CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

The humankind is in need of workers who are fully equipped and highly skilled

with pleasing personality and attitude. It is a controvertible fact that we, Filipinos have an

edge among others because we have amusing and adequate credentials that every employer

desiderates: hardworking, flexible, skilled, family oriented and god-fearing employee. One

must be job ready to face and conquer the real world, a world that is full of competitions

and rivalry hence being good is not enough, you should be excellent. Unfortunately, most

teens do not have master plans for their future, which is disadvantageous for them

(Toremana, 2017).

Decision-making plays a vital role in the life of students as it diverts them from

falling into a trap and manages them to save their career life. The ability to distinguish

between choice and needs promotes self-determination that allows students to have a better,

brighter, and improved choice of career preference (wisestep.com). According to Covey,

self-awareness enables students to stand apart and examine even the way they “see”

themselves, the self-paradigm which is the most fundamental paradigm of effectiveness.

Obtaining an effective, impressive and striking career preference, one has gone along

through a lot of confusion and complications to have their desired outcome. A tough yet

galvanizing decision that has a massive effect in one’s future. Being a graduating senior

high student, one must be ready to face the new chapter of his/her life and it starts by being

resolute about the course you will take. According to Hubbard, you need to know

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 1

something of the apparent goal of life in general and your own goal in particular, “know

thyself” and assess what are your wants, needs, interest, hobbies, abilities, values, and

strengths that might help you in choosing a career track.

Uncertainty in a career preference will lead into the incapability of a student to

decide for his/her own. This is where students will go with the flow and imitate the chosen

course of his/her peers while others will choose a course with a family’s influence which

doesn’t suit the interest and passion in life. According to Holland, people can function and

develop best and find job satisfaction in work environments that are compatible with their

personalities. People tend to choose a career that is reflective of their personality because

people tend to be attracted to a certain job, the environment that reflects this personality.

They cannot achieve those satisfactions if one is not stable in the chosen career. The student

has a tendency to drift apart and shift from one course to another due to indecisiveness. In

result, it will cost too much time, effort and money, which is likely been wasted. In the

tentative period, the individual becomes more aware of work requirements and his/her own

abilities and values, makes decisions regarding vocational likes, and dislikes (Ginzberg

et.al, 1984). Still, students’ choices are not yet crystalized. According to Tiedman, in the

process of making a decision, an individual progresses through seven sequential stages: (1)

exploration, (2) crystallization, (3) choice, (4) clarification, (5) induction, (6) reformation,

and (7) integration.

Choosing a career path is a continuous process of thinking about your interest,

values, skills, and preferences, exploring the life work, and learning options available to

you and ensuring your work fits with your personal circumstances (careerminer.com).

Childhood aspirations begins in the fantasy stage where at young age you dreamt of what

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 2

you want to be like being a doctor, teacher, chef, engineer, and so on but as an individual

becomes more aware of societal issues he/she will consider some factors. According to

Social Weather Stations (SWS), 5.7 % of the people in the Philippines are unemployed so

one will take a course with higher “In Demand” jobs here and abroad. Moreover, recent

surveys by The Higher Education Research Institute discover that the availability of

financial aid heavily influences college selection. More than half of first-generation

students indicated that the cost of attending was a “very important factor”.

Therefore, the researchers will attempt to determine the factors affecting the

career preferences of Grade 12 Academic track students of Richwell Colleges, Inc. The

factors that guide student’s career preference are childhood aspiration, family/relatives,

peer/friends, interest and specialization, “In Demand” jobs, school guidance counselor, and

it is presumed that the speculated problems encountered along the way might affect the

career preference of a student.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the factors affecting the career preferences of

grade 12 academic track students of Richwell Colleges, Inc. specifically; this study will

provide answers to the following questions:

1. What are the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 Sex;

1.2 Age;

1.3 Parent’s Educational Attainment;

1.4 Parent’s Occupation;

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 3

 1.5 Financial Status; and

1.6 Sibling Position

2. What are the three uppermost career choices of students?

3. What are the considered factors of students in choosing a career in college in terms

of:

3.1 Childhood Aspirations;

3.2 Family/Friends;

3.3 In Demand Jobs;

3.4 Internet/Specialization; and

3.5 School Guidance Counselor

4. What are the anticipated struggles encountered in deciding a career choice?

Significance of the Study

Career preference is an important process of self-analyzing to come up with a

career plan that will guide an individual to succeed in the path that fits their whole being.

