Influence of Social Factors in the selection of strand of the Grade 11 ABM students in

University of Mindanao.

A Qualitative Case Study

Presented to the Basic Education Department

University of Mindanao, Davao City

SY 2022–2023

Quirante, Therenz Nicole T.

Ballesteros, Frenz Angel Grace S.

Rabanillo, Mary Elizabeth C.

Lincosanan, Jeferson B.

Oredina, Raymond John A.

Rojas, Rafael D.

August 2022
 Introduction

One of the decisions that students will make that will drastically influence the

direction of their lives is which strand to pursue. A single decision made by a person has

a significant impact on their life (Vallente, et al.,2016). Also, our surroundings impact our

decisions. According to study, a student's career decision is influenced by factors such

as home, school, and social settings, as well as other variables such as passion and

money (Quiño, 2022).

According to a study by Palos and Drobot (2010), Family plays a crucial role in

the vocational development which starts in childhood. When paired with the child's own

observation, a family's expertise, attitudes, and views on various jobs and professions

can be a valuable source of vocational knowledge. As a result, a child's decisions are

frequently affected by family influences. In a study by (Fouad, et al., 2015), it was found

in the Indian sample that one of the factors that affected their decision on their career

was that their family showed them what was important in choosing a career.

While the Family is important in the initial developmental stages in life, peer

influence becomes crucial later in terms of the selection of lifestyle, appearance, social

activities and academics (Naz, et al., 2014). Teenages spend a long amount of time

with their peers thus, peers and friends have a significant influence over a person's

behavior and decisions (Naz, et al., 2014; Albert, Chein, & Steinberg, 2013). A study in

Kenya (Walaba & Kibodd, 2013) found that a student’s career choice is influenced by

their interactions with peers.

 Upon entering senior high school, students have to choose a strand to pursue

and their chosen strand will aid them on their chosen college course in the future

(Quiño, 2022). Choosing a senior high school strand is a critical decision that should be

thoroughly considered through self-reflection and deductive reasoning (Callao, 2021)

Due to this important decision to make, students may get intimidated or stressed. In

response to the stress, some students may delay making a choice or may even pass on

the decision to others which may lead to unfavorable outcomes (Gati, et al., 2011)

According to Tortor et al. (2020) In senior high school, choosing a strand is an

important decision that takes into account a number of variables, including financial

situation, parental influence, peer influence, and personal preference. Although parents

had a stronger influence on pupils' strand selection than personal preference, their

investigation indicated that this influence is not statistically significant. Peer pressure, on

the other hand, influences students' decisions but has little bearing on which strand they

choose.

Meanwhile, Obijo (2018) conducted a study to investigate how senior secondary

school pupils' academic goals are impacted by their parents' socioeconomic level

(SES). According to the study's findings, parents' wealth and education levels have a

big impact on their kids' desire to pursue higher education. In particular, the majority of

senior secondary school students in Cross River State, Nigeria's Ogoja Education Zone,

feel that children of more educated parents are more likely to seek further education

than children of less educated parents. This conviction could be supported by their own

and their peers' experiences.

 Advice from the general public, family members, and peers has a favorable

impact on an individual's decision making since it provides additional insights and

directions. Consuming solicited or unsolicited counsel, on the other hand, can be

overwhelming and may not help people come up with the best decisions. There is a lot

to consider whilst making decisions, and listening to other people's perceptions, given

their diverse experiences and skill sets, may cause disarray and discord with the

student's personal aspiration (Edu, 2022)

According to research, a student's career choice is influenced by their home,

school, and social environment. Their career choices are influenced by financial

considerations, as they must pay for family expenses. Many studies have found that

factors like fitness, life circumstances, and academic achievement all play a role in

career choices (Kazi, A. S., & Akhlaq, A. 2017). Highlighted by Humayon et al. (2018)

that interests are cultivated from parental values and expectations. Though this is a

positive take, Garikai (2008) pointed out that parents may project their preferences and

have gender prejudice against their children, where they may influence a child to do

something that the parents want instead of supporting what the child wants. Supported

by Balinton (2017), Ambong (2017), Vallente et al. (2016) and Espero (2009) that

personal interest was mentioned as a factor that affects a student’s choice. This

involves unique experiences, social and environmental factors that have built the person

as they are today. Espero (2009) and Abarro (2016) discussed that academic

performance was also a considered factor in these circumstances. (Buan, B. Y. L.

2021).
 Finding how social factors affect the students' judgments on which academic

path to choose for their senior year was an essential goal of the study. Yates, Veinotte,

and Patalano (2003) define a decision as "...a commitment to a course of action that is

intended to produce a satisfying state of affairs." Since picking an academic strand

should not be done carelessly and should take into account a lot of elements to avoid

disagreements, the study's goal is to emphasize the social factors. While there are

related studies, the current research focuses on how social influences such as the

general public, family, and peers influence students' decision-making on strand

selection. Many issues remain unanswered, such as "How do these factors affect their

strand selection process?" and " How did they influence their decision-making in a

positive or bad way?" We conducted extensive research on this topic in order to provide

an answer.

