CHAPTER 1

The Problem and Its Background

Introduction

We are living in the age of highly advanced technology coupled with

unpredictable business environment as well as the ever changing societal needs. Yet, we

thrive on such circumstances as a nation on a macro level and as a family on a micro

level. Which means that whatever changes on a global stage, it has an indirect effect on

the basic segment of the society which is the family.

Our country suffers from multifarious crisis such as socioeconomic crisis,

political crisis, and as well as financial crisis which is greatly affected by global

economic crisis. Despite of all these crises, Filipinos are imaginative, creative, and

courageous to surpass these obstacles in everyday life. Even though there are some

companies affected by these crises which they are force to decrease their employees

called as “recession”, some of them have job openings that offer new career opportunities

to graduated college students. These job openings also offers a new challenge into their

life – a great responsibility lies to his hand that someday will help his family strive to

achieve wealthiest, use his acquired knowledge and skills when he engage into a job, and

acted as one of the reinforcements in industry that would further improved the depleting

economy of the country. All of these, comes first from wishes and aspirations that arises

during childhood years that someday he or she will become a doctor, an architect, a

teacher, a police, or an attorney to help those seek needs and help their family to ascend

into poverty. According to Ginzberg and his associates during the fantasy period play

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gradually becomes work-oriented and reflects initial preferences for certain kind of

activities. This stage is the preparation for a child’s highly organized social life they will

be required to adjust when they enter the first grade.

Career preferences are free opportunity to select a desired career. It is also a

decision-making in a confusing situation which occurs during the senior year of high

school level. When one is confused in choosing a career, he relies on his friends and

relatives. He was confused in a sense that he cannot make his own decision and not yet

ready to get into college. According to Tiedeman, career development unfolds within the

general process of cognitive development as one resolves ego-relevant crises. He further

noted out that decision-making is a continuous process in which individuals will change

their courses of career action, generally by leaving a setting or environment. Such as

when a student is disoriented in his course he have been taken that will result in

decreasing eagerness on that particular field. He decides to transfer in another school or

to shift another course that really fits his own interest and. When one is unstable in

making decision, these disoriented strategy may be repeated until achieve different

bachelor’s degree which can be a major distraction of one’s future job. Super also

considered indecisiveness as a period of developmental process when interest was not

fully crystallized.

Therefore, this study intends to determine the factors affecting career preferences

among Senior High School students of Lagao National High School of Academic Year

2016 - 2017. These factors that serve as preferences of student in choosing a career in

college includes childhood aspirations, family/ relatives, peer/ friends, interest and

2
specialization, values, in-demand jobs, school guidance counselor; and anticipated

problems encountered are presumed to affect the student preferences of their career.

Statement of the Problem

The study aimed to determine the factors affecting career preferences of senior high

school students of Lagao National High School of the Academic Year 2016-2017.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following sub problems:

1. What are the socio-demographic characteristics of the senior high school students in

terms of:

1.1. Sex 1.4. parents’ occupation

1.2. Age 1.5. Size of Income

1.3. Parents Educational Attainment 1.6. Sibling position

2. What are the factors affecting students’ career choice in terms of :

2.1. Childhood Aspirations 2.4. Values

2.2. Family/ Relatives 2.5. In-Demand Jobs

2.3. Peer/ Friends 2.6. School Guidance Counselor

3. What are common problems encountered in making their career choice?

Theoretical / Conceptual Framework

3
The study is anchored on the theory of Donald Super which focuses on the development

of life roles over the life span with emphasis on inter-role congruence. His vocational

concept as a part of self-concept is formed, it is the driving force that establishes a career

pattern one will follow through life. Vocational developmental tasks are derived from

vocational stages which provides framework for vocational behavior and attitudes

Vocational Developmental Stages

1. Growth (birth-age 14 or 15), characterized by development of capacity, attitudes,

interests, and needs associated with self-concepts

2. Explanatory (ages 15-24), characterized by a tentative phase in which choices are

narrowed but not finalized;

3. Establishment (ages 25-44), characterized by trial and stabilization through work

experiences;

1. Maintenance (ages 45-64), characterized by a continual adjustment process to improve

working position and situation; and

2. Decline (ages 65+), characterized by preretirement considerations, reduced work

output, and eventual retirement.