Therefore, this study will benefit the following people for the following

reasons:

 To the Students – The research would be very beneficial for the students to develop

their self-awareness, as each respondent will adjudge if they have taken the right

path. Students will likely reconsider some factors that might help them to achieve

a better career path. Furthermore, incoming grade 12 students will benefit with this

research through having a career development plan that will guide them assess and

nurture their skills, talents, and interests without having a future-tension.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 4

  To the Parents – In this study, parents and their child will develop their relationship.

The parents will learn how important it is to guide and support their child for the

decision they will make that will direct them for a better future.

 To the Teachers – Through this study, the teaching staff would be informed of what

lessons they could focus to hasten the skills of the students based on their preferred

career.

 To the School Administration – This study would be helpful for the school

administration to guide the students in choosing the appropriate career for them and

they can organize programs for an effective guidance.

 To the Economic Planners – would generate information that would redirect to the

country’s human resources. This study can be helpful to limit the emergence of

labor mismatch and unemployment in the country.

This study was conducted to determine the career preferences of Grade 12

Academic Track students of Richwell Colleges, Inc. primarily; this study aims to describe

the respondents in terms of their Socio-Demographic Characteristics. It aims to enumerate

the various factors that influence the career preference of the respondents and identify the

problems that obstruct them in choosing their career.

Scope and Delimitation

This study will arbitrate the career preference of only 78 respondents from

Richwell Colleges, Inc., specifically, grade 12 academic track students. The respondents

were chosen because it is necessitously required for them to still pursue college unlike

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 5

Tech-voc students who had national certificates valid for acquiring a job. This study is only

conducted for sampling of educational survey, such as giving questionnaires and survey

forms to the participants.

Only the preferred career path demarcates the study and career opportunities

are not involve. The researchers solely focuses to find out what are those factors affecting

the participant’s decision and the significance of having a concrete and solidify choice of

career.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 6

 CHAPTER II

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Career preference is a decision-making process which will determine the future

job or profession of a person. Various researches, articles, books, journals, studies, and

theories are created to resolve and help people to choose the best and suited career path.

Still, in today's generation the topic is widely prioritize due to rapid changing and need of

time. This chapter is the presentation of the local and foreign literature, studies and theories

which may directly and indirectly related to the present study. Further studies, literature,

and theories are used because of its relevance to the current study.

Relevant Theories

Parson's Theory: The most common way advocated by careers advisers is

Parson's theory: in which you analyze your skills, values, interests and personality and then

match these up to jobs which use these.

Holland's Theory of Career Choice: It divides people into 6 personality types:

realistic, artistic, enterprising, social, conventional and investigative.

Happenstance Theory: The Happenstance theory says that luck plays a major

part: unpredictable social factors, chance events and environmental factors are important

influences on graduates’ lives.

In a recession, graduates often start in a routine job and work their way up. They

often find a niche, which suits them, or move to a related job which suits them better using

the skills they have gained.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 7

 Creative Job Hunting: Creative job hunting is not so much a theory, as a way

of job hunting.

It says that the best way to choose a career is to talk to people doing the job and

to try it out via work shadowing and experience. There is a lot of truth in the statement that

you don't really know what it's like until you have been doing it for a while: at least

shadowing gives you a good idea of what's involved.

It involves a lot of networking. It can be a great way to go about getting hard to

get jobs such as those in the media or your dream job.

Super’s Theory: In super’s theory, self-concept are develop through maturity,

observations of work, general environment and general experience.

Related Literature

Foreign Literature

According to Howard and Ill stressed out that whenever students are in their

high school experience, they are the center of learning. In a traditional high school, the

center of the system is the content or subject, not student learning. Howard and Ill present

a system to promote the shift from traditional content or subject – centered high schools to

student – centered high schools which is called as Collaborative Career Pathways – a

system of organizing the student learning interests and aptitudes around career paths. It

provides a structure for students to reference their learning and comment each year of their

high school experience. It allows students to plan and practice their skills while creating a

smooth and successful transition to a post-secondary option.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 8

 Goffredson’s Development Theory of Occupational Aspirations describes how

people become attracted to certain occupations. Self-concept in vocational development is

the key factor to career selection and people want jobs that are compatible with their self-

image. The key determinants of self-concept are one’s social class, level of intelligence,

and experiences with sex-typing. Roe’s need approach emphasized that early childhood

experiences play an important role in finding satisfaction in one’s chosen field. The need

structure of the individual, according to Roe, would be greatly influenced by early

childhood frustrations and satisfactions.

