by Pascual (n.d.) the findings

revealed that the availability of work after college is the first consideration of students in

choosing their college course. Most students prefer to take the scientific related

courses, or the “popular courses” for the Filipinos.

Choosing a career is one of the most influential decisions in life a student make

in their life. Unlike a job that is used to solely pay bills, a career is a pursuit that is

normally requiring a lot of time and emotional investment on top of the need to provide

for student and a possible family. (Fernando et al., 2015 cited Davidson ,2009)

Choosing a career can be difficult and a number of different factors play into the

decision of what career to pursue. In addition Roach, McGaughey and Downey (2013)
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cited by Fernando et al. (2015) asserted that economic demand is more important to

students than interest in the field.

Self-Decision as a Factor Affecting Choice of Course

Pascual (n.d.) said that students’ career success can be best attained if proper

guidance is given in choosing the right course in college, suited to students’ personality,

ability and intellect.

Penedilla and Rosaldo (2017) stated that, in choosing a career, suitability to the

interest of the students is given importance. Students must know on what degree to

pursue in college, a course that interest them that at the same time fit their abilities so

that it will not be hard for them to choose the right career path. At some point, many

students try to fit in a course or two based purely on personal interest. While their

majors may reflect their primary interest, most people are interested in more than one

intellectual pursuit. (Reynolds, 2019)

Other Factors Affecting Choice of College Course

The choice of university campus is also one of the factors that affects students’

decision. According to Hanna(2013), picking a college to attend to is just the half of the

decision. She stated that the other half involves choosing an actual course to pursue.

She also said that the major step in being able to attend the college of their choice is by

taking entrance exams. According to her, another factor to consider is the choice of

university campus. Choosing the college course to attend is still a major step.
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Momin and Chetry (2016) explored self- knowledge in relation to career choices

in 237 students in standalone institutions. The self- appraisal scale of the Career

Maturity Inventory was administered. Significant differences in scores were seen

between male and female participants with male participants having higher career

maturity. The results are in line with other research in this area. However, it should be

noted that only a sub-scale of the Career Maturity Inventory was used to understand

career maturity.

Adolescents are expected to have made a tentative career choice, and a body of

literature has emerged to explore the correlates of decidedness and indecision related

to career choices. Career indecision refers to “the individual’s decisional or behavioral

actions pertaining to difficulty and avoidance in making decisions and commitments”

(Cheung, Cheung, & Wu, 2014). Osipow and Gati (as cited in Cheung et al., 2014)

define career unreadiness as “a difficulty in forming decisions about and beliefs in an

enduring vocational commitment”. While earlier research focused more on career

indecision, recent research also focuses on studying characteristics of individuals who

have made a decision about their future. Career decidedness and indecision has been

examined in relation to various variables.

Jaschik (2013) hinted that maybe it is much simpler: undergraduates are

significantly more likely to major in a field if they have an inspiring and caring faculty

member in their introduction to the field. And they are equally likely to write off a field

based on a single negative experience with a professor. In choice of major is due to

faculty members, although the influence can go either way. Faculty determine students'
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taste for academic fields by acting as gatekeepers, either by welcoming them into

an area of knowledge, encouraging and inspiring them to explore it, or by raising the

costs of entry so high so as to effectively prohibit continuing in it. Faculty can

positively or negatively influence student taste for a field -- some compelling

teachers can get students engaged in fields that they previously disliked, while other,

more uncharismatic faculty can alienate students from entire bodies of

knowledge, sometimes permanently.

Students often consider the location, programs, and campus advantages when

choosing a college, but they shouldn’t forget about the financial factors involved.

Finances greatly affect student’s functions and accomplishments during and after

college.

Reading literature, obtaining information from school websites, going through the

interview process, and visiting campuses help in making the right choice. Students and

their parents, however, should also take into account the money that will be shelled out

for a good education.

When choosing a university to study location is one of the most important

according to Higdon(2017), location plays a major role in your college experience. The

state, the size of the city, and the local community. Things like this are crucial to

consider in order to make the right choice in choosing your perfect college. Location of

the school. Paying attention to the city and environment is a great help for your

educational experience.
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Freedman(2013) said that there are many challenges to implementing a system

in which students delay major choice until the second year in college. Funding would be

needed to change advising structures, including updated physical environments for

institutions in which a total intake advising model is not currently utilized. According to

Freedman the students also considered the university campus and the facilities of the

school.

Cruz(2014) stated that the Academic Track, the Core Subjects take care of

the CRS(College Readiness Standard) and the Strand Subjects prepare students

for the particular college course that they plan to take. This is different from the other

Tracks. In the other Tracks (Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, Sports, Arts & Design),

the Strand subjects are really terminal subjects, in the sense that they are not

preparations for future studies but are meant to give students the tools to immediately

enter the workplace.

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CHAPTER 3

Methods of Research

The researchers will use descriptive method for this study. It will be based on the

present situation that students consider in choosing their college course. The study is

about the “Factors Affecting the Choice of College Course of Grade 12 students in

SEED Academy”, the researchers aim to determine the factor that affects a student in

decision making through the use of a questionnaire.

Locale of the Study

The study will be conducted in Southville International School and Colleges

campus with the SEED Academy graduating senior high school students. The

researchers will coordinate with the Registrar to get some information of the

respondents for the study.

Respondents of the Study

The researchers uses purposive sampling. The respondents of the study are the

49 Grade 12 Students of SEED Academy for the school year 2018-2019. Students who

will be absent on the day the researchers administer the survey questionnaire will not

be included.
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Data Gathering and Procedures

The researchers before conducting gathering data seek approval through a

typewritten letter addressed to the principal of SEED Academy. The researchers will

adapt the questionnaire from a research entitled ‘Factors Affecting the College Course

Preference of the Fourth Year Students of Roosevelt College San Mateo for the School

Year 2014-2015’ of Fernando, Z. et al (2016). The respondents will be given 5-10

minutes to accomplish the questionnaire.

Research Instruments

The researchers will use the adapted questionnaire in conducting the survey to

the Grade 12 students of SEED Academy. The said questionnaire is divided into 4

topics. These are Peer Influence, Parents’ Decision, Job Opportunity, and Self/Personal

Decision which consists of a total number of 16 questions; four questions for each

factors. This was made to determine the factor that most affect the students’ choice of

their college course.

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Statistical Tools

Mean and Percentage will be used to measure the data gathered in the Problem

Statement No. 1. It will determine the most frequent answer for each in order to interpret

the factors that affects the choice of College Course.

Pearson Moment Correlation is a number between -1 and 1 that indicates the

extent to which two variables are linearly related. It will be used to know if there’s a

significant or no significant relationship between the Demographic profile of the Grade

12 students and their choice of College Course.

To measure the significant difference in the Problem Statement No. 3, Analysis

of Variance (ANOVA) will be used. It will be used in the study to test the differences

between means.