The crystallization task (ages 14-18) is forming a preferred career plan and considering

how it might be implemented. Pertinent information is studied with the goal of becoming

more aware of the preferred choice and the wisdom of preference. The specification task

(ages 18-21) follows in which the individual feels the need to specify the career plan

through more specific resources and explicit awareness of cogent variables of the

preferred choice. The implementation task (ages 21-24) is accomplished by the

4
completion of training and entry into the career and develops a feeling of security in

career position. The stabilization (ages 24-35) is reached when the individual is firmly

established in a career and develops a feeling of security in career position. Finally, the

consolidation task (35+) follows with advancement and seniority in a career. Super also

identified six dimensions that he thought were relevant and appropriate for adolescents:

1. Orientation to Vocational Choice (an attitudinal dimension determining whether the

individual is concerned with the eventual vocational choice to be made);

2. Information and Planning (a competence dimension concerning specificity of

information individuals have concerning future career decisions and past planning

accomplished);

3. Consistency of Vocational Preferences (individuals’ consistency of preferences);

4. Crystallization of Traits (individual progress toward forming a self-concept);

5. Vocational Independence (independence of work experience);

6. Wisdom of Vocational Preferences (dimension concerned with individuals ability to

make realistic preferences consistent with personal tasks.

This theory is found to be appropriate because of its stressfulness in terms of

developing a career plan that will guide the individual in choosing a career in college.

Also, Super’s six-dimension is appropriate for adolescent is truly applicable because

senior high school students are fall under this category.

Another theory adopted for the research is David Tiedeman’s 5 self-development

approach to career. He believes that evolving ego-identity is of central importance in the

5
career development process. He referred to the evolving self-in-situation from the earliest

awareness of self to point at which individual becomes capable of evaluating experiences,

anticipating, and imagining future goals, and storing experiences in memory for future

reference with his context of Erik Erikson’s eight psychosocial crises. Self-in-situation,

self-in-world and the orientation of work evolve as one resolves the psychosocial crises

of life. He therefore conceptualized a paradigm for problem-solving as the mechanism of

career decision making. His paradigm covers four aspects of anticipation or

preoccupation (exploration, crystallization, choice, and clarification) and three aspects of

implementation of adjustment (induction, reformation, and integration).

Tiedeman stressed out why individual change their courses of action because of

external factors or external forces (such as the call of the armed forces, an economic

crisis, the work setting itself) or by broad psychological drives (such as unmet needs,

changing aspirations, role diffusion). According to the prescribed sequence, a new

decision unfolds and must be made, beginning with exploration and eventually reaching

integration. If integration is not reached once again, the individual may adapt to a career

environment or may simply withdraw and begin a new search for eventual integration.

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

6
(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 wells as to help their family about expenses and earlier

exposure to a company. Career preferences, then can be conceptualized as a process of

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

profile (sex, age, parents’ educational attainment, parents’ occupation, size of income,

and sibling position). Likewise, it will identify the factors affecting career choices, such

as childhood aspirations, family / relatives, peer /friends, interest and specialization,

values, in-demand jobs, and school counselor; their anticipated problems encountered and

how these problems affect the students in making their career preferences; and sibling

position.

7
 SHS

Career Choices

Basis for Preference is

choosing a Career
1. Childhood Aspirations
2. Relatives/Family
3. Peer / Friends Anticipated Problems
Socio-Demographic 4. Interest and encountered in making
Characteristics of the Specialization their career choice
Students: 5. Values
6. “In-Demand” Jobs Financial Sustainability
a. Sex 7. School Guidance Perceived Ability
b. Age Counselor Maintain Academic
c. Parents Educational Performance
Attainment. Stringent Requirements
d. Size of Income of School
e. Sibling Position Location of the School
from Residence
Family Pressure
Confusion due to varied
interests
Indecisiveness
Not stability for my
chosen career.
Peer Influence
Poor Health

8
Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The 90 respondents were taken from Lagao National High School” (LNHS). The

high school was selected on the length of their operation and other commonalities such as

geographical location, enrolment size, and availability of the students of LNHS which is

located at Aparente Street, Purok Malakas, City of General Santos.

The school is selected because Lagao National High School is one of the schools

in the city of General Santos that has a Senior High School and it is where the researcher

is presently connected. The respondents are the 1 st batch of Senior high school who

enrolled in different tracks. Most of the high schools in General Santos City focus both

on major academic field such as English, Math, and Science in a laboratory settings as

well as Technical Vocational and Livelihood. Each section/track consist of the following:

Academic Track Technical Vocational and Livelihood (TVL) Track

ABM A BREAD A

ABM B BREAD B

HUMSS A WELLNESS

HUMSS B HOUSEKEEPING

GAS

This study focused on their career preferences of senior high school students of

LNHS. It looked into their socio-demographic characteristics in terms of sex, age, parents

educational attainment, parents occupation, size of income, and sibling position; factors

9
affecting career choice in terms of childhood aspirations, family / relatives, peer / friends,

values, “in-demand” jobs, and school guidance counselor; and anticipated problems

encountered in making their career choices.