According to John Holland, individuals are attracted to a given career by their

particular personalities and numerous variables that constitute their backgrounds. First of

all, career choice is an expression of, or an extension of personality into the world of work

followed by subsequent identification with specific occupational stereotypes. Accordingly,

one chooses a career to satisfy preferred modal personal orientation. Modal personal

orientation is a developmental process established through heredity and the individual’s

life history of reacting to environmental demands. If the individual has developed a strong

dominant orientation, satisfaction is probable in a corresponding occupational

environment. If, however the orientation is one of indecision, the livelihood of satisfaction

diminishes.

Local Literature

According to Elmer (1989), career planning is life goal-setting. Without such a

plan, it is like making a journey to an unfamiliar destination without a map. He proposed a

Career Planning Guide that will help the students in choosing their appropriate course from

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 9

planning a career, steps in planning career, goal-setting and self-understanding. Also, it

reveals that guidance and counseling is intervention of underemployment individuals and

career preparedness must be initiated.

Related Studies

Michael Borchert, “Career choice factors of high school students” The

Graduate College University of Winconsin-Stout, December 2002, the study shows that

the students choosing personality is the “most” significant career choice factor. Students

know themselves and make their own career decisions based on that self-confidence in

their decision making process. Researchers believe that individuals must know themselves

and use that self-knowledge as a tool when making a career choice.

Siriwan Ghuangpeng, “Factors influencing career decision-making: a

comparative study of Thai and Australian students perceived to play an important role in

their career decision making. The study found out that students tend to choose their career

pathway based on their career pathway based on their career interest. These include how

they perceived a match between jobs and themselves.

Su, Chang, Wu, Liao, “Factors affecting the student career decision-making of

junior high school students in central Taiwan area”. The research results showed that

students’ career decision-making is deeply affected by “personal factors”, next are “group

factors”, then “career exploration factors” and lastly “school factors”. The purpose of this

study is to scrutinize the affecting factors of junior high school students career decision

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 10

making who participated in the technique arts education program and to extrapolate the

current status of high school student career decision making.

According to Pascual, " Factors affecting the high school student's career

preference: a basis for career planning program" suggest that students will likely be

successful if the chosen career is suited to their personality, ability, and interest. Also, it

states that the guidance of parents and school administration is a factor in determining the

preferred career path of a student. In addition, it indicates that with a career plan curriculum

student will have a good decision and it emphasize that career development plan should

start in an early age plus in a continuous manner.

Conceptual Framework

Future-tension can be surpassing if individual has a preparation to overcome it.

Career preparedness will help the student become more effective and successful in life with

his chosen job. Childhood aspiration has a major role on individual’s striving force. As

they grow old, the more they want, the more they will strive to get it. But external factors

(environment and society) and internal factors (self-crisis and family) changes their

aspirations in life. Such as when a child wants to be a nurse to cure a patient in his illness

but because of her interest like drawing and painting changes his aspirations. His interest

got more concentrated so she will take a course which is suitable for it. Some graduated

high-school students gradually stop in pursuing their college career. Financial

sustainability plays a major role in alterations of career life. They need to work in order to

sustain their studies, as well as to help their family about expenses and earlier exposure to

a company. Career preferences, then can be conceptualized as a process of decision-

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 11

making. It also involves a series of prime factors such as the socio-demographic profile:

sex, age, parents educational attainment, parents’ occupation, and socio-economic status.

Likewise, it will identify the top three expressed career choices, preferences for

the career choice such as childhood aspirations, family, peer/friends, interest and

specialization, in-demand jobs, and their anticipated problems encountered and how these

problems affect the students in making their career preferences; and sibling position.

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

I. Profile of the Respondents

Sex
Age
Parents’ Educational
Attainment
Parents’ Occupation
Socio – economic status

II. Preferences – related CAREER

variables PREFERENCES

Childhood Aspirations
Family and Relatives
Peer influence
In – Demand Jobs
Interest/Specialization
Values
School Guidance
Councilor
Presumed Problems
Encountered

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 12

Hypothesis of the Study

The researchers hypothesize and state that the following are the study’s

tentative answer:

 The socio-demographic characteristics including the student and family profile

doesn’t affect the career preference of a student.

 The three uppermost choice of course doesn’t have an impact to the career

preferences of the students.

