Undergraduate Thesis

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This study aims to determine the career and school preferences of high school graduating students of Olivarez College at Parañaque City during the school year 2005-2006. Specifically, this study attempts to answer the following questions; 1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of: 1.1 Age 1.2 Gender 1.3 Family Income 2. What are the career preferences of the high school graduating students of Olivarez College during school year 2005-2006? 3. What are the important factors that the respondents consider in their choice of career? 4. What are the important factors that the respondents consider in their choice of school? SCOPE AND COVERAGE This study focuses on enrolled high school graduating students of Olivarez College at Parañaque City during the school year 2005-2006. It is limited only on the investigation of their career and school preferences and the important factors that the students consider in their choice of career and school in college. The researchers gathered the necessary information on the above stated problems using the descriptive survey method. METHODOLOGY In this study, the method used is descriptive survey research which typically employs questionnaires and interviews. It is said that descriptive method is used to study status trends. This procedure refers to the type of approach whereby a group of objects or units (persons, animals or things) are subjected to some uniform tests to ascertain particular prevailing conditions which are subject of the studies or which may be traits proving the truth of certain trends or status. The nature of this research necessitated the use of descriptive survey because the principal aim of the researchers is to determine the career and school preferences of graduating high school students and bring out the factors that would influence their choices and traits/abilities which could help the students maintain and finish their career and school preferences. FINDINGS In the light of the data gathered, the study revealed the following: 1. On the demographic profile of the senior high school students: 1.1. Fifty-seven (57) respondents or 61.29% belonged the 15-16 age bracket; there were thirty-two (32) respondents or 34.40% belonged to the 17-18 age bracket and four (4) respondents or 4.30% belonged to the 19 and above age bracket: 1.2. There were fifty-three (53) or 56.99% of females and forty (40) or 43.01% of males in the group studied. 1.3. There were thirty-three (33) respondents or 35.48% who belonged to P30,000.00 and above income level; nineteen (19) respondents or 20.43% belonged to the P25,000.00 - 29,999.00 income level; fifteen (15) respondents or 16.13% belonged to the P20,000.00 24,999.00 income level; twelve (12) respondents or 12.90% belonged to the P15,000.00 - 19,999.00 income level; eight ( 8 respondents or 8.60% belonged to the P10,000.00 14,999.00 income level; and six (6) respondents or 6.45% belonged to the below P10,000.00 income level. 2. On the career preferences of the respondents. "Health Related Courses" were their priority with thirty-one (31) respondents or 33.33%; followed by Business Management with twenty (20) respondents or 21.51%; Engineering with ten (10) respondents or 10.75%; Communication Arts and Information Technology Computer Science with eight ( 8 respondents or 8.60%; Psychology with six (6) respondents or 6.45%; Technical Vocational Courses with four (4) respondents or 4.30%; lastly, Law and Education with two (2) respondents or 2.15%. 3. On the factors considered important in choosing a career. "Standing in the subject" was the main reason for career choice of forty-seven (47) respondents or 50.54%. There were thirty (30) respondents or 32.25% who mentioned financial capability, as the reason for the course they choose. Others significant reasons were demand of the course with ten (10) respondents or 10.75%, parent's/relatives' advice or choice with five (5) respondents or 5.38%, and one (1) respondent or 1.08% for friend's suggestions. 4. On the factors considered in choosing a school in college. High quality of education given was considered most important factor in choosing a school in college with thirty-five (35) respondents or 37.63%; followed by reasonable tuition with twenty-eight (28) respondents; while fourteen (14) respondents or 15.05% considered school's prestige; parent's/relatives' advice with 8.60% or eight (8) respondents; accessibility with 5.38% or five (5) respondents; and with 3.36% or three (3) respondents for friends' suggestions. CONCLUSIONS The following conclusions were made in the light of the findings: 1. There were more 15-16 year old students since this is the right age for this year level, and the dominant gender among the respondents are females. Generally, majority of the respondents belonged to the P30,000.00 and above income level because Olivarez College is a private owned institution therefore, this students could afford the tuition being prescribed. 2. "Health Related Courses" were the dominant choice of the respondents, primarily due to their perception of its security of tenure and the salary standardization. Business Management was the second dominant choice of the respondents maybe because of the encouragement of the present government to engage in entrepreneurial activities or simply to manage their own business. 3. "Standing in the subject" is the main concern in the selection of a course for them to be able to pursue their studies. This means that the respondents know that mental ability is important in the choice of a course for them to finish their studies to the end. "Financial capability or family income" ranked second in the selection of a course. It implies that students are aware of the expenses to be incurred in the respective courses. Ranked third was the "demand of the course". Respondents preferred courses that are in demand in the labor market. The possibility of landing a job becomes slim when there is no demand in the job market. "Parent's or relatives' advice or choice" ranked fourth. This implied that students were no longer influenced by their parents which could be attributed to the independence of today's generation. *Friends' suggestion" is the last factor considered by the respondent which means that their decision is no longer influenced by friends or peer. 4. "High quality of education given" is the main concern in the selection of school in college. This implies that students give importance to the quality of education they will get from a school in college due to the fact that high quality of education has parallel relevance to competitiveness with regards to employment. "Reasonable tuition" is the second selection of the respondents. This could be attributed to the fact that most Filipinos are budget conscious nowadays considering the economic situation of the country. "School's prestige" ranked third in the factors considered in choosing a school in college which means that only a few of the students still consider school's prestige as an important factor due to the fact that schools with prestige have higher tuition and that at times considered as unreasonable because of the economic situation of the country. The "parent's or relatives' advice has eight respondents which indicates that students nowadays are no longer influenced by their parents or relatives and that parents or relatives give the young ones the freedom to choose the school they want to enter in college. "Friends' suggestions" ranked last in the selection with only three respondents. This implies that their decision is no longer influenced by friends' suggestions.