The researcher considered senior high school students as the respondents since

some of them are still undecided of course they want to pursue and suffers from

difficulties in deciding their course. It is also considered because of their last term in high

school excluded lower years since they are not yet capable of making a career decision

and still pursuing their target specialization.

Significance of the Study

Education is the totality of learning acquired by individual which is inherited from

one generation to another, while career is serve as its application. The collaboration of

these two fields plays a key in improving individual’s competence and professionalism

and serves as their personal achievement.

Therefore, this study is deemed significant to the following stakeholder for the

following reasons:

 To the Students – The respondents are the center of the research because ultimately

they develop the awareness of themselves, strength, and weaknesses for their career

development by continually summarizing and reflecting upon what they are learning

from home, school, and community. In totality, students are in charge of their own

choice.

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 To the Parents – In this study, parents will realize how important they are as a source

of encouragement in which children are free to explore different areas of career

preferences. This study will look forward in giving their children an assurance to

acquire quality education that would enable them to obtain better job, better income,

and brighter future.

 To the Teacher – This study will give information to the teachers of LNHS as to the

preferences of students such that they can focus on the skills needed by the students if

ever the latter would pursue the career they have chosen.

 To the School Administration – The result of this study will help the school

administration in putting up an effective, integrated career information and guidance

system that plays a very helpful role in guiding students towards making the best

possible career decisions.

 To the Researcher – The process and outcome of this study will produce a great

satisfaction, competence, and professionalism to the field. Although the topic of the

study is focused on career which belongs to the field known as Industrial Psychology,

the purpose is to have a diversity and idea about the field rather than understanding

the abnormalities of human behavior.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are conceptually or operationally defined to enhance the

understanding of the readers of this paper.

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1. Career choice – The broad opportunities that exists for life long vocations. These

vocations are set out in a framework of strategies moving toward personal goals. Fields

of vocational, academic, and sociological endeavors are explored for the purpose of

satisfying personal, economic, and intellectual goals.

Crisis – an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs whose outcome will make a

decisive difference for better or worse. In this study, crisis is mentioned into four: socio-

economic, political, financial, as well as global economic.

2. Recession – a period of reduced economic activity or withdrawal. In this study,

recession refers to a decrease of employees in a company affected by economic crisis.

3. Career – a field for or 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.

4. Ego-Relevant Crisis – is derived from Erik Erikson’s eight psychosocial crises such

as

1) Trust, 2) Autonomy, 3) Initiative, 4) Industry, 5) Identity, 6) Intimacy, 7) Generativity,

and 8) Ego-Integrity.

5. Disoriented Strategy – displace from normal position or relationship. In the study,

this term refers to mechanism of students when he or she is unstable in choosing a career

which can be repeated.

6. Socio-Demographic Characteristics – refers to sex, age, parent’s educational

attainment, parent’s occupation, size of income, and sibling position.

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7. Sibling Position – the position of respondent in his family, whether he or she was a

first child, second child, third child, etc.

8. Preference – 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 he

wants whether it comes from his childhood aspirations, relatives, peer, his values in life,

interest and specialization, and school guidance counselor.

9. Childhood Aspirations – the child’s infantile wishes of what he wants when grew up.

10. Interest – to induce or persuade; to participate or engage.

11. Specialization – to concentrate one’s efforts in a special activity of field.

12. Values – refers to motivated drives the individual is striving to achieve their

aspirations in life.

13. “In-Demand” Jobs – refers to the majority of present occupation which many

companies are in need for a particular job.

14. School Guidance Counselor – is a type of counseling profession specialized in

assisting the students in choosing their career in college and as well as vocational or

educational problems.

15. Anticipated Problems – the expected problems of student’s career choice. For

example, financial sustainability, poor health, self-conflicts, etc.

16. Self-Concept – the mental image one has of oneself.

17. Vocational Self-Concept – a driving force that establishes a career pattern one will

follow through life.

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18. Vocational Ego-Involvement – a term which describes Tiedeman’s self-

development approach to career.

CHAPTER 2

Review of Related Literature and Studies

Career preference is the process of decision-making. A great number of studies,

researches, and write-ups has been conducted for a period of time and still emerged as

one of the top-priority researches due to rapid changing and need of time. This chapter is

the presentation of literature and studies from foreign to local which may directly or

indirectly bearing to study at hand. Relevance to present studies will give a big picture

why these literature and studies from foreign to local are used.

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.