 The specified factors such as student-related factor (childhood aspiration,

interest/specialization, in demand jobs), school-related factors (friends/peers,

school guidance counselor), and family-related factors (values, family/relatives

influence) is unaffectful to the preferred career choice of a student.

 The scheduled problems encountered along the way doesn’t affect the career

preference of a student.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are operationally defined to enhance the understanding of

the readers of this paper.

1. Adjudge – to consider or judge (something) in a specified way.

2. Concrete – involving specific people, things or actions rather than general ideas or

qualities.

3. Concluding – to decide (something) after a period of thought.

4. Crystallization – to become clear and fully formed.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 13

5. Equipped – to provide with a particular feature or ability.

6. Extrapolate – to form an opinion or to make an estimate about something from known

facts.

7. Galvanizing – to become so excited or concerned about an issue, idea, etc.

8. Indecisiveness – not able to make choices quickly and confidently.

9. Induction – the process of placing someone into a job, position, government office, etc.

10. Impact – a powerful or major influence or effect.

11. Obstruct – to make (something) difficult to see.

12. Paradigm – a group of ideas about something should be done, made, or thought about.

13. Reformation – the process of improving something or correcting faults, problems, etc.

14. Scrutinize – to examine (something) carefully especially in a critical way.

15. Solidify – to make a plan stronger and more certain.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 14

 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

Research Method

The researchers of this study used a descriptive method. Participants answer

questions administered through questionnaires. After answering the questions, researchers

describe the responses given. In order for the survey to be both reliable and valid, the

researchers made sure that the questions were constructed properly. Descriptive research

is a purposive process of data gathering, analyzing, classifying and tabulating data about

prevailing condition, practices, beliefs, processes, trends, and cause-effect relationships

and then adequate and accurate interpretation about such data with or without aid of

statistical treatment.

Population of the Study

The population of the study is consisting of 78 Grade 12 academic track students

specifically Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM), Humanities and Social

Sciences (HUMSS) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with

age ranging from 16-19. The respondents were randomly selected regardless of their

ethnicity, religion, and values. The respondents are chosen for they were abide to pursue

college which then the data needed are accumulated by means of pedagogical survey and

those data gathered will be treated with outmost confidentiality.

Instrument of the Study

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 15

 The instrument used in this study to accumulate the data needed is through

survey/questionnaire forms, which was handed personally to the respondents, wherein this

survey form has two parts. First is the Personal Information that indicates the socio-

demographic characteristic of the respondents and the second part is On Career Preference

whereas the respondents will choose in the listed presumed factors affecting their career

preferences. The questionnaire is entitled Survey-Questionnaire composed by a group of

researchers in the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Some points are revised by

the researchers to suit better in this study.

Close-ended questions which are likely difficult to construct and the response of

the participants are limited but the data gathered are easy to analyze and tabulate. However,

open-ended questions, was also used in some questions in this study wherein the

respondents have many possible question. It is easy to construct but difficult to analyze

statistically because the data should be coded or demote in some manner.

Respondents of the Study

Respondents Number of Number of Percentage

Students Respondents
Grade 12
Academic Track 133 78 60 %
Students

Data Processing and Statistical Treatment

The data were manually processed by the researchers whereas it was critically

scrutinize and interpreted by the statistical tools. The socio-demographic characteristics

(age, gender, family background) and factors affecting the career preferences of a student

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 16

(childhood aspiration, in demand jobs, interest, peer/friends, family/relatives, presumed

problem encountered, values) are presented using frequency counts and percentage.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 17

 CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Table 1. Respondent’s Gender

Gender Frequency Percentage

Male 27 34.62 %

Female 51 65.38 %

Total 78 100 %

In the first table, most of the respondents gender is female which is 65.38 % and

the rest of 100 % which is 34.62 % are the male respondents.

Table 2. Respondents’ Age

Age Frequency Percentage

16 years old 4 5.13 %

17 years old 48 61.54 %

18 years old 21 26.92 %

19 years old 5 6. 41 %

Total 78 100 %

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 18

 Grade 12 respondents’ age in this study are ranging from 16-19 years old, this table

shows that most of the respondents are 17 years old with 61.54 % followed by 26.92 %

which are the 18 years old students, then 6.41 % for 19 years old students and the least are

those students who are 16 years old with 5.13 %.

