“GUSTO KONG MAGING: A Qualitative Study about the Career Choice of

Grade 12 Students”

____________________

A Research Presented to the Faculty and Administration of the Basic Education

Department- Senior High School Program St. Mary’s of Tagum, Inc.

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Subject

Practical Research 1

By

Corrales, Alyssandra Zoe P.

Requizo, Rhica Mae B.

Galvez, Gian Lester V.

Batulanon, Adriel T.

Montoya, Marvin R.

Castro, Charice S.

Libuit, Mishane A.
 Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

The solution to a world's socioeconomic issues is widely acknowledged to

be education. Countries as well as individuals look up to education as a remedy

for mental illness, unemployment, bad governance, ignorance, poverty, and

starvation. Thus, every country in the world strives for quality. Appropriate job

decisions, especially for students who are preparing to seek an advanced

degree, can improve one's quality of life and social standing in college.

The term "career" has origins in both French and Latin. Ahmed, Sharif,

and Ahmad et.al (2017) defined a career as the vocational, commercial, or

industrial activity that a person may choose to engage in during his or her school

life or in another section of their life up to their passing. It is also clear that a

person's career is the application of their intelligence and abilities, giving them

control over their profession, access to timely work expertise, and a foundation

for creating and strengthening business networks. People choose career

planning to pursue their professional goals and stay updated on available

options, outcomes, and timely evaluations.

Choosing a career is one of many important decisions that students will

make while choosing their plans for the future. That is one of the main confusions

and difficulties in a student's life. It involves the interaction of multiple, highly

interwoven factors. It requires a rigorous decision-making process and is not an

easy process. This dilemma is not specific to any one component but has
universal applicability. For many students, selecting a college or a major is an

important choice that impacts their life plan, success, and future opportunities.

The decision they make now will affect them for the rest of their lives.

Since this influences an individual's pattern of income and has an impact on their

personality and perspective of life, their career is very significant to their lives.

Thus, a career is a lifelong desire for accomplishment.

The opinions of family members and significant others are highly valued

by students who are influenced by interpersonal variables; as a result, they

consult with and depend on them, and they are even willing to give up some of

their interests (Guan et al., 2015).

In the Philippines, developments for career guidance began when the

Philippine government became in concern over the rising number of college

graduates who were unemployed and some of them who were finding

employment in fields unrelated to their areas of specialization (Santamaria, J.D.

2008), as cited by Braza and Guillo (2015). The majority of high school students

take the wrong path, which increases the rate of underemployment and

unemployment among recent graduates, according to Pascual (2014), who also

claims that the country's high unemployment rate is frequently related to the

workforce that various businesses need and the misfit graduates produced by

universities and colleges

PURPOSE OF STUDY
 The purpose of this research was to determine the factors influencing

grade 12 students' college course choices. To better understand the elements

impacting senior high school students' referrals for college courses. This will

serve as a guide for educational institutions in assisting students in selecting the

best career for their interests. In this study senior high school students can find

and discover paths as this will be discussed, with this they can have an

advantage as they have prior knowledge of the career choices presented and

such this study intends to have multiple choices upon choosing/pursuing the

career of grade 12 student and having sufficient Intel upon the courses in the

study so that the students may have a wide variety of choices as this will be their

first step as it also as guide. This study will give grade 12 students ideas on the

basic steps in choosing a career.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the various factors that influence the career choices of grade 12

students?

2. What reasons/ ASPECTS do grade 12 students consider when choosing

a school to enroll in college?

3. What are the student’s suggestions for choosing a career?

THEORETICAL LENS

One of the most powerful ways of understanding career choice was

developed by John Holland’s Theory of Vocational Choice (1959) and Frank

Parson’s Trait and Factor Theory (1920). The vocational Choice theory centers
on the environmental, social, and biological factors that affect people’s ability to

find their interests. This theory emphasizes specifically the (RIASEC) which is an

abbreviation for Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and

Conventional. The latter that were mentioned are classified as six types of

vocational choice and work environments that lead to the creation of an interest

in choosing a career.