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 Goffredson’s Developmental 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 Studies

According to the study conducted by Siguan Jr. (1994), it was found out that the

students’ self-concept showed no significant influence on their career preferences. The

academic achievements of students proved to be significant related to their career

preferences. The school were students came from had no influence on their choice of

15
career. He recommends that a more improved and functional guidance provided in school

to help students make sound career choices. The guidance services in school must be

collaborative efforts of the administrator, guidance counselors, and teachers. Classroom

teachers are encouraged to do their best in improving teaching learning processes,

considering that academic achievement of student influences their career preferences.

Another study conducted by Almerino (2003), it was found out that a big picture of a big

family with low educational attainment and inadequate investment was the sole

foundation of choosing a course, which was psychologically motivated. The respondent’s

level of preferred intelligence did not match to their chosen course. This could be drawn

from the required level of the course in contrast with their level of preferred intelligence.

The necessity of developing a career development program was need in order to

prevent any misfits and to assist students in the process of crystallizing their career in life.

She recommended that this program be effectively implemented.

Personal interests, abilities, skills, and values are the most influential factors in

coming chosen occupation by the participants according to Pabiton (2007). These imply

that like other graduating students in high school students, the participants seemed to

have chosen occupation. She also noted that the students be given all the chances to learn

and develop the skills and attitudes required for various occupations. She recommends

that career counselors could give more emphasis on this environmental factor during

individual and small group career counseling.

Foreign Studies

16
 According to the study conducted by Garcez (2007), it was found out that by

increasing career development activities, which includes setting career goals, students

had a higher self-esteem. Maybe even more important, however, is that students were

more satisfied about the education they were receiving. This will, in turn, hopefully lead

to students having a deeper desire and commitment to succeed in their education. Another

outcome of a higher self-esteem, is that those students chose more difficult goals than

students with low self-esteems. She noted that excellent detailed plan for teaching parents

and teachers how to teach young students to set career goals. The plan requires a total

community effort through educators, parents, and businesses. Students must be given an

opportunity to identify and explore their desired careers. They can accomplish this

through the “School to Work Transition” or “Job Shadowing Program.” Through the

cooperative efforts of the entire community, students can identify career choices, set

career goals, and have higher self-esteems at an early age. Ultimately, they will further

their education and have a better chance of succeeding in the “do or die” world in which

we live.

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 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.

Relevance to the Present Studies

17
 The studies reviewed provide ample evidence that career development program is

in need and must have a collaborative efforts made by school administrator, teachers, and

mostly guidance counselor in crystallizing student’s career decision. The teaching

methodologies or strategies must be improved and concentrate on student’s learning and

not by subjects.

CHAPTER III

Research Methodology

This chapter presents the research design, population and sample of the study,

research instruments, data gathering procedures, and statistical treatment of data.

Research Design

This study used a descriptive survey method used to assess socio-demographic

characteristics such as sex, age, parent’s educational attainment, parent’s occupation, size

of income, sibling position; the factors affecting career choices or preference of student in

choosing a career and anticipated problems that affect the career choices of senior high

school students of LNHS of academic year 2016-2017. Descriptive research is a

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

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

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

statistical treatment.

18
Population and Sample of the Study

The respondents of this study came from the Senior High School students under

Academics and TVL tracks of LNHS. Stratified random sampling is used to select

randomly, sample from different strata of the population. This sampling is used when the

population has class stratifications or grouping either horizontally or vertically.

Table 1. Statistical Paradigm

Statistical Paradigm Total No. of

Sections/Track Students in each Percentage Sample

Section/Track (%)

Academic Track

ABM A 29 34% 10

ABM B 25 40% 10

HUMSS A 41 24% 10

HUMSS B 39 26% 10

GAS 14 71% 10

TVL

HOUSEKEEPING 31 32% 10

WELNESS 18 56% 10

BREAD A 28 36% 10

BREAD B 31 32% 10

Total Population 256 Total Sample 90

19
 Classification Academic TVL Subtotal Academic TVL Subtotal

N N n n

ABM - A 29 10

ABM - B 25 10

HUMSS-A 41 10

HUMSS-B 39 10

GAS 14 10

HOUSEKEEPING 31 10

WELLNESS 18 10

BREAD A 28 10

BREAD B 31 10

Subtotal 148 108 256 50 40 90

TOTAL 256 90

Research Instrument

The instrument used was a researcher-made questionnaire checklist to gather the

needed data for the student’s profile. The draft of the questionnaire was drawn out based

20
on the researcher’s readings, previous studies, professional literature, published and

unpublished thesis relevant to the study.