Table 3. Sibling Position of the Respondents

Sibling Position Frequency Percentage

1st Child 30 38.46 %

2nd Child 21 26.92 %

3rd Child 17 21.79 %

4th Child 9 11.54 %

5th Child 1 1.28 %

Total 78 99.99 %

In table 4, it shows that most of the respondents are the 1st child with 38.46 %, 2nd

child have 26.92 %, 3rd child respondents are 21.79 %, then 4th child are 11.54 % and lastly

5th child with 1.28 %.

Table 4. Parents Highest Educational Attainment

Mother Father
Parents Highest
Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage
Educational Attainment

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 19

 Elementary Undergraduate 4 5.13 % 9 11.54 %

Elementary Graduate 11 14.10 % 6 7.69 %

High School Undergraduate 17 21.78 % 14 17.95 %

High School Graduate 19 24.36 % 21 26.92 %

College Undergraduate 17 21.79 % 17 21.79 %

College Graduate 10 12.82 % 11 14.10 %

With MA Units 0 0 0 0

MA Degree Holder 0 0 0 0

With Doctorate Degree Unit 0 0 0 0

Doctorate Degree Holder 0 0 0 0

Total 78 99.99 % 78 99.99 %

As shown in table above, high school graduate have the highest percentage, which

are 24.36% for mother and 26.92 % for father. It is followed by College Undergraduate

with the percent of both 21.79 %, then High School Undergraduate with 21.78 % (mother)

and 17.95 % (father). Next is College Graduate which are 12.82 % for mother and 14.10

% for father, then Elementary Graduate with 14.10 % for mother and 7.69 % for father and

lastly Elementary Undergraduate with 5.13 % for mother and 11.54 % for father. It is

displayed that none of the respondents parents had reached those with MA Units, MA

Degree Holder, With Doctorate Degree Unit, and Doctorate Degree Holder.

Table 5. Parent’s Classification of Job

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 20

 Parent’s Mother Father
Classification of Job
Frequency Percentage Frequency Percentage

White Collar Job 16 20.51% 14 17.95 %

Blue Collar Job 62 79.49 % 64 82.05 %

Total 78 100 % 78 100 %

Table 5 indicates that 79.49 % (mother) and 82.05 % (father) belongs in the

classification of blue collar job. On the other hand, only 20.51 % (mother) and 17.95 %

(father) belongs in white collar job.

Table 6. Family Income

Family Income Frequency Percentage

P 30,000 above 6 7.69 %

P 25,000 – P 29,999 2 2.56 %

P 20,000 – P 24,999 5 6.41 %

P 15,000 – P 19,999 16 20.51 %

P 10,000 – P 14,999 12 15.38 %

P 10,000 below 37 47.44 %

Total 78 99.99 %

In Table 6, most of the respondents family income are ranging in P 10,000 below

with the percentage of 47.44 %, then P 15,000 – P 19,999 with 20.51 %. Some are P 10,000

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 21

– P 14,999 with 15.38 % and P 30,000 above with 7.69 %, P 20,000 – P 24,999 with 6.41

% and lastly, P 25,000 – P 29,999 with 2.56 %.

Table 7. Decisiveness on Career Preference

Frequency Percentage

Yes 73 93.59 %

No 5 6. 41 %

Total 78 100 %

As shown in Table 7, 93.59 % answered “yes” while 6.41 % answered “no” wherein

the respondents were asked if they have chosen a course to pursue in college.

Table 8. Uppermost Choice in Career

College Course Frequency Percentage

Accountancy 65 27.78 %

Business Administration 60 25.64 %

Architecture 11 4.70 %

Engineering 43 18.38 %

Medicine 2 0.85 %

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 22

 Political Science/Law 10 4.27 %

Psychology 15 6.21 %

Education 28 11.97 %

Total 234 100 %

The respondents were tasked to choose their three uppermost preference of college

courses. Table 8 shows that 27.78 % chose Accountancy, 25.64 % chose Business

Administration, and 18.38 % chose Engineering. Moreover, the other courses got 4.70 %

(Architecture), 0.87 % (Medicine), 4.27 % (Law), 6.41 % (Psychology), and 11.97 %

(Education).

Table 9. Factors Considered

Factors Considered Frequency Percentage

Childhood Aspiration 7 8.97 %

Family/Relatives 18 23.08 %

Peer/Friends 2 2.56 %

Interest and Specializations 41 52.56 %

Values 0 0

“In Demand Jobs” 10 12.82 %

School Guidance Councilor 0 0

Total 78 99.99 %

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 23

 As shown in the table 9, the respondents who chose interest/specialization as a

preference in their career is 52.56 %. However, 23.08 % chose family/relatives; 12.82 %

chose “In Demand” jobs; 8.97 % chose childhood aspiration; 2.56 % chose peer/friends

influences while no one pick values and school guidance councillor as the respondents

preference in career.