The first type is Realistic environment/personality which defines as the

environment or personality trait which requires a huge amount of involvement in

the real physical world. Realistic people usually choose a workplace that requires

them to use tools, machinery, or animals. People with a realistic type tend to

approach things in a practical or problem-solving way. Second, the Investigative

environment/personality. People that are the investigative type usually choose a

workplace wherein they can use their critical and abstract thinking.

These types focus on problem-solution approaches which cause them to

utilize their skills in mathematics, scientific methods, and logic. Third is the Artistic

environment/personality. These types tend to be more open and expressive.

These types of people nurture themselves in an environment wherein they can

express themselves creatively. Fourth is the social environment/personality.

Social people tend to choose a workplace where they can offer a helping hand to

others whether that may be a personal or career issue. They seek out an

environment where they can use their social skills. Fifth is Enterprising, this

environment/personality tends to use persuasion, leadership, and selling skills.

They use these skills to reach a particular goal. They highly value an
environment or workplace that values money and power. Sixth is the

conventional environment/personality. This type works best at workplaces that

require organization and planning such as offices. This type tends to be

dependable, rules, and orders followers. They are good at accomplishing tasks

and approaching problems.

The first study explores the connection or factor between an environment

and an individual. This theory argues that people that are congruent with the

environment that they are in, the people that they are with, often find satisfaction

and a sense of supportive community. Up to this day, this theory has been used

in many career assessment tools. Furthermore, the study between environment

and personality traits that results in a career choice is way long existing dating

from the 1920s such as Parson’s Trait and Factor Theory.

Parson classifies Trait and Factor Theory into Three classifications. (1)

Personality trait knowledge in which he argues that people before entering or

making a career decision should take a personality test first. (2) A knowledge of

the job or the labor market that you consider choosing. (3) Making a rational

judgment that considers your personality and the job including the relation of your

traits or abilities and the labor or pay of the job.

Each theory shows the correlating value of biological, social, and

environmental aspects in career choice-making. These studies exhibit the factors

and reasons why people are best suited in these specific areas which are very

beneficial in life, specifically to the youths who are about to take a life-changing

path.
SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of this research is only limited to students at the senior high school

level. Those students who are outside the senior high school level, whether it

may be teachers, faculties, and officials of the school are not included in this

survey we have done for our fellow students.

IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

This research work is beneficial to the following entities:

For the students, this study will help them to choose the appropriate career.

The knowledge is different in the midst of studies as a result of the various

academic tracks chosen in senior high school, and this will also affect the

courses that are available in a chosen strand in college. That is why this study

will help, especially for senior high school students, to avoid entering the wrong

academic strand that is not in the planned course and serve as a guide for them

in their future.

For the parent/guardian, for them to be aware of what type of career their

child wants to follow. To assist and understand the student’s chosen career and

how they should support it. They can also help the student pursue their dreams

and provide support up until the end of their studies by paying for tuition,

projects, allowances, and any equipment needed for the chosen career.

For the teachers, to comprehend that some students pursue their desired

careers in different ways. In order for what they teach to be correctly absorbed by
the students and contribute to their progress, as well as to place them in a good

and accurate way to acquire knowledge from teachers, asking the students what

they want to take will also help the teachers.

For future researcher, this study can help them, who also contributed to the

topic of career choice, add knowledge, be a guide for their work, and can turn it

into a source of review-related literature.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For a clearer understanding of the study, the following terms were defined

conceptually and operationally:

Career Preferences

It refers to the choice of occupation or profession of a graduating student.

Career Choice

It refers to the mental ability of a senior high student measured by grade point

average during her/his last grading period in high school. The academic

preparedness of being engaged in college.

Grade 12 Students

It is a field of study that deals mainly with methods of teaching and learning in

school.

ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

 This study has been organized into five chapters to comprehensively

present the development of the investigation. However, at present, only the first

chapter has been completed.

Chapter 1 introduces the phenomenon of career choice, citing existing

studies that have led the researchers to conduct their own investigation. The

chapter’s core is the purpose of the study, which is supported by research

questions that will guide the research process. The theoretical lens utilized in the

study is also presented. Additionally, the definition of terms is provided to clarify

and contextualized the relevant concepts in the study.