In the preparation of the instrument, the requirements in the designing of good

data collection instrument were considered. For instance, statement describing the

situations or issues pertaining was toned down to accommodate the knowledge

preparedness of the respondents. Open-ended options were provided to accommodate to

free formatted views related to the topics or issues. In this way, the instrument is

authorized to obtain valid responses of the students.

Preference for the use of the structured questionnaire is premised on several

research assumptions such as a) cost of being a least expensive means of gathering data,

b) avoidance of personal bias, c) less pressure for immediate response, and giving the

respondents a greater feeling of anonymity. In the end, it encouraged open responses to

sensitive issues at hand.

Data Gathering Procedure

The first step before going to the testing proper is to make a request letter. Upon

approval, the researcher retrieves the request letter. The assistance of guidance counselor,

as well as class advisers and other faculty members were selected in the administration.

In administering the questionnaire, the researcher was use the time allotted for

vacant to avoid distractions of class discussions. The student responses were given

enough time to answer the questions.

21
 After data gathering, the researcher now collected it for tallying the scores and to

apply the statistical treatment to be used with the study.

Treatment of Data

The responses made by students describing their socio-demographic

characteristics, preference of choosing their career, and anticipated problems were

presented. For instance, sex, age, parent’s educational attainment, parent’s occupation,

size of income and sibling position. This was also applied for students preference in

making his career choice. In providing overall picture of the socio-demographic

characteristics and career preference, as well as anticipated problems in pursuing their

studies and its effect on students, summary presentations will also presented.

Statistical Treatment for Data

Responses to the questionnaire by senior high school students were statistically

analyzed with the data requirements of the study. Descriptive statistics such as frequency

count, mean, percent and rank are considered.

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 CHAPTER IV

Results and Discussions

This chapter presents description of the respondents in terms of; socio-demographic

profile; various factors that influence the career choices of the respondents from both

Academics and TVL tracks and problems encountered in choosing the best career to

pursue.

I. Socio-Economic Profile of the Respondents

Table 3. Socio-Demographic Profile

Academic

Variables Track TVL Total Rank

f % f % f %

Sex

Female 39 78 31 77 70 78 1

Male 11 22 9 22 20 22 2

Total 50 100 40 100 90 100

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Age

16 years old 13 26 4 10 17 19 2

17 years old 31 62 29 72.5 60 67 1

18 years old 6 12 3 7.5 9 10 3

19 years old 3 7.5 3 3 4

20 years old 1 2.5 1 1 5

Youngest = 16 years old

Oldest = 20 years old

Mean Age = 18years old

Total 50 100 40 100 90 100

Ordinal Position

Eldest child 25 50 23 57.5 48 53 1

Middle Child 17 34 12 30 29 32 2

Youngest child 8 16 5 12.5 13 15 3

Total 50 100 40 100 90 100

Parents’ Educational

Attainment

Father

Elementary 6 12 13 32.5 19 21.2 3

High School 29 58 20 50 49 54.4 1

College 15 30 7 17.5 22 24.4 2

Master’s Degree

Total 50 100 40 100 90 100

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Educational Attainment

Mother

Elementary 7 14% 14 35 21 23.3 3

High School 18 36% 17 42.5 35 38.9% 1

College 25 50% 9 0 34 37.8% 2

Master’s Degree 22.5

Total 50 100 40 100 90 100

Father’s occupation

Driver 17 34% 7 17.5 24 28% 1

OFW 7 14% 5 % 12 13% 4

Carpenter 6 12% 8 12.5 14 18% 2

Electrician 2 4% 5 % 7 7% 5

Butcher 1 2% 2 20% 3 3% 8

Security guard 2 4% 1 12.5 3 3% 8

Farmer 8 16% 8 % 16 17% 3

businessman 2 4% 4 5% 6 6% 6

others 5 10% 2.5% 5 5% 7

20%

10%

Total 50 100 40 100 90 100

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 Mother’s Occupation 25 50 21 52.5 50 55.6 1

Housewife 8 16 5 12.5 13 14.4 2

OFW 3 6 1 2.5 4 4.4 5

Secondary Teacher 6 12 2 5 8 8.9 4

Beautician 4 8 7 17.5 11 12.2 3

Seller or vendor 4 8 3 7.5 3 3.3 6

Janitress 1 2.5 1 1.1 7

Others

Total 50 100 40 100 90 100

Estimated Monthly Income

Below 6,000 28 56 19 47.5 47 52.2 1

6,000-8,000 11 22 8 20 19 21.1 2

8,000-12,000 3 6 6 15 9 10 4

12,0000 above 8 16 7 17.5 15 16.7 3

Lowest = 6,000

Average = 8,000

Highest = 12,000

Total 50 100 40 100 90 100

In Table 3 presents a total of 90 Senior high school students in Lagao National

High School served as the respondents in this study. Most (55 or 55.6%) respondents

were students under the Academic track and the remaining 40 or 44.44 % were from the

TVL track. The highest population of respondents is from the Academic track because

26
under this umbrella includes ABM A, ABM B, HUMSS-A, HUMSS-B and GAS and

there are only 4 tracks under the TVL such as Housekeeping, Wellness, BREAD A and

BREAD B.