Table 10. Presumed Struggles Encountered

Presumed Struggles Frequency Percentage

Financial Sustainability 39 50 %

Perceived Ability 1 1.28 %

Maintain Academic Performance 11 14.10 %

Stringent Requirements of School 1 1.28 %

Location of the School from 5 6.41 %

Residence

Family Pressure 2 2.56 %

Poor Health 1 1.28 %

Peer Influence 3 3.85 %

Confusion due to varied interest 10 12.82 %

Indecisiveness 0 0

Not stability with my chosen career 5 6.41 %

Total 78 99.99 %

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 24

 Table 10 indicates the students considered problems along choosing a career

preference. 50 % of the respondents answered financial sustainability, 14.10 % chose

maintaining academic performance and 12.82 % responded that it is due to confusion to

varied interest. Furthermore, other specified factors got 6.41 % (not stability in chosen

career), 3.85 % (peer influence), 2.56 % (family pressure), 6.41 % (location of school from

residence) while perceived ability stringent requirements of school and poor health got 1.28

%.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Summary of Findings

The focus of the study is to determine the factors affecting the career preferences

of Grade 12 Academic Track students of Richwell Colleges Incorporated (RCI)

specifically, Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM), Science, Technology,

Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Humanities and Social Studies (HUMSS)

students. The study aims to discover the considered factors of the students in choosing a

career path which are: childhood aspiration, family/relatives, peer/friends, interest and

specialization, “In Demand” jobs, school guidance councilor, Moreover, socio-

demographic characteristics and presumed problems encountered are also attained in this

study. Survey questionnaires, serves as the researcher’s instruments in gathering the needed

data to the 78 respondents who are randomly selected.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 25

 In the data gathered, it indicates that most of the respondents are the 1st child then

both parents are only high school graduate with an average income of P 10,000 below per

month. It states that students would likely struggle to pursue college because of financial

availability. Students’ parents are mostly blue collar job workers where skills and abilities

are used. Parent would be nurturing their child with experience and real life involvement

to work rather than pursuing them to attend school.

On the other hand, data collected showed that students are decisive about the course

they will take. Respondents answered “yes” that they have chosen a career path to pursue

in college whereas most of the students preferred Accountancy, Business Administration,

and Engineering. Furthermore, statistical outcome shows that more than half percentage of

the respondents, considered Interest and Specialization as the major factor affecting their

career preferences. Unfortunately, financial sustainability is the common struggle of a

student in choosing a career path. Money and financial status primarily affect a student’s

decision in choosing a college course.

Conclusion

As this study aims to discover the factors affecting the career preference of Grade

12 Academic Track students of Richwell Colleges Incorporated (RCI), the researchers

proposed research questions that would distinguish the result for this study from the

respondents, namely: Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM), Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Humanities and Social Science

(HUMSS) students.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 26

 Researchers presumed that socio-demographic profile doesn’t affect the career

preference of a student but the data gathered shows that sibling position, income salary,

and parents’ educational attainment somehow affect the career choice of a student. For the

reason that the data shows that financial sustainability is the primary struggle of the

students where it was contrary to the hypothesis of the study which states that presumed

problems encountered along the way doesn’t affect the career path of the students.

Through the data collection, the researchers find out that most of the student’s

parents are blue collar job workers whereas family’s legacy or line of work may affect the

career choice of a student which concludes that family-related factor does affects the career

decision of a student.

The result delineates that student-related factor specifically interest/specialization

majorly affect the preferred career of a student which is opposite to the hypothesis of the

study wherein the stated factors do not affect the students. The study’s outcome shows that

students are decisive about the course they will take which concludes that the three

uppermost choice do affect a student’s decision.

Recommendations

 Students should solely focus on their Interest/Specialization wherein the study

concludes that through this a person would have a better career life.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 27

  Students even at an early age should have a continuous improvement of a career

path so future-tension will be avoided.

 Parents should support and guide their child in choosing a career preference

wherein the study finds out that family background and financial sustainability

majorly affect a student’s decision.

 School Administration should input career development planning for the students

who are still indecisive about career path they will take.

 Economic planners should amend the necessity of the youth in exploring the “In

Demand” jobs nationwide for the study uncovers that it is one of the factors

considered by the students.

FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT’S CAREER PREFERENCE 28