These studies are significant in a number of cases actually. The findings of this

study should help students choose the most appropriate academic strand for them. To

begin, the findings of this study will benefit students, parents, and high school personnel

by offering insight into the academic strand choosing process. Furthermore, the findings

might be a significant factor in self by offering a framework for evaluating relevant

academic career options.

This study helps the students who are an incoming senior high school to

determine the considerations in selecting college degree. They must consider their

creativity, abilities, talents, hobbies and reward, in order to prosper in the next two

years. Contemplating which academic strand to walk on takes a long time yet many
students still make bad decisions. This analysis will raise their consciousness and

enable young people identify their profession track, which adds to the directionlessness

of high school students. This study will aid them in honing their decision-making skills.

This will help the student understand what these variables are and how they impact

their decision on which academic route to pursue. During high school, the key variables

influencing students are parental influence, peer influence, and public opinion, as well

as the demanding academic strand throughout the year.

This study is beneficial to all parents who have a significant effect on their

children's professional growth and professional decisions. According to study, when a

child feels supported and loved by their parents, they feel competent in professional

decision-making and have greater confidence in their abilities to explore work

opportunities, which leads to them selecting more fulfilling career choices later in life.

Children and teens absorb their parents' attitudes and expectations of them as they

grow up, consequently their beliefs, drive, and attitude were primarily learnt

unconsciously.

This research will also benefit the guidance counselors in junior and senior high

schools. Students' professional success may be best achieved if good counsel was

provided in selecting the suitable classes in university that is matched to their

personality, skills, and intelligence. High school educators may assist students pick an

academic track that is right for them by incorporating career plans into the curriculum,

allowing students to make an informed decision about what academic strand to pursue

in later.
 Aside from the aforementioned beneficiaries, this investigation not only benefit

the students, high school counselors, and parents because, if we try to observe, we can

tell that most students who took for granted and chose the course that is not really the

course that they want directly affect their performance in school, primarily because they

lose interest and find it tedious, which causes their grades to drop. This study was

performed in order to raise awareness that selecting an academic strand should not be

taken lightly and should take into account a variety of aspects in order to prevent

conflicts.

The investigation revolved around grade 11 ABM students at the University of

Mindanao who were concerned which strand to pursue. They were asked specific

questions about the factors that impact their decision to pursue an academic strand.

This research looks at how social elements such as the general public, family, and

peers influence students' decisions about which academic strand to pursue. Finally, this

study only included eight (8) grade 11 students from one (1) private university.
 Methodology

This section outlines the research methods used throughout the study. The

methodology, study participants, research instruments, and research design have been

discussed.

Research Instrument

The researchers used a semi-structured interview in this study, using open-

ended questions to elicit responses from the participants. The researchers developed

pre-determined questions to collect data for this study in an effective and efficient

manner. The questionnaire was approved by the expert advisor to the researchers.

After the tool had been evaluated and improved, the eight (8) participants in this study

were interviewed. The researchers performed one-on-one interviews with the

participants, referencing the verified guide for interviewing as needed and answering

further questions.

Research Participants

The participants in this study were eight (8) grade 11 students from the University

of Mindanao Matina Campus. These individuals are currently enrolled in the

Accountancy, Business, and Management (ABM) strand. They struggled with deciding

which strand to pursue and were exposed to the effect of social elements such as their

family, peers, and the wider public. According to Creswell (2007), semi-structured/in-

depth interviews require a sample size of between 5 and 25 people. Furthermore, the

researchers utilized a purposive sample strategy to determine who is interested in the

topic and willing to become participants. Individual or one-on-one interviews were used
to interview eight (8) Grade 11 ABM students who were interested in the topic. This

allows the researchers to exactly acquire the respondents' thoughts.

Research Design

The qualitative design was used by the researchers of this study, who conducted

one-on-one interviews with chosen Grade 11 students to better understand and

interpret their perspectives. Because of the versatility it offers, one-on-one interviews,

according to Kayleigh (2023), are a successful method of data collection; it gives

specifics regarding an interviewee's behaviors, thoughts, feelings, and needs.

Interviews enable you to engage in substantive conversations with people and go

deeper into topics of interest. One-on-one interviews are frequently utilized during the

research discovery phase to understand context, and elicit demands (UserTesting,

2023). This assisted the researchers in identifying the various responses of our

respondents, exposing the problem's alternate sides. Thus, the use of qualitative design

enabled the researchers to acquire results with greater effectiveness.