In their sex distribution, majority (70 or 78%) are female; almost 67% are 17

years old, the youngest is the 16 years old, and oldest is 20 years old, while the mean age

is 18 years old. This implies that the common age of senior high school students is 17

years old. Most of the respondents (48 or 53%) interviewed were eldest.

Majority of the parents are high school graduate. Most (24 or 28%) of

respondents their father’s occupation is driving (tricycle driver) which serves a source to

provide the needs of their families, for the respondents mother’s occupation most of them

are plain housewives (50 or 56.6%) who solely took care of their children. Most of the

respondents estimated household monthly income is between the income brackets. The

highest monthly income is ₱ 12,000 while the lowest monthly income is ₱ 6,000 below,

and the average monthly income is ₱6,000-8,000. This confirms the fact that most

students of Lagao National High School (specifically Senior high school students) are

experiencing financial constraints hence; these are those who are struggling to pursue

their college education because some of the respondents in public schools are in the

income bracket or the lowest estimated monthly income so some of them are decided for

not continuing their study.

27
II. Factors Affecting Career Choices

Table 4.

ACADEMICS
Factors Affecting Career choices
TVL Total Rank

f % f %

a. Childhood aspirations 5 5.56 2 2.22 7.78 6

b. Peer/friends 9 10 5 5.56 14.56 4

c. Values 7 7.78 3 3.33 10.33 5

d. School Guidance Counselor 2 2.22 1 1.11 3.11 7

e. Family/relatives 25 27.78 14 15.56 40.56 2

f. interest and specialization 28 31.11 21 23.33 51.33 1

g. “In-demand” jobs 19 21.11 15 16.67 35.67 3

Table 4 presents that among the factors affecting career choices of the

respondents both from the Academic track and TVL, only the School Guidance

Counselor did not really affect their choice (3.11%). Majority from the respondents agree

that their interest and specialization (51.33%) got the highest percentage, family/relatives

(40.56%), “In-demand” jobs (35.67%), peer/friends (14.56%) and values (10.33%) are

the factors that affected their career choice.

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III. Problems Encountered

Table 5.

Problem Encountered ACADEMICS TVL Total Rank

f % f % f

a. Financial sustainability 32 35.56 28 31.11 60 1

b. Perceived ability 1 1.11 1 1.11 2 11

c. Maintain Academic 16 17.78 9 10.00 25 3

Performance

d. Stringent Requirements 13 14.44 8 8.89 21 4

of School

e. Location of the school 4 4.44 8 8.89 12 6

from residence

f. Family pressure 17 18.89 3 3.33 20 5

g. Confusion due to 21 23.33 17 18.89 38 2

varied interests

h. indecisiveness 5 5.56 3 3.33 8 8

i. no stability for my 5 5.56 6 6.67 11 7

chosen career

j. peer influence 4 4.44 1 1.11 4 9

k. poor health 3 3.33 1 1.11 3 10

l. others

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 TOTAL

Table 5 presents that among the problems encountered, “perceived ability‟ did not

affect the career choices of the respondents (2.57) in Senior high school (LNHS). All

respondents from the Academic track chose that the problems they encountered which

have affected their career choice are “financial sustainability or unable to support the

desired course; confusion due to varied interest, maintain academic performance, family

pressure, location of the school from residence and no stability for the chosen career,

indecisiveness, peer influence and poor health. In TVL track respondents, majority of

them agree that all the listed factors are the problems they have encountered except for

the “perceived ability”, only one (1) respondent checked the tick box.

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 CHAPTER V

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation

Study sought to explore the Factors Affecting the Career Choices among Senior

high school students of Lagao National High School. In this part of the study presents the

summary of findings, conclusion and recommendation.

Summary of Findings

Based on the data findings appeared to be evident:

I. Socio-demographic profile of the Respondents

1.1. Sex Distribution, most respondents were female (70 or 78 %)

1.2. Age Distribution, 17 years old (60 or 67%) is the majority age of the

respondents. The youngest are 16 years old, oldest 20 years old, mean age is 18

years old.

1.3. Ordinal Position, most of the respondents is first child (48 or 53%).

1.4. Parents’ Educational Attainment, majority of the parents are high school

graduate

1.5. Fathers Occupation, mostly have a father who works as driver (24 or 28%)

but some are,farmers, carpenters and OFWs.

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 1.6. Mothers’ Occupation, most of the respondents’ mothers ‟occupation is plain

housewives (50 or 55.6%). Some are working as OFW, and some of their mothers

are working as seller on their own.

1.7. Estimated Monthly Income of the respondents is in the bracket of 6,000

below (47 or 42.2%. The highest monthly income is ₱ 12,000 and the lowest

monthly income is ₱ 6,000 below and the average monthly income is ₱ 8,000.

II. Factors Affecting Career Choices

2.1. (a) Childhood Aspirations, in Academic Track there are 5.56%, in TVL

there are 2.22% with the total of 7.78%

2.2. (b) Peer/Friends, in Academic Track there are 10% , in TVL there are

5.56% with the total of 10.56%

2.3. (c) Values, in Academic Track there are 7.78% , in TVL there are 3.33%

with the total of 10.33%

2.4. (d) School Guidance Counselor, in Academic Track there are 2.22% , in

TVL there are 1.11% with the total of 3.33%

2.5. (e) Family/Relatives, in Academic Track there are 27.78% , in TVL there

are 15.56% with the total of 40.56%

2.6. (f) Interest and Specialization, in Academic Track there are 31.11% , in

TVL there are 23.33% with the total of 51.33%

2.7. (g) “In-Demand” Jobs, in Academic Track there are 21.11% , in TVL

there are 16.67% with the total of 35.67%

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III. Problems Encountered

3.1 (a) Financial sustainability, in Academic Track there are 35.56% , in TVL there

are 31.11% with the total of 62.67%

3.2 (b) Perceived Ability, in Academic Track there are 1.11% , in TVL there are

1.11% with the total of 2.22%

3.3. (c) Maintain Academic performance, in Academic Track there are 17.78%

, in TVL there are 10% with the total of 27.78%

3.4. (d) Stringent requirements of School, in Academic Track there are 14.44%

, in TVL there are 8.89% with the total of 23.33%

3.5. (e) Location of the School from Residence, in Academic Track there are

4.44% , in TVL there are 8.89% with the total of 13.33%

3.6. (f) Family Pressure, in Academic Track there are 18.89% , in TVL there

are 3.33% with the total of 22.22%

3.7. (g) Confusion due to varied interests, in Academic Track there are

23.33% , in TVL there are 18.89% with the total of 42.22%

3.8. (h) Indecisiveness, in Academic Track there are 5.56% , in TVL there are

3.33% with the total of 8.89%

3.9. (i) Not stability for my chosen career, in Academic Track there are

5.56% , in TVL there are 6.67% with the total of 12.23%

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 3.10. (j) Peer influence, in Academic Track there are 4.44% , in TVL there are 1.11%

with the total of 5.55%

3.11. (k) Poor health, in Academic Track there are 3.33%, in TVL there are 1.11%

with the total of 4. 44%

Conclusion

Based on findings we conclude that:

Most (50 or 63.33) respondents were students under the Academic Track and the

remaining 40 or 36.66 % were from the TVL track located in Lagao National High

School. Most respondents were female (70 or 78 %). As to their age distribution, 60 or

67% are 17 years old, the youngest is 16 years old, and oldest 20 years old, while the

mean age is 18 years old. This implies that the common age of the Grade 11 Senior high

school students is 17 years old. Most of the respondents (48 or 53%) interviewed were

eldest.

As to the household profile of the respondents, most of (91 or 41.93%) their

fathers’ occupation is a tricycle deriver to provide the needs of their families, while most

of mothers’ occupation is plain housewives assuming absolute (124 or 54.86%)

responsibility of taking care their children. Majority of the respondents’ household

monthly income is below 6,000 which means it falls into the threshold or subsistence of

poverty line.

Among the factors affecting career choices of the respondents, only the School

Guidance Counselor did not really affect their choice (2.22%) which means out of 90

34
respondents only 2 checked the tick box. Majority from the respondents considered that

the factors affected their career choice are the, financial sustainability, “In-demand” jobs,

interest and specialization, family/relatives, values, childhood aspirations, peer/friends

and School Guidance Counselor.

The problems encountered, the “perceived ability”, did not affect their career

choices of the respondents for (2.57%) in both Academics and TVL Tracks. All of them

checked the tick box that the problems they encountered which have affected their career

choice are financial sustainability, maintain academic performance, stringent

requirements of School, family pressure, confusion due to varied interests,

indecisiveness, not stability for my chosen career, peer influence, poor health, perceived

ability and others.

Recommendations

From the findings and conclusion of the study, the following recommendations

are hereby presented.

We generally recommend;

1. Children should be assisted from their young age for them to undergo

necessary preparation to pursue the most appropriate career.

2. Integrate career plan with the curriculum to help students make a good

decisions in what course to take in college.

35
3. Career plan for the students must be made in a continuous manner and

should start from an earlier grade level to help student identify

thoroughly the suited course for them.

4. Collaborative effort of the school administrations, guidance counselor

and parents should also be made to come up with better career plan for

every individual students.

5. Due to financial constraints of the family to support the education of

the respondents, colleges and universities in General Santos City must

increase the Scholarship Offered / Grants to assist able but poor

student to continue their studies

6. Senior High School students must study hard to ensure high grades to

qualify for scholarship and other student support program.

36
 BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Books:

Calderon, Jose and Gonzalez, Expectation. Methods of Research Thesis Writing. Quad

Alpha Centrum Bldg.: 115 Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City, p.62.

Howard, Elaine Markus and Ill, Pamela J. Career Pathways: Preparing Students for Life.

Corwin Press: A Sage Thousand Company. Thousand Oaks California, c2004, p. 1.

Soriano, A. S. and Roces. A Career Guide. Baguio Allied Printers: 420 Magsaysay Ave.

Baguio City, p.1.

Zunker, Vernon. Career Counseling: Applied Concepts of Life Planning (5th edition).

Brooks / Cole Publishing Company: 511 Forest Lodge Road Pacific Grove, ca

93950, 1998; p. 30.

Thesis/Dissertations:

37
Almerino, Jana Gloria F. Career Preferences of College Freshmen in the University of

Cebu – Lapu-Lapu and Mindoro: A Career Development Program by, Master’s

Thesis. University of San Carlos, Cebu City.

Siguan, Bienvenido E. Jr. Factors Affecting Career Preferences of 4th Yr. High School

Students by Leyte Institute of Technology; Graduate School of Tacloban City:

March 1994.

Journal:

Pabiton, Carmelita P. Factors Influencing High School Senior Career Choices:

Implications to Career Counseling. In Guidance Journal p .1-17, Oct. 2007.

Internet Sources:

http://aplawrence.com/Misc/cgcareergoals.html

http://wikimapia.org/4313274/Eulogio-Amang-Rodriguez-Vocational-High-School

38
 Appendix A

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
Direction: Please answer this survey questionnaire by either supplying the requested
information or by placing the check mark (√) on the appropriate space provided for.
Kindly answer all the items.

PART I: SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

Name: ______________________________________ Sex: ______ Age:______

Sibling Position: __________Eldest ______Middle ________Youngest
Parent’s Educational Attainment:
Father: _____Elementary _____High School _____ College ___Master’s Degree

Mother: _____Elementary _____High School _____ College ___Master’s Degree

Parent’s Occupation: Father_____________________ Mother_____________________
Family Income (Monthly Income of Parents). Please check the appropriate range.
_______Below 6000 ______6,000-8,000 _______8,001- 12,000 _____12,001 and above

PART II: CAREER PREFERENCES

39
 1. Do you think you choose the right track in SHS? Yes No
2. What are the factors that you consider in choosing a career?
Childhood Aspirations Family / Relatives
Peer / Friends Interest and Specialization
Values “In-Demand” Jobs
School Guidance Counselor
3. What are the common problems in making a career choice?
Financial Sustainability Confusion due to varied
interests
Perceived Ability Indecisiveness
Maintain Academic Performance Not stability for my chosen
career
Stringent Requirements of School Peer Influence
Location of the School from Residence Poor Health
Family Pressure
Others____________________________________________

Student’s Career Choice Options

This section deals with the open-ended question “If I graduated tomorrow, my

career choice would be_____________.” Lagao National High School students made

multiple references to ‘teachers, parents, and marketing. This reflects the interest that is

present in high school students in the coming years. There many professionals in those

areas now, as well as a need for many teachers, nurses, and business majors in the future.

I am amazed at the variety of professions listed. Of the seventy-eight respondents there

40
were over fifty different professions. The fact that students listed a large variety of

professions, leads the researcher to believe that students are exploring career choices.

Where else would the diversity come from? Students have also stated very specifically

Career Choice Factors 74 the area within some career choices. This also leads the

researcher to believe that unless students were asking questions and taking an interest in

the career choice process, the answers would be more superficial.

41